Chapter 12: To Cook, or Not to Cook?

My favorite type of enemy in RPGs is a stronger version of a previously seen enemy. Things like a recolored slime, or perhaps a different take on one of the first enemies in the game really please me. What most people see as lazy developer decisions, or ways to extend game length, I see as an opportunity to be clever.

Think about it! If used correctly, recolored and repurposed enemies can really enhance a world! A species of monsters could vary by region, or perhaps two different species converged to take similar shapes. If the bestiary provides ample description, something like a recolored enemy can act as a testament to both the developers and the world they created!

Perhaps I'm just the type of goblin to be satisfied with simple changes like that, but whenever I play RPGs, I rush towards recolors with a determination hardly found anywhere else. It's always interesting to see how a base concept can be reworked in different contexts! Plus, it makes filling out the bestiary more fun, and that's something I always appreciate. If done intermittently, recolors help hold a game together, and The Tears of Nephelai certainly worked well with its enemy resources.

The boss standing before me is exactly the type of recolor I clamor for. Mast Tersheff is an Orc, but he's got fuzzy brown fur on him, and tusks that make him seem a little more pig-like than other Orcs. He's bigger, he's wearing a tunic and apron combo that's vaguely chef themed, and he's got a small chef hat on top of his head.

This is what I like to see! I can't help but smile as he menacingly leads towards my face.

“Are you the chef, good sir?”

“I am… What do you want, girl…?”

“I want to try your food! It smells delicious!”

“Delicious you say…? Bahaha! A mere little girl wants to try my cookin’ eh?”

His laugh is boisterous and shakes the entire cave. It's so powerful it could be considered an area of effect attack. That's awesome! His boss status can even be felt before the battle!

I've never heard the voice of a named character before now, because The Tears of Nephelai doesn't have voice acting. Hearing a voice that suits the text I read in the past is strangely exciting. With Mast Tersheff’s Orcish accent, his speech sounds charmingly peculiar, just how I imagined it to be!

I was faking my smile before, but I feel myself being genuinely excited by my discoveries right now.

“Small girl, we have captured you. You are in big danger, do you know what that means?”

“Nope!”

“Okay… Does the little girl know what monster cuisine tastes like?”

“Hmmm… Nope!”

I force my stomach to growl. My secret technique I've been honing for the past few days has worked well!

“But it seems you are hungry for it anyways, bahaha! Fine, I shall feed this small girl, many, many foods!”

Mast Tersheff is oddly joyous about this whole thing. Was he intending to feed us all his cooking from the beginning? I wonder.

I'm quickly untied and seated at a makeshift table. In the corner of the room, I can see Mast Tersheff preparing various foods. He speaks to me as I try not to salivate. I make sure to keep my airhead act going strong.

“Small girl, what do you usually eat?”

“Eggs and bread!”

“...Just that?”

“Yep!”

Mast Tersheff stops what he's doing and leans forward into my face. His orange eyes meet mine as he takes a big sniff. Heh, perfect! This is what I was counting on. As a Fuzzy Orc, this guy has an extremely powerful sense of smell. He can even smell a history of what someone has eaten. His skills are so fine-tuned to cooking that his nose has apparently developed like that.

Naturally, I ate light and simple so I could manipulate what he smelled at this very moment. Surely, he's seeing a retroactive culinary history of moldy bread and raw eggs. Mast Tersheff will see me as someone who can't eat well, unlike the other residents of Dadirdtoun. I'll use that to connect with him and end this peacefully. Knowing the situation of the Orcs, and seeing how joyous Mast Tersheff is, I'm confident I can perform with no qualms. The power of bestiary flavor text allowed me to develop this plan!

“Small girl, what have you been doing all this time…? Do other humans not eat well like this…?”

He quickly sniffs all the other captured humans, and I quickly see him get irritated.

“These humans all eat more than fine! Small girl, tell me, tell me your problems!"

“Problems? What do you mean?”

