Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage

Character page: Here

---

Chapter 214 – I attended the hero’s wedding

Today would probably go down as one of the most historic days in this country.

“Man… I can’t believe this day has finally come.”  [Youki]

It was the day of Yuuga and Mikana’s wedding. There had been that brief cheating scandal, but once the truth came out, public opinion flipped completely.

The rumours now said that the Hero dotes on Mikana-sama and that he’d never leave her. And if they were ever separated, he’d chase her down no matter where she went.

…That last part honestly sounds more like a horror story.

“Lots of twists and turns, but in the end, everything worked out, huh.”  [Youki]

At this rate, them having kids was probably only a matter of time…

“Oops, now’s not the time to be daydreaming. I’d better get ready.”  [Youki]

I pulled my outfit out of the wardrobe: the Magic Knight of Black Lightning costume.

“This is the backup plan in case something happens. It’s the plan Cecilia and I came up with together. My role is to stay in the shadows and make sure no one tries to crash the wedding.”  [Youki]

Yuuga had personally handed me an invitation as a guest, but… given my position, I couldn’t exactly stand in the spotlight. So instead, I’d be attending under the guise of Magic Knight of Black Lightning, working alongside the knight order. Besides, once the wedding was over, there’d be a private gathering with close friends and family. I’d make it up to them then.

Sorry, for now, I won’t be attending as a guest…

“I still have to meet up with Raven, so I’d better hurry and get changed…”  [Youki]

“Youki-kun, are you awake!?” 

“Wha—gah!?”  [Youki]

The moment I heard Yuuga’s voice, I hurriedly shoved the costume set to the back of my wardrobe.

…Wait. Where is he? I could hear him, but I didn’t see him anywhere.

“Oh, you haven’t changed yet? Hurry, hurry!”  [Yuuga]

“Don’t just barge into someone’s house through the window!”  [Youki]

At this rate, my place was going to stand out way too much because of this guy. Not to mention the trouble it’d cause for the neighbours, I really wished he’d stop.

“Sorry, but… I was worried, you know? Like, what if Youki-kun overslept. So, I came.”  [Yuuga]

“‘So I came,’ my ass! Why the heck is today’s groom hanging around here!? Get back to Mikana already!”  [Youki]

“Well, Mikana’s putting on her wedding dress right now… I can’t exactly go into her room.”  [Yuuga]

“Then wait outside it!”  [Youki]

Seriously, is now really the time for this? He’s still in his regular clothes, meaning he hasn’t even gotten ready yet. Why is he even here?!

“While I was waiting outside, I started worrying, like… what if Youki-kun doesn’t actually show up…”  [Yuuga]

“Ahh…”  [Youki]

I couldn’t help but bury my face in my hands.

What am I to you, exactly? Make Mikana your number one priority already. Forget about me for today and enjoy being celebrated. I’ll be watching over everything from the shadows anyway.

“I understand. Then hurry up and get ready. I’ll take you there.”  [Yuuga]

“Aaahh…”  [Youki]

At this point, I had no choice but to put on the suit.

But getting a ride from Yuuga? No, thank you. I’m not the one who gets carried. I’m the one who does the carrying.

So while Yuuga flew through the sky, I ran through the city in my suit, keeping my speed just low enough not to make him suspicious.

…

“Whoa… this is huge.”  [Youki]

The venue set up in front of the church was incredible. Knights were stationed everywhere. And guests were being thoroughly checked at the entrance gate. Even the food was under strict security – only chefs who’d been screened the day before were allowed into the kitchen, and their entire work histories had been investigated.

I’d already seen the venue the day before while standing in as the Magic Knight of Black Lightning, but witnessing it right now, on the day of the actual ceremony, was still mind-boggling.

Yuuga descended from the sky, landing right in front of me.

Crap, better pretend I’m tired, or this’ll look weird.

I wiped my sweat from my face and forced myself to sound out of breath.

“Hahh… hahh… Hey, Yuuga. We… made it to the venue…”  [Youki]

“Whoa, Youki-kun, are you okay? See, that’s why I said I’d carry you. Come on, let’s go inside. They’ve already got the food prepared, and there’s water in there too.”  [Yuuga]

…That backfired.

I couldn’t exactly snap back to looking perfectly fine now. So, led by Yuuga, I made my way inside.

At the entrance, I handed my invitation to the staff and went through the check-in process. Just like that, I was in.

“Alright… I can take it from here. You should go on ahead.”  [Youki]

“Are you really okay? I’ll stay with you until you feel better.”  [Yuuga]

“The groom hovering around worrying about a guest’s health is what’s really not okay. Just go already. Mikana’s waiting for you in her wedding dress.”  [Youki]

If I used Mikana as bait, Yuuga would move. And sure enough, he did.

“Got it. Don’t push yourself, okay?”  [Yuuga]

With that, Yuuga left. Thankfully, the whole thing didn’t turn into a scene. Besides, since I was just wearing a normal suit, no one would expect the star of the day to be wandering around a place like this with me anyway.

Now that Yuuga’s gone, I need to hurry home, change into the Magic Knight of Black Lightning attire, and come back… No, wait. Since I’m already here, I might as well take a quick look at the guests.

