The Silver Bride

by Yuri Kitayama

  “What’s happening?!” The squad leader that had been guarding the front of Celia’s carriage yelled toward the rear from horseback. From the carriage, Celia also turned to look back in a panic. “I-Intruder! He suddenly slipped into our squad!” a panicked reply came from behind.

  “Huh?” Celia witnessed a shadow weave through the crowds, closing in on the carriage. The horseback squad leader beside her also seemed to notice the black shadow.

  “S-Spread to the side and form a single wall! Don’t let him approach!” he ordered in a fluster. The soldiers in the area hurriedly got into formation, forming a single horizontal line as a human wall, bracing the lances in their hands.

  Meanwhile, the black shadow continued to weave in and out of the squad, steadily heading for the wall of soldiers. After the figure was at a certain distance to the carriage, he stepped out into an area that the soldiers had left open.

  “Sorcerer Squad, apprehend him!” the leader of the knight squad ordered the sorcerers that were included in the parade. The sorcerers moved quickly, pointing their staves through the gaps between the soldiers forming the human wall and chanting to cast an offensive subjugation spell.

  “Photon Projectilis!”

  Immediately, magic circles of light drew the spell formula in the air at the tip of the staves, shooting an endless amount of photon bullets toward the black shadow. At the same time, attendees standing at the side of the road started to scream. Imagining what would happen next would have some people avert their eyes, whereas some gaze heatedly at the sudden commotion.

  “Wha?!” Everyone present was struck dumbfounded. The black shadow skillfully stepped from left to right, lightly evading the rush of light bullets. Then, once he was several meters away from the wall of soldiers, he leapt high into the air and easily crossed over the top of their heads.

  “H-He jumped?!”

  The improvised line of defense broke into chaos, greatly reducing the number of soldiers obstructing the black shadow from the carriage Celia was on. The black shadow landed on the ground in a squat to kill the force of impact and came to a stop ten or so meters before the carriage where Celia and Charles were, adjusting his stance. His isolated figure was clearly one of a human, but a black overcoat covered his whole body and the hood was carefully covering his whole face.

  “W-What physical ability...” The soldiers in the area swallowed their breaths in fearful awe.

  The depths of the black shadow’s hood stared straight at Celia. Celia’s gaze was also drawn into the depths of the hood, and she widened her eyes in shock.

  The black shadow immediately adjusted his hood to secure it and started running.

  The squad leader protecting the carriage snapped back to his senses first and gave orders to the other knights. “Protect the two of them! Get down from your horses! Augendae Corporis!”

  “Augendae Corporis!” The other knights also returned to their senses and chanted the spell, jumping from their horses.

  “You, slow him down!” the squad leader ordered the few remaining foot soldiers standing in the way in a harsh tone. He must have realized they were no match for the figure, as his orders were a roundabout way of asking them to buy time instead.

  The nearby soldiers attacked the black shadow in a fluster, but sure enough, they were nothing more than an annoying obstacle to him. The soldiers had bought enough time for the knights to get into battle positions.

  “Draw your swords! Surround him and capture him! I don’t mind if you take off an arm or two while you’re at it. We’ll teach this ruffian who thinks he can intrude on this glorious ceremony a thing or two about this kingdom’s prestige! Let’s go!” the knight leader declared loudly as he pointed his sword at the black shadow, and the knights began their counterattack with perfect movements.

  The leader and another knight hovered in the back to watch out for his leap, while the remaining four knights surrounded the black shadow and attacked him. Seeing that scene made Celia tremble with fear.

  Charles looked at the black shadow with eyes that hid none of his disdain and spoke to Celia with strong confidence. “It’ll be all right, Celia. Like I said before the ceremony, they are the elite of our kingdom’s elite. Both their lineage and abilities have been proven to be true.” It showed how much faith he had in his subordinates.

  “There’s no way the likes of a lawless bandit could overpowe... What?!” Charles’ mouth fell open in shock as he witnessed what was unfolding before him. Celia’s eyes also widened in astonishment.

  ◇　◇　◇

  The black figure showed no sign of cowardice as it took on six knights unarmed.

  “Don’t underestimate me!” The four knights in front raged at the unarmed black figure, each exerting more strength into the hands that gripped their swords. They judged the space between them and tried to receive him from the front and sides.

  “Wha... Gah?!” Of the two knights in the front, the one on the left was suddenly attacked without warning. The knight felt the gold armor protecting him bend before he was easily blown away, flying several meters. The display of speed and abruptness of the surprise attack left the three remaining knights in the circle formation frozen for a moment.

  The black figure did not let that moment of weakness escape him. He stopped the sword the knight to the left tried to swing with his bare hands, then dispersed that kinetic energy as he twisted the blade sharply. When the knight unthinkingly let go of his sword, he immediately stepped forward and kneed him in the stomach.

  “Guh?!” In no time at all, the second knight was blown back and sent flying through the air. Immediately after, the black figure turned and ran toward the two remaining figures.

  “I-I’ll back you up!” The two knights who had been standing to the rear as backup hurried to join the front guard in a panic, but the black figure had already reached the two knights in the front.

