Chapter 22 (1/2)
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Chapter 22: The End is a Beginning
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“Thank you for waiting, everyone,” said a e
All eyes were immediately drawn to the man
He was in his forties, tall and clean-shaven with short, tidy hair
“Now presenting…the bride and the groom!”
Many things happened at once
First, Miss Angela watched alone fro”
At the table occupied by the students, the princess, and the orphan, the princess was asking questions about school life with Meg and the others answering them
When thewas the first to speak “It is finally beginning! A Roxchean wedding is very unique!”
“Nah, it’s just this one,” Natalia noted
“Is it so?” Meg asked, confused
“It’s al?”
Larry’s thoughts, e “Huy before…”
“Could it be?” Nick wondered, apparently thinking the sauessed and second-guessed hiain
“Should’ve brought a telephoto lens,” Jenny gru a photo
Meanwhile, at the Epstein table—
“Is that him, Silas?”
“Yeah Looks totally different froh”
“Introduce me later”
“Sure He’s h And so are you, for that matter”
“Are you stupid? I’ luxury coats to rich tourists in Raputoa Custoet anywhere else”
“Ah, here’s the little business monster I know”
Aikashi+a and the military men also commented on the introduction
“So it finally begins I ,” said the colonel
Kinski agreed “Noe’ll finally see who our mystery man is”
Major General Aikashi+a smiled “Don’t be too surprised, men”
The entleht this way! We’ll introduce the happy couple and give you soratulate them!”
The guests rose from their seats They crossed the stone-paved plaza to reach the foot of the stage, uards who had joined them There were 23 people in total
The foot of the stage was packed
Now that the guests were close enough, the aphone “Thank you, everyone”
The h for everyone to see Sonized him
The Sou Be-Il special forces bodyguards were first, as they hadof the year
“Hey, that’s—” Kane staasped
“How?” Axe uttered, glancing at Aikashi+a’s profiled face He was completely unfazed “Did the headmaster know…?”
“Hey…I know that guy I’ve seen him before,” Natalia said Nick was just as stunned
“I have as well Now I ah I still have no idea as to what he is doing in a place like this”
“Well, don’t keep us in the dark, Nick Who is he?”
Lillia also recognized the man She had floith him on the first day of the new year
“W-wait a sec,” she said to Treize “Why? How?!”
“Er…who knows?” Treize replied, playing dumb
“Argh! That’s oneMo back to her usual energetic self
Meg did not recognize theat Princess Matilda’s beautiful profiled face
Seron did not bother with the ’s lovely profiled face
“This…has to be a joke How…?” The colonel gasped, his eyes turning to dinner plates
Major Kinski also recognized the man
“The Hero…”
Thea hat labeled ‘Parukho Village Wedding Chapel Co hair and shaved off his beard—finally introduced himself
“Good to see everyone here today My name is Carr Benedict, and I’ll be your emcee for today!”
Everyone else—including Larry, who had been oblivious to the end—finally realized who he was A historic hero who deserved the spotlight at any event he ht attend
“Ah! The Hero of the Mural!”
“Now, let me introduce our star couple!” Benedict cried Everyone went silent “First of all, the bride—Allison Whittington Schultz!”
Benedict waved and pointed at stage right
There was a quiet wave of cheers when the bride eed
“Mom…”
Lillia’s eyes fell on the woe
Allison’s long blond hair was done up in a bun decorated hite flowers She was in a white wedding dress instead of a unifor
“Thanks for waiting, everyone!” Allison cried, not in the least bit a blushi+ng bride, as she strode onto center stage
“Wait! Slon!”
Rushi+ng in after Allison was her bridese sleeveless dress, holding a bouquet of equally orange flowers
“She’s so pretty…” Carlo gasped
“Still such a spirited girl In fact, she’s gotten even e,” Madam Epstein commented
“Whoa, that’s Schultz’s eous,” said Larry
“You rew out your hair,” Jenny remarked coldly
“She’s certainly beautiful,” the colonel said, impressed
“Isn’t she?” Aikashi+a replied, sounding alhter
“Hm?” The colonel furrowed his brow
“Have I…seen her before?” Major Kinski wondered to himself
“You’re looking lovely today”
“Thanks!”
Allison and Benedict hugged as they exchanged greetings The bridesmaid who happened to be a princess was completely overshadowed by the bride and the historic hero
Treize and Matilda did not bother to point out her identity to the others, however
Carlo alone looked at the princess of Ikstova and wondered, “She looks just like big bro Are they twins?” But no one congratulated her for guessing the truth
“Now, tiroom to make his appearance!” Benedict declared
“Ah!” Lillia twitched
Treize quietly took her left hand in his right
“Huh? What?” Lillia de
“Nothing,” Treize replied He did not let go
“Really? …All right” Lillia nodded She did not shake him off
“Yeah” Treize smiled
“I’ll believe you” Lillia smiled back
They looked to the stage together
Benedict continued “I’roo it all on the do on purpose, just so we could surprise you all! I guarantee, today will be an unforgettable day for everyone involved!”
The speech was getting so lengthy that Benedict was starting to sound like a politician
“Looks like he’s having fun,” Larry remarked
“Now, allow room—our mystery man—Wilhelm Schultz!”
Those not in the know—the newspaper club, the colonel, Major Kinski, and Miss Angela—were confused by the groom’s last name
However, no one voiced their confusion because of the possibility that the bride and groom happened to have the same family names by sheer coincidence
Two people ee left
One was the wo as a chapel employee—Fiona The other was aon crutches, slowlyover the floor
With a new pair of glasses and tidy hair, Wilheled
The guests’ reactions varied wildly
“Looks like he’s in good shape,” Silas Epstein remarked
“And still as handsoically
“He’s all grown up now,” theiroff her own son
“Not ed
“He hurt his leg, huh,” Carlo commented nonchalantly
Seron, Meg, Larry, Jenny, Natalia, and Nick were not floored, either
‘So that’s the groom’
‘He looks like a nice person’
‘Is he injured?’
