Reincarnated as a Sword Vol. 4

by Yuu Tanaka

  “Well, I’m looking forward to this.”

  “Curry is the greatest food in the world.”

  “I hope it is.”

  The old gourmet took a spoonful of curry—the dish Fran had exaggerated beyond salvation—and examined it just as he had with Fran’s skewers. He inhaled before putting it in his mouth.

  “Oh?”

  “Is it good?”

  “Hmm.”

  “What do you think? You just had the pinnacle of cuisine.”

  Fran helped herself to some curry too, unable to hold back her appetite. She nodded along with the old gourmet, looking very satisfied. Meckam’s nodding made her think that victory was hers, but the old man had other plans.

  “It isn’t bad.” But upon finishing his curry, Meckam had a dissatisfied look. “But was that all? I think it is a little too soon to call this the pinnacle of all cooking.”

  As soon as the old man finished his sentence—

  “What the hell did you just say?”

  Fran became full of wrath at such blasphemy. She turned her murderous intent on the old gourmet, a fury that was usually reserved for combat.

  Fran, what are you doing?!

  “Curry is the most delicious thing in the world.”

  Wait! Stop! Oh God, she’s already using Intimidate! You’re going to knock him unconscious, Fran! Although considering his age, he might have a heart attack and die… Is the old man okay?

  “It is delicious, yes. But I cannot call it the most delicious dish in the world.”

  Oh, wow. The old man was perfectly fine. He hadn’t even broken a sweat! His nerves were steeled by years of food criticism. I expected nothing less from a master.

  Fran, calm down! You can’t fly into a rage over curry!

  Still, the anger in Fran’s thoughts remained.

  I am calm!

  You are not. Let’s just hear him out! Okay? Maybe he has a valid reason. Just please take your hand off my hilt!

  Curry wasn’t just Fran’s favorite food, it was a dish that her teacher once made only for her. A dish which brought joy to her friends. Most of all, it had been her first meal when she was freed from a life of slavery. I might be exaggerating, but curry was a monumental dish for her.

  I didn’t think she’d get so angry over it, though.

  “I’ll hear you out.”

  “As far as the flavor goes,” Meckam explained, remaining unfazed. “It is quite well rounded, despite having some room for improvement. I must also concede that I’ve never tasted anything quite like it.”

  “Hm!”

  Fran nodded in agreement, and then tilted her head in confusion as he went on.

  “But I cannot feel the dignity of a chef in this dish!”

  “Dignity?”

  “Call it pride, self-respect, honor, whatever you want. It is something that every chef must have. It is a vital, though unseen, ingredient in every dish. But I cannot sense that here. This curry was properly cooked, but it is only home cooking.”

  Well, yeah, of course. I wanted Fran to eat something nice, but the whole point of one-pot cooking was to make a huge batch of something for future meals. I was careful not to mess up but never thought I was going to redefine the very essence of cooking itself. I cooked it with the mindset of someone who had a maxed-out Cooking skill and wanted something nice to eat.

  But this old man was something else. Nothing escaped his palate. Fran took him for an enemy, but I didn’t really hate him. In fact, I was kind of touched to meet a character right out of my old cooking manga.

  “So long as a dish lacks the dignity of a chef, I cannot consider it to be the best in the world!”

  “Gununu.”

  I’d never heard someone actually say ‘Gununu’ before.

  “Still, your teacher passes the test. As such, he is now a member of the guild, not that I expect much from him.”

  “We’ll show you.”

  “Show me what?”

  “Curry is the pinnacle of cuisine! We’ll show you next time!”

  “Interesting. However, I am a busy man. ‘Next time’ might be a long way away.”

  “Urgh…”

  Look, I already passed. Isn’t that enough?

  No!

  Fran refused my attempt to placate her.

  The guy said he was busy.

  Curry is the best food there is! I’m not backing down!

  She certainly didn’t sound like she was going to concede.

  “When’s the next time we can meet?”

