NOVEL NEXT chapter 35
35 – I’ll keep you fed for 10 months
If you don’t have money, then you naturally have to pay off the debt with your body.
In the 21st-century Korea, as well as in this empire, it was common sense.
You’ve been eating, but you have no money?
Then don’t you need to work part-time or somehow earn it there?
“P-pay off with my body?”
“I’ll cover the money you lack. We can’t ignore the people who’ve been harmed because of your lack of money, right?”
“……”
“Instead, you’ll repay with your body the amount I covered.”
Upon hearing my words, the elf bit her lip.
I looked at the elf, who was glaring at me while covering her chest.
Her flowing golden hair, blue eyes, and beautiful elf-like features.
The well-built muscles on her seemed strong enough to not tire even after working for a long time.
Her appearance and stamina were more than enough for serving customers.
The problem was her personality.
‘Well, there are customers who love a foul-mouthed granny too.’
As long as I teach her the proper manners when serving customers, there wouldn’t be any issues.
Besides, training employees is the boss’s business, right?
If there was a beautiful employee, customers would naturally come to see them.
She flinched as she met my scanning gaze.
“Don’t even think about eating delicious food here and then running away. The financial damage you’ve caused is tremendous.”
“B-but, selling my body…”
“Wait a second, what are you talking about?”
“You scum of a human. I’d rather choose to….” instead of enduring such humiliation.”
It seems like she’s misunderstood something quite terribly.
This lascivious elf.
“Just stop at the point where you think you can imagine, okay?”
“What?”
“I have no intention of asking you to do anything you might be imagining.”
“What are you talking about? The phrase ‘repay with your body’ among humans, it’s, uh, uh…”
The elf’s face turned as red as the spicy pork with kimchi she had just eaten.
It was as red as the kimchi stir-fried pork she had just consumed.
“It’s not like that. It’s just that we’re short-handed at the moment, so I’m offering you a job as a staff member.”
“Staff…?”
“Yeah. You said you don’t have money. It’s not the kind of work where you can earn money right away, so you have no choice but to work here.”
One couldn’t miss the opportunity to hire an elf of knightly caliber at a very low cost.
“Well, wait a minute, does that mean… repaying with your body?”
“Yeah. Be my employee.”
It happened to be a situation where the number of customers had increased too much.
Dealing with so many customers alone was more challenging than he had thought.
It was different from when he was responsible for the meals of the entire knight order at the knight brigade’s kitchen.
From preparing ingredients to cooking, he could manage somehow.
However, dealing with customers and cooking at the same time while starting the business turned out to be more challenging than he had thought.
Handling kitchen work and reception at the same time with just one body was not enough.
Especially since Camilla’s visit, the menu had expanded to include soybean paste stew and tofu kimchi.
When customers flocked, he struggled to cook while taking orders.
If there had been only one employee, he wouldn’t have thought of such a thing just once or twice.
In a situation where he couldn’t ask the knight or soldiers who were customers for help, this elf appeared.
“Why do I have to work here? If you give me a little trust and time, I can go to the city right away…”
“No.”
“What?”
“What is your basis for believing?”
“Elves are a race of trustworthiness…”
“You said it yourself. That elves eating vegetables is just a stereotype. How can I let you go when I don’t know if it’s also a stereotype that elves are trustworthy?”
She bit her lips tightly.
She couldn’t argue since it was her own words.
“But, still…”
She knew it wouldn’t be easy to let her go.
I already had a secret weapon to recruit this elf.
She was so curious about the bullfighting hunting technique that she was willing to bet on it.
“If you work here and pay off your debt, I’ll teach you the bullfighting hunting technique that you’ve been so curious about.”
“…Really?”
“Yes.”
“…So how long do I have to work?”
“How much money do you have?”
“I have 100 gold left.”
“Then, 200 gold and 45 silver coins…”
Considering the cost of providing meals and accommodation, it would take about 10 months.
Excluding food and lodging expenses, 20 gold coins per month.
“10 months.”
“…Isn’t that too stingy?”
“Considering food, lodging, and other expenses, I won’t have anything left either. If you don’t like it, you can just come up with the money right now.”
“…That’s quite a reasonable calculation. 10 months will be over in no time.”
She seemed to accept it more calmly than I thought.
That’s right. She’s an elf.
Should I have asked for more?
‘Never mind.’
The very fact that I could get an elf as an employee for just 20 gold a month was an incredibly generous deal.
“Let’s sign the contract later after finishing all the work.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll make sure you’re well fed for 10 months, so don’t worry about that.”
