4. Liyue again (4)
Liyue’s nights were always noisy. The shouting of drunken drunkards, the noisy chatter of the crowd heading towards the night market, and even the voices of merchants slowly organizing their stores and preparing to return home.
The noise of the night symbolized the vitality of the city. In that sense, Liyue Port, the largest trade port on the Tivat continent, was showing vitality befitting its reputation. The alley was the blood of Liyue, and the people who came and went through it were the blood of Liyue.
But in a city where people can’t sleep at night, there are always people who can’t sleep at night.
All kinds of problems occur in Liyue Port, the center of Liyue. And on the Tivat continent, where the education system was not as developed as it is today, there were few people with the ability to administratively solve these problems.
So Liyue’s administrative agencies always suffered from a chronic shortage of manpower. Civil servants had no choice but to perform their duties at different times. It is natural, but the more work he was responsible for, the more severe it became, and the general secretary of ‘Yeohaejeong’, which could be said to be the highest position in Liyue, was no exception.
It was late at night when Sister Kamwoo arrived at the restaurant. After finishing his business, he was starting to feel drowsy and was dozing off.
There was a jingling sound of a bell. I, who had been leaning against the back of the chair in a hazy state of consciousness, suddenly came to my senses.
Mysterious purple eyes, that was the first thing I captured.
Blue hair, perfectly curved body, and even curved horns on the head. There were not many beauties with such an unusual appearance.
I stood up reflexively. It was a sign of welcome.
“Sister Kamwoo!”
Sister Kamu greeted my hospitality with a faint smile and placed her left hand on his right chest.
“…… “It’s been a while, little brother Siwoo.”
That voice, which seemed to have no power but was soft, was clearly that of Sister Kamwoo.
I immediately pulled out the chair across from the table to make room. Then he asked Sister Gamwoo.
“Are you really hungry because it’s late at night?”
“Thank you for your consideration, but it’s okay. “I always leave work at this time, so I’m used to it now.”
Then, Sister Gamwoo slightly bowed her head to express her gratitude and then sat down in the seat I had prepared. Whenever I saw it, it was a supple yet restrained gesture.
Anyone of Sister Kamu’s age would be well-versed in Li Yue’s etiquette, so it seemed like the etiquette was ingrained in her. It would have taken a lot of effort to rise to the highest position in Liyue at that age. Sister Gamwoo was truly a respectable person in many ways.
However, regardless of that, I did not trust Gamwoo’s words. Because there was already a record.
Gamwoo’s sister had quite an appetite. Normally, I just refrain from doing that. Last time, it even caught my eye while it was chewing on a piece of grass.
I was worried. What kind of dish should I serve to make Gamwoo satisfied?
Gamwoo is a vegetarian, so she needed a vegetarian diet if possible. At the same time, it is a dish that relieves you from feeling guilty even if you eat a lot.
I soon made up my mind. Since it was late at night, dessert would have been better than a meal. However, it is a dish that does not contain animal ingredients.
There was a recipe I learned at Mangseo Gaekjan. I decided to make ‘Haengin Tofu’.
“Still, a restaurant can’t not serve anything when a customer comes. “Please wait a moment.”
I said that and went into the kitchen and started cooking. The first ingredient taken out was ‘Haengin’.
It feels unfamiliar to say ‘passerby’, but in Korean it means ‘apricot seed’. Of course, it was a material not often used in modern times because it contained cyanide, but this was the continent of Tivat. There were no such restrictions.
First of all, it was important to finely grind this ‘passerby’. My body used its ‘cooking’ function to finely grind the ginseng into powder. Then mix this powder with sugar and boil the milk.
When boiling milk, it was important to remove foam. This was because it affected the soft texture and color. When the milk is sufficiently warmed, add the prepared agar, stir for a while, then place in an oiled mold to cool.
Now, a refrigeration process is necessary, but the ‘cooking’ function has surprisingly shortened that time. After a few minutes, ‘Haengin tofu’ with an impressive springy texture would be completed.
Next, we had to make the sauce. To make the sauce, put water, honey, and dried cypress flowers in a pot and boil them well. Then, cool it like you did with the apricot tofu, and sprinkle it on top of the apricot tofu to complete it.
It was a process that required some time and effort, but the power of the ‘Cooking’ function shortened it considerably. I was soon able to receive satisfactory results.
