Episode 266: The first day of the new year.
Making a wish while looking at the rising sun was a scene that could be seen anywhere on the continent. However, the atmosphere of McLane Kingdom this year, especially the capital Grand and the royal castle, was quite different from other places.
The nobles, who would have welcomed the New Year leisurely in their respective mansions, began to gather at the royal castle at dawn, before dawn had yet dawned.
“It’s really… amazing.”
“How much is this?…”
“Hiya…”
Even on the average of the continent, the majority of the nobles, who would be considered wealthy, all clicked their tongues.
Grandpia was originally a beautiful palace, but today it was more appropriate to say that it was truly dazzling.
The pure white statues and artifacts placed in the garden reflected light at exquisite angles under soft magic lighting, adding to its beauty, and the entire road leading to the main palace was filled with jewels, shining like the Milky Way in the night sky.
That alone was a jaw-dropping sight, but the most impressive thing was the wedding hall set up in the spacious space in front of the main palace.
“Wow!”
At that moment, a nobleman who was so amazed by the splendor that he let out an exclamation covered his mouth in shock, but there was no need for him to do so.
The other nobles were also staring straight ahead with mesmerized expressions.
As I passed through the Jewel Road with the ecstatic feeling of walking on the Milky Way in the night sky, a space full of pure white light unfolded before my eyes.
“What is this…”
“The hell…”
“Heh heh…”
Even though hundreds of nobles were gathered, the only sounds that could be heard were exclamations.
Someone asked among the nobles who were looking at the wedding hall as if fascinated.
“…Are they really clouds?”
In front of the main palace entrance, a cloud-like fog covered the space that should have been filled with cold marble.
When I stepped onto the thick fog that seemed like I could remove it with my hands, I felt a soft sensation as if I was standing on a cloud. Above the white, shining cloud floor, a wall decorated with colorful flowers was erected where a plain pillar should have originally been.
“Ha, it smells really good.”
The admiration that came out of nowhere was not empty words.
I felt a strange harmony as the scents of hundreds of seemingly endless types of flowers came together. The scent, combined with the softness of the cloud floor, gave me a lively feeling that made me feel excited.
Firearms were once again in the eyes of the nobles who stayed up all night to come out in the early morning looking neat and splendid.
When I raised my head and looked at the front with lively eyes, I saw a mural vividly engraved with images of gods ascending to the sky on the wall of the main palace, showing off its overwhelming majesty.
“God…”
The nobles who saw this made the sign of the cross one after another.
I felt reverence just by looking at the mural depicting the ascension process of the gods who followed the light of the Creator and were given the power, just as depicted at the beginning of the scriptures of the Nine Great Gods. The mural was so vivid that even people who normally did not go near the temple were impressed as they made the sign of the cross.
And the jewel symbolizing the light of the Creator at the top of the mural, which seemed to come to life at any moment, was illuminating the wedding hall, emitting a brilliant light with only the starlight of the still dark morning sky.
“Does anyone know what kind of jewel that is?”
“I’m fine too…”
“I think it’s the snow of the continent or something.”
“hmm?”
“It… is a gift the dead king received from the empire.”
“Ah…”
The imperial envoys, including the second prince, frowned slightly at the whispering voice, but everyone agreed that the ceremony was extravagant beyond everyone’s imagination.
The sight was so splendid that I only noticed the angels painted on the outer wall of the villa only after it was too late.
Pure white light and pleasant scent that overwhelms the sight.
Even the soft feel of the bottom of a cloud.
“It literally feels like I’ve ascended to heaven. It’s ecstatic.”
“Indeed…”
“That’s an appropriate expression.”
The words spoken with admiration by someone who was intoxicated by the atmosphere soon garnered strong agreement from all over the place.
At the sound of that voice, a short dwarf standing in the place where the important people of McRain’s territory gathered smiled proudly, and the nobles soon began to deduce the background of this wonderful work.
“Who on earth did this…”
“I guess it’s thanks to the help of the empire.”
“Indeed. The empire’s capabilities are amazing. I wonder how they made it…”
Suddenly.
“What kind of people are you, Mr. Wu? They are all like me and my compatriots… Eup!?”
“Lord Hamar, let us be quiet. Let us begin now.”
“Ugh?!”
Hamar, whose mouth was covered by Clayton’s hand, opened his eyes and looked straight ahead. The door to the main palace opened and a priest wearing a pure white robe appeared.
“Huh? You’re not the archbishop?”
“The female bishop… who is it?”
“I am Priest Ilia, Bishop of Amunda.”
Ilya opened her mouth with a soft smile while receiving the attention of the noisy nobles.
“Now, under the blessing of the 9th Minister, we will begin the wedding ceremony that will be an auspicious event for the McLane royal family and the kingdom.”
With those words, everyone in the ceremony hall stood up.
“First, Lord of the Kingdom and protector of all the people of this land. His Majesty Logan McLane will enter.”
As soon as Bishop Ilia finished speaking, Logan, dressed in pure white robes, entered the wedding hall.
“Oh indeed.”
“Is this the first time I’ve seen you wearing anything other than armor?”
“You have a dignified appearance, befitting a superhuman.”
