Continent X, an isolated body of land in the shape of an X, as the name would suggest, located in a world of Magic and Monsters. It is made up of four nations, including the human nation of Persona, the Elven nation of Sylph, the Animoid nation of Anima, and the Demon nation of Vilia.
The human nation, The Kingdom of Persona, is ruled by Royalty and the nation's Nobility, who lord over the Commoners. Those with Royal and Noble blood are blessed with immense Magic Power, while Commoners are born with significantly lower amounts of Magic Power.
The King sits at the top of the hierarchy in The Kingdom of Persona, followed by the Church of Persona, headed by the Pope. Corruption and prejudice run rampant in the nation, with the majority of the Nobility, as well as a number of the people in positions of power in the church, acting in their own self-interest without any regard for the Commoners that are supposed to be under their protection and guidance.
Instead, the Commoners are at the mercy of the whims of the church and Nobility, helpless and defenseless against them, living their lives in a constant state of fear and submission.
Such has been the state of the Persona Kingdom for centuries...and now, in the present, the year 1910, a chain of events that would go on to change the nation forever has been set in motion.
It began in a small village near the southeast border of the nation, Ruby Village, in the basement of a church located in the village...
"N-no, please...! I-I...I'm begging you, please stop this! I-it...it hurts! It hurts, it hurts, IT HURTS!!!" A tortured cry echoed out through the dark, grimy basement dimly lit with flickering candlelight, his pleas met with no sympathy, only cold, calculating stares, indifferent to the man's pain and suffering.
His screams continued to ring out as he writhed around in excruciating agony, his body restrained and laying in a pit filled to the brim with the corpses of Monsters, a glowing purple orb jammed into the middle of his chest, which had been cut open. He also had a deep, fatal stab wound in his stomach with blood pouring out of it, and a Magic Item, known as an Enslavement Collar, strapped around his neck.
An ominous purple glow of a similar hue to the orb in his chest shone out of the pit, forbidden Magical text inscribed across the edges, fueling the ritual.
Several figures in hooded cloaks surrounded the pit, watching the man intently as he desperately thrashed around in pain, frantically trying to break free of his bondage but to no avail.
"It seems this one is lasting much longer than our previous test subjects," Remarked one of the hooded figures thoughtfully, jotting down notes as they observed the pit.
"Yes, perhaps we finally found a suitable host body for the Homunculus Ritual. This is looking quite promising."
"It's about time, it's been months since we-...hm, never mind, looks like we spoke too soon," Sighed one of the figures, as the man's torso suddenly ruptured violently, blood and guts spilling out as he coughed out blood with an agonized wheeze, tears of blood pouring down his eyes as intense spasms erupted across his body.
A gutteral, almost inhuman, scream of excruciating pain deafeningly rang out as the glow of the pit began to intensify, right before the man's body suddenly erupted in a bloody explosion of guts and gore, splattering across the floor and walls surrounding the pit, the room darkening slightly as the blood splashed over a couple of the candles, dousing the flames.
The glow of the pit then began to fade, a bloody mist flowing above it as the stench of blood filled the space, the dim candlelight illuminating the space flickering as a moth flew into the flame of one of the candles, a sharp sizzle ringing out as the creature was set ablaze.
"Shit, I think some of his innards got in my mouth, disgusting...ugh, I should have kept my mask on," Spat one of the hooded figures with a groan.
"You should go wash it out, you never know what kind of rancid diseases these filthy Commoners might be carrying."
"Well, at any rate, that's another failure. I'm starting to doubt whether this Ancient Magic will actually work...I mean, these Spells and rituals went extinct for a reason, right?"
"Maybe, these are several centuries old, and since Ancient Magic was deemed forbidden so long ago, it's not like we have any real understanding of how it works, we just copied the Magical text from those old documents, none of us actually understand how the formulation of said text works."
The hooded figures then turned their attention towards the entrance, as a set of footsteps approaching echoed out, a shadow looming down the stairs.
A middle aged man came into sight, he had graying, dark brown hair, green eyes, and a thin mustache with a short chin beard. He had a fair complexion, and was of average build and height.
"Father Opal, our apologies, we've had another failure," Spoke up one of the hooded figures, as they all got down on one knee and bowed their heads to him.
