Combat Rations Are Naturally Delicious (2)
Combat Rations Are Naturally Delicious (2)
"Lieutenant Piel, do you know?"
Hildea calmly looked at me and continued speaking indifferently.
"The supply officer is the position responsible for all meals on our Ainshuvan Front."
"I know."
"And that it's a position held by a captain?"
I didn't answer, only studying Hildea's expression.
That usual indifference that made it impossible to know what she was thinking.
"It's not a position that a chick lieutenant with less than two months of commissioned service can handle. However."
A faint smile played at her lips.
It wasn't my imagination.
"The story is different for someone with the military merit of introducing comfortable field cooking to the reconnaissance units."
"...."
"Let's do this. I'll appoint you as temporary acting supply officer. After reviewing your military performance, I'll formally remove that temporary label."
I took a deep breath.
Temporary or not, what mattered was going from supply assistant to supply officer.
"Lieutenant, stand up. I will now summarily appoint you as acting supply officer."
"Yes, Commander-nim."
We stood facing each other.
The moment Hildea summarily appointed me.
【Position changed from Supply Assistant to Supply Officer (Temporary).】
【Direct Unit: None】
【Subordinates: 12】
【From now on, a monthly budget of 52,000 will be provided.】
Ah, how sweet.
This is truly the taste of power.
Then let me check the newly unlocked items... what?
Nothing increased?
Is it because supply assistant and supply officer only differ in authority, while the duties are the same?
'Still, since the budget increased by the equivalent of 10 new subordinates, let's be satisfied with that.'
"Even as commander, I cannot violate promotion regulations. Please convey my position well to your maternal family."
"I am only grateful for the Commander-nim's grace."
"This commander welcomes any trade of positions if it is for the soldiers' benefit."
Hildea wore a faint smile.
A mature smile that didn't suit the age of 20, like an old person who had lived through the world.
I was about to go to sleep, but Hildea kept talking to me.
"Do you know? My county's territory is right near the Ainshuvan Front."
I think I've heard that before.
"If the front line is pushed back, my county's territory will be swept away. So I have a reason to absolutely defend this front."
"You must love your homeland a lot."
"Homeland? It was land I didn't even know about until a few years ago."
"...?"
"When I became a Sword Master, His Majesty the King bestowed it upon me. It's the largest property I've ever acquired."
I see.
So Hildea is fighting to protect her property, not her homeland.
The honesty of the reason makes it relatable.
At the same time, it shows how heartless central politics is.
They gave a worthless territory to the youngest Sword Master with nothing to her name.
And Hildea cherishes even that and wants to protect it.
They essentially forced upon her the motivation to dedicate her life to the kingdom's defense.
'Even when giving land, they gave her a truly shitty place.'
Hildea became a lord in her early teens....
Going from a commoner to a lord overnight, how strong must her attachment have been.
I can see where that desperation comes from.
Patrolling outside the defensive wall every day.
Not caring one bit about being drenched in blood.
The half-sibling bastards from my father's side, no, Count Anbelrum's side, who practice swordsmanship until their hands blister, craving his attention and recognition.
Hildea somehow resembles them.
"Although the number of territory residents doesn't match the scale of other counties, and the natural resources are not abundant. But that's because of the prolonged war.
When this war ends and peace comes, my county will develop rapidly. I will absolutely make it so."
Hey now, don't set flags.
Please keep those ominous words about 'when this war ends' to yourself.
"You said you were a bastard?"
"Yes, one of dozens of bastards."
"Then it must be difficult to put down roots in Count Anbelrum's territory. Consider settling in my county after your discharge. I am implementing a settlement policy that gives preferential treatment to soldiers from the Ainshuvan Front."
"Thank you. Discharge is still a long way off, but I will always keep the Commander-nim's words in mind."
Well, from what I can see, it looks like the Hundred Years' War.
Hildea seems determined to establish a powerful frontier count family in her generation, but it'll probably be difficult.
'But for me, this Ainshuvan Front is rather an opportunity to grow greatly. The larger the unit size I command, the more budget I'm given and the more supplies I can request.'
It can't be done right away, but if someday I can have a large private army loyal only to me....
'Normally, a lord's expenses increase as their standing army grows due to maintenance costs. But I'm different. The larger my standing army becomes, the more financially abundant I become.'
Budget is given every month according to the number of subordinates, and I can purchase the necessary supplies from the supply cheat.
'Even the combat rations alone are tremendous delicacies by this medieval fantasy standard. I can absolutely support the soldiers and their families' livelihoods.'
Since the supply cheat has a powerful advantage in achieving economies of scale.
'To other nobles, it would appear as an incomprehensibly bizarre army. With absolutely no visible source of money, yet the soldiers' combat power and their families' livelihoods are maintained.'
"...Therefore, the commonality between elves and blood-sucking insects lies in their vigorous reproductive capacity...."
While half-heartedly tuning out Hildea's mental education, I examined the supply cheat.
'Games, movies, dramas, novels. Ugh, what position do I need to get to unlock those? Regiment commander? Division commander?'
While pretending to sleep and letting the mental education go in one ear and out the other, I suddenly noticed something strange while examining the supply cheat.
【White rice 20kg sack】
【Bulk request available】
【Flour 20kg sack】
【Bulk request available】
【Basic coffee bean powder 20g 100-pack】
【Basic coffee cream powder 20g 100-pack】
【Bulk request available】
'Bulk request?'
