Chapter 548: Marriage is the Grave of Life
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 548: Marriage is the Grave of Life
Rasch the Undying. An Earthener I met when I fell into Tantalus. At first, only his right arm was found and used for various things, but he was later resurrected, and we spent a few months together. He spent quite a long time with us in the prison, then tagged along when we escaped Tantalus.
The land where his people, called the barbarian tribes, live is Manguo. We should have parted ways when I left for the Military State... I never expected to see him here.
No, wait a minute. This is too much of a coincidence. Could this be the Saintess's blessing? At this rate, I'm going to start believing in her myself!
The Regressor, surprisingly, greeted Rasch warmly.
“What a strange fate. To think we’d meet here.”
“Oh, boy! You seem to have changed quite a bit! Growth spurt?”
“You’re mistaken. I’m past my growth spurt.”
“Boy. A man keeps growing even after he turns twenty! You need to eat a lot and build up your body. How long are you going to live in that slender, delicate frame!”
“I already eat plenty. Stop meddling.”
“Still as prim as ever!”
Of course, that was a warm greeting by the Regressor’s standards. Nodding at the thorny retort, Rasch turned to me and gave a hearty greeting.
“Teacher, it’s been a while! Hmm. Judging by your aura, it seems a lot has changed for you!”
“It means even a teacher can learn something new. But you haven't changed at all, Mr. Rasch.”
“Well, I’m all grown up! And I was born the type that doesn’t change much!”
He’s still so refreshingly straightforward. Nothing about him has changed. Then again, an undying being probably doesn't feel the need to change.
“By the way, a marriage sacrament… Mr. Rasch, are you getting married?”
At my question, Rasch laughed loudly and replied.
“Haha! How embarrassing! Yes, I am!”
“With Miss Callis?”
“Hahaha! She’s the greatest thing I gained from my studies abroad in the Military State! I had many good encounters, like with you and the boy, Teacher, but bringing back a bride is the greatest blessing of all!”
I had a feeling this might happen. He finally succeeded. Good for you, Callis. You may have fled the Military State, but being the wife of Rasch the Undying might be a better life than being a lieutenant colonel. At least you won't have to worry about being used and then killed.
The Regressor, who had completely forgotten about Callis, tilted her head and asked.
“Callis?”
“The lieutenant colonel. She was Lieutenant General Ebon’s lackey.”
“Oh. Her? I was wondering where she went.”
“We spent a few days together in the Abyss. You could at least try to remember…”
“Why should I?”
‘It’s a pain. She’s a nobody I never even saw in previous timelines. If I bother remembering her face and name, and then have to kill her in the next timeline… it’ll just leave a bad taste in my mouth.’
He has no intention of remembering her at all.
Well, I guess it can’t be helped. Her memory isn’t infinite, so she probably didn’t want to waste space on an ordinary human like Callis. Her brain is already at capacity as it is.
“Honestly, you two are so different, I wondered if you could ever get close. I’m glad it worked out.”
“Haha. My bride is a much better person than I am. She’s smart, knowledgeable, kind, and good-hearted.”
“Huh? Kind and good-hearted?”
I can believe she’s smart and knowledgeable. She may have climbed the ranks by pulling strings, but Callis was still a Mage Officer in the Military State. She was indoctrinated with magic and taught how to apply her knowledge.
But what? Kind and good-hearted? A woman who wouldn’t hesitate to join a secret society for her own advancement?
Hmm… Is he wearing rose-colored glasses? Or is Callis putting on an act?
Rasch ignored my skeptical gaze and boasted.
“When would a barbarian like me ever meet such a fine and devoted woman? Hahaha! A woman who can count and write, no less! She’s more than I could ask for! There are plenty of men in my tribe who envy me!”
“When you put it like that, she does sound charming.”
A tribe where being able to count and read is considered a strength. Perhaps that tribe is truly happier than the bleak Military State.
“Callis said she had nowhere else to go and would follow me, but I’m not much myself. If I can devote my life to making her happy like this, I couldn’t ask for more. That’s why I made a vow and came all this way!”
“That’s a wonderful vow. Congratulations. But…”
A thought suddenly occurred to me, and I spoke up.
“At the Monastery of Blood, you’re going to have Fallen Nun Yegcheria officiate your marriage sacrament?”
“That’s right! We don’t believe in the Sky God, but we believe in her power and authority. Besides, isn’t she on special terms with the Great Witch? With the nun’s guarantee, Callis will be at ease too!”
