It’s Shuri here. Today, there’s going to be a battle in the forest along the coast. Basically, it’s a conflict between those who want to get salt and those who want to protect their salt rights. Since salt is necessary for human survival, I guess these things happen. I’d certainly be in trouble if I couldn’t get salt. I might have to make do with soup stock. As it is, Lill has been obsessed with hamburger steak lately. Without salt, the taste would be a disaster…
Lill was a big success in the last battle. We got a hefty reward and plenty of food. If we win this battle, we’ll be able to upgrade the soldiers’ equipment and increase our numbers. It’s already a challenge to cook for nearly fifty people, but if our numbers grow, the workload will be overwhelming. To that, Gungrave says:
“We can hire some help for you.”
I’m convinced.
Then, during mealtime, Gungrave comes to consult with me.
“Kuuga’s been acting strange lately.” “Kuuga, you say?” “He seems troubled. His infantry unit is the vanguard of our mercenary group. Try to help him out somehow.”
The infantry are the ones who fight with spears and swords. They’re the amazing people who charge at the enemy first on the battlefield. And Kuuga is the captain of that infantry unit. He’s one of Gungrave’s childhood friends and apparently the only swordsman who can fight on equal terms with Gungrave.
On a night without battle, around evening time. I’ve just finished cleaning up after cooking and am about to start preparing tomorrow’s breakfast. Suddenly, someone sneaks out of the captains’ tent and disappears into the forest. Hmm, who could that be? Betrayal is out of the question. There’s no way a captain who’s fought alongside his childhood friends for five years in the mercenary group would betray them. I quietly follow, and in a clearing in the forest, I see a man desperately swinging his sword.
He’s a beautiful young man. He’s slender, with features that could almost be mistaken for a girl’s. His indigo hair reflects the moonlight, creating a dreamlike scene. He’s still wearing his light leather armor, designed for mobility rather than defense, as he swings his longsword.
“Who’s there?”
How did he notice me when he wasn’t even looking this way?!
“S-sorry!” “Oh, it’s you, Shuri. You startled me.”
The beautiful young man smiles. This is Kuuga. Despite his slender arms, he swings his sword with incredible speed.
“What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?” “Well, you know. It’s what they call a slump.”
Kuuga plops down on the spot and looks up at the moon. He looks like he’s in a scene from a play in some theater. Such a picturesque person. Wow, do handsome guys always look good no matter what they do?!
“A slump, you say?” “Yeah. Lill’s been working hard lately, right? She’s making amazing things, contributing to our battles. But all I can do is swing a sword skillfully. I wonder if this is the limit of my talent.”
Kuuga mumbles sadly. A slump. I understand that. When cooking doesn’t go well, when work doesn’t go smoothly. I’ve felt the limits of my talent many times.
“Don’t say such sad things about talent.” “Hm?” “I don’t have talent either. But I make do with the knowledge and experience I’ve gained through effort, managing with the skills I have. You handle your sword so beautifully, Kuuga. It’s not a slump, you’ve just hit a wall.”
The difference between Kuuga and me is just whether we end at the wall or see what’s beyond it.
“A wall… huh?” “Oh, you must be hungry. Shall I make you a late-night snack?” “Is that okay?” “Gungrave won’t get angry if I feed someone who’s working hard.”
With that decided, it’s time to cook. I bring ingredients from the camp. This time, it’s fried horse mackerel. Let’s go with horse mackerel, tartar sauce, and pepper.
I fillet the horse mackerel, season it with salt, pepper, and ginger juice, then coat it with batter made of fried pepper, flour, and egg before quickly frying it.
“Looks delicious.”
Kuuga says, looking a bit excited.
“It’s a bit spicy.”
I finish by topping the dish with tartar sauce.
“Oh! It’s crispy and fluffy. Sweet and sour with great flavor!”
I’m glad he likes it.
“You’re good at filleting fish.” “You gently stroke the soft parts with the knife as you cut.”
You shouldn’t cut with force. Fish tastes better when carefully dissected.
In this battle, Kuuga defeated many enemies and we won. Apparently, Lill says he had some kind of enlightenment. Congratulations on breaking out of your slump.
Check out my Patreon for early access to upcoming updates. Patreon Link
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Chapter 5
It’s Shuri here. Today, there’s going to be a battle in the forest along the coast.
