Dungeon Bakery Chapter 20

“A perfect blueprint combined with perfect materials. How could I possibly stop once I started? I kept working without a break after you left, and before I knew it, it was already finished.”

Oh Juk-heon wore a tired but satisfied smile.

He said he worked without stopping.

Surely he hadn’t stayed up all night these past few days…… right?

“It was an excellent experience. Thanks to you, even my job level, which had been progressing so slowly, went up.”

For a high-level craftsman like Oh Juk-heon to level up was a very big deal.

After all, the higher one’s level, the more experience required to level up increases exponentially.

So that’s why his disciple said she wanted to get her hands on him back then.

The perfection of the blueprint itself must have played a part, but apparently, the experience gained from completing this project had been substantial.

There were dark circles under Oh Juk-heon’s eyes that Baek Seol hadn’t seen before, which made her feel a little less guilty about giving him only a single loaf of bread as payment.

“Then I’m glad to hear that. Ah, please have a seat. I’ll make you some tea.”

Since this was her first time receiving a customer who wasn’t a monster, she was a little late getting around to properly welcoming him.

Baek Seol quickly guided Oh Juk-heon to the table where she had been sitting.

And Lucy, who had been there……

“Hm? Did something just pass by?”

“Pardon?”

“I thought I saw something white go by. Heh heh. I must have imagined it.”

He had disappeared beneath the table at a speed Baek Seol had never seen before.

There really seemed to be no need for him to hide.

Baek Seol glanced at Lucy, who was pressed flat against the underside of the table, then went to make herself a cup of the coffee she drank every day.

Oh Juk-heon placed his fedora neatly on the table before taking a sip of the coffee Baek Seol had brought him.

He let out a quiet chuckle.

“This coffee tastes good. The shop is cozy, too. It’s the kind of place that puts you in a good mood. Makes you feel a little calmer, wouldn’t you say?”

Baek Seol gave him a faint smile of gratitude.

Lucy said that was because of the buff placed on the shop.

The buff in question was the skill ‘We Are All Neighbors.’

Its description had been……

[We Are All Neighbors] Lv.-
No fighting inside the store. Those who interfere with business shall die. (This skill is automatically applied without activation. Basic Buff Skill.)

……that.

She had thought it was a rather terrifying skill because of the part about death being the only outcome for anyone who interfered with business.

But apparently, it also had the effect of calming the minds of those who visited the bakery.

“So, where should I install the completed workbench?”

“Oh. You brought the workbench with you?”

At Oh Juk-heon’s words as he stood up, Baek Seol looked around.

He hadn’t brought it inside the shop, so perhaps it was outside?

Oh Juk-heon answered as though it were obvious.

“Of course. Craftsmen naturally possess a skill that allows them to easily move completed products they’ve made. Just tell me where you want it, and I’ll install it there.”

He added that the skill could only be used for easy installation once, so she needed to choose the location carefully.

Oh. So craftsmen have a skill like that.

Baek Seol led Oh Juk-heon into the kitchen.

The kitchen, filled with all sorts of machines for baking, had grown slightly larger as Baek Seol’s level increased.

Almost as though it had been making room for the workbench.

It’s strange. The bakery looks exactly the same from the outside, but the inside keeps getting bigger.

Oh Juk-heon stood where Baek Seol had directed him and quietly muttered something.

A white light shimmered.

Then, a magnificent new machine appeared.

“Wow…….”

Its surface was so smooth that it practically gleamed, and every single component had been crafted with such precision that it felt less like a machine and more like a work of art.

“It’s amazing. It looks like a piece of artwork.”

Perhaps it was because the touch of a master craftsman was on it.

As Baek Seol stared at the machine in amazement, Oh Juk-heon looked pleased.

“Heh heh. Thank you for the compliment.”

“Ah. I should pay you for the commission.”

Baek Seol, who had been completely absorbed in the new machine, suddenly came to her senses.

Get a grip, me.

She led Oh Juk-heon back to the table and headed toward the display shelves.

“What kind of bread do you like?”

“Bread? Any delicious bread will do.”

Delicious bread. What could that be……?

After all, there were only two kinds of bread she could serve at the bakery.

And one of them was the red bean bun she had received as a reward for completing the Beginner’s Quest.

Thanks to her level increasing and unlocking two display shelves, both kinds of bread were currently on display in the bakery.

Baek Seol stood in front of them with a thoughtful expression.

And right then—

<System: A quest has been generated!>

A system window suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

A quest? Now?

Startled, Baek Seol checked the quest window.

Quest: Bread for the Craftsman!

Serve bread to the craftsman who made the Processing Workbench for Dungeon Bakery as a token of gratitude. However, you only have one chance!

Condition: Craftsman’s Satisfaction

Reward: Acquire ???’s Recipe

Upon Failure: Craftsman’s Disappointment

The reward was a recipe.

Baek Seol’s eyes lit up.

She had already been bothered by the fact that the only bread she could make at the bakery was white bread.

I can’t disappoint Grandpa.

Baek Seol quickly chose one of the two breads on display.

For some reason, she felt this one was more suited to Oh Juk-heon’s tastes.

Remembering the yanggaeng she had eaten at Oh Juk-heon’s house last time, Baek Seol arranged the bread neatly on a small plate.

“Grandpa, please give it a try.”

“Oh…… Is this a red bean bun?”

