The Archmage’s Restaurant

# 188

Chapter.40 Cooking Competition

“El, this is maa noodles.”

“Oh, thank you. “It smells good.”

It didn’t take long for Viscera to come out with two bowls of noodles. Rurin looks at the noodles in front of her and looks at me.

Then he sniffed and said.

“What is this? “Are you eating it?”

“huh. It’s noodles. “Of course you eat it.”

He put a fork in his hand and I picked up chopsticks. However, Rurin just pokes the noodles with a fork and doesn’t seem to like it.

First, I inhaled the noodles.

Slurp.

hmm. Not bad. However, the unique smell of maasae may be slightly repulsive, but the smell is quite acceptable. It tastes great.

Moreover, I heard that people in this region actually enjoy this smell, so this is not a negative. This isn’t a particularly touristy place, so the unique smell shouldn’t be a problem at all.

Like Korea’s Cheonggukjang or Japan’s Natto?

And the noodles are okay too.

However, to be honest, it was a dish that could be made in any restaurant. There is no special feature at all. It was the traditional food of this region. If so, they have no choice but to lose out in price competition.

“At this rate, I had to buy a hunting license from my lord to catch a maasae, but next year I couldn’t even buy one. Then I have to close the restaurant… .”

When I said I would help, Duran groaned and lowered his head. So I answered while holding Duran’s shoulder.

“It’s okay, we’ll get our customers back somehow, so don’t worry.”

Then he turned his gaze to Visera.

“You just need to change your thinking a little bit. Let’s bring back customers by giving the dish something special. “What a thing.”

There is something called chicken shabu shabu.

Even noodles with the same ingredients can become popular if the way of eating them and the taste are a little different.

So the method to try is shabu shabu.

“you! “I don’t like this.”

Rurin frowned while chewing the noodles in her mouth, as if she didn’t like the taste.

“That’s all there is here. As you eat it, you get used to the smell. Eat a lot. “It’s better than starving.”

“eww.”

He made a groaning sound, but he was so hungry that he forced himself to slurp up the noodles.

“I’ll cook you something delicious later tonight, so eat in moderation.”

I whispered in his ear so that no one could hear him, and as he listened, he nodded strongly with a happy face.

“I’ll show you a dish later. First, after doing some market research. “Anyway, we will help you in every way, so don’t worry too much.”

When I said that, the hat looked at me and nodded at the same time.

I may not know his cooking skills, but since he was the one who led the war to victory, his eyes were filled with absolute trust and the expectation that everything would be great.

***

After eating noodles, I went out to the village with Lulin to conduct market research. It is a medium-sized city. It is neither that big nor that small. Five villages were gathered around the central Yeongju Castle.

As I walked forward, I came across the exact restaurant Duran had mentioned. It is a two-story restaurant. Since the distance is not that great, selling the same traditional dish, noodles, has a huge impact. So, of course, there is no chance of winning if the dishes are the same.

“welcome!”

“There are two. Is this seat taken?”

At first glance, it looked like there were no seats on the first floor, so when I asked, the waiter pointed to the second floor and gave me a sales smile.

“There are no seats on the first floor. Would you like to go up to the second floor?”

“Yes, of course.”

Although it is a two-story restaurant, the first floor is not that huge.

Of course, the fact that the place is full means that business is doing well. Everyone is eating noodles, and occasionally you can see someone eating steamed rice.

It is in this northern region that there are many birds such as pheasants, making it easy to obtain eggs, so noodle dishes using wheat flour were developed.

In other villages in this region, bread is also a traditional food.

On the other hand, the southern region uses rice as its staple food.

It’s as if the Earth has developed into wheat farming in the West and eating rice in the East.

Gray City is located in the center, so it is a mixture of many things.

Lurin complained that she had eaten something strange and started playing with the ring again, dragging Lurin with her to this restaurant.

He hasn’t raised his head even once, but when I let him sit down, he suddenly raises his head and looks around.

It seems he was barely aware that the environment had changed when he was brought from standing to sitting on a chair.

“Hot, where are we again! “Did we teleport?”

“What are you talking about? “Did you see me use teleportation?”

“Then what is it? “Has the restaurant grown?”

“I moved. movement! What nonsense are you talking about? Come to your senses. Stop looking at the ring and look at me instead. me.”

“You?”

No. The words came out in vain again. He immediately denied what he had just said.

“no. Okay, anyway, come to your senses.”

“Huh?”

But Lulin’s eyes changed. Take your eyes off the ring. And then he started seeing me. I’m sitting right next to him, but he turns around and looks at me intently.

I don’t even blink.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“What are you doing? I’m looking at you.”

“Cancel what I said earlier! Sit up straight. huh?”

“i get it.”

Hearing my words, he sits back down towards the table. But this time, he rests his chin and turns his head to look at me. Oh my, let’s quit. Quit it.

“Here’s the menu.”

Meanwhile, the waiter brought out the menu. Hospitality for guests is just right, neither too excessive nor too rude. I forced myself to ignore Rurin’s gaze and looked at the menu.

Let’s analyze the price in question.

The price of these noodles is definitely a little cheaper. When they come together little by little, they become a mountain. For people whose staple food is noodles, that little bit can seem like a big deal.

