Curry!!! YUM!

The sound of crackling filled the air, as clouds in the night sky moved slowly and softly, their movements seemingly synchronized. The rustle of grass stirred by the gentle breeze, accompanied by the distant hooting of owls, made Master and Fran feel as if they were truly a part of nature.

However, that serene sensation was soon interrupted by the bubbling of a pot. Fran suddenly jumped up in excitement.

"CURRY!" she exclaimed, her voice full of pure ecstasy, as she subtly licked her lips in anticipation. Even though the dish wasn't yet in her mouth, the memory of its flavor filled her imagination.

"Calm down! It's not even close to being finished. You know I can't rush this if you want it to turn out as good as possible," Master responded to Fran's enthusiasm. Unfortunately, this had an unintended effect as Fran's ears drooped slightly, and she appeared rather sad.

'Ah! Darn it, Fran, why do you have to put on that pouty face!? You're just too cute. It hurts me to the core to see you sad!'

Master, with revitalized passion, rapidly accelerated his cooking process, and within mere minutes, a hot bowl of steaming curry was handed to Fran. The creamy, golden sauce, made with a perfect blend of spices, enveloped each grain of fluffy, white rice. An assortment of vegetables, such as carrots, and potatoes, added vibrant hues and contrasting textures to the dish. The succulent snake meat, marinated in a mixture of garlic, ginger, and a touch of chili, had been tenderized and slow-cooked to perfection.

As for Fran, she wasted no time, grabbing a wooden spoon and diving straight into the culinary delight. The explosion of flavors and textures enveloped her, her imagination running wild; she saw herself in a fantastic new world, as if she had been isekai'd into a realm full of nothing but curry. Visions of endless varieties of the dish danced in her mind, each one more delectable than the last.

"Fran snapped out of it!" Master said worried about Fran.

This gastronomic adventure left Fran with an even greater obsession over the dish and an absolute admiration for Master's grand cooking skills. In her opinion, no living being could ever hope to catch up to his unparalleled culinary prowess. Every bite of the curry brought her closer to this enchanted world, reinforcing her belief that the Master was a true genius in the kitchen, capable of creating unforgettable, magical meals.

"FRAN! SNAP OUT OF IT!" Master yelled through telepathy which made Fran snap out of her quite enjoyable imaginary parallel world and all she responded with was a simple "Huh?".

'I swear, once she gets into the zone with curry, there's no hope. I still find it strange that such a simple dish is able to leave such a lasting impression. There must not be that many flavorful dishes in this world. On the other hand, she might've never been able to taste such dishes.'

Master let that thought run through his mind for a moment before confronting the harsh reality.

'I'm so sorry, Fran! You've missed out on so much because of those damn slavers! I promise I'll spoil you with as many dishes as you like! But for now, we do have some important matters to discuss, so I should put that aside.'

Master then used telepathy to pass the note he had received from an owl. It floated gently into Fran's hand, while her other hand was still hurriedly scarfing down the curry, which was nearly gone after just two minutes.

"The note that was passed by the owl is from Klimt; apparently, there's been a developing situation back in Alessa. A massive number of people were massacred in the night, and an underground hideout of slaves was discovered. However, they have no idea who slaughtered the slavers and are searching for the culprit. The problem is that this person is very powerful. So it seems Klimt has asked for our help in finding or subjugating whoever has caused the uproar," Master said, his voice slightly uneasy. At the same time, he felt a chill down his spine and a sense of deja vu, as if he knew who this person might be.

Fran perked up. "Well, if Klimt is asking for help, we might as well go! Also, whoever killed slavers isn't much of an enemy to me as long as he likes curry." Fran said with vigor but at the same time shoving the final bite of curry into her mouth.

"Huh? Well, yeah, I guess you're right. He has helped us out a bit, but we've also done the same in return," Master responded, moving himself slightly with telepathy and leaning on the log that Fran resides on.

'Although if we do go, I have a feeling it's going to be more dangerous than the spider dungeon and fighting that demon. I don't know why, but I just have a feeling of despair. But if our friends need help, then we should go.'

"Alright then! Let's go help out Klimt. We'll head toward the Port of Darth at a later date! Though, we might miss the festival in the process," Master said, his voice slightly stuttering when mentioning the festival, as he knew Fran had been looking forward to it, and he wanted to explore the dungeon as well.

Though Fran's eager appetite has been let down due to the fact that they were no longer going to the festival at least for now. The passion to meet Amanda and especially Nell overpowered the desire to eat festival food plus she always had Master's godly curry.

With a gleeful smile on her face, Fran raised her fist into the air and exclaimed, "Yea! Let's go!"

Without hesitation, Fran picked up Master and hopped onto Jet. The creature let out a playful arf and began speeding across the landscape. Majestic mountains towered in the distance, casting their imposing shadows across the land, while sparkling rivers meandered through the valleys below, their waters shimmering like liquid silver under the moonlit sky. The breathtaking scenery unfolded before them, a testament to the awe-inspiring beauty of the world they inhabited, as they ventured forth towards the Fortified City of Alessa

Although Master couldn't help but think…

'I don't know why… But even though it's exciting to head back to Alessa, I have a horrible feeling that we really shouldn't. Ah, whatever! I must be overthinking things. I mean, Amanda is present there, so everything will be fine.'