TAK! TAK! TAK!
The knife rang like music against stone. Unlike before, Thane's strokes were steady, clean, each mushroom collapsing into perfect slices instead of a messy pulp. He remembered his earlier failure, the wasted juices spraying across his sleeve, and allowed himself a thin smile. Not this time. Now, the knife sang.
Where once he hacked at them, spraying juice and ruining texture, now his strokes were clean. Each slice was uniform, thin enough for the flavor to bloom in the broth, yet thick enough to hold its form.
Thane kept glancing and somehow knew from his previous attempt just what right force he needed.
He coaxed the fire next. The first time, sparks had mocked him, smoke choking his eyes. Now the Embervine Coil lit with a practiced gesture, fire catching smooth and strong. He stacked stone and brick around it, bracing the pot, letting the flames cradle it steady.
The heat seemed perfect. Learning from his previous experience, Thane knew that his flames were a little wild. But since the cauldron he had was of alchemical build, it would have a distribution of ehat that was far better than the old pot.
The Embervine Coil glowed warmly, flames licking the cauldron he had braced on a frame of stone and brick. The water was rich with mana. But Thane stirred it with confidence, letting the steam rise. The Shield Maiden and mage leaned closer, wary but intrigued.
Spirit was being applied to the water, and the heat was causing the magic to separate.
A magical energy was seeping out of the water as Thane continued. This was a practice that Garron had done on several channels. It seemed simple enough, as it only required Spirit, and Thane followed.
"You are actually separating it?! But how?" The mage was confused. Simply stirring the water over the heat would not cause the magic to disperse.
"It's a little trick I learned..." Thane chuckled as he unpasued his show to follow the next step.
He dropped in the slime jelly, watching it melt into the broth, then slid in the manapede hearts with a surgeon's precision. The smell that rose was sharper, more complex than before. He timed each stir to the TV's ghostly guide.
Thane was feeling much better with his progression compared to his former attempt.
The smell was spreading, and it made even the Knight sit up and watch in hunger. This time, his urge to take it away from Thane vanished as the smell entered his nostrils.
"It smells...like...! Is this... Goblin Mushroom Stew?!" The Shield Maiden was amazed.
"That's right. The same old adventurer who taught me how to dispel mana from water also taught me this."
He remembered Garron's words: "Always scorch your Ash-Thyme, first. The coating must be burnt off..."
Thane waited, did as instructed, and saw the clear Ash-Thyme. Last time, he scattered it with clumsy fingers. Now, he rubbed each sprig, releasing its oils, and sprinkled it like rain. The scent bloomed instantly. The herbal, sharp, lifting the heavy base of the stew grew even more potent making the nearby warriors grow hungry.
He tasted his creation with a spoon. Rich, savory, layered with notes of forest earth and tingling mana. His lips curled as he enjoyed the taste. It was far more tastier than his last clumsy attempt.
"Last time I made this, it was a mess," he admitted, voice low but proud.
"But cooking's like fighting! You stumble, you bleed, then you learn. And today…" He stirred the pot one last time.
"Today the stew sings. Dinner is served!" Thane chuckled.
Before Thane could ask his companions if they had a set of utensils, the four had already moved closer and were rummaging to take their bowls from their bags.
The four began to drink and eat the soup. Thane had placed in a generous amount of mushrooms that were more than enough for the group.
At the first bite, everyone's expression changed.
They were hungry and desperate. Their eyes were full of greed, but somehow, the first bite changed it all.
Even the knight, who had an apprehensive look, was slowly wearing an expression of calmness. And eventually, guilt.
The meal was delicious, and somehow, it calmed the rage of everyone in the room.
Each bite allowed them to be more grateful. Each bite made the anger, the anxiety, and all the other choking emotions vanish.
They were alive!
They ate a very delicious meal that would be the envy of the richest restaurants of the kingdom!
It was amazing. Tears began to flow from their eyes as they ate. They could not even express their joy as they had their mouths full of the mushroom meal.
Thane could feel the expressions of everyone change. From calmness to guilt.
"...I'm sorry." The knight suddenly muttered and broke the silence.
"The boy is right. The mist... affected me. I..."
"It's not just you. We all were affected. It was my anger and foolishness that caused Merly to perish." The shield maiden spoke, controlling her voice from breaking into sobs.
"...I'm sorry as well. Princess, we have lost our honor and are not fit to serve." The mage also spoke.
"It was not your fault. The Mist had... taken control over us. The moment I saw the temple, I knew some power was inside. Little did I know that the mist had already driven me to lust for power, especially after that betrayal. I wanted... revenge."
"What? You were betrayed?!" Thane pretended to be shocked.
"It's a long... story." The princess evaded the question.
Thane was quiet at first and could see that the Princess was not ready to talk about it.
"In any case, boy, you have done us a great favor! I am sorry for the way I treated you before." The knight apologized.
"No worries. I, too, was uh... affected by the mist." Thane answered.
"Princess. I wish to relinquish my vows. Not because I do not believe in you anymore, in fact, that faith has increased as I saw how you tread in this dangerous scenario. But... The boy is right. Had the rest of the men survied here, I would have..."
"Enough. Let no mention of this ever occur again. The Mist is not to be underestimated. Even I... was caught in it. And I reject your request. As the boy said, we have been brought here by God for a purpose. And if I can... acquire the power in this place, then there is hope. We might just find the way to save the kingdom!"
Seraphina turned to Thane.
"Young one, I have not yet had the pleasure of knowing your name." Seraphina turned to Thane.
"Ugh... Young one-zoned from the get-go..." Thane sighed, and his head dropped.
"Are... you alright?" Seraphina asked, surprised at Thane's reaction.
The knight saw Thane's expression and couldn't help but chuckle.
"It's nothing. I am called Thane Weakarm."
"I am Vayne Arkhand. Knight of the Holy Blade." The knight introduced.
"I am Salya Strongshield of the Paladin Order." The shield maiden answered.
"I am Stratus Viscus Polentyne of the Five Staves. Together, we are the loyal guards of Seraphina. Though... there are only three of us now. Three have fallen, and we can only pray that the other two are alive."
Thane recalled the two members who were interviewed in the episode about the Princess.
"I can see you are well trained, but I also see a garb that of... well... peasants. Might I inquire of your identity? And I do not say that to look down on you, boy, but rather, I question why someone as strong, smart, and pure as you has remained unnoticed in the kingdom." Vayne inquired.
"I was a Bag Boy of the Grey Marauders Mercenary Group. We were contracted to slay a serpent that terrorized the Venstil Village when the campaign to cleanse the forest began. But... well... the orcs came."
"The Grey Marauders?" Salya was surprised.
"You've met them?"
"Yes. I pray that your allies are still alive. We met them three days ago! They are men of honor! They helped us when the Princess was in trouble. They even offered to lure the goblins away! And they lured a hundred away from us!" Vayne recalled.
"Three days? I hope they are alive..." Thane had a grim expression.
"We'll have to find our way out of here first. The skeletons below are endless. And they continue to rise with great power. We might have had a fill now, but it's only a matter of time until we fall into great hunger." The mage added and glanced at the deep mist below.