I've always thought stories were special adventures. That's why storytellers must be special people too. At least, that's what I believed when I was a little child. They're a series of adventures born from the combination of things you witness and your imagination. I don't know if I'm one of those special people but I'll do the things I want to do. Let's tell a story. After all, stories only come into existence when they're told.
There was once a place I believed to be an ancient lands. This lands was called Heiben. Perhaps I might be wrong, but this word bears a striking resemblance to the Japanese word for "mediocre". But that aside, in this world, there were other lands besides Heiben. However, I have no reason to mention them just yet.
If I had to describe Heiben in one word, that word would be "magical". By "magical" I don't mean fireballs flying in the air or dangerous whirlwinds. It is captivating with its magnificent meadows, forests where the sun cannot enter, vast deserts, and various other regions. Even the villages and cities here can feel magical. Just looking at the simplest cabin can make you feel as if you are gazing at a skyscraper. At least, that's how I felt.
But there's a saying I know to be true, even if it isn't famous.
Demos wear masks to appear beautiful.
As it is everywhere, there are demons living here. Interestingly, they resemble humans quite a bit. I've even thought that this resemblance is somewhat unsettling at least if you disregard their horns and elven pointed ears. I used to read some things about how those who spoke their names were treated as either mad or witch. I don't know if that's true but it's important to think of the demons here not as a being to be feared but as a race.
As the topic has come up, it's worth mentioning. Demon Kingdom is located in the west of the Heiben and is known as the largest kingdom in terms of land area. A large portion of the eastern territories is governed by three human kingdoms. For now, let's keep these in our pocket map. I hope you have a map in your pocket.
It's beneficial to summarize without complicating the matter further. The main topics are hidden in the center of the lands. Since part of the central lands is covered by deserts, this area is considered a neutral zone. The largest settlements here are probably villages built around the continent's limited water resources. In addition, the central part of the land hosts many exotic and unknown things. I believe that those who have full control over these are the residents of the three kingdoms living in the center of the land. These three kingdoms are neither allied with the demons nor with the humans.
They are "mixed" kingdoms.
In other words, I am talking about the "nalia". They emerged as a result of the interactions between the humans and the demons. Nalias either have only horns on their heads or only elven pointed ears. There cannot be a Nalia that possesses both of these characteristics together. Therefore, it is relatively easy to distinguish them from demons. Although very rare, there are Nalias that lack both of these features—horns and elven pointed ears. The skin color of these Nalias has a unique hue that is specific to them.
Moreover, their numbers are incredibly high. Although demons have lifespans similar to humans, it is truly, genuinely rare for a demon couple to have multiple children. Humans, on the other hand... well, they were just humans. The nalias possessed all the characteristic traits and emotions that a human could have. It cannot be said that demons have very strong emotions, but their attachment to earthly things is quite interesting. As a result, nalia couples multiplied like rabbits and became the dominant race in the realm. I apologize, but in this story, humans are not the ruling power.
I think I've strayed quite a bit from the topic. Our subject is not the impossible love stories of the nalia couples, but this magical world we are in. I assume I don't need to mention this, but magic is a very beautiful thing in this world. It allows you to perform tasks like watering your crops or starting your campfire more easily. Those who can do more than that are either soldiers or adventurers who gamble their lives in some sort of poker game. What can be done with magic is said to depend on your imagination. If magic is blood, then the veins are the potential of what you can do with it, and the heart of this system ironically resembles a game.
Strength: ???
Agility: ???
Intelligence: ???
Endurance: ???
Charisma: ???
Magic: ???
Everyone has an identity created the moment they are born. On the front side of the identity, you can see the classic information about who you are, as you would on a regular idendity. When you place a magical marble on the back, this three-dimensional information will become visible. I truly don't know why everyone has this. As I mentioned before, this world is like a game. Moreover, since everyone has this identity, it's useful to see it as a standard feature. If I want to see my statistics and other things, you must be rich enough to acquire the technology that can show you that.
Every kingdom in Heiben is like this. In fact, this land is quite advanced technologically. There are transportation vehicles, similar to trains, that can only be used between countries, which could rival teleportation. Additionally, there is special equipment that allows you to tame certain monsters as mounts. There are even backpacks that can hold much more than they appear to. Because of these positive aspects, the continent of Heiben is filled with plenty of brutality and unknowns. Due to many regions still being unexplored and the abundance of these dangers, a large portion of the population lives in cities surrounded by massive walls.
At least, this is how the system works in the human kingdoms.
As I said before, there are currently three human kingdoms on the continent. These kingdoms are called Nordenmia, Saker, and Ucretnight, respectively. I want to talk about Ucretnight in more detail. After all, I am a citizen of that kingdom and was born there. There are small towns, of course, but the majority of the people are concentrated in two cities. These cities are Vaste and the capital Natura.
The word Natura means "nature" in Latin. The way the words are written is quite similar but the city I live in has little connection with nature. In fact, I can't even remember seeing a single tree in the city. I wonder how the city manages to feed millions of people. Setting that aside, the architectural structure of the city resembles England's Victorian Era architecture. The city's main symbols include a neo-Gothic clock tower, its famous industrial shipyards and of course, the mansion where the royal family resides. The house I live in is close to the clock tower. You can reach the square where the clock tower is located by walking in five minutes.
Okay! That's enough for now because I feel like I'll be giving too much detail when I tell you about myself. I'm sure you're wondering who I am.
First of all, I'm a human being. However, I have a secret that I keep from everyone. You can guess this secret because the answer is pretty obvious. I'm someone who has reincarnated into this world. It's pretty weird to say these things as if they're ordinary. In the hope of getting rid of this weirdness, I want to tell you a little bit about my life story.