7 Chapter 7: The First Contact and Curry Rice

H: "Can I have some of your food…?"

*gurgle~*

??: "… Huh?"

Arriving at the source of the mouthwatering smell and stumbling upon someone who was cooking, Hans Schmidt immediately followed his cravings and gave in to his desires.

The young woman who was asked by the sudden question was dumbfounded with her mind freezing a bit at the spectacle.

That has to be expected on her part. A figure of a young man wearing a type of clothes unknown to her and having the hair color of a high class noble but is greased with dirt, suddenly appearing while she was resting after a hunt.

Before Hans came in contact with her, Ceres was waiting for Anya who went to fetch a bucket of water from the lake. And while waiting, comes their current situation.

H: "Ah. I'm sorry. I'm not someone suspicious."

Hans was again the first one to speak.

H: ["In this cases, I should let the other party know that I'm not someone suspicious and calm her down. This is the basic of basics."]

Is what Hans was thinking but…

C: ["No matter where I look, only the word 'suspicious' comes to mind…"]

Is what Ceres thought at Hans' first remark.

C: "…"

Ceres remained at guard while staring intently at Hans.

H: "Ahem… Let me introduce myself first. I'm Hans Schmidt."

C: "Shimids…?"

H: "Schmidt."

C: "Shumits?"

H: "Schmidt."

C: "Shamdits?"

H: "That's so far from it! Schmidt! And why does it sounds like I'll be stealing away your belongings!!"

C: "What a hard name to say. You're suspicious."

Ceres brought up her guard, facing Hans with her hands on her dagger's handle.

H: "Don't judge by how hard my name is to say for you! I told you I'm not suspicious!"

C: "Hmph… I'm the one who will judge whether you are or not."

H: "*sigh* Right."

Resigning himself to his situation, Hans just heaved a sighed of exasperation.

H: ["Wait…"]

After retorting to the words of the young woman, Hans suddenly noticed something unbelievable.

H: "Uh… Do you understand my words?"

C: "What's there to not understand? Just as I thought… You're planning something. You're suspicious."

H: "Stop with that thinking! Goodness… So you understand me…"

Hans was bewildered by what he just learned. He spoke to the young woman and the first person after hours of being lost without thinking so he forgot about something fundamental.

H: "Wait a minute… Now that I think about it, I'm not speaking the language of my former world…"

Yes. The moment he came to this world. Hans was already speaking the general language of the world he came to.

Normally, another world means another culture, traditions, civilizations, people, and of course, language. Just like how different countries have different culture and language that was brought to them by their history.

A native tribe growing in population and creating their own community maintaining their culture and language.

A country that was colonized by other countries will either have both their original language and the language of the invading country or just one of the other.

A community where different dialects mixed together by two different group of people, becoming one new language.

A country following the worldwide policy and using the universal language.

That is how the world works when it comes to languages and that is, needless to say, also applied to other worlds. With the history of this world considering into account, it is also safe to say that this world also uses a different language.

But Hans did not have any difficulty in understanding the words of the young woman in front of him. Moreover, he noticed that the movement of his mouth when he speaks is different from the ones he was using up until coming to this world. Which means, he is already using the language of this world.

H: "I see… Maybe this is one of the gift that white figure was talking about. Way to give me a boost at start. Though I won't be surprised anymore after that inhuman strength."

C: "What have you been mumbling since earlier? You're really becoming more and more suspicious. I will have you go the other way. I won't give you anything."

H: "I was just thinking."

Now that Hans have calmed down and began thinking, all sorts of information flowed in his head as he thinks of a way to persuade her in giving the delicious-looking food, beautifully plated beside the young woman.

This has now become a battle for Hans. A battle if not won, he will die of hunger.

One wrong response and it will cost him the delectable food in front of him.

The food. Not the young woman, of course.

H: "I just want some food."

C: "Don't you have someone with you? Like a butler."

An obvious question. No one would travel to a forest by themselves. Even the safest of forests may harbor hidden dangers that are not yet discovered. It would be suicide to travel by oneself even if it is just a walk for a fresh air.

H: "Butler? But, no, I don't. I haven't eaten since this morning."

C: "How would I know if you are just pretending to be hungry and then attack us all of a sudden? I can see you have some sort of a weapon."

H: "…"

Hans could not think of something to respond to that. Thinking she also has a point. Without proper proof, he could not validate his own innocence. He cannot just say he had it when he was transferred to this world. And because a person who is armed with a knife is someone to be wary of, he must think of a way to make an excuse somehow.

