I Became an Officer in Another World in Just 5 Minutes - Chapter 46
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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 46
“You’re going to start training tomorrow…?”
“Huh? I was planning to do it after work today, do you have some kind of schedule?”
I asked just in case, and if I had just gone ahead, it would have been a disaster.
“Uh… today I have potato dish development research at the dining hall, so it might be difficult. I’ve used up a lot of energy too.”
The last part was the key reason, but I made up a non-existent research schedule and threw it in there.
“Potato dish development research?”
An expression showing some curiosity.
Thinking I could change the topic of conversation, I continued without hesitation.
“Yeah, I need to find a way to get soldiers to eat potatoes without resistance.”
“Ah, I heard about that. Soldiers eat only potatoes for three meals a day.”
Three meals of potatoes a day.
Just hearing about it sounds like torture through food.
“Unfortunately, that’s right.”
“You’ve really been thrown into a difficult problem, hyung.”
For almost the first time, hearing words from another person who understood my feelings, I felt touched and grateful.
‘Right, he really is my one and only little brother.’
Though he’s trying to drag me into a terrible cycle of pain, surely that too must be love.
“Even just saying that is appreciated.”
“But potato dishes, huh. I do have something that comes to mind.”
“Really? Tell me.”
A dish coming from Derick’s mouth, which seems like it would only have swords in his head.
Honestly, I don’t have high expectations, but I’m in a situation where I’d grasp at straws.
“When eating meat, you mash potatoes and dip them in it. I remember it being really delicious.”
“Ah, but that requires meat.”
I think I roughly know what dish he’s talking about.
‘Mashed potatoes, that must be it.’
Derick doesn’t know this, but the reason that’s delicious is because it contains not just potatoes but various other ingredients too.
“Are you doing it purely with just potatoes?”
“Yeah, though low-cost ingredients are possible to some extent.”
“Then I can’t think of anything other than dipping it in salt.”
“Right, thanks for thinking about it anyway.”
There was no gain, but still my complicated head felt somewhat refreshed.
“Then since you’re busy today, it can’t be helped. Starting tomorrow, I’ll come here a little after 6 PM.”
“I’ll go since I’m the one learning.”
“It’s fine. And hyung, you probably won’t be able to enter where I am.”
“Come to think of it, that’s probably right.”
Even when I was in other divisions, I remember the Special Operations Command area had additional gates.
“Later when you develop potato dishes, just let me taste them.”
“Got it.”
“Then I’ll get going. See you tomorrow.”
Waving my hand, I saw off my little brother whom I met after a long time and entered headquarters.
“Who was that person you met outside?”
Having seen Derick on his way past, Siel came out to the control room and asked.
“A training camp classmate.”
“If they’re from Lieutenant Paran’s class, are they nobility?”
“Yes, you know the Rahila family, right? He’s their second son.”
“Really…?”
Siel asked back with an extremely flustered expression.
“Aren’t you being too surprised when you have someone from the Oclo family as your subordinate?”
“No, it’s just that I’m from Count Rahila’s territory.”
“Really?”
I thought he was from the west, but this is an unexpected fact.
“Yeah, my father was a family soldier. He died in battle while participating in monster subjugation.”
“I see.”
“My mother took the compensation money from the family and ran away with another man, and I went to an orphanage… I ended up talking about unnecessary things. Don’t mind it.”
I was momentarily at a loss for words at the painful past that suddenly hit me.
“But you’ve succeeded like this, so isn’t that what matters?”
Imperial Army Major.
Unlike South Korea, officers in the Raikane Empire are quite a respected profession.
‘A major would be upper class among commoners.’
I don’t know about women, but for men, it’s possible to marry the prettiest beauty in town and live comfortably.
“Success my foot, I don’t even have a house of my own.”
“Come on, you get officer quarters, so what house do you need? Use that money to buy us some meat.”
I naturally threw in a joke to lighten the mood.
“What meat when potatoes are piled up like that? Have you thought of any solutions?”
“Even the guild rejected us, so I’m at a complete loss right now.”
“Tsk, I’d help if I wasn’t busy. Hang in there. Tell me anytime if you need anything.”
Siel patted my shoulder with sympathetic eyes.
“Thanks for even saying that.”
Since sitting at my desk wouldn’t bring any solutions to mind, I grabbed my notebook and pen and headed to the dining hall.
“This is crazy. Finally, food fit for humans.”
“Proper meat like this! How long has it been?”
“Really, just one company commander coming changes things this much?”
A reaction I’d seen somewhere before.
The atmosphere was similar to when I first presented meals at the 1st Division.
“When they give us meat like this, even potatoes become edible.”
“Exactly. This might sound wrong, but I’m grateful to those guys who rebelled. Otherwise, we’d still be eating only potatoes.”
“The military only changes when someone dies.”
The soldiers’ unrestrained words.
The level was high, but no one pointed it out.
“Loyalty!”
“Loyalty!”
When I went toward the serving area, the mess hall soldiers saw me and saluted.
“Were there any major problems?”
“No, the response is good too.”
“Good, keep up the good work. Could I possibly use the cooking facilities?”
“It’s nothing special, but of course you can use them.”
“I’m not thinking of doing anything grand. Don’t mind me and do your work.”
After getting permission from the soldier, I entered the cooking area.
‘It really is nothing special.’
