Chapter 7
Chapter 7: I Need to Eat More Burgers
As you enter the first floor of the Dungeon, a meadow comes into view, with a few Grass Cows scattered here and there. It is at that moment that Silen finally snaps to her senses and cries out.
"Y-you tricked me! You wretched old man!"
"Tricked you how, exactly?"
"Sh-shut up. You tricked me about this and that! Everything!"
"Hmm. Don't go pinning your pubescent delusions and indecent fantasies on me."
"Augh, AAAAAH!!"
Silen, realizing what she had been thinking and what she had just said, clapped both hands over her ears on the spot and sank to the ground.
"Master. What does she mean? Indecent delusions...?"
"Never mind. Don't worry about it."
"Yes! Since Master says not to worry, I won't!"
‘Yuna's so refreshingly honest and good-natured. I like that.’
"Right then. Silen. You see those Grass Cows over there? Those are our targets for today. As a Rogue, what should you be doing?"
"Ugh.... Ughhh.... Wh-what...?"
"Pull yourself together. Face reality. We've entered the Dungeon as a three-person party, and there are monsters ahead. You're an academy student—surely you learned what a Rogue is supposed to do in a situation like this."
"Sorry. Our academy doesn't have a Rogue department, so all I know is the Swordsmanship department...."
"Because it's a poor academy...."
"Hmm...."
‘Come to think of it, that's right....’
"At any rate. Tell me what skills you've invested in as a Rogue."
"Stealth. Lockpicking. Find Map. Double Attack. Hide Dash.... all the way to Steal?"
‘Concealment, treasure detection, a chance to strike twice, dashing while hidden, and even a skill to steal items from monsters.’
‘Textbook, if nothing else.’
"Who taught you?"
"There was nowhere to learn, so I got lessons from an outside Rogue guild. They wouldn't teach me the mindset or methods—said it was their livelihood—but I at least learned how to properly invest in the Rogue basics."
"You were lucky."
"What? Lucky how?"
"Rogue guilds are a paradise for human trash. They could've taught you some thoroughly rotten skills."
"Really...? Everyone seemed so nice...?"
They're thieves at the end of the day.
A den of scoundrels who've chosen a scoundrel's trade.
"Anyway, what a Rogue needs to do broadly falls into the following. First. Scouting using Stealth. Second. Disabling traps or using Lockpicking on treasure chests. Third. Attacking in a way that doesn't burden the healer. In combat especially, the last one matters most."
A Rogue is fundamentally a sub-dealer, a utility-type damage dealer whose role is to keep the whole party running smoothly.
Of course, among the advanced or variant classes branching off from Rogue, there are those specialized in assassination or heavy burst damage—but the base Rogue is, through and through, a utility dealer.
If the party has a healer, that healing should be devoted entirely to the tank, or to a mage who's been ambushed. So the Rogue or Archer has to read the enemy's blind spots within their attack range, burst in with a surprise strike, and pull back out cleanly.
How well can they do their job as a sub-dealer without making life difficult for the healer?
That is the standard by which a Rogue or Archer is measured.
Silen nodded at my words.
"Alright. This is worth committing to memory."
"You're listening quite willingly. Had a change of heart?"
"Why would any Rogue turn down free lessons? Besides—no matter what happens, I'm going to become an adventurer, clear the greatest dungeons, and carve my name among the heroes."
"Good. From this point on, Yuna and Silen—the two of you will take down that Grass Cow together. Yuna. You handle aggro and tanking. Silen. Figure out how to attack effectively and pull back when you need to. Don't forget this is live combat."
Both of them nodded at my words and immediately charged at the Grass Cow.
And about ten minutes later.
"Hey! Hey! I'm circling around the side, so why are you rotating in the same direction?! Where am I supposed to land a hit?! Why are you running straight at its face, you idiot!"
"Excuse me?! You're faster, so obviously I'm supposed to look at which way you're going and circle the opposite direction! And you call yourself a Rogue?!"
Naturally, it had descended into complete chaos.
‘Hmm. Hmm.’
‘We've got a long way to go, haven't we?’
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And so it took thirty minutes to bring down a single Grass Cow.
When you consider that Yuna alone, buffed by my food, can take one down in under ten minutes—it was a spectacular disaster.
