The Artist Who Paints Dungeon

“Customer Yoo Sung-woon, confirmed. Please take off your shoes, and we will guide you inside.”

Gio, standing a step back, looked at the restaurant as Yoo Sung-woon received the employee\'s service without hesitation.

The restaurant he led him to was a hanok¹ with a strong, antique atmosphere, as if drawn in ink. The pillars had curves that highlighted the natural beauty of the woods, the subtle, bitter scent of cypress, and the high ceiling provided a comfortable atmosphere.

What he saw was not a noisy crowd of customers, but a quiet and neatly arranged wooden corridor. Each room visible between the corridors stood out for its particularly strong sense of individualism.

Is this… a set-meal restaurant?

\'The definition of a set meal restaurant I know must have changed in 31 years.\'

Where did my noisy yet cosy set meal restaurant, where I used to sit on the wooden bench cross-legged and tear apart and eat yellow corvina, go?

“Gio, let\'s go in.”

“Are we eating here?”

“Ah.”

Yoo Sung-woon spoke as if making an excuse, as if unsure exactly what he was concerned about.

“Just ignore the presence of people. Even so, the presence and noise are pretty well blocked at this level.”

“If it\'s too inconvenient, should we move to another restaurant? There\'s even a place where we can have an entire building to ourselves.”

Is this man serious?

\'Does he really think of me as a walking nuclear power plant?\'

He wondered just how sensitive he perceives himself to be.

“It\'s not inconvenient.”

“Really? That\'s a relief.”

“Is it divided into rooms?”

“Yeah, but the rooms aren\'t that small, so you should be able to eat comfortably.”

“I see.”

Gio wasn\'t the type of person to refuse a free meal unless it was really bad.

\'Anyway, it looks delicious, so it\'s fine.\'

Though feeling somewhat complicated about how much the world seemed to have changed in the last 31 years, Gio cast aside his worries and followed behind Yoo Sung-woon, led by his hungry stomach.

“If you\'ve finished selecting the menu, please press the bell.”

“Yes.”

“Have a pleasant time.”

The employee, dressed in a hanbok with soft tones like petals, quietly left the room. As the sound of footsteps faded, Gio, who had been waiting for a moment, asked.

“Is this a set meal restaurant?”

“…Ah, yes.”

Although not very noticeable, Yoo Sung-woon\'s response carried a hint of realization.

Gio\'s question was merely intended to ask, \'Is this flashy place really a set meal restaurant?\' But it seemed Yoo Sung-woon had interpreted it as, \'So what exactly is a set meal restaurant?\'

“A set meal is a meal where you eat rice with soup and side dishes.”

Due to his pride as a teacher, Gio felt a sudden urge to argue, but he decided it wasn\'t a misunderstanding that would clear up by arguing, so he kept silent and listened to the explanation. He prided himself on this mature decision.

“Rice is always the same, but the soup changes daily. Today …. I think it\'s seaweed soup.”

After saying that much, Yoo Sung-woon asked with a questioning look.

“Do you eat seaweed?”

“There is no food I can\'t eat or dislike.”

“That\'s good to hear.”

Yoo Sung-woon opened the menu that had been placed at the edge of the table.

“The basic side dishes are all the same. What we need to choose is the main dish. It\'s usually divided between meat and fish, but what do you feel like?”

“I feel like eating meat right now.”

Gio, who had a soft heart, couldn\'t hunt animals in the forest. Not only did he not know how to hunt in the first place, but even if he did hunt those round, cute little creatures, the yield would definitely be low anyway.

While Gio wasn\'t picky and was happy no matter what he ate, since he was already out, he wanted to eat meat.

\'I should eat it while I can.\'

Yoo Sung-woon nodded.

“Then let\'s go with Gwangyang Bulgogi.”

He pressed the number buttons on the edge of the table. It seemed to be a system where you enter the menu number, and the kitchen directly prepares it after receiving the order.

After pressing the red bell button one last time, Yoo Sung-woon looked back at Gio.

“Of all the set meal restaurants I\'ve been to, I think this one is the best. They don\'t even use monster meat.”

“Do they usually use monster meat?”

“It\'s fairly common, right? But coming to a restaurant to eat monster meat seems a bit much.”

Somehow, it seemed like \'restaurant\' was being placed on a higher pedestal than Gio was familiar with. As an ancestor who\'d been in hibernation for 31 years, Gio pondered how to ask without sounding odd.

