The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 345: Funeral for the late His Royal Highness Colin
Hell, Demon City, Advanced Demon Academy.

In a pavilion covered with mysterious vines and carnivorous plants, Vivian, wearing a black satin ruffled dress, was holding her chin with both hands, looking thoughtfully at the lower grade 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 again, and he hasn't replied to her letter for a long time. I don't know how he is doing recently.

She was not worried that he would be in danger. After all, her brother was not an ordinary demon, but a demon among demons. Even she, who was invincible in the Higher Demon Academy, was no match for him. It seemed that no human could do anything to him.

and--

He 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 slid to the corner of her mouth, and her canine teeth gently bit it.

Just when she was lost in thought, Nanfu, who was sitting opposite her flipping through a book, suddenly sneezed without warning. The sound of "A-choo" almost made her nose run.

Vivian frowned slightly and glanced at the boy with a look of slight disdain.

"What's wrong with you?"

Nanfu scratched his head embarrassedly and said in a low voice with a red face.

"No, I don't know. I've been feeling like someone is thinking about me lately... Do you think it could be my brother?"

Vivian chuckled when she heard that, with a hint of pride and boasting on her upright little nose.

"How is that possible? If your respected brother wants to miss me, he should miss me, who is elegant, charming, charming, and yet evil... Besides, you haven't even seen him, right?"

Nanfu secretly glanced at this guy and was surprised that the vampires could be so shameless.

However, she was right about one thing: he had never met Luo Yan... at least not in person.

As for the reason, it’s Vivian’s fault.

In her description, the unfathomable devil almost became the embodiment of evil, eating children like snacks.

To the extent that for a long time, his legs would tremble whenever he heard his brother's name.

Not to mention meeting her, he couldn't even avoid her.

Of course, as time went by, he gradually realized that there was some exaggeration in his sister's words - she just wanted to describe the demon king who had defeated her as more powerful.

"Hey……"

"Why are you sighing?"

"Nothing," Nanfu shook his head and muttered, "I was just thinking, it would be nice if I had a chance to meet him..."

Although Mr. Luo Yan did not receive the First Embrace from Colin's family and still retained human blood, and could not be considered his real family, but emotionally speaking, he still wanted to have such an excellent and reliable brother.

……

On the other side of the world, the holy city of the Oss Empire.

The solemn and dignified St. Clement's Cathedral was crowded with people, and every bench was occupied.

The midday sun shines through the huge stained-glass windows, casting bizarre and mottled patterns on the wide marble floor.

Black satin and holy lilies decorated the towering columns and altars, and the air was filled with the fragrance of incense and burning candles...it was a peaceful atmosphere.

Luo Yan, dressed in black mourning clothes, sat quietly on a bench in the church, praying devoutly with the Holy Light nobles present.

His face was filled with heaviness and sorrow, because the person who was 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 a typo, but is intentional.

Although no one on the surface knew such obscure knowledge as "Genealogy of Hell Nobles", but considering that this was a burial after all, he decided to avoid using his real name, and did not copy the entire genealogy of Colin's family.

A sad and heavy atmosphere lingered over the heads of everyone attending the funeral.

Everyone was silent, and the hall was utterly silent. Only the low and solemn prayer of Pope Gregory IX echoed in the church.

Edmond Dantes, who was sitting in the corner, had a face full of sadness, and his wife Anna squeezed out a few tears sadly, gently wiping the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, being careful not to smudge her foundation.

"His Highness Colin is so pitiful... He lost his father's love at such a young age. This poor young man must need a shoulder now. Sophia, if he can't hold on later, remember to lend him your handkerchief."

That wasn't just fake emotion; she really put herself into the situation and was moved by it.

"Yes, Mom." Sophia sobbed softly with tears of emotion in the corners of her eyes.

She was the same as her mother. She was truly heartbroken, and she was serious about wanting to be a support for His Highness Colin.

Including her brother Lucien, who also longed to become the support of His Highness Colin.

He dreamed of becoming a knight, and it would be even better if the word "Saint" could be added before the title of knight.

Among the family, probably only six-year-old Emily cried the saddest and most sincerely.

