novelraw Chapter 37 : Home Sweet Home (2)
Chapter 37 : Home Sweet Home (2)
Home Sweet Home (2)
The moment the bald man asked me to reenlist, I realized instinctively.
There was no escaping the fate of reenlisting for me.
But there was one reason I said I didn't want to:
'Even if I do reenlist, I want to get at least something I want out of it.'
Why did I even leave Grey Fortress and return to Granfen in the first place?
Wasn't it to run my inn, develop my shop window abilities, and grow stronger?
But if I reenlist at this timing, all those plans would fall apart.
I couldn't give up the points I could only get by running the inn.
So, to create room for negotiation, I refused at first.
Even if I did reenlist, I couldn't give up the inn.
So,
from here on out—it's all or nothing.
"So, outsider. What's your reason for refusing my request?"
I looked the bald man straight in the eye and said,
"I believe it's the effect my cooking brings that makes you want to use me, sir."
"Hoho. Correct. And?"
"Unfortunately, the effects of my cooking only appear in food made at the Fairy's Leg. So, even if I cook for soldiers elsewhere, there will be no effect."
I continued as calmly as I could,
but I was amazed at myself as I spoke.
It was totally improvised,
but even to me, it sounded plausible.
However,
the battalion commander's face didn't twitch at all.
"Hoho. That's not a big deal."
He actually seemed relieved.
"Then as the cook, couldn't you just cook at your shop? Hohoho. Isn't that right?"
A cold sweat trickled down my back.
The battalion commander's voice was pressing in on my entire body.
'I can't object anymore.'
Instinctively realizing this was the breaking point, I swallowed a sigh and replied,
"Yes, that's correct."
"Hoho. Okay, outsider. What was your name again?"
"It's Ian."
"Good. Outsider Ian. By the authority of this battalion commander, I appoint you as cook under my direct command."
"... Thank you."
The words didn't match my true feelings.
Still. At least I managed to keep the line here.
Might as well accept it.
"Great, great. Then I'll be issuing new orders to the company and platoon commanders present."
"Yes, sir!!"
"This is my command. Until we go off to war, all officers will eat three meals a day at the outsider Ian's inn."
The words "Excuse me?" nearly slipped from my lips, but I barely held them back.
"All meal costs will be covered by the military budget."
"Wait, battalion commander. This wasn't part of our prior agreement, was it?"
That was Hank the green-eyed speaking,
But the blond guy, Lantz, was glaring at the commander with the same sentiment.
Apparently, the commander hadn't coordinated this with his officers beforehand.
Only the two company commanders spoke, but the same mood was on the faces of all the other officers.
They all looked bewildered.
But the battalion commander just kept laughing, apparently very amused.
〈 Quest [2] Grow the Inn (Stage 2) - Target Complete. 〉
〈 Congratulations. Reward will be given. 〉
〈 New feature will be unlocked. 〉
〈 New quest has been added. 〉
Out of nowhere, I heard the quest-clear sound.
* * *
After Ralph's dramatic victory at the combat tournament and the battalion commander's recognition,
the recognition of the "Fairy's Leg" soared.
Cheap, delicious,
and if you ate before training, your condition improved. The best local food in the village.
〈 Recognition: village-level (78/100) 〉
But the shop had been battered from the fight against Derek's gang.
A half-destroyed door.
Inside, a shop turned into chaos.
And since we had closed temporarily, recognition had naturally dropped.
〈 Recognition: village-level (65/100) 〉
So while the Fairy's Leg remained closed and Ian had left the village,
rumors began circulating among the soldiers.
― Remember how the battalion commander told us to find that outsider last time?
― Don't remind me. The whole village went nuts then. Luckily the guy with the jutting chin and the hunter knew where he went.
― Yeah, exactly! But do you know why the commander was so desperate to find the outsider?
― Why? Did you hear something?
― The platoon commander let it slip when he was drunk, but... hmm. It's a secret. Don't go telling anyone else.
― Come on, tell us already!
― He was trying to appoint him as a cook!
― What? No way...
― No, I heard it for real!
― ... Seriously? Our unit doesn't even have a cook specialty. We only have quartermasters.
Word that the commander wanted to use the outsider as a cook spread fast.
