The kingdom of Kanaria was only about a third as large as the neighboring empire of Ad Astera. Because the kingdom was filled with breeding grounds for monsters such as Titus Forest, the Skim Mountains, and the Catalan Desert, the region was constantly plagued by such creatures, and as a result, its power and influence couldn’t touch that of the empire. In fact, outside of the kingdom, it was often considered a small nation beneath most people’s notice...except for one location.
The kingdom’s capital, Horus, welcomed tons of people through its gates daily and was always lively and bustling. It was a hub of commerce, and where there was commerce, there was money. Thanks to that, Horus was often thought of as the kingdom’s crown jewel. Now, how had a small nation like Kanaria come to house such a cornerstone of economic activity?
As previously mentioned, Kanaria had many monster hives within its borders. While this had led to great losses for the kingdom, at the same time it generated big profit, and that was what had juiced the kingdom’s economy and turned Horus into the hub of trade it was today. In other words: raw materials from monsters.
A monster’s skin, bones, claws, or fangs could be used to make powerful weapons. Their meat, blood, fur, and entrails were also useful in armor and potions. Over time, the people of Kanaria had discovered monetary value in the monsters infesting their lands. Even the inedible meat of the orcs had been repurposed as popular livestock feed. For many generations now, these efforts had accumulated and led to the kingdom becoming a critical mecca of commerce.
Furthermore, while the monster hives were a problem in Kanaria, they were generally only on the kingdom’s outskirts. Forward bases and fort towns like Ishka and Belka kept the monsters from heading too far inland, and as long as one stayed within the town walls, they would never so much as catch sight of a monster. Traveling merchants were pretty much guaranteed to be safe as long as they stuck to the main roads, so trade between towns wasn’t a problem either.
Titus Forest made up the kingdom’s north, and the Catalan Desert comprised the western section. Therefore, the only nations “neighboring” Kanaria were the empire of Ad Astera to the east and the Caritas Holy Monarchy to the south.
For the past several years, relations with both nations had been friendly, so there was no danger of either of them invading. This had everything to do with Kanaria’s capital, Horus. However, as light got stronger, it created darker shadows. And as prosperous as Horus was, there was also darkness lurking within its walls.
One such example was the Dragonaut estate located in the very heart of the capital. The Dragonaut dukedom was an esteemed family that had been around since the kingdom’s founding and was one of the most distinguished noble families in all of Kanaria. In fact, there was no one in the kingdom who hadn’t heard of the Dragonauts, the sworn bulwarks of the royal family.
As such, Pascal Dragonaut, the family’s current head, was highly regarded by everyone, and his nickname as the head of the dragon knights, “Raikou,” had even made its way to other countries as well. Pascal had two daughters: the eldest, Astrid, and her younger sister, Claudia. Astrid possessed extraordinary natural talent as a dragon knight, to the degree that she was Pascal’s second-in-command. In fact, as Pascal’s duties often had him staying in the royal palace, lately more and more people had started to call Astrid “Raikou” as a replacement for her father.
At present, Astrid was in front of the estate’s entrance, pacing back and forth impatiently. Before long, a horse-drawn carriage stopped in front of the gates. Her father had returned from the royal palace. Astrid ran over to greet him, but the moment she saw his face as he descended from the carriage, she knew what had happened and solemnly closed her eyes.
“Then it’s true, father?”
“Yes, it’s true. His Majesty informed me directly. The engagement between Prince Azaal and Clau has been called off.”
“But we’ve finally found a glimmer of hope that might cure the poison once and for all! Couldn’t they give us a little more time?!”
“I told them that as well, but they’ve already waited a year, and it seems that they’re not going to wait any longer.”
“But—”
“And even if we do cure the poison, as long as Clau has that curse on her, she still can’t bear a child. At least, that was the reason His Majesty gave.”
“Well...” Seeing no room to argue, Astrid gripped her fist, frustrated with her own powerlessness.
Astrid’s younger sister, Claudia Dragonaut, was betrothed to the crown prince Azaal—or rather, she had been. At present, she was suffering from a curse of unknown origin. A curse that afflicted her entire body with constant, severe pain at all hours of the day. No recovery magic or miracles so far had been effective against it, nor had any antidotes, potions, or even the elixir the family had taken great pains to obtain. It was a sadistic curse that seemed to have no cure.
Actually, they hadn’t been completely ineffective. They at least temporarily alleviated her pain. But over time, the curse would always return, over and over again.
Claudia had been a cheerful, optimistic girl. And she was strong-willed: Even though her mother had died when she was still a child, she’d kept a stiff upper lip and hadn’t let anyone see her tears so as not to make them worry about her. At first, she’d resisted the curse. She’d smiled at her worried father and elder sister, reassuring them that she’d be all right. But as though to mock her optimism, the curse slowly but surely grew stronger. When she became used to a certain threshold of pain, the curse would raise its intensity. Once she got used to that threshold, the curse would intensify again...and so on. This had happened four, five, six times, and even after the pain was so unbearable that it made her scream and cry in agony, the curse never stopped evolving.
Her spirit had finally shattered, and after witnessing her beg between choked sobs for someone to end her life, her father and sister had come to a decision. In order to relieve Claudia of her pain, they would use the analgesic herb known as tanashia. Its effects were incredibly potent, but in exchange, it took a toll on the patient’s body. Put bluntly, it was a drug most commonly given to patients who were at death’s door so that they could pass away without having to suffer. It certainly wasn’t the type of drug one should administer to a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl. But with no other cure in sight, they knew she would die from the severe pain at this rate. There was no other option.
Thanks to their decision, Claudia had barely managed to survive. But the drug’s effects didn’t completely erase her pain, and she spent her life living in fear of the day a fresh wave of pain would hit her next. In addition, each time she took a dose of tanashia, the toxin within the herb would settle inside her. Day by day, hour by hour, her body grew weaker.