Chapter 14
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Remigio City
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Remigio City
When Kim Tae-jin and old man Richer finally entered Remigio City, they had gone without food for over a day.
Of course, any sensible person would have rationed their remaining supplies bit by bit once they realized the city walls weren't visible after half a day of walking.
But Tae-jin and Richer had far too bold an attitude toward life to hesitate like that.
Tae-jin tossed out a casual question.
"Old man. Uh... Remigio City does have walls, right?"
"Of course. Obviously."
Richer nodded as he answered, and Tae-jin pressed further.
"The Great Plains are so flat that you can see buildings or walls from far away, no hills or mountains in the way."
"You didn't even know that? Foolish boy."
Richer answered the question while making a pitiful face.
"We've been walking for a day and a half now. Why haven't we seen Remigio City's walls yet?"
"Because the world is vast and filled with mysteries and wonders at every turn."
Hearing Richer's nonsense made Tae-jin's right fist clench tight.
"You just don't know, do you?"
"What can you do about it? Anyway, the direction is right, so don't worry—just follow me."
Tae-jin couldn't hold back and swung his fist at Richer's side, but the old man, who had kept a safe distance, dodged with nimble footwork.
Tae-jin's gut boiled with frustration, but it was true they had no other options. The two trudged silently along the path.
If they couldn't stop walking, the only way to vent was with his tongue. Tae-jin grumbled until mealtime was ready.
"Jeez. Why'd you say something realistic like 'half a day' anyway? It sounded plausible, so I fell for it. If you'd said two or three days, I would've rationed the food."
Richer asked back with a stern, serious expression.
"Don't you trust me?"
Tae-jin's mental fortitude wasn't particularly lacking compared to an average person. No, the five years by the Gate had granted him considerable patience.
But even that wasn't enough to keep his cool in the face of Richer's brazen face and words.
"How can I trust you? We can't even see the walls yet. Didn't you just charge ahead without any confidence?"
"Hah, guess I need to show you my confidence."
Far from rationing the remaining food, Richer grabbed handfuls with even bolder sweeps. He must figure they'd reach Remigio City before the next meal.
Of course, Tae-jin had no intention of backing down either.
"I'll show you my trust in you too."
Tae-jin shoveled a fistful of hardtack into his mouth and chewed. Before long, enough food for two meals vanished into their bellies.
"This is how much I trust you, old man."
He tried a bit of sarcasm, but Richer's attitude remained utterly consistent.
"Excellent. Being trusted is a joyful thing. Did you see my confidence well?"
"Of course. Full of confidence and trust. We're the best travel companions."
The price was a day and a half of starvation.
Remigio City was fairly large, but by Korean standards, it hardly qualified as a city.
Yet from Tae-jin's perspective, who had only seen Gate Frontier City for five years, Remigio was undeniably a proper city. Gate Frontier City had grown steadily, but it was still modest compared to Remigio's scale.
The first thing to do upon arriving in Remigio City was to slip past the lax guards at the walls.
It might be an illusion from hunger, but a delicious food aroma seemed to waft from the walls. Richer, pretending to be dignified beside him, was gulping audibly too, so he must have felt it as well.
"Old man. Showing our faces to enter here would be insane, right?"
"Why ask the obvious? If we march in boldly, we might be eating breakfast tomorrow by the Gate. We have to use invisibility magic, naturally."
Tae-jin and Richer muttered incantations behind trees near the gate, then stepped cautiously inside.
If the walls had been packed with people like in comics, slipping through with invisibility magic might have been tough. Bumping into anyone would cause a huge fuss.
In that case, they'd probably have waited until night and flown over the walls. But no one was trying to enter Remigio City.
The guards, enduring the world's most boring shift, stood there with unfocused eyes, staring blankly.
The two entered Remigio City without issue.
The first place they headed wasn't a restaurant. Amid all the Western faces everywhere, Tae-jin's standard East Asian features stood out.
If he showed his face and ate at a restaurant, countless curious eyes would turn his way.
