Countless years had passed since the colonization of the Pandor Continent began in the year 3579 of the Lauren Continental Calendar.
Over time, the Pandor Continent had come to be called the Pandoa Continent.
In year 3625 of the Lauren Continental Calendar—that is, year 46 of the Continental Calendar—a group calling itself the Pioneer Revolutionary Corps had seized control of four pioneer territories across the Pandor and Lauren Continents.
Meanwhile, the Melkana family, which arose in year 57 of the Continental Calendar, began to wield great influence on the Pandor Continent thanks to their lineage of magi.
Then came year 3690 of the Lauren Continental Calendar, or year 111 of the Continental Calendar, during the era of the fourth head of the family, Maxim Hangazone Melkana.
Maksimovich Almazov Melkana was Maxim's fifth son.
"...As a fifth son, there's no future for me here!"
Compared to a second son, who might succeed the eldest in an emergency, or even a third son kept in reserve for unforeseen tragedies, the fifth son of a noble house was treated carelessly.
He was, so to speak, a freeloader—dead weight.
Even so, had the country been prosperous, there would have been ways to carve out a life for himself: leaving home to become a knight, turning to trade, or marrying into another family.
However, the Pandor Continent was still in the midst of development, leaving no room for such luxuries.
Yet Maksimovich refused to give up.
For better or worse, he possessed a talent for magic that far eclipsed his brothers'.
Naturally, he had grown sick and tired of being looked down upon and treated like a nuisance day in and day out.
"If the Pandor Continent has no place for me, I'll cross over to the Lauren Continent and make a name for myself."
Having made up his mind, he asked his father for permission and set sail across the sea.
He did so with a parting declaration: he was severing all ties with the head house.
Once again, long years passed.
Inheriting the bloodline of magi, Maksimovich's descendants rose to the upper echelons of the Pioneer Revolutionary Corps (later the Revolutionary Party), which held sway over the pioneer territories.
The year was 3780 of the Lauren Continental Calendar, or year 201 of the Continental Calendar.
Niestol Almazov Melkana occupied the seat of number three within the Pioneer Revolutionary Corps.
Then, deep inside a mine he happened to visit, he discovered an Origin ruin.
"Wh-What is this...?"
All that lay there was a single, deformed golem with four arms and no head.
"Is there any way to make it move? If I recall, I've heard that golems can be operated using a keyword."
Figuring it was worth a try, Niestol chanted every keyword he could think of.
"'Activate.' 'Start.' 'Execute.'...'Wake up.'"
"...Who calls upon me?"
"Whoa!"
Though startled when the deformed golem suddenly stirred to life, he regained his composure upon hearing its polite speech.
"It was you who awakened me, was it not?"
"...It appears parts of my memory are missing, but my operational functions remain unimpeded."
"What are you?"
"I am... Try."
The deformed golem named Try recognized Niestol Almazov Melkana, who had awakened it by chance, as its Master, offering him extensive support.
The performance of the deformed golem Try was extraordinary.
"I do not know what I am. However, I swear my loyalty to you, who awakened me."
Try had apparently shut down due to some sort of malfunction.
It possessed self-repair functions, and while it had undergone repairs during its long slumber, they were incomplete, leaving part of its identity lost.
To Niestol Almazov Melkana, however, that hardly mattered.
Try's administrative capabilities and combat prowess were unrivaled. With its backing, Niestol quickly climbed from his position as number three straight to the top of the organization.
"With this, I can finally fulfill our long-standing ambition."
"Surpass the Melkana family."
That was the family precept, a goal handed down ever since Maksimovich's time.
Then came year 3790 of the Lauren Continental Calendar, or year 211 of the Continental Calendar.
It was exactly one hundred years after Maksimovich Almazov Melkana had cast aside the head house.
"I shall henceforth call myself Niestol Almazov Jagus."
Niestol Almazov Melkana took full control of the Jags Territory and installed himself as its lord.
However, Try's underlying flaws had never fully healed, and around this time, it began to suffer operational failures.
Then, one day, as it was finally on the verge of shutting down completely:
"I offer my deepest apologies... Master. It appears... I will only be able to move for a little longer."
"I see. Try, you have my gratitude."
"Your words are far too kind."
"I give you my word: once you cease functioning, I will return you to the ruins where I found you."
"Thank you very much....Then... permit me to offer one final piece of advice..."
"What is it?"
"To the west of the settlement called Mahalig... on that land known as the Pandor Continent... lies what Master would refer to as... 'the Ruins'."
"What?!"
"Presumably... some manner of useful tool slumbers there as well."
"I understand. You have my thanks."
"...Now, as for how to locate it... and the precautions you must take upon entering..."
Having haltingly relayed this information to Niestol, Try ceased all operations.
"Try, I will never forget your unwavering loyalty to the very end."
Niestol Almazov Melkana—now Jagus—laid Try to rest within its original ruins and concealed the entrance so it could never be found.
With that done, he focused all his efforts on consolidating his domain.
However, expanding his power without Try proved too difficult, and the only land he managed to firmly secure was the Jags Territory.
The remaining three territories came under the rule of numbers two, three, and four of the organization, respectively.
That took place in year 3801 of the Lauren Continental Calendar, or year 222 of the Continental Calendar.
Since they displayed no overtly hostile behavior, the World Conference recognized the independence of the Four Principalities.
They took the names of the Jagus Principality, the Norha Principality, the Darato Principality, and the Mimaka Principality.
At this stage, they were not yet admitted as Conference Countries; the council chose to wait and observe their conduct first.
"We are dispatching an army to the Pandor Continent."
Niestol Almazov Jagus, Duke of the Jagus Principality, issued this decree in year 3804 of the Lauren Continental Calendar, or year 225 of the Continental Calendar.
A step ahead of the Four Principalities, in year 3780 of the Lauren Continental Calendar—year 201 of the Continental Calendar, the very year Niestol had become number three of the Pioneer Revolutionary Corps—the Melkana Territory on the Pandor Continent had declared its independence.
It was this Melkana Territory that Niestol now intended to attack.
One hundred and fourteen years had passed since his ancestor, Maksimovich Almazov Melkana, had abandoned the head house.
Before the army of the Jagus Principality, rich in underground resources such as metals and magi-crystals, the Melkana Territory yielded without substantial resistance.
Standing in Mahalig, the heart of the Melkana Territory, Niestol Almazov Jagus reportedly muttered:
"At last, my ancestor's dearest wish is fulfilled."
From then on, the Melkana Territory fell under the dominion and control of the Jagus Principality.
However, unable to simply overlook this aggression, the World Conference dispatched the World Security Guard to the Jagus Principality to censure their actions.
As a result, in year 3810 of the Lauren Continental Calendar, or year 231 of the Continental Calendar, the region attained independence as the Melkana Autonomous Region.
And yet...
While outwardly pretending to have withdrawn, the Jagus Principality continued to treat the Melkana Autonomous Region as a vassal state.
What made this possible was the magi-device recovered from the ruins west of Mahalig, just as Try had foretold.
In short, it was an artifact left behind by the Origin Clan designed to force the indigenous populace into total submission.
Using this device, Niestol Almazov Jagus cemented an absolute hierarchy between the Melkana Autonomous Region and the Jagus Principality.
Though the magi-device eventually broke down from overuse and became inert, it was handed down through generations as the greatest treasure of the Jags Royal Family.