Surviving on the Northern Front with Gukbap

Chapter 75 : Granfen (8)

Granfen (8)

Even if that guy ended up respecting me as a chef,

I thought there was no way I could hand over my precious recipe to someone who once tried to kill me.

"This really, there's not just one or two misunderstandings to clear up."

"Huh?"

Dunbell let out a chuckle before speaking.

"Whether you believe me or not is up to you, but can you hear me out first?"

"... Just say it."

"The day Clara told you about getting a job offer from you. I was the one who told her to go. But it wasn't to kill you."

Then why plant Clara near me?

"I sent Clara to find out what bribes you'd given to the soldiers, and how you'd formed any collusive relationships with them."

At Dunbell's words, I recalled that day.

The day furious Dunbell had yelled his head off at me.

― I don't know how you buttered up the battalion commander, but you pulled strings with politics instead of actual cooking first!

It was true; my shop experienced a rapid rise under the protection of the battalion commander.

Dunbell had every reason to be suspicious.

"But I had no idea Clara would go that far with you."

"W-wait a second! You mean to say what Clara did wasn't on your orders but her own decision?"

So it wasn't a contract killing on Dunbell's orders?!

"That's right. Still, as the boss, it's my failure not to manage my subordinates properly. I'm really sorry. I apologize on Clara's behalf."

Dunbell bowed his head even deeper than before,

'Don't let your guard down. He's a medieval man!'

Did he really think I'd fall for such a clumsy act?

"Hmph. Like you didn't have any intention of killing me. When I took Clara away, you also came at me with a kitchen knife!"

I nearly let it slip by.

Or, so I thought.

Dunbell's expression grew even more apologetic.

"T-that too, sorry. Clara was half-naked and her face was beaten up... I lost my temper and did it without thinking. I apologize for that too. Sorry."

Hmm.

Remembering Clara's face that day, I could understand Dunbell's feelings a bit.

Especially since those two, well, ahem. They were that sort of relationship.

"I mean, yeah. If my lover's face got messed up, I'd be mad too—"

"Wait a second. What? A lover? Puhaha."

"Eh?"

"Sorry, but Clara isn't my lover."

They weren't like that?

I could've sworn he shouted, "My Clara!"

"You two hugged and cried the moment you saw each other!"

"Just because you hug doesn't mean you're lovers. Get real. Clara is my subordinate. Colleagues can hug, you know."

If you pulled that in Korea, you'd end up at the Labor Board, you fool!

"Anyway, after that incident and some time passed, Clara told me what had happened between you two."

"What did Clara say?"

Without realizing it, my ears perked up.

"She said the outsider—you—are crazy about cooking... that you're genuinely passionate about it. You're really skilled too, and above all, you treat not just Clara but all your subordinates like family."

What the heck. Clara, why did you only say good things.

Now I feel bad for smacking you in the jaw.

"And she said you never gave bribes or colluded with the soldiers. Contrary to my expectations, you were just a chef."

"... So that's why you were so composed when our eyes met before today's cooking match?"

"Yeah. I tried my best to be polite to you."

"Wait a sec! Even on the day you set the rules for the cooking match with Pab, you acted all arrogant and stuck-up."

You think I'd forget that look on your face when we shook hands?!

Almost fooled me again.

"That was before Clara told me. Her jaw hadn't healed yet then."

Come to think of it, that's right.

So in the end, is this the conclusion?

'Clara was a real piece of work.'

No, Clara was the only piece of work here.

This all started because of Clara's attempted impulsive murder. Ha ha ha.

"I guess all the misunderstandings are cleared now. Will you tell me? The makgeolli brewing method, I mean. One chef to another—this is a request."

Dunbell, sounding relieved, ashed his cigarette.

At this point, I really couldn't say no.

"Hoo. Fine. Where do you plan to go after you leave?"

"I haven't decided, but I'll probably return to the garrison village by the frontline."

Again with the garrison village?

But looking in his eyes, he's not joking.

"Why there, though? With your skills, you could make a name for yourself and make plenty of money in a big city."

Dunbell glanced at me sideways and said indifferently,

"I don't care about money."

"?!"

He grinned, baring his gold tooth.

"My happiness is giving soldiers, who risk their lives in service, a delicious meal and a drink. Truth is, back in my day..."

He kept mumbling about his army days, but I wasn't really listening.

To my frustration, it made me think of my mother for the first time in a while.

― You think we started the soup rice business just to make money? Soup rice is something you can only do if you're not greedy for money.

To a mother who always said such things, I once asked,

― If you don't make money, what's the point?

I liked money.

I wanted to take over our shop and grow it commercially.

But my mother, shaking the water off bean sprouts, replied indifferently,

― For commoners like us, filling bellies confidently~ and warmly~ is what makes us happy.

Those were my parents.

"Hey, Dunbell."

"Huh? Why'd you cut me off? I was just getting to the good part!"

I laid a hand on the shocked Dunbell's shoulder.

"Happiness Gukbap's second branch opens tomorrow, and the spot for manager-slash-head chef is vacant. I want you to take it."

"... What are you saying right now?"

*

After that, the rest of my conversation with Dunbell was sheer pleasure.

― What?! You call the browning process due to heat the Maillard reaction? There's a term for every little thing in your world. Hah hah!

Talking to someone who shares your passion is bound to be fun,

But Dunbell was an even better guy than I'd thought.

'No wonder I saw him as my greatest rival.'

His passion for food matched my own—it was honestly touching.

To keep someone like Dunbell, I ended up making all sorts of promises.

This musclebound macho insisted on sticking to his word, saying he just had to leave.

― Full support for Grey Fortress stonemason guild's remodeling cost. How's that?

