Introduction

In the kingdom of Caera, there stood a large and extravagant castle. It towered over the many exquisite buildings littered throughout the city. The city itself, covering a massive area of land, was known as Crestfall, and it stood as the Capital of the kingdom. Its population, roughly two hundred thousand people or more.

Crestfall was one of the largest cities in the world, having become one of the most populated lands in the east. Down its many roads and streets, commerce was common. Peddlers were very often seen selling their wares to its many citizens. 

The city, as large as it is, is separated by various districts. Because of social classes set in place (royalty, nobility, and commoner), there are many different sections of the city where the lower ranked citizens are not allowed to enter, particularly the land’s highest ranked noble families, the Dukes and Marquesses.

From the castle - where every member of royalty lives - outward, the sections are divided as such: Duke/Marquess District, Count/Viscount District, Baron/Baronet District, Commoner District, and the Outermost District. Of course, there is another district that extends from the entrance of the city directly towards the castle. This is the Commercial/Adventurer District, the busiest district in Crestfall. Finally, there is one more district: the Knight District, where everyone in the knighthood lives.

Crestfall has also become one of the most famous cities in the world, producing not only the most and best kinds of merchandise, between weapons, food, drinks, and other various necessities, trinkets, and accessories, but also having given birth to some of the most powerful fighters, adventurers, and heroes ever seen.

In terms of commerce, the headquarters of their economic services is a place known as the Beauclair Merchants’ Company. Its head, Duchess Maria Beauclair, is a powerful influence both within the kingdom and in even foreign nations. She essentially controls nearly all of the trading and economics throughout Caera, and she also allows her goods to be sold to various allied nations, keeping them in her kingdom’s favor.

Because of the importance of its existence, its HQ was placed in the center of the Commercial/Adventurer District, a perfect place so that Maria herself can direct all commercial traffic within the capital. However, unlike most nobles, Maria does not reside in the Duke/Marquess and instead resides within the HQ itself. As such, while Maria is highly respected for her standing and her skill in economics and trade, she is also looked down on by her fellow Duke Families.

As for Maria Beauclair, she was once a commoner and an orphan. At the age of 5, she learned how to haggle salesmen, needing to feed herself while living on the streets and collecting the bare minimum amount of money by pickpocketing the people. Her haggling skills, even at that age, were considered legendary amongst merchants. Having caught the attention of the king, she was summoned to the castle so that he may speak to her. There, she was praised for her smarts when she was requested to give advice regarding the nation’s money problem. Deciding to reward her, she was given permission to attend a school for nobility and royalty.

Despite her being despised and bullied by her fellow classmates, she had the highest marks in her classes. She was also a very fast learner when it came to combat as well. Because of her brain and technique, she managed to graduate from the school in merely a year, the youngest graduate in history and the only one to have ever completed her studies in a year.

At the age of 6, she was named as the king’s personal financier, controlling how money flowed for the castle, managing the spending perfectly and dramatically reducing the cost of everything the kingdom needed to buy and prepare. She also became the king’s personal assistant and guard, her skills being recognized as unique, especially for an assistant.

For eight years, she remained at the king’s side, and during that time, at the age of 13, she was given the Class of Duchess, the highest possible rank for even the nobility. At the age of 14, she started the Beauclair Merchants’ Company and ran it from the city. Ever since, although she no longer guards the royal family, she has remained the king’s financier and has become one of the most influential people ever shown.

As of today, the Company has existed for 8 years.

The other major part of the city is the Dragon’s Eye Adventurers’ Society, led by Count Cadmus Drake. A powerful noble who is also hailed as one of the strongest people in the land, he started his adventuring at the mere age of 5, deciding to explore the world while using his noble title to give an excuse for his absence. 

Hailed as a genius with both his blade and his magic, a special skill simply known as Conjuring in this world, Cadmus became a hero at the age of 8, having saved his kingdom from both a raid from an enemy nation and a vile attack from numerous dragons that came down from the mountain nearby. As such, he was given by the king of the nation of the time a very special reward.

At the age of 10, Cadmus, having been given the epithet of Dragon Knight by the past king, created the Adventurers’ Society and ran it on his own. Despite his age, his martial strength was immeasurable, and his intelligence left many baffled. Because of these factors, he inevitably managed to draw in some of the most powerful adventurers, successfully leading them as the Captain of the society and remaining undefeated.

As of today, the Dragon’s Eye Adventurers’ Society has existed for 48 years.

The Caera Kingdom, one of the most prosperous kingdoms in the east. Every nation fears and respects them. Every war fought, Caera has won. Peace seemed practically inevitable. But the future of this kingdom, as well as many others, will one day be forced to face the biggest challenge the world has ever known. One day, it will simply be known as… The Calamity.