Dietre Opal, the Priest in charge of the Ruby Village church, as well as the mastermind behind the forbidden ritual that was taking place in the hidden basement of the church. He had a displeased, frustrated look on his face, his fists clenched tightly as he glanced around at the blood-splattered basement, covering his nose to block out the stench of blood.
"Blast it...this test subject had the greatest Magic Power of all the subjects we've used so far by far, but it still didn't work?" He muttered to himself with an irritated click of his tongue.
"While it was a failure, he lasted significantly longer than our previous test subjects. And the primary difference between this one and the ones before is that he had Noble blood, the rest were all pure-blooded Commoners," Responded one of the hooded figures.
"Hm, a bastard with Noble blood...I see, then the quality of the test subject's blood must matter, those with inferior blood are too weak to survive the ritual," Nodded the Priest thoughtfully, narrowing his eyes.
"That explains it...of course the rotten blood of Commoners would be inadequate, no wonder they all died so quickly. But since this one had Noble blood, he lasted longer."
"True, but it was still a failure, we failed to create a Homunculus yet again."
"Yes, however, we now have a better idea of how to make this succeed. We need subjects with Noble blood and strong Magic Power, that's the clearest path to success."
"Hold on, doesn't that mean we'd need a test subject who's a Noble? If a Commoner with Noble blood isn't strong enough to survive the ritual, then we'd need a full-blooded Noble to make it work."
"That's tough...it's easy to find Commoner subjects, but a Noble going missing won't easily be overlooked."
"I don't think it matters...Commoners with Noble blood tend to possess similar levels of Magic Power as full-blooded Nobles. So even if we were able to get our hands on a Noble without anyone noticing, it's unlikely that they'll be any more suited as a test subject that this guy was."
"Hm...here's a thought. Nobles have stronger Magic Power than Commoners, and Royalty have even greater Magic Power than that, isn't that right?" Chimed in one of the figures.
"Why are you stating the obvious? And what you're suggesting is ludicrous. Kidnapping a Noble would be tough enough, going after a member of the Royal family would be suicide."
"That's not what I was getting at. It's simple, we just need to find a Commoner bastard with Royal blood."
"It'd certainly be easier than targeting an actual Noble, let alone the Royals, but-..."
"Hm...I think that's it! Remember when we found the documents in the church's archives, detailing how to cast this ritual? Besides the instructions and corresponding Magical text, there were also some additional notes. I read a passage in the notes detailing how the first Homunculus created was a hero who sacrificed his humanity for the sake of the nation. It just clicked, our history books state that the first King of Persona sacrificed himself to save the nation from the Demon army, over a thousand years ago. I could be wrong, but this could mean that the first King was also the first Homunculus. So we might be right, Royal blood might be just what we need for the ritual to succeed!"
"There's just one problem, and it's a big one...Royal bastards are executed by the Inquisitors as soon as they're born, without exception. It's not too difficult to find Noble bastards, but Royal bastards are a different story entirely, there may well be none currently alive," Frowned Priest Opal, tapping his foot against the floor impatiently.
In order to cover up his infidelity and lustful appetite towards Commoner women, the King of Persona commanded the church to execute the children of any Commoner women he ended up impregnating, the executions carried out by a secret group of executioners under the church's command; the Inquisition Squad, also simply known as the Inquisitors.
"Yes, that's true...and as we've discovered through our previous experiments, subjects under the age of fifteen or so die instantly when used in the Homunculus ritual, so not only would we need to find a Royal bastard, but we'd also need to find one who's at least fifteen years of age, ideally older."
The Priest's frustration continued to grow, with the chances of success of the ritual seeming to be getting less and less likely the more they discussed the matter.
"Damn it...how do we go about getting our hands on a test subject with Royal blood? I suppose we could keep experimenting with Commoners who have Noble blood like this last subject did, it's possible that one with greater Magic Power could survive, but...," He mused as he began pacing around the space.
"Do not worry, Father Opal. If any Commoners with Royal blood are currently alive, rest assured that we will find them and bring them to you," Remarked one of the hooded figures assuredly, as they all stared at the Priest with immense, fanatical devotion and adoration.
"Yes, anything for you, Father."
"You can count on us, we'll do whatever it takes, no matter the cost."
