## Chapter 726 – Paladin Kim Kat

Time passed, and the day of the funeral arrived.

I woke up an hour earlier than usual, and as soon as I opened my eyes, I took a thorough shower. Then, I put on all my equipment and stood in front of the mirror to check my appearance.

The Bronze Celestial Society combat priest regulation gear.

It’s mostly black, but the edges are all painted bronze. Above all, the scales symbol emblazoned on the breastplate is the key point of style.

Of course, it’s less stylish than the Celestial Knight armor set, which is all bronze and gleaming, but this has its own charm.

“Not bad, I guess.”

Before putting on my gauntlets, I tied my hair back, leaving my bangs. It’s gotten so damn long lately. Should I cut it or not? The spirit of Fusion Confucianism weighs my hair.

Anyway, let’s have milk tea time with Ari when I get back.

“Father, are you coming late?”
“I’m not sure. But I think it’ll be past lunchtime.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. Listen to your sisters.”
“Yes, I will.”

My true friend, the Holy Sword Vygale, is goodbye for now. I took the Church-made sword that Claudie was gifted as a reward for the last Andromalius battle and strapped it to my waist instead.

I went outside.

Is summer almost over? It was cooler outside than I thought. Now that I think about it, summer makes me think of the sea. I should take my girls to the beach sometime. Last time we went, those damn fishmen ruined everything.

I couldn’t even enjoy myself because of those bastards.

But I did do something good.

I annihilated all the fishmen bastards who wrecked the city. I didn’t expect to do volunteer work like that when I went to the beach, but if I go again, I want to relax and enjoy a quiet vacation.

Thinking about that as I walked, I saw the Grand Cathedral in front of the main street.

* * *

The atmosphere of the Grand Cathedral was generally gloomy.

The funeral was being held in the training grounds within the cathedral grounds. The fairly large training grounds were in the final stages of preparation for the funeral.

When the funeral starts in a little while, all the parishioners will gather there.

I heard that the only member of the Grand Cathedral who died this year was the knight who was killed by the Manticore.

“Are you well-prepared? Paladin.”

As I was looking out the window at the training grounds, the Saintess approached and said.

“Yes, I am.”
“Yes, it seems so. There isn’t much for the Paladin to do. Just come out and give a eulogy when they call your name during the funeral. There’s still some time, so you can calm your mind.”

The Saintess will have to move soon too.

I tried to calm my mind as she said. It’s an important occasion after all. It’s a place to mourn the dead, so I have to pay extra attention to etiquette.

“The Saintess and the Pope are grateful. It seems like a good opportunity to make yourself known to the parishioners.”

—Tap tap.

The Saintess patted my shoulder as if to ease my tension.

“Well, I guess. I thought there might be a perception that I’m a bit of an outsider, but after today, they might accept me as a brother.”
“The parishioners of this church aren’t narrow-minded, and do you think they still consider the Paladin an outsider? The Paladin is already treated like half a brother. By knight standards, half a brother is practically a real brother.”
“Hehe, is that so?”

When I was in Isban, I worked with the parishioners there several times and became close to them, but I haven’t become close to the parishioners of the Grand Cathedral yet.

We just exchange greetings.

Even if I’m treated like half a brother, it’s still an awkward relationship. Let’s make an impression today. That’s all networking.

“Anyway. I’ll go out first, so come out on time.”
“I understand.”

The Saintess left right away, and I stood alone in her audience chamber, organizing my thoughts. Well, I’m sad too. After all, I was the one who recovered the relics. There’s nothing to worry about.

“Teeheeheeeng.”

After stretching a bit, it was time.

Looking out the window, I saw the parishioners gathering in the training grounds.

I also came out of the audience chamber right away.

“…”
“…”
“…”

All the available personnel of the Grand Cathedral were moving, but the atmosphere was heavy, and everyone was generally quiet. Everyone was silent.

I greeted them with a nod and went down to the training grounds.

The people who came down moved in unison and filled the training grounds. From the left, knights, priests, and nuns were all lined up in their respective clothes and equipment.

The number is considerable.

And it seems like they’ve done this often, as they’re very orderly and well-aligned. The battalion commander would love this scene.

As the Saintess told me, I stood alone next to the knight formation, right next to the knight at the front.

Actually, I’m the only one in the Bronze Celestial Society whose affiliation and position are quite different.

—…

As I stood there in silence, Pope Uncle came down and went up to the platform. After looking at us for a moment, he opened his mouth heavily.

“One brother has ascended to the side of Verde. Since he has gone to the side of Verde, it is right to bless him, but it is a very sad thing that we cannot see that brother on earth again.”

The Pope spoke of sadness.

Even if you die and go to the side of the god you believed in, it is still sad. Even if the afterlife is promised, it is painful to lose someone in this world.

After finishing his exhortation, the Pope went down, and the Saintess went up.

“Verde is always watching over us. However, that does not mean that we have become invincible by the power of God. There are clear limits to our lives in this world, and we have gathered to overcome them.”

The Saintess acknowledged the limitations.

“One knight has ascended to the side of Verde. As much as the scales have tilted, we who remain in this world must do our work for him, in his place. We must be more careful to prevent this from happening again, and if we encounter evil beings, we will do what we must.”

