Chapter 8: Chicken and Palenque (4)

“Phew!”

“What’s with the ‘phew’?”

“Staring them down one by one hurt my eyes.”

Even if Palenque were too fast for a human to track, they couldn’t escape a dragon’s sight. However, it seemed there was a side effect. Rurin began rubbing her eyes vigorously, likely due to overusing her dragon powers in her human form.

“Alright, alright. Good job. Come here, I’ll blow on it for you.”

Rubbing them wouldn’t help, so I grabbed her hands to stop her and gently blew air into her eyes. Her reaction was exaggerated.

“Kyaahaha! It tickles!”

“If it tickles, why are you leaning in more?”

“Just because it tickles doesn’t mean I don’t like it. Blow more!”

“Fine. There, there. Is that good enough? We’re busy, so let’s head back.”

“You always end things half-heartedly. Your former female colleague once said not to associate with men who are half-hearted. Such men are likely to be lousy in bed too, so be cautious.”

“What? What nonsense did that woman tell you?”

“Your lips twitched! That’s what you do when you’re guilty. I know it well.”

“No, it’s not!”

“It’s fine. I told her it doesn’t matter if you’re half-hearted. Hehe.”

“Good grief.”

Ignoring the dragon’s nonsense, we returned to the restaurant.

I wasn’t feeling guilty at all. It was just that today was an exceptionally busy day.

Cooking for fourteen people wasn’t as easy as it sounded. After bringing the eleven Palenque into the kitchen, Rurin naturally headed to the magic refrigerator.

“Nothing beats beer after working hard. Ahh!”

Come to think of it, wasn’t beer supposed to be a favorite of dwarves? Well, I was the one who got the dragon hooked on beer, so it was my fault. As long as she didn’t mix it with soju and get drunk, it was fine.

Rurin knew not to disturb me while I was working, so she occupied herself with beer while I started preparing the Palenque.

It took quite a while to handle them all.

I decided to fry five whole, like last time, and debone the rest for boneless chicken.

The process was the same, except for deboning some. I marinated them, mixed cornmeal, Merton mushroom powder, and flour for the coating. It took a considerable amount of time, and before I knew it, the morning had vanished, and it was already noon.

But preparing the Palenque wasn’t the only task. There was also Miltein’s request for a spicy dish.

This world had peppers known as ‘Chieri,’ similar to modern peppers.

But since Miltein specifically asked for something spicy, I wanted to serve something with an impact.

Thinking about a spicy dish that would go well with chicken, one thing came to mind.

One of my hobbies was summoning modern ramen to eat. Compared to when I first arrived in this world, it seemed many new types of ramen had been created in the modern world.

Among the randomly summoned ramen, the one that shocked me the most was Buldak Bokkemyeon.

It was the spiciest ramen I had ever encountered. Even I found it challenging. After eating it once, I remembered struggling to soothe my mouth.

But for those who love spicy food, it’s irresistible. Despite the heat, its addictive flavor makes you want to keep eating.

If it turned out too spicy, I could neutralize the heat by mixing it with cheese or other ramen.

Of course, I didn’t plan to sell ramen at the restaurant since it was already processed food.

I intended to offer it just once, considering Miltein’s heartfelt request.

With that decided, I retrieved a pack of Buldak Bokkemyeon from the pantry, making sure it wasn’t expired.

It had been a while since I cooked it. I needed to test it before serving it to the guests. Since I had only tried it once, I needed to reacquaint myself with the taste.

I boiled water and added the noodles. Checking outside the kitchen, I saw Rurin lying on a table with a beer can in hand. Relieved that she wasn’t a distraction, I continued cooking the ramen.

Once the noodles were cooked, I drained them and added the sauce, stir-frying it. The aroma quickly filled the restaurant. Rurin, apparently awakened by the smell, rose and blinked at the kitchen.

“Something smells delicious…”

She staggered into the kitchen, drawn by the scent. In front of me was a bowl of Buldak Bokkemyeon. Rurin eyed it curiously.

“Is this lunch?”

“No, it’s not. Hold on.”

“What do you mean, not? It smells good.”

“You’re not good with spicy food.”

Despite being a Black Dragon in human form, she wasn’t great with spicy dishes. But the smell had captivated her, and she was determined to try it.

“You’re not eating alone, are you? No way.”

Her eyes sparkled as she grabbed a fork and took a bite of the red noodles.

