The Northern Continent is enclosed by two mountain ranges at the left and the right, making flanking the continent nearly impossible.
The whole left mountain range comes under the Wright Family's juridstriction and thus it's their duty to guard it, while the right range is home to Mount Hua.
Vampires, who reside beyond the Northern Continent, are left with no choice but to assail from the front because of this unique topography.
Naturally, the front is shielded by an army force, known as the Northern Defence Force, or NDF for short.
They are the most seasoned and formidable army unit within the United Military.
For seven centuries, they had been guarding the North under the command of a Wright family member.
Every Cadet serves a term there after their graduation from the Military Academies.
In any case, the Northern Continent is composed of exactly fiftyfive states and, at least, thousands of cities.
The administrative capital of the Northern Continent is known as the Lion's Keep.
This city serves not only as the political center but it's also the home to the House of Lions, the Wright family, and the seat of power for the Northern Continent.
Right now, the old man and I were strolling through the bustling streets of the Lion's Keep.
What caught my attention was that the architectural style of this continent was strikingly different to that of the Western Continent.
Instead of towering high-rises and skyscrapers, the buildings here were small and compact.
In place of traditional wood and concrete, metal was used in the construction of the building structures here, making the whole cityscape appear in somber shades of black and gray.
Tall watchtowers, mounted with energy turrets and bright spotlights, were dotted across the city. Since the buildings around them were small, each one of them were easy to spot.
Soldiers patrolled the streets, carrying unsheathed weapons as if they were ready to channel mana and take fighting postion at any given moment.
Robust tanks and heavy-duty vehicles, armed with even more energy turrets and mounted machine guns, moved through the city streets at a gazing speed.
Actually, the whole city appeared more like a fortified fortress for soldiers than a welcoming place for civilians.
Scarcely any business establishments such as bars or cafes were visible. The few that did exist, subtly blended among the other buildings.
However, vendors and street merchants were present almost everywhere, selling everyday items and an variety of goods.
The city's residential population was a diverse mix of humans, elves, and dwarves, but humans appeared to be the majority.
However, instead of lively sparks and cheerful glints, their eyes appeared dull and almost lifeless.
Some seemed sleep-deprived, evident by the baggy black circles beneath their eyes, while others displayed clear signs of stress and panic.
I had been to this city just four days ago with my Master when we were en route to Mount Hua since the only Teleportation Gate available was located in the capital.
Last time during our travels, I couldn't help but notice that this city indeed had a somewhat gloomy atmosphere.
Of course, back then, I had no idea we were in the Northern Continent so I didn't pay much mind to it.
Observing the confused look on my face as I watched the pedestrians walk by, the old man gave a reassuring pat on my shoulder.
In a solemn tone, he explained, "There was a vampire terrorist attack in this city two days ago."
A frown creased my brow as I questioned, "An attack? I don't understand. How did vampires manage to get past our border?"
The old man simply shrugged. "It happens more often than you'd think. Sometimes due to mistakes made by lookout soldiers, and other times because of spies or those enthralled by vampires' mind control."
"But the news never reports any breaches in our defenses," I retorted before instantly realizing how naive I sounded.
Propaganda.
"Propaganda," the old man echoed, as if reading my thoughts. "The Government has to keep up appearances, even if half the world knows the truth."
Running a hand through my now neck-length silver hair, I sighed, realizing I really should get a haircut one of these days, and then I posed another question.
"How frequently does it happen? When I was last here, people didn't seem to be in any better shape."
"As I mentioned, it happens quite often. On average, there are around five to six terrorist attacks every year."
So that's why the entire city looked like a battle-ready fortress.
"But if the capital is in such a state then what about the other cities?" I asked.
The old man sighed, "The closer you get to the border, the more intense and frequent the vampire attacks become. The cities at the far end of the continent's border are relatively safe."
"So, what you're trying to tell me is that... it's happening all across the continent?" I summarized.
The old man shrugged, "Pretty much. People can't even freely express their fears. They are not allowed to leave their cities without a letter of leave from one of the Wrights, and even then, they have to sign a non-disclosure agreement contract. I don't have much internet presence, but I still know that whatever they say online about the situation is also shadow banned."
Ahh, I see. No wonder they seemed so stressed out.
The mere fact that their own Government and Overlords had stripped their freedom of speech must be terrifying.
Not only could they not share their opinions and voice their fears, but they also had to worry about their safety each time they left their homes.
Yeah, it must indeed be incredibly stressful.
Of course, the military and government were aware of their problems but they all were already doing everything they could.
"To be honest, the cities near the border are in an even worse state.
Sometimes, the military conscripts children and the elderly from orphanages and nursing homes there for support roles."
A look of utter disgust crossed the old man's face as he spoke. I studied him for a moment before answering with a question: "But the military doesn't force them, right? They do compensate them, I heard."
"They do compensate them, and yes, they don't conscript anyone without their own or their guardian's consent. But it still doesn't change how twisted it all is."
To be honest, support duties aren't all that dangerous. It involve relatively safer tasks like disassembling firearms and cleaning weapons and barracks.
Mundanes, those who can't sense mana and aren't forced to serve in the military, are typically hired for these roles.
But the thing is, no mundane person would willingly choose to go to the border, no matter how safe the job is.
This is why the military covertly conscripts the elderly and children who have nowhere else to go, assigning them these duties so that the soldiers can focus on the missions assigned to them instead of menial labor.
Quinn was one of those children thrust into the border by the military for support services. He was so young when he was forced to live at the border camps.
And when the military discovered his power of perfect necromancy, they began using him as a tool in warfare strategies.
Ultimately, he survived and even earned a reputation. The Perfect Necromancer and Calamity Bringer is what they now call him.
But, as the old man said just now, nothing can excuse how messed up all of this is.
Children forced to live at the border, terrorist attacks, propaganda to protect what little order is remained among the masses.
Shaking my head, I trailed behind the old man.
In my mind, I recalled the oath I had sworn to Quinn â I will bring peace to this messed-up world, no matter the cost.
But the promise I made to myself echoed louder in my head... I will survive.
