There were still two weeks left until the wedding—plenty of time.
But the matchmaker, Makarov, was already busy purchasing various supplies needed for the ceremony, mostly decorations like red carpets and floral bouquets.
Many of these weren't disposable and could be reused if needed later.
Of course, Raizel and Laxus were quietly footing the bill.
The old man was getting stingier by the day, his wallet only growing fatter without spending a single coin over the past two years, guarding his gold like a mythical dragon.
But Raizel and Laxus didn't mind anyway; this amount was mere pocket change to them.
When it came to saving money, Alzack and Bisca had truly mastered the essence from Makarov.
Actually, holding the wedding at the Kardia Cathedral would have been simpler, but Alzack and Bisca ultimately chose to have it at the guild.
They were wondering whether to pick a priest from the guild to officiate.
It seemed no one in the guild knew how to perform the role, except maybe Cana and Mira, who occasionally visited the church and might have some familiarity with the vows.
Because the Kardia Cathedral charged a hefty rental fee... while the guild didn't.
"Raizel, I'd like to invite you to be our best man," Alzack said, making a special trip to Raizel's home in the eastern forest.
"With pleasure. I'm honored," Raizel agreed immediately.
"Great! I was worried you might not be willing," Alzack clenched his fist and punched the air.
This was a successful first step, giving him confidence to invite the others later.
"What about Bisca? Why didn't she come with you?" Raizel asked, pouring tea.
"She went to invite the bridesmaids."
"By the way, how many groomsmen and bridesmaids are you planning to invite?"
"Three each."
"Oh, and I'd also like to ask you to be the wedding planner, to make it a unique ceremony. Bisca said you have lots of fun ideas and might bring some freshness to it," Alzack made another request, feeling slightly awkward bringing it up so suddenly.
"Leave it to me!" Raizel agreed directly.
He hadn't expected these two to jump into his trap on their own.
He hadn't even dug the pit yet... Should he go easy on them?
The first bridesmaid Bisca invited was Erza.
If she were to invite only one bridesmaid, Erza would be the undisputed choice.
After all, it was Erza who originally invited Bisca to join Fairy Tail. Back when Bisca was swindling people outside while impersonating a Fairy Tail member, Erza caught and disciplined her.
Instead of turning her in, Erza let her off and eventually invited her to join the family.
Getting caught impersonating by the real deal—thinking back on it, it was kind of funny.
"Of course, I'm always ready!" Erza said with a serious expression, patting her armor loudly. "Who are the other choices?"
"One is Cana, the other is Carla."
"Eh??? Carla?!"
"Eh??? Happy?!"
Upon hearing this news back at the guild, both Raizel and Erza's expressions turned complicated, stunned by the roster.
The other best man being Laxus didn't surprise Raizel at all, but Happy was unexpected.
Raizel had thought it would be Max.
"Why can't it be a cat?" Alzack and Bisca's defensive answers were surprisingly in sync.
"Seems... you're right. That makes a lot of sense," Raizel nodded slowly.
He suddenly felt Alzack's idea was quite good—having a flying blue cat as the groomsman sounded rather amusing.
Though Raizel didn't know why they had chosen Happy specifically, it didn't really matter.
Raizel and Laxus were clearly quite calm about being groomsmen.
They'd just wear their usual tailored suits when the time came; standard black would be fine.
But someone else was very nervous... That would be Erza.
Ever since learning she was to be a bridesmaid, Erza had been restless, constantly changing outfits in her dorm trying to find a suitable bridesmaid dress.
"I know you're anxious, but don't rush. This isn't your wedding, and besides, none of these outfits are suitable for bridesmaid dresses," Ultear sighed as she watched Erza pacing around her cluttered room.
"Exactly! Whose bridesmaid wears chef uniforms, maid outfits, and bunny girl costumes?!" Cana couldn't resist commenting from the bed.
"That's too much—black leather?! Put away that damn whip, Erza!"
"And those bright purple and neon red dresses aren't suitable either, they're too eye-catching. Don't let all the attention be on you."
Erza had quite a massive collection of dresses, but there was one glaring problem—her dresses were all in bright, bold colors that stood out in crowds.
What people called "attention-grabbers."
"In that case! I'll have one custom-made!" Erza slapped the table and dashed out the door.
"Wait for us!" Ultear and Kagura quickly chased after her. If they didn't follow, who knows what kind of bizarre, weaponized dress Erza would have made.
...
Magnolia Central District——
Louis Vuitton.
This was a luxury fashion brand famous throughout the Ishgar continent, with its own flagship stores in all major cities.
With different target customer groups came different price points, covering affordable luxury, high luxury, and ultimate luxury, along with various sub-brands deeply loved by nobility, especially female nobles.
This was a branch store located in the prime commercial location of Magnolia, though this specific store mainly served customers in the affordable and high luxury segments.
As for ultimate luxury, one would have to travel to Crocus, the capital of the Fiore Kingdom, to find those exclusive pieces.
The majority of Magnolia's residents just didn't have sufficient purchasing power.
While the lives of Magnolia's residents were indeed becoming more prosperous, not everyone was willing to splurge on expensive luxury goods.
Only the top mages of Fairy Tail and some traveling nobles could casually afford them.
It's worth mentioning that most of the Christmas gifts Gildarts bought for Cana last month were hastily purchased here.
At 10 AM, after the store was cleaned and the sales staff had straightened their crisp uniforms, the doors finally opened.
Soon after, Erza arrived in a frantic hurry.
The sales staff and store manager recognized Erza immediately.
This was a highly valued VIP customer!
Though she could be eccentric and demanding at times, she was willing to spend serious money!
They had even received Erza's armor design drafts before—though they weren't handled by this branch, but by the headquarters' specialized designers.
"Miss Erza, welcome! How may we assist you today? Are you looking for the new season's clothing, custom-made garments, or specialized armor design?"
Because this was a valued customer, Store Manager Louis stepped out from behind the counter to greet her personally.
"That's the situation. My friend is getting married and asked me to be her bridesmaid, but I don't have a single suitable dress for the occasion," Erza explained rapidly.
"So it's a bridesmaid dress you need. Would you like to browse our ready-made options or have one custom tailored?" Louis asked politely. "We have several elegant finished pieces in the store that you can choose from freely."
"Wait! Finally caught up with you!" Ultear and Kagura gasped, bursting through the glass doors.
No one knew how Erza could run so fast while wearing heavy armor.
The two had been chasing after her, shouting all the way from the dorms, yet Erza showed no signs of slowing down—instead, she kept picking up speed, nearly exhausting the two mages who were chasing her.
---------
Read 50 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator