Chapter 117
Chapter 117
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Making Kimchi
-----------------------------------------------------------------
'It's about to burst at the seams.'
Taking some rare time to leisurely survey the Sky Corps.
In the midst of all the chaos, I hadn't even had a moment to check on my own quarters.
Cawwww!
Kiyuuuuwuuu!
"Get the patrol flights ready, quick!"
"Hey, today it's the two-seater saddles!"
The Sky Corps had turned into a bustling marketplace corner.
Just a year ago, it had been a dead market without a single proper wyvern, but now it was packed with screeching wyverns, administrative soldiers, and temporary buildings everywhere.
'I need to hurry up with the moving preparations.'
There were too many important departments and items to just ship out.
Come spring, I figured we'd need to accelerate construction on the castle that would become the territory's heart.
"Yes, sir!"
While circling the hangar, I reached a spot where a few soldiers were standing guard.
'Guards inside the Sky Corps?'
"Good work. What are you guarding here?"
"We don't know, sir. Orders from above—we've been standing guard all day."
Even the guarding soldiers didn't know what the item was.
'Not magic stones... what's in there?'
No matter how I racked my brain, all the important stuff was in the commander's building, which had the tightest security in the Sky Corps.
"Open the door."
"Yes, sir!"
I, Neruman, had the right to enter anywhere I pleased.
At my order, the soldiers swiftly opened the side door to the hangar.
'What the hell is that smell?'
A familiar scent wafted in from the opened side door.
Step by step.
I stepped inside.
"Light!"
Since it was a sealed hangar, I cast a 1-circle Light spell.
Fwoosh~!
The hangar interior lit up brightly in an instant, infused with plenty of mana.
"This is... spices, isn't it?"
Spices I'd received as a bonus when trading with the pirates in the past.
Precious ingredients produced in the Eastern Continent.
"But this smell..."
They were items from months ago, and I'd never opened them.
My fate hadn't allowed me the luxury of cooking with such lucky spices.
Moreover, spices were as valuable as gold.
With the Kesmir Archipelago pirates dominating the seas, they weren't easy to obtain, and the Eastern Continent was so isolationist that trade wasn't active.
That was why only nobles with deep pockets used them.
'Pepper smell, allspice? Chili too?'
My nose wasn't dog-level, but it was fairly sensitive.
Amid the mix of scents, I could pick out pepper and chili.
'Kimchi... oh man!!!'
Thinking of chili brought back memories of my mother's kimjang kimchi.
If I'd been home, kimjang season would be over by now, and I'd be enjoying fresh, spicy kimchi every evening for a happy meal.
Rustle.
I undid the magically treated cloth.
I'd heard fruits and vegetables were stored in one corner of the Sky Corps hangar to last until spring.
Using the 3-circle preservation spell that any mage could cast.
The magic cloth also had a 3-circle spell to maintain the mana.
In Korea, storing common chilies like this would get you called crazy, but here, treated as precious imported spices, it was fine.
"Ooooo!"
Unveiling the cloth revealed dried red chilies.
A bit smaller than Earth's, but the spicy aroma was spot on.
"Heh heh heh... thank you, Mother!"
On kimjang day, my mother used me as her assistant.
Peeling onions, trimming garlic, mixing the heavy seasoning paste—she relied on me.
That's why I was a pro at kimjang.
I'd been forced into it by my mother's absurd theory that a man heading to marriage had to know how to make kimchi, but right now, I was in awe of that training and philosophy.
"There are garlic, onions, cabbage, and radish here too. Heh heh! Kimchi! Kimchi!"
This continent wasn't so different from Earth.
Cabbage and radish were called by other names, but they looked similar.
The only difference was they were about twice the size.
"Oh! This is ginger!"
When I received them, I didn't know why Krisia gave me such spices, so I'd generously gifted some to Count Yaiks heading back to the Empire.
The thought of eating kimchi had flipped my mind—I opened all the spices and sniffed them.
And I found the essentials for kimjang: chili, pepper, dried ginger.
"Oh! Mother!"
Her name burst out again.
"There's cabbage and radish, and plenty of other veggies stored. All that's left is the fermented shrimp sauce, and it'll be perfect."
Thinking of the seasonings and veggies for kimjang brought the shrimp sauce to mind.
But that wasn't a big worry.
The shrimp paste my mother used could be made from the shrimp swarming the nearshore.
Dash.
I ran outside.
To me, who'd lived on bread and meat, kimchi was God's greatest gift.
I couldn't stay calm.
"Bebeto!"
As I went out, I called my trusty call-taxi Bebeto with gusto.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
"Lalala lulu."
Sprinkle salt evenly on the chopped cabbage.
"Y-Your Lordship..."
