“Uhm…”
“Uhm… nothing’s wrong, right?”
I whispered to the guild master during a brief moment on the way home. No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t believe that someone at the director level had come all the way here just to see me.
“No, there’s nothing wrong. It seems they just came to see you out of curiosity.”
“They just came to see me?”
At that moment, Jeong So-yeon, who was beside me, reassured me not to worry.
“When I became the youngest to reach level 6, I can’t tell you how often they came to see me. It’s always been that way when they discover a talented individual or an awakened one, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
“Well, it’s only natural for them to manage you at a government level since you became the youngest to reach level 6. But for me……………”
Me?
While speaking, I suddenly recalled the things I had done until now.
‘Huh?’
I joined Ara Hongryeon, cured Si-young and Baek Seung-hyun. After that, I also went to support the dungeon break incident in China, and I dealt with the Iron-blooded and Terror guilds.
Even considering small incidents like visiting the Skyscraper or my connection with Junichi, these were events that a regular awakened person would find hard to experience in a lifetime.
Could I be more amazing than I thought?
When I stopped speaking, the guild master and Jeong So-yeon grinned at me. Their expressions seemed to say, “Did you just realize it?”
“This is the main family!”
“The main family?”
“The Grand Lord is here in the main family. Everyone be cautious.”
“Grand Lord?”
While conversing with the guild members, Ara and the headquarter staff were talking behind us. From the content, it seemed like they were talking about a lair where a terrifying monster resides. Of course, before coming to meet me, they seemed to have researched in advance, as they already knew about Ara’s information and YouTube, among others.
Thanks to this, while listening to Ara, they looked at me with interest, as if gazing at a cute niece.
“By the way, I wonder if being invited to your home is too presumptuous.”
“I was more worried. Would it be inconvenient for you to be invited to my home…?”
“No! Meeting and talking at a place that the Awakened Kyu-seong prefers is the top priority.”
Director Jeon Young-joo, contrary to the prejudices associated with high-ranking public officials, treated me with a surprisingly humble demeanor.
Because of this, I felt more awkward and didn’t know where to place myself. Anyway, we went up to the house.
As we opened the door and entered, my mother and Seon-ah, who were setting the table, greeted us.
“Oh, welcome.”
“Oh my. Excuse us.”
When my mother greeted them, Jeon Young-joo bowed her head and greeted back.
“I am Jeon Young-joo from the Awakeners Headquarters.”
“I am Gang Kyung-heon.”
“I am Park Soo-yeon!”
“Welcome, everyone. Guild master Seok-jun, please come in, and So-yeon, too.”
My mother, delighted that guests related to me had come after a long time, urged us eagerly with a bright face.
After a brief greeting, we naturally moved toward the dining table.
“Please have a seat.”
“Oh, this is…”
Team leader Gang Kyung-heon’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the food set on the table. A delicious aroma was already wafting through the air, and Jeong So-yeon had been gulping her saliva since entering the house.
“Luckily, the food is ready just in time.”
“Shall we eat before having our conversation?”
As my mother and I spoke, people checked each other’s reactions first. They seemed slightly uncomfortable about getting a meal right after arriving.
Then, with a thrilled expression, Jeong So-yeon nodded heartily and shouted, “Thank you for the meal!”
“Hehe. Please, have a lot.”
A large bowl filled with potato noodles. When I picked up the noodles, mixed with the savory batter, steam rose.
The broth, made with kelp, anchovies, and other ingredients, had a rich flavor enhanced by the diced potatoes used as garnish.
“Gulp.”
Without realizing it, my mouth watered.
But I held back my desire to eat and waited for the others to start eating first.
“Are all these dishes made by Kyu-seong…?”
“Yes. Although they’re not items, I cultivated them myself.”
“Ohh.”
At that moment, Ara, who could no longer hold back, urgently stirred her fork.
“Can I eat? Can I eat?”
“Yes, let’s eat.”
