Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 358 - Webtoon Side Story: Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Branch 4 (29)

Webtoon Side Story: Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Branch 4 (29)

 

Georges tilted his head as he looked at the finished ramyeon.

 

“I think I’ve seen this before.”

 

It was a Korean instant noodle dish he had seen a few times on social media like YouTube. He had heard it was easy to cook and delicious.

 

YouTube even had kind instructions on where one could find them to eat. 

 

“Oh, I guess there are people who eat it here too?”

 

“Probably? I haven’t, but…”

 

He awkwardly picked up a few strands of ramyeon with his fork.

 

Since it’s a famous food in Korea, it probably wouldn’t taste bad, but honestly speaking, its appearance made him long for warm stew or bread.

 

Since it was a hotel, he thought there would at least be a simple cooked meal rather than retort food like this…

 

As if reading his mind, Kang Miyeon spoke.

 

“I’m sorry. All the marts nearby were closed…. To be precise, there aren’t many marts around here to begin with.” 

 

“I saw there were some eggs left, so I added one. You can break the yolk and mix it in, or just eat it as is.” 

 

Lee Junghyo, who was next to her, added as if providing supporting fire.

 

Looking at the pretty poached egg floating on the ramyeon broth, Georges gulped.

 

He wasn’t particularly drawn to this food, but he was incredibly hungry right now.

 

Georges decided to eat instead of wasting time arguing about the food.

 

As he put a few strands of ramyeon into his mouth, Kang Miyeon and Lee Junghyo also started eating their ramyeon, as if they had been waiting.

 

With a slurping sound, the ramyeon entered the mouths of the three people.

 

Georges’ eyes widened.

 

“This is…”

 

“…?”

 

“…salty.”

 

Georges looked at Lee Junghyo with surprise. Then Lee Junghyo chewed all her ramyeon and said.

 

“Is it? I boiled it strictly following the exact amount of water indicated on the back of the ramyeon packet.”

 

“…I mean it’s not bad.”

 

Georges quickly replied.

 

Unlike before, he lowered his head a bit more, brought his face close to the opening of the nickel-silver pot, and took his next forkful.

 

This time, even more noodles were sucked into his mouth.

 

‘It’s salty.’

 

This was his impression on the first bite.

 

But after that, it was savory and warm.

 

The mild scent of meat, mushrooms, and vegetables spread through his nose.

 

At the very end, a pungent, spicy kick hit his palate.

 

“…W-water, some water please…”

 

“Shall I pour you some?”

 

Kang Miyeon, who was next to him, asked while holding up a water cup. At that, Georges quickly shook his head.

 

“No. The seasoning is perfect right now.”

 

He said firmly.

 

‘I thought he said it was salty?’

 

Junghyo thought to herself.

 

It was because of the numbers popping up above Georges’ head.

 

3

 

4

 

The number was going up.

 

“It feels slightly salty, but I think you could say that’s appropriate for this dish.”

 

Oh. That’s a somewhat expert-like answer.

 

“May I ask what you currently do for a living?”

 

“The food service industry.”

 

“Oh. Then being a Hunter must be a side job?”

 

“Yes. I currently work as a waiter at a restaurant.”

 

“…Ah.”

 

Food service industry. Right.

 

Is it? Isn’t being a waiter part of the service industry?

 

Junghyo was momentarily confused but concluded that a waiter is in the service sector within the food service industry, and nodded.

 

“But it must not have been easy to get the seasoning right. How did you do it?”

 

“Pardon? Well, that’s…”

 

Georges tried to predict Junghyo’s answer.

 

He knew after tasting it.

 

Compared to retort food generally heated in a microwave, the seasoning for this thing called ramyeon is extremely important.

 

If the person cooking gets the seasoning right, the harmony between the noodles and the broth is much better, and if they get it wrong, the noodles and broth can taste completely separate.

 

However, the ramyeon Lee Junghyo cooked tasted slightly salty yet possessed a flavor that wouldn’t make one tire of it.

 

In other words, the seasoning was fantastic.

 

In that case, wouldn’t the person who cooked this dish—Boss Junghyo—have been making this dish for a long time? So wouldn’t she have her own special know-how?

 

“Ah, I think I saw it on YouTube once. Does it depend on whether you put the soup powder in before the water boils, or after the water boils, things like that?”

 

“Um, I just did everything exactly as it’s written on the back of this ramyeon packet?”

 

She held out the ramyeon packet. Seeing that, Georges’ face stiffened.

 

“Ah, I use this to measure the water amount.”

 

She showed Georges the measuring cup Kang Miyeon had brought from the Yeongchun Hotel at Junghyo’s request.

 

With this measuring cup, the taste of the food becomes consistent.

 

You have achieved the achievement ‘May the Blessing of the God of Measurement be with You, Who is Obsessed with Measurement.’ Cooking proficiency increases by 100%.

 

…The fact that a mocking achievement window popped up was a bonus. 

 

No matter how I looked at it, this achievement window seemed to have been sent by Merlin.

 

Whatever it was, thanks to obsessing over measurement, she was able to cook ramyeon with perfect seasoning today as well.

 

“I think it’s good to stick to the basics.”

