A Drink to Accompany Hardtack
Hardtack pairs best with a drink—clack clack clack! The iron wok and wooden spatula meet with a soft scraping sound. Swish, swish-swish… Something other than coffee beans is roasting in the pan. Inside, various grains tumble together. I have to keep stirring them over low heat so they don’t burn. I keep going until that nutty, golden aroma rises. It’s a patient task, but we’re almost there.
Ah, you’re wondering why grains? These are beans and glutinous rice from the cafeteria, plus barley and almonds I found in the lounge. I’m turning them into a drink. The grains needed at least a day to dry, so I stopped by the cafeteria yesterday.
“Good, this looks about done…”
The grains mix and roast, releasing a rich, toasty fragrance. Just the smell makes everything feel a little more abundant. A gentle nutty scent. The almonds would taste great eaten as they are. My mouth waters at the aroma. I don’t usually go for peanuts, yet here I am, salivating over the smell of grains.
Swish, sizzle… The moisture has evaporated, leaving the grains slightly dry and crumbly. They’re ready. I just need to roast them a little longer until they turn a shade more golden.
Clack, tap…! Once they reach the perfect color, I turn off the stove. Then I spread everything across a wide tray to cool. What am I making? A drink to go with hardtack. Milk would have been enough, but the memory of that taste from my military days was too strong to ignore. I admit it—I got carried away by nostalgia and made things more complicated than necessary. It could have been simple, but curiosity got the better of me. This wasn’t so much craftsmanship as self-indulgence. Still, what can I do? In my experience, nothing pairs with hardtack quite like this. Besides the flavor, it’s nutritious and filling enough to count as a meal.
Grind, grind! Once it’s cooled enough, the final step begins. A quick grind in the stone mortar and it’s done. A blender would have finished this in seconds… I have a grinder, but it won’t work. The particles come out too coarse. You can’t have bits of grain in a drink—that simply won’t do.
So I grind away, sweat beading on my forehead. “Phew, finally.”
Tap tap tap tap…! The finely ground grain powder mixes together. Quite a lot has accumulated. A pale brown powder.
Pour…! Now I stir it into milk. I keep stirring so it doesn’t clump. A little honey or sugar deepens the flavor if you like. I originally grabbed brown sugar to match the color, but today’s supplies included honey, so I’ll use that instead.
Clink, clink…! The grain powder blends into the milk, turning it the color of coffee milk. Stirring without lumps takes a bit of care. Last step…
Drizzle…! A small amount of honey finishes it. Nutty and sweet. Flavor and nutrition in perfect balance… Sweet grain powder, complete. Mixing in coffee would make a grain latte, too. I should try that variation on the girls later.
★★☆
A must-have drink for dragons who favor meat-heavy diets. Perfect as a meal replacement. The honey addition prevents any potential heaviness and brings out the flavor beautifully.
Using Valkyrie Island’s “Specialty Honey” has raised the grade by one star.
“Oh, not bad at all.” Honestly, the rating is better than I expected. I figured I’d get one-and-a-half stars at best, or maybe none. After all, who would have thought the system would even recognize grain powder? Then again, if it recognizes star candy and hardtack, there’s no reason it wouldn’t recognize this. Johnson was right—today’s ingredients must be high quality. The “Specialty Honey” buff pushed the rating up. I should look into more local specialties from now on. Recipes matter, but ingredients clearly have a big impact too… Valkyrie Island seems to produce more than just green tea leaves.
“That aside, I can’t skip tasting it, can I?”
Gulp, gulp! I skipped breakfast and lunch, so I can’t hold back any longer. Truthfully, I’d been relying on the grain powder to get me through the hunger. “Haaah…! I feel alive again.”
I drain half the glass in one go. The nutty aroma and flavor hit my nose and tongue. The sweet, rich honey lingers pleasantly at the end. As I said earlier, grain powder with hardtack is a combination born from my military experience. I once mistook the grain powder in the admin office for a supplement and ended up devouring it with hardtack because it tasted so good. The nutty sweetness blended with milk was downright magical. Even accounting for the limited environment of military life, it remains a genuinely excellent taste in my memory. Of course, if I’d known the grain powder belonged to the sergeant, I never would have touched it. Who knew one scoop would earn me a full day of picking ginkgo nuts under the autumn sun…
Crunch! Munch! I chew on a piece of hardtack while savoring the memory. “Ugh, sweet.” I didn’t expect it to be this sweet. Combining two sweet things was a mistake. I probably don’t need to add honey to the grain powder for the girls. Good thing I tested it before opening. I nearly gave the dragons diabetes and a blood-sugar shock.
