Rebirth of the Prime Dragon Master novel Chapter 741

At the break of day, the entire Palace City was filled with white flags. Even the entire Imperial City raised colorless banners. The death knell sounded incessantly as gloom lingered on. It was a time of sadness, and people from the city wore white clothes to express their sorrow. The streets were crowded with people, from the entrance of the Palace City to the west gate of the Imperial City. A lengthy procession covered the ten-mile long street. The scene was unbelievable. Such display of extravagance was only witnessed after the death of an emperor, and never for a prince.

Before long, the sound of funeral music was heard inside the Palace City. The melancholy song did not offer any comfort to the people, because soon enough a golden coffin came into view. It was accompanied by thousands of people, led by the guards of the burial team. The golden coffin was carefully designed as ordered by the emperor himself. Even if the instruction was to finish it overnight, the golden coffin was not built in haste. It had a unique design and was exquisite in appearance. A coffin covered in elegance, fit only for royalty. Nonetheless, it was unoccupied. Only a few of Basil's cherished possession was inside.

The royal members and the burial guards all wore white underclothes, covered by a black robe. The attendees present during the funeral included the emperor and all the army generals. Most of them looked sad and silently wiped the tears from their eyes. However, it was not because of a personal loss or sorrow, but because of the underlying circumstances.

Still, some people from the crowd grieved deeply and were heartbroken. Lance, Allen, and soldiers under the Crimson Dragon Army mourned in silence. Isis took it hard and was crying a river. The bravery that had always covered her beautiful face was now replaced with sadness and misery. The ferocity in her eyes had disappeared and was now replaced with longing and despair. Her eyes were red, swollen. People around her knew she spent the night crying in pain, and there was nothing they could do to console her. She looked tired and cried silently as she followed the golden coffin reluctantly. Every step was filled with anguish, and the pain in her heart was beyond words.

Marin walked alongside Isis. They spoke no words. She did not look as distressed as Isis, but she too broke down at the thought she would never see Rocky again. She had always been infatuated with Rocky and it saddened her that he died at such a young age. Her heart stopped beating for a while and it was mostly for what her cousin was going through right now. It was just recently, when Isis married the man of her dreams, and now her husband was gone forever. She knew the relationship was not for real, but Isis' swollen eyes told her everything. Marin realized that her cousin had fallen for Rocky. The sorrow that was painted all over her face was undeniable.

However, something was amiss. There were three people missing from the crowd. Marcia, Sabina, and Lena were nowhere to be found.

The golden coffin was quietly taken out of the Palace City, followed by the people from the funeral. With a solemn face, they marched along the main street of the Imperial City. Civilians waited patiently on the streets. It was to honor and send off their prince for the last time. The crowd drifted outside the west gate. An endless procession was headed towards the Holy Dragon Imperial Tomb two or three miles west to the city.

The Holy Dragon Imperial Tomb was the resting place of all the departed emperors of the Holy Dragon Empire. Members of the royal family, even children of the emperor, could not be buried there. Nevertheless, the current emperor made an exception for Rocky. For the first time in their long history, a departed prince would be laid to rest there.

A magnificent funeral hall was installed inside the Holy Dragon Imperial Tomb overnight. Thousands of paper soldiers and paper horses were arranged on both sides of the hall. The display looked marvelous, suited for the valiant character of the deceased prince. For the duration of the funeral, black and white silk ribbons lined up the outskirts of the hall. They danced softly with the movement of the wind.

The golden coffin was placed carefully in the middle of the hall. The guards bowed their heads for a few minutes in front of the coffin, and then left quietly. The emperor walked towards the Holy Dragon Imperial Tomb followed by the royal members and generals. They then positioned themselves and started the ceremony for Basil.

Isis, Basil's wife, was asked to sit on her heels alongside the coffin during the ceremony. In tune with their tradition, she was required to keep vigil beside the coffin for seven days. After seven days, Basil's coffin would be buried in the imperial tomb.

Afraid that Isis would fall apart, Marin stayed and sat on her heels beside her. Deep in her heart, Marin longed to accompany Rocky on his last trip in this world. She wanted to be an essential part of his journey in the afterlife, and not just take part in the ceremony like everyone else.

As the ceremony was about to start, Marcia and Sabina, who were missing since the  beginning, came in unexpectedly. They staggered as they walked in and shocked the surrounding people. The two of them stopped right in front of the coffin and sat on their heels just like Isis and Marin. The people looked at each other, horrified with their action.

"General Marcia, you're not supposed to..." Isis shouted. Her eyes widened in complete surprise. She did not understand what she just saw. It was a dishonor, and she wanted an explanation. Based on the old traditions, only important family members could keep vigil beside the coffin. Both Marcia and Sabina were not in any way related to Rocky by blood. Thus, it was wrong for them to sit beside his coffin.

"I will stay here for Prince Basil for seven days," Marcia replied without looking at the surrounding people. She looked determined, and her tone of voice was serious.

Her declaration startled everyone around her. Marcia had earned a prominent position in the Holy Dragon Empire, and they considered her a Great General. She knew about the rules and traditions. No Great General had ever knelt down in front of a prince's coffin throughout the entire history. She also did not bother to explain the reason for her action and this triggered the curiosity of the people.