Chapter 345: Funeral for the late His Highness Colin
Hell, the Demon City, the High School of Demons.
In a pavilion covered with hidden vines and piranha flowers, Vivian, wearing a jet-black frilly dress with ribbons, was holding her chin in her hands, looking thoughtfully at the junior students coming and going outside the garden, but her mind had already flown to the distant human world.
I heard that my brother had recently sneaked into the empire to cause trouble. He hadn’t replied to her letter for a long time, and she didn’t know how he was doing recently.
She is not worried about him being in danger. After all, her brother is not an ordinary demon, but a demon among demons. She is not even a match for herself, who has defeated all the opponents in the High Demon Academy. After all, no human being can do anything to him.
And——
He has even learned the evil magic of Holy Light!
Recalling the heart-wrenching memory, Vivian's cheeks couldn't help but blush. Her slightly curled little finger unconsciously slipped to the corner of her mouth, biting it gently with her tiger teeth.
Just when she was lost in thought, Nan Fu, who was sitting opposite and flipping through a book, suddenly sneezed without warning. The sound of "sneeze" almost made all the snot come out of his nose.
Vivian frowned slightly and glanced at the boy with a slightly disgusting look.
"What's wrong with you?"
Nan Fu scratched his head in embarrassment and whispered with a red face.
"No, I don't know. Recently, I always feel like someone is thinking about me... Do you think it could be my brother?"
Vivian laughed when she heard this, and there was a trace of pride and show off on the upright Xiao Qiong's nose.
"How is it possible? Dear brother, you must also remember me who is elegant, charming, charming and sinister... Besides, you have never even seen his face, right?"
Nan Fu glanced at this guy secretly, surprised that the vampire could be so shameless.
However, one thing she said was indeed right. He had not seen Luo Yan... at least not head-on.
As for the reason, it’s also Vivian’s mouth.
In her description, the unfathomable devil almost became the embodiment of evil, eating children like snacks.
So that for a long time, his legs would tremble whenever he heard his brother's name.
Let alone meet him once, he can't even hide.
Of course, as time went by, he gradually understood that there was an element of exaggeration in the elder sister's words - she just wanted to describe the devil who had defeated her as more powerful.
Okay..."
Although Mr. Luo Yan did not accept the first embrace of the Colin family and still retained his human bloodline, he could not be considered a family member in the true sense. But emotionally, he still wanted to have such an excellent and reliable brother.
…
The other side of the world, the holy city of the Os Empire.
The solemn St. Clement's Cathedral was crowded with people, and every bench was filled.
The midday sun shines through the huge stained glass windows, casting bizarre mottled colors on the wide marble floor.
Black satin and holy lilies decorated the towering pillars and altar, and the air was filled with the fragrance of incense and burning candles... It was a peaceful atmosphere.
Wearing black mourning clothes, Luo Yan sat quietly on a bench in the church, praying devoutly with the Holy Light nobles present.
His face was full of heaviness and sorrow, because the person about to be buried was his "father" - the previous generation prince of the Colin family, the noble and great "His Royal Highness Nanfu Colin".
By the way, this name is not spelled incorrectly, but was set that way on purpose.
Although no one on the surface knew such obscure knowledge as "the genealogy of the hell nobles", considering that this was a burial after all, he decided that it would be better to avoid his real name, but did not completely copy the genealogy of the Colin family.
The sad and solemn atmosphere lingered over the heads of everyone attending the funeral.
Everyone was silent, and the hall was silent. Only the low and solemn prayer of Pope Gregory IX echoed in the church.
Sitting in the corner, Edmond Dantès's face was full of sorrow, and his wife Anna even more sadly squeezed out a few tears, gently wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, and was careful not to smear the foundation.
"His Royal Highness Colin is so pitiful... He lost his father's love at a young age. This poor young man must need a shoulder now, Sofia. If he can't support it for a while, remember to lend him your handkerchief."
It was not a pretended emotion, she really took it in, and was moved by it herself.
"Well, Mom." Sofia's eyes were filled with tears of emotion, and she sobbed softly.
She is the same as her mother. She is really distressed, and she is serious about wanting to be the support of His Highness Colin.
Including her brother Lucian, they are also eager to become the support of His Highness Colin.
He has always dreamed of becoming a knight, and it would be even better if "holy" could be added in front of this knight's title.
Among the family, it was probably only the six-year-old Emily who cried the saddest and most heartfeltly.
