Chapter 1: The Ceremony Approaches

The academic city of Lumiest was where talented youngsters from all over the world gathered to study. It was one of the best educational facilities in the world. Even today, students were applying themselves diligently, polishing their talents and trying their best to grow into their futures. However, it was a little noisier than usual.

“Whoa there, looks like the princess is back. I, Charles Vaccania, have personally come to welcome your heart into—”

“It’s been too long, Ri-chan! My heart yearns for your company, since we’ve been apart this entire time! Wanna chill together? Come on!”

“Gwoarfh?!”

Rion had taken a leave of absence from school due to circumstances at home, so when she came back, her friends all came out to greet her. Most excited of all was her best friend and Lightning Dragon King Rami, who pushed Charles aside so hard he went flying as she came up to wrap Rion in a hug.

“I haven’t been gone that long, Rai-chan. Sure, I leave pretty often, but I haven’t been absent enough to lose credits or anything,” said Rion.

“It was long to me!” Rami exclaimed. “Lemme nuzzle you! Mmm, mmm!”

“Rai-chan, your nuzzling is really forceful!”

Every time Rami stroked Rion’s cheek with her own, bright sparks of electricity flew. This would be dangerous to anyone other than these two, but it was quite pretty to watch.

“Look. The pair who represent the diamond generation are frolicking together!”

“My, what a precious sight! I can feel something hot within my breast.”

There were many female students blushing as they watched the two from afar.

“Ah, uh...is it just me or are we totally the center of attention here? Also what did she mean by ‘diamond generation’?” Rion asked.

“Oh, well, you remember the exhibition match against the Rank S adventurers?” Bell answered. “The people who saw that started to refer to our generation of students as one with an unmatchable number of prodigies and attached that name to us. The other students got infected and started doing the same. It’s a real nuisance, isn’t it?”

Actually, she didn’t seem all that displeased as she explained the term. Maybe she was unexpectedly similar to Sera in that regard.

“Gh...ghwurf...” Charles gasped. “Okay, I’ve recovered! It’s because the exhibition match was attended by not only students’ guardians but higher-ups of various nations too. Even though we lost, our team made it a very close fight. In other words, the student team was on par with Rank S adventurers—the strongest generation ever! As a fellow representative of this group, I am very proud!” He chuckled.

“Who is representing what?” Bell asked pointedly.

“Oh, um, calm down, Bell-chan. Don’t try to finish Charles-kun off when he just recovered,” said Rion.

“You should harden your heart in cases like this, Rion-san,” Dorothy advised her. “Let’s leave this to Bell-san. There are times you should just believe in your friends.”

“Oh, that was very good of you to say, Dorothy,” Bell replied. “I feel like I can get along with you.”

“What a coincidence, I was thinking the same thing.”

“Hey, come on, don’t you think your treatment of me is just awful?!” Charles shouted. “And Dorothy-kun, I don’t remember your personality being like that. Weren’t you supposed to be a lovely flower who would take my side? Your new look is lovely, but it’s okay to show that earlier side of you sometimes, okay, princess?”

“I’ll help you finish him off, Bell-san. He’s annoying me,” said Dorothy.

“Another coincidence, I was thinking the same thing.”

“Stop, you two! Stop! It really doesn’t seem like you’re joking now!” Rion shouted. She somehow managed to stop the pair, who were about to unleash Green Magic and Time Magic, barely making it in time to save Charles’s life.

“Well, if you really insist, Rion-san,” Dorothy reluctantly answered.

“You’re right, I may have been acting a little immature,” Bell admitted, just as reluctantly.

“I’m...so glad you two get it,” Rion said, relieved.

“Oh? I can’t really be sure, but you seem tired, Rion-kun,” said Charles. “You just came back from a long trip, and I’m sure the feeling of exhaustion is also something to enjoy, but you shouldn’t push yourself. Ah, right. If you’d like, you can come rest in my room—”

“Charles-kun, please, realize what kind of situation you’re in!” Rion yelled. She was once again forced to soothe an angry demon and god, bringing them back under control. It was very, very close. Charles did end up buried in a wall, but he was still alive, so technically she’d succeeded.

“Sorry, Charles-kun. That was all I could manage...” Rion apologized.

“Wow, that was harsh. And hilarious!” Rami exclaimed.

“He got what he deserved,” said Bell.

“Exactly,” Dorothy agreed.

Bell and Dorothy were in complete sync.

“Oh, right, speaking of returning students, Edgar-dono and his friends came back to the academy just a little while ago as well. I hadn’t seen them since the exhibition match, so I was quite worried about them indeed,” said Graham.

“Whoa! Grammy?! Where did you come from?!” Rami yelped.

“Oh, I must admit I’ve been here for quite a while. Ashamedly, as timid as I am, I could not find the timing to speak up. The thin shadow I cast shames me.”

“Thin shadow? You’re basically a lump of uniqueness if you ask me.”

“Really? You make me blush.” Graham bashfully fixed his hair, which was parted to one side, and pushed up his glasses. “My personage aside, since Edgar-dono returned, I feel as if he has softened somehow. I know not what happened, but I suspect it was a good thing. Indeed, a cause for celebration.”

“Oh? Well, ya know, for now everyone’s okay, so all’s well that ends well, right?” Rami said. “Yep! I’m happy with this too— Hang on a mo’, we’ve got tests coming up! Agh, urgh, nooo...”

“Sorry to interrupt your meltdown, but you always end up writing your name and then falling asleep during tests anyway, so how does this affect you?” Dorothy asked.

“Come on, it’s a huge problem,” said Rion. “If you don’t start taking this stuff seriously, Rai-chan, you’ll end up losing credits, you know? You should at least put down answers to everything.”

“That’s impossible, Ri-chan,” Rami replied. “It’s like, crazy how my head’s basically pudding.”

“I’m saying it’s not good to make excuses without even trying,” said Rion. “Come on, we can fit in a little studying now!”

“Y-You’re a demon! A demon!”

One of the peak examples of the world’s strongest race—dragons—was then dragged off by Rion.

“Rion-san is such a good person. I’m a little worried she might get tricked by someone bad in the future,” Dorothy remarked.

“Even if someone so reckless existed, with her skills, they would be purified from an evildoer to a good person the instant they got close,” Bell replied.

“Ah, you’re talking about Absolute Purification. Yes...you’re right. By the way, I don’t see DarkMel-san today. Where is she?”

“She has gone out with fellow students from dorm Selva,” answered Graham. “From what I heard, today is DarkMel Clothes-Changing Day.”

“So they’re making a toy of her?”

“I believe it is an expression of love.”

“The love someone has for a mascot, maybe.”

The group could easily picture DarkMel being forced to try on all sorts of clothes in a store in town.

“It’s good that she gets along well with her friends, but I have to wonder if she’ll be able to graduate this year the way this is going,” said Bell. “I wonder if she understands that Rion and I won’t be here next year, since we’re aiming to graduate as valedictorians.”

“You’re talking about skipping grades?” Graham asked. “That sounds very hasty of you.”

“It’s entirely realistic given our abilities. You should be the same, no? With your strength and your smarts?”

“Me? Gah hah hah! Absolutely not. I shall patiently use these three years to better myself,” Graham said, repeatedly pushing up his glasses.

“I see. Well, anything’s fine as long as I make it in time for Rion’s wedding.”

“Hm? What did you just say, Bell-dono?”

“Oh, did I not tell you? That girl’s getting married in half a year. That’s why we need to skip grades and graduate early.”

This was greeted with silence from the rest of the group. The moment Bell said that, the very air seemed to freeze, becoming quiet just as if Dorothy were using Time Magic. It only lasted for an instant, though, merely the calm before the storm, and the quiet was fated to be easily and quickly broken.

“I see. What a happy occasion.”

“Kyah! Kyaaah!”

Snap! Crackle!

“N-No waaayyy!” Charles shouted.

The girls who were listening squealed in delight while Dorothy crushed the cup she was holding. Meanwhile, Charles, still buried in a wall, let out a rumbling cry of despair. The reactions from everyone were truly varied.

◇ ◇ ◇

“B-Bell-kuuun?! What is the meaning of tha— Bwergh?!” Charles shouted.

Unable to stay still after that shocking revelation, Charles freed himself from the wall and crawled toward the group like a zombie. However, none of the students looking on were even glancing at him, and they trampled over him as they went on their way. In other words, he was crushed underfoot.

“Is Rion-san really going to be wed, Bell-san?!”

“Who is her betrothed? Which prince?!”

“I am certain that whoever it is, he is a wonderful man! A noble from a major power... No, he simply must be royalty!”

“You said that you two were planning to graduate early to be in time for the ceremony. Does that mean she has been engaged for a while now?! And you knew all this time, Bell-san?! I would positively love an invitation!”

“Ah, stealing a march on us like that is simply rude! I would love one too!”

The crowd of girls had surged forward, surrounding Bell and flooding her with questions.

“Uh...” Bell let out. She could do nothing but regret her loose lips as she realized she’d made a mistake.

I guess there’s at least a silver lining to all this since Rion’s not here right now. Also, not that this has anything to do with anything, but why are all the students here speaking like pampered rich girls, even the ones who usually talk normally?

For a moment, Bell was terrified that they were infected by the speaking style of her underling from the same dorm, but she quickly realized that could not be true. Most likely it was their status as representatives of the diamond generation that was making them revise the way they talked. In essence, they believed that Bell was now unequivocally their social superior, so they thought they should be as polite as they could. Of course, there was room for interpretation regarding whether their idea of polite speech was actually that, though.

I’m shocked that they’re this interested, Bell thought. I guess he’s famous and basically like a noble, and in a position of power to be able to negotiate on a national level. But she’s getting married to her brother, even if they’re not related by blood, so I don’t think that information should really be spread.

For the moment, she decided that giving out Kelvin’s name was no good. And so, with that conclusion, she decided to reply to the questions with vague answers just to calm everyone down. But before that, she shot a glance over at Dorothy, who had crushed a cup in her grip. She wasn’t speaking, but the many veins twitching on her forehead were a great indication that she was totally incensed.

Oh come on, why are you of all people reacting like that? Bell thought. Unlike these other lookie-loos, you knew everything from the start, didn’t you? You realize I can’t be forced to look after you too, right?

Even so, out of consideration for Dorothy, Bell resolved to take the reins of this conversation and settle things without a fuss. She told everyone that the wedding had been set in stone even before Rion had entered the academy, and she kept Kelvin’s name secret, though she did reveal that her betrothed was influential enough to negotiate on a national level. She hated that it sounded like she was complimenting Kelvin, but she couldn’t harm Rion’s reputation for no reason, so she bore it.

“My oh my! So even from your perspective, Bell-san, he is such a wonderful person?!”

“Well...I guess. So there’s no need to worry. No. No need at all,” Bell replied. She furrowed her brow but forced a smile. She was bearing a lot. “But I would like you not to bother Rion with incessant questions about this. She’s very nice, so she won’t mind, but I don’t know if he will. Look, people aren’t crazy about others intruding into their private business, are they? If it turns out he does mind, I believe it will turn out badly for your families or homelands.” Bell looked oddly animated as she said that last line. She smiled as she threatened the crowd, as if to vent all her many frustrations. Her smile truly came from the heart.

“Urgk... Certainly, that makes sense. I would perhaps react the same way...”

“Let’s keep this conversation between us and watch over Rion-san with warm eyes. I’m sure that will be for the best.”

“Yes, indeed,” agreed the rest of the crowd.

Bell’s intimidation had been perfectly effective. As if all their curious energy had been a lie, the crowd of students quieted down. The girls adored gossip and love stories, but not enough to expose their families or homelands to danger. They also realized that they wouldn’t be able to get any more information out of Bell, so they politely said their thanks and dispersed.

“Whew. I somehow managed to get out of that without much fuss...” Bell muttered.

“Well done, Bell-dono,” said Graham. “I would have loved to help, but I was cowed by their energy and couldn’t say a word. I am ashamed.”

“Ah, well, er...yeah. I was being careless just now, so no need to feel guilty or anything,” Bell replied.

Meanwhile, Dorothy was still silently incensed, the veins on her head twitching.

“So...what’s wrong with you, Dorothy?” Bell asked. “Even I’m a little worried after seeing you silently crush a table.”

Dorothy might have looked physically weak, but her grip strength was able to easily turn not only a glass cup but also a wooden table to powder. Still, such a thing wasn’t exactly rare. If they had the mind to, either Bell or Graham would be able to do the same. The problem was why she’d done it.

After a moment more of silence, Dorothy replied. “My apologies. Rion-san already told me about her marriage. Indeed, we are roommates, so I would naturally be informed. Her face as she spoke so happily about it was the very picture of an angel. No, a goddess. Of course I congratulated her. As a friend—a best friend—I wished Rion-san happiness. But...”

Dorothy’s eyes snapped open, slightly shocking Bell.

“I cannot accept that he is her betrothed! If he loved Rion-san alone, I would have allowed it with great reluctance. But! Look at how many other fiancées he has! Even Mel...san is among them! My heart was supposed to have been purified, and yet I am boiling with rage! My heart is telling me to never forgive him! I know that the wedding of my greatest friend is something to be celebrated! That is what my head is telling me! But... But...my soul will not allow it!”

Dorothy delivered that monologue quietly so that no one could overhear, but she still managed to proclaim it so fervently it could crack the earth. It conveyed her feelings perfectly, which was why Bell was so troubled.

“Graham...is this my fault?” she asked.

“All things must pass,” he simply replied.

“Hey, don’t you give me that enlightened face and leave me behind,” Bell argued.

“Of course, I haven’t said any of this to Rion-san,” Dorothy continued. “I would never rain on her parade like that. But... Indeed, that is exactly why I wanted to vent like this to someone!”

Wait, she’s still going? Bell thought.

“No, this can’t be allowed. I realize now that I’m feeling refreshed, having sorted out my feelings,” Dorothy continued. “I need to clash these complicated feelings with someone or I won’t be able to remain calm. Not at all. So I’m going to participate.”

“Uh...participate in what?” Bell asked.

“The objection system, of course,” Dorothy replied. “That is the only way to strike back at him without ruining Rion-san’s special day. It won’t be revenge for the exhibition match, but depending on the results I will acknowledge their wedding. I will see for myself whether or not he’s worthy of Rion-san!”

It took Bell a moment to remember to reply. “I see. Well, do your best.”

Well, he’ll be happy about this, so I guess I can leave it alone. She’d be too much work anyway, Bell thought.

◇ ◇ ◇

While Graham was being enlightened, Dorothy was steeling herself, and Bell was feeling resigned, DarkMel was sitting down at the food court. She was outside, having fun with her friends, whose voices blended into a chorus of chatter.

“Well then, DarkMel-chan, I’ll buy you some limited edition ice cream, so wait for me, okay?”

“No, I’ll do it! I want to buy matching flavors and have us share!”

“No, that’s a terrible idea! If two people are going to feed each other, the flavors should be different! That would double the deliciousness! And there’s no doubt that would make DarkMel happy!”

“You fool! DarkMel doesn’t eat much! It’s doubtful she’d be able to eat a normal amount of ice cream! Thus, the best choice is to get one small size and share it!”

“Uh, erm...everyone?” DarkMel ventured. “Fighting isn’t good, okay?”

“It’ll be fine!” all three of them shouted in reply in unison. “We’re just horsing around!”

As if their argument just now had been an illusion, DarkMel’s friends were perfectly in sync when it came to their reply. With how well they matched each other, they likely weren’t lying. DarkMel had spent a fair amount of time with them, so she of course knew this. As the common saying went, they were close enough to fight.

“DarkMel-chan was worried about me. Sounds like this match is over.”

“No! DarkMel-chan was worried about me! We’re going to feed each other!”

“You’re just talking about your own fantasies now! Then I’m going to have DarkMel-chan sit on my lap! On top of feeding her ice cream!”

“Heh, that’s the extent of your desires? Then I will go directly for DarkMel-chan’s mouth—”

“Ah, nothing that goes against proper morals and modesty,” the other girls replied in unison.

“Oh, sorry...”

It seemed they knew some restraint, at least. This argument was probably partially to treat DarkMel, who was tired after being treated like a dress-up doll all morning. Of course, they were causing a lot of trouble, arguing right in front of the ice cream shop.

“Oh wow, you students sure are enjoying your youth! This is a lot of food for the soul for this old man. Ah, no, not in a lewd way, okay?”

DarkMel let out a surprised and alarmed noise as suddenly, she heard a man’s voice from across the table. She had no idea how long he’d been there, and of course she was deeply shocked. The man seemed familiar, but also not. She couldn’t quite figure it out.

“Uh...er?” she let out.

“Oh, sorry. Anyone’d be surprised if an old man like me suddenly sat across from them, wouldn’t they? But I should be familiar to you—” He paused for a moment. “Ah, wait. Maybe not? Oh well, there’s no point trying to figure that out here.”

While DarkMel was busy being confused, the man had his own thoughts to ponder. He was unshaven and had a beard like thickly growing mugwort on his face. He also had what looked like a katana hanging from his waist. His looks made him hard to approach, and since weapons were not allowed in Lumiest, he stood out even more.

That was when someone else’s voice interjected. “You there! What could you be trying to pull, getting that close to DarkMel-san?!”

“Oh? What’s this?”

“Ah! Hello, Katerina-san,” said DarkMel.

The pair turned to see a female student wearing her uniform with her hair styled into vertical ringlets. She was the young lady of a major noble house and the self-proclaimed first underling of Bell—Katerina of Cielo Dorm, the culprit behind her particular way of speech, which was becoming popular within the school.

“Erm...is she your friend?” the man asked.

“Ah, yes. She’s a friend,” DarkMel confirmed.

“Watch yourself, deviant! A suspicious person like you should not be conversing normally with her!” Katerina shouted, pointing elegantly.

“Well that’s just mean. This old man may be middle-aged, but being insulted like that still hurts!”

“Your looks aside, I believe the fact that you are armed with a weapon is more than enough to qualify you as a dangerous and suspicious deviant!” Katerina shouted.

“Grr...I don’t think I can counter that.” He easily conceded her point. “But this old man and his katana are inseparable. Ah, sorry! I’ll explain properly, so I’d appreciate you not making me stand out even more! Look, DarkMel knows this old man!”

“Again with the obvious lies! How impudent!”

“It’s not a lie! Really! So please, wait just a moment! Please, this old man is begging you!” he pleaded.

He was caught between a rock and a hard place, and so DarkMel once again looked closely at him. He seemed familiar, but also not. DarkMel believed him, though, and so she tried her hardest to rack her memory. The effort bore fruit, and she vaguely remembered his semblance.

“You’re papa’s friend—no, an acquaintance...um, colleague? Erm...uh...maybe? Someone from a previous workplace of someone I know...I think?” she muttered.

Her efforts at recall resulted in very vague and secondhand revelations.

“Uh...buuuh? That’s a fresh way of looking at it, but sadly it seems I’m steadily becoming more and more disconnected from you. This old man is in dismay,” he said.

“So you two are complete strangers! I knew it, you must be a deviant!” Katerina exclaimed.

Certainly, by the letter of DarkMel’s description, the man was sadly a stranger.

“Guards! There is a suspicious person here!” Katerina called out.

“No, no, no, this old man said he wasn’t! This is giving it away too early, but this old man is Nito! Old man Nito! Look, he used to fight with Serge-chan and Ange-chan!”

“U-Uncle Nito?” DarkMel said, sounding confused. She repeated the name a couple times. As she did, the scattered pieces of her memory snapped together. “Ah, right! Uncle Nito! The one who was chasing around Setsuna-san?!” she exclaimed.

“What?! So he is not only a deviant but a stalker too?!” Katerina responded with surprise.

“Would you please not phrase things in a way that would cause more misunderstandings?!” Nito retorted.

After that, Nito, formerly called Survivor and ninth seat of the Apostles, was forced to explain himself with his life on the line. He was barely able to undo the misunderstanding.

“Oh man, that was close. This old man was almost socially destroyed! That was more than just chilling. Make sure not to say those kinds of things from now on, even as a joke, okay? Oh, this doesn’t apply to real suspicious people or deviants, just to Uncle Nito, got it?”

“I... I’m sorry!” DarkMel apologized.

“There is no need for you to apologize, DarkMel-san!” Katerina declared. “No matter how you view it, it is his fault!”

She might have been right.

“Aha ha... Sure, it’s this old man’s fault for coming to surprise you with no warning. And this is the first time we talked one-on-one,” Nito admitted. “This old man is just grateful you remembered, so no harm done.”

Nito continued to mutter to himself, talking about how technically, DarkMel was his boss.

Katerina reacted with slight confusion. “Excuse me, did you say something?”

“Oh no, nothing at all. Just personal stuff,” Nito replied.

Katerina sighed. “Fine then. So, barely-not-a-deviant, what is your business with DarkMel-san? Given your weapon, I assume you have a reason for this?” Katerina had at some point taken a seat and was leading the “meeting.”

“What? The friend is going to question this old man? Well, okay...I guess that’s fine.” Nito coughed to clear his throat and shot a nervous look over at DarkMel. “Do you want to object at all?”

“Erm...what do you mean, ‘object’?” she asked. “Do you mean object to that?”

“Yes,” Nito confirmed. “This old man wanted to confirm if you were planning on using the system they put in place. This does involve your papa, after all.”

DarkMel seemed confused by the question. Naturally, she understood the dictionary definitions of what he was saying, but she had no idea why he was asking her. Katerina was similarly lost.

“I won’t object,” DarkMel replied uncertainly. “I’m not strong enough, and I don’t actually have a problem with any of it.”

“Really? This old man totally thought you were plotting with Luquille or something.”

“With Luquille-san? I’m getting more and more lost...” DarkMel was troubled, and her expression reflected exactly that.

“I am lost as well,” said Katerina. “But I do see that DarkMel-san is troubled by this! You there, barely-not-a-deviant! Stop troubling her at once!”

“Oh come on, what do you mean, ‘troubling’? This old man just wants to ascertain her true intentions. You’ve got to allow at least this much questioning— Hup!”

The next instant, Nito unleashed a knife-hand chop at Katerina faster than she could see. A precise blow struck the back of her neck, causing her to pass out in her chair. To anyone else, it simply looked like she had fallen asleep all of a sudden.

“Hey, what did you do, Uncle Nito?!” DarkMel yelped.

“This old man wanted to end the conversation smartly, you see. Ah, and your friend is just asleep, so don’t worry. More importantly, there’s no need to keep the act up, now is there? I made everyone else in the area pass out, just like her, so there’s no one to watch us.”

“Um...keep up...the act? Everyone?” DarkMel was only getting more confused. But despite that, she looked around and understood the situation she now found herself in. The area was completely empty. Everyone was unconscious. From her friends that had come to buy ice cream with her to the passersby to even those who were laughing it up in the food court.

“Do me a favor and refrain from any boring questions like asking how,” said Nito. “As a former Apostle, it was simple. By the way, the only reason your friends stayed awake so long was because they made a good smoke screen, especially the energetic one with the strong sense of justice. While they were awake, all your attention was on them and the noise they were making, so you didn’t pay any attention to your surroundings, right? In the end, this old man was considering a whole lot of angles. Cool, huh?”

“Ah, urgk...” DarkMel was on the verge of tears.

“Oh, come on, stop with that look like you’re about to cry. That’s just troubling. If this is also part of your act, you’re a real pro.”

Nito’s katana made a noise as he brought a hand to its guard.

“The fallen angels made a move in the shadows during the exhibition match,” he explained. “They tried to recruit you—no, I guess I should say kidnap? Well, anyway, it seemed to be some sort of evil scheme. But for some reason it didn’t go to plan, even though they took students hostage. In this old man’s opinion, your strength stands out compared to the average student in this academy, but even then you don’t compare to the strongest. Your chances would be even lower against fallen angels with hostages. And yet, you’re okay!”

“Well, that’s...because Paul-san and the others came to save me...”

“Ah, you mean those adventurers Kelvin-kun was teaching? Hmm...I wonder about that. Honestly, they’re not much different from you in terms of strength. Well anyway, as for what this old man wants to say... You’ve regained your old memories, haven’t you?”

“Ugh...urghh... I-I have no idea what you’re talking ab—”

“Sorry, you’re already in this old man’s range.”

Faster than those words could reach DarkMel’s ears, Nito swung his blade. He aimed for DarkMel’s thin neck, and even though his katana was still in its scabbard, he was confident he could sever her head. Instantly, his killing intent exploded outward, indicating that he was seriously going to try to take her head. However...

DarkMel sighed. “You would use the weapon—your real body? You shouldn’t throw away your life like that.”

“Seriously? This old man was intending to cut you in two.”

The speed of Nito’s blade was godlike, but it was stopped before ever touching DarkMel’s neck. An unsettling tentacle appeared out of nowhere and wrapped itself around the blade, stopping it.

“If you were, you’d be a terrible actor. It was obvious to me that you were sending out your killing intent to make it look like you were serious, but you were fully intending on stopping just in time. But every bit of this was terrible. You didn’t intend to kill me from the start, even if I didn’t block.”

“Oho, you sure can talk,” said Nito. “Then why did you even bother guarding this old man’s attack?”

“I didn’t guard. I did this so I would have your life in my hands, Nito.”

“Ah, I see!”

Nito’s Unique Skill, Return From Cold Ashes, was not actually a skill that made him immortal. His real body was the katana, and the skill allowed him to create clones of himself in human form. No matter how many clones were killed, he could create more, but that didn’t go for the katana. If the katana was destroyed, that was it for him.

“Erm...could you not squeeze that hard please?” Nito asked. “Katanas are surprisingly fragile, you know? As fragile as this old man’s heart.”

“Hee hee hee! It’s a strength contest, then!” DarkMel replied in a singsong voice.

Her smile was angelic, and the strength of the tentacle was bottomless as it constricted the katana. Nito could do nothing about it. He decided to simply cut his way through but found himself unable to inflict a single wound on the tentacle. It must have had resistance to slashing attacks. This turned out to be a bit of a shock to him.

“Well, I guess against you, this was always going to happen,” said Nito. “So, I suppose I should say, ‘nice to meet you’? Or were you really putting on an act this whole time?”

“No, both your assumptions are wrong. Put simply, my current state is DarkMel all grown up. My looks haven’t changed, but my flesh and spirit are both at my peak strength. I might also have grown smarter, maybe.”

As if her smile from before had been but an illusion, DarkMel’s expression was now ice cold. There was no joy or hint of playfulness in her voice either. Even Nito, a former Apostle, couldn’t fathom her power. It was as if he were facing off against a god of the highest order—that was how overwhelming the pressure she emitted was. It completely controlled the vicinity.

“Ah, is that so? If that’s a joke, it’s not funny. So why not allow this old man to say something funny instead? This old man surren—”

“Do you really think I’d accept that after all you’ve done?”

“Hey, hey, hey, wait! Wait just a second! Come on, hold up!”

DarkMel put pressure on the perfect spot in the middle of the katana, causing it to creak. Nito really started to think he was about to die. But then...there was a sigh.

“Looks like I should stop this now. Leave it there, DarkMel.”

It took a moment before DarkMel responded. “Bell-san?”

Bell, who should have been chatting with her school friends, had arrived just as the katana that was Nito started to give up the ghost.

“I’m the one who asked that barely-not-a-deviant to do this,” Bell admitted. “So you should be blaming me instead of him. I’d feel too guilty to sleep peacefully if I just let that barely-not-a-deviant die.”

DarkMel replied with silence, which she kept up for a while. In the meantime, Bell held her gaze, meeting her cold eyes.

As for the old man in question: He was reeling from the shock of hearing Bell refer to him as barely-not-a-deviant.

◇ ◇ ◇

“I can’t believe it. Bell-san was the one behind that barely-not-a-deviant?” DarkMel reacted with surprise.

“Yes,” Bell replied. “It’s truly regrettable, but I am actually the one who hired this almost-pervert. I really do regret it from the bottom of my heart...”

“Hey, is this old man allowed to cry now?” Nito asked. “You’ve already shattered this glass heart to pieces. In fact, were you two in cahoots the whole time? Or is this old man hallucinating?”

The shameful nickname agreed upon by the two had Nito’s heart in tatters.

“Oh no, not at all,” said DarkMel. “I only resorted to these heartless words to strengthen you, since you are in fact barely not a deviant. If I had to say, I’d rather not be letting any of this out of my mouth.”

“I mean look, your true body is the katana, right? I thought you’d grow stronger after a beating. In other words, this is a good-hearted insult. Yes,” said Bell.

With that, Nito was positive they were as one on this nickname. It was a reasonable conclusion. The ominous mood that had been present had dissipated like mist the moment DarkMel and Bell had come face-to-face, and now they had started attacking Nito with perfect coordination. This flow of events was simply too unnatural, even if their sadistic personalities fit well together.

“There’s no need to be so desperate. It’s true that we aren’t ‘in cahoots,’” said DarkMel.

“Yes, I can swear to it. I simply realized it when I arrived. She isn’t an enemy,” Bell replied.

“You...realized? What does that mean?” Nito asked.

“Do I really have to explain every little thing to you?” Bell asked, annoyed.

“I did come here to help you, so this old man has the right to an explanation!”

Unable to argue that point, Bell reluctantly started to explain.

The reason Bell had sicced Nito on DarkMel was because she’d thought DarkMel was suspicious. She hadn’t shown up for the exhibition match, forcing Dorothy to face off against Kelvin instead. Bell had heard the reason for this from Dorothy, so she knew that fallen angels acting in the shadows were at fault and was generally satisfied by that explanation.

However, there was one point that didn’t sit well with her. How had DarkMel been saved? The reasons were as Nito proposed: From what Bell knew of DarkMel and the Rank A adventurers’ skills, there was no way they could beat a fallen angel. Bell had Sera-level detection skills too, so it was strange that she hadn’t felt the battle happening. Even when she questioned the Rank A adventurers, they’d avoided answering while acting shady, so Bell had been sure that something was going on.

“After that, I started to investigate DarkMel, but she never did anything strange herself. I thought my intuition may have been off, but I couldn’t let it go, so I decided to brute force the matter,” Bell concluded.

“This old man objected, just so you know,” said Nito. “How could she do something so terrible to such a young girl? This old man asked her that, but more than that was the fact that your scary papa and his friends would retaliate. Yeah, scary...” He got a far-off look in his eyes, seemingly half resigned to his fate. Rumors of Kelvin’s parenting style had clearly reached even his ears.

“By the way, why did you ask mister Nito to do this?” DarkMel asked.

Nito let out a noise of shock. The way DarkMel had just referred to him made him feel old, but it was a big step up from barely-not-a-deviant, so it did a lot to recover his mood. He was truly a simple person.

“If you wanted to trick me, isn’t there someone more suited?” DarkMel continued.

“Definitely not,” Bell replied. “In my opinion, Nito was the best man for the job. Also, it’s easy to reach him since we’ve worked together in the past.”

Nito let out another noise of shock. Being called by his actual name by Bell raised his morale to the max. Not only that, but she’d expressed faith in him. That alone was enough to restore his shattered pride to its former state.

Also, even if DarkMel were to counterattack, Nito wouldn’t die right away. Actually, she knew about his trick already, so he was in a really dangerous spot, but whatever, Bell thought, though since she would never say all that to Nito, no harm was done. Ignorance truly was bliss.

“Heh heh,” Nito chuckled.

“Would you please refrain from creepy laughter?” Bell asked pointedly.

“Ah, sorry! But thanks to you, this old man has been completely revived! Heh! Heh! Heh!”

Bell responded with a silent look.

“Even your disdainful gaze doesn’t work on this old man now!” Nito exclaimed. He had become invincible.

“Anyway, getting back on track... The result of said brute-force strategy was the appearance of that superstrong DarkMel-chan, right? But how did you know that she wasn’t an enemy, Bell-chan?” Nito asked.

“It’s simple. Her current strength is only temporary—this state isn’t permanent. Her personality changed too, but she’s still a completely different person from the Black Goddess I was afraid of. Basically, she’s harmless,” said Bell.

“Er... Harmless?”

“Yes. Harmless.”

Her natural instincts worked perfectly, and Bell was able to understand the peculiarities of DarkMel’s state. However, Nito wasn’t satisfied.

“Hm... Will it really be all right?” he asked.

“I’m surprised you’re such a worrier.”

“I mean, you were worried because you know the strength of that Black Goddess,” Nito reasoned. “She would definitely make use of the objection system, after all. And wouldn’t she plot to reincarnate the world after that too?”

“Well, I do understand where you’re coming from,” DarkMel admitted. “But don’t worry. I have no intention of showing this to my papa, my mama, or anyone in my family. In fact, it’s impossible due to the way this ability works. I can only become like this when papa or the others can’t see me and when I’m in danger. It would be impossible to use it to object.”

“So when you were attacked by fallen angels, the situation just happened to allow you to clear those conditions,” said Bell. “Kelvin couldn’t detect you since he was inside the barrier of the stage, and Sera and the others were so busy restraining my papa that they couldn’t pay attention. Still, I managed to notice while I was nearby taking a vacation—I mean, spectating.”

“Of course you noticed, Bell-san,” said DarkMel. “And you’re right. So right that there’s nothing for me to add. Ah, and you were worried about me reincarnating the world or something? That’s also impossible. Even though I’ve reached my peak strength like this, I’ve already lost my reincarnating powers. I can do a lot with Black and Blue magic, but I wouldn’t suddenly sprout skills I don’t have. I am simply my papa’s daughter and completely different from the old DarkMel.”

“Uh...huh? Erm...this old man doesn’t understand any of it, but...for now I guess that means DarkMel-chan is safe?” Nito said, confused.

“Yes!” DarkMel replied happily. “As papa and mama’s daughter, I hope they have a wonderful wedding!” She flashed her usual smile—one without any of the previous DarkMel’s malice.

“I... I see! Then that’s a relief,” said Nito. “Oh boy, this old man was so scared! Yeah, what a nice ending. Peace is best!”

“Hee hee, it is, isn’t it?” DarkMel said happily. “But this power is a secret from papa and the others. A secret among secrets. If you accidentally let this secret slip—I’m going to take your katana apart, okay?”

Her smile now looked completely different to Nito. Somehow, DarkMel seemed even more lively than before.

“O-Oh no, never! This old man would never do something like that. Not when it would make you so unhappy, DarkMel-chan! This old man swears!” Nito exclaimed.

“What, really?!” DarkMel said.

Bell sighed. “I have no idea what game you two are playing. But at least the suspicions I had about DarkMel have been cleared up. And there’s no possibility of her objecting either. That reduces the chances of the ceremonies being ruined by a little—or not, actually...”

She wanted Sera’s wedding to be peaceful, at least. Bell wished for it from the bottom of her heart.

◇ ◇ ◇

I had no idea how much time had passed since the objection system had been decided on. Since then, I’d gone all over the world with my brides-to-be, taking care of all the preparations for the separate ceremonies.

The venues for each event were decided on without issue. Efil’s would be in the elven village, Sera’s would be in Grelbarelka, Mel’s would be on the Isla Heaven archipelago, Colette’s would be in Deramis, Shutola’s would be in Trycen, and Ange’s would be in Toraj. I understood most of the choices except for the last one.

Hm... Why did Ange choose Toraj? I asked myself. There must have been a reason deeper than the ocean floor—or not. Apparently, she’d decided on it for a pretty shallow reason.

“Kelvin! Why are you ignoring Toraj when you’re holding ceremonies all over the continent in Parth, Gaun, Trycen, and Deramis?!” Tsubaki had complained. “Why ignore my Toraj?! Are you teasing me? Is this some sort of suspense kink done through rumors?! Maybe you’ve finally decided to marry me and you’re just waiting until the very last moment to confess, huh?! Well? What is it, Kelvin?!”

“Uh...”

Anyway, I had no idea where she’d gotten her information on my weddings, but Tsubaki-sama had come to me with a very fierce and impassioned speech. I realized she was right when she pointed out that we were holding ceremonies all over the Eastern Continent but Toraj was absent from that list. It wasn’t intentional, but I understood that Tsubaki-sama wasn’t amused by this coincidence, even though she gave her proposal to me another half-joking shot. At any rate, we’d known each other for a long time by then, so I understood her well. That was why Ange, who’d been wondering where to have her ceremony, volunteered.

“Well, why don’t we have my ceremony in Toraj?” she’d suggested.

“What? Really?! Would you truly do that for me? Oh, no, I mean, there’s no need to force it on my account,” Tsubaki had said, flustered. “I know I’m being quite unreasonable. It was mostly an excuse for me to come play...”

“Oh no, I’m not forcing myself at all,” Ange had replied. “To tell you the truth, I was vaguely considering having my ceremony in Pub, but then it would be so far away from the Eastern Continent, it would be hard to call over all my friends from the guild. And I didn’t want to pick Parth because that would overlap with Rion’s ceremony, so I was honestly feeling kind of lost as to what to do. On that front, Toraj is right next to Parth, and choosing it would wipe away almost all my problems. It’s a great tourist spot too, with good food and being right next to the ocean and all the hot springs. It’ll be great there! Honestly, I’m surprised no one’s taken Toraj yet! Don’t you agree, Kelvin?”

“Huh? Ah, er... I, yeah, I was thinking the same thing! So that’s what she thinks about it, Tsubaki-sama. Do you have a venue you’d recommend?”

That was when Tsubaki had let out a moved squeak. “Heh! I suppose I have no choice given how passionate you are about this! I’ll roll up my sleeves and pick a great one for you!”

And so, thanks to Ange’s quick wit, it had been decided that her ceremony would be held in Toraj. Just in case, I later confirmed with her that it was what she really wanted, and she told me that it was fine since she wasn’t as set on the location as any of the others. She was even excited that her ceremony would be more unique, since Toraj had its own traditional Japanesey wedding dress, and started emphasizing how she was telling the truth about the food and the sights.

You’re such a good woman, Ange!

At any rate, having fallen in love with Ange all over again, I started putting my back into preparations for the ceremonies. My prospective wives were the ones taking the reins here, but that didn’t mean I could sit back and do nothing. I accompanied them as much as I could to serve as a sounding board and give my own opinions while also deepening my relationships with everyone who was helping out with the process. I was doing my best in my own way.

Today was no different. I had come to the elven village, where Efil was planning to have her wedding. Lalanoah, who could finally hold her own head up, was with me too. She spent most of the time in a baby sling, with me soothing her. However, it seemed she had the makings of quite the popular girl.

“Oooh! Lalanoah-chan grabbed my finger!” the elven chief said in a whisper.

“Um, yeah...”

“Father, Lalanoah-chan’s cheeks are amazing too! I can’t believe something this soft exists in the world!” said his daughter, also in a whisper.

“What?! That’s incredible! I must experience this for myself right away!” the elven chief whispered in reply.

“Uh...please be careful not to wake her...”

Right now, I was holding a soundly sleeping Lalanoah in the chief’s abode. In front of me was the head of the house, Elder Nellas, and his daughter. Since I’d walked in, they had both been entranced by Lalanoah, whom they were meeting for the first time. I was grateful that they were exercising at least some restraint by whispering, but it was extremely obvious how excited they were.

I had to say, no matter how mind-blowingly cute Lalanoah was, the elder and his daughter were too absorbed in her. I mean, I understood how they felt. Look at how pretty Lalanoah is. Her cheeks are literally the softest in the world. Heh heh.

“It’s about time you two let Lalanoah be. Look at her eyebrows.”

“Oh, my apologies! I couldn’t help myself after seeing her!” Nellas replied.

“M-Me too! Not many children are born in the village, so...” his daughter apologized.

It seemed they were set on whispering. I was grateful for their consideration, to be honest. But still, Elder Nellas aside, his daughter...Wial, I believed it was... This was my first time meeting her, though when we were defending the village, Leonhart had come disguised as her, so this whole interaction felt extremely off to me. I was pretty sure it wasn’t the case this time, but I still had to entertain the notion of Leonhart in her form, and it made things awkward.

“And now, you and Efil-san have a child and are about to get married here... I suppose I should add ‘finally’ to that? Time sure flies, doesn’t it?” Nellas commented with a chuckle.

“Aha ha...when you put it like that, it sounds like the order got reversed, didn’t it?” I said.

“Oh no, that’s not true at all. We elves live a long time, so we tend to really take our time making decisions. Unless something big happens, like having a child, it’s hard for us to commit to marriage. Even I had my daughter before getting married,” Nellas replied.

“You too, Elder Nellas?”

“Wait, really, father?!” Wial exclaimed in shock. “This is the first I’m hearing of it!”

“Ah, oh no...” Nellas muttered.

Wait. Your daughter didn’t know?!

“Ha... Ha ha ha... Erm, uh...right. Is Efil-san doing well? Is she healthy?” Nellas asked.

“That segue was way too obvious!” Wial retorted.

“Now, now...”

I was now getting the feeling that every father around me was weak with their daughters. Of course, I was included in that group.

“Heh heh! Yes, she’s doing very well. She’s working extra hard to make up for the time she took off to rest,” I answered.

“Wow, so Efil-san is a hard worker!” Wial said, impressed.

“Yep, but that’s not really a good thing. Personally, I’d like her to rest for a little longer. Or at least work a little less hard, maybe ease into the return—”

“Seeing you take care of Lalanoah is the best nourishment I could receive, master. In other words, this for me is like combat is for you,” said Efil, interrupting me.

“I-I see.”

She made her statement with the best of smiles, so I couldn’t argue.

“Father, is this what they call flirting?” Wial asked.

“Hm... I suppose it’s only a matter of time until they have a second child,” said Nellas.

Hey!

◇ ◇ ◇

“Whew. In the end, there wasn’t much for me to do...”

I was taking a walk through the village while holding Lalanoah to get a break. Efil had already planned out most of our wedding details, so with how excited she was, preparations proceeded smoothly and quickly. There was really no room for me to butt in; the only thing I could do was make appropriate noises to let her know I was listening. Hrm... I claimed to be doing my best, but it’d been like this with everyone. Seriously, all my wives were so reliable—too reliable. I’d have liked to see Efil relax at a time like this while we were having tea with Wial.

“Buh!”

“Oh? What’s wrong, Lalanoah? Are you hungry?”

“Woogh...”

Oh, guess I’m wrong. I see. Hm... Her diaper’s not dirty, and she shouldn’t be sleepy because she just woke up. I remember the moment she woke up, Elder Nellas and Wial-san were charmed by her all over again, causing another fuss. Ah, wait, now’s not the time for that. Lalanoah wants something.

“You don’t look unhappy. In fact, you look...interested?”

“Mah!”

It seemed something about the village interested her. Uh... I think babies are supposed to be basically blind for a while after they’re born, right? And yet she’s responding over and over to buildings and trees and stuff. Is this an elf thing?

“I wonder if she’s responding to something instinctively. Either way, Lalanoah’s cute when she’s absorbed in something too!”

“Bah!”

“Gah!”

Lalanoah slapped my cheeks. Was that supposed to be a retort? I see, so you already understand the roles of fool and straight man at your age, and you succeeded in ambushing me. My kid really is a genius!

“You’ve been grinning this entire time, master. Are you okay?” came a new voice.

“Huh? Ruka?! When did you get behind me?!”

Ruka’s voice had come out of nowhere, shocking me. I couldn’t believe that she’d managed to ambush me as well. Still, I made sure not to let my shock affect Lalanoah. For her, I could remain still as stone no matter what state my heart was in.

“I’ve been behind you the entire time,” Ruka replied. “I know you knew, and you’re still saying that?”

“Ha! Ha! Ha... Just take it as a joke meant to let off some steam.”

Ruka had accompanied us on this wedding preparation trip. Efil was fired up about work, but it was also true that she was very busy with wedding preparations. I figured having a trustworthy subordinate nearby would lighten her load, which was why I’d brought Ruka. Also, a nonzero part of it was also for Ruka herself, since she’d been staying behind in Parth all this time. I wanted her to experience someplace different while we were at it.

“So, what’s wrong?” Ruka asked again. “I mean, I know it has something to do with Lalanoah-sama already, but I figured I’d ask anyway.”

“Ah, yeah, how observant of you... It’s just that it seems she’s been interested in the village for a while now. She shouldn’t be able to see well yet, so I was just amazed.”

“Really? Wow, you’re right. Maybe she inherited the chief maid’s Farsight skill?” Ruka wondered.

“Hm...maybe? That would be the effect of a skill, but she shouldn’t have any in her stats yet... Well, if it’s not a skill and is just an ability she has, then that would be different. Like how it’s possible to be good with a sword through brute strength even without the Swordsmanship skill.”

“Then I guess it’s a real possibility? She’s still just a baby, but Lalanoah-sama is already showing such promise!” Ruka gushed.