  “Let’s see… If you must have me sample your curry, you could participate in this event.”

  “…?”

  Meckam gave Fran a flyer for a cooking contest sponsored by the Bulbolan Chefs’ Guild. The preliminaries would be conducted through a simple food presentation, the semi-finals through a food stall contest, and the finals were a gourmet cook-off.

  “We are in the preliminary stage of the contest. Your curry is delicious and unique enough to make it to the semi-finals. If you win, I will taste your curry once more. I am one of the judges, you see.”

  “You’re on!”

  F-Fran?! You can’t just make a decision on the spot like that!

  I was going to have to make more curry. Not to mention the food stall contest. I couldn’t imagine Fran manning the booth. I would certainly have to show up if we made it to the finals. Would Fran cook in my stead? I didn’t think we could trick the old man either way.

  She would regret committing to this on a whim. Still, Fran was adamant.

  We are participating.

  We’re going up against professional chefs. We might not even make it to the finals.

  Don’t worry, she said. I know you’ll win.

  I’m glad that you think so highly of me, but still.

  My chances of making it to the finals were low. We would be competing against seasoned chefs who had been cooking for decades.

  This is one battle we can’t afford to lose. We can’t let him look down on curry like that.

  Yeah, but…

  Honestly, I didn’t think we could win.

  It’s okay, Teacher. I believe in you.

  Well, I don’t. My Cooking skill aside, I’m practically a beginner.

  You don’t trust my taste?

  Of course I do, but…

  Fran loved to eat, and she hated empty flattery. Her Cooking skill was at Level 10, too. If she said my food was good, then it had to be good. I just didn’t think it was the pinnacle of cooking.

  Then believe in me who believes in you.

  Fran…!

  “Believe in me who believes in you,” ranked third on my Top Ten List of Cool Lines. I’d always wanted to say it, and for Fran to fit it in so casually! This girl really was special.

  Damn it. When you put it that way, I am forced to comply…!

  Then can we join?

  Oh…sure.

  In the end, I agreed.

  Yeah. Let’s do this. And let’s win while we’re at it.

  Yeah!

  It was rare for Fran to be so set on something. I wanted to indulge her for once.

  “What’s wrong? Are you running scared?”

  “Hmph. I was just getting into it. Our curry’s going to win this contest.”

  I guess that settled our entry.

  “Then you will be taking part?”

  “Hm!”

  “Have a look through these registration papers and sign on the dotted line.” Meckam called one of the administrators to provide an explanation.

  There were over one thousand participants in the preliminaries. That number would be culled to a mere twenty by the time the semi-finals rolled around. I almost felt bad for being allowed in so easily.

  The semi-finals involved manning a three-day food stall. Contestants opened their stalls, and the winner was decided by how much profit they made. We would receive 100,000G to cover the costs, which drove home how big this contest was. We were provided with a set of ingredients and wer
e also allowed to use our own as long as we informed the Chefs’ Guild beforehand. Rare ingredients were a staple in this phase, and 100,000G would not be enough to cover the costs.

  However, the price of your ingredients was deducted from your total profit, which meant going all-out in this stage might cost you the win. We were going for final profit here, not revenue.

  The top four contestants would go on to the final, where they would present their best dish on a silver platter. The winner got 100,000G. The prize money wasn’t worth much, but the honor of winning was more than worth the effort. It virtually guaranteed that a chef’s restaurant would be world famous. Some of the winners even went on to cook for the royal family.

  “The semi-finals will take place in three days. The finals are on the seventh of April.”

  The Festival of the Moons was tomorrow, March 31st, and would go on for an entire week. That meant the finals would be held on the last day.

  “Is that enough time for you to prepare?”

  Fran tilted her head. She couldn’t know the answer, after all.

  Teacher?

  We’d decided to participate. Making it work was my job.

  Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.

  “Hm. We’re good.”

  “Very well. Here is your funding. Don’t run away with it, now.”

