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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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I signed the marriage certificates that the princess and saintess had presented, the price for them settling the astronomical sum demanded by the Master of the Tower.
The news spread quickly, and my father rushed in.
“E-Edan…! You signed the marriage certificates?! Is that true?!”
“That’s what happened.”
I know.
This wasn’t something to be taken lightly.
Marrying both the princess and the saintess. It was only natural for my father to rush to my office, his face pale with shock. With my signature on the marriage certificates, marrying Ludmilla and Zebeline was now a fait accompli.
“I knew you were fond of both Princess Ludmilla and Saintess Zebeline… but this is rather sudden, isn’t it?”
“It’s about the astronomical sum the Magic Tower demanded. Naturally, the Valtarian Empire and the Gael Holy Kingdom had to receive something in return for settling the debt.”
“And that something… is marriage?”
“It’s fine. I was planning to marry both Her Highness and the Saintess eventually anyway.”
The sum demanded by the Master of the Tower was astronomical, even for the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, two of the most powerful nations on the continent.
There was no way they would settle it for free.
Even if it was the Second Imperial Princess and the First Saintess’s decision, the Empire and the Holy Kingdom wouldn’t simply accept such a loss.
That’s why I offered marriage as collateral.
Taking the Hero chosen by the Earth Mother as a son-in-law would be a significant boon for both the Valtarian Empire and the Gael Holy Kingdom, even if it meant paying off an astronomical debt. That’s why Ludmilla and Zebeline had presented me with the marriage certificates so readily.
Or perhaps it was simply driven by their own desires.
“This is preposterous! Agreeing to marriage just to settle a debt!”
“Father?”
“Even an insurmountable debt can be repaid over a lifetime! I can’t simply sell off my precious son like this!”
“Are you sure? The Magic Tower demanded five thousand pounds of gold.”
Five thousand pounds of gold.
That’s roughly a little over 2.2 tons.
Since the Master of the Tower demanded gold, the payment had to be made with gold bars issued by the Empire or the Holy Kingdom.
“……”
“……”
My father fell silent, finally grasping the sheer weight of the astronomical sum. Even the Emperor who ruled the vast Valtarian Empire would find such a sum burdensome. There was no way a minor noble from the backwoods could possibly afford it.
“On second thought… welcoming both the princess and the saintess as daughters-in-law would bring eternal prosperity and unparalleled glory to House Hohenberc! You signed the marriage certificates, you say? Excellent work, Edan!”
“…”
Such a drastic change of heart.
To reverse his stance in less than a second…
I watched my father, his shoulders shaking with feigned distress as he offered empty platitudes, and sighed inwardly.
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The prime ministers of the Empire and the Holy Kingdom attended the signing ceremony as representatives of their respective nations.
It was suffocating.
The whole scene felt like the signing of an unequal treaty.
But I had no way to pay off five thousand pounds of gold, so I signed.
“Edanant von Hohenberc”
I had never signed my name with such trepidation. And I doubted I ever would again.
The princess, the saintess, the prime minister, and the bishop all watched as I filled in the signature lines.
The agonizing moment, fraught with a sense of impending doom, finally passed.
The prime minister and the bishop, dispatched from the Empire and the Holy Kingdom respectively, reviewed the signed marriage certificates multiple times before carefully placing them in envelopes and sealing them.
They looked like con men making a hasty escape after closing a shady deal.
“We will return to the capital now. His Imperial Majesty will be overjoyed.”
“May the benevolent Earth Mother bestow her grace upon this newly wedded couple.”
The prime minister and the bishop, clutching the sealed envelopes containing the marriage certificates, exited my office. They practically fled the scene, eager to escape before I could change my mind.
Once the witnesses had departed, Ludmilla and Zebeline blushed, their lips moving soundlessly.
“Your Highness…. No, I suppose I should stop using such formal titles now.”
“Of course. Now that we’re officially married, our titles should change as well. It’s a little embarrassing, though.”
Married through a wedding ceremony?
Or married through the signing of a marriage certificate?
Perplexing.
It was like the classic chicken-or-egg dilemma.
Which came first?
Incidentally, I believe the chicken came first. After all, chicken is far more delicious than eggs.
