Chapter 115: Oh No, Only Two Legs (2) "Is the place you went this time a continent where centaurs live?"
"That's right."
Painfolt Artran, who had stayed for a week on the centaur-inhabited Crudian Continent, sought out Lee Jinseo the moment he returned to the Francia Continent.
That was because, for his plan to revisit the Crudian Continent, the first person he needed to recruit was Jinseo.
"So, about that… Jinseo, could you participate like you did when we went to the Ashred Continent?"
Painfolt opened his Interspatial Storage, put in the stick from a finished NuX bar, then took out a second NuX bar and unwrapped it.
He needed to replenish the mana he had drained right after completing the teleportation magic, since he had used blink to rush to Falstead Castle to meet Jinseo.
"I'd rather be the one asking you."
Jinseo accepted Painfolt's proposal without hesitation.
The Mobile Cooking Facility's identity lay in its advantage of not staying in one place, but traveling around and doing business here and there. More than that, just imagining how well bunsik would sell on a brand-new continent he had never visited before made Jinseo happy.
Upgrading the Mobile Cooking Facility was important, but if Jinseo himself wasn't enjoying it, there was no fun in doing business at all.
Thinking of whatever mileage or experience he could gain in an unknown world as nothing more than a bonus, Jinseo started considering what bunsik he should sell.
Painfolt watched him with an intrigued gaze.
"Thank you. This makes things easy. Still, you really are something."
"Me?"
"Even after hearing that we went to the continent of a race no one has seen for hundreds of years—just like the dwarves—you show no sign of surprise at all. It's like you already know what I'm going to say."
At Painfolt's remark, Jinseo only scratched the back of his head and gave an awkward smile.
The moment he stepped out of the prison, just like before crossing over to the Ashred Continent, a string of quests related to other races had flooded into his Status Window.
He hadn't known the continent was home to centaurs—half-human, half-horse—but still.
"So… you recognized Geshtain as a dwarf the moment you saw him, and you knew about dwarves too, didn't you? If you know anything at all about centaurs, tell me. Until we formally dispatch an envoy to the Crudian Continent, we need as much prior information as we can get."
"Hmm. I don't really know much about centaurs."
Dwarves were a race that appeared constantly in fantasy novels, films, and games, so Jinseo knew them well.
But compared to dwarves, centaurs were relatively—and absolutely—more niche as an other race. Aside from the fact that they had a half-human, half-horse appearance, Jinseo knew almost nothing.
"I see. That's too bad."
"I'm sorry I can't help."
"It can't be helped. Still, you'll definitely come with me, right?"
"Yes. And if I can sell bunsik while I'm at it, even better."
"Is that even something to worry about? There isn't a race anywhere that would hate your bunsik. The problem is, I still don't have a feel for how I should treat them."
With the stick from the finished NuX bar still in his mouth, Painfolt fell into thought.
With the dwarves, the dwarves had approached first, so the burden had been lighter. But this time, as a human, he was the one who had to approach them first, and that weighed on him.
"Maybe it's because their outward appearance is so different from humans, but I felt completely at a loss about how to deal with them. While I lived with them for about a week, there weren't any real issues, but that's why I'm even more worried. I'm not good with words, so I couldn't even talk much with them. If I could at least know what not to do, that would help…"
"Then should I go ask Charlotte? She'll probably visit the orphanage today."
"Ah! Right, she's here."
"Centaurs? Oh, those kids with four legs?"
In the middle of a swan dive on a pilates mat, Charlotte abruptly changed position and mimed running with both hands and both feet on the ground.
"Charlotte, can you tell us about centaurs? Even just what they like or don't like would be a big help."
At Jinseo's request, Charlotte took a bird dog position, lifting her left arm and right leg to a level line, and frowned.
"Well, I got along with those kids too, but I don't really know what they like or dislike. In the first place, there weren't any petty little creatures that could disobey what I said. Even if they hated it, if I told them to do it, they'd do it anyway, right?"
"You said there was a time when you hid your identity and worked as an adventurer. What were the centaurs you saw like back then?"
"If we're talking about back then, that's different. Back then…"
Charlotte pressed her left hand to the floor and stroked her chin with her right hand, sinking into thought.
"If they were good at something, I totally fell for it…"
"So what was that something?"
Squeezing her eyes shut as she searched her old memories, she rolled over and lay on her back, then shook her head.
"Ugh, I don't remember. Sorry. You know my age's gotten up there, right? Maybe that's why it's all fuzzy."
"I see."
"Don't worry too much. Those kids aren't that picky. They're probably just as straightforward as the dwarves. If you show them even one thing you're good at, they were the type to turn friendly fast."
As she comforted Jinseo, Charlotte kept changing poses.
"This is surprisingly fun."
She had once asked Jinseo if there was a sport that wasn't as intense as soccer, something she could do in place just to loosen up her body.
