Housekeeper in the dungeon

EPISODE 107

Pure curiosity about his abilities blossomed. It was a new kind of excitement, different from the pleasure he usually felt in his life.

“Are you going to report your skills to the guild?”

Hee-won asked with a hint of concern, obviously remembering the last kidnapping.

Hee-Na nodded at the question.

“Yes. The Guild Leader can read people, and I think it would be easier for us to talk about something big like this. It’s better to talk about it and get more protection or support. And this time, I’ll make sure the contract is a little tighter so it doesn’t leak out accidentally like it did with the peanuts.”

“……Well, yeah. If that’s what you think, let’s do it. But…… you’re determined to be different. How could the timid Lee Hee-na make such a bold decision?”

Hee-won nudged Hee-na, but she shrugged it off.

“You can’t be timid and hide in the shadows forever.

It wasn’t like she could just hide her abilities just because she wanted to live a normal life.

* * *

The meeting with the Guild Leader was quickly arranged as soon as Hee-won reported that her crops were ready.

At her request, the meeting was held in her office during her lunch break.

While Hee-won talked to the Guild Leader in her office, Hee-na prepared a meal in the kitchen attached to her office.

The menu was the same as last time. Spinach miso soup, spinach radish, and spinach frittata were the main dishes.

“Let’s finish up while you eat.”

Guild Leader Kim Gyu-hee, who had been summoned by Hee-na, raised an eyebrow at the meal on the table.

“This must be the dish made with that spinach.”

“Yes. I thought it would be good for you to taste it while eating, so I brought you here.”

“I’ll have to try it for myself to see if it’s good for me, right, thank you.”

The Guild Leader picked up his cutlery with a cool demeanor, scooped up the rice, and picked up the side dishes.

As soon as he put the food in his mouth, the Guild Leader’s eyes widened.

It was hard to tell if it was because of the delicious flavor or the extraordinary benefits of this special spinach dish.

For a while, Guild Leader Kim Gyu-hee calmly teased his cutlery and savored each of Hee-na’s side dishes.

“I’m a little nervous.

Maybe it was because she had only met Hunters who exclaimed how delicious the food was as soon as they took a bite, but seeing her eating in silence made her unnecessarily nervous.

“Hmm.”

Guild Leader Kim Gyu-hee, who had already emptied her plate halfway, let out a small sigh.

“What do you think?

Hee-na’s ears perked up. The guild leader met Hee-na’s curious gaze and smirked.

“You’re right, Hee-won, the raw spinach is worth the price alone, but it’s been enhanced by the team leader’s touch. Contrary to the saying, ‘What’s good for the body is good for the mouth,’ it also tastes very good.”

“Put what’s good for you in your mouth.

This was the perfect description of the potion.

The higher the grade, the more potent the potion, the worse it tasted. It never tasted good.

“It’s interesting in many ways.”

Guild Leader Kim Gyu-hee picked at the spinach sprouts with her chopsticks as if observing something interesting.

Hee-na knew what kind of description would pop up there.

.

The spinach that had gotten an A last time was cooked to an S grade this time.

The other foods didn’t perform as well as they did when Hee-na first cooked them.

“When I cooked spinach, it was much more potent than raw, but it was not consistent, the rise is jagged, and the grade changes. I’ve cooked it a few times at home, and each time the rise was different, and the duration was different.”

And the grade of the spinach wasn’t consistent either. On average, it was grade A, but there was some grade B spinach that was wilted, and cooking it would result in a much lower grade.

Hee-Na was a little worried, so she asked carefully.

“Wasn’t it a problem that the quality was irregular like this? If we’re going to deliver something to the guild, we need to have a certain quality.”

“That’s fine, it’s not a commodity, so it doesn’t have to meet a certain standard.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Hee-Na’s face lit up. She’d cooked it a few times at home, and the results were different every time.

But it was only for a moment. Guild Leader Kim Gyu-hee spoke up again.

“Of course, there’s nothing wrong with it, and this is something I discussed with Mr. Lee earlier, but there’s a problem with the ease of consumption.”

