The next morning, the Seventh Prince awoke from a peaceful sleep, dressed, drew back the curtains, and looked out at the courtyard bathed in morning light.
This was the royal villa in the Holy City, situated in a district encircling the Central Great Cathedral within the Pure White Holy Land, yet belonging to no particular religious faction.
The Colorless Ring—such was the name given to this circular district, symbolizing a balanced and independent status, where unaffiliated individuals and non-church organizations gathered, free from direct church management.
The administrative agencies of the Kingdom and branches of the Five Great Guilds were also established here.
But even within the Colorless Ring, the Seventh Prince could feel the bustle and vitality of the Holy City early in the morning, in stark contrast to the half-ruined Capital, full of burgeoning vitality.
