The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 307: Chapter 306: One More is Needed (2)



Though Ghislain seemed confident, Claude's tone remained skeptical as he asked, "Field rations?"

"Yes. Start by building a production facility for them. I'll tell you what's needed," Ghislain replied.

"Another one of those techniques only you know about?"

"Exactly. It's something the world hasn't seen yet."

"Hmm..."

It was the same as when they improved wheat or developed cosmetics. Back then, everyone opposed him, saying it was impossible, but in the end, they succeeded.

Claude had no intention of arguing this time, but one question lingered in his mind.

Field rations would undoubtedly improve the army's supply chain and morale, boosting combat effectiveness. If they were so beneficial, why hadn't Ghislain made them earlier?

"Why didn't you create these before? It would've been helpful."

Ghislain nodded enthusiastically, as if it were a great question, and began explaining.

"First, I thought you all looked like you were already overworked."

"That's a... lie."

"Second, we didn't need to expand across the entire kingdom until now."

"Hmm..."

"Third, it was hard to make them before capturing Desmond."

"Why?"

"Because it requires a lot of ingredients. If we relied on trade for the materials, there would've been limitations in quantity, and supply could've been disrupted depending on circumstances."

Claude nodded, finally understanding.

In times of war, merchant guilds might refuse to provide goods that were previously easy to acquire. It was no different from when Count Cabaldi controlled the supply of iron ore to the north.

If the merchant guilds under the duke's influence decided not to sell to Ghislain, securing materials would've been near impossible.

"What kind of ingredients require capturing Desmond to secure them?"

"A lot. Wheat and barley, of course, but also corn, beans, millet, sorghum, oats, red beans, turnips, cabbage... and various fruits, herbs, and meats. It needs more than you'd think." "...Oh."

That was quite a list. In the barren north, only Desmond and Rayfold had the capacity to produce such a variety of crops.

Most northern territories were covered with wastelands or mountains, making diversified agriculture difficult. Even on arable land, all efforts were typically focused on cultivating wheat.

However, Desmond had significant fertile areas and could raise diverse crops, herbs, and livestock.

While wheat and livestock were their primary focus, the potential for diversified production was there.

"Why do you need so many ingredients for something like field rations?"

"It'd take too long to explain here. You'll understand once you see it."

"Hmm..."

Though skeptical, Claude nodded. Everything Ghislain did always seemed suspicious at first. But as always, results spoke for themselves.

"Alright. Just so we're clear, we'll use runestones to boost the production of crops needed for field rations. Let's start preparing for that."

"Ugh... This sounds like it'll be expensive. Are you sure it's worth it? The facility is one thing, but managing all those resources sounds overwhelming."

Money was always the issue. With enough funds, they could accomplish anything. But was it worth spending so much just for field rations?

They already had preserved foods; wasn't that enough?

Ghislain, however, replied firmly, "As I always say, how much it costs doesn't matter. Money is just a tool, not the goal. The priority is combat effectiveness. Every resource in this territory should focus on improving our military strength."

"Fine, have it your way..."

Claude's voice was weary, but he knew Ghislain had always been like this. Everything he did to develop and enrich the territory ultimately aimed at boosting combat capability.

Truly, Ghislain was a man with nothing but battles on his mind.

Despite his complaints, Claude couldn't deny his curiosity. What kind of revolutionary field ration was Ghislain about to introduce?

Unlike before, a hint of excitement began to build among Claude and the vassals.

"Alright, let's get to work."

Ghislain handed his blueprint to Galbarik.

As always, the diagram merely outlined the necessary functions, with little attention to detail. Galbarik examined it briefly and nodded with ease.

"This one's simple. I'll have it done in no time."

Most of the design involved drying, grinding, and pulverizing materials. For a skilled dwarf, this was child's play.

The only aspect requiring a bit of magical assistance was the drying process. While it could be done without magic, using spells would speed things up considerably.

"Alright, I'll get it done quickly."

