Living Off the Land Is Tradition (3)
Living Off the Land Is Tradition (3)
Rebecca was engulfed in shock.
The common sense she had known crumbled.
Biscuits made through mass cooking are hard as bricks.
That's why you have to dissolve them in soup or water to eat them.
But this combat biscuit was hard on the outside, yet crumbled without resistance when bitten into.
Piel filled a wooden cup with blue liquid and handed it over.
"If you eat only the combat biscuit, your throat will clog up. Swallow it together with this."
"Why is the water this color?"
"It's because various things the body needs have been mixed in. It's better than regular water, so please drink."
Just as Rebecca was hesitating.
"Commander of the 4th Army, do not doubt the supplies procured by Second Lieutenant Piel. Just eat it."
Hildea, who had strode over, devoured the biscuit block and sports drink wildly.
"Hmm, this biscuit seems to have an incredible amount of calories concentrated in it. Far more than the combat soup we ate before the sortie. Am I right, Lieutenant?"
"That's correct. It was made for situations where you can't prepare combat rations leisurely like now."
"What is this peculiar water?"
"It was made to quickly replenish salt and the like lost through sweat. It's better than water in intense combat situations."
Rebecca drank the sports drink in the wooden cup as if entranced.
Her thirst was quenched in an instant, and a cool, refreshing sensation tingled in her stomach.
The unique, slightly sweet taste instantly boosted the energy that had drained away.
Rebecca stared blankly at the soldiers.
The biscuit blocks were piled up like a mountain, and soldiers who had rotated out for a combat break were shoving them into their mouths without any restrictions on quantity.
In the case of such a prolonged battle, 'common sense' dictated that rations be strictly controlled for efficient calorie distribution.
But Piel was just leaving them to grab and eat as much as they wanted.
"Second Lieutenant Piel, is it really okay to let them grab and eat so freely?"
"It's fine. Look here."
Piel pointed at the stacked supply boxes.
They were likely boxes enchanted with storage warehouse magic.
"There is still this much left."
"...."
"I will handle the combat meals, so please focus solely on the battle."
***
Combat Biscuit MK3.
Alias, the Gunbbang King.
This is the combat diet I chose.
This isn't a simple carbohydrate aggregate.
It's a polysaccharide-monosaccharide composite brick made by mixing glucose, maltose, starch, etc.
「How can we make soldiers exert strength immediately in urgent combat situations?」
A combat food born from the madness of the US Department of Defense, a glucose lump in the form of a biscuit.
Glucose is absorbed directly 'without digestion' and can be used as energy the moment you eat it.
There's a risk of a blood sugar spike, but that's in peacetime situations.
In an intensely fought battle like now, there's no better 'rapid calorie recharge battery' than this.
"I feel strength! Strength is surging the moment I eat it!"
"How can this be!"
"I can fight all day! Let's go!"
A glucose lump cosplaying as a giant hardtack biscuit.
A sports ion drink that replenishes moisture and electrolytes lost through sweat.
The result of stuffing the madness created by the US Department of Defense into medieval fantasy knights and soldiers who know how to use mana....
"Our front line is moving forward! The tree monster legion! We're pushing them back!"
"Waaaaah!"
Everyone turned into war machines.
***
Rebecca blinked her eyes.
Something unbelievable was happening.
'We're... pushing them back? The tree monster legion?'
Just enduring until every single entity lost its strength.
That was the sole tactic.
But right now, Rebecca's army was pushing the front line forward, albeit little by little.
She still stared blankly at the mountain of combat biscuits.
"Is that... the food of the gods?"
A fighting warrior consumes a tremendous amount of calories.
Mana operation isn't free.
But supplies were always insufficient, and soldiers and knights had grown accustomed to tactics of squeezing out meager calorie supplies to fight.
Yet now, a completely different aspect was unfolding.
Soldiers and knights who had exhausted all their strength and were sprawled out, the moment they ate the combat biscuit, flared back to life as if nothing had happened and jumped back onto the front line.
