Chapter 335

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 335: Earning Foreign Currency (3)

"What... what did you say?"

The fact that the crazy person laying traps effortlessly was his son left Jeonggu with his mouth agape.

“You said that anyone who’s late has to join in the battle naked?”

“Yes.”

"That, that can't be! It's too much of a deception!"

"But practically speaking, it's an internal conflict on Earth. Is it fair for only brothers to sacrifice themselves? If we don’t want any backlash later, the Strongest Swords should participate too."

At Yeongwoo’s words, Jeonggu closed his mouth.

Although the method was extremely cunning, the intention itself wasn’t entirely wrong.

In the long run, for the Red Foot Orcs and Seoul's Strongest Swords to coexist, both sides needed to contribute to this war to some degree.

"And if we win this civil war, the ones who stand to benefit most, both directly and indirectly, are Seoul and the Strongest Swords. They’d essentially gain a position of power in the planet's capital."

As he said this, Yeongwoo waved subtly at Bantubangtong.

"Master Bang, I’ll stop by Seoul before heading to Tsushima."

—So when should we move out to the battlefield?

"To move all the brothers here… you’ll need to start preparing right now. The war starts on time, so just wait on the outskirts of Tsushima and move into the central area on time."

—Understood.

“I’m counting on you.”

Yeongwoo bowed respectfully toward Bantubangtong, who furrowed his brow and muttered quietly.

—It seems like you can put your clothes back on now, Little Foot.

“I’ll just have to take them off again soon anyway, so it’s fine.”

* * *

In Darwin, an Orc city in Australia, stood a towering building.

In front of the towering station known as the Path of Vengeance, built by the brothers, Yeongwoo still stood, stark naked.

And the timer he had announced through Seoul's bulletin…

≪10.≫

There were only 10 seconds left.

"Isn’t this too much? Giving them only 10 seconds practically."

As Jeonggu shook his head, Yeongwoo glanced back.

"The real unfair thing is making only the brothers strip."

"Well, if that’s the case, the most unfair person would be…"

But Jeonggu didn't finish his thought of, "Isn’t that you?" It would have been pointless to say it anyway.

Even now, his son was intimidating Seoul's Strongest Swords.

≪7 seconds remaining.≫

Only now did Yeongwoo finally lift the restrictions on using the express pathways.

Along with the already cleared Yechan, even those with the Strongest Sword title of Seoul could now access the pathways.

"There, it’s done, right?"

"What’s done?"

"Preparations for the war."

Yeongwoo spoke as he moved to enter the tower on his Negwig, but Jeonggu asked urgently.

"Hey, are you really going to Seoul naked?"

“Don’t you know the phrase ‘lead by example’?”

“…”

Jeonggu, momentarily speechless, quickly put on the shirt he had been holding.

“You do as you like. I’ll go in fully dressed.”

"That’s why you’re the Dobong Strongest Sword and I’m the Strongest Sword."

“...You lunatic.”

Soon, Negwig ascended from the lower floors to the top floor of the tower, and in front of the two, the Path of Vengeance, glowing with starlight, appeared.

By now, the Strongest Swords across Seoul would be running with all their might on the pathway.

"But won’t the others wonder why they’re supposed to strip in Tsushima? Will they just go along with it?”

Only Yeongwoo and Yuto knew the specific details of the agreement for the Tsushima war.

Thus, the Strongest Swords in Seoul would be blindsided by this talk of fighting naked.

“Of course they won’t go along with it easily. They never have before.”

"Telling them to strip down and fight is a different level from the stuff you’ve pulled before. This isn't just squeezing money out of people."

At this, Yeongwoo, calmly guiding Negwig along the brilliantly shining pathway, responded.

“That’s exactly what makes it the duty of an elected Strongest Sword.”

"...What?"

"Going to battle naked, in a broader sense, serves the national interest. It’s a chance to attract significant foreign currency. So, why wouldn’t we do it?”

“….”

"Besides, as the strongest warriors of each district, the Strongest Swords have enjoyed certain privileges. So, to repay their communities, fighting naked is only fitting."

“The fact that repayment involves stripping is the issue. They’d rather put their lives on the line than be comfortable with this.”

“Why? If these warriors are willing to risk their lives for the people, why not take off one measly piece of clothing?”

It was a clever argument, nonsensical yet oddly persuasive.

“It’s just a different kind of fear. If fighting mutant monsters is about overcoming fear of death, then fighting naked is about overcoming conventional beliefs—the belief that nudity is silly.”

“…”

“When you were about to strip, did any of the brothers laugh at you? In that moment, you were revered. Your nudity wasn’t ridiculous at all.”

“…Ye-Yeongwoo…”

“Yes?”

“Shut up. We’re almost in Seoul.”

Jeonggu, sitting in the back, pointed below the path.

There, the entire view of southern Seoul unfolded.

They had already neared Samseong-dong.

“It’s time to earn our tax money.”

As Yeongwoo ominously muttered, Negwig surged into the tower's top floor.

BOOM!

Finally, they reached Seoul.

As soon as they touched down in the tower, Yeongwoo struck the descent lever.

BANG!