And if soldiers came asking, 'Seen anyone suspicious?' everyone would point straight at Tae-jin.
Clutching their empty stomachs, the pair headed to a clothing shop instead.
While Tae-jin hid in an alley, Richer bought a thick, sturdy robe and handed it over. It was lighter and softer than it looked.
Well, robes were all about practicality over design, so that made sense.
The moment they bought it, they pulled the hoods deep over their faces and entered a nearby inn-cum-restaurant.
The second they sat, Richer started gulping dramatically.
"You're getting a free meal, and not even a word of thanks? Hmph."
"Free meal? Soon as I sell this camera, we'll travel on that money."
"Ahem, do you have any money right now? Even a single coin?"
It was a spot-on jab.
"I don't, but I'll pay it back anyway, right?"
"I'd just say 'Thank you, Master' simply."
"Master? Whatever. Order some food quick, old man. My stomach's turning inside out—you can see it."
"Such a picky one."
Richer and Tae-jin scanned the menu board on the wall with gleaming eyes.
Most dishes ranged from 5 copper to 30 copper, but one special item lurked in the corner.
'Special Soup: 2 silver'
The regular soup right beside it was just 7 copper. With 100 copper to a silver, that was nearly thirty times the price.
How amazing could it be?
Slaves to their hunger, Tae-jin and Richer brimmed with curiosity.
This famished, even plain water would taste like soup, and regular soup like heavenly nectar.
So what would a 'special' soup at thirty times the price taste like? Unimaginable. A lifelong memory for sure.
Before Tae-jin could voice his thoughts, Richer had already raised his hand to call the waiter.
This must be a goblin family business—the waiter was a goblin, the chef in the kitchen a goblin, and the one at the counter a female goblin.
"What's the difference between the special soup and the regular?"
The goblin waiter recited her response like she'd said it hundreds of times. Her tone was flat and even, no rise or fall.
"Regular soup is pre-cooked and ladled out. Special soup is made fresh to order. It's our shop's specialty, Remigio City's pride."
"Specialty? That good?"
"Of course. Customers flock from nearby cities for this soup. Rozaria City, Rahis City... Last time, even from Palloras City across the border. Amazing, right?"
It all sounded scripted. Her voice stayed monotone. Richer fired his final question.
"Does it take long to prepare?"
"No, not at all. We always have fresh ingredients ready."
"Then two sets of whatever comes fastest—two special soups. We'll order more later if needed."
"No drinks?"
Richer, a lover of booze, gulped involuntarily, but he was sharp enough to judge wisely.
"Drinks... no. Just the food. We'll take a room for the night too. Double room. With baths."
"Got it. Pay at the counter before going up, and get your key."
Tae-jin and Richer waited for their food with burning eyes. Tae-jin was so impatient he unconsciously stabbed the wooden table with his fork.
Before he could leave more than a few scratches, the food arrived: roasted beans, sausages of unknown meat, seasoned steamed potatoes, and more.
Simple fare, but guaranteed satisfying.
Before Richer and Tae-jin finished half, the famed 'special soup' was served. It didn't look particularly special—just creamy ivory broth with small bits floating in it.
Thick and hearty, but that was it.
Yet the first spoonful hit Tae-jin with an inexplicable sense of familiarity. A strangely familiar taste.
The flavor he'd savored every weekend in the army barracks. The one he'd sometimes boil alone during his single days.
'No way. This tastes just like that.'
Richer frowned in thought too, struck by the same odd familiarity.
It made sense. He'd visited the base every weekend to eat the same chow.
But their hunger was too fierce, and though familiar, the soup lived up to 'special'—delicious.
They wolfed down everything, then ordered seconds.
Once their hunger was sated, they paid at the counter, got their key, and headed upstairs.
As Tae-jin climbed the stairs, his eyes caught a pitch-black trash bin by the kitchen. Inside, familiar red-and-yellow wrappers peeked out.
The 'special soup' was infused with the taste of capitalism and modern industrial civilization.