King Of Limbo

[A/N: This chapter focuses on Aron reading more about the history of the world or region he's in. You can read to be ahead in knowledge and know more about the world and its history or just skip to the next chapter as it is completely optional.]

After Aron had left the tavern, he returned to his residence to refresh himself and clean up before returning to his favorite room, the study.

There he began scanning the bookshelf for an interesting read, always looking to expand his knowledge on any given topic in his free time. As he scoured the many books available, his gaze stopped on a particular set of books titled "The History of Nations" volumes one through nine.

It was a collection he was yet to touch and the title on its own was enough to garner his interest as reached forward without hesitation and began reading at a tremendous pace, starting to know more and more about his original world.

[Rise of Ettenheim and Fall of Lachester]

This was the chapter Aron had settled on, thinking it was necessary he first learn about the nations closest to him.

The first thing to come as a surprise to him was that Ettenheim was a nation that has existed for less than a hundred years whilst Lachester was previously the largest nation on the Drotzi continent (formerly the Lachestrian Continent).

The rise of the Ettenheim Empire was an unprecedented one. It first began when the last true Lachestrian Monarch, King Aiden the fourth, had started making plans to expand his empire and merge it with that of the elven monarch, due to his love for a princess of the Aethel Empire. An empire they had been at war with for many ages.

This act wasn't taken well by his great six generals and their subordinates. Each general had lost a great many men and women in battle during the wars, including friends and loved ones. So, to not only ask that they forget the bloodshed that occurred but to also ask them to bow their heads as well and worship the Aethel monarch was a plain insult to everything they sacrificed.

And so, the six generals launched a coup d'état to remove the current King who they thought had gone senile or had been bewitched. This however proved to be difficult and a civil war had broken out.

This lasted five years before the six generals might was too much for King Aiden. In the siege of his capital, he lost in battle to his first in command and longtime friend General Vladimir Ettenheim who executed him publicly.

He and the other five generals fought bravely to drive out the supporting Aethel troops out of their continent. After ten more years of endless fighting, the Aethel no longer invaded, and the war was all but over.

What they needed now was a leader they could trust to lead them through the ages to come fairly. Thus, a vote was cast and each general agreed that Vladimir who had led them to this point take over and become emperor.

So, on a cloudy evening eighty years ago, the Ettenheim empire was formed with its first emperor Vladimir Ettenheim taking charge. He later renamed the continent to the Drotzi Continent, which in their olden language meant freedom.

The same year he came into power, he gave his five best friends and students titles second only to him.

For his expertise, knowledge and incredible strategy that led to many battles won. The young Issac Lovitz was named a Duke and became the King's personal consultant. Ettenheim's pillar of Knowledge.

For her bravery and often risky play that had also led to many victories, Victoria Vonstein was also named a Duchess and Knight General for the army. Ettenheim's pillar of Defense.

For his unwavering loyalty and help brokering peace with other nations, Victor Hoffenheim was named a Duke and oversaw external negotiations. Ettenheim's Pillar of Unity.

For her unmatched magic expertise that contributed vastly to combating the Aethel Empire, Ester Lowenstein Rosenberg was named a Duchess and became Ettenheim's pillar of Magic.

And finally, for his ability to single handedly win battles against thousands, second only to the emperor in terms of power and still young. His first and favorite student, Jon Lamarck was named Grand Duke, second only to the emperor and became Ettenheim's pillar of Power.

Many other contributing officers were also bestowed titles later and as the years came to pass. Emperor Vladimir was a peaceful ruler and focused only on building his nation while maintaining peace.

However, this all changed when the second generation of rulers came into power between twenty and fifteen years ago. The new Emperor, Kritoph Ettenheim, was a merciless and cruel emperor who focused on expanding the kingdom even further.

Conquering every nation on the Drotzi Continent, leaving only a small portion of Lachester to avoid conflict with the Aethel Empire.

The once open nation became one of discrimination, where those high up enjoy while those below suffer. This was at first frowned upon by some of the Dukes and Duchesses but having sworn allegiance, they could do nothing but support whatever the emperor wished. The allegiance, however, also meant the emperor could not revoke what his father had bestowed.

Thus, a rift soon began to form between families and animosity grew. The Hoffenheim and Vonstein heads maintained a great relationship with the emperor and were considered favored, which showed greatly in their current third generation descendants.

The Rosenbergs and Lovitz maintained neutrality, neither supportive nor against what the emperor did. The Lamarck was the only family who questioned the emperor's actions without hesitation. The emperor not going to war with nations outside the Drotzi Continent was entirely the current Lamarck family's head's doing.

The main reason the emperor listened to this man was simple. Unlike the other families who focused on increasing their wealth or military power, Jon Lamarck focused on breeding a generation stronger than the last. The result of his efforts was his son, Gabriel Lamarck, known to many as the second strongest person in all Pesia; second only to the arch-mage.

Many considered this false however as they based this only on individuals based on the Drotzi continent, but the title remained and was enough to have the emperor respect the man and his opinions on matters.

Currently the Ettenheim empire is experiencing peace but the discrimination to those of lower bloodlines still exists. To some top families, if your ancestors never received a title, it simply means they were either cowards who chose to hide and not fight or traitors who sided with King Aiden's ideals.

This in a way was true as there were many families in Ettenheim with titles, even simple merchants who went out of their way to assist in the war had received minor titles that exist till this day.

Lachester remains to be under the rule of Ettenheim with its king only being a puppet to appease the Aethel. Many lowborn people choose to reside there and avoid the massive discrimination that occurs in Ettenheim.

For a long time, entry in the Galos academy was restricted to nobles alone as they didn't want to risk making enemies powerful and, for a while, the arch mage agreed with this line of thought before suddenly changing her stance ten years later when she met another powerful mage who wasn't an aristocrat. This woman would soon rise to become someone considered only slightly less powerful than the arch-mage and caused her to wonder if more talents were hidden among commoners and other races.

[...Whether the noble entry changes in the future…is something only time will tell] this was the last sentence Aron read before closing the book he was reading and heaving a sigh.

'So that's the case,' Aron thought while showing a small smile before standing from his seat, leaving the study to take a small break.