However, she was not crying because of some distant relative whom she had never met, but because she suddenly learned a 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 institution of learning in the empire to teach her "really useful knowledge."

And this also means that she may never see her good friends again...

This grand funeral touched the hearts and minds of every citizen in the holy city.

When the knights who had escorted the coffin from the port stepped into the square in front of St. Clement's Church, noble or humble, rich or poor, all looked toward the imperial eagle flag covering the coffin and offered their heartfelt prayers and blessings to the respected Prince.

Praise to Nanfu Colin, who continued the bloodline of the Colin family and allowed the glory of the empire to continue on the Janna continent.

Praise this great father, who raised a child of noble character, brought the glory of the Colin family back to the empire, and extended the interests of the empire to 700 million square kilometers in an unfamiliar land!
The bell of silence rang three times.

Citizens placed white bouquets on the ground and silently made the sign of the cross on their chests.

Under the devout prayer from the heart, a soft light descended from the sky and enveloped the sacred church spire.

That holy light contains the power to cleanse the soul, and all evil will be exposed in the face of that light.

Unfortunately--

Even the "thoughts of the people" that are above the "extraordinary" cannot easily cross the high walls in people's hearts.

Gregory IX, bathed in the holy light, 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, under the guidance of the glory of Saint Sith, return to the land that gave birth to the glory of his ancestors. May his soul find peace in the eternal temple and not drift in the vast ocean."

That was a eulogy for the evocation of the dead.

Luo Yan heard clearly every word he said, and thought to himself that this was no different from the "rituals" performed on Earth to summon the souls of relatives who died in a foreign country.

As for whether the soul of "Nanfu Colin" has returned...

That must be impossible.

There was no body in the coffin, only a box of ashes and a relic belonging to the late prince.

The ashes were also made from bones he picked up from a large cemetery. To put it bluntly, it was just a handful of soil with a very high calcium content.

After a person dies, if he or she does not become a natural undead or be sealed in a special Horcrux, the soul will soon leave the dead body and either become a wandering ghost and dissipate in the wilderness, or go to a holy or devilish land guided by faith.

Simply put, if you are carried into the church, you will go to heaven; if you die in hell, you will go to hell; and if you die in the maze, you will be sucked into the core of the maze.

This is a compulsory course for necromancers and priests in the seminary. It is also the reason why most powerful transcendents do not easily appear on the front lines.

Whether it is the bestowal of blessings or permanent detention, the window for allowing the soul to escape from reincarnation is very short.

and--

The soul itself has no entity, and it cannot be seen unless there is a strong causal entanglement. The soul that ordinary people can see is not a soul, but more of an undead spirit called a ghost.

This is also the reason why Gregory IX performed a ritual for the late Prince Colin and brought his soul back from the continent of Janna.

As for whether that noble soul has returned, no one knows.

After being dead for so many years, it is possible that he could be reincarnated as a lizard man or an animal in the forest.

After all, a funeral is a ceremony for the living.

Rather than comforting the souls of the deceased, it is more about fulfilling the obsessions of the living and allowing the living to continue along the path of their ancestors.

After sprinkling holy water on the coffin, Gregory IX tapped the flag three times with his golden scepter to complete the last ceremony.

The church bell rang three times, startling the birds perched on the roof.

Watching the coffin being carried to the cemetery, Gregory IX calmed down for a while in the mourning atmosphere, turned around to look at Colin who was in a heavy mood, and comforted him in the tone of an elder.

"…Your Highness Colin, I believe that if your father sees this beam of light, he will definitely find his way home, no matter how bumpy the journey may be."

"You can rest assured."

Luo Yan, holding the holy candle in his hand, nodded slightly. The holy light shone on his pale and handsome face, adding a touch of holiness to his heavy brows.

"Thank you, His Holiness, for praying for my father... Returning to the blessed land was his only obsession during his illness and suffering. I believe he will definitely come back."

Gregory IX nodded slightly, made the sign of a cross on his chest with his index finger, and a kind smile appeared on his face.

"To guide the pious and noble souls is the duty bestowed upon us priests by Saint Sith... If you still have unresolved sorrow in your heart, you can come to me. I will be happy to serve you."

