Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Discipline
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Before heading out, I'd stopped by the grocery store and stocked up on plenty of cooking ingredients and tools, stuffing them all into my bag.
Since it seemed like once we went out hunting, it'd take a while to get back, I figured we'd just eat lunch outside altogether.
I found a spot on the outskirts of the forest that seemed safe enough for a meal.
I ordered the Valkyries to gather twigs and stones, then pulled out a large frying pan and various pots from my bag.
I used the stones to build a simple stove and lit a fire with the twigs.
Every move was so smooth and practiced that the Valkyries just stood there, dumbfounded, watching me work.
'Heh... I'm a sergeant from the Republic of Korea Army. This is basic stuff.'
I puffed up a bit with pride. My unit used to go on month-long training exercises where we'd cook our own meals outdoors in small squads.
Plus, ever since I turned twenty, I'd been living alone, so I was pretty confident in my cooking skills.
Today's menu was shabu-shabu. It was easy to make outdoors, packed with nutrition, and above all, delicious.
I filled a large pot with water and tossed in the seasonings I'd gotten from the store. To build a deep flavor.
It would've been ideal to prepare the broth ahead of time, but that wasn't feasible. Still, it would turn out fine without it.
I put radish, onion, green onion, and dried anchovies in a fine mesh bag and simmered the broth hard.
Once it started boiling, I added watercress, cabbage, bean sprouts, and mushrooms, then tossed in the pre-sliced meat bit by bit as it cooked.
"Do you girls know how to use chopsticks?"
"Chopsticks...?"
The Valkyries tilted their heads at my question.
This world's setting was Western, so they usually ate with forks, spoons, and knives.
Chopsticks were essential for shabu-shabu, but since we didn't have any, I'd bought several tongs instead.
I pulled out small bowls from my bag and handed them around to the Valkyries.
"Put the meat in, and when the blood's gone, fish it out and eat."
They'd been watching me cook the whole time, so they nodded.
We added meat bit by bit, fishing it out the moment it cooked.
"Mmm!!! This is so good!!"
Sua exclaimed in delight.
"Really?"
Lussera grabbed her tongs at Sua's reaction, picked up some meat, and ate it. Her eyes went wide.
"It's delicious... Pilot... what's this food called?"
"This? Shabu-shabu."
"Shabu-shabu... I'll remember that."
Lussera must have really loved it. She kept grabbing meat and veggies until the massive pot was empty.
The Valkyries had impressive appetites. I'd prepared a lot, thinking it would be plenty, but they polished it off in no time. But that wasn't the end.
"Heh heh heh. Seeing you all enjoy it makes me happy."
I pulled out a cutting board and knife, finely chopped the veggies, and added them to the leftover broth. Then I dumped in some rice, cracked in two eggs, and finished with a porridge.
"Can I try it first?"
Sua, who'd been quietly watching me cook, spoke up.
"Yeah, go ahead and have some."
Sua scooped up some porridge from the pot with a spoon and shivered as she ate it.
"Wow... incredible... Your skills are amazing, Pilot."
"Give me some too..."
Lussera approached with a sultry smile.
"There's plenty. Dig in, everyone."
I ladled out portions into their bowls and served myself one too.
This shabu-shabu was one of my specialties. It wasn't too hard to make even with guests, but it always looked impressive when served.
"So full..."
Even Lije, who could barely see and had been steadily eating anyway, finally set down her spoon.
Sua and Lussera clutched their bellies and slumped against a tree trunk.
"Ahh... I can't eat another bite."
"I did the cooking, so now it's time for cleanup. Lije and Lussera, you two handle the dishes and tidying up today."
Lije couldn't see, but she could manage that much.
"Huh? Why us when she's right there?"
Lussera pointed at Sua. From that, I could tell the Valkyries were already forming a pecking order.
"I... I'll do it."
Sua rubbed her belly as she sat, then shot to her feet.
"What are you talking about? Why would Sua handle cleanup? You two do it."
"But... chores like this seem more her speed, don't they?"
Lussera didn't back down, talking back even after I spoke.
"Sua is our party's leader. She won't be doing cleanup."
"What? She's barely B-rank. How can she be our leader?"
