If this had been Earth, I would have immediately convinced myself that the old man was trying to scare me. But there’s magic here. The biting cold I felt around me while he recited the poem felt extremely real. Maybe, he could have done that to prank me. But to what end? He seemed barely able to stand. To think that it was just an elaborate ruse—no. I can read through people. That is just a sad old man on the verge of dying.

What happened, however, was real. The poem he recited to me was as real as it got. This world clearly has some deep-rooted secret. By the conventional narrative of fiction, I might be the heroine sent here to uncover what is hidden below those words.

But I thought I was sent here to help the half-giants…

Something doesn’t add up…

But who runs after two hares at the same time, catches none.

…

“Reading?” the old man asks as I enter his store, which seems awfully desolate at every time of the day.

I nod, offering my hands for the use of the [Cleansing] thing. He pours a few drops on my hands and I rub them together, smiling.

“What do you need?” he asks, curter and more to the point compared to yesterday. I notice an open book by the side of his chair.

He was just reading.

I don’t blame him. It’s really annonying when people talk to you while you are immersed in a good book.

“Culture, geography, history. Anything about half-giants and Carilia.”

He narrows his eyes for a second before disappearing behind one of the huge columns made of books stacked onto each other. He comes back a few moments later with six thick tomes.

“Start from these.”

…

While I was reading a rather dry chapter on Nymphs’ rituals and religion, something catches my eye. So far, it’s been a collection of rather interesting information, but all pretty disconnected from anything I know. But there’s a chapter called ‘The Tax.’

Vanedenis have terrorized many countries and kingdoms; even continents, to be honest. And Teiko knows that very well. Among the Humans of Teiko, it is an open secret that Vanedenis should never be bothered and, much less, insulted. No one knows what sort of traditions in their culture uphold the need to keep their name clean, but Vanedenis respond to insults with blood. They force duels on the people who insulted their honor. And their family will come to enforce that such duels take place. If they families are repelled, their entire town might come. If the town is repelled, their [Lord]. If the [Lord] doesn’t manage, their [Kings] and [Queens] will step in.

Vanedenis are well-known for some of their civil wars born out of the silliest reason. What in normal kingdoms is a dispute between neighbors could start a war on Kome. They tolerate no insult. Nothing in the slightest. And from a young age they are taught to respect each other. Even when they hate someone, they are very careful with their words. Blood is a valued currency among them, but they are also very generous in their largesse of it.

I recommend reading Chapter 13 – Vanedeni Heroes before this one if you have not.

The Tax is the tribute Vanedenis have imposed on every country in the world, bar none. Everyone has to pay annually. They can also ask for something in particular, in case they needed it. Vanedenis don’t push extreme requests. Some [Historians] postulated their greed, but that is nothing short of idiotic. Vanedenis never, historically, showed any greed. They are greedy for battles if anything.

Their two [Heroes], Filaer and Skialaer, the infamous [Strategist] and one of the greatest [Warriors] to ever exist, spearheaded the charge of the Vanedenis in the Hydrean War. When Sziezais tried to take over every single continent. Every continent stipulated a great alliance, and the Hydra battled them relentlessly. There are not many ways of describing what happened later: Vanedenis, who had been begged by the rest of the continent to help, finally descended into the fray. However, they attacked both sides.

Some missives from their [King] to the regents around the world report these words: “It’s the first ever world-conflict. We can win it on our own.”

At first, such a move was considered a stratagem on behalf of Filaer, who was considered a great trickster. As soon as the flying vessels of the Vanedenis attacked the cities on Teiko and Carilia, alongside the Hydrae’s fleets, everyone started doubting that it was a stratagem.

Sziezais, an [Archgame] over level 70, a [Paragon] of his era, was slain in mysterious circumstances. To this day, few [Historians] have managed to gather any further information on his death. Some have travelled all the way to Kome, but most Vanedenis seem as ignorant as the rest of the world. It has to be reported that Gabbilizius, a rich [Merchant] and hobbyist [Historian], traded with the Vanedenis and affirmed that ‘the Epodes’ Family knows exactly what went down, but they refuse to tell.’

Estimates put the average level of the Vanedenis entering the conflict around 35. The average of the allied force estimated at 13, and the average of the Hydras at 17. What those isolated people do on their own time to level so much, only they know. But one thing is certain, no one in known history has won a battle so big and so reckless.

“Licinium,” I call the old guy after reading part of the chapter. It’s all vague compared to Earth’s history. There are not many numbers going around, it’s mostly about recording history. And commentaries are long and often biased. “Vanedenis won a world’s conflict?”

The old man raises his gaze from the book to look at me with his vivid blue irises.

