Chapter 48
“Kyuurung.”
The wolf swallowed the Savory-Smelling Bone.
Then stared at me expectantly.
As though it wanted more.
This is ridiculous.
How does one bone lead to a Soul Contract?
This creature was supposed to become the partner of Zakan, the future ruler of the north.
A legendary Divine Beast.
According to the original story...
Zakan was supposed to nearly die saving it.
He would even sacrifice his left eye.
Only after that would he finally earn the loyalty of the wolf that would grow larger than a tiger.
And now...
I had stolen that terrifying Divine Beast with one bone.
Then what is future hero Zakan supposed to ride while smashing enemy skulls?
Guilt suddenly hit me.
“Grrrr.”
The wolf didn’t care about my moral crisis.
It growled quietly.
Was it demanding another snack?
Or asking me to hurry and give it a name?
Well...
I couldn’t keep calling it Divine Beast forever.
I needed to name it.
In the original game...
Zakan had given this wolf a name.
What was it again?
Ar... Arken?
If I remembered correctly...
In the ancient barbarian language, it meant Blue Frost of the North.
“Arken.”
I quietly spoke the name.
The wolf’s small black ears immediately stood straight up.
Then...
“Awooooo!”
[The Divine Beast’s name has been confirmed as Arken!]
[Soul Contract completed.]
Arken apparently liked the name.
He jumped to his feet.
Then raised his head proudly.
A surprisingly wolf-like howl came from his tiny body.
Of course you like it.
It was always your name.
I rubbed my chin.
“All right.”
Then...
“Your original owner was supposed to be Zakan, so try to get along with him too.”
Rustle.
Something moved beside my feet.
“Potato?”
Gamjadori waddled over on its short legs.
It stared at the new companion.
Then turned its head away with an angry hmph.
Arken stared at the earth spirit.
Then...
Licked his lips.
“Woof!”
Arken stomped forward.
Then jumped on Gamjadori.
“It is not a potato.”
I immediately warned him.
“Do not eat it.”
Arken had already started licking Gamjadori’s round head.
He stopped.
His ears drooped in disappointment.
“POTATOOOO!”
Gamjadori ran to me crying.
Its entire body was soaked in Arken’s drool.
But...
Looking at the Fire Chili Peppers...
Then at the crying Gamjadori...
Suddenly made me hungry.
My children had been sweating and exhausting themselves on construction work all day.
They needed to recover their energy.
I happily continued harvesting the beautiful Fire Chili Peppers.
Late that afternoon.
“Whoa... What happened here?”
Topu returned.
“Hiiing...”
So did his old donkey, Donkey.
The poor animal sounded exhausted.
I stroked Donkey’s head.
Then greeted Topu.
“Good work, Topu.”
I nodded.
“You returned safely.”
Topu scratched his cheek.
“Shaman, I tried my best to buy the things you requested...”
Then...
“But this is the northern edge of the Empire.”
He sighed.
“There simply aren’t many goods available.”
As expected.
“And everything is incredibly expensive.”
Topu lifted the leather covering his cart.
“This is all I managed to get.”
Inside were a few iron nails.
Processed lumber.
Several tools.
Not much.
I nodded.
“No. You did well.”
Then...
“We’ve obtained enough metal for now.”
Topu froze.
I continued.
“The problem is that we don’t have the skill to process it.”
Topu’s eyes widened.
“Metal?”
He looked around.
“Where in this barren Frontier did you get metal?”
I thought about the piles of steel balls inside the Pink Smiler cave.
Then smiled.
“There are ways.”
Topu blinked.
“...What?”
“I’ll tell you when the time comes.”
When we had enough strength to prevent others from taking that valuable metal from us.
Topu stared at my meaningful smile.
Then suddenly remembered something.
He searched inside his clothes.
“Ah, right!”
Then...
“Talking about metal almost made me forget!”
He grinned.
“Ta-da!”
Topu puffed out his chest.
“Who am I?”
Then...
“I’m Topu!”
His grin became even wider.
“Topu, the only merchant in this Frontier!”
He carefully pulled out a small silk pouch.
Then handed it to me.
The pouch was dirty...
But anyone could tell it was expensive fabric.
Something a noble might use.
I examined it.
“This looks valuable.”
Then...
“What is it?”
Topu proudly slapped his chest.
“I personally negotiated with Baron Ruonic himself!”
Then...
“This is extremely rare.”
I carefully opened the pouch.
Inside...
Several little bundles were wrapped neatly in paper.
Wait.
Could these be...?
Topu smiled.
“That’s right.”
Then...
“Seeds!”
My eyes widened.
“Seeds that are harder to find than gold in this Frontier!”
I grabbed his shoulders.
“As expected!”
Then shouted,
“I knew I could trust you, Topu!”
Topu became excited by my praise.
He immediately started talking.
Baron Ruonic was interested in my potatoes.
The Baron’s sick wife had regained some strength after eating them.
As payment...
Ruonic had given Topu his wife’s old seed pouch.
Great.
Now I can grow something beyond potatoes and chili peppers!
