“Mix vinegar and salt in a 2:1 ratio and add it to the bean juice. But don’t stir it too much, or the tofu won’t coagulate… Huh?! Sejun?!”
Kim Mi-ran was explaining how to make tofu to Sejun when their conversation was abruptly cut off as Sejun and Cuengi disappeared from the mirror.
“I still had more to say…”
Kim Mi-ran said with a look of disappointment.
Then,
“Ah!”
Remembering something, she hurriedly opened the front door and went outside.
And,
“Flamie!”
She called out to the apple tree in the middle of the garden, which had been planted there since they moved in.
And,
-Yes. Master’s mother, did you call for me?
The apple tree replied.
Initially Flamie, who had taken root in the house’s basement to protect Sejun’s family,
“Sigh… Sejun only sends messages that he’s doing well through Hunter Han Tae-jun, but why doesn’t he come out of the tower? Is he eating properly?”
overheard Kim Mi-ran’s worries while she was watering the garden and worrying about Sejun.
‘Master’s mother is worried about the master. I must do something!’
So, Flamie connected its roots with those of the apple tree in the garden to ease Kim Mi-ran’s worries and,
-Excuse me… Hello, master’s mother, I am Flamie.
started to communicate with Kim Mi-ran through the apple tree, occasionally updating her about Sejun and reassuring his worried family.
However,
“Hohoho. Sejun has a girlfriend? And she’s incredibly beautiful?!”
“Really?! With Sejun’s one word the monsters in the tower die?”
“He even ate ramen recently? The tower has everything, doesn’t it?”
Flamie ended up alleviating their worries too much by only sharing the good news about Sejun, making his family worry less about him.
As a result, Kim Mi-ran was not overly worried when she saw Sejun after almost a year.
Moreover, the environment visible through the mirror, with its fully cultivated wasteland now filled with crops like corn and cherry tomatoes, made Sejun’s location seem like an ordinary peaceful countryside.
Back to the present.
“Flamie, I was talking to Sejun and got cut off. Can I ask you something?”
Kim Mi-ran, unable to satisfy her curiosity due to the interrupted conversation with Sejun, asked Flamie.
-Yes! Ask me anything!
“How does Sejun take care of his skin?”
-Huh?! Skin care?
“Yes. Sejun’s skin looked so good!”
Kim Mi-ran was curious about Sejun’s skin care routine, which had improved significantly since entering the tower. His skin tone brightened, blemishes disappeared, and there was a faint glow.
His features also seemed more defined. While Sejun, seeing his face every day, didn’t notice the changes, his face was really getting more handsome due to Theo’s massages.
-Ah! That’s because of Master’s right-hand man, Theo…
Flamie explained to Kim Mi-ran why Sejun’s skin had improved.
“So you’re saying Sejun’s skin got better because of the kneading from Theo, the cat he’s raising?!”
-Yes!
“Sejun is so lucky, getting massages and improving his skin… I’m so jealous.”
Kim Mi-ran was enviously happy for her son, whose skin even got better while getting massages by the cat’s kneading.
“Speaking of which, I didn’t see Theo. I should ask Sejun to show me Theo later.”
Kim Mi-ran, feeling a bit disappointed about not seeing Theo.
“Oh, my! Look at me!”
Suddenly remembering she had left the soybean paste stew on the stove, she hurried back to the kitchen.
-Phew. It’s a relief that Master’s mother didn’t mention me to the master.
Flamie felt relieved that Sejun hadn’t discovered its roots extending all the way there.
***
“Grandpa, I’m here!”
Aileen arrived at the territory of the Black Dragon through the portal in the administrator’s area.
“Kahaha! My granddaughter is here!”
“Grandpa, where’s the stuff?”
Aileen immediately addressed her purpose, despite Kaiser’s warm welcome.
Aileen firmly told Kaiser that the Samyangju she gave was not for free, and handed over the liquor. In response, Kaiser distributed Samyangju to the black dragons and in exchange received dragon scales.
“There they are. This time, for each cup of Samyangju, I got three scales engraved with dragon skin magic. Kahaha. How about that?”
Kaiser proudly pointed to a huge pile of black dragon scales obtained as a price for the Samyangju.
Yesterday at lunch, when the 300 jars of Samyangju that Sejun had brewed a week ago were ready, 3333 bottles were distributed to each dragon clan, and all dragons tasted at least one glass of it yesterday.
And because of the good taste of Samyangju and its effect in clearing the mind, it instantly became the favorite drink of the dragons.
Consequently, the black dragons, following Kaiser’s demand for a payment, willingly gave up their scales engraved with dragon skin magic. In fact, they were even willing to give more scales for more liquor.
“Grandpa, thank you. I’ll be going now!”
Aileen gathered the piled scales and hurried towards the portal.
“What? Leaving already?”
“Yes, I have a lot of work to do!”
Leaving the disappointed Kaiser behind, Aileen hurried back to the administrator’s area.
And,
“Hehehe. Sejun will be happy, right?”
Aileen delivered the black dragon scales she received from Kaiser to Sejun.
***
Sip.
[The Tower’s Administrator says these are in exchange for the Samyangju.]
Aileen spoke to Sejun, who was having his morning coffee after breakfast.
Then,
Thud!
Approximately 80,000 black dragon scales appeared in front of Sejun.
“Aileen, thank you.”
Sejun stored the black dragon scales he received from Aileen in his void storage. Though it was more than needed, having one dragon scale could save him from a deadly situation, so having more was not a bad thing.
After storing the black dragon scales in the storage,
Krueng!
[Dad, Cuengi will go and check on the herbs!]
Cuengi rushed towards the western forest.
“Cuengi, you should take some snacks with you.”
