“Do not act so confused.” He declared. “I know you’ve been more than familiar with my future wife!”
This led to more gasps. The groom was a an Osterian man who wasn’t particularly attractive. He looked a bit old to be the groom of Alysia. He had dark black hair with just a bit of grey in it. He wasn’t as muscular as me, but he moved with a grace that reminded me of Octius or Octin. This was a man who knew how to fight. His expression was filled with anger and disdain.
“We’re friends.” I tried to defend.
“Hmph! Like I can believe that! I’ve heard that you’ve seen her naked and that she has seen you naked in turn.”
“That was… I mean…” I didn’t know how to respond to that.
Technically, we had fought each other until our clothing was in tatters. However, there wasn’t anything sexual about it.
“You also declared her as your woman, and threw your arms around her.”
I wasn’t sure things exactly happened that way. I had been jumping off a cliff to rescue Alysia when I grabbed her. As for declaring her my woman, I don’t seem to recall that at all. Then again, I had made that declaration to so many women, maybe I had? I needed to stop running my mouth! It led to situations !
“It’s an archaic tradition from the old Osteria. In Aberis, it has been abolished.”
“Heh… that’s because you puny humans fear anything that takes away your safety.” The man chuckled.
“What exactly is the Osterian Karn?” I asked Eliana, rather hearing her explanation than his voice.
“When a groom is to marry a woman, he can initiate a challenge to the death towards anyone he thinks his woman has lingering affection toward. This way, there is less risk that she yearns for someone else. He closes off all avenues for her so that her heart becomes completely his. It’s supposed to occur in the months or weeks leading up to the wedding, but to initiate one now disrupts the ceremony.”
“Hmph! I won’t be denied my right just because the accused is a coward!” The man declared snobbishly.
“What if he dies?” I asked.
“Haha… you think I will die?” The man laughed. “Nonsense. I am an Osterian, while you’re just a puny human. Even if your levels were double what my sources say they are at, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
I had no clue what levels they were saying if they knew how many jobs I had, nor if what he was saying was even true. All I could say was that he was pretty confident, while I didn’t want to be involved in this fight at all.
“Eliana is mistaken about one thing.” Octin had returned when he heard what was happening, “This doesn’t necessarily need to be a battle to the death. Although the groom will try to kill the accused, if the accused kills the groom instead, he forfeits his life.”
“How is that fair?” I cried out.
“Of course, the groom can also spare the accused if he defeats him, but I anticipate this won’t happen.”
So, it was a situation where he could kill me, but I couldn’t kill him. This felt like the dumbest tradition I had ever heard. It gave him a free shot at killing anyone he considered an enemy all while maintaining his safety.
“It isn’t completely risk-free.” Octin continued as if reading my mind. “If he should lose, while his life won’t be forfeit… the wedding will be. As the accused must put a life on the line, so must the groom.”
“Whose life?” I asked as the groom made an ugly expression like he didn’t want me to know this part.
“The groom puts his bride as collateral. If he loses, then the bride becomes the accused’s slave to do with however they wish.”
“Well, as Eliana said, it is an archaic tradition. Many men would let the woman go. Others show their true colors and take advantage of her. A groom who loses truly ends up in a humiliating state.”
“Enough banter!” He shouted. “I am General Draven Nova of the Osterian Bloodwights. Tonight, I will offer Alysia a plate with your head on it as my wedding gift!”