Basically, it’s a conflict between those who want to get salt and those who want to protect their salt rights. Since salt is necessary for human survival, I guess these things happen.
I’d certainly be in trouble if I couldn’t get salt. I might have to make do with soup stock.
As it is, Lill has been obsessed with hamburger steak lately. Without salt, the taste would be a disaster…
Lill was a big success in the last battle. We got a hefty reward and plenty of food. If we win this battle, we’ll be able to upgrade the soldiers’ equipment and increase our numbers. It’s already a challenge to cook for nearly fifty people, but if our numbers grow, the workload will be overwhelming.
To that, Gungrave says:
“We can hire some help for you.”
I’m convinced.
Then, during mealtime, Gungrave comes to consult with me.
“Kuuga’s been acting strange lately.”
“Kuuga, you say?”
“He seems troubled. His infantry unit is the vanguard of our mercenary group. Try to help him out somehow.”
The infantry are the ones who fight with spears and swords. They’re the amazing people who charge at the enemy first on the battlefield.
And Kuuga is the captain of that infantry unit. He’s one of Gungrave’s childhood friends and apparently the only swordsman who can fight on equal terms with Gungrave.
On a night without battle, around evening time.
I’ve just finished cleaning up after cooking and am about to start preparing tomorrow’s breakfast.
Suddenly, someone sneaks out of the captains’ tent and disappears into the forest.
Hmm, who could that be?
Betrayal is out of the question. There’s no way a captain who’s fought alongside his childhood friends for five years in the mercenary group would betray them.
I quietly follow, and in a clearing in the forest, I see a man desperately swinging his sword.
He’s a beautiful young man. He’s slender, with features that could almost be mistaken for a girl’s. His indigo hair reflects the moonlight, creating a dreamlike scene.
He’s still wearing his light leather armor, designed for mobility rather than defense, as he swings his longsword.
“Who’s there?”
How did he notice me when he wasn’t even looking this way?!
“S-sorry!”
“Oh, it’s you, Shuri. You startled me.”
The beautiful young man smiles. This is Kuuga.
Despite his slender arms, he swings his sword with incredible speed.
“What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?”
“Well, you know. It’s what they call a slump.”
Kuuga plops down on the spot and looks up at the moon.
He looks like he’s in a scene from a play in some theater. Such a picturesque person.
Wow, do handsome guys always look good no matter what they do?!
“A slump, you say?”
“Yeah. Lill’s been working hard lately, right? She’s making amazing things, contributing to our battles. But all I can do is swing a sword skillfully.
I wonder if this is the limit of my talent.”
Kuuga mumbles sadly.
A slump. I understand that.
When cooking doesn’t go well, when work doesn’t go smoothly.
I’ve felt the limits of my talent many times.
“Don’t say such sad things about talent.”
“Hm?”
“I don’t have talent either.
But I make do with the knowledge and experience I’ve gained through effort, managing with the skills I have.
You handle your sword so beautifully, Kuuga. It’s not a slump, you’ve just hit a wall.”
The difference between Kuuga and me is just whether we end at the wall or see what’s beyond it.
“A wall… huh?”
“Oh, you must be hungry. Shall I make you a late-night snack?”
“Is that okay?”
“Gungrave won’t get angry if I feed someone who’s working hard.”
With that decided, it’s time to cook.
I bring ingredients from the camp.
This time, it’s fried horse mackerel. Let’s go with horse mackerel, tartar sauce, and pepper.
I fillet the horse mackerel, season it with salt, pepper, and ginger juice, then coat it with batter made of fried pepper, flour, and egg before quickly frying it.
“Looks delicious.”
Kuuga says, looking a bit excited.
“It’s a bit spicy.”
I finish by topping the dish with tartar sauce.
“Oh! It’s crispy and fluffy. Sweet and sour with great flavor!”
I’m glad he likes it.
“You’re good at filleting fish.”
“You gently stroke the soft parts with the knife as you cut.”
You shouldn’t cut with force. Fish tastes better when carefully dissected.
In this battle, Kuuga defeated many enemies and we won.
Apparently, Lill says he had some kind of enlightenment.
Congratulations on breaking out of your slump.
Check out my Patreon for early access to upcoming updates. Patreon Link
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