I Only Baked Bread, but I Was Mistaken for the Best - Chapter 55

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 55. The Witch and the Shipwreck (5)
“Meow. How exciting.”
“Squeak!”
“Oh, Chohong came too.”
Perhaps it was the delicious aroma wafting through the air.
Chohong had slipped out from the house I’d prepared in the Kitchen Garden and settled beside me before I knew it.
Born from the Bakery Owner’s power, the creature seemed to have quite a fondness for bread.
Judging by the way she opened her eyes wide, grinned broadly, and drooled, it was clear.
“Meow! A rival has appeared!”
“Squeak! Squeak squeak!”
“How much could you possibly eat? But even that small amount—I won’t give it up! My owner’s bread is that delicious!”
“I never knew you felt that way all this time. Thank you.”
“M-meow… Just slice the bread already, owner!”
“Heh. Understood.”
Leaving Noir to hiss in embarrassment, I sliced into the pound cake.
The outer crust crackled with a crisp sound as the knife cut through.
Then the blade glided smoothly through the tender interior.
When the cross-section of the pound cake was finally revealed, we couldn’t help but gasp.
“Wow…”
“Meow… magnificent…”
“Squeak! Squeak!”
The exposed surface was fluffy and crumbly, a golden yellow.
Studded throughout with dried steel berries, their crimson hue bled mysteriously across the surface, creating an enchanting atmosphere.
* * *
‘I never expected to meet you here!’
Gyu-ri, on her second visit, had to work to calm her trembling heart.
After all, she had finally reunited with her benefactor, the Black Smoke, whom she had longed to see again.
‘What should I say? How should I say it? No wait, my image is already ruined by that stomach growl… Does that mean I can say anything now?’
Of course, this emotional reunion wasn’t quite the scene she had envisioned.
But what did that matter?
What mattered was that they had met again like this.
‘It’s still the same…’
A house built from candy and sweets.
She had named the guild she created with her colleagues H&G precisely because of this pastry shop’s appearance.
Unlike the fairy tale, where the gingerbread house in Hansel and Gretel was fragile enough to be torn apart by children’s teeth and hands, this one remained intact even when a Twin Head Ogre struck it with his fist.
When she thought about it, the Black Smoke seemed to lack for nothing.
‘Wait? Then how do I repay the debt?’
Building a pastry shop inside the Gate, possessing strength that made monster attacks seem trivial.
What could a mere S-rank Hunter possibly offer such a being?
Money? Power? Fame?
Such beings could obtain whatever they desired with just a thought.
‘And yet here I am, still mooching meals off someone like that…’
My S-rank dignity was truly in tatters.
‘I should at least give her the rewards from clearing this Gate…’
Of course, that alone wouldn’t repay all the kindness I’d received, but it would at least ease my conscience a little.
It was just as Gyu-ri was settling her thoughts that it happened.
“Have you been waiting long?”
Black Smoke emerged from the kitchen, carrying a plate with a piece of bread on it.
Followed by the composed Black Smoke Cat, and…
“Kyuuu!”
“So cute!”
A tiny fairy fluttered in on small, adorable wings.
* * *
“Oh my! So incredibly cute! Ahhh!”
Gyu-ri had always been unable to resist anything cute.
Though they weren’t personally acquainted, I knew this about her from various media sources.
“Look at this tiny thing! It has eyes, a nose, and a mouth! How is this possible!”
After earning the title of Flame Saint and becoming famous, she’d said on several TV shows that she couldn’t resist anything cute.
Her weakness was so severe that she apparently had an entire room in her home dedicated to items in the “cuteness” category.
For someone like her, the appearance of a tiny, winged fairy that made squeaking sounds was undoubtedly a momentous occasion.
“Kyuu kyuu!”
“Really so cute! I’m losing it!”
Chohong fluttered around me before settling on what appeared to be my head, folding her wings to rest.
Then, with those large, sparkling eyes, she looked at Gyu-ri and tilted her head curiously.
“Kyu?”
“Huh… gaaah…”
Gyu-ri made a deflating sound and completely collapsed.
“Is that all it takes?”
“I think so too, Owner.”
“Kyuuu! Kyuu kyuu!”
“Heeeh… huaaah…”
Still unable to recover her senses, and now looking as though she might start drooling, I offered her the tray.
“Shall we have a meal?”
“Oh! Ah… thank you so much…”
Only then did Gyu-ri seem to realize her shameful display, straightening her clothes and repositioning herself properly.
Yet from the way she kept stealing glances at where Chohong was, it seemed she hadn’t given up.
However…
“Wow… it’s really beautiful…”
My bread was just as captivating as Chohong.
The well-baked pound cake proudly displayed its delightfully crispy exterior.
The belly button that forms from the split would be adorable too.
The pattern made from steel berries visible on the cut surface would be beautiful as well.
“This is….”
“It’s a pound cake. Fresh from the oven, so it should be delicious.”
“Ah. Yes. I know it’s a pound cake, but… this… um… could it be….”
Gyu-ri spoke hesitantly, gauging my reaction carefully.
It was only natural.
The reason she could be called an S-rank Hunter of South Korea was because of the power she gained from eating the baguette I made.
She must be wondering if this pound cake possessed some equally incredible effect.
“It will be delicious.”
Bread is not made to be admired by looking at it.
It is made to be eaten, to bring the joy of taste, and to bring happiness.
At my response, Gyu-ri nodded and picked up a slice of pound cake, placing it in her mouth.
And immediately after came an exclamation.
“Mmm!”
Her eyes widened in circles, and the tension in her body gradually melted away.
