Controlling the Commander-in-Chief (2)
Controlling the Commander-in-Chief (2)
Piel suddenly pulled out 10 bottles of alcohol from his Subspace Bracelet.
A shape they had never seen before.
The bottle surfaces were printed with incredibly elaborate and complex pictures and letters.
So much so that they felt a sense of wonder at the printing technique, wondering how such pictures and letters could be engraved.
'What kind of letters are those? I've never seen them before.'
'Is it some kind of forgotten ancient language?'
Despite being drunk, Piel's expression was brimming with confidence.
Second Lieutenant Simir of the Durendal Marquis family felt an instinctive fear.
The moment Hildea tasted that alcohol, it felt like everything would be irreversibly twisted.
"I'll open it."
The cap was opened.
Piel poured the alcohol gently into a freshly brought glass.
A very small amount, just enough to gulp down in one shot.
The fellow officers, who had been quite tense, burst out laughing.
"Piel? What do you think you're doing right now?"
"Is that all you're pouring for the first glass offered to the Commander-in-Chief-nim?"
"Pour it full, quickly, hurry up."
The completely drunk Piel shook the bottle as if giggling.
"Hey, fellow officers. Whiskey is originally meant to be drunk little by little. If you chug it like wine, grain liquor, or beer, you'll be in big trouble."
"Whiskey? Is that the name of this drink?"
Hildea's eyes sparkled as she picked up the glass and examined the clear liquid this way and that.
The moment she smelled the aroma rising from the alcohol, Hildea's eyebrows trembled slightly.
"Lieutenant, this is the first time I've encountered a drink with such an intense aroma. The smell alone seems intoxicating."
"For people who are really weak to alcohol, the smell alone can make them drunk."
"What?"
"That's nonsense!"
"A drink that intoxicates you from the smell alone? That's impossible!"
The noble second lieutenants clamored in disbelief.
Hildea, with her eyes closed, touched her lips to the glass.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Hildea's small, red lips.
Gulp.
The moment the intense, fragrant flavor, as if sharply stinging, passed down her throat.
Hildea felt a burning sensation scorching her throat.
She was engulfed by the sensation of a hot, refreshing coolness rising from the burning heat, rapidly spreading throughout her entire body.
Her eyes flashed open.
"Lieutenant, could this be the legendary nectar that the gods are said to drink?"
Her fingertips trembled.
She was expressing unbelievable emotion with her whole body.
"This burning heat that scorches the throat! The hot storm of alcohol that follows! Truly, this is a masterpiece of a drink that anyone who loves alcohol cannot help but fall in love with!"
At Hildea's high praise, the second lieutenants' gazes locked onto the bottle.
With a drunken face, Piel giggled and shook the bottle in his hand this way and that.
"Alright, alright, let's all drink up. There's still this much Valentine 17 left."
"Valentine 17? Is that the true name of this drink?"
"That's right. It's a drink aged for 17 years."
"A drink aged for 17 years!"
"Is, is it really okay to drink something like that? Alcohol always turns to vinegar in a few days and rots away quickly!"
"If it were rotten, would it have this kind of aroma? Just try a glass, will you?"
Piel poured a glass for each of his half-doubting fellow officers.
Suppressing their curiosity and confusion, everyone stared intently at the drink, transparent like water yet tinged with a faint color.
'How can such a clear drink emit such an intense alcohol scent?'
Second Lieutenant Simir also sniffed around before drinking the alcohol.
He was startled by the sensation of his throat burning, and then he immediately felt his mood become tipsy from the heat spreading warmly throughout his whole body.
"One more glass!"
"Me too, me too!"
"Lieutenant Piel! There are still 9 bottles left, can we open this now?"
"How do you open this? Tell me how!"
At some point, no one was touching the low-proof fermented drinks anymore.
A frenzied whiskey party began.
***
"Ow ow...."
I woke up feeling a mild hangover.
My head aches a bit, probably because I mixed in the various drinks the fellow officers gave me at first.
"...What a mess."
The Commander-in-Chief's reception room was starkly covered with the traces of last night's new-commissioned officers' gathering.
