Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: It's Edible Though?
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It's edible though?
Night fell upon the jungle.
The shadows of the forest draped over the night's darkness.
From beyond the layered darkness came the rustling of bushes.
We unpacked. Raised a tarp made from giant lotus leaves.
Drove stakes into the ground and tied unused robes over them to make a simple tent.
-Crackle.
In the meantime, struck a rune-inscribed stone to light the fire.
"Preparation complete."
A small fortress for spending the night in the dungeon was complete.
"Whew, good work, everyone."
"Heh heh, you too."
"Didn't you say this was your first time? You're awfully skilled."
With my experience roaming treacherous lands at home and abroad, I quickly adapted to setting up camp.
Even so, this was another world. I'd worried it might be tough, but things were going smoother than expected.
"Normally, you don't get to set up camp this comfortably. Monster attacks mean we usually can't even light a fire and spend the night trembling. Sometimes we tie ourselves to tree branches and sleep up there."
Sleeping in trees, huh.
"Oh, that sounds fun."
"There he goes again, this guy."
"He's usually fine, but his eyes get this weird glint at times like this."
Hahaha—
After spending the whole day together, we'd grown pretty close with the porter colleagues, laughing and chatting—
"Dinner's ready!"
From afar, today's cook and dish duty volunteer, Fey, called out to us.
According to Golden Duck guild's point system, today's winners were guild leader Rack and Fey. They'd been assigned the dreaded tasks of dinner prep and night watch.
"I'll take the night watch. Can't have a lady losing sleep."
But thanks to sweet Rack's suggestion, Fey handled cooking, and Rack took night watch.
Fey claimed she was good at cooking.
"Dinner... oh ho, barbecue and venison stew."
We headed to the eating area, set up a bit away from the shelters, and it looked quite appetizing.
"Fey, did you make all this yourself? Impressive."
One of the elder porters had butchered the meat, but preparing it like this was still amazing.
"Hmph, this is basic. Before joining the Magic Tower, I handled all the cooking at home."
Fey puffed out her chest at my praise, clearly pleased.
"Cooking is a kind of chemistry, right? So as a chemistry magic major, I can call myself a cooking expert to some extent."
"Oh..."
Anyway, she seemed confident.
Do chemists make good cooks? In dramas, they were great at making drugs.
'Let's try the stew first.'
I reached for the ladle from the older guys who'd tasted it first, but...
"...Whoa."
"Ugh..."
"Sss... ha..."
Their faces looked off after trying it.
'What's wrong? Does it taste bad?'
Come to think of it, it's a common trope. Food made by the naive young lady character turns out to be some horrific monstrosity.
And judging from Fey's behavior so far—
'...It's possible.'
I couldn't rule out the chance she'd made something resembling food.
"Fey."
"Yes?"
"Have you had any formal cooking training?"
"I self-studied from books?"
Learned cooking from books?
Suspicion stack: 1.
"Do you remember the book you used?"
"Of course! [Theory of Human Taste Perception]. Studying it in undergrad gave me incredible insights into cooking."
Not a cookbook.
Suspicion stack: 2.
"Isn't that a different genre?"
Hehe, as if expecting that, Fey launched into an excited explanation.
"It looks that way, but they're fundamentally the same. Chemistry magic creates magical phenomena through harmony of the five elements."
"Ah, I see."
"The human tongue works the same way. All flavors are determined by the spectrum of sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. No different from applying the five elements in magic, right?"
"Does it really work like that?"
At some point, it dove into sophistry.
"So, by blending flavor elements like casting magic and using ingredients that match... you naturally get good food."
"In theory?"
"It's been proven in practice! My sister said it was delicious!"
Family praise isn't reliable.
Suspicion stack: 3. Breaker.
That sealed it.
Eating this would not end well.
"Why isn't anyone eating?"
"Lizardman here, can't handle broth. Racial differences, you know."
"My wife's obsessive; she'd flip if I ate soup from another woman."
The others, catching on, averted their eyes and focused on chewing the relatively safe meat instead of the stew.
As everyone dodged Fey's ladle in a game of hot potato,
"Everyone, what's with the attitude toward the lady's hard work?"
Guild leader Rack stepped in.
"Miss Leblanc, may I try it?"
Sweet—
His sacrificial spirit to spare his comrade's feelings.
