A long time ago, when civilization first began to take root, the people who lived then didn't know how to choose.
They had no idea as to who should lead them - since there were so many capable men amongst them.

What to do, then?

As an answer, a tradition of mock battle started amongst the people, where each competitor had to fight the others using his physical prowess, and whoever was the strongest became the Chief.

When Chrome defeated all of them and became the first Village Chief, there was a cry of joy at the new system that had started from then on.

Even so, amidst all the celebrating masses several of the people who got beaten up badly and had lost the matches felt so dissatisfied and insulted that instead, they chose to wander out of the boundary in which everyone lived. Some tried to stop them, but it was an abortive effort on their part so they had no choice but to concede to their decision.

For long scalding days and freezing nights, each of them traveled in different directions while barely surviving on wild berries and fruit and camping in the pitch darkness.

Most of them couldn't make it and perished on the way before fate could take a turn for the better.
But, the two who had been able to survive till the very last managed to find clans who lived together in a cluster with no concept of urbanization and leadership. Getting to know of the coming of some people from an unknown place that they hadn't seen before filled the minds of these simple-minded humans with joy, and promptly both of them were welcomed by friendly gestures.

Mikhael, who had journeyed to the North, became the leader of that area - and introducing what he had knowledge of and combining it with what the indigenous people possessed allowed him to create his own system there.
Siphael, who went to the East, found that people there were actually even more advanced than his original tribe - so he didn't bother to force himself onto them as a leader due to his strength but rather provided guidance to them based on what he has seen in his travels and eventually became the top counsel of the Chief there.

Decades and centuries had passed since then.

The towns in all three directions had now developed into even larger settlements - with distinctive culture and style, each blessed with a plethora of its own unique powers, resources, and history.

CHROME ERA 000

King Chrome XVII was the current king of the kingdom in the Central while King Naren ruled the East and King Ethel ruled the North.

After a long time, for the first time in centuries, in the settlement (or the Kingdom), King Chrome XVII decided to make a change.

He decided to send his men out to scout out the neighbouring areas where no one had ever wandered towards since the reign of King Chrome the First.
Many of his subjects opposed him and started saying it was a forbidden land with prejudices built in their mind, but the King wasn't willing to pay heed to them.

He felt that further development would not be possible unless they ventured out of the boundary that had been nothing but a delusion of safety from unknown foes for all of them over the centuries.

Flashback

"Don't fall onto the same strings as us, Chrome. We have been nothing more than clanks in the wheel of time progressing in the same circle with hardly any difference. So, don't be like us. Follow the path that will truly enlighten our people, even if they oppose your decision. You can't venture to the unknown without knowing the risks, this may be true - but sitting forever with nothing but a cheerful placation of familiar darkness is no better either."
Little Chrome listened to each word and embedded them in his heart.

Now

"Are... are you sure about this, My King?" A knight queried in a little hesitant voice, bowing his head and kneeling on the ground as King Chrome the Seventeenth looked at him.

"Yes. But if you wish not to oblige by the order, I won't order you to. You all are free to do as you see fit in this matter."
King Chrome turned to look at the tiny stars shining through the window as a few leaves rushed by with a stray wind. "I shall not impose on you."

"My King! You needn't doubt - I would gladly give my life in your service," the knight humbly voiced, "This is but a small venture. We shall not sway from our oath."

Chrome looked stunned for a moment but then quickly composed himself.

"Now now! Don't be like that. Be sure to return safely, my loyal Knight."
He smiled as the knight took his leave.
Chrome had no idea as to what the world was like outside - just like the people living here, who looked up to him as the one who will lead them to a bright tomorrow. Even if they were living fine here, alone and isolated from the rest of the land, there was no certainty that it would continue to be like this in the future too.

Just how can he feel even a bit relieved if he doesn't know the forces outside, the threats - and what else that could throw his kingdom into jeopardy?
But more importantly, King Chrome wanted to see his people feel more at ease.

To feel freer.

To feel that they too can venture outside freely and mingle with other people who were probably scattered in the world.
To think of the unfamiliar people outside as enemies even without making any attempt of contact was something that King Chrome wasn't willing to follow in his rule. That is why, in name of his right as the seventeenth ruler of the Kingdom of Selvesters, he had to ensure the ideal he wanted to pursue could at least be realized - that people could see the potential in it.

Months passed by; the Kingdom of Selvesters continued to bloom and engage itself in festivity and traditions as the seasons changed until the scout team lead by a knight - that he had sent outside the boundary - returned.
The men who had ventured to the outside world had come back for the first time in Selvesters history! A large crowd gathered to await what the king had to share with the public after meeting them.

Just a few minutes after, the young King emerged from the depths of his palace, flanked on two sides by the king's guard. His warm eyes roamed over the masses waiting fervently for his thoughts on the venture, and he took a deep breath before starting.

