Chapter 7

Chapter 7. The First Hero (1)

“Bread and soup are the basics for breakfast.”

Kim Seongchan was enjoying breakfast in the guest room provided to him in the Kingdom of Positk.

Sitting out on the terrace, he took a spoonful of soup, put a piece of moist bread into his mouth, and looked over the beautifully maintained garden.

Kosdal watched Kim Seongchan peacefully enjoy his morning with a displeased look.

“Instead of spending time tending gardens, they should be hunting Wild Pigs.”

“Did you say that so I could hear it?”

“Don’t you have anything else to do?”

Kosdal, sitting across from him, took a bite of bread and rested his chin on his hand.

His eyes were filled with dissatisfaction.

“Aren’t you worried?”

“What am I supposed to be worried about?”

“You gave away the Wild Pig Soup recipe. It might not look like much, but if used properly, it’s an achievement great enough to earn someone the title of Viscount.”

“He’ll use it however he wants. Assuming he can use it at all.”

Could Oseul survive in that mountain cabin without the spirits?

He can’t.

Based on Kim Seongchan’s knowledge from his regressions, he had never seen Oseul survive after giving away his spirits.

Kosdal seemed unable to understand why Kim Seongchan had so readily handed over the Wild Pig Soup recipe.

“You got the spirits, didn’t you?”

“You could’ve probably gotten them just by making them the stakes of the bet.”

“That’s true.”

Kosdal had come early in the morning, and ever since entering the room, his expression hadn’t relaxed even once.

He had been frowning the entire time.

“His Majesty is calling for you.”

“I don’t even know how many times you’ve said that already. So, are you going to drag me there by force?”

“I’ll wait until you finish eating.”

Kosdal might get worked up easily, but he still didn’t draw his sword.

Because I’m a valuable Hero.

Wild Pigs tore through crops, ruining them. Their meat was considered inedible, and once they died, their corpses gave off a horrible stench.

Even worse, they poisoned the soil so badly that crops wouldn’t grow.

Where a Wild Pig died, not even a single blade of grass would grow for ten days.

Until now, everyone believed Wild Pigs could never be eaten.

But Kosdal had personally watched Kim Seongchan turn one into food.

He had even tasted the Wild Pig Soup himself.

“Can’t he just come here himself?”

“Is that really something you should be saying?! You should be treating this as an incredible opportunity!”

“What opportunity?”

“His Majesty has never personally asked to meet a Hero like this before.”

When Heroes first arrived in this other world, they met the king.

However, after that, seeing the king again was extremely rare.

Only those who achieved something significant were granted another audience.

To the people of this world, allowing someone to meet the king merely because they were a Hero could easily seem unfair.

Meeting the king meant being given a chance to personally tell him about an injustice and potentially have it resolved.

Even now, commoners and nobles alike worked tirelessly for an opportunity to meet the king.

Kosdal knew all of this.

Perhaps trying to calm his frustration, he lifted his cup and gulped down the water.

“You reported the Wild Pig Soup to him, so naturally he became interested.”

“If you already know that, then why are you wasting so much time? You should hurry over there and claim your reward.”

“That’s what you think, Sir Kosdal. I’m perfectly fine spending my time relaxing like this.”

“Did you just say you’re wasting time?”

“What do you think will happen if enough time passes like this?”

Kim Seongchan looked toward the door.

Bang!

The door suddenly swung open.

“I told you to bring him to me! Why are you sitting here eating with him?!”

“Y-Your Majesty! There’s an explanation! Please hear me out!”

“I was eating, and he came here, so we ate together.”

“That’s not what happened! I told you we had to hurry because you needed to meet His Majesty!”

“You did.”

Kim Seongchan had also said that unless Kosdal ate with him, he wouldn’t follow.

He had also warned that if Kosdal tried to forcefully drag him away, he wouldn’t give the answers they wanted.

There was no reason to explain every detail of his conversation with Kosdal.

The king could interpret the situation himself.

“What do you mean, ‘You did’?!”

“Enough. Be quiet, Sir Kosdal.”

Kosdal had become so flustered that he was practically babbling.

He didn’t seem to realize just how much time had passed while they ate.

I took my time eating, and we talked for quite a while too.