Oh Juk-heon looked slightly surprised as he gazed at the round bread on the plate.

“These days, all the bakeries have become franchises, so it’s not easy to find a good red bean bun anymore. May I let myself get a little excited?”

“Ahaha…… Don’t get your hopes up too much.”

Seeing Oh Juk-heon’s eyes sparkle, Baek Seol gave him a slightly awkward smile.

He seems to like it.

But if his expectations got too high, that could be a problem in its own way.

Baek Seol often ate the white bread she made herself, either as sandwiches or snacks, but she had never actually tried the red bean bun.

That was understandable.

She had only received five through the quest, and without the recipe, she couldn’t make any more.

Slime No. 97 bought one of them.

She had brought out one of the remaining four, leaving only three now.

Oh Juk-heon ignored the fork and knife placed beside the plate and picked up the red bean bun with his hands.

“This is how you’re supposed to eat a red bean bun.”

As Baek Seol watched the red bean bun slowly approach his mouth, a sudden concern struck her.

Come to think of it…… that red bean bun…… How long was its shelf life?

She had received it after completing the Beginner’s Quest, so it had been sitting in her inventory for quite some time.

Ugh. Maybe I should’ve served the safe white bread instead.

She hurriedly checked the red bean bun’s information.

[Red Bean Bun]

Description: Bread filled with sweet red bean paste. Some people love it, some people hate it.

Race Compatibility: ???

Effect upon Consumption: Causes the consumer to recall memories.

There was no mention of freshness or an expiration date in the information.

Meanwhile, Oh Juk-heon took a big bite of the red bean bun.

As Baek Seol watched him slowly savor the bread, she swallowed nervously.

Would Oh Juk-heon be satisfied with the red bean bun?

“……Hmm.”

At that moment, Oh Juk-heon slowly closed his eyes.

Then, a satisfaction bar appeared above him.

The value on the bar was slowly rising.

With his eyes still closed, Oh Juk-heon murmured.

“This red bean bun…….”

The bar passed the halfway point.

“Eating this red bean bun brings back memories of the old days.”

Ah.

That was right.

The red bean bun had the effect of making people recall their memories.

Oh Juk-heon slightly opened his eyes.

His gaze was unfocused, as though he were remembering a distant, long-forgotten day.

The bar was filling to around two-thirds.

Watching the bar rise slowly but steadily, Baek Seol held back her pounding heart.

“It reminds me of when my wife was pregnant with our daughter. She had terrible morning sickness and no appetite, so she could barely eat throughout the pregnancy. She was never the sort of person who craved anything in particular, but there was one time when she said she wanted to eat something.”

Oh Juk-heon’s brows lowered.

His voice had grown quieter.

“It was when she went into labor and we hurried to the hospital. While we were waiting for the delivery, she suddenly said she wanted a red bean bun. But unfortunately, it was not long after the Great Cataclysm had occurred, so the whole world was in chaos.”

“…….”

“The hospital was in chaos too. I hurried around the nearby bakeries and managed to buy a red bean bun, but…….”

Oh Juk-heon gave a sorrowful smile.

For some reason, Baek Seol suddenly didn’t want to hear what came next.

But Oh Juk-heon, lost in his memories, continued.

“My wife gave birth to our daughter during that time, and she was hovering between life and death. She was older when she had our child…… and she had always been physically weak. On top of that, the hospital was practically paralyzed. It seems they simply didn’t have the capacity to deal with an emergency.”

Oh Juk-heon took another bite of the red bean bun.

“Well, in the end, my wife passed away.”

“Ah…… Then I suppose it must have stayed with you that she never got to eat the red bean bun.”

Baek Seol carefully tried to understand his feelings.

Oh Juk-heon smiled warmly.

“When did I say she never got to eat it?”

“……What?”

“There were times when she would regain consciousness while hovering between life and death. Whenever she did, I quickly put some red bean bun into her mouth. I thought it would haunt me for the rest of my life if I didn’t let her eat it.”

His voice softened.

“She nibbled on the red bean bun and smiled happily. She thanked me for it. She said she was really grateful.”

Oh Juk-heon’s expression grew distant, as though he were remembering his wife’s smile.

His satisfaction was now nearing its limit.

“She closed her eyes with that smile on her face. I ate the red bean bun she left behind as well. And the taste back then is exactly the same as this red bean bun. It has just the right sweetness my wife would have loved.”

“…….”

Oh Juk-heon began devouring the rest of the red bean bun.

“This red bean bun is truly delicious.”

At last, his satisfaction bar filled completely.

<System: Quest completed!>

The system window appeared, and the quest status changed to complete.

Quest: Bread for the Craftsman!

Serve bread to the craftsman who made the Processing Workbench for Dungeon Bakery as a token of gratitude. However, you only have one chance!

Condition: Craftsman’s Satisfaction (Status: Complete)

Reward: Acquire ???’s Recipe

Upon Failure: Craftsman’s Disappointment

<System: The ‘Bread for the Craftsman!’ quest has been completed. Your reward will now be granted.>

<System: You have acquired the Red Bean Bun Recipe!>

So the reward was the Red Bean Bun Recipe.

Baek Seol thought to herself as she checked the system window.

Meanwhile, Oh Juk-heon had finished every last bit of the red bean bun and was smiling with deep satisfaction.