Galbarik and the dwarves immediately set to work. They were already swamped with various tasks, so finishing this quickly was in everyone's interest.

The people of Fenris were used to rushing projects by now. Before long, the facility for producing the field ration prototype was completed.

With pride, Galbarik declared, "How's that! This was a breeze for us. Check if it meets your expectations, my lord!"

Ghislain inspected the equipment carefully, nodding with a serious expression.

'Not that I understand a thing.'

In truth, how could someone who'd only fought battles understand the intricacies of complex machinery? Ghislain merely knew the basic concept and the required ingredients.

The only reason he knew even that much was because such things had been necessary for large-scale warfare in his past life.

The details didn't matter; others handled those.

'It would've been nice to have Claude here.'

Not the current "fraudulent" Claude but the grizzled, battle-hardened version from his

previous life.

Back then, Claude had mastered every aspect of governance and logistics to an impressive

degree.

With no such Claude around now, Ghislain had to make do with what he knew and rely on the

dwarves' expertise.

"Well, it seems fine. It looks like everything I wanted is included."

With a vague comment, Ghislain immediately brought in workers to start producing

prototypes.

The drought and Harold's war efforts had depleted resources, making large-scale production

impossible for now.

However, if the prototype proved successful, additional facilities and farms would be

established.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Hiss!

The machines crafted by the mages and dwarves roared to life.

Workers, oblivious to what they were making, busily followed Ghislain's instructions.

They hauled in ingredients, dried, milled, and ground them repeatedly.

"What's the lord making?"

"Looks like edible stuff."

"Is it some kind of fancy noble food?"

Nobody could figure it out. The final product was a finely ground, yellowish powder.

One worker tasted a bit and tilted his head.

"It's not bad. Kinda nutty and sweet."

"Maybe it's seasoning? It'd probably work well in a stew."

"Why bother making this? Aren't there already plenty of sauces out there?"

The workers could only speculate, unable to reach any conclusions.

Meanwhile, Ghislain looked at the finished product with satisfaction.

"Good, this is close enough."

It resembled what he'd seen in his past life. The flavor was slightly different, but taste wasn't

the priority.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Fetching a water flask, Ghislain scooped in a couple of spoonfuls of powder and shook it

vigorously.

The water turned the same yellowish color as the powder. Despite its unappetizing

appearance, Ghislain drank it down without hesitation.

Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.

"Ah!"

Finishing it in one go, Ghislain clenched his fist. A master of his body, he could detect even

subtle changes.

After drinking, he felt a faint warmth rising within. Most people wouldn't notice it, but to

him, it was clear.

"It works. It's a success. It's similar to what I had before. Now it's time for testing."

Confident in the result, Ghislain immediately summoned Claude.

"What is it? I'm drowning in work here," Claude grumbled.

"It's finally done," Ghislain said with a grin.

"The new field ration?"

"Yeah. Now it's time to test it. Let's recruit some volunteers."

When Ghislain showed him the prototype, Claude stared at it blankly and asked,

"That... powder is the field ration?"

"Yup."

"You want us to fill our bellies with powder?"

"Exactly. Just mix it with water and drink it. Watch this."

Ghislain grabbed a small water container, added some powder, and shook it vigorously.

Claude looked on and asked again, "What are you doing?"

"Shake it up until you hear the sound, shake, shake! like this."

"This shake-shake nonsense is shaking my patience.' Still, Claude restrained himself, waiting for the full explanation.

After thoroughly mixing the powder, Ghislain drank it down and said, "Once it's well mixed,

just drink it like this."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"How much do you need to drink?"

"Once a day will keep you alive. But if you want to stay energized, two or three times a day is

ideal. If you bring enough of this, you could survive for a month or more."

"Huh..."

Claude smiled wryly. He hadn't heard something this absurd in a while.

"My lord?"

"What?"

"You know people can survive a few days on just water, right?"

"Of course."

"And if you add a little biscuit powder or jerky powder, they can last even longer."

