The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 39: Arriving at the Foot of the Misty Mountains

Vol 2 Chapter 39: Arriving at the Foot of the Misty Mountains

The second adventure began.

Because this trip would cover a great distance, the team rented two horses to carry their luggage.

"Can these horses traverse the Shadow World?" Sylutia asked with a sense of novelty.

"Ordinary horses certainly cannot, but these two are packhorses imbued with Aspect power. They too can traverse the black-and-white Shadow World," Yan said, leading over two pure black horses.

Seeing their pure black and mysterious coats made Sylutia think of the famous Friesian horse.

'The Friesian horse', descendant of the ancient forest horses, was once the designated mount for the 'Black Knight' class, shining brightly at the end of the Eighth Epoch as it followed the 'Black Rose Knight Order' across several continents.

However, the two before her eyes likely only inherited a portion of the Friesian bloodline.

[Mixed-Blood Friesian Horse] (First Tier · Castle): A cold-blooded horse mixed with partial 'Friesian horse' bloodline. Not as powerful as its ancestors, but the benefit is that they are easy to raise and have a stable temperament.

The black horses had silver-iron engraved forehead protectors on their brows, and below their necks were shield-shaped curved breastplates, also carved with special inscriptions. The girl could sense a hint of the 'Castle' Aspect's aura from these inscriptions."I never expected to see Friesian horses here," Karl said, walking over with some curiosity and lightly stroking the manes on the horses' backs.

"They were probably bred and trained at the 'Northern Pasture'. That's the largest horse-raising ground within the Hidden Grove, producing various warhorses and packhorses," Bad Apple said, bringing over some of the luggage.

"Renting them isn't cheap. First, you need to pay a 30 gold coin deposit, then a 5 gold coin rental fee. Most teams can't afford to use them."

The group discussed the various fine steeds and warhorses within the Hidden Grove, which piqued Sylutia's interest.

"Currently, the most famous should be the 'Jerez horse', also known as the Thunder God's Steed. This horse has a pure cyan coat with some white mixed into the mane on its back. When it runs, it's like a streak of lightning, incredibly powerful, at least Third Tier or above," Yan introduced.

"Third Tier... I reckon I still couldn't beat it," Karl shook his head with a self-deprecating comment.

"Yan, you should be able to transition to the knight class later, right?" he suddenly remembered something.

"I can, but I probably won't," Yan shook his head.

"There's a reason they say knights are a noble class. Warhorses, armor, titles—none are things ordinary people can obtain. Even the lowest-grade Forest White Horse is Second Tier;

otherwise, it simply couldn't bear the combat power of the knight class."

"The requirements for a heavy-armor warrior are lower, and they're more adaptable to complex adventuring environments."

While talking, the group finished fitting the luggage and saddles, then led the two black horses to eat some refined fodder and drink water before setting off.

They first had to travel nearly 50 li north before gradually reaching the mountains shrouded in mist. The first half of the journey was particularly relaxed, with basically no enemies on the road, and of course, few resources either. They merely picked some 'Verdant-Crimson Berries' found by the roadside. These small green and red fruits had a sweet and sour taste, loved by both animals and people. If brought back to town, the locals would skillfully turn them into jam for storage and sale.

"Here," Sylutia, riding on her horse, fed a few berries to the black horse beneath her.

The two black horses quickly ate them, snorting with apparent happiness.

Because Sylutia's eyesight was exceptionally good, as long as she was on horseback, she could rely on her excellent field of view to spot fruits along the way. So, she was currently the only team member who could ride a horse.

"Only Tia is light enough. Yan, if you got on, I'm afraid the horse wouldn't be able to move," Bad Apple joked teasingly.

"I'm someone who could become a knight too. It's just that wearing this heavy armor makes riding a horse pointless," Yan shook his head nonchalantly. His personality was steady and practical;

he didn't mind such jokes.

"But we definitely can't enter the mountains today. We'll have to rest at the foot for the night and set off again tomorrow," he said, already able to see the tall, mist-veiled mountain range in the distance.

