Setting up camp

When Ye Weian returned to the camp with the still-flailing grouse, the campfire was already lit.

Ryan took the grouse and quickly began to prepare it.

On the other side, Harold and Kane were building a rain shelter together.

They pulled out several large pieces of thick oilcloth from their packs, used sharpened wooden sticks to prop up the frame, and quickly erected two simple but sheltering triangular sheds. Next to them, several thick, rolled-up leather sleeping bags were spread on the ground, filled with dry moss or wool. This was the standard outdoor "bed" for these soldiers.

"Young Master, you're back." Kane dusted off his hands as he saw Ye Wei'an return. "The conditions are basic; we were just about to set up a shelter. Let's set up your resting place as well. Would you like us to spread your sleeping bag next to the fire?"

"No need for that, I can do it myself."

Just as Kane was about to say, "How can this be?", he saw Ye Weian walk to a cleared area in the center of the camp.

He reached out his hand, communicated with the system backpack through his mind, and selected "take out".

The next moment, Kane's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

A large, deep blue tent with silver trim appeared out of thin air as if by magic, landing on the open ground. It was not a simple triangular tent, but a large, luxurious tent with a foldable frame and ropes. The tent was not only spacious, but also had foldable screen partitions inside.

Then, Ye Wei'an began to slowly take out more equipment:

A thick rug with an exquisite pattern, a folding cot with a cushion, a fully functional portable metal stove, a foldable leather bathtub, and even a white porcelain tea set carefully wrapped in soft cloth.

Several simple and honest soldiers stared in disbelief.

They were used to marching in harsh conditions; they had never seen anything like this before.

Ellen, on the other hand, was also experiencing the convenience of the dimensional bag for the first time. She acted as if it were commonplace and busied herself with ease: she laid out a carpet in the tent, set up a cot and laid out a soft mat, moved the stove to the fire and placed it properly, and carefully placed the tea set on a flat stone next to the stove.

After finishing all that, she remembered something and turned to Ye Wei'an: "Young Master, the water for making tea..."

"Hmm." Ye Wei'an raised his hand towards the teapot and murmured.

"The Four Symbols Method - Water".

The moisture in the air quickly gathered and condensed into a stream of water, which trickled into the teapot, filling it to about 80% capacity in no time.

Ellen took out tea leaves from a delicate little tin can and started boiling water to brew tea over the campfire.

Perhaps inheriting her mother's hobby, the original owner and Ye Wei'an shared the same habit when it came to drinking tea.

Then, she took another, slightly smaller tent from Ye Weian, walked up to Kane and the others, and handed it to them somewhat embarrassedly: "Lord Kane, the young master said this is for you to use... it should be more comfortable than the oilcloth tent."

"Young...Young Master..." Kane stared at the simple bedding and a few stones he used to cushion his back at his feet, then looked at the well-equipped, almost luxurious temporary camp in front of him. His Adam's apple bobbed. "...I feel like we're not on a chase, but rather on an outing with you."

Even within the Purple Dragon Knights, this level of outdoor treatment is usually only available to commanders—dimensional bags are far too expensive for ordinary people to afford.

"When you're away from home, conditions are tough enough, so you have to treat yourself better." Ye Wei'an took the herbal tea that Ai Lian handed him, took a sip, and said it as a matter of course.

In my past life, I never experienced the hardships of living outdoors in my hometown.

Now that I've transmigrated here, bearing the dual identity of a noble's son and a spellcaster, if I have to make do like an ascetic, then this transmigration would be far too tasteless.

If you have the ability, why should you wrong yourself?

Meanwhile, the grouse in Rennes's territory have been dealt with.

After helping the young master to sit down, Eileen busied herself around the portable stove.

As instructed by Ye Wei'an, she removed the wings and legs of the grouse and set them aside. She chopped the remaining parts into pieces, put them in a pot with water and stewed them. She also washed and chopped the wild garlic and herbs that Ye Wei'an had gathered and sprinkled them into the pot.

Finally, she took out an exquisite walnut box.

When she opened the box, an extremely rich, spicy aroma with a hint of exotic fragrance wafted out.

