Today, Justice Is Served
That evening, after Yoon Gomyung had finished preparing dinner for the Inner Dining Hall, Geum Ho, deciding it was finally time to head back, was meeting with someone just before returning to the Mutual Righteousness Academy.
"To think you would ask us to handle a mere nobody... Though it is hardly a difficult task."
The speaker was a middle-aged man with a face so remarkably ordinary he could blend into any crowd. Geum Ho replied to him.
"Good. Just do exactly as I asked."
"But it seems your debts keep piling up, Young Master. Are you certain you can handle the burden?"
The middle-aged man wore a pleasant smile, but Geum Ho's expression was deeply strained.
"Can't you give me a bit of a discount?"
"A discount on blood money? One does not simply haggle over such matters."
"I'm a chef who's been embezzling ingredients just to pay you back! I'm telling you, I barely have any cash on hand."
With no money and no other options, Geum Ho was entirely at the mercy of the man before him—the ultimate underdog to a ruthless creditor.
"Just help me this once. I beg of you."
Seeing Geum Ho reduce himself to begging, the middle-aged man clicked his tongue.
"Very well, I shall offer a special rate just this once. Provided you fulfill your end of the bargain."
"Of course. Once I'm back in the academy, I'll send you reports on his every move."
"I shall be waiting."
A chilling sensation crept down Geum Ho's spine at the sight of the man's thin smile. He had handed them a massive leash to control him with. Gritting his teeth, Geum Ho parted ways with the man.
Damn it all! Every single one of them...!
They were nothing but a pack of jackals, eager to tear him apart the moment he showed a single vulnerability.
Lost in his thoughts, he arrived at the West Gate of the Mutual Righteousness Academy. Since the West Blue Bird Hall was located right next to the West Gate, he would be able to slip straight into his quarters the moment he entered.
But the atmosphere felt strangely off.
Geum Ho approached the gatekeeper on duty, but the guard didn't move to open the gate. Actually, that wasn't entirely true. The guard did do something—he glanced at Geum Ho and let out a quiet smirk.
Instantly irritated by the gesture, Geum Ho scowled and waved his hand dismissively.
"What are you smirking at? Open the gate."
"I cannot do that."
"What do you mean you can't? Open the gate already. I need to report back."
"Please present your academy identification token."
"What? You look at my face and still ask for that?"
"Your face is not an identification token, sir."
"You know exactly who I am!"
"I'm afraid I don't. Token, please."
First Yoon Gomyung, and now even a lowly gatekeeper was trying to climb all over him. It was utterly absurd, but since today had been a glorious day of successfully screwing over Yoon Gomyung, Geum Ho decided to swallow his pride and let it slide.
"Unbelievable. Just wait until I get inside, you bastard."
Geum Ho pulled his staff identification token from his robes and thrust it forward. The gatekeeper examined it closely, then let out another smirk.
"Confirmed."
Why does he keep smirking?
Still, the gate swung open without further issue. Geum Ho glared at the guard one last time and stepped through. Right at that moment—
*TWEET!*
A shrill whistle pierced the air, followed by the sudden, frantic rustle of fabric all around him.
"W-what is this?!"
Before Geum Ho could even process his confusion, martial artists clad in black uniforms materialized from the shadows, completely surrounding him. Among them, the one with the most slender build stepped forward. Wearing a cowl that masked everything but her sharp eyes, she glared down at him.
"Are you Geum Ho, the Head Chef of the Inner Dining Hall?"
The clear, authoritative female voice made Geum Ho flinch.
"Y-yes, that's me."
"As of this moment, Head Chef Geum Ho, you are being detained."
"By what authority does the Tiger Brigade arrest a member of the staff?! Do you think you're government constables?!"
"We never said arrest. We said detain."
"W-what?"
"The Tiger Brigade is the security force of the Mutual Righteousness Academy. Are you truly unaware that we possess the delegated authority of the Imperial Court, the Murim Alliance, and the Sacred Cult to detain any subversive elements within these grounds?"
Following the Tiger Brigade Leader's command, two guards flanked Geum Ho and instantly pinned his arms behind his back.
"Geum Ho, you do not have the right to remain silent, and anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."
As the Tiger Brigade members bound him with arrest ropes, Geum Ho, convinced he had done nothing wrong, began to thrash wildly. Instead, his mind immediately jumped to the only person capable of orchestrating such a scheme in his absence, and he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"...Yoon Gomyung! Yoon Gomyung did this, didn't he?!"
"The Outer Dining Hall Chef?"
"Yes! I don't know what the charges are, but Yoon Gomyung definitely framed me! I'm absolutely sure of it!"
"Ah, my apologies. I forgot to state the charges."
Realizing her oversight, the Tiger Brigade Leader looked down at Geum Ho and replied.
"Geum Ho, your charge is embezzlement."
"......!"
It wasn't Yoon Gomyung's doing. It was his own undeniable, inescapable crime. Realizing this, Geum Ho stopped struggling and stood frozen in shock. The Tiger Brigade Leader let out a cold chuckle.
