As the sound of hooves carried barbarians fleeing in rout from the east into the Central Continent, chaos began.
The High King's crown fell to the ground amid war and political maneuvering, and the once formidable kingdoms of the Central Continent came to an end. Wealthy merchants, warlords, tyrants, and imperial relatives quickly built up their own strength by virtue of their respective statuses, either claiming mountains as kings or declaring themselves monarchs, attacking one another. Chaos became the main theme of the Central Axis, where war and plunder, conspiracy and deceit replaced virtue and understanding. Allies wished to cling closely to each other, while enemies wished even more for the other to be right before their eyes. Powerful careerists used every advantage to swallow up the weak around them in one gulp, while minor characters unwilling to make a hasty exit signed contracts with devils, just like Faust, in exchange for the power they urgently needed...
The sun rolled over the towering Doghead Ridge, once again scattering light upon the road leading to the castle. The Imperial Highway, disrepair-ridden due to war, had become densely pitted with holes, and the once-frequent merchant travelers were now nowhere to be seen. Dense vegetation gradually began to encroach upon the intentionally tamped road as human traces vanished, and its roots and stalks made the sole carriage traveling on the highway all the more jolting.
The carriage, pulled by two white horses, possessed side walls engraved with gorgeous patterns, and the statue of a Phoenix carved upon its roof declared that it had once been one of the carriages in the High King's entourage. Logically speaking, a luxury vehicle such as this could bring a modesto amount of comfort to the passengers inside through its exceptional shock-absorbing ability even when traveling on pitted