Surviving on the Northern Front with Gukbap

Chapter 62 : New Friend(s) (3)

New Friend(s) (3)

The outsider looked just like people from the northern regions.

A white man with brown hair and blue eyes.

Of course, aside from the facial features, everything else was obviously outsider.

Not just the clothes, but his vibe and actions, everything.

'He looks about the same age as me.'

The outsider's body, seated in the chair, was as stiff as a board.

I could see he was extremely tense.

Yeah. That's a normal reaction.

Getting hit by a truck and then thriving as if you're a fish in water only happens in Japanese comics.

When an ordinary person falls into another world, they end up like that.

'They freeze up from cognitive dissonance. Overwhelmed by fear and terror.'

Even I, who pride myself on having a calm temperament, was like that at first.

That's why I ended up a slave after getting caught by an idiot like Burt.

Anyway, enough reminiscing, it's time to start the interview.

"Why are you shaking so much? Are you cold?"

The one who reacted to my attempt at ice-breaking wasn't the outsider.

For some reason, the doors to employee 1 and 2's rooms opened almost simultaneously.

"Who is it, boss?"

Although Naba asked first, it was clear that Plerine was just as curious, as she-nimbly sat next to me and looked at the outsider.

"Yeah. He's a candidate for our shop."

No sooner had I answered, Naba quickly took her seat as well.

"Hm. So I was right."

With narrow eyes examining the outsider, the kid's expression looked... just like a corporate HR manager.

"So, prospective junior. What's your name?"

Should I hand them a piece of paper or something?

"Ah, uh. My, my name is... ah?"

The outsider still couldn't seem to adjust to imperial language coming out of his own mouth.

But my employees aren't the type to be sympathetic over that.

"Are you ignoring what Senior Naba asked you?"

For some reason, the words "Senior Naba" came out of Plerine's mouth,

and then a spark—zzzt—flashed right in front of her face.

More current than usual.

It was definitely intentional.

"Whoa?! M-magic?!"

The outsider was visibly terrified at the sight of magic, but didn't try to run or get up.

Good. He passed the nerve test.

"Hehe. Plerine, junior. Don't be so scary, okay?"

At Naba's words, Plerine snickered and withdrew the spark.

... The two seem to be having fun together.

Naba rested her chin in her clasped hands and said,

"Alright, prospective junior. I'll ask again. As you can see, we're not exactly the friendliest seniors, so answer well."

She had a shady expression, reminding me she used to be a brat rolling with thugs.

"Name?"

Thankfully, this time the outsider answered right away.

"J-Jadric Harper!"

His name, pronounced in imperial, was a bit slurred.

"Alright, Harper. How old are you?"

Just like Han Chul Lee became Ian, this guy's Harper from now on.

"I'm thirty-four."

Hm. He's older than me.

I'd better not mention my age.

"......?"

But then another question didn't follow.

Plerine and I turned our gaze to Naba, but

"......."

Naba just sat quietly, an utterly relaxed look on her face.

'... She's run out of questions.'

Fair enough, she probably doesn't know what to ask a complete outsider.

Your HR act ends here, kiddo.

"Harper."

"Yes?"

"You were probably playing a game. Next thing you knew, you were in this land. Am I right?"

At my question, the outsider flinched again.

Am I really that frightening?

"How did you know th-."

"Not 'you'. Call me boss."

I stopped Plerine with my hand and spoke to the outsider.

"On your way here with Jeros, did you see anyone like me? Oh, Jeros is the guard who dragged you in earlier."

Harper stared intently at me, then answered.

"No. I didn't see anyone."

"Why do you think there's an eastern guy with black hair in a place like this? Think about it."

I think he picked up on my meaning, because his pupils started trembling,

But I had to make him face reality.

"You and I are the same. People like us are called 'outsiders' here."

Eventually, Harper hung his head low and muttered,

"Where... is this?"

"The northern part of the continent of Belkhazium. Eastern side of the Kaischen Duchy."

Harper was visibly trembling, as if every muscle in his body was tensed.

"This... isn't a dream? A dream..."

Yeah. I was just like that too.

At first, I thought it was a dream.

But everything was too vivid for a dream,

And even after several nights, I was still in this world.

At a certain point, I wondered if I'd gone insane.

'It took four days for me to accept this reality.'

But Harper won't have to go through that.

Because he has a senior outsider—me—here.

"It'll be tough, but accept it as soon as possible. It'll be better for you."

Harper nodded with difficulty,

So I made him an offer.

"I want you to work in my shop as an employee. Room and board included. If you don't want to, you can leave now."

Compared to the time under Burt, this is a cakewalk for Harper.

—Or so I thought.

"......."

Harper just kept his mouth shut.

It was an unexpectedly long silence.

'Is this really something to agonize over?'

Just as I started to get a bit irritated at those thoughts,

Grrrrgle.

A sudden, cheerful noise broke the silence.

"... S-sorry."

The culprit was Harper.

The embarrassed candidate's face flushed bright red.

Actually, this was perfect.

It was time to show off my shop's best welfare.

"Do you like risotto?"

*

Anyone who's worked in a restaurant will understand.

The menu you sell, you cook almost mechanically.

There's the benefit of using less brain energy thanks to repetition,

But the joy of cooking as an act fades a little.

'That's why doing a different dish now and then is so refreshing and fun.'

And right now was just one of those times.

Although my expertise is in Korean cuisine,

It was time to serve Western food for the soon-to-be new white employee.

'Been a long time since I made risotto.'

