A Sinner’s Chance

The Forsaken Calamity was a horrific event that embroiled the world into war. It had happened only a few centuries ago, so while most human kingdoms had gotten over it, the longer lived races still felt the scars left behind. It started with an exodus of Forsaken from Loim, they took ships and began to siege the lands of every other race. Death also meant little to the Forsaken, the only way to permanently get rid of one was to destroy it completely, and even then it might come back in a new body.

While the races were busy with the Forsaken, a Demon Lord rose in the south pole and united the warring races, who then also began to assault the lands of each race. The races were hard pressed to deal with the two invading forces until they realized the Forsaken seemed to be going insane. For an unknown reason, though most agree it was likely the influence of Tenebris, the Forsaken began to attack each other if there was no detectable living race nearby.

The other races banded around this and had the Demons and Forsaken clash, decimating and eventually killing the Demon Lord. With all the races working together they managed to lure the Forsaken back to the Loim where a massive barrier was erected, keeping the mad undead sealed away. The barrier is protected and maintained through the cooperation of several dragons and powerful artifacts of each remaining race. Those who join the military are sent there to be trained spending a few years helping maintain the barrier and also get experience as well, thanks to the large amount of undead monsters that permeate the area. 

Thankfully as a women of a duke household, military service was not required of me. I'd already experienced time in the military once and I wasn't keen on doing it a second time.

The geography lessons were nice and simple, which I was ever grateful for, likely because they covered the layout of the world when talking about history and religion. I knew that I was on the continent of Kunat, which was home to Iustitia and her Divine Tree. She was at the very center of the continent and the Divine City of Superbia had formed at the base of her tree. The Eldur Duchy was part of the Rymiz Kingdom which lay towards the southern edge of the continent and we were one of the four duke houses. We were on the northern edge of the kingdom, bordering the Forest of Darkness, a dangerous and dark monster filled forest, it was one of the more dangerous locations on this continent, but the flames of the Eldur family were a perfect match to combat it.

Much like how the Eldur family was protected by the Phoenix, the other three were protected by a powerful spirit beast. The Golas to the east were blessed by the Roc, the spirit beast of air. In the south was the Vatni family, protected by the Leviathan. To the west was the Joron family, protected by the Titan.

Even though they were called spirit beasts, they were actually monsters with intelligence that offered their strength because their bloodlines were compatible, at least that's all the tutors had to offer on how each family came to posses the protection of these beings.

It was around three by the time I had finished the various basic knowledge lessons I was supposed to attend. Thankfully, because I was a quick learner I easily caught up to the level I should have been at in a single day. It also helped that they didn't expect me to memorize useless information and really only wanted me to know the basics for now. The hardest part of the day came after the basic knowledge lessons.

I wanted nothing more that to collapse onto my bed as I entered my room with Reine following behind. I had endured four hours of the worst form of torture I'd ever experienced, etiquette training. Even worse, because I had bad habits from my time on Earth as a man, I was forced to spend extra time as the tutor began correcting me. The worst part was that it was only the beginning, I needed to learn to walk, curtsy, how to eat, drink, and even talk with grace. Not to mention that it would eventually progress into learning to dance. 

Like yesterday, I had Reine draw the bath and wash me off. Though rather than feeling like teasing her I was thankful I had someone to do the work for me. Usually in fantasy, it seemed like nobles had such an easy and cushy life, doing no work and attending fancy parties. Yet I found out that reality was nothing like what I'd read. Sure I didn't have to wake up and till a field or open a store, but the thought that everyday for the rest of my life I would have to act a certain way, and be under constant scrutiny from others made me wish I had been picked up by a family of more common birth, rather than the highest class of nobility besides royalty.