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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The wedding, which had captured the continent’s attention, was now just a day away.
It was a wedding that defied all common sense, a sensational event that would be talked about for years to come.
The guests had arrived, their true intentions hidden behind smiles and congratulations.
“It’s an honor to have you here, Ambassador. You’re a busy man.”
“Nonsense. It’s the Second Princess’s wedding. I wouldn’t miss it.”
“And the Grand Duchess of Nord’s. Our kingdom has a long-standing relationship with the Nord Duchy.”
Thanks to Elena and Eileen’s status, dignitaries and foreign emissaries had flocked to the Esgelant Empire.
The media, sensing a juicy story, continued to churn out articles, but Sylphia’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Let them talk. Those insignificant humans. They say the best way to bury a scandal is with a bigger one. Let’s see if they can still talk after I reveal my true form.”
A cynical sneer.
Dragons were depicted in various ways in myths and legends. Sometimes as allies, sometimes as villains. They were a staple of folklore.
But they were just stories. Most people doubted their existence.
Even when I’d “slain” a dragon beyond the northern barrier – a fabricated story for political purposes – people had been skeptical.
They believed the Imperial family’s account, but they still questioned whether dragons actually existed.
“It’s like the Loch Ness Monster. People want to believe it exists, even though there’s no proof. Or rather, it does exist, but people doubt it,” I’d said later, after hearing about their plan.
Indeed, several dragons, besides Sylphia, were living in hiding, blending in with human society.
Sylphia’s appearance in her true form would be a shock, both to humans and to her own kind.
Dragons considered themselves a separate species, distinct from humans. They didn’t forbid interspecies marriage, they simply didn’t conceive of it.
Sylphia’s transformation, in front of all the wedding guests, would be a spectacle, a source of shock and awe, not just for humans, but for other dragons as well.
But that was tomorrow’s problem.
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The day arrived, welcomed by some, dreaded by others.
The wedding.
Some might dismiss it as just another marriage, but it was a union between families. For those who considered themselves of noble blood, the implications were significant.
But the reason for the intense public interest was simple.
The “implications” were… common sense. One plus one equals two. It was a universally accepted truth.
“That idiot… my own brother, but he’s an idiot…”
But this wedding defied common sense, attracting widespread attention. And it was her own brother who was responsible.
Serilla remembered the conversation with her superior the previous day.
“Serilla, there are procedures. You can’t just request leave a day before your shift.”
“I apologize.”
“Apologies won’t change the fact that you’re asking for leave tomorrow… Fine. Do you have a hot date or something? Let’s hear it.”
“It’s my brother’s wedding.”
“Your brother’s wedding? You’re telling me this now, the day before…? Wait, tomorrow…?”
Silence.
Her superior wasn’t lenient.
She was a stickler for rules. But her silence, after realizing the situation, was more embarrassing than any reprimand.
Serilla sighed.
She wouldn’t normally set foot in the Hall of the Sun, except for guard duty, but today was an exception.
As a new recruit, she’d envied the knights assigned to guard important events held in the hall, but not like this.
“This day has finally come…”
Her voice was filled with resignation.
The adorable little brother who’d followed her around was gone, replaced by this… unpredictable man who’d somehow managed to attract five women.
While Serilla was making her way to the Hall of the Sun, Rudrick was relaxing in the waiting room.
The palace servants and renowned stylists had already done their work.
“I’m nervous.”
“Me too.”
Sylphia replied, still having her hair styled.
Even though it was his choice, the impending wedding made him nervous.
Sylphia, however, wasn’t nervous in the same way.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime event, her first wedding, so it was understandable that she’d be excited. But her excitement was overshadowed by anticipation, a desire to show those who’d dared to insult Rudrick what she was capable of.
She wasn’t his wife yet, technically still a bride-to-be, but she was already fiercely protective of him.
Not yet, she thought, running her tongue over her lips. The wedding was meticulously planned, a perfect event. She couldn’t spoil the main course by having dessert first.
Revealing her true form, showcasing the overwhelming power of a dragon, was the dessert.
The main course was the wedding itself, a perfect ceremony meticulously crafted by Elena’s near-obsessive attention to detail.
“It’s noisy out there.”
Eileen muttered, also having her makeup done.
As the Empire’s Black Lion, the strongest swordsman in the North, she could easily pick out individual voices from the crowd.
“What time does the ceremony start?”
“Soon. Be patient.”
“Isn’t a Cardinal officiating? Even this absurd wedding is still an Imperial wedding…”
“I don’t see what’s so absurd about it. If the genders were reversed, no one would bat an eye. They say a woman can have multiple husbands if she’s capable enough.”
“Eric, that’s because you’re a man. You’re biased.”
Eileen sighed, listening to the chatter outside. She wasn’t happy about the guests’ gossip. If she could silence them, she would have.
She glanced at the other brides.
Elena, Lassiel, and Arwen, all getting their hair and makeup done, shared her sentiment.
They were annoyed, but also excited.
They couldn’t wait to see the guests’ reactions when Sylphia revealed her true form.
As Eileen suppressed her anger, the time finally arrived.
The Cardinal, who was officiating, stood at the podium, amplified by magic, and cleared his throat.
“Ahem… Let the ceremony begin. Let us pray for the brides and groom, for their new beginning, and for the blessings of the Goddess.”
The guests, their thoughts masked, bowed their heads.
Even the Cardinal couldn’t hide his bewilderment.
Brides, plural.
