Chapter 73: The Best Swordsman in the Country (2)

At that moment, if someone had asked me how I felt, there wouldn’t have been a more precise expression than “disbelief.” After that bitter sensation, I slightly moved my half-open lips.

“Knox, what are you doing here?”

“……”

He was wearing a headband tied around his head and a t-shirt with a large logo that said “Korean Sushi.” He looked like a full-fledged sushi employee.

‘No wonder Chloe is surprised.’

Knox, his face as red as a tomato, hesitated before speaking with difficulty.

“Ah, I’m working part-time…”

Who couldn’t tell he was working?

What interested me wasn’t what he was doing, but why he was working at a sushi restaurant. Knox was part of a noble and wealthy family, one of the most prominent in this world.

The fact that he was working here as a simple employee felt so absurd it almost made me laugh. I might have thought he was undercover as an assassin, but…

I still remembered the enthusiastic tone in which he had greeted us upon entering. In my twenty years of wielding swords, I had never heard a voice so full of energy.

Knox lowered his head and fiddled with the hem of his shirt without saying another word. His face was so red it was almost indistinguishable from his reddish hair.

“…”

An awkward silence filled the restaurant. Knox remained quiet, twisting the edge of his clothes with his fingers. At this point, I felt embarrassed for having asked.

“Hey, rookie! What are you doing standing there instead of serving customers? Are you going to work or not?”

A loud voice boomed from the counter. The restaurant owner, with tanned skin and a determined look, firmly shouted at Knox.

“Sorry, boss!”

“And what about those three nights you spent here begging for the job? Serve the customers quickly and take their orders!”

“Ah, yes…”

With the owner’s words, Knox’s face turned even redder. His pupils darted around as if his most embarrassing secret had just been exposed.

‘…Three days and three nights?’

Then Ryozo, who was behind me, placed a hand on my shoulder. She shook her head and gestured for us to sit down. I nodded slightly.

We walked past Knox and sat in a corner of the restaurant.

Chloe sat across from me. The excitement she had shown earlier had vanished, replaced by a complex expression. She was probably screaming internally.

But if she stayed like that, our sushi outing would be ruined. The situation was awkward for everyone, but this was our first club gathering, so I decided to ease the discomfort.

“Knox must have his reasons. Since we’re here, let’s enjoy the food. Chloe, you were the one who was looking forward to this the most.”

Chloe nodded slightly with her head lowered.

“…Yes.”

Personally, I hoped Chloe and Knox would have a more peaceful relationship, but it seemed there were too many scars between them.

Until recently, Knox had been a noble with an elitist mentality.
Although his attitude had completely changed, it wasn’t easy for Chloe to adjust.

I sighed briefly and opened the menu. The prices flashed before my eyes like a speeding train. A single piece of sushi cost 20,000 won.

“You daylight robbers…”

While I stared at the menu in disbelief, Ryozo leaned closer to me, pressing her body against mine.

Her light blue hair brushed against my shoulder, and a soft, sweet fragrance filled the air. Pointing at the menu, she began to explain.

“They say the sushi platter here is excellent. They have twenty different types of fish. Plus, the price isn’t bad.”

“…400,000 won for a set is a good price?” (T/N: About $274).

When I frowned and asked, Ryozo tilted her head slightly.

“Well, it’s a special occasion. Or do you want to go somewhere else?”

“…Never mind, order whatever you want. After all, you’re the ones paying.”

“Okay!”

No matter how smart Ryozo thought she was, in the end, she came from a different social class.

This difference in status never ceased to surprise me.

‘Should I open a seafood restaurant here someday?’

Ryozo flipped through the menu several times and called for a waiter.

Knox approached nervously. Chloe’s shoulders trembled slightly.

Knox swallowed hard and quickly took Ryozo’s order. His hands moved skillfully.

“Four sushi platters with cola and cider, right…?”

He confirmed the order in a stiff tone. He still seemed to be adjusting, but at least he served the customers professionally.

‘He’s a good employee.’

Once we placed our order, in just a few minutes, the sushi plates arrived at our table. The colorful sushi pieces were neatly arranged.

“Wow, this looks delicious.”

“Yes, it’s hard to find places like this even in Japan. This place is great.”

“That’s true; the ingredients look very fresh. Now I understand why there’s such a long wait.”

Speedweapon started drooling, and Ryozo and Chloe nodded in agreement.

