Chapter 424: 10. The Final Story (5/9)
Chapter 424: 10. The Final Story (5/9)
The instant food booths were not six, but four in total. In some of them, I could see two people working together, which meant they were combining their efforts. But what did it matter? They were making the food themselves.
My steps first led me to the booth where Jung Hayeon and Lim Hanna were. A savory aroma wafted out, and I had already tasted Lim Hanna’s cooking back at the ‘Love House.’ In other words, her skills were proven.
“Meat! Meat!”
“Meat~! Meat~!”
There were other customers who had arrived before me. It was Ahn Hyun, banging his plate and singing a song about meat. Baek Hangyul was copying him, which was a bit concerning, but seeing his happy face, I decided to let it slide just this once.
“Hello.”
“Oh my, Soohyun. Did you come to our booth first?”
As I approached and greeted them, Jung Hayeon, who had briefly lifted her head, gave me a bright smile.
“Yes. The smell was so good it just drew me in.”
“Hoho. An excellent choice. We won, Hanna-ah. Right?”
“Of course. Our Clan Lord has a good eye, after all. Hehe. Oh, Unni. It’s all cooked.”
“Great. Soohyun! Give me your plate. I’ll fill it up for you.”
I tilted my head. Was it that important that I came here first? I was planning on visiting all of them anyway.
In any case, I quickly held out my plate, and Jung Hayeon began to dish out the meat, piece by piece.
“Hey! Hayeon-nunim! We were here first!”
Ahn Hyun, the first customer, lodged a strong complaint.
“Now, now. There’s a pecking order, you know. If you don’t like it, you can go eat somewhere else first.”
“Just wait. I’ll cook you a fresh batch soon. Hehe.”
At Jung Hayeon and Lim Hanna’s response, he burst into tears. Seriously. Why was he crying? It just made me feel bad.
As expected, the meat was delicious. The savory aroma spread perfectly, and the texture was so tender that you could call them chefs without hesitation. Feeling an unexpected sense of surprise, I looked at Jung Hayeon.
“Hayeon. Were you always this good at cooking?”
“What did you take me for? I’m a woman who knows her way around a kitchen….”
At that moment, I heard Lim Hanna giggle. Jung Hayeon glanced at her for a second, then smiled sheepishly with an awkward expression.
“Hoho. Actually, I can’t cook.”
“But this is delicious…”
“The moment we decided on the festival plan, I grabbed Hanna. People who can’t cook just need to stick next to someone who can and help out.”
“Aha.”
I understood what she meant and smiled back. Lim Hanna simply shrugged, wearing her usual gentle smile.
I passed my remaining meat to Ahn Hyun. I wanted to finish it, but I couldn’t bring myself to ignore his sparkling eyes.
Soon, I moved to the next booth, where I saw the old man and Shin Jaeryong standing. They were leisurely eating vegetables, which told me this booth’s specialty was some kind of vegetable dish.
“So you were all here.”
“Hoho, look who it is. The Clan Lord has arrived.”
“Welcome, Clan Lord. You’ve come at a good time. This freshly stir-fried vegetable dish is excellent. Hanbyul’s cooking is quite good.”
Hanbyul?
At Shin Jaeryong’s words, I quickly looked inside the booth. And just as he’d said, I found Kim Hanbyul there, dressed in an apron.
“Lower the heat here… add half a spoonful of seasoning…”
She didn’t seem to have noticed my arrival. Her usual chilly eyes were nowhere to be seen; Kim Hanbyul was diligently stir-frying vegetables with a smudge of seasoning on her nose. It was quite a refreshing sight.
I smiled slightly and called out to her.
“Hanbyul-ah.”
Startled, Kim Hanbyul looked up. I took a few steps closer and slowly reached out my hand.
“You’re here… O-Oppa?”
“Stay still.”
Kim Hanbyul reflexively tried to pull away, but since she was in the middle of cooking, only her upper body leaned back slightly. I gently wiped her smooth nose.
