“Oh, really?”
The breakfast menu for today was Cockatrice Porridge. It was smooth and savory, so much so that one could eat several bowls without feeling overwhelmed. Jong-sik listened to Jong-pal’s chatter as he took a big spoonful of the porridge.
“Yeah. I was really surprised. I usually don’t entrust any knife given to me as a gift.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“It’s not the usual skill. At first, I gave him the old knife I’ve been using for a long time, you know? But he managed to sharpen that dull knife into a new one in an instant.”
“I see. You’re still keeping that old knife? Even though we have plenty of knives now. You should tidy up.”
“Why waste it by throwing it away? No, that’s not the point!”
“Haha, alright. Go on. I’m listening.”
“Ah, really. So I entrusted the knife given by my brother as a gift. Wow… even just brushing against it, it cuts?”
Thanks to that, Jong-pal swiftly minced the vegetables and Cockatrice meat that would go into the porridge. Moreover, what skill did he possess? It was Swift Sword, even though it was a C-grade skill.
Anyway, thanks to that, Jong-pal was able to significantly reduce the time needed for morning preparations. Thus, he passionately discussed Trigo’s knife sharpening skills for a while.
“Look at this. It feels like it could cut just by looking at it, right?”
“….”
“Hyung. Do you see the gleam on the blade? I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Suddenly, he even brought the knife from the kitchen to show it off. And he did so right in front of the person who had sharpened the knife himself.
‘Wow, is it really that good?’
Jong-sik shook his head in admiration at Jong-pal’s energetic behavior. On the other hand, Trigo, with a smug expression, opened his mouth, saying that even dwarfs dance with praise.
“Hmm, hmm. It’s definitely a usable knife compared to the first one you gave me. So, I enjoyed sharpening it.”
To express the Rose Workshop’s knife as a usable knife. Jong-pal had a slightly bewildered expression. Whether to say anything or not, Trigo didn’t know when to stop talking.
“By the way, Jong-pal, could I have one more bowl of this? My stomach still feels empty…”
He shyly showed the empty bowl with a look that didn’t match his appearance. The porridge that had been full in the bowl was now in Trigo’s stomach.
‘It’s just so delicious.’
The dish looked like oatmeal porridge at first glance, but the moment Trigo tasted the unknown red side dish, his senses were paralyzed. When he came to his senses, only an empty bowl remained in front of him.
Trigo wanted to experience that amazing taste once again.
“Oh, of course. Here you go.”
“And, could I have some more of that too?”
Trigo pointed to the red side dish, and Jong-pal nodded as if to say, “Is that even a question?”
“It seems like kimchi suits your taste. I only gave you a little because I thought it might not suit an outsider… Well, it seems unnecessary now.”
“Oh, so this is called kimchi. Anyway, it pairs fantastically with the porridge. Even eating it with beer alone would make it taste like heaven.”
Science or not, kimchi is kimchi. Jong-sik, who was listening quietly, nodded his head.
“I’m glad you like it. Now that I know, I’ll give you plenty.”
“Oh, thank you so much! Next time, I’ll fix this chair or, no, the store’s chairs for you. And the stove you use in the kitchen seems a bit weak in firepower, but if I can get the materials, I’ll make you a new stove right away.”
“…Ah, you don’t have to bother.”
Considering the tribe’s knack for fire, the stove he made would be quite usable. Of course, bringing Trigo along wasn’t intended for that purpose, but since he can catch fish even in a ditch, it’s not a bad thing.
Jong-sik said, “It’s not for nothing. Creating and repairing things is their pleasure. When they offer, just accept it readily. Trigo, am I right?”
“Yes, you’re right. Sir, Jong-pal. It’s something I enjoy doing, so please don’t feel burdened.”
“…Well, in that case, I’m grateful. Then, I’ll be responsible for Trigo’s delicious meals.”
“Haha. Sounds good.”
‘ They’re getting along surprisingly well.‘
Jong-sik thought to himself as he spoke.
“While we’re at it, let’s go shopping for ingredients as soon as today’s schedule is over. What do you need?”
“Well, first, I need equipment and majeongseok…”
In the blink of an eye, the afternoon schedule expanded with the mention of extracting iron horns.
***
Meanwhile, Yeona, who was sitting next to Jong-sik, was immersed in the world of social media. The day before, she had created an account for her family’s restaurant at the request of a customer.
She was in the middle of taking pictures of the food to upload there.
Click, click –
She was so focused on taking pictures that even while Trigo was devouring a bowl of porridge, she hadn’t taken a single spoonful.
That’s how serious Yeona was about taking photos.
“Hmm. Who was it that urged us to eat before the customers arrived?”
It was none other than Yeona herself. At the sound of Jong-sik’s voice, Yeona smirked and teasingly stuck out her tongue. Then she glanced at the clock. It was already 7:15. The opening time was in fifteen minutes.
“Oh, it’s already been fifteen minutes.”
“So, what have you been doing all this time without eating?”
“I was taking pictures of today’s menu to post. Hehe.”
“Just eat quickly now. Porridge gets cold if you leave it. And why are you taking pictures of the menu? The menu changes every day anyway.”
