studiobondurri Chapter 118: The Black Marriage (4)
Chapter 118: The Black Marriage (4)
Chapter 118: The Black Marriage (4)
The stage had been cleared. This world, the Story of Sormwin Academy, was now officially part of the Tower, and Hunters could explore it. Still, they couldn’t do it freely. The Five Guilds would definitely screen their trips first, like how an ordinary Hunter had to obtain a permit to enter the Aegim Empire.
In other words...
Whoosh!
Not long after the announcement of the cleared stage was made, white lights flashed.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Light burst out from different directions at the wedding venue; Hunters were teleporting in.
“Death King! No, Kim Gong-Ja!”
As the light subsided, I saw familiar faces. They were the leaders of major guilds that could travel between floors at will without a permit. One of them was the Black Witch, the Rank 2 Hunter.
Huffing and puffing, she exclaimed, “How can you get married without telling us about it?! I oppose this wedding!”
I remained silent.
“You represent the Tower, Death King! The wedding should be held in Babylon, the first floor of our Tower, not here! It should be broadcast live around the world! This doesn’t count! This wedding doesn’t count at all!”
She wasn’t the only one to speak out.
The Sword Star, the Rank 1 Hunter, cleared his throat. “Ahem. First of all, congratulations on clearing this stage, Death King. I mean it. You romanced the Duke of Ivansia quite fast. I know it's rude to say something like this here, but as your senior, let me just say—”
“Don’t.” I shook my head.
The Sword Star became quiet, trying to ease up on his boomer nature by cutting his nagging short.
“People in the Tower went crazy while you were clearing the stage, wondering why in the world you two fell in love. But I steadfastly took your side, Death King. Love at first sight is known only to those who have experienced it themselves. Don't worry. I understand. Leave the Black Dragon Master to me; I’ll talk to her.”
The Paladin looked composed as usual, but she was holding her nose slightly high for some reason. She seemed to subtly say that she understood how I perceived the concept of love. I wasn’t sure what she meant exactly, though.
I looked back at Raviel, who looked impassive. However, because I loved her, I could see the sparkles of interest in her red eyes as she watched the group of newcomers.
“Gong-Ja. My love.”
“Yes, my love...”
“It seems a lot of introductions are in order.”
She was right. It was a bit late, but it was the time for them to meet.
***
I thought it was natural for the groom’s and bride’s families and acquaintances to meet before the wedding. However, there were cultural differences here too. It was the other way around in the empire.
“Isn’t it natural?” Raviel tilted her head. “Many family members live far away in the countryside, but even they are invited to a wedding when such an event takes place. The night of the wedding is when the bride, the groom, and the members of both families finally get to meet each other.”
“Ah, you’re right.”
I was convinced. Yes, marriage was also a union of families. Hunters had escaped from the outside world, so families were out of the question. However, it was different in the empire. A family’s will was much more important than an individual’s.
This wedding of ours was more than a union between families. It transcended worlds. Raviel represented the empire, just as I represented the Tower.
“Haha...” The imperial chief steward—my foster father—smiled bitterly the whole time. “I never imagined things would turn out like this... I don't know how many pigeons I sent to His Majesty today. Now I’m not even sure what to write in my letters anymore.”
“Yes, it’s understandable, but it was never our intention to confuse the people of the empire by showing up unannounced,” the Black Witch replied. She was extremely calm, seemingly having never huffed and puffed at me.
The people in power from the empire and the Tower sat side by side at the table. They were wary yet equally bewildered of each other.
“But I believe this is an accidental fortune, not misfortune. Those of us from the Tower got to arrive in the empire and meet all of you for the first time on this joyous occasion.”
Still, they overcame their wariness and bewilderment to talk.
“You’re saying that you all are from another world, yes? This is not only an unusual phenomenon that will be difficult to explain to His Majesty, but it also cannot be easily announced to the public.”
The Black Witch nodded. She seemed used to diplomatic meetings like this, aware of how to tread the line to be both polite and competent. “Yes, I fully understand the empire’s reasons. However, sir, you must have witnessed the invasion of beings from other worlds. If a person denies reality, reality will someday deny them in turn. That is the future I’m worried about.”
“That is a good point.”
“Thank you, sir. What we have to work on going forward is mutual understanding even if it takes five, ten, twenty years, or more.”
Both sides talked calmly. It was inherently difficult for people in power to come together in one place. However, our wedding made that possible. Raviel had control of the people in the empire, and I had the complete trust of the people of the Tower. Our marriage was a great blessing for both sides. The start of our married life couldn't have been better.
