113: Delicious Meals Anywhere

"Then"

Rations broadly refer to distributed food supplies, but are commonly understood as portable, easy-to-eat foods carried by military personnel.

The contents vary widely—literally from one extreme to another.

Yet here, "contents" does not refer solely to the meal plan.

"Make sure there are no flammable materials or heat-sensitive items nearby."

"Should we be careful about that? Sata?"

"Anyway, it says to pay attention to the precautions in the instructions."

"Yeah, that's right. It says to keep away from oil and dry materials."

For example, cooking methods.

The most common method is simply heating it in a microwave, which nearly every modern imperial household has, but there are other methods as well.

For example, there are items that can be eaten immediately after opening the package, thanks to freshness preservation mods and strict confidentiality measures—take, for instance, the shortbread from Trithicum Factory.

Or items that can be eaten just by steaming the package itself.

Though labeled as rations, they still require a certain level of culinary skill to prepare.

In short, the variety is truly immense.

Now, let's talk about the ration I've chosen this time.

This ration doesn't require any special cooking utensils to prepare.

Thanks to a mechanism where pulling the string attached to the package side heats the entire container, warming the whole ration.

Although it generates considerable heat, care must be taken not to let it touch oil or dry items, but it's still a ration that allows you to enjoy a warm meal anywhere.

It also comes with a built-in break-apart spoon, so there's no need to prepare dishes or clean up afterward.

You could almost call it an all-in-one solution.

"Hey, it smells good."

"Yeah, it looks delicious."

And with heating complete here, it's time to open it.

As soon as the seal is broken, steam rises, and the fresh aroma of freshly cooked white rice, mingled with the savory scent of sauce clinging to the gomaa, fills the air and stirs the appetite.

Now, let's take another look at the menu.

The staple is white rice sprinkled with sesame seeds.

The main dish is a hamburger made from minced fish of several varieties, with a small amount of sauce resting in the indented area on top.

As side dishes, there are pickled vegetables of several kinds, tamagoyaki, and a small portion of fried food.

"Then, I'll begin."

The taste—hmm, it's delicious.

Though my palate tends to notice minor differences in freshness or seasoning mods, the flavor is undeniably good.

The white rice has a warm, freshly cooked feel and a subtle sweetness.

The fish dumpling hamburger offers a variety of fish flavors and umami with each bite, and becomes even more delicious when mixed with the slightly salty sauce.

The pickled vegetables not only have a balanced saltiness and sweetness, but also carry the distinct aroma unique to pickled foods, making them incredibly appetizing.

The sweet omelet delighted my eyes with its golden and white sheen, and treated my tongue like dessert.

The fried item... seemed to be deep-fried cartilage from a larger fish, with a pleasantly crunchy, chewy texture that was both fun and delicious.

Overall, it might be a bit salty, but it's undeniably tasty, warming, and incredibly appetizing.

Moreover, what's most remarkable is that this can be enjoyed deliciously without needing a microwave or even dishes.

As previously mentioned, all I did before eating was pull the attached string.

And to clarify the premise: whether it's white rice or a hamburger, each has its own ideal eating temperature.

Yet, despite this, every item is heated to the perfect temperature and ready to enjoy.

It's quietly impressive, or to put it another way, a significant amount of skill goes into making this.

"Amazing. Ration."

"Truly. I've tried it a few times before, but being able to get this flavor so easily is incredible."

Incidentally, I'm eating the meatball hamburger bento ration, while Viridiana is having the omelet and rice with a small amount of soup ration.

The soup definitely requires pre-filled clean water from outside, but aside from that, the preparation is just like what I ate—making it a convenient, easy-to-consume meal.

"Thank you for the meal. I suppose that during official operations, you're unlikely to engage the enemy immediately, but when there's no time for proper camping, this type of food was developed specifically for such situations."

"Thank you for the meal. That's right. Apparently, when it comes to actual military rations consumed in the field, they have to pay attention to things like aroma to avoid attracting wild animals."

"Ah, I see. So you have to be mindful of even those details. Thinking about it, the developers must have quite a tough job."

"Yes, indeed. They pay attention to every little detail... It's almost a work of craftsmanship."

And so, enjoyed to the last bite.

I need to make sure to write down clearly not just what stood out, but also exactly where it was impressive.

"If the meal's over, could you please take over the pilot's seat for a bit? Automatic navigation's fine, but it's more reassuring having someone there."

"Oh, right."

"Could you do the same, Sata-san? I'd like to take notes and replenish my energy."

"Got it. I'll be right there."

Just then, we received a request to switch shifts from Johalis and the others, so we headed toward the cockpit.

As obvious as it is, 'Sexy Mizushima' has a small crew, so meals and rest periods are taken in shifts.

Even so, we've got me and Memokushi—two who can go without rest if needed—and the ship's control AI is top-notch, so operations will proceed smoothly... though it'll probably get a bit busier from now on.

12/02 Correction of Typographical Errors