[Perfect]
[Delicious Tofu] X4
I prepared a little more just in case, but I thought this would be enough even for Gamwoo.
I soon headed to Gamwoo, who was waiting in the hall with the results. When Gamwoo saw the food I was bringing, his eyes widened a little.
Something pure white and square shook and showed off its elasticity. The light golden sauce sprinkled on top had a sweet aroma. A subtle but appetizing aroma spread through the restaurant.
‘Haengin tofu’. Although it is said to be ‘tofu’, it was actually a dish close to ‘pudding’. However, since there was no concept of ‘pudding’ in the ancient East, they simply gave it the name ‘tofu’, which had a similar shape.
For Gamwoo’s older sister, this was surprising. ‘Haengin Tofu’ was a dish that took quite a bit of time. I bet you didn’t know that you could make it right in the kitchen. If not, you may have thought you were taking out something you had stored in advance.
However, no matter what Sister Kamu thought, the fact that I was bringing ‘Haengin Tofu’ did not change. I slammed down the bowl in front of Sister Kamwoo while she was staring blankly at her tofu.
Sister Kamwoo swallowed her saliva. It was the same pattern I always saw. Sister Kamwoo had a hesitant look on her face again.
They said they were going to eat it anyway, but then they did that again. It was cute, but it was something I had seen several times before, so I decided to urge Sister Gamwoo.
“Well, Siwoo’s younger brother… ….”
“It’s okay, eat it. “If you don’t eat it, you’ll be rude to me.”
When I said something like nailing it to her before she could say anything, Sister Kamu looked a little surprised and embarrassed. It was cute because it reminded me of a scared rabbit.
In the end, Sister Gamwoo picked up the spoon as I expected. Sister Gamwoo carefully touched the tofu with a spoon.
Then, the texture of the trembling tofu reminded me of it. The elasticity and softness were the essence of tofu that could only be created by grinding the tofu properly.
Gamwoo took a spoonful of dried tofu. With a snapping sensation, the tofu fell off gently. And the deep scent emanating from the honey-based sauce.
The first spoon soon disappeared into Sister Kamu’s mouth. And Sister Gamwoo also trembled, like Tofu, his passerby. Looking at that, I thought back to the emotion I felt when I first ate tofu.
It was a soft sweet mixture of milk and sugar, a taste that could be said to be a model dessert. In addition, the unique fresh and savory scent of passerby is added. Then, the sweet taste of honey hit my tongue one after another, and after passing the scent of osmanthus, the unique pungent scent of ginseng added to my taste buds.
Gamwoo was probably feeling similar admiration. No, it could have been worse than that since Gamwoo is a very greedy sister.
It didn’t take long for Gamwoo to finish her meal. After some time, the tofu I had prepared disappeared into Sister Kamu’s stomach in an instant.
Gamwoo was trying to console herself by sucking on her spoon as a habit, but suddenly came to her senses when I cleared my throat.
Gamwoo’s face heated up again. This was also expected.
“Ah, this, this, this… therefore… ….”
I now know from experience how to treat Sister Gamwoo. Instead of clumsily pretending not to know or making fun of Sister Gamwoo, I spoke in a proud voice.
“How are you? Are you okay? “Only at this level can we surprise Liyue’s gourmet world.”
Sister Gamwoo, who was trying to make an excuse for what I said, flinched, then cleared her throat as if she had calmed down a little.
“Hmm, hmm… Yeah, that’s right. “You’re definitely amazing, little brother Siwoo.”
In the meantime, I took out something to drink from my ‘backpack’. It was Mond’s specialty, ‘cider.’ Although the name clearly means alcohol, it was a strange thing that did not contain alcohol.
I heard that it was created because Mr. Dairuk did not enjoy drinking alcohol, but after meeting Dairuk a few times, I did not notice any sign that he disliked alcohol. So, the true story of its birth was a drink that no one knows.
I wanted to drink ‘dandelion wine,’ but it was late at night. Sister Gamwoo will have to go to work early tomorrow morning, and if I come to work smelling like alcohol and get kicked out of the kitchen again, then I will be in disgrace.
So I guess I’ll just have to endure it. With that in mind, I poured cider into my glass. A fragrant apple scent spread out along with a crunching sound.
“…… Would you like a drink?”
Gamwoo sighed at my playful suggestion. It seemed completely genuine now.
