The Cornflower Witch Chapter 165

The second adventure set off.

Because they had a long journey this time, the team rented two horses to carry their luggage.

“Can these horses travel through the Shadow World?” Hylial felt a bit curious.

“Of course not ordinary horses, but these two are pack horses with Aspect power; they can also travel through the black and white Shadow World.” Yarn led two pure black horses over.

Seeing their pure black and mysterious coats, Hylial couldn’t help but recall the famous Friesian horses.

‘Friesian horses,’ descendants of ancient forest horses, once served as the standard mounts for the ‘Black Knight’ class and rose to prominence at the end of the Ninth Epoch, conquering several continents with the ‘Black Rose Knight Order.’

However, these two probably only inherited a portion of the Friesian horse bloodline.

[Mixed-Blood Friesian Horse] (Level 1 – Castle): A cold-blooded horse with partial ‘Friesian horse’ bloodline, not as powerful as its ancestors, but the advantage is that it is easy to raise and has a stable temperament.

The black horse’s forehead had a silver-iron carved chanfron, and below its neck was a shield-shaped curved breastplate, also engraved with special markings. The maiden sensed a partial ‘Castle’ Aspect aura from these markings.

“I didn’t expect to see Friesian horses here,” Karl walked over with a slight curiosity, gently stroking the mane on the horse’s back.

“They’re probably bred and trained at ‘Northern Ranch.’ That’s the largest horse ranch in the woodland, producing various warhorses and pack horses.” Bad Apple carried some of the luggage over.

“Renting them isn’t cheap. You have to pay a 30 Gold Coin deposit first, then a 5 Gold Coin rental fee. Most small teams can’t afford it.”

The group discussed various steeds and warhorses in the woodland, which piqued Hylial’s interest.

“Currently, the most famous should be the ‘Herres Horse,’ also known as the Chariot of the Thunder God. These horses have pure azure fur with some white mane mixed on their backs. When they run, they are as swift and powerful as lightning, at least at Level 3 or above.” Yarn introduced.

“Level 3, huh? I probably couldn’t defeat one then.” Karl shook his head, muttering.

“Yarn, you should also be able to transfer to the Knight class later, right?” He suddenly remembered something.

“I could, but I probably won’t,” Yarn shook his head.

“They say being a knight is a noble profession for a reason. Warhorses, armor, titles—none of these are things ordinary people can get. Even the most common forest white horse is at Level 2; otherwise, it wouldn’t be able to bear the combat power of a knight.

“Heavy armored warriors, on the other hand, have lower requirements and can adapt better to complex adventure environments.”

While talking, they geared up the luggage and saddles, then led the two black horses to eat some refined forage and drink water before setting off.

They first had to travel nearly 50 kilometers north to gradually reach the mist-shrouded mountains. The first part of the journey was exceptionally easy, with basically no enemies on the road and not many resources either, except for picking some ‘Green-Red Berries’ found by the roadside. These small green and red berries were sweet and sour, loved by both animals and people. If brought back to the town, the locals would skillfully make them into jam for storage and sale.

“Here.” Hylial, riding on her horse, fed some berries to the black horse beneath her.

The two black horses quickly ate, snorting contentedly, clearly in good spirits.

Because Hylial had exceptionally good eyesight, she could spot fruits along the way while riding, making her the only member of the team currently able to ride a horse.

“It’s only because Lia is light. If Yarn got on, I’m afraid the horse wouldn’t be able to move,” Bad Apple joked teasingly.

“I can also be a knight, but wearing this heavy armor, riding a horse would be useless.” Yarn shook his head dismissively, being steady and down-to-earth, he didn’t mind such jokes.

“But we definitely can’t go into the mountains today; we’ll have to rest at the foot of the mountain for the night and set off tomorrow.” He could now see the mist-shrouded mountains in the distance.

“A night’s rest sounds good too,” Bad Apple replied, nodding. “Maybe tonight we can even taste Lia’s cooking. I heard Bona say that Lia has already inherited half of her skill.”

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

Yarn first moved several stones to create a circle for tonight’s bonfire and began to start the fire. Karl and Bad Apple were responsible for setting up the tent, while Lia prepared dinner.

“There’s a small river where we just came from. I’ll go get some water,” Yarn said to Lia, picking up a bucket, and then left.

Hylial was crouched before the luggage, examining the food they carried, wondering what to make for dinner.

According to Bona’s advice, it’s best to cook the perishable foods first during the early stages of an adventure. She looked through them and pulled out some greens and tomatoes, a few green peppers, and a small amount of meat. These would be tonight’s main course.

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

After all, they would be in dangerous mountains for the next few days, and they might not have such leisure and energy then.

Having made her decision, she took out the flour and butter she carried, broke and mixed them, then added salt and a small amount of sugar. After kneading and rolling it into dough, she pressed it into an iron baking pan for preliminary baking.

Next, the meat was chopped and stir-fried with a small amount of onion, mushrooms, and green peppers in a small pot, seasoned with various spices. This mixture was then poured into the baking pan, topped with beaten eggs, cream, and a little cheese, and finally placed near the fire to bake.

Sitting by the fire, Hylial intently observed the four baking pans, constantly adjusting and rotating them to ensure even heating. She then used the ‘Baking Method’ to control the heat, allowing the contents to slowly cook and release their aroma.

The others, who had initially been indifferent, had finished their respective tasks and were now standing not far from the fire, watching the girl at work.

“Is Bona not joking? Lia really inherited her skills?” Bad Apple, with hands clasped around his shoulders, spoke with some surprise.

“That’s the power of the ‘Gold Steam’ Aspect, right? Lia even learned that,” Karl marveled at the girl’s extravagant behavior, wasting an Aspect slot like that.

“Don’t say anything yet, I smell something good,” Yarn closed his eyes, sniffing the baked aroma wafting through the air.

“I’m hungry,” Bad Apple rubbed his stomach.

Ten minutes later, Hylial placed the baked mushroom and meat savory pies aside and began to cook vegetable soup. She added greens, tomatoes, some cream, and a pinch of salt and sugar, making it into a creamy vegetable soup.

Once the soup was cooked, she lifted the deep pot and set it aside, then announced that dinner was served.

The others had already placed their portions of mushroom and meat savory pie in front of them and, hearing that dinner was ready, immediately began to devour them.

Breaking open or biting into the cheesy topping revealed the steaming, aromatic filling, which mixed with the soft pastry and entered their mouths. The warm sensation slowly traveled down their throats to their stomachs, filling everyone with a comfortable sense of satisfaction.

Indeed, eating in the wild always had a delicious quality to it. In their fatigued state after the adventure, a tasty meal sent their happiness levels soaring, far surpassing dining at a tavern.

[Mushroom and Meat Savory Pie] (Excellent): A savory pie with a filling of mushrooms, meat, and onions, baked with cheese, delicious. (Stamina Recovery +2, Warmth +1, Deliciousness +1)

She had only eaten a third of her portion when Hylial saw the others wolf down their savory pies and start drinking the soup.

*That fast?* she thought, then raised her hand, asking them to save some soup for her and not drink it all.

Thus, the first night on the way to the ‘Gate of Distant Mountains’ passed peacefully, filled with the warmth and satisfaction of a delicious meal.