“It’s an adventure!”
Ara, fully armed with a collection bucket, a butterfly net, and a straw hat, roared with excitement.
Seeing the fire in her eyes, I worried that she had misunderstood the purpose of this trip—wasn’t this just about gathering chestnuts?
“Wow, an adventure!”
Only Cheong clapped along in enthusiasm while I quickly scanned our supplies to make sure we hadn’t missed anything.
This chestnut expedition had quite a large group.
First, there was me and the children.
By children, I meant Ara, Cheong, Mammon, Frey, Ras, Ashu, Gomgom, and Soo—all of them.
‘Looking at it like this, it really is a big group.
When did we become such a large family?’
But that wasn’t all.
A few of the Kkumuris and some slimes had expressed their desire to join. On top of that, five fairies had tagged along with Frey.
– \” (>w<\”)
– (>ᄇ<)
And then, there was our family.
Jae-seong, Seon-ah, and our parents.
Plus, Orie, Kyler and his daughter, and even the restaurant staff.
It was a chestnut expedition involving everyone.
“They’re perfectly ripe right now. If we go at this time, we can just pick up the ones that have already fallen.”
Kyler spoke with confidence.
While I was in China, he must have made sure everything was well-prepared.
“The location is about 10 km away. It would take a while to walk, but if we think of it as trekking, it’s not too far.”
For those who couldn’t manage the walk, they could ride with Woofy and Purr.
And so, after finishing our preparations, we held a proper departure ceremony.
“We set forth!”
“Let’s go! Let’s go!”
Kyler, who knew the way, took the lead, while Emily and Ara ran excitedly beside him.
It was a true mass migration.
Since it had been a long time since we had all gone on a trip together, it felt like we were going on a picnic.
Well, it was a picnic in a way.
“When we were kids, we used to go chestnut picking all the time. It brings back so many memories.”
“I used to gather the most and roast them over a fire.”
Dressed in hiking clothes, my parents laughed and shared nostalgic stories, which caught the attention of the Seven Sins children, their faces full of curiosity.
Their perked-up ears were adorable.
I wanted to create fun memories for them too.
“The leaves have turned red. It’s fascinating that there’s a forest where autumn colors appear even though this place technically has no seasons.”
“Maybe the tree species just naturally look like they change colors in autumn?”
“I even checked that the leaves were falling. I’ll investigate again to be sure.”
“Oh, if the leaves are actually shedding, then it must really be turning into autumn.”
As conversations continued, the children ran around, catching plants and insects.
Ara, of course, immediately tried to put one into her mouth.
Mammon tried to stop her.
Frey looked troubled, while Ras solemnly nodded as if approving.
Ashu, on the other hand, was already excitedly planning how to cook it.
“They’re playing so cutely.”
Not a single day was quiet, but neither was any day ever boring.
I walked with the children’s laughter as my background music.
The grass and flowers around us looked vibrant and fresh.
Drip, drip.
A small stream ran alongside our path, and before I knew it, Ara was already inside, catching tiny fish.
“I caught one! Ahh!”
“I can’t eat that.”
“Then I’ll eat it! Yum.”
Was it like eating sashimi?
I remembered fishing for smelt with my father when I was younger—it was a nostalgic memory.
As we followed the stream, we caught and ate more fish.
Since they were freshwater fish, it was mostly the kids who enjoyed the meal.
“There it is.”
Before we knew it, we had walked 10 km.
A vibrantly colored forest, adorned with autumn leaves, spread out before us.
“Wow.”
It was truly a stunning sight.
Just as Kyler had said, a thick layer of dry leaves covered the ground.
“The foliage is beautiful.”
“There are chestnut trees in there, right? Let’s hurry!”
My mother and father quickly walked ahead toward the forest.
Seeing them, Kyler smiled proudly and followed behind.
“Kids, it’s time for the chestnut hunt!”
“Chestnuts! We must collect them!”
