Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 1089 - 203: What Would You Do?

Chapter 1089: Chapter 203: What Would You Do?

The bag suspended over the campfire was slowly lowered, the tightly sealed bag full of water steamed, and through the semi-transparent material, one could see the milky soup inside had thickened considerably. Although the ingredients in the soup maintained their original shapes, their texture had become soft and mushy, making them look exceptionally appetizing. When the bag was lowered, one could note the peculiar tactile sensation of the bag—it felt rough like wood, yet was soft and thin as paper, with a damp touch, making it difficult to identify what it was made of.

Placing the bag into a prepared container, Pannis carefully opened the sealed top, and instantly, a rich aroma wafted out. The fragrance not only combined the scents of various ingredients but also carried a distinct bamboo leaf freshness, making the bamboo-infused dinner in the bamboo forest particularly intriguing.

"Give it a try," said Pannis. In the wilderness, soup plates commonly seen at dinner tables were scarce, and liquids were more often served in simple bowls. He ladled the steaming, thick soup from the bag into bowls for everyone. The dense soup had almost turned into a semi-solid gel and jiggled tantalizingly as it was served, stirring anticipation for its taste.

Catherine lifted her soup spoon elegantly, scooped up a spoonful and put it in her mouth. She squinted, remaining silent for a long while before breathing out a sigh of steam under the curious gazes of the others, and said blissfully, "It’s hard to describe with words—the taste is so captivating that I really don’t want to finish it, spectacularly unique. I’ve never tasted anything quite like this before."

The main ingredient in the thick soup was common venison, chopped into small pieces, paired with bamboo shoots, harvested locally from the bamboo forest. A light rain had just fallen, and the freshly sprouted bamboo shoots were abundant, easily unearthed in great clusters. After cutting the bamboo shoots into chunks the same size as the venison, they added some foraged wild fruits and vegetables, and the bamboo shoot and venison thick soup was ready. While the preparation looked simple and seemed no different from ordinary thick soup, the taste experience was completely unexpected once it hit the mouth.

As Catherine had articulated, the taste of the food was incredibly unique. The first impression was one of purity; Pannis had not added any seasoning—neither salt, sugar, nor spices like pepper. Each ingredient in the thick soup revealed its natural flavors distinctly. Yet, this did not mean the food was bland; on the contrary, the soup was moderately salty and carried a mild sweetness, belying its unseasoned appearance.

Moreover, each sip of the thick soup allowed one to savor its rich bamboo fragrance, a trait the girls knew wasn’t solely from the bamboo shoots. They had all tasted bamboo shoots before, but never with such a refreshing aroma. The pure bamboo scent blended into the food not only negated the greasiness of the venison but also added a unique allure to the dish. Observing the ingredients Pannis used, none seemed out of the ordinary, so the mysterious bag used as a makeshift soup pot must have been the element that enhanced the charm of the meal.

"That’s right, the trick lies in this bag," Pannis confirmed, under the disdainful—not just from the girls but also most of the demigods—curious stares awaiting his revelation. Reluctantly, he raised his hands in surrender and explained with a wry smile, "After splitting this Death Bamboo, sometimes you can find things like this bag inside the joints, which I call bamboo clothing. Ordinary bamboo also has it, but it’s thin and brittle, breaking instantly upon touch, unlike the sturdy bamboo clothing of Death Bamboo. When you heat the soup in the bamboo clothing, it absorbs the moisture in the soup, keeping it from being ignited by the flames, while the fragrance of the bamboo clothing easily permeates the food, mixing with the ingredients. As for the taste, the sweetness comes from the Honeycomb_Fruit, which has a honey-like sweetness and can completely replace sugar, while the salty taste is actually salt, not added directly, but applied bit by bit on the outside of the bamboo clothing. As the bamboo clothing absorbs moisture and feeds it back into the soup, the salt gradually permeates inside the bamboo clothing. However, due to the properties of bamboo clothing, impurities in the salt remain outside, leaving only the purest salt to enhance the soup, creating the taste you are all enjoying now."

"Kyle, you make preparing dinner so complicated, almost as meticulous as the elves, haha," laughed Conaida, chugging a large draught of barley wine and teasing him. Although he spoke in jest, he didn’t eat any slower than the others; clearly, everyone understood that such food was likely only available in a similar bamboo forest and missing this chance might mean waiting many years to taste such again. Hence, relishing the current culinary delights, putting aside other concerns, was precisely what a mature adventurer ought to do.

However, not every adventurer thought this way; at least, Flare and Pannis didn’t. While everyone else joyfully shared the long-awaited dinner, the two exchanged glances and unobtrusively stood up, quietly leaving the campsite. By the bonfire, Catherine paused, her spoon in hand. A bitter smile appeared on her face; even the delicious food seemed to lose a bit of its flavor.