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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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Thankfully, the gazes of the guests that had been focused on our side also began to diminish as the wedding ceremony officially began.
Because even if they had met Jay Dragon after coming to their neighbor’s wedding, it was normal for a person with basic manners to focus on the wedding ceremony first.
Only then was I able to watch the wedding ceremony with a much lighter heart.
Rex Nova maintained a smooth atmosphere and circled the stage once.
《Yes, yes, I’m happy to be here too. You didn’t expect to see me in a place like this? It’s okay! I didn’t either!》
Rex Nova stopped his steps for a moment.
“Wow…, Rex Nova! I’m a fan!!”
Forgetting the current location, to the female guest who had raised her voice and called out to him, Rex Nova quietly raised his index finger.
Rex Nova, who had brought his finger to his lips, continued his story playfully.
《I’ll give you an autograph after the wedding ceremony is over, so don’t worry and please be quiet.》
Come to think of it, I hadn’t gotten his autograph yet either.
I should go and get his autograph later.
The female guest, who had finally noticed her own nuisance, fell silent with a half-embarrassed, half-happy expression that Rex Nova had spoken to her.
Rex Nova, who had taken control of the wedding venue’s atmosphere in an instant, introduced himself once again.
《My name is Rex Nova, I’m also the CCO of Resurrection Corporation, a famous influencer, and a famous MC.》
As if he felt his own voice was a little quiet.
Rex Nova operated his visual interface to raise his own voice a little more.
It seemed he had used the voice-amplifying vocal cord cyberware that every celebrity has.
《Of course, right now I’m just an ordinary MC, so everyone, please calm down and congratulate the wedding.》
Rex Nova, who had clapped briefly, drew the surrounding attention to himself.
As the Chairman had said, he was good at handling ‘unexpected situations,’ a posture befitting the most famous luxury MC in the capitalism-engulfed Neon City.
It was the same in ‘Rex Nova’s Live Show.’
His ability to calmly proceed with commercials and minimize variables in a situation where others might have foamed at the mouth and collapsed was impressive.
《Today, so many guests have come to congratulate the wedding—.》
Just then, Rex Nova stopped talking for a moment.
What is it?
I looked toward Rex Nova, who had stopped talking.
I didn’t know if it was just my imagination, but Rex Nova’s eyes were shaking unsteadily.
It was a very brief moment, but it was certain.
Rex Nova was looking very intently at me and the women around me, especially the ‘Chairman.’
《—and, haha…. Since it’s such a happy day, I’m so excited I’m even seeing hallucinations.》
Come to think of it, Rex Nova had also attended the corporate party.
Then it was natural that he would know the face of the ‘artificial body’ the Chairman was currently in.
He did a good job of not cutting off his words….
I silently applauded and praised his mental fortitude, which only I would have known.
No matter how much the Chairman had asked Rex Nova to MC Drek’s wedding, the Chairman would not have contacted Rex Nova directly.
The social class difference was too great for that.
Probably a chief of staff like Justin Borg would have delivered the message instead.
As such, he probably hadn’t expected a person like the chairman of Monolith to be sitting peacefully in such an ordinary wedding venue.
Even if he had thought of it.
‘No way she’s really here.’
He would have just dismissed it with that thought.
《Uh…, I’ll continue with the proceedings.》
I didn’t know the reason, but Rex Nova, who had received some kind of unspoken permission while looking at our side, especially the Chairman, calmly resumed the wedding ceremony.
《…First, the groom will enter! Please welcome him with a round of applause!》
No matter how surprised he was, the way he continued with the proceedings he was in charge of.
He was truly a model of a professional.
If a similar thing happens to me, I should ask the Chairman to call Rex Nova.
I thought, watching the entering Drek.
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Drek’s gray beard, tied more neatly than usual, swayed from side to side.
The tuxedo he was wearing was puffed up as if it would burst from his muscles (cyberware).
Perhaps because it was a hastily arranged wedding, It seemed he hadn’t been able to get a custom-made outfit.
