The Artist Who Paints Dungeon Chapter 2

Episode 2

“Okay, then… .”

A well-organized kitchen in a forest cabin filled with warm air.

“I have to eat dinner.”

Geo was preparing a meal.

“How can I be this happy without working and just eating and sleeping?”

It was the so-called happiness of being unemployed.

“It’s only now that I’m unemployed that I can finally fulfill my duty as a pig and potato… I have to sit at the dinner table for three hours.”

Sergio was a gourmet and a big eater. The life of a teacher, which required him to lead a regular, unobtrusive, and moderately savvy social life, was too harsh for him, a cultured pig.

“I’ve always thought that I want to enjoy my favorite menu alone at a time that’s convenient for me.”

Sergio nodded with his characteristically blunt expression.

“This is the life of farming… .”

I don’t know if this is really the realm of farming, but that’s what it was.

Above all, Sergio, who looks like he was carved from an Arctic glacier but is from a mountain village in Gangwon Province, has been waiting for the right time to return to farming ever since he came to Seoul.

“I lost my job and became a portrait artist to fulfill my dream of living in the countryside. Is life really a hurricane?”

It was so unexpected and fun. I guess a real hurricane wouldn’t be fun though.

“Then let’s keep it simple today….”

Geo took out the ingredients while leaving the lantern hanging above, its flame flickering even in the wind.

sweet potato.

“… … .”

A huge sweet potato.

Geo blinked twice as if thinking about today’s daily bread, and soon came to a conclusion.

“…Should I try making honey-sweet potato stir-fry?”

Sometimes, when the elders sent me sweet potatoes, I would often make this dish. All I needed was a little honey, salt, sweet potatoes, and butter. Nothing else was needed.

Fortunately, all these materials were in the cabin. Just like the wooden spring that existed without any thought, the furniture and food inside the cabin were also piled up together.

Sergio was particularly impressed by the fact that ingredients that remained in their best condition even after several days, which was a characteristic of the world of paintings, were very popular.

“hmm….”

Dalgrak.

Geo took his jar of honey from the cedar-scented cupboard.

“… the dairy was in the basement.”

Dairy products like milk, cheese, and butter, as well as other basic foods that required refrigeration, were all stored in the cabin’s basement storage room.

The warehouse, which was sealed on all sides with transparent ice and kept the air cool, served as an excellent refrigerator. When you entered, you could almost feel your breath, but thanks to the evolution into a haunted portrait, you didn’t feel the cold.

‘Moderately cool.’

Seeing that other food ingredients didn’t freeze at all, I wondered why my breath was coming out.

“It’s a phenomenon that completely ignores the laws of physics… but it’s funny, so that’s okay.”

As he descended the stairs to the cellar carrying a small bowl and knife, a door made of wood as cold and heavy as metal appeared before him.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw a few small jars and a large shelf clumsily arranged inside the ice cave.

‘The last time I checked, there seemed to be a variety of types.’

He leafed through the butter on the shelf.

“I would like a butter with a mild flavor.”

Among the sweetening ingredients, honey was a particularly strong-smelling ingredient. Sweet potatoes and honey alone would be enough, but if the butter flavor was also strong, it could be a bit overwhelming.

Sergio found a piece of butter of a pale yellow color among the various types and cut it into small pieces.

“If you put too much in, it will be greasy… .”

Geo took out just enough butter to use in this dish, wrapped it neatly in wrapping paper, closed the storage room door carefully, and went back up to the kitchen.

Sergio’s cooking skills were excellent, otherwise the gourmet would never have thought of cooking for himself.

“The child is refreshing.”

Geo cleaned the sweet potatoes with his skilled hands. He wondered how to divide them.

“… For now… .”

He blinked twice and cut the sweet potatoes into long rectangular pieces. They were sticks of appropriate length.

“…because there aren’t that many sheep.”

Geo processed 17 large sweet potatoes.

