I Regressed and Became Too Good at Brewing - Chapter 51

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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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Episode 51. As We Live, So We Reap (3)
“Everything was already in stock? Even the Hop Pellets?”
– I’m telling you! It’s incredible!
Just as I’d predicted, Se-jun grumbled about everything at first, but the moment he caught the scent of the domestic hops, he became a complete convert.
The aroma was so exceptional that he said if his Brewing Technique were only adequate, he’d have opened a business on the spot.
“But why didn’t you draw up a contract?”
– Come on. You’re the boss, not me. How could I just push ahead on my own?
“You’re the acting manager today.”
– Not anymore. Ha.
The title of acting manager must have worn on him.
The moment an opportunity arose, Se-jun handed off the post without hesitation.
To someone who’d been with Songhada longer than he had.
– Ha-jeong was practically tearing her hair out. Ha ha.
“You’re something else, you know that?”
– Me? You’re the one who’s too much! You started this whole thing in the first place!
Having entrusted Ha-jeong, who could rightly be called one of Songhada’s original members, with the acting manager’s proxy, Se-jun promptly arrived where I was, carrying the hops and Hop Pellets he’d picked up from Hoptrang.
From what I’d heard, they hadn’t yet signed a formal contract.
“She was fine with you proceeding that way?”
– She said as long as we could get some results right away, that would be good enough for now.
“That’s… not straightforward at all.”
In fact, it had been an extraordinarily risky decision for Seo-ah, the owner of Hoptrang, to make.
If we used her Hop Pellets to brew a batch and then said, “This isn’t very good,” she’d be the one left with nothing but losses.
Yet she’d still pushed forward with things arranged this way.
“Either she’s remarkably innocent, or she has that much confidence in what she’s offering.”
– If you ask me, it leans more toward the latter.
I’d like to think Se-jun’s reading is correct.
If it were true, we could not only solve whatever problems Jin-woo and Eun-chae were facing at The Hob, but potentially craft something exceptional.
– And the timing is perfect. The problem with the beer was hops, you said?
“That’s right. Looking back on it now, the coincidence really is uncanny.”
As though someone were watching over us, Gyeong-sik called just when I was wrestling with the hop question.
And it turned out that Gyeong-sik happened to know someone who cultivated domestic hops.
“Though I can’t say there’s nothing odd about it.”
– Huh? What?
“Nothing. When do you think you’ll get here?”
– Um… at this speed, I’d say within an hour.
“Understood. I’ll see you then.”
– Yep, got it.
While Se-jun rushed down the expressway laden with Hop Pellets and Fresh Hops, I headed toward The Hob where Jin-woo and his wife were.
The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
“No matter how I look at it, something’s off.”
The entire chain of events unfolded with an almost eerie favorability.
And I knew what entity could be connected to such an improbable sequence of events.
“A Goblin might be capable of this.”
Lost in such musings, I arrived at The Hob.
“Welcome! Oh, hello, boss!”
“Hello. You’re cleaning again?”
“Ha ha…”
It was Eun-chae who greeted me, currently wiping down the brewery floor.
Not much time had passed since my last visit, yet here she was again scrubbing the very spots she’d already cleaned.
In matters of cleanliness, she’d perhaps surpassed even Songhada’s standards.
“Surely this is more than sufficient.”
“But with him working so hard, I can’t just sit idle.”
I turned to look where Eun-chae’s gaze had drifted.
Though the shop sat empty of customers, there in the corner sat Jin-woo, absorbed in deliberation over Mash Tun ratios and hop quantities, and from his figure radiated passion and hope.
Surely it was this very dedication that made Eun-chae trust him so, and which in turn gave Jin-woo the strength to persevere.
“Have you found a solution?”
“Some progress. But I’m still not certain.”
“Whatever method you’ve found, we have to believe in it.”
“Your confidence means everything.”
The smile that bloomed across Eun-chae’s face was something I found myself unable to thank her for enough.
Then I should live up to that expectation.
Besides, I have my own purpose too, which makes it even more so.
“You’ve been researching?”
“It’s like this here… Oh! You’re here!”
“May I take a look?”
“Of course! Though I’m afraid I wrote it down so haphazardly…….”
“It’s fine. I think I can make enough sense of it. Really.”
Jin-woo had called his notes haphazard, but honestly, they didn’t strike me that way at all.
If anything, they were so clear I could brew beer from them as-is.
“You’re thinking of using Calcium Chloride?”
“Yes. To achieve the flavor and mouthfeel I’m after, I think it’s absolutely necessary.”
The right answer.
I’d thought exactly the same thing.
When most people hear “calcium chloride,” they picture the white powder spread on roads so you don’t slip on snowy days—but in beer production, it plays an entirely different role.
It raises the chloride concentration in the water, rounding out the nuttiness of the malt while keeping the sweetness from climbing too high.
It would be perfect for crafting the smooth yet full-bodied India Pale Ale that Jin-woo was after.
“The Mash Tun won’t need any adjustments.”
Beyond that, the stage where he adjusted the ratios of malt going in was calibrated with extraordinary precision.
I couldn’t even estimate how much effort he must have poured into it.
The moment I saw the ratios broken down to 0.1% increments, I felt genuine awe.
