Chapter 36: The Solitary Glutton (1)
Chapter 36: The Solitary Glutton (1)
Jinseo hurried into the food truck and came face-to-face with the man called Crade.
The man stood up from his seat and crossed his arms without a word.
Wow… this is the first time I’ve seen someone here who’s a full head taller than me.
Jinseo was 180 centimeters tall. Slightly above average by Korean standards, he had rarely encountered anyone taller than himself on the Francia Continent.
Yet the man standing opposite him was easily close to two meters tall.
Sun-darkened bronze skin. Thick, powerful muscles exposed along his arms. Numerous large and small scars scattered across his face. His sharp eyes and rugged features spoke of a harsh, battle-filled life.
But somehow… he looks surprisingly clean.
His clothes were old and frayed in places, yet there was no unpleasant smell at all. His hair was cropped short, almost like a buzz cut, and his jaw and facial lines bore a faint bluish stubble, as if he shaved regularly.
With a beard that thick, most people here would just let it grow… maybe he’s more meticulous than he looks.
As Jinseo turned on the sink and washed his hands, he shot Jason a glance.
“Is that customer someone famous?”
“Boss, you don’t know Crade? Anyone who aspires to be a swordsman knows that name!”
“Well, I’m a cook—and I’m not from around here…”
“Anyway, he’s incredible!”
Jason couldn’t bring himself to look Crade straight in the eye, sneaking glances instead as he made a fuss.
It was the first time Jinseo had seen him this agitated over something unrelated to bunsik.
Aston, standing nearby, was quieter, but his eyes were filled with unmistakable admiration as he looked at Crade.
Meanwhile, Crade ignored the attention entirely, studying the menu board with focus.
AI, give me information on this customer named Crade.
{Name: Crade. Age: 37. Gender: Male.
Occupation: Swordsman, wandering without affiliation.
Visits to Mobile Cooking Equipment: 0.}
I’ll learn more after he eats. Got it.
Jinseo put on disposable gloves and began preparing to cook.
Before that, however, he remembered something and called out to Jason.
“First, take two hot dogs and some balloons over there.”
He pointed toward the father and son standing among the crowd.
“Oh, Foltan and Peter? Got it!”
Jason grabbed the freshly made hot dogs and balloons and headed toward Foltan—though his head kept turning back toward Crade the entire time.
“Hoo…”
Jinseo let out a deep breath.
This was the first customer on the Francia Continent who felt intimidating just by standing there.
“Welcome. May I take your order?”
“Before that, I have a question.”
Crade, who had been standing the whole time, sat down at the counter and set the sword strapped to his back aside.
“Are you the one who defeated the giant magical beast, the Kraken, with your bare hands?”
“Huh?”
At the words bare hands, Jinseo lightly clenched and unclenched his gloved right hand.
“Not bare hands. I used a kitchen knife.”
“The knife you’re using now?”
Crade’s gaze dropped to the knife resting beside the cutting board.
“It’s just an ordinary kitchen knife.”
“A fine blade.”
Crade’s eyes lingered on it for a moment before returning to the menu.
“There’s quite a variety. Are you confident?”
“Of course.”
Over ten years of experience helping his parents back in Korea.
Countless positive reviews earned across the Francia Continent, bolstered further by skill bonuses.
Jinseo had absolute confidence that no one could make bunsik better than he did.
“Tteok-twig-sun-ramyeon-gimbap set. Ten servings each. And two large colas.”
“Yes, please wait a moment.”
Jinseo responded automatically—then froze as the meaning of the order sank in.
Wait… did I hear that right?
“Pardon me, I’ll confirm your order.
Ten servings each of the tteok-twig-sun-ramyeon-gimbap set, and two 1.5-liter colas. Is that correct?”
“That’s right.”
“All of them… ten servings each?”
The ultimate bunsik combo.
It was far more popular than serving tteok-twig-sun alone, but very few customers ordered it as a full set to eat on the spot.
Five different dishes, one serving each—it was simply too much.
“That’s correct.”
“Is it for takeaway? The noodles will swell if they sit too long.”
“No. I’ll eat here. But…”
Crade swept a hand across the counter.
“This space seems too small to place everything.”
Crade stood, turned around, and lifted two rectangular four-person tables—one in each hand.
Effortlessly.
He pushed them together as if they were weightless, dragged over a chair, and sat facing Jinseo.
“This should be enough.”
From his coat, Crade took out a silver case and opened it, carefully placing a fork and knife on the counter.
