Vol 3 Chapter 56

So... what? Was that guy just saying that out of concern for him? As Kapros scratched his head and chuckled while thinking about it, he saw Un-o's back, who had been walking briskly ahead, momentarily hesitate, as if he had heard something.

'That Un-o... he can be quite cute sometimes.'

After being amused for a while, Kapros slowly walked towards the area where small houses of the village, which had no notable entrance, were sparsely visible. As he approached, the flowers along the road gradually increased, especially white ones. Along with that, the generally modest buildings, many of which were white wooden structures, gave a bright impression.

The weather was clear, and as Kapros slowed his pace, feeling as if he was on a pleasant picnic, Kran, who had run ahead into the village, came back.

"Kap. Why are you so slow?"

"Why?"

Feeling tense, wondering if Kran had already found a clue to the quest in that time, Kran grinned widely.

"There's a restaurant in that village run by an ahjussi who actually manages a famous restaurant in real life! Isn't that amazing?"

"..."

As Kapros narrowed his eyes at Kran, Un-o discreetly moved away. After a moment, Kapros scratched the back of his head and nodded.

"You pay."

"Huh? Just me again? ...Ah, okay. Fine."

Although he was disappointed thinking Kran had found a clue... Based on their experience so far, the best method when arriving at a quest location was not to focus solely on solving the quest, but to go wherever their feet took them.

The same applied to this situation. Since they couldn't know when or where the quest clue would appear, it would be fine to think about where to go first while having a meal.

As Kapros was thinking this, he thought he saw Un-o frowning beside Kran, who was humming and clinging to Kapros, but he couldn't be sure.

'Well... Even if I don't say anything, Kran will probably figure it out on his own...'

Although Kran's seemingly thoughtless behavior was part of who he was, Kapros now knew that there was a completely different side to him as well.

'Come to think of it... Isn't a restaurant often said to be where information circulates the fastest?'

Could it be... that Kran had thought of this and chosen the most likely popular restaurant? As Kapros looked at Kran with this thought, he saw him swallowing his saliva while talking to Un-o about what to eat.

"They're using the skills honed over five generations of making sweet and savory, tender tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties) to create fusion dishes here, and they say just one bite will blow you away with the taste, and you'll be amazed twice by the food's effects. Isn't that incredible? Ah, I'm drooling..."

"...Yes. It's incredible."

...Maybe that's... a bit much?

As they entered the village following the excited Kran, he first approached a group of users gathered in front of a small shop.

"Excuse me, may I ask you something?"

"Yes? Ah. Yes. What is it?"

As one of the four men who had been talking about something turned around and answered as a representative, Kran opened his mouth with a friendly smile.

"I heard there's a restaurant here run by a tteokgalbi master. Do you happen to know where it is?"

"Tteokgalbi? Where was that again?"

"Oh, I know. If it's that place, go out to the main street over there, walk a bit further, and you'll see it in the building with the largest two-story restaurant mark opposite the square that appears."

"Thank you."

"No problem. But... you look familiar somehow... Have I seen you somewhere?"

Kran, startled by the user who suddenly tilted his head and gave him a questioning look right after kindly giving directions, said, "No. This is my first time here!" and walked away stiffly, grabbing Kapros and Un-o. The confused faces of the users saying "Huh?" faded behind them.

"You might want to start wearing a hat like me soon."

"...Ugh..."

As Kapros, who had been able to hide his face with the hood attached to the back of his black cape robe, quietly said this, Kran, who would have normally refused, said nothing this time. How many times had people almost recognized them because of him? At this point, he really should be considering it seriously.

As they walked along the wide street as the men had told them, a not-so-large square came into view. In the center stood a statue of a maiden holding her hands gently in front of her with a flower basket at her feet, and around it were modest shops. Although there were fewer people passing by compared to a big city, it wasn't desolate, and with flowers in pots or blooming in corners throughout the village, it gave a strong impression of a beautiful and peaceful village.

As Kapros looked around after focusing on the flowers, he immediately spotted a restaurant with a square mark of crossed knife and fork hanging on a two-story building.

'Ah, that place...'

He could tell it was their destination as soon as he saw it. Looking to the side, he saw that Kran and Un-o were also looking at the same place. After exchanging opinions with their eyes, they entered the restaurant. Unlike the somewhat quiet outside, the inside of the crowded restaurant was bustling with energy.

As they stood still, watching a couple of waiters busily running around amidst the delicious smell, a woman standing inside a small counter greeted them warmly.

"Welcome! How many in your party?"

"Ah... Three people."

The woman nodded at Kran's answer.

"Please go over there. We'll be with you shortly to take your order."

The interior of the restaurant was light and casual, more like a pub than a formal restaurant. There were many tables with bottles of alcohol, suggesting they also served drinks, and the atmosphere of NPCs who looked like villagers and users with weapons enjoying their food along with their conversations was quite nice.

"Let's sit here."

Kran said as he sat on the inside of an empty four-person table. As Kapros nodded and sat on the opposite side, Un-o naturally sat next to him.

At that moment, Kapros saw Kran's face crumple dramatically.