//------------------------------// // Curry Talk (Reincarnated as a Sword - Light Novels) // Story: Sunset's Isekai // by Wanderer D //------------------------------// Sunset's Isekai Curry Talk (Reincarnated as a Sword) By Wanderer D The capital city of the Beastman Nation, Bestia, was a sight to behold, and even more importantly, a place where Fran felt comfortable at. Perhaps not as much as she did at the Black Catkin Village, but the overwhelming feeling of welcome and appreciation for her was both endearing and a much-needed change in their lives. That, and most of her friends on this continent were here; The Beast King Rigdith, Mea, Quina, and Gwendarth and many others, which made it a fun place for her to both hang out and train. Unlike other countries, the beast people just accepted that Fran (being the one and only living Black Sky Tiger) was just as crazy as their king, and also just as destructive. Unfortunately it was almost time to leave the Beastman Nation and return to Balboa if they wanted to make the capital city in time to meet with their dwarven friend, Gallus, and although Fran was very good at keeping a straight face, it was very clear to Teacher that she was already missing Mea. He couldn't blame her. Afterall, Mea was not only a fellow beast person… she was also Fran's age, and powerful enough to actually keep up with her to boot. He had already lost count of how many times they had trained together, and their bond as warriors had only strengthened. And as much as she respected and loved her other friends and mentors, they were all older than her, or simple civilians… and the latter would never be able to keep up with a C-Rank adventurer, much less someone like Fran who was C-Rank only in paper while the reality was that she had enough power for an A-Rank. Fran… "Hn?" Teacher paused, trying to sort his feelings and thoughts. What could he say to her to make her feel better? That's when he spotted the bar. The door had a stylized yin-yang symbol on it, made of glass, and designed to look like a sun. It was located in an odd place, being attached to one of the few walls that eventually reached the main gates of the city. If that wasn't a blatant breach of security, he didn't know what would be. But then again, a lot of people here actually enjoyed fighting monsters, so maybe it was socially acceptable to grab a beer and run out that door to hunt chimeras or something. But it was not just the bar being in an odd place that had drawn his attention. It had been the blackboard sign in front of the door that had done the trick. Fran… look. They sell curry. "Curry." Fran's cat ears stood at attention. An excited "Woof!" came from the shadows as well. If there was something that would cheer up Fran instantly, it would be curry, and having come over to this continent, their supply of spices and saved curry was running drastically low. This was the best possible scenario to take Fran's mind off from her impending trip, even if for just a short time. "I did not know curry had reached this continent yet," Fran stated with a nod. "We should try it." "Woof! Bark!"  Trust Jet to be all for it too. The pair was insatiable. But, they did have a lot of money right now, so splurging a bit to drown sorrows and muster up energy to head out once more couldn't hurt anyone. Why not? Let's go take a look. The moment they entered the place, Teacher could feel it was different. The door opened into a short, cool, brick corridor, accompanied by the sound of a silver bell chiming. Something about the place tugged at Teacher, something familiar. Fran, undeterred and not sensing any danger, walked straight into the bar proper. This is…! Teacher? Fran's telepathic reply showed how much she had learned caution. I think it looks like a Speakeasy bar but that's impossible… Teacher ignored the few patrons and started looking around. At the tables. The posters and pictures. The guitars! "Welcome to Sunset's Isekai," a voice said in their minds. Telepathy! They both turned to face the person speaking to them and were surprised to see what appeared to be an elf. Now that they were looking at her, they could feel immense power from her. How had she snuck up to them? Immediately Teacher used his appraisal skill. Name: Kuro Race: Black Dragon God Title: Goddess of Death [Stats Blocked] Teacher almost winced when the rest of his scan was blocked entirely. The elf turned to look at him… not Fran…  "That information is private, Mr. Sword." The… maid… turned to look at Fran. "Have you come here for a drink or food?" "Hn." Fran nodded, her wariness already forgotten. "Curry." The maid nodded in understanding. "Chicken Curry is the best." They're already getting along… Teacher thought as Fran followed the maid to a table. However, his thoughts were not on the curry itself. His thoughts were on what little he had gleaned. If he had been human still he was sure a chill would have run down his back. He had never seen anything like that.  