Before the Wedding

"This should be it for the invites..."

"Very well, I shall send them through the Gate Mirrors at once. Those with

local addresses will be distributed by the knights."

"Thanks a bunch."

Laim, the butler, bowed after taking a huge bundle of stamped wedding

invitations from me. My shoulder hurt like hell. It was the first time in my life I'd

used my official wax seal so much in one sitting. Wedding invitations were a lot

more difficult than mass emails, that much was for sure.

The original plan was to get confirmation of attendants, then use [Gate] to

bring them all to Brunhild on the day of the wedding. But fortunately, Granny

Tokie decided to take that burden off my hands. She was definitely better than

me when it came to Space-time alteration, so it was a major relief that she'd

offered to help out.

I took out my smartphone and pulled up the to-do list.

"Now all that's left is... the souvenirs..."

In this world, there wasn't any tradition of giving wedding gifts, but some

wedding parties prepared souvenirs to give away to the guests as they prepared

to leave. That kind of practice existed back in Japan as well, but it wasn't

particularly common.

I wasn't sure what to hand out as the wedding souvenir, though. I briefly

considered collectible mugs or plates with our faces on them, but I didn't know

if that would be well-received.

"Hmm... Let's see... Maybe I can get some ideas online...?"

I browsed online until I came across some gift catalogs. And I suddenly cooked

up a bright idea as I gazed at it. If I showed the catalogs to our guests, I could

just have them individually choose the kinds of souvenirs they wanted.

Still, most of our guests were nobility, so I wasn't entirely sure if they'd want

to pick out ordinary things like tableware, bags, and stuff like that. That was

why I decided to come up with my own catalog with interesting and exotic

items. A massage chair seemed like a good idea, and unusual foodstuffs seemed

smart as well...

Hmm... Maybe instant curry pouches? Eh... I'm not so sure that's the best idea.

Maybe weapons or armor would be good. Oh, how about a magic-boosting

accessory or something? I'm sure people would jump at the chance to get their

hands on an artifact of some sort.

The possibilities were truly endless.

"Man, I could use a change of scenery..."

I put my phone back in my pocket and left the room. A little walk around the

castle felt nice from time to time. I had a few duties to attend to, but nothing

urgent. I was blessed to have plenty of capable subordinates who kept things

running smoothly.

I walked through the halls, smiling at the maids who busied themselves

sweeping. Eventually, I made my way out to the training grounds. Everyone

appeared hard at work. They all quietly clashed against each other with wooden

swords, honing their skills. I was pretty impressed by how well-built most of

them had become.

"Hm?"

By the side of the training grounds, sitting on a bench, was a girl staring

toward the sky. It was Elze. She was sitting idly, a water bottle and her gauntlets

by her side. I wondered if she was taking a break or something. She hadn't

noticed me, so I slowly crept up on her in an attempt to surprise her.

I positioned myself behind her before reaching forward and covering her eyes

with my hands.

"Guess wh—? AUGH?!"

"Whuh?! T-Touya?!"

Elze struck me on reflex, making a loud cracking sound ring out. It felt like

she'd busted my nose!

"S-Sorry! I-I didn't mean to do that!"

"I-It's okay... That was my bad..."

I should've known better than to expect anything else from Elze. She wasn't

the kind of girl who'd react to something so playful with anything less than a

strike to the schnozz.

Holy crap, I'm bleeding... She made me bleed a ton! Elze is probably stronger

than any bad guy I've faced so far at this point...

"Come forth, Light! Soothing Comfort: [Cure Heal]."

I had to use magic on my face to heal myself, which I honestly didn't ever

think I'd have to do. I made a mental note to never surprise Elze ever again.

"A-Ah, good... The bleeding stopped. Sorry again..."

"Nah, don't worry about it. I shouldn't have tried to spook you. How come

you were all spaced out, anyway?"

"Oh, well... It's just... I thought about how we're getting married, and then I

kinda freaked out..."

Elze let out a sigh, laughing softly as I sat down next to her.

W-Wait, are these the pre-wedding blues I've heard so much about?!

Sometimes a person can get nervous about their impending marriage, which

turns into cold feet about the whole thing... In some cases, people even call it

off! Wh-Wh-What should I do?! Does she want to cancel the wedding?!

"D-Do you have anxieties or something?"

"Anxieties? Yeah. A ton."

A ton?!

A cold sweat broke out along my brow.

"I'm just thinking about how I'm gonna be a grand duchess, y'know? I'll have

a bunch of social responsibilities and stuff. Plus, if I have a kid, they'll be a

prince or a princess... so I gotta make sure they're raised proper and all.

Whenever I think about that, I get really anxious. I'm not sure if I'm up to that,

y'know?"

"You dummy."

"Owie!"

I lightly chopped Elze's head, which made her let out a little yelp.

"You're thinking too hard. You don't need to change when you're royalty. I'm

the grand duke, yeah? But I'm still me. So you can still be you, Elze. You won't

be raising any kids alone, either. You have me and the other girls by your side.

It's all gonna be just fine, I can feel it. I promise you that. I want to make you

happy, and I'm sure I will. We'll live as a happy family. Hell, all kinds of gods

have already given us their blessing."

Elze pouted a little as she rubbed her head, but my words gradually made her

smile.

"Hehehe... Is that right? I guess if you bring the gods into it, that's a bit more

of a relief. A little unfair of you to use that, though... Nobody else can call on

gods for help like you."

If it helped soothe Elze's anxiety even a little, I was willing to be as unfair as

humanly possible. After all, I wanted to see Elze wearing a big smile on her face,

no matter what came our way. That smile of hers was one of the reasons I could

soldier on in a new world.

"Don't worry about this kind of thing on your own, okay? We'll be together

for the rest of our lives, so start relying on me some more."

