WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Our Precious Demon King ◈
Chapter 49: The Goddess of Social Media
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Back in the dungeon, Ed steeled their resolve.
“All right! Shall I cook for my master, meow?”
To think their master valued luck stones so highly.
“Nya-nya-nya-meow.”
Ed was in a good mood.
Well, luck stones really were useful.
‘It wasn't just my skill that made me the Demon King's cook, meow.’
Edmond de Lafleur.
The biggest factor in their life had been luck.
Somehow, they had survived and become a demon's cook. That demon had risen through the ranks to become a sovereign...
The sovereign they served had somehow been killed by another Demon King, but Ed had caught that Demon King's eye and become their personal cook...
In the end, they had become the cook of the greatest power of all.
The Great Demon King.
Luck had played a major role throughout their life.
Their life had been full of twists and turns, but they had survived, after all.
Had that luck finally run out when the Great Demon King died?
They had thought their luck had ended with that kimchi stew, but...
“Heh heh, I really am the luckiest cat in the world, meow.”
They might have ended up in a cat's body, but hadn't they been given a new life?
And their new master was generous, merciful, and stronger than anyone in the world.
The second act of Edmond de Lafleur's life was quite safe and lucky.
“Now, let's cook for my master, meow!”
They needed to hurry up, feed as many humans as possible, and squeeze the luck out of them.
Proving their worth with delicious meals was good, but earning recognition by offering luck stones wasn't bad either.
I'll take the luck of every human on Earth!
“What should I do?”
“Gaaasp!”
Ed jumped in fright, their fur standing on end.
“L-Lady Remi, what brings you to the kitchen, meow?”
“Business.”
“Huh?”
“I'll help.”
“...Meow?”
Ed was confused.
Remi normally made herself so scarce, resting, watching TV, or staring at her phone. Now she wanted to help with the restaurant?
“Wh-why so suddenly, meow?”
“Luck stones.”
“Gasp.”
The appeal of luck stones had even moved Remi to action.
“A-all right, meow. But the kitchen is entirely my domain. You can't intrude, meow.”
“...”
Remi casually gripped her sword's hilt.
Sweating under that silent demand for a job, Ed answered.
“P-please handle the customers and serve the food, meow!”
“Fine.”
Ed regretted it as soon as they said it.
The Demon King's sword, Reminox, dealing with customers?
Wasn't this a disaster waiting to happen?
“C-can you manage it, meow?”
“Hah. You doubt me?”
Remi snorted, and Ed shrank back.
“A-all right, meow. I'll prepare the food.”
“Good.”
Under Ed's telekinesis, the kitchen began moving like a single living creature. Ingredients washed themselves, knives danced, and flames heated the pans.
“A-aren't you getting ready, meow?”
Ed gave Remi an anxious look as she continued to stand there blankly, watching the kitchen.
“You need to make the food before I can take it out and sell it.”
“No, I serve full-course meals, meow. Seat the customers and take their orders first.”
“Just give me a bowl of rice soup.”
“Meoooow!”
Ed's fur stood on end.
“That's an insult to my cooking, meow!”
Rice soup?
I can't put food for commoners like that on my table.
“You can't sell many full-course meals.”
“...?”
“When are we going to earn luck stones?”
“M-meow! My restaurant isn't a factory.”
Ed was taken aback by Remi's greed.
Remi didn't care. Her reasoning was simple.
More luck stones = a bigger share for her.
Ed saw the greed filling her sparkling eyes, but they wouldn't back down. No, they couldn't.
“Th-this is a matter of my pride as a chef, meow! How could I serve anything but full-course meals? I won't give in, even with a blade at my throat, meow.”
“I've heard those last words plenty of times.”
Shing.
“Th-the master will give you hell if you kill a fellow retainer!”
“Will he?”
“W-wait a moment, meow!”
Ed panicked.
That crazy bitch.
No, could they stop Lady Remi if she lost her mind?