Jinseo had played a pilates video on the big TV, and Charlotte—who memorized every movement instantly—ended up getting so hooked she even had a dedicated mat brought in.
"It'd be fun to try it in my original form too. It's cramped here, so should I do it at my dedicated landing zone?"
"Please don't! Only do it when you've transformed into a human!"
"Tsk, you've got so many demands. Fine. Fine."
Jinseo had to get a firm promise that Charlotte would only do pilates in her human form.
He had to prevent anything like the ground shaking every time a massive dragon twisted her body, cracks streaking across the roads of Dwarf Town, and the streets being swept up in flames.
"Ah! They might like that. Wait a second."
Returning to the swan dive, Charlotte raised her right arm high, then lowered it as she opened her Interspatial Storage.
"Not this, not this either…"
A pendant with a mana core, a chest stuffed full of gold coins, and a brilliant jeweled sword—Charlotte casually tossed them out of her Interspatial Storage.
Jinseo's eyes widened, and so did the eyes of the mercenaries teaching the children taekwondo beside him.
"Found it! This!"
What she held up in her right hand was four horseshoes tied together with a long strap.
"When they come of age, they perform a rite where they wear horseshoes. These are horseshoes a dwarf I knew a long time ago crafted with everything he had. If you gift them to young centaurs, they'll love it."
Jinseo took the horseshoes and examined them from side to side.
Unknown characters etched along the edge and a faint sheen gave them a high-end feel.
"But I'm jealous. I want to go where those kids live too, but I'm bound by fate—I can't leave the Francia Continent…"
"That makes me feel bad for no reason."
"Later, bring back three or four centaurs from that continent. I want to see those kids again after a long time."
"Yes. I'll remember."
"I mean I just want to see them, literally—don't go kidnapping anyone, got it? You little creatures have a habit of taking what I say and blowing it up…"
In a side plank, Charlotte looked toward the children practicing taekwondo with all their might.
Watching them shout and throw straight punches looked nothing but cute to her.
"Kids, that's enough training—let's eat cup tteokbokki!"
"Yes, big sis!"
"Okay, Guardian Dragon big sis!"
"I said I'm not your big sis!"
After word reached Colses—the capital city—that another continent had been discovered following the Ashred Continent, a joint human-dwarf delegation bound for the Crudian Continent was formed.
Duke Raven took the role of the human side's representative once again, and as the mages who would cast the teleportation magic, Painfolt Artran and the mages of the Doren Mage Tower joined.
Craid, Hayward, and Julien handled escort duty alongside the knights Duke Raven brought.
On the dwarf side, Geshtain, Kelzman, and other dwarves staying in Dwarf Town participated as representatives.
And to handle the delegation's meals, Jinseo joined.
Not alone like before, but bringing Jason and Aston Hamilton with him.
"I really… I can't believe it. I'm going to another continent…"
On the morning of departure, Jason couldn't stop marveling as he stared down at the teleportation magic circle drawn on the ground.
Except for when he had been invited by King Philip III, every time Jinseo had to be away for a long period, Jason had been excluded for the reason that he had to run the branch store.
But this time, he was proudly included in the delegation as a member of the Mobile Cooking Facility, and he couldn't hide his excitement at the fact that he would be going together with the swordsman Craid—someone he had admired for a long time.
Even if he was going as a cook rather than a swordsman, the expectation of setting off on an adventure to the unknown Crudian Continent where centaurs lived had him so stirred up he could barely think straight.
"I'm so jealous. If I'd known it'd be like this, I should've worked at the food truck instead of being a Jinseo Club salesperson…"
Poulton patted Jason's shoulder as Jason frantically looked around.
"I don't even register to you at all. Boss, please take care of Jason."
"He's like that right now, but he'll calm down soon. We'll come back safely."
After exchanging farewells with Jinseo, Poulton turned his steps south, toward Raven Lair.
"Paulo, please take care of the bunsik street."
"I can't leave too, when there are five shops to run. If it were up to me, I'd go to the centaurs' continent too and learn about their cuisine, but… so I'm asking you instead. Learn about their food. It'd be even better if you brought back a chef."
Many people had gathered at Charlotte's "dedicated landing zone" to see Jinseo off, and Paulo—one of them—showed his regret at not being included in the delegation.
"Malcolm, please take care of Dwarf Town."
"Do not worry. Jinseo must return safely as well. If I'm doing this anyway, it would have been even better if I could go along… but there will be another chance next time, yes?"
Malcolm, captain of the Raven Mercenary Group, regretted it as well, just like Paulo.
They had made more translation magic pendants, but since this was a joint delegation including dwarves, they couldn't increase the numbers too much, and they had no choice but to build it mainly around those who had participated last time.
On the other hand, there were people who hadn't been included last time but were joining now.
Jason and Aston Hamilton were among them—and so was a new representative from the Heirem Order.
"I'm late… I'm sorry."
Fedora Artran hurried down from a carriage and ran toward Jinseo, clutching the hem of her robe.
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