Chapter 99
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: The Garlic Contest
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99
The Garlic Contest
‘…What’s with him?’
I scratched my beard as I watched Ben flee like a man desperate for a toilet.
‘That was a close call…’
In preparation for Ben’s thrust, I had taught Adela ‘Wrist Lock,’ a technique used by her first opponent, Shandi.
It was the perfect counter to Ben’s signature move.
Teaching it to her in such a short time took considerable effort, but it was worth it when I thought of the garlic.
Besides, Adela was a knight, so her swordsmanship wasn’t bad to begin with. Considering her lack of practical experience, you could even say it was good.
Through repetitive training, I had instilled in her an unconscious defense against Ben’s style.
With no option to give up, Adela completed her training admirably, so I had expected her to win. But Ben’s final thrust was faster than I’d anticipated.
That sly bastard had been hiding a move.
The moment I saw it, I was certain Adela would lose.
I was already scheming to buy garlic from Ben at a ‘best friend’ discount when…
At the last moment, Ben’s thrust suddenly slowed.
He hadn’t looked well, and it seemed to be a consequence of that.
‘He always gets weird at the most important moments.’
There was a reason they called him ‘not quite human.’
He couldn't perform when it mattered most.
‘Bori seems incredibly happy.’
Adela was beaming, waving her hands nonstop as if she’d won a talent show.
It was a nice picture, but the problem was that Adela didn’t know the meaning of ‘moderation.’
As her victory celebration dragged on, even the people who had been cheering at first grew quiet.
It was a little strange to be that ecstatic over winning a friendly duel in the first place.
Of course, I was just as happy.
‘A carriage full of garlic.’
My mouth watered just thinking about it.
Adela, who had been waving continuously, was called forward by Baron Pulpuchu and went up.
And then, a man who looked like an old tiger emerged.
‘Count Behardt.’
He was the weirdo who had been scattering Kanua flower petals.
Looking closely, I saw that the chair he was sitting on was also covered in them.
Count Behardt beckoned behind him.
A figure shrouded in a thick black cloth stepped out to stand beside him.
The sight of him sparked an intense craving within me.
‘Looks delicious.’
- My thoughts exactly.
I had muttered to myself without realizing it and was startled when my tenant chimed in.
Unlike the others before, this one didn't have a delicious smell, but I could instinctively sense its rich flavor.
From my experience so far, deliciousness was directly proportional to danger.
I couldn’t begin to guess what level of danger a flavor this rich implied.
Pretending to scratch my back, I caressed the hilt of my sword.
Even the cold touch of the metal couldn’t calm my racing heart.
The cloth must have had some special device, as the face was completely hidden.
I watched him without blinking, but he never glanced my way.
It seemed he hadn’t noticed me.
Count Behardt asked him something, and the figure seemed to reply.
The way the Count then moved suggested their relationship was far from ordinary.
‘A demon? A warlock? But the smell…’
A simple medieval-style inspection was out of the question with Count Behardt standing right next to him.
The Count had four knights behind him, and I had no idea what this robed figure was.
The intense hunger was almost painful, but…
‘…Not now.’
It was better to wait for a more suitable opportunity.
I had a gut feeling that such a time would surely come.
Forcibly suppressing the urge, I turned my head.
Adela, having reverted to her exemplary knightly demeanor, stood proudly before Count Behardt.
Behardt loudly praised Adela’s martial prowess and courage, and the cheers grew loud again.
Adela beamed once more.
She was clearly thrilled to be the center of attention.
‘She would’ve been a real handful if she were born in modern times.’
I shook my head slightly at the sight.
Count Behardt gestured, and a familiar, pungent aroma filled the air.
A carriage rolled in.
It was the one that had been attached to the back of the Count’s own carriage.
The horse pulling it snorted continuously, its nose running.
The contagion spread quickly, and the people who had been cheering moments ago were now sneezing uncontrollably.
‘Tsk, uncivilized fools.’
I clicked my tongue at the people who didn’t know the taste of garlic.
‘I heard garlic was used to catch a vampire. Does it really work?’
I pondered for a moment, then shook my head.
Even if it did work, there was no need to waste precious garlic on catching a mere vampire.
“This garlic is valuable, so take special care in managing it. Congratulations once again.”
“Yes! A-choo! A…achoo!”
Adela scrunched up her face, trying to hold it in, but eventually couldn’t stop herself from sneezing repeatedly.
Count Behardt, who was receiving her thanks, was also sneezing, so it seemed to go unnoticed.
