Mushoku Tensei — Chapter 98 - The Wedding — Tears Unshed

The Wedding

We had talked about holding a grand wedding. Then Eris said:

"Mom and Dad are both gone now. There's no need for all that."

So the ceremony wasn't lavish. It simply began, quietly, on a suitable day.

My three wives and I stood together in the middle of the church.

We listened as the pastor, Cliff, intoned the vows. Under the witness of family and friends, we embraced and kissed.

When Cliff declared the ceremony complete, Roxy and Sylphie both cried. The waiting had clearly been hard on them, harder than they'd let on.

As for Eris... the force with which she hugged me was really something else.

......

More people came to the reception than I expected.

The hall was full, but they were all faces I could recognize. Family was a given. What surprised me was that Ariel and Luke had come, apparently at Norn's invitation. Cliff, too, had come at Norn's invitation. They'd met at a Milis church somewhere.

Ariel and Luke approached me, wine glasses in hand.

"Rudeus-sensei, congratulations on your marriage."

I dug up what I remembered of noble etiquette and managed a somewhat clumsy salute.

"Thank you for coming."

Ariel smiled and raised her glass.

"Rudeus-sensei, I'm here as a student and as Norn's friend. No need to stand on ceremony."

"Then I'll take you at your word."

I raised my glass, clinked it against hers, and drank.

After they moved on, I glanced over at Norn. She was chatting with Aisha about something.

How does Norn even know Ariel?

I turned it over for a moment and came up with nothing. It was a day of celebration, I let it go.

"OHHH! Come on! I'll drink every last one of you under the table!"

Talhand was bellowing from across the hall. The person sitting opposite him was... Nanahoshi.

"Old man, you'd better hold your liquor better than Rudeus, or this won't be any fun."

"Ha! Don't go comparing me to that brat!"

Nanahoshi really had become a complete drunkard. It was hard to imagine the sorrowful woman from two days ago was the same person.

I swept my gaze around the room and spotted the monkey-faced old man alongside Elinalise and Ghislaine. They were sitting with Paul, drinking and catching up.

"Hello, Rudeus."

I turned. It was Cliff — the pastor who had just performed the ceremony.

"Hello. Cliff, right?"

"Yes. Congratulations on your marriage, Rudeus. Though I am a Milishion Faithful, I offer my blessings to true love all the same."

"Thank you."

"Uh... so, Rudeus."

"Hm?"

"That blonde woman sitting over there. Is she someone you know?"

Blonde?

Ariel?

He definitely knows Ariel already.

Then it could only be...

Elinalise.

"Her name is Elinalise. I don't know her all that well myself."

"Elinalise... what a beautiful name..."

"Want to meet her? I don't mind playing matchmaker at my own wedding."

"Of course! Thank you, Rudeus!"

Though if I recall correctly, Elinalise is a bit... free-spirited in certain respects.

I led Cliff over to the table where Elinalise was sitting and made the introduction. Paul and the others welcomed him without a second thought.

"Elinalise, Cliff came over specifically to meet you."

I said my piece and left.

"Rudeus!"

I'd barely taken two steps before Eris's voice pulled my attention back around.

She came toward me with a blue-haired young woman in tow.

"Rudeus, this is Nina! We met while I was training at the Sword Sanctum! Nina, this is my husband Rudeus. Handsome, right!"

Eris stood with her hands on her hips, thoroughly pleased with herself.

I gave Nina a brief glance, not wanting to stare, and smiled.

"Hello. Thank you for looking after Eris during those years. She's mentioned you often."

Nina, for her part, looked me over without any pretense and gave a small nod.

"Hmm... you're not quite as handsome as Eris made you out to be."

"Her filter for me is a little severe."

"Hahaha, I'm joking. You look great today, leading man."

She glanced toward Eris then, noticed something off in her expression, and immediately took her hand.

"Of course, Eris — you're beautiful too."

"Nina!"

Eris threw her arms around her, wedding dress and all, completely unconcerned about the fact that it was a precious and very tearable garment.

I had no intention of mentioning it. A wedding dress is precious, sure, but at the end of the day it's just a piece of clothing you wear once.

"Rudeus, Nina and I are heading over there!"

"Sure."

Eris dragged Nina off somewhere into the hall.

I shook my head with a wry smile and looked toward where Sylphie and Roxy were. They were gathered with Aisha, Norn, and the cat-and-dog duo Aisha had brought along, talking about something, drinks in hand.

