The Unreasonable Request For Mapo Tofu - Part One

“Time flies like an arrow.”

That is indeed a fitting phrase.

When you lose yourself in something, time seems to pass before you know it.

Whether it is work or a hobby, that holds true.

This is Shuri.

Another six months have passed since we all ate oden together.

Before I realized it, a full year had gone by since I arrived here.

I am twenty-one now. Hahaha, I am really getting old.

As always, I continue to serve as the cook for Gungrave-san’s mercenary band.

We managed to get some assistance, so now four of us are running the kitchen.

The mercenary band has also expanded over the past year, approaching a thousand members.

“Gungrave-san, managing this many people with just four cooks is tough.”

“That is why I had large stoves and big pots made for you.”

“Because of those developments, beef consumption is heavy, so please restock our supply.”

“Understood. I will give Rir a firm warning.”

It seems he understood my point.

Now then, Gungrave-san’s mercenary band has become quite famous in the streets.

After all, as an elite force boasting undefeated status, lords trying to recruit us into their camps are legion.

If my memory serves me right, I feel we have not lost a single battle this past year. They say that is normally impossible.

“Kuuga-san, you had a secret recruitment offer as well, didn’t you?”

“Well, yeah. I’ve become famous meself.”

“The conditions were good, weren’t they?”

“Well, ye see… They said if I brought me two hundred infantrymen along, they’d quintuple me pay.”

“That is amazing.”

“Not so great. Me subordinates heard about it secretly and showered me with criticism. Course, I’ve no intention of leavin’ the mercenary band anyway.”

Hearing that put me a bit at ease.

Recruitment offers come not just for Kuuga-san’s unit, but for all the unit commanders.

However, none of them intend to leave this mercenary band. Bound by tight bonds, no one here abandons their comrades.

By now, I have become one of the veteran soldiers alongside the commanders and their close aides.

Some of the newcomers can be quite arrogant, which makes things difficult.

I hear a mercenary band functions only by swallowing such friction. Gungrave-san’s iron stomach and heart truly deserve admiration.

Gungrave-san also turned down all recruitment offers, maintaining his stance of operating strictly as a mercenary band.

They want to recruit us; they do not want us falling into enemy hands.

Outwitting such lords, he works diligently to earn gold.

Gungrave-san’s scheme-weaving intellect never fails to amaze me.

This time, a member of a certain nation’s royal family offered to hire the entire mercenary band.

Supposedly, it was a conflict centered around forest resources.

That forest is a land sleeping with vast resources and food—spices, wildlife, vegetables, and medicinal herbs.

A war broke out when the neighboring country came to seize those vegetables and medicinal herbs.

That neighboring territory apparently holds mineral resources of its own.

Scrambling for resources is the same everywhere.

Thus, we sided with the royal family who wished to protect the forest’s resources.

“What was the reasoning behind that, Arius-san?”

“We have already secured the weapons, equipment, and supplies necessary to maintain our troops. We have coordinated with our favored merchants and guilds, so there are no issues regarding armaments at least. However, food is consumed daily. Even if we spend no money, food decreases. Therefore, we are taking this opportunity to establish a supply route for food-related provisions.”

“As expected of Arius-san, you are so well-informed.”

“No, shouldn’t Shuri be the one who knows the most about food matters…”

I choked on my words and reflected on my ignorance.

As a result, we won. Quite easily.

We were prepared for war from the start, and the enemy was nothing impressive.

However, the problem occurred after the battle.

Surprisingly, they announced that the bonus reward would be paid to only one of the three mercenary bands present, including ours.

‘Ridiculous,’ I thought, but the king spoke up.

“My daughter is a gourmet. However, ordinary meals no longer satisfy her as of late.

Therefore, if any of you can prepare a dish that satisfies her, I shall pay the bonus reward to that band.“

Irk.

His arrogant attitude annoyed me.

However, Gungrave-san had an evil look on his face.

That was the face of a demon king who squeezes his prey for all they are worth.

“What I wish to eat is a delicious dish that is sweet, sour, spicy, and bitter. Bring it to me.”

