From the introduction: Welcome to the world Berserk, a medieval fantasy land rife with conflict, poverty, and demonic monsters. Magic is possible, but very rare with the common folk, and rudimentary gunpowder cannons exist, but the technology is not widespread. Instead, almost all rely on their sword or bow. Power - whether economic, political, or military, is concentrated in the hands of a few; an expert human soldier could be expected to match or exceed a platoon of cannon fodder.