Chapter 26: It's a Festival, Not a Funeral (1) (26/225)
After the eventful matchmaking ended, Jinseo stayed in Colses Castle for three more days and continued doing business.
There had already been plenty of customers before, but once word spread that Marquis Hasrak had praised his food, an even larger crowd gathered around the food truck.
Jinseo worked nonstop preparing and selling bunsik, and because so many people gathered, members of the escort unit voluntarily handled service and crowd control.
Fortunately, none of the disturbances or unforeseen incidents he had worried about occurred.
This was thanks to the rumors spreading alongside the bunsik—that the food truck had been designated as a new sacred relic.
Customers lined up in an orderly fashion to place their orders, and only after making the sign of the cross in front of the steaming bunsik did they begin eating.
Aston, now registered as an assistant to the food truck, displayed skills on par with Jinseo's and quickly processed incoming orders.
Nero, who had been accompanying them from the beginning, calmly carried food and helped with sales under the many watchful gazes.
As a result, Jinseo recorded unprecedented sales before leaving Colses Castle.
After finishing all matters in Colses Castle, Oswald led the escort southward.
Under normal circumstances, they would have taken the fastest route heading southeast.
However, accepting Jinseo's request to see more places along the way, Oswald chose a longer route instead.
"Hm, this is nice. Very nice."
At the moment, he was seated somewhere other than the carriage he usually rode.
"The ride is far more comfortable than a carriage. No wonder the order designated it a sacred relic—though in a different sense."
Seated beside Jinseo, who was driving the food truck, was Oswald rather than Fedora.
Perhaps because he had seen and used the food truck for so long, to Oswald and the escort, the food truck was less a sacred relic and more a familiar place that provided delicious bunsik.
Because of that, they used it just as naturally as before, without hesitation.
"Please remember that the food truck was designated a sacred relic solely to prevent a repeat of past incidents. There is no need to change how you use it. Please continue as you did before."
Fedora repeated this several times, worried that unnecessary awkwardness might arise.
And it wasn't just words—she was currently chatting inside the additional trailer with female mages dispatched from the mage tower.
All while enjoying the various snacks and drinks Jinseo had provided.
"If possible, could you obtain another carriage like this?"
"Acquiring one isn't difficult, but at present there's no way to bring it into the Francia Continent."
"I see… That's truly unfortunate."
Wearing a fluorescent T-shirt, Oswald sipped his SolX Snow while gazing out the window.
It looks like he'll be sitting beside me the entire way back.
Jinseo glanced at Oswald, who had reclined his seat and sprawled comfortably, and smiled faintly.
"Ah, there was something I meant to ask."
"What is it?"
"How did things feel between my son and Lady Stella?"
In the end, no clear conclusion had come from the matchmaking.
While the union of the two families was important, it was decided that giving the young man and woman time to get to know each other wouldn't be too late.
In truth, the event had been hastily wrapped up due to everyone being distracted by Jinseo's bunsik and Fedora's appearance.
"Then, shall we go somewhere together, just the two of us?"
And the day after the matchmaking ended, Stella truly went on her first date with Aston—on the food truck.
"It didn't seem like a bad atmosphere."
Jinseo drove the two of them deep into the woods, searching for a place with a romantic mood.
The spot he found was beside a lake so clear it looked transparent.
There, the two enjoyed bunsik while talking about things they hadn't had the chance to share before.
"Oh? And what exactly did they talk about?"
Since Jinseo had been eating at the counter the entire time, he couldn't help overhearing their conversation.
It wasn't love at first sight by any means, but Aston—who had been blunt and reserved outside of cooking—smiled as he spoke with Stella.
Unexpectedly, Stella, though also a noble like Aston, had an unusual specialty.
"I'm actually very interested in making clothes. I even have my own workshop."
After hearing that, Jinseo gifted Stella some T-shirts, sportswear, and other simple clothes he had stored in subspace.
Later, Aston and Stella even wore matching shirts of the same design and clinked wine glasses by the lake.
When Jinseo explained that the drinks in the glasses were cola and cider, Oswald nodded.
"If that's the case, even if it takes time, things should work out well."
"At the matchmaking, they were so focused on my bunsik that it was rather awkward."
"To be honest, when the topic of hiring you came up, I broke out in a cold sweat."
"I was surprised you backed down so easily. I was worried you might force me into it."
"If that were the kind of family we were dealing with, they wouldn't have suggested a matchmaking in the first place. The current marquis is quite the gentleman. That said, I didn't expect him to take so much ramen. Seeing box after box come out of the food truck made me genuinely jealous."
"But doesn't that mean you get to eat bunsik from the food truck every day?"
"That's true."
The day before leaving Colses Castle, Karl had politely asked Jinseo to sell even a single recipe for a large sum.
