The Unbeatable Curry of the Frontier

The Garden frontier. The potatoes and carrots were simmering nicely in a large, heavy pot. "Phew—preparing ingredients is no small feat, is it?" Flora finally straightened her back, wiping sweat from her forehead. "It’s tough work. Cooking is manual labor. If you approach it lightly, you’ll burn out in no time."

Memories of the exhausted kitchen police from my military days surfaced. People often joked about them, but I knew the weight of their labor. Cooking for two hundred people at once? That’s genuinely grueling. If I had to do this every day... I might turn as twisted as that foul-mouthed Gordon.

Flora and I decided to take a breather. We sat together in front of the bubbling pot like two friendly cats, chatting about this and that, when—

"You're a mage?"

"Yes... though my skills aren't much to speak of yet."

I learned the surprising fact that Flora was a mage. Mages were hard to come by in a frontier town, and she was even from a prestigious Magic Tower. No wonder her knife work felt awkward and her manners carried the faint air of a young lady from a noble house. She was a 'Magic-user,' indeed.

"How about you, Estelle-ssi?"

"Well, I'm..."

I almost said, I'm a mage too, but swallowed the words. A Lich is a powerful mage, one of the top five on the continent in their prime. But right now? I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was just a bottom-tier loser who had lost all my power. Could I even call myself a mage...?

If I'm being cold and objective, aren't I just an unemployed bum?

The ultimate bum who keeps coming back to life no matter how many times I die. I was a subtle existence—both grand and pathetic. After a moment of thought, I replied, "I'm a mage-in-training."

It was the kind of thing you say to soften the blow of being unemployed by calling yourself a job seeker.

"Oh? Then—I don't know if I should say this, but I'm your senior!" Flora beamed.

"Senior? Sure, let's go with that."

"That's great! My skills might be lacking, but I'll help you with whatever I can. ...If that's alright with you, Estelle-ssi." Flora offered a warm smile.

She was an unusually gentle and kind child for the world of Nine Stars. That wasn't necessarily a compliment. In this harsh world, kind people rarely lived long. Watching her innocent face, I searched my internal database. Flora, Flora...

I don't recall anything, so I guess she's not a named character.

She might be a rare mage, but that only mattered in a starting town like this; she probably wouldn't even be noticeable later on. Still, this kind of relationship wasn't half bad for now. Above all, I had been quite lonely spending the last few days without anyone to talk to.

"Thanks. I'll be counting on you, Senior." I took Flora's hand.

"Now, shall we finish this up?"

After simmering this long, the potatoes and carrots should be perfectly tender. I opened the can I’d brought from the storage.

"Estelle-ssi, what is that?"

"Senior, have you ever heard of curry?"

"Curry... curry? No, I've never heard of it."

"Curry is a dish from the southern lands. It's the traditional food of people who live alongside elephants, have limbs that stretch, and wield a mysterious power called 'Yoga Power.'"

"Eh?" Flora's eyes went wide.

There is no India in Nine Stars, but there is a small country inspired by it. Of course, like any country in a game, it is about a million light-years away from the real India. It’s filled with the developers' distorted prejudices, so visiting it in person makes you laugh out of sheer absurdity... but the curry is incredible.

It is a fantasy dish packed with the essence of Yoga Power. If you eat curry made by a chef who has reached the pinnacle of the Cooking skill, you become immune to fire attacks for a while and can even breathe fire from your mouth.

"The broth is turning y-yellow!"

As I lowered the heat and dissolved the curry powder into the boiling water, Flora, who had been watching from the side, covered her mouth in shock. "This color, I don't know if I should ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠say this, but it doesn't look like food, it looks like... inside a toilet..."

"Shh. Enough of that, Senior. Just try a bite."

I scooped up a spoonful of the thickened curry and held it out. Flora hesitated, looking wary. Then, as if bracing herself for something major, she gulped and put the curry in her mouth.

"...!"

Flora's expression changed instantly at the flavor of the curry, which she was tasting for the first time in her life.

"See? I told you. Curry is invincible."

With wide eyes, Flora nodded vigorously.

The time for the showdown had arrived. Unlike usual, a long line had formed in front of the cafeteria. It seemed the rumor that Gordon and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I were having a cooking battle had already spread throughout the frontier.

"Looks like you managed to make something," Gordon said, approaching me with a malicious grin. "I'll give you credit for not running away. But what is this musty smell? What did you do in there, huh?"

"What are you talking about? Don't you know curry?"

"Curry? What's that? Did you have a fever dream?"

In reality, curry is a world-class dish spread across the globe, not just in India, but not in Nine Stars. Since even a chef like Gordon didn't know it, it was treated as an obscure foreign dish that almost no one knew about.

"Look. I made this especially for you." Gordon pulled out a sign he had scribbled 'LIAR' on. He should have spent that time working on his own food. Regardless, there was no way he could win.

"You haven't forgotten, have you? If you lose, you wear this around your neck and crawl around the frontier like a dog. Without a single stitch of clothing on." Gordon looked completely intoxicated by his own impending victory. "It's too late to beg for mercy now."

"Yeah, yeah. Got it, so go do your thing." I waved him off, and Gordon gritted his teeth before returning to his station.

As I lifted the door of the cafeteria tent, people pushed in, eager and expectant. "Alright, alright, make some room, let me through." The crowd parted, and guards appeared from among them. It seemed the rumors had reached the barracks, and the soldiers had come to eat as well. Even the Guard Captain was there.