Her ears perked up, and she extended her hand to me.
“I’m sorry for misunderstanding. I’ve encountered a lot of hostile humans before… My name is Andrea. I look forward to working together.”
“Alright. I’m Lucas. From now on, I’m your boss, so let’s start by showing some respect.”
“Show respect?”
“Yeah. For the next 10 months, I’m your boss, so be humble. Always use polite speech with me.”
“Po, polite speech? For me to use that with you…? Even though I’m much older than you…”
“Respect!”
“Okay.”
Andrea’s ears drooped.
It seemed she finally understood her position now.
“I’ll use polite speech.”
“…… please.”
“Then when can I start working…… please?”
“From tonight. So, take it easy for now.”
It seemed like I should start by giving her some basic training before we begin the work.
On top of that, I had to teach her how to show respect to her boss.
Since I’m the boss now, I needed to be in control.
“I got it…… please.”
Hesitating, Andrea pointed at the empty bowl of bibimbap.
“Is it possible to have another bowl…?”
“Sure, it’ll be deducted from your salary.”
“Ah, no! That’s not…!”
Andrea found herself in debt even before starting her job properly.
***
After a long time, Andrea stuffed herself and patted her full stomach.
“I’m so full.”
It had been a while since she had a proper meal.
She had survived almost a month on jerky and meat soup while trying to catch the bull.
A month of enduring, chewing on the tough, shoe-sole-like jerky.
It felt like a compensation for the past days when she had vowed to have a knight’s meal after catching the bull, without eating anything else.
Although it wasn’t the bull she had caught, nor the dish she had cooked, she was satisfied since she had finally eaten bull meat.
Having not eaten in a long time, she had eaten more than she usually would.
“Whew.”
Her overindulgence caused her belly to protrude.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Andrea looked at Lucas, who was doing the dishes.
The man who had now become her boss.
A strong figure who she assumed was much better than her.
At first, when Lucas had demanded her body, she didn’t know what to do.
If the stronger swordsman had forcefully reached out to her, all she could do was risk her life in a fight.
She was prepared to risk her life to protect her chastity.
No matter how strong a knight he was.
She didn’t know how embarrassed she would be when she realized the misunderstanding.
‘Does he not see me as a woman at all?’
It was mortifying.
Even though she had left the Elf forest, she was still an Elf.
What does it mean to be an Elf?
A long lifespan compared to other races, and the resulting dignity being their representative image.
But that image seemed to have completely crumbled.
However, it wasn’t such a bad day.
Suddenly, she had a debt of 200 gold, and there were misunderstandings and embarrassing moments. The first time she tasted the food, it felt like a soybean paste stew boiled in manure.
But all the food she tasted was delicious.
After a long time, she enjoyed a truly satisfying meat dish.
Of course, there were vegetarian dishes mixed in here and there, but it was still delicious, so it was fine.
It was different from the food cooked by other humans.
Not only the taste, but there was also a subtly pure mana in this man’s cooking.
From an Elf’s perspective, human food was mostly meant to fill their stomachs.
They didn’t use mana in their food, and they didn’t need to.
There were no people who only ate vegetables like Elves, so they wouldn’t have felt the need.
Putting mana into food may sound strange, but the Elves often had such meals.
Elves often supplemented the nutrients lacking in their vegetarian diets by adding mana to their food.
Most Elves claimed that it was possible because they were a higher-dimensional race.
It was a kind of spiritual cultivation.
The kind that makes you feel better after eating.
Thus, in the Elf forest, they used precious ingredients containing mana or washed vegetables with the dew of the world tree.
‘It’s not like there’s the dew of the world tree in this restaurant.’
Lucas’s cooking reminded her of the taste of her forgotten hometown.
It was surprising that such a taste came from the meat.
That’s what stole Andrea’s heart.
Because the food at this restaurant made her smile the moment she tasted it.
“To think we’ll be able to eat such meals for ten months.”
Working under a human might have been a blow to her pride, but it was somewhat comforting that her opponent was a knight stronger than her, and that they’d be able to eat delicious food.
To an elf who had lived for a long time, ten months was a very short period.
She’d briefly work and then leave.
They had even promised to teach her UIBO hunting methods once the work was finished, so she could trust them.
At least they seemed like someone who would keep their word.
“Whew, it’s all done. I kept you waiting, huh?”
Lucas, who had finished washing the dishes, sat down in front of her.
“No… I didn’t wait too long.”
“Here, take this.”
“What is this?”
“It’s an employment contract. Even if we started off working together due to debt, we still need to have a clear contract.”
The document was filled with unfamiliar words.