“Then, from now on… I shall call you ‘husband.’”
“And I shall call you ‘my love’! That’s alright, isn’t it, my love?”
Husband. My love.
Such embarrassing terms of endearment.
My face flushed as my new brides addressed me with their sweet voices.
“Ludmilla. Zebeline. There’s something I need to tell you both. I’ve been agonizing over how to bring this up, but… I have to say it.”
Ahem.
I cleared my throat, composing my thoughts.
Ludmilla and Zebeline looked at me expectantly, their faces alight with anticipation. They were probably expecting a romantic proposal, a reaffirmation of our newfound bond.
Unfortunately, what I was about to say was anything but a proposal.
“The Saintess Party, having resurrected the Calamity of Death, has likely returned to the Demon Realm. I intend to go to the Demon Realm and confront them. I want to settle things with those who have become enemies of humanity.”
This was the decision I had reached after days of agonizing deliberation.
To go to the Demon Realm.
And to destroy the resurrected Calamity of Death and the Saintess Party.
The Holy Kingdom hadn’t officially branded the Saintess Party as enemies yet. Just as they had remained silent about the true culprits behind the Sanctuary attack.
However, if the Saintess Party were to invade the continent alongside the fully resurrected Calamity of Death, even the Earth Mother would be forced to declare a holy war.
“Don’t tell me you’re planning to go to the Demon Realm alone.”
“…”
“Are you planning to make your new brides widows?! Even the most benevolent of saintesses has a breaking point! And this is it.”
“…Hmm.”
Querisa Neserhane, who had visited the Hohenberc estate to collect her payment, had informed me of the Second Saintess Beatrice’s clash with the Earth Mother’s vessels.
Beatrice had become Death’s Apostle.
And the members of the Saintess Party had all become Death’s followers.
The news, delivered by the Master of the Tower, felt like a dagger twisting in my gut. The bleak reality of my former comrades turning against humanity was a bitter pill to swallow.
“I… I need your help.”
I forced the words out, my voice strained.
Ludmilla and Zebeline smiled faintly.
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Early the next morning,
Carriages laden with gold bars arrived.
The gold double-headed eagle, symbol of the Empire.
The papal tiara and crossed keys, emblem of the Holy Kingdom.
We were officially married, the marriage certificates signed and sealed. The Empire and the Holy Kingdom, fulfilling their end of the bargain, delivered the promised five thousand pounds in gold bars.
“Woo-hoo!!”
The emerald-haired woman let out a whoop of delight, bouncing around the metal chests unloaded by the Empire and Holy Kingdom’s elite soldiers.
The sturdy chests overflowed with gleaming gold bars.
A veritable treasure trove.
The double-headed eagle and papal tiara were stamped on each gold bar, proof of their authenticity. They were genuine, issued by the mints of the Empire and the Holy Kingdom.
Querisa, having verified their authenticity with her discerning eye, ran her fingers over the gold bars, practically drooling.
“A miser blinded by gold… Is this truly befitting of the Master of the Tower?”
“Do you have any idea how much magical research costs?! A steady stream of funding is essential for the advancement of humanity and the pursuit of arcane knowledge.”
“So, you’re saying you’ll switch sides to the Calamity’s because the Holy Kingdom, your former allies, have run out of money to extort… Such ruthless pragmatism, even demons would be appalled.”
“Gold is gold. Its origin is irrelevant.”
Such unadulterated avarice.
If Madbay had seen his adoptive mother’s materialistic display, he would have surely sighed.
I let out a heavy sigh as I watched the Master of the Tower hum a merry tune while transferring the gold-filled chests to her subspace.
“Now that you’ve received your payment, I suppose I can issue commands as your employer.”
“Of course. The Magic Tower never disappoints its patrons. As long as the funding keeps flowing, that is.”
Querisa’s words made me nod in agreement.
And then, I spoke.
“Open a portal to the Demon Realm within a week.”
“…Hmm?”
“I intend to confront the Calamity of Death and the Saintess Party in the Demon Realm. I’d prefer it if the Magic Tower took the lead on this.”
“…”
Querisa paused, her gaze fixed on her subspace, greedily devouring the gold bars.
She seemed to be contemplating whether to return the payment.
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