You Want to Get Married?
Barring the God of War, Baldr, Great Chieftain Eirik was undisputed as the greatest warrior in the North.
In his youth, he had been an unstoppable force of nature, and with the relentless passage of years, seasoned cunning had only sharpened his edge. Throughout his entire life, he had never tasted a single defeat, and he had firmly believed that no man alive would ever hand him one.
Did that truth hold even now?
After a brief deliberation, the Great Chieftain reached his conclusion. His odds of victory were slim at best.
The feat displayed by that young monster today had far outstripped anything Eirik had achieved in his own prime—and even then, the lad had clearly been holding back. Killing was always easy; sparing a life was infinitely harder. Northern warriors did not fear dying in the Coming-of-Age Ceremony. If anything, they considered it an honor to fall in sacred combat. Yet today, not a single warrior had died. In fact, not one had even suffered a critical wound.
It was impossible to fathom just how much strength Ivan was concealing. Where under the heavens had such a monster suddenly crawled out from?
As a warrior, a fierce competitive fire surged in Eirik's chest, but as the Great Chieftain, the weight of his duty tempered it into a quiet pang of regret. Standing in this position, he could not afford to lose to anyone. At least, not yet.
"So, why did you call for me?"
Annoyance was plainly laced in Ivan's voice. He had come because the Great Chieftain summoned him, only to be met with prolonged, silent staring. Calling someone over just to gawk at them—what was this old man playing at?
Only then did Eirik speak, his words measured and slow.
"Why didn't you kill them?"
"Excuse me?"
Ivan momentarily lost his words. What kind of bullshit is this?
"The Coming-of-Age Ceremony is a sacred trial where one clashes with every ounce of strength they possess," Eirik said. "Yet you not only withheld your full power, you stayed your hand with mercy. Why did you trample upon the honor of our warriors?"
The atmosphere turned heavy. Was the old man being serious, or was this some sort of test?
Ivan didn't bother walking on eggshells. He no longer had any reason to.
"Because I felt like it. I didn't feel like killing them, so I let them live. Is there a problem with that?"
Ivan locked eyes with the chieftain, daring him to say otherwise. Watching an attitude that went beyond mere arrogance into brazen audacity, the Great Chieftain let out a low chuckle.
"You speak the truth. However you choose to wield the rights granted to you by victory, the vanquished have no right to question it."
Had Ivan offered some pathetic, soft-hearted excuse—like having a distaste for bloodshed—Eirik would have been profoundly disappointed. But Ivan had simply acted as he pleased. Why should a lion bother pondering the feelings of sheep?
"If you've said your piece, allow me to ask a question of my own."
"Speak," Eirik said. "If it is within my power, I shall answer whatever you ask."
"Three years ago, you posed a question to me, and I couldn't give you an answer back then. So now I'm turning it back on you. Between me and the High Priest, which of us is the more valuable human being?"
Without a second's hesitation, the Great Chieftain gave his answer.
"Naturally, you are by far the more valuable man. Do you desire his head? If you wish it, I can bring it to you this very moment."
"No need. What meaning is there in revenge if someone else serves it on a platter? Just make sure you don't stand in my way when the time comes."
"I give you my word," Eirik replied. "Is there anything left to say?"
"I've said all I came to say."
Ivan dipped his head in a curt nod and strode out without looking back. Left alone in the quiet tent, the Great Chieftain held one absolute certainty in his heart.
Before long, the master of this seat would change.
"Damn it! Curse it all to hell!"
The High Priest was hurling everything within arm's reach across the room. Following the conclusion of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, Ivan had ascended to a realm far beyond anything the priest could touch. At this point, Ivan could slit the High Priest's throat in broad daylight before the entire tribe, and not a single soul would raise an objection.
Why wasn't I born with such talent? How could the heavens be so utterly cruel?
Consuming terror, self-loathing, and a deep-seated inferiority complex drove the old man into a raving frenzy. Elena watched his manic outburst in total silence, and her impassive gaze only fueled the priest's wrath.
"How can you stand there so calm?!" he shrieked. "Have you forgotten that the moment I die, your own life ends with me?!"
"How could I forget?" Elena replied coolly. "You were the one who bound me with that restriction."
"Then don't just stand there like an idiot—do something! Unless you want to die like a dog alongside me!"
Driven to the very edge of the precipice, the High Priest was clutching at straws. Elena casually tossed him a sliver of false hope.
"Then I will bind myself to him."
"...What?"
"It seems he has taken a liking to me. He won't refuse."
Elena was breathtakingly beautiful, and the passions of youth were notoriously sudden. Perhaps there was a way out of this after all. A gleam of life returned to the High Priest's sunken eyes.
"Are you... truly certain of this? Your life hangs in the balance as well."
"I am certain. There is no way he turns me down."
Though she was merely an orphan he had picked up three years ago, they were, at least nominally, father and daughter. If Ivan took Elena as his mate, surely he wouldn't go out of his way to butcher his own bride's foster father. No, perhaps he could aim for even more than mere survival...
