Chapter 23. Kimchi and a Ghost (2)
With those words, Seryun raised a flask containing a strange liquid.
Whatever it was, it clearly did not look normal.
“What is that?”
“My secret lactic acid bacteria, MS-0984! It boasts a concentration unlike any ordinary strain. With just one bottle, all this kimchi will become perfectly fermented in no time.”
Seryun opened the flask.
A powerful, funky fermented smell immediately spread through the area.
Yukgap sniffed the air.
“That smell is intense.”
“Of course. It is essentially the essence of fermentation, aged and fermented beyond ordinary limits.”
Seryun evenly sprinkled the liquid across the kimchi.
Then he burst into maniacal laughter.
“Now, my creation! Conquer the kimchi! Complete the ultimate form of fermentation! Muahahahahaha!”
His mad laughter reminded Yukgap strangely of Victoria.
She always laughed exactly like that whenever she conducted suspicious experiments.
“Hey, I’ve been wondering something. Do alchemists have some rule saying you have to laugh ominously every time you do something?”
“No. There’s no such rule. Anyway, now we seal it and wait for fermentation.”
Seryun answered as though Yukgap had asked something ridiculous.
Still, his special bacteria seemed effective.
The kimchi already smelled noticeably fermented.
And Yukgap had been waiting for this moment.
“All right, everyone wait! I prepared something special for today!”
Yukgap excitedly went into the kitchen.
Victoria looked curious.
“What is it? Did you prepare something special?”
Yukgap soon returned carrying a large pot.
With a meaningful smile, he opened the lid.
“I heard that in Korea, people traditionally boil pork and eat it on the day they make kimchi. So last night, I carefully boiled some pork for today... huh?”
The pot was completely empty.
The pork that should have been inside was nowhere to be found.
Victoria peeked inside.
“There’s nothing in there.”
“That’s impossible! I definitely prepared it yesterday!”
Yukgap shouted in confusion.
He had carefully boiled the meat the previous night specifically for this moment.
So why was the pot empty?
He stared at it blankly.
“What the hell happened?”
“This is strange. No matter how I think about it, this is strange.”
Yukgap repeated those words throughout dinner.
After the pork mysteriously vanished, they had prepared a simple meal using whatever ingredients were available in the restaurant.
But even while eating, Yukgap could not stop thinking about the missing meat.
“Are you still thinking about the pork?”
Victoria carefully asked.
Yukgap sighed.
“I definitely prepared it. But I have no idea where it went.”
“Are you sure you made it? Maybe you ate it while half-asleep and forgot?”
“Say something that actually makes sense.”
Then Yukgap looked at Victoria suspiciously.
“Victoria. Be honest. You took it to use as an alchemy ingredient again, didn’t you?”
“No! I’m innocent!”
Victoria immediately protested.
But her history made it difficult to believe her.
Yukgap generously offered her one last chance.
“If you admit it now, I’ll forgive you.”
“I told you, it wasn’t me! Have I ever taken food you made without permission?”
“You’ve done that countless times.”
How could she say that so confidently after everything she had done?
Did she lack shame?
Or did she simply lack a conscience?
“Anyway, this time it wasn’t me! I’m innocent!”
Victoria desperately insisted.
Seryun, who had been eating with them, joined the conversation.
“Perhaps a thief broke in.”
“A thief? If someone had broken in...”
At that moment, a fly buzzed between them.
Robert’s eyes suddenly lit up.
A dull warning tone came from his body.
[Unauthorized biological entity detected. Beginning immediate incineration.]
A beam of laser light shot from Robert’s eyes.
The unfortunate fly that had wandered between them was instantly reduced to ash.
Yukgap continued,
“...that scrap heap would’ve already turned them into ash.”
“That is a valid point.”
Robert had infrared and thermal detection capable of finding even tiny insects.
What kind of thief could sneak inside, steal only the pork, and leave without being detected?
Victoria continued desperately defending herself.
“Anyway, it wasn’t me! I’m innocent!”
“Then who was it?”
While Yukgap struggled with the mystery, the lights suddenly flickered.
He tilted his head.
“Huh? Is the bulb dying?”
The lights flickered several more times.
It almost looked like something was deliberately manipulating them.
Then Seryun suddenly shouted,
“L-Look over there!”
The door was rattling and moving on its own as though it were alive.
Yukgap raised his voice.
“Why is the door moving by itself?”
“It’s not just the door!”
Seryun shouted excitedly.
