Cornflower Witch

Chapter 154 Pumpkin Steamed Cake

After a brief conversation, Hilti had a general understanding of the opposing team's situation.

Like her, this team also came from other bases to explore the 'Fir Black Forest'. They have already conducted two explorations and gained some results, but they still feel that they are not quite there yet.

"The form says you're a gardener, but judging from your attire, you also look a bit like a wandering knight," the short captain asked.

"That's right, I am primarily a gardener, but before coming to the woods, I also learned some archery skills that I can use in combat."

"I see." The other person nodded.

“Our current team consists of a frontline warrior, a wizard to handle complex situations, a rogue for raids and reconnaissance decisions, and a cook to handle logistics,” he briefly explained the team’s composition.

"Although it's a bit strange to bring a chef along, Bona has been a great help to the team and is a trustworthy member."

"If you'd like to join us on the next adventure, come outside the tavern and give me a brief demonstration of your abilities." The other party didn't waste any words and went straight to the point.

"no problem."

Since she hadn't ordered any food yet, she and the others walked out of the tavern and onto the grassy area next door.

"I can currently 'grow vines' and 'let vegetation grow wildly,' and I can also demonstrate my bow and arrow skills," the girl explained simply.

"Very good. See that big tree in the woods? There's a broken scar on it. Shoot there." He pointed to the location briefly; the target was about 120 meters away, which wasn't easy. (A typical football field is 105 meters long.)
It would be difficult for an ordinary archer to hit such a spot, but for a master archer, 120 meters is a basic skill.

Taking down the composite bow from behind her, Hiltiya drew it with a slight ease, nocked an arrow, and inserted a grass seed into the groove of the arrowhead. Then, with a slight twang of the bowstring, the arrow swiftly pierced through the grove and struck the scar on the large tree. The green grass seed then sprouted and wrapped around the entire trunk.

"Beautiful~"

The other party whistled, and an expert could tell the difference with just one look.

Seeing that Siltia's performance was smooth and relaxed throughout, he knew that this was far from the limit of her strength, and that her current performance was enough to meet the team's needs.

"Welcome, Siltia. You're now part of our team. If you don't mind, let's have dinner together tonight, and I'll give you a detailed introduction."

"Okay." The girl put away her bow and arrows, her black hair swaying slightly with her movements, and nodded slightly.

Back at the tavern, Bona, the chef, went to the front desk to take orders and also went to the kitchen to help out. The remaining four sat at the table and chatted.

"First, let me introduce myself. My name is Rodriguez, nicknamed 'Bad Apple.' It's a rather long name, so you can just call me 'Bad Apple.'" He toyed with the dagger in his hand, the sharp silver blade flying deftly between his fingers.

This captain likely has dwarf race blood, being smaller than a normal person but exceptionally agile, and his primary nature is 'Mist Shadow'.

“This big oaf, I mean the reliable warrior, the strongest fortress in our ranks, is named Yann.” He turned around and patted the heavy armor of his companion beside him.

The tall, blond young man nodded; he had ordered a beer and was enjoying it.

"Hello, I'm Yann, nice to meet you." Compared to the other team members, this blond youth seemed perfectly normal, with neither strange quirks nor personality flaws, nor the arrogance of a typical nobleman.

The armor he was wearing weighed about 100 pounds. The thick shoulder armor was as high as his neck, and you could hear the slight rubbing of the armor plates when he moved. Just by looking at him, he looked like a humanoid rhinoceros.

"Hello." The girl nodded slightly.

"The handsome guy over here, who's the wizard in our group, is named Carllinson, or you can call him the black-haired hunk; he'll probably like it~"

“Rodriguez.” The cold-faced wizard finally spoke, interrupting the captain’s joke, and then turned to the black-haired girl. “I am Carllinson, you can just call me Carl.” After saying that, he opened his palm, and a wisp of pale mist appeared.

“I am a wizard with the ‘Death’ attribute, skilled in commanding ghosts.”

The pale mist spun rapidly, eventually condensing into a cat with an ethereal form. It sat lightly on the table, its gaze sweeping over the girl before it, occasionally licking its paws as if it were alive.

After the introductions, the group chatted briefly about their individual situations.

Unlike Hilti, these individuals have been in the woods for over six years and are quite adept at handling various matters and tasks.

"So, I'm actually the oldest. Why don't you guys try calling me 'Brother Apple'? Haha." Although he looks short, this captain is indeed experienced and humorous, and he's the one who built the whole team.

“Actually, I’ve always worked alone before, which was quite comfortable.” He poured himself a glass of low-alcohol wine and sipped it slowly.

"But then I met this guy, Yann, and we worked together a few times."

"At the time, I thought, it would be such a waste to give such a useful teammate to someone else, so I pulled him out to form a team."

"After that, we recruited other team members, but most of them were just average and eventually went their separate ways."

"Until I met this little girl, Bonna."

"Actually, at first, I didn't want her to join the team because it would be a real hassle to have someone who doesn't have much combat ability. But she's such a good cook."

“Ya'en and I are both very satisfied. Besides, having her with us on the road always makes the team atmosphere great. She can also help us with other chores occasionally to supplement our income, so we accepted and got used to her.”

“Karl was the last to join us, and the reason is simple: as we went to more places, many monsters became really difficult to deal with, so we had to find a helper who could handle all sorts of strange situations. Although he doesn’t talk much, he has solid knowledge and abilities and has brought us a lot of surprises.” Bad Apple introduced each of them one by one.

"The main purpose of this trip to the Fir Black Forest is to find a few resources. Karl needs the 'Ash Fruit' to enhance his strength in binding with the Ghost. There are also some fruits in the forest and monsters with the 'Blood Law' attribute. The spoils from defeating them can also strengthen Arn's physique."

"As for me, I want to get the 'Stone Mist Spring Water' behind the 'Gate of Distant Mountains'. If I have this, I can ask a skilled pharmacist to refine a special spiritual medicine called 'Breath of Mist' so that I can break through to the 'Third Tier·Mist Shadow'."

"However, the 'Gateway to the Distant Mountains' is very difficult to find. We plan to try our luck in the surrounding area first and see how it goes. We will only set off if there is a possibility of finding it."

As they chatted, time passed by unnoticed, and a sumptuous dinner was ready. Bona came over alone carrying a large wooden platter with crispy roasted meat, potato pancakes, mushroom and vegetable soup, and butter-fried fish.

"Make way, the food is here."

The aroma of the delicious food on the plate was so enticing that even Hiltia felt a strong urge to eat.

No wonder they made Bona a teammate; with a partner like that, the journey of travel and adventure would certainly be much more comfortable and enjoyable.

After putting the things down, Bona took out a small cake and handed it to Sylvia.

"This is a steamed pumpkin cake I made myself. Welcome, Shirutiya, to join us!"

The steaming, fragrant little cake was placed in the girl's palm, and a wave of warmth washed over her, filling Hilti with comfort and warmth.

"Thank you."

(End of this chapter)