Mark rolled his eyes at Enzo. Ever since Enzo joined, his consumption of staple food in the Starlight Gap has exceeded five times that of the previous three-person team.

Fortunately, ordinary food ingredients in the Holy Dragon Continent are not worth much, otherwise, just wanting to support this little boy Enzo would drain all their earnings.

If he didn't change his job to become a chef as a second profession, Mark was really worried that eating ordinary food would not be able to restore everyone's physical strength.

Mark habitually moved a dozen steamed buns to a clean thick leaf nearby to cool down.

He went to the river again and brought out a clay basin from the pebbled shallows.

The basin was filled with a bright orange-red soup, with finely chopped red fruits (similar to tomatoes) with sandy flesh floating in the soup.

The golden egg flowers are like scattered stars, dotted with green wild onions, with a sour and fragrant aroma.

After all, it is still summer now, and few people have an appetite for drinking bone and meat soup in the hot summer.

The otherworldly tomato and egg soup, cooled in the river, is a great soup for camping at night.

Anna's eyes lit up almost instantly.

She had been maintaining her bow and arrows and was sitting on a smooth stone a little further away, hugging her knees and resting her chin on them.

The elf's pointed ears unconsciously moved slightly with the subtle sounds in the camp, and his cold profile showed a quiet beauty in the firelight.

At this moment, smelling the familiar and sour aroma that made her feel at ease, she immediately put down her longbow, stood up lightly and moved closer, like a deer attracted by food.

"Mr. Mark..." Her voice was a little softer than usual, with a hint of imperceptible expectation.

Her emerald eyes stared intently at the pot of soup, her long eyelashes casting fan-shaped shadows in the firelight.

The food Mr. Mark cooks is delicious, but she especially likes the soups he has made recently, which always make her feel like she is back home.

Mark understood, picked up a thick wooden spoon and a clean wooden bowl, and filled a bowl for Anna first.

"Here, I know you're waiting for this."

The yellow egg drops and red fruit chunks in the soup are mixed with oil and sway slightly, making it look particularly gorgeous.

Anna took the bowl, blew on it carefully, and couldn't wait to take a sip.

After drinking the warm soup, she narrowed her eyes in satisfaction, a pure and relaxed smile blooming on her face.

She even stretched out her small tongue to lick the soup on the corner of her lips. In that instant, her usual cold and defensive look faded away, and she became unconsciously cute and adorable.

"It tastes good." She whispered, holding the bowl and drinking it in small sips, and her whole body relaxed.

On the other side, Monica came over from the river bend behind the woods holding Xiao Mu.

She changed out of her tight leather armor and put on a soft dark linen dress. Her smooth burgundy hair was loosely tied up with a simple wooden hairpin, and a few strands of hair still covered with water droplets fell on the side of her fair neck.

Under Xiao Mu's protection, she had already taken a bath in the Xinglong River before the rest of the team.

As a noble lady, she was not really used to the life during her training in the Warcraft Mountains, where she could hardly take a bath for ten days or half a month.

Now that she was inside the kingdom's territory, with Mark and the other two guarding outside, she naturally didn't have to restrain herself like she did in the Warcraft Mountains.

It is necessary to take a good bath and relax before dinner.

In a non-combat, non-mutational state, her unique sense of alienation faded away, and she returned to the gentle and calm temperament unique to a noble lady.

The firelight outlined her tall and well-proportioned figure, and the loose long skirt could not hide her full and curvy curves.

Especially when bending over, the fabric falls naturally, and a pair of small breasts move accordingly, and the soft fabric outlines the breathtaking curve of the waist and hips.

Even Mark, who was already accustomed to her beauty, couldn't help but swallow and shift his gaze.

Holy Light, you are indeed very white.

Monica gently placed Xiao Mu on the cushion beside her legs.

"Let me do it."

Her voice was soft and with a small smile, she took the wooden spoon and empty bowl from Mark.

She moved swiftly and with a natural grace, first serving Mark a bowl of soup, and then adding more to Enzo's bowl, who was still struggling with his fifth steamed bun.

Finally, she filled herself half a bowl and placed another smaller ceramic plate between the four of them.

"Try this." Monica placed a plate filled with vegetables in the middle of the group and gently invited them. "The golden bell mushrooms are very tender, and the emerald kale is crisp. We've checked them out, and they're both good stuff that's close to the threshold of magical plants."

There are stir-fried seasonal vegetables on the plate.

Mark stir-fried the ingredients with minced garlic and a little bit of animal fat to maximize the freshness and sweetness of the ingredients.

The main ingredient is the "Golden Bell Mushroom" that Monica found at the edge of the riverside woods using her identification skills. This is an edible mushroom with a round cap like a small bell and thick, light golden flesh.

And the "Emerald Kale" with thick leaves, serrated edges, and veins that have an emerald sheen.

The golden bell mushrooms are full of oil and are smooth and chewy.

The emerald kale is emerald green, crisp and refreshing, and exudes a pure plant fragrance.

Monica also picked up a piece of food with chopsticks and chewed it slowly. The firelight reflected in her warm wine-red pupils, which was quiet and beautiful.

Enzo, with a steamed bun stuffed in his mouth, mumbled a response, then used his free hand to pick up a large chopstick of golden bell mushrooms and Chinese kale and stuffed them into his mouth, chewing them with a crunching sound and mumbling his evaluation:

"Mmm! Crunchy! Better than chewing on biltong!"

As he said that, he reached out and took another bun from the steamer.

To be honest, apart from not having enough to eat, his life now is much better than when he was an apprentice blacksmith.

…

The night passed in silence, with a cool breeze from the river.

Early the next morning, the Xinglong River meandered into a silver ribbon behind them, and Mark's team set foot on the gravel road leading to Maple Leaf Town.

The air here seemed to be filtered, with a clear and sweet taste, completely different from the tense and depressing atmosphere of Osborne Town.

There are continuous maple forests on both sides of the road. Although it is not yet the most gorgeous late autumn, the leaves have already transitioned from emerald green to golden yellow and orange-red.

In the afternoon sun, it looks like splashed warm paint, and the wind blows through the treetops, making a rustling sound. The tranquility is so gentle that it makes people's hearts soften.

"Wow, this place... looks more comfortable than our crappy town." Enzo carried his square-headed hammer, and for once he didn't roll his eyes, instead he looked around.

He sniffed hard. "Sweet? What smells so good?"

Anna's emerald green eyes also lit up slightly. The elf's sensitivity to the scent of nature allowed her to capture the subtle sweet fragrance in the air. It was different from the fragrance of flowers, but it was mellower and more...appetizing.

"It smells like maple," she whispered, "but it's much sweeter than the scent of ordinary plants."

Monica held Xiao Mu in her arms. Deep in her wine-red pupils, a subtle identification magic circle flowed silently, sweeping over the joints on the thick maple tree trunks beside the road that were cleverly chiseled and hung with small wooden barrels.

"Maple syrup," she answered, her voice tinged with understanding. "The resin from these trees is what makes maple syrup. It's Maple Leaf Town's specialty, and it seems its reputation is well-deserved."