The Uninvited Guest
“Ugh…! Who the hell is that guy?”
It had only been a few days ago.
Provan Restaurant had been thrown into chaos for a brief time.
The one small mercy was that it had happened outside of regular business hours.
Kang Ji-seok, the owner of the restaurant, had received an unexpected visitor. Or rather, an uninvited one.
“Did the investigation go well?”
“Y-yes, sir… It did, but…”
The employee had stammered through his words.
The investigation into Seona’s Restaurant was complete, and they had even handed over an expensive magic stone.
He had gathered quite a bit of useful information, yet the employee’s expression remained far from bright.
It’s probably nothing, Kang Ji-seok had told himself. Just some personal issue. He had brushed it off.
That decision came back to haunt him the very same day, after Provan Restaurant had closed for the night.
“Kang Ji-seok. Owner of Provan Restaurant.”
“W-who…”
It wasn’t some deserted back alley.
They stood on a busy main street, yet the passing pedestrians acted as if they could neither see nor hear anything unusual, simply continuing on their way.
A sense of dread had washed over him. He tried to grab someone, anyone, for help.
But the moment he moved, his body froze as though blocked by some enormous, invisible force. He couldn’t budge an inch.
“Who… are you?”
Human instinct screamed at him.
Danger.
“You’ve been committing quite a lot of tax evasion.”
“H-how did you—!”
It wasn’t exactly a secret. But it wasn’t something just anyone would know, either.
Besides, tax evasion on the scale of a small restaurant like this rarely drew the attention of those in real power.
A few well-placed bribes to the right people usually made the problem disappear quietly.
“This is a warning.”
What exactly he was supposed to be careful about, Kang Ji-seok still didn’t know.
But the employee’s grim expression had been proof enough that something had happened.
“Are you… from the National Tax Service…?”
“We’re not nearly that civilized.”
In this era, the National Tax Service was nothing like its old self. It was an organization run primarily by hunters who tracked down tax evaders and used their abilities to collect what was owed.
To call such a place “civilized” was laughable.
Whatever he is, I need to lie low for a while.
He would have to ask the employee what had really happened.
“Understood.”
“See that you remember it.”
With those words, the mysterious man vanished along with the thick mana that had filled the air around them.
That was the entirety of his memory from that day.
Even when he asked the employee later, the only answer he received was “I don’t know.”
Part of him wanted to press harder, but after facing that man in person, the urge had completely vanished.
Damn it…!
He couldn’t afford to lose his VIP customers like this.
Park Geon-su’s departure was already a heavy blow, but the fact that the people the old man used to bring with him had also stopped coming was an even bigger problem.
The most reliable rumors and prestigious reputation—“They say an S-class hunter goes there,” “I heard an A-class hunter visited too”—were visibly crumbling in recent days.
“I’ll have to go see for myself.”
There was no other choice. Kang Ji-seok made his decision.
There were no VIP reservations at the restaurant today anyway, so stepping out wouldn’t cause any issues.
“Hyung! Come here for a second.”
If Kang Ji-seok was the owner of Provan Restaurant, his older brother Kang Jun-su was the manager in charge of the entire dining hall.
“We’re about to get busy. What is it?”
“I need to step out for a bit.”
“What? We’re opening soon.”
“You can handle everything anyway.”
“Still, you’re supposed to take care of the VIPs. I handle operations, you handle management.”
“There are no VIP reservations today anyway…”
“…Where are you going?”
“The place where Elder Park Geon-su has been visiting lately.”
Since he already knew the general situation, there was no real reason to stop him.
It was essential, especially as competitors, to understand what exactly drew the old man to that restaurant and what kept him coming back.
“Fine. Go on, then.”
Kang Ji-seok deliberately chose not to bring any magic stones with him.
The mysterious man he had met on the street the other day had given him advice that still lingered in his mind.
He would go with pure intentions.
If he learned something important, he could simply acknowledge it and learn from it.
And so Kang Ji-seok headed toward Seona’s Restaurant. Not long after he left, an unexpected pair of guests arrived at Provan Restaurant.
“Manager! We have VIPs!”
“What? The VIPs came without a reservation? Ji-seok isn’t even here right now…”
“We probably shouldn’t make them wait, right?”
“You’re right. I’ll go greet them. Cover for me.”
Although foot traffic had dropped slightly compared to before, Provan Restaurant was still a busy establishment.
After entrusting things to the assistant manager, Kang Jun-su went out to welcome the two VIPs.
“Welcome. Elder Park Geon-su, Hunter Seong Ye-eun.”
“Today it’s the manager instead of the owner, I see.”
“Yes. He had to step out briefly. My apologies.”
“Whoa, isn’t that Hunter Park Geon-su?”
“Hunter Seong Ye-eun is with him too?”
“I heard they’re regulars here. Guess it’s true. People have been saying they haven’t seen them lately, though.”
The situation that had worried him seemed to be resolving itself rather smoothly.
“I’ll show you to your usual room. That is still your preference, yes?”
“Please do.”
Seong Ye-eun remained as silent as ever, but Kang Jun-su felt satisfied simply that she had shown up at all.
Park Geon-su and Seong Ye-eun settled into the room they always used.
“It really is strange,” Park Geon-su remarked.
“What is?” Seong Ye-eun asked.
“This room used to have such a pleasant atmosphere.”
“It wasn’t bad, I suppose.”
The VIP rooms at Provan Restaurant each had their own unique themes.
One was so luxurious it felt like an emperor’s chamber. Another used countless magic stones to artistically incorporate modern technology.
