Iron Guard City was a city with a very... peculiar geographical location.
It lay beneath Deep Green Basin, connected upward to Coastal Country, bordered Steel Country to the left, and Frost Country to the right.
Iron Guard City had been established as a neutral city. The abundant Source Crystal Stone veins around it had attracted merchants and nobles from all three countries to develop them.
The initial disputes over mining rights had gradually calmed down, and the city was jointly governed by forces representing the three countries.
Though they called it governance on the surface... disputes over territory and mining rights continued to play out in the city behind the scenes.
Calilo... or rather, Short Touch Wand, had been born in this city where order was steeped in chaos.
Half a month ago, Short Touch Wand had resigned from his position at Golden Thread, taken leave from the academy, and spent half a month traveling from the capital of Steel Country to Iron Guard City on the border.
That was because he had received a letter from home. His father had told him that something serious might happen in Iron Guard City and asked him to return and take his still-young brother and sister back to Coastal Country.
"You're from Coastal Country?"
Short Touch Wand was undergoing an inspection in front of Iron Guard City's teleportation hall. The guards there wore strange iron masks, and Short Touch Wand could feel their icy stares from behind them.
"Yes." Short Touch Wand answered the guard truthfully.
After entering Iron Guard City, he had already sensed that the atmosphere around him was extremely oppressive.
The guard checked the Proof of Identity he had handed over once more.
"Your mother is from Frost Country?"
The guard's voice suddenly became grim and terrifying, and he