As soon as Choi Yeonseung entered the realm, the other goblin warriors, who had heard the rumors, rushed over in surprise.
“I can’t believe the hero who saved the Kingdom of Ephes is just a human!”
“It really is amazing! I thought he was a wandering goblin hero.”
“Isn’t the figure in this picture really different from a goblin?”
“I thought he was a goblin who has been battered by the ceaseless wandering.”
Rumors of Acafenrir, the planet-eating wolf, had spread quite a bit in other realms of the Abyss. Everyone had been wondering just what kind of hero had managed to defeat such a fearsome monster, and they certainly hadn’t expected him to be human.
“Didn’t I tell you he was human? Welcome, human hero. Do you have anything left from defeating Acafenrir?”
“That would be great!”
The goblins looked at Choi Yeonseung with expectant eyes.
But of course, there was no such thing. After killing the wolf, Choi Yeonseung had shared the meat with the goblins. As for the rare materials used for crafting weapons, such as bones or fangs, Choi Yeonseung had taken some of them for himself and distributed the rest to the goblins.“Obviously no…”
“...There are some materials left,” Odaigon cut it. “They are precious, but Master is willing to give them to you!”
“??”
Choi Yeonseung was taken aback, but Odaigon nodded as if asking to leave it to him.
‘What are you talking about, Odaigon?’
-Don’t worry, Master.They won’t be able to tell!
“...”
Choi Yeonseung was stunned. So now…
They were scamming these goblins…?
‘Huh, it’s not a bad idea.’
-...
The goddess of sloth shook her head as Choi Yeonseung jumped on the bandwagon in just a second.
‘There are all kinds of meat in the warehouse, but they’ll be hard to tell apart if I season them well.’
Choi Yeonseung already knew from experience that most people couldn’t distinguish between types of meat. If he worked his magic, the meat would look like a delicacy that melted in one’s mouth, its type impossible to discern.
These goblins would be no different.
“What do you have?”
“Master, show me.”
At Odaigon’s words, Choi Yeonseung took out an adamantium pot and an orichalcum kitchen knife. The goblins marveled at the sight.
“Are those the sword and the shield he used to defeat Acafenrir?”
“Excellent... But why is that shield so deep?”
“I guess he needs that depth to stop Acafenrir’s venomous breath. Look at that sword as well. It’s shorter than a longsword, but if you want to hurt Acafenrir in rapid succession, a shorter sword might be better. That weapon is probably matching the human hero’s fighting style.”
“As expected...!”
Choi Yeonseung ignored the goblin warriors. He placed the meat on the cutting board and proceeded to trim it.
“...”
“...”
The goblins warriors quickly went silent.
It wasn’t a weapon?
‘But just in case, I will have to mask the flavor of the meat with seasoning.’
Choi Yeonseung thought this was a trivial trick for a constellation, but even so, he still brought out ingredients suitable for a constellation. It was the kimchi made by the orcs in the Farm of Harmony.
The orcs’ culinary knowledge was developing at an astonishing rate. Last time, Choi Yeonseung was surprised to see the orcs boiling anchovies and kelp to make broth.
-We need to add more anchovies!
-You look like a fool.Why don’t you know that you need to add more herring?
Choi Yeonseung added kimchi and broth to the adamantium pot and checked the meat.
‘Uh… Will this actually fool them…?’
[The ‘Chef of Endless Gluttony’ advises you to believe in yourself.]
In Choi Yeonseung’s eyes, it was a meager piece of meat that lacked magic power, so surely no one would mistake it for Acafenrir’s meat… However, not just Odaigon, but even the Chef of Endless Gluttony encouraged him.
Believe in yourself!
It had to be enough to fool these goblins!
-What are the constellations and mortals doing together...?
Choi Yeonseung listened to the goddess of sloth murmuring while putting the finely-cut chunks of meat into the pan. He also sprinkled various spices over the kimchi stew.
It was refreshing to think that all these spices came from the Farm of Harmony—minced garlic, red pepper paste, and perilla oil to make the dish absolutely delicious!
The goblin warrior eventually came to their senses.
“Wait... Human hero. We just want to get some of the loot obtained from Acafenrir.”
“That’s right. You might be a great cook, but we didn’t come here to eat.”
The goblin warriors were bewildered. Indeed, their mouths were watering as they watched Choi Yeonseung cook and inhaled the delicious aroma, but still, they couldn’t help wondering why this human was cooking here.
“Just wait.”
“No... Human hero...”
“Just wait.”
“He told you to wait!” Odaigon angrily slammed his staff against the ground.
The goblin warriors were taken aback.
“What is he doing?”
“He seems to be the human hero’s servant.”
“From the way he’s speaking, he must be a very uneducated human being.”
Due to his disguise, the goblin warriors didn’t realize that Odaigon was the goblin king.
“It’s done.”
Having finished the dish, Choi Yeonseung promptly served the goblin warriors, who unwittingly sat down as if forced by something.
“Is this the food that human heroes eat in your realm?”
The goblin warriors lifted their spoons as they stared at the steaming white rice and kimchi stew.
“...!”
“!”
They were stunned. As soon as they took a bite, the meat was already melting in their mouths, releasing a burst of delicious juices. It wasn’t just the splendid flavor; the essence of the meat surged through the goblin warriors, applying a powerful buff effect on them.
“This...!”
“Is this the life force of Acafenrir...?!”