However, her crying was not because of some distant relative she had never met, but because she suddenly learned a piece of bad news this morning - she would never be able to go to Lady Agnes's Notre Dame School again. Her father found her a tutor who graduated from the highest university in the empire to teach her "really useful knowledge."
And this also means that she may really never see her good friends again...
This grand funeral affects the body and mind of every citizen of the Holy City.
When the knights escorting the coffin all the way from the port stepped into the square in front of St. Clement's Church, no matter whether they were noble or humble, rich or poor, they all cast their eyes on the imperial eagle flag covering the coffin, and offered heartfelt prayers and blessings to the respected Prince.
Praise to Nanfu Colin, he has continued the bloodline of the Colin family and allowed the glory of the empire to continue in the continent of Janna.
Happy this great father, who educated a child of noble character, brought the glory of the Colin family back to the empire, and extended the interests of the empire to 7 million square kilometers on a strange land!
The bell of silence rang three times.
Citizens placed white bouquets on the ground and silently crossed themselves on their chests.
Under the sincere prayer from the heart, a soft light fell from the sky and enveloped the sacred church spire.
That holy light contains the power to cleanse the soul, and all evil will have no escape in the face of that light.
It's a pity——
Even the "people's thoughts" that are above the "extraordinary" cannot easily overcome the high wall in people's hearts.
Bathed in the holy light, Gregory IX continued to recite in a solemn voice, and gently placed his wrinkled palm on the coffin with the flag.
"...Let us pray for His Highness Nanfu Colin. May his soul return to the land that gave birth to the glory of his ancestors under the glorious guidance of Saint Sith. May his soul find peace in the eternal temple and not drift in the vast ocean."
That is a eulogy for soul-calling.
Luo Yan heard every word he said clearly, and thought to himself that it seemed to be no different from those "sacrificial rituals" on earth that call for the souls of relatives who died in foreign lands to guide them.
As for whether the soul of "Nanfu Colin" has returned or not...
That is definitely impossible.
There were no bones in the coffin, only a box of ashes and a relic belonging to the late prince.
And the ashes were made from bones he picked up from the cemetery. To put it bluntly, they were just a handful of soil with a very high calcium content.
After death, if a person does not become a natural undead or is sealed in a special Horcrux, the soul will soon leave the dead body and either become a lonely ghost and disappear in the wilderness, or it will be led by faith to the land of the Holy or Demonic Blessing.
Simply put, if you are carried into the church, you will go to heaven, if you die in hell, you will go to hell, or if you die in the labyrinth, you will be sucked into the core of the labyrinth.
This is a compulsory course for necromancers and priests in seminaries. It is also the reason why most powerful extraordinary beings do not easily appear on the front line.
Whether it is blessing or permanent imprisonment, the window of operation to free the soul from reincarnation is very short.
Moreover——
The soul itself is incorporeal and cannot be seen at all unless there is a strong causal entanglement. The souls that ordinary people can see are not souls, but more of an undead spirit called a ghost.
This is also the reason why Gregory IX wanted to do something for the late His Highness Colin to bring his soul back from the continent of Cana.
As for whether that noble soul has returned, no one knows.
After being dead for so many years, it is not impossible to reincarnate into a lizard man or an animal in the forest.
A funeral is, after all, a ritual for the living.
It is not so much to comfort the deceased, but more to end the obsession of the living and allow the living to continue to move forward along the path of their ancestors.
Saint water was sprinkled on the coffin, and Gregory IX tapped the flag three times with a golden scepter to complete the final ceremony.
The church bell rang, and the three chimes startled the birds standing on the eaves.
Watching the coffin being carried to the cemetery, Gregory IX settled in the atmosphere of mourning for a while, turned back to look at Colin, who was in a heavy mood, and comforted him in the tone of an elder.
"Thank you, His Majesty the Pope, for praying for my father... Returning to the land of the Holy Consecration was his only obsession during his illness and suffering. I think he will definitely come back."
Gregory IX nodded slightly, made a sign of the cross on his chest with his index finger, and showed a kind smile on his face.
"Guiding the direction of devout and noble souls is the bounden duty given to priests like us by Saint Sith... If you still have unresolved sadness in your heart, you can come to me, I will be happy to help you."
Although it was the first time to see His Highness Colin, he had a good impression of this young man.
