The Red Hearth
Ian walked down the restaurant-lined street, humming a cheerful tune under his breath. The leather bag that had once held a cat was now empty and light, but his heart felt heavier and fuller than it had in a long time. It was only three gold, yet it was the first honest money he had earned with his own strength on his very first day in this new world.
He gently stroked the inner pocket of his bag where the coins rested, thinking back to the child he had just met.
The boy who had struggled to push open the guild door had been leaning on an old wooden wheelchair. His thin legs, visible beneath the hem of his pants, were so frail they told the story of a congenital deformity that had kept him from walking his entire life.
The child’s face had been gaunt with worry for his cat, but the moment Ian showed him Ella, the tears he had been holding back burst out in heavy sobs. The exhausted Ella, who had been sleeping, jolted awake at her owner’s voice. She meowed pitifully, as if asking why he had taken so long.
Ian waited in silence until the boy and his cat had shared their warmth and calmed down. When he finally heard the full story, his sympathy only grew.
The boy’s name was Jane. His parents, from Caline Beach Village within the city of Gelian, had taken him out on a fishing boat when he was very young. They were swept away by the sea in an accident and never returned.
Left alone, Jane had been raised by his frail grandmother. He had spent his entire life lingering near the shoreline.
This time, it seemed he had thrown his first real tantrum. He had begged to see the wide city, to catch even one glimpse of the world beyond the gates.
When Jane cried and refused to stop, his soft-hearted grandmother had pushed his wheelchair despite her own discomfort. They had gone through the city center and out beyond the walls. The cat Ella had joined them on that picnic.
At first, everything had felt like a dream. The colorful sights of the city were wonderful, but the clear, open scenery outside the gates had lifted a weight from his chest like nothing else.
Seeing her granddaughter so happy, the grandmother had smiled gently too. But the elderly woman soon ran out of strength and fell asleep beneath a tree. In that moment, Jane, unable to resist his curiosity, had rolled his own wheelchair and headed toward the forest alone.
Drunk on his first taste of freedom, Jane had kept turning the wheels without noticing how his arms trembled. Unfortunately, he had come face to face with a massive black boar.
Paralyzed with terror, Jane had frozen stiff. When the boar advanced threateningly, he had screamed instinctively. Startled, Ella had leaped up as if to protect him, but the boar’s menacing presence had sent her fleeing into the nearby Milky Way Forest. That was the whole story.
Jane had looked up at Ian with tear-filled eyes and added his thanks.
The children from the beach village all get to ride the boats with the adults once they turn ten. But because my legs are like this… I’ve always been alone. Ella was the friend who came to me like a miracle. Thank you so much for finding someone so precious to me.
Ian smiled quietly and stroked the boy’s hair. Looking him in the eye, he whispered kindly.
When Jane blinked, Ian continued in an even brighter voice.
"No…! I used to think I couldn’t do anything without Grandma, but… now I know that’s not true. I think I can do things on my own from now on."
"That’s right. You can accomplish anything."
"Hehe… Thank you, big brother."
When Jane beamed, Ian smiled brightly too and patted the boy’s hair once more.
Snapping out of his brief reverie, Ian quickened his pace and scanned the street. Remembering Jane’s sparkling eyes, he no longer felt any worry. The truly pressing issue now was his completely empty stomach.
Man, I’m starving. But I can’t spend a lot of money yet. I need to find the absolute best value restaurant—cheap and with huge portions!
Ian narrowed his eyes and began searching the alleys for the scent of delicious food.
After wandering through the streets for some time, he finally found the perfect spot. It was a restaurant and tavern called the Red Hearth.
Perhaps it was famous among adventurers and mercenaries, because when he peered through the large windows, the interior was packed with rather intimidating people. Men and women alike looked extremely fit, and nearly all of them carried weapons of various sizes. Even from outside, the aura they gave off was sharp enough to prickle his skin.
Because of that, ordinary passersby would glance at the menu board outside with interest, only to turn away the moment they saw the inside of the restaurant. But Ian was in no position to be picky. Three gold was far too little to pass up a place that clearly offered good, cheap food.
Let’s… let’s just go in!
Gathering his courage, he stepped inside. The customers near the entrance glanced at him with mild interest before turning back to their companions. The rest of the patrons paid him no attention at all.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Ian took a seat at a small table by the window. After a short wait, a man who appeared to be the owner approached and handed him a menu. He must have been quite the fighter in his day; a long scar ran across his left eye, and his arm muscles were enormous. Ian tried not to stare at those boulder-like arms as he quickly scanned the top of the menu.
Whole-roasted pig from the hearth, massive beef cuts, lamb skewers, smoked ham slices, giant sausage grill, bone-in meat soup, and more…
Every single one of those dishes cost more than one gold. Other options like lamb sandwiches, meat-stuffed bread, and ham-and-pickle sandwiches ranged from four to six silver.
After some hesitation, Ian looked at the bottom of the menu. There were the cheapest noodle dishes. He decided on the “mixed meat noodles.” It cost only three silver.
