Chapter 11: Welcome, ordinary people

The restaurant I arrived at, following Reina, was quite large, about two stories high.

Even before going inside, while standing in front of the entrance, a savory aroma gently wafted over.

‘This is…?’

It was the smell I had caught in the plaza earlier.

A smell that made my mouth water.

Upon entering, oak barrels were densely packed along one wall, and on the other side, people were already having a drink from wooden mugs, even though it was morning.

A typical medieval tavern atmosphere.

I liked that strangely warm feeling.

-This place is truly healing

-The atmosphere is great

Reina and I headed straight for an empty table near the window.

Soon after, a Nyan-jok wearing clothes like a chef approached our table.

Waddle, waddle.

The Nyan-jok, peeking its head out from under the table due to its short stature,

looked up at us with round eyes and asked innocently.

“What would you like to order, nya!”

-So cute

-Seriously so fcking cute

-I want a Nyan-jok too.

-I’m the only one without a Nyan-jok

-It’s okay, nobody has one.

‘Don’t they give out menus?’

As it was my first time here, I looked at Reina, who had brought me, hoping to at least get a recommendation.

“What’s good here?”

“Just trust me. I have a way.”

A way to order?

As I looked at her with a curious gaze, she confidently pulled out beef jerky from her pocket.

At the same time, the Nyan-jok’s eyes widened significantly.

She dangled the beef jerky enticingly towards the Nyan-jok.

The Nyan-jok’s head swayed along with the dangling jerky.

It looked as if drool would spill from its blankly open mouth at any moment.

“Nyananyanya…”

Reina smiled and asked.

“What’s the recommended menu for today?”

“Vegetable soup and mackerel, nya…”

“Then we’ll have that, please.”

The beef jerky was smoothly handed over to the Nyan-jok.

The Nyan-jok, having received the jerky, seemed unable to contain its joy and ran towards the kitchen, humming.

“Okay, nya!! I’ll bring it as fast as I can, nyananya!!”

‘Is that some kind of bribe?’

She was completely playing the Nyan-jok.

It felt like she was taming it.

Seeing how accustomed she was, I looked at her with suspicious eyes.

“Why? What?”

“You seem very familiar with this.”

“Wha…what is?”

Her voice trembled slightly.

“You were playing with the Nyan-jok as if you were taming it. Perhaps you have such a preference?”

“Wha-what are you talking about! It’s because it’s cute! This is just… like a tip!!”

“Yes, yes, of course. I’ll believe you.”

“Argh, this is driving me crazy!!”

-Ppatppat-i 2, you had that kind of taste?

-Nyan-joks are naturally crazy for beef jerky.

-Hold on, I’m gonna go buy some beef jerky.

-Dude…

Actually, just seeing Reina order so naturally without a menu was enough to tell that she had been here often.

However, seeing her expression, as if she found my words absurd, made me want to tease her even more.

She was someone who was strangely fun to tease.

“But you seem to come here quite often, don’t you?”

“Ah, here? I’ve come quite often. The owner here is a good cook.”

Reina leaned back comfortably in her chair and said.

“That’s why most people from the outpost come here.”

“It must be a popular spot.”

“Yup.”

“So, everyone dangles beef jerky?”

“Hey!!”

Her reaction is priceless.

As I was chatting with her, the food arrived quickly, perhaps thanks to the bribe.

“Here it is, nya!”

Steaming hot vegetable soup.

Over the lightly charred skin of the mackerel, glistening oil slowly trickled down.

It seemed it wasn’t the recommended menu for nothing.

The savory smell of soy sauce mixed with a hint of charcoal aroma began to seriously stimulate my appetite.

-Wow fck… that looks so fcking delicious

-Look at that oil dripping down

-Just looking at it makes my mouth water…

As I quickly looked for utensils to eat, I couldn’t help but be momentarily flustered.

‘A spoon and a fork…?’

A spoon, well, that’s understandable since it’s needed for the soup.

But to eat mackerel, not with chopsticks, but with a fork?

As a native Korean, it was an unacceptable situation for me.

