The Saintess's Scheme

Three days left until the deemed marriage took effect.

I was now openly participating in the dungeon stream.

"And so, starting today, joining us is Kyou-sama, one of Narikin-sama's wives."

"Mm, pleased to be working with you. I'm here as the magic-type backup."

"Ooh! One of Narikin-sama's wives!"

"Hoh. Quite the bosom…"

Yeah, well, this is Nerune's body. Her chest is, uh, pretty well-developed. Makes it hard to move.

"Ah, no, hold on. Let me correct one thing about that introduction. I… I'm not actually Narikin's wife, you know?"

"Eh?"

"Hm?"

"Ah, I see?"

Hm? … I figured they'd be more disappointed, what with the Saintess's scheme falling apart…

"… Come to think of it, I hear there's a system called 'deemed marriage'?"

"!"

"…!"

"Eeh!? You're bringing that up!? Even though I was deflecting around it!?"

That's exactly your problem, Narikin. If you don't ask about these things plainly, you end up falling into all sorts of pitfalls.

Like rules we still don't know about!!

And judging by these guys' reactions, there's definitely a loophole in there!!

"If I hadn't come, Narikin would've nearly ended up becoming the Saintess's husband. Is that about right, Saintess-dono?"

"… Fufu, no need to worry. I'm fully prepared, in heart and mind, to become Narikin-sama's wife."

"Oh? But at this rate, it sounds like you really will end up becoming Narikin's wife. I don't actually know the details of the laws involved. Mind explaining them to me?"

When I asked her so directly, the Saintess gave a soft smile.

"… Hmm. Very well. After all, the whole point of this stream is spreading dungeon-related knowledge."

"Just so we're clear: anything you don't say here can't be used later to claim 'deemed marriage' applies. I won't accept it."

"Yes, I'll answer properly. Please rest assured."

Smiling all the while, the Saintess began to explain deemed marriage.

"First, some background. 'Deemed marriage' is a system meant to protect the honor of a man and woman who spend a long time together inside a dungeon. Against slander like 'wanton woman' or 'woman of the trade,' declaring them 'married' protects their reputations."

Huh. So the system actually has a proper reason behind it.

"For that reason, deemed marriage has no restriction on the number of men and women involved."

"… Huh?"

"Because in practice it's most often applied to one-on-one couples, and because newlyweds traditionally venture into dungeons together, the two ideas have gotten muddled. As a result, it's frequently 'misunderstood' that way."

Wha… what…?

A misunderstanding… a misunderstanding, she says!?

"Huh, is that so. Did you know that?"

"Yeah. Depending on the generation, people get it completely wrong."

"So… what does that mean for them?"

"First of all, it means the talk of me becoming Narikin-sama's 'deemed wife' is still very much in effect."

The very premise had been wrong from the start, all because of a misunderstanding… This is bad. This is really bad.

Does that mean that even with me here, I can't stop Narikin and the others from becoming 'deemed married'…!?

"And then…"

"… And then?"

"If Kyou-sama is not Narikin-sama's wife, then once a month has passed between myself and Narikin-sama and the 'deemed marriage' takes effect, Kyou-sama will become Narikin-sama's wife as well."

…? Eh, hold on a second?

"This is a rule meant to let a lover who was originally waiting on the surface barge in on a 'deemed marriage.' It's a 'system that preserves marital order.'"

"… 'Marital order'…!?"

"Yes. Even within a marriage, there's an order. A hierarchy. Especially for someone of His Holiness's rank, that sort of thing is important, wouldn't you say?"

So she's talking about things like first wife and second wife.

And since Rokufa is already Narikin's wife, that would make us the second and third wives.

"… Hypothetically…"

"Hm?"

"Hypothetically, if Kyou-sama were a man… In that case, you would have been 'cutting in' on my deemed marriage. Pope Narikin-sama would have become my second husband, you and I would have been strongly bound as husband and wife, and your tie with Narikin-sama would have been somewhat thinner."

Even so, the marriage itself would still stand.

So said Saintess Alka, smile never fading.

So… what's going on here?

Is it just that since Saintess Alka's real target is Narikin, having a woman barge in was more convenient for her?

"Also, the moment one joins the party, the 'cutting in' is established. However, if both the cutter and the same-sex member of the cut-in couple testify that it 'isn't cutting in,' then the cutter doesn't become a spouse."

"Hm?"

"Sometimes a person has only come to rescue them, after all. In such cases, you can declare it isn't 'cutting in.'"

… Wait, hold on. Just now, something… eh?

"Hold on a second. To refuse becoming a 'spouse' through 'cutting in,' you need testimony from a member of the couple, and specifically the same-sex one?"

"Yes. That's right."

"Eh? So in that case, for example—oh, even if I say 'I'm not cutting in,' if Alka says 'No, you are cutting in,' then Narikin and I end up married?"

"Yes. That's right."

Eh? Why? Why!?

"Eh, um, what about Narikin's opinion?"

"Given the origin of deemed marriage, the opposite-sex side's opinion is set aside. To protect their honor as a married pair, you see."

"Even when the cutter themselves denies it!?"

"Cutting in, doing the deed, then abandoning all responsibility—such a thing is possible. To prevent that, denying the 'cutting in' requires denial from the spouse side as well."

So, for example, to eliminate cases where a man cuts in on a 'deemed married' couple, makes a move on the woman, and then runs off.

First, to make absolutely sure responsibility is taken, everyone, including the cutter, is presumed to be 'all married.'

Next, to exclude things like rescue situations, you can refuse with 'no, that one isn't a spouse.'

… However, to also prevent the cutter side from doing the deed and running off, unless the spouse side denies it as well, they have no choice but to become 'married.'

And regarding the cutting in, the testimony of the opposite-sex side of the deemed couple is ignored.

Normally, the opposite-sex side's opinion within a deemed couple probably isn't effectively ignored, since the same-sex side can speak on their behalf—

"… Let me just say this once more, plainly. Kyou-sama, too, will become Narikin-sama's wife. Please rest assured."

"… Huh!?"

In other words. In other words.

It's all tangled together in a complicated way, but—

—because I'm a woman, the 'deemed marriage' with the Saintess ends up established 'in a way that drags me into it,' and without the Saintess's testimony, I can't refuse…!?