A Fortune in Gold

The profits from the entire village had funneled into the hands of just a few people, and the result was staggering. Even without counting coin by coin, the haul easily surpassed several dozen gold. “……How much is all this?” The gap between reality and the game felt wider than ever. The money I’d earned in just a few days was on the scale of an annual salary, not a monthly paycheck. Clearly, the savage world inside the game suited me perfectly.

The only downside was that, while posing as a Black Dragon Society executive, my strength was still inflated by a thick layer of bluster. In my previous playthrough I would have been far stronger, but here I was still trapped in the frame of a newbie and a weakling. That was why I had to grow even stronger. Living as the weak in a world of predators was simply too painful.

“Everything’s going smoothly so far.” Revenue had exceeded the target, and a storm of leveling at the fountain was already scheduled. The forces in the southern forest were probably struggling through all sorts of trial and error for their hidden-class advancement, the training instructor would have contacted the Sword Guild master by now, and the newbies who had joined me back then were being raised the proper way. Aside from the unpredictable variable named Eden, whose whereabouts were unknown, everything was flowing without a hitch.

I had a little over two hours left. Not enough time to influence anything outside the village, so I decided to keep operating inside it. Since my destination was the fountain, I might as well drink the water there and raise my Eternal stat as well.

Creak. After wandering for a while, I found a building that was reasonably sized and not too run-down. Its sign read Nokhyang Pavilion. Inside, aside from the NPC owner and staff, there wasn’t a single player in sight. That didn’t mean the place was untouched, though. Traces of a recent meal remained—plates scattered everywhere, as if the customers had eaten in a hurry and fled. The Chinese player I had just spared must have held more than a little authority; he’d apparently issued an emergency summons across the entire village.

“Hoo……” With no players around, I no longer had to worry about watching my expression. I could speak normally. “Hello. What’s good here?”

The owner answered instead of a waiter. “The spiced venison stir-fry is our bestseller! But we can prepare any high-class dish you’d like, so please feel free to tell me what you want!”

He must have sensed something unusual about me; even the NPC was being excessively deferential. Looking back, my expression and gait had been the same ones I used when dealing with hostile factions in my previous run. Layering on the training instructor’s tone from Liam Village on top of that, it was no wonder he felt intimidated.

I decided to smile brightly and project a warm, kind image. “Haha. Then could I get one dish made with your finest ingredients, plus one more favor?”

“Eek!”

“Hm?” The owner’s face had gone deathly pale. He was clearly terrified. “I’m sorry! Please, just spare my life!”

“Ah.” I glanced down at myself and realized the reason. I was still covered in far too much blood.

“I have no intention of harming you. How about this instead? While you cook, I’ll go wash up.”

“In that case, I’ll prepare the bath for you. This way……”

The room he led me to was the owner’s private bath. A nearby door was locked tight. From the sounds beyond it, I guessed his family was inside.

“Shall I heat the water for you?”

“No need. Just washing is enough.”

This was the time to lower my guard, so I avoided making any unreasonable demands. Except for one.

“But please put extra care into the high-class dish.”

“I’ll devote my utmost sincerity to it!”

The moment I returned to the fountain I planned to drink the water and raise my Eternal stat. In other words, I would secure one more buff slot. I intended to fill that new slot with the best cooking buff Boa Village had to offer—permanently.

Whoosh. Bathing here was nothing more than dumping buckets of water over myself to rinse off the grime. Compared to Liam, the difference was enormous. Liam already had magic-tool-enhanced Korean-style baths and even saunas. According to Sung-chul, even grander facilities existed.

—Famous architects really are on another level even inside the game. Once they entered the big cities they recreated everything from luxurious ancient Roman baths to Japanese hot springs. I heard the royal baths even come with all sorts of blessings. I’ll get to try them someday, right?

Right now Sung-chul was probably using one of those big-city baths. This was a story from before the dark circles under his eyes had deepened—back when he was still a newbie. Come to think of it, I had always liked newbies, both then and now. The fact that I’d gone so far as to set up a massive operation just from seeing the newbies here was born from that same sense of deprivation.

Whoosh! This was something I had experienced firsthand. Without newbies, the game dies. That was why villages like this one should never exist.