Gamwoo took the cup from me and spoke in a voice that still seemed a little embarrassed.
“I heard that Liyue’s wealthy people are upset because they can’t come to Siu’s brother’s restaurant… “It looks like he has something planned again.”
Hmm, I nodded. It wasn’t a plan so great that I had to hide it from Gamwoo.
I sipped my cider. It had a sweet and fragrant taste, truly a great taste worthy of Down Winery’s hit product following ‘Dandelion Wine.’
“What matters when selling goods is demand. “The market value varies depending on how anxious people are to buy the product.”
“But…” No matter how high the demand is, the value of the product does not increase unreasonably. “Is it really necessary to go through this much trouble?”
I nodded my head again to Gamwoo’s point. It was indeed the insight of Wolhaejeong’s general secretary. Of course, no matter how high the demand was, unless it was a commodity essential for survival, such as daily necessities, its value could not be overestimated beyond a certain level.
But sometimes illusions create bubbles. It’s not like there was no way to do that.
“What if it’s a special product that’s only available now? “If it’s the kind of food ingredients that Liyue’s wealthy people are dying to eat right now.”
Gamwoo tilted her head at my words. It was something that Gamwoo could never have imagined. With a sheepish smile, I took out some wild boar meat from Saemmul Village from my ‘backpack’.
Gamwoo looked at me and the piece of meat in turn, slightly surprised by the piece of meat that appeared out of nowhere. It was a natural reaction.
“I can’t tell you how, but in fact, I can transport wild boar meat from Saemmul Village in the freshest condition. And you can never get this fresh wild boar meat from Spring Water Village in Liyue. This is why the quality of meat served at my restaurant is exceptional.”
At the same time, I quietly put the piece of meat back into my ‘backpack’. A magical sight that disappears as if being pulled somewhere.
Gamwoo’s face became a little more serious, as if she finally understood what I was saying. The calculator must have been spinning in her head. She is probably in an area close to the instincts of an administrator.
“Of course, there is quite a lot of quantity, but if we sell a set quantity per day, there will be quite a bit of price competition for a while. Since the people of Liyue value gourmet food so much, I don’t know how much it will sell for, but I think it will make at least several times more profit.”
I said ‘several times’, but no matter how high the demand was, the amount of wild boar meat I brought from Saemmul Village was enormous. Even if all sorts of tricks were used, it would have been difficult to make dozens of times the profits. I don’t know if I could control the supply by staying in Liyue, but I had to go back to Mond as soon as possible.
Still, I was expecting at least 3 times more. The wild boar meat I currently had from Saemmul Village was worth a whopping 200 million Mora, so I could secure at least 600 million Mora.
It wasn’t just that. By accumulating daily necessities in Liyue with 600 million Mora, prices could be calmed down for a while, no matter how great the demand for daily necessities was in Mond Province. And considering that I would make a profit in the process and that I would also take over Mond’s distribution network, the benefits I could gain from this business were beyond imagination.
Of course, it was a fluke-like success achieved through the combination of the Wind Demon Dragon incident and the features in my game. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to make such a big profit next time. But this was enough.
With that level, we were able to firmly plant roots in Mond and gather power. That was my goal in the first place, not money, so I didn’t want anything more than that.
Sister Gamwoo, who was pondering my words for a moment, soon sighed. It meant that what I said was not wrong.
“…… Sure, it’s amazing. Siwoo’s younger brother.”
I shrugged my shoulders at Gamwoo’s praise. Actually, it wasn’t that big of a deal. It was just a bit of luck, and the ‘backpack’ function was just too deceptive.
However, what Sister Kamu said next was so surprising to me that I could not help but widen my eyes.
“If that’s the case, there’s no need to find a sales channel. “I already know a lot of good merchants, so I’ll introduce you to a suitable place.”
I was delighted. I couldn’t help but do that. In the first place, there was nothing more troublesome or time-consuming than finding a sales channel and deciding on a business partner.
But you can solve that problem through personal connections? That was also Kamwoo’s connection. Of course, mutual trust was guaranteed.
“If you say yes, I’d be happy!”
“There is nothing to be thankful for. If it is such a rare product, the reputation of the merchant will increase just by handling it, and as Wolhaejeong, we are also putting a debt on the giant merchant. I just have one question…….”
