The departure went ahead as planned after a series of events led to the group finally being assembled.
I had to stay calm.
The man I was about to meet was Lord Gol’s father. Lord Gol had told me he was a very mild-mannered person, but even a man who was gentle with his family could be strict with outsiders. I couldn't afford to let my guard down.
I exchanged a meaningful glance with Enderi. We would back each other up if anything went wrong. It was a silent reaffirmation of our Lady’s Agreement. She looked ready.
With that, we set off.
Village Five.
It was a massive city that had swallowed an entire mountain. It was founded by His Majesty the Demon King and was currently managed by the Royal Princess, Lady Yuri. Though it had only been built a few years ago, it was beautiful and bustling with life.
However, Village Five was shrouded in mystery.
First, there was the location. It was only a day’s journey from Shashato City, but this area was once a notorious haven for powerful monsters and magic beasts. It made no sense to build a city here when so many safer locations were available.
Then there was the leadership. While a woman named Yoko was definitely the representative, her title was strangely "Acting Village Head." Why call a settlement of this scale a "village" at all? Some rumored it was a ploy to hide the Demon Kingdom's true strength from the outside world. They claimed that was why Lady Yuri was a "Manager" instead of a "Magistrate."
I had my doubts about that theory. If they truly wanted to avoid notice, putting Lady Yuri in such a visible position would have achieved the exact opposite.
Regardless, this was the place where we were to meet Lord Gol’s father. That had been the plan from the start, so there was no issue there.
The real problem was currently inside my own head. Was I simply a fool? Normally, when meeting a son's fiancée, the father would invite them to his own home. Did that mean Lord Gol’s father was the Village Head of Village Five? No, Lord Gol had told me it was the Village of the Great Tree...
Wait.
Ah! Perhaps he was being considerate of us? Enderi and I are nobles, and some of Lord Sil’s wives are as well. He likely thought a prestigious location would be more appropriate for our first meeting.
I see. Fufu.
He really didn't need to go to such trouble. No matter what his village was like, if it was the place where my beloved Lord Gol grew up, I was prepared to love it with all my heart.
Still, I wondered if his village was near Village Five. A village head couldn't stay away from his post for very long. If possible, I truly wanted to see the place where Lord Gol had been raised.
We arrived at a spot slightly removed from what looked like the Village Five Main Gate via Count Chrome’s teleportation. We then proceeded toward the venue. While it would have been easier to teleport directly, etiquette dictated that one shouldn't move directly into a city or village. It certainly would have been a shock for the residents if a group suddenly appeared in their midst.
It couldn't be helped. We would simply have to make the effort to climb the mountain ourselves.
Carriages were waiting for us. They were the latest models currently being sold by the Goroun Company. My father even owned one himself. But there were twenty of them.
Twenty?
Was it one per person? They must have been rentals, but it made me wonder: was Lord Gol’s father incredibly wealthy?
The carriages arrived in front of a shop with a sign that read “Kuro and Yuki.”
This was the sweets shop that my family’s intelligence officers had been raving about!
Wait, this was the venue? My spies had reported that it was always packed with customers, hardly the place for formal marriage introductions.
But the shop had been reserved for our private use.
That settled it. Lord Gol’s father was definitely rich. There was no doubt about it.
Inside “Kuro and Yuki,” there were some people already present besides the staff. I thought one might be Lord Gol’s father, but I was wrong; they were apparently just regular customers. I wondered about the propriety of regulars staying in a reserved shop, but then I noticed two men who looked suspiciously like members of the previous generation of the Four Heavenly Kings.
And was the Shop Manager of this place... the Imperial Princess of the defunct Elf Empire?
...I really should have realized something was amiss the moment His Majesty the Demon King joined our group.
I looked around the room and my eyes met those who were doing the exact same thing. Enderi, several of Lord Sil’s wives, and Lord Bron’s wife. We silently formed a huddle. Social status didn't matter now; we were of one mind.
Our voices rose in a perfect, synchronized whisper.
“I have a very bad feeling about this, but let’s do our best to survive!”
For the sake of our future married lives!