“Don’t you have a contract written in Elvish?”
“Oh right. Wait a moment. I should have a contract in Elvish somewhere here…”
A contract in Elvish?
“So you actually anticipated this situation?”
“No, it’s just that I had to be prepared for everything, so I couldn’t help but have it on hand.”
She didn’t know.
The reason why Lucas had an Elvish contract was actually because he intended to open a restaurant in an elf’s forest just in case the Igon Britten Manor’s knight dining hall went bankrupt.
By the way, he was also planning to open a Hambagu.house in a dwarf mine.
There was nothing better than greasing up a dusty mouth and esophagus.
‘But there’s no need for that now.’
She signed the contract, promising to work diligently for ten months and receive 200 gold in return.
It was agreed that lunch and dinner would be provided by the dining hall, and accommodation would be designated at a lodging in Britten Manor.
“Should I stamp my seal here?”
“Yes.”
After confirming that the seal was stamped on the contract, Lucas rolled up the documents—an Elfish version for Andrea and an Imperial one for himself.
“Well, then, before we start the evening routines, let’s have a brief orientation for the Smilekeeper.”
Lucas’ eyes gleamed.
Andrea felt a sense of unease for some unknown reason as she met his gaze.
It was the Elf’s intuition that the job wouldn’t be easy.
—-
★★★★★
This is the best food I’ve ever tasted, and I’ve only ever eaten meat.
The exquisite harmony of vegetables, meat, and grains served as an indicator to the Elves of what the most essential balance should be.
The red pepper paste sauce excited the taste buds, making it impossible to stop eating.
I love it.
I want to keep eating.
Recommended menu: Bulgogi Bibimbap.
– Knight’s Diner employee, Andrea –
—-
***
“Phew, that’s another day done.”
Johansen, a farmer of the British territory, completed his tough day’s work and returned to his land.
He was an ordinary farmer in his mid-twenties, living in a wooden house located on the outskirts of British Castle.
“Johanna, don’t you feel lonely? You are getting older too.”
“Mom, please, not now. What are you talking about? I’m busy tilling the field.”
“They say there’s a girl named Jessica in the next village. You’ve met her a few times, right? She came to the castle a few times in the past too.”
By Imperial standards, he had reached the appropriate age for marriage, so he fled his parents’ urging to marry soon and went to the field.
Every morning, waking up early and going out to plow the fields left no time for focusing on anything else.
Marriage was out of the question.
“I do this because I want to do it alone.”
Rather than getting married, he had to make sure that this newly cultivated land would thrive the following year.
Since the lord had said that he would grant the right to use the land if it was cultivated and crops were grown on it, he had to work hard.
He couldn’t keep tending his parents’ fields forever.
Imagining a happy future ahead, he walked briskly toward the castle.
There was only one reason he was entering the castle today instead of going home.
“Maybe it’s time for a drink after a while.”
“Sounds good!”
It was to go to the knight’s tavern with his friend Johnson, who was also farming together with him.
It was a restaurant that had opened a few weeks ago and its food was better than most inns.
Soju, a strong alcohol, was quite interesting in taste and worth consuming.
Personally, Johannson preferred beer, but due to Johnson’s love for soju, they had recently been frequenting this knight’s tavern.
“They say there’s a new menu item made from a ingredient called tofu. Some people ate it during the day?”
With a thumbs up, Johnson chuckled.
“Their food is quite tasty. But are you really only going to drink soju?”
“Well, there’s no choice. They don’t sell beer at the knight’s tavern.”
“Tsk.”
What a shame.
He had been craving beer tonight.
He wanted to take a big gulp of the bubbly, frothy beer.
The problem was that such high-quality beer was not only expensive, but also mainly sold only to nobles and wealthy merchants.
They had no idea how precious that occasional drink during the harvest season could be.
“Let’s hurry. The seats will be all taken soon.”
Upon arriving at the bustling knight’s cafeteria, the two were greeted by:
“Um, welcome… Are you two… together?”
It was Andrea, forcing a smile and lifting the corners of her mouth.
With her awkward smile frozen in place, she greeted the two with a respectful language she still wasn’t used to.
“Huh? Ah, an elf?”
“An… elf, right?”
However, her smile seemed incredibly beautiful to them.
“Is this your first time seeing an elf? Don’t just stand there, please… I mean, this way… please. Ha… ha… ha.”
Following Andrea with a dumbfounded look, Johansen couldn’t take his eyes off her face the whole time she was taking his order.
‘An angel.’
The moment Andrea’s first fan, who fell for her just by seeing her profile, was born.