The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations Chapter 306

Episode 306: I need one more. (2)

Although Giselle was confident, Claude asked in a suspicious tone.

“Combat rations?”

“Okay, start by making a combat rations factory. I’ll tell you what you need.”

“Is it some kind of technique that only the lord knows?”

“That’s right. It’s something that doesn’t exist in the world yet.”

“Hmm… … .”

It’s like when we improved wheat or developed cosmetics. At the time, we were all against it, saying it was ridiculous, but didn’t it eventually succeed?

I have no intention of opposing it now, but there was still one thing that was questionable.

If combat rations were made, the army’s food supply would have been smoother and morale would have been higher. It would have a great effect on increasing combat power, so why are they making them now?

“Why didn’t you make it before? It would have been better if you had made it earlier.”

Jiselle nodded vigorously as if it was an excellent question and began to explain.

“First of all, it seems like everyone is having a hard time because they have too much work to do.”

“Blood… … lies.”

“Second, so far we have had no need to expand throughout the kingdom.”

“Huh… … .”

“Third, it was hard to make before I got Desmond.”

“why?”

“Because it takes a lot of materials. If you try to get the materials through trade, there are limits to the quantity, and depending on the situation, it may become difficult to obtain them.”

Claude nodded as if he finally understood.

When war broke out, depending on how the upper class moved, it was possible to not be able to obtain goods that were easy to obtain before. It was the same story as when Count Cavaldi tightly controlled the iron ore and controlled the quantity that circulated in the north.

If the upper class was under the influence of the Duke, they might not be able to provide what Jiselle needed.

“But what materials are needed to make it that require Desmond?”

“We need a lot. Of course we need wheat and barley, but also corn, beans, millet, sorghum, oats, red beans, turnips, cabbage… … and various fruits, herbs, and meats. It takes more ingredients than you think.”

“… … Ow.”

It is much needed, and in this barren North, the only estates that produce such things are Desmond and Leipold.

Most of the other territories were barren lands and mountains, making it difficult to grow various crops. Even if there was some land that was good for farming, all efforts had to be devoted to cultivating wheat.

However, Desmond had a lot of good land, so they grew various crops, herbs, and even livestock.

Of course, the most important things to manage were wheat and livestock.

Although other crops have recently seen significant declines in production due to the effects of drought, cultivation itself was still possible.

“What on earth are you making that requires so many ingredients?”

“If I talk about it here, the story will become long. You will understand it right away when you see it.”

“Hmm… … .”

Claude nodded his head, although he was suspicious. There was something fishy about it, but what was the Lord doing that wasn’t the case? Just like before, we can just wait and see what happens.

“Anyway, you understand? The crops needed to make combat rations will also be increased in production using runestones. Let’s prepare accordingly.”

“Ugh… … It seems like it’ll cost more than I thought. Are you sure it’s okay? Even if it’s a factory that makes combat rations, there seem to be too many items to manage.”

Money is always the issue. If you have money, you can do many things. But is it really necessary to spend a huge amount of money on ‘just’ combat rations?

I know that food is important, but I feel like I spend too much money on food. Aren’t there enough preserved foods even now?

But Giselle cut him off with a firm voice.

“I always say, it doesn’t matter how much money you spend. Money is a means, not an end. What matters is combat power. To increase combat power, it’s a priority to gather all the power of the territory.”

“Yes, please… … .”

Claude answered in a weak voice. Well, everything Giselle had done so far was like that. She had developed the territory and made it rich, but in fact, it was all to increase fighting power.

He was a man whose mind was full of fight.

Still, I was curious about what the new combat rations would be. Wouldn’t it be a surprise this time?

Unlike the beginning, a little bit of anticipation began to form in the hearts of Claude and his vassals.

“Come on, let’s get to work.”

Jiselle handed over the blueprint she had envisioned to Galvarik.

As always, it was a rough concept drawing that only stated ‘what functions are needed’. Galvarik looked at the blueprint quietly and nodded happily.

“This one’s a bit easier. I can make it in no time.”

Most of them were used to put something in, dry it, grind it, and crush it. If you couldn’t make this quickly, you weren’t qualified to be a dwarf.

All it takes is a little help from the wizards to dry it. Drying is possible without using magic, but it seems they use a little magic to shorten the time.

“Okay, I’ll make it for you right away.”