Lord Gol’s father turned out to be quite ordinary. Truly. He felt more like a common villager than a Village Head. However, upon closer inspection, his clothes were of ultra-premium quality. There was a bizarre contradiction to it, as if a master craftsman had been given the finest materials just to create a villager’s outfit. But that was a minor detail.
The people standing around him were far more eccentric. I wasn't talking about their clothes, but the individuals themselves.
Lu the Vampire and Tia the Angel? Weren't they the legendary, high-caution individuals who once rampaged through the human kingdoms? And they were his wives? I had heard they were blood-rivals who had fought countless fierce battles across the land. Nothing made sense.
Furthermore, why was Yoko, the Acting Village Head of Village Five, here? Was she an acquaintance? If so, her attitude was far too much like that of a humble subordinate.
I decided not to think about it. I couldn't.
At least Ms. Sena from the Beastman Race seemed normal, even if the God of War, Lord Galf, was standing right next to her.
But then, I saw someone I absolutely could not ignore.
My sister. My second elder sister. I had heard she’d gone missing years ago. And beside her was Enderi’s elder sister, who had vanished at the same time.
Even though they were several years older, I knew them well. Since they were young, they had been sisters possessed by an insatiable craving for power. They had extended their reach through the Noble Academy, the Royal Castle, and even the military. Negotiation, bribery, and sometimes even intimidation or violence—they did it all.
They used to boast of their exploits whenever they returned home, so I knew their history as if I’d been there. My childhood impression of them could be summarized in one phrase: they went way too far. I vividly remember my parents holding a family meeting after my sisters left, lamenting that they had failed as parents. Talking about my sisters had been forbidden ever since.
There were rumors they’d been eliminated after offending someone they shouldn't have, but here they were, alive and well.
I was glad they were alive, truly. The reason I wasn't crying was simply because I was too shocked. It certainly wasn't because I was disappointed to see them.
And this trembling? I was simply overcome with emotion at our reunion. Yes, that wasn't a lie at all.
Memories of our past? Ugh, my head... My dark past was being unearthed...
Despite the chaos, the introductions finally ended. Thank goodness.
We formed another huddle. Several more people joined in this time. It was fine; everyone was welcome. Our hearts were one, and I felt our bond as wives grow significantly stronger through this ordeal.
Lord Gol’s father mentioned he’d prepared a meal for us. I was delighted. The nerves of the past few days had ruined my appetite, but now that the pressure was off, I was famished. Besides, one could hardly refuse an invitation from their father-in-law.
Kuro and Yuki was a sweets shop, so we were moving to another location. Our destination was “Sake & Meat Niz.” This was another place my family’s spies had praised for its incredible meat and alcohol. I had wanted to visit it at least once, so I was genuinely looking forward to it.
However, as we were being guided out, the regulars inside Kuro and Yuki stopped us. Apparently, there was a specific order for exiting the building. First came Lord Gol, then Enderi and me, followed by Lord Sil and his wives, then Lord Bron and his wife. Lord Gol’s father, his wives, the biological parents, the Demon King, and Count Chrome were all at the very back.
I wondered why we were being categorized like this... until I stepped outside.
A parade had been prepared.
Ten open-topped carriages were waiting for us. We were to ride in them and tour various parts of Village Five.
My family holds territory, so I’m no stranger to public appearances. I’ve given formal greetings to citizens many times. But the sheer number of people here was overwhelming. I could see the entire parade route just by following the lines of spectators.
And of course, Lady Yuri was the one orchestrating the whole affair.
I see.
I signaled the other girls. We needed one more huddle. Our hearts were one.
“Let’s survive this trial together!”
Side Note 1:
Lord Gol’s father was definitely the Village Head of the Village of the Great Tree. But apparently, he also served as the Village Head of Village Five. And several other villages besides. At what point does a Village Head just become a Lord? I couldn't understand why he was so fixated on the title of "Village Head."
Side Note 2:
I asked His Majesty the Demon King if he was going to grant a noble title to Lord Gol’s father.
“A noble title? You mean like... True Demon King, or Super Demon King?”
I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Listen,” the Demon King whispered. “The Village Head is the man who defeated and married a woman—Hakuren—whom ten of me couldn't beat even if we fought together.”
I see.