Chapter 139
Translator: uly
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: Noodle Tour (4)
Thin ice covered the cold dongchimi broth, with buckwheat noodles carrying a subtle aroma piled on top.
The Heavenly Demon took a bite of the chewy buckwheat noodles and couldn't hide his surprised expression.
"A unique flavor."
It was different from the Pyongyang naengmyeon and Hamheung naengmyeon he'd eaten before.
Especially the dongchimi makguksu, cold enough to freeze his teeth, seemed to punch right through his stuffy chest.
[How is it?]
At Nameless's cautious question, the Heavenly Demon looked down at the bowl of makguksu.
"It's the kind of noodle dish you'd crave on a sweltering day. I don't understand why the shopkeeper didn't recommend this to me."
Highest praise imaginable.
Nameless swallowed the words, *That's because you insisted on only jjajangmyeon,* and spoke in a pleased tone.
[Makguksu is a common dish, so from now on, you should try ordering it at construction sites too.]
"Slurp. Slurrrp."
Next to the Heavenly Demon, the girl was inhaling her makguksu like mad.
She polished off the savory bibim makguksu topped with plenty of meat and sesame seeds in one go, then said to the Heavenly Demon,
"Me too."
[Got it. Table 11. One—no, three more dongchimi makguksu!]
As Nameless shouted the order, the Heavenly Demon spoke up.
"I'll have bibim makguksu too."
[Table 11. Add one bibim makguksu!]
"Slurp. Slurrrp."
As soon as the extra dongchimi makguksu arrived, the girl started devouring it again.
Nameless watched contentedly as the Heavenly Demon ate his bibim makguksu competitively, but then noticed the other customers' gazes turning their way.
-Wow, that nanobot language pack is impressive.
-That nanobot—isn't it using the next-gen language pack from those TV ads?
-That guy, looking at his muscles, must be a top-rank Awakener.
-The one sitting next to him his daughter? She's so cute.
Hearing the faint murmurs, Nameless felt puzzled.
Until now, wherever they went, no one stared openly at the Heavenly Demon. It was because of his fierce face and the murderous, intimidating aura radiating from his body.
But now, for some reason, people were looking at him like any ordinary person.
"Eat slowly."
The Heavenly Demon said to the girl, who had her face buried in the bowl, pouring noodles into her mouth.
"I won't steal any."
"Tasty."
The girl murmured softly, and the Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue.
"We'll go somewhere else soon. If you stuff yourself like that, you won't properly taste the food at the next place."
Only then did Nameless realize why people's gazes had changed.
The similar eye shapes of the Heavenly Demon and the girl, somehow resembling each other. Plus, his gruff yet subtly caring demeanor made them look like any ordinary father and daughter.
[Ah.]
Having witnessed a scene he'd thought impossible in his lifetime, Nameless spoke in an emotional voice.
[This Nameless is happy.]
"What nonsense."
[No, please eat plenty.]
"Me, want more. Cold one this time."
At the girl's words, Nameless suppressed his overwhelming emotion and shouted even louder.
[Table 11. One more dongchimi makguksu!]
Lunch was at a pasta specialty shop called "Angel's Garden," located on a quiet national roadside a bit away from the city center.
On a Sunday, they'd have had to wait due to crowds, but being Monday and late lunch, the place was very quiet.
[This place is famous not just for its delicious pasta, but for the beautifully landscaped outdoor garden and walking paths. I originally planned for some waiting time to tour it...]
Nameless trailed off.
This little girl was a big eater who took her food seriously.
She'd eat another plate of pasta before strolling through a garden full of flowers and plants.
"Wanna go."
But surprisingly, the girl pointed to the garden.
"No need for that."
The Heavenly Demon glared with eyes blazing irritably, and Nameless whispered softly.
[Didn't Jang Chaewon ask you to treat her like a customer?]
"Cut the nonsense. I'm annoyed."
But the girl in the oversized hood tugged at the Heavenly Demon's sleeve while gazing at the flower-filled garden.
[Customer, customer. Think of it as customer service training.]
It fell on deaf ears.
As the Heavenly Demon ground his teeth and unleashed Blood Flame Radiance, Nameless quickly averted his gaze and approached the girl.
