#432 Before the Ceremony: Lampeye (Prequel)

“Will you marry me?”

“Yes.”

I am Hendra, a controversialist.

And I have one of the greatest mistakes in my life.

A woman proposed to me first.

My sweetheart, Lampeye, is an outstandingly talented witch.

While I was troubled about whether I was suited for her, she confessed her feelings.

Confessing is the man’s duty. I’m ashamed of myself for not fulfilling that.

Alas, I could only accept her proposal.

Coincidentally, Prince Arowana was also to hold his own wedding.

His partner is also one of the Six Witches.

To be married to a remarkable witch at the same time as the prince...

Just imagining how people would react is quite a headache.

However, I could not turn down Lampeye’s feelings, so I ought to face the consequences with pride and settle down.

But marrying and raising a family is something I find troublesome, and it’s mostly due to my background.

I was born into a prominent family but eventually ran away and cut all ties with them. Then, I became a lone controversialist.

Still, marriage is a major event in one’s life.

I have to inform my parents, so today, I went back home with my fiancée.

***

And the first thing my father said to me was...

“Do you want to be an admiral?”

“Huh?”

I wasn’t expecting that.

Admiral is the topmost position of the mermaid military.

It has been vacant for decades because it requires someone with ability, intelligence, spirit, and virtue.

If someone is newly appointed as admiral, it would be an achievement that would go down in history.

People say a man named Belphgamilia had been appointed commander of the Demon Kingdom’s Army. An admiral is a comparable rank to his position.

“Why would I do that? Have you lost your mind?”

“Was I wrong then? But I think your recent accomplishments are sufficient to prove your worth,” replies my father, the mermaid army’s general.

Currently, our army has three generals. The military policies are decided by the council of these three and the consent of the king.

However, once an admiral assumes office, the decision will be left completely to him alone.

It’s frightening to even imagine I’d be shouldering such a heavy responsibility.

“Think about it. Your reputation is at an all-time high because of your success in putting down the coup. People even call you Prince Arowana’s right-hand man now.”

“They do?!”

No, I knew.

I am a controversialist, so I’m quick to catch up on the latest news. It actually makes me uncomfortable when people I meet call me that.

“Add the fact that you were in last year’s Best Four of the Martial Swimming Competition. The other three were much like monsters, but your prowess was still felt.”

“That was out of sheer luck.”

That’s all I can say, really.

King Nagus, Prince Arowana, and Lord Saint.

The main reason I made it to the semi-finals was that I did not face these men in the earlier rounds.

If I had, I would’ve been eliminated then and there.

“But you fought through to the end against His Highness. It was a match to behold!”

“I still lost to him.”

The semifinals and my final match at the time.

Fighting Prince Arowana one-on-one was enough to show how strong he has become.

I realized right away I was no match for him.

The aura he emanated after he returned from his terranean pilgrimage was different as if he had become a different person.

The match itself was a long one, but I was being obstinate. 

I simply wanted to test how close I could get to him.

“A retainer could never be on equal footing with his master. But I can say that your performance was the best of them all.”

“That may be so, but...”

I earned the reputation of being the strongest non-royalty after that tournament— a hyperbolized title for a humble controversialist like me.

“To top it all off, you’re taking one of the Six Mad Witches’ hand in marriage. I have heard that Prince Arowana’s fiancée is also a member of the Six Mad Witches.”

Um, Father...

I think it would be best if you don’t repeatedly say that name.

“In short, it will only serve to strengthen the bond between you and the prince. You have achievements, are known for your abilities, and have a unique connection to the future king. Above all, you have good bloodlines! I think the groundwork is well laid for the first admiral in decades!”

Please don’t give me that.

You’re just elated by the thought of producing an elite mermaid from your lineage.

But it’s still a major achievement, no doubt.

“I agree, father-in-law!”

Even this person sitting next to me sounds excited by the idea.

“I, Lampeye, will do my utmost to support Hendra as his beloved wife! He is a prodigy and has the potential to reach the rank of admiral!”

“Right?! You know Hendra well, after all!”

“And you have keen insight to notice his talents, sir! I will do my part to make him admiral!”

My fiancée sure is eager.

Well, her previous job was as an imperial guard at the palace, so I guess it makes sense that she understands how great an admiral’s position is.

Though she’s probably excited more so because her future husband could be holding that position.

“Please wait, Father! As I’ve told you many times, I...”

“You have to have a proper job now that you’re going to make a family of your own. The time has come for you to join the military register.”

Urk...

I find it sad they don’t consider my job a respectable one.

...But Lampeye will go through the same thing. She’ll abandon her glorious duties of guarding Princess Platy at the farm to live with me.

Must I give up a part of myself in order to build a new life for the two of us?

I suppose that’s what marriage is all about.

A soldier for the army, huh... Well, it does sound like a secure job...

“What post would you like in the military? How about the deputy commander? You could learn a lot from your elder brother!”

So, he has already planned this.

“I’m here today to ask for permission to get married, so let’s talk about that first...!”

“Oh, right. I’ve often been told that I have a bad habit of rushing into things too quickly. Hahaha!” he says, grinning embarrassedly.  “It’s a great honor to have one of the highly esteemed Six Mad Witches join our family! He may be a foolish son, but I leave him in your care, young lady.”

“You can drop the ‘Mad’ part, sir,” replies Lampeye.

It scares me that she can still keep that smile on her face.

“Now, how about you meet the rest of our family? We’ve got everyone here just for today! I’ll go get them, so wait here.”

Saying this, Father exits the room excitedly.

I’m sure he’ll bring the rest of the family waiting in the other room.

Once this meeting ends, Lampeye will finally become a member of our family.

“...You look down.”

Alone together for a short while, she strikes up a conversation with me.

“Sorry. I know today is supposed to be a joyous day. But it’s just...”

“I’ve always wondered, but is there something going on between you and your family?”

She suddenly asks me the big question.

...No.

If anything, this is probably the right time to ask.

I’ve been giving off vibes that I don’t want to talk about my situation, and she cleverly understood my signs and left the matter alone.

But since she’s going to be related to my family, this has to be brought up sooner than later.

So, I strengthen my resolve...

“...It’s a pretty common thing in families.”

And timidly begin to tell her the story of how I came to leave this house.

“I was a failure.”