Although it was the first time he met His Highness Colin, he had a good impression of this young man.

Loyal, pious, kind and polite... Although he was born in a noble family, he did not have the arrogance of a noble of Holy Light. He was very humble to both the priests and the citizens. Especially the proposal about the Knights Templar, he was quite impressed after hearing it.

There are many nobles who donate money to the church, but most of them have a purpose, and the donations are mainly in the form of gold coins.

Looking at the entire Holy City, perhaps there is only His Highness, who has lofty ideals, a good man who is willing to use his own land and honor to expand the territory for the faith of Saint Sith.

Forcing a friendly smile from his sad face, Luo Yan nodded slightly and said.

"Thank you for your concern. If there ever comes a day when I can't hold on any longer, I will definitely not keep it to myself. But after hearing your prayers, I feel like all the sadness in my heart has been soothed."

"This shows that you yearn for light in your heart, which is the same as most of the children in the Holy City... I am very pleased to be able to help you," the Pope smiled and nodded, then his eyes fell on the Dantes 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 Holiness the Pope leave. Youyou, who was hiding behind him, quietly floated out.

The energy from the old man made it feel a little scared, and it didn't feel better until he left.

"Master Demon King, it's better for you not to deal with him. He might not just be a demigod. He might even have the power to communicate with the gods."

"I know my limits, don't worry about me," Luo Yan responded in his mind, then turned his gaze to the Dantes family and continued in his mind, "Also, how many times have I told you to call me Prince outside?"

Sarah called the devil yesterday...

The cricket chirped in a wronged tone, then turned into an invisible puff of green smoke and dissipated away from Luo Yan.

"Your Highness Colin...are you okay?" Seeing His Holiness the Pope leaving Colin's side, Edmund hurried forward, his face full of concern and embarrassment.

It is an expression that shows wanting to care but not daring to show too much intimacy or overstepping one's bounds.

His two sons stood behind him stiffly, quietly looking at Uncle Colin in front of them.

Luo Yan took a look at the two children and read their personalities in just one second. One was sunny and cheerful, and the other was introverted. There was respect and admiration in their eyes when they looked at him, as well as a hint of desire to be recognized.

As for the girl named Sofia, in addition to these three emotions, there was also a kind of obsession on her beautiful face that he had also seen on Miss Castellón's face.

The only one who was out of the ordinary was little Emily. She looked so depressed, as if the candy in her pocket had been taken away… It seemed that I had accidentally taken away a child’s toy again.

"I'm... fine," Luo Yan looked at his "distant relatives" and forced 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 before he died. It's a pity that it wasn't until my generation that we finally waited for the barrier to collapse."

Looking at His Royal Highness the Prince, who "was obviously filled with sadness but still cared about the feelings of those around him", Anna and Sofia's eyes became moist.

"Wow... I'm sorry, I can't help it." Anna sobbed and covered her face with a wet handkerchief.

"Mom, use mine." Sophia, with red eyes, suppressed the sadness on her face and handed her her handkerchief.

"Thank you... my dear daughter, you are such a beautiful and kind child, I am proud of you." Madame Dantes said while sobbing and blowing her nose with a towel.

Sophia did not dislike her mother, but at this moment she suddenly remembered that it was her only handkerchief... and she couldn't live without it either.

"I have more here." Seeing her distress, Luo Yan handed her his handkerchief like a gentleman.

He had no use for it anyway, he only carried it with him because of local customs.

"Thank you..." Sophia took the handkerchief with a red face, held it tightly in her palm, and whispered, "You are so kind."

His warmth and breath were still on the towel, and in just a moment she felt the heat climbing up her cheeks.

She lowered her head in shame. All the speeches she had rehearsed in front of the mirror for half a day were stuck in her throat. She could not utter a single word of the "100 Love Words That Reach the Depths of the Soul" that she had memorized by heart.

Instead, she felt as if something had entered her soul.

"You're welcome." Luo Yan nodded gentlemanly, his words and actions being polite.

Looking at the well-spoken Lord Colin, Edmund's Adam's apple moved and his face showed anxiety.

