The Military Chef of a Ruined World

“I was wondering if you could spare some 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 shameless of me?” 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 meal, are they?”

It felt a bit odd referring to them as my signature dish when they had tasted my properly prepared meals before.

Chang-su shook his head. “While the taste and effects are excellent, there’s something even more remarkable about them.”

“What do you mean? Isn’t taste and effect all that matters?”

“It’s an item that provides buffs even without a buffer. Think about it.”

“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 something that could tip the balance in a game.

“I won’t ask for such an invaluable item for free; creating them must come at a cost.”

Chang-su hesitated. “We have useful items we’ve collected. It’s not much, but I’d like to offer something in return… Wait, what did you just say?”

“Take them. The combat rations.”

He looked flustered, waving his hands. “No, no! This is not something to give away so lightly.”

“That’s true, but considering our future relationship, sharing a bit seems fair.”

Once someone joins a unit, they’re supplied with dozens of them anyway. And now that I had a decent stock of monster meat, giving some 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 mentioned 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 statement only makes me 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 payment?” I suggested.

They must have accumulated some 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, some quite valuable—”

“Most would probably go unnoticed by us,” I cut him off.

“I still want to receive something. At least one for each of our members for emergencies,” I said.

In truth, they clearly needed the combat rations but seemed 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 mean?” Chang-su asked, curious.

“Since there are monsters swarming the city, I assume 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 meat 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 moment, then replied, “Well, we can’t eat the monster meat. The skin has its uses, but the meat would just be discarded.”

From their perspective, it might seem useless, but for me, every ingredient counted.

“But that meat 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 some 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 mental stability sauce could help ease their persistent thoughts of vengeance.

“Once again, thank you. If you need our help at any time, please reach out.”

“Yes, of course. Take care.” n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

As he walked away, I felt a sense of satisfaction wash over me.

“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 me, their expressions tinged with something 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 me. But reflecting on the true value of those rations made me feel a bit uneasy.

An alert feeling crept over me. ‘This has to be a setup for a lecture.’