Ding—! The grandfather clock chimes right on time. I’m glad it’s not too late. The girls will be here any moment.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud—!!! The floor shakes with the usual thunderous footsteps. But it isn’t just the heavy steps that enter the lounge today.
“Haaah…! This is the worst! The absolute worst!”
“The beastkin have clearly lost their minds! How can they call that food?”
“How are we supposed to eat meat that’s completely charred?”
“More importantly, did you see the rat in the cafeteria?”
“Right? Isn’t that insane? A rat cooking?”
“Those hairs that keep showing up in the food—aren’t they from that thing?”
“Eww! Stop talking about it, it’s disgusting.”
The girls are always chatty, but today they’re especially loud. Apparently today is the rat’s memorial day or something. Poor little guy. I silently pray for its next life—maybe it can be reborn small enough to hide inside a chef’s hat.
Anyway, the girls are in a foul mood. Their complaints have finally boiled over after holding back all day. It makes sense; when it comes to food, they’re more serious than anyone. Today, killing intent practically rolls off them in waves. I need to be extremely careful. Absolutely must not offend them.
“Um, ladies…?”
“Hm? Breeder?”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but may I ask whether it would be acceptable for me to take your orders?”
“…What? What’s with that weird way of speaking? It’s unnecessarily formal.”
Whoops. I got so nervous I started piling on extra polite phrases.
“My apologies. I’d like to take your orders… If I may, could you tell me where Lady Sofia is?”
Since Sofia isn’t here, I direct the question to Diora, who seems to be the second-in-command.
“Sofia’s still at the cafeteria. She’s probably giving the food-service staff a thorough scolding right about now. Just like she did to you yesterday.”
Diora fixes me with a sharp gaze, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She licks her lips as if remembering yesterday’s events, staring straight at me. Is she imagining eating me, like she threatened?
“I-I see.”
“Why are you shrinking back? You’d better not disappoint us, got it? If you don’t want to be eaten, that is.”
“Of course. I’m certain you’ll be satisfied.”
“Kukuku…! Acting all calm while you’re clearly scared? Well, that side of you is kind of cute.”
Diora smirks and glances at me sideways. The girls around her laugh along. Without Sofia here, the atmosphere feels different. It’s as if Diora has become the leader. The lounge’s mood shifts subtly—from calm and peaceful to something more restless. I can’t let myself get swept up in it. I need to take control before she pulls any more pranks.
“Thank you for finding me cute. By the way, ladies, may I present a special drink and dessert I prepared just for today?”
I continue in a confident voice, refusing to be cowed by the mood. I’ve been preparing ambitiously for this moment, after all.
“Oho, really? Then go ahead. Everyone’s fine with that, right?”
Diora surveys the room like she’s the class representative.
“If Diora says it’s okay, then I’m fine too!”
“She’s getting cocky just because Sofia’s not here…”
“A servant’s dessert can’t be bad. I wonder what he’ll bring this time.”
“We couldn’t even eat lunch properly, so I hope it’s something filling…”
“I’m hungry…! Anything is fine, just hurry up!”
A few girls seem put off by Diora’s attitude, but no one refuses the dessert. I bow lightly and head for the kitchen.
Rustle, clink, tap…! Back in the kitchen, I move quickly. I arrange the hardtack neatly on plates and mix the grain powder with milk right away. I portion out just the right amount of honey on the side, like gorgonzola served with accompaniments. Everything was already prepped, so it doesn’t take long.
“Thank you for waiting.”
Still, I have to play the part and thank them for their patience—to preserve the pride of girls whose stomachs are growling.
“Huh? What’s this?”
“Since you weren’t able to eat a proper meal today, this should give you both flavor and nutrition.”
I present my creation with full confidence, certain that hardtack and grain powder will work even in a military-style academy like this.