“Sir, we provide utensils.”
“These are enchanted so they never interfere with the taste of food. They are, in a sense, my other self.”
“I… see.”
I thought swordsmen considered their swords their other selves…
But since he was a customer—and said it so seriously—Jinseo didn’t argue.
“Start with the drink.”
“Yes, one moment.”
As Jinseo retrieved the cola from the commercial fridge and set it down, a window appeared in front of his eyes.
{Unexpected Quest:
Serve the maximum possible amount of food to a single customer.
The more items ordered, the greater the reward.
The customer must finish all dishes.
You must complete this alone, without assistance.
Time limit: 1 hour.}
“I’ll handle this customer’s order myself. You two take care of the others.”
With that, Jinseo gripped his knife.
Tap-tap-tap-tap.
Ingredients for gimbap were prepared in an instant under his focused hands. Soondae and its accompaniments piled up on the cutting board. Frying times were met with pinpoint precision.
Watching him work, the corner of Crade’s mouth lifted slightly—the look of a swordsman recognizing a worthy peer.
“Fast.”
Crade lifted the 1.5-liter cola with one hand and opened it.
“Let’s loosen the throat first.”
Gulp, gulp.
Without pausing even once, he drained the bottle.
The surrounding customers stared in shock.
When not a single drop remained, Crade crossed his arms again and watched Jinseo.
Jinseo focused solely on cooking. The quest required Crade to eat everything within an hour—speed was all that mattered.
“Whoa…”
“Is he really going to eat all that?”
Ten servings of tteok-twig-sun and gimbap were set before Crade, floating into place via Nero.
Crade’s large hand almost reached out to pat Nero’s head, but Nero slipped away as usual.
Jinseo wiped the sweat from his brow and placed down the first bowl of ramyeon.
“Ten servings of tteok-twig-sun and gimbap are ready. I’ll bring the ramyeon one bowl at a time.”
“Fine.”
Crade twirled the steaming noodles around his silver fork and swallowed them in a single bite.
“If you eat that fast, you might—!”
Slurp.
“…be burned.”
Slurp, slurp.
“…You’re fine.”
In moments, the bowl was empty.
“Next.”
“Yes!”
Jinseo snapped to attention and moved faster.
Crade drank the broth as if it were simple soup between bites of food.
Plates emptied. Bowls stacked.
Jinseo adjusted his pace to match Crade’s, admiration creeping in.
This is unbelievable.
He’d seen eating shows back in Korea—but never like this.
And not a grain of rice or drop of soup was wasted.
Eventually, only the ramyeon remained.
Even then, Crade’s speed never slowed.
{Quest completed.
Remaining time: 45 minutes 15 seconds.
Rewards adjusted accordingly.}
“Delicious.”
Crade finished the tenth bowl without a burp, a faint smile on his lips.
“No… ‘delicious’ doesn’t quite do it justice. I lack the words.
In any case, this is the first time I’ve eaten food like this. It’s refreshing.”
“I’ve never seen anyone eat this much.”
“If it weren’t good, even I couldn’t eat this much.”
Crade drained the remaining cola.
AI, now that he’s a customer, show me the full analysis.
{Name: Crade (37, Male)
Class: Swordsman, Adventurer
Physical Rank: A+
Cooking Skill: F-
Abilities: Swordsmanship (S), Spearmanship (A+), Martial Arts (A-), Status Ailment Immunity (A+) …}
{Quest reward: 14,000 Mileage, 14,000 Mana.}
An A+ body… and S-rank swordsmanship. No wonder he’s called a hero.
But Jinseo barely noticed the rewards.
“Still… something feels missing.”
“Pardon?”
“Jjolmyeon. Kimchi fried rice. Rabokki. Ten servings each. And two 1.5-liter sodas.”
Jinseo went blank.
He’s eating more? After all that?
“Is that too much?”
“No! Please wait!”
Once again, Jinseo returned to the kitchen.
Cooker and eater. The food truck, once peacefully part of the festival, turned into a battleground.
When the final plate was cleared—
“Congratulations!”
Dozens of balloons soared into the sky.
“For the first time ever!nA single customer has eaten ten servings each of the full combo and three additional menus!”
Jason clapped enthusiastically.
“The hero of Girvante! The solitary swordsman—Crade! A round of applause!”
Cheers erupted.
Exhausted, Jinseo collapsed onto the counter.
I could never do this again.
And yet, watching Crade eat brought him an unexpected joy.
“…Would you mind if I filmed this for promotional purposes?”