· Loyal, pious, kind and polite... Although he was of noble birth, he did not have much of the arrogance of the Holy Light nobles. His attitude towards both priests and citizens was very humble.
Especially the initiative about the Knights Templar, he admired it very much after hearing it.
There are many nobles who donate money to the church, but most of them have a purpose, and most of the donations are gold coins.
A good person like this who is willing to use his own land and honor to open up territory for the faith of Saint Sith. Looking at the entire Holy City, I am afraid that this is the only one who has lofty ideals.
Squeezing out a friendly smile from his sad face, Luo Yan nodded slightly and said.
"Thank you for your concern. If there is a day when I can't hold on anymore, I will not hold it in my heart. But after listening to your prayer, I feel that the sadness in my heart has been healed."
"This shows that your heart yearns for light, which is the same as most of the children in the Holy City... I am very happy to be able to help you," the Pope smiled and nodded, then his eyes fell on the Dantès family next to him, and said in a joking voice, " I think...you must need the support of your family more than a strange old man at this time, so I won't take up your time."
Luo Yan nodded slightly and watched His Majesty the Pope leave. Youyou, who was hiding behind him, floated out quietly.
The energy in the old man made it feel a little scared, and it didn't feel better until he left.
"Lord Demon King, you'd better not deal with him. He might be... not just a demigod. He might have the power to communicate with the gods."
「我自有分寸，不必为我担心，」罗炎在心中回应，随后将目光投向了唐泰斯一家人，在心中继续回道，「还有，我说了多少次，在外面叫我亲王。」
明明莎拉昨天都叫了魔王……
悠悠委屈的蛐蛐了一声，化作一阵看不见的青烟，从罗炎的身旁散去了。
"Your Highness Colin...are you okay?" Seeing His Majesty the Pope leave Colin, Edmund hurriedly stepped forward, with a concerned expression on his face full of embarrassment.
It is an expression of wanting to care but not being too close or overstepping.
His two sons stood behind him cautiously, quietly looking at Uncle Colin in front of them.
Luo Yan glanced at the two children and read their personalities in just one second. One was sunny and cheerful, the other was introverted. There was respect and admiration in his eyes, but also a hint of desire for recognition.
As for the girl named Sofia, in addition to these three emotions, there was also an obsession that he had also seen on Miss Castellon's face.
The only thing that was unusual was the little Emily. Her unhappy expression looked like she had been robbed of the candy in her pocket... It seemed that she had accidentally robbed a child's toy.
"I'm... very good," Luo Yan looked at his "distant relatives" and squeezed out a gentle smile from his sad face. "Thank you for coming to my father's funeral... He always wanted to contact his relatives in the Holy City during his lifetime, but it's a pity that it wasn't until this time that I After a generation, we finally waited for the barrier to collapse."
Looking at His Royal Highness, who was "clearly filled with sadness but still caring for the feelings of the people around him," Anna and Sofia's eyes couldn't help but get wet.
"Woo... I'm sorry, I can't help it." Anna sobbed and covered her face with a wet handkerchief.
"Mom, use mine." Sofia, who suppressed the sadness on her face and her eyes were red, handed her her handkerchief.
"Thank you...my good daughter, you are such a beautiful and kind child, I am so proud of you." Madame Dantès sobbed and blew her nose with a handkerchief.
Sophia didn't dislike her mother, but it was only then that she suddenly remembered that it was her only handkerchief... and she couldn't live without that thing.
"I have more here." Sensing her distress, gentleman Luo Yan handed her his handkerchief.
He has no use for this thing anyway, he only brings it with him because he is doing as the Romans do.
"Thank you..." She blushed and took the handkerchief. Sofia held it tightly in her hand and whispered, "That's so kind of you."
His warmth and breath were still on the handkerchief, and in just a moment she felt the heat creeping up her cheeks.
Handed her forehead in embarrassment, all the words she had rehearsed for a long time in front of the mirror were stuck in her throat, but she could not utter a single word of the "100 love words that reach into the depths of her soul" that she had read by heart.
On the contrary, she felt that something had entered her soul.
"You're welcome." Gentleman Luo Yan nodded, his words and deeds were still polite.
Looking at the well-spoken His Highness Colin, Edmund's Adam's apple moved, and his face was filled with anxiety.
Finally, he couldn't help but want to show off in front of His Highness and show his value as the head of the Dantès family, so he stole the limelight from his daughter and spoke.