My heart pounded.
I carefully stored the silk pouch inside my clothes.
Topu looked around again.
“By the way...”
His eyes widened.
“This village is incredible.”
Then...
“It changes every time I visit.”
I smiled proudly.
“Just wait.”
Then...
“It’ll become even better.”
After an entire day of Jack shouting and the children working...
The village had been completely divided into proper sections.
The main road’s earth had been packed almost as hard as stone.
Thick wooden frames had risen in the central and residential districts.
The redevelopment project was moving unbelievably quickly.
But...
There was one problem.
“...I-I’m tired.”
A child collapsed.
Another lay nearby.
“Huh? The ground is moving.”
Then...
“Why is my body shaking?”
Barbarians were scattered everywhere.
Their faces were pale.
No matter how physically powerful they were...
They were still human.
They didn’t have infinite stamina.
Summer was nearly here.
They had spent the entire day carrying giant logs under the hot sun.
Of course they were exhausted.
One huge child lay face-down in the dirt.
“...My stomach is touching my back.”
Another muttered,
“I can’t see anymore.”
Well then.
Time for a special meal.
And today...
I had freshly harvested Fire Chili Peppers.
Actually...
Fire Chili Peppers are too spicy to eat normally.
==========
【Target Information】
• Name: Fire Chili Pepper
• Grade: C-Rank
【Details】
• A Special Crop with an intensely spicy flavor.
• However, it is so spicy that eating it causes extreme pain.
==========
But...
What if it became delicious?
I looked toward Gamjadori.
“Dori.”
Then held out the pepper.
“Take care of this.”
“POTATOOOO!”
Gamjadori jumped from my shoulder.
Its tiny hand stretched out proudly.
[Gamjadori used a skill on the Fire Chili Pepper.]
[The Fire Chili Pepper became delicious!]
“Hehehe.”
Now...
This absurdly spicy Fire Chili Pepper had become a delicious spicy seasoning that wouldn’t destroy someone’s stomach.
I rubbed Gamjadori’s head.
Then looked at my ingredients.
Today’s menu...
Fire Chili Pepper.
Wild boar meat stored inside Gamjadori’s Piggy Bank.
And potatoes.
A delicious pot of jjageuli.
How do you make jjageuli on the Frontier when you have no gochujang or chili powder?
A true craftsman never blames his tools.
For a chef...
Those limitations are only excuses!
No.
Actually, I just really want spicy stew.
I simulated the recipe using all my knowledge from my previous life.
Then immediately started cooking.
At this rate...
The starving barbarians might actually riot.
I handed Malko a bowl filled with Fire Chili Peppers, Manong, salt, and sugar.
“Malko.”
Then...
“Crush this until you can’t see a single solid piece.”
Malko nodded.
“Understood!”
He puffed out his chest.
“Malko is strong!”
Unlike the other barbarians lying half-dead on the ground...
The stamina monster Malko still looked perfectly healthy.
He began crushing the ingredients.
Meanwhile...
I heated a large iron pot.
Then added wild boar meat.
SSSSSS!
The outer surface of the meat quickly turned dark brown.
Good.
The meat juices stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Those browned pieces would replace soy sauce and create depth in the broth.
Malko shouted,
“Izak! Finished!”
“Good. Give it here.”
He handed me a vivid red paste.
Fresh chili pesto.
Crushed through pure brute force.
I poured everything into the center of the pot.
SHHHHHHH!
The fresh pepper paste fried in boiling pork fat.
The entire pot quickly became stained red with chili oil.
A strong smoky, spicy aroma filled the air.
The exhausted barbarians lying on the ground twitched.
Their noses moved.
One by one...
Their heads slowly rose.
Before the chili and Manong could burn...
I poured plenty of clean water into the pot.
SHHHHHHH!
The red oil mixed into the water.
Bubble. Bubble.
Next...
I added large chunks of potato.
Right now...
It still looked more like soup than jjageuli.
But I had one final secret to create that thick, sticky broth.
The chef’s special trick replacing gochujang.
I had already boiled potatoes separately.
Then made starchy potato water.
I poured all of it into the pot.
Not bad.
Bubble bubble.
Simmer simmer.
With starch added to the improvised chili pesto...
The soup gradually became red and thick.
Rich broth from the meat.
Bright red chili oil.
The sweetness of potato.
Everything slowly came together.
My improvised Frontier jjageuli was taking shape.
I seasoned it simply with salt and pepper.
Then lifted a ladle full of thick red broth.
I grinned.
“Good. It’s done.”
Then shouted,
“Everyone, bring your bowls!”
The barbarians surrounding the pot had been swallowing constantly.
The moment I spoke...
They rose like resurrected zombies.
Then immediately lined up.
“Eat slowly.”
I filled their bowls with potatoes, meat, and thick red broth.
“It’s hot.”
Naturally...
The first bowl went to the Chief.
Zakan stared at the unfamiliar food.
He tilted his head.
“I’ve never seen food this red.”
“Try it.”
I smiled.
“Your exhaustion will disappear immediately.”
