Chapter 278: Shotgun Wedding! (2)

Everyone was unable to lift their eyes off the five girls marching down the aisle.

They were already beautiful before, but after dressing up and doing their makeup, they had everyone staring with their mouths agape, regardless of gender, race, or age.

The five lined up before Axel, with Beatrix to their right and Axel to her left.

“This is embarrassing…” Eve whispered, smiling joyfully.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Axel replied. “You girls are so beautiful that the entire venue went completely silent. See?”

Upon his urging, the girls turned toward the audience. Just as he claimed, everyone went quiet. It was so silent that they could hear the loud breathing of those in the front row!

“I bet it’s my cuteness that got them~!” Ria chimed in, looking proud of herself.

As the girls began to chatter, Beatrix cleared her throat behind her podium and started to speak. She adjusted her posture and projected her voice into the microphone before her.

“We are all gathered here today to witness the union of King Axel and his five brides,” she began.

Her words resonated through the speakers, and the stage was displayed on the projector screen above.

Just like any traditional wedding, Beatrix continued with a lengthy format of lines, mostly read straight from the book she held.

The ceremony’s format followed what Beatrix knew and had done before: the marriage ceremony of the Klint Kingdom.

However, it was slightly modified since not all six individuals present shared the same religion. Instead, they adapted it into a semi-formal ceremony that blended elements of the Klint Kingdom’s tradition with those of a Catholic ceremony.

The key difference was that no deity was mentioned. There were no prayers at all.

This union was between individuals, publicly witnessed, and dedicated to the well-being of the people.

After the lengthy introduction, the actual ceremony began.

“… Now, let’s proceed to confirming your intent.”

Beatrix’s preamble finally concluded, and the substantive part of the ceremony commenced. She turned to the brides and smiled.

“First bride, Eve Shardrain Klint,” she announced clearly. “Do you stand here by your own choice and accept the bond with the man before you for life?”

Eve did not hesitate. She nodded and replied, “Yes, I accept.”

It was a definitive response with no room for misinterpretation! Beatrix smiled, nodding as she moved on to the next bride.

“Second bride, Fenrir. Do you stand here by your own choice and accept the bond with the man before you for life?”

Without hesitation, Fenrir nodded.

“Of course. Master is the only one for me.”

Beatrix did not linger. After nodding in acknowledgment, she moved on to the next bride. “Third bride, Teruria Hallbach. Do you stand here by your own choice and accept the bond with the man before you for life?”

“Yes! I do~!” Ria exclaimed energetically.

Acknowledging her response, Beatrix continued to the next one.

The corner of her eyes softened as she looked at Arianne, pausing for a moment before asking.

“Fourth bride, Arianne von Plassus.” She spoke with a gentler tone than before. “Do you stand here by your own choice and accept the bond with the man before you for life?”

“Yes.”

Her response, accompanied by a firm nod, was brief but just as resolute as the other brides’ affirmations. Beatrix felt a sense of joy for her, having watched Arianne since she came of age and entered the knights, all the way until she reached the top.

’Back then, she claimed she would remain single forever… it seems times have changed.’ Beatrix chuckled to herself.

Without pausing for too long, she turned to the last bride and asked the same question once more. “Finally, the fifth bride, Ethernina Hallbach. Do you stand here by your own choice and accept the bond with the man before you for life?”

Nina fell silent for a moment, as if deep in thought.

Then, slowly, she raised her head and locked eyes with Axel across the room. “Yes, I do.” Her response was firm and straightforward.

With their intentions confirmed, Beatrix followed up with a lengthy speech. She recited the “duties” of the brides as wives and of Axel as their partner, and so on. It was reminiscent of a sermon, though not exactly one.

About half an hour later, it was finally time for Axel to take the stage.

The girls’ confirmation of consent was complete, and now it was time for Axel’s oath to them!

Axel wasn’t nervous, of course. His heart raced, and he was sweating from his forehead, but he definitely wasn’t nervous at all.

He stood before the five brides, scanning their faces one by one. Then, he smiled.

“I… Axel Walker, hereby swear. I shall always love you all with 100% of my being and never let you down.” He began.

His voice was calm, completely concealing his inner state. “I shall protect you from any harm and work together with you to reach greater heights. As a king of a nation, as a warrior, and as a man.”

The oath continued for five minutes, making not only the brides feel his conviction but also the audience listening to his speech.

“WOOOOAH!”

As soon as his oath concluded, the audience erupted into applause, cheering, and making as much noise as they could. This naturally disrupted the solemnity of the ceremony, but they couldn’t be blamed.

