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054 Curry Day
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Translator : PolterGlast
It was the morning of
the 62nd day since my reincarnation. Today, I headed to the temple early with
Solidia and Bath, of course, to change jobs. Bath seemed to have decided to
change to Adventurer after thinking about it all night. It looked like he made
up his mind at dawn, as he had dark circles under his eyes.
"Master, I've
successfully changed to Necromancer." Solidia's joyful face after the job
change was very striking.
"Congratulations.
Your level reset to 1, but let's work hard to raise it."
"Yes. Please take
care of me."
Bath emerged. He
looked refreshed.
"I changed to
Adventurer."
"Good. I look
forward to working with you from now on."
"The pleasure is
all mine."
The temple's prices
were still exorbitant. I paid 40,000 Grill for their two job changes. I had the
financial means to pay that much, but if they didn't lower the price, it would
be too high a hurdle for ordinary people.
Next was Golteo-san's
shop. Golteo-san was absent today, so I asked the sub-manager to release
Rosalina.
"The release is
complete. Congratulations, Rosalina. No, Lady Rosalina."
"Hehehe-nanodesu!"
Rosalina giggled.
Rosalina's release was
complete, and I ruffled her hair.
"I'm counting on
you from now on, Rosalina."
"Yes-nanodesu!"
Now, since Golteo-san
wasn't here, I decided to ask the sub-manager.
"Rice (ç±³/kome) and watermelon? Hmm... I haven't heard of
them..." He tilted his head.
"Watermelon is a
large, green fruit with black stripes," I explained.
"Ah, perhaps you
mean uomero?" he asked. Uomero because it's watermelon? I didn't care
about the name.
"Do you have
seeds for that?"
"That is a rare
fruit, and unfortunately, we do not handle its seeds," he replied. So rare
that even this large shop doesn't have it. It was a shame, but I wouldn't be
able to eat watermelon for a while.
"However, if you
grant us some time, we may be able to procure them," he offered.
"Really!?"
When one god casts you aside, another picks you up! Yes, please procure them,
I'll wait!
"I don't mind how
long it takes, so please procure those seeds," I requested.
"Understood,"
he replied. The prospect of watermelon was secured! Now, for rice.
"Rice (ç±³/kome) is something like flour, but it's grown in
flooded fields," I explained, simplifying it since I wasn't sure if
"paddy field" would translate. By the way, "flour" here
refers to a grain similar to wheat that's common in this world. A mixture of
flour powder and gugurt powder becomes bread.
In Japan, we had weak
flour and strong flour depending on gluten content, but this other world's
wheat must also have various types of flour. Their characteristics would also
differ by region. Therefore, there's a good possibility that rice is also
different.
"In flooded
fields... similar to flour... perhaps you mean rice (ライス/raisu)?" he
asked. Eh, rice!? Just as it sounds!
"Yes, that's it.
Probably," I confirmed.
"Rice is grown in
places with abundant water. Since its yield per cultivation area is higher than
wheat, it is used as livestock feed." How wasteful! It takes eighty-eight
steps to grow rice... though I guess that's different in this world.
"Do you have that
rice in stock?" I asked.
"Yes. Since it's
for livestock feed, it's in the back warehouse," he replied.
I was led to the
warehouse and checked the rice. It was brown like brown rice, but I recognized
it as rice. I needed to remove the hulls, but of course, I bought it.
Husking... or was it
dehulling? How do you do it again? Well, I'll figure it out later.
I bought 10 bags, each
containing about 10 kilograms of rice. Since it was livestock feed, there was a
mountain of it. It was a delightful sight. If it tasted good, I'd come back to
buy more.
***
Upon returning to the
mansion, Solidia immediately began making catalysts. This could be done with a
skill, so it supposedly wasn't difficult as long as she had the materials. The
materials were mainly magic stones. I had some magic stones since they were
also used for magic tools in the mansion.
I watched her make
catalysts, and it was like something out of a game. She placed a magic stone on
the table, held both hands over it, and activated the Catalyst Creation skill.
The magic stone glowed, and a catalyst was created.