Dragon God. That was her race. Not a title. Not a job. She was a goddess?! Fran, he said to his charge, she is very dangerous! She's a god! Fran, however, was not disturbed. "Hn. People that like curry are good people." "Indeed," the dragon god added to their conversation. Teacher looked around. The other people in the bar's table area were humans. A young human girl with long black hair, with another young lady standing behind her while she drank some tea. It was a very similar situation to Quina waiting on Mea, although these girls were much younger. But now that he was focused on them, Teacher realized that he could feel the pressure of a tremendous amount of mana within the girl sipping her tea. First, he checked the girl serving the other. Name: Philine Race: Human Class: Apprentice Scholar Condition: Normal Status: Level: (Not Compatible) HP: (Not Compatible) MP: (Not Compatible) STR: (Not Compatible) AGI: (Not Compatible) Skills: Acting, Spying, Noble Etiquette, Research, Bureaucracy, Poison Detection, Mana Sense, Magic Use, Highbeast Creation, Schtappe Usage, Potion Making, Dancing, Music (Harpsiel), Scholar Work, Piloting, Valkyrie Piloting, Mecha Piloting, Dragon Riding.  Unique Skills: Blessing of the Gods (Ehrenfest) Title: Friend of Dragons, Saint of Ehrenfest's Protege, Ace Pilot's Trainee, Interdimensional Traveler What are those skills?! At first the girl had started somewhat normal for someone working for a noble. Just like Quina, the girl had a couple of skills that would be natural to an assistant of her stature, but halfway through it, they became nonsensical.  Almost dreading what he'd see, Teacher studied the sitting girl. Name: Rozemyne Race: Human Title: Saint of Ehrenfest [Stats Blocked] It wasn't normal, but it was also not unheard of to have his scan blocked by either ability or difference in rank. In the case of a Dragon God, chances were that Kuro was simply too powerful comparatively for his skill to process, and in the case of the young lady there… well, she was human, so chances were that it was due more to a skill preventing him from scanning her than a vast difference in power. He then turned to face the bartender and used appraisal on her. Denied. The bartender too?! Fran, we might not be safe here. He had never had a result so blatant. Whatever this place was, there was no way being surrounded by people so powerful was safe. "No one with ill intentions can come into the Isekai," the dragon-goddess-turned-maid informed them telepathically. She glared at Teacher. "I already told you that scanning people in the bar is rude." "A healthy amount of paranoia is useful for adventurers, Kuro, don't mind them too much. It causes no harm," the bartender lady said. "It's still rude." "Hn," Fran grunted, giving Teacher a narrow-eyed glance over her shoulder. Fran?! You too? "Hn. We were told it was rude here. There are no enemies. There's no need." You seem to trust them easily. "Kuro likes curry. Good people like curry." It's not as simple as that… but okay. He gave up arguing. Despite how single-minded she seemed, Fran was a very good judge of character. She took him off her back and rested him on a chair next to hers as she sat down. Kuro placed down two menus. One with a matching logo to the bar's, the other with a black cat sitting down logo on it, and words in japanese that read: "Nekoya". "Curry." Kuro smiled. "I will bring you some." "Hn." The pair watched in silence and anticipation as more people came into the bar and took a table. There were creatures of all types, and Teacher had to force himself to stop Appraising each and every one of them as they walked in. When a woman dressed purely in white had walked in and he had gotten a headache from the feedback when he tried to read her. Name: White Information Exceeds Your Authority What not even a species?! "Special delivery!" a creature that looked like some sort of winged unicorn walked into the bar, levitating a bunch of barrels with her sparkly-looking magic and heading to the employees-only door. Appraisal. Name: Nope. And that was when Teacher gave up, dropping the appraisal without waiting to see what else would come up. It was just too much and when he was getting a headache, he knew it was getting to him. Even though he technically couldn't feel pain, being a sword and all that, he had decided to give it up before his blade started cracking due to mental stress.  He watched as a redheaded girl claiming to be an alchemist was led into the room by a lady that everyone greeted named Rarity. Something like a duck beast person had joined Rozemyne at her table, followed soon by a pair of similarly-dressed girls that acted like sisters, then a human mage girl that led over a young lady that seemed to be half-dressed in a mixture of school uniform and armor—and had somehow lost a shoe—to introduce her to the others. They were a bit young for a bar, but then again so was Fran, and they weren't drinking anything alcoholic. Soon enough, a large flagon of juice was set on the table for Fran, and curry was served. Not only for Fran, however. Kuro had brought a large bowl which she set next to the table. "Woof!" …I guess it's fine if they already know, Jet. With Teacher's permission the wolf emerged from the shadows and immediately dug in. "It seems you're enjoying the food," the bartender said, walking over to their table, and after a nod from Fran, sitting down with them. "I'm Sunset Shimmer," she said, smiling. "And this is my little bar in the omniverse." "Hn. I'm Fran," Fran said, thankfully pausing to swallow before talking. "This is Jet. And that is Teacher." If she was put off by Fran's way of speaking, Sunset didn't let it show, turning to nod at both of us as we were introduced. "I saw you trying to scan my guests when they walked in," Sunset said, a small smirk on her face as she faced Teacher. "I imagine it was quite the shock." Um. I