"Er, yes, of course...I'm counting on you all, do not let me down," Nodded the Priest uncomfortably, before quietly staring down at the ring on his right index finger and muttering under his breath, "Maybe this Ancient Magic Artifact is too effective, I should refrain from using it too much until I learn to control it properly."
Ancient Magic Artifacts, Magic Items from the age of Ancient Magic, over a thousand years ago. Ancient Magic was more complex, and much more dangerous, than the Magic used the present era. As a result, it was eventually classified as Forbidden Magic and banned from use.
Priest Opal had come across this ring, known as the Charm Ring, hidden in the church's archives, and soon realized that using it made people let their guards down around him and become more trusting towards him. And the more he used it on them, the stronger that trust would grow, until it morphed into a twisted, mindless sense of loyalty and devotion.
He used the Charm Ring to get all of the Inquisitors assigned to Ruby Village under his control, and had them search the archives more thoroughly, which led them to discover the Homunculus Ritual.
And while, at present, they haven't found a suitable test subject to use as the core of the ritual, it wouldn't be very much longer before the Priest would find exactly what he was looking for...
...
...
A few weeks later, in an orphanage located in Ruby Village...
"...-ake up! Raven, wake up! Come on, today's the day, let's go!"
"Hm...? Ugh, it's too early...what's the rush? Whatever it is, wake me up later, I'm going back to sleep," Came a groggy, grumbling response.
"I'm gonna keep doing this until you wake you, so save us some time and just get up already!"
"Go away, Ravella..."
"Screw it, I'm getting a bucket of water."
"Huh? Don't you dare do that again, this place is too humid, everything takes ages to dry!"
"Heh...it worked, you're finally up."
"...damn it."
Raven and Ravella Kyzer, ten year old identical twins. Having lost their mother four years ago, they were taken in by an orphanage in Ruby Village, and today was their tenth birthday.
"Stop glaring at me. For the record, last night, you told me to wake you up," Shrugged Ravella with a wry smile.
She had long blonde hair tied up in twintails, bright orange eyes, and a fair complexion, with a skinny build and was a bit on the shorter side for her age.
"What? I did? Wait, I feel kinda strange...something feels different," Frowned Raven, a confused look on his face before the realization hit him, "Oh, right! Today's our tenth birthday, which means we've awakened our Magic Power. Right, yeah, we need to go to the church to get appraised, to find out what kind of Magic we each possess and how much Magic Power we have."
He had medium-length blonde hair that was currently a wild mess, his eyes and complexion were the same as his sister's, but he was a few centimeters taller than she was, though equally skinny.
"You sure are slow in the morning, aren't you? Well, whatever...hurry up and get changed so that we can go, they don't do appraisals after midday!" Ravella urged him impatiently.
"Okay, okay, I'll get ready. Hm? Wait, it's only 10 AM, and the church is like a 20 minute walk from here, we have plenty of time, so-...," He began as he glanced at the clock in the room.
"Just get going!" Huffed Ravella in exasperation, giving him a firm, impatient push on the back.
"Don't rush me, it's not like I'm going to take that long to-..."
"You will if you keep wasting time talking!"
"Give me a break, would it kill her to be just a little bit patient?" Raven muttered under his breath with a sense of exasperation, before heading to the bathroom to wash up.
It only took him about fifteen minutes to freshen up and get changed, but it felt like an eternity to Ravella, who couldn't stop pacing around, restless and impatient to get going.
The humans of this world all awaken their Magic the day they turn ten years old, after which they go to a church to get appraised. Specifically, the church uses a Magic Item to find out what their Magic Class is and how much Magic Power they possess.
A person's Magic Class and the amount of Magic Power they have has a significant impact on their lives, it can help determine what kind of path they can take in life. Of course, Commoners do not have the same level of Magic Power that Nobles and Royals do; historically, the highest quantity of Magic Power ever recorded in a Commoner is lower than the lowest quantity of Magic Power recorded in a Noble.
However, that only applies to pure Commoners, Commoners who have Noble blood possess Magic Power on par with Nobles themselves, a fact that isn't publicly acknowledged, so such Commoners are usually treated as outliers, either that or they end up assassinated...
"It's about time. Come on, let's go, we've wasted enough time already," Remarked Ravella impatiently, as Raven finished getting ready.