One F-rank magic stone
dropped from a Gargoyle could make 10 catalysts. For now, she could only make
catalysts for Skeleton Summon, but as her skill proficiency increased, she'd be
able to make other catalysts. It was a strange and game-like sight nonetheless.
After that, I watched
Rosalina undergo training with Gandarvan while I husked rice. I put a small
amount of rice in a burlap sack and pounded it against a flat stone. It was
rough, but after thump-thump-thump, the hulls surprisingly came off. A little
more, and most of the hulls were removed.
Next, I put the rice
into a small barrel and poked it with a stick. Polishing the rice. I went
thump-thump-thump, and something like rice bran came out, so I figured I was
probably polishing it.
Looking at the rice
after sorting out the bran, it was still brown. It seemed I needed to polish it
much more to get pure white rice. It was quite a lot of effort. If I was going
to eat rice regularly, I'd have to make a rice polishing machine. I wouldn't
make one now since I didn't know if this rice was delicious yet.
The mansion's kitchen
had a magic stove, which is where the cooking was done, but I built a stone
stove in the garden and cooked rice in a pot over an open fire.
"Phew,
phew," I muttered, managing the fire. It was tough.
Since I had already
started a fire, I decided to have a barbecue. I asked Zoppa, the cook, to cut
vegetables and meat into appropriate sizes and skewer them. Of course, I also
had him skewer whole pond squid and season them with Burgan.
Then I mixed several
spices to make curry. It felt like camping, which was fun. I had dozens of
spices, and this time I mixed about 10 kinds. As I added finely chopped
tomatoes and simmered it, a wonderful aroma, a complex mix of spices, wafted
up. It was the smell of curry!
I finely chopped the
labyrinth beef and added it to the curry. Since moving into the mansion, I
hadn't eaten mouse meat. I don't think it tastes bad, but my heart just instinctively
rejects it.
"Master. Is this
enough?" Anneliese asked.
"Yes. It looks
good, Anneliese," I replied. I had asked Anneliese to stir the curry.
Since it was simmered only with the moisture from the tomatoes and no water, I
had her stir it carefully so it wouldn't burn.
"It smells
good," Mondark commented.
"It's a unique
smell, but it stimulates the appetite," Merlis added.
"It goes well
with rice," I said.
"Rice means
raisu, right?" Mondark asked.
"That's right.
I'm looking forward to it a bit, because it's similar to the rice I know,"
I said. The lid of the pot where the rice was cooking was already rattling, so
I took it off the fire to let it steam. Be delicious! I repeated like a chant
in my heart. Not a curse, but a charm.
While the rice was
steaming, I started grilling the skewers. The Burgan brushed on the pond squid
gave off a fragrant aroma, and beside it, meat juices dripped onto the fire
from the meat skewers, making a sizzling sound.
Mondark and the others
had set up a table in the garden. Today was a curry-tasting party for everyone,
regardless of whether they were soldiers or servants. From the smell alone, I
thought the curry turned out well. It was closer to a keema curry with less
moisture.
I tasted it, and yes,
it was curry. Even if the rice wasn't good, I could eat it with bread! My
spirits lifted! I prayed the rice would be delicious!
Well, the rice should
be ready now. I opened the lid, and a sweet aroma wafted up. So far, so good.
The rice grains stood up. This was also good. I stirred it with my homemade
rice paddle. The brown charred bits looked delicious.
The biggest problem
was the taste... It was a bit dry, but not inedible. Around 45 out of 100
points, I'd say. Just barely passing?
I tried it with the
curry. Ah, it unexpectedly matched well. The curry had little moisture, but
enough to coat the rice. It blended nicely, and it was delicious.
"Anneliese, could
you serve about half a plate of rice?" I asked.
"Yes," she
replied. I ladled the curry next to the rice.
Mondark and his family
served the plates.
"This is a dish
from my country. Please give it a try," I said.
"Is this
raisu?" Gandarvan asked, looking at the white rice curiously.
"In my country,
we steam rice after cooking it to make it delicious. However, the rice I
obtained isn't from my country, so the taste is slightly inferior. But I think
it's still delicious," I explained. After watching me scoop curry and rice
with a spoon and bring it to my mouth, everyone else ate the curry and rice in
the same way.
"!" (All of
them) Everyone's eyes widened.
