Chapter 10: Garden Frontier #3

Chapter 10: Garden Frontier #3

Bubbling-

Potatoes and carrots were cooking smoothly in the large pot.

“Phew- Preparing the ingredients is no easy task.”

Oh, this is hard- Flora finally straightened her back and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

“It is. Cooking is hard labor. If you underestimate it, you’ll fall off quickly.”

I remembered the always exhausted faces of the kitchen staff wearing rubber gloves during my military service.

People often dismissed kitchen staff jokingly without much thought, but I know their hard work.

Cooking for 200 people at once is genuinely tough.

If I had to do this every day… I might become twisted like Foul-mouthed Gordon.

Flora and I decided to take a break.

We sat by the simmering pot like friendly cats, chatting about this and that…

“You’re a mage?”

“Yes… My skills aren’t much yet, though.”

I learned the surprising fact that Flora is a mage.

Mages are rare in the frontier, and she’s from a prestigious magic tower.

No wonder her swordsmanship looked awkward, and her demeanor exuded the air of a noble lady.

So she’s a legal god.

“What about you, Estel?”

“Well, I’m also-“

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

Certainly, the Lich was a powerful mage, ranking among the top five on the continent in their prime.

But now, they’re just a weakling who has lost all their abilities.

Can they really be called a mage…?

‘Honestly, aren’t they just an unemployed bum?’

An ultimate unemployed person who revives no matter how many times they die.

I’m now a subtle existence, both great and insignificant.

After a moment of thought.

“I’m an aspiring mage.”

It’s like saying I’m a job seeker, even though I’m unemployed.

“Oh? Then… I don’t know if I should say this, but I’m your senior!”

Flora smiled, her face lighting up.

“Senior? Well, let’s go with that.”

“That’s great! Although my skills aren’t great yet, I’ll help you with anything I can… if you’re okay with it, Estel.”

Flora gave me a warm smile.

She’s a rare gentle and kind child in the world of “Nine Stars.”

It’s not just praise. In this harsh world, kind people don’t live long.

Looking at her innocent face, I searched my mental database.

Flora, Flora…

‘Nothing comes to mind, so she’s probably not a named character.’

Even though she’s a rare mage, she’s only rare in an early-game village like the frontier; later on, she’ll be unremarkable.

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

Besides, the few days I spent alone without anyone to talk to were quite lonely.

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

I clasped Flora’s hand.

“Well then, shall we finish up?”

The potatoes and carrots should be tender enough after simmering this long.

I opened the can I brought from the storage room.

“Estel, what is this?”

“Senior, have you heard of curry?”

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

“Curry, you see, is a southern dish. It’s a traditional food of people who live alongside elephants, have elongated limbs, and wield a mysterious power called yoga power.”

Really-? Flora’s eyes widened.

Although there’s no India in “Nine Stars,” there is a small country based on India.

Of course, being a game country, it’s a million light-years away from the real India.

It’s full of distorted prejudices from the developers, and it’s so absurd when you visit that you can’t help but laugh…

But curry is amazing.

A fantastic dish filled with the essence of yoga power.

They say that if you eat curry made by a chef whose “Cooking” skill has reached its peak, you become immune to fire attacks for a while and can even breathe fire from your mouth.

“The soup is turning y-yellow!”

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

“This color… I don’t know if I should say this, but it looks less like food and more like… the inside of a toilet-“

“Shh. Stop that, and senior, why don’t you try a bite?”

I scooped up a spoonful of the thickened curry and offered it to her.

Flora hesitated for a moment, her eyes showing reluctance.

Taking a deep breath as if steeling herself, she put the curry into her mouth.

“⋯!”

Flora’s expression changed completely as she tasted the curry, which she must have never experienced before.

“Now you know, right? Curry is invincible.”

Flora, with wide eyes, nodded emphatically.

***

The time for the competition has arrived.

Unlike usual, a long line had formed in front of the mess hall.

The rumor that Gordon and I were having a cooking competition had apparently spread throughout the frontier.

“You managed to make something, I see.”

Gordon approached me with a malicious smile.

“I commend you for not running away sooner. But what is this musty smell? What did you do in there?”

“What are you talking about? You don’t know curry?”

“Curry? What is that? Did you have a bad dream?”

Curry is a world-class dish widely known not only in India but also around the world in reality, but not in “Nine Stars.”

Even the chef Gordon doesn’t know about it. It’s treated as an exotic food that very few people know.

“Look. I made this especially for you.”

Gordon pulled out a sign with “Liar” scribbled on it.

He should have focused on his own dish instead of making that. But anyway, he has no chance of winning.

“You haven’t forgotten, right? If you lose, you’ll wear this around your neck and crawl around the frontier like a dog. Without a stitch of clothing on.”

Gordon already looked like he was reveling in victory.

“It’s no use begging me to back down now.”

“Yes, yes. I understand, so go do what you need to do.”

I waved my hand dismissively, and Gordon returned to his spot, grinding his teeth.

As the tent flap of the mess hall was lifted, people eagerly pushed their way in, their faces full of anticipation.

“Hey, hey, make way, I’m just passing through.”

The crowd parted to the sides, and guards appeared among the crowd.

The rumors must have reached the barracks, as the frontier soldiers also came to eat. Even the captain of the guard.

“I heard there’s an interesting story going around among the people, Gordon.”

The captain said, taking off his helmet and tucking it under his arm.