“You’ve got some seasoning here.”
After showing her the seasoning on my thumb, I licked it off. It was a little salty, but the taste was pretty good.
Kim Hanbyul was aghast.
“O-Oppa! H-How could you eat that…!”
“Hm? Why? It’s pretty tasty.”
“…What? N-No, that’s not what I meant…”
“The seasoning doesn’t taste bad. Anyway, your booth is getting good reviews. Can I get a plate, too?”
As I held out my plate with a nonchalant air, Kim Hanbyul looked up at me, her face flushed red. Then, while constantly sneaking glances at me, she began to move her hands.
What was she so embarrassed about? Despite her face growing redder by the second, Kim Hanbyul managed to serve me the stir-fried vegetables. I took a bite with my chopsticks, and a zesty aroma, along with a refreshing scent, filled my mouth. To be honest, it wasn’t as amazing as the elders claimed, but it was decent enough.
As I was munching on the vegetables, Kim Hanbyul asked cautiously.
“…How is it, Oppa?”
“Better than I thought. It’s good.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Looking relieved, Kim Hanbyul let out a breath.
However, the old man and Shin Jaeryong seemed to disagree. They strode over and held out their plates again.
“Hoho. Clan Lord, what do you mean, ‘better than you thought’? This is delicious. Isn’t that right, Shin Jaeryong?”
“That’s right, sir. The seasoning is zesty and the aroma of the vegetables is wonderful. It seems Miss Hanbyul has a talent for cooking.”
As the old man and Shin Jaeryong went back and forth, Kim Hanbyul’s body began to squirm slightly. She seemed at a loss for what to do with the excessive praise.
“N-No, it’s not like that. Please don’t.”
Despite Kim Hanbyul’s protests, the old man’s favoritism didn’t stop.
“Hmph, what do you mean, no? She’s ready to be married off right now. Don’t you agree, Clan Lord?”
“Indeed. Miss Hanbyul’s future husband will be a very happy man. Clan Lord, what are your thoughts?”
“…Excuse me?”
Of course, I was baffled. It was completely out of the blue. I was in the middle of enjoying a tasty vegetable stir-fry when this strange question was thrown at me.
“Grandfather… Mr. Shin… Why are you doing this to my Oppa… Please, just stop…”
Kim Hanbyul’s body went from squirming to twisting in knots. Finding her reaction quite refreshing, the two elders burst into laughter at the same time.
“Hahahaha. Did you hear that, Shin Jaeryong?”
“Hahahaha. I did. She said, ‘my Oppa.’ How very meaningful.”
“Seriously, why are you all being like this…!”
Her voice was on the verge of tears, practically a plea. If I laughed now, I felt like she would actually start crying, so I chose to quietly slip away. I was almost done eating anyway, and it was about time to move on.
The cook at the next booth was Cha Sorim.
“Oh. The Clan Lord is here. Slurp.”
As soon as I arrived, Sasha Felix acknowledged me. She was slurping thin noodles, so it seemed this booth served some kind of noodle dish. I personally liked noodles, so my expectations were high.
When I stood before the booth, I could see Cha Sorim quietly preparing ingredients.
“User Cha Sorim.”
“Welcome, Clan Lord.”
“Sasha said it was delicious. Could I have a bowl of noodles?”
“Understood. Please wait a moment.”
Cha Sorim replied simply and began to move her hands quickly.
Tap, tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap, tap.
The quiet yet precise sound of the knife was pleasant to the ear. I watched her silently. The necklace on her fine, white neck caught my eye.
Cha Sorim was also wearing an apron neatly, and it suited her very well. Her calm features and neatly tied-up hair made her look like a newlywed bride welcoming her husband.
“Keke. You can look forward to it. My master’s cooking skills are truly excellent.”
