Chapter 41

[The Forest's Innards]

[Grade: - ]

Sausage made from Tree-Horned Deer meat and the herbs and berries that grow naturally in the Honey of the Water Vein.

It was processed directly by Jio, the master of the forest, so it can be accepted by the human body.

This sausage, which gives a deep sense of fullness, is excellent for recovering from minor injuries and for boosting immunity.

“Help.”

“Woah, you startled me.”

“Please help me.”

“Could you please stop coming to me whenever you get a troublesome gift, Curator Yu Seong-un?”

“This one I received myself, so I can’t even share it with others.”

Bisabeol cheerfully replied to the sudden appearance of Yu Seong-un.

“Then why don't you just ask him if you can share it?”

“Looks like that’s the only way.”

“Have you tried this gift?”

“I ate about three at home and came here.”

Yu Seong-un nodded.

“It was delicious.”

“Ah, hearing you say that suddenly makes me want some too.”

“Please wait until I get Jio’s permission.”

“If I can’t eat it, then why did you bring it to me in the first place?”

“Because it's obvious my position would become difficult if it got into the hands of others.”

“Ah, for the safe…”

Bisabeol smiled bitterly.

“As I thought, our employees have a cynical side to them.”

“Didn’t you gather all those people yourself?”

“Even so, who uses their Guild leader as a safe? No one seems to cherish me much.”

“Who created this atmosphere and is now complaining?”

“So what were the effects?”

“You’re changing the subject.”

Yu Seong-un thought for a moment and then rubbed the back of his neck.

“It’s said to be excellent for recovering from injuries and boosting immunity, but I haven’t seen any effects yet as I haven’t had any such injuries. However…”

“However?”

“I do feel like my eyes have become a bit clearer.”

“Your eyes got clearer?”

Even in this world, medical technology related to eyesight was slow to develop.

Worn-out optic nerves wouldn’t recover over time.

In that sense, the effect Yu Seong-un mentioned sounded quite interesting.

“Is the effect certain?”

“That’s how I feel. If other people eat it too, there will be a comparison group, and we can analyze the effects in more detail.”

“Then you’ll have to get Jio’s permission first. Why didn’t you ask him when you received the gift? Knowing Jio’s personality, it doesn’t seem like he’d flat-out refuse.”

“Not only should you not generalize the existence of The Source in such a way, but I was also exhausted at the time after working all night. How was I supposed to know I’d receive a gift like this just by going to deliver some fish-shaped pastry?”

“If you’re so tired, why don’t you have the cookies you received last time?”

“I finished them a long time ago.”

Yu Seong-un had once again become a slave to caffeine.

“What was the verdict from the other employees on the Cheong you received a while back… even though it didn’t look like it at all, it was still Cheong.”

“The reaction was very good. And they also seemed confused. The biggest advantage of the Honey of the Water Vein, ‘recovering a human’s physical abilities to their limit,’ was…”

“Even if they hadn’t read the explanation, they’d still feel it in their bodies, so they must have been suspicious.”

Bisabeol smiled and asked.

“Would you like a cup of Fruit Tea before you go?”

“…I’d appreciate that.”

Yu Seong-un, on the verge of death from overwork, needed to recover.

After drinking the Fruit Tea, which had a rich, soup-like umami flavor, Yu Seong-un let out a small sigh.

It was genuinely delicious, but consuming something this magnificent just to recover from fatigue made him feel a sense of doubt.

“It would be a great help if we took it into a Dungeon. I think it would also have a significant effect on the mortality rate.”

“That's true.”

“But if we really do take it with us, it’ll cause another commotion.”

“That’s also true.”

“…The existence of The Source being too friendly is also a problem.”

It was a new realization.

“So the employees weren’t suspicious? Didn’t they feel like something was strange?”

“Everyone was curious about the source of the Cheong, but they didn’t ask me again. I told them I bought it at an auction, but they had a big reaction of not understanding it with just that.”