“They did. And, as a little point of pride for my people, we sold them most of the weapons that they then used during the conflict. Half-giants were mostly left on their own for that very reason. We were one of the very few to openly trade with Vanedenis, to actively search for deals with them. Antidosis tried to do the same, but Vanedenis never respected them. Sirens? For all they now hate the Vanedenis, they begged for their help, for them to spare them whet Lakaner descended into the abyss to slay them after dark rituals were upsetting the world. Now that Vanedenis are suffering from a poor fate on Kome, everyone turned their backs to us. That’s what happens to people who ‘collaborated.’ There’s not enmity in the open. They just refuse to sign trade deals. And that’s enough to kill a city.”

“Wait, I heard from Ziss that half-giants are discriminated against because people fear them.”

“Ziss? The idiot who roasts meat in the plaza? How many books do you think that guy has read in his life? I’m not even sure he can read, the idiot,” Licinium said with contempt. “History speaks clear. Since the day Ahalis managed to start a war against Vanedenis without immediately dying, the trade records of half-giants turned red. Prices spiked, deals became extremely expensive. They are afraid we might help the Vanedenis—cowards. I’d forge some steel to help them fight those worthless chimps myself if I could. Relics came out of Leggiadra. And more than one. I hope that the day they turn the conflict back, the Sirens’ blood will make the oceans red, and that this wretched continent will burn.”

“Aren’t they losing the war?”

“Losing? Vanedenis? The only reason they are losing is because they fought a civil war among themselves while fighting the Ahalis. Now, there’s a Lady Goldith Rodinia, probably over level 60, with some of the best metal in the world under her ass, fully clothed in her ancestors’ Relics, who’s going to launch a counterattack in upcoming years. I hold some correspondence with Vanedeni [Historians] and keep a journal of what they communicate with me and the others who are interested in noting down the great events of the world. There’s also a debate among them about whether or not this Lady incarnates the essence and spirit of Vanedenis more than their predecessors, or whether she’s going down the same path Mauser did.”

After talking so much, Licinium rests for a second, out of breath. He gives a few experimental coughs to make sure he isn’t going to have a fit. There are many things you can say about Vanedenis, but they are certainly not cowards.

“Vanedenis will come back, young lady. And what is your name, again?”

“Cassandre.”

“Cassandre, if you ever cross path with a Vanedeni, don’t mess with them. Trust an old man who has read more than many others. They are not like other people. They are dangerous. But we are also what we need.”

I’m tempted to shrug, but I can see from how he looks at me that he’s not joking. His hands are tightly gripping the armrests of the chair and his eyes are unblinking.

“Cassandre, there are many people in this world. There are many races. There are Canti. But there’s only one population made of people who throw themselves at death laughing. Their blood is being diluted, but it still has the dormant seeds of great heroes. Why, otherwise, the other continents wouldn’t be attacking them all together? Because they are scared. They are terrified. [Kings] and [Queens] still remember what the Vanedenis were capable of. Even the Ahalis have basically relegated them in the southern half of the continent, choosing to battle them as little as possible. Strife breeds levels and great classes. They are trying to make them weak, not let them process the natural resources that you can find in spades on Kome.”

People level against adversity.

Nothing major, but I still have to keep this in mind. I haven’t made progress in my [Gunman] class in an entire day.

Because I need something to shoot.

“Are they dangerous because their levels are generally high?”

“Rizilius’s ears, no. They are dangerous because not only they level like the madmen they are, but because of the [Heroes] they spawn.”

“[Heroes]?”

Licinium nods gravely.

“Many civilizations, and mark the word, ‘civilizations,’ have never spawned an [Hero]. From the most ancient records I have consulted, [Heroes] can be as rare as in you would never seen one in thousand of years. Do you understand the scale of that? They come to exist as singularities among classes, they have higher missions to accomplish. There’s a veritable calling in their class, a blind faith that you will never see in the craziest person in this world. They are unique, each one of them. Their classes can take different names, but they are usually prefaced with ‘Hero of.’ That’s what some of the most famous [Historians] have uncovered.”

“Wait,” something comes to my mind, “in the book there was written that Filaer and Skialaer—”

“Two [Heroes] spawned in the same decade. And [Heroes] of the highest level. They were so powerful they could flatten armies on their own. Skialaer, in particular, died of old age. Filaer died in very mysterious circumstances. But long after they won the war. The Vanedenis spawned two heroes just like that. And there’s more than a dozen of Vanedeni [Heroes]. Each and every one of them gets elevated to Lordship. Every single Vanedeni family has an [Hero] in their ancestors. You cannot be a noble among Vanedenis if you are not a descendent of one.”

“How many noble families are among Vanedeni?” I ask, surprised.

“Are? Not sure. Were? More than twenty.”