Axel’s speech had captivated the audience to the point where they felt ready to burst if they didn’t cheer!

It should have been a disruption… right? But when the cheers continued to swell, Beatrix decided to embrace the moment! She literally took the ceremony in stride!

“Alright! Up next is the main event!” she shouted, holding the microphone like an announcer at a wrestling match, her hand waving dramatically. “The long-awaited section: Exchange of Rings!”

“WAAAAAH!”

Another cheer erupted, even louder than before.

The sun blazed overhead, but the audience seemed completely unfazed by the heat!

“Beatrix…”

Axel could only smile wryly. He realized she was ad-libbing at this point. The next segment was supposed to include another speech from her, but she had completely bypassed that, moving straight to the rings!

Still, wrapping up the ceremony sooner wouldn’t hurt him, so he went along with it.

Without delay, he stepped forward to Eve. In his hand, a golden ring materialized. It was plain and simple, with engravings along the sides—not on the face, which featured a smooth, flowing design. The engravings on the “narrow” sides displayed Axel’s full name on one side and Eve’s on the other!

“Eve,” Axel said, lifting her left hand and gently sliding the ring onto her ring finger. “Let us rebuild your Klint Kingdom here, in our Axevaria Kingdom, one step at a time.”

“My King…”

Her eyes filled with tears as she gazed at the golden ring, and she nodded. “From today onwards, I am yours and yours alone!”

Then, Axel gently pulled her veil over her face. The two leaned closer, their lips meeting in a brief kiss.

Next, Axel turned to Fenrir.

Another ring materialized in his hand—similar in design but with a different engraving—as he took Fenrir’s left hand.

“Fenrir… I promise that soon, I shall free you from Gleipnir. I shall free you from anything and everything that binds you.”

Fenrir smiled, caressing the golden ring on her finger. “Master, I am yours, and you are mine. There’s no need to rush, for I shall be with you until the end of time.”

Axel smiled as he lifted Fenrir’s veil and gently tugged at her chin before kissing her lips. Although he intended for it to be a quick kiss, Fenrir’s arm wrapped around his neck, holding him for about five seconds!

He didn’t resist; he simply waited until she was satisfied and released him on her own. She pulled away, licking her lips seductively, causing something to stir within Axel.

“Ahem…!”

He quickly cleared his throat and moved on before things escalated further.

“Ria…” Axel said, looking at the loli witch, who stood over a head shorter than him. “We’re technically already married, but let’s strengthen our bond from here on out.”

He gently placed a similar ring on her left ring finger, symbolizing their union, alongside the Witch’s Kiss that already tied them together—or the Soul Seal that literally linked their souls.

“Of course, my husband!” Ria exclaimed, her smile brimming with energy as she jumped up, wrapping her arms around Axel’s shoulders to reach his lips for a kiss.

Axel met her enthusiasm, easily catching her and returning the kiss.

It was short but playful.

Thereafter, he slowly brought her down to where she had previously stood and stealthily wiped away the kiss mark she had left on his cheek.

Moving on, Axel stood before the fourth bride with a smile.

“Arianne… Without you, I think none of this would’ve happened in the first place,” he began. “That day, if you hadn’t talked to me—a strange man behind a wooden barricade and a tent—and bravely asked for my help, I’m sure none of this would’ve started.”

He pulled her left hand gently, sliding the ring onto her finger.

“No…” Arianne shook her head softly. “That should be my line, Sir Axel. If not for you, we probably would have died soon after. We literally owe you our lives… And this is the least I can do to repay that.”

Tilting her head upward and closing her eyes, she awaited his kiss. Axel gently placed his lips over hers, parting after a brief but sweet moment.

After taking a deep breath, Axel moved to the last bride.

“Nina, huh…” He smiled, carefully pulling her hand up.

“Back when we first met, I never imagined our relationship would come to this point. But now that you’ve been disowned by Queen Wisteria because of me… I will take care of you until my last breath.”

Though her cheeks flushed slightly, her lips curled into a thin smile as she replied.

“It’s not really your fault; it’s my fickleness… But please do take care of me from now on, for I will forever take care of you too.”

Axel leaned in and kissed his fifth bride.

After pulling away, he noticed that Nina’s face had turned an even brighter shade of red. ’What a cute reaction,’ he thought.

“AAAAND! With this, the marriage ceremony is concluded!”

Beatrix announced into the mic, her voice loud enough for the speakers to ring.

“Give cheers to the new king and queens!”

“OOOOOOOOH!”

Then, the loudest cheer of the day erupted.

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