“Isn’t she?” I couldn’t help but feel elated, letting out a proud chuckle.

“And it looks like Lalanoah-sama is interested in whatever is there,” said Ruka.

“Hm?”

She was pointing to what looked like an archery training area. An elven man who looked like an instructor was teaching several children how to use a bow.

“Oh? Looks like Lalanoah is definitely Efil’s daughter. She’s interested in bows already! She’s such a lump of ambition that her papa is gonna burst into tears of joy...”

“You’re way too emotionally unstable, master,” Ruka said teasingly. “So, what do you want to do? It’s obviously impossible for her to shoot, but we could ask them to let her touch a bow at least.”

“Aghbth!”

“That was a hearty agreement! She really is extremely talented!”

It was starting to become a worry of mine that I was acting too much like my father-in-law recently, but right at this moment, that didn’t matter to me. If Lalanoah wanted it, I would happily bow to anyone. I begged the instructor to let her have a taste of the bow.

“Uh, aha ha ha... Yeah...sure. I don’t mind. It’s just a practice bow, so the arrows don’t have heads on them anyway,” the instructor replied.

“I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen an adult so desperate...” one of the kids remarked.

“Me too...” said another.

Since I started off negotiations by prostrating myself (only possible because I had transferred the role of Lalanoah-carrier to Ruka), the instructor easily lent me a bow and arrow set. It felt like he was more than a little creeped out, but I decided to ignore that because it was obviously just a feeling. The stares from the children he was teaching also hurt, but once again I was sure it was just my imagination.

“This is a bow, Lalanoah-sama,” said Ruka. “Master threw away his pride and all sense of shame to borrow it, so in a sense it’s a very precious item.”

“Agfh, wah!”

“Oh, she’s happy!”

My heart leaped when I saw Lalanoah happily touching the bow and arrow. It felt more than worth the prostration and begging, and I was starting to worry that my heart would actually burst straight out of my chest due to sheer joy.

“Wuuagh... Awooh!”

“Heh heh! This kid’s imitating us! So precious!”

“The sizes are completely off; it’s gotta be impossible.”

“But isn’t it impressive that she got so far when she’s so small? Maybe she’s really smart or something.”

Lalanoah was popular among these children too. Naturally, the entire scene was heartwarming. It was only made even more so by the fact that Lalanoah was at the center of it all.

“Bawoo!”

Right after that adorable cry from her, I heard the whooshing sound of an arrow cutting through the air. The sound was so sudden that I looked toward the targets, wondering what had happened, and...

Oh...that...

The teacher and students burst into excited chatter.

“I... What? The target split in two by itself?”

Indeed, the wooden target had split cleanly in two. It was very smooth, as if the target had been cut by a swordmaster.

“Hey, hey, is that target an old one?”

“It’s your fault, teacher! You need to properly maintain the equipment here or the elder will yell at you!”

“But...that’s weird,” said the teacher hesitantly. “I just made a new one this year since the old one was no good anymore. Maybe there was an old one left over? Ha ha...ha ha ha...”

Though he had technically replied to the children, the instructor’s face was stiff and spasming. It seemed he had just realized what Lalanoah had done.

“Master, that was...” Ruka started.

“Yeah. That was definitely Lalanoah’s doing. She just acquired Green Magic and shot a wind arrow through observation.”

“Babuh babuh!”

I peered at my child’s hands as she happily burbled. Ah, yes. I knew it, I thought as I confirmed my suspicions. There were traces of magic that told me that for an instant, a bow had formed in Lalanoah’s hand. She had most likely improved the Rank F Green Magic spell Wind to be easier to control. When I checked her stats again, Green Magic was listed under her skills.

“Now then, what should I be surprised by first? The fact that she acquired a skill on her own without having to be taught by anyone?”

“That’s definitely an option, but...” Ruka started, “can a child’s first magic really be that powerful? It feels like she combined master’s magic with the chief maid’s bow.”

“Right. But you can’t be thinking about this with common sense. I was shocked at first too—improving a spell with no instruction is a dream within a dream, at least normally.”

“Normally, you say...” Ruka mumbled, trailing off as she pondered. Then she gave up. “Erm, meaning?”

“In other words... Lalanoah is such an overwhelming genius that she can do such a thing so easily! All hail Lalanoah! All hail!” I raised Lalanoah high as I praised her from the bottom of my heart.

“Huh? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, but it looks fun!”

“All hail Lalanoah!”

The elven children seemed amused by my cheering, so they joined in. With that as the spark, we had a fairly large crowd cheering in the end.

“All hail Lalanoah! All hail Lalanoah!” we shouted in unison.

“Mah!”

Lalanoah gave her best smile of the day. She must have been having fun being praised so much.

“Erm...could I be reimbursed for that target?” the instructor ventured.

“Ah, sure. My deepest apologies...”

I sincerely apologized and reimbursed the instructor with a specially ordered target.

◇ ◇ ◇

“...and that’s what happened. It was like my emotions were on a roller coaster. Oh man, this is exactly what they mean when they say the future is bright!”

Having finished my apologies and the work I’d done to reimburse them, I’d returned to the elder’s house with Lalanoah and Ruka. Then, I’d regaled Efil and the others with what had just happened.

“Lalanoah did all that?! W-Was anyone hurt?” Efil asked.

“No, no one was even in any danger. Even if something had exploded, I’d have detected it beforehand and stopped it. Lalanoah’s magic is amazing, though; she hit the target dead center, like pow! Right?”

“Uguuhh...”

Though I turned the conversation to Lalanoah, she seemed to be tired from using magic for the first time and was sound asleep. She was so excited just a moment ago too. Goes to show how much a baby’s emotions can sway in an instant.

“I... I see. That’s good to hear. But...if she did that out of nowhere, you need to scold her properly,” said Efil.

“Huh? Scold? Uh...no, while it was sudden, I just said that no one was hurt. Also, Lalanoah’s still a baby, so I think we should be praising her for how she used magic and—”

“Master,” Efil interrupted me, “you realize that if a child plays with fire, what a parent should do is scold them for it regardless of the circumstances, right? Praise them when it’s appropriate, but scold them properly when the time comes as well. I believe both sides must be in balance for a good upbringing. You’re right that Lalanoah is not even one year old yet, but it seems she can vaguely understand us. If you at least react disapprovingly, she should understand the nuance. I understand fully how deeply you love her, master, and I think it’s wonderful. However, I think that love should make you understand how important it is to have a tempered amount of strictness as well.”

“I... Well... Right... You’re totally right...”

I could do nothing but reflect in the face of Efil’s absolutely agreeable thoughts on education. She was right that, if this continued, I would do nothing but raise our daughter up, making me a terrible father. If I had to say, I’d be going down the Gustav Route. In other words, my overbearing love for my daughter would cause her to hate me...

No! I can’t allow that to happen! Efil’s right. As a father, I need to show her my stern side sometimes! If not, her future is in jeopardy!

“You look like you’re reflecting on this deeply, master, but can you really do what the chief maid just told you to do?” Ruka asked. “Given how you’ve been acting this entire time, I honestly can’t imagine it...”

“It’s not a question of whether he can do it,” said Efil. “It’s whether the seeds of awareness have been planted inside him. Master must feel a sense of danger for the future— Ahem... For Lalanoah’s future, so the more he cares about her, the more he’ll be aware of what he must do.”

“I see...” The first thing Ruka thought was, This chief maid is really good at her job. She’d meant that in a lot of ways and was deeply convinced of it. And why wouldn’t she be? I was too.

“Hah! Hah! Hah! It seems Kelvin-dono is the type to get whipped by his partners too!” said the elder.

“‘Too’? You said ‘too,’ father?” said Wial.

“Please, Wial, keep the bullying of your father in moderation...” Nellas begged.

His head was hung low, and we couldn’t help but laugh. It was such a peaceful and heartwarming scene. But then, an emergency suddenly erupted.

“Hm. It seems the elven elder is helpless against the will of his daughter. A truly heartwarming and smile-inducing sight,” said a voice.

That impressed interjection seemed to come out of nowhere. I turned to see a girl in a beret and military-style clothing standing there in the room with us.

“Hey...where’d you come from?” If I wasn’t seeing things, it was Gloria, one of the Ten Authorities and user of Gap.

Seriously, why are you here?

“Who are you?!” Elder Nellas exclaimed.

“Gloria Rozess,” she answered.

“She just named herself normally?!”

From the elves’ perspective, an unknown person had suddenly barged into their home. Anyone would be terribly surprised if that happened to them.

“Calm down, Elder Nellas. I can at least call her an acquaintance.”

“Ah...really?” he asked.

“Yeah. That’s basically our relationship. I formally apologize for not greeting you when I arrived,” said Gloria. “I should have come through the front door to maintain order, but judging from the barrier deployed in the surrounding forest, that would cause a fuss. I was given permission by Addams to use my Authority to literally take the shortest route here: I entered through that open window over there.”

“Oh, you’re right. It is open...” Nellas mumbled.

Got it. In other words, she used stealth to avoid trouble. She must have activated Gap above the forest, gone through, and finally gotten here through the window. Oh yeah, weren’t they pretty wary when Efil and I first came to the village? In the end, her entrance was a bit much, but if you only consider efficiency, I can understand why she used Gap to essentially erase the distance to get here.

“Wow, now that I’m getting a closer look, the intruder’s a pretty lady with a really snappy outfit! Is that the fashion that’s all the rage in the capital these days, father?!” Wial asked excitedly.

“Uh, no... All the rage? I’m not...” Nellas trailed off.

“Heh! I wouldn’t know about its popularity, but this has been my style since ancient times,” said Gloria. “By dressing like this, I can always be focused.”

“So you stick to your own style, regardless of the trends!” Wial exclaimed, impressed. “So stoic! So cool!”

Wial-san... Is it just me or are your eyes sparkling? No, wait. More importantly...

“So you were in such a hurry you had to get permission from Addams to use your Authority. Does that mean...something’s happened?” I asked.

“Well, something like that. I have a message for you from Addams and Maria,” Gloria replied.

“A message?”

“Indeed. Just now, the seven members who will be participating in the objection system have been decided,” Gloria reported.

I sucked in a breath in surprise. “Just now?!”

The entertainment event planned for the weddings—an objection system—had drawn quite a number of applicants. Enough that preliminary selections had needed to be held to determine the final participants.

Do you all really want to prevent my marriages that much? I wasn’t sure how to feel, my emotions torn between my battle junkie nature and my role as the groom. I’d asked for participant details to be hidden until the very end in order to savor the surprise, but...

“Has it been decided who’s participating in which ceremony?”

“It has, though there was a lot of argument. Would you like to hear the details?” Gloria asked.

“Ah, well...”

Personally, I wanted to save the surprise for the day of each event. But I made sure to give Efil a look, trying to communicate this to her and asking her a silent question.

“This is simply my personal opinion,” she answered, “but in this case we should eliminate as many unknown variables as we can. Considering what happened during the academy’s exhibition match and our battle with the Ten Authorities, I believe our opponents will be powerful ones. There’s no need to handicap ourselves. But most importantly, none of us will lose.”

“I thought that’s what you’d say.”

Efil was right. With Addams and Maria-level opponents on the other side, it would be pushing it to refuse information now. Efil had clearly said that we didn’t have the leeway to let our guard down.

Yeah, I’m of the same opinion in this case. Let’s give it our all, including any countermeasures we think up.

“Okay, I’ve decided: Tell us who is participating in which ceremony, Gloria.”

◇ ◇ ◇

After hearing the details from Gloria, Kelvin sent out telepathic messages to the rest of his party, informing them as well. The messages were sent in an instant, allowing them to discover who they would be facing.

Academic City Lumiest, Dorm Volcann

“Huh? My opponent... Is this true?” Rion cried in shock.

She’d been in her dorm room when she’d received the message and reacted with intense dismay before looking at her roommate and alleged best friend—Dorothy—for confirmation.

“Judging from your expression, Rion-san, you’ve been informed that I will be your opponent for the ‘entertainment’ section,” Dorothy concluded.

“Yeah, that’s right... But Thee-chan, are you serious about this? It’s not a joke, is it? You’re saying you object to my marriage to Kel-nii...” Rion said.

“It’s true. Normally, I would be giving you my blessing as your best friend. However, I cannot allow myself to simply celebrate this. Not until I ascertain Kelvin’s resolve through the objection system!” Dorothy declared and clenched her fist.

Rion immediately understood that she was serious. “I see. Okay. I don’t really get it, but I can tell that you’re serious about this. So I’ll accept your feelings! I’ll accept them and then overcome them with all my might!”

“Ah, no, er...personally, I intend to fight Kelvin-san, not you—” Dorothy started.

“No matter what, there’s no take backs in a battle, Thee-chan!” Rion exclaimed.

“Uh, okay...” Dorothy muttered in response.

Rion had learned from the Beast King, Leonhart, and was capable of mercilessly giving her all in any battle against other people, even good friends. Meanwhile, Dorothy was a little concerned that the battle she had signed up for had taken a slightly different direction than expected.

Trycen Castle, Shutola’s Room

“Hmm. So that’s who’s coming,” Shutola said.

While Rion was sharing her news, Shutola had received hers in her own room, which was crammed full of cute plushies. She’d been taking a break in her adult form, having finished all her office work upon returning, when she’d received the message from Kelvin. She hugged her life-sized Clotho plushie (not for sale) as she checked to see who she would be facing, and...

“So, Lunoir is my opponent. I have to say, that’s a little unexpected.”

Lunoir Victoria was Trycen’s former general of the Magic Knight Order. She also went by the name of “Ice Princess” Sylvia, a Rank S adventurer. Even the adult Shutola, with all her smarts, couldn’t predict that one of her best friends, whom she’d reunited with, would object to her wedding.

“Lunoir should be a guest general in Toraj right now. Does that mean Tsubaki is pulling her strings? No...if I had to say, she’s doing this of her own will. She’s an airhead like that. If I remember correctly, she took Kelvin’s words during her promotion ceremony mock battle to heart and is quite serious about killing him. If she’s still holding on to that promise...” Shutola sighed. “This is going to be some entertainment section. Even though she’s changed her name, Lunoir’s face is widely known in Trycen. I’ll need to think of some excuse...”

Despite her musings, she was actually quite happy that her friend was definitely coming to her wedding. In this case, it seemed participating in the objection event held a meaning similar to “Allow me to greet you.”

Grelbarelka Empire, Viktor’s Kitchen

“Hey, is it finished yet? I want to eat curry already!” Sera shouted.

Her voice resounded through her kitchen in the demon nation. She was looking directly at Viktor, who was currently wearing an apron and cooking. It seemed he was making curry, judging from Sera’s badgering, but what was inside his pot was obviously meat and potato stew—which was called “curry” on the Northern Continent. A devilish curry, if you will.

“Asking about it more won’t make it cook faster,” said Viktor. “Please just wait quietly, Sera-sama.”

“Awww, but that would be bori— Awright, it’s finally here!” Sera shouted. She’d interrupted herself, jumping out of her seat.

“Shouting like that is unbefitting of a lady, Sera-sama,” Viktor warned her.

“Gah, you’re as stuffy as ever, Viktor,” Sera answered, pouting. “Wait, now’s not the time for this! Kelvin just messaged us! The one objecting to my marriage has been decided!”

“Oh? Interesting. Then...who is it?” Viktor asked.

“Well, it looks like I’m going to be fighting Kuon!” Sera announced.

“Kuon... Ah, that new otherworlder,” said Viktor. “She must be quite strong to be able to push aside Gustav-sama.”

“Yep! It may be a mock battle with special rules made by Kelvin, but I want to claim total victory, so I’ll— Wait, that lack of reaction... Viktor, did you know about this before I did?” Sera asked.

“Urgk!” he grunted. As always, Sera’s intuition was on point. “Kheh... Kheh heh heh... I never could hide anything from you, Sera-sama. To tell you the truth—”

“Ah, I get it now!” Sera shouted, interrupting him. “Father took all Four Demonic Generals with him to the selection, didn’t he?! And you all failed in the preliminaries, didn’t you?!”

There was a pause before Viktor replied. “Sera-sama, could you at least wait for my full explanation before saying anything?”

Once again, Sera’s intuition was as on point as ever.

Leigant Ice Mountain, Angel’s Shelter

“Well, I guess I expected this to happen. Or rather, if she wasn’t my opponent, I would have suspected that something was wrong,” said Mel.

Past the clouds atop Leigant, the angels who had evacuated from Isla Heaven nodded in response to Mel’s reaction to the telepathic message.

“What happened, Mel-sama?! You seem uncommonly quiet! Would you like for me, Rafaelo, to bust out a special dance to liven things up?!” Rafaelo offered excitedly. He was the leader of all the angels here waving their glowsticks, and he almost fell over himself coming forward as if begging her to have him dance. He was normally a very stern person, but even he couldn’t help but get excited before the object of his personal worship: Mel.

“Wait! I should exhibit my dance of joy instead!”

“No, no, the obvious choice is my dance of gratitude!”

And he wasn’t the only one. Every angel in this shelter was excited. They were basically in festival mode. Put conservatively, the entire place was terribly noisy.

“Agh, shut up! You’re all pious angels; you should have more self-control!” Rafaelo shouted.

“You shut up, Rafaelo-sama! Why don’t you take your own advice?!” one angel countered.

“Yeah!” agreed the rest in unison.

“Don’t just say ‘yeah,’ you idiots! Sheep! If you don’t like it, try coming up with a better dance than mine!” Rafaelo argued.

“Oh, you’ve said it now!”

If this were a festival, it would be a festival of fighting. The angels were all equipped with their own self-made happi coats and glowsticks, arguing with each other in an unappealing display of selfishness. All this fervor was centered on Mel, and feathers were scattered all around, making their spot above the clouds uncomfortably sweaty.

If those participating have been set, that means she’s recovered enough power to make it through the preliminaries, Mel thought. Luquille, well done crawling out of the depths of despair.

However, even in the midst of this terrible swirl, Mel’s concentration did not waver. In fact, she used this hellish scene to refine her own will of steel. That was how strong her feelings about her wedding were—she was going all out to make it succeed.

Yes, I understand, she thought. I will accept your challenge. This fate was started by my dark side, DarkMel, and it will end with me. Wait, agh?! That’s right! I forgot to prepare that!

Immediately after, Mel put in an order for an extra-large wedding cake. As she was doing so, a waterfall of drool ran from her mouth, indicating how hungry she was.

Deramis, Great Cathedral of Deramis

The Great Cathedral of Deramis was a holy place, where Oracles of Deramis prayed. It was quiet as always and filled with a solemn air.

“Hey, this is... What?!” Colette exclaimed.

That silence was suddenly broken by the master of the cathedral, Colette. She was normally a perfect saint unless faced with Mel, Kelvin, or something of equal magnitude in her eyes. And yet, she let out a loud exclamation, which marked this as an extremely rare occurrence. Why was Colette so shaken? The cause was the same message that had been sent to everyone else: Kelvin’s report on who they would each be facing.

Colette’s wedding, to be held in Deramis, was no exception to the objection system, and one powerful winner of the preliminaries would be fighting them. Colette understood and accepted that much, of course, but the name she saw was a big problem.

“N-No, I could simply be mistaken. Calm down, Colette. Let’s confirm it one more time,” she said to herself. “The opponent facing us during my ceremony will be Mysterious Swordsman S. Who the heck is that?!”

Indeed. The name she saw was not a real one but an alias. Everyone else knew who they were fighting, but all Colette had was “Mysterious Swordsman S.” There was no point in even telling her that, since it offered no clue as to her opponent’s identity.

“Um, let’s just calm down. It’s not as if there are no hints. My opponent is a mysterious swordsman, and the name is S... All things considered, I would first think of Sylvia. But she’s fighting Shutola. Also, there’s no way she would do something this roundabout. Which leaves...” Colette muttered to herself.

After some time racking her brain, it seemed she was able to figure out her opponent from the clues given to her. There wasn’t a lot of information, but there would only be a few people capable of making it through the preliminaries. Colette boasted a sharp mind to rival Shutola’s, and it didn’t take long for her to find the answer.

“It couldn’t be...” she breathed.

“Ho there, you seem worried about something. If you’d like, I can listen to you, Colette.”

A voice suddenly came from behind her. And it just so happened that the owner of that voice was the person who had popped into her mind as a possible opponent. The timing was too perfect, and it turned her suspicions into certainty.

“The Great Cathedral is off-limits during this time when the Oracle prays. You should know this, Serge-sama,” she said.

Colette turned around to see exactly who she was expecting: Serge Flore, former Defender of the Apostles and self-proclaimed strongest Hero. But in truth, she was just a free spirit who wielded those titles whenever it suited her.

“Aww, no need to be so uptight. I am technically affiliated with Deramis, you know? Also, wasn’t there something you wanted to ask me? I can tell from your face!” Serge said teasingly.

Colette sighed. “You’re acting so suspicious, I’m actually starting to think I’m wrong. So allow me to be straight with you. Are you the Mysterious Swordsman S who is going to be fighting me at my wedding?”

Colette accentuated her accusation with a flourish, pointing straight at Serge, as though exposing a culprit in a murder mystery.

There was a pause before Serge replied. “Oh? And what makes you think that?”

“I don’t know why you hid your name, but you are one of the best—no, the best swordfighter in the world,” said Colette. “There aren’t many who have the strength to participate in this event. Also, your name has the initial S. And then you showed up here, with this timing? It’s too unnatural—everything seems to point at you. Am I wrong?”

“Oho, certainly. Those are very good reasons. A wonderful deduction!” said Serge. Her smile was bold as she nodded over and over, clapping as if praising Colette. However... “Heh heh heh, to tell you the truth...” Serge paused. “Too bad! You’re wrong! I’m not fighting you!”

“I see. I knew you were Mysterious Swordsman S— Wait, what?! I’m wrong?!” Colette shouted. “All this after leading me on so much?! Are you joking?!”

“Yes, I did lead you on, but I’m not joking,” said Serge. “Honestly. But I could give you a hint. Actually...”

Pub, Adventurer’s Guild Headquarters

“No, no, no! No... No, no, no! Why do I have to be the one?!” Ange screamed.

While Serge was giving out hints, Ange’s scream rumbled throughout the Director’s Room in the Adventurer’s Guild Headquarters. She’d come to tell Shin in person that she would be rejecting Pub as a venue for her ceremony. With perfect timing, though, the room froze over.

“Hey, what’s with you all of a sudden?” Shin asked. “Did you get a premonition of the world ending or something? Oh no, what should we do?” She was sitting across from Ange, enjoying a cigar.

“Oh, no. But I guess it’s kind of close to that for me personally,” Ange replied. “Maybe, anyway! Listen to this, Director Shin! My opponent for the objection thing is Maria-san!”

“Oh? Good for you. You pulled the jackpot; she’s just as strong as Addams,” said Shin.

“Not a jackpot!” Ange shouted in reply. “The exact opposite, actually! My abilities do nothing against her and her weird immortality! She’ll just regenerate her head no matter how many times I take it! This is the worst! She’s basically un-assassinate-able!”

“Well, the fight will probably only last seconds against that monster,” Shin admitted. “I can even imagine her counterattacking while having her head cut off.” She spoke in between puffs of her cigar, talking as if it were someone else’s problem.

“Jeez! You don’t care at all, do you?! You’re acting as if this has nothing to do with you!” Ange complained.

“I mean, it doesn’t,” said Shin.

“Boo! Boooooo!” Ange yelled.

“Agh, okay. Okay, I get it. Stop making so much noise. All this racket’s gonna stop me from finishing what little work I actually do. If you’re going to be like this, I guess I can give you some advice as someone who actually has experience fighting Maria.”

“Wow, I knew you’d come through, Director! You’re so reliable!” Ange gushed.

Her expression did a one-eighty, clearly communicating how much she’d been waiting to hear that.

This girl was aiming for it the entire time, wasn’t she? Shin thought suspiciously as she stubbed out her finished cigar in her ashtray.

“The thing to watch out for when facing a battle with Maria is...not to fight her!” Shin revealed.

“Aha, I see! That’s so useful!” Ange exclaimed before a pause. “So, what about your real advice?”

Shin answered with a confused noise. “I wasn’t joking, though... Seriously, it would be best to just give up.”

“You know what? Your advice is the joke!” Ange shouted, her despair deepening all at once.

“You say that, but she’s a monster that defies logic,” said Shin. “No matter how much damage you deal her, she’ll instantly recover. There’s nothing you can do. Even if you were able to reduce her HP to zero in one strike, you’d fail as long as there was a single speck of flesh left. And a battle of attrition is out too. Even if you fought for several weeks straight, you’d never even see a hint of her stamina or energy running out. You can’t even imagine that happening, right? Well, to be fair, a battle of attrition isn’t something that should be used for entertainment during a wedding anyway.”

“Urgk...” Ange muttered.

“On top of that, you’re done for if you take even a single hit from her,” Shin continued. “Maria has only shown a hint of her true strength, and that was already crazy enough. A light slap from her was enough to shatter my prized Jildora-made weapons. I can’t even imagine how crazy her speed would be if she were to go all out... Heh, just imagining it makes me want to throw up! Yeah, giving up would be best!”

“Urrghh...”

The more Ange listened to Shin talk, the more she could feel her chances of victory in this event slipping away. She was ready to cry.

“So that’s my advice,” Shin concluded. “What will you do? Give up? If you’re going to graciously concede, I can give you one of my cigars as a consolation prize.”

“Uggghhh... Yeah, okay, I knew it’d be like this! I get it now!” Ange shouted.

“Oh?”

Ange had looked back up the instant Shin had concluded her “advice,” and for some reason she seemed full of motivation. Her eyes were full of life, and she wore a defiant smile.

“I know best that Maria-san is crazy; I’m really good at estimating combat strength!” Ange declared. “But neither Kelvin nor I will give up! In fact, she can bring it on! I’m fired up! Winning an upset would be the best spice to liven up the ceremony!”

Shin was silent for a moment. “Heh, Riold has quite the stubborn little junior. Well, as your senior, I’ll be cheering you on. Do your best.”

“I will,” Ange replied. “’Kay, then, I gotta go think up some countermeasures!”

With that, she dashed out of the director’s office. She was hurrying as much as she could, even using her abilities to pass through the wall on her way out.

There was a beat of silence before Shin said, “Oh, fine. I have a debt for being selfish and stealing an eye, so I guess I can help Riold’s cute little junior out a bit.”

◇ ◇ ◇

Elven Village, Elder’s Abode

“Whew. This should take care of all the reports.”

I let out a sigh of relief after sending out all the messages. It wouldn’t have been all that tiring to just tell people their matchups, but every one had a lot of questions—especially Ange, who would be fighting Maria with me, and Colette, who thought her opponent’s name was a joke. There was quite a bit of back-and-forth, and even after all that, no problems were solved, which was why I was planning to head over to them.

Ah, actually wait. In Ange’s case, it feels like she’ll be coming to me? I need to confirm that.

“Good job, master. Have some tea,” said Efil.

“Ah, thanks, Efil.” I poured some of the tea Efil had made down my throat. Mmm, delicious! Efil’s tea is leagues apart from the rest.

“Are you sure you two should be taking it easy like that? You realize your opponent is Addams, right?” Gloria asked. “I think you should be worrying about yourselves before anyone else.”

She’d interrupted our enjoyment of this moment of peace with her warning, her brows furrowed.

“Ha ha! You might be right about that. That hurts,” I answered.

“You obviously didn’t mean any of that,” said Gloria. “What do you really think?”

“It was already decided from the beginning that Addams and Maria would be participating. Why would I be worrying now? I wouldn’t have suggested these events in the first place if I wasn’t prepared to fight them.”

“Hm, I suppose that’s true...”

I’m glad she gets it.

“Yes, I see,” she continued. “After all, you released me temporarily in the name of training. You’ve always been insane.”

I don’t like being thought of as a weirdo. You know I’m relatively normal for a Rank S adventurer, right?

“Personally, I’m more interested in knowing why none of you Ten Authorities, as subordinates of Addams, are participating. There were so many of you I was curious about, like Cheruvim, since our previous bout didn’t come to a satisfying conclusion, or Isabel, who Sera and Gerard could only barely overcome by merging together. Did you guys hold back on my account? You could have just come forward without worrying about that, you know.”

“What are you talking about?” Gloria asked after a pause to process what I’d said. “There was no restraint or consideration involved. We Ten Authorities were never interested in this piece of entertainment.”

“Huh? Really? Why?”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t lump us in with you as the type of person who’ll jump in no matter what if a fight is promised. When it comes to the two you specifically named, Cheruvim is needlessly fired up about being the Ten Authorities’ new leader. He doesn’t have time to participate. As for Isabel, she already thinks of your group as precious people to be protected. Why would she ever point her blade at you? That wouldn’t make sense to her, now would it?”

“Oh... Sure...I guess?”

Cheruvim aside, I really didn’t understand Isabel’s reasoning. Uh...does that mean she’s a pacifist or something?

“Ah, um, Gloria-san! Where did you buy that hat?” Wial asked. “I want one too, so please tell me!” She’d built up her courage while I was pondering, jumping out from the side to ask the question.

As always, I could only see her as the Beast King, so secretly, that scared me a little.

“This thing? I made it myself,” said Gloria. “I could have had Baldogg make it so it would be suitable for battle, but I never liked the look of any of the armor he designed.”

“The look?”

“Indeed. I didn’t like its appearance. He made those pieces to expose a lot of skin because for some reason it improved the armor’s defensive capabilities. It was totally incomprehensible and completely against public morals...mrmrssmfrssm...” Gloria devolved into convoluted muttering.

“Uh, um...Gloria-san?” Wial prompted her.

“Oh, ahem!” Gloria recomposed herself. “At any rate, that is why I tried my hardest to make this myself.”

“So...it really is handmade?!” Wial gushed. “Wowww, so it’s not just cool, it shows how much effort you put into sticking to your own style. How lovely...” Her eyes were sparkling even more now.

Wait, it’s definitely unexpected that Gloria sewed it herself. And seriously, late Baldogg? What the heck were you making?

“Hm... Okay, then how about this?” Gloria said. With that, she reached up, took off her beret, and placed it on Wial’s head.

“Huh?” At first, Wial didn’t understand what had happened. “Whaaat?! A-Are you sure?! This looks like it would be so expensive if it was sold at a store!”

“Heh! I’m glad you think so, but it’s not nearly that valuable. Also, I’ve got a huge stock of this same beret. Giving you this one won’t bother me.”

“Oh wooowww!” Wial gushed.

Gloria’s blazingly hot move melted Wial into a puddle of herself. But according to Analyze Eye, that beret was a Rank S item.

I never expected her to give it away. How generous of her.

“Yaaay! Thank you so much, Gloria-san!” Wial gushed. “I’ll treasure this hat! I’ll make it a family heirloom!”

“Do as you like.”

“Okay!” Wial exclaimed and turned to Nellas. “How do you like it? Does it suit me, father?”

“Uh, yes. It does,” Nellas replied, turning to Gloria. “But...erm, are you sure about this? Giving that hat away for free...”

“Heh, don’t worry about it,” said Gloria. “I simply thought it would suit the little girl, so I gave it to her. That’s all.”

She was hotter than anyone I’d ever seen at this point. Is she surprisingly good at looking after people?

“Hm... Even to my eye, that girl has an amazing talent for sewing,” said Efil. “I would like to have a match with her sometime.”

Oho, so even Efil is impressed. That beret really is a well-made piece. But what does she mean by sewing talent? And can you even have a match in sewing? Some sort of...sewing battle?

“Hey, Kelvin! I see that dumb face you’re making! You’re thinking something weird again, aren’t you?!” Gloria shouted. “If you’ve prepared yourself, then don’t make a face like that!”

“What do you mean? That’s just my normal face! And wait a second... Why do you only treat me this strictly?!”

“What do you think you’re saying? You decided to face Addams head-on. That is an incredible honor, of course. So it’s only natural to demand an equal amount of dignity from you as his enemy!” Gloria exclaimed. “Truly! You should learn from Efil; she is a walking embodiment of elegance and discipline!”

“That’s ridiculous!”

Speaking of discipline, Efil’s discipline at night is comparatively— No, nothing. Never mind. But still, I’d appreciate it if you’d show me even a tenth of the kindness you just showed Wial-san.

“What is with that look?” Gloria asked, breaking the momentary silence that had settled after I sank into thought. “Do you have any motivation at all? You’re so hopeless! I’ll beat some drive into you! Name anything you need to motivate yourself! I will do anything within my power!”

“Uh, whaaat?!” Gloria-san?! I know what I just thought, but you shouldn’t say something like that so lightly!

“What are you spacing out for?! Now, state your wish!” she shouted.

“Oh, you’re being serious! Uh, er...let’s see... I guess if you told me what Authority Addams has, it would help motivate me...maybe?”

“You want to know what Authority Addams has? I can easily tell you, so listen closely!” Gloria exclaimed.

“Ah, thought not. Sorry, I know I was pushing it with that que— Wait, whaaat?! You’ll tell us?! Really?! Why?!”

I was pretty seriously confused at this point. I couldn’t help but let out a barrage of retorts, hurting my recently moistened throat.

“Why? Because it’s not a secret,” said Gloria. “I don’t know how it is in this era, but during the old war, his Authority was pretty well-known.”

“Uh, really?”

Wait, does this mean Mel knows too?

::I am a young god, honey. Yes, a peachy little young god. Ancient common knowledge does not apply to me. While I was tasked with managing his seal as the Goddess of Reincarnation, I was never told anything about Addams. Please direct your complaints to the chief god, who never brought this up when the job was handed to me,:: Mel messaged me defensively through the Network. She must have read my heart from the far reaches of where she was.

I... I see. So none of that was part of the handover. But...peachy, you say? Oh no, never mind.

“Uh...then I guess I’ll happily listen? I want to do everything I can. Of course, I’ll wring out as much motivation as I can. And I’ll do my best to be elegant too.”

“Heh! Finally, there’s a better look in your eye,” said Gloria. “Very well. If you’re going to go that far, I’ll tell you everything I know. Addams has the Authority of Education. He has the power to guide all living things, whether they be gods or mortals.”

◇ ◇ ◇

At the same day and same time, deep in a secluded mountain, a ritual was being held in the depths of a hidden cave.

“Good. Isabel-chan put up a barrier at the entrance, so no one should find us. It feels like we’re doing something naughty; it gets my heart going! Like boom boom!”

The voice’s owner squealed cutely with a wide smile. Her name was Maria Illegal, a powerful vampire from another dimension and another world. She was to be Ange’s opponent during the objection part of her ceremony.

“Indeed. We are in a secluded environment, shrouded by Isabel’s soundproof barrier. No matter what noise we make, no one will hear. As a normal person, it feels like we’ve just made a secret base, and I’m secretly excited.” The deeply dignified voice ended with a rumbling chuckle—it was owned by a rather satisfied-sounding Addams. He was the Wicked God, the only one feared by the chief god and the assigned opponent for Efil’s ceremony.

“Yes, this is quite the lovely location. And allow me to thank you again. This is just a bit of selfishness on my part, and you still did all this for me... It is unusual for me to feel so excited about anything other than Melfina-sama, but I am!” The owner of this third voice did in fact sound very excited despite the fact that her hands and feet were bound so she couldn’t move at all. Her name was Luquille, a crazed fanatic of Mel’s whose faith had been twisted terribly. She was also Mel’s assigned opponent for the wedding ceremony.

“Um, are we really going to do this? I know I love gambling and my Authority reflects that, but I really do think this is one risk we shouldn’t take. Honestly, I’m creeped out, and I’m a true-blue gambler. Which...actually means this is a really good bet!” This voice came from a little ways away, its owner hiding behind a rock. This gambling addict’s name was Patrick Pluto, god of destiny and gambling. He was not participating in the objection system. However...he was necessary for this ritual—a very important member, in fact.

This was a group of four consisting of a self-proclaimed normal person, a self-proclaimed idol vampire, the self-proclaimed greatest supporter of Melfina, and a generally accepted gambler. These four were completely different from each other, but they’d gathered in this remote place, as said before, to conduct a ritual. A ritual to strengthen Luquille.

“Hey, are you sure about this, Luquille-chan?” Maria asked. “In the worst case, you could die in this dim little cave. A very, very painful and violent death, at that. It would be pretty dramatic, in a sense, but...I don’t want to see a cute girl like you meet such a grisly end.”

“Hee hee hee! Saying things you don’t mean with a full-faced smile like that won’t work. Indeed, it doesn’t resonate in my heart at all,” said Luquille. “More important than any fear of death is my need to be more powerful for the short duration of the wedding. Now, no need to hold back—no matter how much I scream, do not stop. Go through with this to the very end!”

It was probably impossible to break Luquille’s joyous smile, no matter what anyone said. Maria and the others seemed to realize that, as they stopped asking for confirmation.

“Then before we get started, let’s review the steps,” Maria said. “This is a ritual to strengthen Luquille-chan, and the first step is—you guessed it, a transfusion of Maria-chan’s blood!”

With that, Maria whipped her tail about, cutting off one of her own arms. Of course, a large amount of blood gushed out of the severed stump, but other than a startled Patrick, no one present paid the violent act any mind.

“My Unique Skill, Sage’s Blood, resides within my actual blood,” Maria explained. “Multiple generations of first-rate mages would find it impossible to use up even a drop of this blood; that is how much magic power is packed inside it. Of course, it has many other effects too. If you can use it well, it’s possible to re-create immortality or even bend laws and providence to your whims to make the impossible possible. Essentially, it’s a really amazing thing that you can use any number of ways!”

Maria finished that by muttering cheekily to herself that handling it wrong could end in a fate worse than death.

“From what I, as a normal person, can see, Maria’s blood can totally destroy this world’s power balance if it were to be used for something even as simple as a medium for magic or experimentation. If you were to take this into your body, you could expect a definite increase in your strength,” said Addams. “However, there are heavy disadvantages too. If you cannot adapt to Maria’s blood—”

“It could lead to a gruesome death, as I was just told, no?” Luquille interrupted him. “Heh... Hee hee hee! Once again, how wonderful! So, I can get closer to Melfina-sama’s level only by risking a downside of that scale?!”

Finally, Luquille’s emotions were heightened enough for her to start crying. Though this ritual had once been done deep within Trycen’s castle by Tristan as a way to torture Clive, Luquille—the former general of the Magic Knight Order—was currently in a place where she would happily accept it. That showed just how fired up her dark faith was, to place her twisted trust in such a thing.

“That alone is already a huge gamble, but you’re pushing your luck even more, aren’t you?” said Patrick. “The second step is for me to use my Authority to maximize the effect of this whole thing! Don’t you think that’s ridiculous? It’s true that the chances of succeeding aren’t zero, but who would rely on my Authority a second time after managing to make out like a bandit the first time around? Don’t you think that you’re more worthy of being the god of gambling than me at that point? Honestly, this entire enterprise is insane.”

“How strange of you to say, Patrick,” said Luquille. “The power to make my dreams into reality is right there, as long as I go through the barrier of random chance. If I don’t use it now, when will I ever?”

“Oh come on, you nearly died the first time,” said Patrick. “I’ll support you as a fellow gambler, but that doesn’t stop me from being worried for a friend.”

“Leave it there, Patrick. She will not change who she is no matter what you say. You know that better than anyone,” said Addams.

“Yeah, well...yeah...” Patrick reluctantly agreed. His answer was awkward, though, probably because he was talking to his former boss whom he had betrayed.

“Heh! No need to be so worried,” said Addams. “The first step is Maria’s blood. The second is Patrick’s Authority. And no matter the results, I—as a normal fellow—will use my power to lead it all in a good direction. That is my purpose for being here.”

“Huh? I heard about this before. You’re talking about your Authority, right, Addams?” Maria asked. “If I remember right, it’s called Education or something like that? It’s the power of a wicked god, so it’s gotta be amazing, right? Is it amazing? I’m so curious!”

“Oh no, my Authority isn’t much,” said Addams. “It only allows me to help those I recognize as below me make their talents bloom to the fullest in the correct direction. The powers I helped raise among the Ten Authorities were called Authorities, and while the others may have thought they were given by my normal self, they were nothing more than abilities they had always held within, brought to their rightful state. This time, I will be guiding Luquille’s strength to its best state.”

“Wait, then doesn’t that completely eliminate the chance that I’ll die?” Luquille asked. “People grow only because they take risks with real and terrible consequences.”

“You really are better suited to be the god of gambling, Luquille...” Patrick muttered.

At any rate, Luquille’s strengthening ritual was now underway.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Okay, then! Let’s get started! Blood injected!” Maria said in a singsong lilt. As she did, she stabbed Luquille in the gut with her tail to inject the blood. Every time the tail pulsed, the veins in Luquille’s body would pop out unnaturally.

“Grk...uugghhh... Agg—ghaaaah!”

Luquille’s expression was filled with agony as her blood vessels became visible. The more her vessels bulged, the louder she screamed. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she started crying blood. Quite honestly, she was not doing well. Since she was restrained by chains, she wasn’t affecting her surroundings, but without them she would likely have been thrashing around in pain, destroying the cave.

“These magically made chains sure are tough, as one would expect of Isabel-chan the barrier specialist. This feeling of safety is great!” Maria exclaimed happily.

“H-Hey, shouldn’t you stop there, Maria-chan?” Patrick hesitantly asked. “It feels like it would be bad if you pumped in too much blood...”

“Oh, don’t worry, it’ll be fine. Luquille-chan herself told me to go all out, and this is just me eyeballing it, but I think she can take some more!” Maria replied happily.

“Um...really? Actually, wait, didn’t you just cut your arm off? You’re not going to use the blood that came out of there?” Patrick asked.

“Aha ha, that was just for show,” Maria said. “What use would trying to dump a bunch of blood down her mouth be? It’s much more efficient to inject it straight from my tail. Look, my arm’s already back to normal, see?” With that, she showed off the arm she’d just severed, proving that it had fully healed. There wasn’t any trace of the wound left.

“More importantly, Patrick, should you not get ready too?” Addams asked. “This is the perfect time to use your Authority.”

“Oh, right! Yes! I hereby manifest my Authority! And now, put your soul into the dice roll!” Patrick shouted.

After transforming, he rolled the dice using his Authority, hoping to support Luquille as much as possible by obtaining the best result possible.

“Together, my dice make a d100, meaning there are up to a hundred different results!” Patrick explained. “The lower the result, the better fate will go for us, while the higher the number, the worse the fate that awaits us! The exception is a roll of 100, which is special and is completely unpredictable! When these were rolled before, Maria-chan was summoned!”

“Huh? Izzat so?” Maria responded with interest. “So we’re aiming for a 100?”

“Why would you try to make this even more of a gamble?!” Patrick exclaimed. “We’re obviously aiming for a 1!”

“Hrm...” Addams muttered.

The trio watched the dice roll as Luquille screamed and writhed in agony. They rolled and bounced, eventually losing momentum and...

“Ah! Crap...” Maria let out before the dice fully stopped.

“Uh, erm...Maria-chan? Is it just me or did you say something really ominous? Is something wrong?” Patrick asked.

“Oh, no, nothing’s wrong,” Maria replied. “I absolutely did not just pour more blood into Luquille-chan than I meant to because I was so distracted by the dice or anything.”

“Yeah, you definitely did! You definitely got distracted and made a mistake, didn’t you?!” Patrick exclaimed.

He was most likely right. Maria reacted with panic, retracting her tail and averting her eyes in guilt.

“Gah... Buh... Bah!” Luquille burbled.

“Luquille’s been making a face no beautiful woman should be making for a while now! And those sounds she’s letting out...” Patrick said worriedly.

“Uhhh, err, ughh... I only put in a little extra, so I think Luquille-chan can still handle it given how persistent she is! Yeah!” Maria said.

She made her excuses vigorously but still refused to meet anyone’s eyes.

“Oh crap! This is bad!” Patrick shouted.

“Hm... This certainly is a difficult situation,” said Addams. “But more importantly, the dice are about to stop.”

“Ah, right! If the dice turn up a good result here, it could still work out! Like, she could get even stronger with the extra blood! Oh god of fate, god of gambling, please bless these dice!” Patrick exclaimed.

“Hey, aren’t you praying to yourself there?” Maria pointed out.

“Okay, then I’ll be the one to bless the dice! Come on, look, I’m blessing you, my dice! So be good!” Patrick shouted. He put on a forced smile, and the dice finally stopped.

The result was...91.

“Gaaahh!” Patrick screamed. He fell to the floor upon confirming the result. It wasn’t the special result like before and not a low number like they wanted. A roll of 91 was, in fact, almost the exact opposite of what they were aiming for.

