To Be Comfortable, You Must Impress Piel (3)
To Be Comfortable, You Must Impress Piel (3)
'Commander Rebecca is proving helpful.'
It seems Hildea is also worried that I might try to go to the 4th Army.
'Well, look at the scale of the supplies I've been providing.'
The high-calorie Corn Soup and Barracks Coffee that feed 20,000 field soldiers every day.
The Milk Salt Snack Bars issued to reconnaissance and scouting units.
Now, the 2kg of flour issued daily to the commuting recruits, who will soon number 1,475.
And crucially, the Combat Rations that delight Hildea's mouth and tongue every morning and evening.
Combat Rations only taste bad to the US military and modern civilians, who are drowning in food.
To a medieval field army here that can't even properly mask the gamey stench of meat, it's practically a 3-star delicacy.
'If I were suddenly reassigned some day, from Hildea's perspective it would be devastating.'
An empty seat always feels larger and lonelier.
'This is good. Rebecca's presence will put tension on Hildea, allowing me to draw even greater favor.'
Because the Commander-in-Chief's greater favor ultimately leads to faster promotion.
'Can I make Colonel within the year?'
I know that's a delusion that would make anyone else jump up and down if they heard.
How distant and staggering must I, already a brevet Major, look in the eyes of my newbie peers who are still Water Ensigns?
'Ah, I want another promotion.'
***
While Piel prepared dinner, Rebecca sat facing Hildea in the office and talked.
"Commander-in-Chief, our 4th Army also wants to formally receive food supplies through Piel. Of course, we'll pay a fair price to purchase them."
"You should discuss that directly with Major Piel."
"That means you won't oppose it?"
"There is no reason to oppose. After all, improving the 4th Army's supply situation is also a critical matter."
"Thank you."
For some reason, the faint smile Rebecca wore put Hildea in a foul mood.
'Carlton Marquis, why are you smiling while looking at my chest?'
Hildea had mastered the sword for survival.
A natural-born talent that appears perhaps once in a millennium had made that possible.
Having rolled around the Ainshuvan Front as Commander-in-Chief since the age of 15, Hildea had not yet had the chance to bloom psychological femininity.
Thus, she did not understand what the victor's smile Rebecca wore signified.
But her woman's instinct warned her with an intense sense of rejection.
"I shall prepare dinner."
At last, Piel appeared.
Rebecca beamed and revealed her anticipation.
'So I finally get to try this Milk Salt Snack Bar.'
The very food that had even caused friction between the 3rd and 4th Armies.
With its reputation for being high-calorie and tasting better than the high-quality confections noble ladies ate, Rebecca, too, had truly wanted to try it at least once.
However....
"P-Piel? What on earth is this?"
"Commander of the 4th Army, please preserve your dignity as a commander. Why are you acting like this in front of food?"
Hildea's brusque scolding didn't even register in her ears.
The thinly sliced Beef Brisket, accompanied by garlic mashed potatoes, emitted warm steam and seductively showcased its delicious-looking red Maillard-browned center.
And how abundant were the sides?
Pale green broccoli faintly wafting a smoky aroma.
A potato salad covered in savory corn purée and Thousand Island dressing.
And for dessert, a dark chocolate crumble brownie and the addictively flavorful Geisha Coffee.
Rebecca's pupils, fixed upon the dish, trembled violently.
"Commander of the 4th Army, try eating this biscuit first. It is the Milk Salt Snack Bar you've been singing about so much."
"This is it?"
As if entranced, Rebecca picked up the Milk Salt Snack Bar, put it in her mouth, and bit down with a crunch.
A sweet taste and tenderness that made the high-class confections served at the high nobility's social parties in the capital seem shabby in comparison.
But she could hear it.
The snack bar's sneer.
「I am the weakest among all of these, merely the worst-tasting junk!」
Rebecca picked up her spoon and fork.
She put the green broccoli that looked as if it would make you healthy just by looking at it into her mouth first.
The refreshing, crisp crunch and the accompanying sauce decorated the inside of her mouth brilliantly.
'What vegetable on earth is this?'
Rebecca's body trembled faintly.
How could a vegetable be this delicious?
Next, her spoon touched the potato salad garnished with icing.
The moment she took one bite, it was so delicious it brought tears to her eyes.
The corn purée wildly spread an unexperienced savory flavor throughout her mouth.
At last, the main.
The Beef Brisket, its surface perfectly seared brown, sliced thin to reveal the well-cooked center.
With trembling hands, Rebecca placed the meat in her mouth, and the moment she gave a light chew, a tingling euphoria exploded throughout her entire body.
"Delicious. So delicious. Other than that... I don't know how to express it."
Before she knew it, Rebecca was even misty-eyed, stuffing Beef Brisket into her mouth over and over.
Hildea, as if mocking her, elegantly worked her fork and spoke with an air of complete leisure.
"Since you're unlikely to get a chance to eat this again, by all means, eat your fill."
"Don't tell me the Commander-in-Chief eats this often?"
"Often? Do you genuinely think that?"
"Ah, of course...."
