Chapter 397

‘Surprisingly, archipelago-style cuisine is decent too.’

Meanwhile, Roan tilted his head, recalling the ‘archipelago-style cuisine’ that his friends had been so frightened of beforehand.

Of course, compared to the colorful dishes of the empire, it might look a bit rustic.

Since in most cases, not only did they not cook the natural ingredients properly, but they didn’t even prep the ingredients well.

But that was only because they hadn’t been to a place that did it well.

A good restaurant secretly had a unique flavor…

‘Hmm, thinking like this makes me sound like a real middle-aged man.’

Roan shook his head and quickened his pace slightly.

Attending school with young students already made him occasionally realize that he was the only one who was older, and having these kinds of thoughts only made his heart ache.

“By the way, Roan, this place is…”

As Roan slowed his pace, his friends looked around.

The atmosphere was definitely a bit different from usual.

Normally, they would eat at restaurants with proper buildings.

─ Cheap, it’s cheap! Only one talant for three!

─ A toast so delicious that even if two people eat and one dies, you’d never notice! If you add one talant, three eat and only one dies!

─ Owner, isn’t that a bit dangerous?

─ Ah, just try it first!

This time, they had come to a street where street stalls stretched out to the left and right.

Demona was startled once again.

“N-no way, archipelago-style toast?!”

“Do you want to eat some?”

“It was a joke this time…”

‘They even sell archipelago-style toast…?’

The commercial district was certainly massive.

Yet the friends were puzzled on the other hand.

Judging by Roan’s usual personality, he seemed to mainly seek out clean restaurants.

As a result, they had rarely used such street stalls.

‘Street food doesn’t help much with stats.’

Of course, it wasn’t because of a clean personality, but a purely practical perspective.

While proper meals increased temporary stats at least a little bit, street food was only for satisfying hunger.

Meaning, since they weren’t lacking money, there was no need to eat it.

However, the place they were going to now was different.

A place that boasted the amazing effect of evenly increasing mental power and physical temporary stats, despite being street food!

Roan familiarly threaded his way through the people and street stalls.

“Uh, wait! Wait up, Roan!”

“How is he walking through a place like this like that?”

Although his friends got a bit lost, chasing Roan through the crowd was actually not that difficult.

─ Hieek! It’s Darc!

─ What brings him here?

Because all they had to do was follow those reactions.

Following Roan like that,

“……There was a place like this?”

the friends found themselves in front of a giant tent on a completely different level from other street stalls.

Though it was practically just a tent, the scale itself seemed larger than most restaurants.

[Sniff, sniff! The smell is good, though?]

Moreover, the savory smell wafting from inside, hinting at what kind of food they sold, stimulated their noses.

Roan saw that all his friends had gathered and pointed toward the tent with a tilt of his chin.

“Let’s go in.”

“Y-yes.”

The friends hesitantly followed Roan into the tent.

Upon doing so, they experienced something rather surprising.

Not only did the savory smell they inhaled from outside grow even stronger,

*Whoosh—*

[Argh, hot!]

but a warm blast of wind also stimulated their skin.

As a reptile, Bel was sensitive to heat and hated it even more.

Furthermore,

*Ta-da-da— Ta-da— Ta—!*

along with loud music, clowns dressed in dazzling outfits were putting on a noisy performance on the stage in front.

In short, it was a strangely stimulating place that left one’s senses of smell, touch, hearing, and sight utterly overwhelmed.

“What kind of restaurant is this?”

“What?”

“I said, what kind of restaurant is this!”

“I can’t hear you well.”

“WHAT! KIND! OF! RESTAURANT!”

Naturally, they had to raise their voices like this to converse with each other.

[MAS! TER! CAN! YOU! NOT! HEAR! ME! EI! THER?!]

‘I can hear you, so don’t shout.’

[Heeing, okay…]

“FA! NA! TIC!”

“Why are you calling?”

“YOU! HAVE! NO! TA! LENT! FOR! SA! CRED! COM! BAT!”

“I can’t understand you!”

“Yeah, then it’s fine.”

“???”

Although there seemed to be someone cleverly utilizing those characteristics, anyway.

Amidst his friends being completely dazed, Roan quickly scanned the surroundings and found a vacant seat.

In a place like this, it was best to sit down first if there was an empty seat.

Wait for a server’s guidance like other polite restaurants?

‘Not only are there no proper servers, but if you did that, you’d never get to eat for the rest of your life.’

Thus, unlike other places, this restaurant had an overwhelmingly higher number of commoner customers than nobles.

While Roan smoothly navigated through the crowd like a fish cutting through water,

“Saengsaeng-ie, come here!”

“Noeul-ie, you too…”

*Bump—*

“Ah, sorry—”

*Bump—*

“Sorry…”

*Bump—!*

“Ugh, sorry…”

Holding their divine and spiritual beasts tightly in fear of losing them, the friends following behind kept bumping into chairs, tables, and customers alike.

Yet the amazing thing was that no one paid any mind to it.

The atmosphere was as if such collisions were only natural.

After an eventful journey, the friends finally gathered around the table Roan sat at.

“……This place is a bit weird, Rifi.”

“Huh? What did you say, Sion?”

“THIS! PLACE! IS! A! BIT! WEIRD! RIFI!”

“……I agree.”

“Noisy…”

“Riel! I really can’t hear you! But you shouldn’t say bad words like that!”

“Noisy…!”

“She says it’s too noisy to speak.”

“””???”””

Particularly the female students didn’t seem to like the place much, even if they had come on Roan’s recommendation.

It was incredibly noisy, and the furniture and utensils weren’t very clean either.

