How the Rank 0 Chef Survives 018: Tteokbokki Stampede
"What's going on?"
"No idea."
Logging into the fantasy world after a long time, CommuteSlave and PassiveIncomeDream sat leisurely on a bench in the square, sipping tea as they watched the scene unfold before them.
"You crazy bastards, I said I'm not open for business!"
"Hand over the tteokbokki!"
"We want Tteokbokki!"
"Life without tteokbokki is unimaginable!"
"Waaah. Me baby noob. Tteokbokki pwease!!"
"Arrrgh! Get lost!"
Thud thud thud—
"…If we don't quit our jobs, will we end up like that someday?"
"…Got your resignation letter?"
"Always."
"Hand it in tomorrow."
"Deal."
They slowly sipped their tea again.
"Huff! Huff! Can't I turn this off?"
Hiding briefly to catch his breath from the mob, Hura frantically tapped at his Cooking Charm skill window, but no such convenient option existed.
"There he is!"
"Tch!"
He hurriedly fled the spot.
"The tteokbokki's running away!"
"How does he have that much stamina?"
In truth, it wasn't that they had exceptional stamina—it was that his was pathetically low. Damn chef stats.
No time to summon Gold Sun, either.
"Huff! Huff! I'm gonna die!"
"Even if you drop dead, give us the tteokbokki first!"
"Shut up!"
His breath came up to his throat. He'd hit his stamina limit ages ago, but he was pushing on through sheer grit.
Look at their eyes.
"Tteokbokki! Tteokbokki!"
Those eyes gleaming with madness. If they caught him, something horrific was in store. He'd be reduced to a tteokbokki-making machine, no doubt.
Gritting his teeth as he ran and rounded a corner, someone from the opposite side grabbed him from behind.
"Mmph—!"
"Shh! Stay still! I've cast invisibility magic on us right now!"
The someone whispered while covering his mouth. Hura held his breath as best he could, and the mob rushed past them.
"Tteokbokki! Tteokbokki! Tteokbokki!"
Thundering footsteps faded away.
"……."
Only after the mob had completely passed did she let out a sigh.
"Phew—they're gone."
Only then could Hura turn around, and there stood an unexpected figure.
"You, you're…"
Curly red hair. A wide-brimmed wizard's hat perched atop it. Alluring red eyes. Slyly upturned lips. Snow-white skin.
"…Molrangkau?"
She grinned like a prankster whose mischief had succeeded.
"Hey, friend?"
Molrangkau had been lingering in Genesis Village, watching Hura from afar.
Even when he was selling tteokbokki, she wanted to help out like Gold Sun, but she feared her infamy would be exposed in a crowded place. So, to avoid causing him trouble, she'd used disguise magic and only bought his tteokbokki to eat.
And his tteokbokki had brought tears to her eyes, too.
"Damn… what am I supposed to do when even tteokbokki tastes this good…"
On a midwinter day, lost in the memory of buying and eating tteokbokki alone, she sniffled as she devoured it.
"Got a pot! Fill it to the brim with as much tteokbokki as it can hold! I'll pay extra!"
"Haha… sorry, but there are a lot of people waiting, so just this much for now."
"Hng."
That was how Molrangkau kept refilling her tteokbokki while watching Hura from a distance.
And today, too, from the rooftop of a building, she'd been observing the crowd gathering in the square since the crack of dawn.
"Whoa, the crowds are getting bigger every day. The streams?"
Then she noticed something odd.
"Hm? What's that?"
Molrangkau peered through her binoculars.
There was Hura, backing away with a panicked look.
"That's my friend Hura! What the hell's he doing over there?"
Hura turned and bolted, and the line of people chased after him in unison.
"What?! What's going on?"
Molrangkau tossed the binoculars aside and leaped to her feet.
"Hura! Hang on a bit! Your friend's coming!"
"Phew—thanks, Molrangkau. You saved my skin."
"Th-this much is nothing. It's what friends do, right?"
Unfamiliar with gratitude, she averted her gaze and mumbled awkwardly.
"Perfect timing. What were you doing around here?"
"Huh? Oh, n-no! I wasn't watching you or anything!"
"?"
"Ah! I-I mean, I was just sitting on a square bench when I saw you being chased, so I saved you. What about you? Why were they after you?"
"I've been running a tteokbokki stall these past few days for a quest. Things got a little out of hand…"
"How do things get so out of hand you'd get chased like that?"
Scratching his head, he replied.
"Well… not to brag, but business was booming."
"Hmm. I see."
"Then when I said I was closing up today, they came after me like that."
"What? You're quitting the tteokbokki business?!"
"…Huh?"
He stared blankly at her as she suddenly grabbed his shoulders and yelled.
"Oh, no, I mean… that's too bad for such a successful stall. Any reason?"
"Quest-related. Gotta head to another village."
"Aha… I see…"
"……?"
For some reason, she looked oddly downcast.
"What about you? Didn't you say you were heading somewhere else last time?"
"Oh, yeah. Guess it's time for me to leave too. Planning to go today, actually."
"Yeah."
"Perfect timing. I was gonna head out today too."
"Really? Then we could go together if we're headed the same way."
Traveling with a powerhouse like Molrangkau would be reassuring.
"Where you headed?"
"Um… well… th-that way…"
Molrangkau vaguely waved her hand and trailed off.
"What? What's 'that way'? Be specific—which village?"
"You… wouldn't know it anyway."
"Try me."
Finally, she mumbled it out.
