37 – Betrothal Ceremony

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Tatsumi’s whole body shivered once at Giuseppe’s suggestion.
This was because ever since the matter with the Gargadon mother and child, he had been thinking of this too.

“Earlier I asked you what you thought about marriage. I myself want to respect your opinion. And if you said wait, then Calsey herself would wait no matter how long it takes.”

Giuseppe took a quick glance at Calcedonia who was sitting next to Tatsumi, and she softly smiled.

[I want to wait till I have a job good enough to maintain a family.]

Calcedonia was aware off Tatsumi thought’s concerning marriage.

Though Tatsumi said it was a boring reason, she in the contrary was happy. Because that was proof of how much importance Tatsumi put into his life together with her.

That’s why just as her grandfather said, till Tatsumi assented she would wait.

“You have already become a senior priest. On top of that you are a clerical knight. Compared to the average men in the town your salary from these two should be much higher. Of course, I am aware that your end goal is to become an exorcist. But, at least I think it should be fine for you two to get officially engaged… what do you think?”

Formerly taking Calcedonia as his fiancé.

Even though he was living together with her for half a year now, thinking about this again he was still feeling shy.

“W-Well…. I actually don’t mind, getting engaged with Chiiko officially… No, I think that would be for the better. However solidly speaking… what are we going to do?”

In his previous world, let along engagement he never even dated a girl.

As he had this vague kind of image of marriage, he didn’t even know what they had to fundamentally do for engagement. Obviously, it was not part of his knowledge.

“About that. The general way is to hold a ceremony in the temple. There will be a temple priest watching over the ceremony as witness. Along with him, the parties’ concerned would be the only ones present there. God— Of course, receiving the blessing of the God of marriage, Savaiv is the motif. Basically this would be it. And yes, if you want to hold the ceremony I can act as the witness.”

As Giuseppe was giving a rough explanation of the ceremony while stroking his long, white beard, Calcedonia opened her eyes wide in wonder.

“I-Is that really okay? The only time the supreme pontiff acts as the witness, is when royals get married. At most for the highest of the nobility, no?”

“Well you are correct but. Son-in-law has been taking care of you a lot. As Calsey’s grandfather… no foster father, I should at least do this much.”

Even though Tatsumi was called over to this world against his will, he neither blamed nor admonished Calcedonia. On top of that he faced everything from the front and now, he was even pleasantly living together with her.

Though Tatsumi would always say he was the one in Calcedonia’s care, Giuseppe had always been grateful to Tatsumi on how he treated his adopted daughter.

Giuseppe wanted to repay that favour by acting as the witness of their betrothal ceremony. This was what he thought to do.

Of course, he said that while considering the pressure he would receive from the various parties because he will act as the witness as the supreme pontiff.

“I understand. Then, I’ll leave the matter relating to the ceremony to Mister Giuseppe. By the way, when will we hold the ceremony?”

After being relieved with Tatsumi’s affirmation, Giuseppe did a quick calculation in his head.

“Fumu…… The temple itself has some circumstances so, ten days from now. How does that sound?”

Tatsumi compliantly agreed Giuseppe’s proposal.

And behind him, Calcedonia was happily smiling.

***

“Huh? You want me to tell you about shops that handle Jewelry?”

The day after the matter of engagement was discussed with Giuseppe.

After finishing his training as a knight for the day, he asked Verse who was likewise finished with his daily practice.

“Yeah. I haven’t really gone around the town that much. So if you know a shop that is good at handling jewelry, please tell me.”

“Well I don’t mind but, why would you suddenly….Ah! I get it.”

After suddenly realizing something, Verse grinned at him with deep implications.

And being read so easily, Tatsumi became embarrassed as his eyes started so wander around.

“If it’s about that then you should as the Niez brothers no? Though they are an arms shop mainly dealing with Monster Hunters, I hear their business has been going on for a really really long time. If it’s about this town’s merchants than they should know more about it than me.”

“I-Is that so. Then, I’ll go as them.”

“Yeah, do that. And make sure to buy a good piece you hear me?”

“S-Shut up!!”

As Tatsumi walked away flustered with a quick pace, Verse looked at his back with amazement.

“Even though they’ve been living under the same roof for half a year already, just how long is he panning on staying that innocent? Well, that makes Tatsumi Tatsumi I guess.”

***

And so, the time period of ten days passed in the blink of an eye. These ten days, Tatsumi had truly been very busy.

He went to a store recommended by Niez, and bought the things he needed for the ceremony.

It seems like in this world, they don’t really use rings for engagement. But Earrings, pierces and ear ornaments like those.

After consulting it with the shop assistant, he bought a pair of earrings that he thought would suit Calcedonia.

But since it was over his budget, he even had to go borrow money from Giuseppe.

Because yeah, he couldn’t borrow money from Calcedonia if she was the one he was going to give the earrings to.

Tatsumi leaves all the money he gets from working at the temple to Calcedonia, and from that he takes a bit for personal use. The so called ‘Pocket money’.

If the ceremony wasn’t held on such short notice, then he could’ve taken things more slowly.

Between all this, he met with Giuseppe’s family.

He met with Giuseppe’s wife, and his sons. Giuseppe had 3 sons, all of whom had already married. They even had children.

Thinking about Giuseppe’s age, it was understandable. Well as they were Calcedonia’s foster brothers who were a bit apart from her in age, Tatsumi’s impression of them was noble.

Though the edginess Tatsumi felt when he was to meet them wasn’t small, because they already heard of this from Giuseppe and Calcedonia, they welcomed him warmly.

Nevertheless still as he was the partner of their foster sister — Considering the age Calcedonia could even pose as their foster daughter— the 3 brothers looked at Tatsumi with a somewhat strict way.

