Lee Jun-ho and his group finished preparing a special dish for Expedition Leader Bruno, who was going through a period of low appetite.
“Bruno will surely be satisfied with this!”
O’Donnell looked satisfied as he inspected the dish made with the stimulating ingredients sent by the Rocket Store.
The dish, which combined the spiciness of kimchi with the intense aroma of fermented food, was the exact opposite of Halfling food, but that was precisely the point.
“Well then, I shall go and deliver the finished dishes to Bruno. You all take a short break.”
O’Donnell headed back to the expedition party with the finished food.
Soon, joyful news arrived from O’Donnell.
**[It’s a huge success! Bruno was moved to tears of joy!]**
**[He shouted that he could taste the flavor with just one bite.]**
**[On behalf of Bruno, I give my thanks to the Rocket Store.]**
**[Thank you so much. You saved a precious friend.]**
I watched the scene at the expedition camp through a hologram that Lee Jun-ho’s group could not see.
Bruno was smiling brightly while tasting the other dishes, and the expedition members, seeing their leader regain his appetite, cheered as if it were their own success.
“That’s good. What a relief.”
O’Donnell watched the expedition’s departure ceremony for a brief moment, and as soon as Bruno passed through the castle gates, he returned to the kitchen.
“Time is tight, so let’s officially begin the survival cooking!”
“Finally!”
“We’ve been waiting.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
As if the production of pemmican and the preparation of ingredients until yesterday were merely the basics, O’Donnell rolled up his sleeves and spoke energetically.
“Today, we will make all three meals together. Since the expedition has to eat outdoors, we’ll focus on convenience foods that highlight the advantages of survival cooking.”
Lee Jun-ho, Park Min-su, and Kim Da-young nodded with expressions of half-nervousness and half-excitement.
“Guardian, can we try those dishes too?”
Aria stared at the food on the screen, salivating.
‘Should we ask them to make some for us as well?’
“Yes! Definitely, please!”
“All right. Don’t get excited. I’ll ask him.”
“First, we’ll start with breakfast. It’s called the Morning Combat Set… Hmm? An additional order has already come in.”
“Huh?”
“The owner of the Rocket Store wants to try it.”
“Is that so?”
“We have plenty of ingredients. Making one extra isn’t difficult at all.”
O’Donnell skillfully began to grill sausages made from the Brutal Boar that the hunters had caught.
A savory aroma filled the kitchen along with a *sizzle*.
“Wow! I feel like I can smell it from here!”
Aria twitched her nose.
“While the sausages are grilling, prepare the bread. Lee Jun-ho, you’re in charge of that.”
“Yes, Master!”
Lee Jun-ho sliced the Halfling bread to an appropriate thickness and toasted it in butter.
“I can hear the sound of the bread toasting in butter so clearly. *Crunch, crunch*.”
Aria leaned her ear toward the screen.
“You’re going to fall into the screen at this rate.”
“It’s not that bad!”
While Lee Jun-ho was toasting the bread, Kim Da-young and Park Min-su each took on a task as well.
“Now, try making Candied Sweet Potato Sticks.”
“Sticks? Do I slice them long like this and fry them?”
“That’s right. But the key here is the seasoning. Let’s use the seasoning to bring out the flavor.”
Under O’Donnell’s guidance, Kim Da-young sliced the sweet potatoes into long strips and coated them in a special seasoning.
When she fried them until they were crispy, golden Candied Sweet Potato Sticks were completed.
“I’m curious about what that seasoning tastes like! Is it a secret Halfling recipe?”
“We’ll find out once we get the recipe later. If it’s not too difficult, I’ll add it to the breakfast menu.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
O’Donnell’s instruction continued.
“Now, you try making Glow Berry juice.”
“Should I remove the stems and blend them?”
“No. Don’t remove the stems. Grinding them together helps with digestion.”
“Oh? I always pulled the stems off and threw them away when eating Glow Berries. I didn’t know they had that effect.”
“What a waste! Don’t do that from now on.”
Park Min-su’s eyes sparkled.
“Oh, I’ve seen those before! They grow a lot near the World Tree.”
Aria looked happy to see the Glow Berries on the screen.
“Really? On Earth, you can only find them in rifts. I wonder if we can grow them on Earth later?”
“It should be possible! Once the World Tree grows a bit more.”