I pretended to be eating so I wouldn’t stand out and quietly scanned the venue. There was quite a mix of people present: some who were clearly wealthy, and others who seemed completely out of place – like the old man who runs the weapon shop. That was probably because today’s star was the Hero, Yuuga. His social circle really was broad.

Naturally, there were plenty of beautiful women and cute girls. Considering his past, they were probably former members of his harem. From what I remembered, Yuuga had said he’d already settled things with them, and judging by their expressions, they seemed to be here purely to celebrate. I wanted to believe that was true.

Still, there’s truth in the saying that you never really know what a woman is thinking deep down, so it’s better to stay cautious.

In any case, with more guests still arriving, I decided to keep my guard up.

After giving the venue one last sweep, I figured it was about time to head home… when a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks.

“…Youki-san!?”

“Ah…”

The one who called out to me was Cecilia. She was wearing a light-blue dress that suited her perfectly, and her hair was… pulled up into an updo? I wasn’t quite sure how to describe it. In any case, it was tied with a ribbon. I didn’t know whether Sophia-san had done it, or if Cecilia had styled it herself, but either way…

She looked absolutely adorable!

“Why are you here?”  [Cecilia]

“Ah! This isn’t the time to be gawking!”  [Youki]

I quickly pulled her towards a less noticeable corner of the venue and explained everything, from how Yuuga had barged into my house while I was getting ready to how he also dragged me out by force.

“I see… I never imagined he’d actually go to your house to fetch you. That was my oversight. I didn’t anticipate something like this.”  [Cecilia]

Cecilia looked apologetic, but honestly, none of this was her fault.

“No, no, no! That guy’s actions are completely unpredictable. There’s nothing you could’ve done about it. Anyway, I’ll hurry back home and get myself ready.”  [Youki]

Still, I hoped she wouldn’t look at me like that. If anyone saw us like this, they might get the wrong idea. With a crowd this large, there were bound to be gossipers, or even people who made a living off it, like gossipmongers. If misunderstandings arise, it could put Cecilia in a difficult position.

“Y-You’re right. We should probably act like we’re not very close.”  [Cecilia]

“Yeah. Let’s say I’m just some adventurer you happened to help on the road.”  [Youki]

It was a story I came up with on the spot, but it would work well enough. We hadn’t planned for this anyway. I wasn’t supposed to be here as ‘Youki’ in the first place.

Well, it won’t matter for long. I’ll be leaving soon, and the cover story won’t even be necessary. I need to hurry back, change into the Magic Knight of Black Lightning’s attire, and return.

Unfortunately, troubles do come in threes.

“Cecilia-san, it’s been a while.”

Tch… I should’ve ended the conversation with Cecilia sooner. I never thought someone would actually approach us. 

Since he was addressing Cecilia and not me, I figured I could just slip away naturally. It was probably someone from her days in the Hero’s party. Someone I didn’t know.

“Yes, it has been, Soleil-san.”  [Cecilia]

I froze the moment I heard that name.

The man standing before us was the Steel Arms of Azure Flame… not in his usual attire, but dressed properly for the occasion. Unlike Yuuga, his good looks were of a different kind, refined and dignified. As the next-in-line lord of a neighbouring country, he was often regarded as a top-tier marriage prospect.

Soleil Gresshart.

As the Steel Arms of Azure Flame, he’d once caused quite a stir in Minerva as well. He must’ve been invited through his connections. Otherwise, there was no way he’d be attending the Hero’s wedding.

What should I do? Technically, this isn’t my first time meeting Soleil, but as ‘Youki’, it should be. Maybe I can slip away while Cecilia’s talking to him. I’ve got a bad feeling this will get troublesome if I don’t. Besides, I still need to hurry back, change, and meet up with Raven.

“Cecilia-san, who is the gentleman you were just speaking with…?”  [Soleil]

“Ah, yes. This is Youki-san, an adventurer I met while traveling as part of the Hero’s party. I once helped him when he was injured.”  [Cecilia]

Soleil’s gaze shifted onto me.

Cecilia had given a safe and simple introduction, so I needed to keep my response just as safe.

“Nice to meet you. During my travels, Cecilia-sama rescued me when I was injured… and at that time, I was struggling with doubts about the path I should take in life. She listened to me, and thanks to her guidance, I was able to move forward.”  [Youki]

The ultimate trick: mixing truth with lies. Everything I said was more or less true, so there was nothing for anyone to doubt.

Cecilia looked relieved when she heard my answer. Did she really think I’d slip up? Or, knowing her personality, maybe she’d just been genuinely worried.

Ironically, that relief was probably what caused me to slip.

Without realizing it, I gave her a look that clearly said, “This should be fine, right?” The moment I noticed, I quickly looked away, but it was probably too late.

Cecilia, too, showed a fleeting expression that said, “Ah… we slipped up.”

Then I noticed it.

The way Soliel was looking at me had changed. He was staring straight at me… far too intently.

…What now? 

Looks like I couldn’t fool the sharp eyes of someone from the Hero’s party after all.

---

Previous Chapter  | Main Page | Next Chapter