The most prestigious among the six professions is the Scholar. Scholars are respected not only because the second and third-generation monarchs of the Kayne Empire were Scholars, but fundamentally because Scholars made all these developments possible.
Without Scholars, there would be neither the six professions nor the Kayne Empire.
Scholars do not possess strong and robust bodies. Yet, they discovered the principles that allow one to become strong and robust. They used these principles to transform many of the weak, making the world no longer solely reliant on the pursuit of lineage and talent. These principles offer anyone the chance to become a strong individual.
With their exceptional minds, Scholars summarized principle after principle, compiled them into books, and disseminated them to others, providing a method for those desperately seeking change.
Some argued that Scholars provided shortcuts for the weak, enabling them to compete with the strong effortlessly. This, they claimed, disrupted the existing balance and was the work of gods or devils; hence, Scholars must be slaves to devils or servants of gods.
However, these concerns were needless. Scholars never disrupted balance or provided shortcuts. They simply added counterweights to this inherently imbalanced world—counterweights earned through the efforts of the weak themselves.
As for gods and devils, neither exists in the world of Scholars.
Since Scholars emerged from among the weak, this initial group was likely the first of their kind. In their times of crisis, neither devils nor gods appeared. What helped them through their hardships were the principles they themselves discovered. Consequently, Scholars held only these principles in reverence; they would never deify or worship them.
In the eyes of a Scholar, the myriad principles governing existence are their ultimate pursuit.
The appearance of Scholars marked the thriving development of the six professions. Closely following the Scholars, Fighters emerged in an environment where only the fittest survived.
Naturally, the birth of Fighters was inseparable from the discoveries of Scholars. It was the Scholars' continuous discovery of new principles that made the existence of Fighters possible.
The first batch of Fighters was, naturally, composed of those who had transformed themselves by adhering to the principles discovered by Scholars. Initially frail, lacking both physical strength and agility, they possessed an indomitable spirit—an unwillingness to accept defeat. They patiently endured and diligently studied, striving to emulate the strong by applying the principles Scholars had uncovered.
The principles discovered by Scholars worked wonders for them, and those imitative techniques benefited them greatly. They explored, guided by the principles Scholars had summarized, and over time, they formed their own systems.
These imitative techniques inspired them. They began to mimic not only the strong but also various animals. These imitations gradually evolved into established combat methods, which they called Martial Arts, their term for these upgraded imitation techniques.
Fighters who mastered Martial Arts quickly developed into formidable individuals, yet they felt this was still insufficient. So, with the aid of Scholars, they began to explore the limits of the human body. Eventually, they mastered methods to control these limits, techniques they named Physique Technique.
Fighters began with Martial Arts and ascended through Physique Technique, soon becoming a formidable force. This force gradually developed into the protectors of their fellow weak. With their strength, they protected Scholars, their homes, and everything they cared about.
This force of Fighters became the precursor to the Kayne Empire's Guardian Army.
The emergence of Fighters led to an awakening among the originally weak. With the protection afforded by Fighters, and as Scholars continued to discover an increasing number of principles, these new findings eventually catalyzed the emergence of the Hunter profession.
The birth of Hunters was somewhat strange. For a time, these individuals unknowingly considered themselves to be Fighters, yet they were distinctly different.
The difference was their preference for operating in the shadows and their superior agility compared to Fighters.
This group initially comprised ordinary hunters who sought game for their tribes. They dug traps, crafted crossbows and arrows, and by drawing upon the principles discovered by Scholars, gradually developed sophisticated techniques of concealment.
These concealment techniques allowed them to hide in unseen corners, effortlessly capturing their desired prey.
Adept at hiding, they also aspired to be protectors like the Fighters. Consequently, in several defensive wars, they exerted their utmost effort to assist Fighters in safeguarding their homes.
It was these defensive battles that truly forged the Hunters into a mature collective.
In these wars, they often stole the show, surprising even the Fighters. Their methods of concealment repeatedly baffled and outmaneuvered invaders.
They seemed to move unseen, at times appearing as if from thin air, leaving attackers bewildered and easily ensnared in their traps.
Only then did they realize they had no need to mimic Fighters; they possessed incredible skills of their own.
Concealment gradually became their defining specialty, as they discovered the unique strategic advantages of operating from the shadows.
Thus, Hunters naturally evolved into the guardians of the unseen, the protectors operating from the shadows.
As the ranks of these protectors—Fighters and Hunters—grew stronger, the once-frail populace gradually gained security. They were no longer displaced, no longer living a precarious hand-to-mouth existence.
They began to develop new pursuits, and their thirst for power intensified—the nascent stirring of desire.
Desire is like a weed: it grows wildly and ceaselessly.
The somewhat settled Kayne People began to explore the unknown. Aspiring apprentices, those with the latent potential of Scholars, donned their cloaks and continued to venture into uncharted territories, tirelessly seeking out new principles.
With the passage of time, these Scholar apprentices gained a solid understanding of certain principles. Consequently, they began to contemplate matters beyond these established principles.
They perceived Natural Force as unpredictable, seemingly without any discernible underlying principles. The startling Thunder of Extreme Summer and the blizzards of harsh winter were all formidable manifestations of power, yet they appeared to follow no discernible pattern.
This Natural Force fascinated these Scholar apprentices. They devoted themselves day and night to studying these phenomena, which they initially considered to be devoid of any governing principles.
Over time, they discovered that some aspects of Natural Force, though seemingly without clear governing principles, could nevertheless be inferred through the application of known ones. Thus, by observing the stars, they could predict whether it would rain the next day.
Through persistent practice, this ability to infer gradually evolved into genuine forecasting. Before long, people began to believe these apprentices possessed the ability to foresee the future.
Initially, this power was only used to forecast the weather, but the growth of desire led them to venture into other domains.
These Scholar apprentices could predict events in other fields because, in the process of mastering weather forecasting, they had also grasped the fundamental principles of nature itself.
Indeed, Natural Force, which they had once believed to be devoid of principles—they had finally uncovered its profound secrets!
Those who mastered Natural Force became the most powerful individuals in the entire Kayne Country almost overnight. Their newfound power completely overshadowed the accomplishments of the recently established Fighters and Hunters.
These Scholar apprentices also shed their apprentice status. Of course, they did not become respected Scholars. Instead, they acquired another, more chilling, designation: Wizard.