The Artist Who Paints Dungeon

'I've been to French restaurants a few times before….'

Gio looked around the interior of the restaurant again.

'They really nailed the concept here.'

Gio, who is more romantic than fearful, wasn't fazed even by the words, 'This is a restaurant that was made from a dungeon where dozens of people died.'

'Why should I be scared when the food is good?'

To Gio, even the air in this restaurant, 'Histoire,' felt sweet.

“Do you like this place?”

“The atmosphere is nice.”

It was confusing yet clean, dreamlike yet neat. The cool but gentle feel of the colours was likely due to the designer's ability to blend white and pastel tones appropriately.

It was a bizarre yet fantastic design, as if it embodied someone's beautiful dream.

'There's a high probability that this building wasn't designed by a human …'

The complex and beautiful building, like a dream brought to life, and the sweet air that made your mouth water as if an illusion was being materialized, made him feel excited as if he was at an amusement park for a unique ride that he had never experienced in his life.

Even on Earth, originally there had been something called immersive dining. It referred to restaurants where you could watch performances in theatres designed with a single concept and enjoy a meal immersed in that theme. You could say it's a participatory play where you could enjoy a meal.

'And here, this restaurant called a dungeon, has a story connected to an actual dimension, unlike the pure, fictional plays that could be considered lies, it's a real story, and it was even said that the chef here was the protagonist of that story.'

The restaurant was quite tall, but its centre was open, so you could see the ceiling even from the first floor.

But that didn't mean the centre was completely open in a circular shape. There were stairs connected in layers and a round lobby without any railings, where the guests could also dine.

People dining in the aerial lobby were seated in such a visually pleasing position as if they had been chosen as the main characters of this play.

Gio and Yoo Sung-woon sat on the seats at the edge of the fifth floor.

“Hmm…”

Yoo Sung-woon asked with a curious expression.

“Did you actually want to sit in the lobby? It's a popular spot since it's where the dungeon's story took place.”

“No.”

“Ah, you answered quickly. You kept looking at the aerial lobby, so I thought you might prefer that spot.”

“I liked the building's structure, so I was just admiring it. It's a pleasure to look at.”

Though he didn't reject it outright out of courtesy, he absolutely did not want to dine in the aerial lobby.

'Having all that attention focused on me would be too intense of an experience for someone with a soft heart like me.'

If you think of it as immersive dining, that spot could also be part of the play, but he didn't want to eat in such a space where he could be stared at by unfamiliar strangers. Gio covered up his shyness. 𝘳

“I was just admiring it.”

“Well, that's a relief.”

At Gio's clean yet firm tone, Yoo Sung-woon inwardly sighed in relief.

'…I can't have Gio exposed in such a public spot like that.'

Though Gio was still wearing his hood as he wished, that didn't mean he could hide his physique or the atmosphere around him.

No matter how much he tried to lower his status by imitating humans, where would his true essence go?

'About 19 people are watching… 11 of them are hunters. 4 seems to be on guard, preparing for any unexpected situations. 1 is C-rank, 2 are B-rank, and 1 is A-rank.'

Histoire was a unique restaurant that utilized remnants of a past dungeon, so most ordinary people who hadn't awakened avoided coming. The hurdle was too high for them to casually come just to enjoy a meal.

The price was one thing, but more than that, the fact that it was a place where many people had died in the past made it a no-go for most.

'Many people said they'd have nightmares if they ate in a place like this.'

For hunters, witnessing people dying was a daily occurrence, so over 70% of the customers at Histoire were hunters.

However, even among them, the reactions varied.

'Because the influence of the remnants still remains.'

Histoire's building could cause anything from hallucinations and auditory illusions to, in extreme cases, schizophrenia symptoms.

Though it wasn't easy to get to that point unless someone caused a disturbance in the restaurant, many customers couldn't handle the subtle pressure that the building itself emanated.

Gio, this guy.

'If you're going to imitate humans, at least do it properly.'

By showing such calm enjoyment of the restaurant, he naturally drew the attention of the other guests. In a space that became increasingly bizarre the more you looked, he blatantly showed that he wasn't human.

'…Moreover….'

Even without such eerie behaviour, Gio had an air of nobility around him.

'Maybe he fits so well in this French restaurant because he looks like real nobility.'

Should he call it elegance, or perhaps intimidation? He wasn't even trying, but even though he was trying to lower himself, every gesture that came out exuded a certain dignity.

'I didn't notice it much when we were only talking through the portrait, but now that he's out here, he definitely has an elegant atmosphere. He even has a neat vibe like those priests in the temple.'

Does he really think that the word 'ordinary person' fits him when he has this kind of atmosphere?

'There aren't many people like this even among humans…'

Even though Gio had a deep respect and understanding of humans, he still had gaps here and there. Judging from his lack of attention to detail showed that he wasn't human after all.

Of course, Gio wasn't thinking about anything.

