I Was Connected to Earth’s Black Market From Another World With The Skill [Market]! (WN)

Chapter 390

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Chapter 390 – Lunch On a Ship

For our late lunch, I made a hearty pot-au-feu-style soup using the local root vegetables that the old ladies in Lafan gave me. But I also added a generous amount of the earth dragon meat, so it was a menu that was both simple and luxurious.

“Yoshua, this is ready. It’ll be even better if you let it stew a little longer.”

“Demon King, this one’s good too.”

Before I knew it, we had become a group of over thirty people, so the cooking was done in units of several kilograms and the meat in units of ten kilograms, but as you might expect, the kitchen and dining room on a frigate are big enough to handle that, so there was no problem. Or rather, there was enough to feed thirty people in one corner.

“The pots and pans are huge, too.”

“The original crew numbered over a hundred, so let’s simmer it a little longer on a low flame.”

The soup is made in two huge pots. When it’s ready, we’ll take it right into the dining room and let everyone help themselves. We’ll put some deep plates on the big table, put out bread and crackers, and put some butter on the side.

“Demon King, what is this?”

“It’s flavored milk fat. Spread it on the bread as you like.”

The man from Surz asked me, so he tried it by putting some on a cracker. It seemed to be to his liking. It seems that tallow is the most common thing to put on bread in the Empire, just as it was in the Republic. I think it’s the same in Russia. It’s delicious in its own way. The one served at the Wolf’s Tail Pavilion has herbs and other ingredients in it, and it’s really delicious.

At the end of the table, I’ve put together some portable food, snacks, and bottled water for those who get a little hungry. Something like this should probably be placed at the dwarves’ workstations.

While the soup is simmering, I boil the pasta I found in the food storage room. I use the bottled pasta sauce I got from Simon earlier to season it. Looking at the package, the country of origin and the brand were surprisingly mixed up. The sauce was made in Italy, the US, and Portugal, but for some reason, the pasta was made in the UAE.

“Yoshua, what are you making?”

“Spaghetti. I felt like eating something different… Have you ever eaten pasta like this, Myrril?”

“If you’re talking about something thicker and flatter, we had something like that in the Kingdom and the Tribal Confederacy. It’s a type of grain that grows in poor soil, and it’s kneaded into a dark-colored dough.”

Is that similar to soba? The noodle-like thing with the shells was also served at the “Wolf’s Tail Pavilion” in Sarz. Anyway, it seems that noodles and dumplings with fillings are not rare even in this world.

“It smells good. What does this bottle say?”

“This is ‘tomato and herb sauce,’ and this is ‘marinara sauce.'”

“I’ve eaten ‘tomato’ in ‘US military combat rations,’ but what’s ‘marinara’?”

“Sorry, I don’t know either.”

I tasted them, and they were similar, so I mixed them together without thinking. Two kilos of cooked pasta were piled on a big tray so I could serve it with tongs. When lunch was ready, I used the ship’s public address system to tell everyone who was free to come and eat.

The young dwarves and beastmen came in, drenched in sweat. I served them large portions of soup and noodles, and they ate it hungrily and drank large amounts of water. They were working hard, so of course, they were sweating.

“Where are the old men?”

“They are too busy tinkering with the machines to leave. They said the young ones should go first. Can I take some for everyone?”

“Of course. But we’ll carry it for you so you can get back to work.”

“Thanks!”

It seems that dwarves have a habit of concentrating on something when they get interested in it. When they get too focused, they don’t eat, drink, or sleep until they collapse. The engineers we rely on can’t be like that, so I’ll bring them some food while I’m on patrol.

I’ll make a simple sandwich out of the bread I found in the storeroom so they can eat it with one hand. The filling is grilled, thinly sliced dragon meat. I seasoned it with a spice that tastes like onion, garlic powder, and the jar of marinara sauce I used for the pasta.

I also transferred a little more than enough soup for everyone to a smaller pot and distributed it around the table.

First, the engine room. As I had expected, the old dwarf and the young man were all working at a tremendous pace on maintenance and inspection. Contrary to my image, no one was yelling. They communicated with each other through eye contact, hand gestures, and simple conversation. It was like the unspoken understanding of professionals working together. Regardless of differences in age, skill, and experience, if there are no differences in quality and aptitude, this is how it will turn out.

“How’s it going, Heimann-jiisan?”

“Hmm… this is amazing. This is amazing, Yoshua. This thing is a monster. It’s so strong and precise, I feel a sense of awe.”

“Yeah, I know. Just eat it for now; you’ve got a long way to go.”

I continue rationing in the engine room, the turret, and the bridge.

“Why don’t we take a break with the Demon King’s delivery first?”

“Thanks, Myrril, I was hungry!”

The bridge crew consists of Rinko, a young dwarf, and a young bear-beastman. Even though the ship is moving at a very slow speed, they take turns eating. Since this department is considered the brain of the ship, they constantly check the situation and communicate information.

“Rinko, is anything missing?”

“Everything is fine. This ship is amazing. It’s a complete fraud in this world.”

“Yes, it’s a cheat even with just a handgun, so if a warship is used, there’s no way to compete with our military power.”

On the other hand, the cost is also incredible. That’s true of both the initial acquisition cost and the maintenance and operating costs. The steam turbine that powers this ship is said to have a fuel consumption so bad it’s not even funny. To be honest, I don’t think we’ll be able to make any profit if we take over the port city with it. Even I wouldn’t have bought it if it wasn’t a cheap ship with a history.

“Nothing shows up on the radar, and the ship is sailing smoothly. It’s truly invincible.”

“Chief, the engine room is calling. They say they’ll have the engine maintenance done by midnight and increase the cruising speed.”

The bear-beastman in charge of steering turned to look at Rinko.

“Understood. Will we be able to enter the territorial waters of the Empire by tomorrow nightfall?”

“Wait, um… if the work goes according to Heimann-jiisan’s schedule, we should be able to pass the coast of Casmeer by tomorrow noon.”

“Understood. Once we’re in the territorial waters of the Empire, we’ll increase the number of surveillance personnel, so be on your guard.”

The bear-beastman helmsman and Myrril tilt their heads in doubt.

“Why the warning?”

“Because something seems to be happening, so be careful.”

“Understood.”

Yes, that’s right. The fake military jargon just doesn’t get through. Especially when it’s another race from another world. Rinko recovered and looked at us.

No, is this really a situation where you’d look at us like that?

“What’s in the territorial waters of the Empire?”

“If my hunch is correct, the Empire should have sent the remaining ships out to sea.”

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