Things to Prepare Before Marriage – I

The recently acquired Greyrat household in Sharia city. There in the afternoon, a family gathering was scheduled to take place. Or rather, a family reunion.

I let out a sigh as I handed Stella an ice cream cone while arranging the furniture in the house. "Are you a people magnet or something, Stella? Maybe you tapped into karma magic or something? Because I swear, every time I leave you alone, you manage to meet up with more and more of our extended family."

Stella grabbed the ice cream from me with a pout and said, "I don't know. I just wanted to go do some normal things and have fun. Not my fault these things keep happening to me."

"Right..."

Just to be sure, I used my clairvoyance to check on her.

There wasn't any sign of Whitey messing around with Stella. And her mana seemed normal... So maybe it was just her innate ability? Or her 'destiny'?

Well, 'destiny' in the way that classes in video games worked. Maybe 'vocation' was a better way of saying it?

Stella seemed to be really good at connecting people and gaining allies. Not to mention the people around her seemed to be getting a passive experience boost... or something like that.

After all, the random elemental spirits I sent to keep an eye on her had leveled up to be just a few steps away from primordial sorts of beings.

At least, that was what I felt from them. Hadn't actually met a primordial being other than ol' Whitey just yet, so I wasn't sure.

But anyway, maybe it was a buff from her being a 'hero' and chosen by the sacred beast?

I was pretty sure the prophecy and fate stuff didn't apply to her anymore since the causality ruiner that I was existed, but maybe she gained an innate talent to recruit allies?

...Or maybe she had really good luck to pull party members?

"You're doing that thing again, Onii-chan." Stella puffed her cheeks and said, "Just because you're a demon lord doesn't mean you can stand there and menacingly stare off into space like that."

I laughed and ruffled Stella's hair. "Sorry. Bad habit."

"Hey! Quit it!" Stella huffed and scampered away from me, holding her ice cream close to her chest.

I smiled and then took a look around the area.

Eos and Roland had done a great job in settling the real estate stuff here for us, securing a big mansion with a large plot of land in the corner of Sharia close to the Magic University.

Apparently, they got it for cheap since it was supposedly haunted, but Roland managed to sort it out since it was the same place he grew up in.

But that wasn't really important. What was important was that the place was fancy and big, and I had to organize the place to host a party for everyone.

Apparently, 'Pierre' and my dad had told everyone we were headed to Sharia to meet up with Master Roxy, so both Eri's parents and Sylphy's parents had made their way over to visit.

Ghyslaine was supposedly going to visit later as well, and I got a magical long-distance scroll warped in from Orsted saying he'd swing by with Princess Ariel.

Then Dad said he'd be coming over too with Pierre and Rostelina...

Ah, and there was Cliff saying he was going to visit because there was important things to discuss.

And then Rika and Ruijerd said they had finished setting up the floating island and were going to test the warp gates by visiting with some of the White Knights...

I sighed and said, "I'm just one guy. People expect me to decorate the entire place, prep food, and prep refreshments for like thirty plus people while they all get ready for the day?"

Stella rolled her eyes and said, "Please. You're a cheat character that can use mana to make everything, Onii-chan."

I swept out my hand, subtly stretching space a bit to make the inside a little larger before turning back to Stella. "Hey, just because I *can* do it doesn't mean I want to. Your Onii-chan is a proper working member of society now with papers to grade."

Stella dragged over a chair and then plopped herself down, licking her ice cream and kicking out her legs while watching me work.

I held up my hands and then started moving them like a conductor, making party streamers, tables, seats, and the works. Basically everything that would be expected at a party.

It really wasn't necessary for me to do the hand motions, but it felt cool and helped me get in the mood to concentrate, so I stuck with it. Better than saying a long and embarrassing chant at least or glaring at the space and trying to will things into existence.

Not that I couldn't, but really, it looked a bit silly. And since I was going to do this work, I might as well have a bit of fun while going through it.

Like my classes where I flipped the head on what my students thought magic was.

Stella licked her ice cream cone again before tilting her head and said, "Why *are* you the one doing this anyway, Onii-chan?"

