"[Swamp Salad], [Frog Sandwiches], [Mud Snail Mushroom Soup]. Two dishes and a soup—that's the best we can manage--
"If it weren't so hard to find suitable ingredients in the swamp that were nontoxic and not rotten, Little Baldy's cooking skills could make this meal much more elaborate.
"In other words, you can enjoy it without worry. We checked all the ingredients with [Detect Poison and Disease], so they're guaranteed to be nontoxic."
As Little Beard carried a black pot as big as a shield over to Tang Qi and lifted the lid, a wave of steam washed over him. When it reached his nose, he caught a rich, savory aroma with a faint hint of brininess.
Tang Qi hurriedly searched through the recipes he'd just acquired. He opened the entry for "Swamp Cookbook" and read out the instructions:
"Coat the bottom of the pot with butter. Dice some reed mushrooms, mash them into a paste, and put them in the bottom of the pot along with their juices. Add water and simmer. Then add the cleaned mud snails, fern stems, sour berries, and creeping vine sap in that order. Finally, sprinkle in black pepper and salt--"
He suddenly understood. His gaze shifted to the pot of broth, then settled on Little Beard.
"You actually brought black pepper with you?"
"In the Ebony Forest, seasoning is essential for any adventure. It can help you get through countless difficult days and nights."
Little Beard replied earnestly. He scooped up a spoonful of hot soup and touched it to his tongue, then sighed contentedly.
Tang Qi made a note of the advice in the Ebony Forest Guide he still hadn't gotten around to writing, then asked:
"Is that a custom, a habit, or something you learned the hard way?"
Little Rascal, the bugbear,