Chapter 2: The Century War

To understand why the residents of Haik Village cannot fight the snow wolves and may even face fatal retaliation, we must delve into a distant history—one that involves a longstanding enmity between two continents and two vast empires, dating back 500 years.

Haik Village is located on the eastern side of the Warm Water River in the Frozen Continent. According to the territorial divisions between the Continental Dominance of the Amy Empire and the ancient Hamir Kingdom, this area is classified as part of Hamir territory.

The Warm Water River originates from a hot spring lake (Snow Moon Lake) formed by a volcanic eruption hundreds of years ago. The continuous flow of warm springs throughout the year has created a unique temperate climate around Snow Moon Lake and along the Warm Water River, a rare phenomenon on the Frozen Continent. The original inhabitants of this territory, the Hamir people, have lived in the cold and snowy conditions for generations. As the area gradually warmed, they migrated year after year, and eventually, even the soldiers of the Hamir Kingdom rarely came here. Thus, a power vacuum formed in the Warm Water River basin.

To the south of the Frozen Continent lies another land, the Warm Continent of Aemynor, which is 1.5 times larger. This continent is home to the dominant Amy Empire (the Amy Empire is not related by blood to the protagonist Amy Habber in this text; the name Amy is common among humans, with at least five out of a hundred people having that name. The Amy Empire was established 500 years ago, and its founding king was also named Amy).

Throughout its more than 500 years of history, successive emperors of the Amy Empire have longed for this unique warm region on the Frozen Continent, repeatedly attempting to acquire Snow Moon Lake and the Warm Water River basin through diplomacy, warfare, and coercion, but to no avail.

In the years 3, 12, 35, 47, and 52 of the Red Moon Calendar, within just 50 years, three emperors of the Amy Empire launched five regional wars targeting Snow Moon Lake and the Warm Water River basin, employing all military forces, including dragon knights. However, each war ended in identical defeat.

At the southern end of the continent, the Amy Empire quickly occupied all the land—perhaps "occupied" is not the right term, as the Hamir Kingdom had long since left this area unguarded.

Once the wars began, large numbers of Hamir wolf-riding warriors would attack from the northernmost region of the Amy Empire's northern federation, advancing along the only road in the Frozen Continent, Dragon Tooth Mountain.

In the Frozen Continent, regardless of military branch, any force facing the white-haired Hamir people, clad in ice and snow battle attire made from white bear fur, riding snow-white wolves across the snow-covered expanse, faced only one fate—flight.

Any military unit in such frigid conditions could muster less than 20% of its combat effectiveness; even the invincible dragon knights could manage only 50%. The number of dragon knights in the Amy Empire was fewer than a small squad of Hamir wolf riders.

As a result, each war ended with the Hamir Kingdom's army surrounding the ice and snow fortress, ultimately forcing the imperial troops to sign withdrawal agreements.

Historically, a few emperors of the Amy Empire have attempted to obtain the fertile Snow Moon Lake and Warm Water River areas through diplomatic means or deceit. However, every king of the Hamir Kingdom has categorically refused to sign any agreements related to territory.

The sole reason for this situation is that the founding monarch of the Amy Empire, Amy I, once successfully "deceived" the king of the Hamir Kingdom and, in that deception, acquired territory equivalent to 25% of the original empire's land, establishing the Northern Federation of the Amy Empire.

Strictly speaking, Amy I did not deceive anyone—he sent a diplomatic letter to the king of the Hamir Kingdom, offering the most fertile land of his own country: the Floral Plain in the heart of the Aemynor continent, in exchange for territory at the southern end of the Frozen Continent, showcasing the various products abundant in that region. The Hamir King, Mewia VII, was moved by this proposal and, despite fierce opposition from his younger brother and the empress, signed the territory exchange agreement that shocked the nations of both continents.

After the agreement was signed, nearly everyone believed Amy I had gone mad!

A powerful empire was trading its richest territory for the most barren land—except for the Hamir Kingdom's empress and younger brother at the time, the latter of whom furiously returned to his own territory, declaring independence at the risk of execution and founding the Northern Hamir Kingdom.

At that time, Mewia VII was eager to relocate the capital to the Floral Plain and made the significant decision to gradually abandon the territory of the Frozen Continent. Thus, he did not pursue his younger brother for the matter, allowing the latter to expand his own territory from the Hamir Kingdom's capital quickly, ultimately occupying all areas to the east and north of Dragon Tooth Mountain.

Joyfully, Mewia VII and his ministers arrived at the Floral Plain, initially feeling as if they had entered a paradise: in the northern part of the Floral Plain, spring persisted year-round, the air was humid, and a myriad of colorful flowers bloomed endlessly. Riding horses for three days and nights, they would find no lack of blossoms, and their noses were always filled with fragrance. The southern part of the Floral Plain was a moist, rainy area with vast broadleaf rainforests filled with countless sweet fruits.