Galvarik and the dwarves moved right away. They had a lot of work to do, like building facilities, so it was better to finish this quickly.

The Fenrisians are used to making things quickly. Not long after they started working, the manufacturing plant for making combat ration prototypes was completed.

Galvarik said proudly.

“How is it! This is just a moment for us! Let’s check if what the lord thought is right!”

Jiselle nodded with a serious expression as she carefully inspected the equipment within the factory.

‘I can’t tell even if I look.’

Honestly, how could someone who only fights know the intricate structure of the equipment? I literally only know the concept and the materials that go into it.

The reason I knew that was simple. I only learned the general outline of what was needed to fight a war with the kingdom.

There was no need to know the details, because everyone else already knew them.

‘I wish Claude was here.’

Not the strange conman Claude of today, but the Claude of his past life who had been through a lot and lost one limb at a time.

Unlike Giselle, who only had a rough grasp of the concepts, Claude had learned everything in detail.

Since there is no such Claude right now, you have to implement it using as much of the information you have.

That’s why dwarves with excellent engineering knowledge and skills were needed.

“Well, I guess I’ll have to wait and see the results. I think everything I had in mind went into it.”

After looking around for a while, Giselle immediately hired workers and started making prototypes.

Harvests were poor due to drought, and Harold had used most of the supplies for war, so there were not enough materials for mass production.

However, if this prototype proved effective, they planned to add more factories and farms on a large scale.

Kwah. Kwah. Kwah.

Cheeeeek!

The equipment created by the wizards and dwarves begins to function.

The laborers were busy doing what Giselle told them to do, without even knowing what they were making.

We brought in a lot of ingredients, put them in, dried them, pounded them, and ground them repeatedly.

“What is the lord making?”

“Looking at it, it looks like they are all edible ingredients.”

“Are you making food for nobles?”

I had no idea what it was. The result was a very finely ground, grayish powder.

One of the laborers who had a taste tilted his head.

“The taste isn’t bad, is it? It’s kind of rich and sweet… … .”

“Is it a seasoning? I think it would be okay if I put it in a stew and boil it.”

“Why are you making something like this? There are so many other delicious sauces out there.”

The workers made various guesses while working, but no one could come up with a definitive answer.

Regardless, Jiselle looked very satisfied with the results.

“Okay, similar?”

It’s similar to what I saw in my past life. The taste is subtly different, but the important thing isn’t the taste.

Giselle brought a water jug, put in a spoonful or two of powder, and shook it vigorously.

Soon, the water in the jug turned a pale color, just like the powder. Although other people would have been uncomfortable with its appearance, Giselle drank it without hesitation.

Gulp, gulp, gulp.

“Kyaa!”

Jisel clenched his fist after drinking all of it at once. He is a skilled person who can detect even the slightest changes in the body.

When I drank the sample, I felt a slight fever. Most people wouldn’t feel it.

“Okay. It worked. It’s similar to what I tasted before. Now I have to try it.”

It is clear that it was made as intended. However, this needs to be tested on humans for at least a month to be certain.

Giselle immediately called Claude.

“What’s going on? I’m so busy.”

“It’s finally finished.”

“New combat rations?”

“Okay, now we’re going to start the experiment. Let’s recruit some volunteers.”

When Giselle showed him the prototype, Claude asked with a blank face.

“That… … powder is combat rations?”

“huh.”

“You want me to eat powder and fill my stomach?”

“Yeah. Just mix it with water and drink it. Look.”

Jiselle brought a small water jug, poured some powder into it, and shook it.

Claude looked at it and asked again.

“What are you doing?”

“Mix it like this until you hear a squeak! squeak! sound.”

‘This really makes me say ‘wow’ on my own.’

Still, Claude waited patiently, because the explanation wasn’t over yet.

After mixing it well, Giselle drank the powdered water again and said.

“Just mix it well with water and drink it.”

“Is that the end?”

“huh.”

“How much should I eat?”

“Even if you eat it once a day, you won’t die. Of course, you need to eat it two or three times to gain strength. If you just take this in moderation, you should be able to last for a month.”

“flaw…….”

Claude smiled broadly. It was nice to hear such crazy talk after such a long time, but he was also dumbfounded.

“Your Majesty?”

“why.”

“A person can survive for several days by drinking only water.”

“yes.”

“If you eat a little bit of biscuit powder and beef jerky powder, you can live longer.”

“That too.”

