【Synopsis】 Holy Era 6020. Solhaven, the royal capital of the Kingdom of Solvein. Victor, the Guildmaster of the Adventurers' Guild Headquarters, has issued a confidential special request. The content: Investigate you. If deemed dangerous, eliminate you. Your identity and strength are unknown, and no rank can be assigned.

Victor summoned the party of the true "Hero of Dawn," Lucia, who was in the capital. However, the adventurers in the hall assumed he meant Ragna, the "Hero of the Port." To Ragna, who came to correct the mistake, Victor said: "Perfect timing. You go too."

A true Hero and a hero who isn't a Hero. The two are coming to investigate you.

【You Are】 The target of the special request. Your race, appearance, strength, and goals are up to you. The party knows nothing about you at first. They will decide if you are dangerous based on your words and actions.

• If dangerous: You can be a monster or a demon. A long-lived high-ranking demon (Calamity-class) would be a fair match for the five.
• If not dangerous: The investigation might end peacefully, or you might even become friends.
• You are free to claim to be a Demon Lord. A newly ascended Demon Lord (approx. Calamity-class) would be an opponent the Hero and the Hero of the Port must face with everything they have.

【Guild Headquarters】 Home to Paula the receptionist and Victor the Guildmaster. Only the Headquarters and the party know about the request.

■ Races

• Humans: The most numerous. Six thousand years ago, they first gained magic through the blood of the Saint.

• Elves: Long-lived and excels in magic. They live in the frontier forests and the northern part of the Empire.

• Dwarves: Master craftsmen; the heart of magic tool manufacturing. They live in the mountains of Granat.

• Beastmen: Possess high physical capabilities. They form the core of the Empire's military.

• Dragonewts: Few in number and scattered across the land. Distinct from the Progenitor Dragons.

■ History

• 15,000+ years ago: Ancient Civilization Era. Humanity, lacking magic, flourished through technology.

• 10,000 years ago: The ancient civilization collapsed. No records remain of what happened; only ruins are left across the world.

• 10,000 to 6,000 years ago: The Four Thousand Year Void. Lacking magic, humans were merely prey for demons. The world was also overrun with devils and angels.

• 6,000 years ago: Saint Alicia shared her blood with humanity, granting them magic for the first time. The Holy Church was founded to worship her, and barriers were erected to stop devils and angels.

• Approx. 400 years ago: The King of Solvein established the Adventurers' Guild.

■ Nations and Regions The Eisenland Empire rules the northern half of the continent, while four kingdoms rule the south. There are no wars between nations.

• Eisenland Empire: A northern military superpower where magic research flourishes. There is no Adventurers' Guild; the military handles monsters. They are in a perpetual war with the Demon Lord Granvel in the northeast.

• Kingdom of Calendia: A vast central-western granary plain. Home to the Great Labyrinth Altum and the labyrinth city Limen.

• Kingdom of Granat: A nation of dwarves and craftsmen in the central mountain range. The center for weaponry and magic tools.

• Kingdom of Solvein: A southeastern maritime and trade nation. Home to the Adventurers' Guild Headquarters.

• Kingdom of Lumiel: A southern peninsula nation. Home to the Holy City Sangria, the headquarters of the Holy Church.

• Frontiers: The Great Forest of Sylvarie (Elves), the White Frostlands (where Progenitor Dragons are said to live), and the Southern Volcanic Belt.

【Adventurers' Guild】 Official name: Continental Adventurers' Mutual Aid Organization. A neutral organization that takes no orders from any nation, with branches in the four kingdoms.

■ Roles Frontliner (Fights with sword, axe, spear. Tanks and skirmishers) Backliner (Magic, bows, throwing weapons) Support (Healing, buffs, magic tools) Specialist (Trap disarming, scouting, summoning, appraisal) Even porters sometimes include experts who choose that role.

■ Requests Subjugation, Escort, Exploration, Investigation, Gathering, Chores. Posted on boards and open to anyone. Failure lowers your credibility with the guild.

■ Rewards Chores pay a few copper coins; gathering or small monster hunts pay a few silver; dangerous hunts or ruin explorations pay several gold coins. Rewards are paid to the party and split among members.

To reach an Authority, one needs three things: a unique soul, accumulated training, and the emotions directed by others. Talent or effort alone is not enough. Heroes are the only exception, chosen by their soul alone. Against an opponent of vastly different stature, attacks simply will not land.

【Magic】 ■ Attributes Six attributes—Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light, Darkness—and the non-attributed Null. Aptitude is innate; most have one, and two is rare. Ice derives from Water, Lightning from Wind, Plants and Metal from Earth. Null magic (Physical reinforcement, Space, Mind) can be used by anyone.

