The Cornflower Witch Chapter 160

At night, several people gathered around the bonfire, enjoying the delicious food of the evening and comforting their somewhat frightened hearts.

Yan, however, felt nothing much, just that he should have thrown away his shield earlier and taken up a greatsword to deal damage. Kal and Bona, on the other hand, had walked a fine line between life and death.

In terms of combat power, the giant python might not have been stronger than any individual member of the team, but in an actual battle, situations change rapidly, and the opponent could easily find a weak point and kill a vulnerable member.

The monster would surely die in the end, but even if it was a one-for-one trade, it would be an enormous and unbearable loss for the exploring team. This was the biggest difference between the students and these monstrous enemies.

“Kal needs a good night’s rest tonight and cannot stand watch, so I’ll have to ask Lia,” the captain told the Girl after dinner.

“Bona will also be with you. You two will take the safer first half of the night, while Yan and I will take the second half.”

“Understood,” Hylial nodded.

Then, everyone sat by the fire, inspecting and adjusting their weapons and equipment.

“It was so scary,” Bona whispered, hugging a folded jacket as a pillow, leaning by the fire.

Hylial, meanwhile, was starting to feel sleepy. She usually went to bed at this time, and the sudden late night was a bit unsettling.

“Yes, it was very scary,” she murmured in response, her eyelids heavy. The red flames in her vision blurred, appearing and disappearing intermittently.

A strand of hair softly framed her gentle cheek, a small ear peeking out from behind her hair, revealing an almost childish earlobe, indicating her young age. Her legs were close together, slightly tucked in, and her head rested on her shoulder, which was propped against the tree trunk. Her chest rose and fell gently, showing a subtle curve.

About fifteen minutes later, Hylial’s balance against the tree trunk broke. She leaned forward and abruptly woke up.

Oh, she seemed to have fallen asleep, even though she was supposed to be on watch.

She stood up and looked around, only feeling relieved when she saw that everything was mostly unchanged.

She probably hadn’t slept for long.

She stretched her body, and perhaps because of the short nap, she felt much more awake now.

Seeing Bona in a low mood, Hylial walked over, took her hand, and tried to comfort her.

In truth, she wasn’t very good at comforting people. In her previous life, she had no siblings, and at most, when her friends saw her upset, they would go out to eat together.

However, perhaps due to her sensitive nature, she easily understood others’ emotions.

Sitting beside Bona, she gently patted the other’s shoulder, waiting for the emotions to pass.

About half an hour later, perhaps she had emerged from her emotions, or perhaps she felt a little embarrassed to be disheartened in front of a junior, Bona perked up, her face showing a touch of awkwardness.

After all, she was supposed to be mentoring Hylial, the newcomer, yet she was the one being comforted by her junior.

“There’s still a lot of time left tonight. What do you want for a late-night snack, Lia?” The other three were already asleep.

“Will making food now disturb them?”

“It’s fine. I’ll just grill something. No frying or boiling, so it won’t make much noise.” Bona rummaged through a nearby bag.

Soon, she took out two potatoes and buried them under the fire. Then she took out the remaining dried meat, skewered it, and placed it by the fire.

The two sat by the fire, talking softly and sharing their experiences.

“I’ve been in the Woodland for about 7 years,” Bona recalled.

“I was just over 17 when I came here. Now I’m 24.”

“Back in my hometown, a 24-year-old would probably have several children already.”

“Last year, I finally received a reply to the letter I sent back home, telling me my sister had another child.”

“Now I can’t remember many people from my hometown,” she said with a sigh. “Can’t you go home after coming to the Woodland?” Hylial asked, a little confused.

“You can, but entering and leaving the Woodland requires a high amount of points, and those points can be used to buy courses or exchange for rare potions. Most people are reluctant to waste them like that.”

“If I reach the Third Rank, I can go back for free once,” she added.

“I thought back then that when I reached the Third Rank, I’d go back and bring delicious food for my family,” she murmured, poking the fire.

“Although it’s only been seven years, it feels like I’ve completely changed. Before, I was even shy about talking to boys,” she said, propping her chin on her hand, her short reddish-brown hair framing her face, and a nostalgic smile playing on her lips.

“Being a cook is a lot of fun, Lia.”

“Do you know? Seemingly ordinary ingredients transform in my hands into incredibly exquisite food, not only with enticing aromas and delicious nutrients, but also able to help others improve.”

“Every time I finish cooking, I receive praise and affection from everyone. That sense of accomplishment and being recognized is something my ordinary past self never experienced.”

“The secret arts I learned in the Woodland, the gradually improving abilities, are like the flames that bake food, slowly transforming me. I’m very grateful for this opportunity and passionate about discovering new and interesting things on my travels and adventures.”

“Because my cooking is delicious and useful, even if I slow them down, everyone is still willing to take me with them, protecting me without complaint. This always warms my heart, and I often want to make even better food to compensate them.”

“It’s probably this mindset at play that my cooking skills have improved quite quickly. Even my teacher says I’m the most talented professional chef he’s seen in the past decade.”

“Although I always feel I’m not truly a genius, as I’ve met a few real geniuses in the Woodland, I’m still very happy.”

“Very happy,” she repeated again, the flames reflecting orange-red light in her eyes.

“Many people strive to improve and become stronger, but I don’t have such intense desires.”

“For me, living happily with everyone and immersing myself in their love for my cooking is a very joyful thing.”

“However, today’s encounter truly hit me hard,” she said, shaking her head slightly.

“It was so scary, that giant python. When it charged at me, if the captain hadn’t kicked me away, I would have been swallowed by it in an instant.”

“Death can come in a flash,” she sighed softly, twisting the wooden skewer with the meat.

“After this expedition, I won’t be accompanying everyone anymore.” She seemed to have made a certain decision.

“After all, constantly distracting everyone to protect me is irresponsible, especially since the secret realms everyone goes to become more dangerous, and I’ll only become more of a burden.”

“Bona…” Hylial tried to comfort her.

“It’s alright. In fact, preparing delicious food for you all from the rear is also a good way. I welcome you back, preparing tasty dry rations for your departures. I’m happy to do it, as long as you tell me where you’ve been and what interesting things you’ve experienced when you return.”

Hylial didn’t try to persuade her further.

Advancement, strength… she hadn’t encountered any major obstacles in improving her strength yet, so she didn’t feel it as deeply.

If she were in Bona’s situation, she would probably feel sad and regretful too, having to say goodbye to various adventures and extraordinary encounters due to her own lack of ability, and staying in the quiet rear, waiting for her companions to return.

This was a world filled with various extraordinary powers, a world different from the orderly society of her past life. Even if she wasn’t keen on fame and fortune, she still needed to constantly advance upwards. Only then could she gain more freedom, the ability to roam the world without obstruction or distress.

Hylial and Bona, like each other, stared at the bonfire, lost in their thoughts and past memories, until a drop of oil fell from the roasting meat, sputtering gently, bringing them back to reality. They exchanged smiles.

“Alright, Lia, come try my cooking,” she said, sprinkling salt and then adding some tempting spices before handing it to Hylial.

Seeing the lovely girl carefully blow on the meat and then bite into it, Bona smiled happily.

“Is it delicious? I’ll grill some more for you. If you want to learn my unique recipe, I can teach you too, you know~”