-Ugh

-Ppatppat-i 2 is eating so d*mn deliciously

-Hahahaha yeah, meat tastes best when eaten like that.

-But it’s fish.

-As expected of Ppa-hwang for mukbangs.

-She’d be great at mukbangs hahaha

Watching Reina stab the mackerel with a fork and eat it whole, I was at a loss for words.

“Huh? Why aren’t you eating? It’s delicious, hurry up and eat.”

At her words, I had no choice but to stab the mackerel with a fork and eat it.

Of course,

-Hey, why are you picking at your food like that?

-Unlike the person in front of you, you’re eating so unappetizingly.

-Maybe you should watch and learn…?

I couldn’t help being compared to the mukbang deity sitting in front of me.

Munch, munch.

‘It’s no wonder everyone comes here…’

It was quite inconvenient to eat, but the taste was just as Reina had said.

It was unbelievably delicious.

The faint charcoal aroma and the crispy texture of the mackerel skin felt with every chew.

The outside was slightly charred and crispy, while the inside was unbelievably soft and moist.

The soy sauce wasn’t strong but subtly infused, spreading a savory umami rather than just saltiness in my mouth.

Just when the oily taste started to feel a bit heavy, the vegetable soup was exactly what was needed.

The moment the hot broth went down my throat, I felt my insides completely relax.

Carrots, potatoes, and cabbage were thoroughly cooked and soft to chew, and the broth had a deep flavor, likely from simmering meat bones and dried vegetables for a long time.

A sweetness and savory depth spread throughout my mouth.

“Wow…”

As I let out a small exclamation at the taste, Reina made a smug expression.

“How is it?”

“It’s really delicious.”

“I told you. This place is good.”

“You were right, sunbae.”

Even as I spoke, my fork didn’t stop.

[King of Late-Night Snacks has donated 1000 won]
[I’ve only been in baby mode, so what does it taste like?]

A donation flew in just then.

To answer the donation, I switched my microphone to streamer mode.

This way, I could communicate with viewers during the game without any interruptions.

“Thank you for the 1000 won donation, King of Late-Night Snacks. Hmm, to describe the mackerel first, the outside has a slight charcoal aroma while the inside is moist enough to be oily. As for the soup… it’s like a gentle, warming taste that feels wonderfully soft from the inside out.”

I’d never described the taste of food before, so I didn’t know if I expressed it properly.

But it was an expression of exactly what I felt.

And soon.

-Ah, I can’t take it, I’m going to make ramen

-I just ordered delivery

-Was there anything to eat at home?

Given the time, the number of people complaining of hunger increased.

It seemed I had described it pretty well.

Feeling slightly proud, I finished the rest of the food.

Reina had already finished eating a while ago and was watching me.

Perhaps because I was eating deliciously, she seemed to be waiting without saying much.

“All done?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s get going.”

We got up from our seats and headed towards the clerk to pay, and soon I spotted a familiar fellow there.

Nyeo.

The one who spat on the ground after seeing me last time, ran away, and got hit.

It was surprising to see him quietly working as a clerk here.

“Are you going to pay now, nya…?”

The fellow who had raised his head, sensing our presence.

Soon, his eyes met mine.

Flinch.

He started to subtly avoid eye contact.

I was dumbfounded by how he couldn’t even meet my eyes until the payment was done.

‘If he was going to be like this, why did he even spit yesterday…?’

Of course, it might have been because he got hit by a stone while running away.

I quietly followed Reina, glancing back slightly as if just passing by him.

And then.

Press.

“Nyanyanyaat!!”

I deliberately stepped on his tail.

Making the contact area as small as possible.

Because it hurts more that way.

It wasn’t out of malice, just a kind wish that such a thing wouldn’t happen next time.

Definitely not holding a grudge.

As I left the store, leaving the fellow clutching his tail in pain, a scream erupted from inside.

At that sound, Reina tilted her head.

“Did something happen inside?”

I shook my head.

“No, nothing at all.”

“Then what was that scream?”

