Chapter 18: The Golden Carriage to the Capital (4) Crackle, crackle…
The large bonfire set up at the center burned steadily, lighting up the surroundings.
For a moment, Jinseo was reminded of the campfire from his school trip days, but the sight of soldiers standing guard with spears in hand quickly dispelled that thought.
At a glance, it looked like a scene straight out of a medieval film, but the exhaustion etched on the soldiers' faces stirred memories of his military service, completely burying those student-day recollections.
"Ugh, damn mosquitoes!"
The soldiers on watch waved their hands wildly, trying to chase away the insects buzzing in front of their faces.
AI, reactivate insect extermination.
{The companion Nero's ability, Insect Extermination, has been activated.}
The moment the command went through, mosquitoes and other insects hurriedly flapped their wings and fled far away.
"Those nasty little bastards. They finally left."
"They kept aiming for my face. It was driving me crazy."
Freed from the insects, the soldiers grumbled as they tightened their grip on their spears.
Despite having marched a long distance, they still had to take turns standing watch at night. Jinseo couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship with them.
I used to be like that too. Everyone's working hard.
For their sake, Jinseo decided to serve a dish he had only ever shown to a single person on the Francia Continent.
When he entered the food truck's kitchen and turned on the equipment, Aston noticed him and approached.
"Jinseo, aren't you going to sleep?"
"I can't fall asleep. Since I'm up anyway, how about making a late-night snack?"
"A late-night snack?"
At the word, soldiers standing guard nearby whipped their heads toward Jinseo.
"Not just for you, Aston—enough for everyone."
Jinseo poured water into a long, large container and set it to boil, then took packet after packet of instant noodles out of a box and stacked them beside the sink.
"What you're making now isn't tteok-twi-gim-soon, is it…?"
"It's ramen."
"Ramen? Then that means—the dish only my father eats…?"
At the mention of ramen, saliva pooled in the soldiers' mouths.
Ramen—the bunsik Jinseo had served exclusively to Oswald.
Though only Oswald had actually eaten it, its existence was already widely known.
Curly noodles hiding within a mysterious soup base.A dish rumored to be reserved only for someone of a lord's standing.
Among everyone except Oswald and Jinseo, ramen had taken on the exaggerated reputation of a luxurious, high-class food.
"Since I'm making it in bulk, it may not be as rich as the ramen the lord usually eats."
"Even so, is it really alright for us to eat a dish meant for the lord?"
One of the knights beside Aston asked cautiously.
Because ramen had been Oswald's exclusive indulgence, others saw it as a privilege reserved for someone of his rank.
"I already asked the lord in advance. He welcomed the idea—said that those who work hard for Falstead Castle should be able to taste it too."
A true gourmet doesn't hoard good food. They want others to enjoy it as well.
In that sense, Oswald was indeed a first-rate gourmand.
"It's ready."
"Whoa!"
The soldiers burst into cheers, but Jinseo quickly raised his index finger to his lips. They hurriedly clamped their mouths shut.
He pushed several tables together lengthwise, set down the large metal container of ramen, placed bowls one by one, and served pickled radish as a side.
"That's the ramen we've only heard about…"
"What does it taste like?"
Excitement filled the soldiers and knights as they prepared to taste the dish once reserved solely for the lord.
"Come on, eat up. If you let it sit too long, the noodles will swell and ruin the taste."
They nodded solemnly.
"But don't eat too fast either. You might burn the roof of your mouth."
Only after Jinseo stepped back did they lift their forks and begin eating.
The moment they twirled the springy noodles and slurped them down, their faces lit up with shock at the unfamiliar flavor.
"Oh…"
"No wonder only the lord was allowed to eat this."
"It's chilly out, but this hot broth is incredible."
Exclamations spilled out as the knights and soldiers experienced ramen for the first time.
Soon, the chatter died down.All that remained was the sound of slurping noodles and sipping broth.
Ramen never disappoints.
Watching them eat with flushed faces and sweat beading on their foreheads, Jinseo smiled contentedly.
Unfortunately, there wasn't enough rice prepared for everyone to finish with broth and rice, but those who finished first cleansed their palates with ice cream.
"Meow."
Nero, sitting alone at the counter, yawned repeatedly. Jinseo gave him churu—a snack most cats went crazy for.
