The capital of the Coronamars Empire, Elsyrium, was located near the Great Lake of Cor Stella where the abundance of natural resources promoted the growth of the nation. Early settlements flocked to the large water body in order to tap on its resources, but the early rulers of Elsyrium conquered the surrounding settlements and brought total control over the entire lake.
The progenitor of the empire, known as the Cor Conglomerate, became a powerful force in the entire continent. They expanded their influence and became the de facto ruler of the entire region of Lacus. However, having no access to any sea, they have to rely on import to acquire salt. Thus, they began their continental conquest with the Southern region of Kemet as their first target in order to gain access to the Lacrim sea.
After conquering the Kemet region, the Cor Conglomerate dissolved and proclaimed itself as a kingdom with the head of Elsyrium being appointed as the king. The nation bloomed into prosperity for several generations before the countries in the Western region of Montagne invaded, reigniting the warring period. The large kingdom controlling the majority of the Eastern region of Orman, also wanting to gain access to the Lacrim sea, joined the war.
The once prosperous kingdom of Cor was engulfed in the fire of war where hundreds were killed every day. The warring nations were engaged in fierce battles where blood had soaked into many battlefields.
Beyond the Lacrim sea, a small nation emerged under a faith that worshipped the sun. They began spreading their beliefs throughout the Southern continent, much to the dismay of the ruling class of the various nations that surrounded the tiny nation. As the nations north of the Lacrim sea engaged in wars that lasted for many years, the small nation was too, being invaded by its neighbouring countries.
The small nation where the religion of Sol budded from was easily conquered with many high ranking religious and noble bodies fleeing across the sea towards the region of Kemet. Having a need of man-power for their war effort, the kingdom of Cor took in the refugees and was influenced by the faith.
The royal families and nobilities of Cor became intrigued by the new religion and began learning their doctrine. The priests and priestesses began conducting sermons and preaching for the glory of the sun as a mean to raise morale across the battlefields. Many commoners and nobles, faced with the disastrous wars from the east and west, rallied under their newfound beliefs and managed to turn the tide of many battles. The religion of Sol became extremely revered by many citizens for their God had given them strength and hope in the midst of war.
The royal family soon declared Sol as the state religion and many refugees contributed to their war efforts with new knowledge and battle tactics. The kingdom of Cor shifted their economy as a mean to support war efforts, and in order to thank the refugees, they promised to take back their land once the wars ended. However, the resistance from the east and west remained a great wall that they had to break.
The birth of the first emperor, Morrigan Cor Stella as he was known at the time, broke the tides of wars completely. As a young man, he was gifted with strong magic powers and high intelligence that dwarfed many adults. He was raised under the tutelage of great teachers and preachers that shaped him into the genius ruler who ended the wars that lasted for more than a hundred years.
The young prince led his armies towards the western region where he used the mountainous terrain to his advantage by using water and earth magic to loosen the soil. This resulted in many landslides and avalanches that buried the western armies who were using the narrow passages and intricate cave systems to hide and ambush their enemies. The rocky terrains that normally served to the advantage of the western armies became death traps that buried many of their knights. In the midst of the confusion due to the disruption of the chain of commands, many isolated armies became prey to the much more powerful Cor armies. Within several years, the western mountain ranges were overrun and the western nations collectively surrendered.
After the end of the war on the western front, Morrigan set his sight on the east where the lush and dense vegetation made it difficult for large armies to navigate through. The vast forest provided resources for the eastern kingdom to sustain themselves even if they had to stay in the forest for months, freeing them from the need to rely on the supply carts. The eastern armies would sent scouts to sabotage the Cor armies, making it difficult for them to advance through the forest. Meanwhile, the eastern kingdom armies would go around the camping Cor armies and hit at their command center, bypassing the need to confront the formidable opponents.
When Morrigan arrived on the frontline, many supplies had been burned by their enemies and several high ranking commanders lost their lives due to the sudden ambush. He knew that using large number of soldiers would result in isolations and losing more lives. Instead, he ordered for the complete burning of the entire forest region, turning the eastern Orman region into devastating wasteland where smoke blanketed the skies. As a result, the hidden eastern armies were exposed and destroyed. In addition, the various monsters and animals living within the forest ran away from the west where the fire started, causing them to clash against the eastern kingdom armies and resulted in more chaos.
