After his exam, Kit looked around the waiting area for Mars, but he wasn't there. Kit knew that if he wanted to find him, he could simply check his map. Feeling exhausted, Kit just wanted to take a break and sit down for a while. As he settled into one of the chairs, Cecile noticed him and motioned for him to come over.
She had an apologetic expression on her face. "I'm sorry about that, Kit. He was the only instructor available at the time. He's known for being tough and hard to please. Let me speak to another instructor and arrange for another exam for you. It's always a challenge when that intimidating man oversees a student's examination."
Cecile's words took Kit by surprise. If this was a recurring issue, why was he still employed as an instructor at the culinary guild?
Cecile gave a soft sigh, "I can tell from your expression that you're questioning why he hasn't been let go. Out of all the instructors, he has the most influential connections. If someone manages to pass his tests, they have the opportunity to complete the final task with a higher-ranked chef."
"The other instructors can only arrange for their students to work with proficient apprentices or chefs.” Cecile then gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “But don't get discouraged. I could see how thrilled you were to become a chef when you first arrived. Let me check who is available right now." With that, Cecile got up to make her way out.
Kit paused and processed Cecile’s words, “Stop! It's okay, I don't need you to arrange another exam. Instructor Phi passed me. He even gave me my last assignment."
Cecile's eyes widened in shock. "He told you his name? Oh, my goodness, that's a first." She couldn't believe it. "What did you do to make him tell you?"
Kit was taken aback by the fact that instructor Phi didn't usually share his name with students. It only added to his suspicions about the man's peculiar behaviour. Kit wondered what could have happened to make instructor Phi act this way. He could only think of one answer, "Uh… cook?"
Cecile let out a small laugh at his response. "Alright, smarty-pants.” She then turned and headed towards the desk. “Now that you're done with the first part of the exam, you'll need to fill out some paperwork. It's extremely rare for someone to fail the final task, so I'll get everything ready for processing. That way, when you finish the last part, all you'll have to do is pay the culinary guild fee and become a member."
Kit followed Cecile and filled out the necessary forms. "Cecile, where can I find the Large Fuzzy Chicken?"
"Oh, you've heard about the Fuzzy Chicken skewers? They're quite famous. My advice would be to complete your assigned task first before trying one. They're a bit expensive, but they have great stats."
Cecile gave Kit directions. "The restaurant will be open for breakfast tomorrow, but not for dinner. The owner is an odd man who doesn't believe in working at night. Do you need directions to the specific restaurant where your task is assigned?"
Kit shook his head, "Um, no, you just told me."
Cecile's eyes widened and her mouth hung open. "How? What did you do in that room? Sorry, I mean how did you get a task at the Large Fuzzy Chicken?"
Kit gave Cecile a strange look, it would be pretty obvious how he got the task. "Instructor Phi assigned it to me."
Cecile let out a frustrated sigh. "Never mind. Just come back when you're done with the task."
Kit thanked Cecile and left the culinary guild. All Kit desired was to rest his weary head on a soft pillow and drift off to sleep. He checked the sky and saw that the sun was setting, the sight increased his exhaustion.
Opening his map, he located where he was and searched for Mars' location. To his relief, Mars was marked as being at an Inn nearby. Understanding that they would need a place to stay for the night, Kit headed towards the red dot on his map.
On arrival, he noticed that the Inn was similar in size to Iris', most likely with only a few available rooms. With hope, he thought that Mars had secured one for them; he wasn't in the mood to sleep in a loft tonight.
Stepping through the door, Kit was greeted by a pleasant aroma wafting from the kitchen. He realised that he had entered a downstairs restaurant area, with stairs leading up to the rooms in the back.
Scanning the dining area, he spotted Mars seated at a rickety old table with an elderly couple. Kit joined them with a tired sigh, grateful to finally be off his feet. "What happened to you? You look awful," asked Mars with concern etched on his face.
“It was more difficult than I anticipated. Can I tell you about it tomorrow? I'm too exhausted to even keep my head up. Did you get a room for us?” Kit asked in a weary voice.
“Yes, we have one. Your dinner will be served shortly.” Mars paused and looked at his face once again, then pushed the plate in front of him towards Kit. “You can have mine and then go rest in the room. I'll take yours when it comes.”
“Thank you, Mars.” Kit didn’t even care the meal had been started, he tucked in with relish.
“Young man, don't work yourself too hard. Life is all about balance; you need to have some fun as well.” The elderly man sitting across from him gave a warm smile. He had a kind face and an aura of gentleness around him. Kit glanced at the woman sitting next to him, who also emitted the same warmth.
“George, stop talking to the young man. Look at him, he can barely keep his head up. Let him rest.” Admonished the elderly lady.
“George, could you continue with the story? I really want to hear how it ends.” Mars butted in. Kit was grateful to Mars for distracting the old man; he didn't think he could engage in conversation right now.
After finishing his meal, he collected the room key from Mars and headed straight to bed. Kit woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and energised. He glanced over at the other bed in the room and saw that Mars was starting to stir.