The iron plate with the small sweet potatoes on it went straight into the oven. The oven, which was already preheated, quickly cooked the outside of the sweet potatoes.

When the outside was crispy but the inside was completely uncooked due to the intense heat, Geo took them out of the oven.

Those sweet potatoes, which were cooked on the outside but raw on the inside, were placed on top of a large wok.

“Butter and salt here.”

I kept the heat low so that the butter wouldn’t burn, and sprinkled a little salt on top. The sweet potatoes, which were cooked little by little over a low heat, were coated with butter and gave off a sweet and savory aroma.

“And a little honey… .”

Chewing gum―.

“Put it in.”

Geo quickly turned the wok, gently spreading the honey he had scooped out with a spoon. The honey and butter, mixed with great force like Chinese fried rice, settled on top of the sweet potatoes.

“… … .”

At this point, I thought it was enough.

“good.”

Geo turned off the heat and turned the pan a few more times. This was to help the butter and honey blend together without sticking to the outside.

If this process had not been followed, butter would have separated and runny fat, and honey would have tasted like an unpleasant, sticky monster.

‘That might taste good too, but…’

Of course, when cooking, you have to pay attention to texture. Even if it’s the same taste, the texture can make it a completely different dish.

“… Okay.”

Geo put the finished honey-sweet potato stir-fry into a bowl and immediately put the dirty wok in water.

‘No matter how foolish humans are, I will not repeat the same mistakes.’

Dried and stuck to the pan, the honey mixed with butter was said to be possessed by the devil’s spirit and tested the patience of good men like Sergio.

Anyway, this was his dinner menu today.

“Good.”

Stir-fried sweet potatoes with honey is not difficult to cook, and is a great dish to make as a snack or as a meal.

Sitting at the wooden table, Geo poked at a sweet potato stick with a fork. The outside was shiny like a candy sweet potato, but the honey coating, much more delicate, had a complex flavor due to the addition of butter.

“… … .”

The fork went into the sweet potato smoothly, so it seemed to be cooked very well. Geo put the sweet potato in his mouth as is.

“… … .”

well….

He came to a conclusion.

“Mahita.”

It was just plain delicious.

‘I like this better than candy. My grandmother said the same thing…’

Unlike candy that makes you poke the roof of your mouth when you eat it, this honey-sweet potato stir-fry had a soft exterior. It only had a smooth and soft texture thanks to the honey and butter mixed in.

It was a dish that gave a different kind of enjoyment from candy that had a crunchy texture.

‘Sweet potatoes and honey are a great combination.’

And it was a set that went well with butter and salt.

The butter added to the honey flavor, which could have been a little simple, giving it a different richness, and a little salt balanced out the dish, which could have easily become too rich or sweet.

“I think it would have been nice to add some herbs to this.”

I thought it would be okay to add commonly used spices like pepper, parsley, or rosemary.

“But then the scent will be a bit stronger. It might be hard to enjoy it lightly.”

Geo liked it this way.

‘I also really like the texture.’

The surface of the sweet potatoes, which had been stripped of moisture in the oven, still retained their crispiness even after rolling around in honey and butter.

In contrast, the inside of the sweet potato, which was not ripe at all, seemed moist and ripe thanks to the coating of honey and butter.

‘The moisture inside must have been trapped by the strong heat of the oven. You did a good job of baking the outside first until it was crispy.’

It’s fun to eat it by cutting it into an elongated shape, and you can feel the variety of textures.

If you eat too much, you’ll feel full, but this amount was enough to enjoy the meal. Geo is a big eater after all.

“… … .”

Geo thought as he looked at the bowl with only a faint hint of honey butter sauce left.

‘As expected, Naran Potato is a wonderful potato.’

I didn’t want to eat that much because I was about to fall asleep, but this menu was just right.

“I like it.”

The lantern light placed on the table gave off a soft glow. It had a very analogical feel, and when I looked at it closely, I felt nostalgic even though it wasn’t my hometown.

“It would be perfect to use when camping.”