And during that conversation, Kim Seongchan had gotten the answers he wanted.

He had also gathered information about the Heroes that would be important for his journey ahead.

He had regressed countless times, but that didn’t mean he could remember absolutely everything.

The information changes depending on your class, your starting point, your objective, and the order in which you resolve different events.

Considering most people sometimes couldn’t even remember what they ate for breakfast yesterday, Kim Seongchan’s memory was exceptionally good.

He could even remember what he had eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner a month ago.

Even so, remembering every single life he had lived was impossible.

That was why he talked with important people like Kosdal, using their information to remind himself of the knowledge buried within his countless regressions.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

“If Sir Kosdal behaved rudely toward you, I apologize on his behalf.”

“It’s fine.”

Daltan cleared his throat.

“Ahem. I heard what happened from Sir Kosdal. Why did you give Oseul the recipe for Wild Pig Soup?”

“I received spirits in exchange.”

“Was that really the only reason?”

“Do I need another reason?”

Was he looking down on spirits or something?

The recipe for Wild Pig Soup might be incredibly difficult to obtain and valuable enough to earn someone the rank of Viscount, but from Kim Seongchan’s perspective, If and Ella were worth far more.

If Oseul hadn’t possessed the spirits of fire and water, Kim Seongchan wouldn’t have gone looking for him in the first place.

That was how special If and Ella were.

“Oseul is dead. It appears he was killed by Wild Pigs.”

“You investigated that quickly.”

“The entire mountain caught fire. I barely slept last night because of it.”

“It certainly burned brightly.”

Kim Seongchan had fallen asleep while admiring the mountain burning fiercely through his window.

When he woke up, he could see the traces of blackened earth among the otherwise lush green trees covering the mountainside.

As Kim Seongchan remembered the sight, Daltan’s expression became serious and his voice grew firm.

“If you agree not to reveal the Wild Pig Soup recipe to other kingdoms or empires, I will grant you the title of Count. In addition, ten percent of all profits earned from Wild Pig Soup will be given to you, Hero Kim Seongchan.”

It was an extraordinary offer.

There had never been a Hero without any noble rank who had been immediately granted the title of Count, even after achieving great victories in war.

Yet Daltan was willing to grant such a title for a single recipe.

Because he believed the recipe was worth that much.

More of my people die from starvation than they do in war.

And this was not merely a problem for the Kingdom of Positk.

Other kingdoms also lost more people to starvation than warfare.

If they possessed the Wild Pig Soup recipe, commoners could escape starvation.

And a kingdom currently suffering from hunger could finally feed its people.

Naturally, a well-fed knight would defeat a starving knight.

Daltan’s proposal had come after careful calculation.

Kim Seongchan calmly drank the rest of his soup before speaking.

“I refuse.”

Daltan had expected Kim Seongchan to accept immediately.

Is he planning to go to another kingdom?

Daltan decided to test Kim Seongchan’s intentions.

“You may be refusing because you don’t understand what I’m offering. This is practically the same as saying you could spend the rest of your life doing nothing and still live comfortably.”

“I’m sure you thought carefully about it, and I agree that it’s a generous offer. But it doesn’t suit me.”

“Then tell me what you want. I’ll adjust the offer.”

“No monopoly. And spread the recipe to every kingdom.”

Daltan inwardly admired Kim Seongchan’s answer.

He was right.

This recipe should be shared with every kingdom.

He thinks the same way I do.

Daltan calmed his rapidly beating heart.

After meeting countless Heroes, he had learned just how difficult it was to find one whose ideals truly aligned with his own.

That only made him like Kim Seongchan more.

“Do you understand what you’re saying?”

“I’m saying we shouldn’t play games with food when the lives of people in this world are at stake.”

“Watch your words! You stand before His Majesty!”

Kosdal, who had been watching from the side, shouted.

Daltan remained silent as he thought carefully.

His contemplation lasted a long time.

Meanwhile, Kim Seongchan calmly drank some water while staring at the garden.

I hope this world can become as beautiful as that garden.

This world suffered from hunger.

In the past, there had been no way to prevent everyone from starving to death.

So Kim Seongchan had focused on saving only those who absolutely needed to survive in order to save the world.

Whenever populations grew too large, the chances of conflict also increased.

