IOC - 24

Besides, that "love" talk had to be because of Theord, right?

Dammit. Gilbert definitely spread rumors.

In the end, I swallowed my curses and glossed it over with a smile. However, the swordsman shrugged and continued.

“I’m not joking, I’m serious. For some reason, whenever I eat the soup here, my subjugation success rate goes up. It’s become a bit of a routine, a jinx, if you will.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s not just me. There are plenty of adventurers saying their combat efficiency spikes after eating your soup. Haven't you heard?”

I could only blink in response.

Well, I had heard. But I thought it was just lip service customers gave to be polite. You’re telling me it’s actually true?

“First time hearing it? It must be the power of love after all.”

I tuned out the nonsense and sank into thought. It’s common sense that eating spicy seasoning releases endorphins to relieve stress, and filling your stomach gives you energy. I thought it was just that.

But come to think of it… the inn was constantly swarming with adventurers, and strangely enough, they all made sure to stop by before a mission.

Could there really be something in my soup? Does MSG act like a stimulant on the constitutions of people in this world?

It was right then, amidst my mix of suspicion and anxiety.

Jingle, jingle.

I turned my head, thinking it was the bell hanging above the door, but no one was entering. No, listening closer, it didn’t sound like a bell… it was heavier.

A strangely familiar resonance of rounded metal rolling and clashing against the floor.

Jingle, jingle.

Right. It was the sound of money rolling in.

At that moment, a bolt of lightning struck my brain.

This wasn’t noise, it was a revelation. A sign clearer than any oracle or divine voice.

Then, with a ding! the inn door opened.

And walking through that door was our VIP. My golden goose.

Theord.

He gave me a faint smile. However, there was something drawing my gaze more than his smile. a golden aura that only I could see.

“……!”

Ah, that’s not a human, that’s a giant sack of money. To think a man would walk in draped in a halo right after my revelation!

As always, Theord sat in his designated seat and ordered soup. But today was different. I had just been enlightened by the God of Wealth, no, the God of Business. I couldn't let this golden opportunity slip away.

I broke the inn's unspoken rule of never speaking to a lone male customer beyond taking his order and sidled up to Theord.

“By any chance, have you been feeling a bit low on energy or stamina during your recent subjugations?”

“……?”

“There’s a new 'Love Spell' service I'm launching tomorrow, and I’m doing a special free demonstration today. Would you like to try it?”

Of course, I was just spouting whatever came to mind, possessed by that "revelation."

But with a human billboard sitting right in front of me, how could I pass this up? This was basically a celebrity endorsement. A golden chance to use a VIP as my model!

Theord blinked for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Good. He took the bait.

I beamed and formed a heart with both hands. I didn't stop there, I wiggled my hips and started firing off hearts everywhere.

“Fill a bowl of soup with happiness, go for it, earthen pot! With the power of love, Kyung!”

I finished by firing a "heart bullet" toward the soup bowl with my fingers. Pyong!

“…….”

“…….”

The air inside the inn froze solid.

I know. I know. 

A messy-haired brat in a greasy apron doing this kind of "moe" act is, frankly, disgusting. But those comments about guests feeling energized kept haunting me… so I just went for it. Like a "smile service" at a fast-food joint or a maid cafe spell.

But the inn fell into a deathly silence, so quiet you couldn't even hear the clink of silverware. I shifted my eyes nervously in the quiet.

…Was that not it?

My earlobes felt like they were on fire from the embarrassment, but then Theord’s blue eyes trembled. He picked up his spoon and took a sip of the soup.

Slurp.

A surprised exclamation soon escaped his lips.

“…I truly do feel energized.”

Holy crap, for real? Are you saving me right before I die of embarrassment?

I looked at him with teary eyes. He nonchalantly took a few more gulps and finished the entire bowl in an instant.

Then, the moment he stood up to push back his chair, 

CRACK!

The chair lost its shape and shattered.

“…….”

“…….”

Silence fell again. Every eye in the room moved from the broken chair to the golden money bag, no, to Theord, who was standing there looking dazed.

Theord frowned slightly with a troubled expression and spoke.

“I seem to be unable to control my strength. I will compensate you.”