'It's been a long time since I've been to a restaurant like this.'

As Giovanni, that was what he thought for a moment.

In fact, all the elegance, poise, and priestly demeanour he had shown up until now came from 'Giovanni,' who had been a noble, a doctor, and a priest. He simply wasn't aware of the habits and atmosphere that naturally came out.

“Here's the opening bread.”

“Thank you.”

Gio's heart raced.

'It's bread.'

He hadn't been this excited for a lump of flour in a long time. It reminded him of the meals he shared with his disciples during his life as Giovanni, making him feel even better.

Yoo Sung-woon seemed to sense Gio's joy.

“Do you like bread?”

“Don't worry, I eat everything and I'm not picky.”

“You really do enjoy food, don't you….”

“Yes, I do.”

Gio tore off a small piece of bread and placed it on his plate.

'It's small and round.'

Then he broke it into pieces and ate it bit by bit rather than all at once. Yoo Sung-woon observed Giovanni's behaviour.

Yoo Sung-woon was inwardly convinced.

'A noble… or at least someone of a similar class.'

Given how meticulous the manners he put into each and every bite, that much was clear.

'It didn't stand out as much at the set meal restaurant, but… did he have some connection to France? Or maybe it's just something else related to Western customs….'

While Yoo Sung-woon pondered, Gio continued his meal.

“The bread is delicious.”

“Really? It does have a nice aroma.”

“It's mild and savoury.”

The surface of the bread was dry, almost to the point of being overly crisp, but it wasn't tough or hard like bad bread.

Inside the crispy outer layer which broke apart like a layer of pastry, was a warm, soft centre, with steam rising from it.

'It doesn't feel like regular sliced bread or morning rolls. If I had to compare, it's closest to Ciabatta. But even so, it's incredibly softer than that it's quite different from what I know….'

It felt as if layers of meringue had been puffed up, creating a delicate chewiness between the soft textures.

The crunchy crust, the tender softness inside, and the slightly chewy texture made it enjoyable to chew.

The mild and savoury taste of the bread itself, bringing out the natural grain flavour, and the subtle wood-fired oven aroma was also excellent.

'It's not overdone, everything is harmonious.'

He wanted to kidnap the person who made this.

“This oil smells great too.”

“Oh, really? I heard it's olive and mushroom mixed with oil.”

“Olive and mushroom?”

“Both are dungeon-improved varieties. This might suit your taste more.”

“It's certainly a unique combination. I like it. It's nice.”

Normally, the oil used for dipping bread like this before the meal was often paired with balsamic vinegar.

Balsamic vinegar, which could be called sticky grape vinegar, had a uniquely rich, sour flavour, but interestingly, this oil had salt in it instead.

'It almost feels like eating sashimi.'

Gio suddenly thought of the mermaid with navy blue hair. She was a proud and sensitive child.

'…Aria didn't like strong flavours, so she liked dipping bread in oil without vinegar. But if I added salt like this, it would've been fine… I didn't think of it back then.'

Well, salt was expensive at that time, and it was hard to keep a sufficient supply. Even if one lived in a seaside village, salt was a precious ingredient.

It definitely tasted like sashimi.

The texture of the bread was particularly unique, soft but tender, yet chewy like fatty tuna belly dipped in sesame oil. The bread also gave off a lively feeling.

'…Maybe because the oil and salt are mixed together, the flavour is amplified, and the sweetness of the grain is more pronounced. It's definitely a combination that pairs well with the texture of freshly baked bread.'

While he was nibbling on the bread, the second dish arrived.

“It's an onion soup with three kinds of cheese.”

Unlike the creamy soups most people think of, this was a transparent brown soup relying solely on the sweetness and savoury flavour of onions.

The thick yellow and orange cheese melted perfectly, covered the soup so much that you couldn't see through it.

Gio gently scooped up the soup.

'The cheese isn't that thick.'

The inside of the crispy grilled outer layer of the cheese was soft and delicate. Perhaps because it was in contact with the onion soup, it had absorbed the deep savoury flavour unique to well-fried onions.

'The onion's texture is well-preserved. Even though it was cooked so tender that it melts on the tongue, the onion's original form is still visible, which means they made this soup with extreme care. It must've taken quite a bit of time.'

Cheese on top of onion soup. A common combination, yet Gio didn't particularly like thick cheese on top. It was due to his personal preference that didn't like how the cheese became rubbery when the soup and bowl cooled down.

'Some might say that thick cheese adds texture, like radish or meat in soup… but that's not for me. I just want to eat soup.'

However, the bowl of this soup maintained a warm temperature, and the cheese was neither too thin nor too thick, making it easy to scoop. Thanks to this, the natural flavour of the onion was even more emphasized.

“Do you like it?”

“It feels nice, like it's warming my body.”

“Indeed, onion soup feels like a bit of a healing dish.”

