episode_0003

“Good work exploring the dungeon today~ Yay!”

“”Good work~””

Cheers!

The sound of my beer glass clinking against my friends’ glasses rang out cheerfully.

It was another day spent risking our lives cooking in the heart of the dungeon.

The spoils of war were Dragon Tail Steaks.

It was an incredibly satisfying meal, to the point where I could still feel the fullness.

But there’s always a separate stomach for alcohol!

After returning from the dungeon, we came to the pub for a drink to relieve the fullness and fatigue.

Since I’m here, maybe I should ask some of the things I was curious about?

“Lilien, there’s something I want to ask.”

“Oh my, what would it be, Yu An? My beauty secrets? My three sizes? Just say the word~”

“Ahaha… Not that.”

Honestly, I *am* curious about the three sizes, but.

Ah, what? I’m a guy too. Only a beauty like Lilien would be worth being interested in!

“I was just wondering how you met Ellis. You explained it too briefly the first time.”

“Aw, was that the question? How disappointing~ Not fun~”

Lilien slightly shook her beer glass and curled up the corners of her mouth.

“But it’s really nothing special. Right, Ellis?”

“Yeah, it was simple, wasn’t it?”

Ellis took a cool sip of beer, wiped away the foam, and said indifferently.

“The heroes got beaten up by me, and Lilien was the last one to arrive, and after fighting for a bit, I was just persuaded right then and there, and we formed a party.”

……

I quietly put down my beer glass.

“You’re saying that so nonchalantly?”

“Yeah. But that’s all there is to it. Were you expecting some grand story?”

“No, at first I thought it would be something like fighting with the fate of the world at stake, or a decisive battle after an incredible duel… I thought it would be something like that.”

“Aw~ There’s nothing grand like that~ I just casually suppressed and threw aside the heroes who attacked me like usual…”

Ellis lightly waved her hand.

“And then I was persuaded by Lilien. She fought neck-and-neck with me too. Projection is originally a skill used by just anyone, but I’d never seen a human use it that well?”

For a moment, Arte, who was pouring beer directly down her throat, also put her glass down and showed interest.

Speaking of which, I should order her another one.

That doesn’t feel like drinking so much as just pouring it directly down her throat?

“…What did you say to persuade her, Lilien-ssi?”

“I just said there’s a lot of food left in the world, so let’s just eat together and film mukbangs~ If the world is destroyed, you won’t be able to eat it all, right?”

“You seriously came over because of that, Ellis?”

No, the reason is too absurd.

Usually in these other worlds, isn’t the norm for people to risk their lives clashing over ideologies?

Contrary to my expectation, Ellis nodded nonchalantly.

“Yeah. I was also too lazy to do Demon Lord work anyway. Since I was at it, I just quit.”

She took another sip of beer, put her glass down with a *clunk*—and spoke as if she were used to it.

“That’s why Lilien and I are the former Demon Lord and former Knight, right?”

It feels like the world is running too lightly for some reason.

“…No, is it okay for a Demon Lord to quit like this?”

“Of course it is, Yu An~ Thanks to it, I’m this happy, so it’s OK!”

Ellis smiled brightly and clinked her beer glass against mine again.

“Okay, cheers~!”

“Hmm… Cheers~!”

Oh well, I don’t care anymore~ They say the one who thinks too deeply about these things loses.

“Your ordered fried chicken and cabbage salad are here~”

“Ah, thank you, Wilmarina-ssi.”

I accepted it familiarly and moved the food to the table.

Wilmarina-ssi, the server, passed by in an instant, skillfully placing the plates.

For your information, Wilmarina-ssi is a Valkyrie.

A woman with beautiful long brown hair and a saint-like personality.

According to her, she told the gods to stop bothering humans and was punished by being dropped to the mortal realm…

So, she works as a server at this pub to make a living for now.

But…

“……Huh?”

I tilted my head slightly while looking at the table.

I definitely ordered fried chicken and salad, but next to it, a small amount of fish and chips was placed there all by itself.

“Uh, Wilmarina-ssi? Something I didn’t order is here?”

Then, Wilmarina-ssi, who was leaving, slightly turned around and—

Gave a gentle wink.

“It’s a service for Yu An-ssi~”

“Oh… Thank you!”

What good luck is this? Since she gave it to me, I should eat it gratefully.

Lilien and Ellis looked at me at the same time.

“Our Yu An-ssi, you’re popular~?”

“Yu An~ Are you perhaps capturing women even at the pub? Are we not enough?”

“…No, I really didn’t do anything?”

“He seems to be the surprisingly oblivious type~”

Lilien smiled meaningfully and tilted her glass.

Meanwhile, Ellis sniffed the fish and chips, picked up a piece, and chewed on it deliciously.

“It’s tasty. Yu An, I’ll eat well!”

“Hey, Wilmarina-ssi said that was *my* service!”

“Good things should be shared~”

“Please share some with me as well, Ellis-ssi. It is good food to use as supplementary power.”

If it was fate for an unexpected plate of service to be shared with my teammates, then perhaps it was fate.

The freshly fried chicken glistened, lightly holding oil.

The pub’s signature dish, attractive with the scent of herbs and garlic stimulating the tip of my nose.

After dissecting it, I picked up a chicken leg and handed it to Arte.

She accepted it familiarly and quietly took a bite.

Chewing with her small mechanical mouth, *gulp*.

“How did Arte end up joining this party?”

Then, Arte replied in her usual calm voice.

“I was guarding the ruins as usual. But that day, the outer wall suddenly broke through, and two women appeared.”

“Huh? It’s dynamic right from the first meeting…”

“Those two said there was ancient food inside the ruins and told me to hand it over, almost by half-threatening me.”