Lucia the auntie and the kitchen maids eyed me anxiously—I'd suddenly appeared and taken over the kitchen.
The sky-high lord chopping hundreds of cabbages had them stunned.
"Are Lotto and Atpa ready?"
"Y-Yes. Everything you ordered is done. But what food are you preparing? We'll do it."
The women were floored by a noble—no, their own lord—personally chopping cabbage and salting it in the kitchen.
I wanted their help, but this was something I had to do myself.
'Salt's all sprinkled, and the brine's dissolved just right.'
A huge wooden tub filled with brine for salting cabbage and radish.
An egg floating just right signaled perfect salinity.
Plop plop plop.
I dunked the salted cabbage into the brine.
Like in the apartment bathtub, the cabbages settled in nicely.
'Now for the shrimp paste.'
The traditional Sky Corps kitchen.
Thanks to tidy Lucia auntie's nature, the spacious kitchen was clean, though now a mess from my doings.
This time, I dumped the shrimp I'd caught that day into a large stone bowl and sprinkled salt on top.
I wanted fermentation, not rot, so salt—the enemy of spoilage—was key.
'Without magic, I'd have waited forever.'
Shrimp paste doesn't make overnight, but I had magic.
I'd decided to use the Decay spell, one of the status magics, to make it.
"Decay!"
Fwoosh!
"Eek!"
"M-Magic!"
The 3-circle alteration spell Decay.
Red mana flashed at the incantation, enveloping the stone bowl, startling the maids.
Using magic on food—common folk couldn't even imagine it.
They only knew bread, meat, simply prepared; magic food was pure fantasy.
"Everyone take the day off until tomorrow."
The maids who'd teared up peeling garlic and onions.
They'd watched anxiously, but lit up at "day off."
I didn't work them brutally, but jobs are endurance tests for workers.
"Your Lordship, I'll stay."
Lucia auntie, who'd watched everything, said she'd remain.
I'd helped her reclaim her seized home and shop, but now she handled food for me and the key knights.
Her eyes sparkled as she observed.
"Fine, stay."
One helper was okay anyway.
As long as she could handle the seasoning smells for the kimchi.
'First stage prep done. Now just wait for the salt to seep into the cabbage.'
Today had turned happy thanks to chili powder.
I wanted to tackle soy and doenjang too, but held back.
Kimchi alone was enough joy amid the busyness.
'There are clay jars baked in mud, so now dig a pit?'
Like the kimjang jars at my rural grandpa's.
Continent folk fermented cucumbers and such in jars too.
Their way to get missing vitamins and minerals, it seemed.
"Leave it like this until morning."
"Understood, Your Lordship."
'Finally, kimjang. Heh heh heh.'
With ingredients ready, my heart swelled with pride.
Finding joy in the little things—that was me.
I easily lifted a yellow clay jar half my height and opened the kitchen side door to head out.
'This spot's good.'
Outside, I picked a sunny place to bury the jar.
'Hey, Gnome, what're you up to?'
I called the Gnome mentally.
Swish.
Like it'd been waiting, the dwarf-like earth spirit rose from the ground at my feet.
"Long time no see. How's the Spirit King?"
"..."
The Gnome blinked its earthen eyes at my playful question.
How would a lowly lower spirit know the Spirit King's status?
"Tell him I asked after him. Can you bury this here?"
Nod nod.
The clay-molded Gnome nodded hesitantly.
Thud.
I set down the jar.
Sloooosh.
Like magic—well, it was—the jar sank into the earth.
"Okay, up to there!"
When it reached the neck, I called okay.
"Good job. See you next time."
Sloooosh.
At "see you," the Gnome vanished soundlessly.
"Spirits are so nice."
Trustworthy beyond humans.
"Wait! Come to think, how's Silphia?"
I'd sweet-talked the top-grade spirit Silphia into contract but never summoned her.
With my jjampong mana rivaling a 7-circle mage, I'd forgotten her till now.
Her graceful form: silver armor, long silver hair flowing, leader fairy vibe.
Greed stirred, but I held back.
Forcing spirit summons brought great pain, I'd heard.
No need to suffer just to check on her.
Plus, Silphia was female.
For now, even spirits—no women.
"Evening already. Gotta sleep early for tomorrow's kimjang. Heh heh."
A fulfilling day left me slightly tired.
No—sleep early, wake to kimjang. I headed to my cozy bed.
Noble resolve: even if Earth ends tomorrow, I'd make one batch of kimchi.
I just prayed fervently the continent wouldn't vanish overnight.
One bite of kimchi, and I'd die content.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
"A new weapon, you say?"
"Yes. Remarkably, they've developed a new-model Blast Spear from Neruman with drastically improved range and speed, plus a large crossbow for wyvern shooting."
