I Became The Vampire Progenitor
Chapter 191-2: A Hero’s Funeral, Carrying the Coffins Together (Part 2)

“My people... I am your City Lord, Kachar.”

A standard opening. But unlike usual, Li De’s tone was subdued and grave.

Betty had brought Isha with her to the gathering. The two girls were dressed today in black robes specially tailored for them by the seamstress.

Isha’s eyes lit up the moment she saw Li De, her small hand gripping Betty’s tightly.

As for Betty, the Northern Valkyrie, she watched the scene around her with a trace of curiosity. Though she already held a strong fondness for this city, she had long been accustomed to death and did not feel sorrow over it.

Northerners never feared death. Especially death in battle, such a passing was considered honorable.

What intrigued her was how these commoners could feel such genuine grief over the death of vampires.

That would be unimaginable anywhere else.

“Today, we gather to hold a great funeral for our heroes.”

“The Saintlight Vampires are the protectors of Dawn City, the guardians of all its citizens.

Every one of the Saintlight Vampires lying peacefully before you gave their lives for Dawn City.”

“They are heroes. True heroes. Heroes who deserve the respect of every single resident of Dawn City.”

Li De’s voice carried a note of sorrow.

“No one wishes to give up their life. But for the loved ones behind them, for the land beneath their feet, for the beloved in their arms.

Each of these Saintlight Vampires stood firm. They gave their lives so that Dawn City could have a bright and thriving future.”

“We are all the beneficiaries of their sacrifice.”

“Today, we mourn these heroes who gave their lives for Dawn City. This is their honor!”

Li De’s voice rose with an irresistible intensity, each word heavy with emotion.

“As the Patriarch of the Saintlight Vampires and the City Lord of Dawn City, I swear to all my people.

From this day forward, anyone who sacrifices themselves for Dawn City, whether they are a commoner or a Saintlight Vampire, will have the right to be buried in the Hero’s Cemetery and will be praised by every soul in this city.”

“To commemorate the heroes who gave their lives for Dawn City, I will erect a Dawn Hero Monument within the city.

Every name of every soul who sacrificed themselves for this land will be remembered forever!”

The crowd erupted with emotion. The idea that anyone who died for Dawn City would receive such honor, it was almost unbelievable.

Who didn’t want to be praised and honored after death? In the past, commoners had been far too humble, so humble that no one cared about their lives. But now, they felt seen and valued.

The members of the Security Squad and other City Hall staff were so moved they could hardly contain themselves. In Lord Kachar’s words, they felt the meaning of their existence.

Those who gave to Dawn City would not be forgotten.

“Long live Lord Kachar!”

“Long live the City Lord!”

“Long live Kachar!”

As the cries of the people echoed, the somber air began to lift.

Gazing up at the handsome figure on the platform, countless residents felt a deep and sincere gratitude rise from their hearts.

Li De held his gaze on the crowd for a long moment. The sacrifice of heroes was always a sorrowful matter, but that sorrow could also be transformed into a force that united the hearts of the people, inspiring them to move forward together with resolve.

When the crowd gradually quieted down, he continued.

“I hope every resident will remember this day.”

“To honor our fallen heroes, I hereby declare that the date of their sacrifice, May 10, will be established as Hero Remembrance Day.

Each year on May 10, we will hold memorial services for the heroes who gave their lives.”

Li De paused, meeting the expectant eyes of the silent crowd below.

Then he raised his voice with authority.

“Now, let the funeral ceremony for our heroes begin.”

“Offer the flowers.”

At that moment, down the avenue leading into the plaza, the Dawn Order’s Holy Priestess Nilo appeared, dressed in a pristine white priest’s robe. Behind her were twenty church maidens, each holding a white flower in their hands.

A faint golden radiance shimmered in Nilo’s pupils, exuding a sacred dignity that could not be described. As the people saw the holy woman approach, solemnity rose naturally on their faces.

No one dared profane the majesty of the divine.

Step by step.

The church maidens sang a soft hymn behind her, a scene thick with religious reverence.

Under the gaze of the entire plaza, Nilo stepped forward and gently placed the white flower on the central coffin.

The contrast between the pure white bloom and the black wood of the coffin was stark and powerful.

After placing the flower, Nilo pressed her hand to her chest and bowed deeply to the coffin before silently returning to her place among the maidens, her voice joining theirs in hymn once more.

Then, one by one, the crowd began to step forward. Some placed the white flowers in their hands; others took the flowers pinned to their chests and laid them atop the coffins.

The entire ceremony was solemn, filled with a sense of purity and reverence.

Everyone present felt a strange sense of pride in being part of the moment, as if merely being there was something worth celebrating.

It took nearly half a sun-hour for the crowd to finish laying their flowers.

By then, each coffin had become buried beneath a thick layer of blossoms.

Li De’s tone remained heavy.

“Send them to the Hero’s Cemetery.”

At his command, members of the Security Squad stepped forward to lift the coffins.

The massive Cyclops was lifted with Mage Hand spells cast by twenty vampires.

The scene was awe-inspiring.

Dozens of coffins, along with the towering body of the Cyclops, began to move slowly down the main avenue of Dawn City.

Every resident joined the funeral procession, following behind the line of the dead.

There was no division between earlycomers or latecomers now. The boundaries between strangers had melted away. At this moment, they were all one.

Together, they were escorting their heroes to their final rest.

As the procession advanced, flowers fell from the coffins, landing one by one on the bluestone roads, painting a scene that was both beautiful and tragic.

Down the streets of Dawn City, a road of flowers was formed in the heroes’ wake. The blossoms that fell were now endowed with a sacred meaning.

At the front of the procession, Li De walked while supporting a coffin.

Countless eyes in the crowd watched this scene, and in their hearts, there was only one emotion.

Even Betty, the Northern Valkyrie who had long grown used to witnessing death, had a rare moment of solemnity cross her face.

To be given such an honorable funeral after death, that was the dream of every warrior.

In the North, she had never seen a funeral so grand.

Dawn City was giving her more surprises with every passing day.

At the same time, she was deeply surprised by Li De’s behavior.

As the ruler of a city, the king of a race, he had personally mourned his fallen warriors to such a degree.

Such a thing was unimaginable in human kingdoms. When had the lofty nobles ever cared about the lives or deaths of their soldiers?

Turning her head to look at the sorrowful faces around her, Betty suddenly understood something.

This city’s vitality. Its deep, captivating charm.

It wasn’t without reason.

Because they had a leader like this.

A ruler even she envied.