"Resting for a night is fine too," Bad Apple replied afterward, nodding.

"Maybe we can even taste Tia's cooking tonight. I heard from Pona that Tia has now inherited half of her skill."

Three hours later, the group slowly arrived at the mountain foot. After finding a sheltered and safe spot, they tied up the horses and set up camp.

Yan first moved several stones to form a circle for tonight's campfire and started the fire. Karl and Bad Apple were responsible for pitching the tents. Tia, meanwhile, began preparing dinner.

"There's a small river where we just came from. I'll go fetch some water," Yan said to Tia, picking up a bucket before leaving.

Sylutia squatted in front of the luggage packs, rummaging through the carried ingredients, thinking about what to make tonight.

Following Pona's advice, during the early stages of an adventure, it was best to first use the foods that spoiled and rotted easily. She looked through the supplies, took out several green vegetables and tomatoes, retrieved some green peppers, then paired them with a small amount of meat chunks. These would be the main dishes for tonight.

As for the staple food, the black-haired girl thought for a moment and decided to make something a bit more refined tonight.

After all, in the coming days within the dangerous mountains, they might not have such leisure time or energy.

Having decided, she took out the carried flour and butter, mixed them thoroughly, then added salt and a small amount of sugar. After kneading, she rolled it out into pastry dough, placed it into iron baking pans, pressed it down, and gave it a preliminary bake.

Next, she chopped the meat chunks, combined them with a small amount of onion, mushrooms, and green peppers, pre-fried them in a small pot with various seasonings for flavor, then poured the mixture into the baking pans. She drizzled beaten egg mixture and cream over it, added a little cheese, then placed the pans near the fire to bake.

Sitting by the fire, Sylutia focused intently on observing the condition of the four baking pans, constantly adjusting and rotating them to ensure even heating. She then used the 'Baking Method' to adjust the fire, causing an internal transformation, slowly cooking them and releasing their aroma.

The others, who hadn't paid much mind initially, now stood not far from the fire after finishing their own tasks, watching the girl's operation.

"Was Pona not joking? Has Tia really inherited her skill?" Bad Apple crossed his arms, his words tinged with surprise.

"That's the ability of the 'Gold Steam' Aspect, right? Tia even learned that," Karl marveled at the girl's extravagant behavior, wasting card slots like that.

"Don't speak yet. I smell the aroma," Yan closed his eyes, carefully sniffing the baking fragrance wafting through the air.

"I'm hungry," Bad Apple rubbed his stomach.

Ten minutes later, Sylutia set the baked mushroom and meat chunk savory pies aside and began cooking vegetable soup. She put in green vegetables and tomatoes, added some cream, a little salt and sugar, finally making a creamy vegetable soup.

Only after the soup was done did she lift the relatively deep small pot, set it aside, and announce that the meal was ready.

The others had already placed their portions of the mushroom and meat chunk savory pie in front of themselves. Hearing the announcement, they immediately began to devour their food heartily.

Breaking or biting open the top layer of cheese, the hot, fragrant filling inside spilled out, mixing with the soft pastry crust as it entered their mouths. The warm sensation traveled down their throats slowly into their stomachs, filling their entire beings with a comfortable, satisfied feeling.

Indeed, eating in the wild came with its own deliciousness attribute. In this tired state after a long trek, eating something tasty made the happiness index skyrocket, far surpassing the experience of ordering food at a tavern.

[Mushroom and Meat Chunk Savory Pie] (Superior): A savory pie with mushrooms, meat chunks, and onions as filling, baked with cheese. Delicious and tasty. (Stamina Recovery +2, Warmth +1, Deliciousness +1)

Having only eaten a third of her own portion, Sylutia saw the others wolf down their savory pies and start drinking the soup.

So fast? She thought for a moment, then raised her hand, asking them to save some soup for her and not finish it all.

And so, the first night on the way to the 'Distant Mountain Gate' passed peacefully, filled with the satisfaction of warm, delicious food.