Though in the end it didn’t take long for them to open their hearts. Specially Giuseppe’s second son who was the Knight high commander of the Clerical Knights.

For Tatsumi, he was his superior. And Tatsumi heard many good things about him before.

By the way Giuseppe’s wife was the leader of the Temple of the Sea God Dragabe, eldest son was a Royal Knight, and the third son was a knight for the Temple of the Sun god Golaiva. Certainly, a family with very colourful backgrounds.

***

Tatsumi, wearing his ceremonial clothes as a senior priest, and donning the holy crest, kneeled in front of the huge stone statue of the God Savaiv in the chapel of the temple.

Likewise, Calcedonia was wearing her ceremonial clothes as she kneeled down. Before the Statue of Savaiv, Giuseppe was wearing his grandiose supreme pontiff apparels.

“— Right now, here, let the young vow to tie a new bond before the great god Savaiv. Let this vow be eternal, never to be broken, as it ties together them through eternity.”

Giuseppe’s soroneous voice resounded in the great chapel.

Normally, this place was full of devotees. But they notified them beforehand that today it was going to be used as the ceremonial hall. So till the ceremony was finished the devotees were made to wait outside.

Among them, there of course will be people new to Tatsumi and Calcedonia.

“— And so, by putting on the earrings of the oath, the ceremony will come to an end.”

Giuseppe had a solemn face, as he put the consecrated earrings on top of a round tray in front of the statue of Savaiv and turned around.

At Giuseppe’s instruction, Tatsumi and Calcedonia stood up.

Then Giuseppe humbly held out the consecrated earrings for Tatsumi.

The ones Tatsumi bought looked like a slim long silver plate with various kinds of intertwined designs. And at the centre of it was a small but highly transparent crimson gem.

This article of rare beauty was made by the Drawrven artisans who were part of a demi-human race that had close affinity to fire.

Tatsumi picked up both of the Earrings, and passed one to Chiiko.

“Sorry, Chiiko.’

“Eh?”

Calcedonia was bewildered as she was suddenly apologised to.

“T-That… Originally we could’ve taken it a step further, not just stopping at engagement… But because of my selfishness we had to do this… I’m, really very sorry.”

“N-No, That’s… I was the one who was being selfish… It was me selfishly summoned master over here—!?”

Calcedonia wanted to continue speaking, but Tatsumi stopped her placing his index finger on her lips.

“That’s not true. I am honestly happy to be summoned here. Frankly speaking, my life before…it’s not like I have no lingering feelings for my life back in Japan.”

This world was hard to live in compared to modern day Japan no matter how you see it.

This world had no electricity, so the night was dark. The winter was cold as this world had no air conditioners. Compared to Japan where he could always maintain a good, consistent temperature, it was world’s different.

Other than that, there were many additional fields where this world was leagues behind Japan.

“But still… This world has Chiiko. The Chiiko whom, I never thought I would meet again after she died, I can live again with that Chiiko here. That’s enough…No, I can’t think of anything that would make me happier.”

“Master…”

Glittering and transparent pearls of tears started to fall from Calcedonia’s ruby red eyes.

Smiling at her warmly, Tatsumi combed up her hair with his hand exposing her left ear, and put on the earring.

“Chiiko… Then…”

“Yes….Yes….!!!”

While wiping away her tears again and again with the back of her hands, she put the other earring on Tatsumi’s right ear.

The custom of the kingdom of Largofiely was the earring would be on the left ear for woman and right ear for men. They had to be of the same design, being the proof of their engagement. After marriage, the ears they put the earrings on would switch.

“Here, right now, let the ceremony come to a close!”

Along with Giuseppe’s voice, the bells of the temple started to ring in a soothing manner, as if to bless them.

The sound of the bells were heard in every nook and cranny of the city of Levantes, as it announced the engagement of the two young ones.

While tightly holding each other’s hands, Tatsumi and Calcedonia looked at each other closely.

Probably, Tatsumi and Calcedonia’s friends and acquaintances were waiting outside the chapel for the newly engaged couple to come out.

Verse, Niez, Sargo and Schero.

There were the senior knights, and people they worked with when they were junior priests.

Khooli, who was close to Calcedonia, and the other priestesses.

Maybe, people who lived in and near Tatsumi’s neighbourhood also came.

“Then Chiiko. Let’s go and proudly tell everyone, that we’ve finally been formally engaged.”

“Yes, Master!!”

The two left the chapel while tightly holding each other’s hand.

But.

After walking a few steps, Tatsumi suddenly stopped.

“Is something the matter, Master?”

“No, that. Isn’t it about time for you to stop… Well, calling me ‘Master’?”

“Eh?”

“Y-You know… T-That… Chiiko is certainly my Chiiko but, you aren’t a pet… A Cockatiel anymore and, now you are a perfectly fine human woman… I-I will also start calling you ‘Calsey’ from now so… So, can’t you stop calling me ‘Master’….?”

After Tatsumi said that, Calcedonia’s eyes opened wide in surprise. But a moment later, she started smiling as her face turned red.

“T-Then….Rather than ‘Master’, I will call you…’Hubby’ from now… is that okay?”

Calcedonia’s was blushing.

On the side, Tatsumi was also blushing hard.

“Ah, yeah…. Chiiko…No, if Calsey wants to call me that, I d-don’t really mind.”

“Yes!! Once again, please take care of me, Hubby!!”

While they were both blushing, their face was very close to each other as they started to smile happily.

The distance between their lips slowly became less, and as it became zero Giuseppe smiled in satisfaction.

***

After that for a while.

Giuseppe yelled out in irritation as the two’s lips didn’t seem to come apart.

“How long are you planning to do it! Enough is enough!”

Even though he was saying that, the warmth on the face of the supreme pontiff of the temple of Savaiv could be clearly seen.