After it was over, Adela walked over to me with a complicated expression.
‘Garlic is great, but this is way too much.’
I scratched my cheek, looking at the carriage packed to the brim with garlic.
‘Should I dry the garlic?’
I couldn’t recall how garlic was supposed to be stored.
‘And I need to think about cultivating it.’
The carriage was full, but it had an expiration date. To eat it for the rest of my life, investing in cultivation was the right move.
‘They said garlic comes from the Taereuang Mountains in the north, right?’
The Taereuang Mountains.
A mountain range in the north, so high its peaks were hidden by clouds. Because of that, there were legends that dragons lived there.
In fact, they did.
‘There were a lot of elves, too.’
It was also teeming with monsters, so it was a place most people avoided.
Still, the dragon fruit that grew there was so famous that people occasionally climbed the mountains for it.
The dragon fruit here really looked like a dragon and even roared.
However, dragon fruit was rare, and there were many days when none could be found.
On those days, to recoup their losses even a little, people would dig up garlic.
No one bought the garlic they brought back, so they opted for a luxury marketing strategy.
A few nobles, full of vanity, bought it at its exorbitant price, which created the current garlic bubble.
‘So, should I plant it in the Girteun Mountains?’
The Girteun Mountains, east of Kasadik, were similarly rugged and monster-infested, so planting it there seemed plausible.
‘I can ask Dallus.’
Dallus the executioner lived in a cabin far to the east of Kasadik.
Because of that, Dallus often visited the Girteun Mountains, so I could ask him to be my guide.
He probably hadn’t had much work since the vampire incident, so he would likely help with the garlic cultivation for a small fee.
So, the plan was to plant half, I’d eat a quarter of the remainder, and use the rest to introduce the taste of garlic to these uncivilized medieval folks.
If the garlic cultivation was successful later on, I’d need buyers, so it was necessary to get these uncivilized medieval folks accustomed to the taste of garlic.
People learn to appreciate flavors they eat often enough. Besides, once you get hooked on spicy food, it's hard to quit.
It was a business venture guaranteed to succeed.
‘If I can just figure out a way to neutralize the spiciness a bit…’
As I was lost in thought, the award ceremony concluded.
Adela, who had waved until everyone had left, walked over with a confident stride. I had to collect the prize, so I followed her.
Adela hesitated for a moment at the door, glanced at me, and then entered the room.
She looked up at me proudly and took a moment to catch her breath.
Then, with a determined look on her face, she opened her mouth.
“I won thanks to you. I thank you… Ack.”
Her habit of using ‘Ack’ like a period and her arrogant tone made me want to flick her on the forehead, but I held back.
After all, wasn’t she a good Bori who had earned me garlic and ten gold coins?
Even a hunting dog deserves a moment to rest and drink water before being discarded.
“Of course, it’s true you took my honor. And taking a knight’s honor is the same as taking everything from me… Ack.”
“Just get to the point.”
It was getting too long, so I shook my fist, asking her to ‘keep it simple.’
“The garlic from the victory, worth about twenty gold coins, and the ten gold coins offered by Baron Pulpuchu. I will give it all to you… Ack.”
Adela held out a pouch stamped with the Pulpuchu seal.
‘Why is she stating the obvious?’
I found it odd that Adela was bringing up something we had already agreed upon.
It was mine from the start.
It’s always the beast that does the tricks while the human collects the money.
“…In return, please teach me swordsmanship.”
Adela said clearly, looking at me with the straightforward eyes of a knight.
For the ever-defiant Adela to be the one asking for lessons…
It seems there’s nothing that can’t be fixed with a good beating.
‘But does she really think it’s over?’
Bori was a capable fighting dog who had just won a carriage of garlic and ten gold coins in this friendly match.
Besides, knight tournaments like this would be held from time to time, so there was no way I was letting a promising prospect like Bori go.
Bori, who would roll in the mud just to fight, was destined to become the best fighting dog in the east… no, on the entire continent.
However, the relationship needed to be clarified.
“Bori.”
“I am not Bori, but the knight Adela…”
“Bori.”
“…Ack!”
After I called her twice, she quickly reverted to her polite expression, blinking her large eyes as she answered.
“Roll left.”
“Ack!”
After a moment’s hesitation, Adela quickly lay down and rolled over and over.
“Roll right.”
“Ack!”
‘She rolls well.’
They say even a grub has a talent for rolling, and it seemed Adela’s talent was just that.