Apparently, Ara wasn’t the only one holding back, as Jeong So-yeon quickly chimed in.
“This time, I’ll really enjoy the meal!”
“Eat as much as you want. There’s plenty more.”
“Wow! Really? I’ll eat a lot, Mother!”
Hoo~! Hoo~!
Slurp!
Jeong So-yeon immediately started slurping the noodles.
Seeing this, Ara didn’t want to be outdone and started twirling her fork.
Slurp!
Seeing them, the staff from the Awakeners Headquarters also picked up their chopsticks.
“Thank you for the meal.”
“We should be the ones treating you to a meal… Thank you for the food, Mother.”
Watching everyone start eating, my mother, Seon-ah, and I also began to eat the noodles.
Slight bounce!
When I picked up the noodles with chopsticks, I could feel the firm texture resisting. The noodles had become more chewy with the potatoes mixed in.
Normally, when eating something with broth, it’s customary to take a sip of the broth first, but this time, it was hard to resist.
“Hoo.”
After blowing on the steaming noodles once, I brought them to my mouth. Soon, the noodles soaked in broth slid into my mouth with a slurp!
‘Wow!’
As I chewed the noodles, I couldn’t help but admire them.
The potato noodles, mixed with the rich broth, provided a chewy texture and a satisfying feeling that filled my mouth.
As the savory and rich flavor of the potatoes intensified with each chew, I lifted the bowl to drink the broth.
Gulp, gulp.
“Ah.”
This is what you call refreshing.
While using the chopsticks again, I checked how others were doing, and everyone was engrossed in eating the noodles.
Jeon Young-joo was repeatedly wiping the beads of sweat from her forehead while gulping down the noodles, and the other two team leaders also seemed absorbed in eating.
“Can I have another bowl?!”
“I also want another bowl!”
Ara and Jeong So-yeon, as if competing, were already holding their emptied bowls. I had just taken three bites, and they had already finished?
“Hoo, hoo.”
Guild Master Han Seok-jun, rarely seen with his glasses fogged up, was also diligently eating.
“Wow, this is amazing.”
Seon-ah mumbled as she wiped off her sweat.
It seemed as if she was curing a hangover with this meal.
After Jeong So-yeon and Ara finished their noodle refills, I reached for the side dishes with my chopsticks.
Stir-fried eggplant.
It was a dish I liked since childhood, and recently, my mother often made it with the produce I grew, serving it as a side dish.
Juicy!
As soon as I bit into it, the rich moisture of the eggplant burst out and slid down my throat. The distinctive aroma of eggplant, well sautéed in oil, stimulated my taste buds.
This time, I turned my gaze to the tomato egg stir-fry. It was a nostalgic dish I used to make when I was too lazy to prepare breakfast during my college days before my farming success.
Fluffy eggs with cute cherry tomatoes nestled within them. I picked them up together and put them in my mouth.
“Mm…?”
Ah, this is happiness.
This is the taste of life.
The appropriately seasoned soft eggs were excellent, and the cherry tomatoes, with their perfect acidity and fresh sweetness, topped off the flavor.
When my mouth felt stimulated, I took another sip of the noodle broth.
Yes, this is it.
“Ah.”
The involuntary exclamation that escaped was amusing even to myself, but there was no better expression of satisfaction.
“What is this noodle made of?”
Jeon Young-joo, who had served herself another bowl of noodles, asked, stammering slightly.
“The dough is a mix of potatoes and dungeon plants.”
“Potatoes! No wonder the aroma from the noodles is so rich!”
She soon finished the conversation and started slurping the noodles again. It seemed she really liked the noodles.
“One more bowl!”
“One more bowl!”
Before I knew it, Jeong So-yeon and Ara were on their fourth bowl of noodles.
The side dishes that had been served were also cleanly finished. In fact, since we didn’t know how many people would come, we had prepared enough for about twenty people, but all that food was now gone.
“Ugh.”