He’d officiated many noble and royal weddings, but this was the first time he’d used that term in the plural.
After a brief prayer, he continued,
“The groom will now enter. The son of Countess Weiss, and Court Mage of the Esgelant Empire, Marquis Rudrick Weiss.”
Rudrick emerged from the back of the hall.
He took a deep breath.
He was nervous, facing the scrutinizing gazes of the guests, but he’d chosen this path. It was his responsibility. Or so he believed.
This world didn’t demand much of him, but his mindset was still rooted in his past life.
Unfriendly eyes followed him as he walked down the aisle, a stark contrast to the usual celebratory atmosphere.
He wore a sleek black tailcoat, his brown hair neatly tied back.
Despite being the center of this unprecedented wedding, he maintained a calm facade.
“The Court Mage is quite composed. I’d be terrified in his place.”
“He’s just a country bumpkin who got lucky. Marquis? It’s just an honorary title.”
“Slaying a dragon is a worthy achievement. This isn’t the age of myths. We should respect him.”
“He’s handsome. A real heartbreaker. Who started that rumor about him being ordinary?”
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. He’s not ugly, but I wouldn’t call him exceptionally handsome.”
The whispers reached his ears.
‘I didn’t slay a dragon… It was two against one. And Sylphia did most of the work.’
Rudrick’s face flushed slightly.
‘I should have stopped that rumor.’
But it was too late now. And he’d briefly entertained the thought of defeating the dragon himself, so it was partly his fault.
As he reached the podium, the Cardinal continued,
“The brides will now enter. First, by the grace of the Goddess, the Duke of Bowell, and descendant of the blessed Esgelant Imperial Family, Her Highness, the Second Princess, Elena Esgelant.”
The guests rose to their feet, showing respect for the Imperial family.
Even though she was a bride in this scandalous wedding, Elena Esgelant was still a powerful figure, the head of one of the Empire’s largest factions, a rival to the Crown Princess.
Though, now that she’d renounced her claim to the throne, that title was meaningless.
Elena appeared, marking the beginning of the ceremony.
“Next, the rightful ruler of the Nord Duchy, and the Black Lion of the Esgelant Empire, Her Highness, the Grand Duchess, Eileen Nord.”
Eileen, also of Imperial blood, and the current Grand Duchess of Nord, received a standing ovation.
Lassiel, Sylphia, and Arwen, who followed, had shorter introductions. The guests, who’d risen for the Imperial princesses, sat down.
But introductions didn’t matter. All six of them, including Rudrick, shared one thing in common.
Confidence.
This wedding, dubbed “The Wedding of the Century,” was a scandal, perhaps the biggest scandal of the century, maybe even the next.
But they faced the disapproving guests with unwavering confidence, as if they had nothing to be ashamed of.
The Cardinal, slightly flustered, looked at the six of them.
“Groom, Rudrick Weiss.”
“Yes.”
“And… brides, Elena Esgelant, Eileen Nord, Lassiel Reppert, Sylphia Andres, and Arwen.”
“Yes.”
The Cardinal sighed inwardly.
Five brides.
Just saying their names was a chore.
He took a deep breath, then asked,
“Brides, do you love Rudrick Weiss?”
“Yes.”
A unanimous answer.
All five of them answered without hesitation, eliciting gasps from the crowd. It was the power of love.
There was no other explanation for this wedding.
They must be truly, madly, deeply in love.
“Groom, Rudrick Weiss, do you love these women?”
“Um… yes.”
I hesitated, but I nodded.
It wasn’t exactly a blinding, all-consuming love. But I was human.
I couldn’t help but feel some affection for them, especially after they’d pursued me so relentlessly.
Of course, this marriage wasn’t solely based on affection and impulse.
It was partly about atoning for my past self’s actions.
I hadn’t made this decision lightly, but I realized something.
I did care for them.
“Very well. Your vows are witnessed by the Goddess. May your love and trust endure for a lifetime. I offer you my blessings.”
The Cardinal made the sign of the cross, clasping his hands in prayer.
This wedding was different from the ones in my past life, simpler, less elaborate. But one thing remained constant, a member of the clergy always officiated.
According to their doctrine, our vows were a sacred oath before the Goddess.
We’d pledged our love before the Goddess.
What more was needed?
Thanks to Elena’s streamlining of the usual procedures, the ceremony concluded quickly.
And finally, the moment arrived.
Sylphia glanced around.
The others, except for me, were watching her expectantly, waiting for her cue.
“Ahem.”
Sylphia cleared her throat. It was the signal.
She stepped forward, her gaze fixed on me for a moment, then she murmured softly,
[Shatter.]
It wasn’t spoken aloud.
It was Dragon Speech.
A magical language, understood only by dragons.
Realistically, Sylphia’s true form, a massive red dragon, couldn’t possibly fit inside the Hall of the Sun.
Abel, in his true form, had filled a cavern twice the size of the Imperial Palace’s guest house.
The Hall of the Sun was spacious, capable of holding thousands of people, but the ceiling wasn’t that high.
If Sylphia transformed now, she’d destroy the ceiling, causing a disaster. And only her head would fit, which would be awkward.
So…
“Aaaah!”
“The ceiling is collapsing!”
Sylphia used Dragon Speech to destroy the ceiling.
Her words, imbued with magical power, shattered the ceiling, sending debris raining down.
The debris dissolved into mana before it could hit anyone, but the situation was still alarming.
A gust of wind blew through the open roof, ruffling Sylphia’s hair.
She grinned.
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