*gurgle*

C: "If you're a bandit, then you're wasting your time. I recommend you choose your target carefully. I don't know how to hold back to people like you."

H: "…"

He began rummaging inside her head for more words. And what he did as a conclusion was...

H: "What are you cooking right now?"

... he changed the topic.

C: "You haven't answered my question yet."

H: "It smells delicious."

C: "Answer my question."

H: "I want to try it."

C: "…"

H: "…"

They both stared at each other blankly with Ceres as suspicious.

H: "Can I have some of your food?"

C: "*sigh* This is a waste of time. Get lost."

Hans is in a pinch. Maybe he got the choices wrong but it went to a bad end, with him not having any dinner.

??: "Oh my~ A visitor?"

C: "Anya."

H: "Hm?"

Then another young woman appeared from the woods with a bucket of full water.

A: "There we… go! Phew… This is heavy…"

C: "I told you, I should've gone instead."

A: "No big deal~ But hey mister visitor!"

H: "Hello. Nice to meet you. I'm Hans Schmidt."

A: "Shimits?"

H: "Schmidt. Is my name that hard to say?"

A: "Hmmm… A little bit. But it's okay~"

Anya's slightly think eyebrows contorted to a guilty expression, not being able to say the stranger's name correctly.

H: "I see. Then can I have some of your food?"

But Hans had other things on his mind and that is his first priority.

C: "You…"

Ceres glared at Hans with killing intent.

A: "Sure!"

C: "Anya??"

H: "Nice! I haven't eaten since this morning!"

A: "Ceres. Look at him~ He's so battered and looks so tired. We should help him~!"

C: "But aren't you suspicious of him?? He looks like he will attack us any second now."

H: "I won't!!"

Saying so, Ceres flashed another glare at Hans.

A: "Uh-huh. Not at all~"

C: "Wha… If you say so. *sigh*"

When Anya said so, Ceres did not have the will to argue anymore.

C: "Your intuition is always right. I know I can trust you in this. Still…"

A: "Thank you, Ceres~"

The problem was resolved and now Hans can eat his food. But the glare from Ceres' eyes towards Hans have not yet to disappear.

C: "Even if Anya trusts you, I don't. I'm ready to slice your throat in a second if you tried doing something funny."

H: "*sigh* Right, right. Just let me eat…"

Hans could no longer care about what Ceres think about him. For now, he just wanted to fill his stomach.

They all sat down on the wooden bench that was brought by Anya and Ceres for today.

Lunaria Café was closed for the day as they have dedicated it for gathering ingredients. Anya went to gather herbs and edible plants as usual while Ceres hunted for animals. They brought things that are necessary for them to stay in the forest for the whole day.

A tent was built in the open area where the sunlight passes through freely. Anya casted a magic barrier before going the lake to fetch a bucket of water covering the whole area to protect them from wild monsters that may roam the area.

Near the cart was a campfire that was installed with a cooking pot and a frying pan.

A: "Ah! But the food is only enough for two…"

C: "Then no food for this guy."

H: "No way…"

Hans' shoulder slumped.

A: "Oh, but we still have the gathered ingredients. Let's just use those~!"

C: "But Anya-"

A: "It's fine, it's fine. Wait a minute, Hans. I'll prepare it for you."

Anya was about to prepare the cooking tools when…

H: "Ah. It's okay. I'll cook."

A: "Eh~?"

Anya was surprised. Not because he was belittling Hans, but it was rare for a noble-like person to cook for himself. Usually nobles have they maids or butlers do the job for them.

H: "Just leave it to me. But tell me what the ingredients are first. Ah, can I wash my hands using the water here?"

A: "S-Sure…~"

Hans folded his sleeves up to his elbows and proceeded to wash his hands thoroughly using the water in the bucket.

C: "Can you even cook?"

Ceres stared at him with a doubtful look.

H: "I do. It's not official and I don't have any papers to prove I'm one but, I'm a chef."

C: "You plan to poison us, do you?! Tch. I knew it!"

*shing*

Ceres unsheathed on of her daggers with Anya behind her and aimed her dagger to Hans.

H: "Calm down. I'll be eating it. No sane man would poison his own food."

C: "R-Right…"

She returned the unsheathe dagger to its scabbard while thinking about how she missed the simple detail.

H: "Pfft… Are you maybe an airhead, Ceres?"

C: "Wha-?! How did you know my na- Ah. From Anya…"

H: "Yeah. Hahaha. You really are a bit of an airhead, huh? That's cute."

C: "H-Huah?! C-C-Cute?!"

