Chapter 82: The sashimi became ■■ (2)

The main purpose of this festival had always been the club’s food stall.

It was never about an ambitious mission to spread Korean cuisine worldwide, but simply about creating shared memories with the club members.

However, as always, unexpected encounters and chaotic events arose.

That happened yesterday afternoon. But were my concerns unfounded?

I thought that immediately after the incident, journalists would swarm us with cameras, but surprisingly, the night passed peacefully.

I felt relieved inside, and on the second day of the festival, I just wanted to enjoy my own event in peace…

“Customer number 238! You may enter!”

Speedweapon was quickly checking tickets. In front of him, customers formed a line that seemed endless.

Despite the scorching heat and the sweat running down their foreheads, there was no end in sight to the queue.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

Chloe handled the ingredients with impressive agility.

Her hands moved so fast they left afterimages, making it seem as though she had multiple arms.

Despite her rapid movements, the chopped ingredients quickly disappeared from the cutting board.

“This is already an obstruction to business. Sorry, but you’ll have to leave.”

At the entrance of the stall, Ryozo stood with her arms crossed, blocking a group of journalists.

Beside her, Senior Ha-na adjusted her glasses with determination, helping to fend off the intruders.

“I’m journalist Han Sang-Hoon from CBS! Just let me see Mr. Kang Geom-Ma for 30 seconds—no, 15 seconds!”

“Are you unaware that unscheduled interviews are prohibited?”

“Please, just one quick photo!”

“The subject doesn’t want to, yet you insist? If you don’t want your TV network to get hacked, I suggest you leave! We’re already busy enough!”

“Wh-What! Are you threatening a journalist now?”

“Hah, if this feels like a threat to you, you need more experience. You’re blocking the way in a small, crowded space! Let’s see how far you want to take this!”

After a lengthy exchange of words, the journalists withdrew with heavy steps, frustration evident on their faces—but it was clear they would be back.

Murmurs filled the air.

Inside the stall, with no air conditioning and packed with sweaty customers, people slurped the spicy red broth without complaining.

Drops of sweat dripped from their chins, yet no one seemed bothered.

Some female customers took pictures of their meals with their phones.

“Hey, hey! How did you tag your post?”

“Hashtag: The Sashimi Saint, Kimchi Stew, Korean Cuisine, like this!”

“Wow, I’ll do the same!”

“Of course! The Sashimi Saint’s Kimchi Stew is trending!”

I stood there, staring at the customers in disbelief.

‘The Sashimi Saint.’

The reason behind all this commotion. Last night, the articles had popped up on news portals as if they had been waiting for the moment.

It was expected—after all, the Continent’s Star, Mao Lang, had been defeated by a mere cadet.

That part I had anticipated, and I had already warned the club members about it.

However, among all the articles, one caught everyone’s attention.

『The Rookie Monster Who Humiliated the Continent’s Star: The Sashimi Saint』

The eye-catching headline drew countless comments and attention. In a matter of hours, I had become a celebrity.

‘…The Sword Saint.’

A title locked by the system in Miracle Blessing M.

According to official lore, this title was reserved for the formal successor of the Swordmaster.

However, he had already retired, so the title was destined to fade into obscurity.

‘So why now, and why me?’

Suddenly, that title had been placed upon me. Though, to be honest, the tone felt more like a joke than a mark of reverence.

‘This is so embarrassing.’

Last night, as we finished cleaning up, Ryozo had shown me the article with a mocking grin.

A title that should have been honorable lost all its dignity by attaching the word Sashimi to it.

Either way, our small, modest stall was now known as The Sashimi Saint’s Kimchi Stew, and customers were pouring in from all over.

“Boss! Is the stew ready? We need to serve customer number 250.”

Speedweapon poked his head into the stall. I shook off my thoughts and prepared to get back to work, but I paused and asked,

“Speedweapon, how many numbers are currently in the queue?”

“Hmm… Well, we’ve printed tickets up to number 674. But we need more paper to print more. If we count the ones we haven’t printed yet, we’re probably past 1,000.”

“……”

Even in my past life as the top knife chef in the country, I had never had this much success in business.

Sure, there’s nothing more gratifying than seeing people enjoy your food…

‘But this is already too much.’

The ingredients, which had seemed plentiful, were vanishing rapidly into the clay pots. I glanced sideways at Chloe’s face.

She was sweating profusely as she worked the knife.

It was clear she was already at her limit, her fingers trembling from extreme exhaustion.

‘We need more hands.’

However, turning away customers who had come all this way would be a disgrace to a chef. So, while my hands continued working mechanically, I searched for a solution.

“Wow, Master. In all my life, I’ve never seen a business this successful. Don’t you think so, Knox?”

“…Yeah.”

The owner of the Korean sushi restaurant, Mansur, and Knox had appeared. Chloe, completely absorbed in her work, didn’t even notice their presence.

Their visit was unexpected, and while I was happy to see them, it was also a distraction. I let out a deep sigh and spoke.

“Sir, I promise I’ll visit your restaurant personally later, but today…”

Mansur tilted his head as if he didn’t understand, then burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! We’re not here as customers, Master.”

“Then?”

“We saw the articles yesterday by chance and figured today would be packed. So we came to lend a hand, right, Knox?”

Saying that, Mansur patted Knox on the back. The latter bowed his head shyly.

