Chapter 22: The Name That Reached Even the Capital (2) (22/225)
"This place is… the capital of the Doren Kingdom, Colses."
As he drove the food truck, Jinseo turned his gaze from side to side.
Following slowly behind Oswald's carriage at the front, he moved along the main avenue leading to Colses Plaza at the heart of the city.
It really is different from a movie. There's no CGI—just real buildings. This is true fantasy.
If the movie he had played merely to kill time had excited the escort, then the sight inside Colses itself felt like a movie in its own right to Jinseo.
As befitted the capital of a kingdom, the splendid architecture constantly drew his eyes from one place to another.
Meanwhile, Fedora, seated in the passenger seat, waved back one by one at the believers making the sign of the cross toward her.
Even though the situation had turned into an impromptu parade, she handled it with relaxed ease, as if such scenes were commonplace.
"There are quite a lot of people who came to see you, Your Eminence."
"Ah, it seems word spread that I had arrived while the messenger was coming and going earlier."
In a world where religion held great authority, such a reaction was only natural.Still, with someone receiving this much adoration seated beside him, Jinseo felt a little tense—and at the same time, somewhat regretful.
"In that case, I should have brought a more impressive vehicle. This one feels rather shabby for carrying you, Your Eminence."
The food truck's purpose was to move freely and sell food wherever he wished.It was never meant to serve as a display vehicle for high-ranking figures.
A traditional carriage unique to this world would surely have suited her better—or so he thought.
"A more impressive vehicle?"
"Like the lord's carriage up ahead."
"There is no carriage in the Doren Kingdom—no, in the entire Francia Continent—that possesses beauty as bold and innovative as your food truck."
Caught off guard by Fedora's serious reply, Jinseo tilted his head.
"Moreover, the gold color that envelops the food truck symbolizes holiness itself, alongside white."
"Well… I still think the other carriage looks cooler, somehow…"
Unable to fully grasp her explanation, Jinseo checked the expressions of the citizens lining both sides of the road.
At first, their eyes were drawn to Fedora in the food truck, but soon after, they couldn't take their eyes off the truck Jinseo was driving.
"That carriage the cardinal's riding in… it's incredibly strange."
"They said they came from Falstead Castle, right? Are carriages like that fashionable there?"
"A carriage that moves without horses like that must be loaded with advanced magic."
"And gilding the whole thing must have cost a fortune."
"Well, if the cardinal is visiting, that much would be expected."
Though Jinseo couldn't hear the words clearly through the crowd, their expressions told him enough.
They were not mocking or disdainful, but filled with awe and reverence.
And those looks were not directed solely at Fedora.
Does the food truck look like a luxury sports car here? And since it's carrying the cardinal, maybe they think it's her personal carriage.
Jinseo turned his head to look at Fedora.
Seeing her remain so composed under the gaze of so many people only made her seem more impressive.
She really is incredible… but the contrast is huge when I think about how she enjoys bunsik. She's far more down-to-earth than I expected.
Even before, when she casually stopped by as a customer to eat tteokbokki, the surrounding customers' reactions had been unusual.
But perhaps because they were traveling together this time, the image of her now—receiving praise from countless people—felt less familiar than the sight of her wearing a bear-print T-shirt and asking if there was any new bunsik.
The image of her sweating, unconcerned even when tteokbokki sauce stained her shirt, flashed through his mind before fading away.
The applause and cheers from those who had come to see Fedora continued all the way until the food truck arrived at the mansion of Marquis Hasrak on the outskirts of the capital.
"Well, this is a problem—we arrived too early." After receiving a report in the reception room of Marquis Hasrak, Oswald scratched the back of his head with a wry smile.
Jinseo, seated with him, looked over in confusion.
All he remembered was that the butler who had stepped out earlier wore a rather troubled expression.
"Has something gone wrong with the schedule?"
"Well, you see—the marquis left on a hunt with his retainers a week ago and hasn't returned yet. I was informed in advance, but still."
In modern Korea, a single phone call would have solved such a problem, no matter the distance.
But this was the Francia Continent, a world where inconvenience was taken for granted.