‘I’ll have to train her periodically, just like the weasel.’
I nodded, watching Bori diligently rolling on the floor.
The one silver lining was that she was more docile than the weasel, so she wouldn’t be as much trouble.
***
After finishing Bori’s training, I led the garlic carriage out of the Inner Wall.
It was amusing to see the uncivilized medieval folks scatter at the smell as I drove the carriage.
When I casually mentioned, ‘I heard vampires hate garlic,’ a few of them started following behind me like I was a fumigation truck.
I headed for Hana’s tavern with the carriage.
“Welcome, Jojang.”
The tavern was packed with my guys, drinking away.
‘Not doing their jobs… tsk.’
I clicked my tongue and parked the carriage in a space inside the tavern. The place was big enough to have a separate area for it.
I ordered the guys to unload the garlic from the carriage. They grumbled about the smell stinging their eyes but got to work immediately.
Most of it went into the storeroom, and about a quarter of a quarter was brought into the tavern.
Even though the sun hadn’t set, the tavern was crowded.
‘All the thugs are gathered here.’
From the 6th district guys to Ska’s crew, they were all gathered here as if it were their hideout.
It meant business was good, so I nodded in satisfaction.
Kanna, who had been playing with ice, quickly ran over and clung to my leg.
Two men followed behind her; from their bucket helmets, I guessed they were those ignorant Namaiyads.
‘…Bodyguards?’
Something about being executives… it seemed they were taking their roles seriously.
I worried for a moment that Kanna might pick up bad habits, but I decided to think of it as a medieval version of playing house and let it go.
“Ugh… what is that smell…”
“Horrible. Did a demon crawl up from hell?”
As the garlic was brought in, the patrons in the tavern got up one by one, their faces contorted in disgust.
When I asked if anyone disliked the smell of garlic, they all broke into wide smiles and sat back down.
‘No bigots here, I see.’
I nodded and gestured.
The guys were such drama queens, crying their eyes out after carrying just a bit of garlic.
“Alright, everyone, listen up.”
I pointed to the pile of garlic and began to speak.
I needed to research ways to eat garlic, but there was no need for me to rack my brain over it.
“To whoever discovers a delicious way to eat garlic, I’ll give thirty silver coins.”
Uncivilized folks know best how to eat uncivilized food. If I offered a decent sum, they’d figure it out themselves.
Besides, if the garlic cultivation was successful, I would make back those thirty silver coins in no time.
As expected, the power of thirty silver coins was immense.
The guys who had been holding their noses just moments ago quickly got up from their seats, all smiles.
It was a bit of a waste of garlic, but since no one was buying it anyway, it would just rot if left alone.
And I needed to get them accustomed to the taste.
“This would taste perfect if you put it in fish bread.”
“Shut up, Brick.”
Kel, who was next to Brick, cursed at his muttering.
‘A garlic cooking contest.’
I nodded, looking at the disgusted faces of the men crowded around the garlic.
“What do you plan to do with the rest?”
Berman, his eyes red, clearly still reeling from his heartbreak, asked.
“I’m going to plant it later and cultivate it.”
“Huh? You mean farm it, not… ah, I understand.”
Berman muttered quietly and stepped back.
‘Ignorant fools.’
I shook my head, watching the men pick up garlic even as tears streamed down their faces.
***
‘I really underestimated these medieval folks.’
I groaned, staring at the bizarre concoction in front of me.
“Th-this is garlic beer! The bitterness of the beer and the spiciness of the garlic combine to create the ultimate taste!”
A man with a patchy beard grinned foolishly as he held out a mug of beer. Slices of garlic floated on top.
Despite his words, tears were streaming down his face. It was clear they weren't tears of joy.
“You drink it.”
“Haha… well…”
The man hesitated for a moment, but when I narrowed my eyes, he brought the mug to his lips and gulped it down.
Before he could finish three mouthfuls, he sprayed the beer everywhere.
“Next.”
I waved my hand dismissively.
The dejected man moved aside.
A group of waiting volunteers rushed in to clean up the judging area.
“A garlic fist. If you hit someone with this, it’ll make their eyes water.”
Next up was one of Ska’s men.
He seemed to have no concept of cooking whatsoever.
I kicked him out without even bothering to listen.
Next was Kanna.
Unlike the others, Kanna looked at me with intelligent eyes and nodded.
‘Yes, if it’s Kanna.’
Kanna had eaten the roasted garlic quite well before.