"You're right. Thanks for letting me vent. I know we're in this together, so I

won't let my fears get the better of me."

Elze stood up from the bench and did a few warm-up stretches. Then, she

turned around and gave me that big beaming smile I loved so much.

"Thank you, Touya."

"It's a husband's job to listen to his wife's problems. I just hope I helped."

"W-Wife?! G-Geez, Touya... We're not even married yet... Ehehe..."

Elze's face turned beet red, which prompted her to turn on her heel and head

back toward the training grounds. Maybe I got a little carried away, but she was

a lot of fun to tease. So long as she wasn't mad, that was fine by me.

"Wait, crap... I should've asked her for wedding souvenir ideas."

"Hm? Touya-dono? Are you sunbathing, are you?"

As I sat back on the bench, Yae and Hilde suddenly approached me. Based on

their wooden swords, I presumed they'd been training together. I was honestly

glad about how well they got along.

Given that Elze had some anxieties, I decided to ask them if they were

worried at all.

"Anxieties, huh...?"

"Umm... I wonder, I do..."

The two of them turned to each other, as if deep in thought. Frankly, I'd have

been more than happy if they didn't have any immediate concerns.

They spent a few moments thinking. Then, Yae finally nodded in my direction.

"There is one thing bothering me, there is."

"Hm? What's that?"

"The food at the wedding ceremony... Is it true that I must refrain from eating

large portions, is it?"

Well... that's definitely a Yae anxiety.

Hilde also spoke up, though much more quietly.

"I-I, um... If I get pregnant... I won't be able to train so severely, will I...? I-I

don't want to gain weight..."

Wow. Someone's planning ahead. It's true that I don't want her to overdo it

while she's pregnant, though...

I was pleased to hear that Yae and Hilde didn't have any deep-seated fears

like Elze did, to be honest.

"Why did you think we'd have anxieties?"

"Well, I think it's normal to mull things over before you get married. It's a big

step in life, isn't it? So it's only natural it might put things in perspective."

"I think marriage is a big step, but it's also a partnership. There'll surely be

problems that come our way, but the strength of our bond will allow us to

overcome everything together."

"Y-Yeah, you're right..."

Hilde's words burned bright with determination. She was the kind of girl who

really shined when it came to tough situations, so it wasn't too surprising that

she wasn't getting hung up on the small stuff.

"I believe in us all, I do. I think that we can accomplish anything together, we

can."

Yae felt exactly the same way. She believed in harmony and put it above all

else. In her mind, we were probably already a big family, so the wedding was

just a means of making things formal in the eyes of the law. That easygoing

nature was one of the things I liked the most about her.

I wondered about how Linze was feeling, though. She was similar to Elze in

quite a few ways, after all.

"Hm? Linze?"

"Linze-dono has been spending time with Tokie-dono, she has."

That made sense. If I recalled correctly, they'd been knitting together on the

balcony lately.

I didn't want to hold up Yae and Hilde's training any longer, so I activated

[Teleport] and landed on the balcony outside our main sitting room.

Linze was there, sitting on a chair, knitting and singing to herself. In fact, she

was so focused on her knitting that she hadn't even realized I was there. She

displayed some rather impressive concentration, really.

The image of her was so enthralling that I couldn't help but stare at her for a

while. Working so dutifully brought out her natural beauty.

"Huh...? Touya? When did you get here?"

"Oh, sorry. You seemed really focused, so I didn't want to interrupt you."

Linze seemed to notice how captivated I'd become, so I gave her a vague

enough answer. Then, I sat down at the table, looking over at Linze. She tilted

her head in confusion.

"Is something wrong?"

"Well, it's not a big deal. I was just wondering..." I outright asked her if she

had any anxieties about the wedding. It was wrong of me to say it wasn't a big

deal, since I had no idea how she was feeling.

"Anxieties, hm? I'd say I have a few, but I think my excitement is outweighing

it."

"You're excited?"

"I am. We'll finally become a proper family. Once we have our children, we'll

make many memories with them, too... I'm really excited for that future."

It seemed like Linze was more hopeful than nervous.

"But where'd this come from all of a sudden...? Oh, I see... Was it my sister?"

"Huh? How'd you know...?"

"Well, it's Elze, you know? She's been busy, but I'm sure she's been thinking

hard. That said, I bet once her anxieties are settled, she'll be firmly okay about

all of this."

Linze really had a solid grasp on how her sister worked. It was quite amazing.

I glanced at the table in front of me, looking at the pile of stuff atop it.

"Ah, these? They're a hat and some leg warmers... among other things."

I picked up the hat on the table. It was made of soft yarn and, judging by the

size, was perfect for a baby. There were rompers, socks, bibs, and other baby

clothes as well.

"There's enough for nine."

"W-Wait... Isn't it a little soon to be making these?!"

"Better safe than sorry, no?"

C-C'mon, Linze... We haven't even done... y-you know... that yet... Plus, I'm

sure you won't all get pregnant at the same time!

It felt like Linze had already gotten past the wife stage and had made peace

with being a mother. Given her current lack of children, I didn't know whether

to be amazed or concerned about her extreme maternal instinct.

Still, she seemed happy, which was more than enough for me.

Oh, right. I can ask Linze about the souvenirs.

"Hmm... Things for our guests? Desserts, maybe?"

Desserts... That's a little plain, but it could work. People would probably enjoy

being sent home with some cakes or something.

"Any other ideas?"

"Hmm... Sue's staying over tonight, right? Why don't you ask everyone during

the sleepover?" Linze clasped her hands together as she spoke, presenting what

seemed like a decent idea.

I had slowly gotten used to the idea of them sleeping in the same room as me,

but I still often ended up sleeping on the couch when they came over. I had a

feeling I'd keep doing it until they forced me to stay in the bed with them... That

was a little bit spineless of me, but I'd been making steps in my own way. For

example, I'd recently gotten to the point where I could give them all goodnight

kisses.

