Chapter 51: The Day Kimbap Took Over Alburton

“Why is it so noisy?”

“What’s with all the fuss?”

“Look over there! Isn’t that him?”

“Who? Oh! That’s Fabir-nim!”

It seemed more and more adventurers were starting to recognize me.

Soon their eyes widened like saucers the moment they spotted the signboard.

“Uwaaaaaaaaah!”

“T-that is!”

“K-Kimbap Paradise!”

“This has to be a dream, right? Hey! Slap my cheek!”

Someone who couldn’t tell dream from reality.

“Sniff… I thought I’d never eat it again… tears are blurring my vision…”

Someone actually crying.

“All those times I wore out my shoes going to the apothecary begging paid off! Fabir-nim has finally answered our desperate pleas!”

Someone clasping their hands and gazing up at the signboard in reverence.

The area in front of the request office had turned into pure chaos.

Cayton urgently asked,

“Fabir-nim! When does the shop open?!”

“……!”

Silence suddenly fell.

Every single gaze locked onto me.

“…Tomorrow.”

“UWAAAAAAAAAAH!”

A thunderous cheer erupted.

Jumping up and down.

Running around like madmen.

Spinning in circles.

It was pandemonium.

“Tomorrow I’ll finally eat kimbap again!”

“I need to line up from dawn! No, maybe I should just camp here tonight?”

“That’s a great idea!”

They high-fived each other and shouted “Deal!”

The front of the request office boiled over with adventurers swollen with anticipation.

The next morning, at dawn.

An adventurer heading to the request office early.

“What am I even doing… splitting my sleep just to eat some food.”

The adventurer named Jack shook his head.

Yesterday the request office had gone wild. 

At the center of it all was the newly opened “Kimbap Paradise” right in front.

Everyone had been raving about the kimbap sold there, and he had gotten swept up in the excitement.

“Since I’m already up early, I’ll eat quickly and go hunting.”

He entered Adventurer Street.

“What the heck is this?”

A rare sight unfolded before him. A long line stretched from the street entrance.

He greeted a fellow adventurer standing at the very end.

“You guys lined up a lot even this early.”

“You said you weren’t coming.”

“Ahem, I’m just having breakfast before heading to the dungeon.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“But isn’t the line way too long? When did people start lining up?”

“The very front has been waiting overnight since yesterday.”

“Overnight? Is there really a need to go that far?”

“That’s because you don’t know. Those people up front have already eaten kimbap.”

“They’ve eaten it? And they’re still lining up?”

“Known flavors are the scariest.”

“Just how delicious is it?”

“Last time it sold out in a flash. If you miss it, you have to wait another whole day, and that wait is apparently excruciating. They said they’d rather camp out.”

Buzz buzz.

Voices from the front.

“Looks like it’s about to open.”

One step. Another step.

The line moved faster than expected, but more people kept joining the back.

Soon the request office came into view.

“What in the world?!”

People were collapsed all over the street.

“Don’t mind them. You’ll be like that soon too.”

“What does that mean?”

“Look over there. That guy just bought kimbap.”

An adventurer who had just purchased kimbap bit into it with a determined face.

Munch munch.

After a few chews.

DING!

His eyes bulged as if they would pop out.

Then.

Thud.

He collapsed with the kimbap still in his mouth.

“As expected, another one down.”

Jack blinked at the sight.

“That’s… no way?!”

“Yep. He just suffered the legendary heart attack. Right now he’s probably dancing in paradise.”

Looking again, every single person had kimbap in their mouths and blissful expressions on their faces. 

An unbelievable scene was unfolding right before his eyes.

A few adventurers with strong mental fortitude barely regained consciousness.

“A festival of flavors explodes in my mouth. Ahh, ecstasy!”

“This nutty aroma… is this sesame oil? It’s a spice sent by the gods!”

Stagger.

“Ah, I almost blacked out again. It really is a dizzying taste.”

Jack was horrified. Just how terrifying was this food? 

Every adventurer was completely enchanted by kimbap.

“Next customer.”

“Hey, it’s your turn.”

While he was distracted, it was suddenly Jack’s turn.

“O-one kimbap roll, please.”

Jack glared at the kimbap he received.

The long roll looked like a black stick. 

Yet inside, white rice and colorful vegetables created a vivid palette.

He was enveloped in tension. 

Seeing all the people collapsed on the street put considerable pressure on him.

But the irresistibly savory aroma that had been tickling his nose since earlier seduced him.

An temptation he could not resist.

I heard the person who made this kimbap is either an incredible alchemist or a wizard. 

Whatever it was, they definitely did something to it. Some kind of enchanting potion that bewitches people.

Gulp—

Even though suspicion lingered, saliva kept pooling. 

His body kept screaming to eat the kimbap.

“Screw it. It won’t kill me.”

Unable to resist the temptation any longer, he bit into the kimbap.

Chomp.

At that instant.

ZAP!

His tongue trembled with sensation.

A powerful electric shock that started at the tip of his tongue struck his brain.

Just one second.

That was all it took for him to be completely disarmed.

His jaw dropped slack.

All suspicion vanished somewhere, and a silly grin spread across his face.

An adventurer who had been waiting in line clicked his tongue at Jack.