Astonished, the goblin warriors dipped the meat in kimchi and ate it ravenously. In the first place, they wanted a byproduct of that powerful monster in order to absorb some of its great power…
But they hadn’t expected it to be this great!
‘What an amazing guy!’
‘I can’t believe it has this much power!’
One of the goblins asked with puffed up cheeks, “By the way... Munch munch… Why bother cooking it for us?”
Managing his expression, Choi Yeonseung replied, “Because a nasty odor would stick to you if you eat Acafenrir’s meat uncooked.”
“Munch munch… We appreciate your consideration, but we don’t care about that.”
“Gulp. Of course, I can’t deny that it’s more enjoyable to eat this way.”
“Munch munch. Is this also from Acafenrir?”
“It’s just rice…”
***
Valtor, the goblin ruler, frowned at his subordinate’s report.
“Outsiders were let in? What about the custom of treasures? I don’t remember receiving a treasure?”
“Apparently, the outsider is the hero who defeated Acafenrir, the planet-eating wolf.”
“Acafenrir?! The hero who defeated Acafenrir has entered my domain?!” Valtor jumped from his seat. He then realized that his subordinates were watching and embarrassingly corrected his posture. Goblin rulers were expected to always act with dignity.
“Indeed, if he has defeated Acafenrir, he deserves to enter this realm without offering a treasure.”
“As expected, King Valtor! You are a great ruler!”
“The weaklings of the Ephes Kingdom weren’t able to defeat it on their own, but you are different, King Valtor!”
Valtor clicked his tongue at the flattery of his subordinates. With a contemptuous look, he spat, “You fools! You think that looking down on the Ephes Kingdom will make you better? You think I will favor you for your empty flattering and for speaking poorly of the Ephes Kingdom? I, Valtor, am not swayed by such words!”
“I-I’m sorry!”
“I have committed a mortal sin.”
Valtor’s subordinates fell to their knees, shaking in fear. He then continued in a much more dignified manner, “The goblins of the Ephes Kingdom are among the strongest goblins in all of the Abyss. Moreover, the wisdom of their ruler is unparalleled.”
“Are you talking about King Odaigon?”
“The king died in the fight with Acafenrir...”
“Yes, I suppose so. It’s unfortunate. I wanted to meet him at least once,” Valtor said with a rueful expression.
Goblin King Odaigon was renowned as the wisest of the rulers. Valtor had grown up as a goblin hero, always listening to the stories of the wise Odaigon. He had wanted to meet and compete with him, to be acknowledged by the wise king.
“Some claim that the goblin king has ascended to heaven.”
“That’s just a rumor.”
“That’s right. That’s why the rumor that he died in the fight against Acafenrir spread. A king never truly dies.”
Valtor returned to the original topic.
“The Greedy Owner of the Treasure House has instructed me not to give outsiders any chances. Having sworn loyalty to the constellation, I must honor that promise. Of course, I have no choice but to let that human hero in, but try not to trade with him.”
Valtor was confident.
“What’s the big deal about things coming from the outside anyway? It’s not like they have something more valuable than the treasures made by my goblin artisans! Tell everybody!”
“Uh... King Valtor…”
“?”
“Other goblins are currently buying stuff from the human…”
***
Choi Yeonseung quickly became acquainted with the powerful goblin aristocratic families in the realm. After hearing the rumors, the goblin nobles invited him to their homes, eager to hear the epic story of his fight against Acafenrir.
As Choi Yeonseung cooked and served the fake Acafenrir meat, Odaigon told the overly-exaggerated story. The goblins were in awe at the legendary feats of the human warrior. They almost couldn’t believe that such a strong human existed!
“Wait. Do you have any intention of selling the clothes you’re wearing now?”
“??”
“Not just clothes, but also human weapons. Are there any weapons you don’t use?”
“If you don’t mind, why don’t you join forces with us and sell them? We have a tight grip on the business here in the city.”
Choi Yeonseung was embarrassed by this request, but he also understood that it was a valuable opportunity.
“I have many things from humans, but...”
“Great!”
The goblins were delighted.
As Choi Yeonseung was preparing the goods, he wondered for a moment if he could really do this. What if the goblins later discovered he had sold them junk and vowed never to trust humans again?
“Master, we’re not lying,” said Odaigon. “We’re just taking advantage of the goblins’ interest and curiosity. They’re interested in things that humans use. We’re just fulfilling their curiosity.”
“Indeed... But wait. That meat from earlier was actually just a scam.”
Odaigon walked away as if he hadn’t heard it.
***
Uranta and the hunters eventually managed to enter the realm. It had taken quite a while to prepare a treasure to allow them entry.
“Ch-Choi Yeonseung already went in, and he must’ve finished preparing.”
“Uranta, Hunter Choi Yeonseung is not a god... Yes, he went in first, but it hasn’t been that long. Is it really possible that he’s already prepared?”
The hunters were worried that Uranta was too excited. Of course, Hunter Choi Yeonseung was incredibly skilled, but everything had a limit.
Befriending Abyssal races was difficult enough already, but doing business with them? The hunters genuinely couldn’t fathom how that would be possible without resorting to force. They were hoping that the Warrior With a Hammer would change his mind about this raid.
‘Can’t we just play in a constellation battle?’
A goblin warrior spotted Uranta and the hunters and asked, “Humans? Are the subordinates of the duke?”
“...Huh?”
What duke?
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