"Here, take this. Go thank Lady Ram properly. Spend more time with her."
The moment the man finished speaking, the woman beside him snatched up the roasted suckling pig leg wrapped in lotus leaf from the table and shoved it into Carlos' arms. While sternly warning him not to eat it himself, she physically hustled him out of the living room and straight toward the door.
…Were these two seriously this mercenary?
Standing at the entrance, pig leg cradled in his arms, Carlos stared into the wind, utterly at a loss.
Once he calmed down, though, he could understand them. Among the Oni Clan, strength came first. Reproduction came second.
As demi-humans, Oni were famous for their tough bodies, overwhelming magic, and unmatched combat ability. Their only real flaw was that being too strong made conception difficult.
That weakness had forced them into the deep mountains, avoiding unnecessary conflict to prevent their already small population from being wiped out. Even then, they were barely surviving.
Carlos' parents had him late in life. They knew they wouldn't be having more children, so this had likely started as a matter of efficiency, pairing him with Rem, another Single-Horned child no one expected much from, hoping the two might produce a normal Oni.
In eras with low life expectancy, marriage naturally came earlier. With the Oni Clan on the brink of extinction, ten wasn't considered young at all. Their bodies were far stronger than humans'; childbirth at that age wasn't a problem.
As for whether Ram liked him…
That thought had never crossed his mind.
If there was any kind of fondness, it certainly wasn't romantic. Nine-year-olds didn't understand that sort of thing. More likely, she just wanted to stay with Rem, and disliked the villagers who had always looked down on them. Marrying him was the simplest solution.
For a clan that valued strength to the point of executing defective infants, Ram's parents were surely unwilling to marry her off to him. But her opinion couldn't be ignored. She was already chosen as the next clan head, the one hailed as the "return of the Oni God."
"…What a race," Carlos muttered. "And my life just keeps getting stranger."
By the twins' front door, he knocked while grumbling under his breath, finding the whole situation equal parts ridiculous and absurd.
The unlocked door swung open almost immediately. Rem peeked out cautiously, then lit up the moment she saw him.
"Carlos… did you come to play with us?"
"Something like that," he said. "Want to wander around a bit?"
"Yes! Wait, Rem will get Sis!"
She nodded without hesitation and darted back inside, returning moments later with Ram in tow.
The three of them headed toward the small river near the village, just like they always did. Watching the inseparable sisters walk ahead of him, Carlos thought for a moment, then handed the pig leg to them.
"Do you two know what happened at noon?"
"You mean how Sis and Rem are getting married to Carlos next year?"
"You're really lucky," Ram added coolly. "Getting to marry sisters as beautiful as us."
Rem beamed, clearly just happy that they'd get to spend even more time together. Ram looked just as indifferent as ever, her usual air of quiet superiority intact.
"…You really don't understand what marriage actually means," he said.
Looking at the two of them, he didn't feel anything about this so-called engagement, just numb. The whole arrangement was absurd.
He'd always treated the twins as little sisters.
"What does marriage mean?" Rem tilted her head. "It means lots of tasty food, right? I hope next year comes soon~"
Her eyes sparkled as she imagined the rare feast that accompanied weddings.
Ram, meanwhile, unwrapped the lotus leaf, took a bite, then, eyes lighting up, snapped the pig leg in half with terrifying ease and handed one piece to her sister.
"This tastes good. Rem, try it."
"Thank you, Sis!"
"Such a little glutton…"
Rem's innocent delight left Carlos at a loss for words. He sighed, then looked at Ram.
"What about my share? You're not leaving me nothing, are you?"
"Ram will save a bit for you."
"Rem will save some for Carlos too!"
"Hah… forget it. You eat. I won't fight kids for food."
Watching the sisters utterly conquered by the pig leg, he gave up the idea of indulging himself. Instead, he simply watched them with a gentle gaze.
The marriage didn't matter to him anymore.
After all… he had no intention of staying here until next year.
...
About a week after the engagement was verbally confirmed, the Oni Village grew lively. For the first time in nine years, the three of them stood together on the ritual platform again.
This time, they weren't there to be executed.
Before their ancestors and the assembled clan, the marriage set for next year was formally announced.
"Being engaged to two little girls…" Carlos muttered. "This feels weird."
"What are you talking about?" Ram shot back. "Being engaged to a child like you is what's complicated."
"Sis, Carlos, n-now isn't the time to argue," Rem said, on the verge of tears. "We'll get scolded…"
"Behave yourselves!"
The white-haired clan head barked sharply, just as Rem feared.
"Carlos and Rem! You should feel honored to become part of Ram's family! This is no time for nonsense! You will devote yourselves fully to supporting her, do you hear me?!"
"Yes, yes…" Carlos replied with a lazy nod.
"We, we understand!" Rem nodded frantically. "Please don't worry, Clan Head!"
Carlos' lackadaisical attitude made the elder's expression harden. His fist clenched, looking ready to strike.
Before he could, Ram stepped forward, planting herself in front of Carlos, her face calm.
"Carlos will belong to Ram from now on. Ram will discipline him properly. There's no need for the clan head to trouble himself."
"Ram…!"
The clan head clearly wanted to snap back, but whatever held him back swallowed the words before they could leave his mouth.
Nearby, an elderly Giant, Cromwell, who had come to the Oni Clan as a guest and stayed to witness the ceremony, shook his head.
"Being that harsh with children isn't right," he said mildly. "Since she's already chosen to marry, we should let that matter rest."
"Marriage has nothing to do with war!" the clan head snapped. "Cromwell, you're not thinking of abandoning this, are you?!"
"No matter how many times you ask, my answer won't change," the old Giant replied evenly. "I'm tired. I have a child to look after now. Continuing this discussion serves no purpose. I'll return to the Royal Capital tomorrow."
The clan head's intense glare met only calm resistance.
Carlos and Rem exchanged confused looks, completely lost. Ram, on the other hand, looked bored.
Carlos leaned closer and whispered, "Ram… is what they're talking about related to you?"
She didn't even glance at him.
"Just foolish adults," she said flatly, "making foolish plans for foolish ambitions."