My Role at the Bar

What could I do? What kind of work could I take on at the Bar?

It was a vague question, but one I had already given some thought to.

The directive I received from the Chairman stated, “Consult directly with the Manager there regarding detailed job responsibilities.”

Interpreted positively, it could mean the Manager at my workplace would prepare tasks for me, and I just had to follow instructions. Interpreted negatively, given the nuance of the word “directly,” it could mean I had to find my own work and do it myself.

Knowing how malicious our corporation was, I understood that one should always assume the worst and prepare for it, meaning I had to be ready for the latter scenario. So, I had done some superficial research on alcohol and bars, things I'd never cared about before, and even in this situation, I had a rough answer prepared.

Even though I had no status window, no Nanomachines, and no Body Modifications, thankfully, I wasn't entirely without strengths to boast about.

Alright, it was time to switch to work mode and do some Self-PR. If I appeared competent to the owner of my workplace, my future life would surely be a bit smoother.

“First, I should probably tell you what I *can't* do. I don't know much about liquor, cocktails, or bars. I'm not particularly fond of alcohol, either.”

[Hmm...]

“However, while working at a bar is new to me, working in the the F&B sector itself is not.”

[Oh?]

My unexpectedly formal self-introduction seemed to surprise him slightly, and his bright yellow bulb-like eyes widened. *What kind of helmet is that, to allow for such subtle emotional expressions?*

“I'm accustomed to various odd jobs like dishwashing and cleaning; I can handle serving and customer service, and I have experience with Inventory Management, including stock checks, reservations, and ordering. Once I acquire knowledge about alcoholic beverages, I'll be able to handle related tasks without any problem.”

[Oh.]

This was already a considerable resume for a mere Bar employee. However, this wasn't an ordinary Bar, and my abilities felt a bit insufficient to catch the boss's eye. Ultimately, since my weakest point was the crucial area of alcohol, I needed one more thing to highlight.

It was time to pull out my trump card.

I smiled and opened my mouth.

“And I know how to cook.”

[...Cook?]

He looked skeptical. Sasha Dragon scratched the scales of his helmet and spoke.

[You're not talking about knowing how to heat up instant meals in a microwave... or how to operate a street vendor machine that automatically makes instant food when you put in ingredients, are you?]

“Of course not. What I'm talking about is Traditional Cuisine. I can do every step with my own hands, from processing the ingredients to turning them into a meal.”

[If that's true, that's impressive. Do you have a way to prove it?]

His skepticism was natural. Cooking was such an advanced skill.

In 21st century Korea, where I used to live, it was common to see people cooking for themselves or their families. I, too, often cooked from a young age, as I was in charge of cooking at home.

The 22nd century Dusk City was not like that.

Here, all food consisted of instant meals produced in Food Factories, or pre-cooked Retort Food.

The reason I say “all food” is that, for the general populace residing in the Lower Levels and Middle Levels, that's literally all there is to eat. Wherever you go, whatever you eat, you can't find anything of higher quality than the meal packs provided by the corporations.

Even that is a privilege enjoyed only by the Middle Class, or those among the Lower Class who are relatively well-off.

The truly Lower Class, the Poor, had nothing to eat but Nutrien Bars — which looked like something out of *Snowpiercer* — made from processed Food Waste, and “shit meat” made from recycled feces through a Chemical Process.

For the record, I've tried both. What's certain is that neither is a taste I'd care to describe.

So, why did people end up only being able to eat food provided by corporations? Why couldn't they cook their own meals from raw ingredients?

The reason is simple: ingredients are *fucking* expensive.

Do you want to taste Fresh Ingredients in Dusk City? Become rich. You can savor a crisp Cultured Apple for approximately 123.76 City Dollars!

Calculated without considering inflation, that's about 149,997 Korean Won! For that price, you can experience an apple roughly 100 times more expensive than a 21st century apple, half its size, and half its sweetness.

And naturally, it's not just apples. Vegetables, meat, and fish—most fresh ingredients—have prices that have shot through the roof.

