I Became an Officer in Another World in Just 5 Minutes - Chapter 43
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 43
The 1st Division is already challenging enough, and now I have to handle meals for the garrison at Rimircastle?
I’ll need to examine the exact scale, but one thing is certain—it’s at least twice the size of the 1st Division.
“I hear the higher-ups are showing great interest and expectations.”
“Is that so?”
“Especially since Rimircastle recently had a rebellion over poor meals, there’s even more reason for concern.”
At General Beerman’s words, I almost let out a sigh without realizing it.
‘Come to think of it, that was Rimircastle.’
The rebellion news I had brushed off, thinking it wasn’t related to me.
Now I see it was where I’d be going.
“Ha… haha.”
“It won’t be pleasant. But on the flip side, if you achieve success there, your promotion to captain and future path will be smooth sailing.”
Somehow, all the rewards he was offering me were things I didn’t need.
“I see.”
“It’s an opportunity to impress the higher-ups that others would kill for, so do your best.”
His expression was so genuinely envious that I couldn’t say anything.
‘Being a general should be enough, why aim for lieutenant general.’
Human greed truly has no end.
“I’ll keep the Division Commander’s words in mind and do my best.”
“Good, let’s meet again with good news later. Captain Siel… Major now. Lead your subordinate well and produce good results.”
“Yes! I’ll do my absolute best not to disappoint you!”
Major Siel answered with a perfectly disciplined posture.
And so, she and I boarded a carriage bound for Rimircastle without even time for proper farewells.
* * *
“This is… Rimircastle?”
The scene at Rimircastle, which we reached the next day at lunch, was more serious than I had imagined.
‘Isn’t that all blood?’
Dark red bloodstains remained thick on the castle walls.
I seriously considered just running away and hiding somewhere for a moment.
“It’s in worse condition than when I came last time. Must be because of the rebellion.”
Apparently it wasn’t this bad originally, as Siel’s expression wasn’t much different from mine.
“If I said I wanted to run away right now, would you stop me?”
“Yeah, I’d shoot you dead.”
Her answer without a moment’s hesitation was utterly sincere.
‘Working hard is completely useless.’
My soldier days when I couldn’t eat properly came to mind—the price of working too hard.
“Let’s go in.”
“Sigh, yes.”
As I let out a sigh and entered the castle, an officer was waiting to guide us.
“Loyalty! I’m Captain Mount, Control Room Director of the Support Battalion!”
“Thanks for coming out to meet us. I’m Major Siel, and I’ll be taking over as Battalion Commander, so please help me out.”
“Loyalty! I’m Lieutenant Paran Oclo. Please take care of me.”
“I haven’t been here long myself, but I’ll help as much as I can!”
At Mount’s words, Siel tilted her head curiously.
“You haven’t been here long? You weren’t here originally?”
“The previous Control Room Director is currently in the underground prison and scheduled to be transported to the capital tomorrow.”
Oh, that’s absolutely insane.
“I… I see.”
“The other mess company commander and mess sergeant were killed by the rebels, but since you both came from doing this kind of work, you should be able to adapt quickly.”
I didn’t think we’d adapt quickly at all, but since she was my superior, I nodded.
‘They complained about bad food and specifically killed only the people related to food.’
Do you know what’s most terrifying?
Now I’ve become their target as the new mess company commander.
‘If I don’t do well either…’
I couldn’t help but picture a future I didn’t want to imagine.
“I understand for now.”
Siel also made a somewhat displeased expression, but what could we do?
We’d been ordered to work here.
“This used to be the dining hall, but it was destroyed in last month’s battle and is under reconstruction. It’ll take at least another two weeks.”
The first place Mount took Siel and me wasn’t even the battalion headquarters, but the dining hall under heavy construction.
‘Two weeks? Why does it take so long?’
In wartime situations, things should be built quickly, but the construction period was too long.
And I wasn’t the only one who felt this way.
“Does it really need to take that long?”
Siel asked with an incredulous expression.
“Well, when it was almost completed, the rebellion broke out and everything was destroyed. So we had to reorder the cooking equipment, and they say it takes time to arrive.”
At Mount’s answer, Siel and I could only sigh.
‘Damn, it’s the rebellion again.’
This damn rebellion.
Honestly, I don’t think of it as a rebellion, but anyway, because of those guys, nothing is working now.
“I think the mess company commander should handle the dining hall construction from now on.”
“Understood. I’ll try to proceed as quickly as possible.”
After that, we stopped by the battalion headquarters, and given the situation, we made brief rounds of introductions before I parted with Siel and returned to the dining hall.
“Loyalty!”
“Loyalty!!”
The soldiers who were preparing dinner saluted when they saw me.
“You’re working hard. As you saw earlier, I’m Lieutenant Paran Oclo, appointed as company commander, so please take care of me.”
“Please take care of us.”
“We’ve heard of your reputation. We’ll be in your care.”
“Reputation?”
At the unfamiliar word, I looked at the soldier who said it and asked back.
“Didn’t you transform the 1st Division from the worst to the best dining hall? There isn’t a day when those soldiers don’t talk about you, Company Commander.”
“Really?”
I never expected it, but good rumors about me were spreading everywhere.
“Actually, that’s why the soldiers decided to rebel…”
“Arin, quiet.”
Private First Class Arin was about to say something more when the soldier next to him stopped him.
“Why? I’m curious. Finish what you were saying.”
