Chapter 463
The ear-touching incident sent a shocking wave through the banquet hall that was filled with joy. To the elves, it was an embarrassing situation, especially since it was caused by kids barely in their early teens doing something that was hard to explain in words.
Thank goodness the cause was seen as a lack of knowledge rather than lewdness; otherwise, the admiration level would have plummeted straight down.
‘Almost lost it.’
Unknowingly, I stroked my neck and let out a sigh of relief.
The Krasius Empire was a nation so friendly to other races that the Emperor himself was considered a friend to them. For a minister to harass the granddaughter of an elf elder in front of the elves? If that blew up the relationship between the Empire and the elves, the late Emperor Ainter would rise from the dead just to drag me along the road of shame.
“You have elven blood flowing through you, and like that, human blood flows as well, so I can understand the ear-touching. It would be too much to emphasize only elven culture to you, a half-blood.”
Anyway, after the banquet wrapped up, my grandmother’s expression as she lectured Trix was extremely stern and serious.
“But here, I would like you to refrain from that. This is the space of the elves, after all.”
“Yes… I’ll keep that in mind…”
Trix muttered weakly, with her ears drooping down at my grandmother’s words.
Unlike her usual self, Trix looked half-dazed. It seemed the shock of realizing that a common habit of hers was considered inappropriate by the elves was a bit much for her.
I could understand. Even I, who could only guess the meaning of touching ears from not hearing it directly, felt dizzy; how much worse was it for Trix, who had just received the detailed information whispered to her? If it weren’t for coming to see my grandmother, she could have teleported away in embarrassment.
“I believe you understand now.”
“Yes, of course.”
Patting Trix’s shoulder gently, my grandmother turned her gaze toward me and spoke.
Is it just me, or did her once 100% friendly gaze drop to about 90%?
‘That’s on me.’
Of course, reactions like that are natural when considering that the only granddaughter of hers had to endure humiliation. The excuse that I didn’t know about elven culture because I’m human wouldn’t work here. Sometimes, logic and feelings can diverge, and now is one of those times.
“By the way, Grandma, there’s something I’d like to mention.”
Desperate to change the subject, I brought up a different topic. Continuing this conversation would only lead to my own detriment.
“Speak your mind.”
“I plan to marry Trix around this summer, and if it’s alright with you and the other elves, I’d like to hold the wedding ceremony in the protection zone as well.”
At that, my grandmother’s expression softened dramatically.
Thank goodness I successfully diverted the conversation.
The discussion about the wedding finished quickly. It was clear that it would be difficult for my grandmother and the elves to come out of the protection zone, and it would be just as tough for humans to enter it. So, we decided to simply hold the wedding twice.
After all, it’s better to hold weddings twice than have guests feel awkward at an occasion that should be blessed. It’s better to receive blessings twice than just once.
“In the old days, the vows of eternal love were made in front of the World Tree. Then the fairies would stick to the bride and groom and play around. It became a competition to see which couple had more fairies clinging to them.”
Once the discussion ended, my grandmother reminisced with a smile.
“I hope the World Tree fully revitalizes before your marriage, but even if the timing doesn’t fit, let’s have it in front of that tree.”
“It seems like an undeserved honor for a human.”
“If it weren’t for you, there wouldn’t even be a World Tree to speak of, so what’s with that talk?”
The way my grandmother spoke brought back the same glowing eyes she’d had before the ear-touching incident.
It seems the resurrection of the World Tree is an achievement that solidifies the elves’ affection towards me at 100%. Although it may waver for a moment, as long as it’s not a massive blunder, the respect and affection would remain unchanged. Truly an extraordinary feat.
“By the way, summer is coming. People will be too lazy to go outside in the heat, but we can enjoy it for the first time in a while!”
Although it felt like our wedding would inadvertently become a summer festival, I wasn’t displeased. A wedding is a celebration, after all.
Moreover, if the wedding could invigorate the elves, who are lethargic from the heat, it would undoubtedly earn genuine congratulations and applause.
After a two-day event, we returned to the mansion.
“Welcome back, Carl.”
As soon as we returned, Mar greeted us with the staff. But unfortunately, my gaze was drawn not to her but elsewhere.
‘What on earth is that?’
Typically, a husband would feel a bit sad if his wife didn’t focus on him, but Mar seemed to understand and smiled brightly before continuing.
“Isn’t it wonderful? Cardinal Alexandria sent it while you were away.”
“…Yeah, it’s nice.”
After a brief silence, I managed to voice my thoughts.
