A Bride's True Place
The more I learn about this world, the more fascinating it becomes.
Up until yesterday, she was a woman crying and snotting as she barely held herself together.
Yet today, returning to her role as my instructor, how did she look?
"Aaargh..."
It hurt like hell.
Actually, with a few bones broken, it felt like I was literally going to die.
"You aren't doing this for revenge, are you?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, even though you liked it... you made me show you everything on purpose."
"Of course not."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
If that was true, why was she testing the weight of her blunt weapon against her palm?
Well, I suppose a little personal bias was an instructor's prerogative.
I might as well ask her about something else.
I had to treat my broken bones anyway.
I could rest while tossing a few questions to Karna, my instructor and bride-to-be.
"Wedding preparations take about a month, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
It was just casual banter during a break.
But the subject of our chat was something that would completely rewrite the course of Karna's life.
"Oh, by the way. After enduring for six hours like that, did you finally get the orgasm you wanted?"
"No... That can only be properly released after the wedding ceremony."
Even so, she didn't tremble like before.
Her pent-up lust must have accumulated even more, but she seems to be in better condition than before...?
"Still, I asked my father for an aphrodisiac suppressant, so I'm taking that now."
"And I've finally stopped... applying that aphrodisiac oil."
So, in the end, her release wouldn't come when the candidate was confirmed, but only at the wedding itself.
It seemed they intended to save the grand finale for the wedding ceremony.
"Thanks to that, I've finally been able to get some decent sleep."
Come to think of it, when she was begging me, didn't she say her lust kept her awake at night?
"Is that why the training got so much harder?"
"I can't help it if my body is in peak condition."
It was a shameless answer, to say the least.
Yet, a trace of gratitude lingered in Karna's eyes.
Of course, beating me half to death without a shred of mercy in the meantime was classic Karna.
"Now that I think about it, what is a wedding hosted by a major central family like?"
"I've never cared much for high society or the capital, so I wouldn't know."
"Ah, as for that..."
Karna looked at me, not as an instructor, but as a noblewoman.
"I doubt it's something you would dislike."
Did she say that because she knew I enjoyed seeing her in pathetic, unsightly states?
Well, a gift is always more exciting when it's a surprise.
The Imperial Center.
The First Arena.
"Your Imperial Majesty, the match is ready."
"Very well."
It was her second match, at a stage too early to even be called the preliminaries.
Roar!
Yet, as always, any opportunity to witness the martial prowess of the Empire's Empress drew a massive crowd.
Stepping out from the dark corridor, she stood in the arena under the blazing sun.
"I never expected to meet you like this."
"We are sorry, but We do not recall your face."
The opponent tried to act familiar, only to be instantly shut down.
"I was one of the soldiers who fought alongside Your Majesty in your very first battle. It is only natural that you wouldn't remember."
"Ah, is that so?"
At those words, a faint smile played on the Empress's lips.
"To be honest, back then I wondered what a mere child could possibly do on the battlefield. I had no idea you possessed such overwhelming talent."
"Ha."
She let out a soft chuckle, amused.
"Knowing that, your courage in challenging Us is commendable."
With that, the conversation was over.
A warrior armed with a longsword and spear versus the Empress of chains.
In terms of range alone, the spear-wielding soldier should have held the advantage.
However, a spear could only be thrown so many times, whereas her chains stretched endlessly.
I must end this quickly.
Hmph.
Watching the soldier take a proper combat stance, the Empress smirked.
It wasn't quite a sneer, but it certainly wasn't the attitude one should have when facing an absolute powerhouse.
"Now, let us begin."
As soon as the Empress spoke, the referee nodded and declared the start of the match.
Boom!
With a sound that tore through the air, a straight trajectory was drawn across the vast arena.
"An excellent throw."
Clink!
But what the soldier witnessed next defied belief.
"She's blocking it with those heavy, long chains...?"
The spear flew in a straight line, but the chain wrapped perfectly around its midpoint.
Squeeze.
Then, the spear made of sturdy wood snapped like a dry twig.
Clatter!
Before he could even process it, the chains whipped through the air, targeting him from afar.
The chain lunged forward like a whip slicing through the sky.
"Whoa!"
Snapping out of his daze, the soldier raised his sword.
Crash!
The heavy chain shattered the raised longsword into pieces.
Thud!
Not stopping there, the massive iron whip struck the soldier directly.
"Ugh..."
"Your bones are broken. Do not move."
The match was over before the soldier could even throw another weapon.
"Whew... The sun is quite hot."
Leaving the scorching heat of the arena behind, the Empress turned and walked back into the cool interior of the building.
