Level 4 Human in a Ruined World

Chapter 321: Special Planet (3)

Congratulatory money.

All the humans in the room were left stunned, their mouths agape at the unexpected suggestion.

“Are you seriously planning to collect ongratulatory money... in this situation?”

—Has he completely lost his mind?

Most of all, Jeonggu and Jiseon, the bride and groom, were utterly taken aback, while Yeongwoo merely tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand their confusion.

“What, are you going to let an opportunity like this pass?”

—What kind of opportunity, exactly?

“A chance to receive additional tribute. My parents are getting married... isn’t that a perfect justification?”

"...Yeongwoo, you can’t just call a wedding gift a tribute, no matter what."

Jeonggu cautiously raised an objection, but Yeongwoo had already turned to Kubu for confirmation.

“Kubu, is it okay if I collect money from the guests? Is there a tradition like that in space?”

Kubu glanced back and forth at Jeonggu, still visibly uncomfortable, and Jiseon, now entirely blue with embarrassment, and then spoke with a somewhat resigned tone.

—Yes, in some cases, guests bring a modest gift to celebrate, depending on the status of the couple or the host of the ceremony. However, it’s not legally obligatory…

“That’s fine, then. If such a tradition exists, I’ll handle the collecting.”

Yeongwoo’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he got the answer he wanted, and then Bantubangtong, who had been listening quietly, asked a question.

—Wedding gift? Do guests pay money in Earth weddings?

“Of course! Even siblings bring gifts when they attend each other’s weddings, don’t they?”

Yeongwoo asked back as if it were obvious, and Bantubangtong’s face grew complicated.

—We also have marriage ceremonies, but there’s no exchange of money. Only sentiments are given and received.

“...!”

It was indeed a culture fitting of the fiercely loyal brethren.

Feeling his heart warm unexpectedly, Yeongwoo approached Bantubangtong and, with a click-clack, placed his hand firmly on the orc lord’s shoulder, speaking sincerely.

“Then why not take this chance to learn about a new culture?”

—...?

“Go back to your country and bring the money. Since Chief Bang isn’t familiar with our culture, we’ll proceed with a fixed rate. Just bring an additional 20 million karma.”

In other words, he was asking for a total of 120 million.

—Tw... Twenty million?

“This is a bargain price. So go quickly, before I raise it any higher.”

As Yeongwoo pointed towards the high-speed transit path, urging him to depart, Chief Bang left with a bewildered expression.

Now, all that was left was…

“……”

Only Kang Yechan, self-proclaimed number one warrior in Gyeongbuk.

Shhk.

Yeongwoo, having sent off Chief Bang, looked naturally in Yechan’s direction, and Yechan’s eyes widened.

“You don’t mean I have to pay too?”

“Of course, it’s my parents’ wedding. Are you not going to come?”

“Well, I...”

When Yeongwoo brought up his parents, Yechan couldn’t find a suitable excuse.

The reasoning seemed a bit shaky, but after all, it was true that his uncle’s parents were getting married.

In the end…

“...How much do I have to pay?”

Yechan asked about the going rate for wedding guests, and Yeongwoo, as before, placed a hand on his shoulder.

Thud!

“You don’t need to pay anything. What’s a wedding gift between us?”

“...Really?”

“But in return, travel to as many cities as you can today to spread the word about the wedding.”

“...Are you saying I should tell people to pay the gift as well?”

Judging by his actions, it seemed he was a tyrant through and through.

“If you do that, you might end up getting stabbed.”

“That’s why I’m sending you. I trust you’ll return safely.”

Then, Yeongwoo turned his gaze back to Kubu.

“Kubu, when is the wedding ceremony? Can we decide the timing?”

Kubu blinked his large eyes and looked up at the sky.

—According to Earth’s standard, the ceremony takes place 24 hours after the decision-making.

This meant that the wedding of Yeongwoo’s parents would be qtomorrow at around 3 PM.

“Perfect timing. By then, we’ll have handled the issue with the mutants in each city….”

However, if the distance to the Korean Peninsula were too great, it would be impossible to arrive on time, so lifting restrictions on the high-speed transit path on the day might also be necessary.

‘I could make a real profit from this.’

As Yeongwoo imagined the potential gains, Kubu hastily added further explanation.

—However, each officiant requires a unique token that corresponds to the number of participants.

“A unique token corresponding to the number of officiants? What do you mean—is it possible to have more than two participants?”

—Yes. It’s quite common.

“What?”