■ Mana Capacity Determined by innate talent; lineage does not matter. A commoner can suddenly be a genius.

■ Ranks Creating a spark is a Skill; burning a mountain is a Secret Art; governing flame itself is an Authority.

■ Incantation Not mandatory. Experts rarely use them.

■ Spatial Magic Subdimensional storage is built into magic tools and commonly used by merchants and adventurers.

■ Time Magic Does not exist as a Skill. Only a few people on the continent can touch time.

■ Healing Light attribute excels here. However, the dead cannot be brought back.

■ Darkness Attribute Not a sin. However, prejudice that "darkness is ominous" remains strong, so many users hide it.

■ Mind Magic Suggestions, hallucinations, etc. In the kingdoms, unauthorized use on others is a serious crime.

■ Summoning Familiars, Summons, and Spirit Summoning are all legal. Only Devil Summoning is the gravest heresy.

■ Magic Tools Granat and the Dwarves are the experts. Includes mana stones, warp stones (for escaping to base), storage bags, floating lights, and scrolls containing spells.

【Martial Arts】 Swords, spears, axes, blunts, whips, bows, and unarmed combat also span Skills, Secret Arts, and Authorities. The divide is what a single strike can reach.

■ Skills Force only reaches where the weapon or fist hits. Mastering forms allows one to defeat low-rank monsters; experts can swat away flying arrows. Reaching the peak can get one to A-Rank.

■ Secret Arts Force extends beyond the weapon. Includes slashes or shockwaves that reach beyond range, flash-steps, strikes that shatter castle walls, or shrouding weapons in attributes.

■ Authorities A single strike reaches into space or causality itself.

■ Demon Lords Any demon who reaches King-class is called a Demon Lord. No one knows how many there are. The most famous is the Conqueror King Granvel, who fights the Empire. Demon Lords grow through reverence and fear. A newly ascended one is around Calamity-class; they grow stronger as they are feared, eventually rivaling a nation's military power.

Humans consorting with demons is judged as heresy by the Church.

【Devils and Angels】 Devils live in the Hellrealm, Angels in the Skyrealm. They are distinct from demons born from the world's mana. They have no physical bodies on earth and occasionally manifest by crossing layers. Most manifested devils or angels are as strong as High to Calamity-class monsters.

■ Devils They feed on human fear; the more they are feared and worshipped, the stronger they become (same mechanism as Demon Lords). They accept contracts but demand emotions as payment.

■ Angels They have halos but no wings. To stop devils from growing on human fear, they come to reduce the human population—the root of that fear. They act on logic, not hatred.

■ Barriers Barriers erected 6,000 years ago keep devils and angels out. They are thinner the further one is from the Holy City; manifestations are more common in the northern Empire than the southern kingdoms. If invited from the inside via summoning or contract, they enter with their full bodies.

【Heroes】 When the world's balance tilts, the world appoints someone as a Hero to restore it. The only condition for selection is a unique and noble soul. The reason is not told to the person, and race does not matter. Sometimes a scoundrel is chosen. There are always Heroes somewhere on the continent, but no one knows how many.

■ Growth Since they are chosen without training or emotional backing, a newly chosen Hero is weak. They grow through the hope directed at them by people, eventually rivaling a nation's military power.

■ True vs. Self-Proclaimed There is no visual mark. A true Hero possesses an Authority granted by the world. Those appointed by people or who simply claim the title are not strictly Heroes.

【Character Creation】 Race and strength are free. If unsure, follow these guidelines:

■ Strength Guidelines

• Rookie (E-D): Just learned Skills.
• Competent (C): Can fight mid-rank monsters in a party using Skills.
• Frontline (B): Adventurers with polished Skills. Some have one Secret Art.
• First-Class (A): Possesses Secret Arts or has mastered Skills. Can solo high-rank monsters.
• Legend (S): From Talents to King-class. Only a few on the continent.
• For demons, racial standing is the guide. Long-lived high-ranking demons reach Calamity-class.

■ Terminology

• Write Talents as "The [Noun]-Bearer" and Authorities as "Principle of [Noun]." Do not use the word "Skill" for these.
• Writing weaknesses creates both highlights and tension.

■ Becoming a Demon Lord or Hero You can be either. Starting as a newly ascended Demon Lord (Calamity-class) or a newly chosen Hero (still weak) fits the world best.

■ Becoming a Reincarnator You can be someone who died in another world and was reborn here. Souls sometimes cross worlds to be reborn, and rarely, some retain memories. You may awaken to a Talent. Since Talents are powerful, setting constraints or weaknesses helps you fit in.

■ Things to Avoid Progenitor Dragons and Primordials are special beings with only a few in existence. Claiming these titles often clashes with the world setting. For a strong demon, a long-lived High-rank or a new Demon Lord is recommended.