Geo stayed like that for a long time in a comfortable sense of fullness that seemed to encourage him to fall asleep. Feeling the laziness of the empty bowl that was empty but not lacking, and the soft voice of the lantern that further softened the air… .

Soon, Geo’s gaze turns to the window where the spring breeze shyly greets him.

“… … .”

Geo, who had been looking outside at the dark place a while ago, soon got up from his seat.

“…It would be better to prepare the herbs in advance.”

It was to make a medicine related to bleeding that the system had told me about.

For some reason, it doesn’t seem like the day will come when I can write, but creating these pieces one by one and accumulating them is a kind of joy for the artist. It’s a kind of collection.

“First, let’s wash the goji berries and hang them out to dry. It’ll take a while to dry them thoroughly enough to make powder. They’re so big, it’ll probably take longer than making raisins… .”

He almost fell asleep for a moment, but his mind started to work quickly, perhaps because of the sugar he had consumed.

“Let’s start with about 50 for later. There are only three flowers, so even if they don’t produce much juice, if we grind them into powder, we can still use them later.”

Geo, having reached a conclusion, moved.

He washed the fruit clean with drinking water he had previously brought from the stream. The goby fruit was quite elastic, and when it was put into the water, the inside was faintly visible.

“…It kind of resembles a gooseberry.”

Of course, the difference was clear in the case of the goji berry, which was completely filled with flesh inside.

Geo continued his pointless thoughts and washed away all the berries.

“… … .”

Ppop.

“Good.”

The bright red bead-shaped berries soaked in clear, clean stream water. It felt better than expected to hear them being wiped clean by Geo’s hands and making a refreshing sound.

After washing all the berries, he placed them on a wooden tray.

“You might get bored, so let’s pack some snacks too.”

Even though it was evening now, the fruit would have been better dried if it had been placed outside in a well-ventilated and bright place.

Geo placed the tray with the fruit spread out right in front of the hut.

“and….”

Entering the house, he approached the wood-burning stove.

‘We don’t need fire now.’

Knock, knock.

Geo shook the grass with the round ball on it.

Then, a small, dull noise rang out from inside the fruit, and a fire burst into flames. It was a small but strong fire, so it was blue in color. A faint fragrance was slowly rising from it.

It was just nice to look at, like a bonfire burning in winter.

“… … .”

Geo threw it onto the firewood in the brazier and lit it.

Drop of water flower

It is an inedible flower that blooms black balls instead of the usual petals. If you shake the flower while it is still in the ball shape before it fully blooms, the stamens and pistils will collide and catch fire. However, since it only catches fire when it is moved up and down strongly, it rarely catches fire spontaneously.

It means a substitute for a lighter or matches.

“… It’s light and pretty, so if this was sold on Earth, it would be a huge hit as an emotional camping product…”

Geo, who was muttering about worldly greed with a blunt face, rummaged through his basket. Then he took out ten Baibamnil flowers that looked like orchids.

I lightly washed that too, placed it on a small plate, placed a pot on the brazier, and poured water into it. Then I waited until it boiled.

“… I think this will suffice.”

Geo, who confirmed that the water was bubbling moderately, poured in the Vanilla. It had a deep, sweet scent unique to vanilla.

Pong, popong!

“hmm….”

If you want to eat it like a vegetable, it would be better to soak it for a while and then take it out, but this flower is not a vegetable. If it is not properly blanched, it can even remain toxic.

‘It takes a total of 10 minutes for the poison to leave.’

Geo faithfully followed the system’s instructions. He ate the goby fruit that he had set aside for a moment, waiting for the poison to leave the flower.

“Is it okay?”

Sergio checked the time on the system and stood in front of the pot again after 10 minutes.

He placed the drooping flowers on a plate with long chopsticks. Even though they had been boiled for quite some time, their shape remained intact. He washed the flowers, which had been blanched once, in clean water and left them for a while.