Instead of a recipe, Jinseo sold boxed ramen, ice cream, and canned cola to the marquisate at reasonable prices.
And since Hangul didn't work in this world, he verbally taught the head chef how to prepare the ramen.
It was far better to sell packaged ramen than attempt a poor imitation using local ingredients.
"Even though my son's engagement was postponed, our relationship with the marquisate has grown closer. That's all thanks to you."
"I didn't expect the marquis himself to come see us off."
"If he's tasted ramen, that's only natural. I'd have done the same."
Finishing his SolX Snow, Oswald reached into the bag of snacks on his lap.
"Mmm. These rice crackers are really to my liking."
"Shall I send you boxes of them later?"
"That would be wonderful. Once we arrive at Falstead Castle, please do. While you're at it, could you include potato chips as well? Add the cost to the expenses."
"Then the total would be roughly… Just a moment."
While chatting with Oswald and driving the food truck, Jinseo spotted a checkpoint.
He sped up to move to the front of the escort and rolled down the window.
"Halt! Where are you coming f—h-huh?!"
When Jinseo politely pointed to the emblem of the Heirem Order, the guards conducting the inspection recoiled in shock and stepped aside.
They even laid down their weapons, made the sign of the cross, and prayed until the entire escort had passed.
The effect of the emblem Fedora had given was overwhelming.
Whoosh.Splash.
Hearing the waves crash against his ears, Jinseo smiled without realizing it.
Caw, caw.
The cries of seagulls flying overhead filled him with a refreshing sense of exhilaration.
A harbor straight out of a movie, brimming with classic atmosphere.
Seafarers who had braved rough waters now resting on land, lively and carefree.
And the scent of the sea drifting into his nose.
Jinseo felt as though he had stepped into a scene from a pirate movie he'd once seen on a giant screen.
"I don't think I've ever seen you look this excited, Jinseo."
Standing beside him, Aston looked at him with surprise.
Seeing Jinseo—who was always the one introducing new things to others—now gazing around in wonder was refreshing.
"It's my first time at a harbor. No—my first time seeing the sea in person."
"Orte Harbor has long been known for its scenery."
"I've really wanted to come."
Jinseo closed his eyes gently and drifted back into childhood memories.
"Sea? That sounds great. Want to go swimming at the beach?"
When Jinseo mentioned wanting to go on vacation during summer break, his father smiled kindly and patted his head.
But the long-awaited vacation was canceled due to a sudden storm.
As Jinseo stared gloomily at the rain pouring outside the window, his father scratched the back of his head apologetically.
"I'm sorry. But next year, I'll definitely take you! You trust Dad, right?"
That vacation kept getting postponed—next year, then the year after—until his father was confined to a hospital bed.
And as Jinseo wept while watching his father never rise again, his childhood wish was quietly buried in his heart.
"…Are you alright?"
"Huh? Did something happen?"
"You looked quite troubled just now. Are you alright?"
"I was just thinking about the past. I'm fine."
Stretching, Jinseo turned around.
A sizable crowd had gathered around the food truck parked beneath a large tree at the center of the harbor.
"That's a strange-looking carriage."
"I asked the soldiers earlier—they said it sells food. Bunsik, was it?"
"But where are the horses? Don't tell me it runs without them?"
"If it doesn't have horses, it's not a carriage, is it?"
"Well, it needs at least that much mystery to be a sacred relic, right?"
While Jinseo enjoyed scenery straight out of fantasy films and novels, to the harbor's residents, his food truck had become a spectacle.
As the crowd grew, Oswald approached from afar.
"Your food truck is incredibly popular. People are gathering just from seeing it—once you start selling bunsik, the whole harbor will swarm here."
"We're departing tomorrow morning, right?"
"That was the plan, but I heard something interesting. There's a festival here in two days."
"A festival?"
Jinseo's anticipation swelled at the thought of witnessing a fantasy-world festival with his own eyes.
"Our schedule wrapped up early anyway. Staying a few extra days won't cause any trouble."
"Then may I sell food during the festival?"
"I thought you'd say that, so I already got permission. You could even start selling now."
"I'd like to rest a bit first. After selling nonstop in Colses Castle… haha."
"That's fair. Enjoy the scenery properly first. While we're at it, I'll tell the escort they're off duty for the day. I'll even refrain from eating ramen today."
"…You're serious?"
Since tasting ramen, Oswald hadn't skipped a single day.
Hearing him say he'd abstain shocked Jinseo, his son Aston, and even nearby guards.
"The lord is giving up ramen?"
"If that's the lord's decision, we have no choice."
"He's right. Jinseo has handled our meals every day without fail. When it's time to rest, we should rest."
"If the lord is abstaining, then so should we."
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