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Even though there was still that mecha-loli waiting for him somewhere out there, Riku wasn't going to stress over it.
A harem? That's every man's dream. If he didn't pursue women he genuinely liked, he might as well be a salted fish.
Riku wasn't the kind of guy who'd chase every pretty girl he saw like some harem-novel protagonist—but if he liked someone, he wasn't gonna let it slide.
The beastkin's biggest concern was probably that Riku would treat them like expendable pawns in the future—but Riku wasn't that kind of person. He had his own bottom line. If he were the type to do anything to win, this whole marriage thing would just be pointless fluff.
So honestly, the way the beastkin handled this totally caught Riku off guard... but he was also very satisfied. It was like they were handing him all the benefits on a silver platter.
"Hahaha! Fantastic! Mr. Riku, from now on, the beastkin and humans shall be the closest of allies!" the beastkin chief declared with a hearty laugh.
The other elders looked equally pleased.
As for Fia, she clutched her kimono tightly, her red eyes full of shyness and joy.
"Fia, looking forward to working with you from now on." Riku reached out his hand to the girl beside him and said softly.
"Mm-hmm…" Hearing that, and seeing Riku's large hand stretched out toward her, Hatsuse Fia's heart started pounding. Her face flushed red as her small hand trembled slightly while meeting his.
This time, she wasn't nearly as calm as the first time she shook hands with Riku.
Riku smiled gently, then let go of her hand and ruffled her hair. Yep—another head pat.
But this time, Fia didn't resist. She just squinted her eyes comfortably, her tail wagging rapidly and her beast ears twitching slightly.
Right then, she looked just like a tamed pet—adorable and captivating, totally heart-melting.
"So, since we're going through with this political marriage, have you picked a date?" Riku asked, glancing at the nearby beastfolk elders who were all watching them with suggestive smiles.
"How about tomorrow?" the beastfolk chief replied, smiling with narrowed eyes. "I'm sure Lord Riku has a lot on his plate. Better to get it done early."
"I was thinking the same thing," Riku replied.
"Same here," said the other beastfolk one by one, all chiming in.
"Uh… that soon, huh? Well, alright." Riku looked over the group of beastfolk elders, rubbed his nose a little hesitantly, and finally nodded.
To be fair, the chief wasn't wrong—Riku really did have a lot to do. He needed to get stronger as fast as possible.
"In that case, it's settled. The wedding between Princess Fia and Lord Riku will be held tomorrow!" the beastfolk all laughed heartily.
After that, the place erupted into chatter and jokes. About an hour later, everyone finally dispersed. Riku was led to a guest room by a maid for some rest.
Even in a situation like this, Riku still slept soundly—only keeping a tiny sliver of his energy on alert just in case. He really was exhausted today.
Fia, on the other hand, couldn't sleep at all. She buried her head under the covers, letting her thoughts run wild, occasionally letting out small, flustered squeaks.
The next morning, the entire beastfolk village was buzzing with excitement.
Their beloved princess was actually marrying a human!
In an instant, the whole village exploded into reactions—some were skeptical, some just curious, and others were outright jealous or angry.
Still, no matter how they felt, none of them could stop it. After all, this decision came from both Princess Fia and the beastfolk chief and elders.
Anyone causing trouble would be dealt with by tribal law. Once the pros and cons were laid out clearly, most didn't make much of a fuss. They were just seriously jealous. I mean, this was their princess! The most talented and strongest among them—and she was marrying a human?
Wearing a red ceremonial outfit, Riku looked handsome and refined as he rode calmly through the streets, followed by a wedding procession.
Honestly, even among the beastfolk, it had been ages since anyone had a wedding this extravagant. Usually, even a high-ranking elder's wedding would be done in a few hours with minimal fuss. In a time of constant chaos and wars, who really had the time for this?
So, a lot of beastfolk were watching Riku closely, whispering all sorts of things among themselves.
Riku didn't mind one bit. In fact, he was enjoying the attention, smiling as he looked over the crowd. Marriage didn't seem so bad after all.
Once they reached the palace, the official wedding ceremony began—with the beastfolk chief presiding.
Everything went perfectly—no hiccups at all.
After the formalities were done, it was finally time for the wedding night.
Riku reached for Fia's hand—she was in a white wedding dress now, cheeks rosy, tail wagging like crazy. She was clearly in a great mood.
Both Riku and Fia were excited but nervous. After all, getting married was a big deal.
But Riku couldn't help feeling a bit conflicted. About that part of the night… should he really go through with it? Wouldn't that make him kind of a beast?
"Lord Riku, don't stress about it," the beastfolk chief whispered in Riku's ear with a mischievous grin. "The wedding night is an important tradition in our tribe. Can't break custom now, can we?"
"....."