Koreans can never stand words that are cut off in the middle.
“Ha… haha, it’s all just rumors and nothing good for you to know.”
“Still, it’s better than not knowing. It’s really okay, so tell me.”
At my urging, the soldiers glared at Private First Class Arin with resentful eyes.
‘What on earth could the content be to make them react like this?’
It was already surprising that there was a story related to me when I’d just arrived, but the atmosphere was ominous.
“Well… it’s just what I heard.”
“Yeah.”
“There’s a story that the 1st Division soldiers always bragged about the food they ate while longing for the dining hall meals, and the existing soldiers here got angry hearing that and decided to rebel.”
“Huh…?”
Why was this suddenly taking a U-turn in that direction?
Something seemed a bit strange.
“Ah! But it’s just a baseless rumor, so you don’t need to worry about it.”
The soldiers tried to smooth things over after seeing my hardened expression.
However, I knew well enough.
The fact that most rumors circulating among soldiers were true.
“It’s fine. It’s nothing serious. More importantly, what’s tonight’s dinner menu?”
I forced myself to act like it was okay and asked an ordinary question.
“Tonight’s menu? Potato soup with two steamed potatoes and a quarter piece of baguette.”
“What?!”
The menu was even worse than during the 1st Division’s dark period, leaving me speechless without realizing it.
‘This is enough to cause a rebellion, isn’t it?’
I probably would have been the first to rise up, unable to endure it.
“Ha…haha.”
The soldiers laughed awkwardly.
This already looked like it wouldn’t be easy.
“This is pretty severe. Who made this meal plan?”
“Sergeant Colton, who’s currently acting as the Mess Sergeant, made it.”
“Where is he?”
“It’s almost time for his shift, so he should come… Oh! That’s him.”
The soldier pointed to a man with a tired face who was coming to work.
‘So that’s the guy.’
The culprit who made this insane meal plan.
This couldn’t just be overlooked, so I immediately ran over.
“Are you Sergeant Colton?”
“Yes? Yes, that’s right. Loyalty! Are you the new Company Commander?”
He belatedly checked my rank insignia and name tag before saluting.
“That’s right. Before we exchange greetings, I have something I want to ask. Why is the meal plan like this…?”
An interrogation to uncover incompetence or corruption.
But the result was more shocking than I had imagined.
“I’m sick of looking at these damn potatoes too. But no matter how much we empty the storage, it gets filled again, and I’m really going crazy.”
“N-no, is that really true?”
“All the contracts are at Battalion Headquarters. I really want to burn them all.”
These crazy commanding bastards.
They spent the entire additional budget on potato farm contracts just because potatoes were cheap and high in calories.
Even though I heard it with my own ears, it was hard to believe.
“So there’s no money at all?”
“We’re at rock bottom. Still, I’m trying my best to somehow squeeze out enough to serve something other than potatoes at least once every two days.”
‘Oh my god, crazy! This is insane.’
The result created by incompetent commanders who saw soldiers not as people but as robots that only consume electricity.
Unfortunately, it was the officers below who had to bear that responsibility.
“But I heard that additional budget will be provided when the Company Commander arrives. Is that true?”
“Yes, that’s true. But just because budget comes in doesn’t mean the contracted potatoes disappear, right? Sigh.”
“That’s right.”
“I understand the situation for now. I’ll think about a solution, so just keep doing what you’re doing for now.”
“Yes! Understood.”
Just as I was about to move to headquarters after hearing Colton’s answer, one chilling thought came to mind.
“But… there won’t be another rebellion just because we served potatoes today, will there?”
“Probably not. The Instructor sent down a letter saying he would resolve it, and you’ve taken your post as Company Commander.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you dramatically improved the meal quality of the 1st Division, and in a way, you’re the cause of this rebellion… no, never mind.”
“I already heard about it, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Haha, is that so?”
Maybe because he was a sergeant? I could see the appearance of a young man who had experienced civilian life.
“When is the new Mess Sergeant supposed to arrive?”
“I heard it’s undecided. Given the situation, they can’t just send anyone.”
“That makes sense. I understand. I’ll come by again, so keep up the good work.”
“Loyalty!”
“Loyalty!!”
I received their salutes, left the dining hall, and moved to headquarters.
A place where traces of my predecessor remained.
Without hesitation, I opened the contract files first.
<Kukuta Farm Contract>
Company Name: Kukuta Farm
Contract Amount: 2,100G
Item: Potatoes
<Tarisman Farm Contract>
Company Name: Tarisman Farm
Contract Amount: 1,900G
Item: Potatoes
.
.
Dozens of contracts.
Unbelievably, all the items were potatoes.
‘My head is spinning.’
I would soon receive additional budget, so providing other food would be possible, but either way, I had to deal with the potatoes.
“Ugh, just kill me. You crazy bastards.”
* * *
“This time, by imperial decree, our Oclo Trading Guild has been assigned to supply food materials to Rimircastle.”
Broad Oclo returned home after finishing a meeting at the Imperial Palace.
His face was the brightest it had been recently.
‘I never imagined my youngest would do this much for me. How admirable.’
At today’s meeting, the Emperor’s mood was so terrifying that it wouldn’t have been strange if someone’s head had rolled.
But even in the midst of that, there were a few times he showed a gentle side, and one of those times was when he spoke to Broad Oclo.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Bunnibutch
Hhahaha solve 1 problem then send to solve other right after 😂😂