落とし穴外伝：人のモノを食べてはいけません (Part2)
"It’s not mine. I suspect Aslin and the others made it."
"Why the 'suspect'?"
"They must have had some business to attend to; when I arrived at the common room, I saw their backs disappearing into the distance. The table was left just as it was, and I was debating whether I should tidy up or wait for them. Plus, I was feeling a bit peckish..."
"I see. You thought it was just a light snack, but it turned out to be lethally spicy."
As I said this, she gave a small nod.
Still, though...
"If I may, wouldn't you be able to tell it was spicy by the scent?"
"Exactly. Did you think it was sweet?"
Prol and Riel voiced the obvious question.
Curry has varying degrees of heat, and a level that Labyris can't handle usually carries the sharp, stinging aroma of intense spices. At its worst, it’s a level that hits you right in the eyes.
"The thing is, I thought it was sweet—or rather, I thought it was at a manageable level."
Labyris fixed her gaze on the curry, and we followed suit, looking at it once more. From here, I couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary.
"It certainly doesn't look like a spicy curry. The really intense stuff usually hits you from a distance."
"I know what you mean. The spicy food Orelia likes is on another level."
"Wait, Orelia is a fan of spicy food?"
That was news to me. I had no idea.
"Haha, she likes normal food too, of course. But it seems like she finds it addictive."
"Ah, I get that. Like something you just crave every now and then."
"Gah! Enough with the small talk. If you think it’s fine, then eat it. Go on."
Labyris, clearly irritated by our leisurely conversation, shoved the plate of curry toward us.
"Look, judging by what you said, this is what Aslin and the others were eating, isn't it?"
"I'll handle the fallout, so don't worry about it. Come on, you don't really think I’m just going to let it be said that I’m the only one who can't handle spice, do you?"
I see. She wanted to prove just how spicy it was, and force us to share in her suffering. Well, it would be rude to keep refusing. If Aslin and the others came back, I could just apologize then.
"Fine."
With that, I took the spoon already resting in the curry and brought a mouthful to my lips. Seeing me commit, Labyris used the remaining spoons to scoop up portions for Prol and Riel. Naturally, they couldn't refuse, and they followed suit.
I was already chewing, and...
"Hm? It’s actually quite sweet..."
"It is sweet, isn't it?"
"Indeed. The flavor is quite mild..."
Just as the three of us were tilting our heads in confusion, a sudden, sharp pain erupted in my mouth.
Yes, pain. I instinctively clapped a hand over my mouth. Prol and Riel mirrored the gesture.
"See? It’s not just that I have an extreme aversion to spice, is it?"
"...Yeah, I suppose not. But what on earth is this?"
I said, reaching for a plastic bottle of water and gulping it down. Prol and Riel did the same with their own.
"There’s a limit to how spicy something should be. Was the sweetness just a decoy?"
"Probably. But why were Aslin and the others eating this?"
We were all tilting our heads in bewilderment when the culprits themselves returned.
"Whew. That was spicy. I had to run and grab some milk."
"But it was just as the rumors said. Drinking milk makes it somewhat bearable."
"Yeah. Hiiro, you can challenge yourself even more next time."
"Mm. Even if it is spicy, one must not waste food."
For some reason, Cleena was mixed in with them. After hearing the story, it turned out they had used DP to search for an "ultra-spicy" curry, found a "50x" version, and decided to give it a try. In short, it was a test of courage for the four of them, and Labyris had accidentally stumbled into the crossfire.
To summarize the situation:
"You shouldn't go around snacking on other people's food."
A few days later, I heard rumors that everyone had been screaming in the restrooms.
They say that "spiciness" is actually a form of pain. In other words, to be spicy is to be painful. Well, I suppose I eat spicy things, but does being a "fan of spicy food" mean I’m actually a fan of pain?