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Late at night, or honestly, I can’t tell if it’s night or day.

Anyway, I lit a fire and ate some grilled meat, which made me happy.

But… 9 out of 10.

Missing 1 point.

“Something feels a bit lacking…”

“Huh? What’s missing?”

Even though I’m eating the meat with satisfaction, there’s a lingering emptiness.

Perhaps it’s because I’ve become too accustomed to Korean food.

It would be nice to have some spices like salt or pepper.

People often say… “I’m full,” but I just like stimulation.

“Heukrang, do you have any seasoning to sprinkle or dip?”

“Hmm… Speaking of seasoning, I remember something. Since I was a kid, I’ve loved seasoning. While others lightly sprinkle or dip, I love piling it on. And speaking of piling it on…”

“Stop!”

I cut off Heukrang’s endless rambling.

I forgot my earlier resolve and ended up asking Heukrang.

I’m an idiot.

“Heukgu, do you have anything?”

“We’re used to this kind of food… How about we check the village chief’s kitchen?”

“Even so, it’s a bit much to just barge into the kitchen.”

Heukgu suggested rummaging through the kind village chief’s kitchen, spouting nonsense again.

What a great name.

Honestly, it was tempting, but I’m not that much of a delinquent…

“In a relationship like mine with the village chief, being too cautious is actually a nuisance. They might think their goodwill is being ignored.”

I couldn’t stop Heukrang from charging into the chief’s house.

Does the demon realm have something like China’s guanxi culture?

The feeling of having your goodwill ignored.

Anyway, since Heukrang, a demon realm resident, said so, I headed to the kitchen with him.

But…

There were only a few strange, rotting plant pieces.

The kitchen was empty.

“…What’s this?”

“…Right? The kitchen’s completely empty.”

The village chief’s kitchen, which should be stocked enough to host a feast for outsiders, is this barren?

Did they use up all the ingredients for this village feast?

What are they going to eat after we leave…

As I looked around the kitchen with pity, a sound came from behind.

Rustle—

“What are you doing there?”

“…”

Heukrang, who had confidently entered, suddenly became mute.

Since they treat me as their captain, they must be waiting for me to speak first.

“Ah, village chief, we were wondering if there’s anything to sprinkle on the meat.”

“It’s not polite to barge into someone else’s kitchen.”

The village chief scolded us with a cold expression and a low voice.

Heukrang… you bastard. You don’t deserve the name “Rang.”

Birds of a feather flock together, you’re just like Heukgu, a bastard.

“I’m sorry… I’m not familiar with this culture, so I was rude.”

“Anyway, we don’t have any precious spices, so please leave.”

“Yes… I apologize again, village chief.”

I dragged Heukgu and Heukrang out by their ears.

“Do you want to die for real?”

“…Sorry, captain. You weren’t like this when you were younger.”

“That’s because I didn’t know anything back then… No, that’s not the point. You said they’d think their goodwill was being ignored!”

I really thought there was a guanxi-like culture here, where being too polite would be a nuisance.

If I had known it wasn’t like that, I would have apologized immediately… No, I wouldn’t have entered the kitchen in the first place.

We made a big mistake with the village chief, who provided us with lodging and hosted a feast.

“Uh… so, that’s how it’s supposed to be?”

“Yes, captain! As far as I know, that’s correct. If you show goodwill and the other person is too polite, it’s like ignoring it.”

…?

Seeing Heukgu speak up like that, it seems true…

Maybe this village has a different culture…

But Heukrang said it’s the neighboring village, can there be such a cultural difference between neighbors?

“Sis! The meat’s burning! Come quick!”

“Yikes!”

Right now, my meat, which is getting darker, is more important than the demon realm’s culture.

But what kind of meat is this?

A taste I’ve never experienced in Korea.

It doesn’t feel like pork, beef, lamb, or horse.

Since it’s a barbecue rotating over the fire, I can’t tell what part of the animal it is.

Did they catch a monster and grill it?

‘Anyway, it’s delicious, so that’s all that matters.’

In the end, the village couldn’t handle my enormous appetite.

“That’s it for the meat! You’re small but eat so much! Where does it all go?”

“Haha, that’s always been a mystery to me too.”

I eat almost my body weight in one meal.

Three meals a day, every day, and even snacks.

I’ve worried that my stomach might burst, but… maybe it all gets digested as I eat, as I’ve never had any issues.

Anyway, the feast ended quickly after all the food was consumed, and I felt sleepy from being full.

Let’s sleep…

***

While Jeong Gyeoul was sleeping in the village chief’s house, Heukgu and Heukrang were also sleeping in a small room next to her.

Some villagers started talking while looking at the chief’s house. The sound reached Jeong Gyeoul, who was sleeping, and eventually woke her up.

No matter how friendly the village is, this is still the demon realm.

Even when traveling abroad, you’re more cautious than usual, so Jeong Gyeoul, who came to a completely new world, couldn’t sleep carelessly.

