Living as a Recluse Deep in the Forest - Episode 18: Aurora’s Group Meets Their Match: The Encounter with Curry

In the southern region of the Great Forest—the Demonic Region. Tearing through the miasma-laden winds, Princess Aurora and her group arrived at Yuu’s barrier, panting and wheezing as they always did.

"I’m... spent..." 

"I’m gonna die..." 

"Barley tea... I would give anything for a glass of chilled barley tea..."

The guards drove their spears into the ground for support; the maids leaned back with hands on their hips. Everyone had sweaty hair plastered to their foreheads, yet not a single person was injured. Not even a sleeve was torn. For any ordinary exploration party, simply reaching this point would be enough to fill a volume of heroic epics—but for this lot, it was just their usual "exhausting field trip." They had all become too strong. And they had grown far too accustomed to the path. There was tension and fatigue, yes, but no sense of tragic desperation. Under normal circumstances, exploring this forest meant certain death.

"Alright, alright, save the complaining for when we get back. Come on, let’s get inside."

Aurora, though breathing heavily, stepped across the boundary of the barrier as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The guards and maids followed—and the moment they stepped inside, the air shifted. The heavy miasma thinned, replaced by a cool, clean breeze that brushed against their cheeks. The well-tended fields. The well. The log house. It was the same "alien space in the middle of the forest"—or so it should have been.

"Hey! Yuu! The Princess is here—...huh?"

As she shouted, her voice raspy, Aurora suddenly knit her brows.

...The smell was different.

Something was striking her senses, a fragrance so bold it felt like a physical blow to the nose. It wasn't the smell of burnt meat. The aroma of soup? No, that wasn't it. It was something more violent, more direct, and—more than anything—something that spoke directly to the stomach.

"What... is this?"

She stopped in her tracks. Deep in her gut, there was a distinctive growl. The maids were frozen in the same way behind her.

"T-that smell..." 

"I’ve never smelled anything like it... but... oh no, I'm actually drooling." 

"My stomach... and I just finished a piece of jerky a moment ago..."

It wasn't just one person. Everyone could hear the sound of their own throats gulping. One of the guards said with an incredibly serious face:

"This is a trap." 

"What do you mean by that?" 

"It’s a trap for our stomachs."

Just as a wave of strange realization washed over them, the door to the log house creaked open.

"—Welcome."

Standing there... was not the usual sleep-deprived, grumpy hermit.

His black hair was neater than usual, and the dark circles under his eyes had somehow vanished. His back was straight, and a refreshing smile played on his lips. With a soft tone, he slowly opened his arms.

"Glad you could make it. Come on, wash your hands first. The well water is nice and cold."

His tone was so polite and gentle, it felt like he might burst into song at any moment.

"..."

Inside Aurora’s brain, something screeched into reverse.

"Uh... Yuu? You are Yuu, right? You're definitely Yuu?"

She reflexively checked three times.

"Who else would it be?"

The phrasing was the usual Yuu, but the tone was different. There were no thorns. It was like a sugar cube had dissolved in his voice. What’s more, Yuu pointed toward the well, still grinning.

"You’ve got to wash off the grime from the road first. I’ve put towels out there for you."

Aurora, the guards, the maids—they all exchanged silent looks.

(...Who is this?)

Their inner voices synchronized perfectly.

"Y-you’re in an awfully good mood today...?"

As Aurora asked tentatively, Yuu beamed at her.

"I thought we’d all eat outside today. I'm bringing out the best meal ever. I’ll move the table out. Let's all eat together, shall we?"

Leaving them with those refreshing words—Yuu turned on his heel and headed back into the log house with a lightness that was almost a skip. The door closed. ...Silence.

"............"

The group left behind stood there in a daze for a long while. Aurora was the first to snap out of it.

"Everyone... assemble."

They immediately formed a huddle.

"Let's organize the situation," Aurora said, her face grave. The maids and guards swallowed hard.

"Point one: Master Yuu is acting strange." 

"Strange doesn't even begin to cover it... He was smiling. That man, who usually looks like he's thinking 'You again?' even when I shout 'The Princess is here!', was actually smiling..." 

"And he said 'the best meal ever'." 

"The best meal... and that violent fragrance from before..."

The rich scent was still wafting toward them. It felt like a direct assault on the gut, an irresistible temptation to the stomach itself. Just smelling it made them salivate.

