In the 71st year of the the San Calendar, ten years had passed since the last war between the orcs and the humans, which marked the the dissolution of the Crete Empire. After the end of this dynasty, which was once called the Bronze Dynasty, the Crete Empire had become an area with no ruling king.
Eight years after Saintess Kelly's ascendance to the Divine Kingdom, Pope Hodap, though not as gifted as her, had developed the Church of Light to its peak. After achieving that historic milestone, he had passed away.
The chaos and conflicts of power within the realm, along with the losses that it suffered in the last war, including the destruction of many armies, resulted in the Church of Light's no longer being capable of controlling its central province.