“Great. No need to look elsewhere. Let’s sign the contract right away.”
Having inspected the blacksmith site, Jong-sik expressed his intention to purchase it on the spot. It was a vast area of 2,000 pyeong(or about 6611.58 Square Meters).
As it was land owned by a corporation, the transaction was straightforward. It would have been quite cumbersome if there were multiple owners.
Moreover, the place was well known to Jong-sik and Yeona. Wasn’t it near the toast stall where Yeona often visited?
According to the real estate agent, it was a land that had been the subject of redevelopment discussions in the past. It was almost turned into a gold mine.
However, just before the development, several gate explosions occurred, causing even the residents to leave the land unable to withstand it.
Perhaps the Feng Shui wasn’t good. It was a deserted neighborhood for that reason. Thanks to that, a street vendor could open without paying rent.
Jong-sik judged that there was no better land than this.
First, it was an advantage to be close to the academy Yeona attended.
Second, with no residents nearby, there was no need to worry about the noise from the blacksmith. In other words, the effort of putting up barriers every day was unnecessary.
For these reasons, Jong-sik concluded the deal smoothly.
On the way back home, he stopped by the supermarket. Jong-sik was holding a black bag in his hand.
At that moment, Yeona tapped his forearm and asked. Her expression indicated she already knew.
“Uncle, are those ingredients for making hot dogs?”
To that, Jong-sik smiled casually and nodded.
A few hours ago.
“This doesn’t taste good.”
Those words from Haeli had bothered him.
Jong-sik wanted to show Haeli the true taste of K-snacks. That was his only intention.
“The hot dog isn’t tasty.”
He vowed never to say such words again. Jong-sik tousled Haeli’s hair and said.
“So, you’re not going to eat?”
“Even though it’s what little Dad made, I should eat my meal…”
“Alright. Then you eat that meal. This is for me and Yeona.”
Although he said this, the reason he bought the hot dog ingredients in the first place was for Haeli.
However, Haeli, unaware of Jong-sik’s thoughts, frowned and pouted. He felt excluded for some reason.
“I didn’t say I’m not eating!”
‘Huh? Her voice raised.’
“I didn’t say I’m not eating?”
“Uh, I didn’t say I’m not eating!”
“Ah, Uncle, it’s still a bit early for honorifics, isn’t it? I mean, it’s only been two days since you were born, right? And the hot dog, you bought it for Haeli, didn’t you? Do you really plan to eat it with just the two of us?”
Yeona’s words made Haeli’s drooping eyebrows rise again. Bought it for himself? Haeli looked at Jong-sik with sparkling eyes.
“It’s true that I bought it for that reason. But it doesn’t taste good, right? I don’t plan to force it on someone who doesn’t like it.”
Jong-sik was answering like that. At that moment, Haeli suddenly interrupted Yeona and Jong-sik’s conversation.
“I, I actually like hot dogs!”
“You do?”
Haeli shamelessly reversed his statement.
‘Wasn’t he just shaking his head saying it didn’t taste good a moment ago?’
“Is that so?”
“Yeah-! So, I’m going to eat it.”
Fine, Jong-sik decided to overlook it. He chuckled and said,
“Then we should eat it together. Including Yeona, Haeli, and me.”
“Don’t eat and faint.”
‘You dragon kid.’
The front of the store was bustling with activity.
Jong-sik had anticipated that it would get busy again sooner or later, but he hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly.
They say a word without feet travels a thousand miles. Even though it had only been a few hours since opening, word of the changed taste of the food had spread already? Sigh. This is the problem even if business is booming.
With things like this, asking Jong-pal to make hot dogs was out of the question.
And what’s with all these trucks parked in front of the store? Jong-sik muttered grumpily.
“Why are they parking their cars in front of someone else’s store? There’s a parking lot nearby.”
“Hmm. Looks like delivery trucks for Monster supplies. Could it be? Those monsters that Uncle caught trying to escape.”
“…Huh?”
Upon closer inspection, he could see the company name written on the vehicle. ‘Clean Monster.’ It seems Yeona’s words were correct.
But this delivery is too fast, even if it’s fast.
Didn’t the head of the official hunter team mention at the scene that it would take about a week for the bodies to be delivered?
And yet, it hasn’t even been two days.
He couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
“Hmm. Did they send it properly? I should check first. Yeona, take Haeli and go up first. I’ll be there soon.”
So Jong-sik sent Yeona and Haeli up first.
He didn’t want to bring them into the store unnecessarily, To prevent the guests from getting flustered by Haeli’s stunning beauty.
“Yes. We’ll go quickly.”
It was something Jong-sik wouldn’t know. Why the monster corpses, scheduled to arrive a week later, had arrived so early.
In fact, it was all thanks to a figure inside Dokga’s restaurant, who was inhaling his meal.
Nam Woo-jong, the Association Chairman. He had pulled some strings. Of course, besides the rocket delivery, there were many things prepared for Jong-sik’s sake.
Both Nam Woo-jong, who had come to persuade Jong-sik, and Jang Mi-ae, who had rushed here to see Trigo, had forgotten the purpose of their visit to “Dok’s Restaurant.” That was how excellent the food at Dok’s restaurant was.
At first, they thought it was a mistake. They had never imagined that the unremarkable pot-braised bulgogi would have the effects of a potion.
“It’s not a mistake.”
But they had to admit it. The rapidly replenishing condition was evidence of that.
How tired they had been from the sleepless nights of consecutive meetings. Nam Woo-jong, who had been drinking “Monster Energy Drink” like water every day.
And now, inhaling the bulgogi pot.
He felt as if he had just drunk a “Monster Energy Drink.” Because of that, Nam Woo-jong, whose eyes suddenly widened, hastily exclaimed.
“Another bowl here!”
