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Two days after the “Nest Leaving Ceremony”, the funeral of His Royal Highness the First Prince Ernest was held at the Milligraham Cathedral.
Normally, when a member of the royal family passes away, the coffin leaves the gates of the royal castle and travels from the first district to the third district in order, but this time it entered the cathedral directly.
One reason, needless to say, is that the city is still in complete turmoil due to the attack by the Anti-Noble Faction.
Another reason is that royal coffins usually tour the city with the casket open, and are cremated after being paraded to the people, but in the case of His Royal Highness Ernest, the body seems to be too badly damaged.
Apparently, the pulverization magic circle was placed right under the seat where His Royal Highness Ernest was sitting, and his body was so dismembered that it was difficult to identify him.
And the magic carriage that was blown up was the one that His Highness Ernest used on a regular basis, so it is highly suspected that he was targeted from the beginning.
I also participated in the funeral of the cathedral as an escort for the Lagart family.
Since it was not scheduled ahead of time, it was expected that there would be no attack by the Anti-Noble Faction, but even so, we could not let our guard down.
Unlike the “Nest Leaving Ceremony,” I can’t watch from the top of the tower, so I’m sitting on the shoulders of the Lagart knights and guarding them.
I could have monitored from a higher position if I had used [Step], but I was told that the use of magic is strictly limited inside the ceremony hall, so I had no choice but to settle for this form of guarding.
As it was a funeral hall, no one was laughing out loud, but many of the people I passed had their shoulders shaking.
As for me, I’m going to protect everyone in the Lagart family, even if it’s just for show.
Thanks to the tall knight’s shoulder, I had a good view of the faces of the attendees.
The royal family was a little further away, and I didn’t even know who they were because they hadn’t been introduced, but it made me change my perception a little.
Not only the second prince, His Royal Highness Prince Baldwin, but all of the lionkin princes had the eyes of Zozon.
While they wore a somber expression, when the princes exchanged glances with each other, there was a swarthy light in their eyes.
With Ernest gone, the choice of the next king has become chaotic.
I do not know about individual qualities, but if we limit ourselves to the criteria of age and race, it is safe to say that the third, fourth, and fifth princes are listed in a row.
While the air around the male royalty is as tense as a battlefield, the area around the female royalty is like a tranquil flower garden.
As on the earth of the previous world, women do not wear black veils, even at funerals, so that a polished beauty contest is taking place.
As someone who attends funerals and provides security for the Lagart family, I know it is inappropriate, but of course it is better to gaze at the dainty flowers than at the greedy bastards.
Even in her chic mourning dress, which is a far cry from the gorgeous dress she wore during the “Nest Leaving Ceremony,” Princess Elmerine’s good looks are not in the least bit shabby.
I’m sure she’ll end up sharing a future with a handsome and powerful nobleman, but I thought that Derrick wouldn’t be a good match for her… Just then, my eyes met with Princess Elmerine.
Although he was quite far away, I saw that her expression relaxed a little when she saw me, and my pickle and eggs tensed. [T/N: (*≧▽≦)ﾉｼ))]
I guess her expression softened when she saw a figure sitting on a knight’s shoulder, but I felt like she was telling me, “I won’t let go of you…”
In the first place, it is basically a female knight who serves as a royal guard for a female royal family, so please just keep me as an honorary knight.
The nobles who attended the ceremony offered flowers and prayers around the coffin.
Again, the lid of the coffin remained tightly closed.
After all the attendees had offered flowers, and after a prayer by a Fatima priest, the king stood in front of the coffin and looked around the hall.
I had expected him to be more exhausted after the death of His Royal Highness Prince Ernest, who was considered to be the next king, but there was a strong light in his eyes.
Needless to say, they were flames of rage.
“Many lives, not only Ernest, were lost in this devious attack. Among them were many promising young men and women who had just celebrated their ‘Nest Leaving Ceremony’ and were filled with hope for the future of this country. I will not let the schemers of this attack escape. Even if they flee to the ends of the earth, I will pursue them, hunt them down, capture them, and make them pay for their crimes.” (King)
He was not speaking loudly or raising his voice, but every word the king spun quietly seemed to shake the air.
If I had been one of the attackers, I would have fallen flat on my face, admitted my guilt, and begged for my life.