As the earth was scorched, the eastern kingdom retreated further back and was panicking over the steady march of the Cor armies. As the last stretch of their lush forest was about to be trampled, they set up many traps and built underground tunnels all over their last stretch of vegetations.
As the Cor armies started burning the last bit of vegetation before the capital of the eastern kingdom, they were caught in underground traps, resulting in many casualties. The dug tunnels were narrow, making it almost impossible to pursue the enemy who sprung out and sabotaged their supplies again.
Morrigan, who knew of the situation, praised his enemies for their clever tactics, but he came up with a solution. He rallied up as many animals and monsters and set them loose, disarming most of the traps as they were triggered by animals and monsters. Many earth and water magicians were also deployed to shake and flood the scorched area, filling the narrow tunnels and flushing out the hidden scouts. Despite being slowed down, Morrigan led his armies closer to the capital in an encirclement. They sieged the city for months before the royal family of the eastern kingdom issued a surrender.
The war had finally seen its conclusion when Morrigan was turning 27 years old. However, he proceeded to declare war on the northern empire that occupied the region of Fjall. Many citizens of Cor kingdom were baffled, but the king announced that the northern empire had secretly aided both the eastern kingdom and the western nations during the war. Thus, he declared the need to completely eradicate the northern empire.
The citizens, who revered the crown prince as a hero, believed him and directed their anger to the northern empire and swiftly marched north where battles after battles were fought. Some scholars believed that Morrigan made up the story as an excuse to become the central major power of the continent, but after the discoveries of various letters in Morrigan's private chambers after his death, it was confirmed that the northern empire had aided the eastern kingdom in fear of Cor becoming too powerful.
The crown prince managed to conquer the northern region of Fjall and returned back to Elsyrium as a war hero popular amongst many. His father abdicated the throne and retired early, allowing his hero son to ascend the throne. After several years of stabilising and spreading their religion of Sol, king Morrigan declared the founding of the great Coronamars Empire and changed his name into Morrigan Sekhmet Tyr Mars, incorporating the family names of his 2 wives as his middle name.
After the emergence of the Coronamars Empire, the continents were shook and fulfilling the promise his ancestor had made with the people who brought the Sol religion to their land, the emperor declared a crusade to take back the sacred land of Sol. He personally led his armies across the Lacrim sea; together with many devout followers of the Sol religion and the descendants of the refugees, the emperor tore through the occupying armies and liberated the land. He proceeded to proclaim that the land of Sol was under the protection of Coronamars Empire and declared it to be a sacred land.
The countries surrounding the holy land, who had been pushed back and witnessed the prowess of the Coronamars Empire, retreated back. Many attempted to invade, but the formidable armies stationed around the holy land repelled them again and again without fail.
The tension and animosity persisted for decades until Morrigan fell ill and had to step down from the throne, giving his first-born the throne to hold. His daughter, crown princess Lania Sekhmet Tyr Mars, who ascended to become Empress after her father died from illness, proposed peace towards the surrounding nations. Gifted in diplomacy, she manipulated many influential people to do her biding and brought an end to the warring era.
***
Alfred woke up with his face planted on the table. Stacks of books surrounded him and when he raised his head, he noticed that he was reading dozens of books about the history of the empire before dozing off. Rubbing his eyes, he got down and returned the books into their respective shelves before getting out of the library.
He wandered around the vast palace of the emperor where many servants were busy scurrying around in preparation for a grand party. Having been invited by the royal family, Alfred and his family travelled towards the capital and arrived a few days in advance where they were given a room in the palace for them to temporarily stay until the celebration was over. Being a book lover, Alfred, who was 5, was granted the permission to visit the royal library and consumed the vast knowledge tucked within the pages.
His family was recently promoted to an Earl after his grandfather performed exceptionally well during the last war and as a reward, the emperor at the time, granted the Bisconti family a promotion from Count to Earl. Shortly after, due to his war injuries, his grandfather retired and handed over his duty to his son, Franc, who was also involved in the war effort. Their promotion was the talk of the country since the Bisconti noble lineage would now be considered as high ranking noble.