Since there was no room to accommodate the divine and spiritual beasts, they had no choice but to place them on the relatively spacious table.

In this kind of atmosphere, it seemed they wouldn’t be able to enjoy whatever food was served.

Just then, a middle-aged woman with frizzy permed hair and wearing an apron strode over to the table for some reason.

─ What.

“””???”””

She abruptly spat out just that single word, causing the friends to tilt their heads in unison.

‘Why is she acting like that when she was the one who walked over?’

Moreover, judging by her appearance, she seemed to be an employee, but she was far too unfriendly for that.

When the friends only blinked up at her without saying anything, the employee burst into anger.

─ Hey, what are you ordering! Is this your first time here?! Why are you spacing out?!

Only then did the friends understand her purpose and look around.

But no matter how much they searched, they couldn’t find a menu.

Demona raised her hand and asked.

“Here menu plate like is there none?” (Wait, in raw: `“ ?”` -> `“Is there no menu here?”`)

“Is there no menu here?”

─ Menu? You wish. Just watch your pretty face. Kiddo, is this really your first time here? How on earth did you even find this place?

The woman’s tone was still blunt.

Though they let it slide at first, such an overbearing attitude from an employee was highly unpleasant to noble students.

“Hey… Look here, did we do something wrong?”

*Scrape—*

─ What? Got a complaint? Do you think it’s only been a day or two since I started dealing with precious noble children?

In the end, just as the out-of-control Hector stood up and a volatile situation was about to erupt,

“Six mixed bowls. There are ten divine beasts, so give them whatever is appropriate.”

Roan, who had been quiet, ordered familiarly.

“What is… a mixed bowl?”

“I can’t hear you.”

“A MIXED BOWL! WHAT IS IT?”

“Ah! I don’t know either! Hector! Just sit down!”

“Ah, got it!”

Feeling awkward, Hector sat back down.

The employee nodded only then.

─ Well, at least someone here has visited a few times. Alright, six mixed bowls and ten beast meals… Oh my!

Then, she suddenly looked at Roan’s face.

─ That young brat has an incredibly terrifying face!

‘She was startled.’

‘She really was.’

She flinched visibly, yet awkwardly tried to speak confidently on the outside.

Although they also found him scary, Roan’s appearance was reliable outside, at least!

But without changing his expression at all, Roan glared straight at the employee and spoke.

“I respect the business culture here, but my friends aren’t used to it. I would appreciate it if you could show some consideration.”

─ Hey, no matter how scary you look, you shouldn’t criticize how someone does business. This place has its own culture…

The employee also stepped forward and retorted, perhaps thinking she couldn’t afford to back down here.

“I believe I asked you to show some consideration.”

*Rumble—*

─ I-I’ll bring it right away!

However, Roan’s outstandingly terrifying looks made it absolutely impossible not to show consideration!

The employee scurried off somewhere.

Hector, still in a bad mood, snorted loudly.

“Hmph, what kind of place does business like this!”

Roan let out a smirk and spoke.

“You don’t need to feel so bad. It’s just the way they do business here.”

“What?”

“Look around you.”

Roan pointed toward the noisy surrounding tables with his eyes.

─ Ah, today’s pop quiz was a complete disaster!

─ You rotten punks! A student is supposed to do well on exams, what’s wrong with you! Hurry up, eat your food, and get lost!

─ My younger sibling wrote a letter this time, and it seems they’ve finally learned to read. I hope they grow up quickly and enter Acherandir too.

─ You rotten punk!

─ Hahaha! Your salty mouth is as good as ever, ma’am!

─ No, you really are a rotten punk! Of all the places to recommend to your sibling! Get lost without even eating!

─ ……?

Although some strange conversations could be heard, the friends seemed to understand why Roan didn’t mind the rude employee.

Despite hearing harsh words, the customers conversed without losing their bright smiles.

There were even many students who kept pestering the employee with talk, holding onto her even when she tried to push them away.

“Being friendly isn’t the only way. Although adapting might be hard, you might find yourself thinking of this place from time to time.”

“Hmm…”

They were still half-convinced.

─ Here’s your food! Hurry up and eat…

“Consideration.”

─ P-please enjoy your meal~

As if she had never intended to speak fiercely, the employee quickly set down the bowls and left in a flash.

The friends stared blankly at the food bowls she had left.

Not only the atmosphere of the restaurant, but the food itself was not in a form familiar to them.

“……What is this?”

Hector asked, tilting his head.

Roan replied with a smile.

“It’s called Gukbap.”

“Guk…bap?”

Only then did the friends lift their spoons, put them in the hot earthenware pots, and stir slightly.

Sure enough, just as Roan said, inside the soup packed with meat was a heap of steaming hot rice.

“What kind of food is this? Is this single bowl everything?”

Sion asked hesitantly.

Naturally so, since it was far too different from noble-style meals that basically consisted of courses or at least dozens of side dishes.

“Are there no side dishes? Side dishes?!”

Demona also tapped the table, asking as if she couldn’t be satisfied with just this single bowl.

Without a word, Roan gestured toward a spot in the restaurant with a tilt of his chin.

As his friends’ gazes naturally followed,

—Water and Side Dishes are Self-Service—

they saw a sign with a simple phrase and, piled high beneath it, kkakdugi, kimchi, and seasoned chives.

It was truly a marketplace-style Gukbap restaurant that one could only see in Korea!

“If you want to eat them, go bring them.”

“…”

Though the friends who had been raised preciously in their respective families found it highly awkward, they had no choice.

“Let’s go bring some…”

“Yeah, let’s go together…”

For now, they had no choice but to huddle in line and scoop up the side dishes they wanted.