“Tsk tsk. He’s gone. Totally gone.”

“Next customer!”

But soon they would all end up grinning just the same.

After a long time, I headed to the Elf Forest.

“You’ve finally come.”

***

Yet the moment I entered the gate, an elf guard urgently grabbed me.

“The village chief wants to see you right away.”

If she was looking for me like this, it couldn’t be something ordinary.

I immediately went to find Sharin.

“You were looking for me?”

“The weather is gradually turning cold. Have you gathered a lot of saffron?”

I took out two large glass bottles from my bag. They were filled with all the saffron I had collected so far.

“One bottle is full, and the other will be full soon.”

“Hmm… A cypress tree that lives a thousand years is worth a great mansion by human standards.”

Sharin spoke after a pause.

“I hate to say this, but even if you fill that bottle, it will still be far from enough to buy a cypress seed.”

“I-is that so?”

Well, even buying a single house takes a lifetime of work for humans; of course a mansion would be impossible.

I had underestimated the cypress seed.

At this rate, will I have to sleep outside in the freezing winter? 

Should I at least stay in an underground cave?

“But why bring this up now?”

Sharin gave a gentle smile.

“My friend, I trust you. With a glad heart, I will give you the cypress seed in advance as an elf’s—”

She handed it over.

“R-really?”

“Yes. You can pay the price little by little later.”

The corners of my mouth soared to the sky. What kind of luck was this?

…But something feels fishy.

Sharin wouldn’t give it away this easily.

“I can’t just receive it for free. Then what should I do for you?”

“Could you perhaps grant me one favor?”

“I had a rough idea when you summoned me. What is it?”

Sharin smiled and said,

“I hear you are on friendly terms with the dwarves?”

“I’m a fully recognized apprentice blacksmith in the village.”

I shrugged.

“But why do you ask?”

“The valley water that comes down from the great mountain range becomes a river that passes through our elf forest. Yet for some reason, the water volume from the south has decreased compared to before.”

“That’s serious.”

“From our investigation, a landslide changed the flow of the river.”

“A landslide?”

“With only elf strength, we cannot move the huge boulders. But dwarves should be able to.”

“Have you tried negotiating? I know elves and dwarves bicker, but they’re not that bad.”

“We already sent word once, but there has been no reply.”

Elves who tend the forest. Dwarves who carve mountains and dig the earth.

Their ways of life differ, so conflicts of opinion are frequent, but they are not hostile.

“I would like you to try persuading them once more. It would be greatly appreciated if you could help for the sake of this forest and the elves.”

Convincing those stubborn dwarves is no easy task, but delivering a message doesn’t cost anything.

“I’ll try.”

But persuading dwarves will require something special.

Now that I think about it, I heard dwarves love alcohol.

***

“It’s more serious than I thought.”

Riding Dorori and looking down from the sky, the elf river had visibly shrunk.

The smaller streams had already dried up, exposing the riverbed.

If left like this, the forest would gradually wither starting from where the water was cut off.

Back on the Floating Island, I immediately began preparations to win over the dwarves.

First, I soaked rice in water for about two hours.

Then I drained it, steamed it in a steamer for about an hour.

I spread the finished godubap on a tray to dry well.

Next, I put the godubap, nuruk, and an appropriate amount of water into an earthenware jar and covered it with a clean cloth.

Elenia asked,

“What are you fermenting this time?”

“This is makgeolli, a traditional fermented liquor from the East Continent.”

“Why are you suddenly making alcohol?”

“To take to the dwarf village.”

Bubble bubble.

Fermentation was already progressing in the jar.

As the “decent caretaker” of the Floating Island, I can directly access suppression and promotion.

But even without saying anything, things ferment and grow more and more exactly as I desire.

This must be thanks to diligently building intimacy with the Floating Island.

***

The next day, I headed to the dwarf village.

“Hello.”

“Greetings to you as well.”

When I greeted the dwarf sentries, they cheerfully returned the greeting.

After the apprentice contest, I no longer felt any hostility from them.

Passing the village entrance, I went straight to Kadu’s workshop.

“I’m here.”

“Come on in. But what’s with all the stuff you brought today?”

“I have a use for it. By the way, have you heard?”

“Heard what?”

“They say the river that crosses the elf forest has reduced flow because of a landslide.”

“I know. An elf already came by once.”

“They say they need the help of the dwarf village to solve it.”

“And how did you come to know that?”

“I do business in the elf forest.”

“Is that so? You really get around busily.”

“Anyway, what do you plan to do?”

“A village meeting was held.”

“And? Did you decide to help?”

“No conclusion yet.”

“Still?”

“It’s not a problem that can be decided so easily.”

Kadu shook his head.

“It’s a huge task that would require mobilizing all the manpower and resources of the dwarf village. Another meeting is scheduled for today, actually.”

This is a golden opportunity that won’t come again. I have to settle it in today’s meeting.

“If it’s all right, may I attend too?”

“Why not? You’re now a proper apprentice of this village.”

“But before that, could I borrow the kitchen?”

“The kitchen? Sure, no problem.”

“Thank you.”

I hurriedly opened my bag and began taking things out.

“Even oil in the pan… what is all this?”

“From now on, I’m preparing my secret weapon.”

I looked at Kadu and flashed a confident smile.