  Meckam gave us a pouch full of money. He did it so casually that it made me wonder whether he was even worried about us disappearing. Then again, the old man had proven himself to be an excellent judge of character, and I supposed that he trusted his own judgment.

  “Of course. You better hold on to your socks.”

  “Hmph. I look forward to tasting your dish again.”

  “Hm!”

  And just like that, we’d somehow entered a cooking contest.

  The Chefs’ Guild offered the use of their facilities, but I wasn’t going to cook in public where everyone could see. We were going to have to cook somewhere hidden. I needed to think of what kind of curry I was going to make, too. And then there was the problem of ingredients and spices. We still had to check-in at the Adventurers’ Guild, and we couldn’t forget the Festival of the Moons.

  I might have gotten a little too ahead of myself. I wondered if we could make it in time…

  Thirty minutes had passed since we entered the cooking contest.

  The Chefs’ Guild people told us it should be just ahead…

  Now we were looking for the Adventurers’ Guild. I had wanted to look around town a bit more, but we were short on time. We needed to finish our errands so we could get to contest prep.

  We’ll sell our materials, buy some spices, and get cooking where no one can see.

  “Hm.”

  We walked until we happened upon a large building. The receptionist at the Chefs’ Guild told us that we couldn’t miss it, and now I knew why.

  “Is that the guild?”

  Looks like it… It’s huge!

  “Big.”

  “Woof.”

  The guild in Alessa was pretty big, but the one in Bulbola was on another level. It looked more like a noble’s mansion. The guild was surrounded by other trade houses, but none of them compared to the majesty of the guildhouse.

  “Is that a castle?”

  Sure looks like one.

  The sign above the gigantic door confirmed that we were at the right place. However, upon entering, the level of luxury dropped significantly. Still fancy but not overwhelming.

  The guildhouse was actually kind of cruddy compared to its exterior. Definitely not as extravagant as the Chefs’ Guild. Then again, adventurers were a rowdy bunch. Some of them were even outlaws and wouldn’t think twice about stealing or breaking the furniture.

  That said, the layout was still impeccable. There were nine counters in total and about fifty adventurers loitering in the lobby. I thought there might be something major going on, but this seemed like just another day in Bulbola’s Adventurers’ Guild.

  The receptionists were equally impressive. A beautiful lady graced each counter. One such lady, stationed near the entrance, was the first to address Fran.

  “Welcome. Is this your first time at the guild?”

  This was the general reception, I assumed.

  “Hm.”

  “Would you like a brief explanation of the guild at Bulbola?”

  “Please.”

  “Very well. This is the general reception counter. Please report here if you wish to use the guildhouse facilities.”

  The guildhouse had a magical device that could broadcast announcements inside its walls. The three counters next to it were quest counters, and the three further inside were for trade. There were even counters specifically for clients and consultation.

  The upper floors contained a library and a workshop for craftsmen. On top of that, there were lodging facilities and a training area for beginners. The guildhouses we’d been to before hadn’t had emergency lodging, so that was new. It was appropriately cramped and uncomfortable, and usually reserved for adventurers who’d failed their latest mission or were in dire straits financially.

  “I see. So that’s why this place is so big.”

  “How may we be of service to you today?”

  “Hm. I’d like to sell some materials.”

  “Do you have your Adventurer’s Card with you?” The receptionist asked for it without batting an eye. She was just as well trained as the Chefs’ Guild receptionist before her. Such was the level of service these large associations provided.

  “Here.”

  “Let me just run this through the system.”

  But how would she react now? Could she remain calm and professional after seeing Fran was a D-Rank adv—

  “Fran. D-Rank Adventurer. Please make your way to Counter Six.”

  “Hm.”

  Now that was professionalism! The receptionist showed Fran where to go without so much as a change in expression. I think this was the first time we’d gotten such a reception. Usually, the receptionist would go, “Wait, D-Rank?” followed by, “This little girl?”

  The girl at the trading counter was the same. She just took a look at Fran’s card and went about her job. They were a little too calm, in fact. I’d gotten so accustomed to surprising the locals that I felt something was missing.