The moment Rebecca let her guard down, thinking, 'I knew it. How could anyone eat this kind of food often?'
Hildea stepped in as if indifferent and delivered a fatal blow.
"It is a dinner that cheerfully concludes my every single day."
"E-Every single day? You don't eat it often, you eat it every day? Really, Commander-in-Chief? You're not teasing me?"
Rebecca's eyes shook with shock.
Hildea, having long finished her meal, was elegantly savoring the flavors of the chocolate and Geisha Coffee that came out as dessert.
"Major Piel, so you even brought out the Geisha Coffee because the 4th Army Commander came."
"Yes, since a precious guest came for the first time in a while, I have served the very best hospitality."
"Commander of the 4th Army, hurry and drink it. This is a high-grade coffee that even I drink only very occasionally. You will learn that it is not even comparable to the Barracks Coffee we drank at our mess hall."
Rebecca, barely shaking off the shock, took a sip of the Geisha Coffee,
and her entire body trembled at a flavor that made the Barracks Coffee she had marveled at in the mess hall just yesterday and today taste like gutter water.
"Th-This taste, this flavor, what on earth...!"
"Major Piel, what did you say the price of Geisha Coffee was compared to Barracks Coffee?"
"That is...."
"Major Piel, why can't you answer? You should say it is approximately 1,000 times more expensive, a luxury product."
Rebecca's eyes widened.
"1,000 times!"
"That's right. The price of that one cup of coffee you just had is equivalent to 1,000 cups of Barracks Coffee. That is how exceptionally rare and high-quality a coffee it is."
Hildea boasted, flaunting to the fullest,
and Rebecca stared piercingly at Piel with a look as if bewitched by an incubus, then shot to her feet.
Of course, her plate and cup were already impeccably empty.
"Major Piel! May I also come to the 3rd Army to eat dinner every day? Hm? Hm? Please say yes!"
"Commander of the 4th Army, maintain your dignity. What sort of behavior is this right now?"
Hildea's voice wasn't a genuine scolding.
It was the kind of pettiness that only someone who isn't a fool could notice, with a covert desire to flaunt and a sense of superiority dripping from every word.
No matter what one might say, she was, after all, a 20-year-old young lady with insufficient interpersonal experience outside of combat.
"Piel? Hm? Please! I'll quietly just eat and go back every day! I'll pay properly, too! Hm? I'm begging you!"
***
I pretended to deliberate, then nodded as if I had made a truly difficult decision.
"Understood. Fortunately, I'm due for my official promotion to Major soon, and my maternal family has agreed to increase their support, so there won't be any issues."
"Thank you! I'll pay the full price, so don't you worry!"
"...Commander of the 4th Army, how much do you intend to pay?"
"10 Gold! Because 10 Gold Coins per meal isn't the least bit wasteful at this level!"
"...You're going to pay 10 Gold? F-for a single meal?"
Hildea suddenly glanced at me with a shrunken voice.
She seemed worried that she'd have to pay as well.
'Come to think of it, Hildea is a poor count.'
Despite receiving a territory, she was a newly risen noble of commoner origin, so poor that she was pouring even her Commander-in-Chief's salary entirely into relief for the territory's people.
In contrast, Rebecca was the young Family Head of a marquis house—a prestigious family wealthy for generations, merely short on food due to the long war.
Comparing financial power alone was far too cruel to Hildea.
I decided to boost Hildea's morale.
"Commander-in-Chief, if you would bestow just 1 Gold Coin per meal, then Commander Rebecca, I believe 1 Gold Coin from you would also suffice."
"That's all? But you said the coffee by itself costs 1,000 times as much as Barracks Coffee?"
"That's correct."
"Good heavens! Then just how cheap is Barracks Coffee!"
A single 5g Gold Coin is worth 650,000 won in Korean money.
Rebecca apparently doesn't even see that as money.
Hildea's eyes are spinning out of focus like they're about to pop out of their sockets.
"I'll pay my meal expenses in advance! Please accept this!"
Rebecca abruptly pulled a large box of Gold Coins from her Subspace Bracelet.
Hildea's pupils shook like crazy.
She was probably gripped by the terror of whether she'd have to pay meal expenses going forward too.
Of course, I have no intention of stingily taking money from my poor immediate superior.
'I can just receive it through promotions. This is all an investment looking toward the future.'
***
Rebecca, having paid several years' worth of meal expenses all at once, returned in high spirits.
Hildea shuffled awkwardly, watching for my reaction.
Anyone watching would think I was the immediate superior.
"Er, Major Piel... I, too, for future meals..."
"Would I ever take money from you, Hildea-nim? In the first place, it is customary for me to provide supplies lacking in my affiliated unit."
Even if the amount I was providing was far too great to be called customary.
The combined calories provided by a thousand noble second lieutenants probably wouldn't match what I supply.
"Hildea-nim, you raised a newly commissioned second lieutenant—less than four months into service—all the way to Major. And as if that wasn't enough, you're trying to promote me straight to Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel once I earn my Knighthood.