Ryozo, especially, seemed happy to taste a flavor that reminded her of home and began taking photos from various angles.

I, on the other hand, frowned and observed silently.

“…”

“What’s wrong? Do you feel sick?”

Ryozo, who was taking pictures, asked me.

I scratched the tip of my nose and responded.

“I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but…”

While speaking, I glanced at the counter. The owner was slicing fish, and our eyes met. He pursed his lips, displeased with my expression.

His gaze was sharp. As if he didn’t like my reaction, he began sharpening his knife furiously.

‘It’s fine to be a proud chef, but…’

The line between pride and stubbornness is very thin.

Accepting customer criticism is part of being a true cook. But this owner seemed overly confident in his abilities.

“The ingredients are good, but…”

I shrugged my shoulders so the owner could see and then continued speaking. I intentionally forced my vocal cords.

“The knife ruined it. The fish is crying.”

As soon as I spoke, the owner’s face contorted immediately. He stopped sharpening his knife and approached with heavy steps. The club members stared in shock.

“…What did you just say, customer?”

His eyes gleamed with defiance. I crossed my arms and replied coldly.

“What you heard. I’m not saying your technique is bad, but it’s not good either. Honestly, I don’t think it’s worth the price you charge.”

The owner flexed his arm muscles, and the veins bulged visibly under his skin. The attention of all the customers was now focused on us. The owner assessed the situation and laughed bitterly.

“If you think you have better knife skills, why don’t you show us? Maybe I can learn something from you.”

He pointed towards the counter with his thumb, a mocking smile on his face.

Common sense dictates that this wouldn’t be normal behavior towards a student from the academy.

He’s probably just trying not to embarrass himself in front of everyone because I’ve hurt his pride.

His attitude was childish for an adult.

‘…But.’

I smiled coldly. The owner’s temple veins tensed, and he spoke louder.

“You might be confident in your sword skills since you’re a cadet at Joaquin Academy, but I’ve been working with knives for twelve years. If your skill is better than mine, I’ll give you the food for free.”

The owner spoke with a deeply furrowed brow. Without the slightest hesitation, I stood up from my seat.

“A man doesn’t go back on his word.”

“…What?”

Cold sweat trickled down his cheek.

The customers murmured among themselves.

Seeing the chaos I had caused, the owner sighed.

“…Hah, forget it. Just eat and leave.”

The owner waved his hand dismissively. I ignored him and walked towards the kitchen. All eyes followed my steps.

“Wait!”

The owner tried to stop me belatedly. But Knox shook his head and dissuaded him.

“Boss, let’s just watch for now.”

“Hey! Are you crazy? How can you bring a stranger into the kitchen?”

Knox looked at the owner silently and then calmly spoke.

“It’s hard for me to say this as an employee, but you can probably trust him.”

“What the hell, Knox? Why are you saying that all of a sudden? You’re usually a quiet worker. Do you know how much that fish costs?!”

The owner, visibly shocked, scolded Knox. But Knox watched me with determined eyes, as if trying to engrave every small movement and gesture of mine into his mind.

I entered the kitchen with a faint smile on my face. A pleasant smell of fish mixed with the metallic scent of blood filled the air.

On the cutting board lay a sea bream that had yet to be touched.

Beside it was a sashimi knife, finely sharpened and still wet from being honed on a whetstone.

“It’s been a while.”

A slight smile formed on my lips, reflected in the gleaming steel. I gripped the sashimi knife.

Shing!

[The Blessing of the God of the Sword has manifested.]

The blade vibrated. The sashimi knife sliced through the fish with an impressive trajectory.

***

“Huff, it seems I’ve lost some practice after so long.”

Kang Geom-Ma wiped the sweat from his forehead after preparing the sea bream. He was the only one who had spoken in the restaurant.

The eyes of those present shifted alternately between Kang Geom-Ma and the freshly filleted sea bream. Among those gazes, naturally, was the restaurant owner’s.

“…”

The white filleted flesh gleamed like jade under the light.

The cut lines were clean and precise, leaving not a single scrap of meat on the bones.

‘This is impossible.’

Although some time had passed, the movements of the knife still lingered in the owner’s mind. He had built a reputation in the culinary world, but he had never witnessed such incredible skill. The astonishment left him speechless.

The speed of Kang Geom-Ma’s hands had been impressive. However, if it had been only about speed, the owner wouldn’t have been so shocked. His gaze returned to the sea bream.

The cells on the cut surfaces shone like polished crystals.

