novelraw Chapter 20 : Korean Food (3)
Chapter 20 : Korean Food (3)
Chapter 20 - Korean Food (3)
『 Translator – Divinity 』
Milton, the subordinate of One-armed Derek, was thinking of the outsider bastard.
The annoying gaze of that bastard he had seen when he killed the brown-haired kid, that afterimage wouldn't leave his head.
The black pupils that contrasted with the white, falling snow.
They were looking at Milton himself as if he were despicable.
'That little outsider bastard.'
An outsider is a status lower than a cheap prostitute, yet he dared to look at him straight on, face to face.
Originally, he was a bastard he wanted to kill for money, but now he wanted to kill him for emotional reasons too.
“Milton. I've gathered the guys. Let's go.”
He was snapped out of his thoughts by Malcolm's words.
Milton followed him into the Wyvern Tail, the biggest pub in town.
The atmosphere inside was quite different from The Fairy's Leg.
Merchants, straw craftsmen, prostitutes, soldiers, and other various people were bustling about and having a drink.
“Boss Milton. It's been a while.”
Six of his juniors were huddled together at a round table in the corner.
“I heard you have a good score for us, what is it?”
It's the same for any adventurer, but winter is the off-season, so they were thirsty for work.
The junior bastards had expressions like they were dying of curiosity about why he had called them to gather.
“It's a good score.”
Towards those juniors, Milton raised one corner of his mouth in a malicious smile and spoke.
“The inn on the western outskirts of town, The Fairy's Leg. Let's take it.”
At that, one of the juniors' eyebrows twitched as he spoke.
“That shabby inn?”
“Yeah. These days, that inn is popular with the soldiers. From dawn, through morning, lunch, and dinner, they're lining up. Didn't you know?”
“Ah, I heard business was good lately, but was it to that extent?”
“Yeah. That's why I'm saying let's take it. It's already been almost a month since the shop owner, Bert, disappeared. By now, he's definitely dead somewhere, so let's take the popular, ownerless inn.”
Just then, another junior raised his hand and spoke.
“Boss. That inn, the outsider is running it alone now, right?”
“That's right. It's the perfect time to clean it out.”
“But from what I've heard, the outsider is very close with that psycho bastard.”
At these words, all of the juniors' faces filled with panic.
“If you mean the psycho, are you talking about Jeros?”
“Come to think of it, I heard a long time ago that Jeros eats all three of his meals at that shop!”
They were juniors who immediately started making a fuss as soon as Jeros was involved.
“What the fuck. Boss! You brought this to us calling it a good score?”
At the reaction that showed just how much of an object of fear Psycho Jeros was to them, Milton roared.
“Shut the fuck up! Why are you adventurer bastards getting so scared, fuck!!”
For a moment, the entire pub went silent.
At that, Milton, who had been cautiously watching the mood, leaned his upper body forward and spoke quietly.
“Our opponent is just one outsider. If we rush in all at once, how long do you think it'll take to get rid of that bastard? 3 minutes? 1 minute? 10 seconds? No! It'll take just 3 seconds. We go into the shop and stick a knife in his gut! Is that so hard? Do you think Jeros will be able to come and save that outsider in that time?”
Milton continued, the whites of his eyes shot with red veins.
“And have you forgotten that Jeros and our Guild made a treaty? That bastard can't openly harm us anymore. Does it still seem dangerous? You morons?! If we kill the outsider, a whole shop that's doing great business becomes ours!”
The juniors fell into confusion after hearing Milton's words.
It sounded like sophistry, but at the same time, it was plausible.
Getting rid of one outsider was no big deal, but,
Jeros was a sticking point.
Soon, one of the juniors stood up first and spoke.
“I-I'm out. Sorry, Boss.”
“M-me too. It's not because it's dangerous, I'm not doing it because this doesn't feel like something an adventurer would do!”
“I'm just not feeling it. Ahem.”
And so, 3 of the juniors left, and 3 juniors remained.
Milton scoffed and said.