Jang Mi-ae was no different. While the food was food, the items inside the restaurant caught her eye. They were Trigo’s creations.
“…To think such items would be in a small restaurant. The chairs, that refrigerator table… Hmm. Even the obsidian tiles on the floor. Are all these Trigo’s works?”
“Well, they are. Hey, lady. Watch your words. You call this a small restaurant.”
At Trigo’s words, Jang Mi-ae looked visibly flustered. Her words really had slipped out.
“I’m sorry. I was surprised by the artwork, and I misspoke. Anyway, where are we?”
“Ahem!”
As Jang Mi-ae tried to rectify her words,
Jong-sik entered the store.
“Mr. Big Boss, are you here?”
“Hmm. Where’s Jong-pal?”
“Boss. He went to the freezer for a moment. He said he’s putting away the monster meat delivery.”
“Really? Got it. Don’t worry about me. Just do your job.”
Saying so, Jong-sik walked towards the table where Trigo was sitting. As soon as he saw the person sitting next to Trigo, he could guess the reason for the rapid delivery.
Just then, when Nam Woo-jong heard Jong-sik’s voice, he briskly turned his head. Jong-sik was already in front of him.
“Chief Dok Jong?”
“I heard rumors that someone was coming from the Association, but I didn’t expect the Chairman himself to come.”
‘A lie.’
‘I had some expectations.’
Didn’t Ramus mention it earlier? That the return of the Strategy Squad was delayed, and he planned to request support from Jong-sik. It seems like that’s why he came.
‘Did he come here with the intention of complying with what Ramus instructed him to do? I thought it might be a good idea to have a conversation at that time.’
Jang Mi-ae pretended to know.
“Oh my! Hunter Dok Jong-sik. I’m here too. I’m Jang Mi-ae, the artisan. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I thought I’d forgotten your face. Hoho.”
‘What else could be the reason for the artisan to come here?’
‘Their purpose here is probably Trigo’s master technology. As such, it would be nice if they could finish their business quickly and leave.’
“Oh, yes. Hello, Trigo. Did you receive the blueprints and items?”
“Hmm. Not yet. Dok Jong-sik said something about enjoying the scenery after a meal, so he wanted to chat after eating…”
“Ah.”
It doesn’t seem likely.
Well, it probably doesn’t matter, right?
“Ahem. I’m done eating now. Trigo, you mentioned the ingredients you prepared are on the second floor, right? Can I go up and see them now?”
“As luck would have it, I just finished eating too. Dok Jong-sik, I have something important to discuss. Could you spare some time?”
As soon as Jong-sik appeared, the two finished their meals. It’s oddly courteous, but it couldn’t be helped.
Jong-sik chuckled and nodded.
“Sure. Let’s go upstairs and talk. This is a restaurant where we have to attend to our guests, after all.”
If Dok’s Restaurant was just a coffee shop,
Dok’s House was TOP.
It didn’t take long to figure that out.
“But Trigo, where have you been working all this time?” Jang Mi-ae asked Trigo.
And that’s when she started to get surprised
“Where else would I work? I’ve been working here.”
“Around here? you mean you’ve been working in this residential area? It must be really noisy.”
“Oh. If you’re talking about that, Dok Jong-sik took care of everything. The noise generated inside here can’t cross the main door.”
“That’s absurd…”
“If you don’t believe me, you can go out and listen for yourself. Do you think I’d be yelling about the noise?”
As if questioning the truth of his words, Jang Mi-ae looked at Dok Jong-sik. Jong-sik chuckled and shrugged. There was nothing to hide.
‘Unbelievable!’
In the end, she went back down the stairs she had climbed. Then she reluctantly opened the front door and went outside. She listened carefully, but she couldn’t hear any noise at all.
When she opened the door again,
“Oh-! Jang Mi-ae, did you hear anything?”
The Association Chairman Nam Woo-jong was shouting loudly. So, Trigo’s words were all true.
“No, I didn’t hear anything at all. Not even footsteps! How on earth did you do that? Hunter Dok Jong-sik?”
With her mouth wide open in shock, Jang Mi-ae asked Jong-sik, and the chairman’s gaze was fixed on Jong-sik.
“I just widened the barrier.”
Jong-sik responded casually.
“A barrier? Wait a minute. Are you saying you blocked the noise with a tanker skill? In such a large space?”
“I didn’t know you had tanker skills…”
But the surprises didn’t end there.
Nam Woo-jong, who entered the yard, exclaimed in surprise.
It was because he saw a plant standing straight up like a centuries-old pine tree, Pong.
“Is that Pong from our workshop? How could you grow it so tall like that? Do you have any special fertilizer? No, even with fertilizer, it wouldn’t grow that much.”
It was a reasonable question.
It just grew rapidly with the magic of a dragon.
But it’s not something you can just say.
“My niece grew it with utmost sincerity. She put so much effort into it that it grew like that before we knew it.”
‘An unbelievable story.’
Yet Nam Woo-jong and Jang Mi-ae couldn’t refute it.
No, it would be more accurate to say they couldn’t bring themselves to speak up.
“Um, Dad. Who’s here?”
“Dad, someone’s here? Where’s the hotdog?”
Their words were interrupted by the appearance of a girl, Haeli. For a moment, there was silence. But only for a moment.
“Indeed, Dok Jong-sik, you have quite a unique home and family.”
“That’s right. I think now I understand why Trigo insisted on this place so much.”
They couldn’t help but marvel at the extraordinary situation.
‘His brother, who sells food with potions added at a bargain price, his niece who surpasses an awakened horticulturist in ordinary matters, and another niece with astonishing beauty that even monsters would be enchanted by.’
‘Isn’t it a family composition that fits well with the exceptional hunter Dok Jong-sik?’
Nam Woo-jong and Jang Mi-ae thought so.
