It was the day of Kelvin and Shutola’s wedding. People from all over Trycen had gathered in the capital to celebrate the event. This was a traditional rite done every time a royal got married, one that had always been popular. On top of that, Shutola was involved this time, and she was extremely popular in her home country. This resulted in a huge crowd the likes of which had never been seen before. Visitors from outside the country and foreign guests were added to this, making the security and guidance teams terminally understaffed.
“The special venue has been prepared outside of the city! There, footage of the address and parade will be shown, so please go there instead!” Gerard shouted his plea. “My liege—I mean, Grim Reaper Kelvin created the place with magic! Today will be the only day you will be able to see it!”
“Gaaahhh! Stop pushing! Hey, you there, stop fighting! This is a day for celebration! Stop ruining it, you bastards!” Dahak yelled.
“I... I’m so nerbous in front of so many people,” Boga muttered.
“Let me ride on your shoulders, Boga. I’ll lead them for you, so you do the physical work,” Mdofarak offered.
Gerard and the Dragonz had come to attend the ceremony, but the crowding was so bad, they’d been dragged into helping. Their help was invaluable, though, as they managed to somehow resolve the excessive population somehow. With that, the space for the parade to pass was secured.
And so, first to come was the address by the newlywed couple. This ceremony was partially to unveil them to the world, so the kingdom’s citizens crowded into the royal castle to see them—or rather, to see Princess Shutola in her wedding dress. It was the same place where Zel had gathered his citizens and given his speech to brainwash them after becoming the Demon Lord, but today the mood was completely different. The crowd was lively, and everyone was all smiles.
“Shutola-sama! Look here!”
“The princess... Her smile is cleansing my heart!”
“Heh! All my daily exhaustion has been wiped away.”
“My chronic hip pain is gone too!”
“That’s all, old man? I feel like I got ten years added to my life.”
“Ugh, she’s always pretty, but today, Shutola-sama is even prettier than usual! She’s so bright she’s blinding me! Yeah, that must be why I can’t see!”
“What are you saying, dear? That’s such a waste! You can only see Shutola-sama in that dress today! You need to be looking at her enough to burn the sight into your eyes!”
“All hail! Long live Shutola-sama!”
“Don’t you dare make Shutola-sama cry, Kelvin-sama!”
“If you do, we’ll hate you forever!”
“Make her happy, you hear?”
The cheers were warm and came from closer than expected. It was very obvious how much Shutola’s people loved her.
“Ha ha ha, this is a lot of responsibility,” Kelvin muttered to himself.
“Yes,” Shutola replied. “If you don’t make me happy, you’ll make an enemy of all of Trycen.”
“Hey now, that’s a bit scary, don’t you think?” he replied.
“How can you say that? Think of it another way: As long as you make me happy, the entire kingdom will be your ally. So this is basically a won battle for you already!”
“Oh? You believe in me that much? Well, I’ll have to repay that trust, or I’m scared of what will happen in the future.”
“Oh, you!”
The couple was conversing as they waved from the terrace. Since he was indeed afraid for the future, he decided to swear emphatically that he would make Shutola happy during his address later.
While Kelvin and Shutola were being shown off to the public, the other brides-to-be were in the seating for invited guests, watching and looking like they couldn’t wait for their turns.
“Shutola-chan is so pretty... Ugghh, I’m right next to his first wife, Mel-sama, but I have to say that they really suit each other!” Colette cried.
“Grrrrrr... As the first wife, I’m so frustrated that she took the first spot. Would you switch with me and let me get married tomorrow instead?” Mel asked.
“Mel-sama is so enchanting, even when she’s being jealous!” Colette said, panting. “R-Rion-sama, please, your thoughts!”
“Nope,” Rion replied. “Even for the two of you, I won’t let that happen. But Shutola-chan really is so pretty up there! And Kel-nii is so cool!”
“Hee hee! I mean, Kelvin is my husband, and Shutola is someone he chose. Of course they are,” said Sera.
“Wow, that’s some confidence, Sera-san. But you know, I was the second one to gun for Kelvin-kun here,” said Ange. “You shouldn’t underestimate your big sis here when it comes to getting the measure of people!”
“Um, when it comes to having feelings for him, I don’t think I fall short either!” Efil argued hesitantly.
“Jeez, you two are so competitive!” Rion said.
“Um, when it comes to sniffing out body odor, I feel like I have a good chance at winning. Erm, right?” Colette offered.
“Don’t worry, no one in the world can compete with you on that front,” said Mel.
“Yay! That’s Mel-sama approved!” Colette exclaimed.
“You’re...pretty competitive too, huh, Colette? Aha ha...” Ange said. “Anyway, congratulations!”
There were many ways to congratulate someone, and they were all valid in the end. The brides-to-be genuinely celebrated the pairing of Kelvin and Shutola, wishing them happiness. Of course, they were also confident that they would be happiest.
And then, there was the Oracle of Deramis, who was having an epiphany during all this.
Hmm... I want Mel-sama and Rion-sama to be happy, but I also want that for Shutola-chan too, Colette pondered. But with all this right in front of me, knowing I’ll be able to marry Kelvin-sama as well, I actually think I’m...the most happy?
“By the way, there’s something I’m a little curious about,” said Rion.
“Huh? What is it?” Colette asked.
“Oh, it’s just that Shutola-chan is marrying into the Celsius house, so she’ll be Shutola Celsius from now on, right? Does that mean she won’t be Trycen royalty anymore? I was just wondering what would happen to her work here in that case. I mean, so many people were expecting her to be the next ruler, after all.”
“I see. That’s a natural question to have. But I don’t think there’s any need to worry about it.”
“Do you know something I don’t?”
“Yes, I do. Let me keep it simple: As you say, Rion-sama, Shutola-chan’s name will change, and she will no longer be royalty. However, she will be rehired under the name Shutola Celsius, so there’s not much of a problem at all.”
“Rehired?! So she wouldn’t work as a royal but would be hired as a normal citizen? I get the logic, but is that really something you’re allowed to do to a married princess?” Rion exclaimed.
“Not if she was marrying into the royal family of a different nation, no. However, that’s not the case here. The head of the Celsius house she’s marrying into—Kelvin-sama—is an adventurer who prizes freedom above all else. In other words, Shutola-chan doesn’t have to be bound by her family name either and can work wherever she wants!” Colette explained.
“Wow! I think that’s a bit of a stretch! But she’s been a freeloader this entire time anyway, so I guess it won’t change much,” Rion answered.
“For Trycen’s side, Shutola-sama has been the backbone of this kingdom, so this arrangement is something they welcome. And you can see how loved she is by everyone.”
“Ah, I see. Even from the perspective of other countries, having her stay and continue working here will help keep Trycen stable.”
“Indeed! By the way, I, Colette, unworthy as I am, plan to do the same thing to continue to serve as the Oracle of Deramis,” said Colette. “But unlike before, I will spend my time praying in front of Mel-sama! From up close! She will be receiving my prayers directly!”
“Uh...huh?” Mel let out. Her expression became serious as she muttered quietly that she had never heard about that.