"It's delicious,
isn't it?" I asked.
"Yes!" (All
of them) Gandarvan and the soldiers devoured it.
"What is this?
It's incredibly delicious!"
"It's so
delicious, my spoon won't stop!"
"I've never eaten
anything like this!"
"It's spicy, but
it's an addictive deliciousness!"
Jojok, Bath, Lin, and
Solidia spoke while eating. Their table manners are bad, they should swallow
what's in their mouths before speaking.
"It runs wild in
your mouth, but that's what makes it delicious. Its appearance might be...
that, but it's truly wonderful." Mondark commented. Does "that"
mean "poop"? Since you say that, I'm taking away your next curry,
Gandarvan.
"Master, it's
delicious-nanodesu!" Rosalina exclaimed, her cheek pouches bulging like a
squirrel's. You don't have to cry. It's that delicious, huh?
"Even if I
continue to eat, it still stimulates my appetite. Such a dish existed!"
"The food around
here is delicious, but my country's food is delicious too, right?" I
asked.
"Yes. It's very
delicious," Anneliese replied, eating in small bites each time, but
looking genuinely delighted.
"This is a
mysterious taste. So mixing multiple spices creates such a complex and strange
flavor," Mondark mused, gazing at the curry curiously. Eat it.
"It's
delicious-dasu. I watched how it was made-dasu. Can we add this dish called
curry to the menu from now on?" Zoppa asked.
"Yes, you can.
Oh, right, let's make every Light Day night a curry night," I decided. A
week has 6 days: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light, and Dark days.
I remember the
Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) having a curry day once a week. Any other
day would be fine, but Light Day is treated like a Friday or Saturday, so I
thought Light Day was good.
From this day onward,
every Light Day became Curry Day. And Zoppa's Cook level increased to 2.
***
Later that evening, as
I was in my room, thinking about my jobs and skills, Mondark announced a
visitor.
"Captain
Rook?" I asked. I asked him to show Rook to the reception room and, with
Anneliese's help, changed into a simple noble outfit.
"I apologize for
the wait," I said.
"Not at all. I
was the one who called without prior notice," Rook replied, smiling with
his fierce, father-like face.
"I came today to
convey His Excellency the Duke's decision," Rook stated.
"A
decision...?" Is he telling me to do something else? That man uses people
quite roughly, doesn't he?
"To be honest, it
has been decided that the retainers of Honorary Baron Footscythel will also be
awarded medals. This is for their contribution in repelling the demon alongside
you, Toi-dono." Oh, so that's all it is. He said 'decision,' so I braced
myself for something else.
"That is most
gracious," I replied honestly, as it wasn't about me. It was an honor for
Gandarvan and the others.
"However, this is
rather sudden," I commented.
"They fought
alongside Toi-dono against the demon. That must have been taken into
consideration," Rook replied. Just then, Mondark entered. Rook handed me a
paper, and when I read it, it was a list of gifts from Rook. Why gifts?
"It seems I have
received something good. I thank you," I said.
"Not at all.
Thanks to Toi-dono, I was promoted. I am the one who is grateful," Rook
replied.
"Promoted?"
I asked.
"Yes. For my
contribution to the search for Head-Chopping Linesa and the repulsion of the
demon, I have been promoted to Battalion Commander. I feel bad as I did nothing
for the demon's repulsion, but His Excellency the Duke said it was a measure to
prevent Toi-dono from standing out too much, so I decided to accept it,"
Rook explained. The Duke thinks of these things, too. I don't really need the
medal, but generally speaking, ennoblement and decorations are considered
rewards, aren't they?
"Congratulations,"
I offered. I thought he should be proud of himself for actively following
orders in the search for Head-Chopping Linesa, and for excelling in guiding the
evacuation to minimize damage when she turned into a demon.
Rook was promoted from
a company commander leading 30-something men to a battalion commander leading a
little over 200. It's a plus for me that he, with his intimidating face but
seemingly trustworthy character, is getting promoted. I'll rely on him if
anything comes up in the future. To rely on him in the future, I should send
him a gift to congratulate him on his promotion. What would be good? I'll
consult Gandarvan and Mondark before sending it.
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