As I was staring blankly at Cha Sorim, I heard Sasha’s proud voice from the side. I retorted that Ko Yeonju was no slouch either, and Sasha continued the conversation by saying she’d like to try her cooking sometime. As we were chatting, a voice came from the booth, “It’s ready. Please give me your plate.”
Cha Sorim carefully placed the noodles in the bowl, then extended her arm, holding the dish.
“I hope it suits your taste.”
She spoke prettily, but she still wouldn’t look at me. Her head was turned to the side, and her eyes were half-closed, her gaze lowered.
“Thank you for the food.”
I replied formally and picked up my chopsticks.
Slurp.
Huh?
The moment I slurped the noodles, I couldn’t help but be surprised. The noodles melted softly on my tongue, and the vegetables mixed in were crisp, providing an excellent texture. And then there was the warm broth that spread throughout my body.
Objectively speaking, it was truly on par with Ko Yeonju’s cooking.
When I looked up with wide eyes, I saw Cha Sorim with her hands neatly folded, quietly fidgeting.
“How is it?”
When she asked for my assessment, I answered honestly.
“It’s incredible. Truly delicious.”
“…Thank you.”
Cha Sorim bowed her head demurely and went back to preparing ingredients.
Tap, tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap, tap.
With the rhythmic sound of the knife as my background music, I polished off the bowl of noodles in no time. I considered having another, but with one booth still left, I decided to visit it first.
So, after telling her I’d be back, I headed to the next location. The remaining members were Vivian and Nam Daeun.
Everyone’s a good cook.
I didn’t know for sure, but I had a baseless expectation that Vivian and Nam Daeun’s food would also be delicious.
With that happy thought, I was about to step in front of the booth.
Thud!
“C-Clan Lord!”
Someone suddenly jumped out and grabbed me firmly by the waist.
“?”
I looked down in confusion to see Park Hyunwoo, his face contorted as he staggered. His legs were trembling, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He looked like he could collapse at any moment.
“User Park Hyunwoo?”
“Y-You can’t go!”
“Excuse me? What do you mean?”
“You were about to go to the booth up ahead, weren’t you?”
I nodded my head. It was the only place left.
“Y-You absolutely cannot go! We can’t lose the Clan Lord like this!”
Park Hyunwoo gripped me even tighter, as if he would never let me pass.
It was then.
“Oh! Kim Soohyun’s here?”
“Oh my. Our Clan Lord has arrived?”
As the two women’s voices rang out, Park Hyunwoo shrieked, “Hiiik!” and fled in terror.
Wondering what on earth was going on, I turned my head, and I froze in place.
“Gack… S-Stop… gurgle gurgle…”
For some reason, Seon Yuun was collapsed on the ground, twitching. He was even foaming at the mouth. Vivian was squatting beside him, forcefully shoving a black lump into his mouth.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
And the Sword Empress, wearing an apron, was swinging Seol-ah with great force. Every time she struck the cutting board, ingredients flew wildly in all directions.
“Clan Lord. I’ve been waiting. I worked really hard on this. So, would you please have a taste? Ahaha!”
I reflexively took a step back.
“Kim Soohyun! What are you doing? Get over here! We even have a service where we feed you directly. Yohohoho.”
But Vivian quickly stood up and pulled me toward her. As I was dragged along helplessly, I instinctively activated my Third Eye.
『Unidentified Food.』
(General Description: It is understood that this is a dish made of a complex mix of various ingredients. However, the chef’s intentions in creating it are completely incomprehensible.)
(Detailed Description: It may not be of this world. It is recommended that you simply do not eat it.)
Recommended that I do not eat it, huh.
I stared blankly at the information.
…Just how in the world do you make such a god-awful dish?
I shook my head violently.
“Hey, wait a second. I’m suddenly full.”
“Aww, don’t be like that. Just have one bite. It’s really delicious, I’m telling you. Look! He took one bite and passed out.”
“It must be so delicious you pass out. Ahaha.”