"Yeah, okay. I have to say, I'm having trouble getting used to this new feeling...I can feel a sort of energy flowing through me, as well as all around me," Replied Raven with a slight look of discomfort, as the twins headed out of the orphanage and began making their way to the church.
"I know what you mean, it's like there's a slight, hazy cloud hanging around me or something," Nodded Ravella in agreement.
"So, what kind of Magic Class are you hoping you've awakened to?" Raven asked her curiously, as they strolled through the streets.
"Hm, that's a good question, let me think...ooh, Fire or Lightning Magic would be cool. At the very least, I'd like some kind of Attack Magic Class, so one of the Elemental Classes, or either of the Dark or Light Classes. The Support Magic Classes are kinda boring in comparison," She responded after mulling it over, before glancing at her brother and adding, "What about you, Raven?"
"Me? I think it's the opposite for me...since we're Commoners, we aren't going to have all that much Magic Power, so Attack Magic would be wasted, we'd only be able to cast a few Spells before running out of Mana. Support Magic doesn't use as much Magic Power, so that's probably a better fit for Commoners like us," He replied thoughtfully.
"I mean, I get the logic behind that, but that's kinda boring."
"Yeah, yeah."
It wasn't much longer before the church came into sight, Ravella picking up the pace the instant the building entered her gaze, jogging over towards the entrance as Raven reluctantly upped his pace to match hers and keep up.
A nun greeted them and let them in after they informed her that they were here for an appraisal, taking them through the church and to the Priest in charge.
"Father Opal, my apologies for bothering you, but these two young ones have come here for an appraisal," The nun greeted and informed him as she bower her head.
"Hm? Ah, I see. Very well, then...follow me, children, let's get this over with," Sighed the Priest, a disinterested look on his face as he led the twins to a nearby room.
He opened the door to let them in, before walking into the room and shutting the door as the twins and the nun entered.
"Sit right here, this won't take very long at all," The nun instructed the twins, gesturing to a bench at the back of the room.
"Okay, got it. Here's hoping it goes well," Grinned Ravella excitedly, as the twins headed for the bench and sat down.
"Spread out a bit more. If you're too close together, the results will get mixed up," The nun informed them, as she opened a box and took out a Magic Item, a pair of glasses, called Appraisal Specs.
"Is this okay?" Raven asked her, as the twins moved about a meter away from each other across the bench.
"Yes, that's fine. Now, then, let's begin...," Remarked the nun, as she placed her fingers against the side of the frame of the glasses and ran some Mana into it, focusing her gaze on Raven, before her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Uh...is everything okay?" Inquired Raven with a slight look of concern.
"Huh? Oh, uh...yes, everything's fine. The display just destabilized for a moment, that's all," She replied, before turning her gaze to Ravella, focusing on her before turning to the Priest and approaching him, quietly whispering, "Uh, Father...I think we need to discuss this in private for a moment, these results are..."
"Oh?" He responded with a hint of intrigue in his eyes, before turning to the twins, "Excuse us for a moment, young ones, it seems like our Appraisal Specs aren't working properly. We'll be right back."
"Huh, I wonder what that's about?" Mused Ravella curiously, as the Priest and the nun walked out of the room and shut the door.
"Well, that Magic Item looked kinda old and worn out, so maybe it's about to stop working or something," Surmised Raven with a shrug.
"Yeah, maybe...hope they have a spare, if that's the case," Sighed Ravella as she slumped back in the bench with a slight pout.
Meanwhile, a short distance outside the room...
"What? Are you sure?" Inquired Priest Opal in disbelief.
"Yes, there's no doubt about it. It's incredible...the boy possesses Recovery Magic, and his Magic Power is 85,000. As for the girl, she possesses Light Magic...and her Magic Power is 99,000," The nun informed him.
"Incredible...the highest Magic Power ever recorded for a human is 100,000, and Magic Power greater than 50,000 is fairly rare even among Nobles. But not Royals, members of the Royal family almost always possess Magic Power levels of greater than 50,000...which means, those children must be...," The Priest trailed off as a smirk spread out across his lips, his eyes brightening before clearing his throat and calling out, "Inquisitors!"
A couple of hooded figures emerged from the rafters, swooping down and kneeling before the Priest as they landed in front of him.
"Yes, Father? How can we help?"
"Those two children who came in, what was your impression of them?" The Priest asked them.
