Oran Knight is out (2/3 chapters for today)
Cooking Lesson in Forest! (1)
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**Today’s Diary**
Wars don’t end with a simple “Time’s up, everyone, well done”. Sometimes, spending a night in the mountains isn’t uncommon, as I’ve been taught. Well, that makes sense. Now, if you’re spending a night in the mountains, what’s crucial? From my experience, the top priority is maintaining body temperature.
The enemy here is hypothermia. If you succumb to it, your body stops functioning, and things get really tough. To retain body warmth, clothing and basic insulation are essential. Plus, warm drinks and meals are incredibly important.
Whenever I venture into forests or mountains, I always carry a flint. It ensures I can start a fire and cook whenever needed. These fundamentals seem to stay the same around here. Also, even if you have nothing on hand, knowing what’s safe to eat to keep warm is vital.
I am writing this having returned from a class where students learned about the knowledge and sense of smell required to select edible foods in the mountains and fields, and from field cooking training.
—
“Now, let’s begin the wilderness cooking training.” (??)
For first-year students, most of their training took place within the academy. So, this outdoor exercise was rare. We were deep in the vast forest at the foot of the mountains near Rodon City. For the next two days, each team would camp and spend their time. Specifically, we would be checked by instructors on setting up camp and securing food.
“Now, the setup team for each team will proceed under the guidance of Instructor Salida. I need two volunteers!” (??)
From our team, “Catrap,” Frank the Engineer (Tech) and Ratt-kun the Spearman (Lancer) raised their hands.
“The rest of you will handle food procurement and cooking! Before cooking anything, show it to the instructor for inspection! Check for toxins and such. Remember, there are wild animals in the forest. Treat them as hypothetical enemy soldiers and stay alert!” (??)
After hearing everyone say “Yes, sir!”, the satisfied instructor nodded.
“Alright then! Training begins! Disperse!” (??)
With that declaration, I exchanged nods with Rick and Hana, and we quietly immersed ourselves in the challenge ahead.
—
I remembered what I learned during the basic cooking class held within the academy before. Within Team “Catrap,” there were three of us who could cook.
One of them was me. Living with my sister, I managed to pick up a decent range of cooking skills along the way. The second person in our team, and the oldest, was Rick, our Heavy Trooper (Armor). Rick had faced many challenges and hadeven taken on assistant cooking roles, making him probably the best cook in our team. Lastly, we have our Raider, Hana. Despite her occasional attempts to create mysterious green pills called “ganyaku,” she’s about as skilled at cooking as I was.
There were five of us who show enthusiasm for cooking, and two of them were than necessary. One of those enthusiastic individuals was Maria, our Knight (Ritter). She was an undeniable noblewoman with no cooking experience whatsoever before coming to the academy. She seemed genuinely interested in cooking, but her lack of knowledge was glaring.
During our recent basic cooking exercises, she served us a soup that was sour, sweet, bitter, and oddly black. A lump of rock salt emerged from the bottom of the soup. She was passionate, so with time, she might become a good cook.
Sorry, Maria, your time isn’t now.
The other one was Sonia, our Scout. I didn’t think she was necessarily a bad cook, but everything she served during basic cooking was incredibly sweet, to an abnormal level. Sweet appetizers, sweet soup, sweet meat dishes, even the bread was sweet. She managed to use up an entire jar of honey all by herself. It was enough to make Hana feel threatened. If possible, I would like Sonia to be in charge of dessert only.
By the way, our Gunner (Shooter), Heinz, couldn’t cook either, but since he had zero passion for cooking, he posed no harm. Of course, we didn’t want to exclude Maria and Sonia from cooking. That wouldn’t be gentlemanly behavior. So, the three of us who could cook decided to collaborate with those who couldn’t, guiding them to make something delicious.
“Now, Heinz and I will secure the base, light a fire, and boil water. Frank, could you fetch water? And the other four, can the other four of you go find some ingredients?” (Rick)
Rick-san took the lead in giving instructions.
“Maria, come with me. I’ll show you where the best fruit trees are.” (Hana)
Hana invited Maria over.
“Then, Sonia, come with me. I’m familiar with the forest.” (Lux)
With that settled, we were naturally dispersed and disappeared into the forest.
—
“Oh, this is Sasara grass. It’s crunchy and delicious even without any seasoning.” (Lux)
“Sonia, that’s a no-go. Those mushrooms look tasty, but they’re poisonous.” (Lux)
“And those berries on that tree can be fried to make them crispy and delicious.” (Lux)
Impressed by Lux’s precise guidance, Sonia gazed at him with admiration.
“Lux, you’re amazing. You seem to know everything.” (Sonia)
“It’s nothing really. I just spent a lot of time in the mountains.” (Lux)
Although she said modestly, but since meeting Lux, Sonia had been acutely aware of her own shortcomings.
Sonia has worked hard to get into this academy, but Lux, around the same age, had already developed enough skills to live off hunting, not to mention his ability to conceal his presence, which far surpassed hers. And then there was the matter of the strategy during the recent practice match. While everyone else was focused on immediate victory, Lux was thinking further ahead… To be honest, she felt a little frustrated.
“What’s wrong? Watch your step.” (Lux)
Caught up in her thoughts, Sonia was snapped back by Lux’s voice.
“Oh, yeah. Thanks.” (Sonia)
She replied, shaking off the vague unease that had clouded her mind.
Observing Sonia’s demeanor, Lux must have sensed something in her feelings.
“Hey, Sonia, want to try catching a bird?” (Lux)
“A bird? I don’t think I can with my gun.” (Sonia)
The Scout’s firearm was compact, meant for easy mobility and self-defense. She carried two, including a spare, but their performance was the same. They were not suitable for shooting birds flying far away.
“No, not with the gun. With *this*.” (Lux)
Saying so, Lux pulled out a slingshot given to him by Rick-san, which he seemed quite fond of.
“Alright, hold the handle with your left hand like this…” (Lux)
Lux positioned himself behind Sonia, almost embracing her, guiding her hand along with his own to aim the slingshot. Feeling Lux’s warmth from behind, Sonia’s heart skips a beat.
“Got it? Stay calm, take a breath. Aim for that spot where the bird is.” (Lux)
“Y-yeah…” (Sonia)
Calm down, he says… calm down, Sonia.
As Lux murmurs “now,” whether in response to his voice or the breath she felt near her ear, Sonia instinctively released the pulled rubber band. The shot from the slingshot shot straight towards its target, making a satisfying “pop,” and a medium-sized bird falls to the ground.
“You did it, Sonia! Tonight’s dinner just got a lot more lavish!” (Lux)
Lux cheered innocently. With cheeks flushed and heart still pounding, Sonia couldn’t bring herself to lift her face for a while.
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