THE BEGINNING OF IT ALL: The day of Calenmir’s assumption – CH20

Then, she realized that anyone in this world would kill to obtain the staff of the king of Tordontos.

"But what is the Lagstone?" General Amanon asked.

"The Lagstone is one of three relics that surpass any power you've ever seen: the Lagstone, the Igstone, and the Megacryston. The Megacryston grants power beyond imagination; it's said that whoever possesses it will have limitless strength. The Igstone is a magical stone that increases muscle mass, making it resistant to any blow, spell, or seal, granting endurance and brute force," the queen explained.

"And the Lagstone, Your Majesty?" Amanon pressed.

"…No one knows… That's why it's so coveted, and precisely why we'll use it to our advantage," Calenmir replied, continuing, "Amanon, what do you propose for the conquest of Eldoria?"

"We know the beasts of Eldoria pose no threat to anyone. They're less strong and imposing than their kin on the other side of the world, in Emberfall. They lack strategy, are impulsive, and struggle to organize or maintain complex social structures. So, if we devise a plan to hunt them in an ambush, we could kill them in groups, and their lands and minerals would be ours, Your Majesty," Amanon proposed.

"The idea isn't to kill them all, Lord Agarrond. It's about conquering their lands and resources, not their lives," Calenmir corrected firmly.

"Strategy officer, Lord Caelor Nythalen, rank 4," the queen interjected, describing him. "He's cold, logical, and precise. If his numbers say the kingdom will win, it will win. He uses data-driven intelligence from the kingdom's spies to calculate the offensive and defensive power of a kingdom's army. The kingdom of Zephyria has a military strength of 30,782.5 Keros, a calculation based on the cumulative power of troops, armor, weapons, and artifacts."

"And that of the Eldorians, Your Majesty…?" Caelor asked.

"Beasts," the queen sharply corrected the new strategy officer.

"Right, my apologies. The beasts have a strength of 4,690 Keros, but it's not reliable. The Grays report they've found a cache of over 10,000 artifacts. If the therianthropes ambush or fight in jungle or mountainous terrain, they could employ guerrilla tactics. But in direct combat, they have no chance of victory without external support or a decisive magical advantage," Caelor explained.

"Thank you, Caelor. They're dangerous in skirmishes but not in frontal warfare. What they lack, humans have: the ability to unite. We have 30,000 troops, 6.5 times more powerful than them, correct?" Calenmir asked.

"That's correct, Your Majesty," Caelor confirmed.

Queen Calenmir fell into deep thought for several seconds that stretched into minutes and ordered everyone to leave except her advisor Sindra, her general Amanon, and, naturally, one of her closest protectors, Minimus.

She glanced around, pressed her index fingers together, separated them, and pronounced:

"Far!"

From the center of her body, a soundproof barrier expanded, preventing sound from escaping—a basic spell to silence conversations from the outside but not within the barrier. She looked at her vassals and began:

"I remember when I was a child, vulnerable and easily manipulated… But thanks to my grandmother, I saw the world differently. I've seen beyond the wall that keeps us captive and enslaved by poverty. I've realized that, as a proud and powerful race, with all our flaws, we, descendants of the supaibi blood, were always meant to rule the world… And… and that's… that's exactly what we'll do. I want to claim what's ours: the gem of reality. And if we must cross the hell of corruption to obtain it, I will. They will proclaim the dominion of the elves over the earth, and children and adults will praise my name," the queen declared, reveling in her dreams.

She fixed her distinctive eyes on Sindra and asked what she thought and what she proposed.

"With your permission, Your Majesty. It would be a mistake not to use your allies as pawns to achieve your goals, especially given the lack of weapons and materials," Sindra replied.

"Then what do you recommend to keep them in check and interested?" Calenmir asked.

"I suggest using our closest enemy against them," Sindra proposed.

"Interesting. I like the idea," the queen responded.

Sindra's suggestion, which Calenmir clearly liked, was to use the imminent danger of the Forest of the Seven Kingdoms against the other kingdoms. It was a brilliant plan: Zephyria, as the only kingdom holding back the true advance of corruption toward kingdoms like Montesis and Eldoria, held all the cards. The Screens of Eldoria belong to the kingdom of Zephyria.

If they conquer Eldoria, they'll control the therianthropes' eldorium, which would infuriate the sovereign state of Miwova, a military and economic powerhouse, as well as the kingdom of Midpass. This would be like snatching the fish from the wolf's mouth—a near-golden fish that allows them to enhance their weapons. The elves would use it, and nothing could stop them from claiming this entire bounty right next door.