"True."

"But if that's all they eat, they'll barely be breathing. They won't be able to fight. One hit, and they'll collapse."

"No, no, this is different. It provides all the nutrients the body needs. It's energizing." Ghislain was confident. This was something he and his subordinates had relied on in his

previous life. Just a few containers of it could sustain combat effectiveness and survival for over a month. Sure, it left you a bit hungry, but it was enough to keep you moving.

"This is a game-changer for maintaining combat strength.'

In times of tribulation, supply lines to dangerous operational zones were a major concern.

When knights were isolated in enemy territory, resupply was nearly impossible. Methods like

using hot air balloons or magic to deliver supplies were often impractical. Thus, extensive research into long-lasting rations was conducted. Traditional preserved foods were too bulky and heavy, limiting the amount that could be carried.

Developing these rations wasn't easy. They had to be simple to produce, use accessible ingredients, have a long shelf life, and maintain physical stamina.

After countless experiments by the continent's top scholars and mages, this powder was

created. It could be consumed just by mixing with water or even taken dry, dissolving in the mouth. The greatest advantage was that it provided full nutrition and sustained energy over time.

Once these rations were developed, operational ranges expanded significantly. They were one of the key reasons humanity survived during the tribulations in previous life. Having personally experienced its effectiveness, Ghislain had no doubts. But to Claude, bound

by this era's conventional wisdom, it sounded preposterous. "My lord, sure, mixing all those ingredients might help, but do you really think a few

spoonfuls of powder will keep someone full? Sure, it's better than nothing, but they'll collapse after a few days. People can't fight like that."

In this era, it was common knowledge that strength came from eating heartily.

An empty stomach meant no energy. All you could do was collapse in exhaustion.

Claude, being particularly experienced in this area, felt certain of his position. 'I've lived through homelessness! I know what I'm talking about.'

Claude had endured miserable times due to gambling debts. He'd scavenged for food and rationed scraps of preserved food over several days.

Even with those struggles, he'd barely managed to stay upright, let alone fight.

The portions he'd survived on were larger than a few spoonfuls of this powder, yet it had left

him weak, hungry, and miserable.

That experience made him sure of one thing: Ghislain was wrong.

Sure, knights could endure longer thanks to their mana, but even they wouldn't last a month

on just this. They'd starve to death, or at best, collapse in exhaustion.

For Claude, a seasoned veteran of homelessness, this wasn't just a belief-it was common

sense.

'Wait a second, we're testing this? So even he doesn't know if it works yet?'

As Claude pondered this, Ghislain firmly declared, "Two servings of this a day are enough to

keep you functional. Your stamina might drop slightly, but it's nowhere near what you're imagining."

"No, I'm telling you, it won't work. Have you ever been homeless, my lord?"

"Of course. I've probably spent more nights on the streets than under a roof."

"There you go again. You can't open your mouth without lying, can you?" Claude knew Ghislain had grown up as a nobleman, albeit a reckless one. There was no way

he'd truly experienced homelessness.

At most, he'd camped out a few nights for fun.

"My lord, you've made plenty of strange things, and I'll admit they've worked out so far. But

this is different. I know what it's like to starve. People can't fight on this. They'll last a week at

most. And you're spending all that money-on farms, runestones, facilities-for this? It's a waste of time and resources."

"That's why we're going to test it."

Claude sneered.

"It's pointless. Let's not waste time on this. Honestly, you've been lucky so far that your crazy

ideas worked. If you fail this time, nobody's going to trust you again."

It was just a test, yet Claude kept pushing back and mocking the idea.

Ghislain knew Claude well. He could see the wheels turning in Claude's head, plotting

something petty.

With a sly grin, Ghislain said, "Want to make a bet?"

Claude's eyes gleamed with interest, and a mischievous smile spread across his face. Unlike

Ghislain's expectations, however, he didn't answer immediately.

He was planning to raise the stakes big time.

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