Because of that, he had often resolved disputes by reducing the number of people involved.

But this time would be different.

This time, he wanted to save even those who would otherwise die of starvation.

He wanted to preserve their numbers.

More people meant more chances for conflict.

But if the stress and anxiety caused by hunger disappeared, then at the very least, people would no longer fight simply because they lacked food.

The fairies said they created the maze barrier because no new ingredients were appearing. According to them, whenever wars happened, new ingredients were born.

His previous life had ended because of that insane line of thinking, one perfectly fitting for the fairy race.

This life, however, would become a good world for the fairies as well.

And he was about to take the first step toward that future.

He has no choice but to accept.

Daltan was more serious about culinary research than anyone else.

He was also famous as a king who never hesitated to spend money if it benefited his people.

Still deep in thought, Daltan did not immediately accept.

Instead, he asked a question to test Kim Seongchan’s intentions.

“What exactly do you desire?”

“I simply want a world where no one goes hungry.”

Kim Seongchan didn’t avoid the question.

He revealed his true intentions immediately.

And then he noticed something.

Daltan’s cheeks were slightly flushed.

Their eyes met.

“That will be a difficult path.”

“I’d appreciate it if you walked that path with me.”

“If I agree to walk it with you, could you at least allow us to use each new recipe exclusively for one month before sharing it?”

Kosdal immediately objected.

“Your Majesty, how can you trust a Hero so easily? He could promise you everything now and then side with another kingdom or empire later!”

“Leave us.”

“Your Majesty!”

Kosdal watched the situation for a moment before his eyes met Kim Seongchan’s.

What are you planning?

You don’t need to know. See you later.

Kosdal, the loyal Knight Commander who always put the king first, finally withdrew.

Daltan poured tea into his own cup before filling Kim Seongchan’s cup as well.

“The Kingdom of Positk is famous for having water of the highest quality. When tea leaves are brewed using such excellent water, the resulting flavor becomes something you can never escape from.”

Sip.

Daltan drank from his teacup.

Kim Seongchan followed him and took a sip as well.

Maybe it’s because the tea leaves are high quality too, but this is good.

His mouth felt refreshed.

He could feel Daltan watching him.

The moment Kim Seongchan placed his cup down, Daltan spoke as though he had been waiting for that exact moment.

“Food tastes better when the water is good. I believe the Kingdom of Positk is a land blessed for chefs.”

“It’s difficult to find a dish that doesn’t involve water in some way. Even vegetables and fruits grow better and taste better when the water is good.”

“You understand well. If you ever wish to open a restaurant, tell me. I’ll allow you to do business anywhere you want.”

Daltan was trying everything he could to make Kim Seongchan settle in the Kingdom of Positk.

At the same time, he was showing him that there were few places better suited for cooking.

He understands my value, and he’s carefully making offers that won’t feel like a burden.

Kosdal had estimated the value of the Wild Pig Soup recipe to be around the rank of Viscount.

Normally, even receiving the title of Baron would already be considered generous.

But perhaps because Daltan was the king of the Kingdom of Positk, his eye for talented people was exceptional.

He had shown the greatest sincerity possible by offering the title of Count and requesting exclusive rights to the recipe.

Then, instead of forcing his own conditions, he had asked Kim Seongchan what he wanted and tried to understand his intentions.

And after thinking about it, the conclusion Daltan had reached was to offer him a restaurant in any location he desired.

“Does it have to be me?”

“Of course. I’m talking about a restaurant personally operated by Hero Kim Seongchan.”

“Then that would be difficult.”

“In that case, we’ll forget about that idea. Instead, we’ll proceed with your plan to create a world without hunger. Spreading the recipes to other kingdoms won’t be easy, so I will take responsibility for that role.”

Daltan smiled gently and extended his hand.

Kim Seongchan silently stared at it.

Daltan had agreed to work toward creating a world without hunger.

He had even promised to share the recipes with other kingdoms.

But Kim Seongchan still didn’t take his hand.

“You still haven’t told me why you need exclusive rights to the recipes for one month.”

Allowing the Kingdom of Positk to keep a recipe exclusively for one month before releasing it might not seem like much of a problem.

But in reality, it could create many complications.

And Daltan had not said a single word about why he wanted that condition.