Would their master even punish Remi for killing them?
‘He'd probably just scold her.’
She was the highest-ranking retainer, after all.
They had to do as she said, but...
‘Rice soup?’
They could certainly feed more people by boiling a big pot and handing it out all at once.
“B-but rice soup is out of the question, meow!”
“Then you'll have to die.”
“Th-that's not the problem, meow! I-I can't extract luck stones unless it's a full-course meal, meow.”
“...?”
Remi flinched.
They weren't running this business to fill the customers' stomachs.
If they couldn't get luck stones, it was just pointless labor.
“You're dead if you're bullshitting me.”
“E-extracting luck stones is a kind of devil's contract, meow.”
A devil's contract.
Its basic rule was always equivalent exchange.
Just as devils shared their power in return for souls or years of life.
“The grander the meal I serve, the more luck I can take, meow.”
“What if they don't have much luck?”
“Ah!”
As expected of their master's bodyguard.
She had gone straight to the heart of the matter.
“E-even so, I have to serve a main dish and dessert, meow.”
“Fine. I'll allow two courses.”
“...Meow.”
Faced with Remi's announcement, Ed had no choice.
Only then did Remi leave the kitchen and step out into the yard.
Four tables had been set up.
“Hmm.”
Even with every seat filled, they could only serve sixteen people.
At this rate, when would they ever collect lots of luck stones?
There was no other choice.
Remi flipped the sign on the front gate from Closed to Open.
“Wow! They're opening!”
“Waiting since yesterday was worth it!”
Remi clicked her tongue at the people who had even camped out in tents.
‘Free food has brought all the beggars running.’
She understood.
For humans, food was the most important means of staying alive.
They were handing out free meals. It would have been stranger if people hadn't flocked here.
The cities of Belheim had always had both bright and dark sides. Why would Seoul be any different?
It felt as though all the poor people hidden behind the city's glamour had come pouring out.
The question was how much luck people poor enough to end up like this had left.
If they'd had any luck, they wouldn't be so blinded by free food that they fought and shouted to get to the front.
“Tsk. Form a line.”
“I think they're letting us in.”
“Wow, the part-timer's so damn pretty.”
“This is crazy. Should I ask for a photo?”
As people murmured, Remi used her scabbard like a stick, swinging it around to point at them.
“From you to you. Come in.”
“Wow, I guess being rude is part of the theme.”
“This place is really unusual.”
“The restaurant's theme is so fun.”
“Forget the theme. I heard the food's freaking amazing.”
“Oh, I can't wait.”
What a noisy bunch.
“Uh, excuse me. There aren't enough tables.”
“Sit together.”
“Sorry?”
“There are empty seats over there.”
“Y-you want us to share a table?”
“If you don't like it, leave.”
“C-can't we just wait?”
“No. Get out.”
“Then we'll just sit.”
Thanks to Remi's casual invitation to share tables, all sixteen chairs found occupants.
“Could I have some water here?”
“Don't you dare make demands of me.”
“Eep.”
Remi's presence was so frightening that the customer who had asked for water shrank back. The other customers fell silent too, feeling strangely chilled.
“Now, all of you wait. I'll bring the food.”
“...”
Once Remi went inside, the suffocating atmosphere lifted.
“Wow, her charisma's freaking incredible.”
“Is this a foul-mouthed granny restaurant theme?”
“I-I guess so.”
The customers accepted it without much thought.
This place was hot on social media.
A restaurant only those in the know knew about.
On top of that, it didn't charge for food. Maybe it was some kind of pop-up.
People didn't come to a free, event-style restaurant just to fill their stomachs. They came for the experience and something to post.
Since the food was free anyway, anything went.
Click, click.
All the customers took pictures of the restaurant with their phones.
The yard was beautifully landscaped, and they had heard the lighting was pretty too. Unfortunately, it was lunchtime, so the lights were off.
“It's a converted house, but this place has such a vibe.”