Every physical reaction conveyed a clear meaning.
“It’s so delicious!”
“I’m glad.”
“Really! It’s incredibly delicious! Wow!”
After devouring one slice, Gyu-ri eagerly grabbed another piece.
Not a hint of hesitation in her movements—she was clearly very satisfied.
“This is really delicious! It’s so fluffy! And it has a tangy flavor but it’s not overwhelming!”
A precise description of the taste.
Considering I used all ingredients in a 1:1 ratio, it couldn’t be otherwise.
Soft and fluffy, with a texture that crumbles gently when bitten and clings to the teeth—everything was perfect.
And the crispness on the outside was something else entirely.
The sweet and tangy flavor seeping from the dried steel berries embedded inside added such complexity that it transformed the otherwise overwhelming buttery taste into something beautifully layered.
“It’s the most delicious pound cake I’ve ever had!”
“Thank you.”
Gyu-ri, having forgotten all her worries, became completely absorbed in eating the pound cake before her.
Watching the smile spread across her face, I reflected.
Yes, this was why I decided to bake bread.
However, the power contained in this pound cake was more than just its taste.
“Huh?”
It was bread infused with the Witch’s power.
“After consumption, one ship boarding negates status abnormalities… After consumption, one ship boarding negates water-type attacks? What on earth….”
“How is the taste?”
“Of course it’s delicious… Wait, what exactly is this effect!”
The Gate where she operates is a shipwreck located in the middle of a vast ocean.
To reiterate, it’s a shipwreck.
In other words, the moment she enters the Gate, she’ll be treated as having boarded the vessel, so all status abnormalities will be nullified, and water-based attacks will also be rendered ineffective.
Moreover, since there’s neither another ship to transfer to nor any land to disembark upon, the “one-time” limitation could be replaced with “infinite.”
“Wait… I’m invincible?”
At this very moment, standing on this ship, she was essentially invincible.
“But you said the attacks in this Gate grow fiercer with each passing day, and there’s plenty of spray! This makes it all meaningless!”
My sincere wish for her safety and well-being had materialized in this manner.
All that remained was simply enduring—that’s what it had come down to.
“How is this even possible…”
“You’ve already experienced it once, and now you doubt again? Human?”
Noir approached Gyu-ri, who was struggling to keep up with the situation, and casually threw out those words.
“What you should be thinking about now is the price of this transaction, human.”
“Ah! Right… yes… the price…”
“Surely you weren’t planning not to pay the price… meow!”
“You stay out of this for a moment.”
I picked up Noir, who was making a fuss demanding payment from Gyu-ri despite not having baked the bread herself, and set her aside.
She kept hissing in displeasure, but there was nothing to be done about it.
I had something I clearly wanted as payment for this.
“I prepared a beverage since pound cake alone might make your throat feel dry. Would you care for some?”
“Oh… is that also part of the payment…? I’ve already received so much. I’m not sure I can handle any more…”
“Actually, that beverage is related to the payment itself.”
I retrieved the Subunseo Cheong I had prepared and set it before Gyu-ri.
It was somewhat different from the existing Subunseo Cheong—you could say it was a slightly upgraded version.
Unlike the early days when only the Moisture Sprout’s flavor was used, this time I had made it using commercial Subunseo Cheong infused with various fruits harvested from the Kitchen Garden, creating multiple flavor layers.
“Please, have a taste.”
“Well… then I won’t refuse…”
Gyu-ri lifted the cup and brought it to her lips.
After letting the first sip slide down her throat, she kept the cup to her mouth, moving only her throat as she drank.
She set the empty glass down on the table with a clatter and exclaimed.
“What is this! It’s sweet, but there’s also a tartness to it! And on top of that, it’s refreshingly cool all at once! Plus, there’s a subtle saltiness that keeps it from becoming cloying!”
An accurate description of the Subunseo Cheong’s flavor profile.
The Moisture Sprout, having been nourished by purified salt, possessed an appealing taste.
Remarkably, it possessed all five flavors except bitterness—a refreshing sensation complete.
What fruit in this world could possibly deliver such a thing?
“It’s Moisture Sprout.”
“What? Moisture Sprout? But how could Moisture Sprout… Oh? Could it be?”
After hearing my answer, she stood in a daze for a moment before a realization seemed to dawn on her, and she slowly opened her mouth.
“Could it be! Witchfood!”
“Correct.”
“Now that I think about it, I feel the effects taking hold as I drink it—it’s exactly the same!”
In the early days, a small amount of Subunseo Cheong and Aide were sold, and it seems Gyu-ri purchased some as well.
From what I heard earlier, she created a group called H&G, and Maestro is apparently a member of it.
If that’s the case, it’s highly likely they bought it for analysis and research purposes.
“Wait, is that Yeon-gi’s company?”
“It’s not my company, but I’ll say it’s related.”
“That’s the same thing!”
“There is a clear difference.”
Of course there’s a difference.
My name isn’t officially listed on the paperwork.
“Anyway, that’s the content of the transaction.”
“That’s it? What does that even….”
“I’m planning to use it for business.”
“Business… why would Yeon-gi… wait, you did establish a company, so it is business, isn’t it?”
“Most people don’t know about it yet. I understand. Hunters naturally have to prioritize safety, so it can’t be helped. That’s why I have a proposal.”
I refilled the empty cup in front of Gyu-ri with Subunseo Aide once more as I continued speaking.
“When you clear this Gate and leave, I’d like you to spread the word to everyone.”
‘Our Subunseo Aide tastes delicious.’
‘Please buy a lot of it.’
That’s what I mean.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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