The central continent is decided into nine kingdoms, each built around something called a world tree.
The naming came from their incredible size the long reach of their roots as well as how they stay green all year and their leaves never fall except for one occasion.
Each year on the last day of the summer season people from all around gather under one of the nine world trees to complete a certain ceremony.
Every child that reaches his or her thirteenth birthday that year head there along their families to receive their first task. Not satisfied with their current ones, some make this visit to ask for a change.
The world tree has the ability to decide the most optimal type of work someone must take to succeed at life. Some become farmers, working the lands, and taking care of livestock.
Some become blacksmiths dealing with metal and anything related to it. There are merchants, there are hunters, and there are soldiers.
As a general rule, once you get your task you are not allowed to work anywhere or on anything that is not directly related to it. The only way to change your task is by undergoing the ceremony once again in the upcoming years.
The numbers of people who ask for the change are small; most are satisfied by what they get. The tree always finds the task most suitable to everyone, which is why asking for a change comes at the cost of a risk.
Eternal is one of the tasks bestowed by the world tree. In exchange for all previous memories the ones who get this task receive a limitless lifespan and the ability to return from the dead.
Immortality, in other words.
There are no conditions for getting this task. Eternals are chosen at random and once a person receives this task, they lose their right to change.
Eternals are hailed as the saviors of mankind. Gifted with immortal bodies and unparalleled fighting abilities, they are forced to fight dangers humans are powerless against. It's their duty, or that's how the masses saw it.
The life of an eternal is nothing but continues suffering. Having their memories stripped from them, isolated from the rest of society, unable to make a choice, and forced to fight wars for people who would die anyway. No one wished for a life as an eternal.
By the end of the thousand-year war and the defeat of humanity's greatest enemy, The Alchemist, all eternals from across the continent gathered to form The Phoenix Alliance, a country ruled by eternals, and for eternals alone.
There, an eternal is free to have any job they like and work however they want, not forced to fight for the lives of the mortals.
This event that marked the birth of the first eternal governed lands six years ago is now referred to as the great betrayal.
All nine kingdoms were left defenseless against the threats eternals were supposed to deal with.
From the hordes of monsters that obstruct trade, the wyverns that burn villages to the ground devouring whatever they want, and a dragon or two every now and then.
The Phoenix Alliance offered to deal with the problems whenever the need arose, at the right price of course, but the kings who were betrayed let their pride get in the way and refused to accept the help.
Humans now live in fear of the natural disasters that could end their lives at any given time.
Fortunately, no such catastrophes happened in the time since the great betrayal, but no one knows when the peaceful times would come to an end.
…..
Huh? What is happening to me?
"No… please…"
"Such a young child."
"On his first try? Talk about bad luck."
What are you saying?
"Greetings young one. You were given the chance of becoming one of mankind's protectors; be thankful to the holly tree for bestowing such an honor on someone like yourself!"
I don't understand.
"By engraving this symbol on your body, you pledge to serve the king and the holly tree, from this day to the end of time!"
"It hurts…stop…please…"
"You don't want to fight? Well, too bad! I don't think you have a choice newcomer, now, pick up your weapon and kill that thing!"
"Why? I don't want to!"
"Is it really okay to send a kid out there alone?"
"What are you talking about? His appearance doesn't matter, use monsters to fight monsters!"
Stop…I'm... I'm not a monster! STOP! "STOP!"
Birds took off into the sky as a sudden scream echoed through the woods. The youth's eyes tore open, falling on the dimly lit sky just a few minutes before dawn.
A nightmare… This dream…
Although he finally got used to it, the six deaths he suffered reset some of his progress.
It wasn't something unheard of, but it's not that common, getting the eternal task on the very first visit to the world tree.
His first memory of the world. Siegfried remembers clearly how the people looked at him with pity in their eyes. How a man he met for the first time reassured him that everything would be fine as tears flooded his eyes, how he got dragged to the palace where the glowing red steal burned that seal on his hand. The realization that he was left all alone in this world.
"Not the best time to feel nostalgic," he told himself, looking at the world tree beyond the capital walls.
Back in the day when he was still new to the eternal task, he asked some of his friends about their first memory of this world. Their answers differed little from his own story.
Once someone becomes an eternal they are hailed as mankind's saviors, but it's also the point where people stop considering them as human.
Sieg yawned while stretching his arms. "It's a little early but..." The nightmares will continue for the next few years. That's another price one has to pay for cheating death.
Every time they come back, the resistance they build against emotional pain is depleted and their progress is reset. They are indeed immortals, but for an eternal, there is nothing worse than death.