Even so, I didn't think getting these two in sync was a waste of time in the slightest.
Was it because I could see overflowing talent? Because they're main characters?
Not at all.
It's not as though I'm some veteran who has every character's stats memorized....
I'm just a player who cleared the game by putting in a decent amount of effort.
My playtime was around a thousand hours, give or take.
Memorizing every character's stats and backstory in full—that's not something anyone does unless they're the kind of person with some deep-seated grudge against the game.
The strategy approach I need to take as a plain, ordinary leader is: 'steady and precise execution of a solid plan.'
The most textbook strategy in this game is: 'build a well-balanced party, follow a clear set of orders, and win by producing the best possible outcome.'
And within that, cultivation built on trust is necessary. In other words, my party members grow because I believe in them. So even if things aren't going well for the kids right now, I need to raise them up.
I decided to trust in them.
"Hey, I told you to circle the opposite direction from me!!"
"You're the one who should've looked at which way I was going and gone the other way!!"
‘Right.’
‘I've got to believe.... I've got to raise them up.’
"You idiot!"
"Listen to yourself, you dummy!"
"......"
"Both of you. Once you've finished off that thing, come to me. We're going back to basics on positioning."
"Yes.... Master."
"I did nothing wrong, old man!"
‘Right....’
‘I've got to raise them up....’
And two hours later.
The two of them, having finally begun to find their rhythm, started clearing Grass Cows in just under ten minutes.
"Hmph. Now this feels comfortable!"
"Look who's talking...!"
I called the two of them over as they grumbled at each other.
"It's a little early, but after we finish eating, thirty minutes from now—we're going in for the boss fight."
"Old man. This is literally my first time in this Dungeon today?!"
"Don't worry. No matter the Dungeon, the first-floor boss is nothing too dangerous. Trust me and follow along."
"I'm frightened, but I'll steel my resolve! Master!"
"What kind of lunatic hunts a boss on their very first day in a Dungeon...."
The two of them had opposite reactions, but it seemed they'd go along with my orders regardless.
I added 【Strength Enhancement】, 【Agility Enhancement】, 【Explosive Movement】, and 【Output Enhancement】 to the bone broth Sujebi I prepared for lunch. Then we headed toward the boss's location.
"There. See it? That's the first-floor boss of Demeter Dungeon."
"It's enormous."
"It's absolutely massive!!"
Typically, a boss is an oversized version of the field monsters on that floor—which means the boss here is an ultra-giant Grass Cow.
Standing well over four meters tall—enter, the Great Bull.
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Silen felt as though she might lose her mind.
She'd been told she was an ace with promising potential at the Rogue guild, and sure, she'd harbored a dream of becoming an adventurer who would someday conquer dungeons—but Yujin's missions were brutal. Far too brutal.
Was it normal to push through a Dungeon at this pace? Who in the world throws a newcomer straight into a boss fight? This is ridiculous. This is just madness!
But Silen had wronged him. She had no grounds to refuse this man's orders—and so she had no choice but to hunt that... that absurdly enormous Grass Cow.
"Right then. During combat, I'll be issuing the orders. Move exactly as I say, without a single doubt in your minds. Understood?"
"Yes! Give the order whenever you're ready!"
"Hah? Why should I?! What reason do I have to trust you?"
"Didn't I say I have experience clearing Dungeons?"
"Someone with that kind of experience throws a first-day newcomer in front of a boss?!"
"Then Yuna. Charge."
"Yes!"
And with that, Yuna abruptly charged straight at the Grass Cow.
A rush that appeared reckless at first glance—Silen's face went pale.
"Old man! Hey! Hey! Is it okay for her to charge in like that? She's going to die! She might actually die!"
"I thought you didn't like Yuna?"
"Hating someone doesn't mean it's fine for them to die—that's just plain crazy!"
"Ha ha. You're a good kid. But look. Does she seem in danger to you?"
"What...?"
At Yujin's words, Silen turned her gaze to Yuna, who was facing off against the Grass Cow alone.
No matter how she looked at it, it seemed dangerous. She might die. One hit from that massive body and she'd be crushed flat.
And yet.
That didn't happen.
"She's not getting hit... by a margin of one step? No—half a step? She's dodging by that much?"
"You've got a good eye."