“So what did you tell them?”

“What do you mean, what did I tell them? No one asked me, so I didn’t say anything. Our employees really hate getting involved in complicated matters.”

“No employee likes working overtime.”

“They’re all so heartless, I swear.”

Bisabeol said as he drank his share of the Fruit Tea.

“Still, not many people seemed to guess it was a ‘Fragment of a Masterpiece.’”

‘Fragment of a Masterpiece’ was a kind of idiom used within The Collectors, referring to objects, blessings, or curses that a masterpiece confined within Bisabeol’s gallery would give to its Curator.

“Even so, there are hardly any people who would think that a masterpiece would give food as a gift…”

“Is that so?”

Among the masterpieces gathered inside Bisabeol’s gallery, a considerable number of them had an ego.

Depending on how sophisticated that ego was, a high-level Curator would be assigned to them and the Curator would manage them while focusing on their bond with the masterpiece.

So very, very rarely, and very exceptionally, a Curator would receive a ‘Fragment’ like this.

“Usually, they give objects.”

“Food is also a type of object, if you think about it.”

“They give things like accessories, paintings, or weapons more often.”

“That’s right, mostly.”

There couldn’t be another masterpiece that was as into cooking as Jio.

“Is cooking Jio’s only hobby?”

“No, as I told you before, he also enjoys painting.”

“And those paintings become portals or living beings.”

“That’s right.”

“Then what would happen if he painted a landscape?”

“…”

Yu Seong-un’s face crumpled like foil.

“I’m resting right now, don’t make me feel anxious.”

“It wasn’t a very profound story.”

“I had a rough guess about the possibility, but I don’t want to think about it right now.”

“How pitiful…”

“What does it matter if a boss says his employee is pitiful, it’s just sarcasm, isn’t it?”

Seeing his exhausted subordinate, Bisabeol laughed and nodded.

“I’m just curious. Since Jio can create everything with his paintings, I was just intrigued about what would happen if it became a landscape painting.”

“Perhaps he could create another world.”

“Like a Dungeon?”

“…”

“That's wonderful.”

Bisabeol stroked his chin and said.

“As many of our night guards have witnessed, they said Jio moves through some kind of landscape painting.”

“What I heard was a little different, it was a landscape painting, not a portrait?”

“It seems to be a portrait when Jio is inside it, and a landscape painting when he’s not. Looks quite convenient, doesn’t it?”

“That’s really crazy…”

“Since the masterpieces hanging in the hallway are said to disappear around sunrise, it seems certain that they can be used for transportation.”

“But didn’t we already guess that?”

“So my question is, if he can move to a place that already exists through painting…”

Then.

“Can Jio move to other Dungeons as well?”

“…”

“I’m curious.”

“That’s…”

Yu Seong-un frowned.

“I think that’s a little dangerous though.”

“Did it sound that way?”

“I don’t know exactly what the Guild leader saw in Jio, but from my perspective, with my poor eyesight, it does.”

“Jio has already toured the outside world under Curator Yu Seong-un’s guidance.”

“I did agree to that, but what you’re suggesting now is to expand Jio’s range of activity, isn’t it?”

It felt unsettling.

“The fact that I show Jio more than a masterpiece… Of course, I have nothing to say about it. But this is a habit of gardeners. It's something carved into our souls.”

Gardeners were like that.

They don’t feel a threat as a threat, and they don’t see cruelty as cruel.

For them, who tend to The Garden, the existence of The Source was an object to be cared for.

“As I told you when I accepted the Guild leader’s offer and signed the labor contract, and I have told you repeatedly, Gardeners are not on the side of humans.”

They were born as humans and have tended to The Garden, so they wish for both to coexist.

It was inevitable that Yu Seong-un would be enchanted by Jio, who seemed to be a being very close to The Source.

You couldn’t survive as a Gardener without being entranced by The Source.