"Uh… J-Joaga Village? Know it?"
"Joaga Village? No clue. There's a place like that? Lemme check the map."
As he reached for the map in his inventory, Molrangkau hurriedly grabbed his arm.
"N-no need! Really. Where you going?"
"Shin-dong Village, east."
"Awesome! Joaga Village is the old name for Shin-dong Village!"
She clapped like it was great news.
"…Wasn't it Joaga Village?"
"D-did I say that? Haha! Old names get pronounced a bit differently."
"That's more than a bit."
"Yeah, ancient folks, right?"
"Hm… sure."
He crossed his arms and eyed Molrangkau steadily.
"Wh-what… why stare like that…?"
"Molrangkau. You're hiding something from me, aren't you?"
"H-hiding? N-no way!"
Her extreme fluster confirmed his hunch.
"Wanna bet I can guess?"
"G-guess away. I've got nothing to hide!"
"Alright. You…"
"…Gulp."
She trembled, fearing her secrets would be laid bare. He eyed her with narrowed gaze.
"…have a bad memory?"
"…What?"
He nailed it exactly, and she reacted a beat late in shock.
"Haha, same as me. Bet your grades sucked in school."
"…Yeah, they did."
Molrangkau replied listlessly.
"Haha! Knew it! No shame in that. Everyone's good at different things."
"…Whatever."
He patted her slumped shoulders.
"Anyway, I'm heading to the mercenaries' guild now. Wanna come?"
"Mercenaries' guild? Why?"
"Outside the village is total lawless territory. You know better than me, newbie that I am, but they say strength in numbers. Whaddya say?"
"Sigh—fine, let's go."
"Sweet. Follow me."
Got a solid companion!
His steps lightened as he headed to the guild.
"…I was always top of my class."
"What?"
"Nothing."
The two arrived at the mercenaries' guild.
"Gotta hit the bathroom."
"Sure. I'll scout around."
While Molrangkau was in the bathroom, Hura approached the reception desk.
"Hello. This is the Genesis Village branch of the Mercenaries' Guild. How may I assist you?"
"Came to take a commission."
"What kind? Monster extermination, transport escort, material or item gathering, bounty hunting, info collection—"
"Transport escort. Anything heading east?"
"Lucky timing. There's one for Shin-dong Village. Still recruiting."
"Perfect. I'll take that."
"Then, over there—the overall lead on that commission. Talk to them."
"Got it."
Hura followed the receptionist's directions. A group sat around a large table, drinking beer in a circle. He approached the one indicated as the lead.
The man was burly, with a massive axe leaning against him.
"Just need a mage. As if a starter village has any decent ones."
"Wait a bit longer. If none, we head out as is."
Hura cleared his throat amid their murmurs.
"Ahem. Heard there's a caravan escort to Shin-dong Village. This the place?"
The man turned at his cautious question.
"Yeah. What of it?"
He had a rugged look rivaling Beda's.
"I'd like to join."
The man sized Hura up and down.
"Production class?"
"Yes."
"Tough luck. No non-combatants."
"I'm a chef. I can provide tasty meals every time instead of bland rations. And I can protect myself."
The lead smirked.
"We're looking to guard the caravan, not babysit. And a chef? Pfft, who needs cooking? Jerky's fine—and tasty."
He needed to recruit just enough to securely guard the caravan while minimizing numbers. Commission fees were fixed with the caravan, so extras cut into his share.
"Sorry, look elsewhere."
"B-but—"
"Said look elsewhere."
At the firm rejection, Hura sighed deeply and turned away dejectedly.
Now I get why they shun production classes.
"Um, are you Hura by any chance?"
But a voice called out to him. One of the seated men, who'd been quietly watching Hura talk to their leader.
"Yes. That's me."
At Hura's reply, the man shot to his feet.
"Boss! Take him! It's the chef who sold tteokbokki in the square!"
"What? That tteokbokki? For real?"
"For real!"
The boss stood abruptly too, voice trembling as he asked Hura.
"Y-you're really the chef selling tteokbokki in the square?"
A total shift from moments ago.
"That's me, but…?"
"If you join this escort, you'll make tteokbokki too?"
Guessing the situation, Hura grinned.
These guys were definitely under his Cooking Charm.
"Tteokbokki three meals a day. Stuffed to bursting."
"Welcome to the party."
The leader-cum-boss extended his hand without hesitation, and Hura shook it firmly.
"Guess my tteokbokki won you over."
"You bet! Haven't had anything that good since Mom's home cooking!"
Only then did Hura hear the full story. Before their long trip, they'd sent the youngest to buy supplies, but he came back with only tteokbokki. They'd scolded the irresponsible kid, but when he insisted they try it, they took one bite, grabbed each other, and burst into tears.
They'd praised the kid belatedly and often sent him for more since.
"Call back the one who went for jerky! He hasn't gone far! Refund it if bought!"
The man, who introduced himself as Axeman and doubled as leader, bellowed at the table, then spoke sweetly to Hura.
"Ingredient costs as soon as he returns."
"Sounds good."
Just then, Molrangkau emerged from the bathroom with a refreshed look and approached the amicably chatting group.
"I'm back!"
All eyes turned to her.
One muttered in disbelief.
"…Molrangkau?"
A heavy silence fell over the table.
The unexpected quiet was brief yet endless, and the boss swiftly shouted.
"……! Battle formation!"
Whoosh—
They leaped up in an instant, drawing weapons aimed at her.
"…Oops."
Molrangkau mumbled with a troubled expression.