I'll Ravish Your Tongue (2)

Vicarious satisfaction was insane.

From the moment they laid eyes on the dish, both of them were zoned out, completely lost. Watching them spill it all over the table and their clothes while scarfing it down was a sight to behold.

Iris especially—if I'd left her alone, she looked ready to lick the plate clean. If I hadn't refilled it, she probably would've done just that.

If a third party had seen it, they might've reported me for poisoning the food. No defense there.

You could starve someone for a week and they still wouldn't devour it like that in a daze. Truly impressive work, big corp PhD geniuses.

"Ah... if there's any left, give me another serving too!"

"Of course, plenty to go around."

"Me too! One more for me!"

...I just refilled you. This woman. Faster than a vacuum cleaner, but still.

"Unfortunately, this is the last of what I prepared. I figured it was just for you, Manager, and Miss Sylvia, so I didn't make too much."

"N-no... that can't be...!"

Iris looked like she'd lost everything in the world, on the verge of tears. I nearly caved and said I'd whip up more just to make her happy.

Of course, total bluff. Even if it really was gone, what's so hard about making more? Marinate in bulgogi seasoning and boil till done.

But I had to stay in control here. People are easier to push when they're desperate.

"First off, did it pass the taste test? Was it any good?"

"Obviously! Total pass! Right, Manager?"

"O-of course. In all my years, I've never had a dish this delicious."

Sorry, but I knew you'd say that. After eating like that, how could you fail it?

"How did you tenderize the meat to make it so soft? And that sauce—what's in it? Sweet, salty... I couldn't stop eating!"

"Indeed... if we sell this menu item, our inn's dinner crowd will explode."

Of course it will. MSG plus sweet-salty combo... how could it fail? Time to get to the main point.

"Glad to hear it. Now, about the reward..."

"Grid."

"Y-yes?"

Iris suddenly fixed me with a sharp glare. The vibe shifted from snack-munching puppy to full-on predator. Chilling.

"This dish is incredible. Even I've never tasted anything like it, and I've tried nearly every dish in the empire."

Then why the death stare? That's not a compliment face.

"But does this dish meet the manager's conditions?"

That jogged my memory of the conditions. Should be fine, right?

Totally new dish, cheap meat. Method's just 30 minutes marinating then boil till cooked... oh crap!

"From that look, you get it. Right—the sauce. Not easy to make, and the ingredients aren't cheap."

"W-well..."

"Taste is flawless, but we can't say the request is fulfilled like this."

Fair point. Who in this era has had bulgogi and thinks it's easy? Without my skill, I couldn't have made it either.

"So, the request failed, but if I could have more of that dish, I'd pay for it until the sauce runs out and—"

"No. It meets all conditions."

"W-what?"

Close call.

"This sauce is cheap to make back home. Roughly 5 silver gets you enough for 10 servings."

I'd considered jacking up the bulgogi seasoning price, but even at 5x markup from 1 silver, no way with Iris as the target.

Canon Iris hates sharing what she loves. Her possessiveness is off the charts.

She'd monitor my every move, check sauce levels, and the second my skill slipped, boom—imprisoned as her personal chef.

What I need is money and fame. Fat wallet alone won't cut it.

"N-no way! Not even one serving—10? Impossible. Sauce this good can't be that cheap!"

"If I'm selling it at that price, it is."

Time to set the stage.

"I run a general store from the East. This sauce is one of my products."

Canon secret shop Grid always claimed items came from the East.

Canon lore: Easterners travel between East and continent, but continentals can't go East. No cross-verification possible.

Black hair marks Easterners, but not all continentals lack it. Unless I spill, no way to confirm.

"So your sister entering the Academy was why you visited, but..."

"Yeah, that's true. But I didn't come just for vacationing Academy. Scouting sales spots to expand business."

Thanks for the assist, Manager.

"Saw a potential client at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Adventurer's Guild branch, thought sauce could sell at an inn, took the request."

"No way..."