The room Park Geon-su favored recreated the outdoor scenery of each season using magic stones.
Since it was currently autumn, the room depicted a hillside covered in falling leaves, perfect for enjoying a meal while gazing at the scenery.
Of course, it was all an illusion.
Yet somehow, that room no longer stirred any particular feeling in him.
Nothing about it had actually changed. It still captured the essence of autumn beautifully and radiated the same cozy warmth.
“Don’t you find it strange?”
“What now?”
“Rather than enjoying a meal while feeling the season on my skin, I find myself missing that unchanging view outside a certain window.”
There was no need to ask which window he meant.
It had to be the view from the seat that little girl always recommended.
“I suppose that makes sense.”
Even while eating in the cool autumn breeze like this, even with the highest-grade ingredients and dishes prepared by exceptional chefs, the thought that it was merely “not bad” was not simply a matter of mood.
“So why did you want to come here?” Seong Ye-eun asked.
“A little while ago, my friend Yuhyeon told me something interesting.”
“Yuhyeon…”
Park Geon-su recounted to Seong Ye-eun what he had heard from Yuhyeon.
She was someone who had the right to know.
As the story continued, Seong Ye-eun’s expression gradually hardened.
“That’s not exactly a pleasant story.”
“No, it isn’t. That’s why I came.”
“Are you planning to say something to them?”
“Heh heh. Shouldn’t I?”
Park Geon-su’s voice and demeanor grew slightly heavier.
There were two reasons the current situation displeased him.
The first was that someone had investigated him behind his back. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for them to visit Seona’s Restaurant.
The difference in scale was far too great for them to be considered true competitors.
And the second reason.
They had gone directly to Seona’s Restaurant with the intention of doing something there.
According to Yuhyeon, they had brought a staggering number of magic stones.
If they had simply gone to observe, he wouldn’t have stepped forward like this. It would have been a pure attempt to learn firsthand.
What angered him was the knowledge that they had targeted a powerless father and daughter, even resorting to using magic stones.
It was as offensive as investigating him personally.
“Elder, Hunter. Your food is ready.”
“Thank you.”
Manager Kang Jun-su personally brought out every dish.
The food carried colors of red and yellow, along with a gentle, cozy warmth that perfectly matched the autumn theme.
As the course service began, Park Geon-su looked at Kang Jun-su and spoke.
“Young man.”
“Yes, Elder?”
“That’s enough.”
“Pardon…? What do you…”
“Do you find this old man’s comings and goings so very interesting?”
“E-Elder, that’s not…”
“No need for excuses. The same goes for Hunter Seong Ye-eun here.”
What excuse could he possibly offer?
The words were already decided.
I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.
That was all there was.
“I’ll trust that you mean it. I’ll enjoy today’s meal.”
“…Yes, sir.”
Though Park Geon-su spoke with a kind smile, Kang Jun-su understood the hidden meaning behind those words.
It was a farewell. A final thanks for all the meals they had enjoyed until now.
It meant they would not be eating at this restaurant again.
Still, since it was their last visit, both Park Geon-su and Seong Ye-eun ate every dish that had been prepared with care.
The food truly was exceptional, after all.
The restaurant’s owner, Kang Ji-seok, still had no idea what had just taken place at Provan Restaurant.
His mind was completely occupied with the single thought of thoroughly investigating exactly what kind of place Seona’s Restaurant was.
Seona’s Restaurant, located not far from Provan Restaurant.
When Kang Ji-seok finally arrived at the mysterious establishment, the first thing he did was observe the scenery visible from outside.
A shabby building that looked completely out of place among the tall, modern buildings surrounding it.
Strangely enough, this building seemed to mark the beginning of an area that had yet to be redeveloped.
“…It looks incredibly dirty.”
Perhaps because it was so old, even from the outside it gave off a strong impression of filth.
Why would the elder come to a place like this?
Still, since he had come to learn something, it only made sense to try the food before leaving.
As he drew closer to the restaurant step by step, he began to make out the people inside.
It seemed there were no customers yet. The restaurant looked peaceful.
Peaceful? For someone running a business?
Wasn’t that the last thing a restaurant owner should want?
Anyone in the food business was supposed to live with war by their side at all times.
“What are they doing…?”
Just as he got close enough to see clearly, he spotted the owner and what appeared to be his young daughter sitting at a table, working on something with great concentration.
They seemed to be talking as well, but unfortunately he couldn’t hear their conversation.
The daughter was writing something on a piece of paper, then showing it to her father for inspection once she was done.
“His daughter is incredibly cute.”
How could a child be that pretty?
The more he looked, the more impressed he became.
Her face was scrunched up in serious concentration, as if writing was difficult for her.
Her small hand gripping the pen tightly.
The way she tilted her head from right to left and back again.
It suddenly reminded him of his own son.
His son didn’t stay at the restaurant all the time, but whenever he did, trouble followed without fail.
There were times when Kang Ji-seok found his own child annoying. He could only imagine how the staff felt.
Yet somehow, he doubted the father and daughter separated only by a pane of glass ever felt that way about each other.
It seemed like their days would always be filled with laughter, and every single day would feel special.
“Well… I should head inside.”
Just as he was about to enter the restaurant, the father and daughter seemed to have finished what they were working on and came outside carrying it.
There was a small A-frame sign in front of the restaurant that he hadn’t even noticed until they moved toward it.
They were attaching whatever they had written to the sign.
“Today’s… menu.”
It was stir-fried spicy pork.
His mother used to make it for him often when he was young.
Let’s go in.
And let’s try it.
Just how impressive is this place, really?