Chapter 97: Wallace's Marriage

It wasn’t just Wallace whose face turned green; Sterley’s did as well. For years, he had busied himself with the scheming and machinations of the nobility, groveling between the palace halls and attending to the senile old king, sparing no expense nor risk to eliminate rivals through costly assassinations—all for the sake of marrying the princess and acquiring royal status.

Only with a royal identity could Sterley pursue his next ambition. Yet now, Sterley suddenly realized:

The princess he sought to marry was even more ambitious than himself!

While he was merely plotting to seize the throne of Goa, Princess Nandekanett aspired to climb into the bed of a Celestial Dragon, aiming to become a world noble.

Sterley’s face turned a ghastly shade between green and black, a sense of dread rising within him: If that lecherous Celestial Dragon truly married Princess Nandekanett, wouldn’t he—who had so openly declared his intent to wed her—stand out like a sore thumb?

A noble of the highest order merely had to show his face, and the princess he had painstakingly courted would willingly offer herself. With a casual word, such a noble could render all his years of effort meaningless; such is the power of authority!

Sterley clenched his fists tightly, and amidst the tension, conflict, and unwillingness, his craving for power only grew stronger.

Yet matters did not unfold as disastrously as Sterley had feared.

The “Celestial Dragon” Garen merely paused for a moment, then turned to the expectant Princess Nandekanett with an expression of utter disdain:

“A formal wife?”

Lacking the real-life experience to emulate that aloof, godlike demeanor, Garen instead twisted his facial muscles to approximate the appearance of a true Celestial Dragon:

“You—a lesser being—wish to become my formal wife?”

“A princess from some obscure, backwater kingdom like you is worth no more than a few tens of millions of Berries at the slave auction in Shambody!”

Princess Nandekanett froze, her face filled with disbelief, and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

As the princess of the Goa Kingdom, she had never suffered such humiliation and contempt.

Her face flushed crimson, lips trembling as she tried to say something to Garen: “I…”

“Silence!” the old king barked harshly, interrupting his daughter’s attempt to speak.

“Lord Garen is quite right! Don’t entertain such unrealistic fantasies!”

“Apologize to Lord Garen at once!”

Having attended the World Conference many times, the old king had seen enough on the Grand Line to know Garen spoke the truth: Though it might seem incomprehensible to ordinary folk, in Shambody’s slave market, a princess from a non-affiliated minor kingdom truly wasn’t worth much; even the status of a princess from a World Government member nation meant nothing in the eyes of a Celestial Dragon.

Scolded severely, Princess Nandekanett could only shrink back and stammer, “I—I’m sorry…”

Garen showed not a shred of pity, nor did he spare the trembling princess; instead, he dove deeper into his role, casting a lewd, disrespectful gaze over her, once more playing the villain:

“I suppose you’re attractive enough—barely fit to be my sixteenth ‘slave wife’.”

Then he glanced at Miss Nami, who forced a smile in his arms, and laughed, “No, wait, now it should be the seventeenth…”

“Hahahaha!”

Nami’s face darkened, and she quietly delivered a harmless little punch to Garen’s side.

Princess Nandekanett, now the focus of Garen’s predatory remarks, blanched with terror.

The old king broke out in a cold sweat, more convinced than ever that this man before him was a genuine Celestial Dragon.

In such circumstances, no one dared utter a word.

Sterley, for his part, shrank silently, watching as the princess he so admired slipped ever deeper into the abyss of slavery.

At last, just as Princess Nandekanett was about to collapse in tears, a hero staggered to his feet—Wallace.

Garen shot him a covert look of approval, commending his quick-witted improvisation.

Wallace, meanwhile, looked bewildered, while Borgin, who had given his nephew a forceful shove from behind, silently withdrew his hand.

“Eh?”

Garen feigned displeasure and gave Wallace an impatient glance, signaling him to continue.

Borgin, seated, sent his nephew a fierce, concealed glare.

Wallace hesitated for a moment before grasping his role: “Lord Garen!”

His ability to control his expression was poor, and after much effort he managed only a painfully awkward face. So he simply knelt with a thud and pressed his face to the floor:

“Princess Nandekanett acted without ill intent—please forgive her transgression!”

“Oh?”

Garen narrowed his eyes, prompting Wallace further:

“You wish to challenge my decision? And on what grounds?”

“I…”

Wallace seemed to understand Garen’s intent, quickly seizing the opportunity:

“I have long admired Princess Nandekanett!”

“I hope you will grant me, in honor of my loyal service, your blessing for my affection toward the princess!”

Garen remained silent and displeased for a long moment, then finally turned to the old king:

“Old man, your daughter and Wallace have already become an item?”

“Yes, yes!” the king replied with palpable relief, “Wallace is one of the rare young talents in Goa, and I have long intended to marry my daughter to him!”

“In that case…”

Garen finally softened his aggressive stance, and said offhandedly:

“I’ll do Wallace this favor.”

Princess Nandekanett let out a deep sigh of relief.

Though her marriage had been settled in such an abrupt manner, the outcome was infinitely preferable to becoming a Celestial Dragon’s slave wife.

Moreover, Wallace had always been one of her two prospective husbands, his family as prestigious as Sterley’s, and his looks far superior to the odd and grotesque Sterley.

Without further protest, Princess Nandekanett tacitly accepted her freshly appointed husband.

Sterley, meanwhile, turned green once more—this time utterly so.

..........................................

Thus, Wallace’s marriage was resolved with surprising ease, and the meaningless noble banquet quickly came to an end.

Garen found a convenient excuse to bid farewell to the old king and prepared to leave the palace, intending to settle the terms of cooperation in detail with the Michael family.

Once more, the royal family and nobles escorted “Lord Garen” to the palace gates as if he were the moon surrounded by stars, bidding him a respectful farewell.

Watching the old king, who seemed relieved after effectively selling his daughter, Garen couldn’t help but joke to Wallace:

“Your father-in-law is certainly easy to fool.”

Wallace blushed and lowered his head, still somewhat overwhelmed by the sudden acquisition of a wife.

Borgin clapped his nephew’s shoulder with a smile:

“The plan went remarkably well—you did a fine job!”

“But…”

Borgin glanced warily at Sterley, who was staring intently from a distance, and frowned:

“This Sterley is still a troublesome character.”

“Wallace, you must be careful.”

“That man will do anything when desperate. The last two unfortunates only recently found their graves.”

Before Wallace could reply, Garen chuckled softly:

“Sterley? He’s not worth mentioning. Leave him to me.”

“You…”

Borgin asked in confusion, “Are you planning to deal with him yourself?”

He shook his head and said:

“Lord Garen, you are a master who rules by force. These petty power struggles are best left to us.”

“No…”

Garen’s smile grew more enigmatic:

“I have no time for ‘shadow games’—if there’s a problem, it needs a swift solution.”

He then asked Borgin, out of the blue:

“Did you bring a gun?”

“What are you planning?” Borgin asked, surprised. “Even if your current status is that of a Celestial Dragon, to directly kill…”

He stopped halfway, suddenly realizing: As a Celestial Dragon, such action would hardly be out of place.

“No, no…”

Garen shook his head gently:

“My approach isn’t so crude or simple.”

“The gun isn’t for me—it’s for Sterley.”