Torong, the ever-diligent farmer, felt his eyelids twitch.
He'd wondered why the crops were growing unusually well today.
So this was the setup.
"Ehem."
With his hands clasped behind his back and a pompous little cough, the insane raccoon Kancho strutted over. Unlike last time, he didn't speak right away. He simply paced back and forth in front of Torong.
"Ehem!"
What do you want, you lunatic? Just say it.
As Torong grumbled inwardly, Kancho began kneading one shoulder with his fluffy paw.
"My shoulders feel so heavy today. Ten thousand pounds heavy."
What am I supposed to do about that?!
Kancho subtly studied Torong's face, then exaggerated his act even more.
"They're usually not this heavy. I don't know what could possibly be causing it."
Was it because he'd said that?
Torong's gaze naturally drifted toward the backpack slung over Kancho's back.
'Ah. He bought a bag.'
Mystery solved.
Crunch.
He wasn't avoiding Kancho out of fear.
It was out of disgust.
Torong trudged over, pointed at the backpack, and gave two enthusiastic thumbs-up. His face clearly conveyed, That's an incredibly stylish and adorable bag!
Twitch!
Kancho's ears shot straight up.
"Ehem!!"
Another cough.
Translation: More. Praise me more.
So Torong continued the one-man show, sweating buckets as he piled on the compliments.
Finally, as if to say that was enough, Kancho raised a paw.
"The Supreme Commander bought it for me. It fits an enormous amount of clay. Understood?"
Understood what, you nutcase?
Torong nodded vigorously anyway.
Please just leave.
"Is farming going well?"
Of course it is. Who do you think's doing all the work?
"But… hmm, what's your name?"
Now you ask?
Just as Torong was about to write his name in the dirt—
"You look like a wild ginseng, so I'll call you SamSam-gun. But SamSam-gun seems to be spending too much time farming."
Kancho rummaged through his bag and pulled out an oddly shaped leaf.
"This is a recommendation letter from the Fairy Rights Committee. If you say Vice-Captain Kancho of the Yodel Ranger Unit gave it to you, they'll be shocked and accept you immediately. We're in Yodel Forest, so if it gets too tough, come visit."
Cold sweat trickled down Torong's face.
And where the hell is that, you maniac?
Naturally, he wasn't given time to ask.
Satisfied after getting the reaction he wanted, Kancho turned on his heel.
"Keep striving. That patch of ground over there isn't dug deep enough. Dig further. Don't stop. Continue striving."
Like a village headman out on his morning stroll, Kancho ambled away.
Watching his retreating back, Torong slowly nodded.
He was certain of one thing.
There could not possibly be a raccoon crazier than that one.
A short while later, at Jin-hyeok's house nearby.
Returning from the morning fields, Yoo Man-cheol tilted his head.
A luxurious-looking box sat on the outdoor platform.
A note was attached.
Dad, I came across some rare liquor, so I left it here. It's extremely rare—only drink it with Mom.
P.S. Don't let Yoo Jin-hee see it under any circumstances. Either drink it quickly or hide it well.
Yoo Jin-hee was still underage.
And frighteningly sharp. The moment she saw the bottle, she'd recognize it as Cheongsanju. And once she realized that, no amount of parental authority would stop her from trying to sneak a sip.
"Looks like Jin-hyeok stopped by?"
"Jin-hyeok? All of a sudden?"
Kim Min-ji checked the note and pulled out her phone. The call disconnected before it even rang.
"That brat and his sleep mode. If he came all this way, he could've at least stayed for a meal. What's he so busy for?"
Clicking her tongue, she opened the box.
"Gaaasp!"
She staggered backward, mouth agape.
"What is it?"
Yoo Man-cheol came over—and promptly collapsed to the floor as well.
What Jin-hyeok didn't know was that his parents were heavy viewers of YouTube, devouring every bit of trivia under the sun.
"I-Is this Cheongsanju?!"
"It is. And aged for a very long time."
How could they not know?
Even famous liquor YouTubers had said getting even a single sip of this was nearly impossible. Those lucky enough to taste it had declared that no other alcohol could compare.
And that had been for bottles aged only two or three years.
The two locked eyes.
Something this precious wasn't meant to be saved.
It had to be drunk immediately.
Especially with a hyena named Yoo Jin-hee living under the same roof.
They sprang into action.
Kim Min-ji tidied up the farm tools she'd just brought in, while Yoo Man-cheol headed to the kitchen to prepare drinking dishes.
In their hearts, they reached the same conclusion.
Their only son, Yoo Jin-hyeok, was the most filial child in all of Yesan County.
With practiced ease, Yoo Man-cheol began boiling pork for bossam.
Then he opened the kimchi refrigerator.
Tonight's drinking spread would be bossam.
"Huh?"
His hand froze.
Strange.
The fridge had been full of kimchi.
Now more than half of it was gone.
Where did it all go?
[Entering Floor 3.5 of the Tower of Myth.]
It had been a while since Jin-hyeok last came here with Momo.
"Momo! Long time no see! Take some of these!"
A shopkeeper handed over a bag of glossy apples.
