Garden Colony #3

 

Bubble bubble—

Potatoes and carrots are cooking smoothly in a large pot.

“Whew – preparing the ingredients is no easy task.”

Oh, it’s hard – Flora finally straightened her back and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

“Don’t be hard. Cooking is hard work. If you rush in underestimating it, you’ll soon be out.”

I remembered the haggard faces of the cooks wearing rubber gloves during my military days.

People used to dismiss the cooks as jokes without thinking much about it, but I know the hard work they put in.

Cooking for 200 people at once? It’s seriously tough.

If I do this every day… I might become as twisted as Gordon the swearer.

Flora and I decided to take a breather for a moment.

Like friendly cats, we were sitting around a boiling pot, chatting about this and that…

“A wizard?”

“Yes… My skills aren’t that great yet.”

I found out the surprising fact that Flora was a magician.

It’s hard to find a wizard in the pioneering lands, and one from the historic Magic Tower.

Somehow, the way she handled the sword was awkward, and her behavior gave off the impression of a noble lady.

It was the God of Law.

“What about Estelle?”

“Well, me too-”

I was about to say, “I’m a wizard too,” but I swallowed my words.

Clearly, if Richie had been at the peak of his power, he would have been one of the top five most powerful wizards on the continent.

But now he’s just a piece of shit that has lost all his abilities.

Can he really be called a wizard?

‘If you look at it objectively, isn’t he unemployed and unemployed?’

The ultimate freeloader who comes back to life no matter how many times he dies.

Right now, I am just a subtle being, great yet insignificant.

After thinking for a moment.

“I’m an aspiring magician.”

It feels like he’s unemployed but he’s saying he’s preparing for a job.

“Huh? Then—I don’t know if it’ll be right to say this, but I’m your senior!”

Flora smiled happily.

“Senior? Well, let’s say that’s true.”

“That’s great! Even though my skills aren’t that great yet, I’ll help you in any way I can. ⋯If it’s okay with you, Estelle.”

Flora gave a warm smile.

In the world of “Nine Stars”, he is a rare gentle and kind child.

It’s not all praise. In this harsh world, it’s hard for good people to survive for long.

Looking at that innocent face, I searched the database in my head.

Flora, Flora⋯.

‘I can’t think of anything in particular, so I guess it’s not a named person.’

Although he is a rare wizard, he is only a rare creature in the early stages of the village, the pioneering area, and later on, he will not be noticed at all.

But, right now, this kind of relationship isn’t so bad.

More than anything, I felt very lonely for a few days, spending it alone with no one to talk to.

“Thank you. I’ll be counting on you, senior.”

I took Flora’s hand.

“Okay, then let’s wrap things up.”

If you boil it this much, the potatoes and carrots should be cooked to a good edible consistency.

I opened the can I brought from the warehouse.

“Estelle, what is this?”

“Senior, have you ever heard of curry?”

“Curry… curry? No, I’ve never heard of it before.”

“Curry, of course. It’s a southern food. It’s the traditional food of a people who live with elephants, have extended limbs, and wield mysterious powers called yoga.”

Huh? Flora’s eyes widened.

Although there is no India in “Nine Stars,” there is a small country modeled after India.

Of course, as a country in a game, it is about a million light years away from the real India.

The production team’s distorted prejudices are reflected so much that when you go there in person, you can’t help but laugh out loud…

As for curry, it’s amazing.

A fantastic dish packed with the essence of yoga power.

If you eat curry made by a chef whose “Cooking” skill has reached the highest level, you will become temporarily immune to fire attacks and can even breathe fire from your mouth.

“The soup is turning yellow!”

As I lowered the heat and dissolved the curry powder in the boiling water, Flora, who was watching from the side, covered her mouth with her hand in surprise.

“This color, I don’t know if I should say this, but it’s more like— the inside of a toilet—”

“Shh. Stop it, senior, just have a taste.”

He took a spoonful of the thick curry and held it out.

Flora hesitated for a moment with a puzzled look in her eyes.