That was expensive saffron and black pepper from Kalins.

She pinched off a tiny bit of powder and sprinkled it into the soup.

As the soup bubbled, a rich aroma of spices and fresh meat quickly filled the entire camp.

The aroma was an irresistible temptation for the soldiers who had just finished a fierce battle and had traveled all day.

Harold, who was maintaining his weapons, and Ryan, who was checking his horse's hooves, both slowed down, their Adam's apples bobbing.

Even the usually serious Kane couldn't help but glance at the stove a few more times.

Ye Wei'an was naturally generous; after the soup was cooked, he had Ai Lian serve everyone a full bowl.

Kane and the two soldiers ate the piping hot chicken soup and the hard, dry rations, their faces showing rare expressions of satisfaction.

Harold, sweat beading on his forehead, couldn't help but exclaim, "Delicious soup! This flavor... is amazing!... Much better than the communal dishes in the army camp!"

"Miss Elaine's cooking skills are truly exceptional," Kane nodded in agreement, his tone much gentler.

"It's all thanks to the spices," Ellen said with a slightly embarrassed smile.

After finishing the soup, Ellen didn't stop working.

She skewered chicken wings and drumsticks on sharpened tree branches and slowly roasted them by the campfire.

The grease dripped onto the embers, making a sizzling sound, and the aroma of roasted meat gradually filled the air.

When the aroma wafted over to Kane and his companions, their expressions subtly changed.

The unique smell of burning protein inevitably reminded them of today's memories—the acrid stench of the cursed flames burning the bandits' leather armor and flesh, and the similar, nauseating burnt smell from the goblins...

Harold's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and he turned his head away.

Ryan cleared his throat forcefully, his face pale.

Even Kane put down his soup bowl, trying to suppress the discomfort in his stomach.

Only Ye Wei'an seemed completely unaffected, calmly taking a skewer of golden-brown, crispy, and sizzling chicken wings from Ai Lian's hand and taking a bite with composure.

For a moment, only the crackling of firewood and the soft sounds of Ye Weian eating filled the camp, creating a subtly tense atmosphere.

To break the silence, Ye Wei'an swallowed his food, wiped his hands with the damp cloth Elaine handed him, and casually asked, "Kane, when you were marching with the Purple Dragon Knights, did you often camp out in the wild like this? How did you usually spend the night?"

Kane put down his soup bowl and replied seriously, "Yes, sir. Conditions were much harsher back then. Often, we'd just spread an oilcloth on the ground, eat hard, rock-hard biscuits, and swallow them with cold water. If we were going to places like the distant swamps, it was even harder. No matter how careful we were, we'd get covered in mud, and it was common to sleep wrapped in a wet blanket. Like tonight, we have hot soup and a tent to shelter us from the wind and rain..."

He looked around the camp and said sincerely, "We are truly grateful to you, young master. We subordinates are also enjoying this good fortune."

"It's always good to make everyone more comfortable." Ye Wei'an smiled and accepted a cup of hot tea that Ai Lian handed him at the right time. "Speaking of which, how's the food in the military camp when we're not on a mission? It can't be worse than the soup we had tonight, can it?"

The conversation shifted to the familiar topic of military life, and the atmosphere became more relaxed.

Harold interjected, "Young master, please don't mention that! Knights like Lord Kane are considered lucky; the rations for ordinary infantry like us aren't even accepted by goblins! It's often just a big pot of porridge, and if you can tell whether it's beans or chunks of meat in it, that's considered a treat!"

Raine chuckled, "Exactly! Nothing compares to Miss Elaine's soup. This is my first time enjoying noble spices."

Kane nodded, recalling the past: "That's true. The primary concern in the army is quantity and shelf life; taste is secondary. Being able to sit comfortably like this, drinking hot soup, and eating fresh roast meat..."

Speaking of barbecue, he couldn't help but gag, barely managing to continue: "It's a rare treat during missions."

He looked at Ye Wei'an, his eyes filled with undisguised emotion, "Young Master, to be honest, I never imagined the trip would go so smoothly before we set off."