[Come, follow me. This Nameless will guide you.]
With limbs extended like a bellhop, Nameless led the way, and the girl made an "okay" sound while tugging the Heavenly Demon's sleeve again.
"Hmph."
The Heavenly Demon, glaring at Nameless, bared his fangs and slowly started walking.
True to its name "Angel's Garden," the walking path was beautifully arranged.
The path, festooned like entering a flower festival, felt like a blessed road walked by angels.
The Heavenly Demon, who had memorized one hundred eight thousand scrolls in his mind and reached the pinnacle of martial arts and great laws through the ages.
But regrettably, he had never learned to appreciate beautiful nature.
"Aren't they all the same paths?"
The Heavenly Demon grumbled every time they walked one.
But seeing the girl's side profile beaming amid the garden flowers, he had no choice but to follow the path.
[Alright, now that you're hungry again, time to enjoy some delicious pasta.]
Having circled the garden, their digestion was aided, and appetites revived.
As the Heavenly Demon and girl sat at the table, the pasta dishes Nameless had pre-ordered arrived one by one.
[The specialties here: squid ink pasta, truffle pasta, and spicy crab stick pasta. The truffle pasta has truffles on a sauce simmered with ground beef, egg yolk, cream, and cheese. The squid pasta is flame-torched for a smoky aroma...]
Ignoring Nameless's rambling explanation, the Heavenly Demon and girl started eating the pasta before them.
"Hoh."
The Heavenly Demon's eyes widened slightly with each bite.
This pasta was on a whole different level from any dish he'd eaten before.
The squid pasta's rich butter flavor enveloped the tongue, with chewy squid texture bursting forth.
The truffle pasta's creamy sauce seeped between the strands, delivering deep umami, while the spicy crab stick pasta's heat whetted the appetite and cut through the richness.
[Eat slowly. I've ordered more.]
This time, Nameless skipped "How is it?"
The Heavenly Demon's surprised expression at the intense flavors and the girl's lively face as she ate were answer enough.
Moreover, thanks to the walk, the girl's usually stiff face looked much brighter.
Nameless felt especially proud of that.
[Now, the final dish—the beginning and end of noodle cuisine. Janchi guksu.]
As the sun set and the sky turned inky black.
Nameless's last stop was a street of food stalls in the city, selling janchi guksu.
[Truth be told, this food stall street doesn't have a janchi guksu master or famous eatery.]
Nameless, held by the girl, gazed at the stalls and said,
[On a chilly night with cold winds, a bowl of janchi guksu from a stall with steam rising in curls. Shall we say it represents the spirit of Korea?]
Nameless's guiding light pointed to a food stall labeled "Udon House" about ten meters away.
[I added this janchi guksu to the noodle tour hoping the Heavenly Demon would enjoy not just the taste of the noodles, but our country's unique atmosphere and sentiment.]
The Heavenly Demon made no reply to Nameless's long-winded explanation and entered the stall with the girl.
Inside the cramped stall, low incandescent lights illuminated blue plastic tables.
As the Heavenly Demon and girl sat in the corner, Nameless waved his hand and said,
[Auntie, two janchi guksu and two udon please!]
"Huh? Oh, sure."
A round nanobot waving cheerfully and ordering threw the stall auntie for a loop, but she swallowed her bewilderment and started boiling the noodles.
The food stall filled gradually with off-duty office workers. The atmosphere felt like arriving at a late-night street stall packed with martial artists from the jianghu.
"Hmm."
The Heavenly Demon looked around with interested eyes.
People unwinding from a hard day with a drink. People venting sorrows over a drink and snacks.
This food stall was a tavern frequented by this world's people, a rest stop to release daily joys and woes.
"Noodles are up."
Noodles were placed on a nearby table where a lone man sat. He lifted the entire bowl and drank the broth first.
"Kaaah."
Letting out a raspy sigh, the man picked up wooden chopsticks and started eating the noodles.
"Here're your noodles and udon."
Noodles and udon arrived at the Heavenly Demon's table too.
The girl and Heavenly Demon stared at each other intently, then lifted their bowls and slurped the broth.
"Kah."
The girl forced out a groan, nearly making the Heavenly Demon burst into laughter.
