Chapter 71 - The Four Great Nations (Patreon)

The air of the eatery of the Adventurer’s Guild was different. While it should be loud and boisterous befitting a tavern, they were all listening to Viers like obedient children in the classroom.

“It has been a while since there were any wars between cities and the power behind them. One of the reasons there’s peace among the Governor-Kings is because of a war. About fifteen years ago, the Latias Kingdom, one of the four great nations, tried to invade the Coalition. The invaders were repulsed but at great costs. The Governor-Kings, their families and vassals, adventurers, and civilians… many lost their lives. Some sort of arrangement was struck between the invader and the invaded and now we have enjoyed a period of peace. How ironic. The greater the war, the greater the peace.”

Some adventurers turned solemn. War was always a tragedy. They might have lost people they know because of the war, friends, or families.

“It is now called the War of the Greedy Pigs, because the church later uncovered the truth behind the invasion. Gullible nobles of the kingdom were tempted by the devil cults. The wise -which I don't believe- King Cassian of Latias, who apparently had no part in the invasion, personally called them greedy pigs and purged the nobles and their houses.”

“Hmph, greedy wine-bellied bastards. Phfft!” One of the adventurers spat to the ground in anger. Like the start of an avalanche, many more followed suit.

“Latians, curse them for coming at us with steel, phuih!”

“May the greedy pigs burn in hell, bffp!”

There were other reactions too.

“My father died in that war... blessed be his memory,” an adventurer poured the beer from his mug to the floor. Not a small number of people did the same.

Viers saw the receptionist frowning in disgust. He suspected the receptionist girl would take some sort of revenge against the adventurers who forced her to have more work. Wait, why was she staring daggers at Viers? Surely she didn't blame Viers for all of this didn't she? Viers was worried, very worried.

“Anyway, that is the rough outline of the Coalition.”

Viers moved his hand to the upper right of the map.

“The Latias Kingdom, the kingdom of chivalry and honor and lords with perfumed ass.”

Another round of merry laughter broke out, even Izabella smiled.

“Unlike the Coalition, a single king sits on the Jewel Throne, ruling over his domain. The aristocracy is very prominent here, the idea that nobles are so much greater than the commoners originates from Latias. Below the king, there're the dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, and barons. They are famous for their Knights, Pathseekers that co-cultivates another Path of Power besides the Intio Magisterix. I’m not clear about the specifics, only it has something to do with ‘oaths’ and not everyone can become knights.”

Viers paused to take a breath.

“Men are also regarded as so much better than women there. Wives are expected to obey the husband. Again, this idea is planted on the heads of their young since a tender age. Womankind is supposed, no, required to marry. Marry then take care of their husband, take care of the household, and give your husband sons, the importance is not necessarily in that order. The nobles that I was talking about, often bargain and make alliances with each other by arranging marriages for their daughters as if they are a trophy.”

“Booo! That’s rubbish! I am my own woman.”

A woman adventurer jeered at Viers. Some other women also showed their displeasure.

“You are free to kick the balls of the men of Latias if you like. You’ll hear no complaints from me,” Viers shortly replied. “The church dislikes such social injustice against women and provides other ways of life for women, become nuns in their convent, join the Silver Legion, and the like.”

“...And that’s all I know about the Latias Kingdom,” Viers said.

“While we are enjoying peace, the wise -which I also don't believe- King Cassian had died a few months ago. Plots, intrigues, assassinations. Alliances forged, enmity sown. Oaths were made and oaths were broken. The flames of war for the throne now rages in the Latias Kingdom.”

Izabella added a bomb in the form of news.

“Iz, that true?”

“Who’s about to be king?”

There was no newspaper in this world, let alone social media. News traveled at a glacial pace to those without the means to know. Many of them did not know of such happening in the Latias Kingdom.

Including Viers.

“...Moving on, the Zetel Kingdom.”

Viers’ finger was on the map’s bottom left.

“The most advanced place about Arte knowledge and magic craftsmanship in the Human Dominion. Education is rated very highly there, for the privileged.”

Viers continued to teach Boram, disregarding the peanut gallery. Since they did not pay Viers, why must Viers entertain them?

“While the lands are rich and bountiful in the Coalition and Latias, the lands of the Zetel Kingdom are not so. Most of their lands are arid, dry and dusty. The sun is very strong and there are lots of deserts. Water is scarce and precious. In some regions, water is more precious than gold.”

Boram imagined a scene from his past. A dusty quarry, working under the burning sun, and the almost constant thirst. It was not a pleasant memory.

