After a short wait, Hakuren introduced the next group of the Post-Age of Gods Dragon Race.
There were four women: Otat, Owamea, Hyfryniars, and Lactoroy.
Each of them was a wife to one of the four men I’d met earlier. They were also the same four whom Ojes and her companions had described as being difficult to handle, despite not being particularly disliked. Apparently, before they married, they had been just as rowdy as Ojes’s group, spending their days hunting for the Title of Magic Black Dragon.
Otat and Owamea were sisters, and it turned out they were Ojes's aunts—her mother’s younger sisters. Hyfryniars was Hyfryguta’s aunt, while Lactoroy was Kihatroy’s aunt—specifically, her mother’s older sister.
Perhaps it was because their numbers were so small, but the dragon bloodlines felt incredibly tight-knit. I exchanged a few standard, polite greetings with the four of them.
Giral and Guronde were hovering behind the group. I wondered if they still had business with these women, or if they were simply standing guard so they could punch them the moment they acted out of line. Was this a group I really needed to worry about that much? This was Mettora's wedding day, after all; the last thing I wanted was a scene.
When I voiced my concern, the four of them denied it in a frantic panic. They claimed they had come purely to celebrate and promised not to do anything strange. I looked at them skeptically. Was that true? They nodded vigorously, over and over again.
Well, since they hadn’t actually done anything yet, I decided to take them at their word. The men were waiting for them, and the ceremony was scheduled to begin shortly after Mettora and her entourage arrived. I told them I’d appreciate it if they followed the guides' instructions until then.
As for the guides for the Post-Age of Gods dragons... it looked like Giral and Guronde were taking that role. I left it in their hands.
A while later, Mettora, Urza, Alfred, Tiselle, Torain, Asa, Earth, and Maa finally arrived at the village. Mettora barely had time to offer a greeting before she was whisked away by the village women to prepare for the ceremony.
I took a moment to speak with Urza and the others. They had brought two people I didn't recognize.
The first was a middle-aged man with his eyes obscured by a black cloth. From the letters, I knew this was the vampire, Roberto. He was a subordinate and friend of Mettora’s husband, Gienel, so his presence at the wedding made perfect sense. I recalled hearing he was an acquaintance of Flora’s and offered to introduce him later.
To my surprise, he shook his head violently.
"I do not possess the standing to address Lady Flora," he said firmly.
Standing? Was Flora’s social rank really that high? Looking at her daily life, you’d never think so, but I suppose within vampire society, she was a cut above. I realized it was a matter of racial hierarchy that outsiders like me would find hard to grasp.
I decided not to meddle and left him to his own devices. When Progenitor-san, Lu, and Flora eventually came over and led Roberto away, I kept my mouth shut. Roberto glanced back at me as if he wanted to say something, but with that black cloth over his eyes, I couldn't read his expression. I just hoped those eyes weren't pleading for a rescue.
The second person was a woman introduced to me by Urza. Her name was Toshira. She was a Post-Age of Gods dragon and Mettora’s younger sister. I’d heard her name from Mettora, but this was our first meeting.
Apparently, the bond between the two sisters was strong. Upon hearing about Mettora’s marriage, Toshira had rushed straight to her side. While she personally opposed the union, she knew her sister wasn't the type to be talked out of it. Since her desire for Mettora’s happiness was genuine, she had reluctantly—very reluctantly—decided to attend.
Family dynamics were certainly complex. Regardless, I welcomed her as Mettora’s sister.
"Thank you very much," she replied politely.
"By the way," I said, "may I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"You work for Raimeiren, don't you?"
"Yes. I serve Lady Raimeiren directly."
I recalled Mettora mentioning that Toshira was a highly capable sister whom Raimeiren entrusted with her vast territory whenever she was away. She was essentially Raimeiren’s right hand.
"To think my sister would speak so highly of me... I couldn't be happier," Toshira said, her expression softening.
"If you were entrusted with the territory, did you get Raimeiren’s permission to come here?" I asked.
"I left a note clearly stating my departure. There shouldn't be any problem."
"I see. But I don't think Raimeiren has read that note yet."
After all, Raimeiren had been here in the village for quite some time now. I wondered if that really counted as permission.
My suspicion was confirmed when Raimeiren herself crept up behind Toshira with a terrifying smile. She grabbed the younger dragon by the shoulder and began to drag her away. Hiichiro and Gural were at Raimeiren’s side, and I thought their presence might soften her mood, but Raimeiren simply handed the children over to Dos and continued hauling Toshira off.
This looked like it was going to be a long lecture. Still, since Toshira had traveled all this way, I called out and asked Raimeiren to at least let her attend the wedding.
Now that Mettora was here, the ceremony was imminent. I could have just waited while chatting with Urza and the rest, but most people had already left to help with the final preparations.
That left Urza, who had introduced Toshira to me. I had a fairly important matter I needed to discuss with her.
"Say, Urza. Aren't you forgetting something?"
She looked at me blankly. She wasn't forgetting anything? No, she definitely was. I told her to think about it for a second.
Still nothing?
"Alright, here’s a hint: Ice."
She blinked.
"I’m talking about the Ice Monster. You left him here in the village and never came back for him, did you?"
It was already spring, and he was incredibly sulky. He’d been making pointed comments within earshot about where he was supposed to spend the summer, and it was getting quite awkward. I’d mentioned it in my letters several times, telling her to come and get him.
Urza asked if I could look after him a little longer. She claimed she wasn't being cold—she was simply waiting for a proper environment to be prepared for an Ice Monster to live in.
"If that’s the case, fine," I said. "But you need to explain that to him yourself. And make sure you actually come back for him eventually."
I had more to say, but the wedding was finally about to start, so I decided to save the rest for later.