apologize… it's a habit now, that I've been told a couple of times I should try and keep under control, Teacher replied, trying to fight the feeling of a chill going down his blade. "It's okay," Sunset replied, glancing around to wave at a young blonde woman wearing her hair up in a ponytail, who stopped briefly to say hi before making her way to a table where she sat down with all the dignity of a noble, next to another noble-looking lady with brown hair, who was talking to the woman that had walked in earlier with Lady Rarity. "Lady Catarina!" "Lady Aileen! I've been waiting for you! Have you met Lady Dahlia?" "I told you, I'm not a Lady!" "Not yet!" Sunset watched that with a gentle smile on her face before turning to face Teacher again. "You'll find there's a lot of people here that have that same problem. After all, most of the guests today outside of my daughters and some of their friends, are also world travelers, or reincarnations in another world." You mean… Sunset nodded. "You're not alone… at least not in the big scheme of things. It's unusual to see people reincarnated into objects, but you seem to be doing well." For a moment, Teacher feels conflicted. His circumstances are certainly different from the others here, who are at least… beings. I'm not sure how to feel about that, he confesses after a moment. "Well, you're traveling with Fran here, and she seems to be a healthy young woman. Strong too." "Hn." Fran looks up from her curry, licking the side of her lips to get every bit before adding, "Teacher is the best. He cooks for us and helps me become stronger." Fran… Despite the crazy situation he found himself in, or perhaps because of it, Teacher found himself opening up to the bartender. When I woke up… it was strange to not be human, but I had already accepted my existence as it was despite the initial surprise. I grew stronger, fighting monsters and eating their cores to gain experience and power… it was fun, sometimes, but lonely. Sunset nodded. "Especially being a brand new being in a strange world." If Teacher could have nod, he would have done so as well. Just as things were starting to really get repetitive and I was considering moving on my own, I came upon a young black catkin slave girl, who was about to be mauled by a monster that had killed everyone else. She had such a will to live, that when she saw me, she was able to muster the strength to fight! And I wasn't about to leave someone like her to her fate like that… we started working together then… Fran gave me the name "Teacher" and from then on we became inseparable. Sunset grimaced, and gave Fran a nod of acknowledgment. Teacher was grateful it hadn't been pity.  Fran has achieved so much that I just feel lucky to be able to see it happen, he continued, her dream, and that of her tribe was to discover the secret to Black Catkin evolution, and although at first it seemed like an impossible dream, we never wavered until we found the secret… both of why Black Catkin can't evolve, and how to break the curse. "It can't be an easy one to break if a whole race of people are bound by it." It wasn't. But we found the way to break it, and we've been letting the word travel since. There won't be that many Black Heavenly Tigers like Fran here for a long, long time, but now Black Catkin can do it… and eventually they will be able to break the curse itself! "I owe it all to Teacher." Fran took a spoonful of curry and nodded sagely. "I can see that," Sunset said as she smiled at Fran's words. " It's no wonder that you two were able to find the way, being as strong and united as you are." You can see how strong we are? Teacher asked. Sunset nodded. "Could we defeat anyone here?" Fran asked, eyes flashing with interest. Sunset laughed. "Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, not that many. One on one you'd probably give the kids a few bruises, depending on who you fought… but there are very powerful beings here who you do not want to mess around with…" she gave it some thought. "Maybe one day I can get you to spar with the others. I'm sure plenty of them would love to help you get stronger, especially once they see the kind of person you are." "Hn. I look forward to it." Fran! "I want to be stronger." But it's rude to come to a restaurant or bar with the intention to get into a fight! Fran tilted her head and her ears twitched. "It is?" Yes! "But we always get into fights when we go to a bar." Teacher mentally sighed. Fran… that's because people can't sense how strong you are… Fran nodded emphatically. "Exactly. So, we show them." That's not how it should be! Sunset giggled. "You two are very close, it's nice to see more little families being born out of completely crazy situations." It takes a moment for Teacher to process that… but… can he deny it? Fran has been the apple of his eye ever since they met. She's been the one he has sworn himself to support and make sure her dreams come true. And even though he couldn't remember all the details of his previous life… it did seem very close to what his understanding of family was. "Most of the people I've met that have been sent to other worlds, either after dying and reincarnating, or simply being taken there, have ultimately gained a family of sorts," Sunset continued, turning to look as two frogs (walking on their hind legs like humans would) stepped into the bar and—wide-eyed—met the girl in school uniform and armor that had come in earlier in