"There's no doubt about it," one of them whispered. Everyone turned their gaze toward the speaker—one of the guards. He spoke with a look of profound solemnity.

"I’ve heard stories." 

"Stories about... what?" 

"The laws of the dark guilds in the underworld."

Everyone’s eyes widened. Dark guilds. In this world, as nations grew wealthy, a dark underbelly followed—slums, poverty-stricken districts, and dens of thugs. Aurora’s kingdom was no exception. There were organizations here akin to what Yuu would know as the "Yakuza" or the "Mafia."

"When they intend to kill someone, they prepare the highest quality gift. They treat them with extreme politeness, smiles, and kindness—and then, at the very end, they poison them." "STOP IT, YOU!!"

Aurora’s roar exploded in the center of the huddle.

"Don't say such unlucky things! Why are we suddenly talking about dark organizations?!" 

"B-but Your Highness, think about it," one of the maids said, her voice trembling. 

"Master Yuu, who always said things like 'You again?' or 'Give up on scouting me' with such annoyance... today, he’s polite... and kind..." 

"And he went out of his way to emphasize 'the best meal'..." 

"His smile was... how do I put it... like a priest who had reached enlightenment..." 

"He looked like someone who had... 'made his peace'..." 

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP!!"

Aurora clutched her head with both hands. But the fragrance that had been drifting over them for the last few minutes only added to the terrifying logic. It implied that this "best meal" Yuu was preparing was a final act of mercy.

(Is that... it? Have I really done something to make him hate me that much?)

Caught in a spiral of dark imagination, Aurora’s eyes grew watery. True, she had barged into his home time and time again. True, she had eaten all his food. True, she had crashed on his fluffy bed and slept like a log. But did he actually hate her that much deep down?

(The highest quality... Last Supper.) 

(After eating a meal that smells like this... I don't think I could even complain about dying...)

Aurora wasn't the only one imagining the worst. The same thought crossed everyone’s mind: a future where they breathed their last in a state of bliss after tasting a dish they had never seen before. Reflexively, one of the guards cleared his throat.

"Calm down. Think rationally. Given the Sage’s personality, he avoids troublesome things at all costs. Assassination seems like the kind of thing he would hate most." 

"Y-you're right! He definitely hates anything tedious!" 

"In that case—" The guard reached a conclusion with a sharp look. 

"He simply managed to make something incredibly delicious, and his excitement has just hit the redline." 

"Isn't that terrifying in its own way...?" one of the maids whispered. 

"I mean, Master Yuu’s cooking is dangerous enough as it is..." 

"True... even the tempura and udon he makes are delicious enough to make you doubt everything else in the world..." 

"And then there's that smell..." 

"We might... never be able to go home again..."

Well, "not wanting to go home" was a common occurrence, but the guards and maids were all considering a different kind of danger. If they tasted anything more gourmet, they would literally lose the ability to return to their normal lives.

"..."

Aurora squeezed her fists tight.

(Regardless, running away is not an option.)

As royalty, her pride wouldn't allow her to leave without identifying the source of that smell. Or rather, her stomach wouldn't allow it.

"A-anyway!" Aurora looked over the group. 

"First, do as he said and wash your hands! Then, prepare yourselves for the meal! No matter what comes out, don't lose your composure!" 

"YES, YOUR HIGHNESS!" came the unified reply, though their faces were a complex mixture of anxiety, anticipation, and hunger.

They formed a line at the well. While washing their hands and faces with the cold water, everyone kept glancing restlessly toward the door of the log house.

"Your Highness," a maid whispered softly. "W-what is it?" 

"If... if it really is poison, we will eat first." 

"Don't you dare! Don't just casually show off your loyalty like that! I don't need that kind of devotion! We’re all eating together!!"

The group looked incredibly solemn. As they washed their hands, they reflected on today as if it might be their final parting from this world.

---

They didn't know that inside the log house, Yuu was humming to himself as he plated the curry, thinking from the bottom of his heart:

(...Their faces are going to be absolutely priceless.)

The Hermit chuckled. Kukuku, he let out a wicked sound as he prepared the curry from a large stockpot.

And so, everyone sat properly around the long table.

It was a massive outdoor table Yuu had constructed with magic. It had a smooth wood grain and a seamless top that you would rarely see even in the Royal Capital. On both sides of the long table sat Aurora, the guards, and the maids—about fifteen people in all.