Droplets of sweat formed on Ceres' forehead with her face flushed. Her eyes darts all around the place but her trembling finger is directly pointed at Hans.

Compliments! These are words used to give positive comments about someone. It can be a comment about one's looks, personality, or even actions. This is done with a huge amount of courage for those giving it but it can also be taxing for those receiving it.

With proper choice of words and proper intentions, complimenting someone will lead to a positive feedback from the receiving side. But…

C: "Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you saying all of a sudden?! Don't fool around! Y-You're trying to make me let my guard down aren't you?!"

Yes! Ceres in inexperienced with the opposite sex. The only close interaction she had with a man is with Sofiel. But Sofiel is not really considered as a man with his looks. The rest are with some costumers praising her for her cooking. She is not used to receiving compliments from the opposite sex about her looks in particular.

Her whole life, after the incident in her childhood, revolved only around Anya and Anya's mother. Having a new entity called Hans Schmidt praising her is a whole new experience for her and now, her brain circuits began wiring and her mind could not catch up with the sudden compliment. She did not know how to respond, that is why…

A: "C-Ceres…~?"

C: "D-Don't worry, Anya! I-I'll protect you from this depraved man!"

Her mind went the opposite direction.

H: "Calm down, I said."

Without caring for the aimed weapon at him, Hans proceeded to check the cooking tools he will be using. A pot, frying pan, chopping board, chef knife, butcher knife, spatula, and lastly, a ladle.

H: "With these, it's enough."

A: "What are you going to cook~?"

C: "Anya!"

Anya went from behind Ceres to where Hans is and looked curiously at what he is doing.

H: "I still don't know. Let me look at the ingredients first. And kindly explain them, please. I don't know much about these."

A: "Okay~ First are the herbs and plants~ Here is a [Garlunc]."

They ignored Ceres who is now growling like a small cat.

[Garlunc]. A bulb like plant growing under the soil. It has a strong smell and is most often used in basic cooking. It is covered in brown thin layers of skin covering the cloves inside.

H: "Garlunc, huh? It's like a garlic. Wait, it IS a garlic. The difference is just the color."

A: "Garlic? But it is called Garlunc~"

H: ["Garlunc, huh? What's with the author's naming sense…?"]

*bonk!*

H: "Ow-!"

A: "Hans~? What's wrong?"

Anya stared at Hans with a confused look. Placing her finger on her lips as she does so.

H: "I don't know, I felt like something hit my head. I may be just imagining it. Please continue with the explanations."

…

A: "Okay~ Here is a [Ponion]~"

H: "Okay, I'm guessing this is an onion."

A: "But it's called Ponion… Hans, you're kinda weird. Fufu."

H: "Urk…"

Being called weird when he only stated what is common for him hurt him way more than he expected.

[Ponion]. Another bulb like plant that is grown underground. Its layers are changing from a color red to yellow the more it is peeled. If left alone, it will evolve into a monster and will roam the forest so be careful.

A: "But these ones are safe~"

H: "O-okay…"

Hans looked at the Ponion in his hands in an anxious manner. It just perfectly fit on his palm.

H: ["I'm worried they will suddenly attacked me while cooking them…"]

C: "Next is this [Polelo]~"

H: "I won't try and guess it anymore."

[Polelo]. A root crop that is a staple harvest for the people. It can be found almost anywhere in the forest. Covered with brown skin and a light-yellowish color on the inside. It is delicious when baked.

H: "But wait. Why are you gathering them here instead of just growing them in the farm?"

Hans asked while holding the polelo in his hands and checking it around.

A: "Eh?"

Hearing the words that came out from Hans' lips, they all stopped what they were doing and looked at him bewildered.

C: "You… In what part of the world did you come from?"

H: "What? Did I say something strange?"

Both of the girls stared at Hans with disbelief.

C: "*sigh* it seems you really don't know. I'll tell you then. These things can't be grown in other places other than in forests and dungeons."

H: "Dungeons!"

C: "Huh?"

Hans' eyes sparkled like a kid at the word 'dungeon' when it came out of Ceres' mouth.

C: "Anyways. They can only be procured here and can't be in towns."

H: "Why is that?"

A: "Let me explain too~!"

Anya bubbly raised her hands as flowers started popping around her.

A: "That's because of the flow of the [Mana]~"

H: "Mana!"

C: "Huh?"

Once again, Hans' eyes sparkled when he heard the word and puts Ceres off her rhythm.

