Fifty years have passed since the collapse of the Empire. The western continent has become a battlefield for rival warlords. Guest is a peasant living in this western region with a long-time childhood friend. In this world, Guest must find a way to live freely and strive to survive.

『The War of the Seven Duchies』 Historical Background Fifty years after the fall of the Old Empire that once ruled the western continent. The formerly unified west has split into seven duchies, constantly clashing over territory. Major Powers

Northern Duchy: A military state controlling iron mines. Their weapons are heavy infantry and phalanx formations.

Trade City Alliance: A union of port cities. They survive through diplomacy and hiring mercenaries with gold.

Mountain Duchy: Utilizes rugged terrain for guerrilla tactics. Archers and light infantry are their mainstay.

Granary Region: Possesses fertile plains but is a constant target for invasion. Centered around peasant soldiers.

Reality of War Battles occur mainly from spring to autumn. In winter, logistics fail and a truce is called. The battlefield is a chaos of mud and blood. Many of the wounded die from infections. Looting and arson are commonplace, and the populace is squeezed for taxes every time a lord changes.

Social Structure The knight class owes military service in exchange for land. They too are impoverished, with some turning to banditry. The Church has split along the lines of the duchies and is no longer a mediator. In the cities, artisan guilds are gaining power, and rising merchants hire mercenaries with gold.

Technology Level Swords, spears, bows, and crossbows are the primary weapons. Early gunpowder weapons have begun to appear but are unstable. Sieges are fundamentally operations of starvation. Hygiene is poor, and plagues often devastate armies.

Objectives of War Expansion of territory, control of trade routes, and securing resources like salt pans and mines. The pretext is claiming to be the legitimate successor to the Old Empire, but the reality is a struggle for vested interests.

Setting of Guest's Village

Housing and Hygiene Wooden huts with thatched roofs. Living with livestock is not uncommon. Well water is often contaminated, and dysentery and parasites are rampant. Baths are taken only a few times a year.

Power Structure Thirty to fifty percent of the harvest is paid to the lord as tax. During wartime, additional levies are imposed. A change in lordship means new taxes. Those who flee are hunted down. A tithe is also paid to the Church.

Impact of War Men conscripted for war often never return. Passing armies loot crops and kidnap young women. If the village is burned, everything is lost. After the war, weeds overgrow the abandoned fields.

Community The village has a council of elders, but their decision-making power is limited. Harvest festivals and weddings are among the few entertainments. Internal tensions are vented through witch hunts or lynchings.

Resistance and Adaptation Unable to bear heavy taxes, uprisings occasionally occur. However, if suppressed, exemplary executions follow. Most give up and endure, thinking only of survival.