Chapter 178: Who Was It? Who Dared Talk About My Age? (3) Unaware that a dragon who had lived for over four thousand years was standing directly behind them, the elder elves had boldly begun their "Back in my day…" speeches—only to find themselves now listening to stories from a time long before they were even born.
As they listened to Charlotte's countless anecdotes, they began to regret having chosen such rigid postures. Even by the time the first half of the soccer match ended, her story showed no signs of stopping.
If they so much as shifted slightly, she shot them a fierce glare. Thus, they were forced to maintain perfect posture without moving an inch.
Nor could they simply sit absentmindedly. At random moments, Charlotte would abruptly ask them to recount what she had just said, leaving them no opportunity to relax.
"At the time, I was deeply contemplating how I should deal with that foolish prince who knew absolutely nothing… Is my story boring you?"
Noticing their stiff expressions, Charlotte clasped her hands behind her head and smiled slyly.
"Shall I scrap this and tell you about my first love instead?"
"N-no, that won't be necessary!"
"The tale about the bald prince of the Kingdom of Kaltork, who kept pursuing you without realizing you were a dragon—we are listening with great interest!"
Charlotte had already spoken for over thirty minutes about just her very first battle. The elder elves were certain that if she began recounting her first love, the story would not end until evening.
Determined to prevent that topic from surfacing, they desperately responded.
"Checkmate."
"Oh? I had not considered that move. There is much to ponder—an excellent game for passing time. Let us play another round."
While the elder elves suffered through Charlotte's youthful exploits, Beryllus sat nearby playing chess with Lee Jinseo.
Still unfamiliar with the rules, Beryllus continued losing as he gradually discovered the game's appeal.
"Was Lady Charlotte always like this? She seems particularly fond of speaking about herself."
"Right after waking from a long slumber, she often behaves that way. It improves with time."
"How long?"
"Not very long. About ten years."
"Hmm… The elders will have a difficult time, then."
"Well, that is the price of boasting about age in front of her."
Beryllus smiled wickedly toward the elder elves who were still being forced to listen.
Beep! Beeeep!
The referee's whistle echoed across the field, marking the end of the friendly soccer match between dwarves and elves.
After three hours—including generous breaks and extra time—the final score was 4–5, with Dwarf Team Two, which included the elves, narrowly losing.
"Allensia! Remarkable! A hat trick in your first game!"
"W-was that good? It was my first time playing soccer, so I am not certain…"
"It is a shame you missed that last chance, but you exceeded all expectations! Had we defended properly, we would have won."
In truth, the result did not matter.
What mattered was that they had sweated together and enjoyed the game across racial lines.
"Hyung-nim! The half-and-half mumani is ready!"
"Sorry to leave you alone to prepare all the chicken, Jason."
"No problem. You were entertaining Lord Beryllus. If it had been a video game, I could have filled in, but chess is beyond me."
"He seems to enjoy games as well. I will ask you next time. Lord Beryllus, I will go cook now."
"Teach me more chess later. And—baeksundae can be ordered, correct?"
"Of course. I will start with the chicken."
Having defeated Beryllus in ten consecutive chess matches, Lee Jinseo entered the food truck's kitchen.
Sizzle.
The moment battered drumsticks were lowered into the fryer, the scent of fried chicken spread everywhere.
The dwarves and young elves who had just finished the match gathered eagerly at the tables, drawn by the aroma.
After running across the field, what they craved most was ice-cold beer that stung the teeth with its chill—
—and chicken, the perfect companion to that beer.
The dwarves enjoyed this combination after every match without ever tiring of it, and this time was no different.
"Half-and-half mumani is ready. Please enjoy."
"Oh! It has been far too long since we have had chicken fried by Jinseo himself! Still, perhaps we should not eat first…"
"We should yield to the elves."
Just as they were about to dig in, the dwarves noticed the elves' expressions and gently pushed the platters toward them.
The young elves, still new to meat, were drooling at the sight of golden fried chicken and red, sauce-coated chicken.
"You first!"
"A-are you certain? This is meat…"
"With the looks on your faces, we could not possibly eat first. Go on—enjoy yourselves!"
"Thank you! Let us eat!"
Moved by the dwarves' generosity in yielding meat, the young elves eagerly tore into the chicken.
"I have eaten this before, but after playing soccer, it tastes even more special!"
"Soccer and chicken with beer are inseparable. It feels rewarding to spread this to other races. Do not forget the pickled radish—it refreshes the palate so you can eat more!"
"We yielded the chicken, but the beer is ours! Cheers!"
Watching the elves alternate between chicken and beer with abandon, the dwarves recalled their own first encounter with the combination.
"But Jinseo, why are these greens here as well?"