"Drastically? No, didn't the Magic Tower declare no further improvements possible on the current Spear? And now a Spear with drastic range and speed boosts! Who the hell made it!"
Omer Duke of the Bazran Empire, tense daily from the Emperor's rapid health decline.
He gasped in shock at Viscount Farkes's words, his trusted aide.
How much time and money poured into enhancing Blast Spears?
But yields plateaued, making the current model continent-standard.
Even the Magic Tower had given up—no one stepped up.
Yet Neruman produced a breakthrough Spear.
"We haven't secured a new Spear yet, so exact specs are unknown. But compiling reports from the Habis Sky Knights, knights, and soldiers who invaded Neruman recently, it seems the new Spear has an effective range about 1 kilometer longer than the old one."
"Huh, heuk? 1—1 kilometer? Not 100 meters—1 kilometer!"
Astonishment escaped the usually unflappable Omer Duke.
1 km extra range meant skilled Sky Knights could fire several more Spears.
Numerical superiority aside, terrifying to face.
"We're gathering info maximally. Merchant guilds and Magic Towers are scrambling for new Spears too. Accurate details soon."
"Unbelievable. Such a thing from Neruman, without even a decent mage..."
"The large crossbow is also no slouch, per reports."
"What's that? Don't we have wyvern-check ones too?"
"Worlds apart."
"Worlds apart?"
"Yes. Specs unconfirmed, but likely guarantees over 2 km effective range."
"Huh? 2—2 km? Not even a Blast Spear—an ordinary crossbow at 2 km effective? Then castles or forts with it can't be hit by close ground bombing?"
Empire and royals had crossbows for wyvern defense.
Magic-treated, mithril-tipped large crossbows.
But piercing wyvern armor and tough hide was tough.
Raw physics fell short against magic armor and hide.
"Seems so. Needs confirmation, but wyvern effective kill range around 2 km."
"Huh... unbelievable. Such absurd weapons appearing."
Normal large crossbows could reach 2 km.
But against wyverns, effective ones were another level.
"Neruman's suspicious."
"Hmm... should have eliminated him for sure back then."
Omer grimaced regretfully at Farkes's words.
Forever regretting failing at the Emperor's birthday party.
"What will you do? Could send an Imperial overseer under pretext of Habis war."
Farkes's eyes gleamed rat-like.
"No. No need to alert him unnecessarily."
"Then..."
"First, max info on new Spears and crossbows via Magic Tower and guilds. Right now, he's not the priority... the Imperial Family is."
Priests extending Emperor's life said max one or two months.
Emperor's seat—even for Crown Prince—fate's gift, unpredictable till claimed.
Couldn't slack surveillance of palace and nobles.
'Garvity Duke and others sense it, lingering in capital. No need to split forces.'
Omer knew power's slippery nature.
Blood-boiling days till nephew Crown Prince claimed throne.
'Cayer... just wait a bit.'
If Cayer became Emperor, Spears and crossbows were irrelevant.
Not widely known, but Imperial wyverns neared 1,000, nobles' matching.
Wield that terror under Imperial decree—tiny Neruman wouldn't last a day.
"How's surveillance on them?"
"Proceeding fully. Most Imperial Knights poached. Order, and they're imprisoned instantly."
Omer whispered softly; Farkes murmured back.
All pieces set for Bazran takeover.
Emperor dies—done in a flash.
Any grass-roots threatening Crown Prince's authority—gone.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
"Your Lordship, what's this?"
I headed to the kitchen at dawn.
Excitement over kimchi kept me from sleep; time passed, so I rushed there.
Derbal, hearing rumors, came and scowled.
Kitchen reeked of garlic, onions, overnight-fermented shrimp.
"Can't you see? Making food."
"No, why's the lord making food? Lucia auntie's here, maids too."
Derbal stunned at absurd sight of lord cooking.
"It's a special food only I know. Don't worry."
"Even so... the lord himself cooking..."
Derbal's common sense: no such thing.
To nobles and knights, cooking was useless chore, unrelated to service or rule.
A count ruling Neruman gleeful over salted cabbage? Bizarre, weird.
Tadadak.
Ignoring him, I chopped radish for the filler.
'Oh! Swordsmanship helps here too.'
Thanks to kendo in Korea, radish chopping was my specialty.
But now, leagues better—even blindfolded, it'd be perfect like Mother Han Seok-bong's rice cake slices.
"Your Lordship, thin flour soup ready."
"Good work."
Lucia auntie, assisting, said the flour porridge was done.
"Derbal, grab those pears."
"Y-Yes..."
Unhappy but instinctively obeying lord's order, Derbal moved.
Tadadak.
Pears chopped neatly.
'Too bad, should have dug oysters.'