A blinding white light enveloped the two, shooting them down to the ground.

Soon after, the sound of a crowd reached them.

Responding to Yeongwoo's summons, Seoul’s Strongest Swords had already gathered in front of the tower in Samseong-dong.

"Yeongwoo!"

"Fighting naked—what is that supposed to mean?"

“Isn’t it you who’s actually late, Yeongwoo?”

As the lower part of the Samseong-dong tower brightened, the Strongest Swords gathered there started hurling questions at him like reporters who had caught a scoop.

But it only lasted a moment.

FLASH!

Yeongwoo and his father emerged from the tower’s inner glow, and everyone instantly covered their mouths, taking a step back in shock.

“…Huh?”

“Gasp.”

“Y-Yeongwoo…?”

Their reaction was only natural.

Sitting at the forefront of the Negwig was Jeong Yeongwoo, entirely and unmistakably naked.

“…This crazy bastard.”

Someone muttered in horror, a mixture of disbelief and dread plastered on their face.

It was now clear to all that the earlier announcement about "naked combat participation" wasn't some bizarre joke.

Seeing Yeongwoo stride out in the buff, everyone quickly realized their turn to disrobe was coming, and soon none of them would be clothed either.

“N-No way…”

“Is this guy for real?”

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

“Is he going to make us strip too?”

As the Strongest Swords muttered grim predictions, Yeongwoo finally opened his mouth.

“The Tsushima War begins today at 7 PM. Everyone’s aware of this, right?”

“……”

The Strongest Swords nodded cautiously, and Yeongwoo continued.

“Then do you understand why I’ve already stripped down?”

“W-Well…”

“How would we know?”

“Yeah, why exactly are you naked?”

Sensing an opportunity, the Strongest Swords voiced their frustrations.

In response, Yeongwoo raised a finger to the sky.

Whoosh.

“Let me get straight to the point.”

“……!”

“If you participate in this war naked, you’ll earn money. From… outside.”

“Money?”

“From outside?”

“Who’s giving it?”

Their curiosity ignited by the unexpected claim, the Strongest Swords bombarded him with questions.

But instead of answering, Yeongwoo calmly drew his sword.

Shiiing!

The sharp sound silenced the crowd.

“Does it really matter who’s paying? Normally, we’d only be suffering losses in war, but now we’re getting paid. Isn’t that what matters?”

Yeongwoo’s fierce gaze swept across the group, silencing further dissent.

But then, someone raised their hand.

“It does matter. Quite a bit, actually.”

It was none other than Songpa’s Strongest Sword, Oh Yeonhee.

“Judging from how seriously you’re taking this, it’s clearly not just pocket change.”

Yeonhee eyed the strategically placed Negwig that obscured Yeongwoo’s more sensitive parts, then pressed on.

“But if you expect us to do the same, don’t you think we deserve a proper explanation? The fact that stripping makes money suggests this isn’t coming from a clean source.”

Her words emboldened the other Strongest Swords, who began chiming in one after another.

“She’s right!”

“Exactly, what if it’s dirty money?”

“You’ve got to tell us what’s really going on!”

At this, Yeongwoo sighed and scratched his chin, as if conceding their point.

“You’re right. I was wrong to keep this from you.”

“……!”

The sudden shift in his demeanor threw everyone off.

Watching this unfold, Gwanak’s Strongest Sword, Jo Sangik, instinctively took a step back, hiding behind the others.

‘Something’s… something’s coming.’

Jeong Yeongwoo wasn’t just a formidable warrior; his political skills had grown just as fearsome.

In this situation, he could’ve easily resorted to intimidation alone—brandishing his sword and forcing his “naked combat” plan through sheer pressure.

But Yeongwoo wasn’t aiming for partial compliance; he wanted all the Strongest Swords stripped bare.

And to achieve that, he had chosen a different tactic.

“Well then, let me reveal everything to you, and to the voters in Seoul.”

Flash!

With a flourish of his arm, the broadcast screens he had purchased for “business presentations” appeared across the city.

Bzzzzt, bzzzzzt

“W-What the…?”

“What is he doing now?”

“Is he seriously about to broadcast himself naked to the entire city?!”

The Strongest Swords gawked at the massive screens now hovering over places like Samseong-dong.

Meanwhile, Yeongwoo leaped off the Negwig, his bare feet landing solidly on the ground.

Thud!

“Is nudity embarrassing? No! What’s truly shameful is refusing to shed a single garment for the sake of our nation!”

He pointed dramatically at the screens above.

“In ten seconds, I’ll announce the list of naked combatants to the voters. If you’re unwilling to fight for the national interest, step aside and start drafting your public statements.”

He vaguely gestured toward an undefined direction on his right.

Then, with a benevolent tone, Yeongwoo offered a word of comfort to the still-stunned Strongest Swords.

“Today, I’ll be the only one baring all in front of these screens. You’ll only need to strip when we’re in Tsushima.”

At this, Yongsan’s Strongest Sword, Kim Doha, paled as he asked in a trembling voice:

“S-So… the public won’t see us naked, right?”

To this, Yeongwoo beamed brightly and responded.

“Of course not. They’ll never see a thing.”

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]