He'd never shown compassion or interest to children in his life, yet he couldn't fathom why this little girl stirred faint emotions in him.
"Slurrrp."
The Heavenly Demon and girl happily ate their noodles and udon.
Perhaps due to the stall's vibe and cool air, even without any special flavor, it tasted incredibly good.
* * *
Leaving the stall, the Heavenly Demon walked side by side with the girl.
Escaping the bustling city, they reached a quiet parking lot, where the Heavenly Demon opened the L.V.M.S door.
Click.
But the girl holding Nameless didn't get in the passenger seat; she just stared blankly at the Heavenly Demon.
[Not getting in?]
Feeling something off, Nameless asked, but the girl just beamed.
Seeing her radiant smile lighting up the darkness like daylight, the Heavenly Demon nodded as if realizing something.
"Satisfied?"
The girl nodded, hoisted Nameless high, hugged him tight, and rubbed her cheek against him.
[W-Why are you doing this? It's embarrassing.]
"Food... tasty."
The girl whispered softly, then carefully set Nameless down.
She spread her arms wide and slowly approached the Heavenly Demon.
"It's fine. I'll decline."
The Heavenly Demon waved her off, but the girl approached undeterred.
And hugged him tightly.
"Mm."
Being short, it ended up as hugging his leg, but the girl didn't care and clung to it firmly.
"Come again."
As her small voice echoed, the surrounding air seemed to clear instantly, with a refreshing breeze blowing—an illusion, perhaps.
"Ahem."
Unable to bear it, the Heavenly Demon cleared his throat awkwardly, and the girl carefully released his legs.
With a slight wave, the girl walked slowly toward the shadowed side untouched by light.
The small shadow of the hooded girl gradually melted into the darkness, vanishing like mist before long.
* * *
The next day, at Bokbok Interiors.
For some reason, the shop looked even cleaner, flashier, and brighter than usual.
The Heavenly Demon, who arrived early in the morning, heard about the girl's identity from Jang Chaewon.
"Borrowing the Two-Faced Ghost Elder's words, she's a veeery high god."
"A god."
Recalling the girl's smile, the Heavenly Demon looked puzzled.
"You don't know all the gods?"
"Of course not. How would I know that one?"
"That one?"
As the Heavenly Demon looked puzzled, Jang Chaewon averted her eyes and pretended otherwise.
"No need to know. Go clean the shop."
The Heavenly Demon picked up the mop without argument. How this world turned or what gods existed was none of his concern.
But Jang Chaewon's words as she turned made it his concern.
"Oh, she visits occasionally, apparently."
"What do you mean."
Sensing something ominous, the Heavenly Demon turned, and Jang Chaewon grinned mischievously.
"She really enjoys gourmet food. Over vast eons, she picks humans who savor fine cuisine to her liking."
"Humans who savor fine cuisine?"
"Yeah. This time, you were chosen, Heavenly Demon."
Jang Chaewon gave a wry smile at the frozen Heavenly Demon.
"Thanks to you, our shop's territory grade shot up forcibly. Straight to 7th grade. Trading with such an immense god."
So that's why the shop sparkled more.
As the Heavenly Demon couldn't hold back his bewilderment,
[That's good news.]
Nameless, lying in the storage room, popped out and said,
[When she comes, won't the Heavenly Demon get to go on gourmet trips often? And Jang Chaewon covers the food costs too.]
"Yeah, sure, I'll cover the food bills. Letting her just eat gives our shop massive advertising.]
Jang Chaewon said with a reluctant expression.
"But I hammered it down with the Divine Territory Management Team. Promotion's fine, but no more grade-ups."
Jang Chaewon deliberately kept Bokbok Interiors' territory grade teetering on the edge.
Hence her dissatisfaction with the sudden rise.
"Anyway, do well next time too."
At Jang Chaewon's words, the Heavenly Demon frowned.
"No next time. If she comes again, I'll refuse."
"What are you saying? Just feeding her brings huge promo benefits."
"Annoying. What do I gain from it?"
"Oh my, what a thing to say. Aren't you our shop employee?"
[I'll have to plan the gourmet courses even better from now on.]
The Heavenly Demon despaired, but Nameless, arms crossed, spoke brightly.