Chapter 7

After finishing organizing the storage, with the dried meat and bread rations almost complete, a mission for an expedition suddenly came in.

First, I grabbed the medical kit. I checked the contents just in case.

White gloves, bandages, triangular bandages, cotton, disinfectant, eye patches, scissors, tweezers, medical sewing tools. The medicines included itch relief, eye drops, throat lozenges, plasters, and wound ointments, among others. This is the standard kit provided by the knight corps for the medical corps. I added ointments and herbal plasters made in the village and packed them into the bag.

Next, I ran to the storage.

The trip is supposed to last two days, so I packed three days' worth of bread and dried meat as a precaution.

The bread is fluffy and takes up a lot of space. It's not heavy, but that's a drawback.

I also packed candied fruit, honey, and olive oil. They are store-bought because I didn't have time to make them, but I'm sure they will be delicious spread on the bread. I thought so when I packed them, but they made the bag heavy, so I decided to leave the candied fruit behind.

I had to think about how to preserve the food. I prepared water for the number of people and added mint and citrus juice.

Mint has effects like promoting digestion and relieving insomnia, and citrus juice has benefits like recovering from fatigue and preventing colds.

The last time, the water provided had strange herbs in it. When I asked what they were, it turned out that the previous medic had dried random herbs and put them in. What a sloppy job... Apparently, the previous medic was told to put them in to prevent the water from spoiling. If they were going to give instructions, they should have specified the types of herbs.

This time, I made citrus mint water, which I always drink at home. It should be refreshing and easy to drink.

I slung the shoulder bag with the first aid kit and carried the bag with the food.

I was the last to reach the assembly point.

"You're late, wild rabbit medic!"

"Sorry!"

I was late because I went to get a pot from the kitchen. I carried the pot on top of the bag on my back.

This large pot was given to me by the cafeteria lady, who was going to throw it away. It's quite heavy, but it should serve as a shield to protect my back.

"What's with that pot and all the luggage? This isn't a field trip."

Apparently, I brought too much food. But since I'm the one carrying it, I argued that it was fine.

The captain, with a bandit-like face, frowned and said in exasperation,

"It's not you who will get tired, but the horse."

The bread is fluffy and takes up a lot of space, but it's not that heavy. I resisted desperately to avoid having my luggage reduced.

"Delicious and warm meals are good for health!"

To be honest, I don't know much about the health benefits. But knowing that I can have a delicious meal will surely boost my motivation. Probably.

He gave me a sharp, bandit-like glare. Even I flinched. But Deputy Captain Berry came to my rescue.

"Captain, what the squirrel medic says makes sense. The level of fatigue is different on the first and last day of the expedition. It's probably due to a lack of nutrition."

"…Is that so?"

Urgas and Gar also nodded in agreement.

"Then, prove it on this expedition."

"Of course!"

I responded energetically, showing my enthusiasm.

Here, the details of the mission for this expedition were discussed.

The location is a forest about two hours south of the capital.

A group of horned lizards has appeared there. There are about thirty of them. Completing the mission requires eliminating two-thirds of them. The captain estimates it will take about two days.

I went to the stable to lead out a horse and tried to mount it, but—

"…Huh?"

When I tried to step into the stirrup, I almost fell backward.

Maybe the pot is too heavy? The cafeteria lady also said this pot is heavy and hard to handle.

I didn't think it was that heavy when I was carrying it on my back.

Is there a way to hang it on the saddle?

"Hey, wild rabbit medic, what are you doing!"

"Sorry!"

I have to get on quickly. If I don't, I might be told to leave the pot behind.

I tried again, but my body floated in the air.

"Ah!"

I was surprised.

Gar, the wolf beastman, picked me up and put me on the horse.

"Thank you!"

When I thanked him, he nodded.

Gar is quiet but sometimes does something kind like this. At first, I didn't know what he was thinking because he hardly spoke. But I made a discovery.

When he's happy, his tail moves slightly, and when he's unhappy, his tail droops. If you look closely, his eyes sometimes sparkle, and his expressions are rich.

I thanked Gar as he left.

Finally, we set off.

The captain led the way, followed by Urgas, then Gar and I, and lastly Deputy Captain Berry.

On the way, we took a break by a lake.

