Living as a Recluse Deep in the Forest - Episode 17: Making Curry

It felt as though the air in the forest had grown just a little lighter.

The concentration of miasma and the density of mana shouldn't have changed at all, yet the moment he stepped into his own territory in the South, Yuu felt a deep sense of "Ah, I'm home" resonate within him.

"Phew... there really is no place like home."

Running like a gale, he came to a dead stop in front of his log house. A round trip of six days—three days each way. To an ordinary person, this was a madman’s forced march, but to Yuu, it felt like a trip to a "somewhat distant convenience store."

"...The downside is that it still takes quite a bit of time to get all the way out there."

The only thing coming out of his mouth were such carefree complaints. He scanned his surroundings. No change in the perimeter of the barrier. No traces of anything touching it, nor any signs of the recoil from it pushing something back. The detection magic meant to pick up footprints hadn't caught any hint of humans passing by in the last few days.

"Alright. It looks like the Princess and her group didn't drop by while I was out this time."

He felt a wave of relief. If they had come, he probably would have just grumbled "Fine, fine" while preparing futons in the guest room—but right now, there was a far more important matter at hand. Yuu’s stomach was starting to make its demands known.

"...Let's do this."

He dropped his shoulder bag and the improvised plant-fiber rucksack he’d borrowed from the Empress onto the dirt floor of the entryway with a heavy thud. In that instant, a complex aroma wafted through the room. Earth, sunlight, dry wind. And within that, an indescribable scent mixed with spice, sweetness, and bitterness.

"...Heh, hehehehe."

His face broke into an involuntary grin.

"This is a goldmine."

He stepped up into the house, kicking off his shoes, and began lining up his haul on the workbench near the entrance. Small hemp bags filled with seeds. Fibrous bark. Bundles of thin leaves. Vibrant red pods. As he flowed a tiny bit of mana into each one, information surfaced at the edge of his vision.

(Mock-Cumin, Mock-Coriander, Mock-Turmeric... Cardamom, bark that’s like Cinnamon, Cloves, Chili Peppers, Thyme, something like Saffron... I’m going to love every single one of you!)

Saliva pooled in the back of his throat.

"Steady now, steady. Base comes first."

After grinning like a fool while lining them up, he took a deep breath to steady himself. He set aside the "core" members of the curry on the edge of the table.

Cumin. Coriander. Turmeric. And—the Mock-Ginger and Garlic he always grew himself.

He moved to the kitchen. A stove made of heat-resistant stone shaped by magic. Instead of flames, it used an "IH-style" heating plate that controlled temperature via mana. Thick-bottomed iron pots and frying pans were lined up neatly on top.

"Alright then."

First, building the foundation of the fragrance. He put the cumin seeds into a small bowl, pinched them between his fingers, and brought them to his nose. A unique, dense nuttiness spread through his nasal passages.

"First, I need to dry them... Sorry, but I'm going to use a bit of a 'cheat' here."

Magic instantly deployed from Yuu's right palm. A rule-breaking method that bypassed the time and effort usually required. Normally, the proper way would be to hang them in a well-ventilated, shady spot to dry. However, the magic Yuu created allowed for shortcuts. While food dehydrators didn't exist in this world, Yuu could easily prepare a substitute method. Gradually, a distinct aroma began to rise.

"Ah... that's the one. Can't start without this."

After savoring the scent for a while, his next step was to crush them with magic... but he stopped himself. He could have turned them into powder with a spell, but he chose to bring out a stone mortar and pestle instead. With careful movements, he poured the spices onto the stone, ready to grind them down like organs. Magic was easy, but for the first test, he felt like doing it by hand.

"Analog isn't so bad once in a while."

He applied steady pressure to his arm as he pushed the pestle. Grind. Grind. Grind. The oil-rich seeds broke apart, and the clusters of scent that had been locked away were released all at once.

Grinding the cumin, coriander, and turmeric separately, he smelled them repeatedly and licked the powder off his fingertips.

"Yeah, this coriander has a bit of a strong earthiness... but it's not bad. The turmeric is... oh, it’s got that signature earthy bitterness. The cumin is the star student. Full marks for you."