‘There’s no such thing as goodwill without a purpose, except for our family… I need to find a way home soon. I miss my family.’

After rescuing Jeong Ha-yul and gathering all the strong heroes.

I thought subduing one cult leader would be easy, so I felt at ease even after falling into the demon realm, but I can’t help but miss my family when I think of them.

While Jeong Gyeoul was thinking of her family.

The villagers seemed to be conspiring about something.

“Is she really asleep?”

“Yeah, she is…”

“Seeing them call her ‘captain,’ she might be a strong demon… Are we all going to die?”

“Pfft… a strong demon? That bastard Brek has always been full of bluster… Besides, that woman has no horns or tail, she’s human, you idiot.”

Villager 2 answered Villager 1’s concern with a sneer.

They thought it was just some role-playing among themselves, definitely not a strong being.

If she were really strong… she wouldn’t be wandering around with only two low-ranking demons as subordinates.

‘She’d either be alone or have more subordinates.’

If it were just Jeong Gyeoul, it might be different, but with Heukgu and Heukrang around, the villagers felt reassured.

Jeong Gyeoul, lying quietly and listening, nodded her head.

She seemed to be looking forward to what would happen next.

“If she’s human, that’s a relief… I caught the Hellhounds I raised for this feast, so I should get a bigger share, right?”

“I’ll talk to the village chief after the deal. We’re just errand boys, why are you asking for that?”

“I thought you were closer to the village chief, so you could do that.”

“I’m also afraid of the village chief, a retired soldier settling in such a village… Anyway, I get it, so stop talking about it.”

“Thanks, but she really ate a lot. Three Hellhounds. Are humans usually like that?”

For that many people, one Hellhound would have been enough, but Jeong Gyeoul ate so much that they had to slaughter three.

“About two months ago, the humans we caught and sold didn’t eat that much, idiot… Oh, you were alone on that deal, so you weren’t there.”

This village was a full-fledged criminal organization.

They would drug wandering visitors with strong sleeping pills.

Then sell the visitors’ horses, luggage, and even the visitors themselves, buying cheap food and livestock to survive day by day.

A criminal group smuggling into Asmodeus’s territory.

As usual, they waited for the sleeping pills to take effect and entered the village chief’s house.

The village chief, with gleaming eyes, greeted the villagers.

“This batch of wanderers is a jackpot. Such a pretty human. In Asmodeus’s territory, they’ll pay a fortune.”

“We’ll get the best price.”

With a satisfied nod from the village chief, they first headed to the room where Heukgu and Heukrang were sleeping.

They tied up the two sleeping idiots with ropes and gagged them.

Even as their bodies were lifted and moved around, Heukgu and Heukrang didn’t wake up.

Thud—

Even after throwing Heukgu and Heukrang into the village center, they didn’t move a muscle.

“Shouldn’t they have woken up by now? How much sleeping pill did you give them? They’re completely out.”

“About the usual amount… I guess they’re just idiots.”

“Hopefully, they won’t be like that at the trading post. That would lower the price… Let’s get to the next task.”

Villagers 1 and 2 headed to the small room in the chief’s house to deal with Jeong Gyeoul.

Creak—

The door opened, and footsteps approached.

“She’s really pretty.”

“Let’s have a taste before selling her.”

“Should we? Not here, on the way to the trading post.”

As they reached out to tie up Jeong Gyeoul like they did with Heukgu and Heukrang.

“What are you doing, you perverts.”

Zap—

“Arghhhhhh!!!!”

“What the hell! Hans! Snap out of it!!!!”

Villager 1, Hans, was electrocuted, and Villager 2, who reached out without thinking, was also electrocuted.

Jeong Gyeoul left the smell of burning flesh behind and went out to find the village chief.

The village chief was trying to wake up Heukgu and Heukrang in the village center.

“Stop moving.”

“…!”

Seeing Jeong Gyeoul walk out unharmed, he looked very surprised.

“Untie them.”

“Did a human resist the sleeping pill? Much better than these two. But… you should have run away. I’m Gremlin, a celestial captain who spent 22 years in Satan’s army!”

“I don’t know about the rest, but you really seem rotten.”

In Korea, such light trash talk wouldn’t get much reaction.

But in the demon realm, it seemed different.

“You insolent human!”

Even though I thought it wouldn’t work, the provocation came out of habit.

But the effect was surprisingly good.

The village chief released his demonic energy from his horns.

“…Huh?”

Two letters implying, “You talk big, but that’s all you’ve got?”

The continuous provocations made the village chief charge at Jeong Gyeoul.

And…

It didn’t take long for the village chief’s green body to turn red.

“P-please spare me…”

“Are demons usually this weak? You said you were in the army for 22 years, a celestial captain.”

“I-it’s a lie! I’ve never been in the army!”

“…These demon bastards always lie.”

Slap—

After wandering for so long, it was absurd that this village turned out to be like this.

Out of irritation, I slapped Heukgu and Heukrang on the back of their heads.

 

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