"If you're claiming that Outer Dining Hall Chef Yoon Gomyung somehow embezzled Inner Dining Hall goods two years before he even set foot in this academy, that would be a rather fascinating defense."
The Tiger Brigade Leader looked down at the utterly despondent Geum Ho and barked an order to her subordinates.
"Take him away!"
As Geum Ho was dragged away in silence, the Tiger Brigade Leader clicked her tongue.
"To think a man like that was the Head Chef."
With the departure of the Tiger Brigade, the chaotic West Gate fell silent once more.
Son of a... bitch...
Finally, a break after wrapping up most of the work. Without saying a word, I collapsed limply into a chair.
"Chef Yoon, are you alright?"
Looking down at me with a worried expression, Seonwoo Seol handed me a cup. Judging by the sweet aroma, it was warm honey water.
"...I'm dying."
I dragged myself upright and took the cup. My hands trembled violently. I didn't care if I was a peak-realm martial artist; this was crossing a serious line.
That evening, I had heard the news of Geum Ho being arrested by the Tiger Brigade the moment he returned from his leave. I had nodded in satisfaction, thinking that the bastard who tried to screw me over got exactly what he deserved. But then, I remembered what the Head of Academic Affairs, Woo Mi-do, had said before leaving the Inner Dining Hall.
"You'll likely be quite busy for the time being. Will you be alright?"
That had been my fatal oversight.
What happens when the Head Chef of the Inner Dining Hall goes missing? Normally, they would bring in a temporary replacement or hire an instructor to manage the kitchen in his stead.
The only problem was that I had cooked all three meals that day far too perfectly.
The academy administration had apparently thought, "Can't we just make Yoon Gomyung do it? The food he made at the Inner Dining Hall that day was delicious," and promptly dumped the temporary authority of the Inner Dining Hall Chef onto me.
What did that mean? It meant I was now a dual-core processor, running both the Outer and Inner Dining Halls simultaneously. I was going to be worked to the bone until they found a permanent replacement.
Maybe I should write a memoir while I'm at it. Something like, I Became a Millstone Genius in the Central Plains. Or perhaps I could launch a new beverage brand across the land: Finely Ground Yoon Gomyung.
When I whined that I was literally going to die at this rate, West Hall Master Dan Buyong's response was the absolute kicker.
"I believe dividing the dining halls into the Inner and Outer halls was a mistake to begin with. Wouldn't it be far better to entrust them both to a single, reliable Head Chef?"
"And why does that have to be me?"
"Well, because you are exceptionally good at your job. I will allow you to hire a clerk to handle the administrative paperwork, as well as additional kitchen staff."
"No, forget all that and just hire another Head Chef. Someone smart who won't look down on me."
"Pardon? I can't quite hear you."
"A HEAD CHEF! Please hire one more!"
"I simply feel that Chef Yoon is the most fitting candidate for the position."
Yoon Gomyung petitioned to be relieved of his duties as the Head of the Inner Dining Hall, yet Dan Buyong did not grant her royal assent.
Am I Hwang Hui or something?
In any case, that was how I ended up saddled with the Inner Dining Hall for the foreseeable future. But there was no way in hell I was going to take this lying down. I immediately initiated negotiations with Dan Buyong.
"Director Dan, let's make a nego... I mean, let's negotiate."
Met with my dead-serious gaze, Dan Buyong looked at me with a hint of curiosity before nodding.
"What are your terms?"
"Move my quarters, and since I'm doing that bastard Geum Ho's job on top of my own, raise my salary accordingly. Preferably by a lot."
I had expected the strict Dan Buyong to pick apart my demands one by one. But she didn't.
"Since his disciplinary action is practically guaranteed, you may inherit Chef Geum Ho's quarters. Your salary will also be raised, of course. And since this is a temporary dual role, I will ensure you receive a special bonus."
I thought she would find a million excuses to say no, but she agreed surprisingly fast. Thanks to the incredibly cool, absolute legend of an Academy Director, Dan Buyong, I was reassigned to the West Blue Bird Hall instead of the East Blue Bird Pavilion, and my monthly salary was doubled.
Sure, up to that point, everything was great.
A clerk to assist with the administrative work was hired in no time, but finding skilled kitchen aunties with a magic touch was like catching stars in the sky. And honestly, I'd rather do the work myself than hire incompetent cooks.
As a result, I had to constantly sprint back and forth between the Inner and Outer Dining Halls. Having to use lightfoot techniques just to commute within the academy grounds was pure torture. I didn't even have time to work out, and the solid muscles I had painstakingly built up were starting to wither away.
Perhaps noticing my plight, Seonwoo Seol, who had been visiting the Inner Dining Hall frequently of late, stopped looking at me like I was a spy. Instead, she would drop by like this to offer comfort. In this miserable, exhausting academy life, Seonwoo Seol was my only ray of light. *Sob.*
"Have you heard the news?"
Seonwoo Seol asked as I sipped my honey water.