After tasting the completed Morning Combat Set, all three of them were in awe.
“This is really delicious!”
“The Brutal Boar meat was heavily seasoned to get rid of the gamey smell, but it’s delicious even when eaten as a sausage like this.”
“The Candied Sweet Potato Sticks are so crispy and sweet!”
Thanks to asking Lee Jun-ho and O’Donnell, we were also able to taste the Morning Combat Set.
It was a flavor that was hard to believe came from a mere sandwich.
Furthermore, the more important thing was the buff.
**[The effects of the Morning Combat Set have been applied]**
**— Permanent Stamina stat increases by +1 (One-time limit)**
**— Stamina recovery speed +15% and Cold Resistance +20% for the next 6 hours**
“How is it, Aria?”
“Wait a second! *Munch… munch…* I’m savoring it.”
“Right. Sorry for talking while you’re eating.”
Aria was no longer just a glutton. She looked ready to become a full-blown food critic.
After sending 100 servings of the Morning Combat Set to the expedition for breakfast, O’Donnell and his group didn’t rest for long and immediately started cooking again.
“There’s almost no rest time since there are 100 servings, huh?”
“They’re working hard.”
For lunch, they made the Battle Lunch Set.
The burger, filled with a patty made by personally grinding Giant Wolf meat, was overflowing with juices, and the softness of the Cream Potato Sticks created a perfect harmony.
“Wow, look at the size of that patty. It really is a Giant Wolf.”
“Guardian, what do you think Giant Wolf tastes like?”
“Who knows? I’m curious too. Hunters who have tried it said the taste wasn’t that great. But looking at O’Donnell’s cooking, I want to try it.”
“Watching the cooking process is such torture!”
Usually, I would have teased Aria, but right now, I felt the same way.
After a waiting period that felt like an eternity, today’s lunch arrived via Rocket Delivery.
First, I took a sip of the ade.
“It’s sweet and tasty.”
The ade Park Min-su made was refreshing and cool.
Following that, I took a large bite of the hamburger containing the Giant Wolf patty.
The gamey smell I had worried about was completely gone.
“It’s better than most beef patties.”
**[The effects of the Battle Lunch Set have been applied]**
**— Permanent Strength stat increases by +1 (One-time limit)**
**— Physical Attack +8% and Critical Rate +5% for the next 6 hours**
“It even increases the Critical Rate? This is going to be incredibly popular with damage dealers.”
“Your eyes are sparkling, Guardian.”
‘It’s because I smell money.’
For dinner, the main dish was Ironback Bear Steak.
“This meat is special. It’s the sirloin of a bear clad in iron armor. Controlling the heat is vital.”
“Do we not prepare the iron armor separately?”
“If the iron armor is heated well, the heat is transferred efficiently to the inside. It has the effect of sealing in the juices, and once cooking is done, it can even be used as a plate outdoors.”
“It’s multi-purpose.”
“That’s right. Outdoors, you shouldn’t use anything wastefully. Supplies are always scarce.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Aria marveled at the giant steak on the screen.
“With just one of those, the two of us could eat for a week.”
“It really is massive compared to a Halfling’s physique.”
“Oh? It’s here!”
I snatched the package before the Rocket Delivery parachute could even fully touch down.
*I guess this is possible now that my stats have gone up.*
In an instant, the Dinner Set was laid out on the table.
The steak, completed under O’Donnell’s thorough guidance, was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
“Look at the color of the soup. Just like the taste, it’s… so rich!”
“If we get the recipe, we can add this as a menu item.”
“Wow! I love that!”
**[The effects of the Ironback Bear Set have been applied]**
**— Permanent Magic stat increases by +1 (One-time limit)**
**— HP/MP recovery speed +20% and fatigue recovery while sleeping +25% for the next 8 hours**
Lee Jun-ho’s cream potato soup was also a masterpiece.
The deep and smooth flavor blew away the day’s fatigue.
“I think I’ll sleep like a log if I go to bed after eating this.”
“It’s always uncomfortable sleeping when you’re roughing it or camping. This buff feels like a total cheat.”
“It really does!”
While Aria and I were tasting the Dinner Set, O’Donnell and Lee Jun-ho’s group were saying their goodbyes.
“I’ve learned so much over the past two days!”
“I’ve completely mastered the basics of survival cooking.”