  The intruder carelessly closed the gap between them, but the two knights in the front guard no longer hesitated to swing their swords.

  “Guh...” The black figure saw through the trajectory of the two knights’ slashing attacks and leaped boldly to avoid them, closing in on one of the knights and landing a kick to knock his opponent out in one blow.

  “Gah...” In response, the remaining knight swung his sword vertically downward in an attempt to counterattack, but the black figure veered to the right to evade the sword and released an interrupting thrust with his fist. The knight was blown away, rendered incapable of combat like the other front guard knights.

  Now, the only remaining knights were the two who had been standing by as backup. Seeing how the four front guard knights were wiped out before they could join them, the knights slowed down dramatically.

  The black figure adjusted his hood more securely and broke into a run. He was headed for the carriage behind the two knights — where Celia was.

  “Here he comes!” The knight squad captain, who had been in the rear guard, braced himself to block the black figure’s way.

  “Haaah!” the other rear knight yelled as he started running. He passed the knight squad captain and went straight for the black figure.

  “Fool, stop!” The knight captain yelled at his charging subordinate in a fluster. But it was too late.

  The black figure jumped toward the charging knight and turned in the air to evade the knight’s attack, before tangling his legs around the opponent’s neck.

  “Wha?!” The knight with his neck twined immediately lost his balance from the force and weight of the black figure. The black figure used the momentum of his jump to steal control of the knight’s posture and whip him around, throwing the knight’s body at the knight captain in front of him.

  “Kuh?!” The knight captain leaped to the side in a panic, evading the body that came flying. However, the black figure used that time to land on the ground and adjust his posture, immediately closing in on the knight captain and launching an elbow strike on him. The knight captain was blown away; h
e rolled on the ground, groaning.

  Only a few moments had passed since he had come in contact with the knight guards, but there was no one left standing in the way between the black figure and the carriage Celia was riding on.

  The black figure did not pass up on the opportunity to run toward the carriage once more. He leaped high in front of the carriage and landed gracefully right before Celia and Charles. “Y-You— Gah, hah?!” Charles went to punch the black figure, but he was easily thrown against the carriage floor. This left Celia and the black figure as the only ones standing on the carriage.

  “Ah, umm... Huh?” Celia cowered where she stood, when the black figure took a knife out of his pocket. Then, he pinned her arms behind her back and held the knife to her neck.

  “What?!” Those that witnessed the sight all gasped in terror. Celia was also unaware of what was going on, making her curl into herself even further.

  “Y-You! Release Celia! What— Gah!!” When Charles noticed that Celia had been taken hostage, he yelled in shock. However, the black figure kept Celia held close as he stepped on Charles’ back, and with the impact of hitting his chest when he was thrown, Charles started coughing halfway.

  “Celia, dear! Hey, someone save my daughter!” Celia’s father, Roland Claire, jumped up from his position in the family seating area near the stairs leading to the altar and yelled, expression paling.

  “Tch, that fool, bringing shame to the family...” Duke Arbor came over too, twisting his face in annoyance at the disgraceful sight of his son.

  “W-Wait, please! It’s too dangerous. Don’t provoke the bandit!” The soldiers hurried to halt Count Clare and Duke Arbor in their steps.

  “Argh, release me! Didn’t you tell me your security measures were perfect?!” Roland wailed, breathing roughly. In the meantime, the black figure confirmed the situation around them through his hood.

  Professor Celia — it’s me, Rio. I apologize for the fuss, but I wanted to take the chance to talk to you while our surroundings are doused in confusion. If you could remain silent for a moment, I would greatly appreciate it, he spoke to Celia through telepathic spirit arts.

  “?!” Celia gasped and stiffened in the face. However, she seemed to have built some resistance to the shock of telepathy through her encounter with Aishia earlier, as she seemed to accept the situation without much of a reaction. She waited for Rio’s words with a worried look.

  First of all, I am communicating to your mind through a method called telepathy. This cannot be used without direct contact with the other, so please remain restrained like this for a while. It’ll act as a control to our surroundings too. If you think your thoughts strongly and clearly, they’ll reach me too, so if you have any questions... Rio began to explain to Celia while being wary of their surroundings.

  So it really was your doing, wasn’t it?! What is the meaning of this?! Celia questioned Rio without a moment’s hesitation. But before Rio could respond, Charles grew tired at their feet and started to make a fuss.

  “Y-You! How long do you intend on using me as a footrest?! Who sent you? What do you want?!”

  Rio sighed quietly. “Silence. I have a vendetta against you. I’m considering my options right now, and I don’t mind simply crushing your spine like this, honestly,” he said, putting more force into the foot on Charles.

  W-Wait, Rio?!

  Don’t worry — I won’t kill anyone. It’s an act to make a distraction, because he’s a bit nosy.

  Y-Yeah... Celia nodded timidly at Rio’s explanation.

  “Ngh...” Charles must have sensed how the weight on his back was threatening his life and immediately fell silent.

  Meanwhile, the surroundings were in extreme chaos, with people trying to evacuate the attendees while also trying to surrounding the horse carriage. However, they appeared to fear for the safety of Celia and Charles who had been taken hostage, as they didn’t try any bold actions.