‘Did his swift hands manage to avoid crushing the cells?’

Kang Geom-Ma smiled faintly and addressed those present.

“Is there anyone who would like to try it?”

At his question, an elderly man sitting at the counter raised his hand. His clouded eyes, fully covering his pupils, resembled those of a raccoon.

“Can this old man have a taste?”

“Of course.”

The elderly man silently smiled, took a piece, and began to chew. His Adam’s apple visibly rose and fell.

“…”

Silence filled the place. Even the sound of swallowing ceased.

“!”

The elderly man’s eyes widened.

Immediately, a bright tear rolled down his wrinkled cheek.

“T-This taste!”

The elderly man firmly grasped Kang Geom-Ma’s hands. The rough texture of his wrinkled palms could be felt.

“Young man, would you like to partner with me? Tasting sashimi like this before dying… Everything I’ve eaten until now feels like child’s play.”

The elderly man gestured, and a man dressed in an impeccable suit handed Kang Geom-Ma a business card. One of the customers whispered to his companion.

“Wait, isn’t that old man Baek Jong-Hwe, the president of the largest restaurant chain in the country?”

“Wow, you’re right! I’ve seen him on television. He’s a magnate whose word can make ingredient prices rise or fall. He’s among the ten wealthiest people in the country.”

“They say he’s extremely picky with his food. That student was recruited directly by Baek Jong-Hwe. Incredible.”

“Yes, and he even cried after tasting it.”

Whispers.

“Young man, join me immediately. Don’t let your talent go to waste.”

“I’m still a minor.”

“In this industry, age doesn’t matter. If necessary, I’ll make sure to stay alive until you graduate.”

“…Haha.”

The more the commotion grew, the more confused the restaurant owner felt. He timidly approached Kang Geom-Ma and asked,

“…May I try it too?”

“It’s your fish, so go ahead.”

The owner nodded and took a bite. He closed his eyes as he savored the sashimi.

A jolt ran through his temples.

“Ah…”

The owner couldn’t suppress a gasp. The flavor was so impressive that his legs trembled. Finally, he knelt before Kang Geom-Ma.

“Master, please accept me as your disciple.”

The owner bowed deeply.

“…Please stand up, sir.”

“No, Master. I was a fool. Please accept me as your apprentice.”

Kang Geom-Ma scratched his cheek.

“Calling me Master is too much. I can give you a few tips.”

The owner quickly nodded and took out a notepad and pen. Kang Geom-Ma smiled faintly and added:

“It’s not that you lack skill, but you don’t fully understand knife usage. Try using a left-handed sashimi knife.”

“A left-handed knife?”

“Yes. Judging by the cuts, you’re applying too much force with your right arm, crushing the flesh. By switching knives, you’ll improve significantly. The rest will come with years of practice.”

“…Can I call you Master?”

Kang Geom-Ma shook his head, horrified. However, the owner clung to his pants.

The customers watched the scene with surprise and bewilderment. Some began to rise from their seats.

“Excuse me, can I have a taste too?”

“Me too, please! I’ll pay whatever it costs.”

“Hey, I was first!”

“Please excuse us, but President Baek Jong-Hwe is currently speaking with him.”

A small dispute broke out.

Kang Geom-Ma, with an uncomfortable expression, whispered something to the owner.

“A bet is a bet. I won’t accept money, but this will cover the cost of our meal.”

He gestured toward the knife. The owner immediately nodded.

Clap!

Kang Geom-Ma clapped loudly, silencing the commotion. When everything calmed down, he spoke:

“The owner has given me permission to serve customers today.”

“Yes!”

The crowd responded enthusiastically, and Kang Geom-Ma smiled in satisfaction. Then, he picked up the knife again and began moving with agility. His smile was clear and serene.

Chloe, seeing that expression, murmured,

“So Kang Geom-Ma can smile like that too…”

Saki Ryozo glanced at Chloe and then turned her attention back to the counter. She smiled faintly and nodded.

“Yes.”

At that moment, Speedweapon rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.

“Shall we help a little?”

“Hey, Speedweapon, where are you going?!”

“Are we going to just sit back while our president is this excited?”

“Ugh.”

Ryozo rubbed her temples and then rolled up her sleeves as well.

“Chloe, let’s go.”

Chloe looked at her brother. Knox sighed and nodded.

“I’ll show you how to do it.”

“…Thank you.”

The siblings walked together towards the chaos.