The next morning, I woke with excitement instead of exhaustion. I finished my studies early, my mind already turning toward the kitchen.
Teacher Louis noticed, of course.
"You're distracted again, Baker," he said, setting down his quill. "Your arithmetic answers are correct, but your handwriting looks like a goose ran across the page."
"Sorry, Teacher," I said, scratching my cheek. "I just—well, I've been thinking about cooking."
He blinked. "Cooking?"
"Yes! The head chef's been showing me some techniques, and I learned how to make something called an omelet."
Teacher Louis raised a brow. "An… omelet?"
I nodded enthusiastically. "Eggs folded with fillings inside. It's balanced, nutritious, and simple to make."
He gave a long sigh — the kind that carried both frustration and reluctant amusement. "Hmph. You're spending less time on your texts, but… at least your curiosity hasn't dulled. I suppose passion is another kind of education."
He smiled faintly. "Very well, Baker. Just don't forget: even cooks need numbers and history. Recipes are formulas, and ingredients have origins."
"I won't forget, Teacher," I promised.
He chuckled softly. "See that you don't. Now go—before your thoughts wander straight into the pantry."
---
By midday, I found myself once again in the kitchen. Harven was there, sharpening a set of heavy knives. The rhythmic shhhk-shhhk of the whetstone filled the room.
"Back again, lad," he said without looking up. "Good. Thought yesterday might've scared you off."
"Not at all," I said with a grin. "You said we'd do knife work today."
He chuckled. "Aye, I did. Come here then. Let's see how steady those hands of yours really are."
He handed me a small, curved knife with a polished wooden handle. "This here's a leaf-knife. Made for fine slicing. Hold it firm but gentle, like a quill."
I followed his guidance as we began with vegetables — greenflare pods and sunbell roots, the local equivalents of peppers and onions. They glowed faintly with mana, releasing a sweet, spicy aroma when cut.
"Keep the rhythm," Harven said. "Don't hack, don't rush. Cooking's a dance, not a duel."
The more I practiced, the more it felt like meditation. Each slice was smooth, each breath calm.
After a while, Harven nodded approvingly. "Good. You're a fast learner. Not perfect — but better than most apprentices I've had."
He set down a slab of Mandearoz meat next — cured thin like beef bacon. The marbled streaks shimmered faintly with golden mana. "We'll use this for today's lesson," he said. "You're making another omelet, but this time — your way."
I blinked. "My way?"
He grinned. "Aye. Add what you think makes it better."
---
Half an hour later, the kitchen was alive with delicious smells.
The pan hissed softly as the Mandearoz strips cooked, releasing a smoky, savory scent. I added the sliced greenflare pods and sunbell roots, letting their sweetness mix with the rich meat aroma. Then I poured in the golden eggs, whisked smooth, and sprinkled in shredded Flarehorn cheese.
When I folded the omelet and plated it, it looked almost too perfect — golden, fluffy, the edges crisp and glistening.
Harven gave a low whistle. "By the gods, that looks fine. Smells finer."
"Let's test it," I said with a grin.
But before either of us could take a bite, the kitchen door opened. Melody stepped in, carrying a stack of folded linens — and froze mid-step.
"What… is that smell?" she asked cautiously.
"Lunch," I said proudly. "Want to try it?"
Her stern maid façade faltered for a moment. "Well… I suppose a taste wouldn't hurt."
Just then, Mother appeared as well, following the scent. "Melody, what are you—oh my. That aroma…"
Harven chuckled. "Seems we've got an audience."
I served each of them a small plate. They all took their first bite at the same time.
The room went silent for a heartbeat — then Melody's eyes widened. "This… this is incredible. The flavor, the texture—how?"
Mother let out a small laugh of pure delight. "Baker, this is wonderful!" She dabbed her lips with a napkin, her eyes glimmering. "So warm, so rich… and the vegetables give it such a lively balance."
Harven smirked proudly. "Told you he's got talent."
I blushed, smiling shyly. "I'm glad you like it."
Melody crossed her arms — but even she couldn't hide her satisfaction. "I suppose… it's acceptable," she said, though her plate was already empty.
Mother laughed again, then looked at me fondly. "Baker, you truly have a gift. To think my son would one day cook for me…"
"I'll make something even better next time," I said earnestly. "Something new."
---
That evening, after everyone left the kitchen, Harven patted my shoulder. "You've got more than skill, lad. You've got heart. That's what makes food taste alive."
I smiled, feeling warmth spread through my chest. "Thank you, Harven. I'll keep practicing."
He nodded. "Tomorrow, we'll go over seasoning — mana herbs and all. There's more flavor magic in this world than most realize."
---
That night, as I sat in my room, I opened my notebook and wrote a single line under "Lessons Learned":
Cooking is warmth, knowledge is strength — and both can feed the soul.
Then I closed the book, the faint scent of Mandearoz and cheese still lingering in the air.
I took out a separate book and wrote down my first recipe.
Recipe : Omelet
There are only 4 main ingredients in this omelette recipe: butter, eggs, cheese and salt & pepper.
Prepare the Filling
The first step in this omelette recipe is to prepare the fillings. There are endless possibilities when choosing fillings for your omelette, so I will walk talk about two: a vegetarian omelette and a bacon omelette. Of course, you can skip the fillings and just use cheese if you'd prefer.
It's important to prepare the fillings before you start cooking the eggs for the omelette recipe because you want them ready to add to the center to avoid over-cooking the omelette.
To make a veggie omelette, dice 1 cup of your favorite vegetables.
Then, over medium-high heat, sauté the vegetables and garlic in olive oil until soft, about 3-5 minutes depending on the vegetables you choose.
Set them aside to use later.
To make a bacon omelette, begin by cooking the bacon, garlic and onion over medium heat until bacon is cooked and onion is soft (5-8 minutes). Set aside.
Cook the Omelette
Once the fillings are ready, it's time to cook the omelette.
Begin by whisking the eggs vigorously until they are homogenous (uniform throughout).
This step is incredibly important, you want to beat those eggs until there are no pieces of whites separated from the yolks.
Then, whisk in the salt and pepper.
Next, melt the butter in an 8" nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. It's very important that you use an 8″ pan. If you use a larger pan the omelet will be too thin, a smaller pan will yield a very thick omelet.
Then, add the whisked eggs and swirl them in the pan until they are evenly distributed.
Once they begin to set, use a spatula to gently push the edges in slightly and swirl the pan so that any uncooked eggs on the top pour over the sides to the edges of the pan and cook.
Once the omelette is mostly set (about 5-6 minutes), carefully flip it and turn off the heat
Then, gently fold the other half over the toppings.
Omelettes are great because you can modify them with what ever ingredients you want. Very versatile.