“Why do you only eat the same things, even when you live with other people, eh?”

“Ah, um, do you mean bread and eggs? I can't really afford anything else, ahah… And the residents of Dadirdtoun haven't really been hospitable since I moved here, so I've been stuck with simple food.”

That's a blatant lie, of course, but luckily Mast Tersheff’s nose isn't a lie detector.

“These people, they even disgrace their own kind! Small girl, I shall give you many tasty foods right now! The cooking of Mast Tersheff shall bring you delicious happiness!!”

“I look forward to it!”

Mast Tersheff immediately gets to work. As the cave starts to fill with appetizing smoke, I see the Fuzzy Orc prepare incomprehensible dishes. Monster parts I never thought of combining start to turn into luxury food. I thought these Orcs were low on food, did my sympathy inspire Mast Tersheff that much? He looks like he's having so much fun. The Tears of Nephelai has a cooking mechanic… Should I join him? Is it alright for me to cook too? Maybe I can do so later.

Suddenly, all at once, the food is slammed down in front of me.

“Bahaha, here you go small girl! Many foods for you to eat, eh? A Goop Soup appetizer, detoxified and served with crushed Smiledew, then Slagrock Steak and Slimeamander Bites to follow, with a Hyperberry Tart for dessert! I see you are drooling, yes you are ready to taste greatness!”

I've always thought that food in games looked strangely appetizing. In reality such things were a combination of fantasy ingredients that somehow made me hungry. A mere picture that I could look at.

This is the first time my past hunger has been justified. Video game food was always a fantasy. Now I can savor it. Now I can sense it with more than just my eyes.

I take the first bite, and once the flavor reaches my tongue, I can't help but smile. Who knew something with a name like Goop Soup could be this tasty? My instinct as a player can't be discounted.

“So, the small girl likes it, eh? Bahaha, good, good! Enjoy the meal!”

The Slimeamander Bites, the Slagrock Steak, and the Hyperberry Tart, all provide their own explosions of flavor. Each dish is a new and unique taste that I could have never tasted in my previous life. Yes… this is wonderful! With such goodwill from their leader, I have resolved to move forward with negotiations. Time to recruit the Orcs to my side.

“Mast Tersheff, sir… Were you doing all this because you wanted people to taste your cooking? You were struggling with the resources in the area, weren't you? I did… some research when I moved here.”

“Oho? The small girl knows her stuff…”

“Would you like my help? I think I can help. If you release everyone else and come with me, I am confident that I can help all of the Orcs.”

“Bahaha, so the small girl wants to help us! Wonderful! Wonderful! I shall trust anyone who likes my cooking. Enjoy your meal, and we will talk later, yes?”

“...Right! Of course!”

An unfamiliar feeling surges from deep within me. This food is so good, and I can speak with the Orcs amicably just by hearing them out. Mast Tersheff is even patting my back lightly as I dig into the meal. I can't help but smile at the warm atmosphere.

…Are these tears streaming down my face? Was I moved that much?

Right. That's fine. Of course. This is just evidence that my struggle was worth it. Starving myself and fighting my hardest wasn't for nothing. Dadirdtoun will be fine. The Orcs are safe. The Hero didn't hurt anyone. I'll get to make things better for everyone. This is my reward. I'll allow myself to relax for just a bit and enjoy what's in front of me for now.

It's not long before I ravenously finish all the food. I look at Mast Tersheff. His expression holds a mix of expectation and, perhaps, a little bit of fear. I relate to that.

We're both in a situation where we're trying our best to reach out to the impossible situations before us. Namida operates against us. While he's a little misguided right now, I think I can understand his desperation. Perhaps I'm just as desperate. But that's fine. All I need to do is reaffirm that we're on each other's side.

For a chef who has put his soul into the cooking, and for the customer who has thoroughly enjoyed the meal prepared for her, there is a simple phrase that makes both parties happy.

With a big, genuine smile, I shout it out.

“Seconds, please!”