Chapter 11: The Burger and the Boy
“Is this the place?”
“I’m not sure which place you mean, but yes, this is a restaurant.”
A teenage boy entered, looking around. His attire suggested he came from a wealthy family, and his blunt way of speaking confirmed my suspicion. His demeanor indicated he was of noble birth.
Of course, the status of my customers doesn’t matter. Whether they are nobles or commoners, they are all just customers to me.
“I overheard some interesting talk among the maids. They said you serve a dish made from deep-fried Palenque here, is that right?”
Palenque again?
Such rumors spread quickly but fade just as fast. Ever since Knoll started distributing Palenquethrough his shop, I haven’t had many customers asking for it. It’s been a while since someone requested it.
“I’m sorry, but if you want Palenque dishes, you’ll have to visit Knoll’s butcher shop in the market.”
“I can’t do that, so I came all the way here.”
Even though I had declared that I wouldn’t be serving Palenque for the time being, the boy looked distressed, his eyes welling up.
The more I looked at him, the more he seemed like a noble’s child. However, it was curious that a noble child was wandering around alone. Who exactly was this boy?
“Due to certain circumstances, we can’t serve Palenque dishes for now.”
“Why not?”
The boy’s face remained sorrowful. Then, he pulled out a rune coin from his pocket.
“If it’s about money, here it is. I really want to try that Palenque dish. Our chef’s food has become too boring. I heard this dish is unique, and I must try it. Besides, while I’m out, I want to try and do more, but for now, I’ve decided on this!”
“There are other unique dishes besides Palenque. Would you like to try one of those instead? If it’s not Palenque, I can prepare it right away.”
“Really? Since I’m here, I might as well try something else. It better be something truly different!”
The boy sighed in relief and sat at the bar table.
I nodded and began to prepare the meal. Something that kids enjoy, something that stimulates the appetite.
The best dish for that is a hamburger. Not a hamburger steak, but a fast-food style hamburger.
Of course, the one I make is far superior to typical fast food.
I took out some freshly brought Ukka beef from Knoll’s shop and placed it on the cutting board. I prefer bright crimson meat over deep red, much like the fine quality of Korean Hanwoo beef.
One of the best things about Knoll’s shop is that they carry Ukka beef that perfectly suits my taste.
I cut the tenderloin steak into suitable sizes and grilled it on the iron plate. The Ukka tenderloin, essentially beef tenderloin, sizzled and emitted a delightful aroma as it cooked.
I grated onions and garlic, added pepper, and made a sauce with modern demi-glace, enhanced with red wine for additional flavor.
Is it too luxurious for a hamburger? Haha.
The red wine is a premium Chambertin. Using such an expensive wine for the sauce is no big deal since I have plenty of treasures.
As a result, the prices of my dishes are very low, but the quality is exceptionally high.
In any case, the highest quality tenderloin steak, the finest sauce, and a half-cooked egg from the rare Palenque. All these ingredients were prepared because this top-quality hamburger was initially intended for Rurin.
Whether I make one, two, or three, it’s all the same.
I placed the freshly baked bread, added the juicy steak, and topped it with a half-cooked egg, letting the yolk spill over the meat. Then I added fresh vegetables: onions, lettuce, and tomatoes, each with unique names in this world but let’s skip those for now. Finally, I drizzled a special sauce over it.
Oh, I almost forgot one thing. I took out some Muntun mushroom powder from under the kitchen counter. This natural MSG, the magic powder of this era, is essential for enhancing the flavor of meat dishes.
Oh, wait. I still need to add the other piece of bread to finish it.
“What is that person doing?”
As I was finishing the dish, the boy pointed at the black-haired monster sprawled out on a table and questioned.
But it’s best to ignore anything not on Rurin’s level if you want to live long.
“Oh, that’s just a lazy employee sleeping on the job. You can ignore her.”
“Sleeping on the job? That’s unimaginable in our house.”
“Oh, do you have many employees at home?”
“We don’t call them employees. They’re more like maids and butlers.”
“I see.”
Definitely a noble’s child. I still found it strange that such a boy would wander around without any guards.
Anyway, the dish was ready.
No matter how suspicious it was, serving the food never changed.
“Here’s your dish.”
The boy’s eyes widened as he saw the hamburger on the plate. A hamburger was a novel idea in this world, combining familiar bread and meat in a revolutionary way.
“What is this…?”
The boy blinked and picked up the hamburger with a beaming expression.
“This is amazing. Our family chef would never think of something like this.”
“Young master!”
Just as the boy was about to take a bite, several men burst into the restaurant. I frowned, and the boy shook his head in despair.