I snapped my fingers, causing a few leather couches to pop into existence. After that, I imagined a little GUI to move them around and dragged them into place. While I was doing that, I said, "Well. Master Roxy is busy filing paperwork for us becoming proper citizens of Ranoa Kingdom. Eri and Sylphy are out catching up with their parents. My kids are working on a secret project in the basement that they won't tell me about. Miko, Norn, and Aisha are studying... And that's about everyone."

I paused and then glanced at Stella. "Wait."

Stella was hanging around enjoying her ice cream while I worked. Since I was used to her being around me all the time, I didn't think too much of it. But now that I thought about it...

"Where are your little spirit friends?"

Stella huffed and said, "Wata and Leo said they wanted to settle things once and for all and ran out to the outskirts to fight. Wyn is sleeping like always, and Fai..." She paused and said, "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Fai for a while."

I flipped my wrist, materializing a stack of pizzas on the table before humming. "Well, I think I saw her hanging around the dorms with Miko... She's probably fine." I glanced back at Stella and said, "I bet you're a bit lonely though."

"Am not."

"Whatever you say, imouto."

Stella puffed out her cheeks and then quickly devoured her ice cream cone, leaving a small smear around her lips. After that, she held out her hands and said, "Gimme another one. Chocolate."

"Fine, fine." I flicked my wrist and materialized one in the air in front of her.

Stella grabbed the hovering ice cream cone before starting to make her way through that as well. She was also pointedly looking away from me and pouting.

Since that was the case, I decided to give my baby sister some quiet time and focus on my task.

Now... prepping everything for a party was easy. But how in the world was I going to explain that I was planning to marry more than one woman to Eri and Sylphy's parents? And not only that, but that I was planning to marry Roxy and Rika too?

...Ah. And I needed to remember to bring Roxy's parents over to visit...

"Hah." I made a bunch of balloons and party streamers before mumbling, "I miss Rika already..."

"I'm telling Eri nee-chan and Ero nee-chan."

"You might as well since I've gotta do it eventually- Wait." I glanced at Stella and said, "Ero nee-chan?"

Stella paused and then started blushing. "T-That's... W-W-Well it's true, right?!"

I groaned. "Note to self. Make better silence spell... And maybe information erasure spells..."

xxx

Evening at the Greyrat household in Sharia. Although it was dark out with a new moon, the entire mansion remained lit with floating mana light orbs and sparkly vines.

It was also far more packed than it usually was with everyone living in the house currently present, along with our guests from abroad. Not to mention people like Roxy and Aisha who usually lived at the academy.

But either way, after a casual speech about it being a great pleasure to have everyone together for the first time... something I sped past because it was awkward and because the tension in the room could be cut with a knife. Literally with the way Sylphy and Master Roxy were glaring at Rika and trying to pressure her with mana.

Anyway, with that out of the way, the guests were free to mingle around and interact with each other.

It was a bit rushed and awkward, but I planned to have the real big party reunion after we got Mom and Mama Lily back, so that wasn't a big deal.

Except for one problem: explaining away my multiple marriages and talking about the upcoming wedding to Eri.

A table in the corner of the room, stocked with various types of alcohol that I remembered and reproduced along with the various valuable ones I picked up in my spare time.

There, I had managed to sneak away from most of the crowd by grabbing Cliff and feigning important business discussions. But...

"So I heard from Grandfather that you were searching for a priest to officiate your marriages, Father-in-law."

Cliff sipped on a glass of red wine and said, "You could have simply asked me. I would be more than honored to perform such a task."

Dad laughed and slapped the table. "I always knew you'd one-up your old man, but to do it twice? And like this?" He grinned and raised a mug filled with ale. "You grew up fast, kid!"

...Some people were more persistent than others.

I sighed and poured myself a glass of pure ethanol before chugging it.

Didn't do much for me other than a burn going down, but that helped get my mind off things for a bit.

After setting my glass down, I looked over at Dad and said, "I'm just taking proper responsibility, Dad. Unlike you."