Either way, getting everyone's input about the wedding souvenir catalog

seemed like a solid plan. I just wondered how many options to provide.

Wedding ceremonies were no picnic, honestly. I'd been extremely busy, and I

hadn't had a single moment to relax.

"Why not include some basic magic artifacts? You could create music boxes or

something."

"Oh, yeah. Nice idea."

Leen, clad in her black pajamas, gave a suggestion. Music players would

probably be popular with the nobles. Though some nobles had their own

personal orchestras, so maybe they wouldn't want it. Regardless, I set it down

in my notes.

We were discussing the situation atop our giant bed. Kohaku, Sango and

Kokuyou, Kougyoku, Luli, and Albus were there too. They were sitting on the

floor, playing a board game I'd put together for them. Mr. Mittens wasn't there,

however. He was hanging out with Sakura's mother.

"Wh—? Luli! I wanted to buy that property, you wretch!"

"First come, first served. It's not my fault that I landed on it. I think I'll buy a

house for this spot, too..."

They were playing a board game where you traded properties, built houses

on certain spots, and built hotels as well. It was quite a popular game. I decided

to put it on the souvenir list after watching them have a good time.

Apparently, Sue was feeling a little bit homesick, giving her similar anxiety to

Elze when she thought about her upcoming marriage. When the time came for

her to live with me, she'd be separated from her parents, her little brother, and

her faithful butler, Leim. I already told her she could go home through the

portal in the castle any time she wanted, so that at least alleviated some of her

concerns.

"We'll be starting a new family together, so at least I won't be lonely..." Sue

said, trying to be brave even though I could tell she was going to miss everyone

at the Ortlinde estate. I gave her a big hug, quietly vowing to make sure she

always felt loved. Personally, I felt sorry for Duke Ortlinde, since he had to

watch his daughter leave him.

"If it were me getting a wedding souvenir, I'd want a cooking set."

"Isn't that something more for a castle chef, though?"

Lu and Yumina chattered away with each other. It was true that most of the

nobles we'd invited would hardly want to take cooking equipment back with

them, but we weren't just inviting highborn people. There were plenty of

commoners like Micah, Dolan, Barral, and Aer.

I had a feeling they'd get a lot of use out of some fancy home gear, so I

decided to throw some more practical stuff on to the souvenir list as well.

"So, what kind of things are on that list?"

"Hm? Wanna see?"

I projected the current catalog into the air. A second later, Yae and Lu found

themselves drawn to the holographic images of various fancy-looking meals.

"Ooh... I want to eat that meaty dish, I do..."

"I'd love to try making it!"

"We'll get to try it when we go over to that world, just be patient."

I'd received permission from God Almighty to take the girls to Earth on a

sightseeing trip after the wedding.

We spent the rest of the night picking out various items for the wedding

souvenir catalog... Frankly, it wasn't the most sensual of activities to do with

one's brides-to-be. I probably could have been a little more aggressive, if I'd

only had the guts...

◇ ◇ ◇

I'd finally put together the catalog. I printed it off with [Drawing], then bound

it into a book thanks to the workshop. People could select what they wanted,

mark it off on a postcard, and then forward it to Brunhild.

The list was separated into three sections named A, B, and C. Honestly, the

only thing that divided the sections was the price, but I didn't really worry too

hard about that, since I was making most of the gifts myself anyway.

I didn't want any reselling of the goods going on, so I also made sure to

uniquely identify each item with a serial code. That said, I didn't expect any of

my guests to actually do that.

It was now a week away from the wedding, and we'd just about finished the

preparations. I was hanging around Brunhild like normal, while my fiancees had

returned to their respective homes before the wedding.

Elze and Linze had gone back to their aunt and uncle's farm in Refreese. Yae

went back to her father's dojo in Oedo, and Yumina had returned to Belfast

Castle. Sue had headed off to the Ortlinde Estate, while Lu and Hilde

respectively returned to the royal courts of Regulus and Lestia. Sakura had

moved over to Xenoahs with her mother, where they'd be staying with Spica.

That was the house she'd grown up in, after all... I had a feeling her father

would batter the door down once he realized she was there, though.

Leen had gone back home to Mismede, though obviously she wasn't visiting

her parents. Paula had accompanied her, of course.

I hoped that the girls enjoyed the last week of their single lives along with

their families. Though honestly, it bothered me a bit. Once everyone left... the

place felt all too quiet. Loneliness started creeping in around breakfast time.

Takeru and Moroha got up early to train, while Kousuke got up early to plow

the fields. Karina went out in the early hours for her daily hunt, and neither

Karen nor Suika had gotten out of bed. The gods in my immediate vicinity just

did whatever they wanted, like always.

Sousuke was at the breakfast table... but he never spoke a word. He was

playing Morning Mood by Edvard Grieg, but he didn't talk to me or anything.

Frankly, I was just amazed by how well he could eat his breakfast while playing

the violin. Out of all the gods, only Granny Tokie made sure to spend time with

me every day. Most days she just sat outside on the balcony, knitting away at

the fabric of reality. Though sometimes she got up to speak with the maids or

take a walk into the castle town. She acted like everyone's grandmother at that

point. It amazed me that she got along with everyone she met. I wondered if it

was her divinity coming into play.

After I finished breakfast, I found myself getting a touch bored. I'd been given

a break from my administrative duties. My vacation started one week before

the wedding and ended right after the honeymoon, so I had nothing to do at all.

"Kohaku... I'm bored."

"Better bored than in trouble, no?"

She raised a fair point. I slumped down on the couch, lifted Kohaku up, and

started petting her on the head. I kind of felt like an old man. The image of an

old man sitting alongside his cat as the sunset flashed through my mind.