the middle of the bar, hugging each other and laughing. "Sometimes a completely different species, as you can see." … when I came to, I didn't have anyone. I was on my own, as a sword, in a forest full of monsters, Teacher said, …it wasn't until Fran came along that I found a purpose… and my life here really started. Teacher said, thinking back on what he had just told Sunset earlier. I didn't realize until then that I was missing something. "Hn." Fran paused to swallow before giving her sword a fond look. "Before I met Teacher, I was close to giving up. But we fought together, and now we grow strong together." Sunset nodded. "And that's how you became a family." You speak as if it's the same with you. "Well." Sunset grinned. "That's because it is. All of my family comes from completely different worlds, and they're all unique. Like you, Teacher, I'm happy to be part of their growth… and I am happy to be able to learn something new from them every day." Fran nodded in apparent understanding. "Hn. Teacher is always sharing his skills with me." Well, that's kind of my power… More people came in as Fran dug into her food again. A trio of girls dressed in blue, red, and green school uniforms, also wearing armor on top —which seemed to be something of a theme, apparently—walked in and greeted Sunset as they made their way to a table. You seem to have a lot of returning guests, Teacher noted. Sunset nodded. "Been doing this for a long time… long enough, and lucky enough to meet a lot of people." Teacher was quiet for a moment, taking her words in. If she meant what she said… the chances of meeting people from different worlds, even with a bar that could go anywhere, were astronomically low in a normal lifetime. …Is living for so long… difficult? Sunset glanced at him, and for the first time, he saw just how ancient her eyes seemed, even if her body and mannerisms seemed to be those of a young adult that didn't look like she was past twenty five. Sensing her question, he gave a mental sigh. I just… never really think about the future, but I'm a sword… a magical, regenerating one at that. Unless I am destroyed in battle, I am going to carry on. "Ah, I see," Sunset said, smiling at him in understanding. "It's a difficult subject to tackle… a lot of people are terrified of the idea so much that they try to convince themselves that immortality, or near-immortality is a bad thing." She leaned back, tapping her finger on the table as she thought. "It's a shift in perspective, and a shift on expectations. Pain goes away, memories fade a little, and what we're left with if enough time passes is the core of the people we knew and loved embedded in our hearts. So, in a way it can get lonely…" …I see… "But," Sunset said, leaning forward again, "that's where our understanding of life and the value of people in our lives matters. Their core… the things they leave behind with us forevermore, is something we can cherish by starting new relationships, meeting new people, and sharing those memories and experiences with them. In that way, no matter how long ago they went away, or how little time we feel we spent with them, we continue our way together." "I want Teacher to continue forever," Fran said, joining the conversation as the last of the curry in her plate was licked clean. "I will stay with him forever." "Woof!" Jet agreed. …guys… "You still have a long time before it becomes an issue," Sunset reassured him. "And as your relationship grows, so will your commitment and your purpose. It's scary, but it's also something I think you'll be able to manage just fine." It was then that Fran's stomach growled. Sunset chuckled and stood up. She pulled a business card out of her pocket and offered it to Fran. "Keep that with you, in case you guys ever need a break. For now, let me get you more curry." Teacher watched Sunset walk away while Fran smiled in satisfaction at getting more food, and Jet wagged his tail, also excited to be fed even more. A place to come back to if we need a break, huh? Fran, make sure not to lose it. "Hn." "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that dear," Lady Rarity said, having clearly heard him. "I believe you can absorb skills from certain items, right?" If Teacher was still human (or humanoid) he would have narrowed his eyes. Yes? "Why don't you try that with the card?" I don't know if—Fran?! Without waiting for him to finish, he had sliced the card on his blade. Immediately the card disappeared. ***New Unique Skill Obtained*** Sunset's Isekai - User can used Teacher to summon the door to Sunset's Isekai as long as the bar rules are followed. Teacher stared at the skill, while Lady Rarity smirked, as if saying: "I know what I'm talking about." "This way," Lady Rarity said, patting Teacher's pomel gently, "it won't matter how long, or how soon: you don't have to depend on anyone else to come back here." Fran nodded firmly. "The curry is good. We'll be back soon." Teacher agreed, but he also could sense what Rarity was really telling him: "No matter what happens, where eternity takes you, you always will have a place to come to if you want." Thank you, was all he could say. He might have tried for a longer conversation, but Kuro had brought back the second serving of curry, and it would have been folly to interrupt Fran and Jet. Still, he thought to himself, it's nice to have a place for us to come back and not worry about anything… no matter when. The End