“Ah, that’s… Captain, it’s this girl’s nonsense! I’m being framed. You know how responsibly and diligently I’ve worked in the mess hall until now-“

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

“I-is that so! Please wait a moment. I’ll bring out the food right away!”

“Will it take long?”

“Five minutes.”

The captain nodded silently.

“I’m already ready. Then, while we wait, why don’t you try my dish first?”

As I interjected, the captain watched me with an intrigued gaze.

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

All Gordon could do now was glare at me with hatred.

“What’s your name?”

“Estel.”

“I haven’t heard of you before. Well, that’s fine. Then I’ll taste your dish first. Gordon, is that okay?”

“Um, I… well… yes… please do.”

The match was decided here.

Though the captain and Gordon might not know it.

I poked my head into the kitchen and shouted.

“Senior, six bowls of curry.”

“Yes!”

Once the curry is made, it’s kept warm on low heat, and all that’s needed is to serve it over rice when an order comes in.

The structure is optimized for high-speed serving, as if designed for large-scale catering.

There’s a reason it’s widely used as a mess hall menu in schools, military bases, and companies.

“Captain, this is strange. What is this yellow stew-like dish…”

“It’s my first time too. Curry- The aroma is unique. Well, let’s eat it before it gets cold.”

The guards carefully moved their spoons.

Yes, everyone, please try it.

Everyone in the mess hall watched them, swallowing their saliva.

The next moment…

“Wh-what is this! Sob!”

“It’s spicy! It’s spicy!”

“Water, water… Someone give me more water-“

The soldiers cried out in surprise.

The crowd waiting in line began to murmur.

“Hee hee…”

Gordon smirked triumphantly, as if to say, ‘As expected.’

“You’re crazy. You know you’re going to lose, so you’re going to cause a scene? What, curry? Spicy? Who would eat something like that, you idiot!”

You’re spitting, you bastard.

“They are eating it.”

“What?”

I pointed to the table with my thumb.

“It’s incredibly spicy!”

The soldiers’ faces were still red, but…

“But it’s delicious! What is this, I can’t stop!”

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

They buried their faces in their plates and kept moving their spoons.

Gordon’s smile slowly faded.

“Hmm.”

The captain put down his plate.

Although not as loud as the soldiers, sweat was beading on the captain’s forehead as well.

The captain took out a tissue, wiped his mouth, and then smiled with satisfaction.

“It’s delicious.”

Of course, it would be.

It’s curry.

***

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

The dinner time, which lasted two hours, passed.

The voting was over, and it was finally time for the results announcement.

To ensure fairness, the soldiers themselves took charge of tallying the votes.

The captain returned to the mess hall after finishing his task.

“It turned out as expected.”

The captain read the result memo handed over by his subordinate and gave a subtle, knowing smile.

“The winner is…”

Flora squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch.

Across from us, Gordon was gnawing on his fingernails with a venomous expression.

“Adventurer Estel and Flora. You have won.”

“Yay! Estel, we won! We won!”

Flora hugged my shoulders and jumped up and down.

It was the expected result, so I wasn’t surprised.

After all, curry is invincible.

“Gordon’s dish wasn’t bad either. He fried the fresh fish well, and the chips were crispy and edible. However, it would be nice if such dishes were served more often, but why not even once… Hmm, anyway.”

The captain cleared his throat and continued.

“However, everyone agrees that it couldn’t compare to the flavor of curry. I think so too. Including myself and the soldiers, 175 people voted for curry. Gordon, you only received 21 votes.”

“…”

Gordon stared blankly at the ceiling, his face as if the sky had fallen.

He probably couldn’t hear the captain’s words now.

In fact, Gordon’s cooking might not have been that bad.

But there’s a reason why curry always wins this quest.

Besides the taste…

Due to its strong aroma and spiciness, the taste of the next dish eaten after curry feels somewhat dulled.

That’s why, once I gained the first-mover advantage, it was a battle I was bound to win.

“Captain, listen. Do you know why I competed with this person?”

“…Why?”

“This man, you’ll be surprised if you know how much of the money the empire provided he’s embezzled. If I win, we agreed to check his ledger. It’s a good thing you’re here, Captain, so perhaps you could directly…”

CRASH-!

The next moment, a loud commotion erupted.

A dining table was overturned, and Gordon wildly swung a Chinese cleaver in all directions.

“Fuck off, get out! Everyone move!”

Gordon, with bloodshot eyes, thrashed like a beast, causing people to flinch and retreat.

Gordon violently cleared a path to the entrance, and finally turned his head to glare at me.

So what?

What are you going to do if you glare at me like that?

“What are you doing? Bring him in immediately.”

As Gordon fled, the captain immediately gave orders to the soldiers.

“What is all this… As you said, we should examine the ledger, but judging by the situation just now, there’s probably no need. Isn’t this tantamount to a confession?”

The captain cast a bitter gaze at the now chaotic dining hall.

“Anyway, thank you for revealing the corruption. I should have done this myself long ago, so I’m ashamed. As the person responsible for maintaining order in the frontier, I officially express my gratitude.”

“Ah, it’s nothing much.”

“I don’t know if it’ll be sufficient compensation, but I will show my appreciation in a way that won’t leave you feeling regretful. Ah, but perhaps… you know…”

The captain hesitated, glancing around.

“About that curry, if there’s any left… could I have another bowl?”

The captain whispered the last part so only I could hear.