Frankly, it felt a little concerning. Surely I wasn't that old yet! I decided that

the best course of action was to leave the castle and get some fresh air.

Holding Kohaku in my arms, I activated [Teleport]. The two of us immediately

found ourselves behind Brunhild's guild building. It was a very popular place

that typically bustled with adventurers trying to prove their worth.

The adventurers hadn't quite noticed my sudden appearance, so I slipped on

a hood and entered the building.

The place looked as lively as ever. Unlike Belfast and Regulus, there weren't

many magical beasts in Brunhild's territory. And so, most of the adventurers

visited to go dungeon diving on the islands Brunhild was connected to.

Unfortunately, just dungeon diving alone wasn't a great way of increasing

one's rank. Completing quests and helping out the guild was the fastest way to

climb upward. If you did enough, you could get up to the veteran blue rank in

no time at all. Dungeon diving, on the other hand, wasn't really quest-related. It

was just killing monsters and looking for loot. Since it wasn't a formal guild task,

it didn't really help you rise up within their system.

The real incentive to go looting in the dungeons was the rare items and

monsters you could find down there. If you brought back some good stuff, you

could make some serious cash. Sure, you could take the 'collect X resources'

quests from the guild, but then you'd be a bit limited in your search. You'd also

suffer penalties if you failed the quest or didn't do it in time. That was why it

was often considered better from a financial standpoint to just cut the guild out

and sell the materials on the market yourself. And the guild itself had a counter

for buying those materials, so they still won in the end.

Regardless, Brunhild's guild was more geared toward lower-ranked fortuneseekers than high-ranked quest-takers. It was a place for people who wanted an

adventure without necessarily caring about their ranking.

Due to how busy it got, there were three separate reception desks in the

building. I'd been here many times, so I headed to the desk I typically used.

"Welcome to the Brunhild branch of the adventurer's guild. How can I help—?

Oh!"

Misha, the catwoman receptionist, formed a slightly awkward smile when she

noticed Kohaku at my feet and realized who I was. It wasn't all that welcoming,

for some reason.

"Sorry to bother you. Is Relisha in?"

"Oh, the guildmaster's upstairs. Please wait a moment. I'll check if she's

occupied."

Misha suddenly stood up and shuffled up the stairs by the counter. I felt a bit

bad. I should've just called ahead. After a short while, Misha came scampering

back down.

"Thanks for waiting. Please go ahead."

"Thanks... Sorry again for getting in your way."

I bowed my head to Misha and continued up the stairs. After I got to the top, I

made my way down the hallway on the second floor until I reached Relisha's

room.

"Good to see you, Your Highness."

Relisha, the guildmaster, motioned for me to sit on the couch facing her. She

was an elf, so she was a natural beauty... but something about her was seriously

intimidating.

"Thanks for the invitation to your wedding, by the way. I'll certainly be able to

attend on behalf of the guild. Did you have any business here today, though?"

"Oh, well... Uhhh..."

I could only murmur a bit in response. It was hard for me to take up Relisha's

time, since I knew she always had a lot on her plate.

"Well, I was wondering about the academy. Have there been any issues?"

"Nope, all's fine there. Most newbies take the two-week course, then pass

their exams with no problems. The really promising newcomers get sorted into

higher ranks come the end, so we've got a steady supply of people clearing the

low and mid-level quests."

"What about high-level quests? Who's handling those?"

"Ende and Norn, along with Nia and her Red Cat friends. They've been

handling strong dungeon monsters quite a lot lately."

Huh... I had no idea they'd gotten so tough.

"Ende's a silver-rank, so he's getting by fine with the quests. Norn and Nia are

red-rank as well."

"Wait, what?! Ende's at silver already?!"

"That's right. He recently took care of a group of minotaurs that appeared

near the dungeon entrance."

I had no idea... I'd typically left dungeon affairs to the guild, so I hadn't

bothered checking up on individual rankings. Still, that was interesting. Given

that Ende could fight Behemoths in his Dragoon, I had a feeling he'd rise to gold

sooner or later.

Norn and Nia were at red-rank, too. That was probably good, to be honest.

They'd be able to take care of issues that might have otherwise fallen to me.

I chatted with Relisha for a while longer before leaving the guild.

Hmm... Where to next?

I wandered around until I found myself at the school grounds.

Fiana and Sakura were back in Xenoahs, so I dropped in to see if they needed

a hand anywhere.

When I got there, I saw something that I found a little hard to believe. The

kids were playing in the yard, some on the slide and others in the jungle gym.

But that wasn't the issue. The sight I couldn't quite process was the cheery,

glasses-wearing girl and her purple Gollem companion who were entertaining

the kids.

"Oh, Tou! Long time no see."

"Beep."

"What, uh...? What are you guys doing here?"

It was Luna Trieste and her Gollem, Viola. I'd already messed with her by

using a curse, so she should've been free to live normally.

"Hm? I'm a teacher."

"You're a what?!"

Luna's words made primal dread well up in me from the pits of my stomach.

Her? A teacher?!

"Hm, are you okay? Did you come to see the children?"

How'd this happen?

I was so shocked that I immediately sought out the two teachers who'd been

put in charge while Fiana was away. They were a human woman named Miette

and an elf man named Leisale. Fiana had hired them to keep an eye on the kids

and help her in class.

According to them, Luna had wandered over one day and started to play with

the kids. Apparently, the kids took such a shine to her that they wanted her to

help out in the classrooms, so Fiana ended up hiring her as an assistant. And

from there, she eventually became a teacher in her own right.

I had heard from Kousaka that the school was hiring staff, since it was staterun and all... but I didn't realize it was her of all people.

"But why are you working here?"

"Kids are sweet, aren't they? They're so pure with their feelings. An adult

might say thank you, but if a child thanks you, then it's always from the bottom

of their hearts. Whenever one of these kids thanks me, I get a lovely tingle of

joy shooting through me... Ehehe... Ehehehehe... It feels... so good... I might

have finally found my life's calling."

