October 10th.
It was the day of the wedding between Count Louis Waltz Kuzuma and Beena.
The ceremony was to be held at the estate of the lord of Blue Land, Duke Blue. Jin attended the festivities wearing his formal Magi Craft Meister long coat.
"I see the Kingdom of Egerea doesn't grant much authority to the church either," Jin murmured.
"It is the same everywhere," Elsa replied. "The church's authority collapsed during the Great Magic War."
Regardless of whether one was a believer, those in the priesthood or other holy orders generally possessed higher levels of magical power. Consequently, they were far more susceptible to the effects of the Ether Stampede. This led to a widespread realization that their gods would not protect them, resulting in the total loss of the church's influence.
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The wedding was held in the Great Hall of the duke's estate. In the Kingdom of Egerea, a noble wedding took the form of a formal declaration of union before a high-ranking noble who served as a witness. For royalty, the declaration was made to the predecessor if they were still living, or to their portraits if they were not.
The fundamental concept was much like that of the Shouro Empire. In the case of House Kuzuma, the witness was their liege, Duke Blue.
"The bride and groom are now entering!" a voice announced, and the buzzing of the guests fell into a sudden hush.
The doors at the front of the Great Hall swung open, and the couple stepped through. Count Kuzuma was dressed in a suit of white and gold, while Beena wore a gown of pure white. Arm in arm, they walked between the rows of guests to stand before Duke Blue, who waited at the far end of the hall.
"I, Louis Waltz Kuzuma, a count of the Kingdom of Egerea, do hereby take Beena Lonsdale as my wife from this moment forth," the groom declared.
"I, Beena, daughter of Bernard Hams Lonsdale, a count of the Kingdom of Egerea, vow to become the wife of Lord Louis," the bride followed.
In order for a commoner like Beena to marry into the count's house, she had been formally adopted by Count Lonsdale. Jin mused that it was quite similar to the customs of samurai families during the Edo period—knowledge he had gleaned from the period dramas the Orphanage Director used to watch.
"May there be happiness in the future of Louis Waltz Kuzuma and Beena Lonsdale—now Beena Kuzuma," Duke Blue proclaimed solemnly.
With the duke’s approval, the formal ceremony was complete. The previously silent hall erupted into a whirlwind of applause. Turning back toward the entrance, the couple walked the aisle again, though this time they were showered with cheers and celebration.
"That was a surprisingly short ceremony," Jin noted as he clapped.
"The ceremonies themselves tend to be brief everywhere," Elsa explained. "The reception that follows is where the real festivities happen."
"Ah... I see."
Thinking back, Reinhard’s wedding hadn't been particularly long either. For the nobility, the reception was the main event. It was the time for the newlyweds to greet every guest and unveil their gifts—a process so grueling it could literally be called an "exhaustion banquet."
Maybe I should slip them some Persica juice later... Jin thought privately.
As the guests waited in the Great Hall, the stewards and maids of the ducal house worked with practiced efficiency to prepare the room for the reception. Tables laden with food and wine were brought in, flowers were arranged, and chairs were perfectly aligned. The work was carried out so smoothly and solemnly that it was almost hypnotic to watch.
Roughly twenty minutes after the ceremony concluded, the preparations were complete, and the couple made their second entrance.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience. The bride and groom have arrived! Please, welcome them with a round of applause!"
The master of ceremonies was the duke’s chief butler, a tall, handsome middle-aged man. He possessed a resonant baritone voice that seemed to earn him a few enamored glances from the younger maids.
Amidst the heartfelt applause of the fifty-one guests, the couple entered once more, now dressed in even more lavish attire.
"Oh..."
"How beautiful..."
Murmurs of admiration rose from across the room. Count Kuzuma wore a black ensemble designed like a tailcoat, while Beena was stunning in a vibrant red dress. They proceeded back to the seats of honor on the elevated dais where Duke Blue waited.
"Now, honored guests, I shall begin by introducing the story of how our happy couple first met..."
Jin felt a momentary wave of sympathy. Talk about a public execution, he thought. He remembered attending a wedding for a senior at work back on Earth where the groom's old school friends had shared so many embarrassing stories that the bride's side of the room had looked physically pained.
Predictably, both Louis and Beena turned bright red on the stage.