"Your Highness, um... is it convenient for me to chat with you? Regarding the thing you asked me to do, I have already completed it. Mr. President promised me..."
"Shh." Luo Yan put his index finger on his lips and made a gentle gesture of silence.
Facing those serious eyes, Edmund was startled and quickly closed his newly opened mouth.
Looking at the well-behaved and sensible Mr. Dantès, Luo Yan nodded with satisfaction and said in a very soft voice.
logue happeninging in ininging in on in on on in on in on in on the next thing on lumiel , and he will be staying in the holy city during this period , and he will tell you what to do  ˜
He didn’t know why.
It was obvious that His Highness had a gentle tone and was courteous and courteous in his treatment of others, but he still felt instinctively afraid.
That fear is not due to the fear of force, but from the repression at the soul level... Just like he fears the Emperor and Saint Sith from the bottom of his heart.
What he didn't understand was why he also felt this power in His Highness the Prince.
Is this power inherited through blood?
Edmund was confused.
Luo Yan did not spend too much time on Dantès' family. This family was just one of the many pawns he laid in the Holy City. There were more important things waiting for him to do at this funeral.
Not far away, Duke Albert of Valencia and Regent Granville Botha walked side by side holding candles.
After noticing these two supremely noble figures, Edmund was immediately flattered and quickly bowed respectfully.
Glanville looked at him and smiled, nodding with the courtesy of a nobleman.
"There is no need to be polite, Sir Dantès, His Highness Colin in front of you is the master of this place. I am just attending this funeral as a friend."
After a pause, he showed a smile on his face and continued in a casual tone.
"I heard that you recently had a project in Bailu District, is it going well?"
Edmund's face glowed with excitement, and his excited voice almost blew out the candle in his hand.
"Everything is going well, sir... Thanks to His Highness Colin, we have not encountered any difficulties so far." Then he took out a business card from his arms and handed it to Edmund, "This is my business card. If you encounter any difficulties, remember to contact me."
Edmund quickly stretched out his hands to accept it...even though one of his hands was still holding a candle.
The person in front of him is the regent, the one who is inferior to one person and superior to ten thousand people in this holy city!
At least this is the perception of the vast majority of citizens.
Gravel smiled and nodded, as if he had just done a trivial thing. Then he turned his attention to His Highness Colin, put away his gentle smile, and made a caring expression.
"Your father's coffin has been buried in the cemetery of St. Clement's Cathedral. I believe that if he has a soul in heaven, he will be pleased with what you have done for him today."
After Granville finished speaking, Duke Albert Valencia also said something in a comforting tone.
"I hope you will not be too sad, I believe your father must have expected the same."
Luo Yan nodded to the two of them and said softly.
"Thank you, I feel much better...For me, this is not only the fulfillment of my father's wish, but also the fulfillment of my long-cherished wish."
After a pause, he continued in a solemn tone.
"In order to repay the love of my hometown for the Colin family, I decided to announce the establishment of the Knights Templar at this funeral... I wonder what you two think."
Glanville and the Duke of Valencia next to him looked at each other, then looked at him with a smile and nodded.
"My lord the Duke and I both believe that now is the time to announce this news."
"Your Highness Colin, this is a charity initiative initiated by you. You are the most qualified person to decide this moment. You don't have to ask us, we are all your supporters."
There is no need to ask, that's because we have already asked.
Before the funeral began, the charter of the Knights Templar had been discussed, and all three major factions in the Holy City participated in the formulation of the charter... and the Senate had the greatest interest in it, at least that was what the Senate thought.
Even, a large part of the reason why this funeral has not been held until now is precisely because of the discussion on the Charter of the Knights Templar.
During the month that Luo Yan stayed in the Holy City, he hinted to the nobles of the Holy City on more than one social occasion that he planned to use the Knights Templar as a gift from his father to the homeland of the Colin family.
Looking at the two people who were firmly on his side, Luo Yan gave them a grateful smile, and then turned his attention to the square in front of St. Clement's Cathedral.
"Please lend me some courage and accompany me to unveil this glorious moment."
The moment he heard these words, "Little Dantès"'s expression became excited, as if he could not wait to sacrifice his own blood for that shining ideal immediately.
The answers from Granville and the Duke of Valencia were just as he expected. The two of them nodded respectfully with smiles on their faces, not noticing the shadow shaking under the relief of the Holy Grail.
The flame of the holy candle swayed, allowing their shadows to blend into the corrosion that spread quietly.