I swallow my saliva as if I were making a big resolution and put the curry in my mouth.

“⋯!”

Flora’s expression changed as she tasted the flavor of curry for the first time in her life.

“Now you know? Curry is invincible.”

Flora, her eyes wide, nodded vigorously.

***

The time for the showdown has come.

Unlike usual, there was a long line in front of the cafeteria.

It seems that rumors about Gordon and I having a cooking competition have already spread throughout the colony.

“I guess you managed to make something.”

Gordon came up to me and smiled wickedly.

“I commend you for staying and not running away. But what’s that musty smell, huh? What were you doing inside?”

“What? You don’t know curry?”

“Curry? What is that? Did you come here after a dream?”

In reality, curry is a world-class food that is widespread not only in India but all over the world, but not in “Nine Stars.”

Even Chef Gordon doesn’t know about it. It’s considered a foreign food that very few people know about.

“Look. I made this especially for you.”

Gordon pulled out a sign that read “LIAR.”

I’d rather spend time cooking than making that. Well, either way, he’s got no chance.

“You haven’t forgotten, have you? If you lose, you’ll wear this around your neck and crawl around the frontier like a dog. Without a single thread on your body.”

Gordon’s face was already drunk with victory.

“Now, it’s no use begging for him to step down.”

“Okay, okay. Okay, then go ahead and do what you want.”

As I waved my hand, Gordon gritted his teeth and returned to his seat.

As soon as the door to the cafeteria tent opened, people rushed in, their faces brimming with anticipation.

“Hey, make way for me, I’ll be passing by in a bit.”

The crowd split left and right, and guards appeared among the crowd.

It seems the rumor has spread to the barracks, and even the pioneer soldiers have come to eat. Even the captain of the guard.

“I heard there’s a funny story going around, Gordon.”

The captain of the guard took off his helmet and put it under his arm, saying:

“Ah, that’s… Captain, that’s that bitch’s nonsense! I’m being wronged. You know how responsible and hard-working I’ve been at the cafeteria up until this point—”

“What are you talking about? I just came because I heard there was a cooking competition.”

“Oh, really? Please wait a moment. The food will be served shortly!”

“Will it take long?”

“Five minutes will do.”

The captain nodded silently.

“I’m already ready. So while you’re waiting, why don’t you try my cooking first?”

As I intervened, the captain of the guard looked at me with interest.

Gordon looked like he had a lot to say, but he couldn’t bring himself to raise his voice in front of the captain.

All Gordon could do now was stare at him with hateful eyes.

“What is your name?”

“Estelle.”

“I’m hearing this for the first time. Well, good. Then let’s try your cooking first. Is that alright, Gordon?”

“Um, I- that’s… yes… please do.”

The match was decided here.

I don’t know about the captain and Gordon, though.

I poked my head into the kitchen and shouted.

“Senior, six bowls of curry.”

“yes!”

Once you’ve made the curry, just keep it warm over low heat and serve it on top of rice whenever an order comes in.

A structure optimized for high-speed distribution, as if designed for large-scale feeding.

There is a reason why it is so popular as a meal menu in schools, the military, and companies.

“Captain, this is amazing. What on earth is this yellow stew-like dish⋯.”

“This is my first time too. Carrera—the flavor is unique. Well, I guess I’ll try it before it gets cold.”

The guards moved the spoons carefully.

Yeah, let’s all catch them.

Everyone in the cafeteria watched them, swallowing their saliva.

The next moment⋯

“What, what is this! Ugh!”

“It’s spicy! It’s spicy!”

“Water, water… Can someone give me some more water-”

The soldiers were startled and screamed.

The crowd waiting in line began to murmur.

“Kuuuu⋯.”

Gordon lets out a dark laugh with a smug expression, saying, “Well, that’s right.”

“You’re crazy. You’re going to lose anyway, so you’re going to start a fight? What, curry? Spicy? Who would eat that, you idiot?”

You’re spitting, you little shit.