Magic could be used to communicate, but since the matter wasn't urgent enough to warrant that, waiting was the only option.
"Sending another messenger would be pointless given the travel time, so we'll have to stay in the capital until the marquis returns. In any case, there are matters to handle here aside from the formal meeting."
Since arriving early rarely caused problems the way arriving late might, Oswald sipped his tea calmly.
"Anyway, since things turned out this way, why don't you enjoy some sightseeing? Colses Castle is quite splendid. Just looking around the streets should be pleasant enough."
"That sounds good, but before that, may I do business in the capital?"
As if he had expected the request, Oswald nodded.
"Then it would be best to obtain permission first. Come with me."
"Thank you."
At the central plaza of Colses Castle, when Jinseo's food truck stopped at the left edge of the square, passersby gathered with interest.
However, even after Jinseo began selling bunsik, business was slow.
The food truck itself became a spectacle, but the food was simply too unfamiliar for the residents of Colses to try easily.
Jinseo opened a tasting corner, anticipating this reaction, yet people only watched.
Aside from escort members on leave who stopped by to eat, there were almost no customers on the first day.
But after one day, the situation reversed completely.
"Tteok-twig-sun and gimbap to go! I'll eat the ramen here!"
"One serving of fried food and one serving of tteokbokki! And that drink—the black but sweet one!"
"Is it really limited to three ice creams per person? You can't sell more?"
"Four servings of ramen! Two without eggs!"
Amid the constant stream of orders, the food truck ran nonstop. Even with Aston's help, Jinseo struggled to keep up, eventually asking several escort members to handle serving. Only then could the business continue.
Time flew by, and only after putting up a "Break Time" sign did Jinseo finally catch his breath.
"Whew… we somehow managed to fill all the orders."
He wiped the sweat from his brow as he looked at the customers already seated and waiting to order as soon as the break ended. Even though he told them he would hand out numbered tickets, they insisted on waiting in place.
For those completely captivated by his bunsik, a thirty-minute wait meant nothing.
"I expected it to be busy—no, I actually think it should be doing even better than this," Aston said, smiling as he looked at the waiting customers, despite being just as tired.
"If it weren't for the escort members—and you as well—I wouldn't have been able to do business at all."
With a population far exceeding that of Falstead Castle, once the residents of Colses discovered the appeal of the food truck, the volume of orders exploded.
In the end, Jinseo had hurriedly upgraded the food truck during the previous break to increase the number of gas stoves.
Thanks to Aston, he was also able to officially add tteok-twig-sun, ramen, and gimbap to the menu, which played a major role in boosting sales.
"By the way, how is the new cook's uniform?"
"No problems at all. It's comfortable to move in. To be honest, I've wanted to wear this for a long time."
Aston smiled contentedly as he adjusted the collar of the uniform. Though it was the same design Jinseo wore, on Aston's well-trained frame it gave off an even sturdier impression.
"And wearing it makes me feel like a real member of the food truck."
"You are one."
Early that morning, marking the third day of business at the central plaza, the unexpected quest he had received earlier was completed, and Aston was formally registered as a helper.As a result, Jinseo was able to see Aston's abilities in greater detail.
Let's see. It hasn't been long, but did anything change?
{First helper of the mobile cooking equipment: Aston Hamilton (24, male)Occupation class: Knight (subject to change)Physical grade: D+Cooking skill: Ramen (B), Gimbap (B), Tteokbokki (C), Fried food (C), Soondae (C)…Owned abilities: Swordsmanship (C+)}
Too hasty. Nothing's changed yet.
Jinseo nodded as he closed the status window.
Interestingly, cooking skill was listed by dish, and just as he expected, ramen and gimbap were rated higher than the others.
Another point that caught his attention was Aston's physical grade.
When Jinseo first saw the D+ rating, he had asked the AI whether it wasn't lower than expected.
However, the AI explained that a D+ still placed Aston among the more capable knights on the Francia Continent.
If that's the case, and my physical grade is B+… does that mean I'm absurdly strong?
A tree briefly entered Jinseo's field of view, but he shook his head with a laugh. There was no need anymore to snap trees like before just to intimidate others.