  Rio decided to take that time to continue his explanation. There’s no time, so let me say this quickly: I want to hear what your true feelings are one more time, before you get married. That is why I have come, he said flatly.

  Wh-What do you mean, “that is why”? What are you thinking, doing something like this?! You’ll be captured, you know!! Celia yelled in her head in a panic.

  I said I wanted to hear what your true feelings are, Professor. Even so, Rio showed no sign of impatience as he spoke in a firm tone.

  T-That’s... I told you, I... Pressured by Rio’s determination, Celia’s face fell with chagrin.

  You can’t fool me. I came here knowing roughly the whole story behind this political marriage. About how the Count Claire house was placed under a certain suspicion, which the Duke Arbor house half threatened. I understand why you were put in this situation, Professor.

  Huh?! W-Where did you hear that?! Celia gasped, her expression changing.

  I crossed a dangerous bridge... But none of that matters right now. Rio dismissed her question curtly.

  I-It should matter... There were many things she wanted to ask about in that short exchange just now, but Rio’s forceful attitude rendered Celia speechless.

  ...Won’t you tell me, please? Assuming there was no need for you to sacrifice yourself, would you still want to marry this man, Professor? That’s all I wanted to ask, Rio asked smoothly as he looked down at Charles below him, almost as though he could see right through Celia’s heart.

  What will you do... after I answer? Celia asked in a weak and timid way.

  If you so desire, I will bring this wedding to a halt. Just like how you readily accepted this political marriage, I readily accepted my choice to do that before coming here, Rio said with determination.

  ...You’re being too overbearing.

  I am fully aware of how overbearing and forceful I’m being. I’ve already overstepped that line by interfering with your wedding in the first place, Professor.

  If you understand that much, why... Why are you doing such a thing? Celia asked timidly.

  Because I couldn’t accept it. You’re important to me, Professor — if I hadn’t come today, at this moment, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. I don’t want to lose the people who are most important to me without doing anything about it... I’ve already lost important things to me and regretted it quite a bit. Once something is lost, you can never get it back, but... there’s still time before you lose it. Rio’s declaration was almost gallantly self-centered.

  ...! For some reason, Celia felt a certain weight to it; Rio’s words deeply resonated in her chest. I am unable to just sit back and watch as your dignity is trampled on for the rest of your life, Professor. Will you eventually become happy in this marriage? If you can tell me that you will, I will quietly leave this place. I’ll never appear before you again, Rio said simply.

  If Celia had the resolution and confidence to assert that she would be happy, then Rio was just as ready and determined to back away. But if she faltered... Well, that was a different story. It was an overbearing and forceful approach, but Rio would have it his way.

  That’s...! Celia was clearly faltering.

  You’re hesitating, Professor. That’s what it looks like to me, Rio declared bluntly.

  B-But it may just be that my thinking process is wrong. I may cause so much trouble for other people if I prioritized my own feelings... Is that really the right thing to do?! Celia said, desperately appealing for her own indecision. In a way, she was confessing her true thoughts about how she didn’t want this marriage to happen in a somewhat roundabout way.

  Rio showed the faintest hint of a smile and shook his head. ...I do not know. However, if this marriage really was the right thing to do, then you wouldn’t be making that face, Professor.

  Um... Celia’s heart was struck deeply by his words, as her face distorted on the verge of tears.

  Professor, please tell me. I will grant your wish; even if it’s a forceful way of doing it, I have acquired enough power to see it t
hrough. So, please... don’t give up, Rio said reassuringly.

  What’s... with that... Even Celia couldn’t help but laugh bitterly, as though she was astounded by his words. If I said I didn’t want to get married, what would you do? she asked weakly.

  ...I’d kidnap you and run away from here. I don’t know if the Count Claire house’s position will rise because of it, but at the very least, it won’t cause them to be pursued for responsibility. With the bride being kidnapped before the general public, the cancellation of the wedding would be inevitable. There would be no logical way to put that blame on the Count Claire family. If anything, the responsibility would fall on the shoulders of the security, which would result in Duke Arbor’s family receiving the brunt of the criticism, Rio explained.

  You’ve already made this much of a mess of the situation... It seems you really do have the confidence to be able to pull something like that off, Celia said, biting on her lower lip. She didn’t feel any doubt toward Rio’s statement about kidnapping her, but her expression showed faint hesitation. She must have felt guilt at the idea of abandoning her responsibilities to her family and the noble society after all.

  Rio seemed to see through those worries of hers. Don’t you think you’ve already fulfilled the bare minimum of your original goal of marrying Charles, Professor? Of course, you’ll be isolating yourself from your family and the noble society if you leave this kingdom, but I will assist you as much as possible to reinstate your noble status and reunite you with your family, if you so wish, he said. Even if Celia were to be kidnapped here, a certain level of social connection had already been formed between the two families, and though it wasn’t impossible, it would definitely be difficult for the Arbor family to abandon the Claire family at this point.

  Ahaha... to run away from here and then try to restore everything the way it was... isn’t that a little too hopeful? Or rather, too convenient for me, I wonder... Celia laughed weakly without any confidence.