...The atmosphere, however, was strangely like a funeral.

(Is now the time to... leave a will...?) 

(No, let’s not think of such unlucky things in front of Her Highness.) (But if this really is the 'Last Supper'—)

The inner thoughts of the guards and maids were quite grim. On the table sat a wooden plate in front of each person. On one side, a pile of toasted bread blocks sat in a heap. So far, a familiar sight. The problem was the "mysterious brown liquid" served on the other side of the plates.

"............"

Everyone narrowed their eyes and leaned in. Thick. Rich. When they tilted the plates slightly, the viscous sauce moved slowly, and chunks of meat and what looked like onions appeared and disappeared within the depths.

Brown. It was just... relentlessly brown. It wasn't burnt. It wasn't rotten. It just looked like an "unidentified brown swamp" had taken up residence on their plates.

(This is... food, right...?)

Aurora swallowed hard. At the edge of her vision, she saw the guards and maids doing the same. The appearance inspired nothing but anxiety—but the smell was completely unfair.

Just the fragrance filling their nostrils made their stomachs clench. It was a dense aroma, as if the savoriness of meat had been concentrated into particles and launched at them. To that was added the stimulating scent of spices. A mysterious fragrance that tickled the back of the nose and sent a shiver all the way to the top of the head. Even though they didn't recognize the individual scents, their instincts immediately understood the result of the blend.

(...I'm so hungry.) 

(And I was just saying 'I'm exhausted' a second ago...)

Logic aside, their stomachs were roaring. It was a hunger so intense it made them forget their fatigue. The stomach of one of the maids let out a loud gurgle, and she looked down, her face turning bright red.

At that moment...

"Thanks for waiting."

The log house door opened again, and Yuu appeared. He still had that same upbeat smile. In his hands, he carried an extra large pot with a lid and a large pitcher of cold water.

The fact that there was a refill pot despite the generous portions already served made everyone tremble. Judging by the amount, he really did intend to "let them eat their fill."

"Well, I can explain later."

Yuu placed the pot at the end of the table and clapped his hands.

"Just trust me and give it a try—it'll change your world."

He beamed. His smile was so refreshing it was actually scary.

"Uh..."

Aurora gripped her spoon and stared intently at her plate. She slowly dipped the wooden spoon into the thick brown pool. The spoon came up with an onion so well-simmered it was barely holding its shape, and a single chunk of meat.

(Yuu made this... there's no way it's bad. If it's poison, well, so be it. Besides, if it were poison, he’d probably act more suspicious... I think... probably... He doesn't hate me that much... I hope.)

Trying to convince herself, she slowly brought the spoon to her mouth. She held her breath. The guards and maids all stared at her hand, waiting to see her take the first bite.

"H-here goes...!"

Steelng herself, Aurora slid the spoon into her mouth. —In that instant.

"!!...!"

Heat surged onto her tongue. First, a heavy aroma of oil and blended spices filled her mouth. The fragrance that escaped through her nose was many times more intense than what she had been smelling earlier.

(What is this—)

Before her brain could catch up, her tongue was busy. First came a slow, searing spiciness. Next, sweetness. The sweetness of onions sautéed until they were caramelized and a mellow creaminess from the milk clung to her tongue. From deep within that, the savoriness of the meat erupted. The meat, so well-cooked it was falling apart, released its juices with every chew. It was spicy. But it didn't hurt. Heat, stimulation, and savoriness moved back and forth across her tongue like a game of tug-of-war. Even though the temperature was mild, sweat began to bead on her forehead.

(It's spicy... but I can't stop...!)

Without thinking, her spoon was already scooping up another mouthful. Seeing this, the guards and maids all steeled themselves at once.

"If Her Highness is eating it!" 

"Then there's no problem!" 

"Let's go—!"

Dozens of spoons dipped into the brown lake simultaneously and were brought to mouths.

".........!!!?" 

"W-what is this...!" 

"My tongue is hot... but it’s so good...!" 

"It’s spicy! But... the meat... it’s melting...!"

In an instant, cries that were part-admiration and part-scream broke out everywhere. The sauce in the pot wasn't exactly "extremely spicy," but for the people of this world, "a dish made by blending spices" was a brand-new experience. Their tongues were surprised, and their brains were confused. But they couldn't stop. One guard began piling the brown sauce onto bread with his spoon and stuffing it into his mouth. A maid who had initially dipped only the very edge of her bread tentatively began dunking it boldly.