A groggy voice greeted him. "Good morning, Kit. Are we able to leave today or do you still have more to do for your exam?"
Kit gave Mars an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Mars. I still have one final task left to complete." Kit filled Mars in on what had happened the previous day.
"Don't worry, Kit. I can deliver the letter to Iris' cousin's house while you finish your exam." Mars smiled.
Kit slapped his head. "Oh, I almost forgot about the letter!"
"I did too with all the excitement yesterday. Luckily, you wanted to visit the culinary guild, otherwise, the letter would have never been delivered. I'll book this room for another night. We can meet here once we're both finished." Mars finally managed to get himself out of bed as he spoke.
"Sounds like a plan. I'm going to head out now; The Large Fuzzy Chicken opens for breakfast so I will need to get there early if I want to complete my task today." Mars nodded and continued with his morning routine.
Following the directions he received the day before, Kit arrived at the Large Fuzzy Chicken. He felt energised and ready for the day. He was curious to find out why Cecile had been so shocked when she mentioned the restaurant.
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As he approached the small building, Kit couldn't help but imagine a fast-food joint due to its name. The restaurant didn’t disappoint; it was adorned with large cartoon chickens holding chicken skewers on either side of the entrance.
Kit walked past the cutout chickens and entered the restaurant, only to be bombarded by an overwhelming assault on his senses. The hot pink walls were covered in chickens of all sizes, surrounded by booths with bright yellow chairs and lime green tables.
He couldn't understand why anyone would want their establishment to be a dizzying array of colours. Kit decided it would be safer to look at the plain brown floor instead. His eyes were starting to hurt from the visual overload.
Not seeing anyone in the dining area, Kit spoke up. "HELLO."
"WE'RE NOT OPEN YET. COME BACK AFTER SEVEN." The voice that yelled back had a melodic quality despite the harsh words.
"UM, I'M HERE WITH A TASK FROM THE CULINARY GUILD." Hollered Kit.
A young girl, around the age of 12, peeked out from a nearby door, her cute dimples and bright eyes making her appear even younger. Her light green hair was tied back with a pink headband. She looked at Kit with curiosity before speaking in a sweet, soft voice. "Are you really going to become a chef?" One of her delicate brows lifted in disbelief.
"I'm working on it. I came here for my chef examination." Kit honestly answered.
"Oh, so you don't have your own restaurant yet?" Kit could hear the disappointment in the girl's voice. She then locked her gaze with his, an intensity that seemed out of place for someone her age. "Will you open one eventually?"
"Yes, that's the plan." Chuckled Kit.
A spark of excitement lit up her large eyes. "Great, I'll be your manager! UNCLE ARNOLD I FOUND A JOB!"
Kit was completely lost at what just happened, when did he say he would give this young girl a job?
A melodious voice drifted to Kit’s ears "You gave Snickers a job?" A tall man with silky blonde locks appeared behind the little girl. He had pointed ears and delicate features, reminiscent of elves. Kit couldn't help but wonder if he truly was one.
"To be honest, I'm not sure what just happened," Kit admitted.
He was being truthful; he had no idea how the little girl came to the conclusion that he had given her a job. But he figured it wouldn't hurt to play along with her imagination for now.
“I'm sure I could offer her a position once she's old enough,” Kit reassured, trying not to upset the adorable little girl. Surely by then, this incident would be long forgotten. However, to his surprise, the tall man let out a groan and covered his face with both hands, pulling downwards and stretching the skin on his face.
Kit realised he may have made a mistake in bringing up the job offer. The man's reaction wasn’t what he had expected.
The little girl began to giggle, her high-pitched laughter grating on Kit's nerves. He couldn't shake off an ominous feeling from her joyous expression. "Uncle Arnold, you heard right. He's going to give me a job!" she exclaimed, spinning around with delight.
"Oh dear lad, you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into," Arnold said sympathetically to Kit.
Kit's ominous feeling only grew stronger. "This doesn't sound good...at least I have some time before I have to follow through on my promise." Kit thought to himself.
The little girl finally stopped twirling. "So when are you opening your restaurant? I can't wait to start working!" she eagerly asked.
"I'm not sure yet," Kit hesitated, "I still have to complete the final task given by my instructor." He added a quick disclaimer, "You also have to be at least 18 years old to work at my restaurant."
To his surprise, the little girl burst out laughing again. "No problem," she said with a smirk, "I just turned 507 this year." She gave him a knowing look, as if she could read his thoughts. Kit's mind stumbled for a moment before realising that the girl had pointed ears like an elf.
He struggled to process the fact that she was over 500 years old, yet looked like a young child. Finally catching up with all the information, Kit's brain panicked. How was he going to get out of this? He had no intention of opening a restaurant anytime soon. Would something happen if he refused her now?
"Don't worry, lad. You can discuss the contract with her later. Right now, focus on your task," Arnold said calmly.
“Uncle Arnold why did you have to remind him about a contract? You are being mean to me,” pouted Snickers.
