Extra's Perfect Ending

Chapter 86: Special group

"Special group?" Reeva’s eyebrows lifted as he heard the term.

"Yep, a group of elites that will soon be the rulers of this land," Landlong replied, a bright smile spreading across his face. His voice lowered to a whisper as if he were sharing a great secret.

"You’re becoming the mayor?" Reeva question

"I can’t tell you more—you’d need to agree to join first."

Reeva’s eyebrows knitted together. This sounded exactly like something a cult would say.

"Is this a cult?"

"No, no, no, young friend. This is not a cult—" Landlong said with a laugh, catching himself before he could say anything more. "You’re cheeky, young friend. Anyway, if you’re interested, you know where to find me."

With that, the old man moved on to talk to another guest. The main events had already passed, but most of the guests stayed, awaiting a special merchant tradition ceremony that would take place after the kiss. It wasn’t a church ritual, so the groom’s father was the one setting it up.

The groom’s father stepped forward, addressing the gathered guests. "Today, as we witness this beautiful union, I’m reminded of an old tradition that has been passed down through our family for generations—a tradition that holds more meaning than it may seem at first glance. You see, in our family, it’s customary for the bride and groom to choose each other’s footwear for the wedding day.

It’s a simple gesture, but one that speaks volumes about the journey they’re about to embark on together."

He explains to the guest who isn’t familiar with the tradition, and Reeva listens attentively.

"By choosing each other’s footwear, they’re not just making a fashion statement—they’re making a promise. A promise to walk through life together, to face whatever comes their way, and to do so with love, respect, and understanding. It’s a tradition that reminds us that marriage is a partnership, where each supports the other, guiding and caring for one another on this shared journey."

As he spoke, the bride and groom each held a box—a present for the other. The groom was the first to act, opening his box to reveal a pair of elegant white high heels nestled on a red fabric. The guests watch on, as they have no formality with this tradition.

"Do you like them?" he asked softly.

"They’re so beautiful," the bride replied, placing her hands over her mouth to hide her embarrassment. She then sat on the bench near the podium and lifted her bare feet. The groom carefully knelt on one knee and gently guided the shoes onto her feet.

She stood up and walked around, her smile the brightest thing in the room. Then it was the bride’s turn. She presented the groom with a pair of black leather boots, contrasting sharply with his white suit.

"Do you like them?" the bride asked, her voice filled with anticipation.

"I love them," the groom replied with a wide smile.

As the ceremony continued, some guests left the church to attend to their duties. The day unfolded beautifully, and as the sun began to set, the bride and groom shared another kiss, marking the end of the day’s events.

Despite the beauty of the occasion, Reeva felt a bit stuck. He hadn’t found anything useful—no sign of a secret cult, and everyone was behaving normally. He asked around but didn’t find anything amiss.

Hilda also scoured the area, trying to find anything resembling what Reeva had described, but came up empty-handed as well. As the event drew to a close, Reeva couldn’t help but sigh.

"Is it the other wedding?" he wondered. But he doubted that would be the answer.

As Reeva pondered, the bride and groom approached him, each holding a box.

"Did you enjoy the wedding, Mr. Koshav?" the bride asked with a friendly smile.

"It was an excellent showing. I hope you both achieve your title soon," Reeva replied, teasing them about their potential nobility.

"Hopefully," the bride said with a grin. "We’d love to join your rank soon. Anyway, we couldn’t send these to you earlier since we were on such a tight schedule."

Reeva accepted the box, and they handed another to Theia.

"What’s inside?" Reeva asked curiously.

"As per our merchant tradition, we send a box of shoes to our guests. Since you joined on short notice, we had to purchase these today. Hopefully, they’re to your liking," the bride explained.

"I’m sorry for the inconvenience," Reeva said apologetically.

"Don’t worry about it. We made it our mission to ensure every guest received a pair of shoes."

Reeva handed the box to Hilda, and Theia did the same.

"Thank you."

"We’d like to thank you too! We never would have dreamed of serving your renowned burgers at our wedding! All our guests loved them."

"Glad to hear that. By the way, do you know anything about a cult?" Reeva asked, sensing that this might be his last chance to find a lead. The lunch and afternoon events had left him swamped with people wanting to book his burgers for their weddings. Reeva had politely declined most offers, but kept their contacts in case he changed his mind.

But all of them have nothing on the heretic.

"The tongueless?" the groom asked.

"Yep," Reeva replied, hoping for some useful information.

"We haven’t heard much about them, aside from the tongueless case," the bride said, placing a thoughtful hand on her cheek. "Oh, I think I remember something. There was a case a few months ago where people talked about a cult with the belief that ’God is everything.’"

"Care to explain more?" Reeva asked, sensing he might be onto something.

"Sure thing! We were traveling near Guragua when we heard strange rumors about a new cult forming."

"How could I forget that?" the groom said, slapping his forehead.

The bride continued, "At first, we didn’t pay much attention—rumors of cults circulate every day. But this one was different. The cult seemed to have a significant following, even among people who typically worship the Sun God. Fortunately, we left before things got out of control. I heard that a nearby village was purged by the Sun Church—burned to a crisp with no survivors.

Their beliefs were similar to the tongueless man’s, but he didn’t have their signature 12 eyes emblem."

"12 eyes emblem?" Reeva asked, intrigued.