Chapter 7

# 7

Chapter 3. Chicken and Falenqu

"Then you'll take it? I'll consider it a done deal!"

Mr. Mento began to smile brightly. It was a very happy expression. No one spits in the face of a smiling person. In return, I threw out a line.

"Let's introduce this Falenqu dish officially then."

"Huh? The dish we just ate? Is that possible?"

He asked, looking very surprised. It was a natural reaction, given that the Falenqu dish is known to be extremely rare.

Of course, Falenqu can be caught continuously. Or rather, I plan to make it that way. So, it seems to be just right for the pre-festival feast.

"I've found a way to catch Falenqu easily. It's a kind of food revolution, you could say. So don't worry. It won't be that expensive. Think of it as about the price of Uka meat. How does that sound?"

Uka meat.

That is, beef.

Actually, beef is never cheap in any world. Whether in this world or in the modern world, high-quality beef always comes with a high price.

So, it was necessary to ask if the price range was acceptable. I can't exceed the client's budget just because I want to use Falenqu.

"Ah, if it's that much, I think we can afford it. It sounds like it will be a great pre-festival feast."

"I'm just grateful that you're bringing in customers."

"No, I should be the one to thank you."

Mr. Mento shook his head and paid for the beer.

I ended up taking a group of customers.

Fourteen people in three days. I had always wanted to fill the restaurant with a large group, so it was a good opportunity.

"Kuh!"

After seeing the two off and returning, Dragon-sama was gulping down beer as if it had nothing to do with her. When I returned to the kitchen, she clung to me, swaying but moving quickly.

She doesn't do this when there are customers.

No, she rarely clings like this even when there are no customers.

Dragon usually demands to be hugged but doesn't initiate it like this.

But then, Dragon suddenly jumped onto my back, rested her chin on my head, and wrapped her legs around my upper body, laughing.

"Hehehe! What are you doing? Let's eat!"

Moreover, her tone was completely that of a drunk. Oh, drunk? I frowned involuntarily and asked Dragon.

"Are you drunk?"

Her tone quickly turned to a whiny one.

"How could I be!"

"What's not, not?"

I turned around and counted the beer cans she had consumed. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, and soju.

The beer cans were fine. The problem was the soju.

This damn Dragon had been mixing soju with beer while I wasn't looking. I can't stand it.

I had let my guard down while talking to Mr. Mento, and she had committed this atrocity.

Rulin, in her human form, doesn't get drunk easily from beer. But she's quite weak against soju. She loves soju mixed with beer, but it makes her drunk. That's why I had banned it a long time ago, but during that time! During that time!

"Hey, you. Aren't you going to let go?"

"Shita! Shireo! I won't let go! I won't let go until you die! And... I don't want to die. Don't die..."

It was a situation where it was hard to shake her off, as she clung so perfectly. Well, it's nice that she doesn't want me to die, but is that something to say while drunk? I don't plan to die anytime soon. Sigh.

"Excuse me?"

And at that moment, Mentei, Mr. Mento's junior, poked her head into the shop. What perfect timing. She had a face that suggested she had something to say, but as soon as she saw me clinging to Rulin, she started to look around, trying to figure out the situation, so I had to explain.

"Ah, she's an employee who got drunk and lost her mind. Don't worry about it. Hahaha. Alcohol is always a problem. Alcohol."

"Aaah!"

It hurts. The damn Dragon bit the back of my head. I can't scream in front of a customer. Does she think I'm her food now?

"Ah, really? Is she... your wife?"

"Excuse me? No?"

Is she my wife? How did she come to that conclusion in this situation?

"Is that so? Hmm? Oh, but! I came back because I have a favor to ask."

"A favor?"

"Yes!"

She rummaged through her pocket and handed me a bundle of money. It was about ten thousand runes. In modern currency, it was worth about 100,000 won.

"I became a mercenary thanks to the great help from Mr. Mento. But I never had a chance to repay him. I was just waiting for an opportunity, you know? Then, a few days ago, I completed my first solo mission and received a success fee. So, I had a brilliant idea just now and rushed over after parting with Mr. Mento!"

I started to get a sense of what she was thinking. If she had a brilliant idea about me, it must be related to cooking. So, she must be trying to push the money on me.

"Are you asking me to cook for you?"

"Yes! That's exactly it!"

She opened her eyes wide and asked, "How did you know?"

"Can you prepare a very spicy dish for Mr. Mento at the pre-festival feast? He likes spicy food, you know. Whenever we go on a job to a distant city, he always enjoys spicy food. He often laments the lack of spicy food in this Grayk. The Falenqu dish we just had was delicious, but I thought, why not use the money I earned to buy the spiciest dish he loves? So, if you can make a very spicy and stimulating dish, I would really appreciate it!"

There was no reason to refuse. After all, my principle is to satisfy customers without a set menu.

"Let's give it a try. It seems possible."

"Thank you! Thank you! I'll look forward to it in three days! Hehe. But, um...?"

She smiled happily and then suddenly looked troubled, pointing to my head.