"Their Auras are immense...of course, there's no pressure in their Auras since they've only just awakened and haven't begun learning how to control their Magic yet, but their potential is unbelievable," Answered one of the Inquisitors.
"I see...well, now, it would seem that the Goddess Persona is smiling upon me, to think what I've been looking for would present itself to me in this manner! How fantastic...the boy's Magic Power is likely among the top ten in the entire nation, and the girl's Magic Power is the highest that's been recorded in centuries, certainly the highest in our era. Our last test subject possessed Magic Power at around 45,000 or so, just a little over half the Magic Power that the boy possesses," Chuckled the Priest, a sense of giddy excitement welling up inside.
"Yes, but...they're still too young. At their current age, the chances of the ritual succeeding are likely pretty low, we'd need to wait at least five years, ideally longer, before they're old enough to be suitable test subjects," Pointed out the other Inquisitor.
"That's fine. Now that we've found them, I'm in no rush...I've waited so long for this opportunity, and now that it's finally here, I don't mind waiting a bit longer. Finally, I shall gain the ultimate weapon from the age of Ancient Magic, a Homunculus...and with that in my grasp, I can easily get rid of any obstacles in my way, I shall finally rise up the ranks of the church, until I take my rightful place as the next Pope," Smirked Priest Opal with a gleam in his eyes, before turning to the nun, "Go get blood samples from the children, we need to confirm whether or not they actually possess Royal blood or not. Tell them the Appraisal Specs aren't working, so we're using an older method of appraisal that uses blood or something like that."
"Understood, Father, I'll get that done right away," She nodded affirmatively, before heading back into the room.
The nun, who was also under the effects of the Priest's Charm Ring, wasted no time in collecting blood samples from the twins, as one of the Inquisitors fetched a Magic Item to analyze the blood.
They placed the blood samples in the Magic Item, which began glowing in response to the samples...
"This reaction, this hue and intensity of the glow...there can be no doubt, those children have Royal blood coursing through their veins," Smiled Priest Opal gleefully, an indescribable joy surging in his chest, before he turned to the Inquisitors and spoke, "These next five or so years are going to be crucial. Therefore, I would like you to monitor the twins until they're old enough to use in the Homunculus Ritual, make sure they're safe and healthy, and do not let the Knights take notice of them. I will not tolerate failure, is that understood?"
"Of course, Father, you can count on us. We will make sure that there's always at least a couple of us watching them at all times, we won't let anything happen to them...they are meant to be your test subjects, after all, so no harm will come to them until the time is right," One of them assured him.
"Good...now, then, we shouldn't keep them waiting too long, children can be strangely perceptive at times, after all, the last thing we want is to make them suspicious of us," Remarked the Priest, heading back towards the room along with the nun, as the Inquisitors went back into hiding.
"Hello, I hope you weren't waiting too long. Our apologies for the malfunction in our Magic Item, but the appraisal is now complete," The nun greeted the twins with a friendly smile.
"Oh, great! And? What's the results?" Ravella asked her excitedly.
"Allow me. It's quite amazing, both of you possess a fairly large amount of Magic Power. The boy possesses Magic Power of 40,000 and his Magic Class is Recovery Magic, and the girl possesses 45,000 and her Magic Class is Light Magic," The Priest informed them with a smile.
"Wait, really? I thought it's impossible for Commoners to have Magic Power greater than 15,000 or so," Responded Raven in surprise.
"Yes, that is usually the case, but there are exceptions every now and then, it's rare but not unheard of. Now, then, while you both have immense potential, it also exposes you to a degree of risk. Children with such high Magic Power, especially being Commoners, could easily attract the attention of certain unsavory individuals, they might try to kidnap you and sell you off or something," The Priest warned them, before continuing and advising them, "Since you've only just awakened your Magic, your Auras are devoid of any pressure, so people wouldn't normally notice without certain Magic Items. But it's not impossible either, people with high levels of mastery over their Magic tend to have the ability to sense the Auras of others. Therefore, you need to keep your Auras suppressed. It's very simple and easy, just focus on the sensation of the energy flowing around your bodies and visualize gathering that energy into yourselves."
"Suppressing your Auras is common practice regardless, since leaving it as it is drains your stamina and will tire you out. That's why suppressing Aura is usually the first thing that people do after they awaken their Magic," Added the nun with a smile.
