Chapter 2

Although he had been saying he couldn't sleep, in the end, he was sound asleep under the starry sky. He must have been tired, so he was able to sleep.

In the morning, I went to the lake with Deputy Captain Berry to wash my face.

The lake, blessed by fairies, was very clear and beautiful. The water I scooped up with my hands and drank was also delicious.

For breakfast, I filled my helmet with water and returned.

"Ah, rosemary!"

In the forest, I discovered herbs. Rosemary, with its pale blue flowers, has a refreshing flavor and is used to remove the gamey taste from soups and meat dishes. Since there were many, I picked them without hesitation.

Deputy Captain Berry then spoke to me with a sigh.

"Risris, the medic, is amazing. To me, they just looked like ordinary weeds."

"It was a matter of daily survival."

I was told that my picking speed was too fast. The poor skills I had acquired over eighteen years are not to be underestimated.

After returning, I started making soup.

Garu cut the hard bread and dried meat with his knife. He is a very quiet but extremely gentlemanly wolf.

The ingredients were almost the same as yesterday, but with the addition of rosemary to remove the gamey taste, the flavor became much cleaner.

The fatty parts of the dried meat are delicious, but they tend to have a strong flavor.

No, usually when making dried meat, the fat is removed. I wonder who made it. And the bread, to think there's only such hard stuff, it's unbelievable.

The preserved food we eat in our village is much more delicious.

If this is the rations provided by the knight corps, I really hope they improve them.

"By the way, the captain... I mean, the bandit is taking a long time, isn't he?"

It had been quite a while since he said he was going for a walk.

While we were talking, we heard footsteps in the distance. Garu also reacted.

"Ah, it seems he's back."

Urgas, who heard my words, widened his eyes.

"Wow, Medic Risris, you have pretty good ears, huh~"

"Well, compared to humans, that is."

Before long, Captain Rudtink returned.

"Here, breakfast!"

"Ah!"

Suddenly, a brown wild bird was thrust in front of me, and I was startled.

It had no head, so the blood had been drained. It seemed the captain had caught enough birds for the whole team.

"Hey, don't scare me like that!"

I protested while trying to calm my racing heart. He was laughing as if it was fun, showing no sign of remorse.

He might be younger than he looks, despite his scruffy beard. He looks to be in his mid-thirties, but his behavior is no different from a neighborhood troublemaker. I have to be the older sister. Thinking this, I gritted my teeth and endured.

"Have you already eaten?"

"Yes."

He took a rope from his bag and tied the bird's legs, hanging it from the horse's saddle.

"Wow, you're used to wild rabbits, aren't you?"

"All the meat in our village was hunted."

"I thought you weren't used to it because you were surprised."

"No, anyone would be startled if a headless bird was suddenly thrust in front of them."

I told him to stop doing such things.

After everyone finished breakfast and preparations were complete, we set out to slay monsters again. It seems we are changing the location today.

Garu searched for the presence of monsters.

After a few battles, it was already noon.

Of course, the ingredients for lunch were the wild birds the captain had caught in the morning.

I was looking forward to it, but it didn't seem like the others were.

"Captain, did you catch those birds again...?"

"They're not very tasty, are they?"

Urgas nodded in agreement with Deputy Captain Berry, and Garu also nodded.

Seeing this exchange, I was taken aback.

"What are you saying? These birds are really delicious!"

"But they were quite gamey."

"Right."

Maybe humans and wolfmen have different tastes.

Just to be sure, I asked Deputy Captain Berry how to prepare them.

"The captain drained the blood immediately after catching them, plucked the feathers, and roasted them whole."

"Did you roast the feathers?"

"No, just plucked them."

"Then what about the innards?"

"They were roasted as is."

"That's why they were gamey!"

If you don't properly remove and clean the feathers and innards, they will definitely be gamey.

It's a shame such a delicious bird was prepared incorrectly.

"Please prepare them as I say. Roasting them whole is indeed delicious, but if not properly prepared, they will taste bad!"

I said this with conviction, then realized I was speaking to my superiors and seniors.

However, Captain Rudtink, Deputy Captain Berry, Urgas, and Garu all nodded sincerely.

First, I boiled water and submerged the bird to open the pores. The feathers then came off easily.

"Wow, they come off so easily!"

"Plucking feathers is a task that requires a lot of strength, but it's surprisingly easy."

I took the plucked feathers back with me. After washing them, they can be used for fishing lures, pincushions, and other things.