Alfred brushed his wavy blue hair as he was lost and ended up seeing the beautiful central garden where flowers of various colours bloomed in the midst of spring. He was excited about going to the library where he read extensively about the history of the empire that he had tuned out the words of his parents on the location of their room. Looking around, he spotted some gardeners tending to the flowers where they planted new flowers into the soil before watering them.
"Umm..." With a small uneasy voice, he reached out to an old gardener for help. "I think I got lost. Umm... do you know where the guest room is?"
"Why hello there young lad? If you are talking about guest rooms, there are many. Which one was assigned to you young lad?"
"Umm... I forgot. Or rather, I failed to pay attention since I was excited about the library."
"Hahaha! What a predicament you have gotten yourself into!" The old man stood up and pointed towards a gazebo in the middle on the garden. "Noble children who frequent the palace tend to hang out in that gazebo. Why don't you head out there and make friends with them? They may know where your room is if you give them your family name. Otherwise, once they are done and returned to their respective room, you may be able to meet some of the organisers and they will lead you to your family's room."
"Umm... thank you."
"You are welcome young lad. Here, take this with you." The gardener handed over a red flower with bluish hue emanating from the irises. "Beautiful, isn't it? This was donated by a merchant who got them from the Southern continent. Now, the capital is filled with this beauty."
Alfred studied the flower and admitted that he loved it to the gardener before waving him goodbye and headed to the gazebo. He placed the flower in his breast pocket where he could proudly display the beautiful irises. Since this flower was the talk of the capital, he believed that it could be a talking point for him and his fellow noble children in the gazebo.
Alfred reached the large gazebo where several noble children ranging from 5 to 9 years old were having fun with their conversations and board games. He nervously walked up and introduced himself as the second son of the Bisconti family while giving a polite bow.
The silence stretched uncomfortably before Alfred looked up in confusion and saw the sneering eyes of the noble children. The hostilities were evident from their gazes.
"So, you are from that Bisconti family, huh."
"Ahh... He thinks he can join us just because his family is now considered as high-ranked noble."
"Heh, I believe his grandfather was just lucky with the war."
"Now, now, that would be rude to the many knights and nobles who fought in that war. Getting lucky means that Lord Flare favoured his grandfather."
"Hah! Perhaps his grandfather made a deal with those barbarians to make him look good!"
"Hahaha! As if the Bisconti family have the intelligence and wealth to do so!"
The jeers and insults thrown were merciless and Alfred got angry with them for downplaying the efforts that his grandfather had exerted during the war. "My grandfather displayed courage and strength in the battlefield worthy of being praised! Yet, you mocked his contributions that the emperor had recognised! Are you also insulting the emperor who bestowed upon him his reward?"
"Hah?!" A boy who seemed to be the oldest among the group stepped in front of Alfred, clearly irritated with the audacity of going against the high-ranked noble houses that had more history than the Bisconti. "You dare to go against the heir of a Duke House. Do you want your house to be wiped out of the history book?"
"I do not care about which house you belong to. Take back your insults towards my grandfather."
"Cheeky! I like him!" With a sinister grin the boy lifted up Alfred's collar with his right hand while conjuring up water spell. "Let me seal that mouth with water and see if you can still talk back."
"Hiek!" The water ball hit Alfred's face and stayed, covering his face while he struggled to breathe.
Alfred tried holding his breath, but was unable to and swallowed several gulp of water. His consciousness was starting to fade, but a shriek and the released of the water ball jolted his senses back as he fell down on his butt. He coughed out the water that had gotten into his lungs and was wheezing desperately to get the air that he was starved of.
"You! How dare you raise your hand against me!" The arrogant heir clutched his hand that was hit by a small fireball. "Which family are you from?! I will make sure to crush it!"
"I'm not telling you!" A girl with blazing red hair stood in front of Alfred, confronting the noble heir. "Those who use their power to bully the weak are not worthy to be called a noble and I have no obligation to introduce myself to such person!"
"You little...!" He conjured up more water spells.
"Bring it on!" She created a wall of fire that dampened the impact of the water shots.
