My days as a baby were what any grown-up would describe as boring; they mostly consisted of waking up in the morning, taking a bath, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as some boring lessons taught by Maa.

It is customary in the nobility to bless people by praying to the entity's authority under which you were baptized. As a result, I was tasked with memorizing various greetings.

I, Ronandt was baptized under the authority of Djeem the accursed.

Yes, it didn't sound like the kind of authority you want to be born under.

But, according to Maa, it was just the entity's name and had no Ill meaning behind its omnious name. “Just pray, and be honest in your prayer,” she advised.

Having noticed my skepticism and reticent behavior against her religious belief. She came up with another strategy.

Unfortunately for you, Maa, early brainwashing has no effect on a fully developed mind like mine.

Having noticed my skepticism and reluctance in the face of her religious belief. She devised yet another plan, one that was particularly cunning.

Reading.

I was placed under her lap twice a day, and she read the same thick and boring book over and over.

I didn't like the idea at first, but as a wise man once said, "in order to attract good fortune to oneself, one must seize every opportunity that presents itself." Thanks to Maa's indoctrination session, I learned how to read in less than 5 months.

***

I was in my sumptuous room laying on my luxurious bed while Maa was just standing there next to the door.

I was reading the same thick book that Maa used to read to me.

The book is titled "Nobility and Powerhouses," and based on the title alone, it's impossible to guess what it had to do with religion. However, after reading its contents, it became clear how deeply it was linked with religion.

First thing first, we inhabit the human continent. An immense territory that is said to be only a small portion of the entire world. There are two characteristics that distinguish the human continent from the rest of the world.

The human continent is the only place where humans can be found; the rest of the world is inhabited by monsters. And a force field barrier is covering the entire human continent to protect humanity from those monsters.

Before I go any further, I must define humanity. It represents the human race first and foremost, but the human race can be divided into two groups: the nobility and the common man.

The common man accounts for 94% of humanity. If I may say so, they are just common and simple people.

The remaining 6% of humanity is made up of Nobility. They are a group of people who have ruled humanity since its inception. They have the ability to generate mana, and thus magic.

With that established, we can move on to the human continent's powerhouse.

There are four major powerhouses on the human continent.

The ErsteMensch Theocracy, for example, is a country ruled by a council of seven factions. Before being adopted, every decision made by the council must be reviewed by the church. They are also the world's oldest country.

Then there's the Meilen Empire, which is ruled by Anne-Lorie Meilen. There are two reasons why the Meilen empire is well-known.

Their recurring bloodbath for the title of emperor, as well as the fact that they have the largest territory of any country on the human continent

.

The Altaira Kingdom, which is where I am now; to be more specific, I am in the Beaumont Duchy, one of the Altaira Kingdom's eight duchy parts. The Aubrecht’s are the current rulers of the duchy. And the current head of the Aubrecht family is my grandfather.

My father is the Duke's only son, Luke Aubrecht. Making me the Duchy's most important person's grandson.

It's no surprise they could afford to provide me with such a lavish lifestyle.

Last but not least, there is the Cult of the Seven Apostles or simply The Church for short. The most powerful organization of the four powerhouses.

The Cult of the Seven Apostles is currently led by the 49th Pontiff. It is the richest, oldest, and most influential organization on the human continent.

The church's headquarters are in ErsteMensch Theocracy, but its influence extends throughout the world.

Four thousand years ago, the church ruled over the entire human continent, but a hundred years later, they began to delegate this work to the organization now known as the Big Three (ErsteMensch Theocracy, Melein Empire, and the Altaira Kingdom)

The church is divided into two branches, each led by seven representatives appointed by the Pope.

First, there is the Paladin Order, led by the Seven Holy Paladins. They are humanity's armed hand. The main task of the paladin order is to expand the territory of the human continent, which entails fighting and slaughtering every monster that occupies the invaded territory.

Only nobles may be referred to as paladins. When a commoner joins the Paladin order he receives the title of legionnaire. Needless to say, there is a significant distinction between the two titles.

The clergy, led by the seven ArchBishops, is known as the shields of humanity; unlike the paladin order, every clergy member is from the Nobility.

Their work entails dealing with various nobles from the aforementioned country and spreading the cult of the seven apostles. It is also their responsibility to maintain the barrier that protects humanity.

Members of the clergy are dispersed across the human continent to perform various ceremonies such as baptism, the ceremony in which I received my name.

As a religion, it would make sense for them to have a god to believe in.

The church believes that an ancient goddess bestowed upon seven humans the power known as magic.

The church refers to those seven humans as the seven apostles.

And those seven human descendants are what is commonly known nowadays as nobility.

The seven apostles were:

Kine the flamboyant

As one of the seven apostles, she had complete control over her mana. Those who wanted their child to grow into a competent fire wielder noble can baptize their child under her authority.

Aurora child of the storm

She was extremely gifted with wind-wielding magic, as her title suggests. If a parent wishes for his or her child to excel in wind or lightning-wielding magic, the child should be baptized under authority.

Solomon the Loner

Solomon is said to be the only one of the seven apostles who did not have a descendant; after receiving the blessing from the ancient goddess, he embarked on a pilgrimage in search of true strength, which he had never seen since. Few people have their children baptized under his authority.

Kiady the Eternal

He was famous for his immortality, and legend has it that he lived to the age of 1000. Those who wish for their child to live a long and fruitful life baptize their child under his protection.

Sora daughter of the Mountain

She is the apostle of prosperity and fertility, and those who want their children to excel in earth wielding must baptize them under her protection.

Djeem the accursed

Born with white hair, pale skin, and red eyes, he was what one would call an albino. Those who had a child born with any deformity had to be baptized under his authority in order for them to live a long and fruitful life.

When I asked Maa about why they had baptized me under his authority Since as far as I’m aware I have nothing one could call a deformity, she said that it was because I wasn’t crying enough for a normal baby. They apparently thought that I was a mute.

If that isn't the result of my own actions, I'm not sure what is.

Huye the First Pontiff

He founded the church, making him the first pontiff, and his initial mission was to protect humanity from its enemies, monsters. It wasn't until after his death that the church became known as the cult of the seven apostles.

The apostle descendants are now known as nobility. Nobles descended from six of the seven apostles, to be more specific.

The apostles swore to lead and protect humanity, and it is now the church and nobility's responsibility to do so in their place.