Nant Kingdom and Iron Eagle Kingdom border.
The terrain here was not as complex as in the east. The two kingdoms shared a border, divided by a single stream.
A group of monks and nuns clad in spotless white robes walked along one side of the stream. Their identities marked them as belonging to the Church of Dawn, so no noble dared stop them.
"Elder."
The hood was removed, exposing the weathered face of a middle-aged man to the increasingly cold wind. He extended a hand to accept the water flask offered by a nun. That palm was covered in calluses and scabbed wounds.
The Church's hierarchy of faith and authority was simple: Pope, Cardinal Archbishop, Archbishop, Bishop, Priest, and Believer.
Those seven clearly defined ranks were the authority the Lord bestowed upon believers to gather faith.
But in truth, the vast Church of Dawn could not possibly be controlled by merely those seven official positions. During the process of gaining power, and over the years of holding it, many additional duties and authorities emerged.
Those powers were then held by people who had once been Bishops or Archbishops, but who still refused to relinquish the authority in their hands after retirement.
Thus, many elder-level figures existed within the Church.
The powerful among these elders could dispute certain orders with the Pope, while even the weak ones could contend with priests for authority or wealth over a particular piece of land.
In short, their statuses varied, but they were all called elders. As for who ranked above whom, that depended on the authority controlled by the elder himself and the interest group behind him.
Valen Ferguson was one such powerful elder with real authority beneath the Church's official system. Under his name gathered followers ranging from priests to Bishops and