The constellations looked at the foods Jinwoo had offered as a late-night tribute.
They were truly magnificent dishes. It felt like something you’d only see at a huge party in America, and the aroma alone was enough to make their mouths water.
A giant pizza, a slab of roasted Red Wolf rib meat, spaghetti smothered in mozzarella cheese, and even chicken wings.
It was the perfect feast. The food was so delicious they couldn’t stop eating, so the constellations dug in with great anticipation.
First, the pizza.
“Kuh-uh…!”
Anonymous 1, who was floating in midair as if sitting cross-legged, couldn’t hold back an exclamation of awe.
The salty flavors of pepperoni and bulgogi spread in his mouth, followed by the pleasant crispness of the dough.
Just like biting into a freshly baked cheese stick, the mozzarella on the pizza stretched out enticingly.
The crispy crust from the start had turned soft and chewy, melding perfectly with the various toppings, each contributing its own flavor.
When his mouth started feeling salty and parched, he drank the beer Jinwoo had provided. The savory taste and refreshing carbonation washed away the lingering flavors.
“Keeh—! This is the best!”
Anonymous gave Jinwoo a huge tip today. His hands trembled as he donated over 1,000 coins—a hefty sum—but he didn’t regret it at all. In all his years as a constellation, had there ever been a time when spending coins didn’t feel wasteful?
Thanks to those coins, Jinwoo’s life had been extended by about half a year, and now he could enjoy a delicious feast like this.
With food this good, it simply couldn’t feel like a waste.
‘Since I’ve had something salty, I should eat something milder now.’
The Red Wolf’s ribs were mild. They weren’t too fatty, so the savory flavor was just right, and the meat was chewy and tender. The texture made it fun to eat.
“So good, so good!”
Anonymous was delighted like a child.
He was a constellation who lived alone for eternity on his own star.
Some might envy the constellations, but in truth, they were the unfortunate ones. They could live for eons, but that only meant their time was inevitably filled with loneliness.
That’s why they obsessed over the community and broadcasts, and why Jinwoo’s food brought them such joy.
Opportunities to eat good food were rare, after all.
Anonymous, having discarded all the charismatic airs he used to have before becoming a constellation, gnawed on the Red Wolf’s rib meat.
Then, his eyes caught sight of spaghetti blanketed in white cheese.
He used the fork Jinwoo had sent, swirling the cheese and noodles together, then took a big bite.
The soft, chewy noodles combined with the salty flavor of mozzarella filled his mouth. And that wasn’t all. The tartness of the tomato sauce was mellowed out by the mozzarella’s savory taste, resulting in a perfectly balanced mouthful.
The wings were oily and savory, and whenever his mouth felt heavy, the beer’s unique savoriness and crisp carbonation refreshed him.
“Haah, this is what makes sponsoring worthwhile! This is the best, the best!”
Anonymous’s hearty laughter echoed throughout his star.
*****
“Is it good?”
― It’s super tasty!
Maru absolutely loved food.
Originally an intermediate spirit, Maru’s new spirit form was a mole. But a much bigger mole.
It was about the size of a small dog, and while its size could have made it intimidating, it only made it cuter.
Watching it nibble on pizza, baring its teeth, was utterly adorable. Even the constellations and Byul seemed to find it cute.
“Eric, does it suit your taste?”
“It’s delicious. Every time you call me, my lord, I get to eat like a king, haha.”
“That’s good to hear. Eat plenty.”
“Understood, thank you.”
I only realized recently, but most of the things in the kitchen were considered items.
For example, the oven was a C-rank item, which drastically reduced cooking times.
With an oven that cooks things instantly, you could keep making more food no matter how much you ate.
There was no pressure at all.
“Byul, do you like it?”
“Yeah! It’s really tasty! Daddy, you should eat lots too!”
“Haha, okay.”
After patting Byul on the head, I ate some spaghetti.
The pizza, spaghetti, and wing set is a popular combo at franchise pizza places.
I first tried this set back in high school. I remember the landlady giving it to me for dinner.
‘I still can’t forget that taste.’
Back then, I survived on leftover convenience store food almost every day. Or, I’d have a warm homemade meal at the landlady’s place. That was delicious too, but as a student, pizza and cheese spaghetti were a novel treat.
So even a few years ago, while working as a hunter and porter, if I had a tough day, I’d always eat pizza.
“Keeh, it’s really good.”
I never thought I’d taste that pizza from my high school days again, but today’s pizza was exactly the same.
The atmosphere was completely different from back then, but maybe it was because everything had changed so much that the taste felt the same.
The pizza that had once been my only happiness in misfortune tasted the same as the pizza I ate now, in utter happiness.
“My lord, where do you plan to go tomorrow?”
“I’ll look around Gapyeong a bit more in the morning, then head down to Chuncheon. It’s nearby.”
“Oh, so you’re having dak-galbi.”
“How did you know?”
“My previous master was an Earthling from a parallel world.”
“Oh, right.”
Come to think of it, Eric said he’d had other masters besides me.
It probably wasn’t a good memory, so I never asked, but since he remembered Chuncheon, I was curious.
Noticing my curiosity, Eric smiled slyly and spoke.
“Back then, my previous master bought me a meal before an important war. It was the first and last meal I had as his subordinate, and we had Chuncheon dak-galbi.”
