Over the nearly seven-thousand-year rise of humanity in this era, the indigenous powers of the Endless Continent had long since solidified.
They had formed a complete pyramid-like hierarchy.
On the surface, the most powerful forces were naturally the current seven great indigenous human kingdoms—
—the Kingdom of Swadia, Vigia Kingdom, Nord Kingdom, Avalon Kingdom, Sarranid Sultanate, Khergit Kingdom, and Kingdom of Rhodok.
The seven kingdoms occupied over eighty percent of the Endless Continent's land territory.
The founding emperors of every kingdom had once been formidable figures who stood at the very pinnacle of the continent.
Below them came the major churches, such as the Holy Light Temple, the Dragon-kin Church, and so on.
This did not even include the noble powers under the kingdoms, scattered across various regions and centered around titled families.
Strictly speaking, the Second Prince, Carter Pendragon, also counted as a noble power.
After all, Avalon's royal succession struggle had yet to be brought into the open. The current jockeying for position was merely the voluntary maneuvering of several princes and princesses, forcing those fence-sitting noble factions to choose sides in advance.
Once those nobles declared their support, there would be virtually no turning back.
Once the struggle fully erupted, there would be only one outcome: the victor became king, and the loser was defeated.
The noble factions that backed the right person would surely gain great wealth and prestige, elevating their family status to another level.
But if they backed the wrong horse, the consequences went without saying. At worst, they would be purged; if fortunate, they would be exiled or reduced to serfdom.
For nobles accustomed to luxury, the latter price was even crueler.
Making them become exiled settlers or serfs was less bearable than simply stretching out their necks for a clean execution.
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