Any questions? I was willing to answer any questions I had now. To that extent, Sister Gamwoo’s suggestion could be said to be a kind of grace that could drastically shorten the travel schedule.
However, Sister Gamwoo did not have the attitude of asking something very important. I just asked with a look in my eyes that I didn’t understand.
“…… Why is Siwoo’s brother trying to save money so quickly? “If we stay in Liyue right now, we could make several times that amount of profit, but Si-woo’s brother seems anxious.”
Hearing those words, I felt my heart calming down somewhat.
Why am I trying to save money quickly? At first, it was to take advantage of the Wind Demon Dragon incident to control Mond’s distribution network, but these days, the situation has changed a bit.
The country was not an individual’s problem, but a problem of the entire Mond. I hesitated a bit, but eventually spoke in a sighing voice.
“…… In fact, these days, Mond is under threat from the Woindan. It’s not a physical threat, it’s an economic threat. “They control all daily necessities.”
“Wooindan.”
As soon as the word ‘Wooindan’ came out of my mouth, Sister Gamwoo repeated it in a slightly cold voice. It seemed that the image of the Wooindan was not good.
“If things continue like this, the citizens of Mond will inevitably become victims of the skyrocketing prices of daily necessities. That’s all, fortunately, the Woindan might take advantage of that opportunity and try to take control of Mond. I want to prevent that situation. “But time was important, so I guess I was a little anxious.”
At my words, Sister Gamwoo closed her eyes again as if she was thinking. It didn’t take long for her eyes to open.
Gamwoo said in a decisive tone.
“Brother Siwoo, don’t get involved with the Wooin Dan.”
I think I heard that somewhere. The face of Tartaglia, whom I had had a drink with two days ago, flashed through my mind.
He had such a firm attitude even back then. Sister Kamwoo continued her words with my face in her mysterious purple eyes.
“Wooindan uses any means and method to achieve its goal. Siwoo’s younger brother won’t know. Wooindan’s premise is different from ours. When we think in terms of rules, they think of ways to exploit and break those rules. So, brother Siwoo, don’t get involved with the Wooindan.”
When I heard those words, I felt a little discouraged. Both Tartaliana and Kamu were likely to be more knowledgeable about the continent of Tivat and have more social experience than me.
When those two gave such a firm warning, I couldn’t help but feel downcast. Does this mean that it is so absurd to stand against the Woindan?
But Mond had to be protected. It’s not that it wasn’t, it was a place that would become the root of the force I built. I couldn’t give up now.
When I looked a little glum, Sister Gamwoo looked a little embarrassed. The dejected look I saw on her was probably the first time I had seen her.
“I’m sorry. Siwoo’s younger brother. I’m being too arrogant, we’ve only met a few times… “Don’t be so depressed.”
To be honest, I wasn’t that depressed, but I deliberately nodded weakly. I could feel Gamwoo becoming even more embarrassed.
At that time, an idea suddenly occurred to me. I thought this was an opportunity to find out what I had been curious about.
In a slightly depressed voice, I asked Sister Kamu.
“…… “Then please do me a favor.”
“Yes, yes…” … ? “W-what request?”
Gamwoo seemed even more embarrassed by my words. I smiled inwardly. If you were in this mood, you couldn’t refuse any request.
“Well, it’s a growth on Sister Kamu’s head. “It’s a horn, right?”
Gamwoo’s eyes widened at my words. She fidgeted and opened her mouth in a stuttering voice.
“Oh, no. This is a headdress passed down through the family…….”
“Can I touch it?”
At my words, Sister Kamu’s movements stopped. I tilted my head at that reaction. Didn’t you just say it was a headdress? Why are you doing that?
The moment I thought that, Sister Kamu’s head bowed. Even her heated ears could tell that her face was bright red.
And then a pitiful, trembling voice faintly flowed from her mouth.
“…… Can.”
“Yes? I beg your pardon?”
My voice was too low, so I raised my body and placed my ear closer to Sister Kamu. Then, only then did I hear Sister Kamwoo’s voice grow a little louder. It was a voice full of shame.
“No dirty things… ….”
When I heard those words, my body stiffened.
In Liyue, does touching the headdress mean something?
Anyway, one thing was certain. Cold sweat began to trickle down my back.
In other words, I was s*xually harassing Kamwoo. I was blinded by that alone.
I’m in big trouble. Literally, it was a big deal.