“Looks like there are seats inside too.”
“Is that room reservation-only?”
“The kitchen's huge.”
Everything was interesting and worth showing off.
Their cameras only came down when Remi arrived pushing a food cart.
“Here's the main dish. Take one each.”
“Oh, the food's here.”
“Wow, this restaurant's theme really is unique.”
Meanwhile, Ed was concentrating on cooking in the kitchen when their eyes widened at the sudden flow of luck energy.
“Meow, it seems she really is serving customers...”
Remi, serving food.
They still felt uneasy about it, but luck energy was coming in, so the business seemed to be working.
Turning that energy into luck stones was their unique ability.
“Meow! Let's do this properly.”
Since Remi seemed to be serving without trouble despite their worries, Ed threw themselves into cooking too.
“Sixteen plates of dessert, meow!”
“Start on the main dishes right away.”
“Meow! How many customers are next?”
“Sixteen.”
“Meow? All right.”
Once again, they sent out sixteen elaborately presented main dishes and sixteen desserts.
“How many customers are next, meow?”
“Sixteen.”
“Meow?”
Parties of four were coming in like clockwork today.
Was everything just going their way?
The luck energy they received in exchange for satisfying meals kept rising rapidly.
They should earn quite a bit of praise when their master returned.
* * *
[Teukgoji Group Chat]
TeamLeaderCheon - I don't think we'll be able to return for a while.
TeamLeaderCheon - The Adviser has returned home.
TeamLeaderCheon - Deputy Head Lee is stuck here with me, so please send support staff immediately.
TeamLeaderCheon - If we survive, let's be sure to meet again.
Deputy Director Choi Hyunju frowned as she read the messages that had just arrived.
“What? Why aren't they coming back?”
The special adviser had returned to Earth. What were those two doing in the Demon Realm without him?
She sent messages, but neither of them read them.
More importantly, the Adviser was back.
With the two people who normally looked after him closely absent, she needed to send a new agent to manage things.
“...Who should I send?”
Someone he knew would be better than a complete stranger, even if that person was an ordinary civilian rather than a hunter.
“Send Agent Kim Sangsu.”
“Yes, Deputy Director.”
“Why haven't I received today's Jun Dragon Kitchen review report yet?”
“I'll send it right away.”
It was the second day since Ed and Kim Remi had started running the restaurant.
She had been watching nervously the whole time, but they were managing quite well.
She had worried that someone might pick a pointless fight and get killed by Remi, but all the customers had eaten and gone home safely.
The only problem was how frighteningly fast word of this unusual restaurant was spreading on social media.
- This restaurant's theme is insane. The female employee's looks have me shaking.
- Insult me some more, sis.
- Ah, treat me rough.
Remi's popularity had risen along with the restaurant's.
- Anyone know her account?
- Doesn't look like she's on social media.
- Ah, could she be an idol trainee or something?
- Totally possible! The whole restaurant looks like a pop-up some company planned.
- It's legit free. They say something about paying with luck, but that's just for show. They feed you for free. And the food's freaking delicious.
Deputy Director Choi Hyunju groaned as she read the report.
“Hmm.”
Paying with luck wasn't an empty claim.
The Bureau employees sent in disguised as customers had suffered one misfortune after another.
Nothing too serious. Three employees had been in traffic accidents on their way to work, six had been hit by bird droppings while walking, and two had fallen victim to rental deposit scams.
Oh, and seven had fallen for phone scams, while four had family members suddenly fall ill.
The moment she learned that paying with luck led to bad luck, she had immediately stopped sending employees in as customers.
That had all happened on the first day.
Now, on the second day, everyone there had genuinely come after hearing about the place.
That meant the current review report was based entirely on real customers.
“Is it really all right for Remi to keep getting more famous like this...?”
Perhaps Kim Remi was the truly dangerous one, rather than Kim Junyong...
And she was already as famous online as an influencer.
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