Even at this offer, he hesitated,

So in the end, I popped a cube into his mouth.

Crunch, crunch!

― Th-this incredibly clean and refined salty flavor—what is this?!

Dunbell, who had tasted the "coarse salt" that the Grey Fortress merchant guilds had raved about, looked exhilarated.

Then, when I gave him some white sugar, he nearly lost his mind.

― And this purely sweet powder?! What is this?!"

I struck while the iron was hot.

― If you work for me, I'll provide you with as much of these seasonings as you need.

In the end, Dunbell bowed to the ingredients of modern cooking.

He really was a chef through and through.

Thinking back, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned the remodeling first,

But hey, it's not a bad deal if I'm investing in my own shop.

I was going to rebrand Wyvern Tail to Happiness Gukbap anyway.

'I need to think up the second branch's menu and operations plan. And I need to train Dunbell.'

The result: I gained a great chef as a subordinate.

What a beautiful ending.

'Recruiting Happiness Gukbap second branch manager—jackpot!'

With the conversation wrapped up, I returned to our food stall.

The pre-festival drinking party was winding down,

And I watched as Clara and Plerine competed to clean up—their productivity amazed me.

"It runs fine even without me."

"That woman is trustworthy, right?"

Harper asked anxiously, glancing at Clara.

"Yeah. There won't be any issues."

If anything does happen, I'll personally add my special touch.

"Anyway, things are much better with Clara here, right?"

"Of course. She does her job with remarkable skill."

"That's good. Then I guess I can entrust an important job to you, Harper."

"Oh, totally! What is it? Give me an order, please."

"Go to Grey Fortress two days from now."

"Understood! You'll come with me, right, boss?"

"What are you talking about? Of course, you're going alone."

"... Excuse me?"

"We'll be packed with customers from tomorrow. Everyone else, myself included, will have to work. That means you have to go on your own."

Pat, pat. I slapped Harper's shoulder,

But Employee #3's face turned deathly pale.

"Whaaat?!! Alone to Grey Fortress?!"

Look at this hothouse flower of an outsider.

Back in my day, I'd break through military cordons just to get things done, tsk tsk.

Seriously, young people these days...

"Is it really that shocking?"

"N-no, but how do you expect me to go to Grey Fortress alone!"

"I'll get a few mercenaries to go with you, so don't worry. Just go and get some air."

I never planned to really send him alone.

If I sent an outsider alone and he ran away, it'd just cost me.

"A-at least I won't be alone, but what exactly should I do once I'm in Grey Fortress?"

"You need to remodel Wyvern Tail since we took it over. Go to the stonemason guild."

The instant I spoke, Harper's dead eyes came back to life.

He had the gaze of a true food service manager.

"Boss, even if our makgeolli sales brought in a lot, investing in remodeling is difficult. Just to pay for the smithy, we don't nearly have enough for four golden—"

I silenced Harper with my finger to his lips.

I was afraid Gerald at the next table might overhear.

"You're not going to earn money for renovations. You'll be selling coarse salt and making money. Go sell some there."

"Coarse salt? What's the going rate?"

"Ten shillings per 100g. Just sell 10kg and come back, got it?"

Even though I spoke calmly, Harper's face morphed in a bizarre way.

Jeez, his eyes are about to pop out.

"W-why are you only telling me this now, boss!!"

Honestly, there was no real reason I hadn't told him the price of the salt.

I just knew Harper took genuine pleasure in calculations and business planning.

'It's like giving a cheat to a friend playing a game on hardcore mode—they'd actually get mad.'

I didn't want to rain on Harper's parade when he was trying so hard.

So I kept putting off telling him, meaning to say it eventually, but the timing just kept slipping by—

"?"

Tremble, tremble. Harper covered his face with both hands and began to shudder.

Maybe I waited too long and he's actually angry.

"Fufufu."

Soon his eyes sparkled as he muttered under his breath.

"With that salt money, we could have expanded Happiness Gukbap, recruited more workers, and scaled up operations tenfold! With that cash, we could conquer the continent...!!"

Harper started muttering every business term he knew like a lunatic, but I tuned him out.

Whatever, he'll handle it.

"I'll go too, boss."

Whoa, that startled me.

When did Plerine show up?

"Go where?"

"To Grey Fortress. It looks too dangerous for Harper to go alone."

Oh? I didn't know Plerine cared so much about her junior.

This is new to me, but—

"No. You need to stay here."

Plerine can't leave the shop.

There's still the risk from the one who created the minor Demon Realm and killed that member of Legion.

"Still, it really does look risky for Harper to be on his own."

"Hm."

It was odd for Plerine, of all people, to insist twice that it was dangerous.

"What seems so dangerous?"

Pelerine let out a small sigh and spoke up.

"The truth is, something weird happened the day we sold the salt..."

Listening to her details made my temples throb.

'So Gilfin merchant guild tailed us, but Plerine caught on and overwhelmed them by force?'

No wonder the Gilfin guildmaster overreacted.

That means, for now, it's too dangerous to trade salt with the Gilfin merchant guilds.

No amount of mercenaries will be enough.

'But I can't attach Plerine either.'

Damn. Where am I supposed to get the money for the second branch's remodeling and the payout to Gerald?

'I'm going crazy here.'

At that moment, Harper snapped his fingers.

"Boss. What if, instead of the merchant guild, we go straight to the bars and restaurants in Grey Fortress and open direct negotiations?"

"Bars and restaurants?"

"The makgeolli we make. We set up a distribution system and deliver it directly to establishments in Grey Fortress. Judging from how people reacted to it at today's festival, there's plenty of money to be made!"

Those dollar signs in Harper's eyes aren't my imagination.

"Tell me more."