Geo didn’t turn off the fire in the weakened brazier, but only replaced the pot on top. The water left over from boiling the Baibamnil would still be poisonous.

“I need to stop this too.”

Geo went back outside, carrying a tray with flowers on it.

Let’s open the door like that.

“… … .”

Phew… .

A gentle spring breeze blew.

“…It’s cool.”

The texture and temperature of lukewarm clouds gently wrapping around my face.

It was a pleasant breeze.

‘Soft and cool.’

Geo blinked his eyes slowly in the hazy wind that strangely made his heart pound and made him feel a little sleepy.

‘I wish I could just fall asleep like this.’

The wind, neither hot nor cold, was soft like fine Korean paper or silk and tickled my fingertips.

“… … .”

Geo, who enjoyed the small happiness that came unexpectedly, soon started moving his feet.

“…I hope it dries well.”

Geo returned home, lining up the berries and flower baskets. There were already two baskets in front of the house, but there was still more to be done.

This time, what Geo caught was a transparent flower named Rurupu.

“… … .”

How should I do this? Geo, who was having trouble thinking, perhaps because he was under a lot of stress, asked the system for help.

“The law of the abbreviation.”

Method: Place the petals in warm, edible water and wait until they dissolve and release juice. Never touch the process. The resulting juice can be used with various medicines.

Available recipes: Blood balls using mandarin oranges and rurupu juice.

“thank you.”

Geo, who had expressed his gratitude to the system, poured water into the newly replaced pot.

The cold water poured into the heated pot and the temperature became lukewarm. When I put my hand directly over the water, the steam rising slowly made it look quite warm.

‘You said warm water, not hot water, so I think this temperature should be just right.’

Thinking so, Geo held the flower he had brought from the well in his hand.

The Lulupu flowers, which seemed to be made of water but were woven like silk and strong, had a clear and sweet fragrance like dewdrops made of honey.

Let’s carefully put it into the pot… .

“… … .”

The sparkle of the petals, like the Milky Way, spread throughout the water in the pot.

“… Surely, Lulupu’s sparkle is caused by scattering light from sunlight or lighting.”

Was it because I was trapping the bright sunlight or the bright light on my body? It felt like watching ice made with glitter melt in warm water.

“…oh.”

Soon the sparkling subsided and the water in the pot took on a more distinct aroma.

A capitalistic thought suddenly crossed his mind that it might sell well if made into perfume, but Geo scooped out the contents before the water had even boiled away.

‘I almost was late.’

The flower water that was scooped out like that went into a glass bottle that had been prepared in advance.

“It may not seem like much at first glance, but this is what it takes to make medicine.”

Even though the Lulupu juice was simply dissolved in water, it had an enchanting glow, like paint that an artist had poured his soul into. I wondered if this could really be made into a medicine.

“… … .”

Well, there’s nothing you can’t do if you try. That’s just how life is.

“Even a perfectly living human being can become a portrait possessed by a ghost, so it’s not like it’s impossible to make a potion with a strange color.”

After finishing all the grooming, Geo went up to the second floor of the cabin. The sleepiness that had been tickling his eyelids for a while was arousing his sleep.

The wooden steps that touched my feet felt warm somewhere. Although they were clearly made of solid wood, they had a strangely soft texture, and the wood seemed to be good, as it gave off a comforting scent here and there.

The bed in the bedroom that came up that way was soft, as if it was made of water.

“ha….”

Phew―.

I just dug into the bed.

“… … .”

His eyes, which had been blinking a couple of times as if he was organizing the day’s work, soon closed quietly like a child being caressed in his parents’ arms.

A breeze carrying the scent of the forest blew in through the wide-open windows, and the gentle wind passed over my entire body cautiously, as if it were shy. Once on my forehead, once on my fingertips, once on my knees… .

The sight is dark and distant. In the meantime, the cries of birds that woke up in the evening are faintly fading away.

“… … .”

The soft singing of the insects is a lullaby.

Geo fell asleep.