Karnak, Monarch of Death

Unlike the long-unified Lacania Empire, the western part of the continent was divided into tribal kingdoms, each with its own unique culture. Over time, these tribal kingdoms merged and reformed, eventually becoming five powerful factions. This was the birth of the Five Kingdoms.

Felmayer, Tarum, Ethriel, Lipaul, and Altail. These five kingdoms sometimes formed alliances and other times fought each other, all the while growing their power. As the strength of the western kingdoms grew, the Lacania Empire could no longer sit idly by. Frequent clashes soon followed.

In response, the five warring kingdoms united and stood against the empire. The Lacania Empire, in turn, appointed the Eustil and Atringen families as marquisates to secure the western borders. However, this backfired. The two families betrayed the empire and declared their independence, aligning themselves with the western kingdoms. The Five Kingdoms Alliance became the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.

From that point on, the Lacania Empire and the Seven Kingdoms Alliance maintained a complex relationship. When the empire was strong, the Seven Kingdoms resisted fiercely, and when the empire was weak, the kingdoms would even counterattack. At times when their powers were evenly matched, they maintained a friendly atmosphere.

At the heart of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance stood the Kingdom of Ethriel. Not by status, but by geography—Ethriel was centrally located among the kingdoms.

Ethriel was the smallest and poorest of the seven kingdoms. Being a landlocked nation was the first reason, but the second reason was the frequent appearance of monsters. Though monsters appeared often across the continent, no other kingdom had them so widely spread across the land as Ethriel.

In the center of the kingdom stood the towering Halseyer Mountain, surrounded by the vast Kalenta Forest, and the great lake Desper, which some even referred to as an inland sea. The entire country was made up of mountains, forests, and lakes. Farming was difficult, and the moment you stepped outside a village, danger lurked in every direction. It was a perfect habitat for monsters.

Strictly speaking, it wasn't that humans settled there first, but rather that they forcefully moved into the territory that had once been dominated by monsters. This attracted monster hunters and treasure hunters seeking ancient relics. As services were provided to these hunters and relics were traded, commerce flourished.

This is why the Kingdom of Ethriel was often called the Land of Adventurers. Countless adventurers gathered in the Ethriel Kingdom, hoping to make a fortune, and numerous merchants gathered around them, hoping to make a profit off of them.

Wellad City, located at the edge of the great Kalenta Forest, was one such prosperous city built on exploration and trade. Today, the streets were bustling with foreigners, and among them were Karnak and his companions, who had just arrived.

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The frontier city of Wellad, with the exception of a few temples and watchtowers, was mostly built with timber. As Karnak walked through the main street lined with countless log buildings, he buttoned up his coat.