Technically, they might not be actual chestnuts but a similar type of nut, but for convenience, we decided to just call them chestnuts.
If we later found out they were different, we’d come up with a new name.
Ara would probably be in charge of naming them…
‘No, I have to find them first!’
I had to be the one to name them!
Determined, I chased after the children, aiming to be the first to discover a chestnut.
The forest was filled with the crisp, autumn scent.
As we wandered through the woods, we started spotting various nut-like fruits scattered around.
“Chestnut burrs!”
The children immediately began picking up the spiky, round fruits.
“They really do look like chestnuts.”
Their brown husks had already started splitting open, revealing the glossy nuts inside.
I stepped on the spiky shell to peel it open, revealing the smooth, edible nut inside.
It looked like a chestnut from every angle.
I cracked open the shiny shell and extracted the flesh.
“Chestnut!”
A raw chestnut appeared.
Even the texture was just like a real chestnut.
Before I knew it, everyone had gathered around to see the nut I was holding, abandoning their search for other things like pinecones and nuts.
Crunch.
Chew, chew.
Hmm, the taste was…
‘Sweet.’
It was even sweeter than I expected.
But it still retained the signature chestnut flavor.
“It’s really a chestnut, huh?”
“I want to try too!”
“I will eat as well!”
Seon-ah and Ara reached out their hands.
I peeled a few more and shared them, then got back to work peeling more for everyone else.
“Let’s do it together, bro.”
Jae-seong joined in, quickly peeling more chestnuts.
Thanks to him, we soon had enough for everyone to try.
“This is delicious.”
“It’s really sweet. A perfectly ripe chestnut.”
The kids munched happily, stuffing their cheeks.
For a moment, I worried we wouldn’t have any left to take home, but looking around, I realized there were still plenty of chestnuts scattered everywhere.
“Alright, let’s see who can collect the most chestnuts!”
“I will be the champion!”
Ara, still chewing, immediately sprang into action.
Cheong quickly hopped after her. The other children scattered in different directions, eagerly picking up various things.
Thud!
Rustle, rustle.
“R-Ras…?”
With just a light tap on a giant tree, Ras made a shower of chestnuts rain down.
Slash!
“E-Emily…”
On the other side, Emily swung her wooden sword at the falling chestnuts, skillfully peeling them mid-air.
Everyone had their own method, and thanks to their efforts, we ended up collecting a massive amount of chestnuts.
“I brought the most!”
– We’ll have to count to know for sure.
– The victory is mine.
The children argued over who had collected more.
Seon-ah, smiling, started counting the chestnuts they had gathered.
Meanwhile, Jae-seong and the restaurant crew weren’t just gathering chestnuts—they were also collecting and analyzing other types of nuts.
“Hmm, this one has a rich, buttery taste, like a cashew nut.”
“This smells like hazelnuts! It’s hazelnut for sure!”
Among the nuts, there were also some berries. Mammon and Cheong carefully examined them for safety before anyone tasted them.
The berries had a tangy sweetness, but they were a bit astringent when eaten raw.
According to Jae-seong, they could be turned into a great sauce depending on how they were cooked.
“And that’s it! Great job, everyone.”
The gathering was officially over!
A mountain of harvested nuts and fruits piled up before us, almost blocking the view.
This much food would surely last us for quite a while—though, considering Ara and the slimes’ eating habits, it might all be gone in just a few days.
Swooosh!
Bokkeum absorbed everything in an instant, leaving the area clean.
Ras, the winner of today’s chestnut gathering competition, proudly declared his future role.
– I shall be responsible for chestnut collecting from now on.
Was he really that happy about winning?
The children, instead of feeling bitter about losing, applauded him enthusiastically.
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
“So many chestnuts! We need even more chestnuts!”
– I bet they’d taste amazing dipped in honey. Hehe.
– Fine, Ras, this victory is yours.