A tiny, young princess. Is she seriously asking us to create a dish that satisfies almost every human taste bud?

The other mercenary bands could not hide their confusion. Naturally, Gungrave-san was confused as well.

Ordinarily speaking, there is no way such a dish could taste good.

Ordinarily, that is.

The other bands informed their cooks of the request and urged them to succeed.

Those cooks bore grim faces as if marching into an unwinnable battle.

“Shuri, will you be alright?”

Gungrave-san was worried too.

Even after moving from the audience chamber to the kitchen, he still looked concerned.

“Well, I have an idea… or rather, a good guess.”

“Is that true!?”

“Well, it is a somewhat unusual dish, though.”

This dish is sweet, sour, spicy, bitter, and delicious.

The only issue is adjusting the seasonings.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“In that case, please inform Arius-san that tomorrow’s boiled tofu is postponed.”

“That… seems a bit impossible.”

“Please do your best. Tofu is the main star of this dish, so we cannot begin without it.”

Lately, Arius-san has been obsessed with boiled tofu, which allows her to eat as much as she wants while staying healthy without gaining weight.

She eats it with fierce enthusiasm. Perhaps it is just my imagination, but her female subordinates’ skin seems to have gained a nice firmness as well.

Because of that, she practically leaps for joy on boiled tofu days.

Postponing it will surely be painful for her.

“Well then, I will start cooking.”

What I am making this time is Mapo Tofu.

Eh? Isn’t it just spicy?

No, no. Outside of Sichuan style, Mapo Tofu is a delicious dish that is sweet, sour, spicy, and bitter.

The chili bean paste I made previously turned out well, allowing me to complete the Mapo Tofu.

“This looks quite spicy…”

“It will be spicy for those unaccustomed to it. But once you get hooked, you will be moved by its multitude of flavors.”

When we returned to the audience chamber, it seemed the other mercenary bands had already presented their dishes.

By all appearances, they were grotesque concoctions.

“Disgusting!”

The little princess seemed quite angry too.

Well, anyone would be angry if served disgusting food.

“Are you the last one…”

Wait, is the princess looking exhausted?

Without worrying about it, I presented the Mapo Tofu.

The princess showed a puzzled expression.

“What is this?”

“It is Mapo Tofu.”

“Ma… what did you say?”

“Please give it a try. It is delicious.”

The princess timidly scooped up some tofu and sauce, bringing it to her mouth.

She froze.

“Ngh, ngh… Spicy, it’s spicy!!”

“Princess, please savor it carefully.”

The young princess writhed from the spiciness.

She squeezed her eyes shut to endure it.

Then, her tearful eyes turned into expressions of surprise.

“…Sweet?”

“That is the sweetness of the tofu.”

“And sour too.”

“That is one of the flavors of the chili bean paste.”

“It is… bitter as well.”

“Because it has been thoroughly cooked over high heat in the pan.”

“Finally, spicy.”

“That comes from the Sichuan pepper and chili bean paste.”

Having grown accustomed to the flavor, the princess began eating the Mapo Tofu rapidly.

“Delicious! Delicious!”

“Please wipe your sweat while eating. I thought it would be just right for a princess who tends to get cold easily.”

“What did you say?”

“Ever since I arrived, I noticed you fidgeting with your feet as if you were cold, so I wondered if that was the case.”

The princess was surprised, but a smile instantly broke across her face.

It was a smile like a blooming flower.

“I have taken a liking to you! Become my chef!”

“Ah, that is impossible.”

After all, I am the cook for Gungrave-san’s band.

In the end, after much fuss…

We received the bonus reward properly, and we also secured a favorable arrangement regarding food trading.

Since the princess looked reluctant to see us go, I wrote down the recipe and handed it to the court chefs.

Just to be safe, I included recipes for Sichuan-style Mapo Tofu, Mapo Eggplant, and Mapo Rice Bowls.

A varied repertoire is important, after all. Eating the exact same thing gets tiring.

A few days later, I received a thank-you letter and a chef’s knife from the princess.

I will make sure to use it with care.