“Ease of consumption?”

“It’s supposed to temporarily boost your strength-related stats, so you’ll need to consume it in a hurry right before or during battle, but since it’s in the form of food, it’s more inconvenient to consume than a potion.”

“Ah…….”

I could see that.

It would be quicker and easier to drink the potion than to take out Hina’s food.

While Hee-na was lost in thought, Guild Leader Kim Gyu-hee chimed in.

“But it’s a shame to waste her talent, I think we can all agree on that, so I was wondering, …… Team Leader Lee Hee-na, would you be willing to collaborate with us on a research project?”

Hee-Na repeated her words like a parrot.

“Joint research?”

The guild leader tapped her fingers on the table as she looked at Hee Na’s bewildered face.

“I have a team of alchemists in the Blue Dragon, and I’ll assign you one of them who’s a big mouth and very capable, so you can collaborate and produce results. Didn’t you say earlier that you don’t understand why the quality of the output is so inconsistent when the same person is using the same skill? The alchemists of the Blue Dragon are all skilled researchers, so they might be able to help us solve the team leader’s questions.”

“Of course, it’s a hassle, Hee, so you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.”

Hee-won added quickly as if to say, “Don’t feel pressured.” She was concerned about her sister’s well-being.

“I’ve already talked to the guild leader about it, and we’ll be able to sell raw spinach as it is……”

“No, it’s okay, Sis, I’ll try this.”

Hee-na cut him off.

Hee-won raised an eyebrow at his unexpectedly quick answer.

“Really? Are you sure you don’t want to think about it anymore?”

“Yeah. It sounds like fun, and as the guild leader said, I’d like to use this opportunity to learn more about my skills.”

It was this part that made Hee-Na’s ears perk up.

“The alchemists of the Blue Dragon are all skilled researchers, so they might be able to help answer the leader’s questions.

I realized something while practicing the Pest Extermination skill with Kang Jin Hyun. Understanding your skills is very important.

Even if it was just a new interpretation of the skill’s description, the skill’s scope of use becomes even wider.

It was an amazing experience for Hee-Na. It was enough to spark her interest in reflecting on her abilities.

“Having a better understanding of my skills can be very helpful later on.

There was no telling what the future holds for Hee-Na.

Just as she used her Gathering Herbs and Cozy Bed skills to escape from monster possession, and her Exterminate Pests skill to turn it into an offensive skill, she might be able to use this cooking skill somewhere.

That was why she accepted the guild leader’s offer without question.

Guild Leader Kim Gyu-hee was very pleased with Hee-na’s simple answer.

“That’s great, Hunter Kang is also on an outside mission, so I’ll have a meeting with him tomorrow to make plans. I’ll pass on the details through Team Leader Kang.”

“Yes!”

Hee-na replied quickly.

The guild leader’s expectant gaze made her feel overwhelmed, but she was also excited about the new things that would happen tomorrow.

It was a feeling of excitement and courage that the old Hee-Na could never have imagined.

* * *

There was a knock on the door, and Hee-na quickly opened it.

“Hello!”

She smiled broadly and greeted the person with professionalism she hadn’t seen in a long time, but the other person slipped through the open door.

“Huh?

The situation was frustrating. Hee-Na turned around, trying to keep her smile on her face.

“You must be the alchemist who’s going to be working with me, right?”

“Uh-huh. That’s right.”

Hee-Na’s mood plummeted at the response from her new coworker, and she scanned the man before her.

The alchemist was a man of his age with a lean build, and he wore an unseasonable, dreary robe draped over his shoulders.

His skin was pale as if he rarely saw the sun. Add to that the upturned corners of his eyes and pouty lips, and you’ve got the makings of a very demanding man.

“That’s the workshop? Hmm. There’s more space than I thought. I can bring more tools.”

He opened the door to the kitchen attached to the office and looked around casually. It was a casual demeanor as if it were his own home.

Hee-Na’s brow furrowed.

“I’m sorry, but I haven’t been told anything about the alchemist yet.”

“You just need to know that I’m an alchemist, what else do you need?”