I looked at the two of them in turn.

It had only been a brief encounter, but the fact that they had come to help filled me with gratitude.

However, this wasn’t the time for sentimentality. The customers weren’t going to wait.

“Then I won’t refuse.”

I nodded. Mansur rolled up his sleeves with a broad grin.

“It’s the least I can do as an apprentice! In fact, I should be the one thanking you, Master. Or should I start calling you The Sashimi Saint?”

“…If you’re going to joke, you can leave.”

“Hahaha, I was just kidding, Master! Come on, Knox, get ready. Oh, by the way, Master, this guy was the one who showed me the article yesterday. He was more worried than I was.”

“S-Sir!”

Knox’s face turned red like a tomato. I looked at him for a moment before letting out a soft laugh.

‘That guy really cares about his sister…’

Still slightly embarrassed, Knox put on an apron and started helping Speedweapon serve customers. His customer service smile looked more natural than before.

Meanwhile, Mansur stood next to Chloe and picked up a knife. The motion of his blade slicing the green onions was precise and swift, almost like a flash of light.

“……”

It was just two extra people. Yet the sense of relief was immeasurable.

I closed my eyes for a moment before opening them again. Sweat still ran down my forehead, the spiciness of the ingredients stung my eyes, and the endless noise filled my ears.

And yet…

“Hahaha.”

For some reason, I couldn’t stop smiling.

***

“Haa…”

I let out a long sigh as I massaged my aching joints outside the stall. Blisters had already formed on my hands.

“…I couldn’t do this twice.”

The scorching sun was beginning to set on the afternoon horizon. The stall, which had been packed with customers, was now empty. Observing the quiet space, this tranquility felt strange.

“Still, it was fun.”

I murmured while slowly chewing on an ice cream. The endless orders had been handled smoothly thanks to Mansur and Knox.

Besides, even though we hadn’t set up the stall with the goal of making huge profits, the earnings were quite high. Even after splitting them, each of us received a considerable sum.

‘Though, aside from me, no one here seems to have any financial troubles.’

Either way, a satisfied smile remained on my face.

Step, step.

Step, step.

Hearing soft footsteps, I turned my head.

“Oh, Knox. Are you done cleaning up?”

“…More or less. Looks like we’ll be short on some ingredients for tomorrow, but the boss said he’ll bring them from his restaurant.”

“Oh, that’s incredibly helpful.”

“Thank the boss, not me.”

“This guy… Always so shy.”

I smiled, and Knox made a slightly awkward expression.

“Anyway, thanks to you, we managed to catch our breath a little.”

Just as I stretched to stand up, Knox spoke in a serious tone.

“Kang Geom-Ma, will you have time later?”

“I have time. Why?”

I asked, tilting my head. His expression was grim.

“Well…”

Knox lowered his gaze and cautiously opened his mouth.

“The head of the family wishes to see you.”

“……”

His voice rumbled softly. Even he seemed to be struggling with his thoughts.

After all, this was an unexpected situation.

‘The Head of Auditore.’

The Old Man of the Mountain, Altair Auditore.

The leader of the Shadow Family and a man known as the greatest assassin in history.

A figure who, from the shadows, maintained order in the world of heroes.

Since he rarely appeared in public, his existence was almost mythical.

‘If he wants to see me…’

I could already guess his intentions.

It was most likely related to the academy elders who had attempted to orchestrate my assassination.

‘Though that won’t be the only reason.’

He had probably also witnessed my fight with Mao Lang.

He knew I could wield mental domain. Those who could use that power could sense each other, even from great distances.

I, who until recently had been a target, must have stirred up many questions for him.

“Hmm.”

Lost in thought, I noticed Knox watching me intently.

“As far as I know, this is the first time the head of the family has shown interest in an outsider. Plus, he rarely reveals his face in person. He probably wouldn’t even show up if the Seven-Star Heroes requested it.”

Knox shrugged and continued.

“To be honest, asking you was just a formality. I’m sure you’ll want to meet him. You must have a lot of questions.”

I looked at him directly. His red eyes were calm and steady.

He had helped me a lot today. Thanks to him and Mansur, the day had gone smoothly. I had been thinking about repaying them later.

And just as I was considering that, he was making a request that wasn’t particularly difficult to fulfill.

It would likely just be a brief conversation.

With that thought, I made up my mind internally.

I took the ice cream, which was already melting, and swallowed it in one bite. Then, I brushed the dust off my pants and stood up.

Knox didn’t take his eyes off me as he continued speaking.

“We’ve probably finished cleaning up by now. Change your clothes and follow me. I’ll take you to the head of the family.”

After saying that, silence filled the space between us. Seeing that I wasn’t responding, Knox spoke again.

“…Why aren’t you saying anything?”

I replied with a slight smile.

“I’m not going.”

“…Huh?”

Knox’s eyes widened. He looked completely caught off guard. Stammering, he asked,

“W-why not?”

If I went with him, I could get answers regarding the investigation that involved me. It would be a meeting with more benefits than risks.

However…

Knox stared at me, waiting for a response.

I scratched the back of my neck and answered briefly.

“It’s too much of a hassle.”

“……”

“And I’m tired.”

The orange sky was slowly darkening.

“Thanks for your help today.”

I turned around and waved my hand in farewell.

Knox’s shadow stretched behind him as he stood frozen, silently watching me.