Behold the "dropped by on a whim and it was perfect" ploy.

No point doubting now. You've tasted it. Plenty never try it; none try it once.

National-budget bulgogi that conquered the world? Medieval tongues can't resist.

"Lady Iris, do you intend to do business with me?"

Deal closed quicker than expected.

100 servings a day—about 20 bottles. 10 silver per bottle, 2 gold daily.

Wanted to sell more, but skill caps at 20 bulgogi seasonings daily.

They pushed for exclusivity, long-term contracts, deposits. So I said buy land for my shop and build it. Not running off after setting up shop, right?

Inn owner, sword saint, swordsmanship department head Iris naturally agreed.

Plan was to meet Leperi drawn by food rumors, bait with diet help for shop. But...

"Hweeeeng~... Thank you, Grid... No regrets even if I die now—after eating, anyway!"

"One regret-free day per week, huh, Sylvia..."

Added condition: One staff meal of bulgogi weekly.

Post-tasting, working staff begged, so I tacked it on.

Sylvia shared her share after tasting with others.

Meant to praise her kindness, but she was behind them sobbing, "Should've eaten it all myself~! Only got one bite!"

"Anyway, happy ending for all. Namu Amida Butsu..."

Lounging in bed, I opened my status to check the skill.

Skill leveled up. No new features, just more item types unlocked.

Obesity treatment included, up to ~100k won internet shopping value.

Sorry, Lady Leperi, but no need to visit for diet help now.

Saw AI-generated slim Leperi fanart once. Looked good.

Don't wanna butterfly-effect canon plot into oblivion.

Spent time as usual, researching info.

Watched my shop build. Visible progress daily; done in a month.

Hired top construction guild team led ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠by dwarf with own funds, but...

Sword saint went all-in: bulldozer mode.

Greatsword for digging, chopping wood, carving stone...

"Famous person doing manual labor blows it up, no?"

"It's fine! Got perception-block magic from magic dept!"

Asked workers: "Ogre-backed monster on his back."

Not wrong, given the strength, but whatever.

Inn held bulgogi tasting 3 days post-review; now daily crowds.

Thought head chef skipped, half-assed it? Manager doubles as chef.

"Heh, Iris has picky tastes. Chefs she approves cost a fortune."

Extra pay while stuck at inn anyway? Win for him.

Inn packed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠inside and out, always.

"2 gold a day is nice, but leaves me wanting."

Nearly 60 gold from sauce in a month, yet skill EXP barely budged.

Guess: Steady trades give low nutrition.

To unlock better stuff, need constant new deals.

"Grid sold up to railguns in side ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stories..."

That guy sold to protagonist and others, confirmed.

Anyway, tabled random thoughts, entered shop.

3-story wooden building. Canon had 4th as Grid's room, but inn life's comfy, so 3 floors only.

Saved cash, but land near Academy? Empire's Gangnam prices. Sauce profits tied up for a year.

Basic furniture in. Now, what to stock? Mull later.

"Something moderately sellable?"

No mob scenes. Tax-paying level goods?

*knock knock knock*

Mid-thought, knock from outside.

Shop not open. Why bother? Wanna chill.

*knock knock knock knock*

Again, timed. Still no.

No one due today. Manager at inn, sword saint at Academy.

Open? "Good words from so-and-so"? Dodged that bullet.

More knocks. Door stays shut.

Then—

*CRASH! CRACK!*

Hole in plywood-reinforced door! What the—

Face through head-sized hole. Twin-tail red hair. Plump cheeks.

Her?!

"You're in there ignoring polite knocks...?"

Swordsmanship 3rd year.

'Don't tell anyone I said this?'

Canon early villain extra.

'Sunbae gained... a lot of size last year. Keeps people away.'

Shopping district legend food fighter.

"Found you."

Leperi de Arno. The lady whose meeting got scrapped.

Showed up.

Mad eyes boring into me.

"My... bulgogi..."

Huh? We don't sell that here.