The first priority for all major powers after the Great Shattering was ensuring the well-being of their mortal populations.
Strict laws were enacted to prevent Rankers and mana-harnessing entities from harming mortals, and incentives were provided to increase birthrates.
The Rankers like Reva Rain would be immediately prosecuted in the land of Anfang no matter where they were from. Even the majority of cultists weren't willing to harm the mortal populace in any way due to the kind of situation they were forced to be in.
The post-Great Shattering period was both chaotic and full of opportunities for the existing powers. This power struggle was expected to continue for centuries before settling down.
To sustain this, major powers needed their mortals to have more children, leading to a greater number of mana-harnessing entities. The future of these powers relied on how quickly they could increase their mortal and Ranker populations.
While the Anfang Alliance persisted, it had to adapt its rules post-Great Shattering.
The Alliance had claimed a mini continent for itself as its headquarters.
It acknowledged the existence of half-bloods and monsters, acting as an intermediary between various powers to quickly mitigate the repercussions. Of course this was a decision not born of free will but lack of options.
Although hesitant to collaborate with cultists, the Anfang Alliance allowed other major players to establish connections with Kojurao.
Similarly, half-bloods and monsters were reluctant to cooperate but had no other choice given the challenges posed by the Great Shattering. The period of upheaval became a great unifier.
Continents and their powers quickly accepted the new reality in Anfang. They established trade routes and business deals to expedite recovery from the losses incurred during the cataclysmic event.
***
The world of Anfang itself remained largely intact after the Great Shattering. If anything, the mana in Anfang seemed to have improved following the cracks in the divine formation, which continued to grow slowly but steadily.
One could say that the world had shed its skin and it was the old shell that had suffered the consequence of the metamorphosis.
The impact of the Shattering was felt primarily by the weak and vulnerable, those accustomed to suffering regardless of the prevailing circumstances on a global scale.
The divine formation was destined to collapse on its own in a century or two. And despite the Anfang Alliance's efforts to collaborate with those it had once persecuted, there was no reversing this fate.
The collapse was inevitable, so the Alliance focused on utilizing all available resources to prepare for the eventual arrival of the otherworlders.
The Alliance, particularly wary of Titans from Allansia, worked diligently to establish connections with Tel Quasser and the Continent of Echidna, leveraging the feys and monsters under its control within Anfang. This preparation was aimed at fortifying itself against a potential Titan invasion in the future.
Despite acknowledging the existence of half-bloods, the Alliance refrained from reaching out to Labh Salem. The hesitation stemmed from the belief that powerful figures in Labh Salem might not extend leniency toward Anfang, given the fraught history between them.
As long as Labh Salem maintained a neutral stance, the Anfang Alliance opted to keep its distance, avoiding potential complications for as long as possible.
***
In the newly changed geography of Anfang, there existed a landmass in the sea which had been separated from the kingdom of Edinburgh and Layos.
It was too big to be called an island and yet too small to be called a mini continent. This land surrounded the sea from all directions, isolating it from the rest of the major powers.
This land was called White Ravendale. Some even referred to it simply as Ravendale.
Nestled between Arsalan and Katiyal, closer to the northern Shiragna and bordered by Mater to the south, this land found itself encircled by influential powers.
Ravendale also had various other small islands around it. However, nobody had tried to claim those islands either, treating them as the neutral ground. Incidentally, some of these lands were claimed by the merfolk who were not aware of the situation of the Anfang above sea level. As such, it had already established a contact with Ravendale, treating it as a business partner.
Nobody had tried to approach White Ravendale after the effect of the Great Shattering died down. This was because the man who was the major reason behind the Great Shattering lived here. He and his organization had decided to stay away from the matters of the Anfang Alliance for the time being.
The heart of Ravendale was The City of White Raven, which, post the Great Shattering, transformed into a formidable city-state. Despite the challenges posed by the Shattering, the city had flourished, and its prosperity extended beyond its physical borders.
The White Raven Guild, stewarding The City of White Raven, emerged as one of the most prepared organizations in the aftermath of the Great Shattering. Economically and in terms of ranking resources, it reached unprecedented heights.
With extensive reserves of food and ranking resources, enough to last well over a century for its current population, and a mortal populace largely unaffected by the cataclysm, the Guild's administration worked diligently to encourage birth and growth among both mortals and Rankers respectively.
Utilizing its mortal populace, the White Raven Guild embarked on a project to cultivate farmlands across White Ravendale, entrusting various Rankers with the administration of these territories.
Beyond this, the Guild established numerous greenhouses across the land to cultivate ranking resources for its non-mortal residents. Thanks to Eren's foresight and guidance, the Guild had the necessary components for such facilities even before the full-scale war erupted.
Surrounded by a sea that served as a natural barrier, Ravendale maintained its neutrality, and no major power had dared to approach it since the Great Shattering. This reluctance was fueled by the knowledge that the individual responsible for the catastrophic event resided within its borders. The mastermind and his organization opted to stay out of the Anfang Alliance's affairs temporarily as well.
Despite the ongoing chaos in Anfang, a semblance of order was emerging. The Anfang Alliance, though yet to make any aggressive moves against Ravendale, stood as a looming variable in the equation.
With the dust settling, the dynamics were poised to change.