"Sweetie, come try these strawberries! Don't take the whole box!"
"Thank you!"
Beaming, Momo gave a thumbs-up—and deftly pocketed the fruit anyway.
They all knew she practically looted their shops every time.
And yet they still doted on her.
Momo was loved wherever she went.
"Supreme Commander."
"Hmm?"
Kancho lowered his voice after swallowing nervously.
"How much would someone have to steal for shop sales to actually drop?"
"Uh… a looooot?"
"Then you must always stay vigilant, Supreme Commander. Everything might vanish overnight!"
"Kancho, your bag's gone."
"Eh?!"
"Just kidding."
They walked along as Kancho fiddled with his twitching ears.
Soon, a tranquil lake and a charming little cabin came into view.
"It's Momo's cabin!"
"Is it really yours? You didn't take it while the owner was away?"
"No! I kept coming in and lying down, so Grandpa said I could just have it!"
'So she took it.'
Jin-hyeok silently thanked the unseen grandfather.
From Momo's inventory, he pulled out tents, rocking chairs, fishing stools, firewood—everything needed for camping.
Why camping all of a sudden?
Yesterday, while leaving Maredo's box, he'd seen his companions yawning and stretching.
'We've been pushing too hard lately.'
He hadn't missed a single day in the Tower, not wanting to waste a ticket.
Even outside the Tower, he'd traveled nonstop—Mount Okryong, Japan, England—preparing for the next climb.
At home, they'd helped with his training and lessons too.
They insisted his growth was their greatest joy.
But still.
Today, he wanted them to rest.
'Time to introduce them to Kim Min-ji's aged kimchi pork belly.'
He quickly set up the chairs, started the fire, and flipped over the lid of a cauldron he'd… borrowed from home.
"It's huge!"
"It's as big as Momo's head!"
"Momo's head is small!"
"Not small. It's a full moon."
"Yaaaah!"
While Momo dragged Kancho into the lake and dunked him repeatedly—waterboarding in a serene lakeside setting, truly savage—Elia and Carmela sipped tea peacefully.
"Kids grow by fighting."
"It's always been that way. Nothing is gained without struggle."
Dark was casting his fishing line, though with all the splashing, no fish would dare come near. Maybe he was just enjoying the view.
"Ah-ah. No training today."
Jin-hyeok hurried over and confiscated Seira's wooden sword.
Training at a campsite? Absolutely not.
"Training is forbidden."
Seira nodded and sat beside the cauldron lid.
"I will help, then."
Jin-hyeok grinned and lowered his voice.
"People say grilling meat is hard work, but this is actually the best seat. You get first pick of the perfectly cooked pieces."
"Excellent. As expected of the host."
Well-heated, the iron lid sizzled as thick slices of pork belly hit the surface.
Sssssizzle!
Top-quality cuts from Yesan County's finest butcher.
"Pork belly, good choice. We had beef recently."
Seira smiled.
From experience, Jin-hyeok knew they preferred pork belly over beef.
"Mm, that smells amazing."
"We should move our chairs closer."
Elia and Carmela drifted nearer.
"Momo wants pork belly too!"
"M-Me too… gulp! Pork belly!"
The soaked Kancho-Momo duo ran over, followed by Dark, who had abandoned his fishing rod entirely. Since Frostheim, he'd been spending far more time with the group.
Good.
Jin-hyeok nodded in satisfaction.
Then he revealed his trump card—Kim Min-ji's aged kimchi.
He tossed it into the pool of pork fat gathering at the center.
Sssssssss!
The kimchi caramelized beautifully, turning golden and fragrant.
Saliva audibly pooled around him.
He layered perfectly grilled pork atop the kimchi, adding ssamjang, garlic, and chili peppers.
He made identical wraps for everyone and filled their cups with Cheongsanju.
"Eat this first."
They bit down almost simultaneously.
"Mmmmmm! It's delicioussssss!"
"It's so good!!"
"This is incredible."
Applause broke out.
Even Seira, usually restrained, stared wide-eyed.
'This is insane.'
The umami exploded in his mouth.
It was absurdly good.
"And to finish!"
He raised his cup and took a slow sip.
This wasn't cheap stuff. He let it linger, savoring the aroma before swallowing.
"Keuuuu!"
Exclamations erupted.
Such depth. Such fragrance.
Now he understood why Cheongsanju had its reputation.
"Keuuu-imdaang!"
"Keuuu!"
Kancho and Momo squeezed their eyes shut dramatically.
It was grape juice and orange juice for them.
"Host, another glass."
"Me as well."
Requests poured in.
He busily refilled cups and replenished the pork and kimchi.
Clink!
They tapped their glasses once more, smiling.
Paradise wasn't far away.
Later, after everyone fell asleep at the campsite—
Jin-hyeok quietly stepped outside and headed toward the forest.
"Where are you going!"
"Whoa—!"
Momo had silently crept up and grabbed his clothes.
"You're not asleep?"
"I already slept."
Jin-hyeok smiled.
Perfect.
He didn't know the terrain here very well.
Now he had a guide.
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T/N:
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