Seon Yuun’s head lolled to the side.
…….
This was an atrocity.
“Kim Soohyun! Ahhh~.”
“Soohyun-ssi! Here, say ah.”
But before I knew it, the unidentified black lumps were right in front of my nose.
Looking at the lumps being offered from both sides, I thought to myself quietly.
Today might just be my last.
*
After the mealtime that had me oscillating between heaven and hell, the festival moved on to its next chapter. Not that the next chapter was anything special. It was just everyone enjoying the provided drinks and having pleasant conversations.
But that’s exactly what’s needed.
As I shook my throbbing head, I felt a soft sensation supporting my neck. I glanced up to see Lim Hanna looking down at me with a gentle smile.
“You’re awake? Is your stomach feeling any better?”
“I still… feel like I’m going to die.”
My stomach had been so upset from being force-fed earlier that I’d passed out, but after a little rest, it seemed to have gotten slightly better.
“Hehe. Rest a little more.”
After rubbing my head against her soft thighs for a bit, I tilted my head. Come to think of it, why was she here with me instead of enjoying the festival?
Thinking her thighs must be getting sore, I slowly sat up. I leaned against the dining hall wall and gazed at the festival scene.
The first person I saw was Ahn Hyun. He was taking deep breaths with a very nervous expression. Then, he strode forward purposefully and stood before Cha Sorim. His gait looked just like a military drill.
“Greetings! User Cha Sorim! I am Ahn Hyun! If it is not too much of an inconvenience, may I have a moment of your time?”
“…Yes?”
Cha Sorim’s eyes widened for a moment, but she soon nodded. Seeing Ahn Hyun’s face light up, I turned my gaze elsewhere.
Won Hyesoo was still playing happily with the baby unicorn. Woo Jungmin stood a short distance away, smoking a cigarette with a fond smile.
Lee Yoojung was having a drinking contest with Sasha, with Jung Hayeon as the referee.
Ahn Sol staggered for a bit before collapsing, and Baek Hangyul, who had already passed out, became her bed.
The old man and Shin Jaeryong were clinking their glasses and laughing heartily.
Vivian was wandering around with a plate of the food she’d made earlier. Then, she found a victim. It happened to be Seon Yuun, who was just passing by.
“Hey! You…!”
“Uwaaaah!”
Seon Yuun screamed and ran away.
Watching Vivian give chase, I chuckled to myself. A boisterous clamor could be heard from all around. Thankfully, everyone looked happy.
“By the way, Soohyun-ah. You know…”
After watching the festival for a long while, I let out a grunt and pushed myself to my feet.
“Ugh!”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“Phew, I’m tired. I’m going to go rest for a bit.”
“O-Oh? What about the festival?”
“I don’t know. I’ll rest in my room for a bit, and if I feel better, I’ll come back down. It looks like you’ll all be up all night anyway.”
“…Should I bring you something to drink?”
I shrugged my shoulders, a gesture for her to do as she pleased.
I quickly stepped over Ahn Sol and Baek Hangyul, who were lying in the shape of a cross, and exited the dining hall. As I passed through the corridor and was about to head up the stairs, I instinctively stopped. I had sensed someone’s presence.
Peeking around the corner, I saw a woman standing still and a man with his head bowed. It was Kim Hanbyul and Park Hyunwoo.
“I’m sorry, Hanbyul-ah. Please forgive me.”
“…Why are you doing this now?”
“Because I’ve come to Mercenary. And because I like it here… I felt that I wanted to try and be a proper member. But before that, I thought apologizing to you and asking for your forgiveness should come first.”
“…Raise your head.”
But Park Hyunwoo did not raise his head. Kim Hanbyul let out a long sigh and calmly took his hand.
“I know how well you treated me at Golden Lion, Hyunwoo-oppa. And I know it wasn’t your choice.”
“Hanbyul-ah…”
“We just… took different paths for a little while. It was an unavoidable situation. Right?”
