23. Fun Outdoor Activities

After Halfa registered as an adventurer, she joined Glory's Steps right away. That brought our party up to five members: two on the front lines and two in the back. I guess that put me in the middle. It was actually a pretty well-balanced group.

Once the registration was done, the next order of business was receiving the Divine Protection of the Job God. I paid the ten silver coins for her as a celebration for joining the party. I expected Rei and the others would handle the equipment side of things, since Halfa was currently flat broke. It was only fair.

Halfa received the Divine Protection of the Job God: Magic Archer. It didn't mean she was a user of a Magic Bow specifically; rather, it was a protection for those who used both magic and archery. Since Singing Magic fell under the magic category, she apparently received some benefit from it. She mentioned that she’d had the option to choose Minstrel if she wanted to focus entirely on singing, but since that wouldn't provide any bonuses to her bow skills, she went with Magic Archer. She seemed determined to make active use of her bow.

Over the next few days, Halfa got her gear in order and attended the Bow Skill Lecture at the guild to prepare for active duty. Mil and Sally kept her company during all that.

As for me, I threw myself back into gathering medicinal herbs for the first time in a while, much to Nina-san’s delight. It seemed no one else was gathering them, so they ran into a shortage almost immediately. I was surprised; I thought I’d gathered plenty before we headed into the dungeon.

I also used my spare time to finally start my cooking training. Calling it "training" is a bit of a stretch—I was really just helping Brass-san out at the Wildcat Inn. Still, my cooking skill was steadily rising thanks to my Cooking Talent. Plus, since I was technically working, the inn provided free meals for both Halfa and me. Between that and the discount Halfa got on her room as a rookie, it was a huge help.

After a few days of prep, the time finally came for Halfa to start her career as an adventurer.

We weren't heading into the dungeon yet; we started with a trial run in a nearby forest. I planned to show off my medicinal herb gathering skills while we were at it. I don’t mean to brag, but I felt like I’d reached a fairly expert level.

"Tort, is this one a medicinal herb?"

"Ah, yeah. Those leaves are part of a gathering quest. Let’s have Sally double-check them with the Appraisal Loupe later, just in case."

"Okay~"

I was paired with Halfa while Rei and the others formed a trio. Since I could identify most herbs on sight now, Rei’s group was using the loupe. Halfa was a quick learner and incredibly sharp. At this rate, she’d be a top-tier gatherer in no time—though I had no intention of surrendering my title as the gathering ace of the Cygnil Adventurer’s Guild just yet.

As I indulged in a bit of petty rivalry, I heard a rustle in the nearby grass.

"Halfa."

"On it!"

When I called out to her, she reacted instantly, training her bow on the swaying bushes. Her stance was steady and confident. A moment later, a monster known as a Horn Rabbit poked its head out. It was really just a rabbit with a single horn on its head. While a reckless adventurer could take a nasty hit from that horn, its threat level was low.

The second she confirmed the target, Halfa loosed an arrow without a moment's hesitation. It sank deep into the Horn Rabbit's torso. She must have hit a vital spot, because the creature didn't move again.

"One shot! That's amazing!"

"Hehe, see?"

She was better than I’d expected. When I gave her an honest compliment, she gave me a bashful smile. It was a little funny to watch the wings on her back twitching back and forth—I wondered if they were linked to her emotions.

"Just wait! I'll dismantle it right now!"

"Wait, you know how to do that?"

"Yep!"

She was more of a survivalist than I’d realized. It was impressive and reliable. She pulled out a dismantling knife and had the meat carved up in seconds.

"Since we're out here, you should cook it!"

"Right here?"

After taking the meat and casting Clean on Halfa, I realized it was indeed about time for lunch.

I’d already bought cooking utensils and ingredients for future long-term expeditions. I hadn't actually planned to cook in the field, though. Since I had a Storage Ring, I could just keep pre-made meals in a pot and pull them out while they were still hot.

But a bit of outdoor cooking sounded like a nice change of pace, almost like a picnic. I was a little worried about building a functional hearth, but struggling through it was part of the fun.

"Let's head to the meeting point, then. It's more open over there, so it should be safe to start a fire."

"Yay! I can't wait!"

"I've never cooked outdoors before, so it might not turn out great."

"It'll be fine! I'll help too."

We gathered some large stones on our way to the forest clearing. I stacked them into a makeshift hearth—though it was really more of a crude stand for the pot. Rei’s group returned around then, and after I explained the plan, they pitched in to help.

We threw in the Horn Rabbit meat, some miscellaneous vegetables, and a seasoning of salt and pepper. The result was... a stewed soup? Even with such a haphazard process, the dish turned out surprisingly well; the cooking skill really is a godsend. I caught myself daydreaming about making curry if I could ever find enough spices, but that was probably a pipe dream.

"Heh, you're actually a good cook, Tort."

"Thanks. I'm still just practicing, though."

The meal was a hit. Honestly, it was a few steps below the food at the Wildcat Inn, but maybe because we’d all made it together, it tasted better for it. Compared to what Rei and the others were used to, the quality of the ingredients was definitely lacking, but no one seemed to care. I suppose if you're an adventurer, you can't afford to be a picky eater.

"Will you cook like this in the dungeon too?"

"No, I'll use the Storage Ring to bring pre-made meals."

"That's a relief... but is that really okay with you?"

"I have the skill, so I want to make sure I'm using it."

"Don't worry, I'll help too!"

In the end, we didn't even do any more medicinal herb gathering in the afternoon and just spent the time talking. Sometimes, a slow day like this was exactly what we needed.