“Nom, nom.”

The sound of her chewing echoed.

“This is delicious…”

She mumbled with her mouth full.

Five seconds.

Four seconds.

Three seconds.

Before the countdown ended, she reacted violently.

“It’s spicy, spicy, spicy! So spicy!”

Her face turned red, and she started hopping around, eventually bolting outside. I grabbed some milk and followed her.

“It’s spicy, spicy! Ahh! I’m going to breathe fire! Everything will explode!”

“Hold the fire. Drink this. It’ll help.”

Gulp.

Gulp.

Gulp.

Milk doesn’t neutralize the spiciness, but it helps soothe a burning mouth. That’s the theory, at least.

The sound of the dragon chugging milk echoed. She drank an entire carton, but her mouth still burned as she panted on the ground.

“You idiot. I told you not to eat it. That’s what you get for not listening.”

“But it looked tasty! Ugh, it still burns. It’s like swallowing a Red Dragon’s breath!”

“That’s quite an experience.”

After calming the near-crying Rurin and giving her a proper lunch, I returned to the kitchen.

—

Time passed steadily, and soon it was time for the pre-festival feast.

Miltein was the first to arrive.

He rushed into the restaurant, eyes gleaming.

Clearly eager about the spicy dish he had requested, he approached uncomfortably close, forcing me to take a step back. I didn’t want our faces to touch.

“The seniors are on their way. Is the dish ready? I came early to check. Will it really satisfy them? You know, I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my mentor.”

“Don’t worry. If I’ve been asked to cook, I’ll make sure it’s done right.”

“Good to hear. Haha.”

Relieved, Miltein stepped back but then moved close again, making me uneasy. Before I could say anything, a rough voice called from behind.

“Hey! I’m here. I heard there’s a beer party! Can’t miss that.”

It was Knoll.

“What’s Knoll got to do with a mercenary feast?”

Miltein retreated, and Knoll moved closer.

“Those mercenaries are my old buddies. Why wouldn’t I be here? And you, didn’t you catch Palenque? You should’ve told me!”

“Honey, must you speak like that? Honestly, it’s a problem.”

Thankfully, Reine stepped in, pulling Knoll back and turning to me with a smile.

“Don’t mind him. He’s just upset because he worked hard to find Palenque for you, only to hear you got it already.”

“What? This wife of mine…”

“Did you just call me your wife?”

“When did I? Did you hear that?”

A comical scene unfolded. Naturally, I sided with Reine.

“I did hear it.”

“What the…”

“My husband wants to skip meals tomorrow, huh? Got it.”

“I never said that!”

Knoll was flustered, and it served him right.

“It’s fine. I should’ve informed you once I got the Palenque.”

“No worries. You’re busy. We were invited by Mr. Ment. Two of the guests couldn’t make it, so he invited us instead.”

“Oh, that’s the reason? You’re always welcome, especially you, Reine.”

“Oh my, such a sweet talker.”

Reine laughed, patting Knoll’s back.

“Good you came. A former colleague found a way to catch Palenque, so we were lucky. But I feel guilty since I didn’t get it through your butcher shop.”

“Oh, it’s fine. We don’t handle Palenque, and it’s not like it’s widely available. Why feel bad? Really, El.”

I scratched my head awkwardly. Knoll, scowling, sat at the bar and called for soju.

“True, it’s fine. But you should’ve let me taste it first. Isn’t that just basic decency? Bring me soju. I’m upset.”

Knoll had become a soju lover. Reine scolded him, and I handed him a bottle.

“Hello!”

Just then, Ment entered with the mercenaries. Miltein, who had been hovering in the background, ran to greet them.

Fourteen people filled the restaurant for the first time. It was time to start cooking.

“Rurin! Can you serve beer to the guests?”

Busy as I was, I called out to the dragon who was lounging by the fridge with beer. She had never served

before, but I needed help.

“You want me to serve humans? Didn’t I work earlier today? I’ve earned my keep.”

“This is restaurant work too. Didn’t we agree to run this place together? Changed your mind?”

“Our restaurant?”

“Yes.”

“Hehe, I’ve changed my mind. Sometimes, it’s good to understand humans. An elder once said so.”

“Glad to see your perspective is so flexible.”

I replied, then set up the barrier and started frying the Palenque. I overheard the mercenaries’ conversations.

The bearded mercenary next to Ment spoke first. His beard was even bushier than Knoll’s.