“Stupid bastards. I was trying to look out for them, but they kicked away the opportunity themselves. This is better. We can just take a bigger share for ourselves.”
He acted tough on the outside, but his insides stung a little.
Now, he could only hope that things would somehow go according to his 'plan'.
“Right before dawn, when the guards' patrols are at their most lax. Let's strike then.”
……
Even after the Battalion Commander left, no customers came.
It seems rumors spread very quickly among the soldiers.
After leaving a bowl of rice porridge in the sleeping Naba's room, I looked at the Shop Window and was lost in thought.
'No matter how I think about it, the point consumption is huge.'
The points I used to make the vegetable porridge were roughly 10pt.
And the points I earned from that were 1pt each for satisfaction with the taste and service, for a total of 2pt.
I had a deficit of -8 points.
Even though I had earned a whopping 3 shillings in money, I was starting to feel like I was taking a loss.
So this was definitely a problem.
'If the deficit keeps piling up, I'll run out of points, and eventually I won't be able to make it anymore.’
Ultimately, the key to accumulating points was to use as few points as possible on the food I sold.
'Like with the pumpkin soup or potato stew.'
Because regardless of how many ingredients from the [Shop Window] were used, I just had to draw out satisfaction through the food and service.
I'll procure as many points as possible this way, and,
'For the Korean dishes that cost a lot of points, I'll have to sell them with a daily quantity limit.'
It's not a method I particularly like, but for now, this seems to be the best way.
That's the only way to maintain my points.
Then how many should I limit it to per day?
'This is another dilemma.'
Just then, I heard a knock on the shop door.
Knock, knock.
“Ian. Ian!”
Knock, knock.
“It's me. Flaco.”
Returning to the present, I received the bundle caked with blood.
“Th-This is?”
“What are you so surprised about? It's fresh meat.”
I looked at Flaco in surprise, but,
“I've kept my promise, so I'm leaving now. I overdid it, so I'm tired.”
“M-Mister Flaco. The payment–.”
“Put it on the books. Later.”
Just like that, Flaco turned around and walked away.
I couldn't take my eyes off his sexy retreating back.
'To think he'd bring it right away like this.'
Wasn't it just last night that I fought with Flaco, persuaded him, and asked for fresh meat?
To my request about 24 hours ago, Flaco had given an ambiguous answer, saying he'd try his best but it might be difficult.
But for him to bring fresh meat right away like this.
“……”
My thoughts are paralyzed.
I should sleep now to make tomorrow's business go smoothly, but all that crap becomes unnecessary.
I had to make something to eat with this right now.
'How can I possibly resist this.'
Finally, finally!
Not smoked goose meat.
Not sausage made from ground-up rats, but proper meat that I can finally eat!
'When I can finally eat gukbap of all things, how can I resist!'
I ran to the kitchen and placed the bundle on the sink.
And after taking a deep breath, I slowly unfolded the bundl…….
“What is this?”
My surging adrenaline and pounding heart sank in an instant, as if someone had thrown cold water on them.
“A tail?”
There was something similar to an oxtail.
If I had to say, it's like a pig's tail, but its thickness and size are that of an oxtail.
'I'm not sure, but it seems like a wild boar's tail.'
Foreshank, pork belly, sirloin, tenderloin—leaving all those good cuts behind, what came to me was just a tail.
“Haa.”
A sigh escaped me without my realizing, but rationally, I caught myself.
This won't do.
'Whether the cup is half empty or half full is a matter of mindset.'
What I asked Flaco for was fresh meat, and this pig's tail is indeed fresh meat.
'Right. This is better than nothing.'
As I activated my positive thinking, a wonderful dish I could make with this tail immediately came to mind.
None other than,
“Oxtail Soup (Kkori-gomtang)!”
I felt a sense of catharsis just by saying it.
The dark night, the air that has suddenly grown chilly.
At a time like this, how wonderful would it be to eat a bowl of rice with hot, hearty, slow-brewed oxtail soup.
How long has it been since I've had a late-night meal!
'I can't wait. Let's do it now.'
