Chapter 33: What is Needed for Marriage
“Haah… What were those guys thinking…?”
With a heavy sigh, I watched the adventurers flee. They left their weapons behind, but I won’t be picking them up. I don’t want any unnecessary trouble because of their belongings.
“Hmph. Honestly…”
Rio still seemed a bit miffed, but the Magic Power she had been releasing had already settled down. For now, I should avoid provoking her further. Yes, that’s the plan.
“Shall we head home…?”
It turned out we were following the same path as those adventurers, but there was no helping it. I didn’t want to catch up to them, so I took my time returning to the city, moving at a slower pace than usual.
“Welcome back!”
This time, it was the female merchant who had purchased our previous catch, waiting for us.
“This time, you have a Land Turtle and a Great Deer, right? May I take a look?”
“Of course, please do.”
With no reason to refuse, I allowed her to inspect the goods thoroughly. If I could cash in here, it would lighten my load—two birds with one stone. After a short wait, the two creatures were valued at 1,160,000 Fron, and I sold them without hesitation.
“Thank you very much! It’s rare to acquire such high-quality goods. I hope you will continue to patronize our trading company.”
“No, thank you for the opportunity.”
The merchant, Fleur, said her farewells and left with a few attendants carrying the goods.
“Alright, next is the Guild.”
Today, the familiar old man at the buyback counter greeted me with his usual phrase, “Yes, yes.”
“Yes, yes, you have a large quantity of Regulus Fruit today. …Wait, wasn’t the Iron Leaf request posted yesterday? Have you already gathered them?”
The old man’s eyes widened in surprise, but since I had the items in hand, he had no choice but to accept it.
“Yes, yes, the total is 5,800 Fron. Please confirm.”
“Thank you very much.”
After that, I reported the completion of the E-rank requests, bringing my total E-rank completion count to 27. I still needed to take on some subjugation requests if I wanted to rank up to D-rank. Even now, I was making enough money, and I didn’t feel a pressing need to increase my rank.
“Well then, let’s head back.”
“I’m so tired today!”
“Yeah, we did get tangled up with some weirdos again…”
Upon returning to the inn, I was greeted by the cheerful innkeeper’s daughter, Anya. Since I had taken my time, the sun had already set.
“Welcome back!”
“I’m home.”
“What would you like for dinner?”
“Ah, I’ll have some. Please prepare two servings.”
“Okay! Mom! Two more for dinner!”
Since it was a bit late to go out for food, I relayed that to Anya, who shouted toward the back of the dining area.
“Coming right up!”
A lively voice responded from the kitchen. It wasn’t particularly bad, and when it came to playing it safe, eating at the inn was the best option. …Though I couldn’t say I had much experience eating in this Otherworld.
With no baggage to leave in my room, I headed straight to the dining area and took a seat. After a while, a plate of stir-fried vegetables with plenty of meat, soup, and white bread was served. It was quite delicious. I missed rice a little, but I wouldn’t complain. I wondered if rice even existed in this world.
“By the way, have Shu-san and Rio-san already completed the Marriage Ceremony?”
“Hm? The Marriage Ceremony?”
I asked Anya, wondering if she meant the wedding. I had told Rio that I wanted to marry her, but it had only been words so far. I wasn’t sure if wedding rings existed in this world, but it was a good opportunity to ask.
“Eh? You don’t know?”
“Ah, I just came from a rural area, so… Is there such a ceremony?”
“Yes! The Marriage Ceremony can be conducted at the Temple. It requires a donation, but if you pray to the gods, you will be recognized as a couple!”
Anya clasped her hands over her chest, gazing dreamily into the distance, seemingly lost in her own world.
“Wow, the gods, huh?”
I recalled the old man with white hair and beard I had met when I first arrived in this world. His face was a bit hazy in my memory, perhaps because it had been over four months since then.
“In the case of nobles, when they are recognized as a couple by the gods, their Family Names become the same, and their full names change.”
“I see.”
When she mentioned names, I wondered if that referred to the names that could be identified through appraisal. I had been curious about where the appraisal information came from, but perhaps it was the gods who provided that information. If that were the case, I should invite Rio to the Marriage Ceremony. Yes.
“Is there anything specific needed for the Marriage Ceremony?”
Rio seemed a bit anxious as she watched my exchange with Anya.
“Not particularly! Just make a reservation at the Temple beforehand. Oh, but those with money can wear beautiful dresses or formal attire!”
I see, so it’s about the outfits. I definitely want to make sure we have something nice for the occasion.
“Then let’s order custom-made outfits.”
“Yes!”
Rio’s face lit up with a gentle smile at my words. While it might not be essential, I should also prepare a wedding ring. I wanted to surprise Rio, but I had no idea what her ring size was… Hmm, what should I do?