Sitting at the head of the table with Raviel, I reached under the table and grabbed her hand. She intertwined her fingers with mine as if it were the most natural thing in the world. This simple gesture was enough to reassure me.
“Okay.”
Preta, who was sitting amid the cultists, stood up. She looked as if she had been waiting for my call. Her clothes were tidy.
“This is Preta. She was born as a nameless monster with the ability of a doppelganger. She could imitate what she had eaten. At first, Preta devoured animals such as frogs and snakes, but then accidentally ate a human, and...”
Preta kept her head low. Her shoulders would occasionally tremble faintly. The bizarre silence continued in the venue as I told Raviel their stories and, by extension, my own.
I was quietly retelling my followers’ stories under the night sky. That alone was sacred.
“And... Oh, yes.” I took off the holy sword from my belt. “This is Shiny.”
“Shiny?” Raviel asked.
“Yes, her real name is slightly better than that. She’s the Goddess of Protection, but a bad guy fooled her and sealed her in the swords. I felt like her real name was like a waste on her, so I just nicknamed her Shiny. Well, she shines... very brightly...”
“I see.” Raviel laughed quietly. “The nickname you gave is a bit cruel. It’s harsh. If it were up to me, I would have at least named her ‘Illuminaire.’”
[Shiny has pledged her allegiance to your spouse!]
Shiny quickly changed her mind about who she was loyal to.
Finally, I introduced the Guardian, my partner.
“Mmm... I also have a friend you’ll probably never get to see or meet in any way. He’s in a bit of an unusual situation that prevents him from coming out in front of other people. He cusses like a sailor, about thirty times more than the Sword Demon King. But he’s very strong. He was the first to teach me how to use my sword and aura.”
Smiling faintly, Raviel nodded. “He sounds like a great person to have in your life.”
Wearing a shabby martial arts suit like usual, the Guardian remained silent, his arms folded. Instead of talking like usual, he just looked at Raviel and me in silence.
“If it weren’t for him, I probably wouldn’t have been able to endure my time alone.”
“I see. Then it’s only right that I express my gratitude to that friend.” Raviel bowed, even though she didn’t see anyone in front of her. “I became happy after meeting Gong-Ja. If you, his friend, hadn’t helped him, my happiness wouldn’t have been possible. I’m grateful for all your help as it brought Gong-Ja here at this moment.”
—He’s one heck of a wacko, so please take good care of him.
On his behalf, I said, “If that friend had heard you, he would probably have asked you to take good care of me because I’m a wacko.”
“You have a wonderful friend.”
I took a deep breath. “Raviel, they are my everything.”
These were all the people I cared about. They had walked through the door to my heart and become my family.
Raviel grabbed my hand tightly. “My love.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s dance,” Raviel requested, her eyes serious.
I could never say no to her whenever she looked at me like this.
“I’ve never really danced before.”
“You would still have some of the butler’s memories left. Use them.”
“What if I accidentally step on your feet, Raviel? I’d rather kill myself.”
Instead of answering my question, Raviel bent down and took off her black shoes. A moment later, she stepped barefoot into the lawn. Her feet were white. Even though she had only taken off her shoes, she looked as light as the wind.
“Come on.” She gestured at me.
When I hesitantly took off my white shoes and socks, Raviel immediately took my hand and led me. One step. Two steps. She stepped on the flower petals on the lawn, turning the white magnolia and cherry blossom petals whiter.
No one said anything. There was no music or chandeliers found in fancy ballrooms. In this prom, it was just us and the moonlight that had settled on the flower garden like frost.
“See?” I smiled as I danced. “I’m a mess. I've already stepped on your feet three times. Dancing is really not my specialty. Are you planning to embarrass me to death?”
“It’s okay. I’ll step on your feet just as much too.” Raviel stepped on my foot with all her weight. She then laughed mischievously. “We’re even now.”
There was that smile that she showed only to me. She was my red jewel, my heart, and my music.
A moonlight chandelier shone down on our shadows.
Our dance ball wasn’t about not stepping on each other's feet. Even if we did, we didn’t let go of each other until the end. Our dance was about smiling in the face of any misfortune, even if it was a faint smile, and then finding solace in each other’s eyes.
Yes. I only belonged to Raviel, and she was mine only.
We danced. The moonlight illuminated our surroundings, making up the ballroom for me and Raviel. With just the two of us, any world was our stage. Today we got married, and our next story would begin at a slightly higher stage.