“One example of their knowledge prowess is the Magisterium. The Magisterium originates from the Zetel Kingdom. At first, it was a small research institute for researching and developing Artes. Now, it is a global organization with branches almost everywhere, holding a monopoly over Arte trade. It is one of the few organizations in the world that have the resources and clout to rival the Estellian Church. In the Human Dominion, every city certainly will have a branch of the Magisterium. Since you’re a slave you might not know but Magisterium is a place where you can buy Artes. If you don't create your own Artes, then the Magisterium is the place to gain more, if you have the money for it.”

Viers created his own Artes but not all people have the knowledge and inspiration from the loads and loads of 21st-century fiction like Viers. Even Viers bought a few in the past.

“The Zetel Kingdom is also a horrible place for a demi-human. The Zetel Kingdom believes that humans are the greatest species and therefore oppress the other races. Naturally, the beastfolk tribes just south of their border fell victim to this misguided idea. The beastfolks -and not only them- are often taken as slaves, treated as playthings by their human master. As a consequence, many beastfolks hate humans, especially Zetelians. The bad blood between the Zetel Kingdom and the beastfolk tribes has crystallized into a gem of hate. It is only a matter of time until both sides bitterly tear each other apart.”

Viers stopped there. Racial differences were bad enough between humans, let alone between other species. The difference in skin color was enough to make humans enslave one another. What about if the other side not only had different skin colors but also had horns and tails like beasts?

Humans are petty beings.

Someone spoke with a womanly voice.

“The environment of the Zetel Kingdom has always been bad but tolerable. In the past years, the Magisterium wanton exploitation of resources has made it worse. Sandstorms... monster outbreaks because of environmental change… I wonder if the Zetelians have what it takes to fight nature itself, human supremacy or not. On the latest tragedy at the Zetel Kingdom borders, the town of Tahivv, population two thousand souls -famous for its slave market- was put to the sword last month by the beastfolks after saving their enslaved brethren in the process. In return, the Zetelians had taken one of the beastfolk's princess captive and… made an example of her.”

Izabella added another important piece of news. The other adventurers were taken aback and murmured with each other. Some beastfolk adventurers were angered beyond comparison. Boram looked conflicted.

“...Last of the four, the Harkelan Empire,” Viers pointed to the upper left of the map.

“It has the largest territory among the four great nations. Tough and hardy people. While Zetel has problems with the sun and sand, Harkelan's problems are ice and snow. The land makes for poor farming, famine is a normal occurrence. Harkelans like to drink alcohol… that is all I know about them. Because of the distance between the Coalition and the Empire, I wasn't able to find much.”

Viers was a reincarnated person, of course he sought information about the new world he was in. Yet what he could find wasn't perfect.

“Yup, that pretty much sums up the Harkelan Empire,” Iz added. “Their land is poor for farming but has many precious stones and mineral veins. Since their founding, they are also beset by two major troubles, trouble in the north, trouble in the west. At times, those two trouble ails the Empire at the same time… such as now.”

“Seriously Iz? The dead are on the move?”

“And the demons? Radiant Lady protects us,” an adventurer made the Goddess’ sign.

Learned woman, this Izabella. Viers was impressed by the broadness of her information-gathering ability.

“To sum it up, the Harkelan Empire in the northwest, the Latias Kingdom in the northeast, the Free People Coalition in the southeast, and the Zetel Kingdom in the southwest. There are many countries left in the entire Human Dominion but they all fall under the jurisdiction of these four.”

Boram was fascinated by the map.

“But there is one more faction that we must mention. They have no land under their sovereignty save for a city but have the power to rival any of the four if not greater… The Estellian Church.”

“Praise the Radiant Lady!” Someone suddenly shouted.

“Praise the Radiant Lady!”

“Hell yeah! Praise the Radiant Lady!”

Others soon followed, like wolves in howling. Faithful wolves.

“They do not govern, they do not rule. Almost all humans on the continent are Estellian. The church’s sole purpose is to bring the light of the goddess Estelle to the world. Not only the humans but the other races too. As I know it, the church has four bishops and three of them are not humans. The church has a sword, a mighty sword to combat evil and monsters of the dark, the famous Silver Legion.”

“Hoah!! Toast to the heroes of the Silver Legion!” One of the adventurers raised his mug.

“Let the sword remain unbroken for eternity!”

“What are you talking about? They have never failed before. They have the Goddess’ blessing!”

Almost every child dreamed of becoming a Silver Legion, even Viers, before his otherworldly memories awakened.

“Boram, do you know why people create villages, towns, cities, and nations? Do you know why they gathered together? Why has the Human Dominion become so big?”

The Coalition alone was as big as Australia. With the other three great nations in the tally, the Human Dominion was as big as the whole landmass of Earth.

Boram shook his head. Some adventurers pricked up their ears since they too didn't know.

“To repel external threats that they can't handle themselves.”