As if he couldn’t wear the sunglasses he always wore at his wedding, a pair of sunglasses was tucked into the breast pocket of his tuxedo instead of a handkerchief.
It looked a little funny.
Drek walked up to the stage with a confident gait.
His green eyes scanned the guests, and when his eyes met mine, he gave a grin and a slight nod.
He just greeted me earlier, what’s he so happy about?
In fact, a smile was also on my lips as I was thinking that.
Even though it was a once-in-a-lifetime (usually) wedding, he could have been nervous.
Was it because of his bulging muscles?
There was no sign of that at all.
《The groom is very confident, haha.》
Rex Nova left a similar impression as I did.
Drek went up on stage.
Usually, parents would also be there.
But as far as I knew, both Drek and Lorenda had lost contact with their families a while ago.
I hadn’t asked about the details as it might have been rude.
And yet, Drek was always confident.
A great guy.
《Now then, this time, the world’s most beauti—, the groom’s favorite, the bride will enter!》
Rex Nova, who had changed his script while glancing at the Chairman, continued to speak calmly.
I wondered if he needed to be that mindful.
Anyway, along with Rex Nova’s script, a spotlight extending from the ceiling illuminated the entrance. Hologram-made flower petals floated splendidly inside the venue.
When Drek had entered earlier, there hadn’t even been a spotlight, let alone the lights being on.
It was a completely different, glamorous production.
Naturally, the gazes of all the guests, including me, moved in that direction.
A pure white wedding dress, shining elegantly, flowed down long.
The true protagonist of the wedding, Lorenda, revealed herself.
But as far as I knew, there was supposed to be someone to hold the long end of the dress.
Was it because the wedding was held in a church and not a dedicated wedding hall?
I didn’t see such a staff member.
That must be heavier than it looks.
If she were to step on the dress and fall while walking, it would be a major accident.
I gathered a little mana.
Without anyone noticing, I slightly lifted the end of the dress from the floor to help Lorenda so that she wouldn’t fall or feel it was heavy.
Now I’m a little less worried.
I slowly watched the back of Lorenda as she slowly walked up to Drek’s side, to the stage.
“……”
So Drek is really getting married.
The women around me who knew Drek, including myself, seemed to have similar thoughts.
They stared blankly at the two of them.
…I feel a little envious. No, this must be just my imagination.
I wiped my nose with a sniff.
Drek, that bastard, congratulations again.
I blessed the two of them in my heart.
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The wedding ceremony proceeded in a formal manner.
There were no events like a congratulatory song.
Since they said they were doing it at a church, I thought a pastor’s sermon might appear.
But just like any other ordinary wedding, a ‘robot officiant’ provided by the city came out and conducted their vows.
Not even an artificial intelligence like Eve.
It was just a robot that outputted a predetermined script.
【Do the groom and bride swear in this place to unchanging love and faith, and not to embezzle the city’s taxes?】
“Of course.”
“Naturally.”
…They should have just used credits and hired a person for the officiant.
Even at the mood-breaking script of the robot officiant, Drek and Lorenda, as if it were fine, smiled brightly and signed the electronic documents.
It seemed they had wanted to have a wedding just like everyone else.
Still, wasn’t it a bit much to ask about city taxes at a place like this? I can’t get used to this cyberpunk world, no matter how much I try.
Well, what meaning would a formal officiant have anyway.
As long as the two of them were happy, love each other, and sign the electronic marriage certificate so that the information goes up into the city’s database, that’s a marriage.
《Then with this, we will conclude the wedding of the two! A round of applause for everyone, please!》
A thunderous applause followed, loud enough to bury Rex Nova’s words.
The cyberpunk world, where it’s tough to make a living, marriage receives more blessings than in other places.
On top of that, since the protagonists of the wedding were the top two with outstanding character among the people around me, Drek and Lorenda.
All the guests clapped with all their hearts.