For medieval fantasy nobles who lived their whole lives believing that 10% proof alcohol was all the world had to offer,
40% proof whiskey seemed to be a new world.
By the time we cracked open the third bottle of Valentine 17, everyone's faces were red and they were chanting my name in praise.
The reception room looked like a storm had swept through.
On the sofa, Hildea was sound asleep, her long silver hair disheveled.
Suddenly, a memory from last night surfaced: Hildea, completely wasted, lifting me up in a princess carry and running wild.
「Lieutenant Piel! Put down roots in my unit! You are the one destined to be the future Vice-commander of the Valkenhart Army!」
Rebecca's secret proposal also surfaced in succession.
「I'll make it so you won't have to lift a finger. I won't care how many concubines you keep. I'll grant anything you wish for. Won't you put down roots with me?」
I staggered over towards Hildea.
She looked disheveled, like a university freshman after an MT (Membership Training).
Considering she's 20 years old, maybe this is the true Hildea-like appearance.
Not the image of her ripping through a wyvern's stomach after dousing herself in its blood to save a subordinate,
or clashing violently with an unruly Bow Master commander under her,
but just like this.
When I caught sight of her pale collarbone visible through her disheveled front opening, I quickly lowered my gaze.
Then, carefully tapping Hildea's shoulder only with the tips of my fingers, I called out to her.
"Commander-in-Chief-nim, Commander-in-Chief-nim. Please wake up."
"Mmm...."
Slightly tossing about, Hildea opened her eyes drowsily.
Her large blue pupils blinked several times before she yawned and lifted her upper body.
"For once, I had a pleasant time drinking too much."
"It is an honor that you found it pleasant."
"Strange. My head is completely clear. Even though I drank so much...."
"That's the characteristic of whiskey. Even if you get completely drunk, you usually feel clean the next day."
"Indeed, this is a drink fit for gods to drink."
Hildea rolled her eyes and fidgeted shyly.
The charisma of the Sword Master Commander-in-Chief was nowhere to be found, replaced only by the expression of a girl wanting to pester an adult for sweet ice cream.
"Will there be a chance to try it again sometime...?"
Holding back the laughter that was about to burst out, I nodded.
"It's a precious drink, but I will try my best to obtain more by asking my maternal family. For you, Commander-nim."
"...Thank you."
While Hildea went to wash up in the first-floor bathroom,
I called Orderlies Adel and Lucia and had them clean up the reception room thoroughly.
Then I went to the mess hall and brought back Brick Biscuits, thin soup, and Barracks Coffee.
It was breakfast for Hildea.
"Commander-nim, please eat."
"Thank you for the meal."
Originally, Hildea ate mess hall food well without complaint.
But today, she seemed to be struggling quite a bit.
The reason is simple.
'She ate beef soaked in A1 Steak Sauce as a snack to go with Valentine 17. How could that kind of medieval human feed even go down her throat?'
The spoon trembled slightly.
An expression of great hardship with every difficult swallow.
Even so, when drinking Barracks Coffee, her face looked as if she might survive.
'Will she leave it, or will she finish it all?'
Observing what choice the Goddess of the Battlefield, who held the conviction that eating is also an act of preserving combat power, would make was also quite enjoyable.
"I ate well."
Finally, Hildea finished her meal.
Leaving about 1/7 of the Brick Biscuit behind.
As if conscious of my gaze, Hildea said, her face slightly blushing as if making an excuse.
"The soup and coffee ran out, so a little biscuit was left."
"I see. There was no other way, since there's no more soup and coffee to soften the hard biscuit."
"Th-that's right. It was an unavoidable result."
Without another word, I picked up the tray and turned my back.
After returning it to the mess hall, I should hide somewhere and cure my hangover with Combat Rations.
'As for a Combat Ration suitable for a hangover cure... would the Beef Fried Rice, Grilled Braised Tofu, Raisin Jelly, and Blueberry Drink set be the best?'
Why on earth hasn't the US military developed a meal kit specifically for hangovers?
"Lieutenant Piel."
"Yes, Commander-nim."