Finally, he couldn't help wanting to show off in front of His Highness and demonstrate his worth as the head of the Dantes family, so he stole the limelight from his daughter and spoke.

"Your Highness, um... is it convenient for me to talk to you? I have completed the task you asked me to do. Mr. President promised me..."

"Shh." Putting his index finger on his lips, Luo Yan gently made a gesture of silence.

Edmund was startled when he met that serious look and quickly closed his mouth.

Looking at the well-behaved and sensible Mr. Dantes, Luo Yan nodded with satisfaction and said in a very soft voice.

"For the next thing, you just need to report to Lumier. He will stay in the Holy City during this period. He will tell you what to do."

"Yes……"

Looking at the face illuminated by the light of the holy candle, Edmund swallowed slowly and subconsciously used a awed tone.

He didn't know why either.

Although this prince had a gentle tone and treated others with humility and grace, he still felt instinctively afraid.

That fear did not come from a fear of military force, but from a suppression of the soul... just like his heartfelt awe for the Emperor and Saint Sith.

What he didn't understand was why he also felt this power in His Royal Highness the Prince.

Could it be that this power is inherited through blood?
Edmund was confused.

Luo Yan did not spend too much time on Dantes' family. This family was just one of the many chess pieces he had deployed 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 Porta walked side by side holding candles.

Noticing these two supreme and distinguished figures, Edmund was immediately flattered and quickly bowed respectfully.

Granville looked at him and smiled, nodding in return for the noble courtesy.

"No need to be polite, Sir Dantes. His Highness Colin in front of you is the owner of this place. I am only attending this funeral as a friend."

After a pause, he put a smile on his face and continued in a chatty tone.

"I heard that you have a project in Bailu District recently. Is it going well?"

Edmund's face was flushed with excitement, and his excited voice almost blew out the holy candle in his hand.

"Everything is going well, sir... Thanks to His Royal Highness Colin's care, we have not encountered any difficulties so far."

"That's good. The implementation of this project will benefit the people of the Holy City." Granville smiled slightly and took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Edmund. "This is my business card. If you encounter any difficulties, remember to contact me."

Edmund quickly held out both hands to take it...even though he was holding a candle in one of his hands.

The person in front of him was the Regent, the most powerful person in this holy city, second only to the emperor!

At least that's what the vast majority of citizens think.

Gravel smiled and nodded, as if he had only done something insignificant, then he turned his gaze to His Highness Colin, put away his gentle smile, and put on a caring expression.

"Your father's coffin has been buried in the cemetery of St. Clement's Cathedral. I believe that if he is still alive, he will be pleased with what you did for him today."

After Granville finished speaking, Duke Albert of Valencia also spoke in a comforting tone.

"I hope you won't be too sad. I believe your father would also hope so."

Luo Yan nodded to the two of them and spoke 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 serious tone.

"In order to repay the kindness my homeland has shown to the Colin family, I have decided to announce the establishment of the Knights Templar at this funeral... I wonder what you two think."

Granville looked at the Duke of Valencia beside him, then smiled and nodded at him.

"Your Excellency the Duke and I both believe that now is the time to make this announcement."

"Your Highness Colin, this is a good deed 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, because it has already been asked.

Before the funeral began, the charter of the Knights Templar had already been discussed, and the three main factions in the Holy City all participated in the formulation of the charter... and the Senate had the greatest interest in it, at least that's what the Senate thought.

In fact, a big part of the reason why this funeral was delayed until now was because of the discussion about 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 more than once in social occasions that he intended to use the Knights Templar as a gift from his father to the Colin family's homeland.

Looking at the two people who stood firmly on his side, Luo Yan returned them a thankful smile, then turned his gaze 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 Dantes' expression became excited, as if he couldn't wait to sacrifice his blood for that shining ideal.

The answers from Granville and the Duke of Valencia were just as he had expected. They both nodded respectfully with smiles on their faces, not noticing the shadow swaying under the relief of the Holy Grail.

The flame of the holy candle flickered, allowing their shadows to blend into the corrosion that spread silently.

"At your service, Your Highness."

“It will be a great honor for the Valencia family!”

(End of this chapter)