Some items had a 'bulk request' seal attached. This wasn't there when I was a supply assistant.
'Ah, even though the duties are the same, the authority is different, so there's this kind of difference.'
To receive 100kg of basic coffee bean powder, I'd have to purchase 50 sets of the 20g 100-packs and open each one individually.
But if received through bulk request, pure bean powder of exactly 100kg just drops into the space I designate.
The cumbersome process is omitted.
Is this... the taste of power?
'I need to go back quickly and test this out.'
Before that, I also didn't forget to secretly discard the empty magazine.
***
Three days later, we returned.
Something I was curious about.
How are lost supply weapons handled?
【Weapon Anti-Capture Security Protocol activated, the lost magazine is being eliminated.】
【Re-supplying the number of lost magazines. Please receive and use them.】
The magazine I lost was eliminated, and new supplies were provided.
This same rule applies to other weapons like pistols, rifles, and ammunition.
'Good, now there's no worry about weapons falling into enemy hands.'
Even if I distribute weapons to unit members whose loyalty has been verified in the future, there's absolutely no worry about leakage.
I think I can operate the unit a bit more boldly.
'Rather, it will help in rooting out spies who infiltrated aiming for weapon leakage.'
Reading the security protocol tooltip in detail, I saw that it applies to equipment related to 'direct combat' such as weapons, ammunition, and night vision goggles.
It did not apply to food, drinking water, and living supplies.
This actually worked out better.
***
'The 3rd shipment from my maternal family' arrived.
The area around the cart was noisy with soldiers and knights who had come out to see the show.
My fellow officers also came out to see what my maternal family had sent.
"What? Why is there only one cart?"
"Ah, I see, it looks like they only sent separate supplies as gifts for the commander this time."
Elenoa noona, as I had requested, sent just some books packed in two small wooden boxes.
So the unit members misunderstood.
They thought I had sent gifts for Commander Hildea.
***
"Commander-nim, supplies have arrived addressed to Lieutenant Piel. It's just one cart loaded with two small boxes."
News delivered by the female orderly.
Hildea, who had been doing paperwork, instantly snapped to attention.
'Just two small boxes? Then chocolate and Geisha coffee?'
Hildea threw aside her paperwork and sprang up.
It must surely be Giradel dark chocolate and Geisha coffee.
Thump. Thump-thump.
Her heart pounded like crazy.
The memory on her tongue was vivid.
The sweetness that melted softly in her mouth, and the refreshing yet rich flavor.
Her tongue still dreamed of that moment every day.
"Where is Lieutenant Piel?"
"He's alone in the 3rd provisions warehouse."
Hildea hurriedly ran to the provisions warehouse.
On the warehouse floor, a large clean cloth was spread, and the two small boxes caught the eye first.
"Lieutenant Piel."
"Commander-nim."
Hildea took a deep breath imperceptibly.
She desperately maintained her dignity, trying not to reveal her excited emotions in front of her subordinate.
The small boxes, and the huge cloth spread on the floor.
Hildea immediately sensed something.
"Lieutenant Piel, by any chance, are those boxes enchanted with storage warehouse magic?"
"Yes, that's correct."
Storage warehouse magic.
A one-time enchantment that grants subspace properties, used to conveniently transport large quantities of things like flour.
Since the enchanting cost is far more expensive than the transport cost, it's not often used unless in urgent cases.
She wouldn't have used expensive storage warehouse magic just to send something like flour when it wasn't even urgent.
'In other words, inside there is a large quantity of Giradel dark chocolate and Geisha coffee...!'
Hildea barely suppressed the urge to salivate.
As the commander-in-chief, she could not afford to lose her dignity in front of a lieutenant.
"I see. So you even applied storage warehouse magic to transport these precious goods safely and quickly."
Seeing that she even had to spread such a large cloth.
Just how much could they have sent?
Hildea felt like her heart was going to burst.
Finally, the boxes were opened.
Swaaaaaash!
Endless powder poured from the air.
Into the heart of the young girl drunk on anticipation, the ki sense of a Sword Master whispered that something was suspicious.
'Chocolate? Why is there no chocolate? Why is it only full of brown powder and white powder?'
The acidity coming from the powder was also different.
It was far from Geisha coffee.
Hildea's face went pale.
"Lieutenant Piel, don't tell me this is...?"
"If you mix these two powders in an appropriate ratio, it becomes basic coffee powder. Combined, it's an amount that can be consumed over 250,000 meals."
"...."
"From now on, it can be distributed not only to the field reconnaissance units but also to the general soldiers at the mess hall."
Lieutenant Piel introduced it with a proud expression, as if expecting praise.
But at this very moment, Hildea's world was in a state of crashing collapse.
"Dark chocolate... Geisha coffee...."
"I'm sorry, what was that?"
Hildea, who had been muttering with unfocused eyes, suddenly snapped back to her senses.
She cleared her throat and forcibly fixed her fallen expression.
"Truly, truly outstanding! This commander is deeply impressed by your devotion to the soldiers!"
"It's an honor."
"I look forward to your continued good work. This commander will not forget your military merit and will record it in the merit book."
Returning to the official residence, Hildea's shoulders drooped more than usual.
"Giradel dark chocolate... Geisha coffee...."