“A-a-ah, no! It’s fine!”

I waved my hands frantically and shouted.

“I can just buy another chair! I’m just grateful my spell gave you such reliable strength!”

At those words, the corner of Theord’s mouth twitched ever so slightly.

A single, priceless smile.

And in that instant, I felt it. The gaze of every customer in the room shifting.

There was a hunger more intense than the sight of the broken chair, the soup, or even Theord himself.

Yes. A hunger for the Love Spell!

With Theord’s single sentence and that one expensive smile, the inn exploded like a powder keg.

“Proprietor, I want that too! The Love Spell!”

“Do it for me! The 'Go for it, earthen pot' thing!”

“I’m not eating my soup unless I get the service!”

The moment Theord left, customers lunged from their seats. Regulars grabbed my apron, pestering me for a spell, adventurers brandished their spoons, chanting like it was a battle cry.

Amidst the chaos, the "Love Spell" was instantly promoted to an official menu item.

“Yes, coming right up!”

I smiled brightly, firing off finger hearts.

Long live the human billboard. Long live Theord.

For today at least, I wasn't just an innkeeper, I was a maid cafe manager and a cult leader all in one.

  

But happiness was fleeting.

Thanks to my human billboard, the inn was overflowing with customers for several days. However, my face grew haggard in exchange. My voice turned raspy, and my limbs creaked like rusted metal.

“…I can’t go on like this.”

Whether my secret MSG was discovered or not, I had to hire someone. Otherwise, I was going to die first.

Even though it wasn't a day off, I eventually closed the doors and headed down to the village to post a job opening. Seeing my pathetic state, the local shop owners handed me fruit or treated me to a meal. It was only after my stomach was full that I managed to drag myself back to the inn.

I was rubbing my stiff shoulders and letting out a sigh when the door jingled open.

Don't tell me it's Jeffrey? I really want to avoid him today… I lifted my head with tired eyes, only to see Lionel in his robes.

Lately, he had been coming with Theord, but today he was alone. His face looked considerably more relaxed than before.

Before I could even stand up to greet him, he spoke first.

“I have something to say regarding your cooking.”

Did he notice something about the taste? I watched him anxiously as he continued.

“At first, I found it strange that the Knight Commander visited every day. But then, I heard that every adventurer going on a subjugation stops here without fail. I realized this was no coincidence.”

The Crown Prince wasn't a Crown Prince for nothing. I thought he just came to pick a fight, but this was a calm deduction. I waited for his words, feeling tense.

“I suspected that if your food contained an addictive drug, it would be a serious matter, so I came to verify it myself.”

“Wh-what…?! Addiction?!”

Addiction? Based on his tone, he was talking as if he’d already concluded I was a drug-dealing soup chef!

In a split second, I went from an innkeeper on the Boundary to someone facing life as a narco-king. My heart dropped, and my voice reflexively spiked.

“That’s absolutely not true! I’m not that kind of person!”

Seeing my agitated state, Lionel watched me quietly for a moment.

“Indeed, there was no drug reaction.”

I-is that a relief…? I hurriedly lowered my waving hands and stroked my chest. I could feel my heart thumping against my palm.

However, as that measuring gaze lingered and my anxiety rose, fearing he still doubted me, Lionel spoke as if reaching a final conclusion.

“You… did you use alchemy?”

“Pardon? Alchemy?”

I tried to deny it immediately, but the words got stuck. 

Technically, if you think about it, isn't MSG a type of alchemy? It is a modern scientific seasoning, after all.

As I froze, unable to either confirm or deny, Lionel tilted his head up with a look that said, ‘I knew it.’ That youthful, arrogant expression was exactly like the Lionel I knew from the original novel.

“I thought so. Your cooking and alchemy have combined to create a type of 'buff' effect. That is why the subjugators were able to exert such power on the battlefield. And that is why those who have tasted it have no choice but to return.”

MSG had that kind of effect?

“As I suspected, this was clearly made through alchemy.”

While I still wore a dubious expression, Lionel sat down with a look of immense pride, like a genius who had just solved a complex math problem.

“The soup. Is it available now?”