"I heard an interesting story going around, Gordon," the Guard Captain said, tucking his helmet under his arm.

"Ah, that's... Captain, that's just nonsense from that girl! I'm innocent. You know how responsibly and hard I've worked in this cafeteria until now—"

"What are you talking about? I just came because I heard there was a cooking battle."

"I-is that so! Please, wait a moment! I'll bring the food out right away!"

"Does it take long?"

"Five minutes is all I need."

The Guard Captain nodded silently.

"I'm already prepared. Why not try my food while you wait?" As I interjected, the Guard Captain looked at me with interest. Gordon looked like he had plenty to say, but he couldn't raise his voice in front of the Guard Captain. For now, glaring at me with hateful eyes was all he could do.

"What's your name?"

"Estelle."

"Never heard of you. Well, fine. I'll taste your food first. Gordon, that's alright, isn't it?"

"Um, I... that is... yes... please do."

The battle was decided right there, though the Guard Captain and Gordon didn't know it. I poked my head into the kitchen and shouted, "Senior, six bowls of curry."

"Yes!"

Once the curry was made, it was kept warm on low heat, and all we had to do was ladle it over rice as orders came in. It was a structure optimized for high-speed service, as if designed for mass feeding. There's a reason it's a staple menu item in schools, the military, and companies.

"Captain, this is fascinating. What is this yellow stew-like dish..."

"It's my first time, too. Curry, you say—the aroma is unique. Well, let's eat before it gets cold."

The guards moved their spoons cautiously. Yes, eat up, everyone. Everyone in the cafeteria held their breath, watching them. The next moment—

"W-what is this! Ugh!"

"It's spicy! It's so spicy!"

"Water, water... someone give me more water—"

The soldiers cried out in surprise. The crowd waiting in line began to murmur.

"Kehehe..." Gordon let out a gloomy laugh, looking triumphant. "You're insane. You knew you'd lose, so you're trying to ruin the place? Curry? Spicy? Who would eat that, you idiot!"

You're spitting everywhere, you jerk.

"They're eating it."

"What?"

I pointed at the table with my thumb. "It's insanely spicy!"

The soldiers' faces were still bright red, but... "But it's delicious! What is this, I can't stop!"

"It's spicy, salty, sweet, fragrant, and savory... I can't describe the flavor in one word, but it's incredible...!"

They buried their faces in their plates, moving their spoons incessantly. Gordon's smile slowly faded.

"Hmm." The Guard Captain put down his spoon. He didn't make a scene like the soldiers, but beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. After wiping his mouth with a tissue, a satisfied smile spread across his face.

"Delicious."

Of course it is. It's curry.

Following that, the soldiers tasted Gordon's dish, 'Frontier Special Fish and Chips'... and two hours of dinner time passed. The voting ended, and it was finally time for the results. To ensure fairness, the soldiers themselves handled the vote counting. The Guard Captain, having finished his work, returned to the cafeteria.

"As expected," the Guard Captain said, reading the memo from his adjutant with a cryptic smile. "The winner is..."

Flora closed her eyes tight, unable to watch. Across the room, Gordon was biting his nails with a venomous expression.

"Adventurer Estelle and Flora. You two have won."

"Waaaah—Estelle-ssi, we won! We won!" Flora hugged my shoulder and jumped up and down. I wasn't surprised, as it was the expected result. After all, curry is invincible.

"Gordon's dish wasn't bad either. The fresh fish was fried well, and the chips were crispy and edible. Though, I wish you had served food like this occasionally... hmm, anyway." The Guard Captain cleared his throat and continued.

"However, the consensus is that it didn't reach the flavor of the curry. I agree. Including myself and the soldiers, 175 people voted for the curry. Gordon, you only received 21 votes."

"..."

Gordon stared blankly at the ceiling, looking as if the sky had collapsed. He probably couldn't even hear the Guard Captain's words now. In truth, Gordon's food probably wasn't that bad. But there was a reason curry always wins this quest. Beyond the taste, its strong aroma and spiciness make the flavor of any dish eaten afterward feel dull. So, once I took the initiative, it was a battle I couldn't lose.

"Captain, listen. Do you know why I had this competition with him?"

"...Why?"

"If you knew how much money he's been siphoning off from the Imperial support funds, you'd be shocked. I promised to check the ledger if I won. It worked out well. Since you're here, why don't you take a look yourself..."

Crash!

A loud commotion broke out. A table flipped, and Gordon swung a Chinese cleaver wildly. "Get lost, you bastards! Get out of the way!" As Gordon rampaged like a beast with bloodshot eyes, people flinched and backed away. Gordon cleared a path to the entrance, then turned to glare at me one last time.

So what? What are you going to do with those eyes?

"What are you doing? Catch him immediately!" As Gordon fled, the Guard Captain ordered his soldiers. "What a mess... I should have checked the ledger as you said, but looking at this, there's no need. Isn't this a confession in itself?" The Guard Captain cast a bitter look at the ruined cafeteria.

"Anyway, thank you for uncovering the corruption. It’s shameful that I should ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have done it sooner. As the person responsible for maintaining order in the frontier, I formally express my gratitude."

"Oh, it's nothing. We're all helping each other out."

"I don't know if this is sufficient compensation, but I will show my sincerity. Ah, but by the way—is there..." The Guard Captain hesitated, glancing around. "That curry... if there's any left... could I have another bowl?"

The last part was a whisper, meant only for my ears.