Sejun noticed that Cuengi’s snack pouch was empty, but
Krueng! Krueng!
[No need! It’s okay!]
Surprisingly, Cuengi refused food and quickly headed towards the western forest.
“Something’s fishy about Cuengi.”
“What’s fishy, meow?”
As Cuengi quickly disappeared into the distance, Sejun commented, and Theo, curious, asked.
“It’s about Cuengi. These days, he doesn’t fill his snack pouch and comes back late in the evening.”
Since the day after they made tofu five days ago, Cuengi stopped asking Sejun for food. And even when he returned in the evening, he didn’t eat but played around Sejun and then went to sleep.
‘Could he be sick?’
At first, Sejun worried if Cuengi was unwell, but Cuengi seemed too energetic to be sick.
“Then there’s only one possibility left.”
“What is it, meow?”
“Vice Chairman Theo, you don’t know? Then how can you be called Theo-son, assistant to the great detective Sherlock Sejun?” (TL: Theo-son as in Watson from Sherlock Holmes)
“Meow?! What’s Theo-son, meow?”
Confused by Sejun’s sudden role-play, Theo didn’t understand what was going on and questioned.
“There’s such a thing. So, are you going to be my assistant or not?!”
“I will, meow! I’m Sejun’s right hand man and his assistant, meow!”
Though unclear about the specifics, Theo, always wanting to be on Sejun’s side, agreed without hesitation.
“Good. Seeing Theo-son’s enthusiasm, I’ll let this one slide.”
“Thank you, meow! I’ll work hard from now on, meow!”
“Exactly! That’s the spirit, Theo-son!”
Sejun was pleased with Theo’s eager attitude.
And,
“Theo-son, listen carefully. Considering the amount Cuengi eats, it doesn’t make sense for him to eat nothing, right?”
Sejun continued his deduction.
“That’s right, meow! It doesn’t make sense for Cuengi to starve, meow!”
Theo eagerly agreed with Sejun’s words.
“That means…”
“That means? What, meow? I’m so curious, meow! Tell me quickly, meow!”
“Cuengi is secretly eating something delicious! Haha! How’s that for a deduction by the great detective Sherlock Sejun?”
Sejun proudly responded to Theo’s curious and eager attitude.
And,
“Golden Bat! Go get Iona.”
Sejun summoned the Golden Bat to bring Iona from the Wizard Tower.
It was time to confront Cuengi, who had only been suspected but not yet caught in the act.
‘Cuengi must have been eating delicious things alone and giving me only the tasteless and bitter stuff.’
Sejun planned to follow Cuengi and catch him in the act of eating something delicious by himself.
So, Sejun summoned the Golden Bat to call Iona because he needed her wind magic to approach Cuengi without being detected by his keen sense of smell.
Although Sejun considered moving underground, Cuengi had learned to detect enemies moving underground during their previous battle with the corrupted ents.
Krueng! Krueng!
[There’s something in the ground! Let’s hit it and find out!]
Cuengi’s method of attacking anything suspicious in the ground was too risky.
A short while later,
“Kyoot Kyoot Kyoot. Sejun, did you call me?”
Iona arrived with the Golden Bat.
“Good, you’re here, Iona. We’re going to secretly follow Cuengi, so can you hide our scent with your wind magic?”
“Kyoot Kyoot Kyoot. Spying? That sounds fun. Leave it to me!”
Iona, intrigued by the idea of a tailing, eagerly agreed to help.
“Puhuhut. Even if Iona hides our scent, it’s me, the great assistant Theo-son, who will be assisting the great detective Sherlock Sejun!”
Theo, fully immersed in their role-play, clung to Sejun’s knee and declared confidently. Now, I’ve got a sense of what Chairman Park wants, meow!
“Alright! Let’s go!”
Sejun, along with Theo, Iona, and the Golden Bat, set off towards the western forest to catch Cuengi in the act.
***
In the western forest,
Krueng!
[Finally arrived!]
Cuengi, having skipped breakfast, arrived at the place filled with giant trees infested with kudzu vines and immediately started sniffing around.
Then,
Kuehehehe. Krueng!
[Hehehe. It smells like honey here!]
Crack.
Having found the scent he was looking for, Cuengi dug his front paws into the tree trunk, pulling out a blue kudzu root,
Krueng!
[Found a honey-flavored herb!]
Munch. Munch.
Cuengi happily ate it.
Krueng!
[It’s delicious!]
Dum dum.
Chewing on the kudzu root, Cuengi danced joyfully as the sweet juice flowed out.
After finding and eating several honey-flavored kudzu roots,
Sniff sniff.
Cuengi began searching for new kudzu roots.
Then,
Krueng!
[There’s a bitter smell here!]
Crack!
Detecting a bitter smell, Cuengi dug into another tree and pulled out a red kudzu root.
Krueng!
[This one’s for Dad!]
Cuengi quickly stashed the red kudzu root in its snack pouch.
***
“Got you! You little rascal!”
Sejun, watching Cuengi eat the blue kudzu roots and stash the red ones in its bag through Iona’s clairvoyance magic spell, exclaimed.
Just as Sejun had suspected, Cuengi was eating the tasty ones and only giving Sejun the bitter-tasting ones.
What was more infuriating was the ratio in which Cuengi was harvesting: approximately nine blue kudzu roots for every one red root. Despite the abundance of tasty roots, Cuengi never offered any to Sejun.
‘You little rascal, Cuengi! You had delicious ones but only gave me the bitter ones!’
Sejun, infuriated by Cuengi’s misdeeds, quietly approached him.
And,
“Got you! You rascal!”
Krueng?
Sejun grabbed Cuengi by the scruff of his neck as he was busily eating the blue kudzu roots.
*****