"Your Imperial Majesty?"
A maid-in-waiting approached her.
"The Valteron family has sent a wedding invitation."
"Is there someone in that military academy family getting married?"
"It is Karna... the female instructor you met once before."
"Ah, that woman."
The Empress felt absolutely nothing.
She knew exactly what marriage meant in noble society, but she did not care.
"Very well. It will be a good opportunity to meet the head of the Valteron family after all this time."
"Are you not concerned at all, Your Majesty?"
"Are you a newly hired maid?"
The Empress spoke to the maid, who was struggling to carry her heavy armor and chains.
"Do you truly believe the noble blood of the Emperor is the same as that of any noble, no matter how high their rank?"
The Emperor was the sole existence permitted by the God of War to rule over the world.
"Do not compare Us to women who will ultimately bow their heads in the arms of their husbands."
"...Forgive my insolence."
"It is fine. Everyone makes mistakes."
Her warning was stern, but she did not take any further action.
The maid bowed and left first, carrying the weapons and armor.
"Is the authority of the Emperor still perceived this lightly by the common people?"
"To think We would be compared to noble ladies rolling around in the mud."
This was her own failing.
We must establish Our authority more firmly.
The Empress's goal had been the same from the very beginning.
"Your Imperial Majesty."
Everyone bowed their heads.
In this patriarchal noble society, the sight of men bowing to a woman was rare.
The Empress naturally walked toward the head of the Valteron family, Karna's father.
"Since your family is the main character of today's event, there is no need to stand on ceremony."
"Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty."
"More importantly, I am glad the marriage is finally happening. There was quite a bit of talk about it."
She offered her congratulations.
"It is for the best. It would be a disgrace if a single woman brought ruin to a prestigious family name."
"Yes. It seems pushing her hard had some effect."
The Empress nodded at his response.
Since the Empress also viewed Karna as nothing more than a troublesome noble daughter who threatened her family's pride, she agreed.
"As you know, the Empire is in a state of unrest right now."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"That is why our traditions must stand firm."
"...Please do not worry. I have ensured that no undesirable incidents will occur."
"Good."
The Empress's tone lightened once more.
"Now, who is the husband who will become that young lady's master?"
"He is the son of a general who is quite well-known in the provinces."
"There is no reason to look down on the provinces."
"If anything, they are the ones who always answer Our call to war, no matter how unreasonable."
Since it was a wedding of a central noble family, countless nobles had gathered.
"Well, you seem busy, so We shall take Our place as a spectator."
"Thank you for gracing us with your presence."
"We will watch the ceremony."
A wedding in a patriarchal imperial nobility.
It wouldn't be ordinary, but in a way, wasn't this also a form of entertainment?
"The husband is..."
The Empress's gaze shifted.
"...Cassius."
A man bowed politely.
A warrior.
The Empress merely nodded with a smile, acknowledging him as a warrior.
He seemed reasonably strong, so she briefly wondered if she should watch him fight in the arena sometime. That was the extent of her interest.
Now, it was time for a moment of great importance to me.
My very first marriage.
Although others called her damaged goods, considering the prestige of her family, this was by no means a bad deal for me.
However, there was one potential issue.
Will I be looked down upon?
This was a wedding of a major central family.
If a husband was intimidated by his wife's presence, he was a failure as a noble.
"Therefore, this is also a time to prove myself."
The groom sat in his chair, waiting.
The bride was the one to enter.
The structure of the ceremony made it abundantly clear who belonged to whom.
The aisle leading to the groom was flanked by stages where the guests could watch.
All I have to do is sit here and declare the vows.
So, there was nothing for me to do right now.
Sitting in the chair, I organized the information I had gathered.
Training stopped a week ago, too.
Since they said she needed to prepare in earnest, I didn't mind the break.
But what exactly did she prepare?
I had heard that weddings in the capital were like a stage show featuring the woman.
Did she prepare some sort of entertaining performance?
"The daughter of the Valteron family, Karna Valteron, is entering!"
The officiant's voice echoed through the hall.
Creak.
The doors swung open.
"Haa... haa... ♡♡♡"
There stood my instructor, Karna, her face completely flushed.
Her face was heavily aroused, and she wore a sheer, thin garment that revealed everything down to her most private parts.
Huh?
Drops of arousal fluid were dripping from her wet slit onto the floor.
Don't tell me what she was preparing all week was...
The guests in the audience didn't even look surprised.
From the moment of marriage, she must show that she will never threaten her husband's pride.
In other words, it meant the bride's pride could be stripped away as much as they pleased.