Three days later.
The late-February wind swept swiftly between the towering buildings of the imperial capital, Helrom. In the winter morning air, the enormous Nirvana Knight Order Temple stood solemn and imposing.
Its soaring spires pierced the clouds, while ancient legends of the war against demons were engraved across its surface. A thin layer of frost covered the outer walls, built from snow-white stone, making the structure seem even more mysterious.
Near the entrance stood two knights clad in dark-gray heavy armor and holding spears. Set into the several-meter-tall doors was a carved metal emblem—the holy seal of the Nirvana Branch. At the center of the cold-gray totem was a hollow eyeball. Though it had no pupil, it emitted a faint glow, as if it were the last trace of hope swallowed by it. Several twisted, interwoven chain-like vines curled around the edges, their sharp thorns encircling the eyeball and holding it firmly in place.
Once a forbidden presence on the Northern Continent, the Nirvana Branch now had an office in the imperial capital, Helrom. It had ultimately been named the Nirvana Knight Order Temple.
The priests working there were mainly responsible for coordinating with the imperial capital's offices overseeing branches in the other provinces, as well as handling logistics. Recently, they had also begun screening new priests who wished to join the Nirvana Branch.
After the Rebirth Church as a whole obtained security approval to operate in the Protos Empire, the three branches under the three bishops seeking to become the church's leading authority all began expanding rapidly throughout the empire. Many people who had previously hovered in the Gray Zone now had a direct channel through which they could board the great ship of the Rebirth Church.
Yesterday, the initial examination for new priests had been held here.