‘I should take some photos’
‘Glasses, huh’
‘He looks like a scholar’
That was the extent of their reactions
But a nized Queen Francesca and started a small commotion at the table
As for Lillianne Aikashi+a Corazòn Whittington Schultz—
“Oh Ohhh I see now”
She wore a completely blank expression For three seconds, she watched expressionlessly as the man she knew for years as Major Travas was escorted to center stage by the queen of Ikstova
Then—
“Pfft!”
She chuckled
“Morats, darn it! And you too, Dad…” she whispered, so quietly that only Treize could hear
Treize had held on to her hand the whole time He hesitated for a moment—
“It’s okay”
And he quietly let go
“Oh, shoot! He really pulled one over on us! Good one, Major! Whoo!” Kane cheered, not bothering to hide his emotions
Ed, Uno, and Ozette, ere seasoned veterans with years of training under their belts to prepare them for any situation—
“What?!” “Hm?!” “Impossible…”
—Were equally surprised, unable to hide their shock at the revelation
Axe was no different She was stunned into silence for a moment
“What…is going on…? He was an Easterner? Then…as Father… What?”
She stood there in a daze, in no shape to even think about guarding anyone
“Major Travas…” Major Kinski gasped, jaw agape
The colonel was equally as dumbfounded
“I apologize for keeping the both of you in the dark,” said Major General Aikashi+a, not sounding apologetic in the least “The former Major Travas actually holds Roxchean citizenshi+p as well, although this was top secret when he was still serving in the Royal Ar in the ceree has been valid for years, of course, but they’re finally holding the ceremony today”
“Sir,” the colonel said, dazed
“What is it?”
“You have a rather interesting sense of humor”
“Ah Apologies”
“You should have told us from the start that Major Travas was alive, sir… Do you have any idea hoorried ere?” the colonel asked Aikashi+a smiled
“Colonel, you’re being ests”
“Iold, sir”
“The saiven perer man”
“Sir! You mean you weren’t the one who planned this?”
“The planning was all done by the young folks Major Travas and Mrs Schultz, and the Hero of the Mural and Her Majesty Queen Francesca”
“We couldn’t even drea a surprise party on this scale”
The older men continued to chat amicably, but Major Kinski could not be any more different He was as white as a sheet
“PardonKinski’s condition “Major Kinski and I have sorooave Kinski’s shoulder a gentle push and signaled hio
“I see,” Aikashi+a replied without a hint of concern, watching them leave the table
The bride and groouests
Major Kinski and the colonel, however, walked away fro lot They stopped behind the truck parked there, hidden from view of the drivers on standby
“What’s wrong, Major Kinski? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” the colonel said, unperturbed “You’ll need nerves of steel if you want to survive this career path, my man”
“B-but Colonel! I don’t understand How is Major Travas still alive? And what is he doing here, getting s?”
“Did it take you by surprise?” the colonel asked, looking into Kinski’s bowed face
“Yes, sir”
“Like I said before, you must not let that show in your expression or your behavior,” the colonel said And with a shrug, he pointed at Kinski’s holstered gun
It was a 9azine was loaded with 13 rounds
“At this point, you have no other options”
“Sir! Are you ordering me to take responsibility and kill ry
“I a idea,” the colonel replied calht hand on Kinski’s shoulder and squeezed A good-natured grin rose to his lips “Your killing yourself won’t solve anything Your killing Travas, on the other hand, will solve many problems”
“What?!”
“You can do it, can’t you? It’s sirooh that you can shoot hie About three rounds to the face or chest would do”
“B-but…”
“What are you afraid of at this point? You’re the one who ordered the aeroplane bo, you took three innocent lives froet If you don’t take care of hiht”
“B-but…all the witnesses…”
“Don’t worry, Major I can help you As soon as you open fire, I’ll restrain you Then I’ll say to the guests, ‘Don’t kill hi!’”
Kinski was silent
“Then you’ll spend a few days relaxing in the base found mentally unstable and not criminally responsible You’ll be taken back to the motherland Princess Matilda’s presence will help us—it’llDo you understand?”
Kinski was silent
“If we let Travas go now, all our efforts will have been in vain We cannot let any eneral—Travas also holds Roxchean citizenshi+p He’ll continue to ith the cartels as they ss to the West”
Kinski was silent
“Can you iine what kind of havoc they’ll wreak? This is our last chance to save the motherland One day Travas’s misdeeds will be known to the world, and your reputation will be restored The ree with your actions as well”
Kinski was silent
“Still unsure? I suppose there’s no helping it Shall I do the deedas you are willing to rescue me from the basement cell”
“…N-no, sir I don’t have that authority”
“See? We are left with no other choice It is time to demonstrate your loyalty to the motherland!”
“Y-yes, sir”
“Major Kinski”
“Sir?”
“Make absolutely sure to kill him And do not take your own life afterwards I swear by the Gods that I will help you”
“Yes, sir…”
Allison and Wil stepped down fro the Epstein family
“Oh, Wil! It’s been lad to see you!” Mada
“Mother! It’sherWil
“Sorry about my sister,” Silas said to Allison “Let her off just for today?”
Allison s for Wil back in Ikstova, by the way! And for letting him stay at your place before the train trip!”
“Huh? Oh, that stuff! It’s all ancient history now, but you’re welcome!”