The 1st Division facilities weren’t great either, but this place was even more inadequate.
“Well, it’ll be normalized next week.”
By now, dozens of cooking equipment should be loaded on carriages and diligently on their way here.
“The important thing is this.”
I picked up a potato from the pile in the sacks and examined its shape.
“Mass-producible dishes I can make with this…”
While I was pondering deeply, some soldier passed by precariously carrying a large pot.
“Should I help? It looks heavy.”
“N…no, sir.”
He said no, but if left alone, he would clearly fall over.
“I’ll help you, let’s grab it together.”
“Thank you so much.”
I grabbed the opposite side of the container and applied force.
‘It’s heavier than I thought.’
Even with both of us holding it, I had to put full strength into my arms.
“Here it is.”
“Got it. One, two, three.”
Given the weight, we lowered the container to the ground in sync with the count.
“Thanks to you, Company Commander, we moved it safely.”
“Exactly, why did you refuse when I first offered to help?”
“Ha…haha, this is something I should be doing.”
“That’s nonsense. By the way, what’s inside?”
I casually asked out of curiosity.
“It’s the oil that came out while roasting pork for today’s lunch.”
When he opened the lid, rapidly solidifying oil was revealed.
“Ah, it was oil… huh?”
Like being struck by lightning.
As soon as I heard the word oil, an idea popped into my head.
‘French fries, why haven’t I been thinking about this.’
The miraculous food that even people who hate steamed potatoes can’t get enough of – french fries.
If I could just make them, the reaction would definitely be good.
“Do we have any oil available right now?”
“Oil?”
“Yeah, it would be good if we had about 2 liters of cooking oil.”
I considered using the oil right in front of me, but that would be a hygiene problem.
“We have oil overflowing. Since we don’t have much occasion to grill meat.”
A very sad fact, but whatever.
If what I’m planning now succeeds, the oil will be gone in no time.
“Then right now, grab a suitable pot and cooking oil and come to where there’s fire.”
“Yes!”
After giving the soldier the necessary instructions, I grabbed potatoes and went to the cutting board.
‘As thin as possible.’
Honestly, I’m not great at knife work, but if I sacrifice speed, I can at least cut them thin.
Slice slice! Slice!
I cut them to the size of french fries we commonly eat at franchises and placed them on a tray.
“Company Commander, I brought them. What should I do?”
“Put oil in the pot and boil it.”
“Yes…?”
Since the concept of frying isn’t properly established in this world, my request probably sounds very absurd.
“Just do as I say for now.”
“Understood.”
Since it wasn’t a difficult order, the soldier began boiling the oil.
Bubble bubble.
Is it because this is a mass production cooking facility?
The oil started boiling faster than I thought.
“Looks ready. Do you have a strainer?”
“Yes, shall I bring it?”
“Yeah.”
I put the potatoes I had carefully cut into the strainer the soldier brought and dunked it straight into the oil.
Sizzle sizzle.
The thrilling sound coming through some chemical reaction.
At this moment, I felt like I had come to South Korea.
“Company Commander, what kind of cooking method is this?”
“It’s called frying, you’ll be amazed when you taste it.”
“You make the surface crispy with oil, but you’re actually dunking it completely and then taking it out to eat…?”
A reaction of disbelief.
Well, I understand.
If you’ve never experienced it, it wouldn’t look very appetizing visually.
“Looks about done. Your thoughts will completely change once you eat it.”
Since I’m not a frying expert, I took my time with a slightly overcooked feeling to be safe.
Tap! Tap!
I shook the strainer using the pot’s edge and transferred the golden brown french fries to the tray.
“How about it, try one.”
“This?”
“Yeah, should I eat first? This is really delicious.”
Fresh potatoes with clean oil used for the first time – what’s there to worry about?
Crunch.
The moment my teeth touched the french fry, the surface broke with a somewhat sensual sound.
‘This is it.’
A potato is not a potato.
This is a new world.
I can’t help but praise my genius idea of thinking of french fries after seeing discarded oil.
“Is it delicious?”
“You really can’t get enough of this.”
“Then just one.”
The soldier hesitated for a moment, then picked up a french fry and put it in his mouth.
Crunch.
The same stimulating sound rang out again.
At the same time, the soldier lost his words until he swallowed the french fry.
“Gulp… Company Commander, what is this exactly.”
“How is it? Amazing, right? By the way, it’s even more delicious if you sprinkle some salt on it.”
For reference, I like the cheese powder that comes with a 500 won upgrade, but advancing that far would be greedy.
“This is really… a revolutionary discovery. To think potatoes and oil alone could become this delicious.”
An expression that couldn’t escape from shock.
I couldn’t help but feel proud.
“Attention! Company Commander, what are you doing here?”
Just when I thought I should teach the recipe now that it was successful, Sergeant Colton approached.
“I was developing a potato dish. Want to try one?”
“This is a potato…?”
He asked while pointing at the golden fried french fries.
“Yes, I sliced them and fried them in oil.”
“Fried in oil…? What do you mean by that?”
“Try one.”
One experience is more intuitive than a hundred explanations.
“Al…alright.”
Colton hesitated for a moment just like the soldier, then put the french fry in his mouth.
And shortly after.
Colton, with 7 years of cooking experience, widened both eyes and shouted.
“Eureka.”
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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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