He held up his hands and said, "Hey! I took plenty responsibility!"

"Yeah. With my help." I shook my head and then glanced at the other people joining us at the table.

Pierre nursed a cocktail of different aged wines beneath a half-mask he wore in lieu of his usual full-face mask.

Uncle Philip... Well, I guess it'd be Father-in-law? Whatever his title was, Philip was sitting there too, sipping on a glass of fancy alcohol I didn't know anything about other than that it came from the Notus region.

Ruijerd was there as well, although he was keeping to himself and just enjoying the atmosphere.

And as for the last person there...

Orsted sipped on a glass of golden alcohol that I was pretty sure was either ambrosia or something close to it from the mana content inside. After that, he looked at me and said, "I have to say, while I expected you to cause variables, I greatly underestimated you, Rudeus."

Philip lowered his glass and said, "Indeed. Especially in how much you resemble your father." He gave Dad a sideways glance and said, "I'm morbidly curious about how Zenith and Lilia will react upon hearing such wondrous news regarding their beloved son."

Dad froze and then drained his mug of ale before refilling it from a nearby barrel tap. "I-I'm sure it'll be fine. It's not like Rudy here did anything *bad*. He's just an incredible man like- No, a better man than his old man. Right, Rudy?"

I gave a serious nod and said, "Yes. Especially considering I would never fondle my granddaughter's breasts."

Philip raised an eyebrow at Dad. "Okay. I knew you were a degenerate disgrace of a man in the past, but-"

Dad slammed his hand on the table and said, "It was an honest mistake!"

Pierre sighed and muttered, "Some things never change..."

Cliff frowned and said, "Grandfather-in-law. I heard from Father-in-law that you and Grandmother-in-law were devout followers of Saint Milis. To think you would sin so readily..."

"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"

Orsted simply smiled, quietly sipping on his drink.

I sighed and then decided to shift my attention to him instead. "How have you been, Orsted? I heard that you managed to sort things out over in the Central Continent?"

Orsted set his glass down and said, "I have been well." He lifted up his left hand and clenched it, causing crimson and gold sparks to fly. "Since obtaining the parting gift you left me, preparations and plans I had for the next century have been accelerated to years." He let out a cold grin and said, "It will not be long before we take the fight directly to Hito- No. To 'Being W.'"

I chuckled and said, "Is that so? How exciting."

I might have lost in our last exchange because of shenanigans, but I wouldn't be by myself this time around.

After all, like the games that Stella occasionally referenced, the final boss was always easier when you jumped him with a full team, wasn't he? And raid bosses were always taken down by an army of players.

Well, if Being W wanted to play the role of a tough final boss, I'd just have to assemble a team to take him down while I tie him up.

He might be able to tie with me by doing shenanigans, but he definitely wouldn't be able to keep that up with an entire party hunting him down.

Dad cut in and said, "Oi." He looked at me and said, "Don't forget to bring me along, Rudy. I've got a score to settle with that whitey bastard."

Pierre glanced at Dad and said, "You'll just end up dying, Paul."

"Says you, Mister Fortune Teller." Dad scoffed and said, "I'll have you know that my genius son left me the secrets to a swordsmanship so incredible it can-"

Pierre interrupted Dad and said, "In any case." He looked at me and said, "You can take some time to relax now, Rudy. In fact, it will be best for you to remain out of the picture as much as possible with Laplace returning."

Ruijerd tensed.

Orsted froze.

Dad blinked.

And I felt a giant headache coming on. "Wait." I held up my hand and then said, "Run that back. What was it about Laplace?"

Pierre blinked and said, "Ah. I should clarify." He nodded and said, "Magic God Laplace was awakened and is roaming to make his own preparations. Since you two are so similar, it would be best to avoid contact. Not to mention the fact that ancient beasts of calamity will soon awaken along with other variations of Rudeus Greyrat..." He trailed off, realizing that nobody was following him. "...Oh. I did the thing again where I talk about events that I forgot to explain, didn't I?"

I let out a deep sigh.