"Tch!"
"Enough!" A loud booming sound exploded in the garden as the old man who talked to Alfred walked in with menacing steps. "All of you are supposed to be the next generation of nobles who will contribute towards strengthening the nation. Working together and forming amicable relationship with each other is the first step in bringing unity amongst nobles. However, for you all to squabble over some pride and positions... What a shameful behaviour!"
"Hey old man! How dare you run your mouth to a high ranking noble heir like me!"
"There you go again! Nobles are nobles! Humans are humans! When you are on a battlefield, all stand equal in the face of death!" The old man let out a small sigh and turned to Alfred. "Sorry little lad, not all of the noble children behave like them."
"Cough, umm... understood... and thank you. You too... ummm..."
"My name is Scarlet, Scarlet Fragos. I saw that you put that flower in you breast pocket. Hehehe, my father is the one who brought it to the capital." Scarlet let out a smile with her beautiful red hair swaying over the wind.
Alfred was mesmerised by the girl and fixed his eyes upon her fiery beauty.
"Hey! That girl hurt my hand! She should be punished for hurting a noble heir!"
"Enough of your whining! If you cry over such a small injury, perhaps you are not suited to be a noble of Coronamars Empire, who should be brave and strong!" The old man's bellow sent shivers to the noble children as they shrunk away in fear.
"But, but, they..."
"If you are so concerned about status, I alone outrank all of you." The old man took off his straw hat and glared. "I am the former emperor of Coronomars Empire!"
"Eek!" The audiences were stunned by the revelation and were equally confused for the former emperor dressing as a gardener, tending to the garden.
"I have already retired and passed on the duty of an emperor to my son. I like gardening since it reminded me of my late wife who loves flowers and believe it or not, we used to spent our free time tending to flowers." The former emperor looked over the beautiful garden filled with flowers. "It is important to know that in the eyes of our Lord Flare, we are just humans; mere mortals who can die to the forces of nature. One should have pride, but not arrogance. The strong should protect the weak, not trample over them. Let this lesson sink into your head."
All of the noble children, including Scarlet and Alfred, knelt down in respect, but was told to ease up by the former emperor. Afterwards, the former emperor called out to his guards to escort the children back into their respective rooms while he continued gardening.
Both Alfred and Scarlet were escorted towards the same direction with Alfred nervously watching Scarlet walking beside him. "Umm... Thank you for saving me, Scarlet!"
Scarlet turned to face Alfred and gave him a small knock on his head with her fist. She looked down upon Alfred who knelt down in pain while holding onto his head, clearly confused. "That is for you who let them bully you."
"Huh?"
"You are a noble and I am just a commoner. Yet, you do not immediately fight back against your fellow noble who were bad-mouthing your family. Aren't you ashamed for not punching them in the face after the first insult? If you remain passive and allow them to continue, you will just be trampled over by them again."
"Eh? I mean... I..."
"I know you verbally fight back against them, but this is the Coronamars Empire where strength and magic are the backbone of this country. Intelligence is important, yes, but when negotiation broke down, great power will pull you through. Remember that!"
"Ahh. Yes, yes, I will!"
"Good!" A satisfied smile plastered on Scarlet's face.
"Umm... Scarlet, will you be my friend." A bashful Alfred clasped his hands behind, seemingly embarrassed.
"Huh, what are you talking about? We are already friend, right?"
Alfred cheered up and grinned, happily talking with Scarlet along the way about various things. They met up everyday to play, leading up to the celebratory day where they snuck out into the garden and discussed about the beautiful flowers.
"The flowers that your father brought to the capital are beautiful, especially this red and blue flower."
"It is called Amour in the empire while in the Southern continent, it is called Habun. The local people give these to their love ones as the bold colours of the flower stood out against the yellowish sand, showing determination through love in difficult time."
"That is lovely." Alfred took out the Amour flower from his breast pocket and nervously handed it to Scarlet. "Umm... This, I will give this to you. I will always pray for you whenever you face a difficult time and I hope this flower will symbolise that."
"Oh! Thank you!." Scarlet beamed a lovely smile that struck Alfred's heart.