A: "[Mana] is a very important factor for these kinds of crop to grow. Only a certain type of mana flows in forests and dungeons which is needed for their growth~"

H: "Hm… I see. So that type of mana is not flowing in residential areas, so the crops can't grow there, is what you mean?"

A: "Correct~"

H: "I see. I have more questions but I'm really hungry right now so I'll leave those for another time."

C: "Tsk… You… Do you plan to follow us around even after this…??"

Ceres could not hide her vexation but Hans turned to pick up other ingredients and examined them carefully. Hans had the habit of analyzing things in his head and coming up with different kinds of applications that can be brought up from the gathered information. That was how he usually fare in his missions.

But he also has that kind of thinking process when cooking.

A: "I'll answer them next time if you want~ And the magic barrier won't last long if we take our time here~"

H: "Magic Barrier!"

C: "*sigh* Can you not shout out of nowhere every now and then?"

A: "Fufu~ Hans is so weird~"

H: "Urk… Sorry. I'll ask later then."

A: "Okay~"

Anya let the topic off as she watched Hans preparing some of the ingredients with ease, as if he is already used to them.

C: "Anya, aren't you too generous with this guy?"

A: "He's a nice guy, Ceres."

H: "Haha. Thank you, Anya. You're really nice too."

A: "Ehehe~ I was praised~"

C: "Hrm…"

A groaning Ceres, who is conflicted because she cannot refute to what Anya says since she trusts her but cannot trust the man that just suddenly appeared before them.

…

..

.

Anya explained the rest of the ingredients then Hans proceeded to cooking them. Anya and Ceres were surprised by how Hans was used to the cooking tools as if he was doing it for years. He swiftly cooked the ingredients in a flash and finished the dish.

H: "That's it, I guess. Here you go! Curry rice!"

C: "Curry… rice?"

A: "*gulp*"

A gulp was heard when the strong smell of the dish wafted around the place.

H: "Yeah. I saw you have cooked rice so I just cooked the rest."

["Rice is still called rice here, huh?"]

Thought Hans.

C: "What kind of dish is this…?"

A: "I never saw a dish like this… It has a strong smell and it tickles my nose… It smells good…~"

H: "Right. I saw a leaf that is the same as the leaves of the curry tree back in my worl- Uhh… I mean, country. I didn't have the time to naturally dry it so I used high heat to turn it into a powder and well, the creation is a secret for now."

C: "That's the main ingredient of this Curry Rice…? We just use it for garnishing…"

H: "That's the main ingredient to make the flavor. I used a part of the Horned Boar that you gave me for the meat and added some chopped polelos, [garrots], and a slice of [napple]. I also mashed the polelos and used it to thicken the soup."

["But really, these names are sort of… off. But hearing them, it's easy to guess what they are. And they look almost the same."]

Thinking that to himself, he sat down on one of the chairs Ceres and Anya brought.

H: "I'll tell you how it is cooked later. Let's eat for now. My stomach won't stop complaining."

The urge of wanting to talk all day about his dish was overwritten by his hunger.

C: "Hmph. I never said I wanted to know the recipe."

A: "Yay! Let's try it already~ It really looks so delicious! Let's also have the smoked meat of the Horned Boar~!"

H: "You just had this two pieces of meat…?"

C: "What's wrong with it?"

H: "N-Nothing."

Hans thought to himself that it is very unsatisfactory to only have such an amount of food for lunch. His urge to want to cook for them was lit once again.

C: "These will be used for the restaurant so we just used a little. Then you came. Tch."

A: "Ceres! Don't mind it already! Look, we could eat such a delicious food because of Hans!"

C: "Hmph!"

H: "A-Ahaha… Well then. Let's eat."

A: "Yes~"

All of them scooped a portion of the curry together with the rice with a spoon. And all together, they put it inside their mouths.

C: "…!!"

A: "…Hmmmmm~~~~!! My sheeks are melhing…~~"

H: "Yup. Tastes like curry. Guess I wasn't wrong about the ingredients."

C: "What are you saying so nonchalantly?! This is far from just having the ingredients correct!!"

H: "C-Ceres?"

For the first time since Hans saw Ceres with her killing glare, her face now shines with a smile like a small child receiving a new present on her birthday.

C: "The polelos and garrots have a perfect combination! The garrots gives it a slight sweetness after the spiciness! But… I don't see the napple…"

H: "I grated the napple and mixed it with the soup. It will balance the flavor and make it milder after the spiciness."

A: "Iiii'mmmm meeeelhiiiing~~ The meat is so tender~~ It springs back a bit when you bite it down but after that is feels like it just melted inside my mouth~~ Then a mellow flavor spreads in my tongue~~"

Anya could no longer hide her delight. She held her cheeks and closed her eyes as a way of expression.

