Chapter 120: First day of the trip 1

The ramparts of Valoria gradually disappeared behind them.

At first, Adam still turned around from time to time.

The high walls.

The watchtowers.

Then the tallest buildings.

And finally...

Nothing.

Only the road stretching behind them across a vast plain.

Ahead, the landscape seemed almost endless.

Vast expanses of grass rippled in the wind.

A few groves appeared here and there.

Cultivated fields surrounded the villages.

And much further away, barely visible on the horizon, small chains of hills sometimes rose.

The three Windriders maintained a fast but steady gallop.

Not their top speed.

Far from it.

Lyriana had explained from the very beginning that it would be absurd to constantly push them to 150 kilometers per hour.

The goal wasn’t to set a record.

The challenge was to cover an immense distance while conserving enough energy for the next day.

Adam was beginning to understand just how well these creatures were adapted to travel.

Even after several hours...

Their breathing remained steady.

Their strides barely lost any power.

And above all, the layer of wind mana surrounding their bodies absorbed some of the vibrations.

For Adam...

This made the journey much more bearable than a full day on the back of an ordinary horse.

Even if it wasn’t exactly comfortable.

After several hours, he could still feel his legs.

And maintaining his mana compression at the same time certainly didn’t help.

He constantly had to adjust his circulation with every acceleration.

Every change in terrain.

Every sudden movement of the mount.

But unlike a few days earlier...

He no longer needed to focus entirely on it.

The pressure had become a constant presence in her body.

Always there.

Always heavy.

But less and less bothersome.

They passed several villages during the morning.

Sometimes, a few dozen houses surrounded by fields.

Sometimes, veritable towns with palisades, markets, and small garrisons.

The inhabitants almost always turned around when they saw the three large green mounts go by.

Later, they even skirted a small town.

Adam could make out its walls.

A central square.

Several towers.

A large building that must have belonged to a guild.

But Lyriana didn’t slow down.

They continued on their way.

Adam brought his steed slightly closer to hers.

"Aren’t we stopping in any towns?"

Lyriana shook her head.

"Not today." "

"Not even for the horses?"

"They don’t need them right now. We’ll stop at noon."

Adam nodded.

He remained silent for a few minutes before an obvious question came to him.

"By the way... how long exactly will the journey take?"

Lyriana glanced briefly ahead before answering.

"The total distance to our destination is about 1,500 kilometers."

Adam immediately turned his head.

"1,500?"

"About. The exact distance depends on the route and any detours."

He quickly did the calculation in his head.

"And how long will we be traveling each day?"

"Around eight hours on horseback. Maybe more if the terrain is particularly good."

Adam calculated.

"So three or four days."

"That’s the estimate." "

Elaria, behind them, explained:

"The first third is the fastest. The roads in the west and center of the kingdom are well-maintained."

Lyriana nodded.

"After that, the speed will decrease."

"Because of the forests?"

"The forests, the terrain, and the less secure areas."

Adam looked at the plain ahead.

For now...

It was indeed difficult to imagine more favorable terrain.

The road was wide.

The ground relatively flat.

And several patrols of knights passed their group.

Each time, they recognized the insignia of Valoria or the ducal mounts and simply saluted them.

Around noon, Lyriana finally slowed down.

A small body of water lay a few hundred meters from the road.

Not exactly a lake.

More like a large, natural pond fed by a small stream.

A few trees grew around it.

"We’ll stop here."

The three steeds left the road.

Adam dismounted.

The instant his feet touched the ground...

He remained perfectly still.

Lyriana looked at him.

"Is there a problem?"

"My legs just remembered they exist."

Elaria dismounted as well.

"That’s normal."

"I know. That doesn’t make them any less unpleasant."

He took a few steps.

Stretched his legs.

Then checked his compression.

Still stable.

Okay.

While Adam was busy preparing something to eat, Lyriana and Elaria removed some of the mounts’ equipment.

They led them to the water.

Then they gave them special food consisting mainly of grains, dried plants, and several mana-rich herbs.

Adam looked at their packs.

"Do they eat a lot?"

"A lot," replied Lyriana.

"Given their size, it doesn’t surprise me."

Adam opened his inventory.

He had a lot of food already prepared.

But today...

He felt like cooking.

The makeshift camp.

The fire.

The road.

This made him crave a simple dish.

