A/N
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As I was walking, I occupied my thoughts with the structure of the Church.
A long time ago, GrimHeart was dominated by Vampires and Werewolves, and the humans were just livestock. Fatten in the side to feast on later.
The Goddess Luminaire took pity on the humans and granted a portion of her powers to the hands of one little girl who prayed in her name every day and who never lost faith in the Goddess's might.
The first-ever Saintess Seraphim. She removed all non-humans in their lands and established the first Kingdom for Humans. The Kingdom of Seraphim that was known today.
But Seraphim didn't enjoy the fruits of her labor. A few years later, she succumbed to old age and died. At least, that's what they wrote in history to hide the presence of shadowfell. Seraphim died because she sacrificed her soul for the barrier, together with Loki and Razim.
Her daughter, Sierra, picked up the crown and the sword. Under her rule, she formed the official Church of Luminaire.
The Church of Luminaire became the proxy of the Saintess since the Saintess seldom interacted with worshippers. Their core function was to hold religious ceremonies and spread the words and will of Luminaire as well as purging all none humans and magic users besides the Saintess. But its primary function was to keep the masses faith in tight shackles with the Church.
It may look like the Kingdom was leading its people, but it was the Church where the Saintess resides who controlled things from the dark. In almost all aspects, the Church was the true ruler of the Kingdom of Seraphim. The only thing keeping the Church at bay was the law that Sierra established. The divine law of the nobility's right to rule.
While the succeeding descendant of Seraphim basked in almost living humans' attention and worship and mortal desires, the Kingdom established the Hunters Association. A font to protect the citizens but a tool the Kingdom used to regain power from the Saintess.
Though the Saintess came from the Seraphim bloodline, only one out of the many children was crowned as the Saintess. This prompted early massacres and deaths inside the palace, and this was known throughout the land as the War for the Mark of the Saintess.
Whoever bore the mark was the next to control the Church and the Kingdom and its inhabitants. But if the mark bearer died, then it would be transferred to the next kin.
The purity of the lineage was tainted by man's desire to seek power and influence. Since then, the amicable relationship between the Kingdom and the Church was only surface deep.
The Hunter's primary purpose was to hunt down traitors, heretics, non-humans, and witches while making sure to keep the Church in check.
Meanwhile, the Church has its own sets of soldiers known as the Crusaders who swore filthy to the Saintess. In turn, they were each given divine weapons blessed by Luminaire herself.
I wanted to laugh. If Seraphim knew what her beloved people were doing, I wonder if she'd go back in time too and pummel their heads with the edge of her staff.
I looked over the dirt path with only our lamp lighting our way. This would be the perfect time for Vampires to kidnap village women, especially virgins, for they taste the sweetest, but since the Town requested aid from the Hunters Association, such frequent things rarely happened now.
Everyone could finally go out after the sun was gone and enjoy the night breeze.
Though I wondered how much gil did Hamill town paid the Hunters.
In the Kingdom of Seraphim, Lords and ladies established their power through influence and money, and the true worth of a man was his purse.
In this Town, where their small village was located, was in the territory of Duke Hamill. Its geography didn't allow many agricultural pursuits, but on the other hand, its main source of income where its many harbors and docks. Trade by the sea was also managed by their family, making them more prosperous than most Dukedoms in the Kingdom of Seraphim.
"Ahh . . . were finally here." Dorothy brought her piles of empty baskets on the ground before she stretched her hands in the air.
She then collected her mirror from her apron pocket and took a minute to check her appearance. Though I doubt she'd see anything with all these dim lights.
"Alright, let's go!" Dorothy's voice was hyped, and the excitement on her face was palpable.
And I knew why.
In the docks where the people crowd the boats on shore was an eye-catching sailor. Compared to the other ships, this one caught the ladies' attention. Rather, a remarkably handsome man with coarse black hair, mahogany brown skin, and blue ocean eyes drew in flocks of girls to his boat, and Dorothy was among who was smitten by his effortless charms and dimpled smile.
(Pic)
The two beautiful girls a while ago that received Dorothy's eerie were also frolicking for his attention. Though he remained friendly as he accommodated the wild torrent of girls. His mannerisms and movements were practiced and precise like he had done it every day.
If I remember correctly, he is the only son of a fisherman in our village. His name is . . .
"Michael! Please give me your freshest fish, pretty please. I'm willing to buy them at double the price."
"Wait your turn. Michael promised me first bait."
"Who said? Michael, did you really?"
"Michael, I thought that I'm the one who you promised first bait?"
A certified womanizer, I thought, and still, the ladies loved him.
For the villagers, he was a potential husband. But for the nobles, the ladies wouldn't take him as a candidate for marriage partner just because of his good looks—a toy perhaps but never a husband.
In the world of nobility, the official union only took place if the marriage was fruitful to both parties and could provide a foundation of some alliance and power between lineages through future children.