However, during the 15 years following the migration, the new capital established by Mewia VII was breached three times by neighboring countries and even by marauding bandits. In the last instance, Mewia VII led his royal guard into the enemy's ranks, washing away his ignorance and shame with blood.

Why did the strongest nation on the Frozen Continent find itself humiliated on the Aemynor continent, like a tiger falling into a valley, preyed upon by dogs? Where did the undefeated, invincible snow wolf cavalry disappear to?

Later military theorists would describe the doctrines of military branches countering one another and enhancing one another as lessons written in the blood of a king and 100,000 snow wolf riders.

The Hamir people, who have lived for generations on the Frozen Continent, possess very long hair, especially their eyebrows and eyelashes, which grow long and quickly to prevent snow glare from blinding them. But upon arriving at the humid Floral Plain, this physiological trait became unbearable, with droplets of water often hanging from their brows. While noblemen and officials could afford time to have someone trim their hair, what about the soldiers? The snow wolves had even longer fur, all white, and in the humid plains, their performance was even inferior to that of ordinary warhorses. On the green grasslands, their natural camouflage turned into the color of burial shrouds after each battle.

In the end, of the 100,000 snow wolves that entered the Floral Plain, only about 10,000 returned to their homeland. After that lesson, the Hamir learned not to discuss any matters related to territory with anyone.

Snow Moon Lake was formed as a result of volcanic eruptions 100 years after the Hamir retreated back to the Frozen Continent, so it is understandable that the Hamir would not repeat their mistakes there.

Due to the conditions of the Floral Plain, the Hamir people have always kept a respectful distance from temperate environments like Snow Moon Lake and the Warm Water River, deploying no troops to this area but absolutely refusing to let it slip away.

Nonetheless, the Warm Water River and Snow Moon Lake still held some value for the Hamir Kingdom—they served as grazing grounds for snow wolves.

To ensure the combat effectiveness of the snow wolves, all of them in the Hamir Kingdom are raised in the wild. Perhaps a more accurate way to put it is that the Hamir Kingdom lacks the resources to breed such a large number of war wolves. For the Hamir Kingdom, which is based on the barren Frozen Continent, any fully mobilized war effort cannot last too long; otherwise, the nation's economy would collapse. The core reason for this economic collapse is that the snow wolves would eat them into poverty.

Once war breaks out, the Hamir use their innate instincts to locate wild wolf packs and recruit them into their ranks. The wild wolves cooperate remarkably well, with each pack assigned to various wolf-riding teams. The lead wolf becomes the mount of the captain, and it allocates wolves of different statuses within the pack to different ranks of warriors.

The number of snow wolves has always hovered around 150,000, originally scattered throughout the Frozen Continent. However, since the Amy Empire acquired territory on the Frozen Continent, the snow wolves mysteriously retreated to the lands of the Hamir Kingdom and the Northern Hamir Kingdom, with about 70,000 in each. With flora and fauna being quite scarce on the continent, it became increasingly difficult for snow wolves to find food, often taking days and nights of traveling to catch a single prey. Attacking non-Hamir human villages also became a primary method for snow wolves to seek food.

The Hamir do not oppose other races living on the Frozen Continent—as long as they pay taxes. However, they absolutely do not permit anyone to harm the snow wolves.

Under these circumstances, human settlements must learn to properly deal with the snow wolves. More and more permanent residents have grown accustomed to a life of "hiding when the wolves come, emerging when they leave," believing that this is a form of tax to be paid to the Hamir Kingdom. The Hamir Kingdom's frugal lifestyle does not require it to collect too much tax from its citizens, and coupled with the "wolf head tax," their taxes are considerably lighter compared to other countries, leading non-Hamir residents to express little dissent.

Haik Village is one such village that must pay the "wolf head tax." The villagers have become accustomed to the routine of carrying off only the larger livestock when wolf packs arrive, leaving behind a few poultry for the wolves to enjoy. The wolf packs generally do not stay long; first, they dislike the hot, humid air; second, the next village is only half a day's journey away, where they also need to collect their taxes.

"Bang… Bang… Bang…"

Amid the scratching sounds of numerous snow wolf claws, the iron plate on Amy's head rang rhythmically. A pleasant young man's voice inquired, "Is this the Haber residence?"

Historians of the Amy Empire have always insisted that Amy I had no intention of deceiving Mewia VII. Just as history would later show, after the Hamir Kingdom withdrew from the Floral Plain, despite having the opportunity to regain it, the powerful Amy Empire did not send a single soldier back into the Floral Plain. This was precisely why a very small religious organization—the Holy See—was able to find its roots and develop. So what exactly compelled Amy I, who claimed to be the "King of the Continent," to make such a seemingly erroneous decision?

Perhaps we can uncover the fundamental purpose of the continent's king in a little mercenary named Amy, 500 years later.

—Notes from Fere, Expert on Continental Kings, Royal Scholar