“Why, do you have something you want to ask?”

“… Are restaurants a different place compared to other facilities?”

“Hmm? For the most part, yes, I think so?”

Yoo Sung-woon scratched the back of his neck as if it was an unexpected question.

“It\'s not just about eating outside, you\'re paying for someone else to prepare your meal. For me, it\'s not a big deal, but for second-class citizens and below, it can be a bit burdensome.”

“Are all restaurants like that?”

“Generally, yes. In the first place, restaurants are places to eat, but more importantly, they\'re places to receive service. There are people who just go to restaurants to eat like me, but there are more who come specifically to be served.”

Gio felt that this definition of a restaurant was a bit different from what he knew.

\'Compared to what I used to know, it feels more like fine dining or omakase. Does this mean all restaurants have become more upscale….?\'

Wait a minute, then what about deliveries?

“Don\'t people use delivery services?”

Yoo Sung-woon\'s expression looked like he never expected to hear the word \'delivery\' from Gio. Gio briefly wondered just how much he was being regarded as some ancient ancestor, but he didn\'t feel like explaining, so he kept quiet.

“Delivery is… still a commonly used service. It\'s even more expensive, though.”

“Is that so?”

“If you run into a monster on the way, it could cause a major accident. Avoiding them is a hassle too.”

What kind of monsters were being treated like stray cats? Considering the damage that was definitely not on the level of stray cats, he felt it was even more absurd.

“So, unless it\'s for a party, most people don\'t usually order deliveries. I\'m like that too.”

If it was a delivery large enough for a party, he wondered if it might be closer to catering.

“…So, does that mean most people cook their own meals at home?”

“Usually, yes. Buying ingredients already costs money, and not everyone can afford to pay for service on top of that. Going to a restaurant itself isn\'t all that common.”

Did the world end and get rebuilt or something?

“But we\'re at a restaurant now, aren\'t we?”

“Well, I told you I\'d take you around on a tour….”

“Aha.”

It must have meant that he intended to treat him to a grand experience. Gio seriously contemplated why even simple communication seemed to be malfunctioning.

\'…Should I go through social skills training again? It would be difficult to go through mandatory education at my age. Should I even consider re-enrolling in college?\'

The world has changed too much in just 31 years. At this rate, Gio would be treated like an alien from Sirius whenever he spoke to someone.

\'Or treated as a shut-in nuisance who was isolated from society.\'

Damn gods of heaven and earth, the latter seemed to be true, making him even more terrified.

\'Is this how the elderly who can\'t keep up with a changing society feel ….?\'

Grandma, I finally understand how you feel. Keeping up with a rapidly developing era is truly difficult.

Gio deeply sympathized as he looked at the meal the waiter was preparing.

“It\'s hot, so please step back a little.”

Saying that, the waiter dropped a single ember in the middle of the table.

Then the fire flared up, forming something like a gas stove, and the waiter placed a grill over the circular flame. After putting a few slices of bulgogi on it, he then left the room.

There\'s nothing there, but the fire is lit.

\'The table\'s made of wood, but it\'s not burning.\'

Correction. What Gio needed was not college, but to re-enroll in kindergarten.

Judging by Yoo Sung-woon\'s expression, this seemed perfectly normal, but to Gio, who had been out of touch with society for exactly 31 years, it was just surprising.

“Hmm, it seems like beef.”

“…What other kind of meat would it be if it\'s not beef?”

“Like I said earlier, there\'s a high chance it\'s monster meat, right? It\'s cheaper than beef or lamb.”

“Is it not tasty?”

“It\'s not that…”

Ssssss—

Yoo Sung-woon stirred the meat as he continued to speak.

“It\'s just the general social sentiment. There\'s no reason to avoid most meats unless it\'s from some special parts that contain poison, but monsters are creatures that attack people… and most of them look pretty disgusting, right? It\'s hard to welcome meat from a monster that eats humans.”

“Hearing it that way, that makes sense.”

“But generally, it\'s meat that\'s often used at home. Cheap, high-volume chunks of protein are always popular. Still, eating monster meat in a restaurant where you\'re supposed to be treated well feels a bit off.”

“Isn\'t it dangerous?”

“Not all monsters carry poison in their bodies?”

Yoo Sung-woon chuckled.