Even if I'm strong, it's not like I'm going to swing a sword like the knights. I should just focus on making bunsik. Still, maybe I overworked myself—my body feels stiff.
He rolled his neck and kneaded his shoulders in turn.
Looking around, he saw that customers still filled the area.
Among them were a few who weren't waiting at tables, but were instead carefully observing something else.
"The more I look, the stranger it seems."
"To think I'd live to see a spirit—and this close, at that."
As befit the capital, there were quite a few mages of skill and experience, and their attention was fixed on Nero, sitting quietly atop the cat tower beside the food truck.
"Hey now! Don't get too close! It might run away!"
"R-right."
One mage instinctively reached out toward Nero, then hurriedly pulled his hand back.The spirit was so rare that they desperately wanted to touch it, yet none dared to do so, contenting themselves with watching.
"Did you see that? You did, right?"
"To think such precise mana flow exists even in such small movements… If only we could analyze it properly, it might help with automaton construction."
"But at a glance, it really does look just like a cat. Remarkable."
They reacted to every small movement with exaggerated excitement.
Meanwhile, Nero seemed utterly unconcerned by the attention, gazing instead at a butterfly fluttering overhead.
Jinseo found their reactions oddly relatable.
As he toured Colses Castle, everything he saw had felt just as new and fascinating to him.
As time passed like that, break time ended, and Jinseo turned on the large speakers. It was time to put the expensive speakers he had installed using precious mileage to use.
"Ah—mic test. Mic test."
As Jinseo's voice echoed through the plaza, all eyes turned toward him.
"Attention, everyone. Before we resume sales, we have an announcement. For the next thirty minutes, ice cream and drinks will be sold at a thirty percent discount. Ice cream is limited to three per person. Thank you for your understanding."
"What? A discount? On ice cream?"
"Out of the way! BarXBar is mine!"
No sooner had Jinseo finished speaking than the mages gathered around Nero rushed to the counter first.Other customers jumped up and hurried to line up behind them, and before long, the area in front of the food truck descended into chaos.
Only after the escort members stepped in did the line regain order.
"A cold and sweet dessert—what a novel idea."
"And this carbonated drink too. No matter how many times I drink it, that tingling sensation feels new."
"But why limit the ice cream? Even if eating too much makes your head hurt, is it really necessary to cap it?"
"Who cares? As long as it's good."
The sweetness of ice cream, something they had never experienced before, combined with the sharp fizz of carbonated drinks, completely captivated the customers.
The reason Jinseo discounted items that were already selling well was simple.
{Unexpected Quest: Discount food and drinks you have made or purchased for a certain period of time.A minimum discount of 30% is required.}
The quest had appeared on his status window several hours earlier, but he had left it pending in the midst of the chaos.
Now, he was finally completing it.
As business resumed, the area in front of the food truck bustled again.
The mages who bought ice cream first soon gathered around Nero once more, each holding a treat to their liking.
"That cold dessert sold from that golden carriage—truly fascinating, wouldn't you say?"
"The taste aside, I never imagined it would have such effects."
"To think it would really sharpen concentration. It feels like my mind has returned to its younger days."
"Honestly, it's incredible. At first, I wondered how some foreigner dared trade on Lord Painfolt's name…"
As the mages discussed the dessert, the discount period ended.
Thanks to Jinseo's swift handling of the incoming orders, the area soon grew quiet again.Still, with dinner approaching, he needed to prepare ingredients in advance.
"I'll head to the storage for a moment."
Jinseo stepped into the trailer attached to the food truck, then reached into a cabinet mounted on the wall and pulled something out.
Green onions and onions stored in subspace.
"They're really fresh. A storage that freezes expiration dates… it'd be great if Korea had one too."
Every time he retrieved ingredients, Jinseo felt the same sense of wonder and let out a wry laugh.
Though three weeks had passed since purchase, they were no different from when he first bought them.
After pulling out more ingredients and returning to the kitchen, Jinseo picked up a knife to slice the green onions.
At that moment, a familiar face entered the corner of his vision.
Oswald, just like before, accompanied by two burly guards.
"The lord is here?"
"What? My father?"
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