Upper Rhine, Lower Rhine, and Those No Longer in the Rhine

Little Bu

"Line up and chant the Candlelight's name, and you'll receive a meal!"

Frey watched the Church's stall and the people waiting in line with cold eyes. He tugged at his hood, hiding his expression in shadow.

He had been in the Rhine for several days now.

The identity the Ashen Alliance had arranged for him was rather clever. The Mechanical Cathedral held an awkwardly middling position in the Rhine. In theory, the Mechanical Cathedral and the Candlelight Society were allies, jointly governing the Rhine. In reality, though, it was little more than a title.

But with that title, he could move freely through the city and openly produce his identification whenever he faced an inspection.

Moreover, the Mechanical Cathedral and the Candlelight Society were not subordinate to one another, so he was not subject to the Candlelight Society's restrictions.

As for actual followers of the Mechanical Cathedral... Frey had yet to see one in the days since arriving in the Rhine.

Though that was only true of Lower Rhine.

Frey had never been to Upper Rhine. At times, he even wondered whether Upper Rhine truly existed.

Skirting a narrow path where sewage flowed, Frey expertly wound his way through the alleys. Houses made of rotting planks and crumbling bricks teetered on either side, slicing the sky into strips of broken light and shadow.

Frey looked up at the dome overhead. It was the foundation of Upper Rhine, and also Lower Rhine's sky. Countless dim candlelights hung from it, bringing cheap illumination to Lower Rhine.

It was said that the Rhine was divided into Upper Rhine, Lower Rhine, and an even deeper bottom layer.

Upper Rhine was where the Holy See's important figures lived. There was a sun that never set, fresh air, and no acid rain ever fell