Cook of the Mercenary Corp

Chapter 9

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5, Pot-au-feu of Nostalgia. (1st Half)

Recently, I’ve been acc.u.mulating stress.

Marching, fighting, working in cold areas and being worked to death, I can’t take care of my body properly.

In the end, I caught a cold.

Sup~ it’s Shuri.

I’m suffering from a delightful cold.

My throat hurts and my body hurts, and it’s cold and it’s hot… I don’t even know what is why anymore.

In this kinda condition I don’t even know how the cooking tastes like.

At any rate my nose was blocked and with my mouth drying up… the taste is ridiculous.

“Soz. I should have gotten you an a.s.sistant earlier.”

Ganglabe-san came over to apologize, nursing me in my tent.

He looked apologetic.

“No… I should’ve taken better care of my body… then this wouldn’t have happened…”

“I’m responsible too, I was negligent of our emergency medical supplies.. We relied too much on your cooking…”

“That’s because getting relied on… it makes me happy…”

Even working, and just receiving a ‘It’s delicious’ makes it worthwhile.

“No more on me… what about everyone…? Are you all… eating properly…?”

“Yea. However, the taste is terrible. Everyone’s wishing for your recovery.”

“Such an exaggeration…”

It’s something which can be recovered with rest.

Even though Ganglabe-san’s was still looking sad.

“It’s not an exaggeration. There’s also no doctor nearby. No medicine. It’ll be frightening if an accident were to occur.”

Well, it would be bad if it became pneumonia.

But it is an exaggeration. I laughed.

“I won’t… die easy…”

“I’ll believe you ok. Everyone really wants to rush over here and nurse you.

It’s because of you, that everyone’s here”

“Ahaha… tell them I said… thank you… very much”

Ganglabe-san looked disappointed as he left the tent.

I lit up the portable stove next to my futon, putting in egg and sake and spinning it round and round.

Eggnog. This is the thing when you catch a cold.

“…There’s no taste.”

But I couldn’t taste it.

Despite that I drained it down and lied down.

At this sort of time, I wonder what I would be doing back on Earth?

Mom and Dad would probably make that dish for me.

Porridge, or rice gruel.

There was one more thing, that was created in my house.

“Dad… mom…”

This is the sort of thing people end up saying when they’re weak.

I thought I didn’t hold anymore attachments.

It’s already been half a year since I’ve come to this world.

Mom, Dad, my friends and bosses of the same year.

I’m quickly forgetting how they look like.

Not knowing how to get back, I wonder when it was that I became familiar with this place, maybe I had made myself forget about it.

I want to meet them, even if it it’s just a glimpse…

It seems like I fell asleep at some point.

My body condition is better. My fever, sluggishness, and pain too were drawn away.

“… Gotta go toilet”

I felt it coming.

Leaving the tent, a beautiful night sky.

After taking care of my business on the tree trunk, there is someone in front of my tent.

“Eh, Teg-san?”

“Ah, hey, Shuri. You aight?”

“Yea, more or less”

It was the commander of the archery unit Teg-san.

He has brown dreadlocks and a person who gives you the feeling that he was joking around.

However with his archery prowess, he has never missed a shot. A person with extraordinary skills.

“It’s cold, aren’t you going to go inside?”

“Ah, no, it’s cool. You should probably go to sleep soon too”

“I’m feeling better so it’s no problem. Besides I kinda want to talk to someone.”

At any rate, it’s because this half year has been noisy.

When it suddenly becomes quiet, my lonely feelings seem to overflow.

“I see… then I accept your offer. Besides I too, have something I want to talk about, su.”

Oh? I wonder what it is?

Sitting inside, Teg was acting docile.

“Shuri. Hey, don’t you want to go back home?”

“Eh?”

I wonder what’s happening all of a sudden?

“I want to return. Of course.”

“Ain’t that right… “

“But I might not be able to return”

He was looking curious, Teg-san.

“I won’t go into too much detail cause it’s complicated but, it’s far away. It’s not very easy to get there.

And it’s not on this continent.”

“Not, on this continent?”

“Well…”

‘I see’ Teg-san looked sad.

That’s no good, there’s no way you can show that face to everyone.

“I’ll go make some supper”

“Ah, then I’ll just…”

“No, won’t you eat with me?”

It’s a little surprising.

“This dish. This dish was a dish that my family made for me whenever I caught a cold.

That’s why, it might be better for there to be someone by my side”

Eating this dish alone, I would recall my memories and be lonely.

Placing a pot on the portable stove, I start cooking.

I had the ingredients as I thought this might happen .

What I made was Pot-au-feu.

My mom made it for me, saying it was nutritious for colds.

It was a pot-au-feu which was prepared a long, long time ago as a treat with made with carrot, chinese cabbage, sausage alongside a consomme soup with potato.

Ah, I missed this.

Even now I don’t think it’s likely mine can beat my moms.

Mom’s pot-au-feu was just that delicious.

The finished pot-au-feu swapped positions with the plate in front of Teg-san.

“Come on, let’s eat”

“Is this… sausage meat?”

“Yes, it goes well with this dish”

I took a scoop with the spoon and ate it.

Ah, so warm.

But, it still isn’t as good as moms.

“It’s good. I always thought that potatoes were just used to increase your fullness, su.”

“It’s not just to make you full. Potatoes are highly nutritious and are good for your body.

The ones which have been soaked in taste, are special.”

“Ain’t that… the truth”

“This was, something my mom made for me”

A few words ended coming out.

“Rather than missing it a little. Rather than feeling sad…

After I entered this corp, everyone is nice. But it’s tough, unable to meet with your family”

Ah, as I thought, I still had a cold.

I was actually complaining like this.

“All of us!”

Teg-san?

“All of us, are orphans. Ganglabe, Riru, Cougar, Ahrius, me, everyone.

But we think of each other as family.

And in that is Shuri. You are there too.

That’s why, if you ever feel lonely, you can rely on us.

Because we are a family that live and die together.”

… I’m a lucky thing.

Even though we have only been together for just half a year, there were people willing to call me family.

Tears fell.

“Yes… thank you very much…”

“We will absolutely protect you Shuri.

That’s why Shuri. It’s fine if you come to our place.

These delicious meals. If we had parents, then I think this is what they would make.

We are the ones who should be thanking you”

“Ok… ok…”

“It’s good. This soup”

I’m happy.

This me, was able to make a family.

The next day, my condition got better and I returned to being a cook.

I received nice words from everyone in the corp.

Like, I’m glad.

Or, Don’t catch a cold again.

Or, I’m counting on you for delicious meals again.

It was just like Teg-san said.

This place was full of people who accepted me as their comrade, part of their family.

Mom, Dad. I probably won’t be able to return.

But I’m happy over here.

Don’t worry, and please live healthily, everyone over there.

The snow stopped and I look up at the blue sky, I prayed for that thought to reach my family.

From that day onward, Teg-san became stronger by far devoting himself to training.

Teg-san always had an atmosphere like he was playing around, calming the place down.

But actually he was an extremely nice and strong guy.

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