It was a timeless preference that couldn’t and shouldn’t be changed.

“But the Guild leader is a complete human being, aren’t you? If I’m not thorough as a Curator, you should point it out and correct it.”

“…”

“Guild leader, you allow your masterpiece too… many things. It wouldn’t be strange for me to be worried about that.”

Bisabeol laughed.

“Isn’t it the same principle that allows Yu Seong-un to use me as a safe?”

“…I know I’m not in a position to say anything since I’ve received several big and small favors thanks to the Guild leader’s favoritism.”

“Try this first. I made this one with a simple flavor since you don’t seem to like spicy food.”

He was excited.

Even if he had made sausages himself with ordinary ingredients, he would have been happy, but these were foods made with fantasy ingredients, weren't they?

“This is a sausage made with Arum, Raven Walnut, and vinegar. I also grated in a little bit of Milky Way Mary. Honestly, it’s a little too simple for my taste… but I think you’ll like it.”

“Kuruk.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m not going to eat it, of course.”

Seo Jio put the long sausage into his mouth without cutting it and inwardly nodded.

‘…A person who likes stimulating flavors like me might find it a little bland. It's honestly a bit plain, but the seasoning is just right, so it's good to eat with rice.’

The sausage, which had been briefly dried in the sun and then baked, was very crispy on the outside.

At the same time, the casing, which I made by handling the intestines myself, was somehow nutty and chewy, yet soft enough not to resist my teeth.

It was a texture where crispiness, chewiness, and softness coexisted.

“Hmm…”

Pop!

“Ah, it’s hot.”

The contents inside were overflowing with juice.

The subtle scent of wood seeped into the roof of my mouth.

The sausage, freshly baked in the furnace with a crackling wood fire, was so hot it was almost scalding, and the sweet, somewhat sticky juice, tightly trapped inside the casing, moistened my mouth.

It was warm.

“…”

And delicious.

‘…It was made to be simple, but the aroma is still great.’

I reduced the amount of salt as much as possible to bring out the full flavor of the meat itself and added a variety of complex aromas to enhance the compatibility with the original meat.

The result was the sausage I was eating now.

The combination of Raven Walnut, which paired well with the subtle nutty scent of the deer meat, unified the taste of the sausage.

Furthermore, the pungent scent of Arum, hidden deep beneath, and the Sugar Trap Tree Vinegar on top, were making their claim in a mild yet distinct way.

‘Now that I’m eating this, it’s better than I expected. I thought it would be really plain.’

The faint bitterness from the vinegar itself and the rich smoky scent from the campfire wood were also a great match.

The sausage was good, and the cooking method was excellent as well.

“I think I added the vinegar especially well.”

“Kkuk?”

“Is it because it’s naturally fermented fruit vinegar? It has a subtle sweetness, but the sourness and bitterness that grab the grease without being too pungent… they really go well together.”

Next was the sausage I made for myself.

Pop!

“…”

As soon as I ate the red sausage, my taste buds were stimulated.

‘My mouth is hot.’

There was a heat that wrapped around my tongue in a somewhat sticky way.

‘The aftertaste isn't very long. It's very smooth and clean spiciness.’

The sausage I made for my own use contained all the new ingredients I had found.

Milky Way Mary with a clean scent like a mix of red pepper and black pepper and Crying Skirt with a strong spiciness and a mysterious, heavy sweetness.

Arum with a ginger scent that unified the various chaotic aromas into one and Raven Walnut that gently covered it with a bland, deep aroma.

Lastly, the Sugar Trap Tree Vinegar added a pungent sourness here and there, giving the taste a nice variation…

“…”

Maybe it was a little too much.

“But it still tastes good.”

“Kkung.”

“It’s okay to try it, don’t avoid it.”

“Kkung-kkung-kkung…”

“If you don’t want to, I can’t force you.”