"The bread...! I can't believe how much bread I'm eating...!" one of the maids cried out, looking half-teary with admiration. 

"Your Highness, the bread consumption is...!" 

"Who cares! Just eat!" Aurora shouted back, unable to stop her own spoon.

Bread. Brown sauce. Bread. Sauce. Meat. Sauce. Bread. Occasionally, they would gulp down water as if coming to their senses, only to return immediately to their plates. The spiciness in their mouths was briefly lowered by the cold water—and then, their spoons moved again, seeking out the spice once more.

"Water...!" 

"Right here!"

Even the sound of water pouring from the pitcher seemed to ring with happiness. For a while, the only sounds around the table were "nom nom" chewing noises and fragmented exclamations like "Hafh!" "Hot!" "But so good!" No one could sustain a conversation. Their hands and mouths moved faster than they could weave words.

(...This is what truly delicious food is like...)

By the third mouthful, Aurora was slowly beginning to realize that fact. She had eaten full courses at luxury restaurants. She had tasted countless dishes made by the royal chefs. All of them had certainly been delicious. She had eaten them while saying "this is delicious" many times.

But now... the word "delicious" wasn't what was coming out of her mouth.

"Phew... hafh..."

Only breaths escaped her. Her tongue was too busy, giving its owner no time to construct sentences.

(So this is...)

Each time the spice and savoriness raced across her tongue, she felt like the colors of the world were shifting, bit by bit.

(This is what Yuu meant... by 'changing the world'...)

The guards and maids all had similar expressions. Usually, they were a noisy bunch; someone was always talking about "this udon" or "that tempura"—but now, every single one of them was silently facing their plate. One of the guards, staring at his half-empty plate, began to tremble.

"This is bad," he whispered from the bottom of his soul. 

"Now that I know this exists... I'm..." 

"We'll never be satisfied with ordinary stews again..." a maid agreed, her hand trembling as she gripped her spoon. 

"The chefs back in the capital... poor things..." 

"W-what do you mean...?" 

"They have a basis for comparison now..."

As those comments began to leak out while they basked in the afterglow of the curry, Yuu finally spoke.

"How is it?"

He stood at the end of the table with his arms crossed, watching them all with a satisfied grin. Aurora managed to put down her spoon and looked up.

"W-what is this... what is this thing?!" 

"Food." 

"I can see that!"

After shouting, she reached for her spoon again. Feeling both pathetic and amused by her own reaction, she broke into a half-smile.

"What’s it called?" 

"Curry." 

"Curry..."

The guards and maids repeated the word as if savoring the sound.

"Curry..." 

"Curry..." 

"It’s scary, I feel like I'm going to start saying 'I'm going to the forest to eat curry' as if it's normal." 

"You're basically saying it already."

A dry laugh broke out at someone’s muttered retort. But even as they laughed, their hands didn't stop. They wiped up the last of the sauce from the edges of their plates with bread, eating every last drop. Without realizing it, everyone had adopted such "unrefined" manners. The moment Aurora saw the bottom of her plate, she felt a brief flash of genuine despair.

(There’s... no more...)

But glancing to the side, she saw the untouched extra pot waiting at the end of the table. Yuu gave a defiant grin.

"I’ve got seconds, you know?"

Several people's throats gulped audibly.

"Hey... Yuu." Aurora couldn't hold back the emotions welling up inside her and slammed both hands onto the table. "You." Her eyes were moist. Whether from the spice or the emotion, even she didn't know. "You're really... you're really determined not to let me go back to the capital, aren't you...?"

"Huh? What's with the paranoia?" Yuu shrugged. "Whether you go back or not is up to you. It's just that the curry is only going to get better every time you come to the forest."

"THIS SAGE IS TRULY WICKED!!"

Aurora’s scream echoed through the forest. Yuu just looked away with an innocent face. After that, the only thing that rang through the small living area in the forest was the light clinking of spoons against plates. Everyone had completely forgotten the suspicion they’d held earlier about it being "poison." Or rather...

(...In a way, this is the ultimate poison... I can't... stay away anymore...)

The thought even crossed one maid’s mind. But she didn't say it. She didn't even have the spare breath to speak. Right now, eating the curry was the top priority.

Eventually, everyone finished their first plate—and went to get their third and fourth helpings in silence.

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