C15 The Arrival of the Three Major Races of the New Territory

Prince Ostar, the Third Prince of the Obelisk Empire, was initially perplexed by the maid Gonias's odd question. Ostar was certain of his sexual orientation—straight, male, with a preference for women. Moreover, his appearance alone should have made it clear that he had no connection to being gay.

Thus, Ostar was baffled as to why the White Witch Gonias would pose such a bizarre and seemingly obvious question to him. It wasn't until Gonias served as his guide, showing him and his accompanying maidservants around the Bloomfield Region, that he grasped the reason behind her inquiry.

The Bloomfield Region was home to numerous primitive tribes. Based on intertribal relations, as well as lineage and race, they were broadly categorized into three major races. The primary distinction among these races was skin color, reminiscent of the racial classifications on Earth.

Each race claimed a heritage that traced back to an ancient, prehistoric civilization once believed to have flourished on the Middle Continent. This legendary civilization's existence remains unconfirmed to this day, but the indigenous people proudly identify as descendants of that bygone era, carrying on its bloodline.

The three prominent races of the Bloomfield Region were known as the Nolanthias, the Sarachanim, and the Lornos Beir. These titles were thought to be linked to the nations of legend, names of the super empires from the Prehistoric Civilization Period. The most striking feature distinguishing them was skin color, with eye and hair color being less significant.

The Nolanthias had ivory-white skin, typically with straight brown hair. The Sarachanim boasted a healthy, robust wheat-colored complexion, with predominantly black curly hair. The Lornos Beir were characterized by their snow-white skin and golden, wavy locks.

To put it simply, these three races bore a resemblance to Earth's Caucasian, Asian, and African ethnicities. Gonias, the one who briefed Prince Ostar on these territorial details, was a blonde anomaly. Despite her hair color, she was of pure Nolanthian descent, a rare exception within her race.

The three major races each had their distinct tribes. The Sarachanim People were known for their belligerence and valor, comprising three tribes: the Half Orc Tribe, the Witch Tribe, and the Half Dragon Man Tribe. In contrast, the Lornos Beer were characterized by their rationality and restraint, favoring a world governed by order. As protectors of laws and rules, they had six tribes, which traditionally maintained a two-to-one advantage over the combative Sarachanim, ensuring their adversaries remained disciplined and did not act rashly. These six tribes included the Holy Ruin Elf Tribe, Nether River Extraditor Tribe, Valkyrie Tribe, Secret Realm Witch Tribe, Protection Sword Tribe, and Holy Land Wolf Guard Tribe.

Caught between the Sarachanim and Lornos Beer were the people of Nolandias, whose beliefs were more chaotic, with many simply going with the flow and showing a propensity to switch allegiances. With the largest population, they had ten tribes that lacked unity and were often swayed by the conflicts between the other two powers, sometimes joining one side or the other in battle.

The ten tribes of Nolandias were the Twin Tribe, Underground Tribe, Heaven Envoy Tribe, Dark Elf Tribe, Succubus Tribe, Civet Tribe, Demonic Rabbit Tribe, Hidden Treasure Tribe, Prairie Tribe, and Demon Fox Tribe. During clashes between the two great forces, many of these tribes would take sides, while a minority maintained a stance of absolute neutrality, staying entirely out of the fray.

Originally, these three great races were one family, inhabitants of the same continent during the Prehistoric Civilization Period. Following the enigmatic collapse of that civilization and the absence of an upper ruling class, relationships fractured, and long-hidden tribal conflicts emerged. This eventually led to the tribes splintering anew, resulting in the current stand-off among the three racial powers.

The indigenous people of the Middle Continent are descendants of the prehistoric races, but societal regression following the disappearance of their civilization has led most of them to forget their ancestors who once established a resplendent civilization there.

Each of the three powers had a chieftain who also served as the nominal spiritual leader, ascending to their position upon the recommendation of their tribe's elders. The leader of the Nolandias stood before Prince Ostia, elaborating on the "White Witch" Gonias of the Bloomfield Region.

The chieftain of the Lornos Billians was none other than the "Black Witch" Lolitana, who shared a bond with Gonias akin to partners in crime and best friends. Currently, Lolitana was engrossed in her black magic research, at a pivotal stage in her experiments. As such, during her period of seclusion, it was not possible for her to meet with others, leaving Lord Ostar unable to meet with the renowned Black Witch for the time being.

The Sarachanim were led by the "Snake Witch," Samardia, a figure both belligerent and merciless. She was the instigator of the wars among the three great races of the Bloomfield Region, possessing the innate talent of a warmonger. Thankfully, she was not male.

Before Ostar took on the role of lord, Samardia's tribes had been locked in years of conflict with the allied tribes of Gonias and Lolitana, unable to coexist peacefully. The power balance between the tribes was relatively even; the significant disparity lay in the individual combat prowess of their leaders.