“Ah! Maybe my eyesight suddenly got a lot worse and I’m seeing it wrong? Yeah, that’s definitely a possibility. Likely, even,” said Patrick.

With that excuse, he checked the result over and over, but nothing changed. The number was 91, meaning they would be met with the worst of fates.

“Gah! Gagagagagagagagagaw!”

“L-Luquille?!”

The screams Luquille had been letting out, which had barely been identifiable as her voice, suddenly became something completely different—a strange laugh that made one’s hairs stand on end. The voice was no longer hers and sounded as if it were being made by some unknown monster.

“Ah, this might be really, really bad,” said Maria. “Looks like my blood is going totally berserk. Hm...even my blood is sprightly!”

“Oh sure, you can act casual about this. I’m basically the one who put the nail in the coffin!” Patrick exclaimed.

“Gakyakyakyakyakya!”

While Patrick was steeping in his regret, Luquille continued to change, not just in voice but in body as well. Her flesh swelled greatly, morphing her from an angel into something much more monstrous. There was no longer the faintest trace of her divine good looks, only some golden hair still clinging to her head. Since she was still bound in chains, her swelling flesh grew around it, looking painful and constrained.

Patrick had been plunged into the depths of despair after losing the gamble, and Maria seemed to be feeling quite guilty as well. Basically, the group had given up.

Among them, only Addams was still calm. “You may think this surprising,” he said after a moment’s pause, “but as a normal person, I am into pottery. Even before the great war, I would spend my free time working with clay.” He had calmly started talking about his hobby for some reason.

“Huh?”

“What? Uh, er, Addams, what are you talking about?”

“I am just a normal person talking about his hobby, which happens to be pottery. Or would its wonderful nature come across better if I were to describe it as the noble art of pursuing the ideal form with one’s hands?”

Both Maria and Patrick reacted in unison with visible and audible confusion. Unfortunately, what Addams was saying wasn’t getting through to them.

“The materials can be anything,” Addams continued. “If the materials are bad, that contains its own charm, while good materials increase one’s options. And if you add scent to the work, it brings out a whole new facet to the hobby. Clay is a truly excellent material with infinite possibilities. The shapes it can be made into are truly limitless. My Authority, Education, is much the same. Now, Luquille, the fragrance of Maria’s blood has been added to your powerfully twisted faith, obsession, and vengeful heart and been presented to me...so be proud. This odd material is something not even my normal self has ever seen. Ah, what a good material. I can make something extraordinary with this.”

With that, he gently laid a hand on Luquille’s monstrous form.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Hm?”

Right after hearing Gloria’s explanation of the Authority that Addams held, I thought I felt an ominous aura coming from the south. I knew that south of the elven village was Parth...

No, it’s farther away than that...I think?

It was nothing but a vague feeling, so I couldn’t be sure.

“What’s wrong, Kelvin? You look like you’ve got a bad feeling about something...or maybe not?” Gloria ventured.

“How can you be so on point? Is my face really that easy to read?”

“Well, compared to Addams, whose face you can’t even see, I guess it is.” Gloria nodded in agreement with herself.

Okay, yeah. Compared to Addams, my face is definitely easy to read.

“To answer your question, I just felt something hard to describe coming from that direction. It was only for a moment, so I was wondering if it was just a figment of my imagination. Hm...no, something is definitely niggling at me. Did either of you two feel anything? Efil? Gloria?”

“Are you talking about something like a strange presence?” Gloria asked before searching her memory. “No, I didn’t detect anything special.”

“My apologies, master,” Efil replied. “I also did not feel anything in particular.”

“I see...”

Then it really was just my imagination? Hm... If only Sera with her incredible intuition or Catria with her extremely good detection skills were here, I could get a better reading, but there’s nothing I can do about that. Sera’s staying on the Northern Continent, and Catria is probably still at the Academy over on the Western Continent, so they’re both too far away. There’s no way—

::Honey! Did you feel something ominous just now too?! Like, for just an instant! I feel like it came from the southern part of the Eastern Continent!:: Mel suddenly messaged me through the Network.

Wait a second. You should be in Leigant on the Western Continent right now, I thought privately. You’re much farther away than me, so how were you able to feel it? No, wait...maybe it’s because this had something to do with Mel?

I switched gears to reply telepathically. What a coincidence. I’m in the elven village, and I thought I felt something coming from the south too. I’m with Efil, though, and she didn’t feel anything. What do you think, Mel?

::So only the two of us felt it... Right. Maybe, for example, whoever was the source has some strong feelings toward us, which is why it was especially easy for us to sense. Like, they may be surrounded by a barrier that hides them, but their feelings are so strong, they’re able to leak out or something?:: Mel suggested.

Uh...well, the only one that would fit such a specific scenario would be Luquille, wouldn’t it? Though if you ask whether her feelings are positive or negative, they’re definitely negative, I replied.

::You’re right. And if you factor in what we know, I believe Addams and Maria are with her too,:: Mel added.

Yeah. They’re not the type to stay quiet until the ceremony, after all... I answered.

Luquille had recovered from a near-death state that healing magic could not help in a short time, managing to win a spot in my weddings’ objection system. It was impressive, given that she was still recovering. But I didn’t believe that fanatic was satisfied. Most likely she was shaving away at the life we had saved once again, trying to obtain more power.

And there was no way Addams and Maria would leave her alone with her intense greed for strength. There were so many possibilities that I couldn’t guess whether they were helping for some deep reason or just on a whim, but I was sure they were helping. Yeah. I’m definitely sure, if she really is trying what I think she’s trying, I thought.

Well, as long as she doesn’t do anything bad, I welcome whatever she makes use of to get stronger, I told Mel through the Network. Still, hmm... Luquille’s going that far to become stronger. If that’s the case, we should do our best to prepare for the event as well!

::You’re plotting something, aren’t you, honey?:: Mel said flatly.

::Mah!::

::See? Even Lalanoah is fed up with— Wait, Lalanoah? Can Lalanoah use the Network too?:: Mel asked.

Huh? I replied dumbly through the Network.

::Hawh?::

Ah, it’s true, I thought to myself in realization. At some point, Lalanoah had woken up and was participating in our telepathic conversation. Wait, WHAAAT?!

::Um, honey?:: Mel asked.

Oh, yeah, sorry. I was just a little surprised, I answered. No, wait another second. I know I gave her a Clotho clone for protection, but I never taught her how to use the Network!

::Which means she discovered it on her own? Um...Lalanoah can’t crawl or speak or anything yet, right?::

No, she’s only just learned to hold her head up. But this means Lalanoah really is a genius! To tell you the truth... I started rambling to Mel, telling her in great detail about how Lalanoah had obtained bow magic.

::Huh... I see. So that happened... And now, she’s learned on her own how to access the Network,:: said Mel.

::Augh!::

You are so talented, Lalanoah! I gushed over the Network.

::Honey, our DarkMel is a genius too, okay?! She’s a prodigy, the youngest to ever be admitted to Lumiest!:: Mel said competitively.

Well...yeah? I replied.

Every once in a while, I got the impression that Mel was just as much of a doting parent as I was. But at any rate, all thoughts of the ominous presence disappeared as our telepathic conversation was taken over by talk of DarkMel and Lalanoah.

::Whew, that was a good use of time. Spending time like this isn’t bad every once in a while between training sessions,:: Mel commented.

Training sessions? Didn’t you go to the evacuation shelter in Leigant to prepare for our wedding? I asked.

::That was part of the reason, but I couldn’t allow myself to lose to Luquille too. So I’m going to get back to training-slash-preparing for the wedding. Don’t you dare lose to Lalanoah, honey, you hear me?::

With those final words, Mel cut the connection. I wasn’t sure how well I understood what was going on, but it sounded like she was doing her best. But yeah, I still don’t really get it... I thought.

“Were you having a conversation through the Network, master?” Efil asked.

“Yeah. Just finished. Mel contacted me, and we ended up being surprised that Lalanoah can use the Network too.”

“Lalanoah? That... The potential of our child is frightening, isn’t it?” Efil commented. “Also, cutting in on someone else’s telepathic conversation is a breach of etiquette. I need to teach her proper manners!”

“Ah, that’s your problem with it?”

It seemed like Efil was more fixated on the future than surprised by the present. She really does have a good head on her shoulders, huh? Then I should fix my gaze on the future too, no matter how reckless it is.

“Do you have any plans from now until the weddings, Gloria? If you’ve got time, I’d appreciate it if you would help us train. Erm...if possible, I’d like the other Ten Authorities to join too.”

Despite having harassed her quite thoroughly with our last bit of training, I was still asking Gloria to help. I was expecting to be refused, but if there was even the tiniest chance of training with them, that meant I would be able to experience their Authorities daily.

That’ll help. That’ll help so much!

“Training? Sure, I don’t mind,” Gloria replied. “I don’t know if Cheruvim will come, considering how busy he is, but I’ll put a word in with Isabel and Rem.”

“Oh come on, don’t say that. I know I’m being unreasonable here, but I just want to do all I can and— Wait, WHAAAT?! Are you sure?!”

I was utterly shaken by her completely unexpected agreement. You’re being way too amenable today! Is something wrong?!

“Right now, everyone other than Cheruvim is pretty free. Helping you train would be a better use of time than wallowing in laziness, that’s all,” said Gloria. “Also, I’m pretty sure Isabel will be happy to help if you really want to train. She loves it when those under her care have lofty ambitions. As for Rem...well, she’ll probably help. She’s surprisingly cooperative, after all.”

“Ohhh!”

I’d felt I had to try asking, and surprisingly, it had worked. Not only that, but I’d even managed to enlist the help of Isabel and Rem.

Hot damn! Gloria is looking more and more like a real goddess! She’s shining so brightly to my eyes!

“Uh...I don’t think it’s right to look at me like that with one of your wives right there,” said Gloria. “Then again, I know what’s written about you in the Adventurer’s Directory, so I guess I get it.”

“Master?” Efil said ominously.

“Huh? Uh, no, you’re wrong! Absolutely wrong! It wasn’t that kind of look! It was a look of gratitude!”

Immediately after, I was pressured by Efil’s smile into some deep repentance.

◇ ◇ ◇

Several months passed quickly since the day Kelvin was made to reflect. During that time, everybody proceeded with preparations for their ceremonies while also training, learning, and cultivating their faith even further. They also ate curry, asked for seconds, and—at any rate, Kelvin did as much as he felt he could, taking on tasks that seemed to need his presence.

Rumors of the wedding ceremony of the newlywed Kelvin and his seven wives spread steadily throughout the world due to the fame of the average Rank S adventurer. The Eastern Continent was a given, since it was where almost all the ceremonies were concentrated, but information spread from Lumiest and Pub throughout the Western Continent as well.

“Hey, did you hear? That Rank S adventurer, Kelvin, is getting married soon. And to seven wives, at that!”

“Whaaat?! He’s taking that many wives? Come on, he’s not royalty or some major noble or anything. That’s gotta be way too greedy!”

“Oh, you don’t know? Rank S adventurers are basically nobles. They don’t belong to any nation, but apparently they are given titles that can’t be inherited from the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“Wait, really? But...doesn’t taking seven wives at once still make him a huge womanizer?”

“Well, of course it does,” said the other two in unison.

It seemed like the accuracy of the rumors differed greatly depending on location, with the worst areas claiming Kelvin was forcing the women into marriage. While one-on-one marriages were normal, one-on-seven marriages like this one were pretty much unheard of, so of course people found it suspicious. Also, Kelvin’s entry in the Adventurer’s Directory was easy to misunderstand, allowing people to say whatever they wanted in bars and the like. There were always those who willingly and knowingly spread false information as well.

The silver lining in all this was that negative rumors only spread in very limited areas. Places with connections to Kelvin or that knew how to treat Rank S adventurers would likely never spread such misinformation. For example, the kingdom of Faanis, which Kelvin had once visited, reacted to this information like so:

“Huh, whaaat?! Grim Reaper Kelvin is getting married soon?! How did you miss such important information until now, minister?! This concerns the survival of our kingdom!”

“R-Right, my liege! You see, the ceremonies are concentrated on the Eastern Continent, so it took some time for information to spread to the Western Continent!”

An argument between the king of Faanis and its minister was in full swing before any action had even been taken.

“Also, it seems invitations have only been sent out to a number of related people, and the weddings have not been officially announced yet—” the minister started.

“Agh, stop with the petty excuses!” the king interrupted. “Though he only stayed for a short time, Kelvin and his party are friends with our kingdom! What will you do if we upset them because we failed to congratulate them at all?! It’ll be a major problem!”

“Then we should prepare something posthaste!” the minister declared.

“Wait!” the king cried before pausing to think. “There are seven ceremonies, all in different places, yes?”

“Indeed. That is what I’ve heard,” the minister agreed.

“Hm... Then we should customize our messages for each ceremony. We must thoroughly research the wives’ preferences and personalities as well as the locations of each event to color our wedding presents. Make this the highest priority for our civil officials! This is a state matter!” the king declared.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” the minister responded.

“Also, make sure no bad rumors spread about them among our citizens! Rank S adventurers have hellishly sharp ears, and we have no idea who’s listening! Absolutely do not allow any slander against Grim Reaper! Seriously, it’s crazy how quickly they catch on! I swear it’s insane what Bakke can do!!! I don’t want to be punished again!!!” the king shouted ardently. Very ardently.

“You’re being too loud, my liege!!! The queen will hear you!!!” The minister was equally loud.

Wow, they’re so loud... multiple people in their surroundings thought.

Although they got into a fairly loud argument, in the end the pair was able to calm down and deal with the situation properly. Later on, Kelvin would say that, as always, Faanis was very conscientious, and he couldn’t believe the king had married Bakke, of all people.

Meanwhile, the peaceful town of Parth, which was Kelvin’s home, had been incredibly noisy for several days now. The entire town was awash with a festive atmosphere, surprising the visitors who occasionally arrived.

“Huh? Is there some sort of festival going on today?”

“What, you don’t know? Our hero, the Rank S adventurer Kelvin, is going to get married here. It’s been like this for days since the information spread.”

“A wedding? Seriously?! I know Rank S adventurers are amazing people, but it’s just one wedding. I would understand if it were the royalty of an entire kingdom, but this has got to be an exaggeration.”

“I should be saying ‘seriously?’ to you! You really don’t know? Kelvin’s wives-to-be include Princess Shutola of Trycen and Colette-sama of Deramis.”

That gave the visitor pause. “What? Trycen and Deramis? You mean that Shutola-sama and Colette-sama the Oracle?”

“Yes, those two! Oh, and just so you know, this is real. There are two major countries involved, and those with very promising futures too. Do you understand how big this is now?”

“Y-Yeah. Honestly, I can barely believe it, but...”

“That’s understandable for your first time hearing about it. But this marriage will strengthen a lot of the ties between countries here on the Eastern Continent. After all, Kelvin is good friends with Gaun in the north and Toraj in the south as well.”

“Gaun and Toraj are involved too?!”

“Ha ha ha! That’s a good shocked face! Oh man, it’s been so scary lately with Demon Lords and whatnot, but now it’s like that was all a lie. Kelvin’s amazing!”

While residents of the town were celebrating, they were also expecting this wedding to herald lasting peace. Many were thinking that no matter what happened between countries, Kelvin would serve as a good mediator. But the figure all these hopes rested on was someone who wished for conflict most in the world. Life was funny like that.

“Well, while we’re all hoping for it, Kelvin’s a dyed-in-the-wool battle junkie, so who knows when he’ll go rumbling for a tumbling! And to think all of that led to peace! The world is strange, isn’t it?”

This only confused the visitor. Of course, residents of the town knew Kelvin’s preferences very well, and still they were hoping...

◇ ◇ ◇

With Parth in a state of celebration, the bars and inns were naturally flourishing. The Fairy’s Song was no exception. In fact, they were doing better than most.

“Still, everyone’s talking about Kelvin, huh?”

“Efil-chan and Lady Sera are getting married, aren’t they? And Ange-chan’s in there too... Aaagh, I’m so jealous!”

“Right...”

“Hm? You seem a bit down, Molotoy. Are you okay? We’ve been slammed with work recently, I know. But thanks to you, we were able to get through okay today. Good job, my guy!”

“And you seem to be really energetic, even though we just finished a job, oh fearless leader. Jeez, you got way too excited about work just because you became a Rank A adventurer and took too much on.”

“Yeah! Finishing quests is fine and all, but you should pay attention to your family sometimes too!”

“Meanwhile, we’re as single as always...”

In the midst of a string of successes, Parth’s second-most iconic adventurers after Kelvin—Uld’s party—visited the Fairy’s Song. They had passed their promotion exam and become Rank A adventurers, so they were filled with motivation and had been doing very well recently. All that connected to real achievements, and they were continually completing high-difficulty quests and showing off their stuff.

“You guys’re depressed again? We finally became Rank A,” said Uld. “Come on, you should be more positive.”

“You say that, but you’re just way too positive, boss.”

“Yeah! We’re stuck doing high-difficulty quests in place of Kelvin’s party, since they’re off traveling the world! I thought you’d gone crazy when you suggested that.”

“Yep. I was shocked too, honestly. Well, we’re Parth’s top adventurers if you ignore Kelvin, so I bet you were just trying to do your part.”

“You’re such a good guy, boss. Kelvin trusts you too, and you’re the only one among us who’s married. You even have a kid... Urgh, now I’m getting sad...”

“The tragedy of us not getting any more popular even though we’re Rank A now...”

The rest of the party sank into silence.

While Uld’s two party members steeped in their depression, for some reason, the third silently looked off somewhere else.

“Hm? Hey, Molotoy? Is it just me or did you look away just now?”

“N-No, I didn’t. Yeah. I definitely didn’t,” Molotoy replied.

“Something’s off. You were acting weird earlier when we were talking about Kelvin’s marriage too... Ah! I bet you found someone nice, leaving us all alone!”

“Whaaaat?! When?! When and how did you manage to meet someone?! No forgiveness!”

The two single party members raised their voices, hurt by Molotoy’s betrayal. They even started crying. They were like walking powder kegs—or maybe not, but still, Uld got in between them, desperately trying to defuse the situation.

“Hey! Calm down, you two! We should be congratulating our friend, not fighting—” he started.

“You bastard! Good for you! Don’t you dare let her go!”

“You traitor! It’s my treat today! Feel free to eat or drink anything!”

“Uuugh...thank you, everyone! I... I’ll do my best to make her happy!” Molotoy shouted.

“Between ourselves,” Uld finally finished. “Yeah, good. That’s the way. Phew, that surprised me!”

In the end, the party made up with surprising speed. It was so sudden that Uld’s shock actually showed in his voice.

“You know how dumb your face looks right now, boss? We’re Rank A already, so you gotta do a better job of keeping up appearances.”

“O-Oh, yeah. Sorry...” Uld muttered.

“Shape it up, boss. Ah, you’ve got a wife and kids to worry about, so let us cover his bill! In exchange, you should buy Clare a present sometime!”

“Uh...should I?” Uld asked.

“This might be a bit hasty, but I’m counting on you to give a speech at the wedding, boss. I know we’re about the same age, but I look up to you!” Molotoy exclaimed.

There was a pause before Uld replied, “Okay.”

Uld realized that his spirit was so weak despite his muscular looks that his three party members had to worry about him. At this point, he was often the one learning from them. People really do grow up all of a sudden, he thought. It was one of the most irreplaceable joys of being a party leader to him.

“How long are you guys going to block the entrance?! Come on, step aside already! We’re busy, you know!” Clare shouted.

“Grwfh?!” Uld and his party grunted in pain.

Naturally, no matter how moving their exchange was, they wouldn’t be allowed to stand at the entrance of the establishment, blocking traffic. Clare, the proprietress of the Fairy’s Song, kicked them to the curb, sending Uld and his party flying.

“Ahhh! Uld-san and his party were thrown so far!”

“Dang that woman is strong!”

“Huh? Aren’t those people Rank A adventurers?”

“Seriously? One blow that looked like a slap cleaned up an entire Rank A party?”

“Hey now, what kind of power was behind that hit?”

“Heh! I know because I’ve been staying here for many years. She’s stronger than any adventurer around.”

“Wow, that’s crazy!”

Seeing that feat of strength was so shocking, the bar’s patrons were still reeling.

“Owww... Clare, you realize we just got back from a job, right? Couldn’t you cut us a little slack?” Uld asked.

“W-We agree with our boss...” the other members all said in unison.

They looked surprisingly okay for having received such a blow. They’d flown several meters between the tables of the bar, but they didn’t seem particularly hurt.

“What’re you saying? I held back plenty already,” said Clare. “If you’ve got time to gripe, then get up already! And help wait the tables!”

“Wait the tables?!” The men reacted in unison immediately after getting up.

“As you can see, we’re full up,” said Clare. “I’d take anyone’s help right now, even an adventurer’s. It’s fine for you to put a lot of effort into adventuring, but why not help out your family’s business every once in a while? I’ll keep watch over all of you, so work your hearts out.”

“Hey, but...me aside, are you seriously going to make these guys work too?!” Uld shouted.

“It’s our loss, boss. Let’s just get to work. It’s not like there’s any empty seats for us anyway.”

“Yeah,” the other two party members agreed in concert.

The men were handed aprons by Clare and immediately put to work. Their apron look was a bit hard to look at, but they cleaned and dealt with drunks as ordered—it seemed they were used to the job.

“You guys still obey Clare even though you’re Rank A now, huh?” Uld commented, turning back to his wife. “Jeez, okay. I get it. But you better at least feed these guys afterward, okay?”

“I was gonna do that anyway,” Clare scoffed. “You can look forward to the food. After all, today is... Heh heh...”

That only seemed to confuse Uld, though he could tell she was hiding something.

“Okay, take these to table three please. Also, this and this.”

Suddenly, a voice came from the kitchen, and one delicious-looking dish after another came out.

“Roger!” the three party members exclaimed.

They quickly carried the plates to the waiting customers, making full use of the muscles they were so proud of. They scrambled to keep up, but then a doubt popped up.

“Wait, hmmm? Wait just a second. This is weird. You’re right there, Clare-san. So who’s in the kitchen?”

“Oh...yeah. I was just thinking that.”

“Hey...wait, I think the voice from the kitchen was really lovely. If I’m remembering right, that voice belongs to...Efil-chan?!”

“Yes?”

Efil in her maid outfit popped out of the kitchen. The men were immediately overjoyed to see her face after so long, and they raised a great shout—only to be sent flying once again by Clare.

◇ ◇ ◇

In the end, they spent their time in the bar three times busier than when they’d been on the job as adventurers. But after closing time, even such a lively bar became quiet.

“I’m so tired... More tired than I was after the string of jobs the boss took...” one of Uld’s party members said.

“Us too...” the others agreed in unison.

As a result of how incredibly busy the bar had been, they’d worked their muscles to the extreme and their bodies had reached their limits. In other words, they could no longer move a muscle. But the tables were finally empty, so they were able to slump over one together.

“You guys...worked so hard,” said Uld. “Well done getting through it, seriously.”

Even he, as the party leader, was exhausted. He was still standing but only barely. Hey might have been on his feet, but he was wobbling back and forth. He must have been really concerned about his dignity as a Rank A adventurer, since his friends kept going on about it, so he was squeezing out all his willpower and determination not to go down.

“Whew. I’m tired after today too,” said Clare. “My word, the Kel-chan boom is so intense! I think that was three times the amount of customers we normally get! I’m so glad you came to help, Efil-chan.”

“Oh no, I simply studied by your side as usual, Clare-san,” said Efil humbly.

Unlike the half dead men, the women looked refreshed and satisfied with a job well done. They also seemed tired, but they were still smiling and chatting like normal, so the extent of their exhaustion was not comparable to the men’s.

“So this is the level of Rank S...”

“Terrifying...”

“Well, technically, Efil is still Rank A. She’d pass immediately if she were to take the test, though.”

“And yet, your wife acts like she’s Efil’s equal, boss. What is she?”

Once again, Uld and party were made to realize how large the gap between Rank A and Rank S was. But they didn’t despair, since this wasn’t news to them. All they wanted to do was hurry on home and dive into bed.

But no matter how deep their exhaustion was, their stomachs would not be denied. All four of their guts were in sync in letting their owners know that they were empty with loud growls.

“Oh, sounds like you four are really hungry. Hm... I was planning to do this after the cleanup was done, but...okay, let’s serve the staff meal now,” said Clare. “Sorry, Efil-chan, but could you handle the preparations?”

“Please leave it to me,” said Efil.

“Huh? What? Today’s meal... Could it be?”

“Heh heh! It can! Everything today will be cooked personally by Efil,” said Clare. “Not only that, but it’ll all be your favorites!”

“YEEESSS!” The three members of Uld’s party shouted in unison.

They instantly shot up, revived, and raised their fists into the air. They were so happy they were even crying.

“Good, good. An honest reaction like that will make Efil-chan happy she spent the time. You should learn from them,” said Clare to Uld.

“They keep telling me how I should act as their leader, though...” Uld said defensively. “Also, I like your cooking best.”

“Heh. You sure can talk!” Clare said happily.

“Ow! I’ve asked you so many times to stop hitting me on the back full force! If you keep doing that, you’ll break my back! It hurts!”

Clare’s back slap went right through Uld’s armor, dealing a fair amount of damage to him. That was how Clare liked to hide her embarrassment. Probably.

“That reminds me, why is Efil-chan here?” one of Uld’s party members asked. “Wasn’t she going to be staying in her homeland for a while because of her wedding?”

“Of course it’s because her preparations are finally done that she’s back in Parth,” Clare replied. “In fact, she’s been here a week now and has helped out here more than once.”

“What?! Really?!”

“A week... Gah! So we just missed her! We’ve been stuck away from Parth this entire time!”

“Boss...”

“Come on, don’t point your sad looks my way!”

The party was crying. Crying so much that they would probably need to hydrate soon.

“But it looks like Kel-chan is still going to be busy for a while yet,” said Clare. “He’s traveling the world as usual.”

“With how many girls he’s marrying, that’s gotta be a lot of preparation that needs to get done.”

“Yeah. Ah, right! Efil-chan’s baby is back at their estate right now. Have you guys seen her?” Clare asked. “Her name’s Lalanoah-chan, and she’s so gosh-darned cute! Like, mind-blowingly cute!”

“Efil-chan’s...”

“Baby...”

“You say?!”

“Come on, guys... Crying, being surprised, or being enchanted? Just pick one! So, Clare, how did Lalanoah-chan look?” Uld asked. “Did she look like Kelvin or Efil more?”

Uld had softly chided his party members, but he also hadn’t seen Lalanoah yet. In other words, he was very interested.

“I think her face resembled Efil-chan’s more,” Clare answered. “And she gave me such an adorable smile when I held her. Just looking at that smile made me feel like I was in heaven.”

“That’s great news!” Uld’s three party members said in unison.

“You guys...” Uld muttered.

One of them added afterward that it was a good thing her smile didn’t resemble Kelvin’s. Everyone agreed from the bottom of their heart.

“Also, she can already crawl. And my word, that crawl is incredible,” said Clare.

“The crawl is incredible? Uh...like it was so cute you were entranced or something?” one of Uld’s party members asked.

“Ah...well, that too, but Lalanoah’s crawl isn’t normal. How should I describe it? I thought I was seeing things at first. Like, it was aerial,” Clare replied.

Uld and the rest of his party replied with confused noises. Their faces were totally blank. An aerial...crawl? They turned that phrase over and over in their heads, trying to digest it.

And still, that didn’t help. They just let out more confused noises. Understanding the meaning of that phrase was a bit too much for the four of them, trapped by common sense as they were.

“Yeah, I totally get that reaction,” said Clare. “Well, don’t worry. Just go visit her tomorrow and you’ll see. I’m telling the truth.”

“Oh...okay?” Uld ventured.

“Hee hee! What are you all talking about?” Efil asked. She had popped back out of the kitchen, her cooking done.

“Ah, Efil-chan! We were just talking about Lalanoah-chan— Wait, waaghh! Those are all my favorites!”

“My favorites are there too!”

“Mine too!”

The tray Efil was carrying was piled high with the party’s favorite foods.

So, she memorized little old me’s favorite foods? all three of Uld’s party members thought, moved. They cried for the fourth time that night.

“Sorry about this, Efil. You had to go through so much effort just for these guys,” Uld apologized.

“Oh no, think nothing of it. They worked very hard, so of course I’m happy to,” replied Efil.

“Urgh...Kelvin’s such a lucky guy, getting to marry such a good girl! I’m digging in!”

“Yeah, yeah! We can only pray for Efil-chan’s happiness, so just know that we’re praying seriously! I’m tucking in too!”

“I agree totally! But Molotoy, you’re a lucky guy too! I’m gonna eat!”

The guys started eating while still crying. And, moved all over again by how delicious the food was, the flow of tears only increased.

Uld sighed. “I’ll have to make sure they rehydrate later... Ah, right. There’s something I want to ask you, Efil. Where’s Kelvin right now? I want to see him and give him my well-wishes before the weddings start.”

“Master? Erm...I believe his schedule has him...attending Lumiest’s graduation ceremony along with Mel-sama and Sera’s father, Gustav-sama,” Efil replied.

“He’s in Lumiest? Wait...which means...” Uld said.

“Yes. Rion-sama is graduating today,” Efil confirmed.

◇ ◇ ◇

Ah, how refreshing this day is.

When I looked up, I saw a blue sky without a single cloud, and I could get my fill of comfortable weather. The only annoying part of all this was that I had to greet and chat with very formal people. Still, as long as I ignored that, this weather was the best for departures. Indeed, departures. Today was a special day: the day of Lumiest’s graduation ceremony.

“Woooaaarghhh! Beeelll! That was the best valedictorian speech I’ve ever heeeeaaarrrd!” Gustav yelled to the heavens.

“Rion too. You tried so hard and did so well! I’m so proud of yooouuu!”

“May the guardians partake of the student cafeteria?” Mel asked.

As for what I was doing on such a precious day, well, I was attending the graduation ceremony as a guardian of one of the students. I was with Mel and my father-in-law too, with whom I was currently basking in the afterglow of the ceremony. The actual ceremony was already over, and we were both crying on a bench on school grounds. No matter how many tears we shed, no matter how much our feelings exploded, there was no sign of the feelings running out. Mel alone was nonchalantly sipping at a cup (super extra-large size) of tea, but my father-in-law and I were done for.

Yeah, I can’t even see anymore because of the tears...

Well, though I worded it like that, I was maintaining the barest amount of sanity using my Parallel Processing skill. Indeed, my skill was coming in handy. The rest of my thoughts were all decimated by my feelings, leaving only a flood of tears. But the calm part of me was thinking that we couldn’t afford to do anything weird during this celebration for Rion. Thanks to that extremely reasonable thought, I was just barely able to bring myself under control.

Oh man, well done holding the line, Parallel Processing. Good job, my skill. I give you my praise.

“But in the end, my Rion was the best!”

“What are you saying, you fool of a son!” Gustav argued. “Of course Bell was the best; she managed to give such a great speech to all the students, teachers, and guardians!”

“Ah, a standing tea leaf,” said Mel. “Is this a sign that it’s okay to go to the cafeteria? Yes, I believe it is. It has to be!”

“Don’t do thaaaat!”

Oh crap, that was close! This always happens as soon as I let my guard down! Destruction was just around the corner, heedless of the feels I was having! Once again, my calm Parallel Processing, well done staying safe. If not for you, Mel would have ruined the cafeteria. She was about to become one of the Seven Great Mysteries of the academy, and on graduation day too. Seriously, that was so close.

Though Mel looked normal on the surface, she was actually the most unpredictable member of our group. That was just how she was today. Put simply, she was excited like a child at an amusement park. Despite how she was acting outwardly, that was how she was on the inside. After all, a cafeteria was a novel way of serving food to her, and there were a lot of unusual dishes on offer because graduation was a special day. Thanks to that, the calm part of my Parallel Processing couldn’t let its guard down for even a moment. My father-in-law was being much better-behaved than Mel.

“Ah, right, I should be making a record of this to pass on to future generations. Papa will do his best to put it all to ink when he returns home, for Bell’s sake! Yes, no doubt it’ll be a best seller!” Gustav shouted.

Every once in a while he would say something unexpected, but he wasn’t causing trouble for the academy or those around him, so he was fine. Even if records of this were to be sold, only Bell would be hurt by that, but...in that case, she would condemn my father-in-law herself.

“That’s such a nice idea! Okay, I’ll write something too, for Rion’s sake!”

Hey, you idiot, stop! Don’t allow yourself to be overcome with emotion, me! If you actually do that due to sheer excitement, you’ll make Rion hate you!

As one might be able to see, the calm part of myself was busy enough to faint from exhaustion. Still, thanks to us acting so hard to approach, almost no one had come to greet us so far. The others were all keeping their distance and whispering among themselves, probably saying stuff like, “What? We have to talk to them?” or “Sure, it would be nice to build bridges with a Rank S adventurer and the ruler of the Northern Continent, but do we really have to talk to people like that?!” To be fair, though, I was quite thankful for that. After all, the calm part of myself already had his hands full wrangling this party of three.

“Honey,” said Mel.

“Gah! I guess writing something really is off the table... So, what is it, Mel? No matter how much you ask, you can’t go ransack the cafeteria.”

“Oh no, I didn’t want to talk about that. I just wanted to confirm our future plans once more,” said Mel. She placed her now empty cup on the bench and spoke with a very serious expression.

What’s going on? The difference from how you were earlier is giving me whiplash.

“Today, Rion and Bell have graduated. They fulfilled the conditions of skipping grades and completing school in the short period of a single year. Bell even graduated valedictorian. I don’t believe we could hope for better results.”

“Agreed. I’m very proud.”

By the way, Dorothy had also managed to graduate. Apparently she’d been given a whole heap of lectures from Rion, which had helped her clear all the conditions she needed for them to graduate together.

I gotta say, though, there’s no need to have taken all the same classes, even if you are friends. Well, I guess that goes to show just how well she gets along with Rion... She’s seriously going to object too.

Ah, but on the other hand, the Lightning Dragon King hadn’t managed to graduate, or so I’d heard. She’d wanted to graduate with Rion too but had sadly fallen far short of the credits needed. So short, in fact, that not only did she have to give up on graduating but she was in danger of having to repeat a year. I was told that up until a little while ago, she’d been having a very hard time avoiding that fate. She’d even declared that she would quit school if Rion wasn’t going to be there, but since she’d been recommended by Gaun, she couldn’t be so selfish. Well, either way, in the end she’d desperately poured in all her effort and managed to advance a year.

At any rate, I could only hope for the Lightning Dragon King to do her best so that she wouldn’t face the same trouble next year.

I mean, come on, aren’t dragons supposed to be the pinnacle of all life? And you’re a king! If she’s forced to repeat a year, it’ll be one hell of an unfunny joke. Ah, but if my Dragonz were to enroll, I get the feeling they would end up meeting the same fate. Will dragonkind be okay?

“You’re thinking something strange, aren’t you, honey?” Mel asked.

“No, no, I’m definitely not. I’m thinking very proper thoughts, ones that despair for the future.”

“I felt something very suspicious, but...I am also afraid for the future,” Mel admitted. “After all, even if Rion and Bell graduated, DarkMel is still a student. Now that Bell isn’t around to keep her safe, who will protect her?”

“Huh? Ah...you’re right! She no longer has a guardian!”

“I-I-I-Isn’t that a huge p-p-problem?!” Gustav stuttered heavily out of fear.

Both my father-in-law and I were extremely shaken, having only now realized this truth. Even to him, DarkMel was a precious granddaughter, and I of course loved her very much. So it was only natural for this to have happened.

“You really didn’t know...” Mel said exasperatedly. “So, what do we do? Should we ask someone else to keep an eye on her instead?”

Mel was terribly exasperated, seeing us panicking. But there was no need to worry. Sure, I was shaken by the revelation, but I had already put up countermeasures long before coming to this graduation.

Wait a minute, though. I have Rank S Nerves of Steel; isn’t my heart swaying way too much? I know Rion and DarkMel are involved, but shouldn’t all this be canceled out by my skill?

“Wh-What do we do?!” I asked Gustav.

“Wh-What indeed, my foolish son?!”

Come on, me! We know it’ll be okay! Get a hold of yourself!

◇ ◇ ◇

I was moved. I cried. I was shaken. In such a short span of time, my heart had shifted through extreme magnitudes. The cause of this was, of course, Rion’s graduation. That was all. But shock naturally gets better over time, so at the moment, I’d managed to regain a fair amount of calm. My father-in-law was the same. We had both just been so shocked that we couldn’t articulate words properly, but now we were fine.

Seriously, thank goodness. People really do need to be able to maintain a somewhat objective view of things. My level of calm right now is perfect. Well, I’m a Daemon and Gustav is a demon, so none of us are really human.

And so, with our regained calm, and with a massive amount of food ordered by Mel, we were of course making our way toward Rion, who was saying goodbye to her friends now that the ceremony was over. Of course we wanted to give our greetings to the friends who had gotten along well with her over this past year, but most importantly, we needed to resolve the issue of DarkMel continuing to go to school unguarded. Now that I’d calmed down, I’d remembered what I’d prepared, and I was impressed by how much foresight I’d had.

Oh man, I can’t believe I forgot.

“My foolish son,” said Gustav.

“Yes. They’re there.”

Mel chewed noisily.

We walked while keeping track of Rion and DarkMel’s presence, so it didn’t take long for us to find them. As expected, Rion was with Bell and Dorothy, and they were all surrounded by their friends. DarkMel was also seeing them off, mixed in with the gaggle of friends.

“Rion looks really good with that student mantle.”

“Indeed. Bell looks even smarter than usual. If I hadn’t already shed all the tears in my body, I’d have broken down and created an ocean right here and now,” said Gustav.

Mel continued to eat audibly.

Let’s just enjoy how Rion looks right now for the moment. I’ll have to act like the proper big brother once her friends notice me, after all. Huh? I’ve already disgraced myself with what I did earlier, you say? Ha ha! Well, that might be partially true, but we only exposed our pathetic side to those who would have tried to talk to us. Those bigwigs from some random place that I don’t care about. The students and graduates are gathered somewhere different. Timing-wise, there’s no way Rion’s friends already heard about what we did.

“Okay, Gustav. We have to shape up from this point on.”

“That is my line, my foolish son. You better not damage Bell’s reputation, you hear me?”

Mel let out an audible swallowing noise.

“Um...Mel? We’re being serious right now, so could you please store all that food in your arms in Clotho’s Storage for now?”

I decided to warn Mel while I could, as she’d basically been playing a symphony with her mouth.

“No need to worry. I finished everything with that last gulp,” said Mel. “I can enter former goddess mode at any time.”

I had nothing to say to that.

Mel was right; all the food she’d had in her arms was gone. As always, the way she ate was incredible, it made me fall for her all over again.

To think she was able to eat so fast my eyes couldn’t follow... Well, um, anyway, this clears up one of my worries. I can finally call out to Rion without worry!

“Rion! DarkMel!”

“Ah, Kel-nii!” Rion replied.

“Papa!” DarkMel exclaimed.

The moment I called out to them, Rion and DarkMel turned and ran over to us. I patted their heads to welcome them. Beside me, my father-in-law looked at Bell longingly, but she was completely ignoring his gaze.

“Congratulations, Rion. I’m amazed you managed to skip so many grades to graduate. Did you enjoy your school life?”

“Yeah, I sure did! I made so many irreplaceable memories! There’s so much I want to tell you about! Of course, I made lots of precious friends, and I enjoyed studying too!” Rion said.

“That’s great. I’m glad for you, Rion.”

“Yeah, um...thank you for allowing my selfishness, Kel-nii,” she said.

With that, she showed me a thousand-out-of-ten, no, ten thousand-out-of-ten bashful smile.

Oh crap, oh no, the destructive power of her smile is pandemic level! The cool facade it had taken so much effort to put on was frozen stiff and on the verge of breaking already. No, even if it was a fatal blow, I can’t afford to lose in this situation. I can’t!

“Heh heh! That smile alone made all this worth it. You can tell me all about your experiences when we have time... DarkMel, Rion and Bell are leaving the academy now that they’ve graduated. Will you be okay for the rest of your time in school?”

“Um, I’m going to be lonely, of course. But...I made a lot of friends too,” DarkMel replied. “I tried my best so that papa won’t worry. So, um...I’m gonna be fine! Yeah!”

The way she puffed herself up to show confidence and motivation was adorable. I just barely managed to keep up appearances, but inside my heart was pierced by her words. She was rapid-firing arrows with perfect, merciless precision. I really wanted to just shout to the world that this tiny little goddess was my beloved daughter. I really, really wanted to. But I was in the academy, being watched by so many students. So I held it in.

Keep it inside you! Hooold!

“H-Hey, everyone? That guy... He’s Rion-kun’s older brother and DarkMel-kun’s papa, and his name is Kelvin—no, Sir Kelvin, right? My Charles Eye isn’t on the fritz, is it?” Charles asked.

“No need to ask; that definitely is Kelvin. You saw him at the exhibition match—he fought me,” Dorothy replied.

“Hm... Looking closer, he seems even stronger,” said Graham. “Bakke-dono, whom I fought, was also powerful. Rank S adventurers are so incredible!”

“Certainly! W-Well then, that world-class beauty next to Sir Kelvin... Could she be...?!” Charles refused to say it out loud.

“No need to wonder. That’s Mel-chan, his wife, I believe? Look, DarkMel looks like her!” Rami exclaimed.

“She’s DarkMel-kun’s mama?!” Charles shouted. “No wonder she’s so pretty! No, wait, isn’t she too young? She doesn’t look much older than us! And wait another second... That scary-looking dude next to them is sending a lot of pressure this way! He’s glaring at me super hard for some reason, isn’t he?! Is it just my imagination?! It’s gotta be! I mean, who is he?!”

“Ah, that’s my papa,” said Bell.

It took a moment for Charles to respond. “What?”

“I said he’s my papa,” Bell repeated. “It looks like he’s worried, wondering if some worthless bugs have attached themselves to me. So stupid. Well, he’s basically harmless, so don’t worry.”

“Uh...”

It sounded like we weren’t making a weird impression on Rion and DarkMel’s friends, at least. In my case, it seemed they were actually looking at me with respect.

Great! A good first impression! However, it seemed one of the friends was terribly shaken. As for why... Ah, it’s because of all the pressure my father-in-law is emitting. Come on, man, who points such a scary face at a student? What? You’re catching the scent of a womanizer from that scared kid? Ah, you’re right. So this is what you mean by bad bugs? Well, since DarkMel is staying in Lumiest, that would make him a top priority elimination target. So what do you want to do? Get rid of him? Deal with him before he manages to make a mistake? I’ll happily help you.

“How about you calm down a bit, honey,” said Mel.

“You’re doing it too, papa,” said Bell. “Why are you spreading so much killing intent on school grounds?”

Both Gustav and I grunted in pain. Mel’s and Bell’s words were accompanied by a swift and fierce blow to the back of my head. Gustav was given the same treatment, though his attacker was Bell.

Okay, I’m calm now. Sorry...

◇ ◇ ◇

Oh thank goodness. I think my being in full formal dress helped? I managed to win the trust of her friends, so now I won’t be an embarrassing big brother to Rion or father to DarkMel.

A number of voices surrounded me, practically merging together.

“Uh, hey, is it just me or did your face hit the ground for a moment there? I mean, I can see the furrow left on the ground...”

“Ah, yeah, I think I saw it too. But what could make such a tough Rank S adventurer do that?”

“I saw it! His wife came behind him and Bell went behind her father for a moment to land a sharp blow to the backs of their heads! Their speed was incredible, something no normal person could ever catch! But props to the Rank S adventurer and Sister Bell’s papa! Their recovery speed was just as amazing! In the end, all that was left as proof of the blow are the marks on the ground!” Katerina said.

“All that happened?!”

“You saw all that, Katerina-san?! That’s also incredible!”

“Heh! Such a thing is only natural for someone who strives to always keep Sister Bell in my sights!” Katerina boasted proudly.

“You’ve been doing that...constantly?”

“N-No! More importantly, I thought I knew how incredible Bell was. Does that mean the wife is also incredibly strong?”

“Huh? Isn’t that ‘The Smile’ from the Adventurer’s Directory?”

That got the rest of the group to let out noises of shock.

Yeah, look, they’re shocked all over again by how powerful Rank S adventurers are. I think all this is going around to improve their opinions of Mel and Bell too, but who cares about that? My father-in-law and I were just crying our eyes out. Honestly, we’re dehydrated to the point our lives are in danger. So I don’t have any more tears left to shed. They won’t come out no matter what. And yet...why do I feel like I’m crying in my heart?

