The Theocracy had twenty-two floors. The Twenty-Second Floor was the prison where the Eternal Pope was confined alone, while the Twenty-First Floor was where the Saintess and Saintess Candidates lived. Apart from the Papal Election, no one was allowed to enter.
The Eighteenth Circle was the Theocracy's prison. Although no one would normally try to break into or escape from the Theocracy's prison... ordinary people could enter no farther than the Seventeenth Circle without special permission.
The five floors above that were all Forbidden Areas, collectively known as the "Holy of Holies." This was also the meaning behind the Pope's crown, the Most Holy Crown—from this floor upward, anyone entering or leaving required the Pope's permission.
The Nineteenth Circle was where the Theocracy held all kinds of grand ceremonies. It was roughly equivalent to a great hall in human society. The elves also called it the "Altar Near Heaven."
All the guests attending the wedding ascended through the lift to this floor.
As soon as they reached the Nineteenth Floor, the guests from human society were stunned—
They saw a magnificent city.
It was a glorious capital built almost entirely from pure white, so dazzling that it made their eyes ache. All kinds of towering buildings rose from the ground.
A huge clock tower, a huge tower, a huge pyramid, a huge castle... Every building here was far larger than those outside. They were also covered in layers of special decoration.
Each building was covered in countless dark-golden decorative patterns. Anyone with a little knowledge would recognize them as preservation spells solidified by divine arts. They allowed this nearly deserted city to remain in pristine condition without cleaning or maintenance, and could instantly erase any accumulated grime.
On this floor, every building had different decorative patterns—the pyramid was adorned with