The cause was identified, but the problem was still unsolvable.
Although the outrageous accident of further expanding of the rotten world occurred, I couldn't afford to stay down forever. There's a mountain of things to do.
The guest list was finalized, and all invitations were sent. While waiting for the RSVPs, we had to move on to the next stage.
Today, I'm back at my family home, discussing wedding preparations with my brother.
The venue is confirmed as Saintya Cathedral—no issues there.
The dress has been entrusted to my mother. Since I’ve already conveyed my preferences, there’s no issue there either.
The bouquet will, once again, be handmade by my brother—no problems there.
The issue lies with the performances for the wedding.
“What should I do…”
For now, I’ve asked Makoto and the others to perform some hidden talents as a spur-of-the-moment request, but I’ll need a few more acts ready—especially with the state guests in attendance.
“Since Valkyrie is so associated with Rosarin, how about having Valkyrie perform a dance?”
“I will do my best.”
“Don’t agree so smoothly! While it might be spectacular, securing enough space will be difficult!”
“Oh, that’s too bad...”
“How unfortunate.”
Brother, aren’t you starting to tread into the realm of absurdity? If Valkyrie were to stumble, it would be a catastrophe!
“I heard everything! Allow me to participate in the performances!”
Suddenly, Mitchell-san, Cider-kun’s father, entered the room—though I had no idea where he had been listening from.
“Professor!”
“Mr. Mitchell-san!”
“And I’m here too~”
Oh, Diesel-san was here as well. Hello there. I completely missed him since Mitchell-san is so huge.
“Rosarin, leave it to us! Professor, Dil, I’ll give it my all to support you!”
With this group assembled, I could only feel a deep sense of unease.
“…I have conditions.”
“What are they?”
“It must be something Cidar-kun has approved of.”
“”“......…”””
The three of them froze in place with forced smiles. That shouldn’t have been an unreasonable demand.
“Cidar-kun can be strict, you know…”
“It’s non-negotiable. State guests are coming, so safety is the top priority!”
“Would Geraldin-san or the former king of my country suffice?”
“Absolutely not! Their approval means nothing—they’re far too unreliable!!”
In the end, I managed to convince the three to consult Cidar-kun.
“… I’m not sure how much we can do, but I’ll try my best.”
Cidar-kun gave a tired smile and nodded. Sorry! Only you can keep them in check! I’m counting on you! Sorry for adding to your headaches!!
And then my brother went off with Mitchell-san and the others…
Just as I was about to achieve enlightenment in a certain Gendo pose, I heard a cute voice.
“Oneechan, Kuurin and the others want to perform too!”
“Me too!”
“Me too~”
It was Kuurin, Kou, and Arisa. A mini-sized adorable goldfish, a pretty dragon, and an eternal little girl? Their dance would surely be described as "adorable."
However, my twisted Rosarin brain turned that image into a giant kaiju show featuring Bahamut, dragons, and the massive tree Magcheria.
“… Are you planning to perform at your current size?”
“””Nope, we’ll get even bigger!”””
So it *was* going to be a kaiju show!!
“… Why?”
“It’s hard to see when we’re small, and it’s more impactful when we’re big. Plus, it’ll help scare off any idiots who might challenge you!”
Huh?
“Yeah, yeah. Jend said so—”
Kou hurriedly clamped his hands over Kuurin’s mouth. So this was a Jend production?! He really has my best interests at heart, doesn’t he?!
“Mama, Arisa will work super hard and make sure it’s absolutely safe for the guests! Rulan and the others are super eager too, so it’s too late to—”
Kou hastily covered Arisa’s mouth this time.
“… Care to explain?”
I gave Kou a smile while still in the Gendo pose.
Apparently, this dance performance would feature young crystal dragons as backup dancers. Since they’re relatively eager to interact with humans, they wanted to erase the terrifying image of dragons.
The venue issue was solved with a simple “We’ll fly.” I had no counterarguments.
Barely holding back from rolling my eyes, I reluctantly gave my approval—or rather, I had no choice.
As I murmured, “I can’t run away; I can’t run away,” Ernst arrived.
“I heard we’re allowed to use large-scale magic tools for Rosarin’s wedding.”
“Tell me where you heard that from. I’m going to go deal with them.”
“Jend.”
Ernst confessed immediately. Don’t sell out your friend so easily!
“What is Jend trying to accomplish…?”
“He said he wanted to demonstrate Rosarin’s economic power and use the dragons to scare off any fools.”
Jend… Jend, what are you trying to turn me into? Are you aiming for me to become some kind of terrifying queen figure?!
“Here’s my idea.”
Ernst presented a proper proposal. How professional!
“Hmm…”
It outlined acrobatics with flying magic tools, colorful magic smoke, and flower showers, with contingency plans for safety barriers. There wasn’t a single flaw.
“Your budget, your rules—do as you like.”
“Great! I’ll make it spectacular!”
“… Sure.”
I wanted to say “It doesn’t have to be spectacular,” but Ernst’s genuinely happy expression left me unable to complain.
Finally, the magic beasts—Mofumaru, Snow Tiger Shirayuki, Lightning Lizard Uemura, Water Spider Suigetsu, Crystal Rabbit Kurisu, Wind Hawk Hojo, and Paralyze Snake Mahiru—offered to perform. I ended up practicing with them as well.
With all these acts, the lineup was more than enough. Still, I couldn’t shake a sense of unease. Why?
“Dirk, we’ve decided on all the acts besides Makoto’s group.”
I handed Dirk the report, and he quickly reviewed it.
“… Honestly, this lineup feels more like something for an international conference or festival than a wedding.”
“That’s it!!”
The unease was because the scale was clearly beyond what’s typical for a wedding. But even knowing that, there was no solving the issue now.
In life, one must learn when to give up.
What do you think about this chapter?
