Emperors War 60 Becoming A Novice Cook Part 1

"Now for what I would like for you all to make..." Sampson's words brought everyone back to the test and enamored everyone as they were hanging on his every word.

For most of the disciples they already knew that there was no chance of Sampson giving them the Novice Cook Badge, but that didn't matter to them. Even advancing to a higher-level apprentice under Sampson's tutelage was considered a huge accomplishment. There was no shortage of Senior Brothers and Sisters who after leaving Sampson's kitchen would brag that they had reached all the way to Level 4 Apprentice as appointed by Sampson.
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"I would like to see something I haven't seen before.... I want to see what your creativity would allow you to make. I shall give you all the same ingredients and I want to experience a new type of elegance that can only be found in a unique and extraordinary cuisine. There is no time limit as I could never stifle someone's brilliance with something as trivial as time."

After declaring the rules and what he demanded from his apprentices he walked to his Executive Chef table which sat in the exact middle of the kitchen, put his hands on the table and took the position of waiting.

The apprentices recognized this as the signal to start. Each of them leisurely strolled over to their station where the ingredients were already waiting for them.

Aker turned and looked at his reject station and clearly sitting on top of his reject station was...nothing. Whoever was administering the test had failed to put Aker's ingredients out for him.

Aker looked around the room and found some of the administers of the test who were walking around. The test held significant weight as how the apprentices scored would determine how they were treated within the kitchen, whether they would be allowed to stay and even affect their future life as they moved away from this kitchen and on to the next.

Administers were all at least Novice Cooks who would watch for any type of cheating or colluding that would affect the outcome of the results. Historically most apprentices have known better than to engage in that type of tomfoolery, but there were always that one or two who thought they could outsmart the smartest.

The most diabolical and cleverest cheat of all time was someone who had figured out what the test would consist of through scrupulous means, had another Novice Cook make it up before hand and tried to sneak it into the test as their own. They were only caught because one of the Administers had remembered that the apprentice had slightly burned the persimmon which was one of the primary ingredients for challenge. When they displayed their food there was no burn to it all thus indicating that they had somehow cheated. A quick check over the apprentice revealed that they went through the motions of making the dish while secretly replacing their less than desirable food with the high-quality delight.

"Excuse me Senior, whoever put out the ingredients seemed to forget mine, where can I get them from?" Aker asked one of the administers politely.

The administer a late twenty-year-old man who was extremely clean shaven, so much so that he didn't even leave any hair on his head must have heard Aker's question but continued to monitor the apprentices not even raising an eyebrow.

Aker waited a few seconds for the Senior to respond back to no avail. Assuming that the senior didn't hear his question due to his intense observation Aker once again asked, but this time his voice was a full octet louder "Senior, I don't seem to have my ingredients, might I ask where I can get them?"

Annoyed the bald senior turned to Aker and pointed at the waste pile and mockingly told him "Aren't you our resident trash digger? Would you even know how to handle food that hadn't first gone through the waste pile? This test isn't meant for you, it's meant for those apprentices who actually have skill and talent. You have done a good job of minding your business and being quiet since you first started here, why are you destroying that by opening your mouth today?"

The senior's disdain and contempt oozed from his mouth and reverberated through the room. His every syllable and word carried a mighty and vast tone of annoyance and despise. For this bald senior Aker had crossed the line when he asserted himself in front of Alfred who was an actual talent worth growing in the kitchen. This senior had been guiding Alfred for the better part of the last year and Aker's earlier statement had nearly driven him mad. While this bald senior was a Novice Cook the truth was he wasn't very talented and he had reached the pinnacle of his cooking existence.

On the other hand, Alfred was a bright and shining star who would eventually be well known through this part of the universe. In the future Alfred's possibilities were limitless and he had invested so much time into teaching and growing close to Alfred. He had strategically kissed up to Alfred making sure that every time he did, he could maximize his sucking up to get the most out of it.

As soon as the words left this bald seniors mouth the entire room burst out in laughter. Every single apprentice started laughing not even trying to hide their contempt for the trash man at the reject station.... every single apprentice except for one. Kara who heard the senior and then saw the entire room burst into laughter had her face turn bright red.

"You all need to stop laughing at Senior Brother Aker, his meals are so incredible and amazing. I have begged him countless times for just one taste, but he has never allowed it. Hmmmppp...none of you know what you're talking about! Senior Brother Aker why don't you take my share? I don't need to take this test anyway."