To be honest, I questioned whether it could even be categorized as ‘nice.’ I was sure there were better ways to describe it.
But nothing came to mind. Right in front of me as I entered the mansion was a giant pair of portraits on the wall. The inscriptions below made my head spin.
[ Blessed Carl Krasius of Tailglehen ]
The portrait depicted me with a stern, serious expression.
[ Blessed Marghetta Krasius ]
Next to it was Mar’s portrait with a gentle smile.
I felt like going mad. I had said that official canonization was the Pope’s authority, and yet when did such a portrait get made?
“I still don’t know if I qualify for canonization, but it’s a joy for a couple to be saints together.”
Saying that, Mar darted towards Trix, delivering greetings about the elder’s well-being or asking why she hadn’t stayed longer, but my gaze remained fixed on the portraits.
‘There’s no way I can just take them down.’
Eventually, I closed my eyes and bowed my head quietly.
If those weren’t official gifts from the Holy Kingdom, I would have crammed them into storage; but because it was something personally sent by the Cardinal, I can’t hide it. Being embarrassed and souring relations with the Holy Kingdom would just make it worse.
And by the time I found out that the Holy Kingdom had even sent a saint’s portrait, it was after dinner.
Damn it.
*
Reports came in that the minister and the Duke visited the interspecies protection zone, and a banquet was held in the elven residential area.
It’s not particularly noteworthy. Since the incident with the World Tree, the minister has been regarded almost as a benefactor by the elves. Even the Duke, being the bloodline of the elven elder, made it natural for a welcoming banquet to take place.
‘The divine energy has intensified.’
What caught my attention, though, was a letter from the Ausen Archdiocese, which contained some noteworthy content.
Last year, the Ausen Archdiocese also mentioned sensing the powers of a god other than Enen within the interspecies protection zone. This divine energy must belong to Constantina, who had granted the World Tree to the elves, and if the power of Constantina has increased, it means the revival of the World Tree is imminent.
That’s good news. The minister received Enen’s blessing during his wedding, and now the World Tree is coming back after hundreds of years? Even a fool can see that it indicates the divine favor resting upon the Empire.
‘It seems authority comes naturally just by sitting still.’
A smirk escaped my lips. The authority that the situation had painstakingly built up, one that I had always tried to grasp because I was from a lowly background, was now appearing almost effortlessly. How much better would it have been if things had always been like this?
Thinking this way, I picked up another document while going through the letter from the Ausen Archdiocese. There’s no point in holding onto vain regrets; I should stay in the moment.
‘Has it really come to this already?’
As I checked the paperwork, my eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly. It noted that key figures from the three nations currently enrolled in the Academy would be landing soon.
While it’s a normal thing for students who haven’t graduated to come back in time for the school year, I was surprised that the opening ceremony was already on the horizon. It felt like just yesterday we were having the New Year’s celebration.
‘Seems the minister will return to work too.’
Moreover, if the Academy schedule is set to start again, the minister would have to resume his duties as the Academy supervisor. That thought brought a smile back to my face.
In fact, I had been contemplating sending someone else as the Academy supervisor this year. No matter how much a ‘designate’ they were, sending a minister on a long-term dispatch felt unreasonable and unbefitting of a minister’s stature. However, the more I looked for someone else, the more I realized there simply was no one like the minister.
The minister had built amicable relationships with princes and future saints of various nations over his two-year tenure. Swapping out the person just one year before the end would stir confusion among the prominent figures and the elite forces protecting them, as well as among the Academy staff.
Of course, as I’d just mentioned, assigning the minister as a supervisor was a bit awkward although—
‘He is a designate, but he is also the minister.’
With just a little shift in perspective, he could be viewed as a minister rather than merely a designate. After all, isn’t everything based on how you interpret it?
Plus, currently, the only senior bureaucrat more idle than the minister was him alone. Unlike other officials who were grinding away preparing for the establishment of the oversight ministry, the minister left everything to his intended officia and just relaxed.
That’s why he is the minister. If not for him, no one would be going to the Academy.
‘If there are any complaints, they can just assign him the establishment preparations.’
Preparing for the founding of the oversight ministry or continuing the work he had been doing at the Academy for two years—if choose between the two, the minister would gladly take the latter.
The portrait of the minister hanging on one wall in my office seemed to echo that sentiment back at me.
“…Pfft.”
After staring at the portrait for a moment, I burst into laughter. Every time I looked at it, it just made me laugh.
‘Saint Carl Krasius of Tailglehen.’
What the heck? How was a last name attached right in front of the minister’s name?
It’s a shame that this will only be officialized posthumously.
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