Yeongwoo was shocked as well.

Apparently, it was rare in space to have just one spouse.

According to what Kubu had just said, it was also common for people to have multiple partners simultaneously.

“What about the tokens? What do they need to be made of?”

—The token must be a tangible object shared among the participants, serving as a sort of symbol.

This wasn’t much different from Earth’s wedding tokens.

—Once the ceremony concludes, the family court assigns a unique code to the token, making it a distinctive symbol, which thereafter signifies the participant’s marital commitment to their spouse.

“...Hmm. So, it doesn’t have to be equipment or anything like that.”

—Correct. Depending on the family tradition, some use swords or armor as their token, while others use a part of their body.

“...A part of their body?”

Yeongwoo wasn’t keen on subjecting his parents to that sort of wedding.

However, as the officiant, or host of the ceremony, he wanted the family’s identity to be proudly displayed.

So, what Yeongwoo produced as the token was…

Shh.

“Would something like this work as a wedding token?”

It was none other than a commemorative coin bearing Yeongwoo’s own face.

A coin minted on Earth with the face of the person who would be both the officiant of this wedding and the future head of the family.

“You’re planning to use that coin as the wedding token…?”

—Seriously, is that a magic coin or something? This kid brings that out for everything.

As expected, the bride and groom showed reluctance, but Yeongwoo held all the authority to carry out this marriage.

“Can either of you summon the witnesses and blessers? It’s all happening through my connections, isn’t it? I think there’s some confusion here—the officiant is me.”

Yeongwoo handed the commemorative coin to his parents.

“And your true wedding token isn’t this coin.”

“Huh?”

—What are you talking about?

Yeongwoo raised the coin close to his face.

“The real wedding gift is me. Your beloved, powerful son. So, if you ever feel like ending this family, remember me first. Consider if you can handle your son’s wrath.”

“……”

—This lunatic… is he threatening his own parents?

With that, Yeongwoo raised his sword and swung it between his parents with a shout.

Screeeeetch!

“Quit whining, you idiots!”

“…Huh?”

—What?

“You’re not my parents yet. If you want to say anything as my parents, first complete the ceremony. Then I’ll treat you with the respect you deserve.”

Tired of the unproductive argument, Yeongwoo sheathed his sword, and Jiseon, who had been about to protest, fell silent.

—Indeed, many things have become irreversible.

Among those “many things” was the word “dear” that she had already let slip.

At this point, what use was there in debating anything further?

A grand journey was already underway.

“How do we make the guest—no, the blessing list?”

Yeongwoo asked Kubu, and a large hologram box appeared in the space between Yeongwoo, Jiseon, and Jeonggu.

Fwoosh!

“What is this?”

—This is a list of potential blessing candidates, as currently tracked by the family court.

"A candidate list? But there’s nothing here?"

As Yeongwoo looked curiously at the empty box...

Beep!

Suddenly, the hologram box flashed, and names began to fill in rapidly from the top.

- Kubu the Mediator

- The Representative of Chargho\'s Merchant Guild

- Mir Alliance

- Boltak\'s Wandering Merchant

- Cheok’s Weapon Merchant

- Shamil Guild

- Rohm’s Prisoners

- Pegua’s Blacksmith

- Guppy Express Corporation

The list continued, and as the unfamiliar combination of characters scrolled on, Jiseon took a step back.

—W-what is all this?

“What else could it be? It’s a list of all the aliens I’ve met so far.”

Some names were unfamiliar even to Yeongwoo, but seeing many he recognized, he felt sure.

After all, wedding invitations could be sent to anyone with even a slight connection.

And most importantly...

Flash!

- Dogo Corporation

- Lemu Corporation

- Toma Corporation

- Destroyer King, Dogo

- Mara, King of Ten Thousand Demons

Starting with Dogo Corporation, names of prominent figures even within the universe confirmed his suspicion.

Weren\'t Lemu and Mara rivals competing for Earth\'s development rights?

Yet it was indeed possible to send wedding invitations even to such entities.

"Um... isn\'t there a risk of the venue being destroyed?"

Yeongwoo’s voice, sounding unusually concerned, prompted Jiseon to ask quickly.

—Who exactly are these people?

"Explaining everything would be way too complicated; let’s just say they’re cosmic arch-nemeses who will all be in the same place."

—Then... can\'t you just not invite them?

Jiseon made a fair point.

And Kubu also supported her position.

—A marriage pact is an official ritual guaranteed by the family court. Therefore, uninvited individuals cannot attend.