As Kit watched her pretend to be hurt, he could see why he would mistake her for a child, she really acted the part of a young girl well. He had a feeling she would be a disaster to manage, he didn't think it would be a good idea to enter into a contract with her.
Plus he couldn't afford to have an employee, as he needed to save money for his bills at home, CAL subscription fees, and nutrient supplies within the game. With only nine months left in the game, he had to come up with enough money to cover all of these expenses.
He was determined not to spend any money until he reached his profit goal. His time in CAL was riding on his success. The tall man approached him and gave his shoulder a friendly pat. "Excuse me, lad. May I see the letter?"
Kit's mind was racing; so much had happened in such a short time that he could barely keep up. He took a deep breath and handed over the letter he had received just the day before.
"And what is your name, lad?" queried Arnold.
"Kit, sir." A bright smile accompanied his words.
"Nice to meet you, Kit. I'm Arnold, and this here is Snickers." Arnold motioned towards the young girl.
Kit couldn't help but feel confused once again, did Phi get the name of the chef wrong? "Are you the master chef then?" Kit blurted out, half expecting Instructor Phi to jump out and reveal it was all a test.
"Oh, no," Arnold chuckled. "I'm just the owner. Morrigan is our master chef. He will arrive with apprentices shortly." Arnold started to scrutinise Kit. “You must have aced the exams to get this assignment. I’ve never seen Morrigan’s name on a letter before, usually it's one of the apprentices'. Follow me, I’ll find you a stool to sit on.”
Arnold led Kit into his kitchen, which was much smaller than the exam room. It was cluttered with appliances and cooking utensils, leaving little counter space. Kit could make out three distinct workstations, but it would be a tight squeeze to work in such a cramped space.
Arnold grabbed a stool from the dining area and placed it in the corner of the kitchen. "Sorry Kit, you'll have to stay here. I can't allow you to roam freely inside. Once the other staff members arrive, there won't be much room left. Your task is to observe and at the end of your shift, you'll have to identify who Morrigan is. If you get it right, he will answer one question for you."
Kit was a bit perplexed by the assignment. He had expected to learn some culinary skills since he had been assigned to a kitchen. Now, he understood why not many people failed this task - it would be easy to identify the master chef among them.
As Kit waited, he heard voices approaching. Three individuals entered the room. "Good morning, Arnold," they all greeted the owner in unison.
"And who might this be? Another recruit from the culinary guild? It's been a while since we've had a new member. Who have you been assigned to?" a woman inquired.
The woman speaking to Kit had short hair the colour of dark chocolate and eyes as blue as the sky. She flashed him a warm smile, while the other two staff members looked on with curiosity. Kit felt uncomfortable being the centre of attention.
The other two staff members were both men. One had messy black hair tied back in a bun and a strong jawline covered in stubble. He looked like he had just rolled out of bed. His rumpled clothes and half-opened eyes only added to the disheveled appearance.
The second man was short, barely reaching Kit's shoulder, but he had a bright smile that lit up his face. Unlike the others, he looked like a proper chef in his neat black pants and button-up shirt. The other two were dressed casually.
Kit wanted to divert their attention away from himself and onto starting their shift, so he replied with their boss' name. "Morrigan." All three sets of eyes widened in surprise.
The short man questioned, "How did you impress the conceited jerk?"
"Integrity," Kit replied.
His response elicited laughter from all three of them. But Kit was serious; he believed that was what earned him Phi’s approval. He had replayed the events from yesterday in his mind while walking to the restaurant. That was the only explanation he could come up with.
Arnold intervened before they could continue teasing Kit. "Enough, all of you. Get back to work, we have customers waiting for their food."
The trio put on aprons and immediately got to work in the kitchen. Kit observed as they grabbed ingredients, peeled and chopped with precision, expertly handled knives, and cooked the food with ease. He took note of every step and technique used by each of them.
The task at hand proved to be more challenging than Kit initially expected. It was difficult to determine who the master chef was among the group of skilled individuals, as they all seemed to have complete control over their workstations. They moved around each other effortlessly in the confined space of the kitchen.
After what felt like hours, Kit began to notice subtle differences between the chefs. The woman's grip on her knife lacked precision compared to the other two, ruling her out as the potential master chef. Kit focused his attention on the two men, particularly the shorter one who had just retrieved chicken from the refrigerator and started slicing it into pieces.
Kit knew from firsthand experience that slicing chicken was no easy feat. It required careful precision in order to avoid wasting any meat. He observed as the man skilfully sliced away at the chicken, leaving minimal waste behind.
Despite being impressed with his abilities, Kit couldn't help but notice a small mistake - the man had sawed through a tough part of the chicken instead of carefully removing it from the bone.
A smile spread across Kit's face as he watched the short man. He had finally figured out who Morrigan was.
Feeling proud of himself for solving the puzzle, Kit didn't realise that the man with long black hair had been observing him this whole time. "Already figured out who Morrigan is?" he asked.
Kit was taken aback by being spoken to and turned to face the man. "It's you," he said confidently.