 

Seeing Junghyo answer as if it were obvious, Georges felt awkward.

 

He thought there was some amazing secret hidden, but there was no secret or special know-how whatsoever.

 

Whenever Georges worked as a waiter, he recalled what the chef had told him.

 

‘You don’t need to know, punk!’

 

Whether the chef made a mistake and the food went out wrong, or when he asked for a simple pasta recipe, that was always the same answer he got back.

 

Because he heard such words often, Georges thought there were many things he couldn’t know because he was too young and inexperienced.

 

But Junghyo speaks as if there’s no such thing as a ‘secret’.

 

Georges smiled slightly and set down the nickel-silver pot, which he had emptied before he knew it.

 

He even finished all the salty broth. It was thanks to Junghyo’s perfect seasoning.

 

Junghyo smiled contentedly as she looked at the satisfaction window floating above Georges’ head.

 

6

 

It went up again this time.

 

Honestly, the rate of increase wasn’t dramatic.

 

I even wondered how long it would take to reach 100 at this slow pace.

 

However, Junghyo’s ‘operation’ didn’t end here.

 

Bubble bubble.

 

Click.

 

The sound of the electric kettle turning off came from behind.

 

Hearing that sound, Georges’ eyes widened.

 

“Are you cooking ramyeon again? I just finished my meal.”

 

“No. That’s not it…”

 

Junghyo brought three packets of MacX MoX GoldX from the cafeteria.

 

With swift hand movements, she poured the MacX MoX GoldX into paper cups.

 

The familiar combination of pure white sugar, creamer, and brown coffee granules piled up high at the bottom of the paper cups.

 

This time, it was also measurement.

 

She accurately looked at the line on the paper cup and started pouring water.

 

The MacX MoX GoldX melted in an instant. However, sugar tends to separate if not mixed well.

 

She took out a teaspoon, thoroughly mixed any sugar that might be left at the bottom, and then handed it to Georges.

 

“…I-is this coffee?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Should I consider it… a latte?”

 

“No. It’s MacX MoX GoldX.”

 

“…So that means…”

 

“It’s just MacX MoX GoldX.”

 

Kang Miyeon firmly answered from the side.

 

At that, Georges gave up on having any more doubts and nodded.

 

He quietly stared at the latte-like liquid without foam, then unable to withstand Junghyo’s piercing gaze, he slurped the contents of the paper cup.

 

And it was that moment.

 

Georges’ eyes widened.

 

At the same time, the number above his head started to go up.

 

8

 

12

 

15

 

20

 

A new window popped up before Junghyo’s eyes.

 

You have achieved the achievement ‘Miracle of Sweet-and-Salty.’ Guest satisfaction increases by 50%.

 

Right before her eyes, the number above Georges’ head changed.

 

20→30

 

That was it.

 

Junghyo’s operation was exactly that—sticking to the basics.

 

The miracle of sweet and salty.

 

She picked up her paper cup and slurped the coffee.

 

Sweet instant coffee right after finishing off salty ramyeon.

 

It was an insanely delicious taste.

 

* * *

 

“Ah, I’m sorry about earlier. I think I spoke too harshly. Saying it was extravagant… Those words… It was too presumptuous. You must have felt offended, I’m sorry.”

 

After the sweet and salty combo, Georges, with a cheese plate and wine in front of him, blushed and apologized to me.

 

‘So he was keeping it in his heart.’

 

I smiled softly and shook my head.

 

“No. Rather than feeling offended…”

 

I hesitated slightly before adding.

 

“I was surprised. I didn’t know you thought the Dungeon Hotel was successful from the start.”

 

Well, being the manager of a place in a dungeon that was practically a free healing center was quite an alluring job.

 

Still, considering when I first started Yeongchunjang, it was surprising that there was someone who thought like Georges.

 

“Actually, this ramyeon and instant coffee. It was exactly like this when I started Dungeon Hotel Branch 1 too. I set up something calling it a cafeteria, but there was nothing but ramyeon and coffee.”

 

“Really?”

 

Georges’ eyes widened.

 

“Yes. Since I started in a place where the facilities themselves were quite old back then too, when I ended up starting Dungeon Hotel Branch 4 in this old castle… Um… Rather than feeling confident.”

 

I carefully chose my words.

 

I looked at Georges’ face, who seemed even younger than me.

 

A time when you think you have no future.

 

How much could the words of someone you think is living a better present than you really resonate?

 

The universally valid talk like, ‘If you endure the hardships now, a good future will come,’ is bound to be ‘extravagant words’ to Georges right now.

 

So I decided to just tell my experience.

 

Not a universally valid story, but simply a story of, ‘This is how it was for me.’

 

“I was used to it. Starting anew in a neighborhood with no dungeons or Hunters. Actually, I didn’t want to run a hotel in the beginning. To be exact, it would be correct to say I didn’t have a dream.”

 

“…!”

 

Georges bit his lip, looking at me with surprise.

 

“Ah, um…”

 

“What is it?”

 

“No, just… It seems quite similar to me. Boss’ situation back then.”

 

Georges lowered his eyes. A faint blush appeared on his face.

 

So that wasn’t the miracle of sweet and salty, but—

 

41

 

It seemed to be the satisfaction of empathy.