Moreover, as she had become Kasadik’s youngest mage, my expectations for her were particularly high.
Of course, there were only a handful of mages in Kasadik to begin with.
At Kanna’s appearance, the noisy venue fell silent at once. The guys in bucket helmets were roughly shushing everyone.
Amidst the crowd’s attention, Kanna held out a small wooden box.
When I took it, the box was incredibly cold.
A sense of unease crept over me.
‘Why is a garlic dish cold?’
I managed to keep my expression neutral and slowly opened the box.
As I opened it, a cool smoke billowed out.
It felt like putting dry ice in water.
When the cloud-like smoke cleared, the contents inside were revealed.
Bubbly spheres floated on top of a clear liquid.
The faint smell was unmistakably garlic, but its form was ambiguous.
It was just a collection of tiny circles, like Dippin' Dots.
I stared at it blankly for a moment, then picked up a few with my fingers and put them in my mouth.
A very subtle sweetness.
I couldn’t taste any spiciness at all.
The problem was, I wouldn't have known it was garlic.
‘…Molecular gastronomy?’
The appearance and taste were divorced from reality.
A word from my memory suddenly surfaced.
‘Molecular gastronomy in the Middle Ages…? How?’
I was puzzled by the sudden appearance of molecular gastronomy.
I thought for a moment about what to do, then nodded.
‘Still, molecular gastronomy is a modern technique.’
It was a shame that the garlic flavor was gone and the process was undoubtedly very complicated, but it wasn't a dish that deserved to fail in the preliminaries.
I gestured for Kanna to come closer, then placed a necklace with a small garlic-shaped statue around her neck.
Kanna received it, jumped up and down in place with joy, and then disappeared.
The preliminary contestants waiting nearby applauded and cheered.
“Next.”
Next up were Brick and Masha.
If Brick had come alone, I would have hit him and kicked him out, but since he had brought Masha with him, I couldn't.
Masha held out the fish-garlic bread.
“The garlic completely eliminates the faint fishy smell of the fish bread, creating an excellent combination!”
Brick said confidently as he presented the hideous thing.
‘Faint fishy smell, my ass… you son of a bitch.’
What a coward, bringing his mother along.
I looked at the hideous thing in my hand and swallowed hard.
The fish bread, like an unbreakable curse, kept orbiting my life. And this time, it even had raw garlic…
“Oh my, Aron. Are you feeling unwell?”
However, at Masha’s kind question, I had no choice but to shake my head and put it in my mouth.
*Mush.*
The sea, a long-unseen sight, appeared before me.
An unknown fish, swimming diligently within it.
The deep-seated grudge of being pierced and killed by an uncivilized medieval man’s harpoon was transmitted to me in its entirety.
‘Damn fishermen!’
At that moment.
A black garlic clove rolled over and soothed the fish’s grudge. The black garlic caressed and filled the wound left by the harpoon.
And then, the two merged.
The upper body of a fish, the lower body of garlic.
A half-fish, half-garlic creature.
‘Why is it delicious?’
I didn’t want to admit it, but the unique spiciness of the black garlic truly did cut through the fishiness, creating an absolutely incredible taste.
“…Ooooh!!”
A sound of admiration escaped my lips before I could stop it.
Just in case, I took another bite, but the incomprehensible deliciousness filled my mouth again.
It was a strange harmony, like two negatives multiplying to become a positive.
No, this was a negative number cubed.
It was that good.
My hand felt incredibly heavy, but judging had to be fair and just.
I moved my reluctant hand and held out the certificate of passing.
“Fish bread is the best! The pride of the Bringhton Kingdom! Wait for me, Charlotte! Thirty gold, here I come!”
An ecstatic Brick thrusted his hips repeatedly, wiggling his canine tooth.
It was truly a hideous sight, but with Masha next to him, I couldn’t hit him.
“Thank you, Aron. Bring that young lady to the shop sometime.”
I nodded at Masha's kind words.
“Next.”
I chugged my beer to wash away the lingering taste.
The coolness cleansed my palate.
“The dish I’ve devised is the garlic apple.”
The next one to enter was a fruit merchant.
He placed a peeled garlic clove on top of a peeled apple and proudly presented it.
Thinking there must be some trick to it, I narrowed my eyes and observed it, but it was just a clove of garlic on an apple.
“Isn’t that just garlic on an apple?”
“It may seem so, but if you look closely, the way I’ve placed it at this angle…”
“Get out.”
