Marriage Registration

Wolk was the only person who knew about my previous life.

In his previous life, Wolk had been a puppy who always clung to me while whining softly.

“You are going to be reincarnated as a human.”

“A human?”

“It means you are to live as that fragile existence known as a human.”

“……”

“The moment this magic circle begins to glow, you will be reincarnated as a human.”

“Understood… Wood, stay away from here.”

It was the dream of my previous life that I had seen countless times.

Wood, the puppy who always appeared in those dreams, had ultimately refused to leave my side and had been condemned along with me.

Even though it had happened in the distant past, I could still remember Wood sleeping on my lap as vividly as if it had been yesterday.

Apparently sensing something from my expression, Wolk made an awkward, almost embarrassed face.

“…Don’t look at me like I’m some puppy.”

“Sorry. I was just remembering the old days.”

I never would have imagined that little puppy Wood would reincarnate as such a burly man.

When I first met Wolk, for some reason I immediately knew that he was Wood’s reincarnation.

Even though his appearance and personality were completely different.

The instant my eyes met Wolk’s, something struck me in the chest, and memories of Wood came flooding back one after another.

Apparently, Wolk had recognized me by my scent as well. Did reincarnated people really smell the same…? I had wondered about that, but I still didn’t really understand how beastfolk worked.

Both of our memories had been fragmented. We compared what we remembered and gradually confirmed that we had been partners in our previous lives.

Still looking slightly embarrassed, Wolk pointed at me and spoke in a somewhat forceful tone.

“I’m not that little puppy anymore, you know.”

“……”

—Even though when we reunited, you bawled your eyes out and threw yourself at me like a puppy finding its parent.

You had completely forgotten that you were now a huge man with monstrous strength.

I thought my spine was going to snap when you hugged me.

Wolk was married now and lived together with his wife.

Unlike in our previous lives, we weren’t constantly together, but if anything ever happened to him, I intended to come running immediately.

Speaking of that feeling of being struck in the chest, I had experienced something similar when I first heard Yuri’s name… Could I have had some connection to her in my previous life too?

I couldn’t remember.

There had been a woman who resembled Yuri at the end of one of those recurring dreams.

But I had no idea whether that had truly been a memory from my previous life, or simply a dream in which events from my current life had become mixed together with memories of the past.

Yuri hadn’t said anything either, and Wolk hadn’t mentioned anything about Yuri—no, come to think of it, he had said something that bothered me.

“She somehow smelled like someone I’d known for a long time.”

I had no idea what “the scent of someone you’ve known for a long time” was supposed to smell like, but perhaps it had something to do with our previous lives.

Even if Yuri and I had known each other in our previous lives, and even if we had been enemies back then, it had absolutely nothing to do with who we were now.

Anyway, Wolk had been my partner in our previous lives.

He understood that in this life, I wanted to live quietly and inconspicuously.

That was why he rarely brought me requests requiring me to work with other parties, and he also passed profitable jobs above the normal B-rank level my way. Though those usually happened to be troublesome jobs that only I could solve.

He also knew perfectly well that the Hero was no match for me.

I suspected that when he encouraged me to marry Yuri, he had anticipated something like what had happened this time.

Even if the Hero tried to force Yuri back into his party, Wolk probably knew I could erase him whenever I wanted—no, that I could drive the Hero away whenever I wanted.

Yuri still seemed unable to fully believe it as she murmured,

“I knew you were strong, but I never imagined there could be someone capable of defeating the Hero.”

“The Hero isn’t necessarily the strongest person in humanity. He has powers granted by a god that ordinary humans don’t possess, but if he can’t make proper use of them, then he’s no different from any other adventurer.”

Yuri’s eyes widened at Wolk’s words.

She still looked unconvinced.

“I-Is that really how it works…? Back in the village, people said the Hero was the reincarnation of a god’s child and that he was humanity’s hope.”

Well, among humans, that was what the Hero represented.

In fact, the previous Hero had lived up to humanity’s hopes and successfully defeated the Demon King.

A painting of the previous Hero and his companions hung on the wall of this room too.

Judging from the painting, the Hero had been an older man, and all his companions had been older men as well.

Unlike the current Hero, they gave off an extremely disciplined, stoic air… completely different from the current Hero, who seemed intent on building himself a harem party.

Though, of course, it was only a painting, so it might not have been entirely faithful to reality.

Unless the womanizing current Hero, Vanrost, was even more of an idiot than I thought, he probably wouldn’t chase after us again.

After experiencing such an overwhelming difference in strength firsthand, if he still decided to pursue us, he would be beyond saving.

At that point, I would have no hesitation about erasing him from this world.

Now that the big job was finished, I needed to tell Wolk that I would be taking some time off.

“Wolk. I’ll return the wyvern I’ve been borrowing. I’m going to be away from home for a while, so I won’t be able to take any new requests.”

“Oh, going on your honeymoon?”

“N-No, that’s not it. Yuri is going to study Monster Taming. I know a Monster Tamer in Pnery, so we’re planning to visit him.”

“Pnery is popular with newlyweds as a tourist destination too. Take your time and enjoy yourselves.”

“……”

I told you, it wasn’t a honeymoon.

Though naturally, I did want to do some sightseeing in addition to Yuri’s Monster Tamer studies.

…A honeymoon, huh.

The hot springs there were famous.

I had hot springs at my own house too, but hot springs while traveling had a different appeal.

There were hot springs so huge you could practically swim in them, hot springs with breathtaking views, milky-white hot springs… all kinds of them.

I even started imagining Yuri smiling at me while soaking in a hot spring, and hurriedly shook my head.

No, no. I couldn’t start getting carried away thinking only about the fun parts.

Yuri earning her Monster Tamer qualification came first.

I glanced at the transparent card gleaming on the table. It was the Diamond Pass Card, one of the rewards for this request.

As long as we had this card, we could stay in a guest room at affiliated lodging facilities whenever there was a vacancy.

All right… Maybe after holding the wedding ceremony, we could board a luxury passenger ship bound for the Kingdom of Arneed.

After we finished talking with Wolk, Yuri and I submitted our marriage registration at the reception desk.

Erin-chan accepted it, checked the contents, and then beamed at us.

“Roy-san, Yuri-san, congratulations on your marriage!! I’ll keep cheering for the two of you as you overcome every obstacle together!”

Every obstacle… Wait, Erin-chan, did you still think Yuri was a man?

Admittedly, the marriage registration submitted to the Guild didn’t have a field for sex.

And Yuri had taken off her cat-eared hooded jacket and was now wearing a breastplate over her tunic. She could still pass for a small-framed boy.

“Thank you very much, Erin-san!”

Yuri smiled happily at Erin-chan’s congratulations, so I decided not to probe any further.

Erin-chan went into a room behind the counter and returned with a small navy velvet box.

When she placed the box on the counter and opened the lid, two silver rings lay side by side inside.

They were the wedding rings given out when a marriage registration was submitted.

Both rings were exactly the same size. They were made from a special metal that changed size to fit the wearer’s finger.

When worn, they also increased attack power and reduced magical energy consumption, making them useful items for adventurers.

The rings were both a congratulatory gift from the Adventurers’ Guild and proof of marriage.

With a radiant smile, Erin-chan said,

“I’m looking forward to seeing you exchange the rings at your wedding ceremony!”