Luna grinned madly, a look of pure ecstasy on her face. The curse I'd placed

on her made her feel pleasure whenever she was appreciated, but apparently

she'd learned to exploit that system for a hit of the good stuff whenever she felt

like it...

"Are you sure she's a good fit for this job? Isn't she a bad influence?"

"Ahaha... She's a little quirky, but she seems to have a good work ethic. Plus,

Viola helps a lot with heavy lifting," Leisale, the elf, smiled softly as he spoke.

Luna probably knew that if the gratitude wasn't genuine, she wouldn't get her

hit of pleasure, so at the very least she was working hard.

"Ms. Lunaaaaaa... Let's play!"

"Hey, Viowa... Let's pway. Ms. Luna, c'mon..."

"Let's make a sandcastle, yay!"

The kids started toddling over, surrounding Luna and Viola in seconds. They

really seemed to like her... I guess they were oblivious to her perversions.

"Okay, kids! Let's build the bestest sandcastle ever!"

"Yay! Thanks, Ms. Luna!"

"Thank you!"

"Mfh!" Luna turned away from the children, hiding her pleasure-stricken face.

She looked disgusting, frankly... Well, at least she had the good sense not to

show the kids.

"A-Ah... A-Anyway! Let's get to the sandbox!"

"Yeah! You too, Viola!"

"Beep."

The kids dragged Luna and Viola over to the sandbox... Luna was practically

bow-legged as she walked. I wasn't sure how to feel about the whole situation.

"We always teach the kids to say thanks. It's an important life lesson."

"...Yeah, I guess... Though I wonder if that's a good thing in her case..."

I personally felt like thank you, sorry, and I love you were the three most

difficult phrases to get right in terms of timing. If you put off saying any of those

things, then you wouldn't get far in life.

I had a feeling teaching the kids to be open with their gratitude was a good

thing, but Luna deriving so much pleasure from it was also a little... weird.

Either way, so long as Luna stayed true to her need for pleasure, I was sure

she'd do a fine job teaching the kids. I couldn't believe she was the same

frenzied mistress that was feared throughout the Reverse World. For better or

worse, she was a reformed person now... probably.

Looks like they don't need much help here. Better head somewhere else.

It was about time for lunch, so I decided to head to the Silver Moon. I hadn't

been there in a while. When I got there, the dining room was packed, which

wasn't a surprise. The food was as delicious as it was cheap.

"My liege, one of our knights is over there."

"Hm?"

Kohaku made me glance over at a nearby table, and I saw Lanz eating there. It

made sense, given his feelings for Micah. He wasn't wearing armor, so he was

probably off-duty. The seat opposite him was empty, so I decided to take it.

"Mm? Ah... Y-Your High—"

"Shh! Don't mind me, I just came here for some food."

Lanz almost gave my identity away, but I managed to stop him in time.

"Welcome! How might I take your ord— Ah?"

"Shh!"

Micah appeared, and I had to stop her from exclaiming as well. I was a little

surprised by her sudden appearance. I'd have expected her to be back in the

kitchen.

"I'm on waitress duty because Dad's helping me out. He's been staying here in

preparation for the wedding, so I'm having him work in the kitchen to pay his

keep."

"You're charging your dad?"

"Of course! Business is business. Even if he's my dad, he's a customer first."

...Damn. Sure, he gets a free stay, but is it really free if he has to work for it? I

feel bad for the guy.

"It's not just Dad, either. There's a small group from Reflet working for their

keep. Barral and Simon are among them."

There's still a week until the wedding. Are their stores back in Reflet gonna be

okay if they leave them unattended for that long?

"So, what do you want?"

"Oh, I'll just have today's special. Same for Kohaku."

"Gotcha."

Micah set down a jug of water before walking back to the kitchen. I gulped

down the water, keeping a close eye on Lanz as he watched Micah walking

away.

"...Still haven't told her how you feel, huh?"

"Wh-Wh-What?! Huh?!"

Lanz froze up, then started shoveling food into his mouth. It was pretty funny

to see him get so flustered. Lestian men were pretty earnest and purehearted... Well, not that perverted former king, really. But most of them.

"It's pretty easy to tell, man. Why not just confess already?"

"Well, Ms. Karen told me to go about it properly..."

That made sense, but he still needed to act. The issue was that he didn't know

her very well. It was one thing to just sit in the inn at lunch, but he needed to

make an effort with her. Though I couldn't really talk, since I wasn't all that

assertive myself.

"I'm sure her father, Dolan, knows about my feelings... Sometimes I can feel

him glaring at me..."

Leave him alone, old man... Wait, hold on... In war, if you want to take out the

general... it's best to target the horse he's riding.

"Lanz, do you play shogi?"

"Ah, yes. I often play it with the other knights in our quarters. It's quite good

for tactical training! Why do you ask?"

"We're going to take out the horse."

"...What?"

A grin formed on my face as my plan started coming together.

Lunch had passed, and the dining hall was now sparsely populated. Lanz and I

remained at our table, playing shogi together.

After a couple of games, I realized that he was quite a talented player. In fact,

he was clearly beyond my skill level. It got to the point where I had to start

cheating.

"My liege... Move that piece..."

"Got it..."

Kohaku telepathically communicated instructions to me. She was looking at a

shogi tips app on my phone, which I could glance at through our shared vision.

That app was actually how Lanz had gotten so good, apparently. He played

against the AI a lot.

"Hmm..." Lanz, who didn't know I was cheating, pondered his next move. The

app was pretty high-level, so I knew it'd be enough to stump him.

I glanced over to the kitchen and noticed that Dolan was watching us. Like a

moth to a flame, he gradually made his way to the side of the table and began

to spectate.