Later, Calenmir authorized Amanon a force of 10,000 Keros to negotiate with the king of Eldoria's therianthropes. She sent a direct message: if they didn't accept the terms, they could choose between lowering the Screens that block the corruption's advance over the Eldorians or accepting that their resources, lands, and all minerals be annexed as part of Zephyria, making it clear their people were of no interest—only their resources.

Hierarchy among the beasts by ranks:

Drottvarg

Zeyra, Draxia

Alpha

Gamma, Astra

Beta

Delta, Gryma

Lambda

Omnir

Hierarchy among elves, humans, and by ranks:

OMEGA Division

Grand Knight (The supreme leader of all divisions, almost a legendary figure), rank 8.

First Division (Elite)

Group of 7 Warriors, rank 7.

Second Division (Intermediates)

Indefinite group of Warriors, rank 5.

Third Division (Base of the Order)

Indefinite team of warriors of varying ranks, but only those rank 4 and above are accepted:

War Squires Team (Aspiring knights in advanced training). Flame Legion (Knights forming the bulk of military forces). Dawn Scouts Team (Trackers and experts in reconnaissance missions).

Initiation or Novice Levels

Bronze Squires (Lowest level, aspiring knights performing minor tasks). Oath Adepts (Novices who've passed their first trial and now have a mentor). Wandering Guards (Sent on small missions to prove their worth before advancing).

Special Roles or Alternative Divisions

Fate Forgers (Master blacksmiths and armorers crafting legendary weapons). Order Alchemists (Scholars responsible for potions, remedies, and chemical weapons). The Grays (Independent force operating outside the hierarchy, known for resolving internal and external conflicts, some acting as spies for sabotage or sensitive intelligence-gathering missions).

After explaining this point, the king of the beasts, bearing the distinctive title among his race as Drottvarg, the highest rank, is typically represented by a rank 8, though their leader, Bashota, barely reaches rank 6.

This puts Eldoria's therianthropes at a disadvantage, as weeks after the incursion and declaration of war, the entire world received news that Eldoria had been invaded by the Zephyrians and that, henceforth, Eldoria's territories were considered part of Zephyria. In response, none of the beasts resisted, fearing retaliation against their people—an act that later enraged many other kingdoms. Each demanded explanations, but Queen Calenmir, frankly, didn't give them the best response.

The global economy was affected: the metal market skyrocketed, leading to a surge in the cost of crafting artifacts, weapons, and supplies due to the high export prices set by the elves, especially toward their enemies like the Sovereign State of Miwova, the Imperial Kingdom of Midpass, and, most notably, their fiercest foes: the blood kin of the Eldorians, the therianthropes of the great southwestern block, Emberfall. Their Drottvarg, Agmnar, is no weak beast like the Eldorians. He's as strong and dangerous as King Mo of Miwova, and it's said that King Mo's power could easily wipe out 50,000 men single-handedly in one attack. That's the bloody strength of a rank 8.

Agmnar vows war against the elves for their audacity in seeking to enslave his kin. However, being at the world's edge, they find it difficult to navigate the seas to attack the elves or pass through human lands, whether Miwova or Astoria. Therianthropes are not well-regarded by other races; they're the most marginalized and excluded from global trade and society.

Yet, three weeks after the event, the world changed rapidly. It split into two factions, as Queen Calenmir predicted. The K faction, comprising the Imperial Kingdom of Midpass, led by King Wileon Mordred, and the Sovereign State of Miwova, with King Mo clearly intent on defending his interests in the precious metals, especially the coveted eldorium, he once obtained cheaply from the Eldorians. Though the Kingdom of Eldoria is occupied and its lands exploited, they clandestinely join the K faction alliance, aiming to topple their main enemy, the Kingdom of Zephyria, and its imperialist plans, declaring the queen a tyrant.

But those who seem to dominate the field and hold all the cards to win are the L faction, the alliance formed by the Great Monarchy of Astoria, the Kingdom of Montesis, and the State of Zephyria (now called the Kingdom of Zephyria). The Zephyrians, by essentially controlling the most critical resources for crafting and enhancing weapons, artifacts, and armor, and holding the power to sell a material as rare as eldorium, have a strong hand. Their plan is to monopolize the abundant blue metal mines stretching from the fearsome Forest of the Seven Kingdoms to the Kingdom of Tordontos and to reclaim the gem of reality, the coveted Lagstone.