'Could it be food made from mana?'
The effect of the combat meal prepared by Piel was so tremendous that such a stupid thought crossed her mind.
Before she knew it, dawn receded and morning came.
And by the time the pitch-black night fell once more.
Rebecca's army succeeded in completely annihilating the tree monster legion that had surged in like a tidal wave.
It was also when the combat biscuits and sports drink were nearly depleted.
"Haha, hahaha, hahahaha!"
Rebecca, covered head-to-toe in dirt and dust, clutched her stomach and laughed.
As if empathizing with her emotions, wounded soldiers and knights also laughed loudly from all around.
"We won!"
"We won! We won!"
"Long live Commander-in-Chief Hildea!"
"Long live the Sword Master!"
Although her cheeky subordinates dared to praise the commoner-born Commander-in-Chief instead of her, Rebecca laughed heartily with genuine joy.
'Without Piel's supplies, our unit might have been annihilated.'
"Piel! Where is Second Lieutenant Piel?"
Rebecca shouted Piel's name.
"Were you looking for me?"
"Thank you! We won! This is all thanks to Second Lieutenant Piel!"
Rebecca, who was about to throw her arms around him, hesitated in bewilderment.
It wasn't solely because of Hildea, who was growling silently like a tigress carrying cubs.
"Second Lieutenant Piel, what is that on your head right now?"
"It's something like magic eye glasses. I don't see very well at night."
"Wh-what remarkably strange-looking magic eye glasses."
Piel was wearing magic eye glasses that looked like they had four eyes.
***
Does everyone here just have incredibly good night vision?
Or do they not have the luxury to light up their surroundings?
I was walking around using the night vision goggles provided in the basic combat supply.
Everyone just considered it a strange magic eye glasses artifact, so there was no problem.
'They look terrible.'
Both Rebecca and Hildea looked like complete beggars.
Having fought for two days without rest, it was to be expected.
The soldiers and knights also looked like a defeated rabble judging by their appearance, but anyway, we won.
'In the end, did Hildea barging in as a show of force save Rebecca's army?'
If I hadn't come here, they might have been annihilated while enduring with combat hunger.
【Available Budget: 0】
I drained every last bit of my remaining budget into supplying the Gunbbang King and sports drink.
Since it'll be refilled starting next month, I have no regrets.
Anyway, Rebecca's army is also an ally supporting the right flank of the Ainshuvan Front.
"Marquis Carlton, the battle is over, so I'll ask again. Where did you divert our Second Lieutenant Piel's supplies?"
"I told you there aren't any. If I had diverted them, I would have brought them out already."
"So you held out trusting in Second Lieutenant Piel?"
The two women are at it again.
Looking closely, it even seems like two kittens hissing at each other.
"...!"
At that moment, a bizarre silhouette caught my eye.
A human figure displayed not through infrared amplification, but as a thermal image.
Even Hildea, let alone the knights, couldn't sense its presence.
'An elf assassin?'
Fortunately, it didn't seem aware of me.
It felt like it was lightly scouting the barracks atmosphere.
'Should I shoot it?'
For a moment, I debated whether to take out my gun and shoot.
Before my brief deliberation could even finish, the elf assassin quickly left the barracks.
'Is it some kind of magic that even deceives a Sword Master's ki sense?'
"Commander, I have an urgent report. It's a very important matter."
"Report."
"It's difficult to speak here."
"...."
Sensing the unusual tone in my voice, Hildea's face hardened.
"Follow me, Lieutenant."
***
In a quiet barracks tent, I reported what I had just seen.
Hildea nodded and patted my shoulder.
"Pretending not to notice was the right call. It's no good to catch the eye of an elf assassin."
"...Thank you."
The bastard disappeared in the brief moment I was agonizing over whether to take immediate action.