“Maybe someone stubbed their pinky toe. Now, now, don’t worry about it and show me other places.”

Reina looked at me with a suspicious face, but as I kept pestering her from behind, she started walking forward as if she had no choice.

-She’s the one who caused the ‘stubbed toe’ hahaha

-She was pressing down firmly with the edge of her shoe hahaha

-I saw it!! I saw her step on the Nyan-jok’s tail with my own two eyes!!

“Be quiet.”

-Hup

-The streamer is oppressing us!!

-Tyranny! Tyranny!!

Following her guidance, as we wandered around the village, we soon realized it was time to pick up the weapon.

So, we slowly turned back and headed towards the blacksmith.

“Here, it’s ready!! The Green Scale Greatsword, made from Domagirius material!!”

The blacksmiths, having already completed the greatsword, were cooling their sweat and waiting.

A greatsword that looked as if it were made by skinning a lizard, true to its materials.

The densely packed scales on the greatsword’s blade were sharply honed, looking like a powerful weapon in itself.

[King of Greatswords has donated 1,000 won.]
[Kyah, look at that beauty! As expected of a greatsword!!]

“How is it!!”

In response to Pil’s question, I caressed the greatsword with one hand and said.

“It’s pretty.”

Actually, considering only the appearance of the Green Scale Greatsword, it was a design that couldn’t exist in reality.

‘Who would embed scales into the blade of a sword?’

Honestly, its practicality seemed low.

But paradoxically, I liked its unrealistic appearance.

“It might be a bit heavy for you to wield.”

“What do you think? Can you swing it?”

“If not, we can make you a different weapon. We still have materials left.”

On the surface, it might sound like they thought I couldn’t handle this weapon.

As in, ‘Could a delicate thing like you lift this greatsword?’

However, looking at their expressions, their eyes shining brightly as they spoke,

I could tell that what they truly wanted was something else.

Just then, a donation came in.

King of Greatswords.

His nickname itself showed his love for greatswords.

[King of Greatswords has donated 1,000 won.]
[I joined the stream late, but do you know how to use a greatsword? I can teach you. Greatsword newbies are rare as it is.]

“It’s alright.”

Having grasped the greatsword’s center of balance with my fingertips, I used my body’s momentum to lift it.

Then, by slightly turning my toes, I rotated my body and swung the greatsword sideways.

Whoooosh—!

The sound of the heavy greatsword cutting through the air and tearing the wind echoed inside the blacksmith shop.

I moved by crossing my feet, maintaining inertia, and controlled the greatsword’s direction by switching my grip on the handle.

The movements weren’t rough; rather, they were smooth like flowing water.

Swish! Whoooosh!!

As if space itself trembled heavily, the sound of the blade slicing through the air continued within the blacksmith shop.

And finally.

Thud!

I finished the movement by slamming the tip of the greatsword into the floor.

Then, I felt the gazes of the blacksmiths, who had been holding their breath.

Are they waiting for an evaluation?

“I like it. The handling seems good too.”

Since it has scales embedded, I’ll probably need to slightly adjust my movements in the finer details when hunting monsters.

This was satisfactory enough.

As I nodded my head in satisfaction.

“What I saw back then wasn’t everything…”

Reina, who was looking at me in astonishment, and.

“Hoooh. To think you could use a greatsword like that!!”

“Perhaps, could you show me that swing you just did one more time? Not from the back, but from the front!!”

“How was it? You said you liked it, but there might be some inconvenient points. I’ll listen to everything, so speak up quickly!! I’ll fix it right away!!”

I saw the three blacksmiths, their eyes shining a bit too intensely.

Then, I remembered the viewer who had just offered to teach me about greatswords.

“King of Greatswords?”

[King of Clubs has donated 1,000 won.]
[I apologize. I dared to make such a reckless remark… The greatsword I’ve wielded until now was nothing more than a heavy club… From now on, please call me the King of Clubs…]

-Just like that, completely owned him hahaha

-Hi, King of Clubs

-Oh, King of Clubs, who was merely ordinary

-What, you were just a commoner?

-Commoner, dismissed!