“…Thank you.”
I watched them quietly for a moment before turning to leave. The conversation was pretty much over, and it would be rude to watch any longer.
Wait a minute. If I go this way, I can’t get to my room.
After a moment of thought, I headed for the garden. My stomach still felt off, but I wanted to enjoy the festival more. I figured it would be better to calm my stomach with some cool air and clear my head at the same time.
As expected, the garden was very cool. Breathing in the brisk wind felt like it cleared out my chest. My queasy stomach settled, and my jumbled thoughts began to organize themselves.
After standing in the wind for a while, I walked toward the pond. I was planning to wash my face while I was at it.
I had just crossed the garden and arrived at the pond.
“Huh?”
There was already someone at the pond. Surprised by the unexpected situation, I stopped in my tracks.
“Clan Lord?”
The person who was there first was none other than Nam Daeun. She was holding a bottle of alcohol in one hand, her feet dipped in the pond that shimmered under the moonlight. For a brief moment, I thought she looked incredibly beautiful, wrapped in the brilliant light.
“What are you doing here…”
“Why are you here…”
We spoke at the same time, and then fell silent at the same time.
After a short while, Nam Daeun spoke cautiously.
“I had some things to think about. And I wanted to get some fresh air.”
“Same here.”
At that, Nam Daeun patted the ground beside her with a pleased expression.
“Wow. Then do you want to get some air together?”
“I’d like that.”
A moment later, I was sitting next to Nam Daeun. A quiet night. A moonlit pond. And a silence filled with awkwardness.
As if uncomfortable with the unprompted silence, Nam Daeun tentatively started a conversation.
“I’m sorry about earlier. I actually just put a bunch of healthy things in it. I didn’t know it would turn out like that…”
“Haha. It’s alright.”
To be honest, I wanted to ask, “Do you really know?” But my stomach had just barely settled, and just thinking about that food made me want to vomit. So, wanting to change the subject quickly, I opened my mouth.
“Ah. Do you happen to remember what happened in the lobby that one time?”
“The lobby… Ahaha. You mean when you gave me a piece of your mind? It’s okay. I’ve already forgotten about it.”
“No, that’s not it. I didn’t mean it in the way you think.”
“Hm? Really? Then… what did you mean?”
At Nam Daeun’s question, I looked up at the sky. Recalling that day, I spoke softly. Back then, her smile was truly beautiful.
I spoke honestly.
“Back then… I thought Nam Daeun’s smile with Vivian was really pretty.”
“…Yes.”
“That’s all. I just hoped I could see that smile more often. That’s why I said what I did. There was no other meaning.”
Nam Daeun seemed to think for a moment, then clapped her hands and spoke.
“Aha. So you’re saying my smile was pretty, and you wanted to see it more often. That’s why you said that. Is that it?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Her voice was inexplicably cheerful, and I confirmed it again. The Sword Empress then let out a faint hum and nodded her head, a wide smile spreading across her lips. She looked very satisfied.
Soon, I felt the Sword Empress’s gaze fixed on me, and I lowered my eyes again.
“I’m glad you understand. Anyway, how’s the festival? You seem to be enjoying it.”
“Of course. I’m having a great time. It’s the first festival I’ve ever experienced since coming to the Hall Plain.”
“Ah. This is your first festival?”
“It’s my first festival within a clan. Hehe. It’s not just the festival, every day here is fun… Yes. Thinking about it now, I feel like joining Mercenary was a really good choice.”
Nam Daeun answered with a bright smile. After she spoke, she kept smiling at me, and I felt my heart soften.
“I’m grateful to hear you say that. I also think accepting you was a good choice.”
“Ah. I was a little surprised back then, too. I thought you’d have a bad impression of me because of the rumors, but you accepted me more readily than I expected.”
“To be honest, I did hesitate a little. But it wasn’t because of the rumors.”
“Then why?”