A foul, venomous glint tainted the priest's gaze.
"Just to be certain... do you harbor any love for that man?"
"...As if that were possible."
Her response had been a fraction of a second late, but the High Priest paid it no mind. In all the time he had observed her, she was never one to surrender her heart easily to anyone.
"Of course. In that case... could you kill Ivan?"
"If that is what you desire, gladly."
The stage was set to perfection. For the very first time, Elena felt genuine gratitude toward the High Priest's bottomless greed.
"...You want to get married?"
"Why? Do you dislike the idea?"
A sharp prickle of killing intent brushed against his skin. Ivan shook his head frantically.
"Of course not, I'd love to! But... wait, don't tell me this was the 'plan' you mentioned from the start?"
"It is," Elena replied. "You have to give him a little glimmer of an exit if you want him to squirm and make a move."
Not that it was the only reason, of course. A faint blush crept onto Elena's pale cheeks.
"Still, would he really try to pull something in this situation?" Ivan mused, scratching his cheek. "Even for a lunatic, there has to be a limit."
"Oh, he already did. He told me to kill you right away."
"......?"
"That's just the kind of person he is. Don't waste your energy trying to understand him."
The High Priest's innate talent had been utterly pathetic, yet he had climbed to the most revered position a northern shaman could hold. That achievement had not been forged through agonizing toil, but by dragging down every single competitor who stood in his way. He had only resigned himself because he saw no path forward; a creature who had lived his entire life like that would never change now. Even if he had repented, neither of them had any intention of forgiving him. It was merely the karma he had piled upon himself.
"So, when should the wedding be?" Ivan asked. "We'll have to pick a suitable date."
"Why bother? As soon as possible is fine."
Ivan felt a sudden wave of dizziness. Cold sweat trickled down his nape.
"...Isn't this moving a bit too fast? I literally just heard the word 'marriage' two seconds ago. Surely there are formalities, rituals—"
"Neither of us has any family, so what formalities could there be?" Elena cut in smoothly. "Besides, matters like this are always better decided quickly."
"...Is that so?"
"It is."
Strangely enough, the more she talked, the more reasonable it sounded. Watching Ivan get neatly wrapped in her snare without even realizing it, Elena let out a faint, contented smile.
"...My sister-in-law certainly has a refreshing personality," Havel muttered with a slightly stunned look. "At any rate, congratulations, Ivan."
What a terrifying woman, Havel thought, fighting to keep a straight face. Still, whatever the process, the outcome was good. As long as the two loved each other, that was more than enough.
The wedding preparations proceeded at a breakneck pace, stripped down to only the barest essentials. A massive crowd gathered out of pure curiosity. Returning out of nowhere, conquering the sacred Coming-of-Age Ceremony, and now an immediate wedding? Ivan's recent actions were beyond unprecedented—they were downright earth-shattering.
The High Priest, looking noticeably healthier and rosier than he had in days, presided over the ceremony.
"Do the two of you swear to love one another for the rest of your days?"
"I do," Ivan said.
"I swear," Elena said.
Elena did her best to feign an impassive expression, while Ivan played the part of a lovestruck youth utterly smitten at first sight. In truth, it could hardly be called an act; at this precise moment, thoughts of revenge were nowhere to be found in his mind.
Feeling the sheer heat of his gaze, the tips of Elena's ears flushed crimson.
He truly is head over heels for her, the High Priest sneered inwardly, rejoicing at his fortune. To think things would fall into place so smoothly!
"Ahem. Then, by the authority granted to me, I declare that the two of you are now husband and wife."
Before the final syllable had even faded, Ivan scooped Elena into his arms, lifting her off her feet in a bridal carry. A deafening roar of cheers erupted from the crowd.
Young maidens who prided themselves on modesty covered their eyes, peeking through the gaps in their fingers, while the rowdier lads broke into raucous whistling and hollering.
"......?!"
This had definitely not been discussed beforehand. Elena's mind went completely blank. She buried her burning face in both hands; at this point, acting was completely out the window, and the sheer mortification threatened to knock her unconscious.
Havel grinned warmly from the sidelines and called out, "Congratulations on the marriage, brother! If any bastard tries to sneak a peek or listen in tonight, I'll snap their neck myself, so enjoy your night in peace!"
"Thanks, Havel! You really are the greatest brother a man could ask for!"
Cradling Elena securely in his arms, Ivan basked in the shower of gazes as he strode proudly back to his dwelling. Once inside, Elena, flushed all the way down to her collarbone, glared up at him with resentful eyes.
"...Have you lost your mind? What if someone saw through us...?"
"Nobody noticed a thing, did they? So what's the problem? There's no one watching now, so... what do you want to do?"
"You really are insane..."
Muttering shyly, Elena wrapped her arms around Ivan's neck, drawing him down until their lips pressed together. It was the blooming beginning of their newlywed life.