– Then can Ashu just focus on cooking?
With the kids chattering excitedly, we left the forest together.
On the way out, we gathered some dry leaves to prepare for roasting chestnuts.
“I make the best roasted chestnuts, you know.”
My father rolled up his sleeves, ready to take charge.
We set up a small fire in an open clearing and placed the chestnuts among the burning leaves.
“Will roasting them make them taste even better?”
“Of course!”
“I can’t wait to try them.”
Ara, swallowing her saliva in anticipation, looked adorable.
She had already eaten a lot earlier, but apparently, she was still hungry.
Crackle.
The fire was weak, burning just enough to leave embers.
The chestnuts slowly started roasting among the glowing ashes.
We quickly swept up more fallen leaves from the forest to keep the fire going.
Jae-seong and I joined in, making more roasted chestnuts together.
We could’ve just cooked them using magic or proper equipment, but there was something special about doing it this way.
Crackle, crackle.
The sound of burning leaves was oddly comforting.
With the red autumn forest in the background, I felt like I had been transported to the heart of the season.
“Ahh, the night sky is beautiful. This is perfect.”
As I admired the sky, Cheong wiggled closer and snuggled into my arms.
I gently stroked his head and reached into the ashes to retrieve the roasted chestnuts.
Their blackened shells were covered in a bit of ash, but when I cracked them open, the golden flesh inside was revealed.
“They smell amazing!”
“Such a delicious scent!”
“Wow!”
Ara and Emily eagerly gathered around me with expectant faces.
The other kids were already crowding around my father and Jae-seong.
I peeled open a chestnut, revealing its steaming golden flesh.
The sight was mouthwatering.
It wasn’t quite as brilliantly golden as the magic-infused sweet potatoes we had before, but it had its own charm.
“Shall we try it?”
“Yes!”
I blew on it to cool it down before handing the first pieces to the children.
Ara, who always ate enthusiastically, immediately popped it into her mouth and started chewing happily.
Emily and Cheong, finding it a bit too hot, hesitated and let it cool in their mouths first.
Finally, I took a bite of my own roasted chestnut.
It was still a little hot.
But once the heat faded, I could feel its smooth texture against my tongue.
It was exactly like the roasted chestnuts I remembered.
But then—
Juicy.
A burst of sweet, concentrated flavor exploded in my mouth.
“Mmhh!!”
This was incredible.
The natural sweetness of the chestnut had been enhanced through roasting, intensifying with every chew.
And the best part? It wasn’t overwhelming.
It had just the right balance to make it addictive—dangerously so.
Soon, we were all mindlessly devouring chestnuts together.
At first, the kids waited for me to peel them, but eventually, they got impatient and started peeling their own.
Before we knew it, all the roasted chestnuts were gone.
“Chomp.”
We had eaten so much, yet it still didn’t feel like enough.
That was the power of roasted chestnuts.
“I’ll take some of these back and try making a new dessert.”
Jae-seong’s voice rang out at just the right moment.
At once, everyone cheered.
– Chestnut dessert!
– Honey! Will there be honey in it?!
– I think a chestnut purée would be a great idea.
Even the Kkumuris were so excited they started spinning in circles.
Amused, Ashu joined them, twirling around.
“Why don’t we add it to the menu permanently?”
“Ah, that might be tricky. We grow most of our ingredients ourselves, but we can’t cultivate these chestnuts and nuts regularly.”
“Hmm, I see. But with this much, we should have enough to last until we come back next time, right?”
“I’m planning to use them for seasonal dishes, but not as a regular menu item.”
“Yeah, that makes sense. Let’s do that.”
The restaurant was opening soon.
It would be a simple, modest launch, but it still felt meaningful.
From the awakening of the Slime Overlord’s powers to where we were now—
This restaurant was a culmination of all that history.
No wonder Jae-seong was so attached to it.
I couldn’t wait to welcome our first customers.
Cliche Novel 