After draining his beer, Kohel noticed salad and vegetarian dishes rarely seen before.
"For elves who are still unfamiliar with meat."
"True—they lived on vegetables alone for centuries. Not all can adapt to meat immediately."
"Personally, I recommend balance. Even samgyeopsal tastes better wrapped in greens rather than eaten plain."
"Wrapped, you say? Let me try."
Kohel tore a generous chunk of boneless fried chicken and wrapped it in salad.
"Oh? Better than I expected."
Seeing his surprise, the young elves at his table imitated him.
"These vegetables taste better than those in our homeland."
"I thought it was the dressing at first, but no—the vegetables themselves are entirely different from those grown on the Keinua Continent. How were they cultivated?"
Though the young elves had eaten meat for all three meals since meeting Jinseo, until recently they had lived solely on vegetables. Naturally, they were discerning about taste.
Yet even they were impressed by the produce grown in Jinseo's greenhouse.
"At last, the youngsters are eating vegetables."
Elder Keras smiled faintly as he observed them, and Jinseo was reminded of something his mother used to say.
Jinseo, eat your vegetables too.
As a child, he had always picked out only sausages and ham, ignoring everything else. At the time, he had regarded her words as nagging. Now, he understood.
"See? They look healthier already."
"Tsk, tsk. Only now do they realize the excellence of Mr. Jinseo's vegetarian dishes. This is why youngsters—"
"Why youngsters?"
"A-ah, nothing! I was merely speaking to myself!"
Charlotte, seated at the counter with seasoned chicken in her mouth, had turned sharply at his words, causing the elder elf to pale.
"Mr. Jinseo! You have returned!"
"Sorry for being late!"
"Haha… It has been a while, you two."
Aston Hamilton and Stella hurried over upon spotting the food truck, and Jinseo greeted them warmly.
Soon to be married next month, they gazed curiously at the newly arrived elves.
"Just as you said, Mr. Jinseo. So many handsome men and beautiful women."
"They are so beautiful it feels as though I am looking at sculptures."
Even while devouring chicken, the elves' beauty remained undiminished.
"Stella, I will assist Mr. Jinseo."
Aston Hamilton changed into kitchen attire and entered the kitchen.
When Jinseo asked Stella what bunsik she would like, she declined.
Having been regulating her diet to ensure her wedding dress fit perfectly, bunsik was her greatest temptation.
"I heard that the elven continent is as beautiful as the elves themselves. If we go on our honeymoon, I would love to visit."
"You must have heard from Lord Oswald Hamilton. Preparations are going well?"
"The wedding dress is nearly complete. It is matching my body to it that is difficult."
She took a sip from a 500-milliliter bottle of water and sighed.
The pervasive scent of chicken was nothing short of devilish temptation.
Yet she steeled herself, recalling the dress displayed on the mannequin. If even the mannequin could wear it, she must as well.
"Are you truly planning a Korean-style wedding?"
"Yes. My parents have agreed. The issue is that I wish to understand the process more clearly, but the magazine alone was insufficient."
"In that case, shall we watch a video?"
Jinseo turned on the large television.
"Let me see… Ah, this one."
He played a wedding video he had downloaded.
Beginning with guests gathering at the venue, the video displayed the ceremony step by step.
"Wow… So this is how weddings are held in Korea."
Stella's expression glowed as she watched the bride and groom enter to piano music.
"Generally, ceremonies are held at wedding halls like this."
"Wedding halls? Do Koreans not marry in churches?"
"Well, that is…"
She listened carefully as Jinseo explained.
"So this is how marriage is conducted in Korea. Fascinating."
"The contrast of black and white in the groom and bride's attire is striking."
"It differs greatly from our elven ceremonies."
One by one, elves gathered before the screen, intrigued by the unfamiliar spectacle.
"Marriage… The first wedding I attended was roughly three thousand five hundred years ago…"
As Charlotte began recounting yet another ancient tale, the elder elves instinctively snapped to attention once more.
"I will play another video—this time, a traditional Korean wedding."
"It resembles the hanbok from last autumn's festival! But…"
Seeing the bride in hanbok, Stella sighed.
"I wish I had seen this before you left, Mr. Jinseo. I would have tried making one of these garments as well. Unless we were to hold two ceremonies…"
"Two?"
"Oh! That is not what I meant!"
"Marriage? One can marry twice."
Charlotte shrugged nonchalantly.
"Why such a fuss over marrying twice? I knew a human who married more than ten times in his life."
"That is not what I meant…"
"No, I knew an elf who married fifteen times. He even married across races—humans, dwarves, and even—"
Despite Stella's attempts to clarify, Charlotte continued speaking.
Lee Jinseo could only smile bitterly.
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