User blog comment:Lord Loss/Monster Hunter Theory... Blog/@comment-5043481-20131212163029/@comment-4361439-20131212170418

I remember when the MHF3 wiki was still aorund, it said something about Schrade Castle being completely abandoned because of a war tearing the surrounding area apart. I think the exact wording was:

"The Kingdom of Schrade was a neutral zone before it was divided.  The cause of the division remains a mystery, though some theorize the Castle was home to royalty of the Schrade Kingdom, but due to class inequality and the king's absolute rule, a civil war was waged, and the kingdom was split into two cities: Veld City (Verudo), and Liber City (Riveru).  After the war, the black dragon Fatalis then started inhabiting the area."

Now, take that with a grain of salt. I don't know where Bobo (that was the guy who ran the MHF3 wiki wasn't it?) would have gotten that kind of information. So, anyways, the MH world have had, and can have wars, which I assume is why they have the military. I would say why you sometimes get quests from generals and such is because they underestimate the power of the Monster, only for everyone to get decimated, causing the general to freak out and enlist the aid of a Hunter to come help them out. Still really can't imagine a single Hunter being stronger than an entire army though.