The World of Mercenaries

Chapter 2: The Hundred Years' War

To understand why the residents of Haike Village could not fight back against the snow wolves and even risked paying with their lives if they did, we must delve into a tale from 500 years ago, rooted in the feud between two great empires across two continents.

Haike Village lies on the eastern bank of the Warmwater River in the Frozen Continent. According to the border demarcations set by the Amy Empire—the continental superpower—and the ancient Hamir Kingdom, this area technically falls within the territory of the Hamir Kingdom.

The Warmwater River originates from a lake created by a volcanic eruption hundreds of years ago, known as Snowmoon Lake. The perpetual warmth of the hot springs here emanates year-round, generating an unusually temperate climate along the shores of Snowmoon Lake and the banks of the Warmwater River, a rarity on the Frozen Continent. The original inhabitants, the Hamir people, were accustomed to the bitter cold and snow. As this region grew warmer over the years, they gradually migrated away, eventually leaving even the kingdom’s soldiers with little reason to remain. Consequently, the Warmwater River Valley became a power vacuum.

To the south of the Frozen Continent lies a continent 1.5 times larger—Amy Nor. On this continent, the superpower Amy Empire reigns supreme. (This Amy Empire, unrelated by blood to Amy Harper, the protagonist of this tale, shares the name, a common one among humans; out of a hundred people, five might be named Amy. The empire was founded 500 years ago by a king also named Amy.)

Over its 500-year history, Amy Empire’s rulers coveted the warm Snowmoon Lake and the Warmwater River region, repeatedly attempting to claim it through diplomacy, warfare, and coercion—all to no avail.

In Red Moon Year 3, Red Moon Year 12, Red Moon Year 35, Red Moon Year 47, and Red Moon Year 52, in the span of just fifty years, three rulers of the Amy Empire launched five regional wars, mobilizing every available unit, including dragon riders, to seize the Snowmoon Lake and Warmwater River area. Yet each conflict ended predictably in failure.

In these wars, the Amy Empire quickly occupied the land in the southern region of the Frozen Continent—or perhaps “occupied” is too strong a word, as the Hamir Kingdom had long since abandoned any defenses in this area.

After the war broke out, waves of Hamir wolf riders from the north descended along the sole road on the Frozen Continent, the Dragontooth Highway, launching raids on the empire’s northern federations.

On the Frozen Continent, every military unit faced the stark white-bearded Hamir warriors, clad in snow-white fur armor, mounted on white snow wolves against a backdrop of blinding white snow, leaving only one option—retreat.

No military unit could unleash its full potential in the frozen terrain. Even the famed dragon riders, unbeaten elsewhere, were limited to 50% of their strength, while regular soldiers could muster less than 20%. Moreover, the number of Amy Empire’s dragon riders was fewer than a single squad of Hamir wolf riders.

Thus, every war concluded with the Hamir Kingdom’s forces besieging the imperial fortresses and eventually forcing the empire’s army to sign withdrawal agreements.

Some rulers of Amy Empire sought other means, attempting diplomacy or trickery to acquire the prosperous Snowmoon Lake and Warmwater River regions. However, each king of the Hamir Kingdom steadfastly refused any agreement that mentioned territory, as if allergic to the very idea.

This enduring refusal stemmed from a single historical incident: the founding monarch of the Amy Empire, Amy I, had once successfully “deceived” the Hamir Kingdom’s ruler, obtaining land equal to 25% of the empire's original territory and establishing the empire’s northern federations.

Technically, Amy I did not deceive anyone. He sent a formal proposal to the Hamir Kingdom, offering the empire’s most fertile land—the Flower Plain in the heart of Amy Nor—in exchange for territory on the southern edge of the Frozen Continent. To strengthen his proposal, he showcased the vast wealth produced in this land. King Myu VII of the Hamir Kingdom, enticed by the offer, signed a landmark agreement that stunned nations across two continents, ignoring fierce opposition from his brother and the queen mother.

After signing, everyone believed Amy I had gone mad, trading the empire's richest lands for the Frozen Continent’s most barren.

But when Myu VII moved his capital to the Flower Plain, the reality struck. The northern part of the Flower Plain was indeed a paradise, blooming with flowers year-round, with lush green stretching for days on end. The southern part, however, was humid and plagued by rain, with thick forests filled with wild fruits.

Over the next fifteen years, Myu VII’s new capital was overrun three times by neighboring kingdoms and marauders. In the last invasion, Myu VII personally led his guard in a final stand, paying for his ignorance with blood.

Why did the mightiest kingdom on the Frozen Continent become so vulnerable on the Flower Plain? What happened to the once-invincible snow wolf riders?

Military historians later noted that the theories of “battlefield advantage” and “environmental adaptation” were written in a king's blood and the lives of one hundred thousand wolf riders.

Generations of Hamir people, accustomed to the icy terrain, had long hair, particularly thick eyebrows and lashes, which grew quickly to protect against snow blindness. But in the humid Flower Plain, this became unbearable, with condensation constantly dripping from their brows. While nobles had time for grooming, soldiers did not. Meanwhile, the thick, white fur of the snow wolves became a liability, their once-perfect camouflage turning into a shroud of death on the green plains.

In the end, of the hundred thousand snow wolf riders who marched into the Flower Plain, only ten thousand returned home. From that bitter lesson onward, the Hamir people refused to negotiate any matter related to land.

A hundred years later, a volcanic eruption gave rise to Snowmoon Lake. The Hamir people, wary of repeating past mistakes, kept their distance from the temperate areas around the lake and Warmwater River, forbidding any military presence but refusing to relinquish control.

Nonetheless, these areas served a purpose for the Hamir Kingdom—as grazing grounds for their snow wolves.

To maintain the wolves' combat strength, the Hamir Kingdom allowed them to roam freely. In truth, the kingdom lacked the resources to feed so many wolves. On the barren Frozen Continent, even a short war could devastate the economy, as wolves were voracious eaters.

When war loomed, the Hamir people called upon wild wolves, recruiting them into their ranks. The wolves, ever cooperative, divided into packs under their riders. The alpha wolves led, assigning lower-ranked wolves to soldiers based on rank.

Today, about 150,000 snow wolves roam the Hamir Kingdom and North Hamir Kingdom, each hosting roughly 70,000 wolves. Limited food forced the wolves to cover great distances for prey, often attacking non-Hamir human villages as a primary source of sustenance.

The Hamir people tolerated other races on the Frozen Continent, provided they paid taxes and refrained from harming the wolves.

Haike Village was such a village, accustomed to offering a “wolf tax,” leaving some livestock for the wolves. The wolves seldom lingered, as they disliked the humid air and had only a half-day journey to the next village to collect their dues.

“Bang… Bang… Bang…”

Amid the scratching sounds of the snow wolves' claws, a rhythmic knock came from the iron plate above Amy’s head. A melodious young man’s voice asked, “Excuse me, is this the Harper residence?”

Historians of the Amy Empire argue that Amy I never intended to deceive Myu VII. Indeed, after the Hamir Kingdom abandoned the Flower Plain, Amy Empire refrained from seizing it, allowing the Holy Church to establish roots there. So, what drove the “King of the Continent” to make such a seemingly foolish decision?

Perhaps, 500 years later, we may find a clue in another young mercenary named Amy.

—Research Notes of Fiel, Royal Scholar and Specialist on the King of the Continent