The Saintess spoke about the points to be supplemented and encouraged the knights. Our scales maniacs will be even more motivated by the death of a comrade.

“Paladin Kim Kat, please come up to the platform.”

Finally, it was my turn.

The Saintess’s story was over. I immediately went up to the platform, greeted the Pope and the Saintess with a nod, and looked straight ahead.

—…
—…
—…

All the parishioners of the Grand Cathedral were looking at me.

It was a solemn and quiet atmosphere. I could tell. That most of them were swallowing tears. The knights may seem like crazy people at first glance, but they are all fundamentally good and righteous people.

They are full of affection and justice.

A colleague, a friend. No one would not be sad when a brother dies.

—…

I looked at them for a moment and then opened my mouth.

“…Hello. I am Kim Kat, the direct Paladin of Saintess Kadia. Some of you may know my face, and some of you may not. So, I would like to take this opportunity to greet you first.”

After a brief self-introduction, I went straight to the point.

“I was the one who confirmed the death of the fallen knight and recovered his relics. By order of the Saintess, I was tracking his footsteps when contact was lost.”

Silence.

Everyone was listening to my story.

“It was really… a terrible thing. In fact, even when I went to that neighborhood, I had only lost contact, and I didn’t even think that he had died in the line of duty. The knights I know are fighters who don’t give in to anything and don’t lose.”

The defeat of a knight is hard to imagine.

“But.”

But it became a reality.

“Yes… defeat is possible. The evil Manticore devoured him.”

The parishioners, who had been silent, began to move slightly. The knights bit their lips, the priests clenched their fists, and the nuns swallowed their tears. I could see that atmosphere overall.

“Originally!!!! He could have won for sure! But! The sinners!!! Those damn sinners!!!! They lived by sacrificing others, but they didn’t try to sacrifice themselves at all!!!”

The parishioners also knew the details of this incident.

“They!!!! The residents who lived in that village!!!! Sold the knight to the Manticore!!!!!!! That’s why he…!!!!!”

—Trickle trickle.

Tears began to pour from my eyes like a waterfall. This sadness was real…! After coming to this world, the only beings I could attach my heart to were my women, my friends, and the parishioners!

“I’m sad! Tears are coming out!!!!

Of course, I can’t help but be sad that someone belonging to that church has died!

“The death of the righteous has brought an inhuman rain to my heart!!!!!! A righteous knight who should not have died has died! Yes! The Pope said that he went to the side of Verde!!! But it is also true that it is a really sad and unfortunate thing!!!”

The tears that flowed down my face gathered on my chin and dripped onto my breastplate.

I wasn’t the only one doing that.

“…!”
“…!”
“…!”

Everyone was already crying.

All the parishioners were suppressing the sounds that were coming out and shedding tears. Nevertheless, their posture was firm and dignified. They didn’t make a sound and just cried with their eyes.

“A world where good intentions are betrayed!!! A world where the righteous die first!!! A world that is so cruel and inhuman!!! A world where we have no choice but to sacrifice ourselves to enforce justice!!!”

It’s a terrible world!

“But!”

But there is light in such a world!!

“The parishioners of the Bronze Celestial Society have always been sacrificing themselves to make that world a little better!!!”

The parishioners were the light!!

“The fallen knight was also a person who threw himself into it for that purpose!!! He was a truly righteous, just, and noble person who gave everything to make a better world!!!!”

I praised the fallen knight.

This place was only for him.

He was a person who died while doing righteous work, so we must give him praise. That was what the survivors had to do for the one who went first.

“It’s natural to be sad that such a person has died!! I’m sad too! So much that I’m crying like this!!!”

—Gush gush!

The tears began to burst out even more. I was so damn sad that I wondered how far the tears would come out of my eyes.

Even the coldest and most frigid snowflakes wouldn’t fall like this.

I was that sad.

“But his will!! His nobility!!”

And so I shout with emotion.

“Made me more righteous!! I will also be with him!!! I will also serve to destroy evil beings as he has done!! That’s because! It’s what the survivors have to do!!! He has left our side, but he hasn’t just left alone!!!!”

—Thud.

“He passed on… that righteous will!!!! He gave us that will and went to the side of Verde!!!”

I walked to the front of the platform and knelt down.

In that state, I looked straight ahead.

“Cough…!”
“That’s right…!”
“What we have to do… sob!!”
“The death of evil beings…!”
“The balance of the scales…! Sob!”
“We have to do it…!”

The parishioners who had been closing their mouths and crying only with their eyes began to cry out loud one by one from the front row, and finally, like falling dominoes, the crying spread and a sea of tears arrived.

—Cough cough cough!
—Sob! Sob sob!
—Kuh…!
—Cough, cough cough cough!!
—Sob!!

“Aaaaaaaaaah!!!”

I also cried out loud.

Because this scene of sadness was so sad and unfortunate.

The crying continued for a long time. The knights who had been standing firmly also sat down and cried, hitting the floor, the priests also lay down and buried their faces in the floor, and the nuns knelt down and covered their faces with their hands.

This lament was the requiem sent to the fallen knight.

“Unstoppable sadness dejaaaaaaaaat….!”