NOVEL WEB Chapter 397
[Translator - Night]
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Chapter 397: Gift Breakthrough (1)
"Aldo…!"
Yeongwoo’s eyes widened even more than when he had seen Mara, the King of Ten Thousand Demons.
Because that man—Aldo—was…
—Why, why? Who is it?
Jiseon, who had stepped outside the wedding hall, was startled by Yeongwoo’s reaction and asked in confusion.
Yeongwoo, wearing a dazed expression, opened his mouth.
"…It’s Prince Aldo."
—Prince Aldo? Are you saying there’s another prince you know besides the chairman?
Of course, Jiseon had no idea about what had happened at the Promotion Halls.
So, Yeongwoo had no choice but to explain.
That a crazy saint from the stars had come to his wedding.
"The Shelbir Royal Family of Planet Doatel… They’ve done so much good that they’re called the Intergalactic Relief Center."
—…What? Then why are they here?
To be precise, the question was how Yeongwoo had become involved with such noble people.
Jiseon was well aware of the kinds of things her son, Jeong Yeongwoo, had been doing both on and off Earth.
"…We were comrades."
—Comrades?
"Promotion training peers. Strictly speaking, they received a lot of help from me."
At the same time, it was true that Yeongwoo had also received some help from them.
Though, in terms of overall influence, Yeongwoo’s presence had been overwhelmingly dominant.
—Then… isn’t this a good thing?
"Well… He’s crazy in a different way, too."
Aldo, the second prince of the Shelbir Royal Family.
Yeongwoo had indeed handed him a wedding invitation at the Promotion Halls, but he hadn’t seriously considered the possibility of his visit.
And understandably so—just look at the lineup of guests who had arrived before him.
The venue was packed with people radiating an overwhelming aura of villainy, so much so that someone as gentle as Aldo had long since slipped from Yeongwoo’s mind.
But Aldo, having received the invitation, had crossed the vast expanse of space to keep his promise.
And at last, he had arrived on Earth, the home planet of Jeong Yeongwoo07, the Number One Sword of the Promotion.
BAAAAAAANG…!
A deep, resonant sound echoed again—a combination of grandeur and solemnity.
Then, through the golden waves unfurled by the Shelbir Royal Family, several small ships descended in an orderly line.
"Huh."
Only now did Yeongwoo realize—some guests had been unable to enter because Mara’s void energy had blocked their way.
And now, they were slipping through the passage Aldo’s fleet had opened.
‘Wait, so guests were still stuck outside? No wonder it felt like a few were missing.’
Realizing that Mara had been an enormous nuisance, Yeongwoo shot a glare toward the main wedding venue.
And then—
"Your Highness…!"
He spread his arms wide and ran toward Prince Aldo’s descending ship.
KWAAAAAAAH!
The Shelbir Royal Family’s ship, now hovering just 100 meters above the ground, was truly a sight to behold.
Not only was it three times the size of an average battleship, but its docking position was also unusual.
Because—
‘…Wait, is that okay?’
They had chosen to dock right next to Chairman Dogo’s tomb-ship.
Unlike every other guest who had steered clear of Dogo’s vessel, Aldo’s ship was parked boldly beside it.
"Wow, Your Highness?"
To dare to share a docking site with a Tier 3 entity… And given that the two ships were similar in size, it almost looked like two equal-tier beings had stationed their ships side by side.
SHAAAAAAA!
Next, from the bottom of the Shelbir ship, an arched bridge extended gracefully to the ground.
THUMP! THUMP!
It was a sort of landing support system.
"What the…?"
Noticing the bridge’s smooth, porcelain-like material, Yeongwoo slowly lifted his gaze to look at the lower section of the ship.
Then, a rectangular opening appeared, revealing a pristine white staircase descending all the way to the ground.
SWOOOSH!
One by one, imposing figures stepped onto the stairs.
"Oh, Prince Aldo…."
Just as Yeongwoo recognized a familiar silhouette and was about to wave, a booming voice rang out from within the ship.
-The host must show proper respect before the prince!
"Ah, for crying out loud, who the hell is saying that?"
Annoyed, Yeongwoo snapped his head up—just in time to see "someone" stepping down the stairs.
CLANK, CLANK!
The footsteps were heavy, armored, and imposing.
The figure was a towering knight clad in full white armor.
He was about 8 meters tall.
Like Aldo, he was a member of the caramel race.
The proof?
The yellow caramel protruding from the top of his helmet.
However, unlike Aldo’s typically gooey appearance, this knight’s caramel had hardened into a rigid, rectangular shape.
‘…A royal knight?’
Perhaps the toughest, most unyielding caramel in the entire Shelbir Royal Family—maybe even all of Planet Doatel.
-Are you the host, Jeong Yeongwoo07?
The caramel knight, now halfway down the stairs, looked down at Yeongwoo and asked.
He had no eyes, nose, or mouth—no facial expressions at all.
And yet, Yeongwoo could tell.
This guy was looking at him with sheer arrogance.
"Yeah, I’m Jeong Yeongwoo07, the Strongest Sword of the Korean Peninsula and the mayor of Metal Seoul in Dogo Special City."
Hearing this rather grandiose introduction, the knight’s smooth, featureless head subtly twitched.
Then, he twirled the long flagpole in his right hand and declared—
-I am Domtao, a special knight of the Shelbir Royal Family. Host, why do you not pay your respects beneath the royal flag?
"The royal flag?"
Only then did Yeongwoo look up at the beige flag atop the pole.
There, emblazoned on it, was an emblem resembling the Shelbir ship—a round, jar-like symbol.
