The Rising of the Shield Hero is a popular fantasy isekai anime series that's set to return in the Spring 2022 anime season for a second round of otherworldly adventures. The protagonist is the shield-bearing Iwatani Naofumi, whose quest was plagued with terrible misfortune soon after he arrived in a new world.
Naofumi isn't too fond of the kingdom that summoned him here to fight the deadly Waves, but over time, he came to appreciate his true allies of the Melromarc kingdom -- most of all the benevolent queen Mirrellia Melromarc, among other allies. Naofumi has journeyed all over Melromarc and has heard much about its neighbor Siltvelt, and anime fans may be curious to know more.
The Locations, Politics & Famous Figures of the Melromarc Kingdom
The kingdom of Melromarc, despite being called a kingdom, is actually ruled by a matriarchal system where queens hold the most power and men marry into the family, such as King Aultcray, who married queen Mirellia. In this nation, women are held in high esteem, and the culture and legal system alike go to great lengths to protect them. Any crime against girls and women is especially heinous in this kingdom -- a fact that princess Malty Melromarc used to her advantage when she made her false accusations against Naofumi.
On the downside, Melromarc's politics include an element of human supremacy, viewing the animalistic dem-humans as inferior beings who may be legally trafficked and sold into slavery. The kingdom often conducts raids on demi-human settlements to wipe out or enslave everyone found there. This kingdom is also greatly influenced by the Church of Three Heroes, a large and powerful religious organization run by the Pope.
Melromarc is divided into several regions, each one ruled by a different noble family, such as the Rabier Territory, the Reichnott Territory and the Ivyred Territory, while the nations' overall capital is Castle Town, a city where the castle is found. Naofumi and the other three Cardinal Heroes were summoned here, and the castle and busy streets of Castle Town provided the four isekai heroes' first look at what Melromarc is like. Elsewhere, Melromarc has many villages and towns, including Riyute Village, Lerno Village and Merso village. Notably, the pleasant Cal Mira archipelago is likewise Melromarc territory.
This kingdom is home to a variety of major characters in Shield Hero, beginning with the members of the royal Melromarc family. The king, Aultcray XXXII, rules the land alongside his wife Mirellia, and they hold differing political views about the Cardinal Heroes, the Church of Three Heroes and demi-humans, which is a source of contention between them.
Aultcray was highly antagonist to Naofumi after the false accusations were made, and Aultcray has bitterly resented Naofumi since then as the shield "devil." Mirellia, by contrast, has an honorable and fair sense of justice and commands the Shadows -- female agents who spy for her and carry messages. The royal princesses are also notable citizens of the Melromarc kingdom, with Malty as the elder and Melty as the younger.
Melromarc is also home to the mysterious slave trader, a short and well-dressed man who operates in Castle Town and openly sells beasts while secretly selling demi-human slaves, Raphtalia among them. This is a reflection of Melromarc's human supremacy stance and its widespread oppression and mistreatment of demi-humans, who are looked down upon in the kingdom.
The Nation of Siltvelt
The nation of Siltvelt is a country that shares a land border with Melromarc, and the interracial dynamic here is reversed. Demi-humans are the main population and enjoy all the power, while humans are regarded poorly and might even be kept as slaves, which ensures that Siltvelt and Melromarc will always have tension between them.
Siltvelt is a nation that worships the Shield Hero, whoever that may be, and a Shield Hero of times past helped to defend the nation from Waves. In fact, Siltvelt citizens have a state religion centered around the Shield Hero as an answer to Melromarc's Church of Three Heroes, which excluded the Shield Hero. Similarly, Siltvelt was outraged that Melromarc summoned all four Cardinal Heroes at once rather than each major nation summoning just one. Most likely, the Siltvelt nation would have summoned the Shield Hero itself, given the chance.
Little else has been seen of Siltvelt so far in the Shield Hero anime, since Naofumi didn't explore this nation in detail the way he once intended to, but the upcoming Season 2 may explore more of this nation's history, culture, military and more as the world of Shield Hero is expanded upon, including more varieties of demi-humans. There are even more nations beyond Siltvelt for Naofumi to explore too, such as Faubrey, a powerful nation where Queen Mirellia resided during her time away from Melromarc. Future seasons may explore the relations between Siltvelt and Faubrey as well.