Chapter 387

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Chapter 387: The Dignity of a Wedding (3)

—The execution platform… it is now available for use.

Kobu then added, as if concerned,

—But welcoming guests is also an important part of the union ceremony.

"Oh, of course. Weddings on Earth follow a similar tradition."

A wedding on Earth.

There, the groom typically greets guests in the lobby of the wedding hall, while the bride does so in a separate waiting room.

However, in cosmic weddings, there was no separate waiting room for the bride.

Instead, the host, groom, and bride all stood together to welcome the guests—a rather unusual sight.

'So, today's guests are both wedding attendees and a bunch of troublemakers. They're going to cause a mess during the bridal treasure challenge, aren't they?'

As Yeongwoo frowned at this thought, Jiseon, who happened to be passing by, bumped his shoulder and spoke.

—Fix your expression. These people came all this way for you, so greet them with gratitude.

"Yes, of course, I'm grateful, but… if we lose the treasure challenge, it's over, isn't it? That means we'll end up bankrupt because of our guests."

—How is that the guests' fault? Isn't it your own greed for making such an extravagant gamble?

"……."

Yeongwoo couldn't find a rebuttal, so he closed his mouth. Seeing this, Jiseon delivered the next line.

—But what if we win the treasure challenge? Then, we get to keep all the money they contributed as congratulatory gifts, right?

"I suppose so?"

—In the end, this has turned into a high-stakes bet. But it was only possible because they put their money down first. So, who should be more grateful?

"…You're saying it should be us, right?"

—Of course. And don't forget that this is, above all, a wedding. Smile and welcome the guests properly.

With those words, Jiseon straightened her posture, standing tall with elegance.

—And if, by some chance, we lose the treasure challenge, don’t act disgracefully.

"You mean no threats of self-destruction?"

—What? You were planning to self-destruct?

"When did I say that? I said self-destruction threat."

—…Just pay up cleanly if you lose. The fact that so many guests showed up already proves your connections. There will always be another opportunity.

"You sure speak lightly since it's not your problem."

—You idiot, I’m the one who has to run 800 meters while carrying the bridal treasure chest. How is this not my problem?

With that, Jiseon suddenly removed her mask.

Shhhk.

Then, with a bright smile, she stepped out of the main wedding hall.

"What the…?"

Finding it odd, Yeongwoo followed after her, only to see people emerging from the guest passageway, bowing their heads as they walked.

It was a specially constructed passage, 1.5 meters high, connecting to the Tower.

The low height made it difficult to draw swords inside, forcing the guests to crawl or bend low as they exited.

Jiseon, having noticed this earlier, had gone out to greet them.

—Ah, welcome! You've had a rough journey!

However, since Jiseon stood at a towering 3 meters even in her human form, her white hair flowing wildly as she approached, the newly arrived guests recoiled in fear, attempting to crawl back into the passageway.

"What the hell, are you crazy?! Stop scaring people! Weren't you just telling me to greet them properly?"

—What, you brat?

"Can't you see they're terrified? Step back. I'll handle the Earthlings."

Yeongwoo reached into the passage and pulled out one of the hesitant guests—someone with a familiar face.

"Huh?"

"Oh…!"

It was none other than Wu Qingjin, one of the Shandong Twin Evils.

And right behind him—

"Ah, Grandmaster Jeong!"

Zhang Jaham of the Shandong One Evil was standing with his head bowed in greeting.

As expected, those who knew Yeongwoo’s strength best on Earth had arrived first—Shandong.

Behind them, a long line of Shandong residents emerged, carrying a horizontal pole in groups.

"What is that?"

Yeongwoo pointed at the pole inside the passage, and Zhang Jaham awkwardly smiled before replying.

"We brought a banner."

"A banner…?"

"Yes."

As Zhang Jaham nodded and gave a signal, the Shandong residents lifted the pole and carried it into the lobby.

Sure enough, a white cloth hung between the poles.

It was a congratulatory banner from Shandong, meant to be displayed at the wedding venue.

〔Sincere Congratulations to Grandmaster Jeong Yeongwoo on the Wedding. Respectfully, the People of Shandong.〕

The Korean characters were a bit crooked, but their sincerity and courage were admirable.

Even with an invitation, traveling to another country for a wedding was a dangerous feat.

"Oh… Thank you. Please, step into the lobby."

Yeongwoo stepped aside, allowing the Shandong guests to fully exit the passage.

Then, he pointed to Jiseon and to Jeonggu, who had just walked out of the main hall.

"This is my mother, Song Jiseon. And the man walking toward us is my father, Kim Jeonggu."

Zhang Jaham looked up at Song Jiseon, then quickly knelt and bowed his head to the ground.

Thud!

"I, Zhang Jaham, pay my respects to the honored mother!"

Naturally, Wu Qingjin and the Shandong residents followed suit, bowing deeply.

Seeing this, Jiseon tilted her head and glanced at Yeongwoo.

