The West is strong, the East is weak. A phrase that could describe the current state of the continent in a single sentence. To the north of this continent lies Evergreen, the home of the Elves.
And to the south are the Iron Mountains, where the Dwarves have settled. These two races, despite some complications, are not hostile to humanity at present. In fact, they are races with which beneficial results can be achieved through interaction, so they are not a major problem.
The problem is the great forest located in the east of the continent. A demonic land teeming with monsters. An uncharted territory for humanity, where the deeper one goes, the less one knows what might emerge.
It is a place that the people of the continent challenged countless times, only to finally give up on its development and concede defeat. And this is a serious problem. Monsters crossing over from the great forest frequently entered the human kingdoms and caused trouble.
In other words, the eastern nations bordering the great forest were inevitably forced to expend their national power. The Flame Kingdom. The Yusef Kingdom.
The Decator Kingdom. The Atronia Kingdom. These four nations served as a breakwater against the great forest, and because they held it back, the other nations of the continent were able to develop in stability.