In particular, there is a mine on the mountain behind that mines iron, the material for swords, so it seems like there are a lot of people who get their meals here, and for them, cheaper is the best.

The reason there are so many people on the first floor at this time is because of the mine.

It was an abandoned mine during the war, but now it is a time of peace.

Let’s check the taste first.

The menu was more diverse than Viscera’s restaurant. It is a regional characteristic. Maa noodles, Maa steamed, Maa dishes are all unique.

“Then, two bowls of noodles, please.”

“thank you!”

The waiter took the menu.

Stare-!

And Lurin is still looking at me.

“You said I can stop looking at Lulin?”

“You asked me to see it, so I will! Isn’t this the first time you’ve asked me to look at it first? From the beginning, I only see you! But sometimes I watched it secretly! But it’s amazing that they ask me to look at it so openly.”

Oh yeah?

I’m saying this, but I can’t say anything. Sometimes it’s even cute that I watched it secretly.

“Okay then, feel free to watch as much as you want.”

“i get it! Hi-Hi.”

Stare-!

Rurin’s gaze stares at me again. It’s not a glare; it’s a soft gaze, like a warm breeze blowing.

“Did you clean the floor?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Do your best. Well done! “It’s ridiculous that the restaurant is dirty!”

I heard a conversation that bothered me, so I went down to the first floor and saw a woman who looked to be in her early to mid 20s giving instructions to restaurant employees. Are you the boss?

Cooking speed is also fast.

Soon another waiter brought noodles. So I immediately asked what I was curious about.

“Is that person on the first floor over there the boss?”

“You are the store manager. “Strictly speaking, the boss is the store manager’s father.”

“Oh, I see. no wonder.”

“Why are you asking that?”

“Oh, it’s nothing special. “I think it’s amazing that someone so young is the owner of such a large restaurant.”

“You sure are amazing. Then enjoy your meal!”

The waiter left the noodles and disappeared. Steam rises. The smell was almost similar to Viscera’s.

Let’s taste it.

“I don’t eat. this.”

He sniffed without taking his eyes off me. Then he frowned.

“Okay, well, since I just ate, I don’t think I’d want to eat the same thing again.”

“I feel full just by looking at you.”

The soup is not hot, but the gaze is hot.

Anyway, I tried to ignore it again and slurped down the noodles.

The noodles are good.

Good soup.

There is almost no difference from Viscera’s cooking. The noodles here are made in large quantities, so they are slightly less chewy, but it’s not enough to be a concern, so it certainly won’t affect business.

Let’s taste the soup.

Even the slightly unique smell of the soup is the same.

“hmm.”

“hmm?”

“also.”

“also?”

“What is the solution?”

“What is the solution?”

“Why are you repeating this again?”

“If you’ve finished eating, let’s go. “I don’t really like that smell.”

Rurin declares once again that she hates Maase. But I refused. Where are you going? I ate two bowls of noodles and I was so full that I was dying.

“Let’s go? “I’m so full I can’t move?”

“What? Then teleport. “Let’s go back to Rare.”

“No, no, we have to go to Viscera’s restaurant. “How can I go back when I haven’t done anything yet?”

“What? “Aren’t you going home today?”

Lurin frowned again, showing that she didn’t like that at all.

“I’m so full that I can’t move. “Oh my stomach.”

Then Lurin jumped down from the chair, grabbed my arm, and brought her face close to me.

“Isn’t that stomach my pillow? “It’s cute to see you after such a long time.”

“Huh?”

When I briefly exposed my stomach, strange noises came back.

“And your lips are cute too. Hi-Hi.”

Rurin still doesn’t engage in strong skinship, but she handles light grabbing of the arm with ease.

But today, he brought his face closer and put his finger to my mouth while giggling.

Why the hands?

Soon Lulin’s finger touches my lips. I have no idea what the intention was.

What are you doing?

“I buried this! So it was cute. But they give it away. Because it’s a bit funny. “I don’t want other humans to laugh at you.”

“Oh really? What?”

The piece that Rurin took off is a garnish for the noodles.

“Did you get all of that buried? Me too… “I don’t want to move, so I ask questions about everything.”

“Hmm. then.”

“huh?”

“I’ll carry you!”

“what?”

Do you hear auditory hallucinations? What did I just hear?

“really?”

When asked again, Lurin nodded strongly.

“okay? In that case, without hesitation, let’s go back to that small restaurant from earlier. “Teleportation is not allowed?”

“Hehe, get on my back!”

Lulin turned his back. He was carried on Lulin’s back. I’ve been with Lulin for quite a while, but today is the first time I’ve been piggybacked on this guy’s back.

My back is warm.

However, it is no secret that my feet began to drag due to Lulin’s short stature.

It is no secret that attention was focused upon going down to the first floor.

“Isn’t it heavy?”

“What do you think of me? I am as light as a feather.”

“Oh yeah? As much as a feather? What else can I say… .”

Of course, my weight is felt by the dragon. Feathers.

“But what’s going on? “After you said you’d give me a piggyback ride first?”

“Of course.”

“of course?”

“There is such a thing.”

Lurin did not answer. This time, I have absolutely no idea about Rurin’s psychology.

What is there?