"Go on and give it a try. This Magic Item lets me see your Auras as a sort of cloud of energy, so I'll be able to tell when it's suppressed or not while wearing these," Remarked the Priest, putting on a pair of glasses.
"I see, that makes sense...so, something like this?" Responded Ravella, closing her eyes and focusing, as Raven did the same.
"My, how impressive, you both got the hang of that so quickly. Yes, that's exactly it. There we go, both your Auras are now fully suppressed. Focus on maintaining that for a while, it should only take a couple of hours or so before it becomes second nature and you'll be able to keep it suppressed without even thinking about it. Alright, with that done, the appraisal process is now complete. You can find Grimmoires for your respective Magic Classes in the village's library, you can use those to learn Spells and how to control your Magic," The Priest informed them with a smile.
"Yeah, we know, we'll definitely be dropping by there soon," Grinned Ravella, as the twins got up off the bench.
"Thank you for your time, Father, we appreciate it," Added Raven with a polite nod, as the twins headed out of the room.
"Oh, don't mention it...as a humble Priest, all I did was carry out my duties, nothing more. You have no reason to thank me," He replied with a friendly wave.
The Priest stretched his arms up and let out a content sigh as the twins left the church and began heading back to the orphanage, a bright look in his eyes.
"You seem to be in a good mood, Father," Remarked the nun, as the Priest paced around with a cheerful look on his face.
"Of course I'm in a good mood, who wouldn't be after such a stroke of good fortune? Just five years...five more years, and finally, I'll be able to achieve my goal," He laughed gleefully.
"What will you do in the meantime, Father? Will you continue to experiment on any other potentially suitable candidates we find?" The nun asked him.
"Hm...well, I don't want to attract the attention of the other church leaders or any of the Inquisitors who aren't under my control, so it would be best to lay low for a while. I shouldn't push my luck, not when I'm so close to my goal. Of course, if we do come across any individuals who would make for good test subjects and whose disappearances won't garner too much attention, then yes, it would be foolish to waste such opportunities. Still, we should err on the side of caution moving forward, can't be too careful," He surmised warily.
Ignorant of the sinister plans in place for them, the twins meanwhile continued making their way back to the orphanage, blissfully unaware...
"This is so exciting, we can finally use Magic! Also, heh, my Magic Power is greater than yours," Grinned Ravella smugly.
"Sure, but not by much," Her brother responded dryly.
"Heh, someone sounds salty."
"Yeah, right. Since I've got a Support Magic Class and you've got an Attack Magic Class, I don't need as much Magic Power as you do, Support Magic Spells don't need as much Mana as Attack Magic Spells do," He pointed out with a defensive huff.
"Sure, keep telling yourself that, bro. Still, it's pretty awesome that we have so much Magic Power. Maybe we really can become Knights, like I've been dreaming of," Suggested Ravella with an optimistic gleam in her eyes.
"I don't think that's a good idea. There aren't many Commoners in the Knight Order to begin with, and I've heard that the few Commoners that did manage to join are treated badly by the other Knights, and they never get promoted up the ranks no matter how well they do. Of course, if that's really what you want to do, then I won't stop you...but as for me, I have no interest in becoming a Knight. Maybe I can use my Recovery Magic to become a doctor or something, that should be a good way to earn money and secure a stream of income," Mused Raven thoughtfully.
"Ugh, that's so boring, where's your sense of adventure? Well, we don't have to leave the orphanage until we turn fifteen, so we still have time to consider our options. For now, I'm going to go to the library and find some Grimmoires on Light Magic," Declared Ravella excitedly.
"Guess I'll join you, might as well start learning more about my Recovery Magic too. On another note, something's bothering me about our appraisal. That Priest, he was kinda rude to us when we first got there, but then he become weirdly nice and friendly after the appraisal was complete," Recalled Raven with a frown.
"Oh, yeah, now that you mention it, that was kinda weird. Hm, maybe he was just impressed by our Magic Power or something?" Replied Ravella uncertainly.
"Maybe, I guess that could be it. I don't know though, something about that whole thing just felt a bit...off, somehow."
"You're overthinking it. I mean, we got the appraisal done and dusted with, so we don't have to worry about it anymore."
"Yeah, maybe you're right."