Since the start of winter, Alderan had experienced two major cold snaps in succession. The repeated plunges in temperature had stripped the city of all its autumn colors, covering its streets and alleys in withered yellow and gray. As in every previous year, fog had descended over this city on the plains right on schedule—from the towers of the Obsidian Palace, the densely packed rooftops and towers rising at varying distances and heights had once again become vague silhouettes and isolated islands in a sea of mist, carrying an unreal haziness.
Rosetta Augustus stood before the study's floor-to-ceiling window, gazing silently toward the church district for a long while, while the religious building with its iron-gray spire faced him in equal silence.
The God of War emblem that had once flown above the church had now been replaced by the flag of the Typhon Empire. Though the church reliefs embedded in its outer walls remained, they seemed to have shed their former mysterious and sacred aura. From a "perspective" ordinary people could not perceive, the supernatural, holy presence that had once filled the grand structure had vanished like smoke. What it could now offer the world was nothing more than spiritual comfort and architectural beauty.
In the square before the cathedral, citizens coming to visit passed through the fog in small groups and climbed the long steps. Royal guards stood silently on either side of the stairs before the church, watching every movement around the square. New-faced "church guides" greeted the gathering visitors at the main entrance. These smiling people wore decorations from the old God of War Church, badges reading "Tour Guide" on their chests, and conspicuous red or yellow flags in their hands—whenever a new group of visitors arrived, they began explaining the murals and reliefs on the