“But if you eat like that, you’ll only be able to breathe, and you won’t be able to fight. If you get hit with just one blow, you’ll be defeated.”

“No, no. This is fine. It gives your body enough nutrients. It means you feel more energetic.”

Jiselle was confident. This was something she and her men had eaten a lot of in their previous lives. If she had just taken a few, she could survive and maintain her fighting power for at least a month.

Of course, I couldn’t help feeling a little hungry, but I didn’t have any major problems moving around.

‘How much does this help maintain fighting power?’

In times of turmoil, how to supply supplies to dangerous operational areas was also a major problem.

When knights are isolated in a place surrounded by dangerous men, supply becomes almost impossible. There were ways to send supplies using hot air balloons and magic, but sometimes even that was not possible.

That is why research on long-term preservation of food has continued. The existing preserved food had limitations in the quantity that could be kept on hand due to its weight and volume.

Development was not easy. It had to be easy to make, the materials had to be high-quality, it had to have a long shelf life, and it had to be able to maintain its stamina.

In order to pass those numerous prerequisites, this powder was created through countless experiments by the continent’s renowned scholars and magicians.

If you somehow get water, you can eat it, and even if there is no water, you can put it in your mouth little by little and let it melt.

The biggest advantage is that eating just this provides sufficient nutrition and continuously provides energy to the body.

Since the development of this preservation method, the operational radius of mankind has expanded. It was one of the reasons why mankind was able to survive the turbulent times in the previous life.

Giselle was confident in its effectiveness because it had been sufficiently verified in her previous life and she had tried it herself, but it was not the case for Claude, who was trapped by the common sense of this era.

“Your Majesty, it’s good that you put in a few things, but do you think you’ll feel full after eating a few spoonfuls? It’s better than not eating at all, I guess. But you said it won’t last long? You said everyone will just collapse?”

In this day and age, it was common sense that to gain strength, you had to eat a lot.

It’s natural that you can’t exert yourself when you’re hungry. You can only catch your breath and collapse.

This part in particular was the area in which Claude was most confident.

‘How many times have I been homeless!’

Claude lived like a beggar due to gambling debts. There were times when he ate from garbage and times when he shared dried food that someone threw to him over several days.

If you eat like that, you’ll get dizzy and have a hard time getting up. You’ll be hungry, weak, and even sad.

The amount I ate at that time must have been at least more than one or two spoons of that powder.

So Claude couldn’t believe anything Giselle said.

The knights had mana, so they could last a little longer than he did, but it was absolutely impossible for them to last more than a month just eating that kind of food. They would most likely starve to death, and even if they didn’t die, they would just lie down.

For Claude, who had been homeless for many years, it was common sense. No, it was common sense for everyone.

‘Wait, you’re doing an experiment? So it hasn’t been proven to be effective yet?’

While Claude was thinking about something while objecting, Giselle spoke firmly.

“If you drink this just twice a day, you can move normally. Your stamina may decrease slightly, but not as much as you think.”

“Oh, I said you can’t. Have you ever been homeless, my lord?”

“Yeah. I guess you’ve probably spent more days homeless than usual in your life?”

“Again, again, it happens. Anyway, whenever I open my mouth, lies come out automatically.”

It’s obvious that you’ve lived like a scoundrel as a child of a noble family, so how can you say you’ve ever slept on the streets?

Even if he did, it would have been just a few days of going out to play.

“I know that you’ve made many strange things up until now, my lord. But this is really different. I know because I’ve starved myself. It’s absolutely impossible to fight on that alone. It’ll last a week at most. Are you really going to spend that much money on something like that? Farmland, runestones, equipment… Oh my, it’s horrible. Just thinking about wasting time and money.”

“So you’re suggesting we do an experiment?”

Claude made a mocking face.

“Ah, it’s useless if you try. I told you not to waste time on things like that. Honestly! It’s fortunate that all the strange things you’ve made so far have succeeded, but if you fail even once, your credibility will hit rock bottom. If you fail this time, no one will believe you in the future.”

All you have to do is try an experiment, but they keep provoking and opposing it.

Giselle knows very well what kind of person Claude is. It was obvious to her that Claude was thinking shallowly.

Jiselle said with a snicker.

“Would you like to make a bet after a long time?”

Claude also smiled with shining eyes. However, contrary to Giselle’s expectations, Claude did not open his mouth right away.

He was planning to go big this time.