As Liser grew, he gradually came to understand the world's political and geographical landscape.
It was a world of elves, beastmen, dragonfolk, demons, witches, swords, and magic. Mana existed within all things, though magic itself was most commonly used for combat.
The Kingdom of Jiran lay at the center of the continent of Roacxia. Blessed with fertile lands, it served as a major trade hub connecting the western and northern regions.
To the south stretched the Great Forest of Ozlia. Its vast and dangerous expanse forced merchants traveling between the east, west, and north to pass through Jiran, further strengthening its position.
Beyond the forest lay the Kingdom of Ronia. Like Jiran, it relied heavily on trade. The two nations had fought numerous wars over territory. Though smaller, Ronia was formidable, having seized significant land from Jiran over the years.
To the east existed territories dominated by non-human races. The Beastman Kingdom occupied the southeastern region, while the Dwarven Kingdom lay to its north.
Further northeast stood an island ruled by dragons, who also controlled parts of the mainland. Between the dwarves and dragons lay an unconquered mountainous region inhabited by werewolves and other deadly creatures.
Near Jiran was the Thirteen States Republic, widely considered a vassal of the eastern powers.
Further east stood the Xia Kingdom, a nation with culture and traditions resembling those of ancient eastern empires.
To the west were the Elven Kingdom and the Besnia Kingdom, with the desert nations of Al-Efrod and Albria beyond them.
In the northwest lay Kosok, Flidlia, and Parven. Humans dominated most Western nations.
Humans made up roughly 55% of the population, beastmen 29%, and elves 12%, with dragons and other races comprising the remainder.
Tensions between races were severe. Humans enslaved beastmen, while the Beastman Kingdom itself was divided into factions such as foxmen, wolfmen, and lionmen, weakening its unity. There were even records of beastmen enslaving humans. In the end, power dictated everything. The strong ruled, and the weak suffered.
This hatred was deeply rooted. Beastmen and elves despised humans just as much as humans despised them. It was a cold, unchanging truth.
Far to the south lay the Korkanian Continent, home to four great powers: the Ronoa Empire, the Crimson Witch Empire, the Dongo Empire, and the Solitude Empire.
Among them, the Solitude Empire stood as the world's greatest superpower.
To the north lay the Demon Continent. According to ancient records, the Demon War had taken place only three hundred years ago. During that time, all races had united against the demonic invasion. Yet those same records also spoke of betrayal—the dragonkind had used the chaos to seize territory on the main continent.
Jiran stood as a mid-tier nation. Neither weak nor dominant.
As Liser absorbed this knowledge, his interest in magic grew.
By his side, Silia possessed a basic understanding of spells. Now, at seven years old, Liser stood on the training grounds.
"Your Highness, are you certain you wish to learn magic?" Silia asked, her tone uncertain.
"Yes. I want to learn it. It looks fun," Liser replied, his soft voice carrying a childish innocence. Dressed in noble attire, he looked almost too delicate for such ambitions.
Silia sighed and gently pinched his cheek. "You must understand, magic is exhausting. It drains mana from the body. No human can cast more than ten spells a day. Your body is still too weak to handle it."
Liser understood her concern. Magic placed a heavy burden on the body. Without sufficient mana, a spell could fail—or worse, overuse could lead to death.
Still, Silia began teaching him.
"Magic is essentially the conversion of mana into spells through incantation," she explained. "There are six primary types—light magic, used by saintesses. Fire and ice magic are both destructive in nature. Earth magic is used for both combat and construction. Plant magic, originally from the dryads, is now mastered by humans for healing and barriers. And finally, dark magic—demonic in origin. Only those with demon blood can wield it, and even then, it often corrupts and shortens their lives."
She spoke in a single breath before raising her wand and chanting in a language Liser could not understand.
An orb of ice formed in the air and shot forward, striking a nearby tree. It exploded on impact, shards scattering as the tree froze solid.
Liser stared in awe. It wasn't just destructive—it was beautiful.
A strange excitement welled up within him.
"Magic also requires knowledge of the ancient language used in incantations," Silia added with a small smile. "You must learn that first."
"I understand. Thank you, Silia," Liser said quietly.
"It's nothing. Just don't overexert yourself."
Since he had no formal teacher, Silia became his only guide. With her help and countless hours spent studying magic books, Liser eventually mastered the ancient language and learned to cast basic spells.
Time passed quickly.
—
At eleven years old, Liser was finally allowed to leave the mansion.
Silia adjusted his clothes and warned him, "Do not leave the guards. Do not wander off. Your safety comes first, Your Highness."
"I understand."
She had raised him like a mother. To him, she was family.
"I need to see how commoners live," he muttered.
As the carriage set off, excitement filled him.
It was the winter solstice. The marketplace would be alive with activity.
What he didn't know was that this simple outing would become the beginning of a change that would shake the entire continent.
( rewrote this chapter. Only one person is reading this novel now, so it won't be a problem. This chapter was too short and lacking.)