—These people… what’s their connection to you?

"We've been through a lot together. They're the most trustworthy allies I have in China."

—But you always take their money without giving anything back. What kind of supporter would they be?

As expected of a global corporation's CEO, Jiseon had sharp insight.

However, contrary to her concerns, the Shandong Twin Evils and their people were deeply loyal.

After all, martial artists often had a pure and straightforward side.

Having witnessed Yeongwoo survive with a sword through his heart, they were awed by his strength and mysterious abilities.

In a reset world, they had personally seen what a mere human could achieve when reaching the pinnacle of power.

"A wedding in a world like this… Amazing. As expected of Grandmaster Jeong."

Zhang Jaham once again clasped his hands in salute and glanced around the lobby.

Then, his eyes widened upon spotting something in the corner.

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"Th-That… What is that?"

"The execution platform."

"E-Execution platform…?"

"You brought the congratulatory gift money, right?"

"...Yes, of course."

"Then you won't have anything to worry about over there."

"......"

At Yeongwoo’s words, Zhang Jaham swallowed heavily.

That meant that someone who didn’t bring the congratulatory gift money might end up hanging there.

"You can submit your gift money and sign the guestbook over there. After that, please wait in front of the main building for a while. It's still under construction."

As Yeongwoo pointed to both the gift submission area and the main building, Zhang Jaham nodded solemnly.

Then, along with the people carrying large sacks, he headed toward the gift submission area.

It seemed they had brought the money in cash.

‘Well, of course. Among Earthlings, no one has the ability to convert cash into another form, so it's only natural.’

On the other hand, cosmic beings were more likely to make remote payments or use cards for their gift money.

—Hey, by the way...

Jiseon cautiously brought up a question while watching Shandong Twin Evils head toward the gift area.

"Yes, go ahead."

—Is there a minimum amount for the gift money?

"What?"

—I mean, is there a lower limit for cosmic gift money?

"Hmm, I’m not sure."

Come to think of it, that was a question Yeongwoo had never considered before.

Could there be a minimum requirement for congratulatory money?

—No, but think about it. Someone could just bring a single coin. Technically, that still counts as a gift, right?

"Well, that's true, but... Weren't you the one saying earlier that people should have a grateful heart?"

—You idiot, that's completely different! If I have to run 800 meters later, it better be worth it!

"Well, I suppose... but I've never heard of a minimum gift requirement before."

Of course, that was something they could establish from now on.

They could simply make a rule that anyone who doesn’t bring a certain amount would be executed.

‘But shouting that out loud would look ridiculous... I still have a long way to go. I should’ve thought of this in advance.’

As Yeongwoo was berating himself for his oversight, Shandong Twin Evils seemed to have completed their gift submission.

Because—

Fwoooosh!

Suddenly, the gift area flashed brightly, sending a beam of light toward the front of the main building.

"What the—?"

—What the hell is that?

The beam from the gift area projected a message onto the flat surface of the main building.

And the words that appeared were—

[Shandong Twin Evils, Zhang Jaham / Wu Qingjin]

「Congratulatory Gift Submitted!」

"...Are you serious?"

A gift ceremony.

Yeongwoo’s jaw dropped at the absurdity of it all. Then, the amount of the submitted gift was revealed.

「To celebrate the wedding of Strongest Sword Jeong Yeongwoo’s parents, Kim Jeonggu and Song Jiseon, we have received 30 million Karma.」

‘These crazy bastards.’

Kobu, Tobu, Chobu.

As Yeongwoo shook his head, searching for the lunatics who designed this insane system, another message appeared on the main building.

「Since the first gift submission was 30 million Karma, the minimum gift amount is now set at 15 million Karma!」

"What?"

A loophole in this wedding’s planning that Yeongwoo hadn’t noticed—

The minimum gift amount—

Had already been taken care of by Kwaya’s Hammer.

‘These guys...!’

A delayed wave of emotion hit him.

And then, from the passageway connected to the tower, another familiar figure emerged.

It was none other than Gwanak’s First Sword, Jo Sangik.

He had essentially been Yeongwoo’s guardian when he first came to Seoul, and even now, he was a reliable administrative supporter.

He was the second guest to arrive.

“I hope I’m not late?”

As Jo Sangik stepped out of the passageway, bowing slightly, Yeongwoo greeted him warmly.

“Vice Minister! Late? No, I’m just grateful you came at all.”

Yeongwoo faithfully followed the etiquette his mother had taught him.

But that politeness didn’t last long.

Because at that moment—

Fwoooosh!

Another message appeared on the front of the main building, announcing the next procedure.

「Guests who have brought less than 15 million Karma in gift money, please proceed to the execution platform.」

“Uh…?”

Jo Sangik’s expression stiffened as he read the announcement.

Yeongwoo, just as shocked, turned to him.

“Vice Minister?”

“Yes...?”

"No way, right?"

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