"My dear subjects - my fellow people!" His voice boomed all over the place, "Hope has returned with those men, a joyful hope that you had never even thought could exist - and one week from now, I am going to meet with the kings of the two nations outside that have been prospering just like us, without any outside contact. My men have confirmed that even though their lifestyle is different than ours, we indeed eat, drink and walk on the same earth. So, I hope that you will trust me when I say this bold statement-"

His voice climbed to a new volume altogether.

"A new era is going to begin, with this confrontation!"

King Chrome had a smile on his face as words came pouring out. Men and women, children - everyone had listened to his speech with interest. Most of them were curious and anxious at the same time about whether it was alright to allow their kind-hearted king to go outside the forbidden boundary with just a few guards to ensure his safety, but the determination and will in his voice couldn't allow them the heart to protest against him. So, even when they weren't aligned with him on the matter, they had no choice but to subside their arguments before his cheerful voice.

The journey was long and full of upheavals.

As King Chrome reached the land - that shall later come to be known as Ardania - where other kings from North and East had already arrived and had grand tents set up for them by their men, he couldn't help stop in his tracks. At the first glance, he became truly fascinated by the unique architectural style of their camps and the unfamiliar objects they carried, as his men still looked wary - probably wondering if someone in the vicinity was a threat to the king or not.

A guard wearing red-clad armor approached King Chrome and his men, "King Naren has ordered you to present yourself in his presence ."

The soldiers tightened their hold on their spears.

"Do you know who you are talking to? How dare you address our king like that ?" The captain of the king's guard angrily lashed out.

Chrome just sighed and waved dismissively, "It is fine. I would present myself - but I would still like to impose upon your King of East the thought to mind formality as our respect for the other's kingship."

The guard looked stunned at Chrome's humble attitude. This was not at all what they had expected from someone who sent his men to scout out the unknown land outside his kingdom just to sate his curiosity. Before he could reply, the king of the kingdom in the East stepped out of his tent with scrunched eyes which flitted over everyone present at the scene before landing on Chrome.

King Naren and King Chrome ordered their troops to station themselves outside so that they could talk privately.
As Chrome looked at Naren, he saw a large figure with strongly built muscles and buff biceps that seemed to flex his strength. Chrome, on other hand, was a person of great agility and mobility - but with little strength or muscles to offer.

"You are shorter than I thought." was the first thing Naren said at last after both kings had stared at each other for a while.

The silence enveloped the room for another moment, and suddenly King Chrome burst into laughter.

"tch, what are you laughing about?" Naren appeared to get angry.

"Oh, do forgive my boisterous behavior. It is just that no one has ever said that to me in my life. Being born as royalty really hinders anyone from saying anything like that so frankly to you, so I was just glad to see someone spit out facts at my face."

"You are... weird. You know that."

"Oh then - sorry to disappoint you!" Chrome rubbed his eyebrows with a thoughtful face.

Naren's eyes slightly widened. "What disappointment are you talking about...?"

"Huh?" Chrome confusedly looked at Naren, at which the latter smiled.

"I am just glad you are not some snobby brat like I had expected you to be when I saw how young you are." Naren chuckled.

"My my! You don't hold back on anything, do you?" Chrome smirked as both of them heartily shook the other's hand. The troops of both kings were indeed nonplussed to see their lords having fun just after they had met a few minutes ago. The two continued to talk to each other as the time passed by - when the King of East groaned.

"Hey!! Where the hell is that geezer from the North? I heard he was so stiff and tired that his troops had to start moving right away from a week ago." Naren grinned as Chrome held back his laughter in respect of the North lord.

It was at this instance that a cry came, "Everyone hail the King of the North!"
They both started. What timing indeed.
A knight covered in blue robes that shimmered down to the ground and made it look as if he too was from royalty approached both of them. "Please, Lords of East and Central - this way!"

Chrome and Naren exchanged a look, but after some thought decided to follow him. Both their eyes glinted as the brightness almost blinded them on entering the tent.

There was a man with a flowing white beard, and a wrinkled face which made it look as if he'd been alive for centuries, waiting for them while sitting atop an iron throne. Chrome looked at the tent with wonder since even though his kingdom had made use of iron primarily to solidify the wooden tip and use it in making a spear, they still hadn't been able to make such beautiful and intricately complex works from iron. His own throne was made from igneous rocks found in the edges of the suburban forests there.

But that was to be expected, especially when King Naren himself was wearing sandals made from some material called bronze that had been twisted delicately and then suited to that shape.

Interrupting his moment of fascination, King Ethel gestured them to sit down in respective chairs laid out for them.
The chairs were deliberately made shorter than Ethel's and both realized that sitting down on them gave the impression that they were regarding him as their superior.

Chrome wanted peace and he knew that any kind of opposition meant conflict - which he wanted to avoid especially at his first meeting, so he sat down. But King Naren looked enraged and wasn't one to simply accept such an insult.

"Insolent! You think you are stronger than me, can look down on me and I will just happily oblige by it?!"

"You forget your place, you vile savage!" A guard rudely called out, coming in front of King Ethel with a protective gesture - at which Naren grabbed him by the collar and threw him on a box lying there, knocking him out effortlessly.