《Then finally, the groom has something to say.》
What? It’s not over?
《We will welcome him back to the stage.》
I was wondering if the meal was a buffet or a course.
Drek didn’t have a voice-amplifying cyberware implant in his vocal cords like Rex Nova.
《Ah, ah.》
Drek, who had received the microphone from Rex Nova, briefly tested the sound.
It was after he had brought an ‘unidentified box’ onto the stage.
What is that, that he brought it with him.
Drek began his script with a calm atmosphere.
《First of all, I would like to thank everyone who attended the wedding today. Thank you.》
I listened to Drek’s greeting with a pleased face.
I even nodded my head repeatedly by myself.
《And also, among them, I would like to express a special thanks to my closest friend.》
At those words, I felt a strange sense of foreboding.
The person Drek was talking about.
The probability of it being ‘me’ was, by common sense, low.
There weren’t just one or two people gathered here, so I might have been being unnecessarily concerned.
But why was it?
I had a gut feeling.
《As today is I and Lorenda’s wedding. Because he is the benefactor of the groom and bride.》
Having heard up to that point, I lifted my head.
Is the exit that way?
Since everyone’s attention was on the stage, no one would know even if I secretly left—.
At the same time, a hand came down on my shoulder.
What?
The surrounding women (7 of them) were all looking at me.
…Everyone, Drek is talking right now.
What am I supposed to do if you’re looking at me?
Of course, if I used magic, I wouldn’t be unable to escape. But then my friend’s wedding would also explode with a ‘pop~’.
I had no choice but to watch the stage.
《That friend is of a very shy nature, so I won’t call him up to the stage, haha.》
……!
As expected of Drek, I believed in you!
He was a friend who knew me, an ‘I’, too well.
《If it weren’t for that friend, this place itself, including me and Lorenda, would not exist.》
That’s not it.
Drek was a character who appeared unconditionally in the game.
…Of course, there was no wedding, though.
《A friend I can always trust my back to, a friend who doesn’t fit in with this city, and so a better friend.》
Hmm.
Listening to him talk, It seemed like it might not be me.
《There are many more words I could say, but I’m sure everyone has to go and eat, so I’ll stop here. Haha.》
Just as I was thinking that.
Drek’s gaze turned to me.
《If you ever need help, I’ll always be there for you, so just say the word. Shiun.》
But wasn’t this supposed to be a wedding where Drek and Lorenda were the protagonists?
What was I supposed to do if he ended it with me?
I didn’t know what kind of embarrassing thing he was doing.
The gazes of the guests also naturally gathered on me.
I bowed my head to avoid their gazes.
As an aside, Rex Nova was looking at me with a ‘I knew it would be you’ kind of expression.
What’s with that expression?
《Ah, and we have to throw the bouquet, right?》
Drek, who had said that, turned his head and looked down at Lorenda, who was next to him.
Lorenda nodded her head.
Drek opened the ‘unidentified box’ he had brought to the stage earlier.
《There are a total of 7 bouquets. Actually, I had only prepared 5, but I saw that I would need 2 more, so I quickly added them.》
……Huh?
Why are you throwing 7 bouquets?
《There might be chaos if I throw them here, so I’ll throw the bouquets outside! The meal is also prepared outside, so everyone, please go out, take pictures, and get ready to catch the bouquets!》
At Drek’s final words, the 7 women who had been sitting near me stood up from their seats.
“Drek knows what’s up.”
“I know, right.”
They continued their conversation in a friendly manner.
…….
For the record, not a single one of them failed to catch a bouquet.
And just like that.
The wedding of Drek and Lorenda came to an end.
Good for them, good for them.
“Huh?”
Returning home, I felt a sense of puzzlement.
My house….
Was it this big?
Except for a few pillars.
As if the ‘entire floor’ had become a single house—.
“……!”
It was only then.
Why all 7 of them had been following me. I was able to notice the reason.
It was autumn.
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Rex Nova will get a heart attack if he could read his mind