Eventually, everyone let out a satisfied sigh after finishing the large quantity of noodles.
Ara, sitting next to me, let out a cute burp and patted her stomach.
“Ha, I can’t remember the last time I focused on eating like this and forgot everything else.”
“I’d only heard rumors about how delicious it was, but I didn’t expect it to be this good. No wonder it’s talked about.”
The two team leaders, who were slightly tense when they first saw me, now had completely relaxed expressions.
However, Director Jeon Young-joo still had a firm demeanor, which was to be expected of someone in her position.
“These noodles! This is a national loss! We must immediately register it as an intangible cultural asset!”
Now that I see it, her demeanor remained strong, albeit in a different sense. She seemed to like it more than the two team leaders, which made me feel a bit strange.
‘They’re all just people.’
Personally, I thought people in high positions would be different from me, but experiencing it firsthand showed me there wasn’t much difference.
It’s not like I should be thinking this after meeting industry big shots in the awakening field.
Anyway, since everyone seemed satisfied, I felt proud and happy. How wonderful it is to cook with the crops I’ve grown and make the people around me happy.
“I’ll pack some leftover noodles for you to take when you leave. Enjoy it with your families.”
“Oh, no, Awakened Kyu-seong!”
We had plenty of ingredients, so there were some noodles left. It seemed like a perfect amount to share a bit with each of the five people who came today.
“We haven’t given you anything, yet we’re just receiving…”
“No, no, it’s okay. I feel good because you all enjoyed my crops. And as I said, it’s just leftover, so please take it without any burden.”
Jeon Young-joo looked at me with a tearful expression of gratitude. It was a bit overwhelming to see an older man like this.
“Wow, I’m glad I cleared my schedule today. I’ll enjoy this, Kyu-seong!”
“Yes. I’ll visit the orphanage next time, too.”
“Great! Everyone will be waiting!”
As we continued a light conversation while digesting, Jeon Young-joo started to speak seriously.
“Mr. Kyu-seong.”
“Yes, Director.”
“The truth is, the reason we came to see you today was to understand you better.”
“Understand?”
“Yes.”
Jeon Young-joo nodded, and the other two team leaders listened with serious faces.
“We didn’t intend to reveal our intentions, but after experiencing you today, we realized we must approach you sincerely.”
“Yes…”
“The main reason we want to understand you is to prevent you from being recruited overseas.”
Overseas? Why suddenly overseas?
As I tilted my head in confusion, Jeon Young-joo continued.
“If Mr. Kyu-seong’s abilities become known abroad, to be frank, it would be difficult for our country to hold on to you. We promise to do our best to treat you well, but places like the United States, China, the Middle East, or the European Union could offer astronomical conditions.”
“Uh, Director, are you sure you’re talking about me?”
“Yes, that’s correct. I’m saying that Mr. Kyu-seong’s abilities are that outstanding.”
Hmm, it seems like there’s a misunderstanding. From the beginning, I cannot leave Korea. Well, if I really wanted to, I probably could, but would I leave behind the Dungeon of Gluttony for that?
‘My family is here, and all my acquaintances are here too, so why would I?’
Money? If I wanted to, I could gather as much as I needed.
Conditions? No matter how favorable the treatment or conditions offered to me now, is there anything that could really tempt me?
‘Still…’
Let’s not say that.
It’s not bad if the Awakeners Headquarters wants to treat me well.
I should enjoy what I can while nodding in agreement. If I give in too easily, won’t I be like a caught fish?
“Recently, an organization has shown interest in your items, Mr. Kyu-seong. It’s the European Union.”
“Oh.”
“But they haven’t yet identified the owner of the items. They’ll probably come to Korea soon…”
It seems they decided to openly share what they initially intended to keep to themselves.
The reason the European Awakening Union is looking for my items is obvious. It must be to tackle Wrath.
‘Wrath? Wrath.’
The European Union and the strategy against Wrath.
Perhaps I could use this situation to my advantage?
Cliche Novel 