I am simply grateful for your generous benevolence, Hildea-nim."
At that, Hildea's expression brightened.
Pitifully, she must have been agonizing over whether she'd have to fork over 1 Gold Coin per meal like Rebecca going forward, and I had put her at ease.
"Major Piel, truly, thank you. I will never forget the Major's heart."
"I am living my military life with my eyes fixed solely on one thing: promotion."
"I shall never forget it. As you wish, I will become the kingdom's first Marshal, and I will raise you all the way to a four-star general. No! Later, I will definitely make you a Marshal as well."
"I place myself in your care going forward."
Hildea suddenly sprang to her feet and opened the door to my small, modest duty quarters.
"This duty room is far too shabby for a Major who will become a general of the future! Major, from now on, use my bedroom!"
"Did I mishear you?"
No, I mean, sure, we've been camping for days and slept together in the same Sleeping Bag, but isn't this going too far?
"Let's swap rooms! This duty room shall henceforth be used by me, the Commander! So you, Major, will use my bedroom!"
No matter how much favor I receive, what would the other commanders think of me?
I barely managed to dissuade Hildea.
"Alright, then I shall issue the Major a new dedicated Official Residence for commanding officers."
"It's fine. I wish to remain close to you, Hildea-nim."
Consider how desperately medieval nobles struggled to stay close to the king by any means possible.
That's all power.
I must never be out of sight.
"Alright, then we shall remodel the Official Residence. I cannot allow the Major to live in such a wretched place."
"Understood."
In the end, we compromised by slicing Hildea's bedroom in half and remodeling it.
'Hmm, while I'm at it, should I just build a new Official Residence altogether? I certainly have the money.'
***
The next day.
The 175 Farm Soldiers brought along a whole host of their relatives, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances.
All that daily compensation of scattering 2kg of flour per person had paid off.
We had announced additional recruitment of 1,300 men, but a number several times that flooded in.
"I thank you all for your passionate response and loyalty to the nation. Regrettably, we are only recruiting 1,300 this time, so aim for the next opportunity.
Do not worry! The gates of Count Balckenhardt's army are always open!"
I had soldiers select 1,300 men in order of physical condition and sent the rest back.
Feeling bad about sending them away empty-handed, I gave them each 500g of flour, and they all bowed as if their waists would touch the ground, overjoyed.
【Piel Anbelreum】
【Rank : Major (acting)】
【Position : Duty Officer, Supply Officer, Logistics Officer】
【Direct Unit : Food Procurement Unit】
【Subordinates : 1,500 / 1,500】
【Total troop capacity has reached its limit.】
【If you wish to increase your forces, get promoted.】
I surveyed the 1,300 recruits, their eyes sparkling brightly.
They were all skin and bones with poor complexions, likely from a lifetime of malnourishment.
"We will newly organize combat units! Do not worry! There is absolutely no coercion, and we are accepting only pure volunteers!"
Murmur, murmur.
Having come after hearing that only non-combat soldiers were being recruited, they all seemed flustered.
"Rest assured, you will rarely ever have to fight the Monster Legions commanded by the Elves. The purpose is to provide military training in preparation for the worst-case scenario, and you will primarily be deployed for maintaining public order."
Everyone's mood seemed somewhat relieved.
Now it's time to give them the carrot.
"Corporal Baren! Prepare!"
"Yes!"
The cook soldiers stepped forward.
Into a pot of furiously boiling water, they added corn, nonfat dry milk, butter, sugar, and salt, and began boiling Corn Combat Soup.
The grimy recruits started sniffing and smacking their lips.
"You all would have come knowing that 2 meals of Corn Soup are provided daily as rations.
Combat soldiers get 3 meals a day, up to and including breakfast! Naturally, it's a commute to work, and as daily compensation, an additional 4 servings of Corn Soup are provided!"
I'm targeting the hearts of the fathers and sons who want to feed their families well.
"I will volunteer for the combat troops!"
"Me too! I'll volunteer!"
"I volunteer!"
At least 500 of the 1,300 stepped forward saying they would volunteer for the combat troops.
"For now, we plan to initially select only about 100 through training! I hope you will demonstrate a good showing and be organized into the combat units! That is all!"
Modern US military doesn't use cold weapons, so I've been agonizing over what to issue as basic weaponry.
Firearms are obviously out.
'Ceremonial swords? Considering modern steel-making technology, they'd be called famed blades in this era, but they're too ornate and excessive for soldiers.'
So I made my choice.
▶Machete
【Ontario Machete 56cm (New Model)】
【Material: Titanium Alloy】
【Military supply developed with the pinnacle of modern steel-making technology by a renowned manufacturer boasting a long tradition】
【A perfected machete that overcomes the drawbacks of high-carbon steel—prone to shattering, easily rusts, and heavy】
'The world has gotten better. Making mere brush-clearing machetes out of that expensive titanium alloy.'
As expected, you have to acknowledge the madness of the US Department of Defense.
As much as South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration.
'Though it's a brush-clearing machete, in this medieval era, it's far beyond a legendary sword.'