I had no desire to interrupt a girls' gathering.

I made my way over to Lilia instead.

She was supporting Zenith at the table in the center of the hall.

"Mother Lilia. Mother."

Lilia smiled at me.

"Young Master Rudeus, congratulations on your marriage."

I nodded and stepped forward to hug her, then gently hugged Zenith as well.

After I wrapped my arms around Zenith, she raised her hand and patted my back. Very lightly, just once.

"Are you angry with me? Or is this a blessing?"

I smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

She withdrew her hand slowly, then gave me the gentlest push, as though asking me to step back.

Then she was still.

"Big Sister probably wants you to enjoy today, Young Master Rudeus."

"I know. Thank you."

I left my mothers and headed to the drinking table.

"OHHHHH! The leading man's here!"

Nanahoshi was shouting. Talhand was already face-down.

"Nanahoshi. Normally I can't outdrink you. But today, I have no reservations."

"Hm? You normally hold back?"

"Today all my wives are here. I can get as dead drunk as I want."

"Then let's go."

The drinking contest started. At some point, everyone had drifted over to watch.

Roxy kept my glass full. Sylphie kept feeding me food between rounds. Eventually Eris and Nina joined in, and when Geese and Paul saw how lively things had gotten, they pulled up chairs too.

.......

I blacked out.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying with my wives.

Nothing had happened. After drinking that much, even if I'd wanted to, I wouldn't have been capable.

"Mmm~ Rudi, you're awake?"

Roxy's voice reached me before I'd even fully opened my eyes.

I felt exhausted in a way that went bone-deep. Probably still not sober. But as if by instinct, I turned and buried my face into Roxy's chest.

"Honestly, Rudi. Still this clingy at your age."

She said it quietly, stroking my head.

It felt like slipping back in time. Back to being small. Back to when Roxy was still my tutor, and the world was simpler.

"Rudeus..."

In the quiet warmth of that moment, something lightly smacked my face.

Eris's hand, mid-roll.

Her sleeping posture really hadn't improved at all.

"Roxy..."

"Hm?"

"Once things settle down, will you take me to meet your parents?"

"I'd be happy to. Though you probably won't be used to the environment."

"The Demon Continent isn't so bad. Knowing it's Roxy's homeland makes it feel familiar somehow."

"Rudi, you're still drunk. You're talking nonsense."

"Mhm..."

I turned my head and looked at Sylphie. Her sleeping face was serene, completely still, nothing like Eris, who practically fought the bed in her sleep.

Looking at her, I felt a quiet ache.

Sylphie has no friends. She hadn't invited a single person to this wedding. Not one. Even Roxy had invited her old teacher and a few colleagues. But Sylphie had stood there with no one on her side of the room.

And during the ceremony, she'd kept trying to shift her long green hair out of sight.

"Roxy."

"What is it?"

"I want to change this world's view of green hair."

"That's going to be very difficult."

"I know. But I'll try."

Roxy smiled, cupped my face in both hands, and kissed me.

"Mmm... all I can taste is alcohol."

"Sorry."

"I don't mind. It's mixed with your smell."

We smiled at each other. Something warm settled over the room.

"Ahh~ being Rudi's wife really is wonderful~"

Sylphie's lazy voice drifted from beside me.

I turned. "You're awake?"

"Mm~ Rudi wants to change the whole world's view of green hair for my sake~ I heard every word~"

"I'm just correcting a mistake. Green hair isn't a curse, Sylphie. To me, it never has been. You're a blessing."

"You're the same to me, Rudi."

I didn't know what to say to that. I didn't try to find anything.

I kissed Sylphie on the forehead, then leaned over and kissed Roxy on the forehead too.

I looked at Eris — still deeply asleep — and decided not to disturb her. I started to settle back down.

Then Eris's brow furrowed. Her eyes opened.

"Rudeus. Why didn't you kiss me?"

"I thought you were asleep. I didn't want to wake you."

"You're supposed to kiss me even when I'm asleep!"

She sat up, grabbed my face with both hands, and kissed me, hard, no room for argument.

All three of them were awake now. But none of us were thinking about anything beyond this. We lay there together and talked, small, unhurried things, laughter about nothing, the shape of what we hoped the future would hold.

Until the warmth and the drowsiness folded in around us again, and one by one we drifted off, tangled together, into sleep.

➤ Next: Love, Eris