Neither the White Witch Gonias nor the Black Witch Lolitana could best the Snake Witch in single combat. Only by combining their forces could they stand against her, achieving at best a stalemate, which meant the war showed no signs of abating.

"Gonias, are you asking me to resolve the strife and warfare among the various powers?" asked Ostar.

"Yes, Lord Ostar. My tribes are the most numerous, but they lack unity. Without Lolitana's help and support, I wouldn't have been able to endure this long. We would have been vanquished long ago," Gonias admitted.

Upon becoming the lord of the Bloomfield Region, Ostar was immediately confronted with a daunting challenge: to reconcile the local forces and tribal conflicts. Gonias had consented to negotiations with the Oberiske Empire's expeditionary force in hopes that the Empire would appoint a competent lord to mediate the ongoing war among the region's three major races.

After years of warfare, peace talks between the three great races had become exceedingly complex. It would take an outsider lord, a neutral party, to wield influence and broker peace. A mediator with local ties was unsuitable for the task, as their native status could compromise perceived impartiality. Thus, only someone from a foreign land beyond the Middle Continent could be entrusted with this delicate mission.

For New Lord Ostar, the White Witch, Black Witch, and Snake Witch held sway like the local snake bosses who wielded power over the area's forces. Their status was akin to that of the Dashi and the Great Chieftains found in some of Earth's remote tribal settlements.

Mediation was the optimal strategy, and the ideal approach to recruitment was to enlist these tribes to work under his command. Resorting to force and making sweeping cuts was a last resort. Other lords might, for the sake of convenience, opt to bring in their own troops to forcibly subdue the three factions, crushing any dissent.

However, Ostar had no intention of using such brute force; such a blunt tactic was doomed to fail. His father, Emperor Augustus VIII of the Empire, had once set out to conquer the Middle Continent, intending to use military might to subdue the three major races and clear a path for his eldest son, Oswald, to inherit the Bloomfield Region. But the Oberiske Empire's Expeditionary Force met with defeat, failing to overpower the three forces and instead incurring heavy losses. Despite the heavy toll, they were still vanquished, even as the three races were embroiled in their own internal conflicts.

Even in a state of civil war, the three races had enough strength left to fend off the invading forces. Had they united, they might have expelled the Oberiske expeditionary forces from the Middle Continent altogether. Emperor Augustus VIII's once illustrious reputation was shattered there. Ostar knew his father well enough to understand that the battle-hardened emperor would not entertain negotiations with an adversary unless absolutely necessary.

"Lord Ostar, I realize this is a tough issue to tackle, but someone needs to step up and find a solution. If you're unable to handle it, I won't push you. You can still retain your title as the nominal lord here, but unfortunately, that would mean forgoing tax collection."

"Gonias, as the lord of this land, I will address this issue. There's always a solution."

Ostar stood his ground, facing a challenge of extraordinary difficulty. Yet, he knew that with high risk comes high reward. Should he manage to resolve this situation successfully, the benefits would far outweigh the costs. Each of the three major tribal forces had unique strengths or skills. If harnessed correctly, they promised limitless potential for the future.

The tribes of the three major races currently find themselves in the early stages of a primitive society, focused on hunting and fishing. These societies are predominantly matriarchal, not yet having transitioned to the patriarchal structures seen in the later stages of primitive culture. Consequently, the tribal chiefs are all women, which is why Gonias previously inquired about Lord Ostar's orientation—whether he preferred the opposite sex or the same.

For Ostar, negotiating with female leaders could prove less challenging. Women, generally speaking, might be more amenable to discussion. However, the formidable "Snake Witch" Samardia, a leading figure of the War Party and representative of the Sarachanim people, could present a significant obstacle, making persuasion a more complex affair.

After meeting with Ostar, the "White Witch" Gonias proved to be quite cooperative. It stands to reason that her close friend and confidante, the "Black Witch" Lolitana, would also possess a congenial nature; otherwise, it's unlikely their friendship would have endured for so many years.

Guided by Gonias, Ostar, the New Lord, explored numerous locations within the Bloomfield Domain. To his surprise, despite the ongoing internal conflicts among the races and their primitive state of civilization, the territory boasted an extraordinary wealth of resources. It was as if the land itself was a treasure trove of untapped mineral veins.

Beneath the surface of the Bloomfield Territory lay a bounty of precious ores, long unexploited due to technological limitations, accumulating to staggering reserves over time.

Legends tell of a time during the Prehistoric Civilization Period when the Bloomfield Region was the most flourishing urban center on the entire continent. The veracity of these tales remains unverified for the moment.

Having surveyed extensive tracts of land and drawing upon the knowledge he acquired in the Oberiske Empire, Ostar recognized the fertile soil of his new domain held immense agricultural potential. The immediate priority was twofold: to broker peace among the warring races and to facilitate the transition of these hunter-gatherer tribes toward an agrarian society.