The picture of a true leader.
Gulp, gulp—
Rack boldly downed the stew Fey made,
"Mm. This is... well... the taste is..."
Chewing thoroughly to savor it,
"The taste is..."
Forcing a peaceful expression with tensed facial muscles—
"Urghweeeek—!!!!"
He vomited.
"Kweeeek!!! Kghk, the taste... fuck...!"
Mixing in thick curses, he spectacularly wrecked the dinner spot.
"..."
The fragile peace of the camp shattered in that instant.
*
"Ah, um... sorry..."
Fey bowed her head after receiving an objective review of her cooking.
The more devastating reaction than expected seemed to crush her.
"My sister... always ate it like it was delicious..."
Sister's love was touching.
But such love breeds monsters.
"N-nooo... that's not... ugh..."
Rack tried to explain but couldn't continue, already suffering severe internal damage.
'Aw, guess I should eat some.'
I'll take a moderate bite and give a lukewarm reaction to smooth things over.
I hate traveling in this gloomy mood.
'I've eaten my share of weird stuff on trips.'
I probably won't puke in front of the cook like Rack did.
"Then I'll eat some. Here goes..."
"Whoa? Will, wait...!"
Hold on, stomach.
I steeled myself and put the broth in my mouth.
And then,
"It's edible."
Nothing happened.
*
After the commotion from Fey's cooking, it was bedtime.
But sleep wouldn't come, so I approached Rack, who was muttering to himself on night watch.
"Rack."
"...Why you again... I mean, Will. What's up?"
Rack glared at me, forehead deeply furrowed.
For the gentlemanly Rack to speak so harshly.
His stomach must be in bad shape.
"Your stomach's probably hurting. Why don't you catch some shut-eye?"
"What're you talking about?"
"Can't sleep. I'll take watch till I do. The leader's the most important; can't have you overworking."
"No, I'm fine. I..."
"I saw you half-asleep earlier. It's fine. I don't sleep much at night anyway."
Under my persistent urging, Rack finally relinquished a bit of responsibility.
"Ah... then excuse me."
He bowed and headed back to his shelter.
And then,
Bow.
Out of nowhere, one of Rack's guildmates in the corner stood, greeted me, and left.
What the?
Left alone to tend the fire and stargaze,
"Will? Why're you on watch...?"
"Hm?"
Turning, there was Fey.
Her hair, usually braided to one side and draped forward, was down, giving her a different vibe.
"Ah, Rack seemed exhausted, so I offered to cover till I get sleepy."
"No need. That guy was just telling his subordinate to wait till everyone's asleep and take over."
No way.
Was that guildmate who greeted me the relief watch?
Rack's sweet image started to waver.
"Anyway, thanks for today."
Fey bowed to me.
"Huh? For what."
"I'm not an idiot. I almost messed up from getting emotional, but you helped me avoid offending anyone."
"No big deal."
Still,
"Mm... The others might disagree, but I really thought it was edible. Not just to spare your feelings."
"...Really?"
"Yes."
I really enjoyed it.
A bit salty, but within range for Korean tastes mixing cabbage with sodium.
Maybe this culture's bland palate overreacted?
"And don't get too down. You're not cooking again anyway, right? Just do better next time."
No malice, lesson learned.
"...Still, thank you."
"No problem."
Maybe from the fire's heat, Fey's profile was flushed red.
"Then good night. See you tomorrow."
"Yeah, you too, Will."
After parting with Fey, I slowly patrolled the camp.
Then leaned against the tallest tree trunk and gazed at the sky.
The towering branches framed the night sky like a picture frame.
A deep indigo and black abyss overlaying twinkling stars. At the edges, a faint Milky Way gently adorned the heavens.
A vibrant, wondrous sight impossible from my tiny villa where my lower body was paralyzed.
"Feels like a dream."
Lost in sentimental appreciation of the otherworldly scenery,
-Rustle, rustle.
The bushes ahead shook rhythmically.
Not natural, but the rhythm of a living creature inside.
"Huh, this is."
It'd happened once before.
Déjà vu.
When I first arrived here, the memory of meeting Fey.
The bushes shook like this, something approached—
-Myeong!
Yeah, it barked like this.
"You're... from back then..."
-Myeong!
The black puppy I'd seen when first meeting Fey.
It was wagging its tail at me.