"Sir Gawain, why have all our ingredients and snacks been replaced with potatoes? Where are my pork belly and lamb skewers?" Ei demanded, holding up the suitcase full of potatoes and questioning Gawain as if he were a criminal.
"I advise you to give me a reasonable explanation immediately, or I'm going to the Greek Class to call Euryale and Orion! The two male-specialist Archers can take turns dealing with you."
"Listen, Sir Ei... You've had a cold these past few days, and you shouldn't be eating greasy or junk food. So, I replaced all the harmful ingredients with healthy, green mashed potatoes," Gawain said, handing him a plate of already crushed mashed potatoes.
"The stuff you made is a hundred times more harmful!"
"You're welcome. If that's not enough, I can make a little more," Gawain said with a cheerful smile.
"I can't even take the first bite!"
This was truly the worst situation. Both the boys' and girls' groups were out of ingredients, leaving them with a pile of potatoes and a puddle of object X that 'used to be potatoes.'
"Tristan, tell me... can that thing on Gawain's plate be called a sausage? Can I take it back and pass it off as food?"
"Calm down, Sir Ei. Just forgive him," Tristan played a sorrowful tune. "Sir Gawain sometimes lacks common sense, believing that my King and everyone else loves his mashed potatoes."
"I never thought I'd live to hear Tristan critique someone else for lacking common sense..."
Looking at the suitcase full of potatoes, Ei didn't know what to do. He didn't doubt Barghest's cooking skills; she could probably make potatoes delicious. But they couldn't possibly eat only potatoes for the next two days and one night. That would be too pathetic.
There was no choice but to appeal to the homeroom teacher.
Director Finn was standing on the most prominent hill, arms spread wide, savoring the feeling of nature. While Finn likely found the pose aesthetically pleasing, Ei couldn't help but picture the scene from The Lion King where the monkey holds up the cub.
"Ah, this breeze blowing against me is as soft and smooth as a maiden's skin; it reminds me of the scenery of Ireland," Finn sighed, saying without turning around, "Ei-kun, is something the matter?"
"Director Finn, our ingredients seem to have been stolen. Could you please figure out a solution?"
"What? Such a thing is happening? Who dares to commit such an unethical act right under my nose? Stealing from my students is equivalent to stealing from the Protector of Eire, the Head of the Knights of Fianna, the one who defeated Nuada!"
"That's far too many victims."
"In any case, Ei, I will certainly find a way to investigate this for you," Director Finn said readily.
"But what if you can't find anything? Both our groups are about to starve," he said, feeling uneasy.
Director Finn snapped his fingers elegantly.
"Ei, do you know the meaning of outdoor instruction?"
"No classes, just going out to have fun."
"That's one way to understand it... But actually, the school wants to teach you how to coexist harmoniously with nature, how to overcome the harsh outdoor environment. When you lose food, you can instead practice the core concept of outdoor instruction."
"You mean..."
"Use your own hands to obtain food from the challenging environment! Nature is an inexhaustible treasure trove!" Director Finn stated solemnly.
"Why does our student outdoor instruction have to be so intense, like a survival course? Don't make it so difficult. How about this, Director? I'll give you five QP, a suitcase of potatoes, and one excellent British chef who specializes in mashed potatoes, in exchange for ten pounds of Australian lobster?"
"You must not forget the purpose of your journey."
"But we don't know how to hunt," Ei protested.
"Well, you know how to fish, don't you?" Finn lamented. "When I was young, I once went fishing by the river alone with a straight hook and no bait. That story was later written down as a famous idiom, ha ha ha."
"That's clearly the story of Taigong Wang! Don't arbitrarily modify your past to be a high-popularity five-star male Servant!"
[You decide to follow Director Finn's suggestion and organize the members to gather food on the mountain.]
[You gather the members of both groups and prepare fishing rods, gloves, hoes, and buckets. Initially, they were reluctant, but you managed to motivate them with your excellent eloquence.]
"Everyone, if you don't want to eat Gawain's mashed potatoes, come and work hard with me to gather food!" Ei said, wearing a straw hat and carrying a fishing rod and a bucket, looking like a youth working in the countryside.
"Yes!!!" the students enthusiastically replied.
"Could you word that more tactfully? It really hurts my pride as a chef," Gawain said.
"The fact that everyone hasn't thoroughly called you out is already showing you great respect."
Ei retorted, then straightened up: "Then let's simply divide the work: boys are the hunting group, and girls are the fishing group. Does anyone object?"
"Why do you have to be in charge?" Baobhan Sith said with an arrogant look.
"Are you suggesting you want to join the boys' group? Are you really willing to hunt and pick fruit?"
"Of course not! What I mean is..." Baobhan Sith pointed at him, "You, Ei Mochizuki, have to stay with our girls' group."
Ei was stunned: "You want to stay with me?"
"You fool, have you forgotten the terms of our agreement? I have to stay by your side to observe you, and I certainly don't want to run around the messy woods getting covered in mud. I came wearing high heels today."
Why would anyone wear high heels for a field trip? How much do you love high heels that you have to emphasize your persona at a time like this!
"I second that," Gawain nodded. "Sir Ei, you should go fishing with them."
"While it's not impossible, I feel like I lose if I listen to her..."
At this moment, Gawain suddenly leaned close to Ei and whispered: "Though it's highly unlikely, Baobhan Sith might be concerned about your health. Since you have a cold, it's better for you to go fishing than to join us on the hunt."
"...All right then."
Since he'd been pushed this far, he might as well comply.
But was Baobhan Sith's heart truly that soft and delicate? He glanced at her, and she merely turned her face away, unwilling to say anything more to him.
"Then we'll do that."
Ei nodded.