I looked at the two people in front of me.

Lilien turned her head slightly while drinking beer, and Ellis chewed on the fried chicken, pretending not to listen.

“Oh my, Arte-ssi. I spoke politely using honorifics, didn’t I?”

Lilien protested with a cunning smile.

“Is speaking politely while projecting a halberd and spear a polite attitude? I truly don’t know.”

“Ahaha… Lilien was very hungry at that time. She was just about to cause chaos.”

Ellis’s not-so-much-a-shield shield.

And if Lilien was on the verge of rampaging, doesn’t that mean you, Ellis, were also almost rampaging?

I put down the chicken wing and let out a deep sigh.

“…This is absurd. I’m speechless. It’s like the millstone has no handle~”

But then, I suddenly realized.

“Huh? But that’s the story of how you met. What was the reason for joining?”

I took a bite of the chicken wing and looked at Arte.

Then, she replied with her usual calm demeanor.

“So, I first handed over Combat Ration Unit 2, which was in the storage.”

“Oh?”

“I even explained the cooking method in detail to the two of them. And, finally, when the two ate it—”

Arte paused for a moment, narrowing her eyes as if recalling that time.

“They were genuinely angry. More fiercely than when we first met.”

I instantly looked at Lilien and Ellis.

Then, the two added, with expressions as if recalling trauma.

“It tasted truly awful.”

Lilien put down her glass, her face scrunched up.

“A taste that condensed all of human malice?”

“Lilien is right.”

Ellis also sighed and nodded.

“It tasted like an egg left for about a year, steeped in mop water, and then cooked sous vide.”

“…I have absolutely no idea what that tastes like, Ellis.”

Arte quietly added.

“Combat Ration Unit 2 can be stored for a long time and guarantees minimal nutrition. Taste is not important.”

I put down the chicken wing and quietly covered my face.

“…I understand. And at the same time, I don’t want to understand.”

Then, Ellis slammed the table with a *bang!* and said.

“Anyway! So I took Arte’s hand and told her to go outside!”

“While you were guarding this place, tons of delicious food came out into the world!”

Lilien also nodded beside her.

“I persuaded her that now, instead of things like combat rations, she should eat proper cooking.”

I slowly looked at Arte.

“…And you ended up following them?”

Arte was silent for a moment, then gave a small nod.

“Yes. To be honest, I also hated eating that combat ration.”

“But until then, I just didn’t know what other food was like. However, after eating Yu An’s cooking, I realized.”

“That the world is vast, and there is a lot of delicious food.”

Arte looked at me with a faint smile.

I lost my words for a moment at that smile, but eventually sighed and laughed without meaning to.

“Haa… In the end, you joined because of mukbang too.”

“That is correct. But I have no regrets.”

“So you circled the world and then came to me, is that it?”

I took a sip of beer and sighed.

“Now that you’ve eaten food from the human world, it’s to enjoy the gourmet food of monsters.”

Truly, to think the reason this party was created was this simple.

At first, when I had just reincarnated into this world and was fumbling around, I wondered why the strongest individuals suddenly came looking for me—

“Correct answer~!”

Lilien smiled softly and lightly tilted her glass.

“It’s a fated encounter, Yu An?”

“We knew it from the start!”

Ellis smiled pleasantly and came closer right next to me.

She patted my shoulder—and spoke in a slightly excited voice.

“Strong physical strength that can lift heavy loads! Above all, outstanding cooking skills! And…”

She slightly looked up at my face and wore a playful smile.

“Not bad, a likeable appearance!”

“…You’re saying things without embarrassment because you’ve had alcohol, Ellis.”

I averted my gaze out of awkwardness, but she stuck out her tongue slightly and smiled playfully.

At that moment, even Arte, who had been quiet, added a remark.

“Their words are correct.”

“Hmm?”

“Crucially, everyone, including myself, cannot cook.”

For a moment, Lilien and Ellis simultaneously went blank.

“…Ah, that is true.”

Lilien lightly cleared her throat and turned her glass.

Ellis also scratched her head, her face red.

“Hmm… Right. I can’t cook either. But I’m good at starting fires! Gehen… *muffled*”

“You blocked her well, Arte~”

I alternately looked at the three people in front of me.

“Hey, but why are you so confident about that?”

Then, Lilien slowly leaned towards me, giving a soft smile.

“Because the food you make is the most delicious.”

“Yeah! That’s an unchangeable fact. One more drink! Yay~”

Ellis also said to me with sparkling eyes.

“So please stay with us, Yu An.”

Even Arte is being serious about it?

While speaking playfully earlier, all three naturally came closer right next to me.

…How should I put this.

“…Haa.”

I sighed but also smiled slightly.

Because if you ask if I dislike this life, that would be a lie.

I like them too!

[Eyecatch!]

Today’s Cuisine: Crispy Whole Fried Chicken & Fish and Chips

Whole Fried Chicken – The pub’s signature menu!

Crispy on the outside! Juicy on the inside!

The pub’s 대표 (representative) menu, fried after being coated in a special herb and garlic sauce!

It boasts fantastic compatibility with beer, and the moment you tear off a piece, the meat juice spreads throughout!

“If you come to this pub, it’s a plate you absolutely must eat~!”

—Written due to the enthusiastic strong push by a certain Valkyrie who happened to be passing by.

Fish and Chips – Service from the kind Valkyrie server!

A plate specially added, although it wasn’t ordered.

A sincere gift given with a wink, saying, “It’s a service for Yu An-ssi~”.

Crispy fried white fish and freshly fried potato chips make a fantastic combination!

Add to that the consideration served with a kind smile, could you refuse a bite?