The recognition gained from the commander's approval at the combat tournament was big,
but the appointment as cook had a completely different level of impact on the soldiers.
― Was it that good? If the commander would appoint him as the cook, I should've gone before they closed.
〈 Recognition: village-level (69/100) 〉
― I asked a regular there. Since they've stopped operating, he's really depressed.
〈 Recognition: village-level (75/100) 〉
― They say the commander is still waiting for the outsider.
― Still?
― Yeah! Still!
〈 Recognition: village-level (84/100) 〉
At this point, not just soldiers but everyone in the village was saying the same thing.
How good must it have been for the commander to wait so desperately for the outsider?
And then, one morning—
Kang kang! Kang kang!
Hammering sounds echoed from the Fairy's Leg,
and a new rumor spread through the village:
Repairs on the Fairy's Leg had begun.
〈 Recognition: village-level (91/100) 〉
The infamous outsider had returned!
〈 Recognition: village-level (95/100) 〉
Then, the finishing blow came from the battalion commander's lips.
"This is my command. Until we go off to war, all officers will eat three meals a day at the outsider Ian's inn."
〈 Recognition: village-level (100/100) 〉
.
.
〈 Quest [2] Grow the Inn (Stage 2) - Target Complete. 〉
〈 Congratulations. Reward will be given. 〉
〈 New feature will be unlocked. 〉
〈 New quest has been added. 〉
*
Again, out of nowhere, the quest-clear sound popped up.
'Why all of a sudden?'
When I left the village, recognition had dropped below 70.
Even after that, the shop stayed closed for ten days, so of course it should have dropped further.
'I haven't even checked the [inn] tab in the meantime.'
But the fact that "Grow the Inn (Stage 2)" was cleared meant I had reached 100 village-level recognition.
I wasn't sure what happened,
but since the officers were busy talking to the commander, I decided to sneak a look.
As long as I don't move my finger suspiciously, I won't get caught.
'Inn.'
────────────
[shop window] [upgrade] [regulars] [inn] [quest] [Bestiary]
────────────
[inn]
〈 Grade: Inn that's starting to gain word-of-mouth 〉
〈 Recognition: small city-level (101/300) 〉
---------(Staff List)--------
〈 [1] Nanabas Lokalio 〉
└ Grade: ???
└ Buff effectiveness: 50% + 0%
〈 [2] 〉
└ Grade:
└ Buff effectiveness: 50% + 0%
"!"
From my memory, the reward for Grow the Inn (Stage 2) under [quest] was "new system unlocked".
And the identity of that could be checked from the tabs at the top.
'[Upgrade]?'
As a gamer, there's no way my heart wouldn't pound at seeing a tab labeled like that.
'I want to press it right now.'
What could I possibly upgrade? Something comes to mind immediately.
'If I could raise my combat stats alone, like in Solo Max-Level Newbie, that would be amazing.'
My mouth watered, but
now was neither the time to close the system window nor to press any other tab.
There were too many people around, and I couldn't risk being caught moving my fingers oddly.
Suppressing my curiosity, I continued reading the system window.
A few things about [inn] stood out as different.
'The grade has changed.'
Before, it was 'old and shabby inn,' but
with recognition now at small city-level, it changed for sure.
To "an inn that's starting to gain word-of-mouth".
At this rate, I'm now at the level where I can rival the best local food in Granfen, the Wyvern Tail.
Also, a staff slot had been unlocked.
If I put Plerine in there, that'd be just right.
'This is exhilarating.'
The sense of accomplishment completely washed away my sadness over reenlisting.
"......"
Well. Maybe not.
No matter what, reenlisting is...
'As a cook, at that.'
But thinking over what the commander said again, maybe things weren't so bad.
'All the officers are going to eat three meals a day at our place, and the costs are all covered by the military budget.'
Until now, Fairy's Leg had the image of a cheap, shabby inn thanks to Burt.
Run-down and dirty,
a place where only penniless low-rank soldiers or adventurers could eat.
So even when customers increased after the combat tournament, they were all still low-rank soldiers.
Meanwhile, people with money ate at places like the Wyvern Tail.
As if meal spots were divided by rank.
'That's exactly what these officers here were.'
