Ke-style law enforcement officers

Chapter 172 The Funeral Held Simultaneously

The local funeral customs of Nanwei City only had a formal and unified process after the church was established as the state religion. The process was very complicated, including multiple stages such as the mourning period, vigil, and funeral rites. For the living, it was a time-consuming and laborious affair.

This actually contradicts the understanding of death in the indigenous culture of Nanwei.

In the eyes of the Nanwei people, death is more of a summary of the deceased's life. In their view, it is, to some extent, a supplement to the highest meaning of life and an acknowledgment of the deceased's past life.

This reflects the unique and open-minded understanding of death held by the Nanwei people.

However, the church's understanding of death tends to be more utilitarian, that is, the common view that death, as the end of the physical body, is exchanged for the sublimation and transcendence of the soul, in order to attain eternal life in the afterlife. This concept, to some extent, is actually comforting a soul about to leave this world, while also comforting the deceased's family and friends.

However, such explanations are not very meaningful to the Nanwei people, who already have a unique understanding of death.

Perhaps it would be more effective in other parts of the country.

This is why old Theon said that for the families of missing persons, news is enough, whether it's good or bad news.

Because in the eyes of the families, disappearance is actually more cruel than death. The missing person is like an exile, their life has no formal end, and their soul will wander outside the realm of the dead.

……

For the church that organizes the funeral service, since there is no corpse, several of the clearly stipulated funeral procedures can be eliminated. For example, the washing and dressing of the body before the funeral is suspended is completely unnecessary, and the banquet is also unnecessary, making the whole process much simpler.

The funerals of the seven law enforcement officers signify the seven deaths in the line of duty, a matter that deserves the utmost solemnity and respect within the law enforcement system.

Black clothing, including trousers, shirts, and ties, is essential.

However, law enforcement officers attending the funeral do not need to make any special preparations; they can simply put on their work uniforms as usual.

It's as if this was already taken into account when the uniforms for the law enforcement system were designed from the very beginning.

The founders were prescient; they knew that countless people would be sacrificed in this line of work, so the uniforms they designed were perfectly suited to the requirements of funeral attire.

In some ways, this is a very unlucky outfit.

……

Because the normal procedures of repentance, mourning, and vigil were skipped, and the burial ceremony was carried out directly, a large number of people in black trench coats from Nanwei City arrived at the Law Enforcement Cemetery early in the morning to carry out cleaning work.

All members of the Chengnan Law Enforcement Office must be present.

Also present at the burial ceremony were three inspectors from the Nanwei City law enforcement system, as well as the church's funeral attendants.

Nanwei City has been experiencing continuous rainy weather for some time now.

Fortunately, on this day when many people were traveling together, the weather was kind enough to stop the rain. Although there wasn't a decent ray of sunshine until 9 a.m., the heavy, bloated clouds hung there, unmoved by the wind, as if putting a gray filter on the entire city of Nanwei, making everything around look like the same gloomy color.

However, compared to everyone getting soaked to the bone in the suburbs, this weather is quite pleasant.

……

The funeral of the law enforcement officer was less humane than the country's traditional funeral rites, as it omitted all the traditional rituals and, most importantly, lacked the melodious sound of bagpipes.

On the somber-toned law enforcement cemetery, a vast expanse of people in black trench coats stood in perfect unison. All of them had removed their hats, symbols of law enforcement authority. After Nero on the high platform announced the names of the deceased, they collectively fired shots at the dark clouds in the sky.

The entire law enforcement officer contingent was divided into three sections, each responsible for firing three rounds of shots.

boom……

boom…

boom.

The scent of burning gunpowder slowly drifted across the cemetery.

This is a salute reserved for the deceased, reserved only for those recognized by the scythe of judgment. The billowing smoke symbolizes the end of the lives of the executioners buried in the tomb. "In those difficult years, no one could have demonstrated courage, strength, and self-sacrifice better than them..."

"Gods of Heaven, have mercy on their souls."

……

At the cemetery, mourners in grey robes preside over the funeral ceremony for someone in a black trench coat.

On a narrow path, quite far from the burial site, Milo sat quietly on a bench by the path after firing the gun salute, watching the shadows of the people at the burial site in the distance.

A chilly wind swept in from the cemetery again and again, making Milo's trench coat collar look somewhat disheveled.

He listened silently to the eulogy delivered by the bereaved.

Until he stepped into the cemetery, Milo thought the whole arrangement was absurd; the transformation of those seven people from missing to dead probably only took the time of a single meeting.

When will a person's life or death no longer be determined by physiological signs, but by discussions and decisions among high-level officials?

Thinking about it carefully, it's actually quite funny. They were pronounced dead without even finding a body.

However, when Milo saw the dazed and grief-stricken expressions on the faces of the deceased's families attending the ceremony, he finally suppressed the rebellious sarcasm that welled up inside him.

To sum it up with a saying from the Nanwei indigenous culture—death is never a solitary affair.

……

There were many sorrowful tears at the funeral, but no crying was heard. The whole process was filled with a solemn, dignified, and even oppressive atmosphere, which is probably the consistent style of the law enforcement system.

In contrast, the eulogies delivered by the church mourners added a touch of humanity to the whole affair.

Behind Milo, Enid stood silently in a simple black dress, waiting for the funeral service to end.

Women are generally more emotional creatures, and even if the deceased had never interacted with her, Enid could personally accept and feel the emotions conveyed in the eulogy.

...

Unbeknownst to anyone, far beyond the coastline, on numerous islands belonging to the colony, another funeral was taking place at that very moment.

The same solemnity and grandeur.

The funeral procession was equally orderly and uniform.

The same three-round gun salute, delivered by many of the deceased's comrades, was awe-inspiring.

……

The difference is that the funeral procession was not organized by the church's grey-robed men.

He looked a bit older than he had three years ago, with some graying at his temples, but his pupils were even more deep and unsettling.

The raven stood tall and proud before the tombstone.

Facing the coffin that was about to be carried, as shown in the picture, he read the eulogy in a hoarse voice—

"He was the most valiant and glorious warrior in this country, and he gave his all for this land."

"In those difficult years, no one demonstrated courage, strength, and selflessness better than him..."

“Gods of Heaven, have mercy on their souls.”

...

(End of this chapter)