All according to plan.

"That's check!"

"...Damn, you got me..."

Lanz managed to win despite my cheating. He was pretty damn impressive, all

things considered.

"Hmph... You got better all of a sudden, Your Highness..."

"Oh, uh... I was just testing you at first, that's all. Going easy on you as a

warm-up!"

Lanz almost caught me, but I managed to talk him out of the situation.

Honestly, I wasn't very good at shogi, but I was trying to lure a certain old man

out, so that was fine.

"You're pretty good, Lanz. Quite the up-and-comer for our knight order. Hey,

Dolan. Wanna play him?"

"Huh? What?!"

Lanz looked to his side, noticed Dolan was there, and suddenly stiffened up in

shock. He must have been so focused on the game that he'd failed to register

his surroundings.

"Interestin'... Been a while since I've seen someone who can play like that.

You good to spend some time playin' me, lad?"

"Oh, uh... Y-Yes sir! It's my day off!"

"Alrighty then. Let's go a round or two."

I gave up my seat to Dolan, and Kohaku came out from under the table with

my phone in her mouth.

Micah was in the middle of wiping down some tables, so I walked over to her.

"...Dad's indulging in his habits again, huh? I'd appreciate it if you didn't

tempt him like that, you know?"

"He's just having a little fun. By the way, Micah... what do you think of Lanz?"

"Huh? He's a pretty nice guy. Helpful and stuff. He's lugged a few boxes for

me before."

Damn... She really has no idea, huh?

"Oh yeah... There was a rowdy adventurer in here the other day who had a

little much to drink, but Lanz took care of him. That was pretty cool, to be

honest..."

Ohoho? I wonder if there's a hint of feeling in there after all...

"Lanz is a pretty good guy, you know? I'd say he's real boyfriend material."

"Ahaha... Don't be silly. I'm sure he could do better than someone like me."

"I think he'd disagree with that. In fact, I think he might like you..."

"Huh?"

Micah suddenly went completely stiff, but hopefully what I'd said made her

realize the situation at hand.

She stood still for a few more moments, then suddenly turned beet red.

Wh-What kind of spell was that?! You're red as a rose! What are you, a

chameleon?! Hello?! Earth to Micah!

"Wh-Wh-What?! H-He couldn't... Me?!"

"...Did you not notice at all? Haven't you wondered why he's always here for

you?"

"Well... he did ask me to dinner and give me a bouquet of flowers once, but...

that was as friends, right?"

"Men typically don't give bouquets to girls they just regard as friends."

"R-Really?!"

...Wow. She's a total idiot, huh? Did she really not pick up on his signals? This

would've been one of the situations where Karen showing up might've actually

helped. Damn... these guys are utterly ridiculous. Lanz should have just

confessed to her directly, really. Oh well, whatever. I'm sure it'll all work out fine

for them now that she knows...

"Micah. Order for table three."

"Huh?! O-Oh, okay! G-Got it!"

One of the waitresses called over to Micah, who immediately disappeared

into the kitchen. Even her ears were red...

I guess every small thing Lanz had done for her suddenly hit her all at once.

Love comes at you like a lightning bolt... It certainly did for me, at least.

"Let's head home now, Kohaku."

"Very well."

We still had a while before the girls got home. I was slowly getting used to

doing things without them around, but it still felt pretty lonely overall... Still, I

knew I'd be with them forever once we were married, so enjoying the feeling of

solitude for the last time felt good in that regard.

Smiling to myself, I left the inn and began wandering back home.

◇ ◇ ◇

"M-Milord, thank you so much for inviting me to your wedding! It's a blessing,

truly! An honor!"

"Uhh... I-It's fine. Please stand up..."

I was in the castle's reception room, standing before a prostrating man. I

awkwardly glanced toward the woman by his side.

"Please forgive him. He's not very good at composing himself around nobility.

I assure you he's an upstanding man otherwise."

"Right..."

The woman laughed softly at my response. The prostrating man was Joseph,

and the woman was his wife, Lana. They were Elze and Linze's uncle and aunt.

They'd showed up because the immediate family members of the wedding

party had been brought to Brunhild castle for the eve of the wedding.

It wasn't just the aunt and uncle, either. Their children had arrived as well. In

order of age, there was Emma (21), Aaron (16), Sheena (10), Allen (7), Kurara

(6), Kirara (6), Allan (5), and Reno (3).

"Wowie! The room's so big!"

"The rug's all soft!"

"This chair's all bouncy!"

"Settle down, children!" Emma, the eldest, was doing her best to keep the

kids settled, but they were still rowdy as ever. I, for one, didn't appreciate little

Reno's boogers being wiped on my coat.

"Aunt Lana... Will Joseph be okay? There'll be nobles and royals at the

wedding... It's okay if he doesn't come to the ceremony, we'll understand."

"Yeah, that's right... We're just happy he came here to the castle, you know?

It's okay."

Elze and Linze expressed concern for their uncle. I was a little worried about

him too. If he was this nervous around me, of all people, there was no telling

how badly he'd freak out with the nobles from other lands.

However, Joseph turned to his nieces and spoke firmly.

"Don't be ridiculous! I'd never be able to face my sister in the afterlife if I

couldn't walk her girls down the aisle! Even if I die, I'll attend as a zombie! I

mean it!"

I didn't exactly want any zombies at my wedding, but I could appreciate his

determination. He desperately wanted to be there for the girls on their big day.

"Can't you help him, Touya?"

"I mean, I could, but..."

Technically, I could erase his trauma with [Hypnosis], but I didn't feel

comfortable messing with his mind like that. Still, on the off-chance it was okay,

I explained the spell to Lana and asked for her opinion. I didn't want to freak

Joseph out too hard, so I didn't bother asking him. After hearing me out, Lana

consented, which made me decide to give it a try.

