13. Poor-Quality Serial

Today's update is the fifth chapter.

This is the fourth chapter.

"Ah, morning has come."

It was 6 a.m. by Imperial standard time.

Outside the 'Tsume Bakei,' as always, was the characteristic scenery of hyperspace—there was no distinction between day and night in the cosmos, but it was morning by the clock.

Incidentally, a day in the Empire lasts 24 hours.

Also, a year consists of 420 days, which is due to the fact that a week has seven days, a month has five weeks, and a year has twelve months.

These numbers are based on the central planet of the Vanilla Galactic Empire, Imperial Planet Vanilla Sid.

Inside spacecraft and colonies, day and night do not alternate naturally, so most colonies operate according to the empire-wide standard time.

Conversely, on planets within various star systems, there are both the empire-wide time and each planet’s own local time, so it's quite complicated.

At the very least, it's considered polite to clearly specify which time system you're referring to when confirming the date and time.

"Well now, what shall we have for breakfast~? Hmm?"

As I leave my cabin and head toward the dining hall... the crew members' expressions seem unusually gloomy.

Did something happen?

"Is something wrong?"

"Big trouble. It seems the procurement officer made a mess of things."

"Huh?"

I casually ask a crew member nearby.

After confirming the basic information, it seems we're currently in this situation.

・The breakfast on the 'Tsumebakei' is generally cereal, Moramodak's milk and eggs, and a warm vegetable salad.

・The procurement officer for the 'Tsumebakei' bought a large quantity of Suddenban Kura's cereal for the mess hall meals while stationed at the Hiratratuzugumi star system, thinking it was cheap.

・However, the cereal turned out to be absolutely awful.

・However, it wasn't something that caused direct health issues, just unpleasant to eat.

・By the way, it seems Sdeniban Kuraka Corporation announced bankruptcy around the time the 'Tsumebakei' arrived at the guide colony.

"That was quite the masterstroke, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. You could say we were handed a substandard product. Wait—do you actually plan to eat it!?"

"Yes."

After confirming the basic information, I took my breakfast.

Everyone, including Vilijanila, who had come to have breakfast, stared in astonishment at my actions.

"I believe it's unbecoming of a journalist to judge something without tasting it, even if it's not poisonous."

It looked like ordinary cereal—essentially grains that had been crushed, ground, shaped, and heated, processed in such a way that it's easily edible.

It seemed as though a small amount of berries processed in the same way, or sugar-like substances, had been mixed in to slightly mask the taste of the cereal itself.

"…….Just so you know, if you eat it, it's on your own responsibility. It tasted really awful, I'm telling you."

"Of course."

Scooping a spoonful, I sniffed it.

There was no scent from the cereal itself.

Picking up a single piece of cereal, I took a bite.

Ah, ugh, this is seriously bad.

It's not poison, but I doubt many people would actually want to eat this.

"Hmm, hmm."

Still, I put it in my mouth and chew it.

It's got a chemical smell similar to alcohol, and a metallic taste like biting directly into an iron rod.

Quite intense, too.

I'm able to keep it in my mouth without spitting it out because I understand what it is, but otherwise I'd probably spit it out immediately without anyone complaining.

At the very least, it doesn't smell like anything pleasant.

"Looks like a glitch from a storage or processing mod, maybe."

"A mod glitch? You really know your stuff."

"Well, I've got a good palate, that's all."

But now that I've tasted it, I've figured out the cause.

Whether it's the processed serial or the raw grain that's affected, I can't tell for sure, but there's a glitch in the termination conditions of a mod meant for long-term storage or smoother processing—causing a crash, conflict, or malfunction.

Hmm, if that's the case...

"What's that?"

"I've got a small improvement idea. Dining hall staff! Even a small amount will do—could you please try this? I think it'll taste a lot more normal now."

I sent the information to the elderly lady running the cafeteria’s terminal and had her process the cereal according to my instructions.

Well, as they say, you never know until you try—reluctantly, the cafeteria lady followed my request, looking puzzled.

"……"

"Alright, now that this is done……"

And out came the cereal, drenched in a pitch-black sauce that was hard to describe as appetizing.

"Ah, yeah. It’s edible now."

"!?!"

Well, it's no longer inedible—more like barely edible now.

"Shall we try it?"

"Fine, whatever!...Wait, I can actually eat this...?"

"Seriously...?"

"Are you some kind of wizard or something...?"

"No way... Seriously?"

Apparently, thanks to the crew's feedback, it's gone from completely inedible to just barely edible.

"What on earth did they do to make this...?"

"It's a trade secret. And this is just a one-time fix—so if something like this happens again, I'd recommend simply disposing of the remaining serial product without hesitation."

If you understood what I just did here… well, the only thing you'd likely do is glare at me with obvious suspicion, like that Memokshi over there.

Guess it's only natural for someone like Gaiinoid to have solid knowledge in that area.

Still, he understands that there's no danger.

He might talk to Vrijianiara later, but he has no intention of revealing it here and now.

"Well, I suppose it's improved somewhat, but it's only at the point where it can be absorbed."

"In appearance, it's actually worsened, in a way."

"In that sense, this is just a temporary fix—this is it."

"For now, I'll deal with the procurement officer later."

"Exactly. Let him eat a full portion of the original."

"But if it's just the source material, it oddly smells good, huh, this."

Incidentally, it's just turned an inedible taste into an edible one, so the sensation is less like eating a meal and more like pouring fuel into your stomach.

Well, while this isn't exactly the thrill of travel... it's something that happens occasionally, and accepting it as such probably makes for a more peaceful state of mind.

Moreover, even after I had touched it, Viridianiara gave up after just a single spoonful, her face twisting in disgust, and never touched it again afterward.

Apparently, it was unbearable for noble tongues and stomachs.

Yeah, Viridianiara wasn't at fault.

If there's anyone to blame in this matter, it's likely the Sdeniban Kurashu company, which deliberately released substandard goods into circulation.

Though already bankrupt, I still hope the relevant parties will take appropriate measures.

"Thank you for the meal."

Having finished eating, I left the cafeteria.

"Excuse me for a moment, Vee-sama."

"I understand."

And following me, MeMokushi also stepped outside the cafeteria.