Cook of the Mercenary Corp c25

12, Troubles and b.u.t.ter Potato

 

The knack to jail lifestyle is to endure the coldness.

If you’re asking what I mean, simply speaking, under these medieval buildings which have no heaters or anything, it becomes intensely cold.

In addition to the structure which makes even sunlight hard to reach, the ways and places to become warm is staggeringly limited.

Basically, I really want to eat something warm, is what I think.

This is Shuri speaking from the jail.

It’s almost been one week of jail lifestyle. The food is simple as well. The entertainment is nonexistent too. It can’t be helped that I have nothing but spare time.

The Jailor-san, Gann Rubber-san. Recently we’ve become slightly close.

Maybe it’s because he’s fond of Sake-steamed Clams but, he’s increased his requests to secretly make it.

Somehow it seems like there’s something worrying him and he’s making a gloomy face.

 

“Eh? There’s a food shortage?”

 

When I ask, Gann-san nodded.

 

“Ahh. We had won the war but, a political strife happened inside the castle.

It’s mainly about how to deal with you.”

“Me?”

“The strife is separated and fought by two big influences.

The reflection faction which the first prince is leading is against you being killed.

They don’t want to make Ganglabe’s Mercenary Corp into an enemy and are polis.h.i.+ng a plan to take you in, you who can make the dish which the Feudal Lord likes.

The military faction which the second prince leads decides that you should be killed.

The reason is well, the main reason is that insolence towards the feudal lord. And also, it seems that the second prince cannot forgive the insolence of knocking off the wine gla.s.s which he gifted the first prince and feudal lord for their birthdays.”

“That, how does that tie in with the food shortage?”

“Well, perhaps I should say each faction’s reserve food supply is reserved exclusively for them.

As a result, the wheat and gold in the territory is concentrated on the factions and thus there’s a food shortage”

 

How pointless.

If it’s like that, then I prefer them to just kill me off.

 

“Don’t look so worried”

 

Gann-san looks at me and says.

 

“Listen, you are actually the victim.

Why you were arrested here, I haven’t asked about the details.

However, by eating your cooking, I understand just how much consideration you put out for the other person.

Endure it for now.”

“…Yes. Ah, speaking of which”

 

I wanted to ask him something that was on my mind.

 

“What happened with Ganglabe’s Mercenary Corp….?”

 

Gann-san’s face turned dark.

 

“…I can’t tell you that”

 

Taking out a potato from his bag, Gann-san starts to gnaw on it.

That, I wonder if that’s a steamed potato.

 

“An order came from above, to not tell you information of Ganglabe’s Mercenary Corp.

Don’t ask right now.”

“Is that so?”

 

I felt a little discouraged.

No no, let’s stop being so gloomy. It’s not like me.

 

“By the way, is that a steamed potato?”

“Ah. Recently even the circulation of food can’t be like it was, there’s nothing but this.

Geez, a potato which is only steamed, it can only taste bad”

“That’s not true you know?”

 

Well of course, a potato which has no taste would obviously taste bad.

 

“Do you have b.u.t.ter?”

“Ah? b.u.t.ter? Well, I have it though”

“Will you share some?”

 

b.u.t.ter and potato too.

Of course it should be b.u.t.ter Potato!

I prepare the stove and the pot, now begins the cooking.

I fill up the pot with water and boiling it, after it boils I put it the potatoes and put the lid on.

If possible, having it under high pressure would be the best but, given that there’s no high pressure cooker I’ll have to give up on that.

Taking it out soft and fluffy, I spread the b.u.t.ter and serve it up.

 

“Please”

“O-oh.

How strange. Your potato smells so many times better than that steamed potato.”

“Then you’ll understand once you eat it”

 

Gann-san took a bite at the b.u.t.ter Potato then smiled.

 

“I see. With such a plan, even the potato becomes delicious.”

“If there’s oil, then I’ll cook up something even more interesting and delicious.

Something to go with alcohol. However don’t drink too much”

 

At those words, Gann-san’s face was plastered with surprise.

 

“Over Drinking of alcohol. I can smell it all the way over here.

Always yellow-faced, and sluggish. Stamina such that climbing up and down the stairs leaves you heaving for breath.

All of these are symptoms of over drinking. Sooner or later vomiting of blood or numbness of your limbs will occur.

It’s impossible to just quit drinking. However, you can plug it with a subst.i.tution to fool the desires, which can manage somewhat so that you won’t drink alcohol. All of what I said just now were initial symptoms.

If you gain control of it now, I shall promise that you will live a long life”

 

Gann-san is most likely on the verge of getting alcohol poisoning.

However, if he controls his alcohol so that it’s prohibited from here on, there’s a chance that he can manage somehow.

However since there is no doctor I can confirm for sure.

 

“….You, what are you”

“Just a simple cook. It’s just that through cooking I know of the body”

 

Which is a lie, it’s just that I saw something about it on a special television program back on Earth.

However Gann-san who didn’t know such a thing was completely surprised.

 

“Got it. It’s fine if I control the amount I drink yea”

“Previously, did you have something bad happen?

No, it might be over my boundaries but, it’s because that using alcohol to run away is quite a tough ordeal.

Or maybe you like alcohol too much.

But no matter how I see it, Gann-san, you don’t seem to enjoy it much”

“….Some family matters. There’s quite a lot. Anymore more than this….”

“Yes, you can stop there. I’ve only met Gann-san for a week.

I too am aware that there are matters which can’t be said”

“…Apologies”

 

Gann-san says and bitterly smiles.

It seemed like he was in pain, carrying a darkness from somewhere.

 

(TL: b.u.t.ter Potato

Image from The Food Network)