“Ah, sorry. Were we being too loud? I was just planning on giving all of you my greetings.”

But that wouldn’t be enough to break my heart. I acted as if nothing had happened, saying my line with a totally straight face.

“Oh no, there’s no need for such humility,” came a voice. “Your earlier exchange served as good encouragement for our students.”

“Hm? You’re...”

Something seems different about him. If I remember right, he’s that prince from Leigant. Uh...Edgar? Paul’s little brother. He’s got two people with him, so I’m pretty sure I’m right. Ah, that reminds me, I think I was told something about how he put on an act in the academy. But for him to have to do that just because of his kingdom’s circumstances, Edgar’s got it hard too, huh? He makes an effort in a way I never could. Truly.

“Heh, heh, heh, Edgar you fool! I, Charles, can see that Sir Kelvin and Bell-kun’s Lord Papa are quite the big overprotective worrywarts! Even I, Charles Vaccania, despite being a paragon of sincerity and faithfulness, can feel an aura that tells me I am this close to being killed! Someone weak like you being their classmate, with your habit of constantly spouting pompous and hypocritical lines, will obviously make them overreact horribly! Now, you should know it’s too late to beg for your life! Just take your beating like a man and straighten yourself out!” Charles muttered emphatically to himself.

Um, wait. Why has he been muttering all creepily this past while? We’ve got pretty good ears, so we can totally hear you, you know that?

At any rate, I could kind of tell what type of relationship that kid had with Edgar in the school. I felt guilty about it since he was expecting violence, but I already knew that Edgar was only putting on an act. My father-in-law was also still in shock after being hit by Bell, unconscious with that scary expression still on his face. In other words, the situation he was hoping for wouldn’t happen. And it was about time for me to open my mouth again, otherwise the pause in the conversation would start to feel unnatural.

“Oh, if it isn’t Edgar. It’s been a while. As I recall, the last time we saw each other was when I visited Leigant’s castle. The meal I was treated to back then was truly great. Right, Mel?”

“Indeed, it was very delicious,” Mel agreed. “Specifically, it rivals the food cooked by our head maid, Efil. I would love to visit again if we get the chance.”

“Oh? It is an honor to hear you two say that. I will tell my father. I’m sure he’ll be happy,” said Edgar.

“Uh...huh?” Charles responded. He’d let out a dumbfounded response when reality and the events he was expecting diverged. Then, with unsteady footsteps, he approached Edgar. “Uh, Edgar? Why are you getting along well with Sir Kelvin and his group?” he asked.

“Hm? Oh, erm, I don’t know how to answer that... As you heard, they were invited to my kingdom before,” Edgar answered. “Since we’re familiar, is it not normal to exchange greetings?”

“N-No no no... No no no! When did this happen?!” Charles yelled.

That puzzled Edgar. “What does it have to do with you?”

“It has everything to do with me! I’m super interested!” Charles continued yelling. He was desperate.

Um...I think it was half a year back? Still, why is he so invested in this? Or as he put it, super interested?

Female students who were talking a little ways away seemed to be getting really fired up.

“Ah, that reminds me, Edgar-kun. There was a time when you left the academy, wasn’t there? Around the end of the exhibition match.”

“There was, yes! Right, that was around the time you and your group were invited! Wow, you managed to snag a Rank S adventurer! Well done! I would expect as much of the prince of a major kingdom!”

“Yeah! But...huh? Wasn’t that around when Rion-chan would periodically disappear too? I get the feeling those happened at about the same time...”

“Ah, now that you mention it— Wait a second! Wasn’t there a rumor that Rion-chan was going to marry someone when she graduated?! It felt like that should be spoken of in public, so none of us asked Rion herself, but maybe...”

“Rion-chan’s big brother, the Rank S adventurer Kelvin, gets along so well with Edgar-kun. And the timing of their disappearances can’t have been a coincidence. Then, there’s this mysterious rumor of marriage after graduation... Could this be?!”

“N-No way, but...”

“No, I’m sure of it! The mystery is solved!”

Uh, yeah, I can hear you. And you’re just reading too far into it. It’s a total misunderstanding. True, timing-wise it fits together, but... Ah, I see. Charles is thinking the same thing too, huh? He thinks of Edgar as a rival, I guess? Which is why he’s pushed in so close to Edgar. Charles wants to ask if he’s going to marry Rion and we’re already basically family.

“Gyaaahhh!” The girls squealed.

“I’m the one who wants to scream!” Charles shouted.

“Um, what is going on?” Edgar asked, confused.

“Hey, don’t get any closer to Edgar-sama! Gah! You help too, Perona!” Axe shouted. “I don’t know why, but this guy’s more powerful than usual!”

“No, I’m seriously scared by his face, so I’ll let you handle it, Axe,” said Perona.

“Hey!” Axe responded.

The girls who obviously loved this kind of talk squealed while Charles let out a scream from his soul. He was so desperate that Edgar’s bodyguards were getting creeped out even while having to deal with him. Meanwhile, Edgar himself seemed to have forgotten his public persona. It seemed he finally understood the misunderstanding that was going around, and he kept shooting me apologetic looks.

Okay. I’m starting to feel sorry for him, so I guess Rion and I will have to clear this up. You’ve been through a lot, Edgar.

◇ ◇ ◇

The misunderstanding had been solved. Or rather, replaced with another misunderstanding. Rion’s husband-to-be wasn’t Edgar. When I said that, Charles looked very relieved while the girls looked terribly disappointed. I chuckled at the difference, but then a student asked me a question.

“So who is Rion getting married to?”

“Me...?”

“Uh, what?” the entire crowd replied.

Once again, the place descended into a hellscape. Charles let out a strange scream while the girls once again squealed. In the end, Dorothy, who knew the full story, glared at me with such intensity, it could have killed me.

Yeah, that gaze filled with killing intent is so comf— No, not that. I really do feel guilty in this case.

I’d replied almost unconsciously—a careless mistake on my part. These girls were so surprised because they thought that Rion and I were true siblings.

“You mean it’s a forbidden love?!”

“That’s right! That must be it!”

“And you declared it so openly in front of your wife! That means the family approves!”

“Well, I suppose it’s okay, since he is a Rank S adventurer. I hear that the Rank S adventurer Leopardess goes around the world taking men for herself.”

“You girls are so stupid. That would no longer make it forbidden love. What would be exciting about that?!”

“Um...okay?” the other two replied.

“What?! AAAHHHHH!!!”

At any rate, everything they said, though selfish and unrestrained, was understandable. Also, I wasn’t one to actually point this out, but I felt like that last scream sounded like my father-in-law when he was truly mad. He was crying blood too, so hard that it rivaled how Gustav and I had been crying earlier. He was also muttering what sounded like a very real curse.

Um...should he be reciting that curse?

“Kel-nii!” Rion shouted. “You need to fix their confusion! If you let this be, Charles-kun will die!”

“Oh, right! You’re right!”

To address the misunderstanding, Rion and I explained that we weren’t true siblings. With that, the girls’ perspective was corrected to one of Rion marrying the nice older boy from the neighborhood, but...

“You’re still marrying her either way! Aaaggghhh!!!”

The last problem remained. In fact, Charles only started cursing even more fervently.

Hey, did he gain a new Unique Skill or something? Without even Evolving? Maybe he’s surprisingly talented or something? Would he become stronger if I trained him? Hm...maybe.

“You’re free to indulge in useless fantasies, Kelvin, but Charles is only getting worse,” said Bell. “Specifically, he might Evolve in a direction similar to your cursed weapon, Clive.”

“Clive-kun’s level?! He’ll be able to self-generate curses that powerful?!”

Bell confirmed that Charles’s situation was indeed very bad. So I decided to use magic to knock him out while he was still in human form. Then I had Rion touch him so that Absolute Purification would undo all the curses.

If we stay like this for a while, that should completely purify him, I think... But it might be a waste, maybe. Oh, no, I would never stop! Of course I would never consider driving a friend (I think?) of Rion’s in such a sinister direction! No, not at all.

At any rate, we saved Charles (I think?) from becoming a cursekin. Rion had to touch him in order to undo the curses, and I suspected her touch was also the reason his expression changed from one laden with hatred to one that was a lot more peaceful.

No, wait, it went past peaceful. I think he’s filled with worldly desires or something? Rion...you should let go of him soon. What? You haven’t gotten rid of all the curses yet? It’s okay, I’ll use magic to take care of the rest. I’ll do it carefully and thoroughly.

A little while later, both Charles and my father-in-law woke up at the exact same time, gasping and saying, “Wh-Where am I?”

Phew. Looks like we’re out of the woods for the time being. Thinking about DarkMel’s school life, though, I’m actually more worried now. So, it’s about time to dive into the main topic.

“Ugh. This all feels like a happy ending, but I really wanted Ri-chan and me to be together forever...” Rami muttered.

“Sorry to bother you while you’re feeling like this. I have a personal favor to ask of you, Lightning Dragon King.”

I had found the Lightning Dragon King letting out a sigh filled with electricity and had been looking for the best timing to call out to her. She was Rion’s best friend, but she also got along well with DarkMel. Since she was a Dragon King, I could trust her strength, so she was perfect as DarkMel’s guardian.

Please, I will get on my knees to beg you for this!

“Ah, you’re Ri-chan’s hubby. Hey, wait a sec, don’t be so formal around me! Just call me Rami-chan!” she replied.

I took a moment to adjust before saying, “I have a favor to ask, Rami-chan.”

I know it’s a bit late to be wondering this, but why is this peak of dragonkind speaking like a gyaru? In the first place, does this world even have a concept of what a gyaru is? No, wait...this is probably a subject I shouldn’t be thinking too deeply about. Let’s just leave it alone.

“So? What’s the favor? Depending on what it is, I might be NG for it. My mental’s totally shot right now so don’t expect too much,” Rami told me.

“Oh...okay?”

Though I let it go, I still could barely understand what Rami was saying. I got that she didn’t want me to expect too much of her, but I really would have preferred that she just spoke normally.

“Erm... You know that Rion and Bell are graduating, right? So I’m worried about DarkMel. You might tell me not to, but that’s just how parents are. Anyway, I was hoping you’d maybe watch over her so that no one bad gets close to her.”

“Ah, something like a bodyguard, you mean? Someone who protects her so that no playboys or anything can get too close?” Rami asked.

“Uh...play...wha? Oh no, yeah, that’s probably it! Yeah!”

“Suresies.”

I took a moment to process the word but failed. “What?”

“Ah, that means I’ll do it,” Rami clarified. “I mean, I get where you’re coming from.”

“I...see. Thanks.”

In the end, Rami the Lightning Dragon King accepted my request with almost no thought at all. As always, she was almost impossible to understand, but this time I was more grateful for how light on her feet (figuratively) she was.

“But you know, I’m in a different dorm from DarkMel,” she continued. “Like, I’m in Volcann and she’s in Selva, y’know? If you’re that worried, shouldn’t you be asking someone from her dorm?”

“Hrm, you’re right. But is there anyone strong enough in Selva? I’m sad to say that no one comes to mind.”

“Oh, there totally is! See that glasses guy with the perfect part? The huge one? You saw him in the exhibition match, didn’tcha?” Rami asked.

I looked where Rami was indicating and saw a male student with his hair in a perfect 7-3 part, wearing glasses and standing tall enough I had to look up at him. If he hadn’t been wearing a uniform, I would have assumed he was a teacher. If I remembered right, his name was Graham Nakatomiuzi, a student attending with a recommendation from Tsubaki. He was a young man gifted both mentally and physically. He had managed to bring his match with Bakke to a tie, making it onto my secret “someone I eventually want to fight” list. Certainly, he passed muster in terms of both strength and personality. Plus, he was in the same dorm as DarkMel, so in that sense he was perfect. He was also a sworn younger brother to Sylvia and Ema, so his background was rock-solid.

But still...

“Grrr...but a man...”

“Ah, so that’s what you’re worried about. Lul.”

Bell let out a snort as well.

This isn’t a laughing matter! Do you know how sensitive a parent’s heart is?! And Bell, I heard you secretly laughing there! I say again, this isn’t a laughing matter!

“Seriously, you almost become a different person when it comes to DarkMel. You worry way too much. I don’t think you need to be so concerned about that girl,” said Bell. “In fact, you don’t need to worry at all. It would just be a waste of time.”

“I’m glad you trust DarkMel so much, Bell, but she really isn’t that strong—”

Bell interrupted me with a laugh once more.

Ah, you laughed again! This isn’t a laughing matter!

◇ ◇ ◇

The graduation ceremony ended without bloodshed, and we were now returning. And yes, when saying goodbye to DarkMel, I couldn’t bring myself to part with her and ended up squeezing out my dry tear glands for a few more drops. In the end, despite all my worrying and constantly renewing misgivings, I did indeed leave.

Urgh, I’m counting on you to take care of DarkMel, Rami-chan and Graham...especially you, Graham! Do not dare make a mistake, Graham! You hear me, Graham?

Even though I complained in my heart, I did understand that the boy was trustworthy. As trustworthy as Edgar. Compared to the person who had almost become a cursekin, the difference was like heaven and earth. I really needed to get over my doting tendencies and overprotectiveness, as had been pointed out to me in the elven village.

Okay, let’s trust Graham! And let’s try to only do an appropriate amount of doting!

Currently, I was in a carriage heading homeward while vowing to improve myself. Along for the ride were Mel and Rion...and Dorothy for some reason.

Yeah, uh...why are you riding in our carriage? You know this will go straight back to our home using all sorts of shortcuts, right? Well, to be fair, we’re staying in Pub for the night, so we’ll really be going home tomorrow. Meanwhile, Bell and my father-in-law went back in their own devilish carriage. I mean, it was even drawn by headless horses. I didn’t expect there to be animals like that. I was actually impressed, since I knew that I would never be able to make such a cool carriage myself. There’s no way to imitate that aesthetic sense. What do you think, Dorothy? With your perspective as a newly minted god, have your tastes changed? As a sort-of blacksmith, I’m a little curious.

My silence seemed to prompt Dorothy to say, “If there’s something you want to say, Kelvin, why not just come out and say it? I cannot use telepathy, so I won’t understand if you don’t use your words.”

“What do you think about the carriage Gustav and Bell left in?”

“What?”

“Ah, sorry, ignore that.” Whoops. I ended up just saying what I was thinking. “Actually, I was wondering why you’re riding with us, Dorothy.”

“Oh. It’s a bit late to ask that.” For some reason, she let out an astounded laugh at my expense.

I mean...it’s true that I wasn’t really in a state to think about what was happening around me because I was so distraught about leaving DarkMel, but still!

“Come on, Kel-nii! You remember that Thee-chan is going to be staying with us until the wedding, don’t you?” said Rion. “We’re going to the same place, so of course she’s riding with us!”

“Huh? Really?”

That got Rion to pause. “Wait, this is the first you’re hearing of it?”

“Um, yeah, I think it is...”

I was more confident than anyone that I would never forget if Rion had told me something like that.

“Uh...huh? Erm, Thee-chan, you didn’t tell him?” Rion asked. “You just got on with us, and Kel-nii didn’t say anything, so I totally thought...”

“My apologies, Rion-san,” Dorothy apologized after a beat. “I have said that it is proper to ask personally to stay somewhere, but I hadn’t actually told him yet. I must apologize to you too, Kelvin-san, for joining your carriage without a word.”

Oh, wow. Dorothy actually bowed her head. This is a rare attitude for her to have toward me. She usually gives me such a pleasant wash of killing intent. I kind of feel like I’m being treated special— Wait, wasn’t she just laughing at me?

“In truth, I had planned to tell you while we were still in school. However, judging the right moment to broach the subject was a little difficult...” Dorothy explained.

“Ah...I see. Yeah, my clumsiness caused quite a fuss, after all. But it calmed down a while before we left, so you totally could have talked to me then.”

“Oh no, erm...actually, this is my first time staying at a friend’s house, so...I wasn’t sure how to ask and ended up procrastinating until the last moment...” Dorothy said. She was faltering harder than anyone I’d ever seen as she revealed that.

“Uh...right...”

“Thee-chan...” said Rion.

I’d never expected Dorothy to stumble over something like this when she didn’t even hesitate to try to kill me. I couldn’t say if it was actually unexpected or if she was just unreadable.

No, that’s not it. No matter how powerful a god she’s become, it hasn’t even been a year since Dorothy was freed from the shackles of being a Divine Pillar and allowed to live as a human. Everything is new to her. Even something as trivial as asking a friend’s parents to stay over must be hard. This is actually natural, considering how her life has been.

“Also, I was so afraid Kelvin would ask for rent or some other fee for staying, and that only made me even more hesitant to ask...” Dorothy said.

“Yeah, I get— Uh, wait? No, seriously wait a second. Do you really think I’d do that?”

“Would you mind if I told you how I really felt right here right now?” Dorothy asked.

It took me a moment to find the answer. “No, don’t. I get it; don’t say it please.”

The girl was definitely going to say something I didn’t want Rion to hear. It might have just been her hiding her feelings out of embarrassment, but she was still very aggressive toward me. Though, that attitude was technically a win-win for me, so I didn’t mind.

“Anyway, I don’t mind if you stay. You don’t need to worry about meals either. Adding one more person to the list won’t make our kitchen much busier at this point.”

“Um, still, I feel it would be too much. At least let me pay for the food,” Dorothy insisted.

“Ha ha! I’ll say this again, but you don’t need to worry. You know we have Mel at home, right? Even if you’re a big eater, Dorothy, the amount of extra food we’ll have to make is only a drop in the bucket.”

“Om nom... Honey, please don’t praise me so much in front of her. It’s embarrassing,” said Mel. She blushed as she continued downing the whole new mountain of food she’d bought before we left.

Yeah, uh, that wasn’t a compliment.

“Also, I’m not petty enough to take money from a friend of my little sister who’s only coming to stay. In fact, a friend coming over to stay should be a lighthearted event. Common sense dictates that there should be no need to think too hard about this kind of stuff.”

There was a beat before Dorothy said, “I see. In that case, I accept.” She bowed courteously.

Good, good. That’s the spirit.

“As for the room you’ll be using, Dorothy... Rather than lend you a guest room, it would be better for you to stay in Rion’s room, wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah! I like that better too!” Rion chimed in.

“I... I would also...” Dorothy bashfully trailed off.

“Got it. I’ll tell Efil that over the Network. Ah, right! Dorothy, you’re free to try to assassinate me anytime while you’re there. So I’m counting on you for that too.”

“Okay. Thank you for everyth— Um...what did you just say?”

“Hm? Oh, just that you’re free to try to assassinate me at your leisure.”

Dorothy paused. “Where did all that talk about common sense go?”

“In our house, attacking me is the norm. Even if you don’t do it, I have a former assassin after my head on the daily, along with a former goddess who will put me in joint locks and holds while I’m sleeping. Of course, harming anyone else or damaging the property itself is out of the question. Okay?”

“That’s okay, isn’t it, Thee-chan?” Rion asked. “Mmm! I’m so looking forward to our sleepover!”

Once again, Dorothy paused. “Suddenly I am very worried about this entire affair.”

“Huh? Why?!” both Rion and I exclaimed in unison.

Why would you say that now when I’m welcoming you with open arms? Hm... I really don’t get Dorothy’s tastes. How strange.

◇ ◇ ◇

The graduation ceremony was over, and Rion was back home. She would actually return every once in a while for a few days, so she hadn’t spent the entire year away. Still, this was a happy occasion. The trend in our house for celebrations was pretty big, and a graduation party was planned and held. Also, since there was the opportunity, the people who were scattered all over to prepare for the ceremonies had come back—in other words, the Celsius house had all hands on deck for the first time in a while.

“Congratulations on your graduation, Rion! Plus...welgomm baaaaacggkkk!” I exclaimed.

“I’m home, Kel-nii,” said Rion. “You cried so much yesterday, are you getting enough hydration?”

“Welcome home, Rion-sama,” said Efil. “I have put extra effort into my cooking today. Please enjoy a— Urgh, no... The tears just flow out...”

“Efil-nee!” Rion exclaimed in shock.

“Ah! The head maid started crying after the master?!” Ruka also exclaimed.

“I am crying as well, Ruka!” Gerard wailed. “She’s grown up so muuuuch!”

“Where are your tears even coming from, Gerard? You’re right that Rion’s grown so much, though! Have you gotten a little taller?” Sera asked.

“Wow, you can tell, Sera-nee?!” Rion replied excitedly. “To tell you the truth, I’ve grown three millimeters this past year! The blessings of a growth spurt!”

“And I am being treated to a feast in celebration of this graduation. This is the blessing of having a family,” said Mel. “I’m already looking forward to when DarkMel graduates.”

“Come on, sister Mel, at least be happier about her graduation than the food,” said Shutola.

“I’m coming in!” Colette called out. “I heard that Rion-sama graduated, so your humble Colette has rushed here from Deramis! Oh no, I am sincerely here to celebrate Rion-sama! I absolutely did not come to enjoy these blessed scents for the first time in a year or to fulfill any other untoward schemes! If you like, I could even celebrate from outside this estate. Ah, but I might absorb something unintentionally; it would be inevitable...”

At any rate, in the midst of such noise, I was remaining calm with Parallel Processing so I could watch over the proceedings. Most of me was a blubbering mess, so I had no idea why only I had to keep my cool. Anyway, no use complaining. I was also specifically here to respond immediately should someone attempt a surprise attack, so I could enjoy every part of it. If that were to happen, I would only profit, and that was why I was able to do my best.

Given all that, the celebration that had kicked off as soon as we got home was very lively. Gatherings like this were nice, and the main crew was already there. It had been a while since everyone had been in the same place, so there was a lot to catch up on, giving a really big boost to the fervor.

However, Dorothy was standing in a corner by herself, holding a cup of juice, seemingly overwhelmed by the exuberance of the crowd. Her jaw was slack, and she seemed completely at a loss. I understood why—she had come for a sleepover at a friend’s house only to be greeted by such a huge party.

But wait a second. She graduated from Lumiest too, just like Rion. So there’s something to be done here, isn’t there? As the head of this house, I should congratulate her grandly! Okay, me, get a move on, will you? Stop crying, come on. Ugh...I can’t move! When it comes to battle, I can sync all my mental partitions without the slightest delay, but right now I can’t move! Damn you, textbook definition of a battle junkie! MOOOVEEE!

“Heya! Are you Dorothy-chan?” Ange called out.

“Ah, yes. I am...” Dorothy answered.

“I knew it! Congrats on graduating too! Do you drink?” Ange asked.

“Ah, thank you. And no, I am underage, so I cannot drink.”

While the calm me was trying and failing to move the decidedly not calm rest of me, Ange of all people took the initiative.

Oh no, my pride as the head of the house— No, wait, I actually never had any. Let’s leave Dorothy to Ange.

“Huh? Really? I totally thought you were older than me,” said Ange.

“Well...yes, but my backstory says I’m not,” Dorothy explained. “Also, I’ve never actually tried it, so...”

“Ah, I see! Your backstory, huh? Yeah, I get it, you’re talking about the backstory you used to get admitted. Makes sense if you’re going to school. As a former assassin, I understand you so well.”

“Um, right...”

“But you managed to graduate along with Rion-chan, didn’t you? So now’s the time! Let your big sis Ange here teach you how to drink properly!”

“Whaaat?”

Oh? As I would expect from Ange... Dorothy is a really difficult opponent to open up, but your approach was perfect. It does seem like she’s a little creeped out, but that’s good for a late bloomer like her.

“Huh? What? You’re gonna learn how to drink, Thee-chan?” Rion asked. “Then I wanna learn too!”

“Rion-san!” Dorothy exclaimed in shock. “No, you can’t! If you do that—”

“It’ll be fine, Thee-chan. I had my birthday just a little while ago, so I’m of drinking age now.”

“Oh, Rion, my precious little girl, there is no need to rush things, you know?” said Gerard. “Imbibing alcohol so suddenly is bad for your body. No, I don’t approve!”

“You’re not convincing at all considering how much you drink, Gerard. Heh heh, all right, why don’t I teach you how to drink, Rion?” Sera volunteered, standing up.

Hey. You sit. Please, just sit back down. There’s no need for that; Ange will take care of things perfectly.

“Unlike Gerard, who mistakes booze for water, I’ve failed and suffered hangovers many times,” Sera boasted. “In other words, I am the closest one to Rion and best suited to teach her!”

Sera used all her brilliant wit to deftly argue a seemingly solid point.

But is she right? She might be...

“No, that’s the quality you want least in a teacher! Failing more than once means you didn’t learn,” Gerard pointed out.

“In the first place, you’re out the moment you touch a single drop of alcohol. There’s nothing you can even teach her,” someone interjected.

“What?! Why?!” Sera shouted indignantly.

Of course, none of us actually bought into her silly reasoning. We came together to wholeheartedly reject her instruction. For the sake of Dorothy’s and Rion’s futures, we couldn’t possibly back down.

Gerard, now is the time for us to come together in perfect harmony!

“Um...”

As we were frantically trying to stop Sera, someone else approached Dorothy from a different angle.

“Yes?” Dorothy answered. “Erm...I believe you are from Deramis. You’re...”

“Yes, I serve as the Oracle of Deramis. My name is Colette Deramilius,” Colette introduced herself. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Oh no, the pleasure is mine. So, what sort of business do you have w—”

“You want to know what business I have?!” Colette burst out excitedly. “Then let me get right to it! I’ve been wondering for a while now, but I can sense Rion’s fragrance on you, and it’s strong! Oh no, I don’t intend to pry about the reason! But how should I put this? I feel this scent is evolving into the most harmonious one I’ve ever experienced! You could even say it’s divine, so it would be apotheosing! If it’s not too much trouble I would love to bask in this wonderful fragrance from up close! Aaahhh!!! I’m already in trouble even at this distance! I can feel my consciousness going faint!”

Dorothy was totally silent.

Oh, right. You’ve been Rion’s roommate for a year, Dorothy. Well, yeah, uh...for now, I can say that that’s the worst expression I’ve seen you make today.

◇ ◇ ◇

Alcohol, also sometimes called the water of life, has at some points in history been worth its weight in gold. But personally, I didn’t quite buy into the hype. Still, it’s the truth that alcohol is well loved by many, regardless of status. There are many stories revolving around booze, as many as there are people. Some are successful, some describe failure, some are simply comedic, and some include new encounters. Alcohol is closely connected to life itself, a neighbor you just can’t get rid of.

Anyway, on the subject of this partner to life itself, my memories of it seemed to largely be made of brushes with death. Not that the cause wasn’t clear: It was Sera. If I were to rank the top three most likely causes of my future death, she would definitely be up there. I didn’t want Rion to go down the same path. I also didn’t want her to make the same mistakes I had. And so, I decided that today’s taste testing would be done with just a lick.

“Uh, hm... It’s not very tasty, is it?” Rion said.

The booze she was sipping was something of ours that was especially weak. It seemed she didn’t find it particularly tasty, given how her brows were furrowed.

I get it, though. It’s normal not to like the taste too much your first time. But what I’m more interested in right now is...

“How are you feeling, Rion? Is your vision blurry? If you feel like throwing up, tell me right away.”

Indeed, I was most worried about her health. I was ready to cast healing magic at any time, staying close to her on standby. Gerard was also on standby, a bowl of clam miso soup in hand.

“Come on, Kel-nii, there’s no need to be so worried,” said Rion. “I only drank a little, and I had some cheese Ange-nee gave me before too. That’s supposed to make it harder to get drunk, isn’t it?”

“You shouldn’t rely on it too much, but I do think it helps,” Ange chimed in. “It’s perfect as a snack to accompany drinking, and it’s an easy precaution to take. Your sister Ange here highly recommends it!”

“Cheese and other dairy products help with the absorption of alcohol. I think it makes sense. Still, this cheese isn’t something you see too often, is it?” Efil said. She was staring holes into the sliced cheese.

“This is a prototype cheese I got in Toraj,” Ange replied. “It looked like they were developing it to be a new specialty. Tsubaki-sama said she wanted to hear our opinions on it when she gave it to me as we left. It’s pretty tasty as is.”

“Yeah, it’s really good. I haven’t really gotten a taste for alcohol yet, but I think I like this cheese,” said Rion.

“Hm... This cheese seems like it would pair well with something sweeter,” said Gerard. “Well, that kind of drink is nice every once in a while, I suppose.”

“Indeed. I think it would be perfect with a white wine with those properties,” Shutola added.

“Shutola-chan?! When did you change into adult mode?!” someone cried out.

Efil had been pondering something, and now she spoke up. “Master, may I try making a dish with this cheese?”

“Ha ha! Looks like a fire was lit under your cooking soul. The party’s already started, so try not to get too into it, okay?”

“I won’t!” she replied happily.

Before I knew it, this turned into a tasting party for the new cheese from Toraj, but I was just glad that Rion had yet to feel any adverse effects.

I think we’re safe for now?

“So at the very least, Rion can hold her drink better than Sera. This is a big discovery. Good for you, Rion!”

“Yeah!” Rion replied.

“Yeah!” Sera agreed happily. “Rion holds her drink better than m— Hey, wait a second. Why?! I don’t agree! She barely drank any at all just now!”

Seriously? You know why. Just being able to withstand that tiny amount makes Rion’s capacity better than yours, Sera. Well, erm...given how careful we’re being, no matter what Sera says, she probably won’t be having any today. She’d ruin the party if she managed to drink any booze. I want to believe she understands that, at least.Hmm...that reminds me, where did Dorothy go? I don’t see Mel and Colette anywhere either.

With that thought, I looked around and found them on the terrace.

“Gulp, gulp... Haaah! Oh man, this is some good stuff,” said Mel. “I accepted it from Addams on a whim, but man, I’m glad I did. The moment it fills the mouth, a feeling of invigorating refreshment fills my body, and it burns nicely as it goes down. After a breath... Whew. As you can see, its unique aroma and spiciness that lingers in the nose can be expelled that way. It may be a former title, but he was one of the highest-ranked gods, so it makes sense he has good taste. Erm...this thing’s brand is... Oh? God-Killer? Heh heh! That’s a pretty fancy name. What do you think, Dorothy? Is it to your taste?”

“Gulp, gulp...brrp. Oh, my apologies,” said Dorothy. “Erm...it is a satisfying drink, and it tastes good, I think. It’s...spicy? But after drinking it, a faintly sweet aftertaste fills my mouth. It kind of feels like I cut it with some sort of fruit juice. Is this an easy drink, meant for someone new to alcohol? I think I can really gulp it down.”

“Hm... It says that it’s 50 ABV, so it’s definitely not meant for beginners,” Mel replied. “You can see how Colette has collapsed over there after only a small amount of it.”

“Heh... Hee heh heh heh heh... Mel-sama’s strongest scent, and the blended aroma coming from Dorothy that includes Rion-sama’s scent as well...and between it is my insignificant self... This alone is enough for instant death, but it’s reinforced by a unique alcohol brought straight from the heavens... I feel awful but also good... This contradiction is sparking a big bang inside of me... My sense of smell is dancing as it reaches greater heights...” Colette muttered.

“Good, at least she’s doing as fine as usual,” said Mel.

“This is normal for her?” Dorothy asked incredulously.

What should I do? This is turning into a huge deal. Mel and Dorothy are drinking together from stupidly big cups, while Colette is lying at their feet in a trance, muttering something. These three have definitely been going at a high pace in a short time. I can see an insane amount of empty bottles piled up around them.

Hm... That’s weird. This whole thing should have started with a light feeling, like, “Let’s enjoy our first experience with alcohol!” And yet that group is creating the dictionary definition of a hellscape. I mean, Mel said they were drinking God-Killer? That’s the booze that Addams put Cheruvim under with—that megastrong booze, right? When did you get your hands on that, Mel-san? And even if I accept that it’s fine for you to have that stuff, why did you let a beginner like Dorothy drink it? Is Colette okay? Doesn’t it seem like she’s on the verge of death, caught between pain and pleasure?

“I have an endless number of questions,” I said after a long pause. “But for now I should just ensure Colette’s safety.”

Mel was a strong drinker to rival Gerard, and she knew her limits. It would probably be okay to leave her be. By that same measure, Dorothy was holding her own with Mel, so there was no doubt she was strong too. It didn’t seem like she needed my help.

But Colette was different. She’d exceeded the maximum amount of happiness and alcohol that her body could handle. She seriously looked like she was close to ascending to heaven. I suspected that I would only add to her problems if I were to get too close in this situation, but I figured it was better to have her drown in happiness than booze.

Okay. Let’s start the rescue operation.

◇ ◇ ◇

I rescued Colette. It was just retrieving her from her place by Mel’s and Dorothy’s feet, so it wasn’t especially hard. Still, she managed to break through her limits of happiness in that instant and started to expel her faith from all sorts of places: mouth, nose, eyes...

Ah, oh no. This is super bad, I thought, feeling uncharacteristically afraid. That didn’t mean I could allow myself to freeze, though. If I were to stop for even a moment in a situation like this, the festive mood would be covered in faith. So, I switched tacks, activating Green Magic before all the spewing faith could spread. I had the wind I created gather all the faith in one place, bringing it with me to the restroom along with Colette.

“Oerrgghhh...” Colette groaned.

“It’s okay, let it all out. Efil is making her special miso soup that helps sober people up, so just hold on until she’s done.”

I rubbed Colette’s back, casting a spell to relieve the symptoms of her drunkenness.

“Th... Thank you so much, Kelvin-sama...” Colette muttered. “But I cannot afford to expel all of my faith here...”

“It feels a bit weird to say, but can we stop calling it ‘faith’? I’ll make sure not to do it from now on too.”

“The miso soup is finished, master,” Efil said. “I have already adjusted it to the perfect temperature, so please drink it all at once.”

“Thank you, Efil. Can you do your best to drink it all, Colette?”

“Urgh, not yet...” Colette muttered.

“By the way, Rion-sama helped make this miso soup,” Efil said.

“I can do it.” Colette immediately changed her tune.

Efil’s and my wholehearted support worked, and Colette drank the miso soup in one go. After that, she adopted a very bright expression—it seemed she was feeling refreshed in a variety of ways.

“Sorry, Colette. It feels like I made you keep Mel company.”

“Oh no, I joined them because I wanted to. Mel-sama is not to blame. In fact, I am grateful from the bottom of my heart that someone like me was allowed to be there.”

“I... I see...”

Her expression was so clear and bright that I was actually starting to worry. Rather, I suspected that if she were to go back and meet the same circumstances, she might make the same mistake in her current state.

Yeah, but she’d be happy while doing it, I guess.

“Then please watch how much you’re drinking from now on. If something were to happen to you before the ceremony, Mel and Rion would be very sad. Of course, I would be too.”

“S-Sad?! C-C-Certainly, that cannot be allowed to happen,” Colette stuttered heavily after discovering her faith was in danger. “Urgh... How foolish I’ve been! How blind! My apologies, Kelvin-sama. I, Colette, swear to hold myself precious from now on! Absolutely! I swear upon your name, Kelvin-sama! I would stake my life on it!”

“Uh, I’m glad you understand. But please don’t stake your life on this.”

She was shoving her face ever closer to me, but it seemed Colette was properly reflecting on things, at least.

Yeah, okay, I get it, so please give me some space. The friction between our cheeks is getting crazy. Look, there’s smoke coming out!

At any rate, though my cheek was a little burnt from all the friction, Colette was successfully revived. And she would even hold back on “faithful activities” that could possibly harm her...probably. All’s well that ends well, as they say.

Now then, let’s get back to the party.

“You’re back! Come, we’re starting a devilish ritual to decide the order!” Sera said.

“Uh...what?”

The moment we returned, Sera started spouting something weird.

Hey, you haven’t been drinking, have y—? No, I guess not. If she had, she wouldn’t be able to speak so well. While what she was saying made no sense to me, she seemed to know what she meant.

“You’ll just confuse Kel-nii if you say it like that, Sera-nee,” said Rion.

“Huh? Really? Wouldn’t he be able to get it from the context?”

“Hm...that’d be a bit of a stretch, I think?” Ange interjected. “Er, why don’t you let your big sister Ange here explain? Rion-chan graduated from Lumiest, and the preparations for all the weddings are going well, but there’s still something important we haven’t figured out yet.”

“I see, and that’s when the order came up. Roger, got it,” I replied.

“Ah! I wasn’t finished...” Ange said sadly.

Oh no, that was all I needed to connect all those random things Sera said, at least somewhat. Sera used the word “devilish” because it’s the demon version of holy, so there’s nothing deep behind that, most likely. Jeez, that was so confusing. Still, they’re worried about the order of the weddings, huh? I’m not allowed to get involved in this... I believe the deal was that they’d decide among themselves. I haven’t been told of the order yet, so I was thinking it’s about time. I wonder how they’re going to decide.

“Yes, I think your concerns are warranted, honey,” said Mel. “Which brings me to my suggestion. Ta-dah!”

With that, Mel produced a colorful box. There was a round hole cut into the top of it, and there were seven white sticks inside. Presumably these sticks had numbers on them for the order of the ceremonies. It seemed she was also no longer going to give me time to retort to her about reading my mind.

“As you’ve probably guessed, we’re going to draw lots to decide the order. The sticks in this box have numbers 1 through 7 written on them, meaning the number you draw is the number your ceremony is,” said Mel.

“Uh...we aren’t deciding through battles?” I asked.

“No. Even if we were, you’re not allowed to participate, remember?” Mel reminded me.

“Ah, right...”

“We haven’t told you, Kelvin-san, but we’ve been talking for a long time over the Network about how to decide. After considering a lot of different ideas, we concluded that this was the fairest way. I don’t think it’ll be necessary, but we also put in countermeasures for cheating.”

“Um, you’re pretty into it, huh? But wouldn’t Sera have an advantage, with all her luck?”

Then again, to be fair, there isn’t really any good or bad luck when only the order is on the line. I suppose it might affect the objection system, maybe?

“Of course, we thought of that too. Specifically, we will have Colette do something to make it so that our luck stats will be the same when we draw the lots. Remember how Colette’s father and his friends have those sorts of weird techniques? Destiny Foiled, I think was the name. It’ll be something like that,” said Sera.

“Destiny Foiled? Was there such a technique?”

“The barrier my father and the other ancient heroes used when we fought Serge-sama during the Apostle conflict was Destiny Foiled,” Colette explained.

“Ah, right. Kel-nii wasn’t there during the fight,” said Rion. “It was thanks to that barrier that Fuu-chan lost her protagonist buff and we were able to fight her evenly.”

“Oh?”

“That’s not what you should be interested in right now, Kelvin-kun. Anyway, this will make the drawing even. Now, who will draw first? Or would everyone like to go at once?”

“This one!” everyone said at once, reaching out.

They’d decided to draw at the same time. Shutola (in Trycen) was first, Rion (in Parth) was second, Colette (in Deramis) was third, Sera (in Grelbarelka) was fourth, Mel (in the Isla Heaven ruins) was fifth, Ange (in Toraj) was sixth, and Efil (in the elven village) was seventh.

Hrm...so the weddings Maria and Addams will be fighting in are grouped at the end. I can feel some sort of scheme at work here, but... Oh well. Who cares as long as I get to have fun! This whole affair is going to be filled with battles right to the very end, after all!

Chapter 2: Wedding in Trycen

I was currently in a room in Trycen Castle, making final checks for the wedding. Of course, I was with Shutola, my partner for this event. Just a little earlier, Azgrad...

No! Tomorrow he’ll be my brother-in-law. Hm...but I’m really not used to the thought... Oh well.

At any rate, he’d been here earlier but the captain of the Magic Knight Order had found him and taken him somewhere. Had he made a mistake at work or something? Royalty being carried off by dragons happened a lot in stories, but I hadn’t thought it would happen before my very eyes. Then again, the genders were reversed in this particular instance.

“It’s pretty busy here, considering what my esteemed brother Azgrad is like,” said Shutola.

“Thought so...”

The military nation of Trycen’s former king, Zel Trycen, had turned into a Demon Lord and brainwashed almost all his citizens, turning them into his puppets. As it was one of the major countries in the east, the other three nations and a bunch of adventurers had to come together to defeat the Demon Lord, and now his threat had completely disappeared. However, afterward, the kingdom’s strength had dropped considerably. They had been the source of a Demon Lord incident, so criticism from the rest of the world was especially harsh.

That was why reforms were ongoing in Trycen. Under the leadership of Shutola and Azgrad, stricter policies against racial prejudice were being implemented to try to stop the prevalent human supremacist ideology that had taken hold. They were also establishing more detailed laws regarding the ownership of slaves and their treatment to try to fix the tendency of slave owners not to think of their slaves’ lives as real. None of this would have an effect right away, especially when it came to how people thought. Even so, each step heralded change over time, at least in my opinion.

As a silver lining, the more extremist of Trycen’s nobles had all died in the war. They’d been discovered in a brutal state in a party venue in the castle. So essentially, there was no one left to harm or impede these changes. The fact that the other three major nations offered help spoke volumes about what they thought of this progress. I was sure there were some backroom dealings between countries in places I had no way of knowing about, but...anyway, surprisingly, Trycen was proceeding in a good direction.

Only...there was something that bothered me. It was nothing serious like all that stuff about their policies, though it was serious to me. Rather, I still couldn’t quite believe it...

Yeah, it’s gotta be some mistake, right? I should check with Shutola, just in case.

“Is this really necessary, Shutola?”

“Yes, absolutely necessary,” Shutola replied. “All of Trycen’s past royalty have done this without exception.”

“Seriously? Erm, but I do think that customs that don’t match the times should be changed by the current generation.”

“I agree wholeheartedly and have made that my creed this past year as I’ve worked. But this is a proper custom that doesn’t fit into that category.”

“I... Is that so?”

I shared my doubts with her, but Shutola shut me down with a serious face. If she was going to go that far, then this probably was truly necessary. At the very least, it was common practice in Trycen. They say, “You must howl with the wolves,” so I decided to do what she said...

“No, wait. I really do have doubts about this. You told me that it’s tradition when having a wedding to have a parade around the capital on the day of. I get that. I think every country’s royalty does something similar when they get married. But...seriously? The newlyweds have to continue kissing the entire time? That means we’ll be doing it in front of everyone, won’t we? Is this some new kind of shame kink?”

“No, it’s an ancient custom of Trycen,” said Shutola. “If I had to say, it would be an old kind of shame kink.”

Oh no, what do I do? Shutola’s acting kind of weird today. She looks and sounds as calm and collected as usual, but it feels like she’s going wild somehow.

“Erm, Shutola? If this really is a traditional ceremony, taking part in such a thing, even as a joke, would be...”

“It is not a joke. The essence of this custom is a trial for the new leaders of the country. It shows the people that the couple’s love is true, and it allows the couple to surpass feelings of shame and fear by exposing them to those feelings for a protracted period of time. All of Trycen’s previous rulers have overcome this trial. Even my father was no exception.”

“King Zel? Really?”

Wait just a second. I heard that King Zel had a solid, trustworthy personality before becoming a Demon Lord. And yet he actually went through with this? He kissed all throughout a parade around the entire capital?

“Sorry,” I said after a noticeable pause. “I have to ask this just in case. Sorry if I’m wrong, but let me confirm: Did King Zel really do this?”

“Yes. My father succeeded at his trial. It was a story from before I was born, but it remains vividly painted in the people’s memories. The details have been written down in books,” said Shutola.

Ugh, I don’t want to leave any of this in history, either in memories or records. Also, it actually feels like I’m more afraid of King Zel now than I was when he was a Demon Lord. What do I do? He went in front of the people with a serious face and gave a speech after doing this, didn’t he? There’s no way someone sane would do that. It’s crazy!

“Also, my father had a harem, so he would do it every time he welcomed a new wife. He went through it a total of five times, sometimes in successive months, I heard,” said Shutola.

King Zel?! You did this five whole times?!

“This is the greatest of Trycen’s celebrations, so it’s subject to intense scrutiny from the people. And for tourists, the parade is actually what they come for rather than the wedding itself—” Shutola started.

“Okay, right, I get it,” I cut her off. “I understand painfully well how much willpower is needed to go through with this. Please, spare me...”

“Really? Too bad,” said Shutola.

Really! Actually...Shutola-san? Is it just me or did you start to enjoy my reactions midway through? I can see a little bit of pleasure mixed into your usual expression...I think. No, that can’t be true. There’s no way she would do that. After all, she’s directly involved in this.