Nam Daeun tilted her head. I continued quietly.
“I was just a little curious why you would turn down Istantel Low’s request to come to Mercenary.”
“Hm… You were curious why I came to Mercenary?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
It was true. Our clan might be doing quite well now, but back then, there was a clear gap between Istantel Low and Mercenary. And that gap still exists.
The Sword Empress was silent for a long time. No, she was biting her lip slightly, as if thinking about something.
Whoosh, whooosh.
A cold wind suddenly blew past, brushing against us lightly. Nam Daeun placed a hand on her slightly fluttering hair, smoothing it down. In that state, she gazed at the center of the pond and opened her mouth.
“Clan Lord. Hearing what you just said made me curious about something, too.”
“I’m listening.”
The Sword Empress’s voice was serious. I calmly composed myself and glanced at her. Her eyes were no longer excited like before, but deeply subdued.
Soon, Nam Daeun quietly parted her lips.
“I’ll ask you the same question back. Clan Lord. Do you not know the reason why I came to Mercenary?”
At her unexpected words, I turned my head in surprise. The Sword Empress was still looking at the pond. She had only shifted her hips slightly to move closer to my side. My throat suddenly felt dry.
“Why do you think I came to Mercenary? Do you really not know the reason?”
“Haha. Sword Empress…”
“Clan Lord. No… Soohyun-ssi.”
Her wistful voice echoed, and finally, Nam Daeun turned her head to face me directly. We were so close our shoulders were touching and I could feel her breath. I felt a soft touch cover the back of my hand, which was resting on the ground.
“I’ll ask you one more time. Do you really, truly have no idea, not even the slightest clue, as to why I came here?”
As she said this, the Sword Empress’s eyes were shining more clearly than ever before.
*
“Not here either.”
Lim Hanna closed the door to the fourth-floor room, her brow furrowed. She had clearly heard him say he was going up to his room to rest. But Kim Soohyun was nowhere to be seen.
Lim Hanna stared at the stairs for a while, then clicked her tongue and started walking. Her direction wasn’t toward the stairs, but toward the office on the opposite side.
Knock, knock.
“Soohyun-ah. Are you in the office?”
She knocked out of courtesy, but there was no answer.
“Are you sleeping? I’m coming in.”
Click.
Lim Hanna opened the door with a sliver of hope. But the office was also empty. A deep sigh of disappointment escaped her lips.
“He said he was going to rest… Where on earth did he go…”
Sighing heavily, Lim Hanna was about to turn back when she suddenly stopped. Beyond the office desk, she could see the window, filled with moonlight. In front of it was a wide-open terrace.
“Did he go out to the garden?”
Thinking it was possible, Lim Hanna quietly stepped inside. She knew she was trespassing, but she only intended to take a quick peek at the garden through the window. If she found Kim Soohyun, she would go down to the garden; if not, she would return to the dining hall.
Lim Hanna quickly reached the window and pushed open the door leading to the terrace. A cold breeze flowed in through the opening. Carefully holding the drinks she had brought so they wouldn’t break, she stepped outside. The moon in the sky cast a brilliant light, beautifully coloring the garden.
Lim Hanna circulated her mana to enhance her vision. Then she began to calmly scan the garden. The thought that she was going through all this trouble just to bring him a drink made her laugh faintly.
It was then. Suddenly, Lim Hanna’s gaze stopped at one spot. It was a place where the light was particularly reflective—the pond.
And at the pond, a man and a woman were sitting, leaning their shoulders comfortably against each other.
Gulp.
Lim Hanna swallowed. And without realizing it, she greatly enhanced her vision. The figures that had looked as small as fingernails grew larger, and her blurry sight became clear. And in that instant.
“Uh…!”
It happened in a flash. The faces of the man and woman sitting by the pond momentarily touched.
Lim Hanna held her breath.
Crash!
At the same time, the sound of something shattering echoed across the silent terrace.