Zakan looked toward me.
Then muttered,
“...Izak. You must have another plan.”
He carefully scooped up red broth and meat with a wooden spoon.
Then put it into his mouth.
“Mm...!?”
Zakan’s eyes became enormous.
For the first time in his life...
He experienced the pain of intense spiciness.
He breathed heavily.
Sweat immediately formed across his forehead.
Then...
His expression changed.
“Amazing!”
Zakan clenched his fist.
“The instant I eat it, my mouth feels like it is burning!”
Then...
“But strength is rising inside my body!”
He looked toward me.
“Is this another food of wisdom taught by the Ancestor Spirit?”
Jack was already eating beside him.
“Haaah! S-So spicy!”
His tongue clearly hurt.
But he kept eating.
“My tongue is numb!”
Then...
“Why is it so delicious?!”
Jack scooped up another spoonful.
“It feels like all my exhaustion is melting into this spicy soup!”
Then...
“It’s incredible!”
Raise front legs!
Even the beetles from Jack’s pockets surrounded a bowl.
They tasted the jjageuli.
Then raised their front legs excitedly.
They began tap dancing.
Malko screamed,
“My mouth is on fire!”
Then...
“HAAAAAA!”
Another child shouted,
“Delicious!”
Then...
“I feel strong!”
Their lips swelled from the spiciness...
Yet they kept emptying their bowls.
Topu finished his portion with tears in his eyes.
Then lifted the empty bowl over his head.
“Haa... Haa...”
He looked at me.
“Shaman! What is this red spice?”
His merchant instincts immediately activated.
“I can smell money!”
Topu panted.
“I’ve never tasted anything this stimulating in my life!”
I frowned.
“Wipe your mouth first.”
I couldn’t wait any longer either.
I filled my own bowl.
Then took a huge spoonful.
“KHAAA...!”
An old-man sound escaped from somewhere deep in my stomach.
This.
This is it!
I had been worried the broth would taste thin without gochujang.
Completely unnecessary.
The potato starch released during the long simmer perfectly thickened the broth.
The moment that thick red soup covered my tongue...
The rich flavor of the wild boar meat browned hard against the iron pot hit me.
It melts.
The sharp spicy heat struck the root of my tongue.
Then traveled down my throat.
After going so long without this kind of spicy flavor...
I felt as though my blood vessels had opened.
A shiver ran through my entire body.
I savored the lingering heat.
Then bit into a huge piece of meat and potato.
Every bite of chewy meat released rich juices.
The soft potato had absorbed the red broth.
It broke apart smoothly inside my mouth.
“Haa...!”
Sweat covered my forehead.
I kept eating.
Then suddenly...
Rice.
White rice.
I want white rice!
The perfect companion for jjageuli!
Humans were greedy creatures.
When standing, they wanted to sit.
When sitting, they wanted to lie down.
And now that I had spicy jjageuli...
I desperately wanted a bowl of white rice.
I wanted to mix that red broth into hot rice and shovel it into my mouth.
“WOOOOOOH!”
One of the barbarians suddenly stood.
“I’M BURNING!”
Then...
“THE BLOOD OF A BARBARIAN IS BOILING!”
Unlike my sadness...
The barbarians were completely satisfied.
After licking even the bottoms of their bowls clean...
The children jumped up.
They roughly wiped sweat from their foreheads.
Then ran straight back to the construction site.
No one had even ordered them.
They began carrying logs again.
I rubbed my full stomach.
Then watched my freshly recharged construction workers with satisfaction.
That evening.
Construction had ended.
Night settled over the quiet Rock Tribe.
I sat watching the campfire crackle.
Then Mari approached carefully.
“Chief...”
Zakan looked toward her.
Mari held something in both hands.
“I wanted to repay you, even a little, for accepting my daughter and me inside these safe walls.”
“Hm?”
The clothes in Mari’s hands were similar to the ones she had made for me.
They had been carefully tailored to fit Zakan’s huge body.
Comfortable combat and work clothing.
Zakan stared.
First...
At the animal-hide outfit he always wore.
It had a huge hole in the side.
Then...
At the neat clothes Mari was offering.
“...”
Zakan froze.
He tried to hide his emotions.
But his fingers trembled slightly as he accepted the clothes.
“...Thank you.”
The barbarian children watched the warm scene.
Their eyes became round.
One whispered,
“Cool.”
Another touched his own torn clothes.
“It’s different from ours.”
Then...
“Izak got clothes like that too.”
Another child looked at his holes.
“Ours are all torn.”
The children whispered while touching their ragged animal-hide clothing.
Nearby...
“KYAKYAK!”
Luna proudly showed off her own clothes without understanding what was happening.
The barbarian children stared at her.
Their eyes became full of envy.
Mari hesitated.
Then looked toward Zakan and me.
“Chief. Shaman.”
We both turned.
“I have a request.”
Mari pointed toward the children.
“Would you come into the forest with me...”
Then...
“So we can gather materials to make clothes for these children?”
Every child immediately jumped to his feet.