For the feathers that wouldn't come off, I burned them with a knife that had been heated over the fire. If not properly removed, they would make the bird taste gamey.

After plucking the feathers, I cut the bird open from the bottom with a knife and removed the innards.

After emptying the innards, I washed them thoroughly with water and stuffed the bird with hard bread, rosemary, garlic, and pepper mushrooms.

I also stuck rosemary stems into the surface. I wanted to skewer the bird on a metal rod, and Garu lent me a spare spear that he hadn't used yet.

After washing the bird in the lake, I skewered it.

Next, I made stands to support the spear on both sides and built a fire in the center to roast the bird.

I rotated the spear to ensure the bird was evenly cooked.

When it was nicely browned, it was done!

"Looks delicious."

Captain Rudtink muttered this as he looked at the roasted wild bird.

Indeed, it is undoubtedly delicious.

I removed the bird from the spear and placed it on a large leaf.

Before eating, I offered a prayer of gratitude to nature and life.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the other members of the knight corps also offering their pre-meal prayers.

It's strange how they look like proper knights in such moments. Yes, they are genuine knights.

Each member took out their knives and began cutting the freshly roasted bird.

The skin crackled, and the fat oozed out. It looked incredibly delicious.

The captain cut into the thigh and bit into the bone-in meat with gusto.

He looked like a bandit just by appearance.

"Captain, how is it?"

"It's delicious. I'm surprised."

I'm glad it suits your taste.

The others were also skillfully using their knives to eat the roasted bird.

"What is this? It's incredibly delicious! This meat is so tender and tasty!"

"We must have been preparing it wrong all this time. It's really delicious!"

Deputy Captain Berry and Urgas also seemed to enjoy it.

Garu's eyes were sparkling. I'm glad they realized how delicious wild birds can be.

I decided to have some as well.

I removed the thigh meat and cut into the back. The fat oozed out.

I cut it into small pieces and ate it with the soaked bread and pepper mushrooms inside the bird.

"Delicious!"

The bread was infused with the bird's flavor, making it melt in my mouth.

The refreshing flavor of rosemary and the rich taste of pepper mushrooms complemented the bird meat.

Although the bird wasn't very large, the bread made it a satisfying meal.

The others were probably about 80% full.

It seems this mission is over. We can finally return to the capital.

I couldn't help but cheer, "Yay!"

"Ah, Captain, can I ask you something before we leave?"

I had been wondering about this since this morning, so I decided to ask.

"What is it, wild rabbit?"

"Is there a callus or something on the bottom of your foot?"

"...Why do you think so?"

"I might be wrong, but your posture seemed a bit off. Maybe your foot is hurting?"

Thinking I might be wrong and get my ear flicked, I quickly put on my hood.

However, the captain just looked puzzled.

"Am I wrong?"

"No, you're right. I crushed a callus during the battle earlier."

"I see."

Then it's my job. I rolled up my sleeves.

"Then, please take off your boots. I'll apply a herbal poultice."

"Huh? Here?"

"Yes. It will make you feel better."

The captain, who had been looking down at me with wide eyes, finally sat down and took off his boots when I urged him.

"I haven't had a bath... "

"You have such a delicate nature."

"..."

Indeed, the captain is a knight, not a bandit. I apologize for calling him a bandit in my mind.

I told the captain, who was reluctant to show his feet.

"I'm used to treating injuries like this from treating my father and grandfather."

Hunting large game often involves staying in the mountains for several days. When the men returned, their feet were usually in a terrible state with crushed calluses.

The herbal poultice passed down in the Fole Elf village is effective for healing calluses.

I mixed the powdered herbs I brought from home with water and applied them to the captain's sore feet after washing and drying them.

"Ouch!"

"It's treatment, you know~"

This is fun.

I applied the poultice, thinking of it as revenge for all the times I was called a wild rabbit.

I left the poultice on for a while.

A few minutes later, I carefully removed it.

"How does it feel?"

"It feels fresh. The pain seems to have subsided, and I feel less tired."

"The soles of the feet have many pressure points that, when stimulated, can improve overall fatigue."

"Interesting. A Fole Elf's wisdom, huh?"

"Exactly!"

Seeing the effect on the captain, I also applied the poultice to Deputy Captain Berry and Urgas.

I didn't apply it to Garu because I wasn't sure if it would work and he seemed to dislike the smell of the herbs.