"It was a simple scout. The concealment magic that deceives even a Sword Master's ki sense is very delicate and easily broken. If that happens, the bastard is as good as dead too."
"Is that so?"
"Pretend you didn't see if you spot one next time too. Anyway, those magic eye glasses are incredible. To see through even an elf's concealment magic."
They hid the visible light, but couldn't hide body heat.
Since this is a medieval fantasy with magic, monsters, and dragons, these kinds of details are easy to gloss over.
Maybe I can pass off firearms as some kind of magic artifact later on.
"Because of the heavy fatigue, it's become difficult to squeeze a huge sum out of Marquis Carlton. Since the 4th Army's front line must not collapse, that is. I'm sorry, Lieutenant."
But I had suggested we just let it go from the start....
"Lieutenant, do you perhaps dislike gold coins?"
"Not at all."
Where in the world is there someone who dislikes gold coins?
Hildea's expression brightened slightly.
"That's good. Fortunately, Marquis Carlton has plenty of money. If you demand goods, she'll pay compensation without a single complaint."
"If she has that much money, couldn't she just buy food with it?"
I had a rough idea why, but I probed once just in case.
"Food is a highly precious strategic resource, so bulk purchasing is difficult. And the front lines always consume massive amounts of food. Even so, this Ainshuvan Front is a place the royal family is deeply concerned about."
Now that I've left the wealthy main family's county, I clearly understand.
That this place is a medieval fantasy constantly short on food.
***
I had a private audience with Commander Rebecca of the 4th Army.
The combat diet I supplied, and the supply wagon of mine that Rebecca's army plundered.
Since it was entirely my right, even Hildea didn't intervene in this negotiation.
"What more words are needed? Without Second Lieutenant Piel's decision, we would have been annihilated. I'm truly grateful."
"Then the hometown I would return to would have disappeared as well. I helped myself."
"How nice of you to say that. Thank you."
There was no trace of the appearance that had looked like a deserting straggler.
Her face was neat and clean, as if she had bathed, and she had changed into a new uniform.
"Would compensation in the form of goods like gold coins be acceptable?"
"That's even better for me."
"That's a relief. I'm overflowing with material wealth. Ah! By any chance, could we regularly purchase combat biscuits from our army? Snack bars and barracks coffee are also good."
"I'll have to calculate the supply volume for that. It's possible if there is a surplus. Of course, I'll need the Commander-in-Chief's approval."
"I'll ask for your help."
Rebecca clapped her hands lightly.
Sturdy soldiers brought in a large chest, set it down on the ground with a thud, and opened the lid.
It was filled to overflowing with gold coins.
It didn't end there; soldiers kept coming in and setting down chests full of gold coins.
My head spun at the sight of nearly ten large gold coin chests.
Is all this mine?
"Do you like it?"
I guess it showed too much on my face.
Rebecca grinned, propped her chin up, and stared straight at me.
"There's no one who dislikes material wealth."
"On the border front lines, gold coins aren't very useful. What's more precious is food. Because everyone is always starving, always hungry."
Truly, this is the perfect environment for me, who has the supply cheat.
'Count Anbelrum, just you wait.'
"By any chance, would you consider transferring to my unit? I'll treat you well. My territory is much larger and richer than Hildea's territory."
A recruitment offer is pleasant to hear.
Because it means my value has been recognized.
"I'm grateful for the offer, but the Commander-in-Chief will not permit it."
I tried to gloss over it nicely with lip service.
But Rebecca smiled softly.
"I can make a compulsory transfer order come through. Even the Commander-in-Chief couldn't argue with that."
"Pardon?"
"It's simple. You just marry me."
"...Excuse me?"
The violent volume of her upper body, which even her uniform couldn't hide, swayed slightly, revealing its presence.
"I'll make sure you don't have to lift a finger. I won't care how many concubines you keep. I'll grant whatever you desire."
The candlelight reflecting off her licking red tongue seemed to glitter uniquely.
"Won't you settle down with me?"