Forman was the capital of the Southern Empire and the heart of the southern region.
Apart from the fact that it houses the largest church in the empire and is where the arch pope is located, it was also well known for its neuronet—a vast neural network that spanned the core region of the empire, enhancing the cognitive abilities of the citizens within the area and allowing for seamless communication.
It was a place longed to be visited by all, but only a few ever get the chance to do so.
Then there was Dustar, the city of hunger. It was the larger of the remaining two cities and, even though its landmass wasn't even half of that of the capital, Forman, its population was almost equal to it.
It was the land of opportunity and was well known for its synthium ores—a special metallic ore that is extremely versatile and rare in the Southern Empire.
While Dustar was a beautiful city, it also had its ugly sides. It was the main land where both rich and poor gathered, battling for who would be able to seize the next opportunity to turn their lives around.
Due to this, it had the highest crime and death rate in the whole Southern Empire.
Mazar was known as the city of gold. Contrary to what one might expect, there were no gold mines in Mazar, only spice.
Mazar was like a large market, most of the city populated with stalls and factories that mined the special spice native only to Mazar.
It was known as Amber and was not just a spice but a very potent form of drug. It made the eyes of those who directly took its raw form glow like amber, hence its name.
But the use of amber spice as a drug was prohibited, and only its processed form was legally allowed to be released by the spice factories.
Obviously, there would be those who broke the law and sold illegally. Some even went as far as to mine illegally, which is very dangerous as areas with amber spice tend to be populated by mutants.
These three cities made up the entire Southern Empire and are under the governance of the church.
There's one more place that is a part of the Southern Empire, but due to its mysterious nature, most have forgotten about it entirely.
Emburn Island.
This was an island shrouded in a fog of history and mystery, both literally and metaphorically. To the general populace, it was a forgotten island with no significance.
But to the truly powerful, it was a place of the highest importance in the Southern Empire.
Because it was where the true headquarters of the church was. It was where the pope himself stayed and where the special members of the church were trained.
The Northern Empire had a similar place, Chelmsrock.
Deep within this island was a large encampment that spanned several kilometers; it was like a small city.
There were buildings big and small, all serving different purposes. But the most eye-catching things about this small city were two things.
The first was a large worm-like structure that looked both like an organism and a non-living thing. It was a structure that only those with the highest level of clearance—of which there was currently only one—were allowed to know about.
The second was a large cathedral. It was magnificent, with a cross on the top of its tallest point.
Within this cathedral, a middle-aged man stood before the altar. His eyes were dark, his nose crooked, and his lips thin.
His skin was surprisingly pale, and when matched with his short gray hair and his slim stature, he looked like a dead man.
He was dressed in a common priest robe, a monocle hanging off his right eye, a cross hanging from its chain in the priest's right ear.
His hands were clasped behind him, his back as straight as a pillar. His wrinkled face and wisdom-filled eyes were the only things that told of his age.
The priest gazed towards the altar, his thoughts unknown. He was still, unmoving, like he was truly dead.
His head suddenly moved, and he looked over his shoulder to find a man standing behind him.
The man had bright blond hair and deep blue eyes. He was very good-looking, and although he looked like he was in his mid-twenties, he was way older.
He was dressed in a simple white shirt, leather pants, and black boots. Strapped to his side was a greatsword with a rosary hanging from its pommel.
If members of the church army met this man, their first reaction would be to bow in fear and respect. This was because the man was well known; after all, he was one of the three paladins of the Southern Empire, second only to the arch pope, who was second only to the pope.
The Paladin of Dawn, Uriah Adamas.
"Your honor," Uriah stated as he bowed in a genuflecting way behind the man.
Yes, this man was the arch pope who was believed to currently be residing in the Forman, since the church's headquarter located there, at the Cathedral of Blessings.
Lord Uriel, God's sword.
"Uriah, how are this year's candidates?" the arch pope asked.
Just like the Northern Empire, the Southern Empire also had their examination for the church's army around the same time.
"They are even more talented than I was. Especially the child of Saint-House Kingsmer." Uriah's head remained down the entire time as he spoke.
"That's good," the arch pope said and paused for a while before continuing,
"I just received a vision from the Lord."
Uriah's eyes widened as he immediately bowed his head even lower, his demeanor one of absolute reverence as he waited for the arch pope to tell him what the Lord had said.
"The Lord said it is time. It is time to take back what is ours."
The arch pope turned around, his dark eyes boring down on Uriah as he spoke solemnly,
"It's time to retrieve the second piece of the Lord's relic from the hands of those sinners. And the Lord has given us permission to use any means necessary."
The arch pope approached Uriah, who remained in his previous position, his head down in absolute reverence. He remained quiet, his mouth shut.
Even with his high rank, he knew better than to act out of turn in the presence of the representative of the pope, who was the representative of God.
"Are you ready? Are you willing to pick up your weapon and bring dawn to this land once more?"
Uriah finally raised his head, his deep blue eyes staring back at the arch pope with utmost sincerity.
"I would lay down my life if the Lord demanded it. What is a mere war in comparison?"
"People die in war."
"Only my flesh will perish; my soul will continue spreading light through this world. For I am Uriah, the sword of dawn."