If only the hops Se-jun was bringing could complement it, we could create a beer in exactly the direction Jin-woo wanted.
“Then would it be alright if I had a look at the interior facilities?”
“Of course! I’ll show you around—”
“No, it’s fine. I saw it all earlier, so I already know what each machine does. I’ll just have a quick look around.”
I sat Jin-woo down and headed toward the brewing facilities inside.
Having him follow me would be a problem.
The real reason I’d come back here was to find Hwanggu, the goblin.
The creature, who was so fond of the couple that owned this place that he clung to them like glue, wasn’t anywhere in the main hall.
Then he must be in the brewing facilities somewhere.
“Did he do something?”
I had to confirm whether the goblin really orchestrated all these coincidences.
The interior facilities gleamed as if Eun-chae’s touch had passed over them once more.
But for all my searching in every corner, Hwanggu was nowhere to be found.
“Where did he go…….”
According to Song-ha, goblins cannot leave the space where they were born.
That’s why, despite all the ups and downs, the goblins dwelling in Songhada never ventured outside.
Then Hwanggu, too, had to be here somewhere.
“But I can’t see him…….”
I was in the midst of searching when—
<Over here……>
A small voice, barely audible.
Much quieter than when we’d met before, but unmistakably Hwanggu’s.
I searched for what felt like forever, following that faint sound.
Crouched in one corner of the Mash Tun—the machine where ground malt and water are mixed through the Mashing process—I found Hwanggu.
“You…….”
<Ha ha. Human. You’ve grown so big! Or… did I get smaller?>
He had clearly shrunk considerably.
When I’d first seen him earlier today, he’d been about waist-high—the size of a small child—but now he was barely palm-sized, clinging to the floor.
“What on earth happened to you?”
<Something did happen. But something good must’ve come of it too! Right? Human?>
“Something good happened…….”
Looking at him with an ashen complexion yet grinning from ear to ear, I understood.
I didn’t know how he’d managed it, but the connection with Seo-ah had been restored—and I was certain it was his doing.
And I could see that he’d sacrificed himself once more to make it happen.
“What did you do? Exactly?”
<I made an earnest request! To help that couple!>
“A request? To whom?”
<Who would a goblin make a request to? To the Goblin King, of course.>
The Goblin King.
I never imagined I’d hear about that entity through Hwanggu’s mouth here.
Unlike ordinary goblins like us, the Goblin King has no such constraints. He can come and go wherever goblins exist.
“So… he came here?”
That’s right! That’s why I begged him so desperately! For his help! I didn’t really expect anything, but……
Though the Goblin King possessed formidable power, Hwanggu explained that he rarely granted such requests.
He’d known this all along, but he’d still thrown himself at the Goblin King’s feet in tears and pleas.
But……
Human! The moment you arrived, he agreed without hesitation!
“He agreed just because I showed up?”
That’s right! Work like this normally goes against the natural order of things. So he wouldn’t grant it even using all a goblin’s power! But he agreed right away! He said it was possible because you’ve built so many karmic connections up to now!
In other words, I shouldn’t have received Hoptrang’s call in the first place.
But through my connection with Songhada, I was able to meet Grandfather Gyeong-sik, and through him, I became linked to Hoptrang, which Seo-ah runs.
And the Goblin King must have used Hwanggu’s power to make that connection happen.
That’s why the creature had shrunk to the size of a palm.
Wait, if that’s the case.
“You’re going to be all right, aren’t you?”
I’m… fine……
“Don’t lie to me.”
Ugh. I can’t deceive human eyes… The truth is, I’ve only got about two weeks left……
“Two weeks? You don’t mean……”
I… I managed to help, barely! Hehe…… And the Goblin King told me to trust only you! He made a direct vow about it!
That’s true enough.
Before I returned, I made a promise with the Goblin King himself.
To save the goblins.
But I never thought things would become this urgent.
If I don’t successfully brew beer and restore Hwanggu’s power within the next two weeks……
Hehe. I’m so glad you came. It’s been ages since I’ve seen those two smile like that. Hihi.
This creature, who’d even laid down his life for Jin-woo and Eun-chae, would simply vanish.
I’d just gained one more reason why this task absolutely had to succeed.
“I’ll definitely pull this off. Trust me.”
I trusted you from the very beginning, human!
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Boss? Ah, there you are.”
Just as my conversation with Hwanggu was winding down, Jin-woo entered the facility.
He approached me, scratching his head.
“Did you call one of your employees, boss? There’s a truck outside……”
“Oh! Yes! I called them. I found new hops.”
New malt! Human! I want to see it too!
I carefully lifted the creature onto my palm as he pestered me to go, and we headed outside together with Jin-woo.
Se-jun arrived right on schedule, just as I’d expected.
He spoke as he unloaded a box from the truck bed.
“Oh! Yeon-woo! Hi, boss!”
“Se-jun. Perfect timing.”
“You know it! I’ve been dying to see you brew beer with this hop. Heh heh. I floored the accelerator the whole way.”
Se-jun opened the box he’d brought down, his anticipation evident, and showed me what was inside.
“Man, when you see this, you’re gonna be seriously blown away. Hehehehe.”
And as the box opened and I looked inside.
“Wow.”
“Ooh!”
Fine, fresh green malt!
Well-refined Korean native Hop Pellets revealed themselves.

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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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