Other contestants grabbed the protesting man and dragged him out.
“…Next.”
I waved my hand, feeling the exhaustion of a judge.
***
‘…I really didn’t do it.’
The weasel… no, Dylan, grumbled as he rubbed his stinging face.
As usual, the bastard had suddenly clocked him, and Dylan had been powerless to do anything but take it.
‘Did he find out I was talking shit about him? Or that I was the one who burned the imperial flag? Or maybe…’
There were so many things he was guilty of that Dylan couldn’t even protest.
The unfair part was that the bastard’s punches hurt like hell, but they never left a bruise.
The bastard was clearly an expert at hitting people.
However, the bastard’s next words filled Dylan’s chest with a sense of injustice.
‘I swear I didn’t steal it.’
Accusing him of stealing the gold meant for the bastard during the inspection!
After the beating he got last time, he’d have to be insane to touch the guy’s belongings, especially with a witness right there!
Sure, the impulse had been there, but with a witness present, Dylan had even slapped his own cheek to stop himself.
‘He should’ve told me why he was hitting me first… I confessed for nothing and got hit even more.’
Dylan spat on the ground.
A red glob of bloody saliva splattered on the dirt.
Still, all things considered, it had ended on a relatively mild note.
‘But what am I supposed to do with this?’
The problem was the strange item the bastard had entrusted to him.
He called it garlic, but it was clearly a devil’s creation.
A demonic object whose pungent smell made your eyes water just by being near it.
The bastard had given these to Dylan with a few short words.
‘Bring the gold, and find a delicious way to eat this?’
On the off chance, Dylan peeled one and took a big bite.
A brief moment of sweetness was followed by an intense heat that filled his mouth.
The roasted garlic the bastard had eaten before was spicy, but this was on a whole other level.
Feeling as if his mouth was on fire, Dylan slapped his own tongue and hopped around frantically.
He ran around like that for a while before finally calming down after shoving his tongue into the mud.
‘How am I supposed to get rid of this god-awful spiciness?’
The intense flavor only deepened his dilemma.
Dylan wandered around, weighed down by his heavy thoughts. As the thick smell of garlic hanging in the streets made tears stream down his face…
A fragrant aroma wafted from somewhere.
Dylan unconsciously followed it.
In the middle of the road connecting the Outer and Inner Walls, a large cauldron was boiling.
Maids were bustling around it, and there was a familiar face as well.
‘Hana and Swalloitz?’
His stomach burning from the garlic earlier, Dylan tentatively approached but was stopped by soldiers.
“The Outer Wall Guard is also forbidden from approaching.”
“Ah, he’s with us.”
At Hana’s words, the soldier stepped aside with a skeptical look.
‘This punk acts tough for someone who’d die if stabbed in the back.’
Dylan discreetly touched his dagger, gave a little ‘hehe…’ laugh, and went inside.
The huge cauldron was filled to the brim with a tremendous stew, packed with ingredients.
*Gulp.*
The sight reminded him of the stew he had eaten on his first mission with the bastard.
‘That was so delicious back then.’
Dylan licked his lips and turned his head.
He’d wondered why Swalloitz was here; he was using magic to stoke the fire beneath the cauldron.
Everyone was incredibly busy.
Even the soldiers who had tried to stop him were standing at a distance, likely due to the heat.
No one was paying any attention to Dylan.
Dylan suddenly felt that the pot of stew was incredibly large.
So large that adding a single clove of garlic from his pocket wouldn’t change the taste.
Before he was even aware of it, Dylan had tossed a garlic clove in.
*Plop.*
With a tiny sound, the garlic sank into the stew.
‘Stew is really the best. You can put anything in it and it’s delicious.’
Dylan nodded, looking at the stew, which had turned a slightly darker shade. As they say, the more things you put in a stew, the deeper the flavor becomes.
There was a reason mercenaries even threw in cured jerky.
In a stew of this size, the garlic would go unnoticed. If that cursed taste didn't come through, then this was the perfect way to eat garlic deliciously.
Dylan applauded his own brilliant idea.
“We’re almost done. It’s so much work since the nobles will be eating it too.”
Just as Dylan was nodding in satisfaction, Hana approached.
Hana’s muttering made the hair on Dylan’s neck stand up.
“Sister-in-law, the… the nobles are eating this too?”
Dylan stammered, his mouth moving awkwardly.