Most of them were faces I'd never seen while running the place.
But if these military officers start eating at our inn?
All three meals, every day?
'That alone is amazing marketing!'
Only then did it hit me why the [quest] was cleared.
The battalion commander's order must have catapulted my shop's recognition in the system.
'This is awesome.'
I was right not to run away, coming back to the village.
And now, I can earn real money and points going forward.
Objectively speaking, it's not a bad spot to be in.
"Hoho. Alright, officers. That's enough complaining for now. Didn't I say this was an order?"
The commander's more subdued voice snapped me back to reality.
"If you dislike eating at the outsider's shop that much, don't eat there. Instead, any insubordination will be punished by personal execution from me."
At that, Hank the green-eyed, and the rest, finally shut their mouths,
and Lantz, who had been silent the whole time, closed his eyes in resignation.
In this space, only I was struggling to keep my lips from curling up in a smile,
when Lantz spoke.
"Battalion commander. When should we follow this order from?"
"Once the outsider's shop is ready. Outsider, you. How long will the repairs take?"
"The stonemason guild said it will take about two weeks."
This remodeling isn't just simple repair work.
They said it will take a while since heating is being installed, too.
"Hmm. It'll take longer than I thought. Then I can't just do nothing. I'll assign soldiers to help with the repairs."
Wait, what's with this bald guy?
Why is he going this far to help me?
"That's alright, battalion commander. You don't have to..."
Under the intense gaze of the battalion commander, my sentence trailed off.
"... I thought it wasn't necessary, but this, too, is an order, right?"
"That's right. Hoho."
By now, most officers' expressions turned a bit sour.
If they're unlucky, their troops will get drafted. Shit luck. That was the look.
Then,
the green-eyed guy quietly raised his hand.
"Battalion commander. I'll have my soldiers provide support."
"Hoho. Good. Can you cut the shop repair time to a week?"
"Of course."
He said it while glancing at Lantz.
Does he want that much to win the commander's favor?
'That guy's a real case.'
I've never worked in a company, but
being under a boss like that would suck.
Brings in more work, treats subordinates like crap. Ugh.
'I really hate that.'
Well, I might as well take advantage.
—Or so I thought.
*
After leaving the operations room, I faced the green-eyed guy in the company commander's office.
"I can't spare any troops for a while. Maybe when I have some leeway, I'll send support, so keep that in mind."
He said this while sitting at his desk.
It was clear he had no intention of sending his men.
Compared to medieval soldiers, the Korean army was an absolute saint.
'No spare soldiers?'
If he wants to curry favor with the commander, he should do it properly,
Instead, he sucks up in front of the commander, then changes his words here.
Even if he dislikes me, this is going too far.
"Isn't that different from what you told the commander?"
"Hey, when did I say I wouldn't send soldiers? I said 'for now,' for. now!"
I sighed inwardly.
If things can't be settled by force, I should use diplomacy,
but the opponent looked like a lunatic who won't respond to diplomacy.
Bringing up the commander probably won't work either.
'Based on how he kicked me before dragging me in front of the commander...'
If I threaten him wrong, who knows what crazy thing this lunatic will do.
In the end, I resigned myself.
"Understood. Then I'll excuse myself."
As I was about to quietly exit the office,
his voice hit the back of my head.
"Arrogant outsider bastard. Let's see how long the commander's favor lasts."
My hand hesitated on the doorknob,
but then I moved again, opened the door, and
Bang!
I slammed it with all my strength.
A silent protest that I wouldn't take this lying down.
'If you let a mad dog look down on you, you're finished.'
That too was my father's teaching.
He would hurl curses at the rare black consumers who appeared.
Now that I've taken the plunge, it's time to bolt.
Tadadat.
I immediately poured mana into my legs and sprinted away.
Headed for the headquarters prison where the blind woman was waiting.
Hang on, Plerine! I'm coming!
Tadadadadat!
* * *
Only the battalion commander Kratan and 1st company commander Lantz remained in the operations room.
"Battalion commander. Honestly, I don't know if it's necessary for officers to be required to eat it."
Lantz recalled the sweet bread he had eaten during the sparring tournament.
The taste had been excellent, but it undeniably looked like rock bread.