Whoosh! I washed the blood from my body. With a wet towel I scrubbed the dried blood from my clothes and wooden sword as well. Only then did I feel like my old self from Liam had returned.

“Thanks for the bath.”

“Ah, you’re back. I’ll bring out the food.”

“Please do.”

His expression was still wary, but at least his voice had softened. Finally, the atmosphere was right to simply enjoy a meal at an in-game restaurant.

“Our most popular dish, the spiced venison stir-fry, and Nokhyang Soup, which I’m proud to call our finest offering.”

“Mm.”

It looked excellent. Even the distinctive scent of venison had been turned into something appealing. Given that this was a restaurant used by the wealthy ruling-class players, both the taste and the buff quality were guaranteed to be top-notch.

“Looks good. I’ll enjoy it.”

“Of course.”

I decided to save the main dish for later. At the very least, the buff had to last until I drank from the fountain. Between bathing and maintaining my gear, I’d already spent quite a bit of time; by the time I finished the meal, the timing should work out.

First, the popular spiced venison stir-fry. Steam rose from the dish, carrying the savory aroma of venison mingled with spices that whetted the appetite.

“Oh.”

It was tender yet pleasantly chewy. Venison, which easily turned tough, had been transformed by excellent cooking. The rich, distinctive fat from the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠southern forest deer hadn’t been lost either. The more I chewed, the deeper the umami became. It was fundamentally different from the grilled venison I’d eaten before. Most ingredients here were foraged from the wild, so I now understood that high-class restaurant cuisine occupied a completely different position from wild cooking. Thinking back, even the bread I’d received from Andy had tasted special.

“……It really is delicious.”

It was the kind of dish that kept stimulating the appetite, like a high-end soup ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that could easily empty three bowls. I made sure to remember the taste.

“Ah, I almost forgot the important part.”

Next came the buff inspection. Taste was one thing, but confirming the performance was essential.

“Good grief.”

The buff was far more overwhelming than the hearty, deliciously baked bread that had also been a masterpiece. With a wider variety of ingredients, the overall quality of the dish could be raised like this. A cooking buff of this level was luxurious enough to fill an empty ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠slot, even if it couldn’t push out the existing permanent buffs.

“……Sir?”

I decided an additional verification was necessary. Other samples were scattered across the unorganized tables. So I ordered another spiced venison stir-fry as well.

“Mm.”

As expected, the grade made a difference. The masterpiece dish I had poured my heart into was clearly on another level. This kind of special treatment wasn’t bad. In fact, if I was the target, I rather liked it.

“I’m sorry! From ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠now on—”

“No, it’s fine. Thanks to you, I’ve broadened my horizons. I’m grateful to have tasted a dish made with such special care.”

Leaving the flustered owner behind, I sat back down to enjoy the next dish. Now it was time for Nokhyang Soup, made with the restaurant’s finest ingredients. The name of the establishment itself was Nokhyang Pavilion, so my expectations were high.

“Excellent.”

Just like the stir-fry, the soup carried an even more intense and flamboyant Chinese-cuisine atmosphere.

“Let’s start with the broth.”

The key ingredients in the broth were deer antler velvet and deer blood—things I had often eaten in my previous run for nourishment. A subtle simmered fruit-wine base and various seasonings had completely erased any unpleasant taste.

“Wow.”

Even though it used heavy ingredients like blood and antler velvet, the soup felt refreshingly light and went down smoothly. The deep umami and saltiness that stimulated the palate were also quite addictive. Every element—the vegetables, medicinal herbs, and venison soaked in the rich broth—stayed true to the theme of Nokhyang Soup without a single discordant note. Combined, they created a dish that was outstanding in its own right.

“……So this is Nokhyang Soup.”

I could feel vitality spreading through my body. That meant the Nokhyang Soup buff had taken effect.

“……!”

An absurdly powerful buff had been applied. At this level it could even compete with my existing permanent buffs. The only drawback was the ten-minute duration. Aside from that, it was perfect.

“……Chef.”

“Yes?”

“Take this.”

I handed the owner five gold. The amount carried both gratitude and the exact sum needed for my next request.

“Sir! That’s far too much!”

“No. I have a favor to ask.”

“What kind of favor……?”

“From now on, supply drinking water to any outsiders who come looking for fountain water. For one month.”