Regardless of Honey’s opinion of avoiding the spicy sausage, it suited my taste perfectly. It felt like my slightly hollow stomach was being completely filled.

The feeling of chugging samgyetang or going into a boiling hot bath and then heading straight to a bathhouse with sikhye, sweating profusely, and slurping the slushy sikhye through a straw.

This fullness was exactly what I was missing.

“This is great.”

Happiness isn’t far away.

‘I was worried since I was using new ingredients for the first time, but it turned out better than I expected.’

The sausage was meant to be spicy, but the overall subtle sweetness and the oil coating the entire meat made the spiciness very clean.

If a spicy food is cleanly spicy, it's a success more than 90% of the time.

“It was worth it to master the feel of cooking. This is what you call a grandmother’s touch.”

“Kkung-kkung-kkung-kkung…”

“It’s not that Dad made it wrong, it’s just that our tastes are a little different.”

To me, this was a very delicious spicy flavor.

As someone with good taste, I also enjoyed eating spicy chicken feet.

When eating spicy chicken feet, if it was too spicy, I would dip it in a sauce made of sesame oil or drink a sweet beverage with it.

Then I could eat it like a refined person with a calm mind.

The sausage I made this time was in the same vein.

‘The taste and aroma are generally spicy and pungent, but the Crying Skirt also had a subtle sweetness to it. On top of that, the Raven Walnut has the soft sweetness unique to nuts. And the naturally made vinegar from the Sugar Trap Tree, which produces very sweet berries, goes without saying…’

If the spice flavors felt too strong, a soft aroma would suppress them.

If it felt too spicy, the deer fat I had put in a bit too much would wash away the pain on my tongue like silk.

If the fat felt greasy, the vinegar would assert its sour presence, calming my stomach.

Overall, the balance was good.

‘The role of the Arum, which tightly bundles the overly complex and intertwined tastes and aromas, is also significant. The effect is much better than I expected.’

With food still in my mouth, I began to plan a new dish.

“If I add Arum when I make various messy things, the quality of the dish will go up a lot.”

“Kkung…?”

“Next time, I’ll make it less spicy than this. It seems you have a rejection of spicy flavors.”

Arum gathered all the spices that were flying out and showing off their individuality in one place.

The effect of that stickiness was so good that I didn’t feel burdened by this complex taste at all.

‘Plus, I paid attention to the texture of this sausage.’

I nodded.

“Doesn’t it have a good chew to it?”

“Kkuruk.”

“Yeah, it’s delicious, right? The different sizes of the meat pieces definitely make the chewing experience more diverse. I'll have to think about the texture more next time I make it.”

“Kkuk-kkuk…”

“I always think this forest is great because it doesn’t get moldy.”

If it weren’t for that, I couldn’t have dreamed of doing this work.

‘I also used real intestines with high moisture content for the casing… I’d be lucky if it didn’t rot during the process.’

If the meat pieces are different sizes, air pockets form inside the casing, and there's a high chance of mold growing in those gaps.

At least, all the sausages I had made so far went through that process.

‘Those guys have no willpower.’

If you were real pork, you should have endured the mold with sheer willpower.

“Hmm.”

Anyway, thanks to that, this sausage had an excellent texture.

The meat, which I had already mashed into a soft consistency, touched a corner of my mouth even before I chewed, pleasing my tongue, and the bumpy meat pieces happily bounced against my teeth with a cheerful elasticity.

‘The juice is also flowing… and the intestine casing has an even better texture than I imagined.’

Since the intestines were plump, it felt like I was chewing on a thin gopchang.

The intestines, which I had cleaned beforehand, didn’t have any gamey smell and had the chewiness and nuttiness characteristic of organ meats.

Moreover, the outer casing, baked in the furnace, was crispy like a cracker, while the inside of the casing was still sticky. I could also feel the faint bitterness unique to nuts.

“…”

I muttered to myself.

“I think this is great.”

I wanted to live like this forever.

Peacefully.

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