  Still, the adventurers made up for what the receptionists lacked. Murmurs started spreading as soon as Fran took out the gigantic Fleet Breaker Tuna.

  “What the hell?! Is that a Fleet Breaker?!”

  “S-she probably found that lying around somewhere.”

  “R-right? There’s no way that little girl could’ve hunted that thing.”

  They couldn’t believe their eyes. Not that I blamed them.

  The monster materials we gathered during our voyage totaled about 200,000G. Most of them were cheap, but the horn of the Fleet Breaker Tuna proved to be of great value—mainly because it could be used to craft spears and other such weapons. We were asked to sell the meat and bones of the Fleet Breaker, but we declined. Fran had developed a taste for the meat, and I wanted the bones to make broth. Along with the reward money from our escort gig, we got 500,000G to add to our cooking contest war chest.

  A man approached us as Fran was collecting her money. He was an adventurer by the looks of it: short black hair and a tough look on his face. His brown garments emphasized maneuverability over protection, and he wore a heavy cloak made from some kind of monster hide. His crimson bandana looked like it was made of the same stuff. He was tall and slender but not malnourished. On the contrary, he was lean and ripped, without unnecessary weight.

  I thought he was next in line for the trading counter, but the man’s eyes were set on Fran. I gave him the usual welcome Identify.

  Name: Colbert

  Race: Human

  Class: Steel Fist

  Level: 41/99

  HP: 228; Magic: 152; Strength: 249; Agility: 203

  Skills: Disassemble 4; Martial Arts 6; Martial Arts Mas
tery 6; Danger Sense 3; Advanced Punch Mastery 2; Punch Arts 9; Punch Mastery 10; Breath Control 4; Toughness 6; Blink 7; Swim 4; Ocean Resistance 2; Throw 4; Everyday Magic 3; Sleep Resistance 3; Paralysis Resistance 4; Cooking 3; Hawkeye; Beast Killer; Spirit Manipulation

  Class Skill: Steel Fist

  Titles: Bear Killer; Tiger Killer

  Equipment: Water Dragon Leather Gloves; Aged Water Tiger Gi; Aged Water Tiger Shoes; Red Maw Bear Bandanna; Red Maw Bear Cloak; Bracelet of Pain Resistance; Bracelet of Physical Resistance

  He was strong. Definitely stronger than a C-Rank. He was comparable to Jean, the Necromancer, and stronger than Alessa’s Ogre instructor.

  I thought he was unarmed but soon realized he was a martial artist who specialized in unarmed combat. Breath Control was also quite interesting. With it, he could focus his energy into one particular area of his body and strengthen it. Properly utilized, it could be used to block sharp objects. The skill was versatile and could be used for both offense and defense.

  His Class Skill, Steel Fist, also attracted my attention. It was certainly appropriate for a martial artist. His skill tree suggested that he beat up monsters with his bare hands. I really wanted to see that for myself. If we were lucky, he might fling a monster into the sky with a single blow, like in my manga back home.

  “Hello there, little lady. Did you hunt that thing down yourself?”

  His choice of words made it seem like he was making fun of Fran, but his expression held no sign of contempt. He really wanted to know.

  “Hm. I fished it.”

  “Fished it, you say?”

  “Yeah. On a boat.”

  “That’s amazing! Folks usually use magic to hunt these suckers down.”

  He took Fran at her word. And here I thought we’d have to spend a few more minutes explaining.

  “You believe me?”

  “What? Of course I do. I have eyes, you know. I can tell how strong you are from the way you carry yourself.”

  He’d figured out her strength and had no reason to doubt her. I diverted my attention to the other adventurers, those whose eyes were not as keen as Colbert’s.

  “Fleet Breaker Tuna just happen to be one of my favorites. They’re so hard to come by, though. Say, you wouldn’t mind selling me some of its meat, would you? I’m sure it still has a lot of flesh left if you fished it by hand.”