Chapter 23: I was mistaken for the owner of a hot dog shop. (2)

I was about to refuse.

I was going to get away with something like, “This is staff food.”

But the other person was quicker than I was.

“Iri, eating such low-class street food will lower your status. Even if you’re hungry, try to hold back.”

“Hehe… but it looks so delicious…”

After that, the mother and daughter continued to argue in front of me, but I didn’t hear a word.

The first words I heard made my head ring.

“What? Low-class food?”

My hotdog?

And it lowers my status?

I could accept street food being called low-class.

It’s true, after all.

But insulting my hotdog was something I couldn’t forgive!

So when the woman, who lost the argument with her daughter, asked me the price of the hotdog, I answered this:

“One gold coin.”

“What did you say? This cheap food costs one gold coin? Are you out of your mind?”

She looked at me as though I were insane.

I answered with a smile on my face.

“Some people might consider it ‘a bit too expensive,’ but it’s food worth that price.”

“Wh-what?!”

Her face turned bright red at my response.

And my smile grew wider in reaction.

‘I really got under her skin.’

It was almost like she said to my face, “Are you poor? Can’t you afford this?”

Of course, I couldn’t help but get under her skin.

But it’s a bit tricky to call it an insult.

One gold coin is indeed a hefty price for a single meal.

Especially at a street stall, not a fine restaurant.

In the end, the only thing the woman could do was either leave in shame or shout, “Do you know who I am?”

But she wouldn’t be walking around without a carriage, so the result was inevitable.

It was my perfect victory—

“Oho, that’s interesting!”

—But something unexpected happened.

Amidst the commotion from the argument, a well-dressed, middle-aged man, looking like a real noble, stepped in.

He stroked his well-groomed mustache and exaggeratedly shouted,

“A street food that costs a gold coin! And you claim it’s worth the price? As a self-proclaimed gourmet, I, Robert, must try it!”

His words stirred the crowd.

“Robert? The Robert from ‘Weekly Gourmet’?”

“Isn’t he from the Royal Gourmet Association?”

“Ah! Robert! I’m a fan!”

It seemed he was quite a famous person, as voices recognizing him came from all around.

He winked at the woman who called herself his fan and then turned to me, asking,

“But I have some doubts! Is it really a dish worth a gold coin?”

“Is that so? But you haven’t even tasted it yet?”

“That’s right! That sausage, it’s from the grocery store up ahead, right? I can tell just from the smell!”

I was slightly surprised by his words.

To be able to tell where a sausage is from just by the smell, is his nose even human?

Robert continued, his expression triumphant.

“That bread is the same. So, the only thing made from scratch is that mysterious white sauce! Are you sure it’s worth that price?”

“Yes.”

“On what grounds?”

“This sauce is a special recipe, unique to this world.”

“Very well! Excellent!”

He shouted loudly, and with a flourish, took out a gold coin, almost like drawing a sword.

“But just because something is unique doesn’t mean it’s precious! Shall we test whether it’s worth its value? Now, give me one of those!”

The crowd murmured as they saw him pay with a gold coin.

I sighed inwardly at the sight.

‘How did it come to this?’

I had refused to sell it, but now here was someone actually paying with a gold coin.

I had completely underestimated the nobles in the capital who had too much money.

But now that it had come to this, I couldn’t back down.

With my pride as a chef on the line, I had no choice but to make the best hotdog.

I steeled myself and nodded.

“One corn salad hotdog, coming up.”

I placed the sausage on the grill with a determined expression.

Sizzle—!

The sausage sizzled, emitting a sharp sound and a rich aroma as it cooked.

I savored the sound and smell, becoming absorbed in the task of making the hotdog.

The crowd seemed to have started seeing my cooking as an exciting show, murmuring as they followed my movements.

“His movements are very precise. He’s skilled.”

“The sausage is cooking evenly. That’s got to be delicious!”

“Is that it? You’re charging one gold coin for just that?”

But the voices from the outskirts didn’t reach my ears.

At this moment, the only thing that mattered in the world was me and the hotdog.

I focused all my senses on the sausage.

The sound of sizzling fat crackling, the juices dripping, and the fire below the grill scorching the sausage casing.

The surface bubbled and steamed as the sausage cooked.

