It’s Shuri. Today there seems to be a battle at the forest next to the beach.
The point is that the people who want to get salt, seem to be fighting with the people who want to protect their right for the salt. Salt is essential for human life, so I guess that sort of thing is possible.
True, if I can’t get any salt I would also end up troubled. I might have to cover it up using stock.
It’s just that, because recently Riru-san has been infatuated with hamburg steak, and if there’s no salt, the flavour takes a big hit…

In the last battle Riru-san contributed significantly. The reward money and food was insane. So this time, if we win the battle the soldiers can upgrade their equipment, and it seems like we will be able to increase our numbers. Just cooking for nearly 50 people is tough, increasing that would be unthinkably hard.

To that Ganglabe-san said.

“It’s fine if we just hire someone to help you right”

I agreed.

During mealtime Ganglabe-san came and discussed something with me.

“Recently Cougar’s been acting weird”

“Cougar-san, is it”

“He seems to be worried. The infantry that that guy’s leading are our mercenary corps’ a.s.sault troops. Can you help me somehow?”

Infantry are fighters who carry spears and swords as is. They are amazing people who go furthest into enemy lines during a battle.
And Cougar-san was the captain of the infantry. One of Ganglabe-san’s childhood friends, a sword expert who seems to be the only person who can fight on par with Ganglabe-san.

A day without battle, around night time.
I finish my cleaning up, and was getting ready to make preparations for tomorrow’s breakfast,  when someone secretly sneaked out from a commander’s tent, disappearing into the forest.

My, who is it I wonder?

There’s no way that it’s a betrayal. A captain who would betray the mercenary corps that their childhood friends came to built and fight for with their lives for 5 years, doesn’t exist.

Sneakily following behind, in an open s.p.a.ce of the forest there’s a man who was swinging his sword like crazy.

A pretty boy. A person whose looks were sensitive and makes you think that he might be a girl. Blue hair reflecting from the moonlight, it was dreamy.
Rather than defense, he swings his longsword while wearing light leather armour which focused on speed.

“Who is it, person over there”

I’m pretty sure he wasn’t looking over here tho…?!

“S-sorry”

“Ah, Shuri. Don’t be surprising me”

The pretty boy smiled sweetly. This person is Cougar-san.
Even though his arm are thin, his sword swings are extremely quick.

“What’s wrong? It’s so late”

“Well, ya’ kno. It’s a slump”

As Cougar-san sat down with a thump, he looked up towards the moon.
He was a like a person in a painting, watching a play at a theatre somewhere.
d.a.m.n, is it that no matter what pretty boys do, they’ll get painted…!!?

“A slump, is it?”

“Yah. Recently Riru-chan been try’n hard yea? Making cool things, contributing to battles. But I’m no good at anything but swingin’ my sword.
With my talent, this is probably the limit ya’ kno”

Cougar-san murmured sadly.

Slumps. I understand too.
When I can’t cook well, when I couldn’t do my job well.
I felt the limits of my talent plenty of times.

“Don’t talk about something as depressing as talent please”

“Hn?”

“I, also have no talent.
Despite that, I put in effort, gaining a lot of knowledge and experiences and somehow adding them to my available techniques.
Cougar-san you wield the sword extremely beautifully.  It’s not a slump, you’ve just encountered a hurdle.”

The difference between me and Cougar-san is, stopping at the hurdle or getting to the thing past the hurdle.

“A hurdle… huh”

“Y-you’re probably hungry right. I’ll go make some supper”

“Is it alright?”

“If I give food out to people who’re working hard, Ganglabe-san wouldn’t be mad”

Let’s decide on a meal.
I brought some ingredients from the campsite.
This time will be Deep-fried horse mackerel. Let’s go with Horse Mackerel, Tartar sauce and j.a.panese pepper.

Preparing the horse mackerel by opening it up, adding flavour to the ginger juice with salt and pepper, covering it with oil fried j.a.panese pepper, flour and egg then quickly frying it.

“Looks delicious”

Cougar-san looked pretty excited.

“It’s spicy”

To finish, I pour tartar sauce over the cooked dish.

“Ohh! Crunchy and fluffy. It even has a sweet and sour flavour!”

That’s great.

“The preparation of the fish was done quite well huh”

“I sliced it slowly with a knife where it was soft”

You can’t cut it with force. It tastes better taking apart the fish carefully.

In the battle this time, Cougar-san defeated many enemies and won.

Thanks, I achieved enlightenment, said Cougar-san.

Congratulations on getting out of your slump.