While picking flowers with Deputy Captain Berry, I found some wild strawberries and put them in a leather bag. I also found some mint and picked it.

When we returned to the lake, the captain was lying on the grass, Urgas was maintaining his bow, and Gar was meditating with his eyes closed.

"Urgas, do you want some wild strawberries?"

"Yes, I'll have some."

I placed the freshly picked strawberries in my palm.

"Captain, do you want some?"

He answered without opening his eyes.

"I don't like sour things."

"I picked the ripe ones."

"Alright."

"Sure."

I shared them with Deputy Captain Berry and Gar. I also put some in my mouth. They were sweet and tart, just as I had selected them.

Still, it's a beautiful lake.

While eating the wild strawberries, I dropped one.

"Ah!"

By the time I noticed, it had fallen into the water with a splash.

Then, something unexpected happened. A large fish jumped out to eat the dropped strawberry.

"Wow!!"

I exclaimed in surprise at the sight of the fish.

"That's a high-grade fish!! I want to eat it!!"

My heartfelt cry prompted a reaction from Gar. He took the spear he had and threw it at the giant fish.

"Wow!"

The spear pierced the fish perfectly. It seemed to have a rope attached, as he pulled it closer. The fish's final struggle was intense, but Gar's strength was even greater. With a strong pull, the fish landed on the shore, flopping around.

"Wow, we did it!! Gar, you're a genius!!"

I jumped with joy next to the fish. This fish, which only lives in the lake and is called the lord of the forest, was something my grandfather had eaten long ago and described as incredibly delicious in a painting. I never thought I would encounter it near the capital.

"That's impressive."

"Indeed."

The captain and Urgas also came over and were amazed. Deputy Captain Berry, who doesn't like raw fish, watched from a distance.

"Deputy Captain Berry, are you okay with eating it?"

"Yes."

Good. We can all enjoy the fish.

The captain suggested having lunch a bit early.

"Is that okay!?"

"Yes. It's a bit of a hassle to carry this big fish."

Indeed, there's no leather bag big enough for this fish. With the captain's permission, I immediately started preparing the fish.

I asked Urgas to fetch some large leaves from the forest, which I had seen earlier. In the meantime, I started cleaning the fish.

First, I removed the head. I took out a cooking knife and tried to cut at the gills, but...

"Grr, grrrr!"

The knife was too small, and I couldn't cut properly. As I struggled, a voice came from beside me.

"Wild rabbit medic, give it to me."

"Ah, thank you."

The captain cleanly cut off the head and offered to cut the rest.

"If you did it, it would take too long."

"Thank you!"

After removing the head, I opened the belly. I inserted the blade into the anus and slid it toward the head.

"Damn, it's hard to cut."

"Ah!"

"What's wrong?"

"Sorry, I got the order wrong."

I was supposed to open the belly after handling the gills.

"Hey...!"

"Sorry, I grew up in the forest and don't have much experience cleaning fish."

I apologized again. I managed to open the belly with difficulty, removed the organs, and washed the fish in the lake. I washed it thoroughly to remove any blood, which could make it taste fishy.

I stuffed the fish's belly with the mint I had picked earlier and some dried garlic I had collected before. I sprinkled plenty of salt and pepper on the surface.

I wrapped the fish in the large leaves Urgas brought and steamed it. I made a fire, placed a pot on it, and put the wrapped fish on top. After cooking it thoroughly, the "steamed giant fish" was complete!

I also made a sauce with wine, spices, honey, and wild strawberries. The fish was already seasoned, so the sauce was optional.

We used the large leaves as plates.

After the pre-meal prayer, it was time to eat!

First, I opened the leaves. Steam rose, and the aroma of the herbs filled the air. When I cut into the fish with a knife, it flaked apart easily.

I divided it among the leaves for everyone. Deputy Captain Berry had prepared two types of bread: fluffy and crispy.

I placed the fish on the bread and drizzled the wild strawberry sauce. I took a big bite.

Delicious!

The fish had no fishy smell and was fluffy. When I bit into it, the fat released a sweet flavor. The sweet and sour sauce complemented the fish's flavor.

Everyone ate in silence.

When you eat something delicious, you tend to do this.

Indeed, it was a legendary fish.

It was a very satisfying lunch.