Once the "shame-inducing" segment was over, it was time for the guests to offer their well-wishes. This was usually when wedding gifts were formally presented. Most of the gifts were lined up along the side wall of the hall, covered in cloth and waiting to be unveiled.
The first to speak was naturally the witness, Duke Blue.
"Congratulations, Count Kuzuma, and you as well, Beena. I hope that from this day forward, you will work together to serve our kingdom and build a wonderful home."
"Thank you very much," they replied.
The duke’s gift was a crystal sculpture of two eagles. Since eagles were known to mate for life, the gift symbolized marital harmony.
Second was a knight representing the royal family, who introduced himself as Bruno Thales Bright. Jin remembered hearing that he was the vice-captain of the Royal Ritter Order. The reason the royal representative was second in line was that Duke Blue was the current King’s cousin, placing him within the royal bloodline.
The royal gift was a bust of a man in his prime. Apparently, it was a likeness of Count Kuzuma’s late father. The count accepted it with visible emotion.
Third were Beena’s adoptive parents, Count Bernard Hams Lonsdale and his wife.
"Louis, Beena, congratulations. If you ever find yourselves in need, please know you can always rely on us," the count said. Having been a close friend of Louis's father, he and the countess had stepped in to act as the couple's parental figures for the day.
Their gifts were a ceremonial sword for Louis and an exquisitely decorated dagger for Beena. As Elsa watched Beena receive the dagger, she was reminded of the time Jin had given her a similar gift. Looking back, she felt a pang of regret at how little she had known of the world in those days.
"Elsa?" Jin asked.
Because he was escorting her, Elsa had her hand resting on his left elbow, and he had felt her grip tighten.
"Ah... I'm sorry. I was just remembering something from a long time ago..."
"I see," Jin replied softly. He didn't pry further, turning his attention back to the stage.
House Guarana, the other countly family residing in Blue Land, was represented by their steward. The explanation given was that the head of the house had not yet recovered from the injuries he sustained at the Golem Party. Whether that was true was anyone's guess, but several people who knew the history—Jin included—suspected the man simply couldn't bring himself to face the woman he had once tried to assault now that she was a countess.
Over a dozen other nobles followed, along with several prominent merchants who had clearly profited from selling Beena’s inventions.
"The magi engineer of the Shouro Empire and friend to the couple, Lord Reinhard Randol von Adamas."
Reinhard's gift was then unveiled.
"Oh?"
It looked like a simple wooden board at first, but it turned out to be a formal manifest. It bore a detailed illustration of a carriage.
"It is a small, four-passenger carriage," the announcer read. "It is designed to be lightweight and offers an exceptionally smooth ride." It seemed Reinhard had spent his free time commissioning a high-end vehicle.
"Magi Craft Meister, Lord Jin Nidou. And his sister, Elsa-sama."
Jin and Elsa were the final presenters. When the title "Magi Craft Meister" was announced, a ripple of excitement and curiosity swept through the hall.
"The Magi Craft Meister? That man?"
"He's so young... can he really be the Meister?"
"I heard he's been officially recognized by both the Klein Kingdom and the Shouro Empire."
Jin ignored the whispers as he and Elsa walked toward the dais.
"Count, Countess, my sincerest congratulations to you both," Jin said, hoping his tone was appropriately formal for the occasion.
"Thank you, Lord Jin Nidou," Louis replied warmly.
"We have brought a small token of our congratulations," Jin said, gesturing toward the gift.
Reiko stepped forward and pulled the cloth away.
"Oh!"
A collective gasp filled the room. Standing there was a golem, but it was unlike any most had seen—it was dressed in a crisp maid's uniform. The design was based on the maid golems of Hourai Island. It held a silver tray, upon which sat a pair of tumblers and wine glasses, one set in ruby red and the other in sapphire blue.
"The golem is a gift from myself," Jin explained. "The tumblers and wine glasses were crafted by my sister, Elsa."
The red glasses were carved from ruby and the blue from sapphire. Their intricate faceted designs were a testament to Elsa's skill. As the golem stepped forward to present the tray, its movements were entirely fluid, lacking even the slightest hint of mechanical stiffness. It moved with the grace of a human.
"Incredible... as expected of a Magi Craft Meister and his sister..."
Whispers of awe broke out across the hall. With Jin’s presentation concluded, the formal portion of the reception ended, and the banquet began. It was exactly noon.
"Now then, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience. A toast to the bride and groom! Please, enjoy the feast!"