Speaking in extremes, it didn’t matter what happened to me. I could throw away my shame and go through with the custom; it wasn’t like I would die. But it wasn’t so simple for Shutola. Put bluntly, though I’d gone as far as to hold hands with her, we hadn’t kissed yet. We’d refrained due to a combination of her morals and Trycen’s customs (I think?) until today, which meant this parade would be our first kiss. As a girl, would she really be okay with that?

After observing me for a while, Shutola said, “Please don’t make that face, Kelvin-san. I know exactly what you’re thinking.”

“Huh?”

“But thank you for worrying about me.”

How can this be? First Mel, and now Shutola can read my mind? I don’t think I’m the type to show everything on my face that clearly, but...could this be a feat of love or something? No, sorry, ignore that. That was just embarrassing.

“I’m fine,” said Shutola. “I’d be lying if I said I’m not embarrassed, but the favor I’ll be gaining is worth it. I cannot allow such benefits to slip away.”

“Benefits?”

“Yes. Major benefits. I was late to the starting line, but this parade will shift the battle. After all, we will be in the public eye, demonstrating our love for hours. This, combined with the fact that our ceremony is first, will tell the people and all our guests who is the most in love, regardless of how far any of us have gone. In other words, we will be forging a fait accompli— No, it will not be a forgery if we simply make it all true on the day of our wedding.”

“Uh, erm...Shutola-san...”

“Hee hee! I’m looking forward to it!”

That’s weird. I was shoring up my resolve for Shutola’s sake, but now I’m feeling kind of scared of our wedding day...

◇ ◇ ◇

Time passed quickly since we were so busy, and before I noticed, it was the night before the ceremony. My exhaustion was at its peak since I had to travel all over the kingdom to make final checks. And yet, all that fatigue was blown away the moment I thought about how the objection system would come into play soon as well. Of course, I was happy about the weddings, but my mental exhaustion was overwritten by the thrill I felt, while my physical exhaustion could be refreshed with healing magic. I was planning to go all out for the entire week starting from tomorrow.

“Hey, what’re you spacing out for? You okay?” Azgrad asked.

Whoops, right. I’m drinking with Azgrad right now. I need to make a show of being willing to do the work.

By the way, this little drinking party had actually been suggested by Azgrad. The way he’d invited me had been pretty awkward—he’d just come right up to me and said, “I feel like drinking; keep me company!” Still, he would become my brother-in-law tomorrow, so I was actually glad to have this opportunity. I’d planned on calling out to him myself if he hadn’t beaten me to the punch.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just practicing for tomorrow in my head.”

“Hah! You nervous or somethin’?” he asked. “I never thought I’d hear the word ‘practice’ from the mouth of the man who has nothing in his head but fighting. Looks like it’ll be raining tomorrow. Too bad.”

“Oh come on, it’s my wedding. Being a battle junkie doesn’t mean I don’t get nervous. Don’t be so mean...Az-nii!”

“Hey, stop that. Seriously, it creeps me out,” he said flatly.

“No good? I was going for a close, familial feel, so I tried copying Rion.”

“It made me want to kill you more than get close to you!” Azgrad argued.

Yeah, it didn’t feel quite right to me either. Let’s be agreeable and take it back.

“Then I’ll just keep calling you Azgrad. It’s a bit late to worry about that stuff anyway.”

“Do that. I’ll keep treating you like usual too,” said Azgrad.

With that, he held out his empty cup to me.

Yeah, yeah. I get it. I’ll pour you a refill to show you my sincerity. Huh? You want me to drink more? Oh no, it’ll affect me tomorrow if I keep going, so I should— Oh fine, I’ll keep you company.

I held out my cup as well, allowing Azgrad to pour me a refill.

Hey, don’t fill it up to the brim like that! It’ll spill! Seriously, it will! Agh, it spilled!

Well, anyway, after all that, we continued to talk for a while. Though it seemed like we’d come to blows a few times, we held it in and enjoyed our little drinking session. A while later, we naturally came upon a pause in the conversation. As if we’d arranged it beforehand, we downed the rest of our cups and let out satisfied sighs.

Trycen’s booze has a pretty unique kick to it, huh? Gerard would like it; it really burns going down.

“Hey, Kelvin,” Azgrad started after a moment more of silence.

“What, Azgrad?”

“Lemme smack you one,” he said.

“Sure. Come at me.”

The moment I replied, Azgrad moved. There was no preparation since he was right in front of me. Neither was there even the slightest hesitation. He threw a heavy punch with his entire body behind it right at my face. There was so much power that I almost couldn’t believe he’d done it while standing up. I accepted this “sudden” attack from him straight-on while remaining seated and not using any supporting magic either. I met the blow with only my body.

Thud!

The sound of the blunt blow came, and the moment it struck home, I could tell he hadn’t held back. My head wanted to fly back, but I withstood the impulse and maintained my seated position. In exchange, my nose, which took the brunt of the blow, was in danger of being reduced to a terrible state.

“That hurt,” I said after a moment. “Look, my nose is bleeding. Actually, wait—it’s totally bent, isn’t it? You know how important tomorrow is! Why did you go for the face?”

“Oh, shut up. I’m the one in pain,” Azgrad groused. “What is wrong with you, being so tough when you’re a Summoner? Look how bad my hand is bleeding. Do you have steel plates under your skin or something?”

The result of his punch was blood running from my nose and his hand. The whole exchange would probably look like nothing more than a drunken fight to any bystanders, but it was necessary for us. If I had to say, it was like a ritual cleansing, something only those who loved their sisters could understand. Anyway, it was necessary.

“My bad, I guess. Want me to fix it with magic?” I offered.

“No need. It’ll heal on its own. You’re the one—” Azgrad started.

“I’m fine too,” I cut him off. “It’s already fixed thanks to Auto Healing.”

“Tch! Izzat so?” Azgrad slurred, clicking his tongue unhappily. He tried to pour out some more booze, but the bottle was already empty. It seemed we’d been going faster than we thought. “Ugh, there’s none left. Okay, party’s over. If you’ve got nothing else, then get out.”

“You’re the one who invited me. How selfish can you get? Still, the booze was good. Invite me again sometime, Azgrad—or should I call you big brother?”

“I told you to stop calling me weird things! I’m getting goose bumps!” he shouted.

“So I can’t even call you my big brother...”

“Of course not! Also, the next time I invite you to anything, it’ll be a battlefield! I’ll be hitting you with blows incomparable to what you felt today, so get ready!”

“Oh! That’s great. Okay, I’ll be looking forward to it. Then we can drink again after. It’ll be my turn to bring the bottle.”

“You better bring something good! I paid for today’s booze out of my own pocket!” he exclaimed.

“Ha ha! Your own pocket? You have an allowance or something?”

And so, with our future plans settled, I stood to leave. If I stayed any longer, I was likely to eat a second punch.

Actually...maybe that would be better?

“Kelvin...” I heard someone say.

“Hm?”

While I was walking to the door, wondering whether I should leave or push my luck, someone called my name.

Huh? Does Azgrad want another go after all? Oh, fine, I’ll meet your expectations. I—

“Take care of Shutola.”

When I turned around, I saw him bowing deeply to me.

It took a moment for me to find the words. “I will.”

With that reply, I left his room. Naturally, I did it at full speed. I’d already intended to, but my resolve only became stronger after Azgrad went that far.

“Agh, that’s not fair. You don’t leave me any choice when you bow like that.”

My head was feeling strangely clear considering how much I’d drunk.

Actually, who pulled strings to make it so I’m staying in Shutola’s room tonight? It feels like I should prepare something other than my heart, or at least that’s what all my life experience is telling me.

◇ ◇ ◇

I was now standing in front of Shutola’s room, taking deep breaths in front of her door. Once again, I prepared myself, telling myself that this wasn’t the first time I’d entered this room. I’d visited many times during the wedding preparations for tea.

Shutola’s room was packed with plushies and was generally a very fancy room. She had quite a number of plushies at my home as well, but it was incomparable to her room here. I suppose that was no surprise when it came to the room she’d spent so many years in growing up. This room didn’t just boast a great number but also a great variety of plushies, from commonly sold ones to premium ones sold on a limited basis, to some that I suspected were of her own design to Georgios and Monica, which had been given to her by Efil. At any rate, those teatimes surrounded by stuffed dolls were a chance for me to see a rare side of Shutola as she told me all about them with great passion.

I gotta say, you almost never see Shutola so lively. Her eyes sparkle like in a shojo manga, and it really sounds like she’s having fun. All I could do was listen, but I can say with certainty that we both had a wonderful time. It really is rare for Shutola to make that face in her adult form.Now then...it’s pretty late. I really should go in. So let’s start with a light knock.

“Yes,” Shutola called from inside in response to my knock on the door.

“It’s me, Shutola. May I come in?”

“Of course. It’s...unlocked. Please, come in.”

I felt magic flow on the other side of the door.

Did she use magic threads to open it? Heh, she’s totally used to controlling that, isn’t she? Okay, I should do what she says and go in.

I opened the door and entered. “Excuse me. I was told that I’m supposed to sleep here tonight, Shutola—”

“Yes, that’s correct,” she interrupted. “Welcome.”

I stood there for a moment in silence.

“Erm, Kelvin-san?”

It took another beat for me to answer. “Ah, right. Thanks for having me.” I opened the door again and walked back out.

Yeah, okay...uh, okay? Right. Let’s make sure before I open the door again.

“Erm, Shutola? I think I saw some clothes on you that you wouldn’t normally wear. Was I imagining things?” Specifically, it was an awfully transparent set of...well...erm...

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Shutola replied. “Why don’t you come back in and see for yourself?”

She had a point, one that finally made me realize what was going on. After all, I had two or three times more experience being ambushed at night than the average person. I could kind of tell how things were going to go, but I also knew I was being underestimated.

Did she really think I’d be shaken by this? I mean, true, I was entranced for a moment when I first saw her. Normally I’d go the route of letting her do whatever she wants to me. But wait a second, please. I’ve prepared myself for whatever may come, and Shutola has the advantage with all her experience. But even if she’s the best strategist in the world and a very attractive woman, I can’t afford to—

Kerchak! Whoosh! Grab!

It happened suddenly. The door flew open, allowing several strings to come out from inside. In the blink of an eye, I was captured and dragged in with incredible speed.

Wow, how...proactive of her.

After a beat, I managed to get out, “You’re being pretty extreme today, Shutola.”

“Am I really? I simply want to use my limited time effectively,” she replied.

We were now face-to-face. I couldn’t even tell when I’d been made to stand in front of her. And...I was still bound head to toe with strings.

“I see. I agree with that sentiment. But...don’t you think you’re a little close?” I asked.

“Am I? But you’re the one coming to me.”

Yes, certainly, in terms of relative position, I’m the one approaching you. But you’re the one forcing me to.

“Look here, Kelvin-san,” Shutola continued.

“Uh...am I allowed to? You won’t execute me for lèse-majesté or anything, will you?”

She giggled. “What a funny joke. It’s fine, don’t worry. That won’t happen. Even if it does, I’ll be the one defending you in court.”

“Really? That’s comforting.”

I knew she would be able to get me out of anything, no matter what crime I was being charged with. No...wait, now’s not the time for that.

“There’s something I need to confirm while I still have the chance, Shutola.”

“Okay, what?”

“Erm, isn’t the first, well, experience supposed to be after the wedding? If memory serves, you were pretty particular about that, weren’t you?” In fact, that was the reason we had yet to even kiss.

“Ah, on that point, there is no need to worry,” she assured me. “Just a moment ago, the date changed, so today is our wedding day. In other words, we are basically already married.”

“I see, that— Wait, that logic doesn’t work!” That’s way too much of a stretch!

“Do you really need a reason? Hm, well, I can come up with any number of justifications for this. The best would be...that time is a factor, I suppose,” said Shutola. “This past week, your schedule has been packed, Kelvin-san, with you going all over the continent to each venue. Once our ceremony here in Trycen ends, you will be going to Rion-san in Parth the next day.”

“Well, yeah...”

“So you admit it. Considering the time you’ll need for travel, that doesn’t give us much of an opportunity after the ceremony. And with the objection system in place, I expect you’ll be exhausted afterward. Be honest, you can’t promise you’ll be able to make enough time for our precious first night, can you?”

“Erm, well, no...”

“So I decided to do this beforehand instead of after. Do you understand now? If you need more reasons, I can keep going.”

“Ah, no. I understand and am convinced. Yeah...”

In the end, everything came to its usual conclusion, with me being out-argued. I’ll never be able to beat her in a battle of words...

“Well, for now, could you undo these threads? I can’t do anything like this.”

“Can I take that to mean you’re now in the mood?” Shutola asked.

“I was always in the mood. Also, I’m not dense enough to ignore my wife after she’s gone this far. And, erm...if I’m going to do this, I want to take the lead like a man.”

“The lead... I see, this is the difference in our levels of experience talking, is it? That makes sense.”

“Um, right, yeah.” I mean, when you put it like that, it makes me feel kind of guilty.

“You definitely have more experience than I do in that regard,” Shutola admitted. “But don’t worry. This is where my collection comes in.”

Uh...huh? “Collection? Of what?”

“Of information, of course,” Shutola boasted.

Buh...wha?

“I know all about your weak points, Kelvin-san. I was taught about them in great detail by Colette-chan, Mel-san, Sera-san, Ange-san, and Efil-san, who has the most experience in doing it with you,” Shutola explained.

“What? Wai—”

“As you know, I have Perfect Memory. I can cover for my lacking skill and experience with knowledge. Also, I plan to use my threads with great skill to satisfy you, Kelvin-san. Ah, that reminds me, what should I call you? It would naturally be too embarrassing to call you my dearest brother in this form, but if you wish it...”

“Stop! Calm down, Shutola! That’s too big of a hurdle for the first set of options!”

Though I tried to stop her, I was currently in her clutches. She embraced me, burying my face in her chest. Now, in close contact...

Crap! I didn’t expect this! I might be in a bigger pinch than with Mel and Colette!

“Kelvin-san,” Shutola said after a beat.

“Are... Are you calm now, Shutola?”

“No, er...to tell you the truth, I forgot to mention this earlier, but there’s another reason... I, well... I would like to have our first kiss in private, before the parade...” She trailed off bashfully.

I looked up at her and saw that her face had become beet red at some point.

I know I’ve said this multiple times already, but that’s unexpected.

◇ ◇ ◇

Surprisingly, I woke up in the morning feeling very good. I should have gotten almost no sleep, but for some reason both my mind and body were overflowing with energy; I had little lingering drowsiness. It was enough that I could say I had slept better than ever. Still, Shutola was amazing. I would have never even dreamed her threads could do all that. She’d really gone above and beyond expectations, as usual.

I continued to bask in my memories of the night as I changed for the parade. Today, I was wearing a Trycen-style white tuxedo instead of the usual formal attire given to me by the guild. Yep. White. Surprisingly white.

I mean, of course a wedding would involve white, but as someone who usually wore the opposite color, it just didn’t feel right, like the clothes were wearing me. The kissing thing was definitely a problem, but it felt like the impression that the people of Trycen had of me would change from black to white thanks to this.

“It’s almost time, Kelvin-chaaan!”

As I was thinking, I heard a voice from outside the room. The speaker was the general of the Magic Knight Order.

Oh, it’s time already?

The current head of the Magic Knight Order was the Ice Dragon King Salafia for some reason. Indeed, the same Salafia who was Rosalia’s mother and who had raised Azgrad. She was always in her human form while in Trycen, but it didn’t seem like she was hiding the fact that she was a Dragon King, since all of the citizens seemed to know.

Many would probably ask about worried or dissenting voices being raised with a Dragon King working for the government, and in truth, there were some at first, but it seemed she’d been accepted surprisingly quickly. Anyway, I didn’t know the details—Salafia would be a better person to ask about all that. Probably.

Huh? You think I’m just offhandedly giving up thinking about it? I mean, I’m not that interested. I’m actually more interested in the rumors that she’s the strongest of all the generals in the history of the Magic Knight Order—or rather, the entire history of Trycen. In fact, I think she might be the most powerful Dragon King as well. I heard that she didn’t sign up to be part of the objection system, but if she were to face me for real... Well, the thought makes my heart race.

“Ah, right. I’m comi— Wait, why are you inside already?”

“Hm? I thought I heard you call for me!” Salafia replied with a loud giggle.

I found she was standing beside me before I could even give a response. How did she get inside without opening the door?

I wanted to ponder the question, but I didn’t have time. Salafia spun around me, apparently checking my fit while fixing anything that seemed off with practiced ease.

“Okay, everything’s good,” she announced. “My, my, you look so handsome now! Totally ready to marry into Trycen.”

“Oh no, technically Shutola is marrying into my family...”

“That was just a joke. A joke!” Salafia explained, laughing. “A Dragon King joke. You shouldn’t take the words of an old lady like me seriously.”

I was quickly forced to accept that I probably wouldn’t be able to keep up with her, personality-wise.

I mean, I’m glad you helped fix me up. I’m looking really sharp now.

“Now then, I’ll go over today’s schedule one final time, okay? First, you’ll be going out onto the castle terrace to be seen by the people as a new couple. Basically, all you’ll have to do is smile and wave; the master of ceremonies will move things along for you. But remember, you will need to give some sort of greeting, so please think about that, okay?”

“Right. Well, I’ll make sure not to be rude.”

“What? You’re not going to be like a super battle junkie and say something like, ‘This girl is mine, ha ha! If you want her back, you’ll have to defeat me in battle!’ or something?” Salafia asked, surprised.

“I won’t. Who do you think I am?”

Salafia cackled. “That was also a Dragon King joke! That eased some of your nerves, didn’t it?”

Er...was that really a joke? I mean, I guess it could work as a way to create a good time for an objection... No. Even if I won, I’d still be seen as the bad guy.

“Okay, back to the schedule!” Salafia exclaimed. “Once the unveiling is done, it’ll finally be time for the main event: the parade. You’ll be riding a special carriage going slowly around the capital, so prepare yourself. There are rest stops set up in blind spots along your route, but you’ll only have time to hydrate and maybe go to the restroom. Don’t forget that this is a historied ritual done by many members of royalty, so kiss while keeping in mind that you’re being watched!”

What does that even mean? But, er, we did do a lot of “practicing” last night, so I think it’ll be fine.

“After you show off a hot and elegant kiss to the people during the parade, it’ll finally be time to head to the church,” said Salafia. “Actually, most of the royalty throughout history are quite exhausted by this point, so the ceremonies themselves are usually very simple. I suppose they felt they’d spent so long kissing for the public that kissing again for a vow didn’t seem very attractive. Only invited guests are allowed at the reception, after all, so the couple-to-be are usually sitting. I suppose the parade is the real reception, huh?”

“Ha. Dragon King jokes are pretty funny, aren’t they?”

“Oh my, that wasn’t a joke just now,” said Salafia. “Marriages for Trycen’s royalty have always been affairs of presentation and exhaustion. The practice is recorded in detail in writing.”

I had no response to that. Oh no, her Dragon King jokes are too hard to understand. I don’t think I’ll be able to tell them apart.

“Oh, look at the time. Right, then, Kelvin-chan, let’s go take a look at Shutola-chan a little earlier than those in the past have gotten to,” said Salafia.

“Huh? Wai—”

By the time I noticed, she grabbed me and carried me at extreme speeds through the castle. She ran smoothly, as if she were ice skating—and once again, by the time I noticed, we were in front of the room Shutola had been assigned to change in.

How can this lady go so fast indoors?

“Hello? Knock knock! Sorry to interrupt you while you’re changing,” said Salafia. “I have your hubby here. May we come in?”

“That voice... Mother? Yes, she’s already done changing, but...” Rosalia replied. She was both Salafia’s daughter and one of the maids back at my place.

Ah, so Rosalia is in charge of helping Shutola get dressed. She was learning how to be a maid from Efil, so she’s definitely qualified.Wait... Oh! Is this going to be my first time seeing Shutola in a wedding dress? While I’m still being carried by Salafia? Hey, Salafia, we’re here now! I’m fine! So let me down! Oh no, she’s already going in!

“Ah! Kelvin-san,” said Shutola.

“Uh, hey, Shutola...”

And so, I came face-to-face with the pretty, beautiful, dignified Shutola while still in an embarrassing state. But setting me aside for the moment, there was something more important to attend to. Frankly, I was entranced. Her dress was pure white, just like my tuxedo—or rather, her dress shone even whiter. It was decorated with feathers and was reminiscent of the dresses she usually wore. That was why it matched Shutola perfectly. Her veil was integrated into her diadem and was very princess-like—another perfect match.

Yeah, perfect. Totally perfect.

“Sorry to interrupt while you’re going crazy with lust, but Kelvin-chan, come on, you’ve got to say something,” Salafia told me. “You need to tell her what you think!”

“Oh, um... Uh...you’re very pretty, Shutola.”

“Oh, thank you! You’re, um...very cool too, Kelvin-san. I like it!” Shutola replied.

“Really?!”

She had turned completely red the moment I’d told her the truth. When she replied, I’d probably gotten just as red. Meanwhile, Salafia was watching us with a very satisfied look on her face. During all this, Rosalia was wondering why she wasn’t putting me down, despite how important it was to get us to communicate.

Um, Salafia? Are you satisfied now? Would you please let me down?

◇ ◇ ◇

It was the day of Kelvin and Shutola’s wedding. People from all over Trycen had gathered in the capital to celebrate the event. This was a traditional rite done every time a royal got married, one that had always been popular. On top of that, Shutola was involved this time, and she was extremely popular in her home country. This resulted in a huge crowd the likes of which had never been seen before. Visitors from outside the country and foreign guests were added to this, making the security and guidance teams terminally understaffed.

“The special venue has been prepared outside of the city! There, footage of the address and parade will be shown, so please go there instead!” Gerard shouted his plea. “My liege—I mean, Grim Reaper Kelvin created the place with magic! Today will be the only day you will be able to see it!”

“Gaaahhh! Stop pushing! Hey, you there, stop fighting! This is a day for celebration! Stop ruining it, you bastards!” Dahak yelled.

“I... I’m so nerbous in front of so many people,” Boga muttered.

“Let me ride on your shoulders, Boga. I’ll lead them for you, so you do the physical work,” Mdofarak offered.

Gerard and the Dragonz had come to attend the ceremony, but the crowding was so bad, they’d been dragged into helping. Their help was invaluable, though, as they managed to somehow resolve the excessive population somehow. With that, the space for the parade to pass was secured.

And so, first to come was the address by the newlywed couple. This ceremony was partially to unveil them to the world, so the kingdom’s citizens crowded into the royal castle to see them—or rather, to see Princess Shutola in her wedding dress. It was the same place where Zel had gathered his citizens and given his speech to brainwash them after becoming the Demon Lord, but today the mood was completely different. The crowd was lively, and everyone was all smiles.

“Shutola-sama! Look here!”

“The princess... Her smile is cleansing my heart!”

“Heh! All my daily exhaustion has been wiped away.”

“My chronic hip pain is gone too!”

“That’s all, old man? I feel like I got ten years added to my life.”

“Ugh, she’s always pretty, but today, Shutola-sama is even prettier than usual! She’s so bright she’s blinding me! Yeah, that must be why I can’t see!”

“What are you saying, dear? That’s such a waste! You can only see Shutola-sama in that dress today! You need to be looking at her enough to burn the sight into your eyes!”

“All hail! Long live Shutola-sama!”

“Don’t you dare make Shutola-sama cry, Kelvin-sama!”

“If you do, we’ll hate you forever!”

“Make her happy, you hear?”

The cheers were warm and came from closer than expected. It was very obvious how much Shutola’s people loved her.

“Ha ha ha, this is a lot of responsibility,” Kelvin muttered to himself.

“Yes,” Shutola replied. “If you don’t make me happy, you’ll make an enemy of all of Trycen.”

“Hey now, that’s a bit scary, don’t you think?” he replied.

“How can you say that? Think of it another way: As long as you make me happy, the entire kingdom will be your ally. So this is basically a won battle for you already!”

“Oh? You believe in me that much? Well, I’ll have to repay that trust, or I’m scared of what will happen in the future.”

“Oh, you!”

The couple was conversing as they waved from the terrace. Since he was indeed afraid for the future, he decided to swear emphatically that he would make Shutola happy during his address later.

While Kelvin and Shutola were being shown off to the public, the other brides-to-be were in the seating for invited guests, watching and looking like they couldn’t wait for their turns.

“Shutola-chan is so pretty... Ugghh, I’m right next to his first wife, Mel-sama, but I have to say that they really suit each other!” Colette cried.

“Grrrrrr... As the first wife, I’m so frustrated that she took the first spot. Would you switch with me and let me get married tomorrow instead?” Mel asked.

“Mel-sama is so enchanting, even when she’s being jealous!” Colette said, panting. “R-Rion-sama, please, your thoughts!”

“Nope,” Rion replied. “Even for the two of you, I won’t let that happen. But Shutola-chan really is so pretty up there! And Kel-nii is so cool!”

“Hee hee! I mean, Kelvin is my husband, and Shutola is someone he chose. Of course they are,” said Sera.

“Wow, that’s some confidence, Sera-san. But you know, I was the second one to gun for Kelvin-kun here,” said Ange. “You shouldn’t underestimate your big sis here when it comes to getting the measure of people!”

“Um, when it comes to having feelings for him, I don’t think I fall short either!” Efil argued hesitantly.

“Jeez, you two are so competitive!” Rion said.

“Um, when it comes to sniffing out body odor, I feel like I have a good chance at winning. Erm, right?” Colette offered.

“Don’t worry, no one in the world can compete with you on that front,” said Mel.

“Yay! That’s Mel-sama approved!” Colette exclaimed.

“You’re...pretty competitive too, huh, Colette? Aha ha...” Ange said. “Anyway, congratulations!”

There were many ways to congratulate someone, and they were all valid in the end. The brides-to-be genuinely celebrated the pairing of Kelvin and Shutola, wishing them happiness. Of course, they were also confident that they would be happiest.

And then, there was the Oracle of Deramis, who was having an epiphany during all this.

Hmm... I want Mel-sama and Rion-sama to be happy, but I also want that for Shutola-chan too, Colette pondered. But with all this right in front of me, knowing I’ll be able to marry Kelvin-sama as well, I actually think I’m...the most happy?

“By the way, there’s something I’m a little curious about,” said Rion.

“Huh? What is it?” Colette asked.

“Oh, it’s just that Shutola-chan is marrying into the Celsius house, so she’ll be Shutola Celsius from now on, right? Does that mean she won’t be Trycen royalty anymore? I was just wondering what would happen to her work here in that case. I mean, so many people were expecting her to be the next ruler, after all.”

“I see. That’s a natural question to have. But I don’t think there’s any need to worry about it.”

“Do you know something I don’t?”

“Yes, I do. Let me keep it simple: As you say, Rion-sama, Shutola-chan’s name will change, and she will no longer be royalty. However, she will be rehired under the name Shutola Celsius, so there’s not much of a problem at all.”

“Rehired?! So she wouldn’t work as a royal but would be hired as a normal citizen? I get the logic, but is that really something you’re allowed to do to a married princess?” Rion exclaimed.

“Not if she was marrying into the royal family of a different nation, no. However, that’s not the case here. The head of the Celsius house she’s marrying into—Kelvin-sama—is an adventurer who prizes freedom above all else. In other words, Shutola-chan doesn’t have to be bound by her family name either and can work wherever she wants!” Colette explained.

“Wow! I think that’s a bit of a stretch! But she’s been a freeloader this entire time anyway, so I guess it won’t change much,” Rion answered.

“For Trycen’s side, Shutola-sama has been the backbone of this kingdom, so this arrangement is something they welcome. And you can see how loved she is by everyone.”

“Ah, I see. Even from the perspective of other countries, having her stay and continue working here will help keep Trycen stable.”

“Indeed! By the way, I, Colette, unworthy as I am, plan to do the same thing to continue to serve as the Oracle of Deramis,” said Colette. “But unlike before, I will spend my time praying in front of Mel-sama! From up close! She will be receiving my prayers directly!”

“Uh...huh?” Mel let out. Her expression became serious as she muttered quietly that she had never heard about that.

◇ ◇ ◇

Today was the parade celebrating the marriage of royalty—one of the biggest priorities for the kingdom. The weather was clear, definitely ideal for festivals, but the truth was very different.

This trial for Shutola and me needed no further explanation. But actually, having to kiss for such a long time while exposed to the public was a hard pill to swallow; both of us were embarrassed by the thought. Being in such close contact was nice, but everything else was a true ordeal.

On the other hand, I had to wonder what the people thought. Any normal person would probably simply watch the parade and cheer us on while mainly enjoying the event, so in that sense, this was probably just entertainment for them. The greatest entertainment provided by the kingdom itself. They’d already given us such loud cheers during our address. The main event would probably result in a huge roar.

Or at least, that’s what I thought!

It was silent. Completely silent. At the moment, I was on the carriage, kissing Shutola as the parade wound its way around the capital. Our carriage was escorted by soldiers, knights, and a band, making for a truly large procession. Everyone was in lockstep, making for an impressive scene, all boosted by the rousing music. Our intertwined forms should also have been satisfying, and yet, the crowds surrounding the parade were totally quiet.

Hey, what’s the meaning of this?Could it be? Are they being controlled by something again, like during the Demon Lord incident?!

I considered for a moment, but as far as I could tell, they weren’t under any undue influence. The crowds were totally healthy; they were silent of their own volition as they watched us pass. There were quite a few onlookers who looked to be tourists, but it seemed they couldn’t quite bring themselves to cheer thanks to the pressure of those around them.

Let me confirm once again: Is this really the kingdom’s biggest celebration?! Both Shutola and I are doing our best, okay?! This is fine, right?! Save me, big brother Azgrad! Help!Oh, no, I have to stop. If I keep thinking about this, I’ll get upset. I need to concentrate on Shutola right now. Yeah, concentrate on the lips right in front of me. Her lips are so soft and nice— Wait, no. If this is all I think about, it’ll cause problems in its own way, though I won’t say what kind. It would actually ruin my concentration.

“I see...”

“Oho...”

I could feel the people’s gazes on us—or rather, they were stabbing right into us. I could also pick up hushed utterances. The crowd was definitely quiet, but at least they weren’t totally silent. For some reason, the citizens were jotting something down on paper and occasionally whispering opinions.

“Hm... Their kissing pose is the same as the late Serge-sama’s father, Zel Trycen-sama’s. There’s no novelty to it, but there will be those who will remember the previous parade. Plus points for the callback.”

“Maintaining that pose requires great core strength. Shutola-sama is incredibly talented at everything from governmental affairs to negotiations—this was the one area people were concerned about, and yet...I see she is not wavering. She must have trained well in preparation for this trial. Plus points for posture.”

“There is more to think about when it comes to kissing before the public than just looks. For example, innocence. The previous king, Zel, may have garnered a different view, having gone through this trial multiple times, but I would want to see a kiss befitting Shutola-sama’s and Kelvin-sama’s ages. It may seem like they’re playing it cool at first glance, but you can see their cheeks are slightly pink, and they are definitely exuding a slight air of awkwardness. Yes...good. Points for purity.”

“Wait, wait, there’s still more to consider. I’ve been watching them since the start of the parade and I have yet to see them run out of breath. All your points are valid, but their stamina for being able to maintain this for so long should be praised too. That’s to be expected of a Rank S adventurer and the one with Trycen’s future on her shoulders. Of course, we should add points for sheer vitality.”

“Um, hm... The princess is very pretty. Points for being beautiful.”

“No, no, that should be for being cute.”

“Oho ho ho! Points for providing excellent points of debate. As one who stands above others, she must always provide topics of conversation.”

I knew it. We’re being scored, aren’t we? They’re all scoring our kissing, huh? Are the scores on that paper in your hands? It’s pretty scary seeing men and women both young and old all holding papers and staring at us so intensely, you know? Ugh, where did that warm atmosphere from the address go?!

::Don’t be distracted by their gazes, Kelvin-san. You don’t need to worry, the parade is going well,:: Shutola told me through the Network.

My agitation must have shown, and this was exactly what they meant when they described a saving grace.

Got it. I’ll keep kissing, then, I replied to her. But I didn’t expect to be scored during this. Their stares are really intense in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

::It is said in Trycen that this kiss will determine the future of the country. And so, the citizens earnestly review our kiss and look for points where we can improve.::

The fate of the kingdom rests on this kiss?! I shouted telepathically.

::Well, it really is just a custom. Only, this is one of the few chances they will get to speak unreservedly about royalty, so they are very serious about it. I hadn’t been born yet, but I heard that father received an enormous number of notes after his first parade and that it was awful in its own right,:: Shutola told me.

I-Is that so? I replied.

So everyone in the kingdom is a kissing expert or something? I wondered privately.

::Normally, we would use our time in the various rest areas to take in suggestions and improve our kissing as the parade proceeds, but...luckily, we have not received any. That means the vast majority of people are satisfied with our kiss. Good job, Kelvin-san,:: Shutola told me.

Ha ha ha...right. Yay me, I replied.

Those breaks were barely long enough for me to go to the restroom, I thought privately. And we’re expected to consider notes, even after they’ve been carefully selected? Doesn’t that negate the meaning of having breaks? We’ve rested multiple times already, but I feel like the breaks barely happened at all.

::This is a saying passed down among Trycen royalty, so don’t tell anyone else: The first half of the trial is a fight against your sense of shame, the second half is a fight against your bladder,:: Shutola told me.

They must have had it hard, I replied sympathetically.

I was sure all of the past royals had had it very hard, not just the former king, Zel. What a terrifying trial.

◇ ◇ ◇

We’re finally at the finish line, I commented over the Network.

::Y-Yes. That took longer than I expected,:: Shutola replied.

We were moving slowly along our route through the last section of the capital. The parade was reaching its end, with the great cathedral as its destination. This trial was finally close to ending, but I was already exhausted in both mind and body. Everybody’s intense stares were boring into me like drills, riddling my supposed iron spirit with holes. Their reviews were merciless—it made me doubt if they had a human heart at all.

But now, the parade was finally coming to an end. Trycen’s grand cathedral was right in front of us. Neither my mind nor my body could take much more; I was at my limit in a variety of ways. I wouldn’t say what varieties, since we were in public, but I really was exhausted.

“Heh! I can’t believe they made it to the end without any major notes. Trycen’s future is bright. Points for the rosy future.”

“They are great people, but they are still young. I thought they’d show some cracks somewhere down the line, but they were impressive. Points for being one in body and soul.”

“Well I believed in them. This is as far as regular citizens can go. That’s actually a lie, so don’t lose focus even during the ceremony, you hear?! Points for being on guard!”

Man, Trycen’s people really judge even the smallest details up until the very end. I have no idea how or why they all turned into eccentric experts or what point of view they were commenting from, but...well, I guess this is a form of celebration too. It’s a bit intense, but their feelings for Trycen are true. I’m marrying Shutola, so I’ll have to deal with these feelings head-on, I thought.

Once the parade is over, it’ll finally be time for the ceremony, I commented over the Network.

::Indeed. But I think it’ll be over quicker than you think,:: Shutola replied.

Looks like it. In my opinion, the ceremony is the main event, but... Oh, actually, before that... I prompted her.

::Yes. I believe it will happen soon,:: she agreed.

Normally, at this point when the long and intense parade was ending, it would be the moment to finally breathe a sigh of relief and relax. However, we didn’t do that. If we did, it would be a waste. As Shutola mentioned, this was the best chance for an attack.

And by that, I refer to the biggest attraction of these proceedings: the objection system. In regard to that, we hadn’t been told beforehand what time it would happen. Our opponent for this ceremony would be Sylvia, and it was up to her when and where to make her move. Of course, she’d been told to prepare properly so as not to cause any harm to bystanders or damage to our surroundings. Our opponents would likely have myriad approaches, from creating an advantageous arena to setting a barrier to requesting a change of venue.

They have the freedom to choose where we fight, but now that we’ve come this far, the timing is obvious, I commented.

::Thinking back to the origins of objecting to marriages, the best timing is just before the kiss. I was on guard before the parade, but she didn’t show herself. As expected, this next opportunity will be it,:: Shutola replied in agreement.

With our opinions aligned, we turned our thoughts to what was to come. With a fight before us, my exhaustion flew out the window. I’ll be enjoying this thoroughly, so I can turn my exhaustion into joy, I thought privately.

“Mm. I object,” I heard Sylvia say.

Neither of us replied. As soon as we stepped off the carriage in front of the great cathedral that was our destination, her familiar voice reached my ears. Large snowflakes suddenly fell from the sky, accompanied by something else—and that something was obvious: It was Sylvia.

Hey, wait a second!

“Erm, Sylvia-san? I get the feeling your entrance was a bit early...”

Sylvia returned a confused look.

Ah, she definitely doesn’t know what I’m talking about. Look how her head is tilted.

“Erm, I was thinking that the best timing would be just before we kissed to seal the deal, that’s all. I know we’re opponents, here, but...”

“Mm, I still don’t get it,” Sylvia replied. “This timing provides the biggest advantage, which is why I called out to you. That is all.”

Yeah, thought so. I mean, sure, in terms of exhaustion levels, we’d be at our peak just after the parade. Personally, I give your greedy attitude full marks, since it covets victory above all else and doesn’t care about the mood or give any consideration to the situation, but I have to wonder if that’s really the right move during a wedding. Look, the crowd that was acting like professionals before are all flabbergasted now. Hmmm...Shutola, please give your verdict!

Shutola sighed. “Lunoir’s always been like this, so I don’t think there’s anything we can do. And no matter the result, it looks like Ashley did her best.”

As soon as she said that, someone else came from overhead at high speed to land next to Sylvia.

My word, using your fire sword as an afterburner to speed yourself up and make an entrance sure is flashy.

Of course, this newcomer was Ashley, or rather, Ema.

“Jeez, Sylvia! Didn’t we just agree that we would be objecting a little later?!” she shouted. “You went off on your own again!”

“Ah, Ema’s here,” Sylvia responded.

“Of course I am. It’d be a mistake if I didn’t chase after you!” Ema shouted again.

I see. Judging from the way Ema is acting, their original plan aligned with what we were expecting. They would follow the basics of objecting and butt in right before the kiss. However, Sylvia doesn’t understand the reason for that, so she took action when she saw the opportunity.

“Thanks for all the hard work, Ema.”

“You seem to have it just as hard now as you always have,” Shutola said, agreeing with me.

“Huh? Ah! Shutola, Kelvin, congratulations on your marriage— I mean, no!” Ema interrupted herself. “Uh, I apologize sincerely for this after the terrible display you had to see just now, but we would like to object...erm...” She seemed really apologetic.

“I already said that, Ema,” said Sylvia. “Our request for a duel is already perfect.”

“No, no, no! We should have done this inside the church, when it would have been most dramatic! But you’ve changed everything!” Ema yelled.

That only confused Sylvia again. “But would not fighting inside the church make it hard to maneuver? There would be guests inside too, so it would cause many problems. Out here, there is a lot of space, and we won’t be bothering anyone. It saves a lot of trouble.”

“That’s not the point,” Ema replied. “There’s an order to things. Like...the meaning behind the challenge, or setting the mood...”

Once again, Sylvia tilted her head, confused.

Ema paused for a beat before saying, “I’m sorry, Kelvin-san and Shutola. It’s too late at this point, so can we please object right here and now?”

“Yeah, I don’t mind.”

“Hee hee! I am also fine with that,” Shutola agreed. “It actually makes me relieved to see how little you two have changed.”

“I... I’m glad to hear you say that, I think?” Ema replied. “I know it’s not my place to say this as the lieutenant, but I’m amazed Sylvia was made a general at all.”

“It was because she produced results, regardless of how she got those results,” Shutola explained. “And she had you to keep an eye on her, just like you’re doing now, Ashley.”

Once again, Sylvia looked confused; she still didn’t get it.

Yeah, um...I would actually prefer you to stay as you are.

“Uh, ahem,” Ema cleared her throat. “Let’s start over. We object to your marriage, Kelvin-san and Shutola!”

Sylvia stood there, silent.

After a moment of waiting, Ema said, “Sylvia, your line! You need to say the line!”

“Ah, it’s my turn?” Sylvia asked. “Er... Ah, this one.” She’d fished out a cue card with no hesitation. She wasn’t even trying to hide that this was all scripted as she read the card out in the open. “Um... We request a two-on-two tag team battle. I will team up with Ema, while you, Kelvin and Shutola... Hey, is all this necessary? Wouldn’t Kelvin get it from the context?”

“Just do your best and read it, Sylvia,” said Ema. “I’m sure Kelvin would get it, but this is important for the pomp and circumstance of it all.”

“Mm, okay,” Sylvia replied.

Man, Ema must have had it hard back when she worked in Trycen.

◇ ◇ ◇

“O-Oh, this is the objection system I was hearing about!”

“So, they would impose an extra trial upon themselves on top of the parade... Shutola-sama truly is thinking of this kingdom’s future!”

“Wait! Aren’t those two the former general and lieutenant of the Magic Knight Order, Lunoir-sama and Ashley-sama?! I heard they had to retire from the military due to unavoidable circumstances! Did they return for Shutola-sama’s sake?!”

“No, they haven’t returned. They are here putting on an act for the sake of the two newlyweds as they take off for their future! What a surprise! What friendship!”

“Huh? But doesn’t she also resemble the Rank S adventurer Ice Princess?”

For clarification, we had indeed informed the public about the objection system. Just like us, they had no idea when it would take place, but we had also kept who would be objecting a secret from them. Still, it seemed most of the people didn’t know that Sylvia was Lunoir.

I guess that’s understandable, since they stayed on the Western Continent as adventurers after leaving. None of these people would’ve had a chance to see them unless they were traveling merchants or in some other profession that requires frequent travel.

“...and those will be the rules for this battle. In essence, it’ll be the same as during the promotion match. Are you okay with that?” Sylvia asked.

“Yeah, sounds good to me. I don’t think it’ll be a problem, since I’m sure Colette won’t barf like that now.”

After listening to Sylvia’s monotone reading of her cue cards, we easily accepted their terms. Then again, to be fair, we were both planning to accept pretty much anything as long as it wasn’t completely ridiculous. A tag team battle was well within reasonable limits. In fact, I wanted to praise them for thinking of it.

But what I was most curious about was where we would be fighting. This square in front of the church was large enough but left a lot to be desired in the toughness department. If Sylvia and I were to clash full force, the aftereffects would be very dangerous. I hadn’t had to worry about it in the past, but these days the location was something I had to pay careful attention to.

“Then I’ll make the battlefield,” said Sylvia, still as impassive as ever.

Saying that, she started releasing a large amount of magic power. It wasn’t dangerous, but it instantly spread a wash of cold, white air that affected the immediate area. My vision was dyed white, making it so that I could only see what was directly in front of me.

I’m wearing white today, so wouldn’t this work as camouflage? Is she thinking straight?

“It’s done,” said Sylvia.

A few seconds after that thought crossed my mind, the wash of cold air ceased. I opened my eyes and saw a pure-white coliseum of ice. It was a round arena, resembling the one in Gaun, though it was a size smaller, likely because it was made to fit the size of the square. Still, it easily matched the simple coliseum we’d fought in during the promotion match.

I see. We’ll definitely be able to fight here.

“I’m shocked,” said Shutola after a moment of awe. “Both at its size and intricate design. She created all this so quickly... Doesn’t her casting speed rival Kelvin-san’s?”

This coliseum was most likely made with Blue Magic. As a fellow practitioner of Blue Magic, Shutola was truly impressed. Honestly, I was also surprised.

“Sylvia, is this...?”

“Mm, I copied your magic a little, Kelvin,” she admitted. “It’s a Rank S Blue Magic spell. I named it Snow Arena. The color is the exact opposite of yours, but it’s pretty sturdy.”

I knew it. The casting resembled Adamantine Fortress, so it felt somehow familiar. Still, I never expected her to re-create it with ice. Honestly, I have to wonder if even Mel, Shutola’s mentor in Blue Magic, would be able to create such a large and detailed construct so quickly.

“Still, it lacks durability compared to Kelvin’s,” Sylvia continued. “In exchange, it also impairs the movement of enemies inside, so it’s useful that way.”

“Impairs movement? So it works like Nana’s Frozen Temple? But I don’t feel very impaired...”

“Frozen yogurt tempura?” Sylvia tried to repeat, confused. “That sounds delicious.”

No, I didn’t say that, though it sounds similar. I mean, what you said is also longer. Hey, you were so impassive, but now all of a sudden you’ve got a glint in your eye? I have never heard of such a terrible combination of food, so stop looking at me with such hope!

“I have the impairing function off right now,” Sylvia explained. “By the way, this is how it feels when it’s on.”

“Oh. Oh?”

