The sky had darkened, with the warm campfire illuminating the hunters' campsite.
Scraping the last remnants of butter from the bottom and sides of the container, he added it to the heated cast-iron pan, barely enough to grease the surface.
Then he placed the quartered wild cabbage into the pan to fry. The sizzling sound of hot oil meeting moisture, combined with the distinct vegetal aroma of heated plants, was...
Completely unappetizing.
Isis stared at the yellowish-green pan-fried vegetables in the pan, her gaze more vacant than the tethered Gargwa nearby.
It wasn't that she disliked vegetables, she'd never been picky since childhood and would eat anything. But honestly, the appearance of this pan-fried wild cabbage gave people the feeling that... "rations might actually taste better."
Yet she couldn't show it, much less say "maybe we should just stick to dry rations."
After all, she was the one who couldn't control herself this morning and ate most of the ingredients. This wild cabbage was something Altaïr had searched for quite a while to find, how could she have the nerve to complain?
"Don't worry, this is just half-finished," Altaïr reassured while shaking the frying pan.
He took out his memo pad and reviewed the recipe again to make sure he hadn't misread.
So there really was a way to eat fried vegetables with honey. The recipe suggested frying small-cut bacon first to render the fat, then using the meat oil to fry the vegetables before finally adding honey for flavor.
He sighed inwardly, if only he'd saved at least one piece of bacon.
But bacon and honey were ultimately just supplementary ingredients, while the cabbage was the main component. Surely removing one supplementary ingredient wouldn't ruin the dish, right? Right?
Following the recipe instructions, he covered the pan for a while to let the evaporated moisture soften the vegetables. Moments later, he lifted the lid.
The pure scent of vegetables washed over them.
Under Isis's watchful eyes, Altaïr drizzled honey over the dish and innovatively sprinkled some buckthorn fruit they'd gathered along the way, making the colors of the dish more vibrant.
"Alright, it's ready to eat," Altaïr handed Isis a fork.
"Mhm..."
Each of them speared a piece of wild cabbage, slightly burnt at the bottom due to insufficient oil, and brought it to their mouths, taking tentative bites.
"Mmph."
"Uh..."
After a few chews, both their faces simultaneously revealed strained, awkward smiles.
How to put it... It wasn't so disgusting that they couldn't swallow it at all. Both vegetables and honey were common everyday ingredients, at least without any strange flavors.
But to call it delicious? That was out of the question. Wild cabbage was already drier and more bitter than cultivated cabbage, and this dish gave the impression of medicinal herbs sweetened with honey.
"It kind of tastes like Mega Potion," Altaïr sighed. "I really should prepare more ingredients next time."
"Pfft–" Isis suddenly laughed as if she couldn't hold it in.
She quickened her chewing pace, finishing her portion of honey-fried cabbage in two or three bites before sniffing. "Sorry for making you worry."
"It's fine, as long as you can perk up." Altaïr smiled, slowly eating the remaining food in the frying pan.
Though it didn't taste good, it still shouldn't be wasted.
After staring silently at the flickering campfire for a long while, Isis suddenly spoke. "Altaïr, do you think I'm unsuited for the Long Sword?"
"Yes." Altaïr answered quickly and decisively.
So decisively that Isis felt a bit hurt. "Am I really that unsuited for it?"
"Not exactly. I just voiced what you were already thinking yourself."
Altaïr wiped the utensils clean with a piece of cloth and put them away. "I'm sure many people have told you that your physical talents are astonishing.
Not to mention your most outstanding strength, your build, limb proportions, recovery ability, endurance, even agility are all first-rate.
I don't know much about ranged weapons, so I won't comment on those, but when it comes to close-combat weapons, I guarantee you could master any weapon to an elite, or even top-tier level."
Unaccustomed to praise, Isis lowered her head and softly murmured, "The instructors at the training camp said something similar."
