Chapter 206: Funeral Procession (Part 1)

The much-anticipated Funeral Procession of the Holy See has finally arrived.

Yesterday, Samimi went to bed early, meditating in peace throughout the night to adjust herself to the best possible condition.

At the first light of dawn, she got up from bed, took out her bag, and opened it.

Inside was a brand-new Valkyrie Uniform, but it had already undergone some alterations to add certain priestly elements and was distinct from the typical female knight attire.

The main difference was the addition of a full-edged crimson shoulder cape, embroidered with the insignia of the Valkyrie Order’s Battle Priests.

There was also a heavy, large white hat with the emblem of the Clergy on top, making it quite conspicuous.

Samimi was quite fond of the Valkyrie Uniform, finding it both beautiful and perfectly matching her aesthetic preferences. More importantly, it was very suitable for combat.

Wearing the cumbersome Priest Robe for close combat was just too much to endure; it could only be used for formal processions.

Most importantly, she no longer had to wear Priest Shoes—she could go back to her favorite Tactical Boots, which were much more comfortable and had better grip.

Her current position was [Battle Priest of the Valkyrie Order], completely different from those flower-vase priests fishing for connections. We are not the same.

However, the short skirt of the Valkyrie Uniform made Samimi a little uncomfortable; she had always worn long robes before, and the white tights were a new thing for her, too.

It could only be said that the Valkyrie Order valued appearance as well—beauty mattered, regardless of practical abilities, especially when serving as the beautiful Sunflower to be displayed to all during ceremonies.

“We’re heading out.” Samimi slapped her cheeks, fastened the Valkyrie Order badge to her chest, put the Saint Sound Society’s Saintess medallion and the Bishop’s emblem in the pocket near her waist, slung the Apothecary Bag with the Sun Gold Sutra on her back, took up her Runic Staff, and set off.

She did a final sweep of the room, tidying up everything, knowing that she probably wouldn’t return here in the future.

This was not the otherworldly life Samimi yearned for—she was extremely tired of these endless power struggles.

What she wanted was still the thrill and novelty of raiding the Crimson Court, or, failing that, a quiet life tending a field.

I don’t want to use my brain. I don’t want to be tangled up in your endless scheming every day.

Either get beaten to death, or muddle through life till I die, rejecting any hope of comfort.

But in this world, even dying by my own hand isn’t allowed, and giving up and rotting away isn’t an option either—I must stand out.

Fine then. I’ll give you all a satisfactory answer.

I hope you can give me a spectacular stage.

“Like a ghost…”

The moment Samimi stepped out, she saw Qiqi Lin waiting for her not far away.

The dark elf Qiqi Lin wore a matching Valkyrie outfit, but carried on her back a massive and distinctive greatsword that everyone knew was her divine exclusive weapon.

It seemed that she wasn’t putting on any makeup either; today, she was going all out.

“Why is your expression so grim?” Samimi asked.

“Yun Qiansi has returned to the Royal City. Her mind was wounded, and the doctor forbade her from coming out, but she left the hospital on her own,” Qiqi Lin replied.

Hearing this, Samimi’s smile faded, and she felt the ordinary, peaceful life slipping farther and farther away from herself.

At such a crucial moment, the hero Lotus Geas is in town? Can’t your family keep your mad daughter locked up?

“She must’ve been lured here by her own deceased father’s will. This way, she’ll walk right into the southern faction’s ambush. If a noble is assassinated in front of the masses, the entire elf clan won’t be able to wash their hands of it,” Samimi analyzed.

“I won’t let that happen,” Qiqi Lin said.

“Do what you need to do, focus on your mission, and don’t worry about me.” Samimi was rarely so serious, her face free of any hint of jest.

Because in her heart, that ominous premonition had arisen once more—an unprecedented sense of crisis.

“It’s not just Khe Qiansi; dealing with Fabiana and Bemore is far, far easier than dealing with her,” Samimi murmured.

“Let’s move out,” Qiqi Lin said.

The two set out together, arriving outside where a large assembly of Female Valkyrie Knights had already gathered, seamlessly blending into their ranks.

No one from the Valkyrie Order came over to question the two oddballs’ presence, which showed how loosely connected this team was.

Or perhaps, everyone had entered through backdoors, and at crucial moments, it was best not to offend anyone carelessly—because you never knew someone’s background or which faction they belonged to.

The Valkyrie Order’s true purpose was to serve as a flower-vase; their combat strength was average, but their status was much higher than that of Sheep Clerics, and their privileges within the Holy See were considerable.

No one actually expected them to do much work; as long as they performed their ceremonial routines safely in the more secure areas of the Holy See or at the Sheep Cleric Symposium, put on a show from a safe distance, their salaries would still be high.

Why was that? The reason was simple: everyone in this Valkyrie Order had a strong background—they were all assigned here by influential families, and quite a few among them were even nobles’ daughters.