Hot.

And above all, something substantial enough to sustain him for several hours on horseback.

He quickly checked his supplies.

Then he took out some meat he’d bought at the market.

The animal looked a lot like a rabbit.

A little bigger.

With slightly darker meat.

Adam had tasted it before leaving.

Very tender.

Perfect for a stew.

He then took out several vegetables.

Potatoes.

Carrots.

Onions.

Mushrooms.

Garlic.

A few tomatoes.

Herbs.

And several spices.

Elaria returned after tethering the Destriers nearby.

She examined the ingredients.

"Are you going to cook now?"

Adam looked up.

"Yes."

"But we still have some prepared dishes."

"I know."

He smiled.

"But that’s part of the journey."

Lyriana approached in turn.

"Do you want some help?"

Adam looked at her.

Then Elaria.

"Do you know how to cook?"

Silence.

Lyriana looked away slightly.

Elaria adjusted her glasses.

Adam sighed.

"Go get some wood."

"I can do that," Lyriana replied.

A few minutes later, they returned with enough dry branches.

Elaria quickly created a small, safe area.

Adam lit the fire.

Then he placed a large pot on top.

Meat Stew with Mushrooms and Vegetables

Adam began by cutting the meat into medium-sized pieces.

He added:

meat from the animal that resembled a rabbit; potatoes; carrots; mushrooms; onions; garlic; tomatoes; a little oil; Salt; Pepper; Aromatic herbs; A pinch of chili pepper; Water and stock.

He first heated the pot with a little oil.

Then he added the pieces of meat.

Lyriana watched.

"Why don’t you just put everything in at once?"

"Because I want to brown the meat first."

"Does it really make a difference?"

"A lot."

Adam let the pieces brown slightly.

A pleasant aroma began to fill the air.

Then he temporarily removed the meat.

He added the onions.

The garlic.

The mushrooms.

A few minutes of cooking were enough for their flavor to completely transform.

Elaria approached.

"The mushrooms absorb the fat."

"And they also pick up some of the juices left by the meat." "

Elaria nodded seriously.

Adam looked at her.

"You’re still analyzing my cooking."

"Yes."

"At least you’re honest."

Then he added the tomatoes.

The carrots.

Then he added the meat.

A little water.

Broth.

Herbs.

Salt.

Pepper.

And finally, a small amount of chili pepper.

Lyriana immediately noticed the gesture.

"Is it hot?"

"A little."

"A little according to you or Selene?"

Adam remained silent.

Then he burst out laughing.

"According to me. So you should survive."

Once the mixture had come to a boil, Adam reduced the heat.

The potatoes were added a little later so they wouldn’t turn completely into mush.

The stew now had to simmer.

Normal time:

about an hour to an hour and a half.

Adam stirred regularly.

Gradually...

The broth thickened.

The meat became more tender.

The potatoes absorbed some of the spices.

The mushrooms gave the dish a deeper flavor.

And the chili pepper was subtle enough to warm the palate without overpowering the other flavors.

Meanwhile, Lyriana and Elaria were resting under a tree.

Elaria had naturally taken out a book.

Adam looked at her.

"Even while traveling?"

"It’s a novel."

He paused.

"Ah."

She lifted her book slightly.

"The Room taught me to differentiate between reading and work."

Adam burst out laughing.

"It traumatized you."

"No."

"Of course."

When the stew was finally ready, Adam filled three large bowls.

Lyriana approached first.

She watched the steam rise.

"It smells delicious." "

Elaria picked up her bowl.

"Very different from the usual stews."

"Taste it before you write a scientific report."

The two elves took their first bite.

Lyriana paused.

Her eyes opened slightly.

Then she swallowed.

"It’s... spicy."

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Too much?"

She immediately took a second spoonful.

"No."

Then a third.

"It’s the kind of spice that makes you want to keep eating."

Adam smiled.

Exactly what he was looking for.

Elaria, for her part, tasted the broth first.

Then a mushroom.

Then the meat.

"The meat is much more tender than when we just cook it over a fire."

"Because it simmered for a long time in the liquid."

"And the flavor is everywhere."

"Yes."

She took another bite.

"I like chili."

Adam looked at her.

"You too?"

"It stimulates the appetite."

Lyriana had already finished almost half her bowl.

"I agree."

The meal was much calmer than the previous day’s.