“I think I can make it on my own now.”
“All of you have matured significantly as chefs compared to when you first started. Good work.”
I watched the scene with a proud smile.
“Whoa, are you feeling proud, Guardian?”
“I didn’t raise them myself, but it’s the moment where the connection I formed is bearing fruit.”
“That’s not wrong!”
The first group sponsorship mission was officially completed.
**[The group mission ‘Support the Battlefield Meals’ has been successfully completed!]**
The participants, including Lee Jun-ho, saw a significant increase in their Survival Cooking skill proficiency and seemed to have acquired and registered O’Donnell’s survival cooking recipes directly.
However, even though the mission was over, the three of them didn’t move for a while and fell into an awkward silence.
“Two days felt really short.”
Kim Da-young spoke first.
“You’re right. We were awkward with each other at first, but now I feel like we’ve become a really good team.”
Park Min-su agreed.
“To be honest, I’m a little sad to part ways like this.”
Lee Jun-ho spoke cautiously.
“We feel the same way.”
“Yes, it’s really a shame.”
Lee Jun-ho hesitated for a moment and then spoke as if he had made a decision.
“By any chance, would you two like to work with me at the small restaurant I’ve set up?”
“Huh?”
“Is that okay?”
“Yes. We are Survival Chefs, so if there’s a rift or a Tower conquest, we have to leave for several days at a time. It’s difficult to commute to a normal restaurant, isn’t it?”
“That’s true. My schedule is so inconsistent that it’s hard to hold a job at a normal restaurant. I was actually worrying about that.”
“I also barely managed to get away this time after promising to treat my colleagues to a company dinner later.”
“In that regard, the only ones who can understand a Survival Chef…”
“Are other Survival Chefs!”
“I agree!”
Lee Jun-ho nodded in understanding.
“But how will we manage the shop? If the shop isn’t operated regularly, it will be very inconvenient for customers.”
“…That is a problem.”
“Even if we post daily notices, there will be customers who end up making a wasted trip.”
As I watched the three of them fall into deep thought, I realized something.
‘Is it time for me to step in?’
— It would be disappointing if you planned a business without me.
The three of them looked at the hologram screen in surprise.
**[Kim Da-young: Is that really the Rocket Store owner?]**
**[Park Min-su: Wow. You can even communicate with us?]**
— Yes. More importantly, I have a good idea.
**[Lee Jun-ho: What kind of idea is it?]**
— How about opening a shop in the Rocket Store and trying a delivery service?
**[Lee Jun-ho: A delivery service?]**
— Yes. If you use Rocket Delivery, you can deliver anywhere within one minute. Moreover, the food stays exactly as it was when freshly made.
**[Kim Da-young: That’s true.]**
**[Park Min-su: Since we’ve used the Rocket Store ourselves, we know how effective it is.]**
**[Lee Jun-ho: That sounds quite decent.]**
— Right? And we can even make the delivery fee free. Most importantly, you don’t need to worry about the delivery itself, and you can easily manage the store’s operating hours with an on/off switch.
I organized the plan while tapping on a calculator.
“That’s a perfect solution for Survival Chefs who have to leave for days because of rifts or Tower conquests!”
Aria said with interest.
“Does it look that way to you too?”
“Yes. You’re a total businessman, Guardian.”
I immediately sent a proposal to the three people who were considering it.
**[Delivery Service Proposal]**
**- Order reception through the Rocket Store**
**- Immediate delivery via Rocket Delivery (within 1 minute)**
**- Commission: 10% of sales**
**- Delivery Fee: Free**
**[Park Min-su: This is perfectly tailored for us! We can do it freely according to our rift schedules!]**
**[Kim Da-young: I’ll be able to balance my hunter work and shop work!]**
**[Lee Jun-ho: Could you give us a moment to talk among ourselves?]**
— Of course.
Though I could see and hear everything anyway.
“Then, are we officially becoming a team starting today?”
“Yes. How about ‘Lee Jun-ho & Company’?”
“Haha. Let’s decide on the name later and review the business proposal first.”
“Sounds good.”
The three of them shook hands happily.
The prices I set for their food were more expensive than existing Halfling lunch boxes, but considering the immediate delivery and the quality of freshly made food, the prices were competitive enough.
And the next day, from the very first day of their trial opening, orders for Lee Jun-ho & Company flooded in.