Jong-sik handed Yeona a spoon and asked. Yeona’s hand holding the spoon paused for a moment. But under the gaze of her father, who was looking at her intently, and the appetizing breakfast table, she quickly dipped the spoon into the porridge.
Since it had been out for a while, it didn’t look too hot. Swallowing a spoonful of porridge, she answered Jong-sik’s question.
“The customer who came yesterday suggested it. She said since our restaurant’s menu changes every day, it would be good to run an SNS account. It seemed like a good idea to me, and Dad agreed, so I created the SNS account last night.”
“I see. So, you were taking pictures to post there? But why did it take so long? You could have just taken one quick photo and been done with it.”
“Well, good-looking food tastes good too, you know. So, Uncle, that’s why. Please choose some pictures from these to upload.”
“Me?”
Nod, nod.
Judging by her niece’s eyes, it was a request she couldn’t refuse. It wasn’t particularly difficult either.
“Um, okay. Let me have some and then you can eat quickly.”
Jong-sik received Yeona’s phone. His thumb moves quickly. Swipe, swipe-
‘I see she captured the photos from multiple similar angles… Want to pick a good photo here? This isn’t even about finding the difference in the picture.’
‘They all look the same to me. Maybe…’
“Wouldn’t a video be better than photos? It would show the contents better too.”
Yeona, who is eating, naturally looks at Jong-sik. Swallowing what’s in her mouth, she raises her thumb.
“Oh. That’s true! Ah, why didn’t I think of that? I’m such an idiot.”
Then she hits her forehead.
“Then we can show the rising steam and the side dishes to eat with the delicious Cockatrice porridge! Ugh, I need to delete all the photos and take a video right now.”
“Wh-where! Let’s eat first. Stop thinking about it now. You’re missing another meal.”
Jong-sik’s hand shoots up for a moment. It’s because Yeona reached out to grab the phone to take it.
“Uh, sorry.”
“Don’t rush your meal. You might choke.”
“This will only take 5 minutes!”
Yeona hurriedly picks up her spoon. In the meantime, Jong-sik was scrolling through the Dok Family Restaurant SNS account created by Yeona.
‘400 followers?’
Considering it was made yesterday, the number of followers is quite impressive. There’s also a post from yesterday.
#Come try the Cockatrice Doria covered with a Mozzarella Cheese Blanket at Dok Family Restaurant. #Today’s menu at Dok Family Restaurant #Dishes made with Cockatrice ingredients will continue for a while.
-Wow, the boss opened an SNS account? Yeehaw~~
-Aww. I went there last night, and it was sold out.ㅠㅠ Please make plenty tomorrow.
-Boss, do you happen to take photos? It might look even tastier without the bluish tint. ㅠㅠ As someone who actually saw and ate it.
-What’s on the menu for tomorrow?
-This kind of reminds me of when I was a student. Getting excited before getting the meal plan.
-Wow. Can’t we get delivery here?
-Had a great meal. The female staff at the counter is so kind!
-Can I get a menu recommendation?
-That might not be possible. The owner said so. We’re having a cockatrice party for a while.
‘Even though it’s just one post, there are over a hundred comments below it.’
“But everyone seems to have tried it. Does that mean there were so many customers yesterday?”
Jong-sik could only smirk, having missed out on the commotion from the day before.
‘Who would’ve thought there’d be so much to find out only a day late from leaving work?’
“From now on, I’m leaving work on time.”
Jong-sik thought. Meanwhile, his brother Jong-pal was in full swing, excitedly chatting away. Most of it was about the shop’s interior.
“As soon as we get the ingredients, we’ll start production right away. Hmm. I’d like to repair these hard chairs right away. But is there a place we can use as a workshop?”
“Well, the third floor of our house is empty… Can we use that? Oh, let me ask my brother first and then decide slowly.”
As they were discussing, a familiar face appeared beyond the shop door.
It was a regular customer, Park Cheong-sol. Cheong-sol peeked his head inside and looked around the shop. Then, upon locking eyes with Jong-pal, he awkwardly smiled.
“Hmm? Why isn’t he coming in… Wait a moment.”
With that sight, Jong-pal rushed to the shop door in one stride. Since Jong-sik, Yeona, and Trigo were leaning against the door, they didn’t notice Cheong-sol’s arrival.
Jong-pal’s hand hesitated for a moment as he tried to open the door.
“Could it be because of this?”
The sign Yeona had made the day before was attached to the center of the door.
[CLOSED]
But even so, there are only about five minutes left, so surely they wouldn’t have come in because of this. Jong-pal thought so and opened the door wide, taking down the sign attached to the door.
“Why are you standing there instead of coming in? Is it because of this? What?”
And then he saw it.
The line that stretched long behind Cheong-sol.
‘When did they all come here?’
Just then, as if he had been waiting, Park Cheong-sol scratched his head and replied.
“I would have come in if I was alone…. But there are a lot of people who came to eat breakfast. You should have a comfortable meal. So I told them to wait for a moment.”
“Boss. Good morning. I’m here again.”
“Here, this student told me to wait a little bit.”
That’s right.
They must have been waiting for the Jong-pal family to finish their meal.