The cooking was nearing its peak, steadily advancing without pause.

And then,

‘Now.’

The moment the sausage was perfectly cooked.

I removed it from the grill at the exact right moment.

From there, everything went smoothly.

The grill marks on the bread were perfectly divided in half with a single cut, and a generous amount of corn salad, with a perfect mix of corn, peas, and onions, was placed on top.

Then, the sausage, freshly removed from the grill, was carefully laid on top.

As the sausage, still hot from the flames, touched the mayonnaise, its heat transferred to the sauce.

The rich scent of eggs and oil hit the nose as it mingled with the heat from the fire.

It was complete.

‘Behold.’

The perfect hotdog that had come into this world.

The hotdog, with its alluring appearance, enticed everyone who gazed at it, and I handed it to the customer who stared at it in awe.

“Your hotdog, as ordered, is ready.”

“Oh….”

The customer, unknowingly swallowing his saliva, took the hotdog.

He closed his eyes, savoring the smell, and then cautiously took a bite.

Munch—

He opened his eyes wide, as if he were a judge from a cooking competition.

“Hmm?! This, this taste?!”

“Taste?”

“This is definitely… No, I need to try it again!”

Munch! Munch! Munch!

He said that, devouring the hotdog eagerly.

Then, he quickly took out another gold coin from his pocket and rushed to hand it to me.

“One more! Hurry! The flow of the meal must not be interrupted!”

The crowd murmured in astonishment.

“Robert has started eating!”

“Oh my, how delicious must this food be?”

What’s going on? What in the world is happening?

Anyway, since I had received the money, I made another hotdog, and after devouring three of them, he sucked his finger.

Then, he muttered.

“The salty taste of the sausage is complemented by the sweetness of the corn and sauce, and then the savory flavor of the sauce covers the outside… Perfect. It’s just a simple addition of sauce to familiar ingredients, but this taste?”

“Are you satisfied?”

“Of course! I declare here and now! This food is gourmet! A culinary experience that is worth far more than a single gold coin!”

Great, that’s it!

I clenched my fist in a place where no one could see.

Yeah, there’s no way this wouldn’t work.

Isn’t mayonnaise one of the most famous and best-selling sauces in the world?

If someone says it tastes bad, either that person’s tongue is weird or my hands are.

And just now, both of these were proven to be perfectly fine!

“Alright, now if I show this to Selly—”

And then,

Someone in the crowd shouted.

“Robert’s gourmet declaration is out!”

It was the man who called himself a fan of the customer, evaluating the degree of doneness of the sausage.

When he shouted, a crowd of people surged forward as if responding to a signal, chanting slogans.

“Gourmet! Gourmet! Gourmet!”

“Here comes a new gourmet experience! A new gourmet is right there!”

“Wow!!”

In an instant, a crowd surrounded my food cart!

I unknowingly placed my hand on the sword hilt in response to the radical group, but fortunately, they didn’t rush at me.

Instead, they pulled out gold coins from their pockets and began ordering hotdogs with an almost frenzied energy.

“Owner! Give me that gourmet hotdog!”

“No, I was first! Give me the blessing of gourmet food! The ecstasy of flavor!!”

“This is gourmet!”

“Hey, wait a minute—”

Why are there so many rich people here?

I didn’t make this to sell!

It was then that I realized things were going strangely, but it was already too late.

Gourmet fanatics, who were obsessed with gourmet food, the spectators who saw the spectacle, and the new crowd that gathered after hearing the commotion.

Surrounded on all sides, I couldn’t find a way to escape with my hotdog in hand.

I gritted my teeth, looking around at the customers surrounding me.

“This is it.”

Sorry, Selly.

I wanted to show you the taste of this hotdog…

But what can I do when so many customers come with gold coins?

“I’ll make something even better with the money I earn instead!”

Determined, I shouted at the crowd surrounding me.

“Line up! I won’t sell to anyone who cuts in line!”

Thus, the unintentional business continued for a long time, and I sold all the ingredients I had purchased without leaving anything behind.

Author’s Note (Afterword)
Thank you for the recommendations, comments, and support! It really helps!

I felt that the new cover was too eye-catching, so I changed it back to the original one, but I forgot to update the afterword!

I spent quite some time wondering what the comment meant when Selly became a chicken!