Kara's voice rang out through the room and somehow suppressed the laughter. Her voice clearly frustrated, there wasn't anyone confused about the fact that Kara was genuinely angry.

"Little Kara its fine, just go about your cooking I know what to do." Aker who could just make out Sampson saw that there was no change. Sampson was just sitting at his table like a statue, unwavering and unmovable. If at this point Sampson was not going to jump in and do anything to help Aker it was a clear indication that Sampson was telling Aker if he wanted to compete, he would have to figure it out himself.

Besides what the bald senior said was accurate. Wouldn't everything he would need be in the waste pile like always. He had long grown accustomed to finding his ingredients in there and putting together the same ingredients as everyone else wouldn't pose any kind of problem.

Aker turned and walked over to the waste pile and began digging through it looking to put together the ingredients that every other apprentice had been given. Seeing this action, the room full of apprentices began laughing again, however this time their laughter was even louder and more deafening.

"You should know I was only joking about using the waste pile to get your ingredients. The point was you're not qualified to take this test in the first place. Don't waste master's time with your drivel that you call food that would more than likely be the trash that the waste pile throws away." The bald senior held nothing back his words even more insulting and callous.

"Hahahahahaha...even the reject station is too good a name for you, should we now call it the trash of the waste station? No..no...how about rejected waste station...." Alfred who had heard the bald senior berating Aker felt vindication. He couldn't help but join in on the conversation with the senior's lead.

"That's great Senior Brother Alfred, let's call him the rejected waste station." One of Alfred's cronies called out trying to flatter him.

With both the senior and Alfred taking liberties to mock and disdain Aker the rest of the room full of apprentices joined in. Within seconds new names for Aker were being tossed out as if though today's competition was about belittling Aker instead of cooking.

"Hahahahaha....I know he looks like he's going to cry, how about mom's throw away?" One of the apprentices called out laughing as he spoke.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted his words. Aker stopped digging in the waste pile and turned to the apprentice that just spoke.

Aker's eyes were full of malice and death, the entire room had its temperature drop in half. The apprentice felt a cold chill and before he realized it, he was shaking.

"Say one more word in front of me ever again and you'll regret it." The cold and icy words rolled off Akers tongue and into the ears of the disciple.

One of the apprentices who was standing next to that apprentice took a step away from him and whispered, "I wouldn't talk to him again if I were you."

"I will never even look at him.... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh" the apprentice started screaming uncontrollably.

The apprentice looked down and saw blood.

Before the apprentice could say a word, Aker's voice rang out in his ears "I thought I told you I never wanted to hear you talk in front of me again."

It had suddenly donned on this apprentice. He had thought that if he refrained from talking to Aker he would be fine, but Aker meant that he was never allowed to talk while Aker was in hearing range.

"......." no one was laughing and joking any more. It was obvious to everyone in the room that they had touched a reverse scale of Aker's. This apprentice had demeaned both Aker and his mom which resulted in Aker's anger.

More than a few of the apprentices despite working and cooking in The Pit had never been exposed to violence so they were shaken to their core.

Aker watched as the apprentice put his uninjured hand over his mouth to prevent himself from screaming. Seeing this Aker turned and began digging through the waste pile again looking for his ingredients.

The truth was Aker carefully aimed and hit the area between his finger and thumb, only just grazing it. It would be closer to a scratch than an actual injury, but this should be a good enough lesson for the future. At the end of the day the "scary thing is still scary".

The whole room was left in shock. His killing intent alone was enough to put an end to everyone here much less the need for the throwing dart.

Aker had still been patient with all the other apprentices up until that moment, but even then, he was cognizant of Sampson and what Sampson hated most.

Sampson loved beautiful cooking and refinement and loathed fighting and barbarisms. Aker lashing out at the room was certainly barbaric, but he was careful not to overdo it in front of Sampson which is why he only grazed him.

For someone who had never been in a fight or battle it would seem to be the scariest moment of their life and they had teetered on the edge of a blade facing death, but for Aker and those of The Pit it wasn't even worth mentioning.

While digging through the trash pile Aker nonchalantly called out "Waiting on your food is a form of torture similar to fighting in The Pit?...hahahahaaha..." clearly mocking Alfred and the others who had no understanding of what real pressure, pain and torture was.

Chapter end