"Old man. Are you a mage? How are you giving orders from this distance...."
"It's a special skill of the Culinary Researcher class called 【Sharing Order】. Right now, while I'm talking to you, I'm issuing Yuna step-by-step instructions."
Silen's jaw dropped. Even though Yujin's mouth wasn't moving, his voice reached her ears.
And on top of that—doing two things at once? Is this person a monster?
While Yuna stood there gaping, Yujin chuckled.
"Silen. You said earlier that your dream was to become a hero, didn't you?"
"Yeah.... I-I did say that. So what?"
"Do you know which party right now is closest to being heroes?"
"Of course I do.... It's Thunder Strike! The frontline that every adventurer dreams of reaching. The pinnacle even among those."
"That's right. Thunder Strike."
"One day I'm going to build a party just like Thunder Strike!"
At Silen's fierce declaration, Yujin smiled.
Before Silen could notice that it was a bittersweet smile, Yujin continued.
"Thunder Strike—every single member of them killed the first-floor boss on their first day entering a Dungeon, and reached the fifteenth floor of Hephaestus Dungeon that very same day. That is what it means to be made of hero material."
"......"
"If the first floor is enough to make you flinch, then go back. Silen."
That was the decisive blow.
Silen drew her dagger and walked toward the battlefield.
"Old man. Orders. Please."
"Don't worry. Not a single hair on either of your heads will be harmed."
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Yuna Linforce thought to herself.
'Can't we actually pull this off?'
There is a guiding principle passed down in the Department of Swordsmanship.
A party leader's orders must be followed unconditionally. Swordsmen and warriors are the first to charge in, the first to die, and the last to walk back out. That is the nature of their class.
And Yuna had adhered to that principle with absolute rigor.
Because she was going to become a fine swordswoman in the future—so the most fundamental basics had to be upheld.
And Yujin Kalintz was always calm, possessed a wealth of knowledge, and that made following his orders entirely without burden.
Of course, being thrown into the boss fight so abruptly was unsettling and frightening, but....
【Yuna. A tail sweep is coming. Take three big steps back.】
Tat. Ta-tat.
The moment Yuna stepped back three paces—swoosh...! The crack of air splitting rang out as the tail sweep came in.
That tail barely failed to reach Yuna, and once again, she had evaded the attack.
【Next—straight ahead. Fifteen degrees to the right. Charge in toward the underside of its jaw, stab its ankle twice from the blind spot, then punch straight through and out.】
Another order descends. Following it exactly, she stabbed the Grass Cow's ankle and broke forward through the other side.
The damage output is lacking. As Yuna clicks her tongue—
Whoosh...! Slash. Slash.
As if crossing paths with her, Silen came charging in. The spot Yuna had just stabbed—Silen's dagger drives in deeper, prying the wound open wider.
"Silen?"
"Focus on the fight."
Eyes calm and settled.
The only talent in Demeter capable of sparring with Yuna and landing even a single hit.
Silen, having revealed her true ability—made Yuna laugh.
Right.
With the two of them together, they could take down the first-floor boss.
Just as Yuna felt that giddy excitement rise—
【Yuna. Silen. Calm yourselves. 'We can win' and 'we've won' are different things. Settle the excitement down. You have the upper hand right now—this isn't over.】
As if he'd caught Yuna's rising exhilaration, Yujin's sharp reprimand cut in. Yuna took a few deep breaths, settled her mind, and waited for the next order.
She didn't know how a person could read the tide of battle and instantly adjust their positioning and issue commands all at once... but right now, rather than questioning it—she simply wanted to taste the 'victory' that naturally followed when she trusted and obeyed Yujin's orders.
Without another doubt, Yuna moved with ever greater precision, like a finely tuned machine.
Throughout the course of the hunt, their paths crossed with Silen's several times.
Yuna draws the gaze first, then Silen's sword strikes follow.
Clean orders that turn a split second into something meaningful.
Silen, who had been flustered at first, gradually threw aside all doubt and—just like Yuna—relentlessly drove her blade into the boss. And so, after roughly fifteen minutes of alternating assault, as the breath of both Yuna and Silen began to labor—
【Moooooooo!!!】
Thuu-u-ud...!
The Grass Cow boss, its legs having been relentlessly targeted, collapsed where it stood.