“Why? Miss Callis is from the Military State. She shouldn’t need a sacrament to get married, right?”
Of course, even in the Military State, some people went to a cathedral to receive a priest’s blessing or even hold a full wedding ceremony. The country had changed, but the people hadn’t, and among them were many believers who felt a marriage wasn’t complete without a religious ceremony.
As long as the marriage was properly registered, the Military State didn’t particularly care whether you went to a cathedral or had an officiant. Many people don’t realize this, but the Military State isn’t an anti-religious nation; it’s a nation that champions extreme efficiency. It wouldn’t undertake the inefficient labor of forcibly changing and correcting every custom handed down from the kingdom era.
However, the cathedrals that protested the taxes levied on religion left the Military State, and the common folk, having lost all leisure in their bleak lives, naturally stopped having grand wedding ceremonies. If that was the intention, then it was intentional.
In any case, Callis is a Mage Officer of the Military State to the bone. She would never have the inefficient idea of coming all the way to this remote monastery in the vast wilderness just to get married.
“Ah, um. You’re sharp as ever, Teacher. You’re right. My bride tried to stop me, saying it wasn’t necessary. But I insisted. I persuaded Callis to stay behind and came here alone.”
Hit right on the mark, Rasch gave a bitter smile and confessed the truth.
“It’s because to avoid our tribe’s marriage ceremony, we have to perform one according to the bride’s customs. I figured it would be best to borrow the name of that powerful and fearsome nun.”
“What’s wrong with your tribe’s marriage ceremony?”
“I won’t go into detail. It wouldn’t be right to speak ill of my tribe to an outsider. Just remember that I am one of the Undying.”
Rasch is one of the Undying. A race that can be stabbed, burned, and sliced apart, but can resurrect as long as they have the earth’s essence.
Because they don’t die easily, they tend to be generous by nature, but perhaps for that same reason, they are also generous when it comes to harming others. Rasch, who tears people apart for the slightest provocation, is considered one of the more polite and gentle ones.
The marriage custom of such an undying race is…
‘To be buried underground where not a single ray of light can reach, bodies pressed together until the moon wanes. It’s fine for Undying like us, but Callis would waste away and die. I can’t let that happen.’
The genres are just too different. To an Earthener, the embrace of Mother Earth might be as warm as a bed, but to a normal person, it’s being buried alive. They say marriage is the grave of life, but what are you supposed to do when they literally bury you?
“Even the most stubborn tribesmen will have to acknowledge it if we were wed at the Monastery of Blood. The nun’s name is widely known, after all. The biggest problem, however, is whether they’ll believe me…”
Muttering to himself, Rasch suddenly spotted Azzy and Lemm in the distance. Recognizing the Beast King, he seemed to have a good idea and spoke up.
“Teacher. Could you perhaps help me?”
“How?”
“With the Beast King present, it will be easier to persuade the tribe’s elders. We have ties with the beasts, you see. On top of that, if people like you and the boy tell them about life beyond the plains, my tribesmen won’t be able to remain so stubborn.”
“If we’re heading the same way, I suppose we could, but…”
I didn’t know if the Regressor would agree. I glanced at her, and she shrugged and said coolly.
“Sure. I’ll help.”
“What? Shei-ssi, are you sure? You said we had to defeat some ancient evil.”
“This ancient evil could be related to the Undying. Perhaps this is also part of the flow. Let’s just go with it for now.”
‘An Undying also fused with a pile of corpses at the bottom of the Abyss and became a monster. That horrific being instilled a fear far greater than any physical damage it caused. Maybe the ancient evil is connected to that clue.’
You weren’t always this kind.
The flow of events feels both natural and contrived. I feel a little uneasy about it, but the Regressor is aware of this and is choosing to ride the current anyway.
I suppose it means he’s decided to follow the Saintess’s blessing. Hmm. Can’t be helped. It’s not like we have any other leads right now, and it’s been a while since I saw Rasch. I might as well go. I am curious to see what an Undying tribe looks like.
“Alright. Shei-ssi has given her permission. The only time I interfere in someone’s love life is to steal their partner, but I’ll make an exception and help you out cleanly this time.”
“Thank you!”
Besides, we’ll have to go to find out if this is the power of the blessing or not.
Our next destination is decided. The tribe of the Undying.