#435 The Wedding Ceremony

The day has finally arrived.

Prince Arowana and Puffer are getting married today!

Hey, it’s me again.

Naturally, I will be attending.

I’m the groom’s best friend and brother-in-law as well as the bride’s former employer, after all.

Platy is here with Junior as relatives and Garra Rufa as a good friend.

...Ah, speaking of which, here they are.

The attire Batemy made suits them well.

Of course, we’re all in formal wear.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been back to the sea. I’m usually asked to keep watch here while everyone is away,” says Garra Rufa.

True that.

It’s a bit of a drag when you’re the only mermaid in charge while the rest of them enjoy their time at the Mermaid Kingdom.

But you don’t have to do that today.

This is a big ceremony, and everyone has to be present.

Angel’s friends—Discus, Veiltail, Heckerlii, and Batrachus, have matured enough to be able to handle guard duty.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about their leader, Angel.

“We’re off! I’m sure my absence will leave a huge gap, but I know you guys will work it out somehow!”

“LEAVE IT TO US!”

Angel is also coming with us to the Mermaid Kingdom.

She’s royalty, after all. It wouldn’t make sense for her not to show up to the royal wedding.

However, there will be nothing noteworthy about her from here on, so her presence will be as thin as air.

As for Puffer, the bride and today’s star of the show...

For some reason, she’s standing alone on the beach, silently gazing at the horizon.

“What’s she doing?”

She needs to go right away for the ceremony.

Why is she standing there, stock still in her human form?

“Don’t disturb her, Dear. The ceremony has already started,” says Platy as she pulls me from behind.

After a few minutes of silent observation, something happens.

Something is rising from the sea’s surface and approaching Puffer.

It’s a human head.

The face, neck, shoulders, and finally, the whole body surfaces, and it becomes clear who it is.

It’s Prince Arowana, the groom.

He kneels down in front of Puffer and...

“I’ve come for you. Come to the Mermaid Palace to be my duly wedded wife.”

“And so, I shall.”

The bride takes the groom’s hand.

...Ah, this is very ceremonial and solemn indeed.

I now understand what Platy meant when she said the ceremony has already begun.

The groom coming for his bride must be one of the rituals handed down in the mermaid royal family.

“Okay, I better go and do my part now. Hold Junior for a bit, Dear.”

She hands Junior over to me and walks up to the bride and groom.

“The witch hands the bride the potion. A potion to win his love.”

“That sounds more like the beginning of a curse to me.”

This isn’t part of the traditional ceremony, it seems.

Anyway, Puffer takes the potion from Platy.

The lower half of her body shines, and the two legs that stand firmly on the earth merge into one.

By the time the light subsided, her legs had transformed into a tail fin covered in scales.

This is a mermaid’s true form.

What Platy gave was most likely a potion that would restore Puffer’s mermaid form.

“Now you can go back to the sea. Thank you for everything. And take care.”

“Thanks. All that I experienced here was the most intense events of my life.”

Why is everyone silently nodding in agreement?

“But today is the end of my life here. I will start living in a new place and with a new title... The prince’s wife, huh? I feel like it doesn’t suit me much.”

“I know it does. You’re an intelligent woman, after all.”

Puffer looks pleased as Prince Arowana embraces her.

“My wife has been very much indebted to you all! The most impenetrable sanctuary on land! Eternal thanks shall the merfolk give!”

It’s an important ceremonial day, so the prince gives his speech.

“The wedding ceremony will be held at the bottom of the sea, in the Mermaid Kingdom! All attendees are cordially invited to come!”

“We’ll be waiting!”

Prince Arowana and Puffer dive into the sea together, headed toward the Mermaid Kingdom.

It’ll be a long, long aisle.

Well, except it’s underwater...

“What now? Do we go after them?”

Platy and Garra Rufa can swim just fine on their own since they’re mermaids, but not Junior and me.

Would we take a boat to Paradise Island and then dive in a bubble, as we did before?

That sounds complicated.

“No, we’ll be teleporting there.”

“Do you know how?”

“Remember the waypoint crystal Puffer made before? We’re teleporting to it.”

Oh, yes, I remember something like that.

Puffer, with the sole intention of accompanying Prince Arowana on his pilgrimage, devoted all of her talents to completing this portable waypoint.

Normally, the spell only lets you move between stationary waypoints.

Once the waypoint has been set up, it cannot be moved. Therefore, if you want to fly to another place, you must first go there and install a waypoint.

However, Puffer’s crystal is portable, so we can go wherever this crystal is.

Prince Arowana wore it with him at all times. That’s how Puffer was able to accompany him anywhere.

“Thinking back, her love has been intense since then...”

“Apparently, she can’t make another crystal anymore. She must’ve gone above and beyond the limits of her abilities just to travel with my brother.”

The crystal is now said to be enshrined in the Mermaid Palace.

That’s reassuring, then.

“Puffer has already given me the necessary potion, so those who are planning to attend gather around me.”

As soon as the specified area affected by the magic materializes, she opens the test tube’s lid and pours its contents.

It vaporizes instantly and billows colored smoke.

The smoke is so thick it covers us and completely blocks our vision.

By the time we could see again, the landscape around us had completely changed.

We were standing near the shoreline before the smoke enshrouded us, but now we’re inside a large room with a majestic atmosphere.

The walls are made of marble, giving it a luxurious feel.

It’s so spacious you’d think we’re outside.

“...What a nice venue,” I think intuitively.

In the center of the room lies the crystal. I guess we did teleport all the way to here.

“Oh, my dearies! You’ve come!” welcomes Queen Mahi. Ah, the convenience of teleporting to arrive here this early. Arowana could’ve done the same, too.”

“The two of them are part of the ceremony, swimming until they get here. Let them have their alone time as much as they want.”

The Mermaid Kingdom’s metropolis is in the belly of a giant fish, complete with air and architecture.

So, as terrestrials, Junior and I can breathe without problems.

“Look, son; we’re here in the Mermaid Kingdom again!”

I show Junior the scenery outside and prepare myself for what’s to come.

That’s right.

Prince Arowana and Puffer’s wedding will take place here in the Mermaid Kingdom.