I experienced the familiar sensation of my body freezing. This was undoubtedly the same effect as Nana’s Frozen Temple. My support effects were working, though it wasn’t enough to cancel out the impairment. Even so, supposing the area of effect was the entire arena, as a spell, this one was definitely better developed than Nana’s. It also seemed harder to undo than Frozen Temple.

“I see, so you’re much stronger than before, just like we are, Sylvia. If you used this in the middle of battle... Heh heh, that would be so much trouble!”

“Ah, don’t worry. The effect will be kept off during the battle,” said Ema.

Just as my heart started to dance, Ema’s unbelievable words doused it all. What? It’ll be off? What do you mean? Are you insane?!

“Oh please, don’t make that face. It affects everyone other than the caster, so it would harm me as well,” said Ema. “Well, there is a way to get around it using Chains of the Shunned, but...”

“Even if you can get around it, Ema, everyone else will be troubled,” said Sylvia. “There is an audience here too, since this is an arena.”

“What?!”

In a panic, I looked around. Sylvia was right, Trycen’s citizenry were arrayed around me, with invited guests and people we knew in the seats with a good view meant for nobility.

She’s right! If such an indiscriminate effect was activated here, it would affect everyone. Then, hrrnghh...I guess there’s no choice.

“Now, it’s finally time for this battle between Rank S adventurers over the bride to start! Officially, this is referred to as the objection system! It’s a scenario everyone is familiar with, but it almost never happens in real life! However, today, this dreamlike situation has become a reality! The fight will be covered by me, Ronove, from Gaun’s arena! Furthermore, as a guest commentator, we have one of Trycen’s strongest people: General Dan of the Steel Knight Order!” I could hear Ronove shout.

“This is Dan D’alba,” Dan chimed in. “Context aside, I am genuinely interested in the outcome of this battle. Personally, I am cheering for the princess.”

The commentary started immediately—the two of them must have been on standby from the beginning. The unexpected involvement of General Dan was a good surprise for the people of Trycen and was met with thunderous cheers.

“Seriously...this is like a repeat of the promotion match.”

“Well, we were kind of aiming for that,” said Ema.

“Mm. Ema was the one who planned all this,” said Sylvia.

“Grr... It feels like I’m being left behind because I wasn’t around for that fight,” Shutola said with a pout.

Ema let out a panicked noise. She looked shocked by what Shutola said and immediately started bowing repeatedly to her.

Shutola is in strategist mode right now, Ema-san. Don’t let her get to you.

“So the safety measures were completely re-created too, huh? Seems the work involved double the number of people compared to the promotion match... Do you think you can do this, Colette?”

“Of course,” Colette replied. “Please witness my bravery, Kelvin-sama and Shutola-chan!”

She seemed to have crawled out of my shadow.

Hey, why are you coming out of my shadow like Alex? Since when were you there?

At any rate, Colette cast her esoteric technique with confidence.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Now, are our combatants ready?! Just now, Colette, the Oracle of Deramis, has cast her technique on our four great participants!” Ronove shouted.

“I believe it’s a special esoteric technique from Deramis that allows those affected to avoid death,” Dan commented. “A true miracle, to be sure, but it should exhaust the caster heavily. On top of that, she must construct the barrier around the arena to prevent damage to the surroundings. Things were pretty close during Kelvin-dono’s promotion ceremony. I wonder how it will be today.”

“Oh? Were you there, General Dan? Too bad! If I’d known, I would have had you as a guest commentator back then too!” Ronove exclaimed.

“Heh! That would have been interesting,” Dan replied.

Even while Colette was working her hardest to make the necessary preparations, the reporting and commentary didn’t stop.

Huh, so General Dan saw the promotion ceremony. Did he come to see Sylvia as a fellow general? If he’d only greeted her in person, I would have met him earlier. And then I could have fought him instead.

“I’ll...cast it on you next, Kelvin-sama,” said Colette, huffing and puffing.

Whoops. My turn came while I was stuck in my own head. And it looks like she’s already pretty spent since I’m last in line. Yeah...at least it looks like we won’t be seeing a rainbow during the celebrations. I’m sure part of the reason is that she has more maximum MP now, but she’s also more efficient with these techniques too. I can see that she’s using less on each casting.

“Yeah, okay. I’m impressed you managed to construct the barrier and do all this without needing any potions. You’ve grown a lot, Colette.”

“My apologies, Kelvin-sama, but please don’t say such joyous things to me right now,” Colette gasped. “My heart being so full will make me lose concentration. I’ll end up overflowing with faith from every hole in my body!”

“Sorry. Please, keep concentrating.”

I did my best to maintain a serious expression as Colette worked to finish the job.

“By the way, Kelvin-san. Which strategy should we go with?” Shutola asked.

“Can’t we just play it by ear? We should see what Sylvia and Ema do first.”

“Right, so we start with observation,” she replied.

“Um...are you really holding a strategy session right in front of your enemies so we can hear?” Ema retorted.

“It’s not really something we have to keep a secret, so...” Shutola answered. “And you know, we could be lying while discussing our true plans through telepathy.”

“Urk! That’s... Well, it looks like we’re being bluffed already.”

“Don’t let yourself be caught up in Shutola’s words, Ema,” Sylvia warned her. “You’ll never be able to win a verbal battle.”

Indeed. Sylvia’s right. You can’t let her blah blah blah...

“It’s done,” Colette reported. “Heh...heh heh! I did it! Ah, oh no. I can feel something bad coming up my throat, so I’ll take my leave now. I’m praying you...hawhff! Have a good maffwwhhhfff...”

Colette quickly made her exit. It seemed she was cutting it close, but she did manage to keep it in.

Good job!

“Whoa, and Colette-sama quickly leaves the arena! It seems the preparations have finished successfully!” Ronove shouted.

“That was efficient, like she was crawling along the ground with no wasted movement,” Dan commented. “It seems our esteemed Oracle wants to hurry up and watch this match too.”

“Right, then we should hurry up and start!” Ronove exclaimed. “Combatants, to your places!”

That’s not the reason. No, I shouldn’t correct them for Colette’s sake.

We followed the instructions and took our starting positions. There was a circular stage at the center of the coliseum, serving as the battlefield for this objection match. Usually, we’d be fighting on stages made by Caesar, the world-famous artisan of stages, but it seemed he was in the midst of training, so we couldn’t request his services. That being said, this stage made with Sylvia’s magic actually seemed sturdier, so I didn’t have a problem with it, but...there was a part of me that thought it was regrettable.

Am I just imagining it?

“Now then, let’s go over this one more time! The rules for this match will be the same as a promotion match! Damage your opponents and force the activation of Colette’s technique to win! Either that, or force your opponent off the stage!” Dan announced. “However, because this will be a two-on-two fight, a loss is counted if any team member is knocked out. In other words, all you have to do is knock out or ring out one of your enemies. Be careful!”

“So it tests their teamwork!” Ronove exclaimed. “By the way, General Dan, I will not be surrendering my announcer’s role!”

Dan paused for a moment, confused. “What are you talking about? Where did that come from?”

“Heh heh! I have a long track record of abandoning my role as announcer during fights between Rank S adventurers, but it wasn’t for nothing!” Ronove shouted. “I have been training my eyes relentlessly in Gaun’s arena this past year! Now, I’m able to just see even strong fighters as they do battle! This happened during Kelvin-san and Sylvia-san’s battle in the past as well!”

“Uh, really, now?” Dan asked. “Well, hrm... Then do your best during this match. I will help however I can, though it may not be much.”

“Thank you! Oh, while we were talking, both teams reached their starting positions!” Ronove exclaimed. “The excitement of the crowd is at its peak! We have no choice but to start! Is everyone ready?! I’m sure you are! Say yeeeessss!”

“Yeeeaaahhhh!” the crowd yelled in response.

They left us behind. Well, I’m fine with it, I guess.

Shutola and I had lined up at our starting positions. I held up my black staff, while she deployed her magic thread. On the opposite side of the arena, Sylvia and Ema held their weapons—a rapier and greatsword, respectively—at the ready.

This is already feeling like it’ll be a delicious battle.

“Well, then. Match...begin!” Ronove announced.

There was no missing the signal. Shutola instantly jumped back to take the rearguard, automatically making me the vanguard. Regardless of what our opponents did, this opening was not changing.

Now, they’re both magic swordsmen who can handle both close combat and magic. What will they—

“Inverse Glacial Meteor,” Sylvia incanted.

Suddenly, magic swelled in the stage under our feet—actually, even below that.

Hmm... So the first spell goes to Sylvia. She called it Inverse Glacial Meteor? Glacial Meteor makes a huge meteor of ice fall on its target, but this definitely doesn’t feel like that.

::Kelvin-san,:: Shutola said through the Network.

Yeah. Looks like they’re going all out right from the start, I replied. As expected of Sylvia and Ema. They know how to make us happy.

::Indeed. I’m glad you’re so happy, Kelvin-san. But before you get lost in your joy, we should deal with this.::

Right! Don’t get separated, Shutola! I told her.

Even as we messaged each other telepathically, the stage rose with alarming speed.

You doubt me? I’m serious! The stage is shooting up like a rocket. Where? Straight up, of course! Sylvia created a glacial meteor below us and fired it into the sky!

“Gah ha ha ha ha ha! Awesome! A start this flashy is perfect for a celebration!” I yelled.

“Mm. It’s a surprise present from me,” said Sylvia.

“I’ll have to finish handling this present before I give it over to Shutola!”

Ignoring the sudden rise of the stage, Sylvia ran across the stage while Ema used her explosive movement technique to close in on us.

Yeah, I’ll gladly take this wonderful gift on!

◇ ◇ ◇

We were ascending fast. It wouldn’t take long for us to hit the top of the barrier if it kept going. Honestly, I didn’t want to think about the impact of being sandwiched between the ice stage and an unbreakable barrier.

Oh, no, wait. This barrier stops attacks, but people can pass right through it, can’t they? Going outside the barrier counts as a ring out, so that’s probably their plan. The stage and the glacial meteor are part of Sylvia’s magic, so I’m sure they’ll have any number of ways to avoid passing through, like creating an escape route for themselves just before hitting the barrier, I thought privately.

What do you think we should prioritize, Shutola? Destroying this ice or defeating the two of them before we get flung out of the ring? I asked my partner telepathically.

::I want to say that destroying this meteor is top priority, but it seems this one’s as tough as Sylvia’s arena. My Frigid Lethal Threads are a bad match for things that are already frozen, and even if I deploy puppets now, we would need too much time. Destroying it with your Boreas Death Scythe would be ideal, but they would definitely aim for the opening they’ll see after you make the attack,:: Shutola replied.

I know you’ll protect me, Shutola, so that plan sounds viable to me, I commented.

::You know it’s impossible and you still said it? I may be able to manage one of us, but I can’t protect us both from their focused assault. I am the weakest among us,:: Shutola reminded me.

Ha ha! Sorry, sorry. Then what do we do? Aim for a quick finish? I asked.

::Jeez, I know you don’t really think that. You know such a plan isn’t reliable and you don’t want to end things too early, do you? Feel free to enjoy fighting them while breaking this ice with the aftereffects of your battle. That should be possible with Boreas Death Scythe’s range. I’ll do my best to support you, okay?::

Awesome! That’s what I was waiting for! I replied enthusiastically.

With Shutola’s permission, I happily jumped to the front of our formation. I firmly believed getting the permission of my wife first was a necessary step toward ensuring our married life was smooth. In this situation, with our enemies coming toward us, getting into melee range would be almost instantaneous if I were to run forward too—which was why I made sure to aim my Boreas Death Scythe to hit both of them before throwing out an especially large slash as a greeting.

“What a welcome! If we dodge this, won’t it hit the barrier?!” Ema shouted.

“You’re one to talk, with the surprise you whipped out right away! Also, feel free to dodge it if you can! I’ve adjusted it so it’ll disappear right before the barrier!”

“Mm, a safe plan,” Sylvia commented.

The incredible speed at which Ema spoke exemplified how great a speed we were fighting at. Meanwhile, Sylvia... Well, she was as cool and unhurried as always. At any rate, Ema used her fire-spewing greatsword as a thruster to travel along an outrageous trajectory and fling herself out of the way of the slash. Sylvia, on the other hand...

Ah, she’s not intending to dodge at all.

“This is in the way,” Sylvia said. She batted the slash away with her hand, forcing it off target. Sadly, I’d been feeling lately that Boreas Death Scythe, which should have boasted absolute destructive power, was on a trend of being dealt with too easily. I mean, I understood that against Hard, it was just a bad matchup, but I hadn’t expected it to be repeated multiple times in succession like this. Of course, experiencing such a shock during battle only made me happier!

If I remember right, Sylvia’s Unique Skill weakens the effect of magic. But I also remember her making sure to never be hit by it before. Her Unique Skill must have gotten more powerful, right? I mean, she totally nullified a Rank S spell. Ha ha! Amazing! I thought privately.

Watch out. It doesn’t look like magic will work on Sylvia at all, I warned Shutola through the Network.

::So, she’s a terrible match for us, since our main offensive strength lies in magic,:: Shutola concluded.

Yeah. Isn’t it great? I replied happily.

::Sorry to interrupt your excitement, but watch out for Ashley’s Chains of the Shunned as well. She can lock status effects in place, making them incurable. In this situation, being frozen would be terrifying,:: Shutola warned me.

Got it! I replied.

While we conversed telepathically, Sylvia made a beeline for us, throwing out a storm of thrusts with her weapon. It seemed she didn’t intend to let me swing my scythe again, as the storm showed no sign of ending. She mercilessly aimed for critical points like my head, heart, and anywhere I showed even the slightest opening with surgical precision and blinding speed, Each attack was like its own explosion of killing intent. I parried them all with my black staff, but if I missed even one, I would be finished, or at least seriously injured. Also...

“Haaahhh!”

Ema had used this chance to get behind me and was now taking an impressive swing at me. The attack boasted power unimaginable for her slight frame, with another heap of power added on thanks to the flames spewing from the sword itself. The swing itself was typical for a greatsword, and I had to think, Doesn’t this equal Gerard’s strongest attack?

“Oh, wow. I gotta say, I can’t afford to take that,” I admitted.

“Guh!”

In the blink of an eye, I whipped out the same disastrous tornado that had once decimated the elven village: a miniature version of Tempest Barrier, a Rank S Green Magic spell I had learned from Clive. Unfortunately, even with that, I couldn’t break the stage or the additional ice under it. In exchange, though, I repelled all the attacks coming at me from my two opponents. As before, I wasn’t able to damage Sylvia, but I was able to defend against her attacks. And Ema, who couldn’t nullify magic, was sent back quite far.

“Hmph,” Sylvia grunted.

I thought I heard her through all the noise of my wind barrier. Am I hearing things? No, I’m not.

It seemed she wasn’t going to hesitate, even in the face of this tornado. She poked her head through the wall of wind. “Was that a little like Ange?” she asked.

I responded with a confused noise. With her head tilted questioningly, she threw out wonderfully merciless attacks.

Oh man, I never expected her to just plunge face-first into the tornado. That’s pretty insane. Even if she doesn’t take any damage, there’s no way that applies to her weapons and armor too. It’s cool that you don’t care if they’re destroyed, but as a man, exposing yourself like that just makes me troub— Huh?

“Hey, you got changed before the stars of the show did?” I joked.

Sylvia was now inside the tornado, and her equipment was completely unscathed. In fact, she had covered herself with a layer of ice armor. It wasn’t full plate like Gerard’s but rather thin and light plating that wouldn’t impede movement. Still, it definitely provided more defense than it appeared at a glance.

“Mm, that’s not what I intended. Sorry,” Sylvia apologized.

“Ah, no, it was a joke, so you don’t need to apologize. Is that a new spell?”

“Yes. I call it Fahrenheit Goddess. It is like an extension of my Unique Skill, so my equipment is now affected by it. Also, it’s very tough,” Sylvia explained.

We continued our light conversation as we clashed inside the tornado.

I see. So it’s like when I don Hard in his Astaroth Form. Well, even if magic doesn’t work on her, physical attacks still do, so there are ways to overcome this obstacle. I could also use Divine Saber, just like I did against Hard, to— Ah, wait. It’s magic, so would it get nullified too? Hrm...it’s hard to tell.

“General Dan! I can only see a huge chunk of ice! Was there any point in me working so hard on my abilities as an announcer?!” Ronove shouted.

“Sorry, but I cannot help you with that,” Dan apologized. “But the sight of the ice being launched upward fired up the crowd a lot, so I don’t think this is a bad result?”

“It’s definitely bad! All my effooorrrt!” Ronove wailed.

Nice. It sounds like they’re having a great time down on the ground too!

◇ ◇ ◇

The stage was still rising, and now there was a tornado on it surrounding a clash of weapons so intense there was no time to breathe. At this point, the battle was high enough that no one—not the announcer, not the commentator, and not the audience—could see the combatants while Kelvin reaped the wealth of great combat to be had today. Even now, he and Sylvia were inside the Tempest Barrier, engaging in close combat in an endless exchange of attempts on each other’s lives.

Ugh, I somehow managed to avoid a direct hit, I think! Ema thought, having just attempted another assault on Kelvin. She had matched her timing perfectly with Sylvia to create a pincer, but her charge had suddenly been cut short by the appearance of a tornado. This tornado did not just defend her opponent; it was also a disaster that sliced through everything in the area. In other words, it was a troublesome thing that also served as a counterattack. Ema couldn’t nullify magic like Sylvia could, so being hit by it was more than enough to be fatal.

But Ema wasn’t one to freely get hit. Her reflexes were much better than the average person’s. Though she’d been cut a little, she managed to fire a jet with her sword to avoid any more damage. Thanks to the force of it, she’d been flung quite a ways away, but since she could move easily through the air, that wasn’t a great loss.

“Did you think you could separate us by making a wall?” she asked rhetorically.

She made her flames burn even hotter, sure that with a powerful enough strike, it would be possible to blow away the tornado that was acting as a wall. With that in mind, she once again charged toward it...

“Are you really going to ignore me after coming this far, Ashley?” Shutola asked suddenly.

It took a brief moment for Ema to react. “No.”

Unfortunately for her plans, she’d been interrupted before her charge could get into full swing. The culprit was the other star of the day’s events, who had been staying behind Kelvin: Shutola. She used her magic threads to stabilize the stage so she could maintain her balance while standing, and she was also surrounded by several unfamiliar puppets. Of course, those puppets were connected to her with magic thread. Also, there were several more threads wrapping around Ema’s sword at the moment, stopping it from moving.

“Wouldn’t you agree that it’s wrong for a knight to point their blade at the person who was once their lord and is now their friend?” Ema asked.

“You know, if you said that to Kelvin, he’d burst out laughing. He’d say there would be no point in having this objection system in that case,” Shutola replied.

“Ah, yes, that does sound like something he’d say,” Ema conceded. “So, what’re those puppets?”

Shutola had introduced Ema to her favorite plushies before. Among them had been the large battle bear, Georgios, and the all-rounder knight puppets called Royal Guards. Shutola had been very excited as she introduced them, her eyes sparkling as she explained everything. Even now, Ema remembered it all very well. After all, Shutola had gone on so long she ended up having to stay overnight, only to continue in the morning. Anyway, it had been carved deep into her memory along with all the exhaustion, which was why she felt she was more familiar than most with how Shutola fought.

However, even after the match started, Shutola had yet to pull out said puppets and plushies. She’d retreated to the rear at the very beginning and deployed her magic threads, but then she simply stood there. At a glance, she seemed unguarded, but Ema could feel something unfathomable going on with her and knew Shutola had something planned. She knew because she was best friends with Shutola, which was also why she had a strong feeling that whatever it was would be troublesome. Truly troublesome. And so, that had led to her wanting to work with Sylvia to finish Kelvin off before Shutola could do anything. However, that plan had failed. Now, she was facing off against Shutola and a bunch of puppets she’d never seen or heard of before.

“These children? Hee hee! If you want an explanation, it will take a while—” Shutola started.

“Given the situation, couldn’t you give a quick summary?” Ema cut her off. She had to move quickly to avoid exposing herself to more of this particular kind of trauma.

Shutola paused for a moment to think. “I see this match as an extension of the parade earlier: our first activity as a pair. These children were made by Kelvin-san. You could say they’re a kind of golem. Custom-made golems created specially for me to control with magic threads.”

“Golems? Weird. That means they were made from the ground using Green Magic, right?” Ema asked.

One of the reasons she and Sylvia had launched the entire stage up into the air was to half block Kelvin’s Green Magic. Unlike his White Magic and wind-based Green Magic, which could be used anywhere, his earth-based Green Magic needed materials from the ground—or at least, that should have been the case. And yet, Ema was currently looking at golems said to have been made by him. It was unthinkable.

Are those illusions made with Shutola’s Blue Magic? No, but...hmmm? She was spending quite a bit of time in thought, likely influenced by the fact that she was facing Shutola.

To spoil the surprise, the trick behind this was quite simple. The instant Sylvia had launched the stage into the sky, Kelvin had used the ground under the ice as material to form several Obsidian Edge blades and stick them into the underside of the ice. Although these blades couldn’t break the ice, they had managed to come up into the air along with it. As they ascended, he’d used them to create Shutola’s puppets.

“Indeed. What a mystery,” Shutola replied. Of course, she wouldn’t tell Ema that. She wanted to use this creepy unfathomable feeling of it all to gain a psychological advantage.

“By the way, these children are Adamantite Arachnids. There are a total of eight of them, and I will not use anything besides them in this fight, so no need to worry about that,” Shutola announced.

“Hrm, that just makes me worry more,” said Ema.

The golems around Shutola were special ones shaped like spiders. They had eight sharply pointed limbs, eight eyes emitting a red glow, and jet-black armor that glinted with dark luster. It looked like Shutola’s magic threads were being used like a spider’s nest. However, even if they were shaped like spiders, they weren’t creepy. In fact, the clean lines of their silhouettes looked futuristic.

“They look tough,” said Ema. “Zolub.” With a wry smile, she raised her beloved sword, Solforme. Its blade turned red, instantly melting the magic threads entangling it.

“So you transformed your weapon,” said Shutola. “You don’t need Perusus anymore?”

“I can just turn it back if I need to!” Ema replied.

Perusus was specialized for mobility, while Zolub featured overwhelming heat. This was a transformation ability for Ema’s beloved sword that she had developed to handle all situations. It seemed she’d decided that cutting through these spider puppets with regular heat would be too difficult, so she’d gone with melting them instead. She kicked off the stage, closing the distance to Shutola all at once.

Meanwhile, Shutola twitched her fingers, activating her Adamantite Spiders in earnest. They traveled across the magic threads while shooting out more threads, which they used to construct a new web to obstruct Ema with surprising speed.

“Don’t think such thin thread can stop my sword!” Ema shouted.

“Do you really think I’d do something with no purpose?” Shutola asked.

One side was determined to break through, while the other was determined to stop the first. Each combatant swung their weapon, whether red sword or blue thread, to assert their will. The clash was impending—it would happen in less than a second. However, that was more than enough time for something else to get in the way.

Schwaaah!

Kelvin’s tornado in the middle of the stage was cut apart right before the two clashed. It was split in half perfectly, including the stage underneath.

“Aaaggghhh!!! That was close! I’ve never had so much trouble swinging my scythe before! That was seriously close!” Kelvin shouted.

“Mm. Too bad. In the end, the healing caught up,” Sylvia remarked.

Clive’s grand magic had been easily torn apart, revealing Kelvin, smiling though he was full of holes; and Sylvia, who looked sad despite her face being as impassive as always.

◇ ◇ ◇

During the clash between Kelvin and Sylvia in the tornado, Sylvia had the advantage in attack output and speed due to her choice of weapon, which was also being boosted past what Kelvin could manage with Sword Mastery. She had been pressuring him the entire time. Kelvin’s large scythe could only manage big swings, so its compatibility with her sword was awful, forcing him into a purely defensive fight. In order to make up for this, he added magic into the mix. Unfortunately, magic didn’t work on Sylvia, and half of his Green Magic repertoire was useless (or so it seemed), so his options were limited.

The only things that worked were the support magic that Kelvin could cast on himself and the healing magic he could use to recover from her attacks. Of course, support magic wasn’t very reliable because there was a chance it would disappear if Sylvia got too close. At any rate, Kelvin used everything at his disposal to somehow weather Sylvia’s fierce onslaught, waiting for the slightest of chances.

“I knew it! You have the advantage in close combat!” Kelvin shouted. “Reminds me of last time!”

“Mm. And yet you’re hanging on,” Sylvia responded. “It feels like I have the advantage in terms of circumstance rather than skill.”

“Ha ha! I wonder! Well, I do feel like I’ve trained a lot! Don’t think everything will go your waaayy—whoops!”

Sylvia’s blade bit deep into Kelvin’s cheek. If he had been even a little later, it would have gone right through his head.

“Mm, another close one,” said Sylvia. “A wound like that is meaningless; it’ll be gone in an instant.”

“Come on! You have Auto Healing to recover from any damage too! We’re both in the same boat! Wait... Hey... Does that mean we’re stuck in an infinite loop?” Kelvin started to wonder. “Can I fight forever?”

“Maybe, if your MP is bottomless,” Sylvia replied.

“Thought so!”

Instead of an infinitely long fight, the stage would actually reach the top of the barrier and fling them outside. As for whether Kelvin remembered that or if he was too absorbed in the fight...

“Air Void!” he shouted.

The answer was no but also yes. Kelvin knew about what awaited them. Naturally, he didn’t want such a boring end to the battle, so he made his next move to try to extend the match, causing Sylvia to let out a noise of shock.

“And then comes the next step!” Kelvin exclaimed.

Air Void changed the atmospheric pressure within its area of effect, creating a vacuum. Kelvin cast the spell with extreme speed before bringing his scythe straight down on the stage. Even if magic didn’t work on Sylvia, she would be affected if magic were to change her environment. In this case, she was assaulted by a lack of oxygen thanks to all of it being sucked out of the area.

“Grk...urgghh!” she moaned.

This was Sylvia’s first time seeing this spell, and she was confined inside the tornado. Between being hit by the effects of the spell and her ferocious offensive earlier, she showed the slightest of openings as she gasped for breath. She quickly recovered, though, extracting oxygen from magically created water like a fish using the Rank C Blue Magic spell Fake Gills.

Sylvia had created this spell on the spot, without ever trying it beforehand. She’d known what she needed most in the moment and created it on the spot before instantly using it. It might have sounded easy, but accomplishing such a thing instantly was nearly impossible. Not even Kelvin could create magic with such speed, even for a Rank C spell.

Seriously?! That speed is impossible, even with Parallel Processing! Is she a genius?! he thought.

As someone experienced in creating magic, Kelvin knew what had just been accomplished. He was incredibly impressed, knowing that Sylvia would continue to grow with him, filling him with hope for the future of his combat career and causing him to act out of character and thank the gods.

But I got the chance I needed! he thought.

Not taking advantage of it would be rude to Sylvia—at least, as far as Kelvin was concerned—so he went ahead and achieved his goal: destroying the object launching them upward.

With a shriek of breaking ice, the tornado around them, the ice stage that was even better than what master craftsmen could achieve, and the chunk of ice that had grabbed the audience’s attention below were all split in two. Having swung his scythe safely, Kelvin was met with Sylvia’s furious assault, riddling him with holes, although no vital organs were hit. And so, his insides were once again revealed to the world. Of course, Shutola and Ema could have seen them as well if they’d wanted to, but...

“I don’t have time to look away!” Ema shouted.

“Neither do I!” Shutola agreed.

They refused to do so, opting instead to concentrate on the friend and opponent whom they were imminently clashing with. Even with the stage split in two, Ema remained sure-footed, charging at Shutola along the shortest route. She stuck her blazing blade out in front of her, destroying the blue web that attempted to block her. No matter how many threads shaped like webs were placed in front of her, they couldn’t stop her Zolub.

“Is that what you thought?” Shutola asked.

Ema let out a noise of shock. “Hey, that’s...”

The webs were definitely being destroyed by Ema’s charge. The instant they touched the burning blade, they melted away without so much as a peep. However, Ema felt Solforme grow unnaturally heavy. By her reckoning, it was now at least twice as heavy. She looked at her blade, noticing a large crystal the same size as her weapon attached to its sharp edge. Not only that, but the crystal was gradually getting bigger and heavier.

“This warning’s a bit late, but you shouldn’t be so cavalier about touching those spider threads,” said Shutola. “They reject anyone I don’t approve of.”

By attaching her magic threads to Kelvin’s specially made spider golem puppets, Shutola had given them a new ability. In other words, the golems were a device to transform the properties of her magic threads. In this case, her threads now crystallized anyone or anything that came into contact with them. The crystals would grow bigger over time, eventually swallowing up their prey entirely. At this point, Ema could only let go of her beloved sword to avoid crystallization.

“Is that what you thought?” Ema asked.

Shutola grunted in surprise. “You!”

The crystals evaporated from the blade as Ema spoke. The sword shone brilliantly as she immediately resumed her charge. Ema made sure to destroy the entirety of the web as she approached Shutola.

“Ah, the effect of Chains of the Shunned,” Shutola said after a moment of thought.

“Oh, come on! How did you figure it out so quickly?” Ema asked. Her Unique Skill, Chains of the Shunned, was able to anchor a target’s status or support effects. But now, she had developed her ability to another level and was capable of reapplying a fixed status from the past. In this case, she had targeted Solforme to anchor the status of not having any statuses. In other words, the crystallized status had been overwritten into a no-status state.

“Oh well! Even if you saw through the trick, it doesn’t change the fact that your terrifying ability no longer works! This is going to be a one-sided—” Ema started.

“Do you really think so?!”

Once again, it was Ema’s turn to let out a noise of shock.

Kelvin came from above, blindingly fast, interrupting Shutola and Ema’s conversation. Sylvia was hot on his heels, coming to stand beside Ema.

“Agh, I was so close! I mean, to be fair, she probably still had something up her sleeve, even if Kelvin didn’t come, but still!” Ema complained.

“It’s okay. Also, we’re falling now,” said Sylvia.

Now that the object flinging the arena upward had been destroyed, the battlefield was falling in the opposite direction. This also signaled the start of the second round.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Shutola-sama was such a tomboy back then. She loved to play pranks only to get scolded by King Zel. She often came crying to Azgrad and me afterward,” Dan commented.

“Really?! So even Shutola, someone so famous for being wise, was like that once upon a time! That’s surprising!” Ronove exclaimed.

The pair were immersed in their conversation, reminiscing about memories of Shutola. The stage had been launched to quite a height at this point, and it was impossible to see what was going on from the ground. While the sight had been unusual and interesting at first, the novelty had quickly faded since all they had to see was a hunk of ice. Boredom suffused the crowd, so Ronove and Dan had to keep the energy up with their conversation.

However, Dan only talked about his memories from when Shutola was a child, so the subject stayed stagnant. Still, demand for it was high, so everyone listened anyway. At this point, no one was looking up at the hunk of ice.

“What I remember most fondly is the plushie version of me as a super general that Shutola-sama made for my birthday—” Dan continued.

“Whoooaaa!” Ronove interrupted him. “Look up, General Dan! It seems something’s changed up there! Will my improved announcing ability finally come into play?!”

Everyone responded to him, turning to the sky once again to find that the ice had been split in two. Given its height, they still couldn’t see the top of the stage, but still, it was a clear change, which was good news for the audience.

“Mm, indeed,” Dan agreed reluctantly. “It’s been split.” His expression was somewhat sad.

“Do your best, Kelvin! Shutola! We won’t forgive you if you lose the very first match!” Sera shouted.

“Hah! What is that redhead spouting? She has no clue how much stronger Sylvia’s gotten this past year!” someone yelled at her in response.

“Huuhhh?! Wait, I recognize you, wolf guy!” Sera yelled back. “But you’re the one who doesn’t know anything, so shut up with the nonsense!”

“What?! It’s not nonsense! Sylvia really has gotten a lot stronger, dammit!”

“Hey, Nagua, don’t pick a fight here of all places!” one of Nagua’s party members reprimanded him.

“That redhead’s the one picking a fight!” Nagua shouted back.

“You should calm down too, Sera-san. There’s no point in getting into an argument here.”

“But this idiot is—” Sera tried to argue back.

“Aha ha, you two never change, do you?” Rion cut her off. “Wait, hm? Hey, something’s off. The ice isn’t dropping.”

“What?” both Sera and Nagua responded.

Despite an argument kicking off between some overly energetic parties, they noticed something strange about the battle. Rion pointing out the incongruity stopped the argument from coming to blows as the pair looked up.

◇ ◇ ◇

Once again, everyone’s attention was on the sky. The four-person battle was getting even more heated. The stage and ice under it that had split in two now split even more, into such small pieces that it was basically crushed ice. But still, it didn’t fall—every piece remained in the air, unmoving. Sylvia had talked about it like it would plummet now that it was no longer being launched upward, so what was going on?

“Mm, you stopped all my ice. What are those threads?” she asked.

“I’m not completely sure myself, but it looks like she can impart a variety of effects on those threads by passing it through the spiders,” Ema replied. “I’d wager that whatever is happening now has something to do with strengthening the threads.”

The reason it looked like the ice was stuck in the air was that Shutola’s golems had fixed them all in place. Ema was right: These threads had a property that allowed them to bear the weight of the aggregate mass of everything. They were attached to Colette’s barrier, which was outside the arena, making everything look like a gigantic spider’s nest. During the second round, Kelvin had diced the ice hunk and stage even more finely while Shutola tied it all up with thread, creating a new battlefield together.

“So you’ve already seen through it,” Shutola remarked. “I’d expect nothing less from your keen eye, Ema.”

“You say that, but I can’t even reach the ground where you stand in that regard, Shutola,” said Ema.

“Mm, and your observational ability isn’t all,” Sylvia added. “You’ve become truly strong, Shutola. You’re honestly on the same level as Kelvin.”

“R-Really? Well, that... Hee hee! That makes me happy,” said Shutola. She broke into a smile, which was rare during battle. She’d always wanted to stand beside Kelvin as his equal in battle, which had driven her to improve greatly. That was also why she was so genuinely happy to hear Sylvia say as much.

“Whoa there, now that’s a smile. Nice, Sylvia,” said Kelvin.

“I did nothing that needs praise,” Sylvia replied.

“Really? Would you praise us on creating this battlefield instead, then?” Kelvin asked. “I think we did a pretty great job with it, don’t you agree?”

“I don’t really know, so I can’t really say.”

“Oh... I see...”

While the new battlefield was being completed, the stage did fall somewhat. And so, they were now closer to the audience and able to see down below thanks to the ice being in so many pieces. So from the spectators’ perspective, this was a very considerate redesign. Secretly, Kelvin wanted to argue that such regard for those aspects should be praised alongside pure functionality.

I understand why Kelvin-san is so proud of this. But in truth, this new arena is going to be trouble, Ema thought. She had immediately given high marks to the new battlefield, having understood his intent—not that she said any of it out loud.

There were far more than only two or three threads connecting the smaller ice blocks that served as their footing. Even now, the golems could still move freely in this arena and were continuing to expand the web. They moved super fast, using the magic threads as pathways, and it would be difficult in the extreme to catch up to them while either dodging the threads or destroying them. On top of that, Kelvin and Shutola were still in the fight, so neither Sylvia nor Ema would have the time to do so.

Those were among the multitude of observations Ema made as she gave the new arena a once-over. So, should they ignore the golems to focus on defeating either Kelvin or Shutola? That strategy had its flaws too, but continuing to ponder endlessly while even more magic threads were being produced would eventually drive them into a corner. While Sylvia was in a different boat since she could nullify magic, this situation, where magic threads were popping up everywhere with who knew what effects on them, did not bode well for Sylvia and Ema. While Ema had the ability to fix someone’s status in place, knowing Shutola, she would find a weakness in that ability to strike at. And so, to her, touching the threads carelessly was out of the question.

While I’m struggling to attack, Shutola and Kelvin are using the threads as footholds. Grrr! We planned to control this battle starting with the battlefield, but they’ve totally turned our strategy back on us. And it looks like Kelvin-san now has full access to his Green Magic repertoire too, thought Ema.

She was looking at the three large, jet-black blades that had been deployed around Kelvin. He had been using Green Magic all over the place since earlier, as if he no longer had to hide it.

Ema sighed. “I’m tired of this! Volcannon Wall!”

“I don’t know if we have a foot to stand on when we ambushed them,” Sylvia responded. “Ferruginous Spring.”

Ema had cast a super wide-area, super offensive spell, wanting to just get rid of it all: the countless magic threads, the annoying golems, and her opponents Kelvin and Shutola as well.

::An incoming wall of flames and a boiling red torrent! Both the Red Magic and Blue Magic here are Rank S! Do you think you can stop all that with your magic threads, Shutola?!:: Kelvin asked telepathically.

::While my threads may survive, all that fire and water would easily pass through the gaps in the strings. Also, as I’m sure you’ve already noticed, Kelvin-san, they’re hiding behind these spells and plotting their next move,:: Shutola responded.

::I figured. In this situation, Sylvia and Ema only grow more disadvantaged the more time they take. So they’ll be trying for a full reversal. It makes sense. Yeah, it definitely does, but...I wanted to fight a little more...:: Kelvin lamented.

::Save your disappointment for after we win. So, what do we do?:: Shutola asked.

::Do you even need to ask? Our final task as a team in this battle!:: Kelvin replied.

◇ ◇ ◇

Shutola was busy adapting some of her threads for durability and some for slashing resistance in preparation for their opponents’ next moves, but they still needed to deal with the oncoming wall of fire and wave of boiling red water. Kelvin swung his scythe, attempting to intercept the attacks.

“Hah!”

An enormous slash was produced. At the same time as it was released, Shutola used her magic threads to clear the path in front of it. Even against Rank S magic, a slash from Boreas Death Scythe would not be deterred unless the counterspell had some serious resistance stats against it. The gigantic slash slipped through a gap in the nest, taking the fire and water that threatened to swallow its caster and slicing them both in half. The two spells, which were supposed to be offensive options to cover a wide area, completely lost their momentum, able to do no more than slightly singe or moisten the threads in their way before dissipating.

Kelvin’s and Shutola’s movements were in perfect sync; they embodied the teamwork of a married couple. However, they still barely managed to deal with their enemy’s attack; this definitely wouldn’t be their final act of teamwork. The clash from earlier had only been a prelude. Their final team task was just about to be revealed.

“They’re coming, Shutola. Are you ready?” Kelvin asked.

“Always.”

Even after getting rid of the two threats, Kelvin’s slash continued ever onward. Its blade was now pointed, of course, at Sylvia and Ema. However, he was already sure that even a slash that was technically powerful enough to defeat those two spells would not do so to them. Was that because Sylvia was immune to magic? Of course, that was part of it. But also, they were still hiding something big. At least, that was the impression he got from the way they’d appeared in the aftermath of the spell.

“Felicitations!” Sylvia and Ema announced in unison.

With the flames and water gone, the spray receded to reveal the pair jointly wielding a blade even larger than Boreas Death Scythe. Sylvia was in front while Ema brought up the rear, both holding on to the sword. Their stances made it hard to think that they were going to swing it; in fact, it was doubtful they would even be able to commit a full swing.

Kelvin and Shutola turned to look at their stance, seeing exactly what they’d expected: a large sword with flames and heat mixing together with ice and water. As noted already, this blade was enormous, clad in both fire and ice—an appearance that truly engendered misconceptions. Both of them were bad at dealing with each other, normally making teamwork like this impossible. However, there definitely was teamwork happening with them now, one waiting fiercely and quietly for the time to come.

“Mm, this is something special Ema and I created for today,” said Sylvia.

“This is our final surprise,” said Ema. “Will you two be able to take it?!”

“Of course!” both Kelvin and Shutola replied in unison.

At the same time, the huge sword spewed fire. This was the very flame Ema had been using with Perusus all throughout the fight—or rather, it was of the same type of magic, but this was leagues more powerful. The jet of flames flung the pair into the air at terrifying speed, straight toward Kelvin and Shutola.

“As always, this is in the way,” said Sylvia.

The first thing that met them was a slash from Boreas Death Scythe, a famously undefendable attack that had just before eaten both their spells. However, as always, it barely had any effect on Sylvia. Its blade might as well have been powerless. The moment it touched her, it broke into pieces.

::That formation looks like a joke, but it’s really annoying!:: Kelvin remarked to Shutola.

Sylvia’s and Ema’s stances were unchanging, even as they flew through the air on a jet of fire. As long as Sylvia was in front, she would be a shield that nullified all magic.

::But that only applies if you attack from the front. If we attack from all angles, at the very least, we can get Ashley...::

Shutola trailed off and drew her arms in, causing many threads to respond. The complicated web contracted in toward Sylvia and Ema from all angles, like a thrown net where each individual piece was unimaginably powerful. The threads that were tough and threads that were resistant to slashing crisscrossed, combining both offense and defense.

Jwhssss!

But it was no good. No matter what angle the threads came from, they all melted before coming into contact with the pair. It seemed Ema and Sylvia’s sword was a dangerous thing, able to melt anything nearby without even needing to be swung. Like a small sun.

“Mm, that’s not enough to break us. We won’t lose,” said Sylvia.

“That can’t be your final act of teamwork, can it?!” Ema taunted them.

“Of course not!” Kelvin shot back. “Shutola!”

“Celsius’s Caritas!” Shutola called out.

The magic threads that had been aiming for Sylvia and Ema inexplicably turned toward Kelvin. The couple was confused, wondering if this was friendly fire, but it only took a moment for them to realize it wasn’t. Kelvin basked in the attacks coming from all over as they cut him apart— Actually, the threads wove into his equipment as they arrived, seeming to melt into him. There were also some that attached themselves to his limbs and anything else that could be moved like a puppet.

Celsius’s Caritas was a super special Rank S Blue Magic spell that Shutola and Kelvin had come up with just for this fight. By combining threads with special properties on them into equipment, those objects were strengthened. And by controlling the target with string, that target could exhibit power past their limits. In essence, it was a type of support magic. However, using this spell was extraordinarily difficult. The caster and target had to be completely in sync or the spell would turn into shackles binding the target. This magic was only usable by Shutola, who could maintain a wider view of the battlefield than anyone and read Kelvin’s desires and intentions ahead of time. This was their ultimate teamwork—a final form with which to accept the surprise present.

“The spell is complete. How does it feel?” Shutola asked.

“It’s perfect!” Kelvin replied. Even the black staff part of his scythe had a thread attached to it, but his smile was unsettlingly wide.

Behind him, Shutola’s expression strangely mirrored his.

“Now then!”one team started.

“Come!” the other finished.

One side had a strange sword that could only be jointly wielded by the two of them, while the other sported a combination spell that could only be used simultaneously by the two of them. And now, both teams clashed head-on. The instant they met was like every kind of disaster all at once. Immediately, there was an explosion of steam, a freezing effect that could stop even time, and gale-force winds that could level all of it, everything spreading out from the epicenter at the same time. It had a massive effect on the battlefield around the combatants, destroying the spider threads in all sorts of ways while the Adamantite Arachnids and Adamantite Edges gathered in front of Shutola to shield her. Despite Shutola and her shields being a fair distance away, almost all of these constructs stopped functioning afterward. If not for Colette’s barrier, the audience would have been affected as well.

“What...? What’s happening?! It’s so bright, General Dan!” Ronove shouted. “I can’t see! It’s too bright! The announcing skills I’ve worked so hard to cultivate are totally useless!”

“It’s the climax. Shutola-sama has gotten so much stronger,” said Dan.

“What? You can see?!” Ronove exclaimed in surprise. “Well... Hey... I mean...don’t just sit there, basking in your feelings! Explain it to everyone!”

Dan didn’t reply right away. “No, there’s no need. The sky is clearing up. We should praise both sides, regardless of who won.”

“Whaaat?!” Ronove screamed.

His voice reverberated throughout the coliseum as the first objection event came to an end.

◇ ◇ ◇

“How is it? Can you see?” Dan asked.

“Ohhh! The coloring is pretty unique, but it’s not as bright as before! These glasses are good! Wait, what’s that?!” Ronove shouted in surprise.

Dan had given Ronove some sunglasses, allowing him to once again fulfill his duties. Two shadows were sent flying away from the center of the intense light. They went in opposite directions but were both traveling at extreme speeds. If they continued without being stopped, they’d hit Colette’s barrier.

“Grk! Oof!”

“Gah! Hurk!”