The gorgeous robe, made of pure white silk with flames embroidered with gold thread, further highlighted Logan’s solid body. Moreover, unlike usual, he was radiating the energy of an Auror user without hiding it, so every time he took a step, all the eyes of the crowd followed him as if they were mesmerized.
‘While it exudes full force, it just naturally attracts attention. Even at intermediate level, I reached the peak.’
When the swordsman saw this, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face, and Jerome’s expression became a little more rigid.
Logan had already reached the altar of the main palace and stood in front of Illya.
Ilya, who made gentle eye contact with Logan, immediately recited the next sequence.
“Now, let me introduce the person who will be the mother of this kingdom. Princess of Count Floyd… hmm, hmm. I think this would be more appropriate than the word princess. This is Sir Eileen Floyd, the first female knight of the kingdom and the symbol of the Lady McLane.”
The audience was all agitated.
When introducing the bride at a wedding, do you say ‘Gyeong’?
The nobles of McLane frowned slightly at the unfamiliar introduction of the bride, but Logan actually burst into laughter.
‘Really…’
This was because I found familiar, heavily highlighted handwriting in the introduction in Bishop Ilya’s hand.
And that moment.
“Wow!”
A sudden shout broke out that even he had not expected.
Logan flinched and looked back, but he too couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned.
The first thing that caught my eye was the pure white veil. Red hair fluttering beautifully beneath a veil beautifully embroidered with golden thread caught the eye.
The pure white dress that wrapped around her slim, well-trained body blended amazingly with the bright red color and added to her elegant charm. Soon, as the hem of the rich skirt passed over the bottom of the shining white clouds, it felt as if a goddess from mythology was approaching on the clouds.
At that very moment, dawn came.
The sun rose brilliantly and passed through the eyes of the continent, scattering colorful lights throughout the wedding hall.
“Oooh.”
“Was Lord Eileen such a beautiful person?…”
“Huh…”
Eileen lightly approached amidst everyone’s admiration.
Logan, who had been staring at the scene in fascination, barely came to his senses at Ilya’s glance and held out his hand to Eilen.
As Eilen carefully held my hand, I felt that it stiffened in a different way than I did.
That melted his nerves.
After I relaxed like that, I saw that she was frozen with a faint smile on her face.
‘You wrote your self-introduction so boldly.’
Logan smiled and squeezed his joined hands tighter, trying to ease his pet’s stiff mind a little.
Soon, a small tremor was felt that made me flinch.
While I was thinking that it was amazing that even he felt lovely, Bishop Ilia’s congratulatory speech began.
“I feel infinite joy to welcome the start of the new year on such a happy occasion. Here, I…”
During the short period of time that followed the congratulatory speech.
Logan quietly looked at his companion.
The person who shines the brightest in a ceremony hall filled with light.
When I thought that this person would now be by my side for the rest of my life, all kinds of thoughts surged through my pounding heart.
A person who was associated with someone for strategic reasons but has now become indispensable.
The moments I spent with her flashed through my mind one after another. Suddenly, I realized that I had been concentrating on other things for too long, and I felt sorry.
As I was looking at Eilen with complicated eyes, Illya’s barn was already running towards its end.
“I will end my congratulatory speech with the hope that you two will become the parents of this country and care for all the people of this kingdom like the newly rising sun.”
“Wow!”
Unlike himself, who had lost his sense of how time had passed, the guests yawned and applauded as if they had barely endured the boring time.
Logan looked at the scene in a dazed state and smiled without realizing it, until he made eye contact with the second prince, who was staring at him with an expressionless face.
The sight of this guy reminds me that the full-scale disaster hasn’t even begun yet. The moment I saw that, my excited heart cooled down.
‘…If we don’t overcome the empire, all of this will be just an illusion.’
Don’t get carried away with reality.
As if I had received such a revelation, the image of the collapsed family and the image of my younger brother being dragged away passed before my eyes like a vision.
I grit my teeth without realizing it, feeling a chill run down my spine.
“Your Majesty?”
Logan’s head turned to the side again at the sudden sound of a panicked voice.
Then I saw Ilia pointing at Eilen with her chin and Eilen lowering her head with a red face.
While I was thinking about something else for a moment, what happened or what was said?
“to?”
What should I do?
I was momentarily embarrassed.
“Your Majesty, all you have to do is swear an oath of love.”
“Ah…”
A pledge of love.
At those words, Logan suddenly came to his senses.
Unlike the Empire, where all kinds of procedures are required, the ceremony of Grandia or Macline is a simple ceremony that announces the end.
It was the moment to exchange a kiss of vows.
I was able to immediately understand my pet’s shy side, which is rarely seen.
And the image of Eilen, combined with the vision of her past life that seemed like a fantasy, strengthened her resolve again.
This lovely companion in front of you was also destined to die in a civil war in his previous life.
He has already changed the fate of not only his family but also many people.
Even if it is the result of a lot of luck.
Even if past achievements do not guarantee future hope.
‘We will definitely overcome it.’
Logan brushed aside the future enemy reflected in one eye and kissed the new destiny he would pioneer.
“With this, I declare that this marriage has been concluded under the supervision of the 9th Minister.”
At the end of the declaration, Illya bestowed the blessing of divine power.
As auspicious light was added to the already brilliant ceremony hall, loud cheers erupted from all over.
“Wow!”
This is how the first national marriage of the McLane dynasty ended.