I began the clumsy butchering, that is, the meat-prepping process.
I started by skinning it and slicing it joint by joint,
And to draw out the blood, I submerged it in water and sprinkled in two spoonfuls of sugar.
This gets rid of the gamey smell and helps the blood drain faster.
'It's better to let it soak for a long time, but I have to eat as quickly as possible and get to sleep.'
Next, while the blood was draining, I decided to use the remaining time to make kimchi and cook some rice.
[Napa Cabbage (1 head) : 3pt]
[Chili Powder (200g) : 2pt]
[Anchovy Fish Sauce (20ml) : 4pt]
[Salted Shrimp (20ml) : 5pt]
[Korean Pear (1) : 7pt]
As expected, it's expensive. The points I've saved up until now are gently melting away.
And more than anything, I don't know about the others, but,
'7pt for one Korean pear seems too much.'
I briefly debated whether to put the pear in the kimchi or not, but since I'd be using it usefully for every meal once I made a head of it, I coolly(?) spent the points.
'I'll use the leftover garlic and chives.'
As I made the kimchi with the same skill I used to help my parents, the blood had drained from the tail to a certain extent.
I boiled it in hot water for about 10 minutes and then washed it cleanly in cold water, then moved it to a pot, poured in new water, and began to boil it vigorously.
Now I just have to keep adding water until the broth turns milky white.
Bubble, bubble.
While the broth was simmering, I decided to cook rice in a pot.
Since I had made do with white rice porridge for lunch and rock bread and potato stew for dinner, I was beyond excited.
Being in my 7th month in a medieval kitchen, I can now freely control the wood fire.
After completing the pleasantly firm pot-cooked rice through perfect fire control, the once-clear oxtail soup broth was turning opaque.
Drip.
A drop of drool that fell to the floor without me realizing.
But I can't eat it now.
I have to simmer the broth for at least one more hour.
Drip.
My hands began to tremble.
Perhaps because it's dawn, my self-control seems to have gotten much lower.
'Endure it.'
This is my first proper soup-rice dish in 7 months.
I have to eat it when it's even just a little more delicious.
So I decide to endure it until the broth is completely rendered.
With the sound of an owl hooting as my background music, I endured and endured, and after a time that felt like eons,
I was finally able to greet the oxtail soup broth, boasting its pure white form.
“Haaaaaah.”
I can feel my nostrils flaring.
This rich, savory aroma, this nostalgic scent.
For a moment, the thought of how much I should sell this for came to mind, but I immediately erased it.
'First, let's eat.'
The oxtail soup, neatly transferred to a wooden bowl, and the rice.
I placed the kimchi on a plate.
Looking at it all gathered together,
It was truly, beautiful.
“Fu……ck.”
It was a curse that slipped out without me realizing, out of sheer joy.
Gukbap, a food I would have eaten almost every day if I hadn't crossed over to this world.
I guess I lived back then without knowing how precious it was.
At the same time, I longed for my happy life in Korea, and I was also overwhelmed with emotion that I could eat this now.
It's complicated.
“Hoo.”
I exhale, cutting off my thoughts.
Because now is not the time for thinking.
Let's eat. Let's just eat and see.
I took a spoonful of the oxtail soup and slurped it down.
It's savory. It couldn't possibly be this savory.
But it's not seasoned.
I took half a spoonful of coarse salt, sprinkled it in, and stirred.
Slurp.
Now it's seasoned right.
Next is the rice.
I took a spoonful of rice and put it in my mouth.
It's incomparable to the porridge I had in the afternoon.
I felt it when I ate the porridge too, but rice is truly the best, and I'm reminded once again that rice is meant to be eaten as steamed rice.
I ladled about half the rice and put it in the soup.
I stirred it around, tore the kimchi with my hands, and placed it on top of the soup.
The red kimchi liquid spread through the milky white bone broth.
I took a spoonful of that with the rice and put it in my mouth.
“!!!!!!”
Traditional music on a gutgeori rhythm roared to life in my mouth.
Yes.
This is Korean food.