I would have liked to relax and enjoy the wedding reception, but I still had work to do.
Mainly, I had to handle the formal greetings for the guests who had arrived.
This was especially true for the members of the Post-Age of Gods Dragon Race I was meeting for the first time, as well as their subordinates.
Rusty and Gucci were acting as my assistants, so for the most part, I just had to stand behind them, nod grandly, and offer a sentence or two at the end... but even so, the sheer number of guests was quite high.
"Village Head."
Hmm?
Standing next to Rusty was someone entirely covered in a black hood.
There were several others dressed the same way behind him, so I assumed he was their representative.
He was part of the clan that took care of the groom, Gienel—or was it the other way around? They were the clan he looked after.
I see. It was a pleasure to meet them.
I thanked them for coming to Gienel and Mettora's wedding reception.
As I was giving my greetings, Versa approached from the side. She waved casually at the person in the black hood.
Were they acquaintances?
"He is one of the Thirty-seven Legion Commanders, the Legatus Legionis. A member of the Shadow race—one who is ten thousand, and ten thousand who are one. Those behind him are essentially the same individual, so if you speak to one, the message will reach them all. It’s rare for someone like him to come all the way here when he’s usually busy constructing castles and dungeons... Hmm? Stop blabbering? Oh, it’s fine, isn't it? It’s not like we’re enemies."
As Versa spoke, she glanced toward the Fairy Queen, who was devouring wedding cake, and the Phoenix Chick, Aegis, who was leisurely enjoying his meal on the table.
The hooded figure thought for a moment. Realizing he couldn't afford to make enemies of those two, he raised both hands slightly in a gesture of surrender.
"So, let’s all get along. Oh, Village Head. You can call them Kurokuro. That seems to be the name they’re using for now."
I-I see.
Versa led Kurokuro away.
Still, a Legion Commander, huh? I seemed to run into them quite often. Perhaps being a Legion Commander wasn't that rare of a thing. Rusty and Gucci both disagreed with that assessment, though.
The members of the Post-Age of Gods Dragon Race were currently engrossed in the reception food, but their conversation naturally centered on Gienel and Mettora.
One thing I found curious was that the Voice of God heard during the wedding wasn't being discussed much.
When I asked Toshira about it, she told me that most of them had simply reached the conclusion that it was "to be expected from the Age of Gods Dragon Race" and left it at that.
I see. In other words, they had already finished talking about it, so it was no longer a hot topic. That resolved my doubt.
By the way, I had heard that Mettora had many younger sisters. Was Toshira the only one attending the ceremony and the reception?
Toshira explained that Mettora’s clan, not just herself, served the Age of Gods Dragon Race and held heavy responsibilities in various regions. Because of this, it was difficult for them to gather for a wedding that didn't hold a specific cultural significance.
Toshira herself had barely managed to participate by pushing herself to the limit.
Ah, right. I promised to tell Raimeiren about that one more time, so she should just calm down. It would be fine. Since she had acted out of concern for Mettora, I was sure Raimeiren would understand.
Hmm? Oh, so their parents and sisters had sent celebratory gifts. I hadn't meant to imply there was any bad blood between them. I just thought I might have liked to meet Mettora's sisters while I had the chance.
And... Toshira. She had been drinking the entire time. Was she going to be okay?
Was it celebratory sake? Or was she drinking out of frustration because she had given up on stopping the marriage?
Neither? Celebratory sake, then. She intended to do her best as a wonderful aunt once Mettora had children. Well, as long as she had a new goal, that was fine.
However, regarding her drinking habits... no, I wasn't worried about how much she drank. I just thought I should warn her that if she became a violent drunk, she would be disciplined. Yes, even if she was a member of the Post-Age of Gods Dragon Race, the rules still applied. As long as she wasn't being rowdy, it was fine. Heavy drinkers were always welcome.
Then there was Progenitor-san. He didn't have much of a connection to Mettora, but he had attended because it was a wedding.
I had been worried about his reaction to the Voice of God, but he was surprisingly calm.
"Hehe. If it is a god, just any god won't do for me."
I see. The voice at that time certainly hadn't belonged to the Creator God whom Progenitor-san worshipped. I wasn't sure if the Creator God I knew was the same one he followed, but since I instinctively knew that the speaker wasn't the Creator God, they were likely different entities.
In that case, what were this sketch of a god and the accompanying order form?
"It is the appearance of the god thought to be the owner of the voice. I interviewed those who heard it and tried to draw what she might look like."
The sketch was... how should I put it? She looked refined and elegant, but like a woman who might have been a bit of a rowdy troublemaker in her youth.
I couldn't help but wonder why they imagined her like that, but strangely, it felt appropriate.
I understood. I told him I would find some time to carve it. The spring field work had settled down, but I was still busy with various other tasks.
By the way, was Versa okay with this? She had been with Kurokuro the entire time.
"Hmm? Isn't it important to have time to chat with friends once in a while? I don't believe in tying my wife down."
Is that so?
"Besides, him... is he going by Kurokuro now? We aren't complete strangers."
Really?
"The dungeon I prepared to confine Versa... excuse me, I mean the dungeon I built so Versa could focus on her writing. He helped me when I was constructing it."
The Coastal Dungeon, then. I had assumed Progenitor-san had built it all by himself.
"Even for me, a structure of that size would be impossible alone. My faint memories tell me that many people besides him assisted me."
I see. Since he had come for the reception, I couldn't ask him today, but perhaps I would have him take a look at the Great Tree Dungeon sometime. He might be able to offer some professional advice.
The reception proceeded smoothly—or rather, it plunged into the middle of the night with the energy of a typical village banquet.
I made sure the children went to bed. I told the adults to drink in moderation. I also warned the dragons not to get too wild.
I wasn't saying that to Hakuren or Rusty. It was because the members of the Post-Age of Gods Dragon Race seemed to be drinking quite heavily.
Hmm? An announcement before the children went to sleep?
Come to think of it, Tiselle had said she would announce the name of the new country she was founding and its representative. Since there weren't many people involved in the project present, I suppose this was a sort of rehearsal for the official announcement in the Royal Capital.
"I shall now announce the name of the new nation and its representative!"
Tiselle's voice, amplified by magic, echoed through the reception venue.
"The name of the new nation is the 'Six Dragon God Kingdom,' and its first King will be the star of today's wedding, Gienel... King Gienel!"
Eh?
I had heard she was looking for a King, but Gienel was actually going to do it? Was it really okay for a dragon to take a position like that?
Well, Ojes and the others from the Post-Age of Gods Dragon Race already worked in the Demon Kingdom. Perhaps there was no problem with one of them becoming a King.
I grew worried and looked toward Dos and the others. The Age of Gods Dragon Race replied that it wouldn't be an issue. They explained that it simply meant their territory would become a clearly defined nation.
Besides, they added, he had the support of a god.
Support from a god?
Ah, so that "Do your best" I heard from the Voice of God—it was referring to this!