Wedding

As dawn broke, the last vestiges of the biting chill of the Northern Frontier were dispelled, casting a soft, pale golden veil over the small village that had just survived the calamity.

The villagers had already gathered in the small square in the village. Their faces no longer showed the fear and panic of the previous night, but instead a complex expression mixed with deep relief and sincere blessings. They talked in hushed tones, their eyes occasionally glancing towards the center of the square.

In the center of the square, a simple ceremonial platform temporarily erected from logs was covered with a clean, faded linen cloth.

Rustan changed into a knight's uniform, though somewhat worn, but perfectly starched and ironed. His short, golden hair shone with a warm glow in the morning light, like ripe ears of wheat. He stood as straight as a cedar tree, his blue eyes as clear and gentle as the Northern Frontier sky, holding Rosaline's hand tightly as if he were holding the weight of the entire world.

Rosaline wore a seemingly simple yet meticulously altered white gown styled as a wedding dress, with delicate snowflake patterns even embroidered on the hem. Her radiant blonde hair was intricately braided, adorned with a few pale blue flowers, freshly picked from the snow and still glistening with dew. She wore no traditional veil, and her face radiated a genuine smile, brighter than the winter sun, her eyes curving into crescent moons of happiness.

There was no high-ranking priest to officiate the wedding; instead, the elderly Village Chief served as the master of ceremonies. Dressed in his finest attire, his voice trembled slightly with excitement and solemnity, yet it echoed with exceptional clarity in the quiet square.

"Rustan, do you take Rosaline to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

"I do!" Rustan's answer was resolute and without the slightest hesitation, his gaze fixed intently on his bride, as if trying to etch her image into the depths of his soul.

"Rosaline, will you marry Rustan, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, till death do you part?"

"I do! I do!" Rosaline's voice was clear and loud, filled with barely suppressed joy. She gripped Rustan's hand tightly, her eyes sparkling with happy tears, which drew kind, blessing-filled chuckles from the surrounding villagers.

"Then, in the name of the Goddess, I declare that you are officially husband and wife!" The Village Chief raised his hands high and announced loudly.

Rustan took a deep breath, and as if handling the most precious and fragile treasure in the world, he carefully and solemnly lowered his head and kissed his bride. The square instantly erupted in enthusiastic applause, cheers, and whistles, and children playfully tossed the prepared colorful confetti and dried flower petals high into the air, like a dazzling rain.

After the ceremony, the atmosphere became more relaxed and harmonious. Lowell stepped forward with a gentle smile, took out a small amulet carved from dark wood from his pocket, and handed it to Rustan and Rosaline. The amulet had an antique design, engraved with patterns of intertwined ivy and stars, and emitted a faint, reassuring scent of herbs and trees.

"A small gift," Lowell said casually, yet sincerely. "It's not a powerful magical artifact, but wearing it will calm your mind and dispel some unnecessary nightmares. Consider it a wish for peaceful sleep every night from now on."

Rustan and Rosaline quickly thanked them and solemnly accepted the amulet.

Then, Lupa stepped forward somewhat shyly. At her feet lay a rather large, cleaned wild boar. The girl scratched her pink hair, her heterochromatic eyes revealing a warrior's straightforwardness. "Um... I can't carve magical artifacts, and I don't have anything good to give as a gift, but congratulations anyway! This is what I hunted in the forest last night, just to add some food for everyone!" Her words were simple and unpretentious, yet they drew good-natured laughter and cheers from the crowd.

Frieren stood to the side, her emerald eyes watching quietly, her hands empty. Lowell nudged her with his elbow.

Frieren turned her head, a hint of doubt on her face. "?"

Lowell lowered his voice. "People give gifts when they're newly married."

Frieren blinked, seemingly unaware of this human custom. She thought for a moment, "Oh... then shall I make a hamburger steak?" She remembered that Eisen always made hamburger steaks for people's birthdays, and she had learned this trick.

Lowell sighed and rubbed his forehead. "No need, no need. It's too much trouble to make it from scratch. Besides, we have the wild boar that Lupa gave us, so we have enough meat. It's the thought that counts. For example, your pile of treasures." He pointed to Frieren's small suitcase, which was always filled with a bunch of strange items, "Or a spellbook, give them one. I think Rosaline is already at the level of Second-Class Mage, so that would be a good gift. In short, the thought is what matters."

Upon hearing this, Frieren glanced down at her small suitcase, then squatted down and began rummaging through it, muttering under her breath, "Blessings... heartfelt wishes..."

A moment later, she took out a thin magic book with a light blue cover that looked somewhat old, and silver runes branded along the edges of the pages.

"How about this?" Frieren handed the book to Lowell. "'The Echo Book,' it can record and replay many sounds. When one of them dies first, the other can hear the other's voice as a form of solace."

Lowell and Lupa listened with exasperated expressions.

Lowell quickly interrupted her, correcting her with a wry smile, "Although... this feature does sound like it could be a gift... but at the wedding, just talk more about 'longevity' and 'happiness,' don't keep thinking about things so far in the future."

Frieren tilted her head, a hint of confusion on her face, but quickly changed her tune. "Oh... well, this book can be used to record the sounds of happiness now, for future reminiscing." This blessing sounded much more agreeable.

Rosaline was initially taken aback by Frieren's straightforward description, but then she chuckled. Far from being bothered, she found the elven mage's honesty endearing. She took the spellbook, curiously flipping through it, her bright blue eyes sparkling. "Thank you! This gift is very special! Recording the sounds of happiness—it sounds so romantic! I will definitely cherish and use it!" She thought to herself, perhaps this is the unique romance of the immortal race.

Linié glanced at the group, seemed to ponder for a moment, and then quietly stepped forward. Her deep blue eyes looked at the newlyweds, and then she took out a bright red, juicy, and flawless apple from her small pocket and handed it to Rosaline without expression.

Rosaline stared at the special gift for a moment, then bent down and said with delight, "Ah! Thank you so much, my little darling! You must really, really love this apple, right?"

Linié nodded, and earnestly instructed in her flat, emotionless voice, "Yes. You must cherish it."

Rosaline was charmed by Linié's serious expression as she handed her the apple. She took the apple and smiled gently, "Okay~ I'll cherish it just as much as I cherish my relationship with Rustan!"

Standing to the side, Solitär watched everyone exchanging gifts, a look of "sudden realization" crossing her face. She lightly tapped her chin with her fingertip. "Ah~! How rude of me! Human weddings require the gift-giving step, and I completely forgot to prepare one. What should Solitär do..." Her tone carried the annoyance of a researcher discovering a procedural oversight, rather than genuine embarrassment.

Hearing her mutterings, Rosaline smiled and walked over, bending down to gently stroke Solitär's blue-green hair. Her tone was as tender as if she were coaxing her little sister. "It's okay if you don't have a present, little one~ I'm so happy you could come to my wedding! Hmm... how about this, a kiss from you is the best present!"

Solitär blinked her pale green, pure gem-like eyes, a glint of data flashing in her pupils. "Ah... a kiss on the cheek to express affection and blessing is a common form of social etiquette. Okay~ I understand."

She stepped forward, stood on tiptoe, and gently kissed Rosaline's blushing cheek, a kiss as light as a snowflake. Then she quickly withdrew, maintaining her sweet, innocent smile, "Well then, I wish you happiness~"

This innocent scene made the surrounding atmosphere even warmer. Rustan smiled as he watched his wife interact with Solitär, then stepped forward and gently embraced Rosaline.