Actually, because the main ingredient is rice, it's not all that different from rice porridge,

But if I use butter and milk, it feels distinctively Western.

That's a big difference.

'Too bad I don't have cheese.'

Well, not quite a substitute,

But I decided to use an ingredient I bought at an expensive price from the general store.

I soaked something called twilight-swamp mushroom—something Earth doesn't have—in water.

Right away, I finely chopped onion,

and sautéed it in a pan with melting butter until the sweet aroma rose.

Sizzzz.

When it was just the right color, I tossed in raw rice.

Sa-sa-sa.

With ground meat too, two ladles of mushroom water, and one of milk.

Ssssh.

Once the broth simmered down, I added more mushroom water and milk,

and sprinkled salt to bring out a salty taste in lieu of cheese.

Tak, tadak! Tak!

I started swirling the pan so the heat would hit the rice evenly.

From here, you have to keep stirring non-stop.

It's tiring, but unlike Han Chul Lee, Ian had the stamina to spare.

It was fun and thrilling.

Tak tak, taktaktak!

I focused in front of the fire and cast iron pan.

My inner thoughts settled like a calm pond.

Cooking was like an escape from the complexities of the world for me.

I felt just like the grains of rice dancing on the cast iron pan.

'Just about finished now.'

After confirming the gloss and springiness of the rice,

I finely diced some butter and sprinkled it in,

then covered the pan with a lid to let it rest.

...... Done.

"It's hot, so be careful."

I set four bowls of risotto on the table.

It looked like rice porridge, but its completely different aroma amazed Plerine and Naba.

"This is risotto?"

"It looks like porridge, but it smells totally different."

Harper, meanwhile, was getting teary-eyed at the sight of the steaming risotto.

'Is he really that moved?'

Suddenly, I remembered the day I was given pumpkin soup by Burt.

Back then, I was so hungry that even that trash tasted good to me.

Compared to that, this risotto I made was Michelin three-star quality.

... Enough with the nostalgia.

"Everyone, eat—"

Before I could even finish saying eat,

employees 1 and 2 had both already taken a spoonful.

Their reactions came bursting forth.

"Boss, this risotto, it's different from porridge, but it's tastier than porridge!"

As a Korean food expert, the high praise from Naba made me feel strange.

Plerine expressed herself with her body rather than words.

Tears rolled down from under her blindfold, streaming along her nose.

Well, either way, it seemed they were both satisfied, so I was relieved.

The best benefit I could give my employees was the tastiest food possible.

'The real reason Plerine hasn't left me must be the taste of my cooking.'

No matter how I think about it, there's no reason a 6th-circle mage would stick around with me, except for this.

'Enough thinking. Let's just eat now.'

With a satisfied smile, I took my first bite and savored the aroma first.

The rich scent of milk and butter mingled with the well-cooked rice.

I put it in my mouth. Chew chew.

Dopamine exploded.

"... Damn."

A curse leaked from me before I knew it.

Because this risotto truly 'popped' as a dish.

'A critical hit!'

I don't cook by strict recipes.

Call me a hands-on chef.

So sometimes, for reasons unknown, there are days where my food just turns out explosively good.

I'm sure anyone who cooks by feel can relate.

And right now, this risotto had succeeded.

'This is why I cook, for real.'

The creamy flavor of fat and the carbs hit in perfect harmony.

As I chewed, the juices exploded in my mouth.

It wasn't bear meat, but the mushroom from the twilight swamp that was delivering all that flavor.

No wonder it was so expensive, I thought as I swallowed.

It was delicious. Unbelievably delicious.

Just fucking amazing.

If this were Korean food, the system probably would have rated it as 'perfect.'

Thinking of the system, I couldn't just give the food to Harper for free.

"Wait a second, Harper."

Harper, who had been cautiously taking his first spoonful, stopped moving.

His eyes were wet with tears,

But I had to cover what needed to be covered.

"Pay for your meal somehow. Oh, right, at least give me your tracksuit top."

Naba looked at me like she was seeing a devil, unable to hide her expression.

It was embarrassing, but there was no choice.

'If he eats as a "customer" before being registered as an employee, I can earn a point.'

Not a single point can go to waste for me, the boss.

"H-here."

"Just drop it around here and eat quickly."

"Y-yes!!"

Harper hurriedly sat down again,

and finally, his meal resumed, and a spoonful went into his mouth.

A moment later,

"......."

All eyes—mine, employee 1, and 2—were on Harper.

Because we could hear him sobbing.

"Kkuh, kkuhuk."

With his mouth closed around his spoon, Harper's body shook up and down dramatically.

I don't know what's got him so overwhelmed, but he looked like he was holding back a flood of tears about to burst forth.

"... Is it good?"

"Hic. Y-yes. It's s-so goo-hic-d..."

Harper ate the risotto, his face twisting between laughter and tears.

He looked like the meme of a servant trembling in a historical drama.

"Enough. Don't answer, just eat."

After that, we all ate in silence.

Predictably, Plerine finished first, followed by me.

〈 Strength slightly increases. 〉

There was a buff from the rice, but no corresponding system voice.

So only completed Korean dishes must trigger bonus effects—so I concluded.

Suddenly, the system voice cut in.

〈 Customer- Outsider Harper is moved by the food 〉

〈 Gained 1 'Emotion' 〉

〈 Quest [2] Growing the Inn (Step 3) goal achieved. 〉

〈 Congratulations. Reward is being given. 〉

〈 A new quest is being added. 〉

I was glad I'd endured the brat's contemptuous stare.