Kang Yu-jung (2)
For the first time in a very long while, Kang Yu-jung lay down comfortably on a bed.
Even though the mattress was stiff and all sorts of foul odors drifted in from outside the window, she did not mind.
On Earth, she had to constantly remain on guard against mutants and scavengers, but compared to that hellscape, this place was paradise.
Though the society as a whole was underdeveloped, high stone walls protected the city.
Soldiers thoroughly patrolled the interior and exterior, and a garrison was stationed nearby.
This was a high-end inn with significantly reinforced security, and a soldier was even posted right outside her door.
It was a thoughtful gesture from Han Jin-soo to ensure she could sleep with a little more peace of mind.
His name is Jeron.
It had been a truly incredible day.
Never in her life had she experienced a day of such intense, shocking revelations.
She had crossed dimensions and arrived in a completely new world.
It was a vibrant, bustling city where countless people lived normal lives.
Just arriving here was a stroke of miraculous luck, but Jeron Farrow, the man who was to become her shield, was even a nobleman.
Only a fool would fail to realize how monumental this was.
In a medieval feudal society, a noble wielded absolute power within their territory, akin to a king.
With that kind of authority, he would easily be able to protect her and her father.
If she could live alongside other people, safe and secure, with her father by her side...
She would gladly risk her life for such an opportunity.
Yu-jung's thoughts raced, one leading to the next.
If we go by Earth's standards, this world is roughly around the tenth century. It's incredibly primitive. I can see why he went back to scavenge a ruined Earth.
It made perfect sense.
Just off the top of her head, introducing Earth's technology and knowledge, or properly cultivating a few select crop seeds, could completely revolutionize this world.
Bringing over survivors from Earth was another viable option.
Though they would need to be vetted, those who had managed to survive until now included many specialists.
If they looked carefully, they could find agricultural experts, or engineering specialists who could aid in warfare.
And that wasn't all.
People skilled in accounting, law, business management, and all sorts of fields were bound to be surviving on Earth.
I can definitely be of help.
Lulled by these thoughts, Yu-jung fell into a deep, peaceful sleep for the first time in ten years.
Late the next morning.
Yu-jung, having slept exceptionally well, washed up thoroughly and changed into clean clothes.
Dressed like this, her appearance was completely transformed from the day before.
“You've grown into a very beautiful young woman,” Jeron remarked.
“Being pretty isn't always a good thing. On Earth, it was nothing but a liability.”
With just that single sentence, Jeron could grasp the sheer scale of the hardships Yu-jung had endured.
In a ruined world, simply surviving as a woman was difficult enough. Being beautiful made it a worst-case scenario.
It was a given that all kinds of scavengers would target her, and even men who seemed kind could turn on her in an instant.
“You've had it rough.”
Yu-jung felt a sudden lump in her throat at his words, but here, she no longer had to keep her emotions under lock and key.
“It's hot, isn't it?”
“Yes. The weather feels quite similar to a Korean summer.”
Though it was still morning, the heat was already fierce.
Jeron opened the window.
The smell was still difficult to bear, but it was something one could get used to over time.
“Did you sleep well? No discomfort?”
“I've never slept so comfortably in my life. As long as I'm safe from mutants, I could sleep in a pile of manure.”
“Isn't a pile of manure a bit of an exaggeration?”
“You know exactly what I mean, don't you?”
Jeron understood completely.
Those who had never faced mortal peril could never truly comprehend that feeling.
When you lived in constant terror of death, you lost even the capacity for hope and dreams.
And if you didn't even have family to lean on?
A person would sink into absolute despair.
Countless people on Earth had taken their own lives, and even those who had survived this long would undoubtedly show severe psychological trauma if tested.
Knock, knock.
While Jeron and Yu-jung were talking, Leila arrived.
Jeron had already warned Yu-jung that Leila would be coming, but when the two women finally stood face-to-face, they both looked quite surprised.
“Good morning, my Lord,” Leila greeted him.
“Ah, you're here.”
“Wow... She's incredibly beautiful,” Yu-jung murmured.
“And this lady is...?” Leila asked.
The two women stared at each other in mutual surprise.
It was only natural.
Yu-jung possessed features rarely seen in the kingdom.
As for Leila, her own beauty had always been a source of insecurity, so it was only natural for them to look at each other with admiration.
Of course, they couldn't understand each other's words.
“Hello,” Yu-jung said in Korean.
“...”
Yu-jung had regained a bit of her former self. She hadn't always been so stiff and guarded. Jeron remembered her as a rather bright and energetic girl, but the harsh realities of the world had hardened her.
Though Yu-jung had offered a polite greeting, Leila merely gave a stiff nod, her face tense.
Jeron immediately began the process of fabricating a new identity for Yu-jung.
“Leila, there is no need to be so guarded. This woman is an artisan from the East.”
“An artisan from the East? Do you mean she is from another continent?”
“Yes. The metal forging techniques of the East are at least three hundred years ahead of ours. Bringing her to our territory will bring immense benefits to our fief.”
“That is truly astonishing.”
Only then did Leila lower her guard slightly.
Anyone would be startled upon meeting a foreigner for the first time. Yu-jung carried the distinct aura of a modern person, after all.