And the reason ingredients are so *fucking* expensive is also simple. It's because of the damned environmental pollution and Climate Change. If I could just go back to my old world, I'd become a fervent Environmental Activist. Dammit.

After the Great Cataclysm and the World War, the air, soil, and water became polluted.

Vast Farmland disappeared entirely. Farms where livestock roamed were gone. Now, the Americas, despite their size, have become a region where no corn, wheat, cattle, or pigs grew.

Normally, if internal food production isn't sufficient, one would rely on imports from outside, but it was unlikely the situation was any different elsewhere. No country or region in the world escaped the pollution. With everyone struggling, there was no way anyone would have food to export.

Moreover, many trade routes with the outside world had been cut off by Autonomous AIs. The Hub Cities now had to achieve Self-sufficiency, producing food to sustain their populations and provide it to their Citizens.

Raising livestock and growing crops from scratch was, of course, impossible.

There weren't enough soil, not enough water, and not enough clean air. Even if there were, the productivity of Farming and Livestock Farming wasn't good enough to warrant investing all those resources. Natural Ingredients were discarded.

There were cultured meat and cultured plants as a new alternative. Fortunately, it was a feasible technology. In the 22nd century future city, beef, pork, chicken, and all sorts of other meats and crops could all be artificially produced.

However, the efficiency was low. To feed all the Citizens with cultured ingredients, even filling the city with Food Factories wouldn't be enough.

So, the corporations running the city sought other methods.

If the existing ingredients couldn't meet the demand, they could use Alternative Ingredients that hadn't been used before. It was a clever solution, and thanks to it, the city no longer suffered from food shortages.

However, there was a reason why those ingredients hadn't been used before.

The new era's ingredients were cheap, easy to obtain, and incredibly abundant, but they tasted *terrible*. Moreover, knowing what they actually were made you feel twice as disgusted when you ate them.

A prime example is <F1>SHIT</F1>. It's an acronym for what ordinary people in this world call the Four Main Staple Foods. You probably don't need me to explain why they're called <F1>SHIT</F1> (shit). It's because they all taste like eating shit.

In order, the first is <F1>S</F1>oy Protein. Simply put, it's soy meat, Fake Meat made from plant-based synthetic protein. In the 21st century, it wasn't even considered real meat, but here, many people can't even get their hands on this. It's the best-tasting of the Four Main Staple Foods.

The second is <F1>H</F1>lorella. It's a seaweed with excellent proliferation capabilities. While rich in nutrients, it tastes *fucking* awful and fishy. Anything with it turns green.

The third is <F1>I</F1>ll Krill. It thrives everywhere in the world's oceans, even in polluted waters. What was once used as fish bait for fishing is now eaten by people. It just tastes fishy.

The fourth is <F1>T</F1>. Cricket. This refers to Orthoptera insects like crickets and grasshoppers. Rich in protein, they are roasted, fried, boiled, ground—eaten in any way possible just to survive. You can get used to them. It's just that the reality of having to get used to such things is *fucking* awful.

These Four Main Staple Foods have taken over the market. If you order a hamburger, you get a Chlorella Bun with soy meat or a Krill Patty, and you can enjoy Fried Crickets as a side. Pizza, chicken, and sandwiches are all the same. This is the reality.

Corporations cleverly create plausible meal packs containing rice, bread, soup, and so on, all made from these ingredients. Those too poor to even afford that survive on Nutrien Bars and “shit meat”.

And all these Alternative Ingredients, already processed in factories, are released into the market. There's no room for individual touch.

At most, it's about heating up pre-cooked items with a machine according to a product manual, or giving them a final bake. This applies not only to homes but to all restaurants as well. They've all become franchises, operating under corporate-mandated processes.

There's no room for creativity or demonstrating Cooking Skill. And even if there were, it would be difficult to utilize. What kind of changes could one possibly make to Insect Meat or seaweed bread beyond the recipes provided by corporations?

Thus, it was impossible for Traditional Cuisine Cooking Methods that used precious and expensive real ingredients and took a long time to still exist.

That was why cooking had become a rare Specialized Skill.