Once he finished his check, he began assembling the ratios in his head.

(Maybe start with a textbook, safe ratio... heavy on the cumin, medium coriander, turmeric as a support for color and scent.)

Using mana, he projected a simple chalkboard in the air and began jotting down numbers.

Cumin : Coriander : Turmeric = 4 : 4 : 2 Next, 3 : 5 : 2 Then, 5 : 3 : 2 ...and so on.

"Let's try about three patterns for now."

He lined up small plates and mixed each ratio. Licking a small amount off the tip of a spoon, he would either knit his brows or break into a smirk.

"...4:4:2 is a bit too 'by-the-book.' It's straight-A curry powder. Not bad, but it lacks personality. 3:5:2 lets the coriander take over too much... I mean, it works for soup, but it’s not that first-hit 'curry' feel. 5:3:2... oh, this one has a great punch when you smell it. The way it spreads in the mouth isn't bad either."

He rolled the flavors over his tongue, checking the aroma as it escaped through his nose. It was incredibly interesting how a tiny shift in spice ratios could drastically change the overall impression.

"Cooking really is chemistry..."

The words spilled out to the empty kitchen.

---

"Let's try the base with this."

Using the 5:3:2 ratio as a standard, he made a few minor adjustments and decided on today’s "Prototype No. 1." Next came the preparation for the "ingredients" and the "sauce." He opened the cupboard and took out an onion. Peeling it and cutting it in half, he sliced it across the grain into beautiful slivers. His knife was made of Divine Iron he’d reforged himself; the blade felt almost no resistance from the vegetable.

"One onion... it’s a big one, so I'll reduce it a bit. About the equivalent of one medium onion. One teaspoon of cumin seeds. Ginger and garlic, half a tablespoon each... no, let's bump those up to my preference. You can never have too much."

As he grated the Mock-Ginger, a sharp, fresh scent rose up. He did the same with the garlic, gathering the white paste into a small bowl.

For the tomato, he chose one that was ripe and red. He blanched and peeled it, then chopped it roughly. From a magic tool that served as a refrigerator—a "cold box" that lowered temperature by using mana to suppress the movement of water molecules—he took out half a cup of milk squeezed from a cow-type monster.

Salt: 1 and 1/2 teaspoons. Vegetable oil—pressed from a plant similar to rapeseed: 3 tablespoons. Water: 1 cup.

"Alright, by the book. Let's stay serious up to this point. I can do all the arranging I want later."

He placed the frying pan on the heating plate and flowed mana into it, letting the temperature rise steadily. He dropped in the oil and spread it thin. Judging the timing, he tossed in the cumin seeds. A small sizzle. Immediately, the fragrance burst forth.

"...Phew, that's it. This gets me going."

Just as the cumin began to bubble and dance on the surface, he tossed in the onions. The moisture released all at once, and the pan was enveloped in white steam.

"Time for the grit."

With a wooden spatula in hand, he began the long process of sautéing. The onions, initially white, turned translucent and eventually a pale golden brown. Pushing the limits without letting them burn, he slowly cooked off the moisture to bring out the sweetness.

"...Not yet. Not yet. A little more."

His eyes weren't watering just because of the heat. The fragrance tickling his nose and the nostalgic memories were piercing his chest.

(Man... I used to walk past curry shops all the time...)

A back alley in a busy district. The smell of a shopping arcade. Curry day for school lunch. The memories summoned by his reactivation magic were always too vivid. Just as his heart grew a little heavy, Yuu consciously rolled his shoulders.

"Focus, focus. Focus on this curry."

Once they reached a beautiful color, he added the ginger and garlic. The scent shifted up a level. A sharpness was added, giving his nose a firm kick.

"If I burn it here, it’s all over... steady now."

He dialed back the heat slightly, and once the aroma peaked, he added the chopped tomatoes. A hiss of acidic steam. He simmered it while stirring until the tomatoes broke down into a paste. Timing it perfectly—he added the spice mix he’d prepared earlier. The yellow and brown melded together, and the pan was instantly dyed a "curry color."