"Okay, let's try it..."

I stood in front of Joseph, focusing my magical energies. A thin, black mist

began swirling around him.

"Tempt, o Dark! Implanted Falsehood: [Hypnosis]."

"Whuh?" Joseph let out a quiet sound before falling into a trance.

"You're okay, Joseph. You can handle talking to nobles. You might have a little

bit of anxiety, but it's completely fine. You'll be able to hold up a courteous

conversation with them. There's not a thing to worry about. You're completely

fine."

"I'm... completely fine..."

I had to be careful with my phrasing, since I didn't want him to be

disrespectfully casual with the nobles. Hopefully that was still enough.

"Is it over?"

"Yeah. I think he'll be fine now."

Elze clapped her hands, which made Joseph blink. Gradually, he returned to

his senses.

"Uncle... Do you know who the man in front of you is?"

"Huh? Of course! He's Mochizuki Touya, the grand duke of Brunhild. Don't be

ridiculous, Elze... I wanted to thank him for his invitation..."

He seemed to be a bit more comfortable, if not a little twitchy. Brainwashing

him was clearly the moral thing to do.

"So you're fine now... What a relief..."

Joseph looked confused at Elze's words, but I had a feeling he'd get over it.

"Thanks, Touya. Now he can attend the wedding without any issues."

"Heh, no worries. I'm just glad it worked out well. Anyway, let's get you all to

your rooms. Elze and Linze'll show you the way."

Joseph and his family followed Elze and Linze. The kids seemed amazed by

just about everything they saw as they walked through the halls.

Hmm... Kind of crazy that they have so many kids... You're a braver man than

I, Joseph... But I guess I'll have a family like that someday too, huh?

I'd seen the future thanks to Babylon, and because of that, I knew I'd have

nine children. That was more kids than Joseph and Lana.

"I wonder if I'll be a good father..."

"Oh, Touya-dono. I was looking for you, I was."

After Joseph's family left, Yae arrived with her own family in tow. Her father,

Jubei, was there along with her mother, Nanae. Her brother Jutaro and his

fiancee Ayane were with them as well. They were staying in the castle, so Yae

had decided to take them all on a trip around town. Due to that, I hadn't

expected them to be back so soon. For some reason, Jutaro seemed to be

livelier than usual.

"He challenged Moroha again, he did. And me..."

"Yeah... Didn't think I'd lose, either."

That explained it... Yae must've beaten him in a duel, so he was in a good

mood due to how good of a fight it was. It made sense, really. Yae had been

training with Moroha almost every day. She was far beyond regular humans.

Given that he'd taught his sister how to fight, it must have taken him by

surprise.

"Have you fought Yae recently, Jubei?"

"No, watching Jutaro's fight against her was enough. Maybe I'd have given it a

try if I were twenty years younger, but I'm sure she'd wipe the floor with me

now."

Hmm... I wonder about that... Jutaro's certainly come a long way too, to be

fair.

"Touya-dono!"

"Uh... Y-Yes?!"

Jutaro suddenly prostrated himself in front of me. I had an immediate and

visceral flashback to Joseph's earlier display.

"If I might be so bold, I ask that you give me time to travel alone in your

nation! There are many swordsmen here that I'm certain I could learn from!"

"Huh?!"

I was shocked by Jutaro's sudden request. Apparently, he was unable to get

Moroha's swordplay out of his mind.

"Um, so... what, you want to join my knight order?"

"Not at all! I only raise my blade in service of Tokugawa Ieyahsu-sama! What I

am asking for is special permission to train with your knights here for a time!"

He looked up at me with raw sincerity painted over his face. I wasn't really

sure what to think.

I had a feeling that Moroha would be completely fine with it, but he was

technically a foreign dignitary under Tokugawa. I could tell his intentions were

earnest, though. And so, I sighed softly before giving him a nod.

"Fine. I'll allow it, but I want to ask Ieyahsu for permission first. Assuming he

says yes, I'll prepare quarters for you and Ayane to live in."

"Th-Thank you so much!"

"Yes, thank you!"

Jutaro bowed even more deeply, and Ayane joined him by bowing her head. I

really didn't see the point in the bowing... They were going to be my siblings-inlaw, so it was only natural I'd treat them well.

"Touya-dono, I truly appreciate this."

Yae smiled gently. She clearly loved her elder brother a lot, so I was sure the

decision had brought her a lot of peace of mind. But if Jutaro and Ayane moved

here, I had a feeling Jubei and Nanae would get lonely... I didn't exactly want to

open up [Gate] portals for them all the time, so I'd probably have to install a

portal mirror connected to their dojo or something.

I shrugged, then carried on with my affairs until nightfall.

In the evening, we all ate together, played games, and then returned to our

respective rooms.

It was my last night as a bachelor, alone in my massive bed.

"Tomorrow's the day... I really can't believe I'm getting hitched. I'll be a

married man this time tomorrow... To nine people, at that."

I certainly had a lot of brides... but I loved every one of them, that much was

for sure. I wanted to make them happy.

I'd met a lot of people since I'd come to this world, but meeting those girls

ended up being the most important encounters of my life. If dying meant

meeting them, then I was glad I had died.

"Lots of stuff has happened since I came here, huh...?"

In a way, dying was the best thing to happen to my life. A little morbid, but

that didn't make it any less true.

Well, time to get under the covers and go to sleep. Big day ahead of me and

all...

I closed my eyes to get some rest, but for some reason, I couldn't sleep at all.

I checked my smartphone. It was ten at night. I had to be up at five in the

morning to prepare for the ceremony, but I just couldn't bring myself to sleep

at all. I was probably nervous.

"Damn it..."

I hopped out of bed and glanced at the corner of the room. Kohaku and the

other summoned beasts were nestled up comfortably, dozing away. Lucky

them.