H: "That is, I used honey to slightly marinate the Horned Boar's meat since it seemed to have a strong smell and it will help tenderize the meat. It mellows down the spiciness of the curry too!"

C: "Eh? You could use the honey from the [Leaf Bee] that way?"

H: "Yes. Honey has a substance that can break down the protein of the meat and helps tenderized the meat even if you just simmer it for a few minutes."

A: "I see~! We just use it for our drinks but you can use it that way~ Is Hans maybe a scholar? You know some hard words~"

H: "Hard words? Well, I was a bit worried it could be used the same way as I usually do though. But it seems it's the same with the one in my country."

C: "You said that before… But where did you come from? It's just weird for someone to wander in the forest alone lest they will surely be attacked by monsters."

H: "Monsters!"

C: "*sigh*"

Getting used to Han's sudden outburst, Ceres just heaved an irritated sigh.

A: "Hmmmm~~~!!"

H: "I thought they were just wild animals."

C: "Then you were attacked??"

H: "Yeah. A slime like thingy. It was easy enough to kill though."

*cling*

H: "Hm? What's wrong? You dropped your spoon."

Ceres' face froze after hearing Han's words. Even Anya who was enjoying her food gleefully, dropped her spoon after hearing what Hans just said.

A: "J-Just now…~"

C: "Anya… Wait… We may be just mishearing things…"

A question mark popped up above Hans' head.

H: "What's wrong you two? Ah! Did I put weird things in your food?!"

Hans hurriedly took a sniff on the food he was just eating, trying to separate the smell of each ingredients to check if there is something bad mixed in it.

C: "No! It's delicious!!"

But it was instantly praised by Ceres. Ceres does become honest when it comes to food and cooking.

H: "Oh… Phew… That surprised me."

C: "We're the one who're surprised!"

On the other hand, Ceres just cannot remove the shock in her mind.

H: "Huh? Why?"

C: "You said you were attacked, right?"

H: "Yeah."

C: "And what is it?"

H: "It looked like a slime."

Hans looked up as if he was trying to remember what it looked like.

C: "And you said you just killed it easily…?"

H: "Yeah."

C: "… Just who in the world are you?"

*shing*

H: "Huh?? Are we coming back to this again?? Put away your dagger!"

Ceres' eyes glowed sharp green while glaring at Hans who was holding his spoon to his mouth. She covers Anya behind her and aimed the dagger to Hans throat.

A: "C-Ceres! Wait! Let's hear him first! I don't think he's not lying~!"

Anya grabbed Ceres arm in an attempt to calm her down.

C: "Anya… Hmph. Then talk."

H: "Phew… Talk… Talk what?"

C: "How were you able to kill the [Slimes]!?"

H: "Huh? What's wrong with uh… slimes?"

'So they were really called slimes." is what Hans thought at that moment.

C: "Those are vile creatures here in the Traveler's Forest!"

H: "Oh so this is called the Traveler's Forest."

C: "That's not the main point!"

Anya gripped Ceres' hands attempting to stop her.

A: "It's okay Ceres. I'll explain it to him."

C: "Anya?"

Anya brought down her plate and wiped her lips with a cloth that was carefully sitting on her lap. And with a soft clearing of her throat,

A: "You see Hans~? [Slimes] are the form of defiled mana that once flowed in the forest. When too much negative mana fused together, it transforms into a creature that viciously attacks anyone in sight. It can kill anyone even if it only slightly touches them. Many have already perished by just a single slime. If you met one, it is suggested you run away in full speed~"

H: "So you mean… It was a rather dangerous monster?"

Anya's demeanor change into that of a mature one.

A: "Not just rather. It is different from the animal monsters like Horned Boars and [Spike Rabbits]. It is one of the most dangerous monsters in this forest. The other one is the [Chaos Wolf] which governs this forest. Ah, Anya don't just continue eating."

H: "It's the same level as that… I really felt that wolf spells danger."

C: "Yeah. And you just said that you killed it easily. Just who are you?"

Now Hans has come to a critical situation. How would he explain his circumstances to other people he met in this world? If he said that he came from a different world, he may be out casted by the people here and makes his life more difficult.

Or much worse, he may be labeled as the same with the monsters and kill him instantly. Based from his experience, Ceres is strong. She can do it in an instant if Hans lowered his guard.

H: ["How should I answer this one…?"]

…

..

.

Chapter 7 End