Sin and Sira…
These two continents were vastly different from one another.
In the south of Sira, the continent located to the east, the great Barabar tribes ruled. In the north, a rather underdeveloped kingdom struggled to survive.
The western continent of Sin, however, was far more advanced compared to Sira. It consisted of an empire that dominated most of the continent and several kingdoms capable of standing against it.
But forty years ago, a great calamity befell the Sin Continent.
DEMONS.
No one knew where these creatures came from, and each demon possessed completely different traits from the others.
Some demons barely reached half the height of a human, while others were three to four times larger than one.
Their first target was the Sin Continent—and humanity was being utterly crushed.
One of the reasons for this was the poor decisions and mismanagement of Emperor Beyras at the time, but the most important reason was that demons were physically far superior to humans.
Kingdoms began to fall, and the Empire was pushed to the brink of collapse. Demons even started sending small units into the Sira Continent. Just when the world seemed doomed, humans made a great discovery.
Desperate circumstances brought forth great power—magic.
With the discovery of magic, mages appeared. Knights learned spells that strengthened their bodies. Great leaders emerged, and among them was Zorda.
Thanks to Zorda's great achievements, the demons were defeated. That brutal Demon War lasted nine years. Then, strangely, the demons vanished completely and were never seen again.
After the demons disappeared, Zorda blamed the Empire for the heavy losses suffered during the war and declared war on it.
After two years of conflict, Zorda overthrew the Empire, becoming the first person to conquer all the fortresses on the Sin Continent. He earned the title The Conqueror.
After ruling the entire continent for four years, Zorda, now fifty years old, withdrew from all affairs. He built himself a fortress and divided the remaining regions among the four strongest families.
In the present day, twenty-five years have passed since Zorda entrusted these regions to the four families.
The Sahradin Empire, also known as the Southern Empire, is ruled by the Sahradin family.
The northernmost part of this empire, the Hot Fortress region, functions as a gateway for travel by land.
Without passing through Hot Fortress, one cannot reach the Southern Empire by land.
A stranger arrived at the Hot Fortress. A guard at the regional gate noticed him and called out.
Guard:Hey, you! Stop for a moment!
The stranger halted. Although the hood of his cloak hid much of his face, the guard did not seem to care.
Guard:Where are you coming from?
Despite asking the question, the guard's tone was indifferent and weary.
Stranger:The Merchant City, Zahuna.
He answered sharply and clearly.
Guard:So, you're coming from the neighboring region under the Golden Empire… Welcome.
The guard pulled out a piece of paper and a pen.
Guard:Write your name here, and your reason for entering the region.
The stranger wrote something on the paper and handed it to him. The guard didn't even bother to read it—understandable, since no wars had occurred on the Sin Continent for eighteen years.
Guard:All right, go on in. Welcome to the Southern Empire and its border region, Hot Fortress.