Chapter 6

Increasing the stock of preserved food is good.

However, there’s something to do before that.

It’s the disposal of the preserved bread and meat that Urgas worked hard to make.

Of course, I won’t throw them away. If I did, I’d be punished.

“So, what are you going to do with this, Risris the medic?”

“Of course, we’ll eat them with all our might!”

Fortunately, since we just returned from an expedition, there should only be enough for one meal.

So, lunch will be a dish using dried meat and dried bread.

“What about the ingredients?”

“I got the ingredients we didn’t need from the cafeteria this morning.”

I had a proper plan for consuming this preserved food.

I placed four leather bags on the table with a thud.

“The first and second bags are these.”

“Leaves and potatoes... right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The leaves are from leafy vegetables that cover the outside, and the potatoes are too small to be used in the cafeteria, so I got them at a low price.

“The third bag is this.”

“Fat from the meat?”

“Correct.”

Apparently, all the fat from the meat is discarded. What a waste. This is also a good ingredient.

And the last one is what I made at the cafeteria last night.

“Oh, it’s bread!”

“Yes, it’s sourdough bread. I hope everyone likes it.”

It’s been a while since I made it, so the shape is a bit odd, but it’s a decent result.

I rolled up my sleeves, fixed my hair, put on an apron, and started cooking.

“Urgas, please turn this into powder.”

“Ah, yes.”

I handed him the dried bread and asked him to make breadcrumbs with a grater.

Since the bread is hard, it will be quite a task. Come on, young man!

Meanwhile, I washed a large amount of potatoes and boiled them in a pot.

Then, I cut the triangular beef jerky and fat, which I had rehydrated in water the night before, into cubes and rubbed them with herbs to remove the odor.

I don’t eat much triangular beef, but it’s amazing how it becomes soft again when rehydrated. Is this a special feature of this cow, or is it thanks to Urgas’s unique method of making jerky? Ordinary meat doesn’t do this.

I seasoned the meat with salt and pepper and fried it.

The sizzling sound and the fragrant smell wafted through the air. It already looked delicious.

I left the cooked meat to cool.

Next, I took the boiled potatoes out of the pot and drained them.

I didn’t peel the potatoes because the skin is nutritious.

I seasoned the hot potatoes with salt and pepper and mashed them with a rolling pin. This way, they become like the mashed potatoes served with meat dishes.

“Meat and potatoes... it looks delicious.”

“It’s definitely delicious even like this.”

Urgas was tearing up as he grated the bread.

Feeling sorry for him, I spread some mashed potatoes on my palm, placed some meat on top, and lightly rolled it into a ball before putting it in his mouth.

“U, delicious...!”

“This will get even more delicious from now on.”

I mixed the breadcrumbs with dried spices to soften the sour taste.

Next, I started shaping the croquettes.

I took some mashed potatoes in my palm, flattened them, and wrapped the meat inside.

I think five per person would be enough.

I shaped them firmly to prevent them from falling apart during cooking.

After shaping, I dipped them in beaten eggs and coated them with the breadcrumbs Urgas made.

All that’s left is to fry them in oil.

I borrowed a pot from the kitchen that wasn’t being used and bought the oil myself. I can apparently bill the captain later.

Oh, the eggs are from helping with the dishwashing. I didn’t forget anything.

Urgas watched the croquettes fry with curiosity.

“What is this dish? I’ve never seen it before.”

“Are they croquettes? I’m sorry, my memory is a bit fuzzy.”

I remembered eating them at a stall during a festival in another village.

This is the first time I’m making them.

A dish that uses this much oil is too luxurious to make at home.

Once the croquettes are fried and drained, they’re ready to serve! Adding some leafy vegetables makes the dish look beautiful. The spices mixed in make them delicious with the bread.

The bread is too fluffy, so I crushed it, hardened it, and baked it.

I like fluffy bread, but some people prefer hard bread, so I prepared both.

It was lunchtime, so I went to call the team members.

We decided to eat in the break room.

Everyone was surprised by the sudden meal.

I didn’t mention that I used the dried meat and bread.

First, we prayed.

During this quiet moment, everyone looks like proper knights. It’s a sacred time.

After the prayer, Deputy Captain Berry asked me a question.

“Risris the medic, what is this?”

“These are croquettes and bread. I think they’ll taste good together.”

I seasoned them quite a bit, so they should be delicious even without sauce. Probably.

When I mentioned that there are both hard and soft bread, the captain and Gar took the hard bread, while Deputy Captain Berry and Urgas took the soft bread. Everyone was skewering the croquettes with forks and placing them on the bread.

I took some soft bread, added some leafy vegetables, and sandwiched a croquette inside.

Croquettes aren’t commonly eaten around here.

“Potatoes are usually boiled and mashed or used in soup.”

“That’s right.”

In my village, it was the same.

The potato digging before the snowfall was cold and tiring. I remember the soft-skinned potatoes, cut and grilled on a wire rack over the fireplace, being incredibly delicious. I would secretly add butter and cheese.

But that’s beside the point.

I took a bite of the croquette sandwich while it was still warm.

The croquette was crispy! The bread was fluffy and soft, and the leafy vegetables had a good crunch.

The spices masked the sourness of the dried bread.

The skin-on potatoes were fluffy and slightly sweet. The meat with fat oozed with juice, which soaked into the potatoes, making them even more delicious.

The combination of bread and croquette was perfect.

Seeing me eat, everyone else started as well.

“Wow, it’s delicious! Better than I imagined!”

Urgas had tears in his eyes and gave me a happy review.

“It was worth the effort of making the breadcrumbs.”

“Yes, I’m very grateful. I couldn’t have done it alone.”

The captain, Deputy Captain Berry, and Gar also said it was delicious.

I was relieved that the preserved food, which I was struggling to dispose of, was used well.

After the meal, when I handed the captain the cost of the ingredients, he frowned.

“Hey, wild rabbit medic. Isn’t the lunch cost too low?”

Recently, the captain has been calling me ‘wild rabbit medic’ instead of just ‘wild rabbit.’

It’s almost the same, but at least it’s better with ‘medic’ added.

Anyway, let’s get back to the lunch cost.

“Did you pay for part of it yourself?”

“No, I didn’t. I billed everything properly.”

His suspicious gaze pierced me.

I had no choice but to explain to the captain.

“The ingredients for the croquettes were scraps from the kitchen, the fat that was going to be discarded, and the preserved dried meat and bread. I bought the potatoes, but they were apparently less than half the market price.”

“What?”

“I wanted to clean out the storage, so I made a disposal dish.”

The captain was surprised. He couldn’t believe it was made from partially discarded ingredients.

A satisfied smile welled up inside me.

I cleaned the storage, the meal was delicious, and it was a satisfying day.

Tomorrow, I’ll plan the preparation of preserved food... and, of course, do my work as a medic.

Sometimes, I forget my role because I’m always cooking.

I have a mountain of tasks to do, like checking bandages, organizing ointments, and selecting herbs.

I slapped my cheeks to regain my spirit and prepared for tomorrow’s work.