「Three days later.」
Inside the great hall of Baron Duval's Castle, a solemn memorial mass was underway.
Bishop Alberto stood before the altar, his long, silver-white hair shimmering with a sacred light in the flickering candlelight.
On either side of the altar, six Assistant Priests held censers. Plumes of smoke curled into the air, mingling with the light that streamed through the stained-glass windows to create an ethereal veil of light.
"Oriane on high," the Bishop's voice echoed from the hall's vaulted ceiling. "We gather here today to bid farewell to the Guardian of the Duval Clan, the ruler of this land—Baron Edgar Duval. He was a lord who staunchly upheld his family's traditions, a Warrior who lived by his knightly vows his entire life, and a believer who remained ever true to the essence of his faith."
His gaze swept over the congregation, where he saw solid ranks of Knights and followers standing in perfect formation.
