Kazimierz, a knightly nation.
Although Kazimierz was not a small country, its size was far from comparable to its neighbors, Ursus and Leithanien, and it had been invaded by them several times over the past century.
Before developing the Knight Tournament as its pillar entertainment industry, Kazimierz's overall national strength could be described as difficult and impoverished; its primary industries, mainly animal husbandry and mining, struggled to support the development of modern industry.
Even though the Silverlance Pegasus were brave and resilient, they had engaged in close combat with Ursus's steel torrents and Leithanien's Witch King's Guard multiple times.
Many so-called "noble" Knights, who lived at the bottom of society, couldn't even feed themselves and their Families.
While Kazimierz's Knight lords valued honor, they weren't so extreme as to wipe their mouths with meat rind before going out, even if their Families were eating coarse grains and wild vegetables.
One hundred and twenty years ago, a castle belonging to a Knight noble, located on a mobile city platform, was bought by a Knight squire whom the nobles had always looked down upon.
The Knight lords were surprised to find that, unknowingly, those squires whom they had dispatched to manage their properties while they were immersed in Martial Skill training and internal disputes had become the pillars of the nation's wealth creation through commercial trade.
Just as the Gods People were overthrown by the Knights, and Kazimierz's system transformed from theocratic rule to a Knight order system and Knight autocracy, Kazimierz was once again undergoing change.
Now, the Knight identity is no longer linked to nobility; only those recognized by the later-established "Knight Association" are granted noble titles.
And with the holding of the first Knight Tournament sixty years ago, Knight squires gradually transformed the Knight Tournament, which was originally an internal martial competition for nobles, into popular entertainment.
Under the operational model established by the Knight squires, many low-ranking Knights chose to abandon their useless noble status and became Tournament Knights.
Tournament Knights have different styles and varied ways of making money; supported by clubs and behind-the-scenes companies, some rely on competition results, while others earn money by managing their public image.
Over sixty years, countless inspirational stories like "country boy unexpectedly joins Tournament Knight and reaches the Peak of his life" and "fallen Knight regains new life and finds beautiful love through Knight Tournament" have become familiar bedtime stories for children in Kazimierz, inspiring generations to become Tournament Knights.
The Columbia dream of pioneering has gradually faded over a century, but the Kazimierz dream of Knighthood still shines brightly.
Sixty years later, more than twenty Knight Tournaments have made this entertainment the grandest competitive sporting event in the world.
Here, humans can witness cruel but not terrifying battles; Knights fight on the arena, betting their lives and futures, indistinguishable from the bloodshed of war, yet the audience feels no fear of injury.
Humans can never escape their craving for blood and violence that doesn't endanger them, just as humans will never eliminate inferior B-grade splatter films.
There are nearly five thousand active professional Tournament Knights and over a hundred clubs; hundreds of Tournament Knights die each year due to intentional or unintentional accidents in combat—because they signed a guarantee in advance, no insurance will cover compensation for this.
Athletes, gladiators, stars, and idols, Tournament Knights have complex and varied identities.
However, when it comes to the highest honor of the Knight Tournament, there can only be one.
The champion of the Knight Tournament, the strongest of the Tournament Knights, their names and legends will be deeply etched into the memory of every Kazimierz citizen.
June 20th, central Kazimierz.
Weather: Clear.
The desolate landscape of the wilderness had receded, and beneath the clear sky lay Kazimierz's vast grasslands.
Weeds as tall as a person grew wildly, swaying in the wind, forming a green tide.
Not all of Terra is wilderness; many parts of Kazimierz are sufficiently lush with water and grass.
The large flat grasslands in the central region nurtured the Kuranta, who are skilled at running and charging, objectively promoting the formation of Knight culture.
The rolling mountains and dense forests in the northeast, on the other hand, were the ancestral homes of the Elaphia people; their Guerrilla Squads and Kazimierz Crusader Knights jointly garrisoned the border of the Gloomy Forest, constantly vigilant against Ursus attacks.
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