Imitating Mother's kimchi, but my know-how lacked.
'Now the seasoning.'
Like a cooking show, ingredients prepped.
Carrots, radish, apple, pear, thick green onions from storage.
Plus minced garlic, onion, ginger.
"Cayer-nim."
'Eh? Armis?'
As I dumped into huge wooden tub to mix, Armis's voice.
"No, what brings Armis..."
"Rumors all over Sky Corps. Cayer-nim making weird food."
Weird food, she says.
Fair enough.
Kimchi—Korea's staple—incomprehensible to continent food culture.
Grateful it wasn't rumored as demon food.
"Haha. Welcome. Since you're here, help me."
"Hoho. Of course."
"Saintess-nim..."
"Holy Knights, wait outside."
"Ah, yes."
Armis, now good at handling people.
She banished the Holy Knights blocking our playtime.
"Everyone, cover noses with cloths if you can."
".....???"
Odd looks at my nose-cover order.
'I warned you. Heh heh heh.'
They didn't expect the cost of ignoring.
Splash.
First, into Lucia auntie's flour porridge tub.
Pour.
Added prepped ingredients on top.
'What you staring at? Not witch brew.'
Veggies on flour soup—three eyed curiously.
For them, today's highlight.
Ssssh.
Red chili powder, finely ground by pulverize magic.
Small peppers are spicy—fierce heat.
"Gasp!"
"Huh!"
"Eek!"
Close-up chili sprinkling.
They yelped at near-tear-gas cloud.
'Mmm, that's the aroma.'
Long-lost spicy chili powder scent.
"Cough, cough."
"L-Lord... what's that!"
"Tears... what to do."
"Told you to cover with handkerchiefs."
Not a sadist enjoying pain, but their teary snot-nosed faces felt satisfying.
'Not done yet.'
Added garlic and ginger after chili.
Then yesterday's ground raw shrimp filler.
'Ta-da! Opening soon!'
Unsealed the fermented shrimp paste, highlight after chili, via Decay magic.
"Gasp!"
"Hah..."
"Urk..."
Three screams didn't disappoint.
Crash.
Well-fermented shrimp paste's pungent aroma—hands over mouths, they bolted outside.
"Tsk tsk. Such weak stomachs."
Shrimp paste barely qualifies as sauce, yet extreme reactions.
Tasted well-fermented anchovy sauce, they'd faint.
Swish swish.
"Lalala lulala."
Mixed ingredients in huge tub by hand.
Food tastes of hand-love—poured heart into kimchi paste.
"Done."
Soon, bright red kimchi paste complete, like clad in fabric.
Smack.
Taste-tested with finger.
"Haa! Kuuuuh!"
Unbidden tears.
How long since tangy spicy bite?
Only ramen-with-kimchi-less broth know this joy.
Heart raced.
Grabbed rinsed cabbage halves.
Splat.
Slathered quartered leaves mercilessly.
"Ehe ra di yeo."
Chorus burst out.
No spot missed—generous paste on every leaf.
No food swaps for kimchi.
Sizzle.
Popped well-mixed piece in mouth.
"Kuuu!!!!"
Instant tangy heat, crisp kimchi harmony.
Held back tears, chewed vigorously.
"God..."
Thanks to God burst forth.
Continent end? No regrets.
Not Mother's level, but Kang Hyuk's otherworld kimchi beat most.
Homes-shopping hit for sure.
"Sorry... Cayer-nim."
Mid-kimchi bliss, Armis returned beside me.
"Cayer-nim loves this food so."
Sweet Armis.
Apologized to me.
Gave her novel agony, yet she sorry.
"No, I'm sorry."
"What's this food called? Looks so spicy."
"Kimchi. Staple where I lived."
"Kimchi? Unique name."
'Kimchi? Heh heh. Sounds pretty.'
Everything Armis does cute.
"Can I try?"
"Hands'll burn..."
"Hoho. You're a man, Cayer-nim. If you can, so can I. I do all cooking."
Clear laugh, settled beside me.
'Heh heh. Just like newlyweds.'
With angel Armis, hell happy.
Watched her serious face, salting cabbage, pasting.
"Wow! Hands spicy."
No rubber gloves here.
I'd trained since kid, but first spicy paste for Armis.
Spicy, yet never let go.
Swipe swipe.
Pasted cabbage like me.
'Why'd God send such angel to earth...'
Heart-pounding just watching Armis.
Absorbed her every move.
"That part, paste inside too."
Alone, casual speech.
Holy Knights, Neruman folk see saintess; to me, just lovely girl.
"Ah... hoho. Funner than thought."
Paste smell foul, yet happy smile, white teeth.
Her smile spread to mine.
Just beside—happy.
Armis was that woman to me.