“Ah….”
As expected, it didn’t seem like a happy memory, so I kept silent.
(Anonymous 1): Hm.
Anonymous, too, seemed displeased that his close friend Eric hadn’t even been properly fed and was just used as a subordinate.
“Still, that dak-galbi was really delicious.”
“Let’s eat it together tomorrow.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“There’s still plenty of summoning time left, right?”
“Yes, there is.”
There are a few things I’ve realized after living in this camper.
Food and living beings don’t age here, but time still passes.
So, if you spend five hours in the camper, five hours pass outside as well. There’s no aging, but time flows—that’s the ability of the camper.
‘Thinking about it, if time didn’t pass inside the camper, it’d be a hassle. You’d sleep and wake up, but not a second would pass outside.’
That’s why Eric’s summon time keeps ticking down even inside the camper.
“I can stay for about 24 more hours.”
“That’s a relief. Then you can join us on tomorrow’s Chuncheon trip.”
“I get to travel with you as well?”
“Yes, is that okay?”
“Of course! Thank you!”
“Hehe, me too! I love traveling with Uncle Eric!”
With that, we ate our fill and prepared for bed, looking forward to our trip to Chuncheon tomorrow.
“Dad!”
“Yeah?”
“Can I clean up?”
“What?”
“I’ll tidy everything up! Rest. You cooked, Daddy.”
The exemplary daughter of this era, Kim Byul.
This tiny girl offered to handle the clean-up for my sake. Since I’d worked hard cooking, she said she’d do the rest—how endearing.
Byul was growing by the day. I even wondered if her days were longer than a normal human’s.
(Anonymous 1): …Such a good kid! Byul is the best!
(God of Rain and Sunlight): Kyaaah―! I should’ve had a daughter like that before I died.
(Father of Crops): …This is why daughters are great.
(God of Blue River): Daughters really are special. Raising a son is a whole different experience.
(Endless Waiting): I should’ve gotten married.
(Liberated Swordsman): Same here….
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): I envy Jinwoo.
(The Last Blacksmith): I agree.
Eric and I watched Byul as she bustled about. Smiles bloomed on both our faces.
It was so cute to see Byul leading the spirits in cleaning.
‘But… she’s really good at this.’
Aside from being adorable, Byul was great at cleaning. She stacked all the dishes in the sink, then, unable to reach, called for Baekgu.
“Baekgu, help me!”
― Got it!
At Byul’s command, Baekgu spat out water, which moved on its own to wash the dishes.
Meanwhile, Maru bustled about, tidying up scattered toys.
Sol cheered from the side.
What a perfect team!
Eric, the constellations, and I all clapped in admiration.
*****
The next day, Jinwoo greeted Seho, Hochang, Jiyong, Seokho, and Gyungu.
Seho, Hochang, and Jiyong decided to head to Seoul to join the Swordwind Guild, while Gyungu and Seokho started their trip right away with the camper Jinwoo had lent them.
Last night, they each quickly got their parents’ permission, and thanks to their open-minded parents and a phone call with Jinwoo, everything went smoothly.
“We’re just going to see our parents, then hit the road.”
“Sounds good, drive safe, okay?”
“Yes, thank you. Really, thank you.”
“We’ll definitely succeed!”
“I’ll be rooting for you.”
Seokho and Gyungu expressed their gratitude to Jinwoo with bright voices.
“Hyung, see you later.”
“Yeah, I’ll come visit your guild soon.”
“Please do! We’ll be waiting!”
After saying goodbye to Seho, Hochang and Jiyong thanked him multiple times, and Jiyong and Seokho also expressed their thanks again and again.
“Jinwoo, thanks. See you next time.”
“Thank you, uncle.”
“See you next time, Jiyong. Work hard.”
“Yes, thank you!”
“We’ll head out now. Have a safe trip.”
“Yes, hyung.”
After watching them all leave,
Jinwoo finally took the camper out from his subspace bag.
The camper, which had been resting in subspace, was summoned. Jinwoo climbed in and set off for Chuncheon.
As Jinwoo drove, Eric enthusiastically described the taste of dak-galbi to Byul and the spirits.
“Dak-galbi… it’s really delicious. It can’t compare to our lord’s cooking, but well-made dak-galbi, fried on an iron griddle, is truly tasty. You’ll all get to try it soon, so look forward to it.”
“I’m excited! Super excited, uncle!”
“I can’t wait!”
(Anonymous 1): Eric has a pretty refined palate, so if he praises it this much, I’m getting curious too.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): Still, it won’t beat Jinwoo’s cooking.
(The Last Blacksmith): Right, isn’t it just an ordinary iron griddle? Maybe I should make a special one as a gift.
(Father of Crops): Honestly, it doesn’t sound that amazing to me.
(God of Blue River): Still, I’m curious about the taste. I’m looking forward to it.
(Endless Waiting): Yesterday’s pizza was truly delicious.
(Liberated Swordsman): That spaghetti was addictive. I’d rather eat that again than dak-galbi.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): Dak-galbi? It’s tasty, but I think it’s an acquired taste.
As Eric passionately described the taste of dak-galbi, the constellations left chat messages, half in anticipation, half in doubt.