Lussera shot back at my words.
"Sua's the Valkyrie I've spent the most time with. And if I say she's the leader, she's the leader. Enough backtalk! Want me to unsummon you? I don't need Valkyries who won't obey their Pilot!"
I'd been thinking it was time to establish some discipline among the Valkyries, and this seemed like the perfect moment.
Not only to back up Sua, but to assert my authority as Pilot.
"S-sorry. We'll do it."
At my words, Lussera bowed her head and apologized. As expected, the Pilot-Valkyrie dynamic here was clear-cut.
"Hurry up and go. That doesn't mean I'm over it. You'll be punished later. Make it quick."
"Got it..."
"Understood."
Lussera trudged off sulkily toward the stream, carrying the bowls and pot.
Lije, who hadn't seemed to care either way, followed to help.
"Pilot, you didn't have to do that on my account. I'm... just a lowly D-rank Valkyrie..."
Sua came over to me after seeing me scold the others.
"Why are you D-rank? What rank are you now?"
"B... rank."
"Right. You're B-rank now, and I'll get you to A, SR, and beyond. Got it? No need to be so down on yourself."
"Pilot... sniff..."
Suddenly, Sua burst into tears at my words.
[Lead Spear Knight's favorability has reached MAX.]
'Huh?? It maxed out without even doing any affection events?'
In games, you'd usually have to gift affection-boosting items or something. But since I'd been isekai'd into this game world, conversations and actions like this could raise favorability too.
'MAX favorability... doesn't that mean anything goes?'
I narrowed my eyes and scanned Sua's figure. She looked exactly like the Sua I loved.
"Heh heh heh..."
"Pilot... why are you like that?"
"Nothing. See you at dinner... heh heh heh..."
Sua's touched, teary expression twisted weirdly. Must've been my imagination.
.
.
.
After finishing the afternoon hunt, the Valkyries had reached level 13.
My status showed a whopping 5 million gold. Our faster hunting speed from the level-ups let us rake in that much.
Not just that—we'd gotten various weapons and armor, so I equipped everyone with rare-grade gear.
The rest could be dismantled for a chance at enhancement stones, so I just collected and broke them down later.
"Good work, everyone. Let's head to the inn, then go out for something delicious."
"Your cooking is more than enough for me..."
Lussera sidled up, linking arms with me coquettishly.
After getting scolded at lunch, she was clearly on her best behavior.
With a beauty like her acting cute up close, any thoughts of punishment flew right out of my head.
"I'll cook for you all once we get our own place."
"Really?! Hehe..."
Lussera beamed like she'd won the lottery, and the other Valkyries nearby seemed pleased too. Lunch really must've hit the spot.
'What should I make next time?'
I'd only prepared it to save hunting time, but I hadn't expected them to love it this much.
I later learned that Pilot-Valkyrie relationships weren't like ours.
No other Pilot treated their Valkyries this well.
As we chatted amiably, Astera came into view before we knew it.
"We're here. Good work today. Let's eat!"
With plenty of gold in my pocket, I felt oddly buoyant.
Before heading to the inn, we went straight to a restaurant. For tonight's dinner, rewarding our hard work, I went with barbecue.
We entered a pretty upscale place and headed to the outdoor barbecue area, where we feasted.
The Valkyries had eaten a ton at lunch, but after grinding hard in the afternoon, they were starving.
Me and the three Valkyries racked up a bill of 300,000 gold.
"I could eat like this every day..."
Even the usually quiet Lije looked blissful as she spoke.
Seeing her like that made me happy too. I hadn't expected such words from someone as cautious as her.
Now I had 4.2 million gold left.
'With this, we could afford a nicer inn.'
Just one day of hunting netted 5 million gold. After fees, it was 4.5 million, so money worries were off the table for now.
Full of optimism, I headed to the inn.
That's when someone suddenly clapped a hand on my shoulder.
"Hey! Kai! Made a killing, huh? Parading around with Valkyries this fine."
Startled, I turned to see a rough-looking guy gripping my shoulder. Excluding him, six more men had me surrounded.
"The master's waiting. Come quietly."
The man grinned, but his smile was chillingly menacing.