"Right?" Altaïr spread his hands. "So before discussing whether you're suited for the Long Sword, I want to ask: why did you choose the Long Sword in the first place?"
Another period of silence followed. Altaïr didn't rush her, letting Isis think it through slowly.
"My parents were hunters too," Isis finally said after a long while. "The Long Sword was my mother's weapon of choice."
Hearing this, Altaïr's expression stiffened. Oh no, did I step on a landmine?
After hesitating for a couple seconds, he cautiously asked, "Um, just to confirm, is it because of something like 'carrying on my mother's legacy'?"
If that were the case, then what else was there to say? She'd have to overcome all obstacles and keep using it.
Isis rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Not at all! Both my parents are alive and well!"
"Thank goodness. I almost thought you were an orphan too." Altaïr breathed a sigh of relief.
Now it was Isis's turn to feel embarrassed. She flusteredly said, "I'm sorry, I..."
"It's fine. I've long since come to terms with it. There are still many people who care about me, nothing to be sad about." Altaïr changed the subject. "I don't need you to tell me, I can guess your parents must be remarkable hunters.
Oh right, you mentioned you can use the Great Sword too. Was that your father's weapon?"
"Yes..."
"So you learned all your sword skills from your parents?"
"No." Isis shook her head. "My parents were very busy. I rarely got to see them. I did learn the Great Sword from my father though, since I'm strong and the Great Sword techniques are simple, I picked it up quickly.
But Long Sword techniques are too complex. My mother didn't have time to teach me much. I learned Long Sword from my mother's teacher, he's the one who raised me."
"I see..."
Altaïr began to understand. Isis had exceptional physical talents and could learn any weapon, while her parents and the person who raised her specialized in the Great Sword and Long Sword.
She was a good kid, not the rebellious type who'd say "I don't want to follow in my parents' footsteps!" If her elders taught her, she learned.
"But I'm not suited for the Great Sword," Isis's mood sank again. "Like I told you before, I'm not good at seizing opportunities."
"After Father realized this, he didn't say anything and even comforted me by saying I had many paths to choose from, but I could still sense his regret and disappointment."
Isis sniffled, "If I give up the Long Sword too, Mother and Grandpa Amos will also be disappointed."
"I think I understand how you feel." Altaïr tossed a piece of firewood into the campfire, "But honestly, I think you might be overthinking it."
"My teacher specializes in Dual Blades, another teacher of mine excels with the Great Sword, and there's an even more formidable elderly lady who taught me the Hammer."
"I learned them all, but I don't intend to become a Dual Blades user, Great Sword user, or Hammer user, nor do I think they would be particularly disappointed."
"Your father should be the same."
"You're his own daughter. Of course he'd be happy if you could inherit his skills, and he'd naturally feel regret if objective circumstances prevent that."
"But even if he were to make the decision for you, he would definitely make the same choice."
"Your mother, and the grandfather who raised you, should feel the same way."
"Don't think of them as being so narrow-minded. If you can forge your own path, it would undoubtedly make them prouder than if you simply followed in their footsteps."
"With your exceptional talent, you might surpass them in the blink of an eye?"
Isis, who had been gradually perking up under Altaïr's counsel, immediately shook her head vigorously upon hearing this last part.
"That's impossible. How could I possibly surpass them?"
Altaïr sighed helplessly, "You're already the most talented hunter I've seen, no, heard of. Just how strong are your parents to make you this insecure?"
Isis opened her mouth slightly.
Grandpa Amos had warned her not to casually discuss family matters with others, but Altaïr was her friend, in fact, the only peer friend she'd ever gotten along with so far, and she didn't want to keep secrets from him.
After hesitating for a while, she finally spoke in a soft voice, "My father is a 9★ Hunter, my mother is 8★, and Grandpa Amos was also 8★ before he retired."
"..." Altaïr, who had remained silent for several seconds, let out a heavy sigh. "Now I understand exactly where your lack of confidence comes from."