After the party, Alfred had to head back to his family's domain the very next day. He regretted being unable to say goodbye to Scarlet, but he believed that they will be able to meet again in the future.
Years passed and Alfred worked hard to hone his magic control and knowledge. He strived to be a man worthy of standing next to the fiery and brave girl who stood up against nobles despite being a commoner.
"And well... It seems that our reunion occurred 9 years later in my family's castle." Alfred sipped a cup of honey tea after his story-telling in order to hydrate his throat.
All of the listeners were staring at Scarlet who was blushing and fidgeting in embarrassment. Marion and Aria, who were sitting next of Scarlet, were looking especially hard with a sense of disbelief over the character told in Alfred's story.
"Please stop looking at me! It is embarrassing!" Scarlet pushed both Aria's and Marion's faces away. "I don't really remember much about that time. Afterall, I was 4 at the time and shortly after that celebration, on the way to the region of Fjall, I lost my father."
"Your father... I am sorry to hear that..."
"There is no need to apologise... You are of a high-ranked noble family, you shouldn't apologise so easily, especially to a commoner. Otherwise, you are going to be bullied again."
"Hey Scarlet, I am from a Marquis family, a high-ranked noble too you know, but it seems there is a difference in your attitude towards me."
"Your case is special."
"That 'special' word does not seems to be positive in my case..."
"Hahaha, I am actually rather envious of you. I would rather have her treat me the same with how she treats you, lady Marion."
"Sir Alfred, you need to trust me, the way she treats me is not exactly nice. I have forgotten how many times her words pierced my heart and soul."
"You have no need to worry, Marion. There will be more to come, and I have gotten permission from your brother."
"See what I mean."
"Hahaha, even so, that goes to show that she is very comfortable around you." Alfred finished his cup of honey tea. "Anyways, I hope you can find peace even after the tragedies that befell upon you."
"Your thoughts and prayers are enough for me." Scarlet stood up and walked out of the room. "I will retire for the day. We need to wake up early for our departure tomorrow."
After Scarlet left, the room began to chatter again with stories of adventures from Marion and Aria. They discussed about their encounters with various monsters, including the terrifying elder dragon that almost killed them.
"Sigh... The presence of our various local monsters are already terrifying enough, but the sheer size and power of these beasts are on a different level." Franc wore a worried expression. "An elder dragon that can control the weather itself is only worth 8 stars. On top of that, a monster with 9 stars ranking has also been spotted in the northern icy continent... What is the world going to become?"
"It is indeed concerning. However, people like lady Aria, lady Marion and lady Scarlet bear the emblem of the Angelos. They have been gifted by Lord Flare to fight against or rather, hunt these new monsters." Riinol reassured Franc and placed several scrolls on the table. "Miss Aria wrote these and I had them copied and distributed. These are your copies."
"These are the information about those monsters, right? Thank you. These will be valuable. I do think that we may need to increase our vigilance and raised the soldiers' skills. Talk about increasing military expenditure..."
"It is not all bad news my friend. The emergence of Popo in my territory had at least boosted its economy. As long as we keep it in moderation."
"Ah, now that you mention it; these monsters can be a source of income for the people. Their materials can be used to smith great equipment. Also, that Popo meat that you sent was heavenly, especially the tongue."
"The tongue is my favourite as well."
"Miss Aria, is it possible for you to pass on that knowledge of crafting onto us as well?"
"It will be my pleasure lord Bisconti. I have written an entire book on the processing of these monsters, including any potential future monsters that we may not have seen. I have left a copy of that book to your butler who will pass it to the blacksmiths in your territory."
"Thank you. Now then, I think all of you are tired from the journey, so I think it would be best for all of us to retire. All of you have another long journey ahead of you."
"Father." Alfred stood up and bowed. "Please allow me to accompany them to the capital."
"Alfred... What good will that do for you and the others?"
"I want to learn more about these new monsters. I have read extensively about many subjects including ecology. I believe my knowledge can help them during their journey."
"I highly doubt that is the real reason..."
"Eh." Alfred stopped and blushed a little.
"Hah... Do what you want. Make sure that you do not get in their way and seek shelter when danger arises."
