My Spaceship Has Been Stranded, but There Is an Earth-Like Planet in Front of Me, so I Want to Aband

Rich and Hearty Flavor

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The dishes that Rudy brought with his drone were various Chinese dishes that Naomi had never seen before.

“Did you make these?” Naomi asked.

“Shrimp chili, eight treasure vegetables, sweet and sour pork. And these are Chinese dishes with rice and egg soup… I wanted something hearty to eat,” Rudy replied with a smug expression on his face.

However, in reality, he had only added seasoning from a food manufacturer’s cooking mix to quickly make the dishes.

“The smell seems delicious,” Naomi commented.

The aroma wafting from the dishes on the table aroused Naomi’s appetite. But she hadn’t forgotten that she had just failed to drink the coffee that was served earlier. Maybe this food also tasted bitter or spicy, based on the aroma alone.

As Naomi was hesitant, Rudy piled a large amount of food onto her plate and placed it in front of her.

“Please enjoy,” he said.

Ignoring Naomi, Rudy began to eat the food hungrily.

Naomi was perplexed when Rudy offered her food with a “please enjoy.” There were no spoons or forks in front of her, how was she supposed to eat?

When she looked at the boy in front of her, she realized that this food was supposed to be eaten using two sticks skillfully. Naomi tried to imitate him and picked up the chopsticks, but one stick slipped and fell onto the floor.

“Ah,” she exclaimed.

Before Naomi could pick up the chopstick, the drone approached and extended an arm from its body to pick up the chopstick. Then, it brought something tied to the end of the chopsticks from the back and handed it to Naomi.

“Is this okay to eat with?” Naomi asked.

The drone didn’t answer Naomi’s question and moved to the corner of the room and stopped moving.

Could that metal ball flying in the air be some kind of golem? Naomi couldn’t thank the unknown entity and shrugged her shoulders before using the chopsticks with the attached string.

“I see. With this, I won’t drop the sticks like before and can eat normally,” she thought.

Naomi secretly observed Rudy as he ate his meal.

…From the way he’s eating, it doesn’t seem like there’s any poison. Besides, it would be impolite not to eat anything after being invited. With that in mind, she made up her mind to eat.

First, she decided to try the shrimp chili. She picked up the crustacean ingredient coated in the orange sauce with her chopsticks. As she swallowed and took a bite, a spicy flavor was followed by sweetness, and the food’s chewy texture and sourness spread in her mouth.

What is this… It’s delicious!

Naomi was impressed by the dish’s taste after just one bite and concentrated on eating the dishes in front of her.

Eight treasure vegetables consisted of various vegetables, eggs, and pork, all of which were seasoned with a complex flavor and a thick texture that made it delicious when served hot.

The sweet and sour dish was fried in oil, possibly pork, and was served with carrots and green peppers, which tasted sour yet sweet and salty, with a thick texture. The sourness heightened her appetite.

All of the dishes were something she had never tasted before. For the past few years, Naomi had only eaten stews with salt and a little bit of herbs. It was heavenly delicious for her.

Rudy and Naomi quickly finished the abundant amount of food. Rudy brewed some Pu-erh tea, which he believed was suitable for after Chinese food. They both drank tea and smiled, feeling satisfied.

“I’ve never tasted anything like this before, it was truly delicious,” Naomi said.

“You’re welcome,” Rudy replied.

“Come to think of it, we haven’t properly introduced ourselves yet. I’m Naomi, and I live around here,” Naomi said.

“I’m Rudy,” Rudy replied.

Rudy tilted his head at his own words. He thought he had said “I,” but apparently the language setting of the translation had mistakenly converted “I” to “I am.” He could have corrected it quickly, but Rudy found it amusing, so he decided to leave it as it was.

“So, I want to ask you a few things, is that okay?” she asked.

“…Sure, go ahead,” he replied.

“First, I want to know, who are you?”

Rudy was puzzled by the question. He didn’t know how to answer when asked about his identity all of a sudden.

“…Are you an alien?” she asked.

Rudy tilted his head and explained where he came from.

“Is space the place where the sun, moon, and stars are located?” Naomi asked.

What? Rudy never expected such a basic scientific question in response.

As Rudy was surprised, Hal, who had been listening to the conversation, spoke to Rudy’s electronic brain.

“Master, was it okay to talk about coming from space?”

“I see no harm in it.”

“Is there a settlement around here?”

“I cannot confirm from above.”

“Which means Naomi, who lives alone in the forest, is unlikely to spread the word. Her face is probably scarred, which is why she lives in seclusion.”

“Understood.”

While Rudy answered Hal’s questions, Naomi observed Rudy closely.

“You look like an ordinary human. But from what I saw, I don’t sense any mana in your body. Can you use magic?”

“I don’t use it. Can you tell me more about magic, Naomi?”

“Well, it’s something people fear me for,” she said with a self-deprecating smile.

Naomi closed her eyes and focused. Then, she whispered a spell and her body blurred out of sight.

“Wow!” Rudy clapped in amazement as Naomi reappeared, looking embarrassed.

“Illusion magic is essential for living in the forest,” she explained.

“Tell me more about the different types of magic,” Rudy requested.

“Well, as thanks for the meal, I’ll teach you.”

According to Naomi’s explanation, there are eight types of magic: earth, water, fire, wind, illusion, demon, light, and dark. Everyone has innate qualities for each type of magic, and some people can use certain types while others cannot.

To cast magic, one needs to recite a spell and use the mana stored in their body. The power and amount of mana one possesses is determined by their innate qualities (80%) and training (20%).

Mana is also present in the air, and it naturally replenishes in one’s body, but eating can speed up the recovery. The recovery rate varies depending on a person’s innate qualities.

Naomi had exceptional mana recovery and storage capabilities, which allowed her to use all types of magic. Therefore, she was a famous figure known as the “Witch of the Abyss” or simply “Abyss,” feared by many.

“…Abyss.”

“I didn’t give myself that name. The person who named me that should try calling themselves that once. It’s so embarrassing,” Naomi replied with a grimace when Rudy commented on the cool nickname.

Meanwhile, Naomi observed Rudy closely, amazed that he wasn’t surprised by the title “Witch of the Abyss.” Apparently, he didn’t know who she really was…

In fact, Naomi was once known as the strongest magician in history before retiring to live in the forest. She watched Rudy with interest, curious about his reaction to her past.