Jeron, Leila, and Yu-jung sat down to a late breakfast.
The meal was similar to the previous day's—stiff bread, a mysterious soup, and a steak that smelled strongly of game.
Taking a single bite of the steak, Yu-jung immediately grimaced.
“What on earth is this?”
“This is the primitive Middle Ages. You just have to deal with it.”
Sighing, Yu-jung immediately went to her room and brought back her backpack.
She set up a portable burner and a frying pan. Tossing a pat of butter into the pan, she laid the meat inside.
Sizzle!
“Oh!”
Leila's eyes widened.
Even Jeron felt his senses awaken at the rich, savory aroma of melting butter.
Yu-jung splashed some cooking wine over the meat, sprinkled a few spices, and finished it off with a drizzle of steak sauce.
The smell and appearance were spectacular.
Before long, the steaks were done.
She swept the mysterious soup aside and boiled a pot of instant soup instead.
Jeron tried the steak first.
“...!”
“Unbelievable!”
The steak was rich and savory, the gamey odor completely masked by a burst of flavor.
Even Jeron began devouring the meat in earnest.
Food could taste entirely different depending on how it was prepared, and Yu-jung had used several culinary cheat codes.
Butter, cooking wine, and modern spices.
There was no way it could taste bad.
And the soup?
It was cream of mushroom, Jeron's favorite, and it was qualitatively superior to the fish soup that was a local specialty of the county.
Leila ate her food in a frenzy.
Normally, she did not eat for pleasure; she merely fueled her body to survive. But this time, she was actually savoring every bite.
Only then did Yu-jung offer a mild critique of her own work.
“It's not perfect, but it's passable.”
“You're a very good cook,” Jeron noted.
“One of the few pleasures on a ruined Earth was occasionally cooking a special meal. There wasn't much else to do for a hobby. At one point, I read through cookbooks and tried making all sorts of dishes. It gave me a reason to look forward to scavenging for ingredients.”
Her utility was already proving itself.
Leila asked, “My Lord, is this artisan from the East a chef?”
“No, but she says she learned to cook as a hobby.”
“Can you understand everything she says?”
“I have some interest in the Eastern continent. I learned the foreign tongue from books passed down by my ancestors.”
“You are truly remarkable, my Lord.”
Since he couldn't reveal the whole truth to Leila, he brushed it off with a vague explanation.
Even if Yu-jung only introduced modern culinary culture to the fief, she would be a highly successful recruit.
After their meal, the group stepped out into the busy, crowded streets.
At first, Yu-jung seemed to struggle to adjust.
Having seen nothing but corpses for years, it was understandable that she would be taken aback by the sight of fish entrails rolling on the ground and manure and filth scattered everywhere.
In the heat, the piles of waste gave off a putrid stench.
Yet the locals walked right through it, stepping on the filth without a care in the world.
To her, it must have seemed utterly absurd.
But primitive or not, this world was still better than Earth.
At the very least, people didn't start shooting at you the moment they saw you.
The Karen Continent was a world where law and order existed, and safety from external threats was guaranteed.
The sights of an underdeveloped world were a small price to pay for the simple assurance of survival.
They arrived in front of the building Jeron had purchased.
Sir Birken was skillfully directing the laborers.
A stall had been set up in front of the building, and members of the merchant guild were conducting business.
Various goods were displayed on wooden planks.
Yu-jung could easily guess where those items had come from.
Spotting Jeron's group, Sir Birken walked over to greet them.
“Welcome, my Lord!”
“Sir Birken, you look busy today.”
“Yes! We plan to begin renovating the building today. At the same time, we will be wrapping up several administrative procedures.”
With laborers, merchants, and customers crowding around the stalls, the scene was chaotic.
Amidst the bustle, the eyes of Sir Birken, the merchants, and the bystanders naturally drifted toward Yu-jung.
To anyone looking, she clearly did not look like she belonged to the Central Continent.
Since her ethnicity was entirely different, it was only natural for people to stare with curiosity.
Without a word, Yu-jung stepped up to the stalls and began organizing the merchandise by category.
Instead of leaving them scattered haphazardly, she arranged them neatly, making the items look far more premium.
Even the merchants stood back, quietly watching her work.
“Jeron, the way this merchant guild sells things is way too disorganized. Do they even advertise?”
“Advertise?”
“I was thinking that if we bundle certain items into premium gift sets and promote them, we'd make a lot more sales than we are now.”
“You have a mind for business too, I see.”
“It's just that the merchants here are doing things so sloppily that I saw room for improvement.”
Jeron relayed her ideas to Sir Birken.
Categorizing the goods, bundling them into premium sets, and selling them at a markup. Furthermore, advertising these high-end products to raise their perceived value.
Yu-jung believed that even just creating a catalog to distribute to retail merchants would yield massive results.
When Jeron suggested printing flyers to distribute, Sir Birken looked astonished.
“What... What incredible insight. My Lord, who is this young lady?”
“Ah... She is an artisan from the far East. As of today, she will be joining our territory.”
The double-efficiency of modern minds.
With the addition of just one more person from Earth, the operations before them were already beginning to transform.