“I think so, too.”

The process of sautéing white, firm onions until they turned a deep caramel colour. That process was the key to making onion soup. If the onions were burnt or undercooked, you'd end up drinking bland onion water instead of tasting its savoury flavour.

But this soup, which had extracted every bit of sweetness, savoriness, and richness of the onions, was worthy of being called a healing dish. With ordinary effort and time, one wouldn't be able to bring out all the flavours of the onion to this extent.

'Kidnapping.'

Let's kidnap the chef.

“This is a cheese flower salad with Amura purée.”

Upon hearing the new dish and the unfamiliar term, Gio naturally turned to look at Yoo Sung-woon.

It was a beautiful salad with a pale yellow sauce drizzled on top, cheese shaped like flowers scattered around, surrounded by neatly trimmed flower petals.

An explanation was needed.

“Ah… are you curious about the ingredients?”

“If it's alright, may I ask what Amura is?”

“It's one of the representative fruits successfully cultivated after being brought from a dungeon. Do you know avocado?”

“I know.”

“It's a fruit with soft flesh similar to that, but with a strong nutty aroma like that of nuts. The fruit contains a massive amount of oil, and that oil doesn't burn easily at most temperatures, so I hear it's often used in Chinese cuisine.”

“Then the flesh itself…”

“That's right. This is the first time I've seen a place that uses Amura as a purée. Last season, there was a fruit salad. Histoire changes its menu every four months, so it's always fun to visit.”

“I see.”

The fruit called Amura had a pale yellow colour, even lighter than a chick.

'…It has a nuttiness similar to that of peanuts or walnuts.'

But it didn't immediately remind him of nuts. Strictly speaking, it was more like the subtle sweetness and nuttiness you get from chewing rice for a long time.

Then, in the end, a rich sweetness like honey, and the tanginess unique to fruits hit—adding variation to the flavour.

'It's definitely rich in oil. It almost feels like marbling in beef…'

This sweet oiliness, somewhat reminiscent of bone broth, paired perfectly with the refreshingly spread petals. Gio's eyes naturally fell on the cheeseflower, which resembled the shape of a korean rosebay.

When he slightly split the cheeseflower, he could see that it was a 'flower' grown naturally like this from the beginning.

“… Cheese flower…”

“Are you interested? Should I get you some seedlings later?”

“Please do.”

“Alright. I'll buy it for you on the way back after the tour.”

“Thank you.”

A flower that grows into cheese—what an exciting story to gather up all the childhood innocence anyone ever had. It seemed like something straight out of a fairytale he had read as a child.

'Considering how much effort it takes for humans to make cheese, this is an incredibly charming flower.'

What even is cheese in the first place? Wasn't it a symbol of effort, where you boil and boil the sweet milk, roll and roll it until one finally got a small quantity after all that work?

And now, this processed product was naturally growing as a flower—how could that not be surprising? The petals were thin and beautiful like a work of art.

'What's the mechanism behind this? The taste itself seems similar to Tête de Moine cheese…'

The semi-hard cheese maintained its shape but crumbled softly when touched, with the softness and nuttiness typical of milk, but with a strong, nutty aroma and a pungent, spicy flavour.

The cheese flower had a slightly stronger spiciness on the tip of the tongue, but it wasn't unpleasant. It was just enough to refresh the oily taste of the Amura purée and the characteristic richness of the cheese.

'This combination is a work of art. Could the chef be a living cultural treasure?'

Above all, the cheeseflower, being twice as sweet and nuttier than Tête de Moine, also carried a hint of honey. It was like the delicate sweetness you get when you flip over a korean rosebay flower and sip the nectar.

That sweetness matched the salad so well, it was almost frightening. Gio was excited at the thought of planting this flower back at the cabin.

“You look really happy.”

“Yes.”

What an obvious thing to say.

“Humans are happiest when they eat.”

“Uh… really?”

“Well, I am, at least.”

It had been that way since he ate the potatoes his grandmother roasted in the wood-fired oven. He couldn't escape from this extremely primal pleasure.

The rest of the meal course was just as fantastic. There was gratin with a rich truffle aroma, french fries lightly topped with cheese, slow-cooked beef brisket infused with the aroma of wood, and garlic that was made into crispy chips.

For something known to be oily like French cuisine, the harmony was exquisite, making it a course that didn't get tiring.

“How was it overall?”

“It wasn't just good, it was excellent.”

“I'm glad you enjoyed it…”

If you're going to mimic humans, why don't you at least pretend to care about your surroundings?

'Humans are more social creatures than you think…'

Yoo Sung-woon, who had to bear the brunt of 'what the hell is that' gazes directed at Gio, smiled bitterly.

korean rosebay (pink azalea):

from what I look around, seems like most azalea is poisonous, only this pink azalea is edible.

Tête de Moine cheese (the only thing I know is that this cheese is expensive):

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