Young female priests without any connections could only stay outside fishing for contacts, only gaining opportunities if they managed to hook someone important.

Unless you were from a family like ours, with only daughters, otherwise, the status of noble girls was always far below that of noble boys. Nobility was truly the place where sons were valued over daughters.

Noble girls, from birth, had to prepare themselves for political marriages, and even that was better treatment than the female members from lesser branches, who could only use positions like this to expand the family’s influence.

So the Holy See cultivated priestesses for nobles to marry, while nobles sent their less-favored children into all walks of life—the Holy See and royal authority were deeply intertwined.

Complicated! So complicated! There’s no way to explain it clearly!

This was why Samimi didn’t want to stay here for even a second longer. Even if Lotus Geas came over, she’d have to think thrice before speaking, lest she ruin everything.

She just wanted to resolve this arc’s power struggle, then hurry back to her adventurer’s life—clearing dungeons, hunting treasures, acquiring divine weapons, seeking legendary skills.

Here, she couldn’t even find a single clue—just some medals and shiny trinkets loved by the most worldly of people.

“How long have you been here?”

Besides the Female Valkyrie Knights, there were also three Selection Beauty Contest “sisters” in the group.

Samimi hadn’t watched the final round of the contest, but unexpectedly, the three troublemaking priest girls had won it all.

They swept Champion, Runner-up, and Second Runner-up.

So the three of them had the qualifications to join the Escort Team for the citywide procession, and even had carriages to ride in—their status was instantly elevated, going from nobodies to phoenixes.

This should have been a joyous occasion, but when the three priestesses saw Samimi in her Valkyrie attire, it was like a bucket of cold water was poured over their enthusiasm.

Why does Samimi always show up right in front of us?

And she always finds an even higher way to trample on our heads.

Their feelings toward Samimi were both love and hate—a state of extreme contradiction.

Samimi’s very existence negated their value as Sheep Clerics, leaving them feeling uncomfortable, yet also strangely admiring her.

In fact, Samimi didn’t even need to answer them—the clothes she wore were the answer itself.

A Battle Priest in the procession—this was a level of priesthood those flower-vase priestesses could never reach.

Their whole lives were meant to be spent in the arms of noble boys, and all they could do was watch her back with envy.

Well, it’s always the same old story.

Samimi was, in the eyes of female clergy, the perfect female holy official—a living Cathedral idol, the nun enchantress everyone wished to be. No female clergy could resist her charm.

Even the Holy Maidens and their entourage could not suppress Samimi’s idol aura—how could a few sassy priestesses possibly compare?

But Samimi, unwilling to leave them awkward, asked, “Who’s leading the Escort Team?”

“Everyone’s here. Let’s go,” Qiqi Lin said.

“So it’s you leading? How many things do you have to keep up with?” Samimi exclaimed in surprise.

“Just acting as the temporary escort captain. No one wants to do this dirty, tiring job,” Qiqi Lin replied.

The Valkyrie escort knights and the three beauty contest winners set out together, leaving the Sheep Cleric Symposium.

They went straight to the grand gates of the main Cathedral, where the massive Funeral Procession for the Holy See was already assembled—every important figure in the Holy See was present.

But the true focus was the ice coffin in the center of the Escort Team, containing the Pope’s corpse, preserved from decay by frost magic.

After death, one last duty remained—to let the world behold his form.

When alive, the Pope was not allowed to have much contact with the masses; only after death could the people approach. Such was the tragic fate of a saint.

The Valkyrie Knights were distributed at different points throughout the procession, responsible for the Escort Team’s safety.

Samimi and Qiqi Lin took up positions at the very front of the Escort Team.

Outside, the city streets had already been closed off; the main avenue was completely empty, with not a soul or carriage in sight. Kingdom Knights and Holy Court Knights lined up on both sides, forming human walls to maintain order.

On both sides of the street, crowds of Royal City residents pressed together—the whole city had come out to bid farewell to a Pope most of them had never met.

In fact, it was precisely because the people didn’t really know the Pope that they all turned up to see him off, not knowing what achievements he had or hadn’t accomplished. They were simply there to join the commotion.

According to the original plan, the Escort Team would proceed along the Royal City’s main avenue, finally stopping at the People’s Square in the center of the city, where the Hongyi Grand Archbishop would deliver a eulogy.

Then…

A funeral procession of more than a hundred people thus solemnly traversed the length of the Royal City.

People in this world were all physically strong, and some even enthusiastically patted the shoulders of beauty contest winners or the ice coffin.

As they reached the main avenue leading into the square, Samimi and Qiqi Lin both noticed some unfamiliar gold-armored knights appearing along the sides of the street.

“Holy Knights,” Qiqi Lin said.

“I see them,” Samimi nodded.

“Once I go in, I won’t be able to get out,” Qiqi Lin continued, “Are you ready?”