“I’m eating.”

“what?”

I pointed to the table with my thumb.

“It’s so freaking spicy!”

The soldiers’ faces are still red, but…

“But it’s delicious! What the heck, I can’t stop eating it!”

“Spicy, salty, sweet, fragrant, savory… I can’t describe the taste in a word, but anyway, it’s amazing!”

He bangs his face on the plate and keeps moving the spoon.

Gordon’s smile slowly faded.

“hmm.”

The captain of the guard put down the plate.

Although he didn’t make as much noise as the soldiers, sweat was beading on the captain’s forehead.

The captain took out a tissue, wiped his mouth, and then a satisfied smile spread across his face.

“It’s delicious.”

Of course so.

Karen Girl.

***

Next, the soldiers tasted Gordon’s dish, ‘Pioneer Special Fish and Chips’…

The two-hour dinner time passed.

The voting is over, and it’s finally time to announce the results.

To ensure fairness, the soldiers themselves counted the votes.

The captain of the guard, having finished his work, returned to the cafeteria.

“It went as expected.”

After reading the memo the adjutant had given him, the captain of the guard smiled mysteriously, as if he knew everything.

“The winner is⋯”

Flora closed her eyes tightly as if she couldn’t bear to look.

On the other side, Gordon is chewing his fingernails with a poisoned expression.

“Adventurers Estelle and Flora. You have won.”

“Wow, Estelle, we won! We won!”

Flora hugged my shoulders and jumped up and down.

Since it was an expected result, I wasn’t surprised.

Well, curry is invincible.

“Gordon’s cooking wasn’t bad either. The fresh fish was well-fried, and the potato chips were crisp and edible. However, it would have been nice if they had served this dish more often. Why haven’t they served it before… Hmm, anyway.”

The captain cleared his throat and continued speaking.

“However, everyone agrees that it didn’t live up to the curry’s flavor. I agree. 175 people, including myself and the soldiers, voted for curry. Gordon, you only got 21 votes.”

“⋯.”

Gordon stared blankly at the ceiling, his face as if the sky were falling down.

You probably won’t even hear the captain’s words right now.

Actually, Gordon’s cooking probably wasn’t that bad.

But there is a reason why Curry is guaranteed to win this quest.

It tastes good, but…

Because of its unique strong aroma and spiciness, after eating curry, the taste of the next dish feels somewhat vague.

So, from the moment I took the initiative, it was a fight I had no choice but to win.

“Listen, Captain. Do you know why I chose to compete with this guy?”

“⋯Why?”

“Hey, if you knew how much of the Empire’s support money he’s been embezzling, even the Captain would be shocked. I was going to crack open the ledger if I won. This is a good thing. Since the Captain is here, I might as well do it myself…”

Crunch—!

The next moment there was a huge commotion.

A table overturned, and Gordon swung his Chinese knife wildly from side to side.

“Get out of the way, get out of the way!”

People flinched and stepped back as Gordon, his eyes wide, raged like a beast.

Gordon hurried to the entrance, then turned his head one last time to glare at me.

So what.

What are you going to do when you look at me with those eyes?

“What are you doing? Bring them here right now.”

As Gordon ran away, the captain of the guard immediately gave instructions to his soldiers.

“What the hell is going on, huh? I’ll have to check the ledgers, as you suggested, but honestly, given the situation just now, I don’t think that’s necessary. Isn’t that basically a confession?”

The captain of the guard cast a bitter glance at the messy restaurant.

“Anyway, thank you for exposing the truth. It’s embarrassing, since I should have done it long ago. As the person responsible for maintaining order in the colony, I would like to formally express my gratitude.”

“Hey, this is all we need. We just help each other out and get along.”

“I don’t know if this will be enough, but I’ll try my best to show my sincerity. Oh, but by the way—you know, there’s something⋯.”

The captain hesitated and looked around.

“That curry, if there’s any left… can I have another bowl?”

The last words were from the captain of the guard, whispering quietly so that only I could hear.