“Mixed meat noodles, please.”
“And to drink?”
“Um… just water, please.”
“Got it.”
The man took the menu, gave Ian a once-over, and disappeared toward the kitchen. Ian shivered at the instinctive goosebumps that rose on his skin. That brief glance had been heavier and sharper than the receptionist at the errand boy guild, enough to make cold sweat run down his back. He grumbled inwardly with a gloomy face that even eating a meal was incredibly difficult.
But the situation changed in an instant. The moment the “mixed meat noodles” arrived, his slightly sour mood transformed into pure joy.
The portion of the three-silver noodle dish—roughly three thousand won back in Korea—was easily enough for two and a half people. And the dish itself turned out to be smoked duck pasta. It was loaded with noodles and plenty of perfectly stir-fried duck meat.
Ian swallowed the saliva that had flooded his mouth. He picked up a fork, twirled the steaming-hot pasta and smoked duck together, and brought it to his lips.
The moment he bit down, the rich, smoky juices of the duck meat burst in his mouth. The moderately fatty yet chewy texture of the meat mixed perfectly with the al dente pasta thoroughly coated in a savory, salty sauce. Every chew released a pleasant sting of garlic and the deep umami of mysterious spices that danced across his tongue.
Even if hunger was the best seasoning, this was objectively a masterpiece. The flavor was deeper and richer than most professional restaurant dishes he had been lucky enough to try back in Korea.
Now Ian was practically burying his face in the bowl as he inhaled the noodles. The more he chewed, the more the rich fat from the duck coated his entire mouth in silky smoothness. The chewy noodles that followed added an enjoyable texture to every bite.
The mysterious vegetable salad served alongside was the crowning touch. The crisp, refreshing vegetable juices instantly cleansed his palate of any lingering oiliness. The vegetables were so fresh they made a satisfying crunch with every bite, bursting with life as if they had just been picked. The sweet-and-sour dressing that followed only heightened his appetite, making it impossible to put down his fork.
In the end, Ian devoured every last bite without even pausing to breathe properly.
He sat there for a moment, blankly patting his now-full belly, before heading to the bar at the back to pay. The owner he had seen earlier was grilling all kinds of sausages there. At a shout of “Another dark beer!” his hands moved with lightning speed to fill a mug and slide it across the bar.
“Excuse me, I’d like to pay.”
Ian spoke in a slightly small voice. The owner caught it easily and fixed him with his deep green eyes.
“…Did you enjoy it?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes! I cleaned the plate completely.”
“Hm, good. Then make sure you become a regular from now on.”
“Huh?”
“As you can see, this place is full of nothing but scary-looking bastards. Tsk.”
At that moment, a sharp-eyed woman sipping wine at the bar chimed in.
“Honey, that’s too much! What’s so bad about us!”
“Ugh, does that mean even after I retire I have to stare at mercenary riffraff every single day?”
“Hahaha! What can you do? It’s already been marked as a favorite spot for mercenaries. That’s part of your legacy and the value of your name.”
“Shut up!”
He turned back to Ian and said,
“My name is Roscal. Roscal Tales. I’m the owner of the Red Hearth.”
“Ah, yes… I’m Ian River. Mr. Tales, it was truly a wonderful meal.”
“Just call me Roscal.”
When Ian nodded with a slightly dazed expression, Roscal spoke in a coaxing tone.
“Ian, you’ll come often from now on, right?”
“Haha… Yes. The food was really cheap and delicious.”
“Puhahaha! That’s right.”
When Ian handed over a gold coin, Roscal promptly gave him seven silver in change.
“Next time you come, the drinks are on the house.”
“Thank you.”
Even after saying goodbye, Ian hesitated for a moment before asking,
“Um… do you happen to know any cheap inns around here?”
“Why, running low on money?”
“Yes… a bit.”
Roscal frowned and scratched his black hair before answering as if he had just remembered.
“Hm, right. If you leave my place, you’ll see an alley right in front. Keep going down it, turn right at the fork, and you’ll see another split. Take the right path again and you’ll find a shabby inn called the Dreamy Haven. That’s probably the cheapest place around here.”
“Wow, thank you so much.”
Ian gave Roscal another deep bow, then left the restaurant carrying a pleasant feeling of fullness.
The evening air that rushed in the moment he opened the door felt completely different from before. The scorching heat of midday had cooled into a calm breeze, and the magical street lamps of Gelian were beginning to flicker on one by one, bathing the night in a soft orange glow.
Ian’s steps naturally became lighter. Rather than anxiety about having to sleep under a completely unfamiliar ceiling, what he felt most was relief at finally finding a place where he could rest his body in peace.
Dreamy Haven… They really picked a perfect name.
So what if it was shabby? The fact that a soft bed and warm blanket were waiting instead of a hard stone floor was more than enough. Ian repeated the directions Roscal had given him in his head and strode briskly toward his first resting place somewhere beyond the alley.
His first night in this new world. What kind of dreams would he have there? It was a truly pleasant evening, where even the noise of the unfamiliar city sounded as comforting as a lullaby.