And it didn't so much as twitch. When you thought about it, at the end of the day, it was just a cow. Knock it off its feet by attacking its legs, and it couldn't even throw a tantrum.
"Well done. Yuna. Silen. Finish it off at the same time."
"Yes!"
"Got it!"
The two strikes flashed like lightning and drove into the giant Grass Cow's crown—and the creature toppled to its side.
【Mooo......】
The anxiety had vanished, and the enemy lay fallen.
Beneath outstanding orders, two girls with overflowing talent who could carry them out to the letter.
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Before checking the items dropped by the boss or the treasure chest, I first acknowledged the hard work both of them had done.
"You both worked truly hard. It was a victory we could achieve because Yuna and Silen both trusted my orders and followed them precisely."
"It was a victory we could achieve because of Master's command!"
"Not a bad call.... Honestly, there wasn't a single moment I felt in danger. For someone like you, old man.... You're actually pretty good...."
Yuna came trotting up to me, eyes shining, while Silen stood a little apart, turning her head away to deliver her praise sideways.
"With that said, only the two of your names will be engraved on the stele. Congratulations."
"A stele...? What is that, Master?"
Both Yuna and Silen tilted their heads.
‘So they really are complete beginners when it comes to this. Cute.’
"If you don't know, I'll explain on the way out. First things first—we check the dropped items."
"Wait, old man. I want to say—"
"Noted. I'll hear it later."
I brushed past Silen's urging and moved to check the dropped items.
Gleaming white, their shape unidentifiable—but the moment I laid my hand on them, this cluster of light becomes 'confirmed.' The light settled and took on a distinct form. And in that moment, both I and Yuna and Silen looked on with eyes bright with curiosity.
And what fell before us was....
"Beef.... isn't it. Well, of course. It is a Grass Cow.... What's the other one?"
"This is.... hmm. Looks like grass...? It's curly and round.... Right, well. It is a Grass Cow, after all...."
The disappointment in both their voices was palpable.
Honestly, since it's a Grass Cow, it's only natural that the drops would be beef or vegetables—and their reaction was understandable.
"The beef is of far higher quality than usual. Fat runs nicely through the meat—looks very good for cooking. And this is.... lettuce, is it? I see. Not bad."
"Even so, the dish you'll make is still Sagol Sujebi, isn't it, Master?"
"That's been the case until now. But there's still one more left, isn't there? The floor's treasure chest. Depending on what comes out of there, that could change."
"Oh, right!"
Our gazes all turned toward the treasure chest that had appeared before the staircase descending to the second floor.
"Right then, Silen. I'll leave the Lockpicking to you. It's what a capable Rogue is supposed to do for their party."
"Hmph. Trust me with at least this much."
At my words, Silen nodded and, picking up two iron picks, headed toward the treasure chest.
"Hooo...."
"Ooh...?"
I'd been a little worried—since a mistake during Lockpicking can damage the contents—but there was clearly a reason the Rogue guild considered her their ace. Silen's Lockpicking was clean and flawless.
"Done. Nothing to it."
Silen rose and gave the chest a light kick with her foot. Clack. The lid swung open, and inside, the clear reward revealed its true form.
"Hmm.... What is this...? I've never seen it before."
When I and Yuna approached to check what it was, puzzlement crossed Yuna's face—and on my face, unmistakably, joy.
Vivid red, beautiful flesh. Something that looked to be well over a hand's width in size—the chest was packed full of them.
"Master. What is this? Is it a fruit?"
"No. No, it's not. But at this moment.... it may be worth more than any fruit."
"Worth more than fruit? What is this thing?"
‘Ahh….. They don't know?’
‘This is called a tomato……The ingredient I struggled most to obtain in this world.’
Among everything—the main ingredient of ketchup, the one thing I dreamed about even in my sleep, longing for it so desperately....!
‘Let me take stock of the ingredients. Wheat bread and potatoes already exist in this world. I still have a little sugar and salt left.’
‘And today—beef, lettuce, and tomatoes have all come together.’
‘It doesn't fit perfectly into my lifelong goal of 'fully recreating every item from Gimcheon's menu,' but I can manage a decent imitation of that dish.’
‘Yes….. The time for burgers has come.’