"Thank you. Although... I am more than capable of defending myself though."
"You do not bear the mark of Angelos. That makes you weaker than them. Just assist them when necessary and value your life." Franc turned towards Aria and Marion. "I beseech you that you take care of my foolish son."
"We will! I swore in my family's name that I will protect him!"
"Lord Bisconti. Although there is no guarantee, I will do my best to keep him out of danger."
"I feel as if my worth and confidence have diminished a little..." Alfred shed a small tear.
***
Alfred loaded his luggage into Count Ponterim's carriages and hopped in to sit with the Count for the journey. He wore heavy duty leather jacket and boots for protection while carrying an array of tools including daggers for self-defense.
"Why am I not informed about this?"
"About what? About sir Alfred joining us in our journey?" Marion got on her ride.
"Yes. You could've told me during breakfast or even earlier."
"Well, I do not think it will make a difference whether I told you earlier or not, but I guess... I want to see your flustered face knowing your soul mate is joining us."
"You see this fist." Scarlet raised her fist in frustration while simultaneously blushing in embarrassment. "I'm going to ensure this comes in contact with your face sooner or later."
"Stop that, Scarlet. Marion is going to tease you even more if you give that kind of reaction."
"Hahaha, it is true that Scarlet is fun to tease." Marion hopped on her stead. "Come on, get on your ride, we need to depart as soon as possible and reach Elsyrium before winter befell upon the land."
Both Aria and Scarlet followed suit and waved farewell towards the castle city of Rach. They continued south through the vast grassland where the swaying of grass and the fluttering of yellow leaves painted the scenery with the colour of autumn. The wind blowing from the north felt refreshing as they rode across streams of rivers bountiful with fishes.
"Autumn is the season of plenty." Marion bit off the rich fatty flesh of the grilled river fish. "Many plants bore fruits and seeds that animals and monsters consume, making their flesh tastier and fattier."
"Indeed, lady Marion." Alfred agreed as he finished his bowl of fish stew. "However, I also like the winter season where the hot meal complements well with the chilly environment; the food becomes much more enjoyable and the frozen fruits are delectably crunchy and sweet."
"Winter is the season of fallow where many hibernate to conserve energy, weathering through the harsh condition to finally bloom again when spring arrives." Scarlet finished her grilled fish and gulped down her cup of warm tea. "The snow makes it hard to travel and the bitter cold cause many to fall sick and die. It is a period of death..."
"That may be true. However, across the empire, tales about the seasons painted both grim and hopeful pictures about winter." Alfred poured Scarlet another cup of tea from the kettle. "Winter does bring about many tales of sufferings and death, but it also tell stories about resilient and growth. Many perished, but the handful that survive grow stronger, passing on their knowledge to the next generations and thrive under the harsh condition. The populations that live beyond the Great Fingers of Earth is proof that humans are stronger than nature. The trees, shrubs, animals and monsters that fill in the ecological niche where many cannot survive are also a form of reminder that winter harbours life as well."
"Quite the poet."
"Thank you, lady Marion. My interest lies upon the world and its ecology. I have read a lot of books that delve into the architecture of the various biomes and their function across the ever-changing seasons."
"And that is, all the more important that we must try to restore the delicate balance from those invading monsters. If left uncheck, the beautiful ecological sceneries that our world has painted over many eons could be stained." Aria sharpened her daggers after finishing her meals. "We have a duty to preserve the world and its inhabitants, as gods have designed it to be."
"We owe nothing to the world, nor to the gods. Life is a struggle for survival. We are just doing what we can to ensure that humanity continue to exist in the harshness of this world."
"You are not wrong, Scarlet; but we must also enjoy the various arts that the world has to offer. We are creatures with emotions, full of feelings and desires for something, that even when the time has come, our legacies and stories become the foundation to further strengthen our descendants. That is why many brave knights do not fear death, but only the fear of being forgotten by their love ones or by history."
"..."
"It is getting late. Let us retire for the night and continue to enjoy our journey." Marion passed her utensils to the adventurer parties who were on cleaning duty and got into her tent. Aria and Alfred followed suit and retired for the night as well.
"... being forgotten, huh..."