"Oh, so that’s the Shelbir flag. How exactly am I supposed to show respect to it?"
To answer, Special Knight Domtao demonstrated the proper gesture.
CLANK.
He dropped to one knee, lifted his upper body, and fixed his gaze on the royal emblem atop the flagpole.
Then, stretching out his left arm, he solemnly proclaimed—
-Glory to the Shelbir Royal Family!
"Ah. That's enough. Let’s keep it brief."
Seeing Domtao’s display, Yeongwoo grimaced and simply nodded toward the Shelbir emblem.
"Glory to the Shelbir Royal Family."
Then, he stepped onto the white stairs, probably to call Aldo, who was inside the ship.
Swoosh.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
At that moment, Domtao, standing at a towering 8 meters, moved with a massive presence, blocking Yeongwoo’s path.
-Hey, Earthling. Move your foot. This is Shelbir territory. Wait outside.
The message was clear—he was not to set foot on the royal family's ship.
"...What?"
Yeongwoo chuckled dryly at the unexpected toughness.
Then, peering past Domtao’s arm and waist to glance up the stairs, he muttered:
"So, not all caramel people are soft. Was it just our prince who was an exception?"
Domtao snapped back with an indignant tone.
-You insolent wretch!
But though he twisted his body menacingly, he did not actually strike or push Yeongwoo.
"Hmm."
In the end, this royal special knight was still from the peaceful planet Doatel—violence and cruelty were far from his nature.
'No, but if even the royal knights are like this, how do they expect to protect this planet?'
Clicking his tongue inwardly, Yeongwoo stepped off the ship’s stairs, complying with Domtao’s demand.
After all, these were honored guests who had traveled across the vastness of space.
Even if they weren’t of royal blood, as the host, he had to show them respect.
BAAAAAANG...!
Soon, the distinctive horn of the ship sounded again, and Domtao turned toward the rear, raising his voice.
-Prince! Everything is ready!
Then, he knelt on one knee toward the top of the stairs.
At that moment, the silhouettes at the end of the stairs began to move slowly.
"Oh..."
The figures gradually emerged into view.
As expected, at the forefront stood Prince Aldo, a giant at 5 meters tall with broad shoulders.
Flanking him were knights clad in white armor, each about 6 meters tall, wielding massive one-handed war hammers, standing in formation as his honor guard.
‘Royal families have significant prestige no matter the planet's rank, huh? Pretty impressive for a caramel royal family.’
As Yeongwoo observed the imposing sight of Aldo’s escort, Domtao quietly made a request—more of a plea.
-Jeong Yeongwoo 07, I have heard much of your infamous reputation.
"...Huh?"
-But I implore you, please do nothing to disgrace His Highness’s honor.
"No, I mean—"
Yeongwoo was about to retort that coming to this planet in the first place had already been a huge mistake.
But he didn’t get the chance.
Before he could finish speaking, Aldo raised his arm in greeting.
—Oh, Sir Yeongwoo!
As Aldo lifted his enormous arm, another familiar face appeared under his armpit.
"Wait, that’s—"
It was none other than Amana, the guardian of the Sacred Planet Sutral.
And not just her—beside her stood Taru, an elemental-immune golem from Pigot Planet.
Prince Aldo had brought both of them along on his ship.
"What the... How did all three of you end up together?"
When Yeongwoo expressed his surprise, Aldo responded with a bright smile, shaping his head into a round circle.
—Is this not a grand occasion for you, Sir Yeongwoo? Celebrations hold more meaning when shared. We gathered here to offer our heartfelt congratulations!
However, unlike the cheerful Aldo, Amana and Taru seemed to sense something deeply unsettling about this planet.
—Ugh, where is that rotten stench coming from?
Amana covered her beak’s nostrils with her hand.
Taru wrapped his arms around himself, shivering.
—I... I feel uneasy. There’s no natural energy in the atmosphere.
Indeed, this was Earth—the planet that had birthed Supreme Evil.
To the two veteran warriors, Earth was nothing more than a horrifying den of wickedness.
Even Domtao, the royal knight, seemed to sense something amiss.
-Jeong Yeongwoo 07, if there is anything we should be cautious of, speak now. Everything—leave nothing out.
Yeongwoo subtly glanced at the grand hall, where a thick, acrid energy was emanating.
"First, be sure to show proper respect. Many kings are gathered inside."
-...Kings?
"And most importantly... try not to offer any congratulatory gifts."
Hearing this, Aldo’s face suddenly brightened.
—Oh! A congratulatory gift!
"...?"
—I almost forgot. We brought a wedding gift!
Then, in a regal voice, Aldo called toward the interior of the ship.
—Bring forth the wedding gift!
A series of heavy clanking sounds echoed, followed by synchronized, rhythmic footsteps.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
It was like a military parade—knights in white armor marching in perfect formation.
Each group of four carried an enormous palanquin filled to the brim with blue coins.
'Wait… blue coins?'
Yeongwoo blinked in disbelief.
Blue coins were rare, only awarded for extraordinary achievements, each worth 50,000 Karma.
And yet, here were caramel knights, carrying palanquins overflowing with them.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
More knights emerged from the ship—endlessly.
'No way… This bastard—no, His Highness…'
Faced with this overwhelming tide of wealth, Yeongwoo, who had remained unfazed even against Mara’s malevolent energy, found his knees buckling.
Thud!
At last, Yeongwoo knelt before the flag of the Shelbir Royal Family.
Then, raising his left arm, he declared with heartfelt fervor:
"Long live the Shelbir Royal Family...! Welcome to Earth, everyone!"
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]