"Pathetic weaklings! That is all you are." Naren glared at Ethel, who looked unfazed.

He gave an arrogant expression, "It is better to be the master of weaklings than be a king leading people full of brawn with no brains who're almost like brutes and savage beasts."

The situation was just getting tenser and tenser by the second as Chrome wondered what to do. He couldn't possibly see any way to calm them down without compromising his own pride which he cannot do due to his duty to his kingdom and people. He was not some lowly meek messenger looking for peace in hostile lands - he was a mighty king too.

While this scuffle was going on, a sudden loud boom echoed in the surroundings.

The two stopped; all three looked at each other.

"Ha! Looks like even heavens are agreeing with me." Naren stated.
"No! They are not, you stupid buffon." Ethel retorted.

"I think it is something else. We should probably scout the area out if a storm is to come or not." Chrome began but both looked at him in disapproval.

"Storm? Here? Looks like the King of Central has got a vivid imagination." Ethel sneered. Naren just kept quiet.

"Your Majesty! There is something-" A guard from Chrome's troops had suddenly entered, unwittingly interrupting the conversation.

Ethel looked at him in disgust. "How dare you interrupt us in our private tent... have Selvesters' troops got no honor, King Chrome?"

"We can at least listen to him." Naren offered.

"Oh! Is the beast actually trying to use his brain?"

"You shut your horse face, damn geezer."

King Chrome just sighed as he asked the soldier about the situation, who informed him and quickly left.

"Looks like I was right. There is an oncoming storm. We should probably set up our camp in a safer location, the best place would be a little bit towards the west in the forests where we came from. The trees there are especially strong so it can help us tighten our hold." King Chrome told them.

"And why should we blindly trust your info?" Chrome was asked.

"Well, you can just confirm it by looking out for yourself and with your own soldiers. Plus if I really planted an ambush for you in the forest, I highly doubt that with both of your soldiers surrounding me and me being so close to you in our shared walking space that I could escape any attempt of attack without sustaining any injuries and that would only harm me. So I don't think you need to be that wary of me."

"Looks like you do have a point, hmph." Ethel admitted after a moment before turning away.

Naren smirked, "You are one smart brat."
Chrome just chuckled.

Soon, the three kings and their armies departed together for the forests in the west as lightning continued to crackle in the night sky. Since only King Ethel had arrived on horseback, trudging through the dark while keeping the fire in hand to scare away animals did prove to a bit of trouble for them. They were traveling in only close cluster formation due to the presence of different troops, but somehow each managed to move forward despite the difficulties.

"The way we have been traveling, I don't even know if this forest road is ever going show us a place where we can rest." One of the guards mumbled tiredly. But a few minutes later, there was a large space between the woods which looked as if cleared out by nature itself for an abode of rest and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

As camps began to be set up, King Ethel looked at Chrome curiously.
"Just how did I manage to find my way here in such a large forest? Is that what you are wondering?" Chrome chuckled at Ethel.

"Of course not. What you mongrels use or apply can't possibly interest me - not at all." Both Naren and Chrome laughed lightly at that.

All of sudden, lightning struck right beside the place they had chosen for rest as a loud cry echoed in the surroundings.

Naren was quick to his feet - and along with soldiers, rushed in that direction.
"That fool."
King Chrome sighed and followed after him, his soldiers making a viable formation.

Both of them widened their eyes as they found trees ablaze, with branches on fire and smoke filling the air.

"Just from where did the cry come from?"
They looked around but found no one. Soldiers clenched their spears in anxiety.

"Just what... is going on here?" King Ethel huffed arriving at the scene too.
"Oh-! Looks like I have found you~" They heard a deep raspy voice vibrating through the membranes of their heart, and all three kings looked on, frozen stiff as their soldiers fell down like paper toys with blood trickling down from their chests.

"Oops! Looks like their hearts exploded. Such miserable, pitiful creatures. Tch." A young man with silver hair locks and golden eyes emerged, looking at the shattered corpses with something like remorse in his eyes before kicking one of them out of his way.

"..."

His towering figure imposed over them, his dark cloak wildly fluttering around almost as it was made of the heart-rending destruction he had left in his trail.

"W...w-what do you want?" King Chrome finally managed to ask, as Naren seemed to boil in rage and Ethel was struck speechless.

"Oh! So you can talk? Nice... it is quite simple, actually. The world if you will please and your lives will serve as a tip too." He smiled.

[E/N:] -Starwannawrite
Nice story.

Love the parts where history is being told.

Loved the convo between Chrome and Naren.

Iron throne... won't be sitting on it hurt, though...?

...Stone throne... uh okay.

Bronze s-sandals?! *spits out coffee*

I get why you used them like this, though. Whenever any alloy was first made, it was treated as more valuable than gold.

Naren calling Ethel horse-faced was pure unbeaten gold. I legit clapped for a minute.

Um, the guy who appeared in the last scene is CREEPY.

End of War or Start of Peace : Just a Fluke .