“Young master! We’ve been searching everywhere for you. What are you doing in a place like this?”
“Well, you see…”
The boy’s eyes wavered, his expression one of utter despair.
“I managed to escape, but they found me already…”
Desperate to at least taste it, the boy quickly moved his hand.
But the men were faster. They grabbed the boy’s shoulder. The boy struggled and, in his frenzy, stumbled onto the table next to him. Unfortunately, it was the table where Rurin was sprawled out.
“If anyone finds out you’ve been eating here, there will be serious consequences. With the lord bedridden, you must be more careful. Let’s go. The young lady demanded your immediate return.”
“Alright…”
The boy drooped his shoulders and didn’t resist as the men led him away. He kept glancing back at the hot hamburger, eyes full of regret.
But in the end, he bowed his head and followed. Just before leaving, he placed the rune coin on the table.
Then he disappeared out of the restaurant.
The commotion woke Rurin, who looked annoyed and narrowed her eyes at me.
“Who were they?”
“Never mind them. Didn’t I tell you to clean the tables? Who told you to sleep, huh?”
“I wasn’t sleeping.”
“You weren’t? Was that your voice, or was it this mouth?”
I pulled at the dragon’s lips. She pouted and frowned.
“I said I wasn’t sleeping! Besides, something smells delicious!”
Ignoring her weak denial, Rurin dashed to the table where the boy had been sitting and looked at me, drooling like a puppy eagerly awaiting a treat.
‘Can I eat this?’
That’s exactly what her eyes seemed to say. Clearly feeling guilty, she didn’t dare voice it aloud, but her eyes spoke volumes.
“Alright, go ahead and eat.”
“This is mine! Hehe!”
Rurin grabbed the large hamburger and began devouring it. She ate faster as she seemed to enjoy it more, stuffing the entire hamburger into her mouth.
The size of the hamburger was similar to those from famous fast-food chains, meaning it was impossible to eat it in one bite.
Who could eat it in one bite?
Oh, right, she’s not human. She’s a dragon.
While I was convincing myself of this, Rurin spoke with her mouth full, spilling sauce everywhere.
“It’sh so tashy! The switnessh and juicinessh of the meat ish amazing! The crunchinessh of the vegetable and the tendernessh of the meat ish the besht!”
With her mouth full, she mumbled something along the lines of “It’s so tasty! The sweetness and juiciness of the meat are amazing! The crunchiness of the vegetables and the tenderness of the meat are the best!”
I appreciated her enjoying the food, but why did it give me a headache? I held back from telling her to eat more quietly. She wouldn’t listen anyway.
Turning my attention away from the noisy dragon, I picked up the rune coin left behind by the boy. From our conversation, it was clear that the boy was the son of the lord. The future lord, to be exact.
The lord of Greic is Count Greic. If the boy is the future count, he likely holds the title of baron for now, until he officially inherits the countship.
Whether he’s a baron, count, or even king, it doesn’t matter much to me. But I did appreciate the boy leaving payment behind, even as he was dragged away. He wasn’t just a spoiled child.
It’s funny to judge based solely on this, but it’s clear.
The important fact is that I had already accepted his payment.
If he hadn’t left the money, the matter would have been settled. But since he paid, he deserves to eat.
He paid for it, so he should get to eat it.
“Hey, dragon.”
“Whar isht it?”
“Finish that and get ready to work.”
I started making another hamburger. With the sauce prepared, all I needed to do was cook the meat. After making the hamburger, I wrapped it carefully to keep it warm for delivery.
“Work?”
“Do you remember the scent of those people who were here earlier?”
“Hmm, if you mean that kid, then yes.”
“Impressive, considering you were asleep.”
“They woke me! I almost ate them!”
“Stop talking nonsense. We’re going to find that boy.”
“What are you talking about?”
I wiped the sauce off the dragon’s mouth with a tissue. She stayed still while I cleaned her but protested once I was done.
“Do you expect me to teleport just by the scent? Even for me, that’s impossible!”
“Impossible? Come here.”
I dragged Rurin out of the restaurant and pointed towards the lord’s castle.
“Teleport us to where the scent is strongest in that castle. You can manage that, right?”
“When do I ever get to rest if you keep adding more work!?”
“Funny. Who’s always sleeping somewhere when there’s work to do?”
“That’s certainly not me. I’m sure of it.”
“Yes, it is you! Now be quiet and let’s go. The food will get cold. Are you going to help or not?”
Teleporting requires close contact with the caster to avoid getting lost in space. So, I hugged Rurin tightly from behind, holding the wrapped hamburger in one hand.