As the soldiers enjoyed their late-night meal in high spirits, someone approached from behind.
"That smell… just as I thought."
Oswald emerged from the tents, hands clasped behind his back, nodding to himself.As always, Dan and Austin followed at his sides.
"My lord?"
"Did we wake you?"
Oswald gestured for the soldiers, who were about to rise, to stay seated.
"Don't mind me. Keep eating."
While the knights and soldiers quietly finished their ramen, Oswald rubbed his stomach, unconcerned with the attention on him.
"Jinseo, sorry, but I'll need a bowl as well. That aroma is unbearable."
"Of course."
This time, instead of cooking in bulk, Jinseo filled a small aluminum pot with water.
Chop, chop, chop.
Oswald closed his eyes, savoring the sound of Jinseo's knife against the cutting board, recalling the ramen that had never failed to satisfy him.
"It's ready. Please enjoy."
Only when the steaming bowl was placed before him did Oswald slowly open his eyes.
He picked up the noodles—not with a fork, but with chopsticks—and slurped them gently.
To Jinseo, it still looked awkward, but to the soldiers, Oswald handled the chopsticks with surprising finesse.
"Look at the lord's ramen. It really is different."
"It looks more luxurious than ours."
As Jinseo had said, the tteok-ramen prepared just for Oswald clearly stood apart—especially because it had been cooked in its own pot for him alone.
"Ha…"
Lifting the pot, Oswald drank the broth and gazed up at the sky.
"Eating tteok-ramen while looking at the moon… it's something special indeed."
He laughed heartily and lifted more noodles.
Slurp.
The leisurely way he ate was enough to reignite the appetite of those who had already finished.
Aston, watching beside Jinseo, felt the same.
"Aston, would you like me to make you a bowl as well? The same tteok-ramen."
But Aston shook his head.
"Watching the process, it doesn't seem suitable for large batches. If it's only for me, I'll gratefully decline."
"You're the lord's son—surely one bowl wouldn't be a problem?"
"Right now, I'm not the lord's son, but a member of the knight order escorting him."
He trailed off, glancing at the sword at his waist.
"No—it's nothing."
In the end, Aston swallowed his words and left.
The sight of his back beneath the moonlight looked strangely lonely.
"Jinseo, I heard you served something special last night. Is that true?"
Fedora approached while Jinseo prepared lunch, her tone sharper than usual.
"It was ramen."
"The ramen? The dish people only whispered about?"
"Yes."
Fedora frowned slightly and looked away.
"You could have woken me…"
Her arms crossed, cheeks puffed slightly—she looked genuinely sulky.
Then maybe I should show her that.
Today happened to be the weekly day Jinseo served special tteokbokki to the clergy of the Heirem Order.
He added one more ingredient—the very one that had made Fedora sulk.
"Hmm?"
Fedora straightened as she watched him cook.
"What are you making? It looks like tteokbokki, but the color's different."
"It's a new menu. I've never served it before."
"Really?"
Her eyes sparkled instantly.
Bright red rice cakes coated in special sauce, intertwined with thin noodles—anticipation built just from the sight.
"It's ready."
Jinseo set the dish down.
"It's rabokki."
"Rabokki?"
"Ramen combined with tteokbokki."
He also placed a chilled drink beside it.
Oswald, ever the ramen fanatic, leaned in.
"Hmm! Jinseo, could I have that as well?"
"My lord, this dish uses a special ascetic sauce. It's too much for ordinary people. I can only serve it to someone like the Cardinal, who can endure such austerity."
Oswald smacked his lips and retreated.
"Hmph… very well."
Fedora cleared her throat, clearly pleased.
"Then I'll trust your skills once more."
She lifted the rice cake with a fork; noodles followed.
The moment she tasted it—
"This flavor… this texture!"
Her body trembled.
"A-ah…!"
{A cleric-class individual, Fedora's preference for special tteokbokki has increased. (210 → 230)}
A burst of light radiated from her, reflecting off the golden food truck.
"My headache's gone!"
"That bruise from yesterday vanished!"
"I feel completely refreshed!"
Thus began the Cardinal's blessing session for the knights and soldiers who had suffered through the storm the night before.
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