Chapter 2: Trivia About the Countries
The Kingdom of Sandis
A prosperous inland nation blessed with fertile land and abundant water.
It is also a very old country with a long history.
It is a peaceful nation with good public order, and compared to other countries, discrimination is minimal.
Slavery generally does not exist except for criminal slaves.
Beastfolk, elves, dwarves, and other demi-humans are not enslaved simply for being non-human, making it a comfortable place even for minorities.
The royal capital is also called Sandis, so most people simply refer to it as the Royal Capital.
Members of the royal family often possess deep green eyes called Sandis Green, though in recent years this trait has become rare.
Sandis Green is the royal color, and those eyes are called the Royal Eyes.
There also exists an extremely powerful barrier magic limited to the royal bloodline, along with magical tools that assist it.
Many past wars were repelled and endured thanks to this barrier.
For that reason, the throne is limited to those who possess the Royal Eyes and the Royal Seal, and who can use barrier magic.
Though it is an unwritten rule, it is absolute, as it is the cornerstone of national defense.
It is said that the larger and clearer the Royal Seal, the more powerful the barrier magic user, and the greater their qualifications to be king.
At the top stands the Sandis royal family.
Below them are the Four Great Ducal Houses: Lattiche, Fortuna, Armadine, and Frings.
Among the nobility, these four houses are exceptional.
The current unspoken hierarchy is Lattiche >>> Armadine, Fortuna, Frings.
The latter three are roughly equal among themselves.
There is also a Grand Ducal house, but most of the direct royal line has died out.
To prevent extinction, distant relatives inherited the title, making it mostly symbolic with little real power.
The only truly strong bloodline remaining is that of a lecherous old man.
It is not a great power, but rather a slightly smaller mid-sized nation.
In terms of defensive capability, none surpass it.
Incidentally, it is a country known for having many beautiful men and women.
It has many small nations, such as Mil Dons, as vassal or friendly states.
The national flag and royal crest consist of a large hexagonal shield, surrounded by laurel branches, and encircled by a sword, spear, bow, axe, and staff.
The gemstone called Sandis Light, which bears the royal color, is a magic stone mined only in Sandis.
Beautiful specimens are treasured even more as magical gemstones.
They are absurdly expensive.
The Kingdom of Goyuran
A neighboring country of Sandis.
It is composed of dry savanna and desert regions, and constantly sets its sights on Sandis’s territory.
However, it fails every time.
Even when using their royal family’s special magic as a last resort, they are blocked by Sandis’s barrier magic.
Its specialties include herbs and spices, but its main industry is slavery.
They capture minority tribes and demi-humans and sell them.
As a result, they earn much resentment, so they typically only pick fights with weaker nations and Sandis, which specializes in defensive warfare.
They usually lack endurance, and their forces collapse mid-campaign as soldiers and slaves flee.
Perhaps due to its desert terrain, it has many ancient tombs and ruins.
The royal family holds highly monopolistic power and often builds enormous harems, leading to frequent corruption.
However, being a dry region with many bad debts, it is not frequently targeted by other powers.
It is an old country, even older than Sandis, but not especially strong and quick to pick fights.
Bloody conflicts over succession frequently occur, and decadence sometimes leads to national decline.
Without their hereditary royal magic, they would have collapsed long ago, yet the royal family still reigns.
Mummies exist there, and necromancy has been researched.
The national flag and royal crest feature water and a crescent moon floating in the night sky, with red and gold lines on both sides.
The fundamental corruption of the nation was caused by being infested by the illegal organization known as the Death Merchants.
The king built a harem and gathered beautiful women, so the organization sent their own agents inside.
The enslavement of the nation’s commerce and the spread of narcotics were both orchestrated behind the scenes by the Death Merchants.
However, in recent years, Goyuran has steadily declined, so the Death Merchants are searching for a new host to parasitize.
The Empire of Valenstadt (Balenstadt Empire)
Located beyond a somewhat larger mountain range from Sandis, it is a nation of military expansion and wealth, where power is justice.
Even the emperor and imperial family strongly uphold the belief that strength equals righteousness.
There are many princes and princesses, constantly engaged in fierce internal struggles.
Victory determines legitimacy, and winners gain important future positions, so they clash intensely.
They are always eyeing other countries to absorb, but tend to ignore Goyuran due to its low value.
Instead, they frequently cast longing glances at Sandis, which, though small, is fertile and climatically stable.
On the surface, relations are friendly, but…
Valenstadt and Balenstadt are written the same way, the difference being akin to dialect.
Which pronunciation is used depends on factions and the emperor’s backing.
In other words, it changes frequently and gives diplomats headaches.
The Kingdom of Wallace
Also a neighboring country of Sandis.
It borders Valenstadt as well, though relations between them are not very good.
Grail’s mother married into the Lattiche family from the Wincott marquess house of this kingdom.
Grail strongly inherited the bloodline of the Wincott family, a lineage of magical geniuses and prodigies known for difficult personalities.
Basically, the royal family name and the country name, as well as territory names, house names, and titles, are interconnected.
Normally, there would be many cases where House A and Count B are not directly linked.
However, remembering all the names would be difficult for both the writer and the reader, so they are kept aligned here.