“And until about 20 years ago, people were still saying, \'How could you eat something so dangerous?\' It was a different time, I guess. I was still young back then, so I don\'t remember well.”

“Even though 20 years ago isn\'t that long, it seems people\'s perceptions changed quickly.”

“Well, the government and the association have done a lot of work here and there…”

A government that works so well that it can change Koreans\' perceptions about the meat they eat in just 20 years?

\'How did so many things change in just 31 years?\'

It was a more surprising story than Gio himself evolving into a portrait in the flames. Yoo Sung-woon\'s opinion might be a little different, but for Gio, that was the case.

“Sounds like the government is competent.”

“Well, if they don\'t want their heads chopped off, they better be.”

“After several heads rolled, only the competent ones are left.”

Gio flinched. Why was this hyung talking like this before eating meat?

\'…Then again, hunters are like living war machines. I guess politicians wouldn\'t be untouchable either.\'

Gio quickly accepted this and joined in stirring the meat.

“Is it ready to eat?”

“Yeah, I think it\'s done.”

“Thanks for the meal.”

“Hope it suits your taste.”

“I think it will.”

There are three main types of Korean bulgogi.

First, Seoul-style. Second, Gwangyang-style. Third, Eonyang-style. Of all of them, Gio\'s favourite was this Gwangyang-style bulgogi.

The bulgogi marinated in broth and sauce that commonly known is Seoul-style bulgogi, but unlike the hot pot-like Seoul-style, Gwangyang-style is grilled dry on the grate. Each house does it slightly differently, but in most cases, the meat isn\'t marinated in seasoning for long.

\'That\'s why the meat\'s flavour stands out more.\'

The beef, beaten thin and spread out several times to make it tender, is grilled on a grate until the outside is crispy and the inside remains moist, and the juicy Gwangyang-style bulgogi is complete.

A piece of bulgogi from the grill was picked up.

Without sauce or rice, Gio put the whole piece of bulgogi directly into his mouth.

“How is it? Tasty?”

“It\'s very delicious.”

Given that he was in a private room, he didn\'t do more. If he were alone, he would have given it a standing ovation for how excellent it was.

“They must use good quality meat. The flavour of the beef isn\'t gamey, and it\'s rich. The texture is also very good. Judging by how much it was tenderized yet didn\'t tear at this thickness, the chef\'s skills must be impressive.”

“You… talk a lot when you\'re eating something delicious, huh.”

“My apologies.”

It was just so delicious he couldn\'t stop.

“But it\'s really delicious.”

“I can see that.”

“It\'s a flavour I want to try making.”

The charred exterior, grilled to a crisp on the charcoal, had a bitter taste characteristic of burnt meat for a moment, but it harmonized with the sweetness of the slightly charred meat.

The right amount of fat embedded in the meat gave it a rich flavour-like stock, and it alone was enough to reveal the quality of the meat.

“The seasoning is also just right.”

The deep sweetness soaked into the meat probably came from pears. Did they use grated pears to tenderize the meat? There was also subtle bitterness, likely from some kind of alcohol, which added a refined depth to the flavour.

“It pairs well with garlic. The aroma is just right, not overwhelming.”

The sharp scent of garlic nestled deep into the meat, pricking the inside of his tongue, but after being grilled on the charcoal, its harshness melted smoothly. The sesame oil must have been high quality as well, as its fresh aroma lingered.

“Hmm? What is it?”

“It seems like the soy sauce was homemade.”

“Are you a gourmet? How did you figure that out?”

“Am I right?”

“Well… I did hear it from the owner here.”

Gio nodded.

“I was wondering since the pepper flavour was particularly strong.”

“You really do have a sensitive palate. No wonder you love eating.”

“Even the dipping sauce… is delicious.”

The ingredients seemed similar to the bulgogi\'s seasoning, but this curious sweet and sour flavour. The deep flavour of plum was blended naturally into the sauce, enhancing the taste.

\'It\'s not plum syrup…\'

It must have been vinegar made of plums.

Dipping the meat lightly into the brown sauce with bits of garlic showing, and pairing it with the steaming, fluffy white rice…

“Is it good?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

As expected, rice was delicious when you eat a whole mouthful.

¹: Hanok (Korean traditional house):

Seoul-style bulgogi:

Gwangyang-style bulgogi:

Eonyang-style bulgogi.

btw plum syrup that was stated here is plum cheong.