Chương 17: The Continental Pieces

The last ten silver coins weighed very little in Ren's leather pouch as the party walked through the dirt streets of Oakhaven toward the guild. For a strategist, entering a chessboard without knowing the size of the map was the first step toward an enemy checkmate. Therefore, before crossing the guild's doors, he stopped at a scribe's stall and spent two of his last coins on a rustic parchment that showed the borders of the continent.

Sitting at the corner table of the tavern, under the watchful eyes of Liora, Selene, and Mireya, Ren opened the map over the rough wood. His mystical perception caught the subtle energy flows infused into the ancient paper, but what his mind sought were the political divisions.

"If we are going to hunt smugglers or accept larger contracts, I need to understand exactly where we are stepping," Ren broke the silence, his sixteen-year-old voice adopting his usual calm and surgical tone.

"Selene, give me the context." The fire mage looked at the parchment, pointing her finger at the central region where the city of Oakhaven was marked.

"We are in the Kingdom of Ithrya," Selene explained, the pride of her magical lineage showing through her tone of voice.

"It is a land blessed by the Church of the Goddess Ariana. But politically, the kingdom is walking an absurdly thin tightrope. The traditional kings died recently, leaving the throne entirely in the hands of Princess Liria. She governs alone, without a king by her side, which draws the eyes of predators from all sides." Liora Valtain, maintaining her impeccable posture and keeping her hand subtly close to the pommel of her katana, intervened with her usual military coldness.

"Princess Liria only keeps the crown because she has an iron barrier around her. Her personal guard is composed purely of elite women. Their leader is Commander Kaelia Voss, a ruthless warrior who masters Internal Mana to terrifying levels. Under Kaelia's command, there are five other elite guards who protect the princess day and night. They are the only reason Ithrya hasn't been invaded yet." Ren engraved the names into his gamer mind. A Princess Liria governing alone and surrounded by an all-female elite guard.

A ruler isolated and pressured by the world... the perfect piece to be manipulated through affection and tactical support in the future. When her crown wobbles, I will be the only support she has. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"And the rest of the board? Who are the neighbors?" Ren asked, running his fingers along the edges of the map. Mireya Solen, adjusting her glasses with her feline shyness while her cat tail gave a slight twitch, pointed toward the northern region, where the paper was painted in darker tones.

"To the north lies the Kingdom of Silver," the Neko alchemist said, her voice analytical but laced with a veiled disgust.

"It is ruled by a tyrant king—cruel and evil. They enslave demi-humans, use brute force to expand their territory, and do not respect treaties. It is a land of blood."

"And this neutral zone in the south?" Ren questioned, pointing to a vast area without monarchical crests.

"That is the Kingdom of the Union," Liora answered, her severe eyes fixed on the borders.

"There are no kings, queens, or emperors. It is a free land where humans and demi-humans coexist in absolute equality through local councils. They don't have a unified army, which makes them peaceful, but extremely vulnerable if an all-out war breaks out." Ren leaned back in his wooden chair, crossing his fingers over his lap as his genius mind processed the macro-strategy of that world.

Three human and demi-human kingdoms divided by ideologies and military forces: Ithrya and its solitary queen, Silver and its tyrant king, and the Union with no centralized leadership. Beyond them, reports spoke of dark races lurking at the borders: arcane monsters, mana-infused beasts, demon armies, and the mysterious Shadows—the masses of living darkness with red eyes that Ren remembered perfectly from his original death at the school.

Behind the calm countenance and the slight smile he displayed to keep his harem relaxed, Ren's chest operated with a chilling coldness. This fantasy reality was no fairy tale; it was a political cauldron about to explode. And he, with his last eight silver coins in his pocket and three powerful women under his command, was right at the center of the board. Ithrya, Silver, and the Union. The stage is set.

Liria's fragility and Silver's tyranny will collide sooner or later, and the Demon Lord's army will exploit that crack. My current tools are still weak. I need gold, I need the edge of Liora's katana to be perfect, and Mireya's potions to be good. The geopolitical game has begun, and I will ally myself with the queen of Ithrya to control this world from the shadows. Ren folded the rustic parchment with a firm movement and stood up, tucking the map into his belt.

"We understand the continent's geography now," Ren smiled faintly, looking at the three girls around him.

"Now, let's see if there is any mission that pays well. Since this world's economy dictates that every gold coin is worth thirty silvers, we need one that will grant us gold."