I wondered if I should just bite the bullet and cast [Sleep Cloud] on myself,

but I knew if I did, I'd run the risk of casting it too hard... I definitely didn't want

to sleep through my wedding day. That would've been an absolute disaster.

At times like that, there was only one thing to do... browse the internet on my

phone until I fell unconscious with a website open.

I planned on going to Earth for my honeymoon anyway, so checking up on

Earth news seemed useful.

"Hm... I wonder if we should go to other countries instead of just staying in

Japan..."

I couldn't open up [Gate] to places I hadn't been before... Technically. The

magic actually worked based on mental images, so I just needed to look up a

place online to reach it.

The internet was filled with all kinds of photos of exotic locations. The

pyramids of Egypt, Waikiki Beach in Hawaii, Uluru in Australia... The possibilities

were endless. Plus, I could use translation magic to make communication quick

and easy.

...Wait. Can I? There's no magic in Earth's atmosphere, right? Oh, wait. I think

I can use residual magic through my divinity... And if not, I can just teleport

using my divinity, can't I?

Though, if that was the case, Leen and Linze would be able to use a little

magic back on Earth. I didn't exactly want that to happen...

Earth was a world where magic didn't exist, so suddenly unleashing it on the

planet would cause everything to go sideways for sure.

Despite my incessant browsing, I wasn't getting any sleepier. The anxiety

grew way too intense.

"...I'll treat myself to a cup of tea."

I headed to the balcony and took in the evening breeze. The full moon sat

overhead, illuminating the night sky.

The usual hustle and bustle had died down due to how late it was, and only a

few flickering lights from the castle town provided evidence of human life in the

area.

Suddenly, I felt a presence.

"Having trouble sleeping?"

"...Well, I guess you could say that. I think it's the nerves."

I didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. He was sitting at the

balcony table, a small cup of tea in front of him.

I was a recipient of God Almighty's own divinity, so I could sense him

whenever he came down to this world. Thus, his arrival hadn't shocked me. It

was different when Karen just popped up, though. I could never see her

coming.

"Here, my boy. This divine tea should help ease you into slumber."

"Oh, thanks."

I sat down across from him and took the tea. The stalk in the middle of the

liquid was standing on end, which was a sign of good luck. The first time I'd met

God Almighty, the stalk had stood on end as well.

"Tomorrow is the big day, my lad. I am quite nervous, I must admit. It will be

the first time I have attended a ceremony quite like this one."

"Ahaha... It'll be nice to have you, though."

I was glad he could attend. Without him, I had a feeling Karen or Suika would

go too far in their revelry.

"I know now, my boy. It was the right decision to send you to this world. The

problems that had been bubbling here have just about been quelled. All it took

was a little push from another world."

His words were comforting to hear, and more than encouraging.

"Touya, my boy... Have you come to like this world?"

"I have, yeah. This world and its inhabitants are all important to me."

"I see... That is rather pleasant to hear. As the god of worlds, I manage a great

many realms. Some worlds are more difficult to handle than others, but that

comes with the territory. Before I sent you here, this world was lacking in any

definitive features. The other gods certainly had no interest in it, and as

shameful as it is to admit, I had been neglecting it. It was rather boring."

Speak for yourself, man. This world's been anything but boring to me. The one

I came from didn't have any of the magic or wild stuff like this place.

"Thanks to your hard work, this world is becoming noticeable again. The gods

are flocking to it, even. That may cause you some difficulties in the future, so I

will apologize in advance for that..."

I was the custodian of the world, so I didn't have a huge issue with gods

visiting in human form... Well, as long as they stayed out of trouble, anyway.

"I shall have the newcomers greet you before the ceremony tomorrow. I

assure you they will cause no trouble for you or your brides-to-be."

"I appreciate that."

I definitely didn't want any divine pranksters ruining my big day.

"Now then, I think it is time for bed, wouldn't you agree? You have a big day

ahead of you, my lad."

"Yeah, you're right..."

The tea had certainly worked wonders. I could feel my eyelids starting to

come down. I stifled a yawn before saying goodnight.

"Take care, my boy. See you in the morning."

God Almighty smiled, then vanished into thin air. A wave of exhaustion

suddenly washed over me, so I ran to my bedroom as fast as possible.

Once I'd scrambled into bed, the black void of sleep consumed me. With one

long, final blink, my last night as a single man came to an end.

◇ ◇ ◇

Several booms rang out as heavy guns fired their blanks skyward, signifying

the beginning of a very important day. Almost immediately after that, the

crowd looked to the clear blue above them.

Brunhild's castle town bustled with far more people than usual. It was their

grand duke's wedding day, so people had come from near and far to attend the

event. Even though it was still early in the day, merchants were opening their

stalls and attending to their customers.

A parade had been planned, but the newcomers to Brunhild were far more

interested in the enormous metal soldiers at the town's large gates.

Those who had never been to Brunhild before were surely amazed by the

massive Frame Gears. They stood in static poses, holding their weapons high.

Nobody was allowed to climb on them, and guards were posted to ensure there

was no vandalism. Anyone who wanted a closer look at them had to buy

capsule toy versions of the machines from Olba Strand's store.

The capsule dispensers were guarded too, of course. They had attracted

children and adults alike, and suddenly created a whole crowd of people who

wanted to take a stab at the lottery. In many ways, it was no different from

similar things on Earth. Some people wanted to collect entire sets, as well as

those who were content with just one. Regardless, they were proving to be

quite the hot commodity.

Outsiders enjoyed the interesting and unique cultural products that Brunhild

had to offer, while local residents enjoyed the heightened hustle and bustle.

Eventually, the town's clock tower rang out, signaling the start of midday. And

in response, the lined-up Frame Gears crossed their spears, signifying that the

time had come at last.

The wedding was about to begin.