He was sure his sword had become lighter,
but he only thought it simply improved his physical condition.
It might help lower-ranked or low-rank soldiers, but he considered it unnecessary for himself.
'Even if squad leader Ralph advanced his rank with that, it could just be a coincidence.'
To Lantz, training methods and quality were everything when it came to becoming stronger.
But despite his frank words, the battalion commander was unfazed.
"Hahaha. I know what you mean. If I had only eaten that bread, I wouldn't be going this far."
"Yes. You've already told me several times. You said the 'rice porridge' from the stranger's world was different from that bread."
"If you'd tried it, you would've been completely hooked too. Ha ha ha."
Lantz sighed inwardly.
"You said it works better than rock bread, but the effect only lasts about five minutes. That makes it hard to use in real combat or training."
"Of course, that's true for now. But after seeing the outsider today, I became certain."
"......?"
As Lantz silently waited, not understanding, the commander spoke again.
"I'm talking about the outsider. I think he's reached 2nd-rank."
"What?!"
Lantz's eyes grew wide as if they might pop out.
"I could clearly feel his mana, but already at 2nd-rank?"
'It took me three years to go from first-rank to 2nd-rank.'
Back then, my family made a huge fuss, calling me a genius.
Normally, it takes more than five years.
But—
'This outsider reached 2nd-rank in such a short time?'
When he first saw him at the sparring tournament, he hadn't even mastered mana, having just barely achieved first-rank.
Yet, in barely over a month, 2nd-rank?
It was an unbelievable pace.
If anyone else had said this, he would never have believed it.
But the battalion commander was the one who said it.
There could be no doubt.
'The battalion commander's perception is more accurate than anyone else's.'
But even though this was extremely surprising, it left an open question.
"Even so, battalion commander, I don't see what the link is between the outsider reaching 2nd-rank and the officers being required to eat his food."
The battalion commander responded with a bitter smile.
"That's a shame. I thought you'd understand."
Sometimes, the battalion commander was like this.
He insisted a commander must know how to read the invisible, and would often speak in a way others wouldn't understand.
The outsider's rapid advance to 2nd-rank, and
the requirement for officers to eat his food—what connection did they share?
Still, this time Lantz deduced the answer fairly quickly.
"Ah, I see. I think I understand your point."
"Go ahead and say it."
"You're talking about the outsider's growth rate."
The commander responded with a satisfied look.
"Hahaha. That's right."
The outsider's rapid growth to 2nd-rank in a short time.
If that was the case—
'He's anticipating that the effects and duration of the outsider's cuisine will also improve quickly.'
In fact, the outsider had already created something more effective than bread, the 'rice porridge', within a few days.
As his food effects improved rapidly,
and as officers enjoyed these improved dishes?
It would lead directly to an enhancement in the unit's combat capability.
'Ah. So that's it.'
At last, Lantz could see the commander's intention.
Not ordering the outsider to cook in the military barracks,
but letting him cook in his own inn—
'He must have decided that being in the same environment as before would help the outsider's growth.'
Having reached the answer, Lantz spoke up.
"I understand. I won't object anymore."
"Heh, that's the way. Make sure to explain this well to the other officers too."
"Yes. You have nothing to worry about."
Lantz felt a pang knowing he wouldn't get to eat his favorite tomato soup with Wyvern Tail for a while,
but he couldn't show it on his face.
*
Perhaps after meeting the craziest guy out there,
another crazy bastard came to mind.
Where was that jerk hiding, anyway?
Honestly, I thought the moment I returned, that money-grubber would be the first to welcome me, but—
― You have to come back. Don't forget your life depends on me."
Jeros was nowhere to be seen, and only the bald guy welcomed me.
"Life's fun."
Nothing ever goes the way I expect it to.
But maybe that's what makes it fun.
Life just rolls on, however it does.
'If only there was no reenlistment, it would be even better.'
Hmm. I'll think about the reenlistment thing later,
Right now, I need to look after the people I have to care for first.
"Good job, Plerine."
"I was bored to death, you know."
The sulky girl in an eyepatch grumbled,
But I was relieved that she waited quietly with no incident.
"Let's go. To our shop."
Let's go.
To our fun home.