"What news?"
"I heard they're holding a disciplinary committee meeting soon. The target is, of course, Chef Geum Ho."
That absolute bastard. I wanted to shove him inside a giant tire and roll him into a pit of fire. Here I was, working my ass off, while he was probably just lounging around doing nothing. I heard Geum Ho had been waiting for his disciplinary hearing inside Tiger Hall, the Tiger Brigade's headquarters, for a week now.
"Let me know the results when they're out. If his punishment is too light, I'm going to bury him behind the academy on Mount Hyang."
"You shouldn't do that. You have to squeeze every last drop of labor out of him. Work him like a slave."
Yep, she's definitely the Little Heavenly Demon, daughter of the Demonic Cult Leader. She knows the most vicious methods.
"But hearing you talk about working him, it sounds like Geum Ho isn't getting expelled?"
"I heard most staff discipline goes that way. 'Serving in White Clothes,' along with a few months of unpaid suspension."
For the record, it was Serving in White 'Clothes,' not 'Armor.' It meant being forced to work as the lowest-ranking laborer in the academy. For proud, successful people, being demoted to a position lower than a servant was a massive humiliation. In that sense, it was a severe punishment. Then again, the academy wasn't a government office; they couldn't exactly torture him on a rack or flog him with paddles. That would be crossing the line.
Still, unpaid labor, huh? That wasn't nearly enough. Personally, I wanted to feed him nothing but three cups of green tea a day and work him like an industrial-era British factory worker.
"If it's Serving in White Clothes, does that mean I'll be Geum Ho's direct superior and can work him to the bone?"
"Probably? I don't know the exact details, but since he's a chef, he'll be assigned to the dining halls. As the Head Chef, you can do whatever you want with him."
Hehehe. Geum Ho, you are so dead. I'm going to make sure you are utterly crushed under the weight of the disaster you brought upon yourself.
I felt my energy returning. Part of it was the sweet honey water Seonwoo Seol had brought, but the real boost came from the sheer joy of knowing that Geum Ho—the very man responsible for my current misery—might soon be placed under my thumb. Feeling completely revitalized, I stood up and began to stretch. Seonwoo Seol watched me quietly.
"You really did learn martial arts, didn't you?"
"Ayy, you were doing so well, and now you're back to this."
"No! This time it's not an interrogation, just pure curiosity."
"What if I say I didn't?"
"Then I'll accept that you didn't."
"And if you say you did?"
"Then I'll accept that you did."
I really hadn't planned on telling her, but I was utterly defeated by the sparkling, pleading look in her eyes.
"I've learned enough to keep myself safe."
"I knew it! I knew it!"
Look at her, jumping up from her seat and pointing a finger at me.
"Hey, there you go again."
"I-I'm not calling you a spy! I'm just happy because the puzzle I was agonizing over on my own has finally been solved!"
"Hmm."
"I'm serious!"
"Let's say that's true. Why did you suddenly ask?"
"Your physical balance is excellent. It's... a textbook physique, I suppose."
As she spoke, Seonwoo Seol scanned my body from head to toe. Uh, this was getting a bit embarrassing.
"Little Heavenly Demon, you have a habit of scanning other men's bodies as you please."
Miss Seonwoo Seol, I didn't realize you were such a dangerous person. As I pulled my collar tight, Seonwoo Seol's face flushed bright red.
"I was looking at you strictly as a martial artist!"
"Let's say that's true, too."
"Ugh... I came to comfort you because you looked so exhausted lately! Why are you looking at me like I'm some kind of wicked enchantress?!"
Huffing loudly, Seonwoo Seol turned on her heel.
"I'm leaving."
"Are you stepping out, or are you leaving me?"
"Either way, I'm getting out of this dining hall!"
Hmm, did I tease her too much? I needed to smooth things over before she got genuinely angry. Watching her stomp away, I called out to her back.
"What would you like for dinner tonight?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"I've decided on the Outer Dining Hall's menu, but not the Inner Dining Hall's yet. I'll make whatever the Little Heavenly Demon wants."
"...Is this an apology?"
"As a thank you for putting up with my teasing."
"Chef Yoon, does anyone ever tell you that you're incredibly mischievous?"
"I hear it every single day. That's why I only play jokes on the Little Heavenly Demon that I wouldn't dare play on anyone else."
Seonwoo Seol fell silent for a moment, then spoke in a quiet voice.
"...I'd like something spicy."
"In that case, do you like soft, chewy rice cakes?"
"I love them."
"Then I'll make you an incredibly delicious, spicy dish."
Food knows no gender, but I was going to make the one dish that every single woman I knew in my past life absolutely adored.
"A spicy dish made with rice cakes?"
"Once you taste it, you'll lose your mind."
Whether she sensed my genuine pride or simply took it as a playful boast, Seonwoo Seol offered a bright smile.
"I'll look forward to it."
As Seonwoo Seol waved goodbye and stepped out of the Inner Dining Hall, I fell into deep thought.
Where on earth am I going to get rice cakes?