“I was wondering if you could spare so combat rations,” Chang-su mumbled, looking a bit sheepish as he made the request.
Combat rations. I had prepared them myself, so hearing him ask felt a bit strange. “Uh, was that too shaless of ?” he added.
My brow furrowed in confusion. “I wasn’t sure what you were going to ask for. So it was that?”
Chang-su nodded earnestly. “The effects are truly impressive, and the taste is even better.”
Well, of course it was. I’m the one who made them. But still, I couldn’t shake this odd feeling. “Combat rations are nice and all, but they’re not as enjoyable or effective as a proper al, are they?”
It felt a bit odd referring to them as my signature dish when they had tasted my properly prepared als before.
Chang-su shook his head. “While the taste and effects are excellent, there’s sothing even more remarkable about them.”
“What do you an? Isn’t taste and effect all that matters?”
“It’s an item that provides buffs even without a buffer. Think about it.”
Ah… that hit the nail on the head. That was the essence of the [Combat Rations] skill I had.
“Moreover,” he continued, “simply consuming them activates the effects, making them usable by anyone. Their long shelf life and compact size make them almost absurd. Can I even ask for them openly?”
I had to agree; this was definitely sothing that could tip the balance in a ga.
“I won’t ask for such an invaluable item for free; creating them must co at a cost.”
Chang-su hesitated. “We have useful items we’ve collected. It’s not much, but I’d like to offer sothing in return… Wait, what did you just say?”
“Take them. The combat rations.”
He looked flustered, waving his hands. “No, no! This is not sothing to give away so lightly.”
“That’s true, but considering our future relationship, sharing a bit seems fair.”
Once soone joins a unit, they’re supplied with dozens of them anyway. And now that I had a decent stock of monster at, giving so away felt inconsequential.
“It just doesn’t feel right.”
Despite my insistence, he stood firm against the idea. I chuckled. “Why refuse if I’m offering it for free?”
Chang-su sighed, frustration etched on his face. “I already ntioned the best part about combat rations: they’re incredibly valuable. Food is precious in this era; I can’t just take it for nothing.”
“You really don’t have to feel burdened by it.”
His expression darkened slightly. “That statent only makes feel more burdened. If we joined your guild, it would make sense. But right now, I’d rather maintain an equal relationship.”
I had to admit he had a point. After all, combat rations were impressive items.
“Can you make an appropriate paynt?” I suggested.
They must have accumulated so points from their monster fights, but given that they depended on [Hard Rye Bread], I doubted they had much leeway.
“We have several items collected from the city, so quite valuable—”
“Most would probably go unnoticed by us,” I cut him off.
“I still want to receive sothing. At least one for each of our mbers for ergencies,” I said.
In truth, they clearly needed the combat rations but seed determined to reject anything given for free. How was I supposed to handle this?
“Ah, let’s do it this way,” I began, a lightbulb going off in my head.
“What do you an?” Chang-su asked, curious.
“Since there are monsters swarming the city, I assu your group will be hunting them?”
“That’s right. We plan to focus on leveling up.”
“Then bring us the monster corpses. We’ll prepare combat rations from them.”
“Is that even possible?”
“Of course! We’ll keep 50% of the at and make combat rations with the other half.”
Chang-su lifted an eyebrow. “Is this offer of sufficient value?”
“Isn’t 50% quite a lot?” I shot back, raising an eyebrow.
He thought for a mont, then replied, “Well, we can’t eat the monster at. The skin has its uses, but the at would just be discarded.”
From their perspective, it might seem useless, but for , every ingredient counted.
“But that at has moderate value for us.”
“Hmm. But still, you might want to take more in commission.”
“50% is plenty. Or you could just consider it not happening.”
“No, no! I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“Then let’s go with that,” I said firmly.
Once we settled the deal, I reached into the shadows and pulled out a box of combat rations.
“…That spatial storage?” Chang-su looked amazed. “It’s always remarkable. To have a skill like that and still call yourself a chef.”
It was my [Chef’s Special Sauce] that truly made the difference. After sprinkling so over the contents, I handed it to him. “This is just a signing bonus.”
“…I’m truly grateful.” His voice was filled with sincerity.
They had helped in clearing the dungeon, and Chang-su was one of the last to fall in battle. I hoped that the combat ration garnished with ntal stability sauce could help ease their persistent thoughts of vengeance.
“Once again, thank you. If you need our help at any ti, please reach out.”
“Yes, of course. Take care.”
As he walked away, I felt a sense of satisfaction wash over .
“Well then, I suppose that went well?” I murmured to myself after sending Chang-su off.
I relayed the details of the transaction to the officials in my unit.
“He fought diligently,” one of them stated. “As long as Sergeant Shin is okay with it, then it’s all good.”
“Isn’t that right?” Gwang-il chuckled.
As I expected, there wouldn’t be any issues. But then…
“Hmm.”
The soldiers gazed at , their expressions tinged with sothing unexpected.
Sergeant Lee Min-jae and Corporal Seo Su-hyeok looked unusually serious.
‘……?’
I suddenly thought, ‘Did I act too gullibly?’
Chang-su’s group had been friendly, and creating combat rations wasn’t difficult for . But reflecting on the true value of those rations made feel a bit uneasy.
An alert feeling crept over . ‘This has to be a setup for a lecture.’
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