Since Cattleya and Seigi were both fine with it, the decision was finalized for Olivia to officiate the ceremony. I had experienced a bizarre moment where an Archbishop I had never even met suddenly started praying to me, but other than that, everything proceeded without a hitch.
Lilia was glaring at me with a truly frightening intensity, but she was not the type to complain after the fact once she had given her permission. Instead, she simply let out a heavy, weary sigh and left it at that.
Olivia headed toward the ceremony venue with Archbishop Gloria to go over the final procedures. Meanwhile, the rest of us moved to a private waiting room that had been specially prepared for our use until the ceremony began.
"Um... wow."
"It says 'Miyama Kaito and Party' on the door, Senpai. You’re the representative."
"I wonder why it’s me instead of Lilia?"
I tilted my head in confusion. Usually, in situations like this, Lilia was always the designated lead. Why was my name the one on the sign this time?
Lilia was the one who provided the answer.
"Church waiting rooms are limited in number. Usually, anyone below the rank of king—even high-ranking nobles—is expected to share communal halls with other groups. If they had prepared a room in my name, the Ducal House of Albert would be the only one receiving royal-level treatment. That would create a sense of unfairness among the other guests, so they likely used your name as the representative instead."
"Ah, I see... That’s why my name is there."
"Officially, your standing is that you do not belong to any of the three kingdoms, Kaito-san..."
Come to think of it, she was right. As far as the public was concerned, I was exempt from the laws of the three human nations. Alice had described me as a "walking case of extraterritoriality," so giving me a private room didn't look like the church was playing favorites with any specific country.
How should I put it... even though I had grown somewhat used to this lately, blatant special treatment like this still made me give a wry, awkward smile.
"It’s really spacious inside, too," Aoi remarked as we entered.
"They likely chose a room of this size because they knew we would all be here together," Sieg added.
Luna chimed in, "Well, for our part, we get to spend the time until the ceremony in total luxury thanks to Miyama-sama. I'm certainly not complaining."
The room was indeed plush, furnished with comfortable chairs, sofas, and even a spread of expensive-looking tea snacks. It felt like true VIP treatment. I sat down and checked the clock. Given the scheduled start time, we had about twenty minutes to kill.
"So, what are weddings like in this world?" Hina asked, breaking the silence. "Is the format different from Earth?"
"Based on the setup of the venue, it looks a lot like a chapel wedding," Aoi noted. "But there’s a massive bell behind the altar, and what look like two separate 'Virgin Roads' near the center. It feels just a little unique."
Sieg stepped up to explain the symbolism behind the differences.
"The dual paths signify that the two people who have walked separate lives until now will now walk the same path together. The bride and groom enter from their respective sides and meet in the center before proceeding to the altar as one. As for the bell, the couple rings it together after pledging their love. It’s meant to send the sound of their vows to the Creator God, who watches over the world."
"I see, I see. Is that just a human thing? Do other races do it differently?"
"I’m sure there are variations, but at least among the Elf Race, the format is exactly the same," Sieg answered.
I recalled Sieg mentioning that elves had special traditional foods for weddings, but apparently, that was strictly for the post-ceremony feast. The ceremony itself didn't seem to differ much from the human version.
"The Demon Realm is apparently a bit more varied," Luna added. "They often adopt the human format, but some races have their own unique customs. My mother had hers in the human style, so I don't know the specifics of the others."
"Well, the cultures of the Demon Realm are incredibly diverse, after all," Lilia noted as she joined the conversation.
So, that large bell was meant to deliver a report to Shiro?
(I don't actually hear it unless I specifically intend to listen, though,) Shiro’s voice suddenly rang in my head.
Well, yeah, that makes sense. The fact that she could hear it if she wanted to was just like her.
(Is there actually any meaning in swearing an oath to me?)
You’re the God of the World, so I guess it’s just about reporting the union to a deity... though to the one actually receiving the report, I suppose it feels unnecessary.
To be honest, if they wanted to reach a god of love, Heart-san would probably be a better fit, but I wasn't about to start nitpicking religious traditions now.
(By the way... would it have been better if I didn't participate?)
Please, for the love of everything, stay away. It would cause a catastrophic uproar. I don't even want to imagine the chaos, even as a joke.
"Oh, I wonder if they have the bouquet toss here?" Aoi asked Lilia. "Back home, they say whoever catches it will be the next one to get married."
"Yes, we have that tradition as well, and the meaning is almost identical."
It was just casual idle talk between the two of them. They meant nothing by it. However, the timing was absolutely catastrophic.
(...Oh?)
It’s a superstition! It’s just a superstition!! Shiro, please don't give me that 'how interesting' reaction!
"Both of you, stop! Don't say another word!" I practically shouted, startling them. "Careless remarks like that act as triggers! You’re going to summon a guest we can't handle!"
I immediately went back to the desperate task of mentally persuading Shiro to stay put. I really hoped the world wouldn't blame me this time if she decided to crash the party—I was doing everything I could to stop her.
???: "Did I say there was only one companion? Yes, that’s technically true. There is only one companion... but I don't recall promising that no one else would show up at the venue."
Serious-senpai: "Wait... what...?"