As she called me before I could open the door, I turned around to see Hildea fidgeting.
"I plan to patrol outside the defensive wall from now until evening. You will accompany me."
To my ears, it sounded like this.
「For lunch, we'll eat Milk Salt Snack Bars and Corn Combat Soup outside. I will absolutely not eat Brick Biscuits.」
"Understood. I will return the dishes to the mess hall and come back."
"Hmm, you don't have to rush. Take your time preparing."
"Yes, Commander-nim."
After contentedly taking in the sight of Hildea, who seemed restless for some reason, I closed the door.
A sense of satisfaction welled up in my chest.
'Hildea left food.'
The knights would be in an uproar if they found out.
The unit might go into a frenzy, wondering if the Commander-in-Chief was seriously ill somewhere.
I put the remaining piece of biscuit into my pocket.
Planning to throw it away somewhere out of sight.
'I can dominate Hildea's mouth and tongue.'
I don't wish for an immediate change of position just yet.
If only I could rise in rank to Captain while maintaining my roles as Orderly, Supply Officer, and Logistics Officer.
'The unit size cap increases from 200 to 500 soldiers. And the monthly budget changes from 800,000 to 2,000,000.'
Since we decided to go out for reconnaissance in the afternoon, I should try to butter her up a bit while avoiding the eyes of the other officers.
I'll have to really emphasize the fact that I'm paying 175 Farm Soldiers 350kg of flour daily as compensation.
***
"Are only the two of us, Commander-nim and I, going?"
"Th-that is correct. Originally it was a solo reconnaissance for the Commander, but as my Duty Officer, you are naturally obliged to attend to me, are you not? Is there a problem?"
"No. There is no problem at all."
"It's meant to give you safe reconnaissance experience, so do not worry. What is there to fear with a Sword Master beside you?"
"Nothing."
Actually, this was even better.
Until now, I had to be mindful of the other officers and soldiers, so I couldn't properly corrupt Hildea's tongue. I should take this chance to properly bomb her palate.
I had to hold back on aromatic menus indoors, but outdoors there's no such worry.
"Lieutenant, are all the supplies sent from your maternal family stored in the Subspace Bracelet?"
"That's correct."
"That's a good idea. The Subspace Bracelet is the most reliable for storage and preventing loss. Continue to store all supplies from your maternal family in the Subspace Bracelet from now on."
Her intentions are so transparently clear that I can't help but laugh.
Mentioning the Subspace Bracelet just in case we might not be able to prepare lunch—I can see right through it.
'She's the Commander-in-Chief, but she's cute.'
We mounted our horses and left the defensive wall.
"Commander-nim, is it okay to ride around on horseback during reconnaissance activity?"
"The objective is to survey the geography near the barracks, not to search for elf legion activity. We won't be moving into dangerous areas, so it's fine to ride horses."
"Understood."
Just the two of us riding horses through the wide-open plains, it feels like a date.
A small, clear stream appeared, trickling along.
We released our horses and sat on a flat rock to rest.
"Now that I think of it, Lieutenant, it seems we should prepare lunch soon...."
It hasn't been that long since breakfast.
But instead of teasing her with a scolding, I just smiled softly.
"Since we've come outside the defensive wall with you, Commander-nim, for the first time in a while, I was thinking of bringing out a special meal I've been saving."
"A special meal you've been saving?"
"Yes, today's lunch is...."
The Beef Brisket Combat Ration is a mad product of the US Department of Defense, which sought to capture calories, portability, simplicity, and even taste.
But still, it can't escape the inherent nature of a combat ration.
"Chicken generously soaked in a soy sauce concentrate made by fermenting beans, with a glossy and sweet flavor added by heated sugar. The gamey smell is subdued and savory depth added by garlic powder, ginger paste, and pepper, and it is grilled with an aroma infused by edible oil extracted from pressing roasted sesame seeds...."
Until we return, I will make Hildea a body that cannot live without the Supply Cheat diet.
"Charcoal-grilled Chicken Skewer."
I'm slightly worried that the smell might attract monsters, but since a Sword Master is here, there's probably nothing to worry about.