“Oh, really?”

Yeongwoo raised his eyebrows, looking slightly surprised.

Then, cautiously scratching his chin, he murmured.

“But... aren\'t you at least a little curious?”

—Curious about what? If they don’t come, there’s no problem. What’s the issue?

Better safe than sorry.

Jiseon now felt compelled to protect her unavoidable wedding from potential disaster.

But...

Swoosh.

Her crazy son had already drawn his sword and pointed it at the sky.

“Aren’t you even a bit curious? What kind of gifts those guys might bring?”

—What? Why would I care? It’s all just going into your pocket, isn’t it?

“Your pocket? It’s our pocket now.”

While Yeongwoo proudly displayed the commemorative coin to be used as a wedding gift, the candidate list continued to grow.

Beep beep beep!

- Five-Colored Credit

- The Pilgrimage of the Forthcoming In-Laws

- The Sacred Heart Envoy

- The Non-Believer, Named

- Temporary Office 060II42 Jiazol

- Planet Court Promotion Review Team 9

—This is insane! When does this list end?

“It just means your son has lived a busy life.”

Of course, attendance wasn’t likely to be 100%, and some names on the list were potentially very dangerous.

But Yeongwoo’s unique curiosity had already taken hold, leaving him nearly unable to resist the urge.

What on earth would happen if those guys gathered in one place?

And what gifts might they bring?

“Inviting them all wouldn’t be illegal, right?”

When Yeongwoo asked this, Kubu blinked and responded.

—That’s correct.

“And the planet won’t get destroyed, right?”

This time, however, Kubu couldn’t answer immediately.

—...The list includes many entities classified as Rank 4 or higher under cosmic law. But since it’s an official ritual, the court will take special precautions, so I think it’s unlikely anything you’re worried about will happen.

“So, theoretically, the planet could be destroyed, but the probability is low. Is that what you’re saying?”

—Exactly.

With about two seconds of thought, Yeongwoo gave his answer.

“Then let’s invite them all. At least three of them want planetary development rights, so they’ll probably hold back.”

—...Understood. Now, moving on...

“What else is there?”

—You need at least two guarantors for the pact. It’s essential to meet the requirements of an official ritual.

Kubu’s firm tone made Yeongwoo respond more mildly.

“What exactly does a guarantor do?”

—They hand out the gifts to the participants and oversee the entire ritual.

“What? So, basically...”

It was essentially the role of an officiant.

Immediately, Yeongwoo thought of his mentor and benefactor, Dogo, a successful businessman from outer space and a prince from the Vesedel royal family.

But a cosmic wedding required at least two guarantors.

That left one more spot.

“I’m having trouble deciding on the other.”

As Yeongwoo hesitated, Kubu offered a suggestion.

—It’s customary to assign one guarantor to represent each participant.

In other words, if Dogo were to represent Jeonggu, someone related to Jiseon would ideally fill the remaining spot.

—What are you talking about? I don’t know any aliens.

True to her words, Jiseon had virtually no network in this reset world.

"That’s true. And if I try to do it, I’m already the groom.”

So, who could they possibly choose?

Yeongwoo’s mind wandered across the cosmos and beyond, searching for a candidate, until suddenly, a thought sparked.

“Ah!”

—Why? Is there someone?

When Jiseon, his mother, asked, Yeongwoo’s eyes gleamed.

“There’s still one family member left, isn’t there?”

—Who?

“My second uncle!”

Another relative of Yeongwoo and Jiseon who had yet to arrive in this world.

Jinhyeon’s second son, Song Jeongho.

—What are you talking about? He hasn’t even arrived here yet.

“But there’s a good chance he’ll arrive tomorrow. Right here, in Seoul.”

Once again, Yeongwoo’s eyes sparkled with mania.

“The wedding is at three, and Uncle arrives at one, right?”

—So...?

“That gives us two hours, right? In that time, we’ll give him a good beating, and then make him serve as Mom’s guarantor.”

In short, it was a plan to “civilize” their wild second uncle into an officiant.

—...Would that work? That guy’s no ordinary nutcase.

Jiseon looked at her son and spoke.

Yeongwoo replied in an ominous tone.

“If he resists, we’ll just shove him into a coffin. And in an emergency, we can pick anyone as the guarantor.”

—But what if it goes better than expected?

“Then we can invite my second uncle to be the guarantor. And once the ceremony’s over, we’ll just shove him in a coffin.”