I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship, so I Became a Space Mercenary - Chapter 506

Chapter 506 -「...Somehow, I Feel Like I’ve Lost.」

Unfortunately, the kitchen barely had any ingredients that could be used for actual cooking. Most of the food stored in the cathedral was prepackaged, ready-to-eat meals from the Holy Vuelzarus Empire. These were the type that only required tearing open the packaging and heating them. There was a miso soup-like or perhaps pork soup-like item that could be transferred to a pot and heated, but even that was just a freeze-dried concoction that needed to be rehydrated in water before warming. It seemed difficult to use for real cooking.

Well, I suppose I could just take out some of the ingredients and use them. But then the question becomes, what do I do with the rest once I’ve taken out the ingredients I need?

Throwing the rest away would be a waste. The waste monster will come after me if I do that. 1

「Oh, surprisingly good. Boss, this is delish.」

「Hmm... it’s simple but quite tasty.」

It seemed like the improvised fried rice I made was a hit with Tina and Konoha. As Konoha said, it was a simple and rough dish, but considering the circumstances I think I did a pretty good job.

As mentioned earlier, there weren’t any proper ingredients in the kitchen. But after some searching, I managed to find a package of salty sausages—the ones from the Grakkan Empire rations—along with some spices and something that resembled soy sauce imported from the Holy Vuelzarus Empire. On top of that, the kitchen equipment was decent, and there were large frying pans and various cooking utensils available.

So, I finely chopped the faux sausages, fried them in some sort of cooking oil of unknown origin, added pre-packaged rice to the mix, stir-fried it, and then drizzled a bit of the soy sauce over it. Once the soy sauce began to give off a fragrant aroma, I quickly sprinkled some spices and cobbled together this improvised fried rice.

It’s a slapdash dish, but perhaps thanks to the oil and spices, I think it turned out rather well, if I do say so myself.

「You really have developed some weird skills, huh? Sigh, this would go great with some alcohol.」

「Hmm, delicious. Instant meals aren’t bad, but it feels like I’m finally eating a proper dish after a long time.」

Elma and Ranshin were nibbling on the fried rice while sipping their drinks. They looked like old men at a ramen shop in the entertainment district, enjoying a beer with fried rice as a side dish.

「Hiro-sama’s cooking is quite popular.」

「Well, the usual meals here are nice, but they have a refined, delicate flavor that can feel a little thin sometimes. I think sometimes people crave something a bit rougher, junkier, and with a heavier flavor.」

As for me, while watching my crew and the cathedral staff devour the large batch of fried rice I made, I was enjoying the standard meal of the cathedral, prepared by Mimi, Kugi, and Moegi. The menu consisted of a hearty soup, similar to pork soup, and something resembling a rolled omelet. Apparently, this rolled omelet was also a freeze-dried dish. I’m not sure how they manage that, but it’s impressive technology.

「...Somehow, I feel like I’ve lost.」

「My Lord is incredibly talented, so this outcome was expected.」

「Yes! Everything’s in perfect order!」

Mimi replied with a bright smile and a thumbs-up.

While I hadn’t personally done much to prepare, there wasn’t anything special I needed anyway. Mei was in charge of managing my personal supplies, so I had no doubt everything was taken care of.

Honestly, I do feel a bit guilty about leaving everything to Mei. But as my maidroid, she insists that managing such things is non-negotiable. She won’t take no for an answer, so I’ve reluctantly let her handle it. I guess if I truly put my foot down, she’d probably relent, but it’s not worth the trouble.

Is this how humans gradually become dependent on maidroids—or more broadly, artificial intelligences?

「Then let’s take it easy on the ship tomorrow.」

「Ehh? But I still wanna do more research on psionic technology.」

「It’d be better to learn the basics properly when we get to the Holy Vuelzarus Empire rather than half-learn things here.」

「I agree with him, Sis, it’s fascinating, no doubt, but we’re nowhere near grasping even the basics right now.」

「Mm... Nothin’ I can do then.」

Tina finally relented, swayed by Wiska’s support of my suggestion. I glanced at Dr. Shouko, and she was nodding as well. It seemed she agreed with me too.

「We also need to keep Neve-kun’s treatment on track. She should be able to come out of the pod soon.」

「That’s news to me. How soon are we talking? A couple of days from now? 」

「It won’t be that quick, no. But I’d say give it about a week.」

「A week, huh? That’s still pretty fast.」

It seems the materials we spent a fortune on back in the imperial capital are paying off. In any case, seeing Neve walk again on her own two feet will be a welcome sight. I hope Dr. Shouko keeps up the good work and we can see Neve free from the pod soon.

TN1: The original Japanese was: ‘もったいないお化けが出てくるよ’ It’s a common saying in Japanese that has a meaning similar to the English saying ‘Waste not, want not’, but I felt the English equivalent didn’t fit well with the tone, so I translated the Japanese one literally. I think it’s still understandable and fits better.