The two shadows were Kelvin and Ema, both now in tatters. It was easy to tell just from their voices what terrible shape they were in. Both were likely barely conscious, as there was no sign of any healing magic or any attempt to brake before hitting the barrier. As things stood, they would both be knocked out of the arena. If that were to happen, the match would be decided based on who crossed the barrier first...

“I won’t...let that happen!” Shutola shouted.

“Ema!” Sylvia exclaimed.

Neither of their partners would stand by and allow it.

The damage is awful, but I can’t ignore the burns and frostbite all over his body either! Even Ema made sure to use her Chains of the Shunned on all of it! Shutola thought in a panic.

She deployed all the magic threads she could to catch Kelvin. The clash earlier had broken all the threads of Celsius’s Caritas as well as all the spider threads deployed around the arena, so she could only rely on her own magic threads. The kick from trying to catch Kelvin at the speed he’d been sent flying was intense, placing a humongous and terribly painful burden on both Shutola’s arms and magic thread, but she couldn’t very well let go. For her kingdom, for victory, and for the success of this wedding—there were many reasons for her to hang on. But more than anything, no matter what happened, she couldn’t even consider giving up on the person she loved.

Ugh! That last attack Kelvin used wasn’t his usual spell! It looked like the same slash, but it was actually an ultracompressed incarnation of gale-force wind! His aim was always to knock Ema out of the arena! Shutola’s thoughts were mired in frustration.

Sylvia alone remained untouched in the swirl of their clash, but there was no composure left in her expression. She turned around in a hurry, chasing after Ema. During the clash, she’d served to shield her friend from most of the impact—or at least, that had been her intention, but Kelvin’s strike had been incredibly unpredictable. It had looked like he was clashing with them head-on in a pure contest of power, but the blade had actually bent like a whip, going around Sylvia to strike at Ema. In the end, Ema had taken the full brunt of the wind and lost consciousness.

And so started the chapter of both sides attempting to rescue their partners. As if she’d predicted it, Shutola had been extremely quick to leap into action, but Sylvia’s reactions were superhuman as well, and her quick decision-making was flawless. As things stood, if everything went well, both sides would likely be able to save their partners just before they left the arena.

Yes...if everything went well.

“Gah!”

Shutola managed to save Kelvin while enduring the pain in her arms. However, something stood in the way of Sylvia as she chased after Ema.

This is Shutola’s! she cried internally.

It was a jet-black spider-shaped golem—the product of Kelvin and Shutola working together. An Adamantite Arachnid. She had thought all of them had sacrificed themselves to shield Shutola during the clash, but one had hidden at the edge of the barrier.

“Shutola... Don’t tell me she actually predicted all this?!” Sylvia yelled in frustration.

She would have no trouble dispatching the golem, but it would take time, and at the moment every second mattered. Every fraction of a second, in fact. Whether she chose to defeat it or go around it, she would lose time. Would dodging and blowing past it save the most time?

Sylvia didn’t even have time to think. Trusting in her own instincts, she blew past the Adamantite Arachnid with the least amount of extraneous movement possible. Unfortunately, as expected, the window for saving Ema was too small, and Ema crossed the barrier before Sylvia could grab her.

“Training my announcing ability means training my eyesight, which perfectly captured the sight of Ema leaving the barrier just now!” Ronove shouted. “Yes, it’s true! My eyes are amaziiiinnnggg!”

“Is that so? Good for you,” Dan replied. “And that means?”

“Right. In other words...the match has ended with Kelvin-san and Shutola-sama’s victoryyy!” Ronove announced.

His bold declaration of Kelvin and Shutola’s victory was followed by a thunderous uproar from the crowd. In the end, almost none of the fight had been visible to them, so most of the crowd had no idea what had happened, but the knowledge that Shutola had won was more than enough to shake the hearts of Trycen’s people.

“Mm, I didn’t make it in time...” Sylvia muttered.

In the midst of the cheers resounding throughout the coliseum, Sylvia returned to the ground, carrying an unconscious Ema.

“Thank you for giving it your all, Sylvia. I really wanted an actual win, not one that was called due to ring out, but...we were seriously cornered to the point where there was no other way. Yeah, it really was an awesome fight...” Kelvin muttered.

Shutola had descended after Sylvia, supporting Kelvin on her shoulders. It seemed he had used healing magic on the way down, as none of his wounds remained. However, he still had all his burns and frostbite, so he looked to be in serious pain.

“I didn’t think the Unique Skill’s effect would continue even with its user unconscious...” Shutola added. “I was being too optimistic.”

“Ema would be happy to hear you say that, with how you read everything from beginning to end. I would love to include it in her epitaph,” said Sylvia.

“Um, but I’m not dead yet...” Ema said. She had woken up with perfect timing and immediately undid her Unique Skill, finally allowing Kelvin to fully heal himself.

“Well then, once again...congratulations on your wedding, Shutola and Kelvin-san. I truly am happy that you got married. You really suit each other.”

“Mm, congratulations,” Sylvia echoed. “I’m happy you two got together too. Also, I’ll make sure to kill you next time, Kelvin, so don’t worry.”

“Sylvia! Wait a second!” Ema yelped.

Sylvia had spouted that insane line with a smile, forcing Ema to give a sharp retort. That hit their opponents’ funny bones, though, as both Kelvin and Shutola burst out laughing.

“Gah... Gaha! Gaha ha! Yeah, thanks to you, it seems I won’t be bored for a while. Still, you’re true to your word, or should I say you have a ridiculously strong sense of duty, Sylvia?” Kelvin remarked.

“Why?!” Ema yelled.

“Now, now, it’s fine, isn’t it?” Shutola replied placatingly. “It might sound threatening, but this is a type of communication on its own.”

“You know, Shutola...I don’t think it’s right for a wife to be too understanding either,” Ema replied.

“Hey, will there be food at the reception?” Sylvia asked.

“Of course,” Kelvin replied. “According to Shutola, there’ll be a spread of traditional Trycennian food, so it’ll probably be quite nostalgic for you.”

“Ohhh!”

“Agh, jeez! And they’ve already switched subjects...” Ema muttered.

And so, Kelvin and Shutola successfully took down the opponents “objecting” to their marriage.

◇ ◇ ◇

Having gotten through the first “objection” battle, Shutola and I had our ceremony in the cathedral and were officially married. This isn’t something I should say about my own wedding, but the ceremony had felt disappointingly uneventful after the parade trial and our fierce fight against Sylvia and Ema.

Yeah, it’s the parade’s fault. It’s got to be. The vows and kiss that one would normally be nervous about were completely overshadowed by that.

Still, I was happy. After the ceremony, my heart felt like it was floating on warm air. And my happiness compounded knowing that Shutola felt the same way. There’d been no need to wonder—one look at her face was enough to tell the whole story. At any rate, we were both very happy.

After the ceremony, it was finally time for the last event: the reception. An entire section of Trycen’s royal castle had been partitioned off for our private party with those family members, friends, and acquaintances we had invited. The guest list was honestly impressive, even from a global view. I was currently going around offering my greetings to the important figures present.

“I’m sure you already know, Kelvin, but take care of Shutola,” Azgrad said to me. “If something happens, I’ll cut you down personally. With no mercy.”

“If that happened, General, I’d join you! Given how master is, he would consider it a reward, and it might serve as a vacation for him!” Huba added.

“Come on, you two, think about it. You use spears, don’t you? You’d be stabbing me, not cutting me down.”

“He’s right, King Azgrad. You should leave that role to me, since I actually use a sword!” Dan interjected.

“General Dan!”

“Ah, then should this old lady participate as well? Why don’t we do it together, Rosalia-chan? Do something with your mother,” Salafia offered.

“Heh heh! That sounds fun. I would love to,” Rosalia replied.

“Even you two?!”

“Kelvin-san, your joy is leaking into your voice.”

Naturally, my newly minted big brother-in-law, the generals, and other people involved in managing Trycen were present.

“The match was amazing to see, Shutola! Especially that last part where you saved Kelvin! That brought tears to my eyes!” Sera exclaimed.

“Sera-nee really did cry,” Rion added.

“Hey, Rion! Don’t say that!” Sera replied in a fluster.

“Oooooaaaaaahhhh! I was moved to tears too!” Gerard shouted as he cried.

“Gerard-san was like this from beginning to end. He had to leave midway through so as not to bother the other spectators...” someone else said.

“You know there are going to be more weddings starting from tomorrow, right, Gerard-san? Are you hydrated well enough?” another voice called out.

“Don’t think sooo!” Gerard replied, still crying.

“Ugh! Shutola-chan was so pretty. And Kelvin-sama looked even more divine than usual up there, fighting with her! Ugh, I just couldn’t stand it in a lot of ways! How should I express my joy at being able to support this battle?!” Colette screamed. “The world is so precious I’ll die!”

“Your wedding is coming up, Colette, so please don’t die before then,” said Mel.

“Ah, Mel-sama is worried for the likes of me!” Colette gushed.

“Mama, Colette-san looks like she’s about to succumb to dehydration,” DarkMel noted.

“You should leave her be for now, DarkMel,” Mel replied. “If you start worrying about her too, she really will dry up.”

“Seriously, bro, congratulations!” Dahak shouted. “As your first underling, my pride over being able to welcome this day with you—”

“Too long, Dahak,” Mdofarak cut him off. “Congratulations, master. And to you too, Shutola. Yes, that’s all.”

“Id...really id...a happy occasion,” Boga added in his strange voice.

Obviously, my party members from home were all here too, creating quite a bit of chaos.

“Mm, this food is good,” said Sylvia. “Congratulations, Shutola. And to you too, Kelvin. Thanks to you, I’m able to enjoy this feast. It’s very good.”

“Sylvia...the stars of the hour are here, so let’s stop eating for now, okay?” Ema suggested.

“Hee hee! It’s fine,” said Shutola. “It makes me happy to see Lunoir enjoying herself so much.”

“Ugh, Shutola’s kindness goes right to my heart. I’m so sorry,” Ema muttered.

“Come on, there’s no need to worry so much. Oh, by the way, there’s something I need to ask you, Ema.”

“Me? What is it?”

“It’s a bit late now that the fight is over, but couldn’t you save Colette from falling over by fixing her barrier in place with your Chains of the Shunned? I heard you can deploy several chains at once, so I considered having you use it on Sylvia and me to make us kind of invincible, but...I assume fixing my death-rewinding ability would be too much?”

“Right, of course it’s about fighting. Well, no surprise there; that’s just like you, Kelvin-san. Anyway, yes, it’s possible. If I wanted to, I could also use Chains of the Shunned on Colette’s barrier,” Ema replied.

“It’s possible?! Isn’t that an insanely strong ability? That would make me like old man Nito, wouldn’t it?”

“It definitely is a powerful effect, but the MP cost to maintain it is really high,” Ema explained. “Maintaining a healthy body is honestly nothing compared to what I’ve been doing.”

“Ah, I see. So it’s not that unbelievably strong...”

“Aha ha! Sorry for getting your hopes up,” Ema replied. “But I have thought about all the situations and strategies where I could use my ability. Still, the result of our match came from the activation of the barrier, didn’t it? Even fixing it in place or rewinding it wouldn’t nullify the result.”

“Mm, that’s why we excluded it from our strategies,” Sylvia added. “It would help in a real fight, but for this match it would only be a waste of MP. Nom nom.”

“You there! Guy with the shitty face and the black hair! Don’t just spend all your time with Sylvia and Ema, let me greet—” Nagua started.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re going to cause a lot of trouble, Nagua, so just shut up. I’ll give our congratulations in your place,” said Ariel.

“Grrr...” Nagua growled.

“I wish you eternal happiness. Our entire party does,” said Kokudori.

Sylvia, Ema, and their party members Ariel and Kokudori gave us warm words of congratulations. I was sure Nagua felt the same way as well, though he was currently restrained. Yeah, I can tell even if you don’t say anything. Mmhmm, I know.

Anyway, there were a whole host of other people here as well. Some of them would also be participating in my other weddings, which would start tomorrow, so I was very grateful to them. After I made a circuit of all the tables, everything calmed down for the moment. I returned to the main table to spend some time with Shutola, though it would be brief.

I paused, breathing a sigh of relief. “Tomorrow is Rion’s wedding, so I’ll need to get to Parth by early tomorrow morning. I prepared myself for it, but this really is a tight schedule.”

“Oh, Kelvin-san, you’re already thinking about another woman?” Shutola asked teasingly. “When I’m right here and we’re still in the middle of our wedding?”

“Ugh! Sorry, Shutola! I can’t believe I—”

“Grrr! That’s what my childish heart wants to say, but it’s Rion-chan’s turn tomorrow,” said Shutola. “I’ll forgive you...this time.”

She giggled as if she’d succeeded at a prank in her child form. You know that face is super effective on me, don’t you, Shutola-san?

“Let’s see, we can’t have you tired for tomorrow’s ceremony or objection battle, so...I’ve decided. I have you until midnight, so we’ll spend the night getting lots of sleep. You don’t mind, do you, Kelvin-san?” Shutola asked.

“Of course not. Do you have any requests in the meantime, Princess Shutola?”

“You...want me to say it out loud?”

I had no words. It seemed I would need to wring a bit more effort out of myself right up until it was time to leave.

Chapter 3: Wedding in Parth

Strangely enough, I woke up feeling super refreshed the next morning. I’d had almost no sleep, but both my body and mind were overflowing with energy, and I had almost no residual drowsiness. Actually, sorry, that was a lie. Honestly, I was still a little tired from yesterday. Part of the reason was, of course, because I had to wake up so early thanks to my schedule, but more than that, Shutola had gone over our allotted time—in other words, I hadn’t gotten as much sleep as we’d intended.

“Kel-nii...are you okay?” Rion asked. “You kind of look like Colette did yesterday...”

“I’m... I’m fine. Of course I can take part in the objection and the ceremony...”

“No, the sound of your voice alone says the opposite. So the question is: Why does Shutola look so energetic when you look like this? Her skin looks...glossy, almost. Did something happen?” Ange asked.

“Oh, erm...well, it’s the benefit of happiness, I guess?” I replied.

“The benefit of happiness? Ah, I see! So you’re saying the wedding yesterday had that much of an effect on Shutola! Ooh, now I’m really looking forward to my own!” Ange gushed teasingly.

Shutola and I chuckled nervously in unison.

“I will cook some food in secret later to energize you, master,” Efil offered.

“Sorry for the trouble, Efil...”

Of course Efil managed to pick up on what I needed most. Her cooking would definitely do me wonders. Seriously, cooking when taken to its extreme was amazing and something I could no longer do without.

We had returned to Parth from Trycen by teleportation gate and were now doing final checks on the schedule at home. Without needing to waste time traveling, we managed to free up quite a lot of time—or not. Even with no travel time, our schedule was tight. Just like with Trycen and Shutola, the wedding I’d be having with Rion today was a big one that would involve all of Parth. It would be so big that the crowds rivaled those at my promotion ceremony. The Adventurer’s Guild and townsfolk were helping, but as the stars of this event, there was a lot for us to do, which was why we were so pressed for time.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Kel-nii?” Rion asked again.

“Uh, yeah. I’m fine. Totally fine. More importantly, Rion, let’s go over our plans for today one more time.”

“Okay! Um, first, we’ll have a basic rehearsal. But Parth has been holding a festival alongside our wedding since the morning, which will go on regardless of what happens with us. It’s clear that the stalls and stages for the festival, along with magic performances, already have the town in a huge uproar,” said Rion.

“Yeah. We’ve been hearing the sound of fireworks going off and drunk laughing all this time.”

I turned to look out the window, confirming that the town was in such a lively state that it was hard to believe it was still morning.

Yeah, this might be even busier than my promotion ceremony. I’m sure there are a lot of tourists here, since the other great nations of the Eastern Continent are having festivals to coincide with our weddings, not just Parth. That reminds me, I heard some ridiculous rumors that the great nations worked together to invent dragon-drawn carriages for tourists that could cross between the countries in just half a day.

Actually, they were more than just rumors, I’d seen them in person. Apparently Trycen’s Dragon Knight Order was giving this project their full support, Toraj had spared no secret of its technology to create the carriage itself, the materials were the highest-quality wood straight from Gaun, and Deramis had provided each one with a safety barrier.

Hey, guys, don’t you think you tried too hard? Of course with all your powers combined, you could make it easier for tourists to get around. Naturally, you’d have money falling into your laps too. Well, I guess I’m fine with it as long as you’re all getting along!

“And as for the actual wedding, it’ll be held in the church on our estate! The one right there!” Rion exclaimed.

The smile she gave was perfect. Normal people would ask, “Why have the wedding in your own home?” But there was a reason for it. As I said before, Parth was currently filled to the brim with people, people, people, elves, and the occasional angel and demon. This situation didn’t make it easy for large groups of us to get around. So we’d decided to build a church on the grounds of the estate and just hold the whole thing right at home. It was a seemingly backward idea, but it was taken in earnest. After all, it was the conclusion we’d come to after some serious thought.

Dahak had claimed to be able to build a good church in a day, and he’d made good on that. Since Colette would be staying with us from now on, it would be best to have a place at home where she could pray anyway, so this seemed like the perfect solution. Still, the church turned out more impressive than I’d expected. It was also right next to Dahak’s field, so I’d been seriously shocked when I’d first laid eyes on it. But in the end, both Rion and I had accepted the idea.

“We also have a stage outside that will be showing footage of the wedding for those who want to see it but weren’t invited,” Ange added. “Man, that thing we borrowed from Gaun that does all this is as impressive as ever!”

It’s a magic item developed by my comrade, Kilto, so of course it is. Heh heh! I heard he happily let us borrow it when Rion went to ask him. Heh heh!

“Then, after the ceremony comes the reception in our garden!” Rion continued. “I think they call it a garden wedding? Or, since the actual ceremony is inside, a semi-garden? Hrm, anyway, it has something to do with gardens!”

“Ha ha! I see. No wonder Dahak’s been putting so much effort into pruning the plants there. Wait...Dahak again?”

It’s a bit late to be realizing this, but isn’t Dahak doing way too much? He built the church and is taking care of a garden big enough to have a wedding reception. His workload has got to be insane. Is this what the new Earth Dragon King is like when he’s serious? Well, it’s seriously amazing!

“The weather is great today, so I think it’ll be a comfortable event. By the way, what’s the food for the reception looking like?”

“Clare-san and I will be taking care of the multicourse menu for today,” said Efil.

“Ohhh, a special showing from the Fairy’s Song! I’m excited. Yes, very excited!” Mel exclaimed, her gluttony on full display.

Certainly, Efil and Clare-san’s cooking was something to look forward to. That was undoubtedly what I thought of when I thought of Parth food.

“By the way, all of the vegetables, fruits, and grains that will be used have been provided by Dahak’s fields,” Efil added. “He worked very hard for today.”

“He did all that too?!”

Oh no, I’m indebted to the Dragon Kings now, especially Dahak. I’ll have to repay this favor someday!

◇ ◇ ◇

“I object.”

It took a moment for me to process that. “What?”

Rion and I had come out to the garden to get a look at the reception venue. That was when something unexpected happened.

“Ah, Thee-chan,” said Rion.

Indeed, Thee-chan, or Dorothy, had appeared in full combat dress. At least, she was in basically the same equipment as she had been during our exhibition match. Anyway, she stood in front of us, fully prepared, while saying the line she needed to stop our marriage.

Um, wait. This is way too fast, don’t you think? The ceremony hasn’t even started yet. And how long have you been waiting there?

“Good morning, Dorothy. Thank you for taking care of the place while we were gone yesterday. You really helped, since everyone was out.”

“Ah, no, that’s not true. The maids were around too, so I was really just here. I didn’t really do any— Wait, we’re off track!” Dorothy shouted.

Ohhh, Dorothy can make retorts like that too. Impressive.

“Ah, that’s the uniform from the academy, isn’t it? But...wait...it looks similar, but there’s something different?” Rion asked.

“Well, you see, Efil-san modified it to withstand intense battles,” Dorothy replied. “The uniform still looks the same, but comparatively, its performance now is like heaven and earth. Night and day. Or Rion-san and that idiot Charles, if you prefer— Wait, we’re losing focus again!”

The way she went along with jokes and then suddenly replied snarkily to them was getting to be a work of art, given how beautiful it was.

You’re the type to get swept up in the flow, aren’t you, Dorothy?

“Rion-san...I’m being serious right now!” Dorothy pleaded. “I’m glad you’re welcoming me casually like a friend, but please, go along with the seriousness for now!”

“Um, but I was asking you that seriously.” Rion said.

“As expected of you, Rion-san. Your eye is sharper than most. Yes, exactly. These clothes are much more powerful than before. Its surprising performance will...” Dorothy started.

She was now continuing her honest and detailed explanation from before.

Uh-huh. So, you’re trying to forcefully wipe away what you said into nothingness, huh? Still, hasn’t she lost sight of herself with how much she likes Rion?

“...and that’s it, in short. Do you understand how serious I am now, Kelvin-san?” Dorothy asked.

“Ah, sorry. I wasn’t listening. What did you say?”

Dorothy let out a wordless scream of frustration.

“Honestly, I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to joke around, I was just surprised because this is all so sudden.”

“Sudden? Heh! That doesn’t sound like someone who’s as much of a battle junkie as you,” Dorothy scoffed. “Someone with your level of addiction would normally not even need to be given a starting signal.”

“Well, yeah, but...”

Of course, we’d known Dorothy would be challenging us today. Though she had been staying here under the pretense of a sleepover, she had essentially been freeloading this entire time, so her declaring her objection at this exact moment was an utter surprise. I mean, we had just earlier been eating breakfast together, you know? She seemed to have completely settled into life at our house. She often sat at the table in pajamas, after all, and was constantly rubbing the drowsiness out of her eyes. It really felt like she was making herself at home.

“Like, no matter how cool you try to make yourself look to us...well...you know?”

“What do you mean, you know? And don’t look to Rion for agreement!” Dorothy argued. “That was just...right, just a ploy to make you, Kelvin-san, my enemy, let your guard down. If I’d acted like when I first woke up, you would definitely assume that I wouldn’t challenge you for a while yet. So you totally fell for my trap, Kelvin-san! Heh heh heh heh heh... The match is over before it even started!”

“Oh...um...really?”

How should I put it? She really came up with a cute little plan. But why did she choose a mental ambush instead of a physical one? Even if it worked, I’d only kind of be like, “Oh, okay?” Of course, it wouldn’t have any effect on the fight afterward. The Dorothy from the exhibition match would’ve launched a surprise attack using Time Magic. Did this girl become more of a fool by interacting with Rion?

“Well then, let’s get to the match. I can’t allow that idiot Charles to see Rion-san in a dress, and I’m sure he’s coming,” said Dorothy. “Being exposed to his rotten gaze would kill the dress! I’ll end this before then!”

“Huh? That’s your real aim? W-Well, I’m fine with it, but we can’t fight here. This place isn’t tough enough to withstand an all-out fight between us, and we can’t make trouble for everyone else.”

“I-I know that! I would never do that to you when you’ve been letting me stay all this time. More than anything, I can’t make trouble for Rion-san or the maids either,” Dorothy replied.

“Okay, yeah. What about me, though?”

Dorothy paused for a moment. “In your case, Kelvin-san, wouldn’t you be happy about it? And I would hate that reaction in and of itself.”

“Hey.”

You really get me, don’t you? Oh, I mean, we can’t allow this place to get trashed, okay? I would only be happy about the fight itself, but I’m capable of thinking about many things at once, which is why I asked you that question. Please don’t misunderstand.

“I would like for us to make use of the underground training area you have. We won’t stand out there, and it should be sturdy enough,” said Dorothy.

“The underground training area, huh? You’re right, that place could stand up to us. It even has some audience seating, so the guests who came early can watch. Okay, let’s go with your suggestion.”

“Yep yep! Looks like it’s all decided,” said Rion. “Ah, I’m going to be fighting today, okay, Kel-nii?”

“Huh?” both Dorothy and I harmonized perfectly.

Uh...what? R-Rion, what did you just...?

“Don’t ‘huh’ me, Kel-nii,” said Rion. “You’re still tired from the fight yesterday, aren’t you? And even if you fight Thee-chan here, there’ll still be another five objection matches waiting for you, so you can’t push yourself!”

“Uh, er...I appreciate your loving concern, Rion, but I’m not that tired from yesterda—”

“Don’t try to bluff me, Kel-nii,” Rion cut me off. “You’ve been weird since this morning. I’ve been watching you!”

I had nothing to say to that.

But...you’re wrong, Rion. That exhaustion wasn’t from the fight yesterday but from Shutola— Ugh, how should I explain it to her?! I mean, it doesn’t change that I’m tired, so it won’t be convincing no matter what I say!

“Hey, come on, I’ll recover after eating Efil’s cooking...”

“No! If you’re so tired that you need to rely on Efil-nee’s cooking, then it’s best to leave it to me, since I’m at a hundred percent!” Rion insisted.

“Urrghhh...”

Rion was using logic and pure love for me as her weapons, so I couldn’t fight back any further.

“Rion-san, don’t you think it would be best to heed Kelvin-san’s desires every so often?” Dorothy tried. “Look at how much he wants to fight. They say people know themselves best, so don’t you think believing in him to be the best course of action?”

Yes! Here comes support from someone completely unexpected! You’re totally right! Say more, Dorothy!

“What do you really think, Thee-chan?” Rion asked.

Dorothy hesitated, but then she said, “I want to blow Kelvin-san away, not you, Rion-san. I want to turn him into dust in the wind!”

“Okay, yeah. I’ll be the one fighting you,” Rion confirmed.

“Ah, okay...” both Dorothy and I muttered in harmony once more, hanging our heads.

◇ ◇ ◇

Having been challenged by Dorothy according to the objection system, we quickly made our way to the underground training area. On the way there, I told Ellie and the other maids that we would be fighting and instructed them to inform the other people staying here. It was still early in the morning, but this was an important event that would sway the wedding. It was likely that they would all come running.

Thump, thump, thump!

Look, you can already hear a lot of footsteps. Now then, who will be the first to c—

“It’s been too long, Ri-chan!” Rami burst out. “I heard from the maids! You’re gonna fight now, right? Pump up the vibes to the max! There’s no way you can lose!”

“Indeed, we are with you in spirit!” Graham agreed. “But I want Dorothy to do well too! Ah, the essence of youth!”

“A match between Rion and Dorothy, huh? Honestly, I can’t predict who will win. They’re both far out of my league in terms of strength,” Edgar admitted.

“Oh? That’s a pretty weak response from you of all people, Edgar,” Charles taunted him.

“How dare you, Charles!” Axe roared. “You’ve insulted Edgar-sama!”

“Let it go, Axe,” said Edgar. “But Charles, can I take that to mean you know how this match will end?”

“Heh heh, of course!” Charles confirmed. “Charles Vaccania is the foremost expert on women! I can see the future now! After two or three reversals, Rion and Dorothy will eventually fall head over heels for me. A future that truly shines bright!”

“You can’t listen to any more of this prattle, Edgar-sama,” Perona warned. “It’s just a waste of time. In fact, it’ll make your ears fall off your head.”

A bunch of kids in school uniforms flooded in.

Huh, this is weird. I haven’t heard anything about students from Lumiest staying here. Wait, more importantly, I can now definitively mark Charles Vaccania as an enemy. I want to take action right away, but should I? It’s fine, right? There should be no reason to stop me.

“Kel-nii, stay!” Rion ordered me.

“Woof!”

Stay! Roger!

“You’re all here! I was worried because Rai-chan told me over the Network that it was taking longer than expected to get here! I wasn’t expecting you until the afternoon,” said Rion.

I had indeed furnished the Lightning Dragon King and Graham with Clotho clones so they could contact us in an emergency. It seemed they’d been using this method to coordinate the wedding.

“Indeed,” said Graham. “That seemed to be the case, but Rami-dono’s quick wit saw us seize an opportunity most ripe!”

“Yep! I went all out!” Rami confirmed.

According to her, she had transformed into her dragon form midway there to give everybody a ride to Parth posthaste. The Lightning Dragon King’s running speed—or rather, flight speed in this case—was apparently the highest among the Dragon Kings. Even though she was carrying passengers, if she went all out, she would certainly have been able to cover that distance in a flash. In other words, she was a total improvement on the other dragon-based ride.

“To tell you the truth, though, it should have been a smoother trip. If we’d used the teleportation gate to get from the academy to Parth, we would have made it with time to spare, even if we’d left day of,” Edgar noted.

“Yeah, now that you mention it, you’re right. With Edgar’s authority, we could have easily gotten permission from the academy, and it would have been easy to coordinate with you to get permission from Parth as long as we did it beforehand.”

“Er, well, ya see...” Perona trailed off uncomfortably. She then started to explain what had led to this.

According to her, Charles had gone around to everyone, arguing that travel time was the essence of a journey, and that when traveling with friends, doing so by carriage or boat was much more fun. He showed incredible persistence, causing everyone to bend to his wishes and accept his suggestion. As for the rest, it was easy to surmise. His travel plans had been sloppy, they’d taken too many detours and extra stops, and in the end, they’d fallen far behind schedule.

“We realized eventually that our plans were in trouble and hurried along, but it was too late, basically,” said Perona. “Well, it was because it was really fun watching Charles hit on and get rejected and slapped by every girl he saw during our journey. If possible, I would have loved to have been able to keep a record of every time it happened.”

“True!” the rest of the group other than Charles agreed.

“No, no, no, come on, don’t you guys think that’s too mean?!” Charles yelped.

I felt like I was starting to understand how to deal with Charles. When I had seen him before, I’d felt his talent for curses and was pretty excited, but it seemed everything else about him was nothing but disappointing. In fact, since I’d been told he was royalty from some country, I was getting worried about that place’s future.

“But thanks to all those delays, we were able to buy quite a lot of souvenirs!” Graham exclaimed. “Once things calm down, we’ll give you yours,” he informed Rion and me.

“What? Souvenirs?! Yaaay!” Rion cheered.

“Oh, that’s exciting. We’ll gladly receive them once this match is over.”

“Hey, is Ku-chan here yet? She left the academy before we did, so she’s got to be here already,” said Rami. “I’ve got a whole bunch of messages for her from everyone staying at the academy. And you’ve got just as many, Ri-chan!”

“By the way, Kelvin-san, would you mind if I seduced some of your maids?” Charles asked. “I have to say, I was feeling some pretty heated looks on the way here, and I think ignoring those stares would be rude of me—”

“Um...everyone?” Dorothy cut him off. Her tone was robotic, but it wasn’t totally impassive. In fact, it was too densely packed with emotion. I suppose the best description for what she was emitting would be pressure filled with extreme anger.

Of course, all the noise in the training area instantly stopped as everyone turned to her.

“None of this talk is necessary right now, right? This is the time for Rion-san and me to have a serious match. One that will affect her marriage. Are you trying to get in my way?”

“Well...” Charles hesitated.

“Um, my deepest apologies,” said Graham.

Dorothy was totally pissed. Her face was utterly unmoving, like an iron mask, but I could tell she was furious.

Agh, I wanted to be the one to fight her!

“Especially you, Charles. What do you think you’re doing on such a precious day and in such a holy place? Are you seriously trying to chase skirts?” Dorothy asked. “It’s true that whether this wedding will actually happen isn’t set in stone yet. However, we are in the home of the betrothed as well as the wedding venue. And you’re trying to pick up girls? What did you come here for? Don’t you see how big a fool you are? It baffles me that you would have the gall to assume that Rion-san and I have fallen for you. In the first place, why are you even alive? Hey, please, tell me. I want to know the answer.”

She was flinging a torrent of verbal abuse his way. Even though he was only reaping what he sowed, he was taking so much concentrated fire I was starting to feel sorry for him.

Actually, would being cursed out by a machine gun spray of insults be better for him in the long run? Like, maybe it would lead him down the path of being an expert on curses or something. I think that if he has a talent for being a lightning rod, that would be a viable life course too.

“Hey, wait a second! This has got to be the harshest you’ve ever been to me!” Charles yelped. “Also, why are you in uniform after you’ve graduated already?! It suits you, though! I like it! Was it meant to be a favor to me?!”

Wow. He’s standing right up to Dorothy when she’s like that. How positive can one guy get? But now, thanks to that, Dorothy looks like she’s on the verge of firing off some Time Magic.

“Thee-chan,” Rion warned her. Just in time, she stepped in.

Your life has been saved just in the nick of time, Charles.

“Sorry,” Rion said. “I might have gotten a bit too excited too. But don’t worry. When we start the match, I’ll only look at you. Okay?”

“That’s some amazing confidence, Rion-san,” Dorothy replied after a pause. “But are you sure about this? My strength now is on a completely different level than what it was during the exhibition match. You have basically no chance of winning.”

“You won’t know until we actually face off,” Rion countered. “Despite how I look, I’m confident in fights against other humans.”

“Against humans, you say. But this would be a fight against a god,” Dorothy corrected her.

Agh! The way Rion and Dorothy are looking at each other! I can see sparks flying!!! I’m so jealous! I want to have a serious fight against a best friend!

“Hey, Perona. Is it just me or does Kelvin-san seem strange too?” Edgar asked.

“It won’t do you any good to think about it, so just don’t,” Perona advised him.

◇ ◇ ◇

About five minutes had passed since the fierce verbal prelude to the real match, and the mood was shifting, hinting that the match would start soon. To make absolutely sure, I suggested switching with Rion one more time, but as I expected, she didn’t take me up on it. I had to accept that there was no point in trying any longer, so I decided to obediently watch and cheer from the sidelines this time.

Ugh...I’m so jealous!

“Whooo! Do your best, Rion!” Gerard shouted.

“Yeeaaahhh! We’re with you!” Gustav joined in.

“Hey, Kelvin, what’s up with those weird old dudes and their crazy shouting?” Rami asked.

“That just shows how much they love Rion, Rami-chan.”

I hadn’t lied, and I’d communicated that they weren’t dangerous people.

Huh? You want to ask who that is? Well, we have a dark knight who seems to be lacking sleep from multiple nights of being too excited and a certain demonic father-in-law who arrived yesterday and stayed with us.

I’d decided to drive home the point that they were just noisy and not actively harmful.

Still, there are more people here than I expected.

They must have felt the furious pressure that Dorothy had unleashed, since they’d come streaming in ever since, and now the seats were almost full. There were Rion and Dorothy’s friends, invited guests and family who’d been staying at the estate, and even some totally unexpected visitors.

“Hm? What? Why are you staring at this most Serge-iest of faces? Could it be? Have you fallen for me?” Serge asked.

The first and foremost example of the last category was sitting in the front row—Serge. And it seemed her self-esteem was as high as ever. She was right, though. She had a pretty face.

“How could you say that to a newlywed? That’s too much for a joke.”

“Blame your thoughtlessness for letting me infiltrate so easily,” said Serge. “But I think Ange and Sera know.”

“You never change. I mean, I didn’t know you were coming today. You weren’t at the ceremony in Trycen, were you?”

“Yeah, well, to tell you the truth, I wanted to go to Shutola-chan’s wedding too. We really got to know each other during the last battle, after all,” said Serge. “But my bosom buddy Dorothiara-chan asked me so passionately to help her train for this day, y’see. It was basically a date invitation at that point! Seriously! There was no way I could refuse!”

“Dorothy asked you? Ah, that reminds me. You’ve been her training partner ever since she became whole.”

“Yep! Like I just said, we’re basically united in both body and soul!” Serge exclaimed. She stuck out her tongue and gave me a thumbs up.

Yeah, I don’t know if you’re really friends, but it definitely seems like Rion and Dorothy have a mutual respect for each other’s strength. Good, good. But...I still haven’t forgotten my grudge against you for stealing my spot as Dorothy’s opponent after she fused with the others. One day, I’ll take my compensation from your body in the form of a battle!

Serge sighed. “You’re thinking something weird again, aren’t you, Kelvin? I’m not Melfina, but it’s so obvious, even I can read your mind.”

“Urk!” Ugh, someone read my mind again?! I know I’m pure of heart, but I really wish everyone would just respect my privacy!

“Anyway, there’s no need for that. I’ll pay you with my body tomorrow anyway. Wow, that really did not sound good,” said Serge.

“Just how accurately can you read— Wait...wait, wait, wait. By ‘tomorrow,’ you mean at Colette’s wedding? Isn’t our opponent supposed to be Mysterious Swordsman S? That’s you?”

Serge started whistling innocently.

Ah, she’s whistling and trying to act all nonchalant! After everything, this is how she behaves?!

“Hey, didn’t you deny that you were Mysterious Swordsman S to Colette’s face—?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Serge interrupted me. “Too bad, the talking stops here. Look, it’s about to start.”

I couldn’t ignore the feeling that she was changing the subject, but looking at Rion and Dorothy, I could see they really were about to start fighting. As proof of that, Colette, who had hastily teleported here from Deramis, had set up the battlefield with her esoteric techniques. In fact, she was now coming to me.

Hm, she looks really tired.

“Heh...heh heh! I’m going to do a perfect job today too!” she muttered.

“Good work, Colette. Sorry to make you work so hard so early in the morning. Here, take a Mel-stamped MP recovery potion.”

“A... A Mel-stamped MP recovery potion?! I-I’ll take it!”

For two days in a row now, she’d reached the end of her tether after doing her best to create the arena barriers. However, the moment she laid eyes on Mel’s potion, she jumped on it with hunger in her eyes and immediately gulped down the whole thing, unwilling to give anyone else even the chance to take it from her.

“Pwhah hah! Heh... Heh heh! Mel’s potions really are the best,” Colette said. “All the exhaustion in my body’s been blown away. It feels like I’m in a dream! Kelvin-sama, one more! I wanna slam down another!”

“Hey...phrasing!”

I’m glad it’s so effective for you, but I would rather you didn’t refer to it like you’re taking some dangerous drug.

It was a little scary how she seemed to have fallen into a trance even though the potion should have merely recovered her MP.

“You really are an Oracle of Deramis, aren’t you, Colette? Then again, it seems that’s true of every generation,” said Serge.

Even Serge, who was attracted to literally any cute girl she saw, was a little creeped out.

Impressive, Colette, to make both of us feel fear.

“Ehe heh, I’m not that impressive,” Colette said bashfully.

“Yeah, okay, could you please not read my mind too?” I said. “Actually, I guess I don’t mind you or Mel doing it, but... Anyway, it’s finally time for the match to start.”

“Hey, hey, what are the rules going to be for today’s match? Like a duel or something?” Serge asked.

“Ah, you want to know too, Serge? Yesterday’s fight was basically a copy of our promotion match,” Rami added.

After Colette took her seat next to me, Rami and Serge asked their questions.

“Hm? Ah, the rules themselves are the same today. If Colette’s barrier gets activated, they lose. There’s no arena, but if someone passes the barrier they’re counted as being outside the ring and lose. The only difference is that the battlefield isn’t as big as yesterday since we’re underground. The barrier’s been set along with the ceiling, so you’re really limited to what you see here. Still, this place was built to handle our sparring, so I think there should be enough room.”

“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. I see,” said Serge. “Normal and reasonable rules. It might be a little small considering Dorothiara-chan’s strength, but that should still be within tolerance levels, just like you said, Kelvin.”

“Yep, I agree,” said Rami. “But...why is Alex there next to Ri-chan?”

As Rami had pointed out, Alex was sitting on the floor beside Rion. Not only that, but he had a weapon in his mouth. He clearly looked as if he was going to fight. Which he actually was.

“When we were deciding on the rules, it was mentioned that Rion would be at a disadvantage fighting alone when Dorothy is fused with the other Divine Pillars. So Alex is allowed to fight with her as a handicap. Basically, this will be a two-on-one fight.”

Surprisingly, Rion had been the one to bring it up. She had become a monster in fights against other people after being influenced by the Beast King, but recently she’d been starting to negotiate based on the situation too. She was probably being influenced by Shutola. In this case, since Rion had been the one asking, there was no way Dorothy would refuse. Even though Dorothy was no doubt markedly stronger than Rion, my sister would be enjoying an advantage in this fight.

“Well then, it’s time for the second objection match! Ready... STAAARRRT!” Ange shouted.

She was standing between Dorothy and the Rion-Alex team. This time, there was no announcer or color commentator, so the starting signal was given from the center of the battlefield. It might have seemed dangerous at first blush, but Ange had already activated Uncontainable, so everything was fine. It looked like she’d gone out to give the signal on a whim, but in a sense, she had the best seat in the house.

“Alex!” Rion shouted.

“Woof! (Yeah!)” Alex barked in reply and sank into Rion’s shadow.

Were they planning to do something with Alex’s Creeping Darkness, which allowed him to control shadows?

“In question form? Does that mean you don’t know their plan either, Kelvin? Even though you’re going to marry her?” Serge asked.

“You’re just reading my mind now all the time with no qualms whatsoever, huh? But yeah. Rion’s completely taken over the match this time, so I have no idea how she plans to fight Dorothy.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Serge asked. “I know I’m not one to talk, but Dorothiara-chan’s super strong now. I heard she fought you before, Kelvin, but compared to then...”

“There is no comparison, right? I know.”

It didn’t matter to Rion how hard her opponent was to fight or how strong they were. Even against family or best friends, she would have no mercy or hesitation once they became enemies. She would use her allies to the fullest and wouldn’t hesitate to use psychological warfare either. That was the nature of Rion Celsius the Black Comet, our family’s demon of antihuman combat.

Meanwhile, Dorothy’s advantage was her unreasonable strength. Her original Time Magic was supplemented with Heroic Recollection as well as the powers of each of the Divine Pillars she’d fused with. She also boasted frankly unfair physical prowess befitting a god. It was enough to easily allow her to handle Rion and Alex working in tandem, by my reckoning, at least.

However, Dorothy was soft on Rion. So soft it potentially ruined every bit of that advantage. It was enough that I managed to sense it even during the short time she’d been staying over. Sparks had been flying before the match as she managed to put up a fight in the verbal prelude to this battle, but I had considered even that a miracle.

As for what would happen in this battle, I surmised that while Rion would use any and all options available to her to win, Dorothy would only be aiming to knock her opponent out of the designated area. And in a very gentle way at that. She truly didn’t want Rion to experience any pain, after all. What about all her super dangerous abilities like making someone decay with Time Magic? Yeah, there was no way she would use something like that. At the very least, she would never do anything like what she’d attempted on me during our fight. To Dorothy, Rion herself was a sort of handicap. I had to assume this weakness was something that would give Rion an opportunity, but I had to see if Dorothy would overturn my expectations.

“Superconductive Lightning!” Rion incanted. Electricity coursed through her body, sword, and shadow. Superconductive Lightning was a buffing spell that greatly increased the entire party’s agility and reaction speed. It was one of Rion’s standard openers and served to strengthen Caladbolg as well.

“Uh, hey, am I just seeing things, or is there something weird going on with Rion’s shadow?” Charles asked.

“I hate agreeing with anything you say, Charles, but unfortunately, I do. It looks that way to me too,” Edgar agreed.

“Oh? It is waving like the legs of an octopus. How strange,” said Graham.

“Is that one of Rion-san’s abilities?” Perona wondered aloud.

Rion’s shadow had stretched out in tendrils along with the intense lightning, making her look both divine and unsettling. The moving shadows were actually Alex’s doing, but it would seem like Rion’s power to someone seeing it for the first time.

Wait, they don’t know about Alex’s abilities?

But Dorothy didn’t say anything in response. While Rion had been making flashy moves from the start of the match, Dorothy was content to watch carefully. There was no sign of her casting any magic or even opening her tome. Of course, there was no change to her body either. In fact, Dorothy’s expression seemed somehow serene.

Erm, Dorothy-san? This is awkward to bring up, but don’t you think you’re displaying far too little will to fight?

I had to wonder what Rion thought about Dorothy not moving a muscle. Unlike Serge or Rami, I couldn’t read her mind by looking at her face. Not to mention, Rion tended to go completely expressionless when fighting against people.

“Gigas Keravnos!” Rion cried.

She was definitely taking steps to gain the advantage. Her next spell created a large guard dog out of lightning to stand by her side.

“Thee-chan,” Rion said after a pause. “You’ve just been standing and watching silently. Are you sure you don’t want to do anything?”

“Of course I am,” Dorothy replied. “A Hero’s transformation sequence must never be interrupted. This is a given in both our worlds.”

But Rion isn’t a Hero, and she wasn’t transforming. Ah, actually wait. She was summoned as a Hero, so I guess that fits. But as far as those of my house are concerned, attacking during a transformation sequence is totally allowed. It’s their fault for showing an opening, after all.

Once again, Serge started to whistle.

Ah! You’re the one who taught Dorothy that nonsense, aren’t you? Hey, Serge, you know you just helped your opponent’s side with that, right?