“I say again, every single person who took part in the attack will be captured and made to pay for their crimes. At the same time, we will vigorously push for reform of the country. The poor will be given help to rebuild their lives, and those who oppress others and line their pockets will be dealt with harshly. Once again, I pledge to spend the rest of my life making the world a place where all who live in this country can live with smiles on their hearts. And let him who succeeds my will be the next king.” (King)
The princes looked at the king and nodded their heads.
“Once again, pray for Ernest’s soul…” (King)
Don… Don… Don…
The bells of the cathedral rang as the king prayed with his eyes downcast.
All the nobles in attendance hung their heads in prayer, and I opened my right eye and looked around the hall for anything out of the ordinary.
Fortunately, no attack took place, and the funeral ended without incident.
The nobles who attended the funeral saw off the coffin, which was buried in a pile of flowers in front of the cathedral, and then disbanded on the spot.
The coffin was returned to the royal castle, accompanied only by the royal family.
The coffin will be taken to the crematorium in the royal castle, cremated, and the crushed bones will be placed in the royal mausoleum.
After seeing the coffin out of sight, the nobles begin to move.
I got off the knight’s shoulders, too, and used [Step] to walk up to the Lagart family.
“What, you have already gone down?” (Curtis)
“Master Curtis, you tease too much.” (Nyango)
“What do you mean? We’re just trying to ease your depression, don’t be stingy, give me a break.” (Curtis)
“After this, we will go back to the mansion, right?” (Nyango)
“Ah, I’ll ask you to protect us on the way.” (Curtis)
After this, the Lagart family will return to their residence and go up to the royal castle in the evening to change their attire.
A dinner party will be held in memory of His Highness Ernest, and it is said that a “Nest Leaving Ceremony” will be held for the noblemen’s children at that time.
Incidentally, it seems that my inauguration as an honorary knight will be held.
I am told that I can return the medal at that time.
I climbed onto the roof of the magic carriage to guard the route from the Lagart family mansion to the cathedral and back.
If I were dressed as a mere catkin, I would have been treated as suspicious, but as long as I was wearing leather armor with the Lagart family crest on it, I was fine.
Not only that, but the knights guarding the roadside saluted me when they saw me.
I returned the salute, just as I had done before, but it seemed that the knights knew my face, or rather, my appearance.
However, the knights had tight expressions on their faces when they saluted me, but when I returned their salute, their smiles became somewhat loose.
Is there something wrong with my salute?
After returning to the mansion, I decided to take off my leather armor, finish my meal, and take a nap until it was time.
The day is not over yet, with my inauguration as an honorary knight, the “Nest Leaving Ceremony,” and the memorial service for His Highness Ernest.
Since I will be appointed as an honorary knight, I hear that there is a possibility that I will be seated far away from the Lagart family.
If I am made to sit near the royal family, I cannot look sleepy during the ceremony.
The costume I would be wearing tonight was delivered to me yesterday afternoon while I was attending the funeral after the tailor of the royal castle came to take my measurements.
The design is similar to that of a knight’s uniform, but it is made of a blue fabric as opposed to the dark red of the royal knight’s uniform.
Bespoke.
It has a unique luster like the feathers of a wild bird, and it looks expensive.
The lining is smooth to the touch, and the sleeves do not feel tight at all.
It is a wonderful tailoring that does not seem to have been crafted in super-express haste.
The pants are loose-fitting, like knickerbockers, and are tailored in black fabric.
And there is one more item delivered with the knight’s outfit. Black leather shoes.
I bought a pair of shoes at the end of last year when my brother and I bought some extra clothes, but I put them away in a box and have never worn them.
Since I was reborn as a catkin, I have lived without shoes, so I am not accustomed to having something tight around my feet.
Of course, in my previous life, I wore shoes to school every day, but once I got used to the freedom of bare feet, I never wanted to go back.
Besides, there are no shoes in this world that can match the cushion of my paw pads and the grip of my claws.
“Well, I have no choice tonight, so I’ll just have to put up with it… oh, this…” (Nyango)
The leather shoes I tried on felt more comfortable than the ones I had purchased in Ibouro.
Of course, if I tried to walk in my usual fashion, I would slip and fall, but I would assist myself well with my steps.
“The other problem is the food for the dinner party. …Yes! Ummm, yes… Uh, isn’t it delicious? …It was delicious! …It was pretty good…” (Nyango)
I think yummeow is yummeow, but… I have to be careful not to yummeow.
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