“Yes. Oh, Dylan, you weren’t here for the young lady’s birthday last year, so you wouldn’t know. Every year for her birthday, we cook a big pot of stew and share it with everyone. That’s why security is so tight. They’ll have the maids taste it first tomorrow anyway, but… phew, if we let this simmer overnight, it’ll be delicious tomorrow, right?”
Why in the world would nobles eat the same stew as commoners?
Dylan quickly looked down at the stew.
The color was definitely darker than before.
‘…’
The weasel felt an indescribable emotion as he stared at the stew for a long time.
The stew looked just like a guillotine.
The sight of the boiling guillotine made tears well up in Dylan’s eyes.
‘This is all because that bastard was being so unreasonable…’
Dylan dabbed at the tears in the corners of his eyes.
Just then, Hana took a ladle and tasted the stew.
Dylan stared at Hana’s profile, muttering, “Please, please, please.”
“…Hmm?”
Hana’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, accompanied by a subtle sound of admiration.
Dylan’s heart sank.
A highlight reel of all the times the bastard had beaten him flashed before his eyes.
Hana’s sharp, pointed nose looked as menacing as a demon’s.
“…This is incredibly delicious. Is it because we added so many ingredients?”
Came Hana’s next words.
‘Ah, sister-in-law truly is an angel.’
Her nose wasn’t pointed for no reason.
It must double as an angel’s trumpet.
However, Dylan wasn’t satisfied with just Hana’s reaction.
Unable to stand the uncertainty, Dylan quickly called over the surrounding maids and soldiers to have them taste it.
Everyone’s reaction was positive.
Still, his mind wasn’t at ease.
Just then, he saw Swalloitz quietly getting up and moving away.
A prissy, ugly face.
He had a vaguely noble air about him!
‘I’ll make that guy eat it!’
Dylan quickly grabbed the scruff of his neck.
“Wh-what is this?!”
‘This bastard’s expression…’
The man’s startled reaction gave Dylan a strange sense of déjà vu.
He looked just like Dylan himself had when he was caught bad-mouthing the bastard.
“You have a taste too!”
“I’m fine. I’ve already eaten my fill.”
“Just have a taste!”
The man’s refusal made Dylan’s anxiety spike.
What if people like him, who look like nobles, hate it from the smell alone!
“I said have a taste! Why are you being so difficult!”
“I told you I ate a lot! Let go of me!”
The man’s fierce resistance, which went beyond simple dislike, pushed Dylan’s unease to its peak.
Besides, though the guy was supposedly a mage, all he’d ever shown was a pathetic little fireball, and he was a weakling with no muscle.
“Eat it! Eat! Why won’t you eat it!”
Dylan pulled even more fiercely on the scruff of his neck.
The fact that he was being dragged so easily proved he was a weakling.
Dylan’s arm tensed with more force.
“I told you I ate! Let go of this hand. If you don’t let go right now…”
However, the man’s next muttered words…
Instinctive warnings blared in his head.
Dylan quickly let him go and stepped back.
‘Those eyes…’
The man’s crazed eyes looked incredibly dangerous.
Their commotion had drawn the attention of everyone around.
“I already ate a lot. Why are you being so stubborn?”
The man said with a flustered face, looking around.
*Gulp.*
Feeling the danger, which was different from before, Dylan kept his mouth shut.
“What’s going on over there?”
A handsome knight approached.
The man’s expression changed.
Dylan instinctively felt the tables had turned.
Since he had already caused a scene, he had to push even harder.
“Well, I told this guy to have a taste, but he stubbornly refused! Just like someone who’d poisoned the stew!”
Dylan said with as much exaggeration as he could muster, quickly hiding behind the knight and pointing at the man.
However, the man’s expression was bizarre.
“Poison?”
The knight asked, his hand moving toward his sword.
Dylan swallowed hard as the atmosphere grew serious.
“Poison! What are you talking about! I just wasn’t hungry! And everyone else ate it and they’re fine!”
The usually calm man shouted, but the crowd’s reaction was cold.
“You just have to take one bite! Can you really be too full for one bite?”
Dylan quickly retorted.
*Grit…*
Grinding his teeth, the man picked up a bowl from the ground and chugged the stew.
After a moment of silence, he threw his hands up in the air, showing that he was unharmed.
“It seems there was a misunderstanding.”
The knight backed away.
“So, how was it?”
Dylan approached the man and asked quietly.
“Fucking… delicious. Fucking delicious!”
It was so delicious that the man even had tears welling up in his eyes.
Only then did Dylan finally relax, relieved.