"Y-You... It looks like she's drooling on your head... Is that okay? She's so beautiful... and drunk...?"

"Hahaha. Drooling?"

This damn Dragon. I felt something cold.

I tried to maintain my composure and said,

"It's fine. See you in three days."

"Ah, yes! I'll go now. Hehe."

What interference? She's not my wife. She's a man who doesn't listen. As Mentei hurriedly left, I shouted with resentment.

"Hey, Rulin!"

"Gororon, gorororon."

But all I heard was snoring.

I had no choice but to carry the clinging Rulin upstairs and lay her on the bed. I watched her for a moment and was about to go downstairs to clean up when she clung to me again in her sleep.

"You... don't go. I don't want you to go. I want you to stay by my side. Piaaah!"

"I'm not going. I'll clean the kitchen and come back, so sleep well."

I managed to pull the drunk Dragon away and went downstairs. But she walked over like a sleepwalker and clung to me again.

Once she gets drunk, she's this out of it. That's why I've been watching her so closely to prevent her from drinking soju.

"Don't go! You!"

She grabbed me from the front and clung to my clothes tightly.

"You're the only one I have!"

She calmed down once she was in my arms, and I could hear her quiet snoring.

If I pull her away again, she'll just cling to me again.

There's no choice. It's my fault for getting her drunk. I carried Dragon upstairs again, intending to stay with her until she was completely asleep.

***

Coo-

Coo-

For the past few days, the clear calls of the Falenqu could be heard in the Rimon Forest. People who realized it was a Falenqu tried to catch it, but it was a very agile monster. When it decided to run, its speed was beyond human sight, and no one had succeeded in catching it. It's not for nothing that it's called a legendary meat.

But I'm different. I didn't just catch it; I turned this Rimon Forest into a chicken coop.

A chicken coop in the forest. Isn't that cool?

Coo- Coo-

Of course, just because I made it a chicken coop doesn't mean it's visible. You can still only hear the calls. These Falenqu fly around with a rustling sound and only show themselves when they briefly perch on the top of bamboo.

Falenqu is a monster that moves around, changing its habitat. It appeared in the Rimon Forest now, but it will move to another place at some point.

So, the appearance of Falenqu in the Rimon Forest can be seen as a gift of chance. Of course, I don't plan to let this chance go to waste.

I fixed the habitat of the Falenqu flock to this Rimon Forest. I made the Rimon Forest their only habitat. This way, I can come to catch them whenever I want, and I can get Falenqu eggs, or rather, their eggs, without any worries. After all, monsters don't need mercy. To humans, monsters are like pests. Even if it's a legendary meat, the damage they cause to fields and farms by moving around is unimaginable. It's not for nothing that they're called monsters.

The Rimon Forest is teeming with insects, so there's plenty of food for the Falenqu. Limiting their habitat to the Rimon Forest doesn't restrict their freedom. They just can't escape beyond the Rimon Forest. The Rimon Forest is quite wide, after all.

A place that has everything a chicken coop needs.

Of course, this was possible solely because of the Dragon.

I had Rulin seal the entire Rimon Forest. This is one of the methods Dragons use to protect their lairs.

So, they can fly freely in the sky, but they can't leave the Rimon Forest. An invisible wall has formed around the Rimon Forest. Moreover, it only restricts monsters.

It's a special ability that Dragons possess.

The Falenqu, realizing they couldn't go anywhere else, briefly struggled but soon accepted their fate and started laying eggs in various places in the bamboo forest.

They connected the bamboo with soil to make nests and laid their eggs in them. They were at a height that humans couldn't reach, but it wasn't a problem for me.

Especially convenient is the fact that chickens lay eggs even without mating. These are unfertilized eggs. Fertilized eggs are produced through mating.

Falenqu is almost the same as chickens, except that they are a combat-evolved version. Fertilized eggs hatch and grow into Falenqu. In other words, there will be a constant supply of Falenqu in the Rimon Forest.

I planned to get only the necessary number of eggs.

As long as I don't dry the seeds, I can continuously obtain a small number of Falenqu and eggs.

So, it's a chicken coop.

Coo- Coo-

I confirmed the direction where the Falenqu were gathered from their calls and whispered to Rulin.

"Let's catch exactly 11."

"Eleven? That many?"

"Yeah."

One Falenqu can serve up to three people at most. Even if it's a bit smaller, it can serve two people. So, ten would be enough for the mercenaries.

"Rather, one for you and one for me. Two, how about that?"

Misunderstanding, Rulin said something strange. What a cute kid.

"One for you. The rest are for the customers. So, hurry up and knock them down. It's work, work."

"Oh, that's what you mean?"

It took a considerable amount of time to make Rulin understand the concept of a restaurant. Dragons don't have the concept of a restaurant.

To Rulin, who had just come into the world, everything was new.

Understanding the concept of a restaurant also helped her understand the concept of work. The Dragon, that is. She is now focusing on the Falenqu.

Hududuk!

Soon, the Falenqu fell in a pile due to Dragon's breath.

Without a single scratch.

It's so convenient.

Oh.