“Uh-huh. By the way, Thee-chan, watch your feet,” said Rion.

“Huh?” Dorothy said.

Uh...yeah. I have no idea how to retort now. I stopped having an idea since that talk about transformation.

Dorothy followed Rion’s advice and foolishly looked down at her feet. The shadows stretching out from Rion were making their way to her, crawling along the floor. They were clad in electricity and traveling incredibly fast. However, this was a very obvious attack that anyone could predict with a good understanding of the situation, even without Rion’s warning. Someone as strong as Dorothy should have even less trouble.

“Wow, Rion-san. That would’ve been close without your warning!” Dorothy exclaimed.

That flattery was accompanied by a big leap backward. Dorothy would normally have been able to dodge it without even looking. If she’d been fighting me, she would have scoffed at me as she dodged. But this was where the problems started. The shadows weren’t just creeping in along the ground but also from directly above, along Dorothy’s blind spot.

What will you do now, I wonder?

“Ugh?! So you launched an attack from my blind spot too?!” Dorothy yelled.

Astonishingly, she was captured by the shadows during her leap backward. Several tendrils bound her quickly, successfully restraining her.

“Wait, you got caught like it was nothing?!”

“Oh! Your retorts are sharp today, Kelvin!” Serge exclaimed.

I mean who would expect her to just get caught so carelessly, even if the attack came from her blind spot?! Even back during the exhibition match before she fused with the others, Dorothy would have, like... Anyway, this wouldn’t have happened to her!

“Lightning Skewer!” Rion incanted.

While I was busy being terribly shocked, Rion acted as usual, greedily going after nothing but victory. She launched a thrust from her Caladbolg at the bound Dorothy while giving orders to the dog she’d created with magic. She was in that Beast King mindset, where she wouldn’t waver no matter what her opponent thought or did.

Wait...huh? Is this match over already? Like, seriously?

◇ ◇ ◇

The battlefield was now covered in electricity, with sounds like thunder resounding constantly. These sounds were accompanied by flashes of light, making the whole scene terrible for the eyes. If this had been coming from a tv screen, there would definitely have been complaints made to whoever ran the program. As proof, every spectator other than Rami and I had to cover their eyes to shield themselves from the bright flashes.

“Gwaaargh! It... It’s too briiiight!” Charles wailed.

“Like the wrath of a god of thunder,” Graham murmured. “Don’t look at it directly!”

“I see. So she’s telling us to sense the fight with all our senses instead of just relying on sight. Rion’s pretty demanding too, isn’t she?” Edgar commented.

“Huh? Is she really saying that?” Perona asked.

“As expected, Edgar-sama! What keen powers of observation!” Axe exclaimed.

I don’t know why he’s reading so deeply into it, but I’m pretty sure Rion’s not trying to send any kind of message. Right now, all she needs to do is win against Dorothy; that’s it. The flashing lightning is probably a ploy to attack Dorothy’s sight during the swirl of battle. No matter how strong someone is, as long as they’re humanoid, their eyes won’t be able to take intense flashing lights for very long. It’s a very simple method, but robbing someone’s sight will definitely work even on stronger opponents.

Despite this, as rare exceptions, Rami and I were able to view the battle directly.

Heh! I brought sunglasses because I figured this would happen. As for Rami-chan...

“Ooohhh! The tension between them is maxed out!” Rami exclaimed. “Yeah, that’s some good electricity being let out here. A true electric parade!”

I wasn’t sure how to react, so I stayed silent. How can she look at all that directly without any help? Are the eyes of a Lightning Dragon King special or something? Or is it some kind of skill? Even the Light Dragon King would find this too bright. Hrm, what a mystery.

“Sorry to interrupt you while you’re watching and putting out ‘vibes,’ Rami-chan, but isn’t this too bright for you?”

“Huh? Why? I mean, you’re doing fine too, Kelvin— Wait, what’s with those funny glasses? They’re hilarious! Are you trying to be fashionable or something? Seriously?!” Rami said excitedly.

Huh? What’s wrong with you? Who doesn’t think sunglasses are cool? Oh...wait, no, I’m getting riled up too. Am I being influenced by Rami-chan?

“More importantly, let’s just focus on those two. Look, anybody can see them now,” said Rami.

“Grr...”

It definitely felt like she was changing the subject, but she was right that the intensely flashing battle had calmed down in terms of both light and sound. Every once in a while sparks of electricity crackled through the air, but it was at a level where nobody would have trouble watching.

Did the fight end already? No way; can’t be.

“As expected, Thee-chan. I thought all my attacks landed, but it looks like you did a good job blocking,” said Rion.

“Oh no, you’re wrong, Rion-san,” Dorothy replied. “Your attacks did land squarely. Your timing was perfect, as was your aim. Everything found its mark.”

After that exchange, I finally got a picture of the whole situation. The first thing that I saw was darkness. The floor was burned completely black, likely because of all that intense flashing.

I wonder how much lightning fell and how much of it actually hit. We’re going to have to fix the flooring in a hurry. Ah, actually, there’s something more pressing...

“Even so, none of it damaged me,” Dorothy continued. “I did not guard. I exposed an opening and fell into your trap. And yet, I suffered no damage.”

Rion didn’t say anything in reply. I could now see them standing on the charred floor. The floor was nearly totally destroyed, and yet neither side seemed to have taken any damage. They looked so fresh I almost doubted that they were actually inside all that flashing. The result had me breathe a sigh of relief—or not. It would’ve been a mistake if I had.

“Well, I kind of expected this, but...Dorothy really is ridiculous. What kind of stats does she have?”

“If you’re that curious, why don’t you try using Analyze Eye? Not that I think that would do anything,” said Serge.

I didn’t need her prompting. I’d already tried looking at Dorothy’s stats, figuring there was nothing to lose. These were the results:

Dorothiara - 1339 years old - Female - Divine Pillar - Time Mage

Level: Hey

Title: Grim Reaper

HP: Don’t

MP: Look at my stats

Strength: Without permission

Endurance: I’ll send you

Agility: Flying, got it?

Magic: This is

Luck: Extra

Skills: Space

Passive Effects: .

Don’t just say you had extra space! I mean, she named me personally?! W-Wait...if I think about it calmly, I’m the only one with a high enough Analyze Eye level here. This is only a guess, but she must have used Disguise to change her stats display to make that message. I thought the skill only allowed you to change the numbers. Who could’ve guessed it could be used like that? You’re a funny girl, Dorothy!

“I’m going to be honest, Rion-san,” said Dorothy. “I was thinking it would be okay to admit defeat if your attack just now had dealt me at least some damage. I did this intending to put Kelvin down, so I hadn’t expected all this to happen.”

“But I didn’t do any damage,” said Rion.

“No, you didn’t,” Dorothy confirmed. “That means it is impossible for me to lose. At the same time, it means you have no way to win. So...”

While I was in my own head, the mood of the fight had turned serious. This was a huge change from earlier. The difference in temperature was so intense, it felt like I’d catch a cold.

“Please, Rion-san, just forfeit,” Dorothy requested.

Rion paused for a moment. “Are you joking?”

“No, I’m not. The result has generally been set in stone now; there isn’t much left to decide. How to make you lose, how best to gently handle the results of me winning this objection match— Oh, don’t worry. No matter what happens, I won’t be cruel to you. I could never hurt you, Rion-san. Even if you don’t surrender, I’ll make you lose without harming you. And even if you lose this match, I’ll still allow you to marry Kelvin-san. Please, be at ease.”

Dorothy had a gentle expression plastered on her face as she spoke. It was obvious from her face and her words that she wanted to give Rion some assurance. However, it was obvious that would only have the opposite effect. Rion was fighting seriously to try and win against a god. Just trying to keep up appearances would only rub her the wrong way.

Or so I think. But how will Rion actually respond?

“You’re very kind, Thee-chan,” said Rion after a pause.

“Huh?” both Dorothy and I responded in harmony.

Wait. Seriously, wait. Yes, that response was unexpected, but why did Dorothy react the same way?

“Oh...um...” Dorothy said, lost as to how to react.

“You’re trying to rile me up to draw even more strength out of me, aren’t you?” Rion asked. “Heroes always grow stronger at the eleventh hour. It’s a common development in stories. Did Fuu-chan teach you this?”

Silence reigned as both Dorothy and Serge immediately averted their eyes.

You two...

“Thank you for thinking of me,” said Rion. “But reality isn’t so convenient. If people could become stronger so suddenly, no one would ever have any trouble. What’s actually important is how much effort someone puts into effective training. And, well...how much they’ve prepared for battle, I guess?”

Dorothy let out an alarmed noise. Immediately after that, the lightning that Rion was clad in changed. She was now enveloped in a complex web of green and purple currents, something not even I had ever seen.

Seriously, what is that? Some sort of improvement on Superconductive Lightning? It feels like something completely different from the Red Magic Rion’s used up until now. Huh...

“Ri-chan’s pumping it up! You’re totally prepared! Now’s the time! The only time!” Rami cheered. “Raise the roof with lightning speed! Yaaay!”

Her shouts crashed into my ears. Meanwhile, I was thinking, Agghh, what a loud voice! My ears! My eeeaaarsss!

The ringing in my ears was awful. All of it was because Rami-chan had suddenly shouted really loudly. Just like intense light, humanoid bodies weren’t made to withstand intense sound. There was no defending against it.

“Oh well, it’s not like I can’t heal myself.”

I didn’t want to miss anything, so I immediately used White Magic to heal myself. Great, now I can hear.

“I’m glad to hear you so enthused about cheering, Rami-chan, but please watch your volume, you’re causing trouble for those around you.”

“Ah, soz! I didn’t think of that. Are your eardrums okay?” Rami asked.

“Barely, but yes. Also, uh...were you involved in making that lightning that’s covering Rion right now? You said ‘lightning speed’ earlier, didn’t you?”

“Ohhh, you can tell? Ri-chan’s so cool, huh? Crazy cool!” Rami exclaimed. She immediately admitted to it. In fact, it sounded like she had no intention of hiding it in the first place.

“Huh? Does that mean you’re helping Rion-chan during the match? Come on, that’s not right. Isn’t it against the rules?” Serge asked. Strangely, she was making a good point.

“You’re right. Casting support magic on Rion or attacking Dorothy would be a violation of the rules. But in this specific case...it’s not,” I replied.

“Huh? What’s this? Nepotism?” Serge asked accusingly.

“No, no, nothing stupid like that. You see...” I started explaining. In essence, this was like during Gaun’s Beast King Festival. Though the festival banned magic in all its forms, magic that had been cast before the match began was allowed. This was a clear bending of the rules, but it was officially permitted, and that was true here as well. Anything that had been cast on Rion before the start of the match was treated like equipment she had prepared, and there was no obligation for anyone to undo that spell. In other words, whatever Rami-chan had used on her was allowed.

Still... Oh man, I never thought Rami would do this. Isn’t she attending the academy on Gaun’s recommendation? Maybe she was the one to suggest this?

“So that’s how it is, Serge. Are you satisfied?”

“What do you mean, satisfied? I believed in Rion-chan and Rami-chan from the start! I would never doubt them!” Serge exclaimed.

I paused for a moment. “Yeah, okay. Actually, Rami-chan, I’m curious: What kind of effect does whatever you used have?”

“Hey! Heeeyyy! That was the perfect moment to make a witty retort!” Serge complained.

“Sorry, Serge. I’m currently out of those.”

“Awww.”

I mean, I want to concentrate on this fight now.

“Oh, so you really are curious? Okay, I’ll tell you,” said Rami. “I lent Ri-chan my Unique Skills, Swift as the Wind and Thunderclap!”

It took a moment for me to say, “Why not just combine the names into one? Like ‘Swift as Lightning’ or something?”

“I’m not the one who named these skills, so I dunno,” Rami replied. “But both of them are super electric, so they’re like my reliable buddies or something, maybe? Anyway, I’d say that Rion’s on a whole new level now. Not that I’d know.”

“You don’t know?! Ah...”

“There, that was a retort,” Serge said sulkily.

Damn! I wasted one of my precious remaining rounds!

Dorothy took a moment before saying, “I see. This is Rami-san’s power. Putting the power of a Dragon King into your hands as the peak of humankind certainly makes for a big threat. Will you show me, Rion-san? I want to see if that strength can reach me.”

“Of course I will,” Rion replied. “Okay...here I come!”

While we were acting like fools, the fight was progressing to its next stage. Obviously, though I was messing around, I would never miss that. I dedicated several partitions of Parallel Processing to watching the battle and processing the changes in the situation. As Rion had said, preparation was important. I caught the moment she disappeared with a sound like a cracking whip, but then...Serge, Dorothy, and I let out surprised noises in unison.

Rion was so fast, I immediately lost track of her. Serge, Dorothy, and I widened our eyes in surprise, not fully understanding what had just happened. Green and purple lightning was being left behind, spreading out from where she used to be like tracks. I could feel something with my detection skills, so she hadn’t disappeared completely. But her speed was so absurd that I could only catch the afterimages.

“That’s the effect of the green lightning, Swift as the Wind,” said Rami.

“I know it’s too late to point this out, but why is it still lightning when it has ‘wind’ in the name?”

“Hey, Kelvin, if you keep sweating the small stuff like that, you’ll go bald, you know?” Serge pointed out.

“What?! Really?! Oh crap, it’s probably already happening!”

“Yep, so watch out!” Rami agreed. “Anyway, about the Unique Skill: It makes you crazy fast!”

She was met with silence from Serge and me.

Uh, yeah. That’s obvious. I think the effect of that Unique Skill is greater than when I cast Sonic Acceleration on myself overclocked to the maximum. And she looks like she’s equal in speed to Ange, our fastest member, with that buff on her. That was how speedy Rion was at the moment.

“Well, you can see the effects in front of you now,” said Rami. “You know, that thing tends to grow as fast as it makes you, so it’s pretty hard to use in a real fight. That’s why I couldn’t use it during the exhibition match; it was a total vibe killer.”

“Oh... Is that so? So...it grows, huh? Does that mean it won’t take effect until a while after you’ve granted it to someone?”

“Rather than time, you need to really discharge a lot of electricity before using it,” Rami explained. “Comparing it to Red Magic, it would be like casting several Rank S spells, I think? Use a whole bunch of electricity to get the engines revved up, you know? Heh heh, I know it’s my own skill, but it’s pretty funny how unusable it is. On top of that, I can only give it to my BFF. It’s seriously sad, like a puppy dog in the rain...” One second she was laughing, and the next she was looking fairly sober and sad.

I see, though. It has a variety of restrictions on its use and startup in exchange for being extremely effective upon activation. Sounds like Sonic Acceleration is easier to use, but Swift as the Wind is better for turning the tide.

“Hey, Rami-chan! Rami-chan! Now’s not the time to be sad,” said Serge. “I mean, there’s still your other skill, Thunderclap, right? What about that one? Serge here is super interested in hearing about it!”

“Ah, you wanna know about that one too? Oh, fine.” Rami relented, sounding flattered. “Rami here will teach you the ins and outs of it! But Thunderclap has the same activation conditions as Swift as the Wind. The only thing to explain, really, is the effect.”

“So, if the activation condition is the same, that means Rion-chan can use Thunderclap too?” Serge asked.

“Yeppers!” Rami confirmed, pointing excitedly at the arena.

“But what kind of skill is it?”

“It’s a super simple one. It barely needs any explanation,” said Rami. “Thunderclap turns your speed into destructive power! So speed equals power in her case!”

Both Serge and I replied with silence once again.

Isn’t that totally insane? I thought. And it seemed to me like Serge was thinking the same thing. My expectations were right on the mark.

“Instant Prison of Slashes,” Rion called out.

“Gah...hah!” Dorothy grunted.

She had taken absolutely no damage up until then, but now, countless slashes had been carved into her.

◇ ◇ ◇

Fresh blood—divine blood—sprayed. It scattered, dancing, through the air. For the first time since the match started, Dorothy took damage. And it was enough to cover her in wounds, scraping her form away.

Dorothy let out a wordless grunt of pain. Countless slashes assaulted her from every direction, cutting into her. Each attack busted through the defenses of her divine body, doing visible damage. Considering that in the beginning, Rion hadn’t been able to put a single scratch on her, this was a very surprising turn of events.

And in truth, in this moment, Dorothy was indeed shocked. She was also impressed, feeling all over again how wonderful a friend Rion was and how great a person she was, to be able to easily exceed Dorothy’s expectations. And so, to respond to her friend’s incredible deed, Dorothy decided to counterattack for the first time since the start of the battle. However, everything was too late. Dorothy’s last chance had been before Rion had activated Rami’s Unique Skills.

This thing... I can’t...get out?! Dorothy thought.

The cage of slashes surrounding her did not disappear. In fact, it continued closing in without leaving any gaps. The sight was despair incarnate. Though she tried to physically push back, the slashes held overwhelming destructive power. No matter how many Dorothy managed to repel, there was no end to them. It only resulted in her hurting her own fists. Every time Dorothy touched a slash, her flesh was burned and her senses numbed, like the slashes themselves were imbued with electricity. It was shocking that this could happen to Dorothy, who had thought herself invincible. Her equipment—her staff and tome—were of course not unscathed either. They were cut apart and turned to ash by the equivalent of Rank S lightning strikes.

Ugh! Then it’s time for Time Magic—?!

Dorothy wasn’t even able to fully form the thought before she was interrupted. Her idea had been to accelerate time to make the slashes disappear if physical force wasn’t working. She’d gotten as far as beginning to implement her idea when she’d noticed a change in her body.

I can’t see anything! And it’s not just my sense of sight; I can’t hear or feel anything either! I can’t even feel my own clothes on my body! she thought in shock.

What came after the threat of endless slashes was the stripping of Dorothy’s sight, hearing, and sense of touch. In fact, none of her five senses were working.

Having suddenly been plunged into a world of nothingness, she was terribly confused. Even after becoming a god, she had never experienced the loss of all her senses. And now that she was in this state, there was almost no chance of discovering what was causing it, let alone defending against it effectively.

She couldn’t afford to use her Time Magic in this state either; it would be careless. Time manipulation was a powerful ability, but that was why it required finesse. If she were to make a mistake and cause an explosion, it could catch Rion, who was no doubt flitting around her. That was something Dorothy had to avoid.

This is brutal, she thought.

Kelvin was in the stands, watching their fight closely while making full use of Parallel Processing, and he was somehow able to surmise that Dorothy had lost her senses. Naturally, he was still unable to see Rion. However, he did feel an extra presence around Dorothy. He figured that presence was likely Alex.

Dorothy’s sudden reaction was probably due to losing her senses, Kelvin thought. Alex has the Lethal Opiate Sword, a weapon that robs its victims of their senses after five attacks. That’s probably the cause.

As long as the target was damaged, they would suffer the effects of the sword. Even though Dorothy was a god, she was no exception. That was how Kelvin saw it. However, he had one question: How did Alex gain Rion’s otherworldly speed and power? According to Rami, Rion was the only one she’d given her skills to, so Alex shouldn’t have been included. And yet, he was keeping up with Rion’s speed and weaving a cage of slashes with her using perfect teamwork. Kelvin just couldn’t make sense of it.

Wait...maybe that’s not necessarily the case.

Kelvin pondered deeply. Alex’s Unique Skill, Imitator, could have copied Rami’s Unique Skills. It allowed Alex to imitate anything reflected in his shadow, even its properties. It had no effect on living things, but anything else was fair game, even Serge’s Willjillion. And so, Kelvin figured Rami’s Unique Skills weren’t out of the question. In fact, there was no other way to explain Alex’s speed.

So Alex was staying in Rion’s shadow earlier so she could keep him safe until she managed to activate Rami’s abilities, Kelvin thought. And now, Alex can copy the skill, allowing him to temporarily enter the same state of being. Rion and Alex just have to concentrate their attacks to— Ha ha! They’re invincible. Even Dorothy can’t stand against them now that she’s caught in their plan. I see, so that’s why Rion wanted a two-on-one fight!

Kelvin had realized that Rion had predicted all of this. Her reasoning didn’t matter. Anything she said would be accepted by Dorothy as long as it made some sense. Also, since Dorothy was so soft on Rion, Rion had known Dorothy would completely underestimate her thanks to their gap in strength. The difference was so great that it allowed Dorothy to be overly casual. However, no matter how much stronger she was, once she was caught in Rion’s trap, she could no longer exhibit her usual powers. Rion would never allow it and had never been planning on a fair fight in the first place. She would use everything available to her to chase victory in the easiest and surest manner possible. Indeed, this fight had always been in Rion’s hands.

“Oh? Dorothiara-chan’s disappeared,” said Serge.

“Hm? A new ability? At this stage?” Kelvin murmured.

Dorothy had lost all her senses and been rendered helpless. Out of desperation, or possibly in an attempt to reverse her fortunes, she’d used Deatotal’s powers to render herself incorporeal to try to escape. She’d assumed that in that state, neither the slashes nor the electricity would affect her. However...

“Grk!” Dorothy gasped.

“It’s no use, Thee-chan,” said Rion. “Ghosts are nothing but easy prey for me.”

The result was a huge failure to even make her body incorporeal. Rion—the holder of Absolute Purification—was currently running all around Dorothy at light speed. The more she moved, the more the battlefield was purified, becoming closer to a holy site, a sanctuary where any spirit would instantly be purified and forced to move on. Of course, Dorothy was very strong, so she managed to quickly undo her ability and get away with merely being dealt a lot of damage.

But... Dorothy thought.

She’d realized that the only way to overturn the situation was to mount an equally large-scale counteroffensive. However, that would inevitably hurt Rion. Now that she was unable to accurately adjust her strength, she could even end up damaging all of Parth. She’d started this battle out of jealousy toward Kelvin. She didn’t wish to cause such destruction, and she didn’t object to their matrimony enough to warrant such actions. In other words...

“Congratulations on your marriage, Rion-san,” said Dorothy, meekly accepting her loss as she threw herself against the storm of slashes.

◇ ◇ ◇

The second objection match ended in Rion and Alex’s total victory. The battle had concluded as quickly as I’d feared but in a way I had not remotely expected. Rion had not conceded defeat after realizing she had no chance, and neither had she been trampled in an overwhelming display of Dorothy’s might. She had used the rules to her own advantage, used her relationship with her friend, and come up with a move only she could accomplish. She’d explored every avenue available to her to defeat the god named Dorothy head-on.

At the end of the fight, Dorothy had looked upon Rion as a dear friend, admitted her defeat, and jumped into the slashes herself. Colette’s esoteric technique had instantly activated, simultaneously allowing Dorothy to avoid death and sealing her defeat. She had lost, covered in wounds and unable to show her true power. Such an outcome was an extremely hard one to withstand for anyone who lived for battle. If I had been in that situation, I would probably have died emotionally much sooner—that was how frustrating it would have been for me. Still, in the end, Dorothy had been smiling. She’d been impressed from the bottom of her heart and sincerely celebrated her friend. It seemed like she was saying that she had no regrets, since her friend had clearly given so much thought to fighting her.

“Well, that just shows that we’re different people. In fact, we’re not even the same species, and our minds are structured completely differently. I mean, I’m satisfied with the end result, but I guess I wished you’d feel more responsibility for the amount of power you have.”

“What? Are you unhappy with something?” Dorothy asked.

We were currently in the church. The objection match was over, and the marriage had been given the green light for real, so the first step was preparing for the ceremony. Or rather, it was almost time for the real thing. Normally, it would be way too early for such an event, but all our guests had arrived early, probably because they’d caught wind of the fight. At any rate, the ceremony was bumped up, and we were about to get into it. Instead of taking deep breaths, I was giving Dorothy some advice.

Yeah, it’s never good to get too full of yourself.

“Regardless of how the match went, you’re able to marry Rion-san. Isn’t that all that matters?” Dorothy asked.

“Well, yeah, but...you know?”

Dorothy sighed. “Don’t worry. If I ever do end up fighting you, I’ll be trying to crush you immediately. Ah, no, if I were to incorporate the lessons I’ve learned from Rion-san today, I’ll be aiming to crush you even before we start fighting. Just like Rion-san has become a demon of anti-god tactics, I’ll become a god of anti-Grim Reaper tactics.”

“Oooh, that was good. I’ll be holding you to that promise, got it? You got it?” I said.

“You really are an incorrigible sicko,” Dorothy said after an exasperated pause.

Normally, that would be a terrible insult, but when it comes to battle, I’ll take it as a compliment.

“Hey, Kelvin! The ceremony’s about to start!” Uld called out to me.

Whoops, looks like they’re ready. Uld, who was serving as our minister today, beckoned me over.

“Okaaay! Right then, I gotta go,” I said.

“Ah, okay. But...why is an adventurer your minister?” Dorothy asked, posing the question just as I was leaving.

Yeah, I wondered about that too at first, I thought. Though he was serving as our minister, Uld was still in his usual clothes, and Colette, the Oracle of Deramis, was right there. So...why? Well, it seemed like this was how Parth held their weddings. It was customary to ask someone you often relied on to serve as the minister. If I were to rank who in Parth I relied on, Clare and Uld would be at the top of the list. And since Clare was busy cooking, I’d asked Uld.

“You’re late, Kel-nii!” Rion complained.

“Sorry, sorry. Dorothy was just telling me how cool you were. Oh man, the way you fought was such a surprise. I should have expected it from a demon of anti-god combat.”

“That’s not something you should say to your wife-to-be! Jeez!” Rion exclaimed. With that, she puffed out her cheeks cutely. Her pitch-black wedding dress suited her perfectly, and now, with how cute she was acting...

Agh, seriously! I can’t even look straight at her.

I took a moment to compose myself.

Okay. I’ve regained a little bit of calm with Nerves of Steel.

At first, I’d been dubious about the black dress, but actually seeing her wear it made me realize how good a choice it was. Rion had chosen a black dress because pure-white and red dresses had already been used by Leonhart during the Beast King Festival. Personally, I didn’t count those instances, but Rion’s maidenly heart was most important in this case. At any rate, I decided to give Leonhart a punch in the face next time I saw him. He deserved some sort of comeuppance for eliminating white and red as options.

At any rate, the ceremony was finally upon us. Under Uld’s excellent leadership, the preparations had finished ultra fast. Our guests were already seated, I was standing next to Rion, and Uld was in front of us, carrying a barrel-sized tankard of booze.

Wait, why does he have that?

“Here’s the vows stein. Drink it, Kelvin,” Uld said.

With that, he handed me a tankard that was a more appropriate size for Mel. It was literally a huge barrel of booze. This was the essence of a Parthian wedding: Rather than using a sake cup to seal the marriage, we were using an entire tankard.

But I still feel like this thing’s bigger than what I was told. What kind of joke is this?

“The husband-to-be has to show his resolve to walk with his wife from now on by downing this all at once,” said Uld. “By the way, the custom is to measure the amount of alcohol based on the husband’s strength, so, well...show us what you’re made of, Kelvin!” He looked extremely apologetic, but he still said it without mercy.

I...see. So, it’s the largest of barrels to match my level...

“Okay,” I said after some thought. “I expected this. Watch my heroics, Rion!”

“Um, do your best, Kel-nii!” Rion cheered.

Rion predicted so much during her fight with Dorothy. As her older brother and husband, I can’t afford to do any less! Save me, Heavy Drinker skill I borrowed from Gerard! Let’s do this!

A number of voices rang out from the crowd as I drank.

“Ohhh! He’s really downing the whole thing in one gulp!”

“Come on! You can do it, Kelvin! We’re with you!”

“So this is what love can accomplish!”

“No, it’s something I accomplished,” said Gerard.

Thank you all! The cheers from Parth’s adventurers gives me strength! I think I heard a small amount of dissenting voices, but I’m sure that’s just my imagination! So I’ll do my best!

“Pwahaaah! I... I did it! I drank it all!”

“Yeeeaaaahhhhh!” everyone shouted in unison.

The entire venue erupted in cheers, shaking the building. It rivaled the noise one might hear at a packed stadium.

Thank you! Thank you all! But please stop shaking the building for now. I’m grateful for your support, but seriously, wait. I managed to diffuse the alcohol, but this amount of liquid is still a lot. I’m full to the brim— Urp! Ugh, I should have taken the Hearty Eating skill! But I still did it— Oh crap, I really think I’m about to barf! Aaagghhh, don’t shake the building!

“I knew you could do it, Kelvin!” Uld exclaimed. “Well then, next, the wife-to-be must share the kiss of oath with her husband!”

Huh?! No, wait! Can’t you see what state I’m in, Uld-san?! I’m covering my mouth, desperately trying to hold it all in! And you want the wife to initiate the kiss?!

“Give a hot one to Kelvin, Rion! He just overcame his trial!” Uld urged. “The wife needs to keep a firm hold on her husband but also properly reward him for a job well done! That is the Parthian way!”

No, wait, what do you mean a firm hold?! That’s really weird wording—

“Mmm!”

Before I knew it, my hand was moved aside and Rion’s face was right in front of mine. I felt a soft sensation on my lips.

“Mm!” Rion completed the kiss. “Hee hee! So this is how alcohol tastes. It’s sweeter than I expected.”

It took me a moment to reply, “Well, I’ll be. You still have the effects of Rami’s Unique Skill?”

The moment I saw Rion’s bashful smile after pulling away from me, I realized I’d been completely purified. My physical condition was back to normal.

Well, uh, yeah... The only thing I can say is that surprise attacks aren’t fair.

◇ ◇ ◇

After the ceremony where I was forced to drink a whole tankard (which was really a full barrel), everyone moved to the reception outside the church. Parthian receptions were just grand feasts, full of standard barroom chatter, drinking contests, and sometimes fighting or falling over, having succumbed to drink. It also just so happened that there were many adventurers from Parth attending this wedding, so it was easy to imagine how the reception would turn out.

“Raise a glass to Kelvin and Rion’s future! Cheers!” cried Uld.

“Cheers!” everyone shouted.

I had to wonder how many times a toast had been offered today. The regular toasts were a signal to drink more, with each one becoming a race to see who could finish their drink first. And as the main characters for today, Rion and I were forced to participate.

Seriously, this is exactly the same as a drinking party over at the Fairy’s Song! Everybody’s just talking about whatever, eating and drinking until they drop and sleep it off. It’s just an adventurer’s feast. Well, we are drinking outside, so I guess we need to go to bed before things get too cold, but... Oh well, our maids and golems will probably do something about it. Sorry for making extra work for you all.

“Still, Kelvin, you really showed your stuff back there! I didn’t think you’d manage to drink all that in one go!” Uld exclaimed.

“Oh, come on, I had to or I couldn’t get married. Of course I did it. Actually, if you thought that, you should have gone easier on me, Uld-san!”

“Ha ha ha! Now, now, it’s all good, isn’t it? You managed it, after all!” he exclaimed.

“Yeah, you were super cool, Kel-nii!” Rion added.

Uld slapped my back repeatedly while Rion gave me the highest praise possible. Thanks to the Heavy Drinker skill I’d borrowed from Gerard, no matter how much I drank, I wouldn’t get sick, which was why I was more worried about Rion than myself, but...

“Glug, glug!” Rion was drinking happily. It turned out she was better at handling her booze than I’d expected. She hadn’t actually had that much, but she showed absolutely no signs of being drunk.

Is her Absolute Purification skill breaking down the alcohol? I wondered.

“Anyway, even if it proved too much for you, it’s not like that would’ve meant you couldn’t get married,” said Uld.

“Huh? Really?”

“Yeah. Actually, at about half of Parth’s weddings, the husbands fail that part. When that happens, the wife will drink a cup’s worth in his place, and they’re considered to have completed the trial,” Uld explained.

“Really, now? So there was a backup plan... Wait...huh? Then I didn’t need to force myself to do all that?”

“I wouldn’t say that. It wasn’t totally meaningless, you know? If you couldn’t drink it all, you’d be fated to be whipped by your wife, probably. That’s the belief, anyway,” said Uld.

“That’s a pretty specific belief, huh? Er...just to sate my curiosity, what happened during your wedding to Clare-san?”

“My wedding? Hm... I don’t want to spread it around, but...well, I failed spectacularly, since I was a pretty high level for Parth! Man, it wasn’t as big as yours, Kelvin, but I had to drink from this stupid huge stein. And with how nervous I was, I ended up spitting it all out on Clare’s face!” Uld answered.

“Whaaat?!”

“Clare immediately socked me in the gut too. Now that I think about it, it was an awful wedding! Hah! Hah! Hah!”

“Ha... Ha ha...” I’m amazed you can laugh at that, Uld-san. Actually, given how utterly whipped he is by Clare-san, maybe it’s not just a superstition?

“Oh, right, I failed too, didn’t I?”

“Me too!”

“Actually, hasn’t this been the first time in a while that someone succeeded? I mean, I failed too.”

The other adventurers started admitting that they’d failed one after another. And, miracle of miracles, each and every one of them were dominated by their wives.

Yeah, I’m certain now. This has gotta be a pretty powerful jinx. So it’s either a blessing or a curse? I bet it’s a hidden status of some sort. Oh man, does that mean I’d be whipped by Rion if I failed? Actually...maybe that’s okay? Hrm...what a tough question.

“What’s wrong, Kel-nii? Why’re you making that face?” Rion asked.

“Huh? Oh, no, it’s nothing. I was just thinking how glad I am that I managed to show my determination, regardless of the popular belief attached to that ritual. Not that I’d be all that sad if I failed, though!”

“Hee hee, what does that mean? You’re weird, Kel-nii.”

I laughed along with her, and that was when a great cheer came from a different section of the party. I looked toward it, wondering what was happening, to see Mel and yellow Mdo making all-out poses of utter triumph.

What are they doing? Seriously?

“So...huge...”

“Huh? No way! Is that thing real?”

“Uh, who knows? I hear that some places bring out fakes, but just the smell alone is making my mouth water...”

“Hey now, how many meters is that thing?”

“Wow!”

I could hear others talking to each other as Mel and Mdo passed. The pair were also followed by a tremendously huge, house-sized something.

Ah, I see. I know what it is. So, it’s come.

“Move aside! Special wedding cake coming through!” Clare yelled.

“Master! Rion-sama! Please, come this way!” Efil called out to us.

Just as I heard their voices, the house-sized super-huge special wedding cake entered my sight. It needn’t be said, but making it had been a joint effort between the ultimate teacher-student combo of Clare and Efil. I had known this was their plan, but...

Yeah, it’s huge. And it looks delicious. I get why Mel’s and Mdo’s eyes are sparkling.

“It’s time, Kel-nii! We’re doing this together!” Rion exclaimed.

“Yeah. How orthodox. Let’s go all out.”

Of course, Rion and I would be cutting the cake as our first act as husband and wife. We bid farewell to Uld and the other adventurers before hurrying to the cake.

Whoa! It looks even bigger from up close. And it’s really finely decorated too. It’s clear how much work went into making it. Thank you so much, you two!

“If I remember right, cutting the cake is normal. But surely the size of that cake and knife are anything but?”

“It’s not like they’re actually going to cut the cake. They’re just going to stick a knife in, aren’t they? Surely the actual cutting comes after.”

“Hey, there’s no way the whole thing is real, right? It’s gotta be that only where they put the knife in is real, and the rest is fake, right?”

Everyone was offering all sorts of speculations, but they were all wrong. The cake was indeed real, and we would, in fact, be cutting the whole thing. The plan was to cut the cake ourselves, with gratitude in our hearts.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. We will now proceed with cutting the cake. But before that, everyone, have you received your plates and forks?” Efil asked. “Anyone who hasn’t should ask for a set from a nearby staff member.”

“Plate and fork? Why would they need all that?”

“I wonder if they’re going to distribute it to everyone immediately after they cut it.”

I have a lot of questions, but first please hold the thing level. Everything else can come after that.

“Okay,” Efil said after a while. “It looks like everyone has a plate and fork. Well then, master, please do the honors.”

“Yeah. Leave it to us. Are you ready, Rion?”

“Anytime!” Rion replied.

I drew close to Rion, and we both held the knife in our hands. Up until then, everything had been normal, but this was where it ended. I used Ground Cleave and Rion used Superconductive Lightning as we adopted a low stance, like a lion about to pounce on its prey. Then we pointed our blade at the cake, and...

Now!

◇ ◇ ◇

We swung the knife at a speed way beyond any normal cake-cutting. It was like we were seriously fighting the cake, fast enough that a normal person wouldn’t even notice a shadow pass. But the important part was still to come.

“Hah!” both Rion and I yelled in unison.

In perfect sync, we swung the knife multiple times, continuing to cut the cake. Because we were using Perfect Understanding to unify our minds, we were able to do so with almost no errors. But Rion was the one doing most of the work with her Sword Mastery skill; I was basically just matching her. In exchange, I was protecting the cut cake with barriers, using wind to distribute the pieces to everyone.

“Ohhh?! The cake flew onto my plate!”

“Me too! It’s floating over my plate!”

“No way! Are they distributing the pieces as they cut it?!”

Exactly! As long as you put the plate under the cake, it’ll land gently on top of it! Enjoy!

And so, our plans were revealed. This supergiant wedding cake had been made so that as long as it was accurately sliced, the distribution of fruit, cream, and sponge would be perfect in every piece. Efil and Clare had done this for the sake of our first task as a couple. Though I’d been the one to ask them for it, I knew how ridiculous a request it’d been. I couldn’t thank them enough for accepting so readily. Of course, in Efil’s case, she simply told me to repay her during our own ceremony, so I had to wonder what she’d make me do for the last wedding.

I mean, I can hazard a guess. Do your best, future me! In exchange, I’ll do my best with this!

“Heh heh! Look, Edgar!” Charles exclaimed. “The cake came flying to me! It must’ve fallen for my charms. It has a good eye.”

“Erm, the cake is flying to everyone...” Edgar commented.

“Wow, this thing smells really good! Definitely trendy!” Rami gushed.

“Urgh, Rion cut a slice just for me,” Gerard bawled. “And she even made it a large one!”

“No way! My slice is bigger by a little,” Gustav boasted. “Heh! Not only does Sera-Bell love me, but Rion too! I’m so sinful.”

Gerard paused, incensed. “I cannot in good conscience let that slide, Gustav-dono. Look closely, mine is definitely bigger!”

“Oh, Gerard, you should be the one to look closer. Your old and decrepit eyes may find it hard to differentiate, but mine is definitely bigger!” Gustav argued.

Both of them let out vaguely competitive noises. At this point, we’d finished serving the cake. It seemed an argument had broken out between two old men, but that was par for the course for this party that was basically a day at the bar. It was only natural for a fight or two to break out, so there was nothing to worry about.

“Sho gooooood!” both Gerard and Gustav gushed. One bite of the cake blew all their ill will and competitiveness away thanks to a combination of sheer taste and Rion’s Absolute Purification. The argument was instantly forgotten.

And so ended our team effort, which heralded the period of everyone being busy enjoying their dessert. The cake had been a team effort, a crystallization of both Efil’s and Clare’s cooking skills, so its deliciousness was unfathomable. On top of that, since Rion had given it a purifying effect, no one could resist its allure.

“Why don’t you try a bite too, Dorothy? I’m sure one bite will finish you off,” I suggested.

“What do you mean, finish me off?” Dorothy asked. “This is such a nice day; please don’t ruin it with your penchant for violence.”

“No, no. It’s just a saying, Thee-chan,” Rion interjected. “I want you to taste it too!”

“I’m digging in now!” Dorothy instantly replied. She didn’t hesitate to stuff her face immediately after what Rion said.

She never changes, does she?

Dorothy let out a gushing noise, communicating how much she loved it. Her expression also told of how happy she was. It looked like she was melting. When we saw that, Rion and I also felt happy. Fighting was all well and good, especially when it took the form of a proper match, but that was assuming that at the end, both sides could still laugh together.

“That way, both sides can fight again when they’re stronger! What a wonderful and perfect perpetual machine!”

“You’re ruining pretty much everything, Kel-nii,” Rion warned me.

◇ ◇ ◇

It was the night of the second wedding. Having finished everything we’d planned, Rion and I were now lying beside each other in my room. It was really calming being in my own house. I hadn’t managed to fight in this wedding’s objection match, but I had managed to reach a good level of exhaustion, so it felt like I could sleep well. What? What about nighttime activities, you ask? I already said we finished everything we had planned—that included.

“Are you feeling okay, Rion?”

“I’m totally fine,” she replied. “In fact, I’m absolutely filled to the brim with happiness. Heh heh heh!” Her bashful laugh was accompanied by her head softly thumping against my chest.

What are you, an avatar of absolute adorability? You definitely are. You’re so cute, I’ll allow it.

I changed the subject a little to allow my brain and body to cool down. “I heard your friends from Lumiest left after the reception. It’s too bad; they should’ve stayed the night.”

“Yeah. They told me that they’d exceeded their planned schedule because they’d taken too long to come here, so they needed to leave right away or they wouldn’t make it,” Rion replied. “They were apparently in some real danger, since even using Parth’s teleportation gate, they barely made it.”

“Wow... Their schedule must’ve had no wiggle room at all.”

“Rai-chan and Char-kun were resisting at the teleportation gate until the very last minute, though, saying stuff about how they would enjoy the festival until the end,” said Rion. “Eventually, Graham-kun had to grab Rai-chan and drag her back, while Edgar-kun had to convince Char-kun to go quietly by aggressively warning him that he’d end up being held back.”

“Yeah, if he’s in danger of that, it was definitely better to go quietly.”

Being held back a year has got to be no joke for royalty.

“Oh, that reminds me, I didn’t see Dorothy anywhere when the reception was ending. Did she go back to her room early?”

“She told me that she would be staying at the Fairy’s Song with Clare-san instead of here tonight,” Rion replied. “She needed to carry several people who drank themselves into a stupor, and, um...it also looked like she was being considerate of us...”

“Oh, ah...”

How should I put it? Dorothy’s really good at thinking of others! Thank you. It’s because of you that everything went well.

“Then let’s go to bed early tonight. We have to get up early, after all,” Rion suggested.

“Yeah.”

Tomorrow was Colette’s wedding in Deramis. In terms of scale, it would probably rival Shutola’s event.

Hrm, I’m feeling worried in a lot of ways. Also, I still have no idea what the other side is really thinking.

I was silent, probably for too long.

“Are you worried about something, Kel-nii?” Rion asked.

“Huh? You can tell? I can’t hide anything from you, can I?”

“Aha ha! I’m your little sister and wife, after all, Kel-nii! Of course I understand you,” Rion boasted. “So, what’re you worried about? Your opponent for tomorrow’s objection match? The only thing we know is they go by ‘Mysterious Swordsman S,’ right?”

“Yeah, it’s the only opponent whose identity is unclear. That’s definitely worrying, but...I’m thinking of something else.”

“What?” Rion asked.

“I mean, neither Addams nor Maria have shown themselves at either of these first two events, right? Even though we invited them to every one.”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true,” Rion agreed. “We haven’t seen the other Ten Authorities or Luquille-san either.”

“Right? Addams and the others aside, I figured Maria and Kuon were hooked on stuff like this. I never would have thought none of them would show. Hrm, are my instincts just wrong in this case?”

“Maybe. Or maybe there’s something you should be prioritizing over the weddings?” Rion suggested.

“Something I should be prioritizing...”

As of yet, I only had a faint inkling of what she was referring to. I had no idea if it was even good or bad for me.

But, hmm...I’m getting a really bad feeling somehow. And I just keep getting more excited!

“If you get excited, you won’t be able to sleep, Kel-nii,” Rion warned me.

“Ah, right. I’ll go to sleep now.”

Afterword

Thank you so much for buying Black Summoner Volume 22: The Curtain Rises on the Black Celebration. This is Doufu Mayoi, whose backlog of games, manga, and novels keeps getting bigger. To those who followed this series from the web novel version, thank you for everything.

Oh man, I have so much I want to do, but I just can’t find the time. Out in the world, the Switch 2 has been released, but it’s looking like it’ll be several years before I can even think about that. And by then, the next console or must-play game will probably already have been released. Right, so this is how people get left behind by the times. I want the vitality I had in my childhood back!

Speaking of childhood, I haven’t ridden a bike in a while. Yeah, it’s been over a decade. I used to get on my bike every day like clockwork, but now...honestly, I doubt I even remember how to ride. Would my body remember if I actually got on one? I would definitely be bedridden from shock if it somehow didn’t. Yeah, I’m confident about that. Aging is so scary! All your thoughts turn negative!

Finally, I’d like to sincerely thank my illustrators Kurogin-sama and DaiXt-sama, my proofreader, and all you unforgettable readers for all you’ve done to make this book a reality. Well then, I’ll be praying we see each other again in the next volume. Please continue to read Black Summoner.

—Doufu Mayoi