"Yes, it turned out beautifully," Beena, the Countess of Kuzuma, murmured to herself.
A pure white wedding dress was displayed before her on a torso—a dress form designed to mimic the human body. It was Beena's own handiwork. Having raised her younger siblings, she was an expert seamstress.
"Indeed, it's a magnificent piece of work. It is truly worthy of being worn at a reception in the Royal Palace," her husband, Earl Kuzuma—Louis Waltz Kuzuma—declared with absolute confidence.
"I certainly hope so," Beena replied.
The intended wearer was, of course, Elsa.
＊ ＊ ＊
"The Chef mentioned it would be quite difficult, but it seems we'll manage to have everything ready in time."
"That is wonderful news, Your Majesty."
"Reinhard frequently dines with Jin and Elsa, so he knows their preferences better than anyone."
"Yes, quite so."
In the Shouro Empire, the Empress herself was personally supervising the menu for the upcoming reception.
"Even though Jin isn't a picky eater, he's accustomed to high-quality cuisine. We have to put our best foot forward."
Her Majesty was clearly full of enthusiasm for the task.
＊ ＊ ＊
In the Klein Kingdom, Princess Lieschen and Prince Arthur were arranging the reception together as brother and sister.
"The decorations must be neither too gaudy nor too modest," Arthur remarked. "The Lord of Kunlun is not one for excessive luxury."
"Brother, does this menu meet your approval?" Lieschen asked.
"Let's see... Yes, this looks excellent."
The friction of their childhood had largely faded; to any outside observer, they appeared to be a close-knit pair of siblings.
"One more thing... be sure to consult Tia as well."
"I shall, Brother."
＊ ＊ ＊
"Will this tableware suffice?"
"It's a great help, Mother."
In the Kingdom of Franz, the new monarch, Rotaro de Lafayette I, was preparing for the wedding celebrations alongside his mother, Catherine de Lafayette.
"The previous king's taste in tableware was quite atrocious," Catherine noted.
Most of it was made of garish, solid gold.
"Recalling the hospitality we received on Kunlun Island makes me wonder if even this will be enough, Mother."
"Hehe. From my impressions, Lord of Kunlun Jin Nidou is the sort of man who appreciates sincerity above all else."
"Do you truly think so?"
"Indeed. That is the essence of true hospitality."
＊ ＊ ＊
"This is quite a puzzle..."
Marchioness Firenziano furrowed her elegant brows in thought. As the minister of general affairs, the responsibility of organizing this reception fell squarely on her.
Since King Blitzen Skala Elias XII was bedridden and frequently drifting in and out of consciousness, administrative duties were being handled by the Chancellor, Marquis Godfar. However, the diplomatic reception of the Lord of Kunlun was Firenziano’s charge, and she felt the weight of the nation’s honor on her shoulders.
"Dishes featuring Devil Bulbs are absolutely essential," she murmured. She wanted to show Jin how much they had refined the use of the crop he had introduced to them.
"And perhaps we should include products from Moft Village and Flathead Village."
By incorporating ingredients from the places where Jin was known to have stayed, she hoped to provide a touch of nostalgia.
"For beverages, we'll need a selection of premium Kuhe and various fruit juices. And, naturally, the finest wines."
She was carefully tailoring everything to the tastes of both Jin and his partner, Elsa.
"I recall hearing that she isn't fond of kokarisk, so we'll avoid that and focus on citran-based sauces instead..."
While there were still a few days left, the time required for actual preparation made the schedule feel tight. The Marchioness let out a long, weary sigh.
＊ ＊ ＊
In the Celuroa Kingdom as well, preparations for the welcoming ceremony were proceeding with the full weight of the state behind them.
"Do not make it ostentatious, but ensure it maintains an air of solemn dignity," came the order from the throne.
It was a difficult balance to strike.
"There is no need to overreach, but I will not tolerate any lack of effort."
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty."
The King of Celuroa’s demands, while not entirely unreasonable, were exceptionally demanding. The man tasked with fulfilling them was Balfaza Walker, the Chairman of the Ministry of General Affairs. Even for a man of his competence, the stress of the past few days was starting to show on his exhausted face.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Hmm, what should I do about the wedding favors..." Jin wondered aloud.
"Jin-nii, what are wedding favors?"
"Wait, is that not a custom here?" Jin asked Elsa.
Looking back on the weddings he had attended in this world, he realized he had never received anything of the sort.
"I see... Well, a wedding favor is a gift given to the guests who attend the ceremony or reception as a token of thanks. I suppose that's the best way to explain it."
"Is that a tradition in your homeland, Jin-nii?"
"It is. Although, since the guests usually bring monetary gifts as a wedding offering, it often ends up balancing out financially."
"I see... Then it might be a wonderful idea to give something as the Lord of Kunlun."
With Elsa’s support, Jin gave the matter some serious thought.
"I've got it. Let's give them koban."
"Koban?"
"Right, koban. They were coins used in my country a long time ago. Nowadays, they're considered lucky charms, so I think they'd be perfect."
Jin explained the concept further to Elsa.
"But if you make them out of solid gold, won't that be a bit extreme?"
"Good point..."
While Hourai Island had dozens of tons of gold in its vaults, minting that much into currency and distributing it would risk crashing the global market price.
"This is tricky..."
The total volume of currency in this world had remained almost static for three hundred years. Following a massive population decline, there had been an excess of currency in circulation, which the various nations now regulated and stockpiled. Though Jin wasn't an expert on economics or monetary policy, he could appreciate that this system effectively prevented extreme inflation or deflation. He had no desire to disrupt that stability.
"In that case, I'll make them gold-plated commemorative coins."
"Yes, that sounds much more sensible."
And so, the wedding favors were decided.
"I'll have to produce a surplus, just in case we run out."
"Mhm. That shouldn't be a problem."
"Now, as for the design..."
After some consideration, he decided to use the general look of the koban from his memories. On the front, he would engrave the kanji for 'Good Luck,' and on the reverse, he would inscribe 'In Commemoration of the Marriage of Jin Nidou and Elsa Randol – August 11, 3458' in Ars script.