"Whoa..."

The sound escaped him involuntarily. The scent had clearly become "it." It was nostalgic, yet at the same time, it was a smell "appearing for the first time in this world."

...A single drop of something rolled from his eye. Yuu ignored it. He had to ignore it, or he wouldn't be able to look forward.

"...Alright."

He added the water, thinning the mixture out. Once it began to bubble, he lowered the heat to keep it simmering.

"Next, the main dish."

---

Yuu stepped on a specific part of the log house floor, and a floorboard slid away silently to reveal a staircase. He descended into the basement, where temperature and humidity were managed by magic. The air was cool. Wooden crates and barrels were lined up neatly. Opening one of them—a crate for low-temperature aging—a faint chill wafted out.

"It’s you, isn't it? Today's star... Mr. Cow-Bird Monster."

The thigh meat of a cow-bird-type monster was resting there, its surface moist and firm from having just the right amount of moisture removed. It was a creature that didn't exist on Earth... but for Yuu, the only thing that mattered was whether it was edible. Or rather, whether it was delicious. And as the fact that he’d gone out of his way to age it suggested... this monster’s meat was incredible. It was the kind of meat that traded for high prices in the Royal Capital. Of course, to Yuu, whenever he saw one in the forest, his only thought was "Found some good meat" before processing it. No mercy.

Yuu stared into the crate. The contrast between the fat and the lean meat was beautiful. He took out one piece and pressed it lightly with his finger. Elasticity. Spring-back. Scent.

"Yeah, it’s aged perfectly. I shouldn't be the one to say it, but seriously, what am I even doing with my life..."

Despite his grumbling, his face looked completely delighted. Carrying several thighs, he went back up the stairs to the kitchen. He trimmed away the excess sinew and fat and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. A pinch of salt. He rubbed in a tiny bit of the spice mix for flavor.

"Should I sear it first then simmer, or just throw it in... Since it’s the first time, I want some char."

He heated another pan and added a thin layer of oil. Once it was hot enough, he lined up the thigh meat.

Ssssssssssssssssss.

The surface of the meat turned white instantly, taking on a beautiful sear. The fat began to render out, and a savory aroma filled the room.

"This is cheating..."

Once the surface was thoroughly seared, he added it to the pot of curry base. He poured in the milk and stirred everything gently. The golden-brown meat sank into the thick liquid.

"Heh... hehehe..."

Yuu’s laughter echoed low inside the log house.

"I'll pass this time... but I really need to make some Garam Masala too... kukkukku."

His smile was that of a high-ranking villain. He adjusted the heat with mana and entered the "simmering phase" on low heat. Small bubbles rose slowly to the surface of the pot, and the consistency gradually thickened. He scooped some up with a spoon, blew on it, and tasted it.

"..."

A few seconds of silence.

"............Ah, man. This is bad."

His shoulders slumped in total relaxation.

"It's still rough. There's room for adjustment. But... man, this is definitely 'curry'..."

The scent had a bit of wildness to it, as expected from ingredients found in this world. The acidity of the tomato and the sweetness of the onion were completely different from those in Japan. Even so—the sensation spreading across his tongue was unmistakably approaching something "nostalgic."

(Maybe I'll let the Princess and the others try some next time they come.)

The thought crossed his mind for a split second. He immediately shook his head.

"No, no, no. I have to enjoy it myself first. They can have Version 2 or 3."

Even as he said that, he caught himself already designing a "mild version," a "bread-pairing type," and even a "recipe reproducible in the Royal Capital" in the back of his mind. He couldn't help but chuckle at himself.

"...Seriously, what am I doing?"

He tilted the lid of the pot slightly, adjusting it so the fragrance wouldn't escape too much, and scraped the bottom once more with his wooden spatula. The thickened curry rippled slowly inside the pot.

"Alright—the momentous first curry of this world."

In the empty kitchen, Yuu made a small declaration.

"The first customer is me."

And so, Seto Yuu’s "Plan for New Depravity via Curry" began its full-scale operation in silence.

Prev            TOC            Next