Upon entering the building where the special training program takes place, Ian and Levi were greeted by screams of pain, distress, and horror.
One would even think it was a haunted house.
"Master Ian, I didn't think you would be coming today." Surprised by Ian's sudden visit, Butler Srca reacted appropriately immediately and went to his side. He greeted Levi next to Ian, "Good day, Mr. Levi."
Levi nodded with his fan covering his lips. He thought to himself, 'Is he one of little Ian's men? Hmm. Interesting.'
"It's nothing. I just suddenly felt like it so I came to take a look." Ian waved Sling off nonchalantly and ventured deeper into the building.
Right now, all the existing trainees were in the midst of their bloodiest lesson of the day.
One where they have to battle against piping hot splashes with their round shield.
Wield sharp and gleaming knives that strays often, thirsting to cut into their bodies.
Steams of hot air bellowed all around, causing them all to sweat buckets from the heat and the unshakeable nervousness.
Some found themselves pale and white.
Some found themselves crying and screaming from the stinging pain in their eyes.
Some found themselves sneezing uncontrollably.
Some found themselves breaking out in hives and a field of red all over their body.
A select few felt their fingers cramping and shaking unstoppably. Delicate motions made unavailable.
Yet still, they must go on and use the available tools to fight on and complete the assigned task.
Yes. They were all struggling, fighting, and persevering. Those who quit have quit, and they are what's left.
Left to fight in the fiercest of battlefields.
Cooking.
Where you can cut a finger off if you're not careful when using a knife. Where you cry from the pain in your eyes when cutting onions. Where your fingers stiffen and become delicate from carving and decorating desserts and dishes. Where oil splashes from hot pots can pain you extremely. Where you discover sides of yourself you never knew.
Every one of the trainees was required to learn how to cook, even if they didn't know how to before.
It was the nightmarish lesson time that made many of them bleed rivers of blood.
Sling took Ian and Levi to look around the place.
"Y-Young master Ian, Mr. Levi." The people cooking with oil greeted Ian and Levi reflexively the moment they saw them.
Because of their nervousness and because they were new to this and still in the process of learning, their postures were stiff and unnatural. Their gestures not on point. They even stuttered from unpreparedness.
Butler Srca furrowed his brows, displeased. He mentally took points off and noted down their unsightly and badly learnt manners and behaviors.
'Looks like they still need a lot more training to be whipped into shape.' Vexed the impeccable Butler Srca. 'When I was the one undergoing the training, I learned everything properly and perfectly after only one or two lessons. But it's already been five lessons or more and they are still this way. How disappointing. They most likely won't pass the final test.'
Ignorant of Butler Srca's evaluation of them, the trainees, after greeting Ian and Levi, did not know what to do. Should they go back to their task? Or should they wait?
Awkward and puzzling silence settled down in this area.
Again, Butler Srca felt displeased. He was sure he had taught them what to do in such situations already. They must have forgotten.
"Ahem. Get back to work." Butler Srca coughed to get their attention and instructed them on what to do.
"Y-Yes!" They nervously replied and scrambled back to work.
Their hearts beating fast, aware that their behaviors just now were below standard. If there was an expulsion system, their performance just now would have sufficed to kick them out.
Should they just quit? They seriously questioned. However, their bodies honestly went back to their assignment.
All that can be thought about later, right now, they must make sure to complete their task perfectly and flawlessly.
Unknowingly, they had been brainwashed and programmed by their perfect butler instructor. Thinking about and prioritizing the completion of their tasks perfectly before anything else.
Sling brought Ian and Levi to another area where the trainees were assigned the task of prepping the kitchen materials like chopping vegetables and dicing meat.
After taking a brief look, Ian walked away, uninterested. All he asked was, "Anyone outstanding?"
Sling understood what Ian meant right away. Instantly, he perked up, "Yes! This way, Master."
Sling led Ian to a wide table where the desserts were being made and then beautifully and appetizingly decorated. More than food, they looked to be works of art.
Among the trainees working at this station, only one particularly stood out. His bright orange and yellow hair bounced like energetic flames as his serious and concentrated red eyes focused intently on the work at hand. Everything else was zoned out.
By simply being there, he seemed to shine brighter than the sun with his light overshadowing the other trainees who became his background. As of the moment, his bright aura was restrained in order to fully concentrate his efforts.
He was using a small, thin decorating tweezer to place small edible beads on a pain-looking dessert, as well as other edible decorations.
After his hands finally came to a stop and he put the tweezer down, the other trainees gasped at how beautifully and exquisitely the previously plain dessert was garnished after being touched by the young man's magical hands.
Soft and creamy whipped cream swirled around the top of the yellow-colored dessert elegantly as cut fruits, such as red heart-shaped strawberries, decorated one side of the dessert. Delicate, cute beads of different colors—blue, pink, red—carefully adorned the empty side of the dessert like translucent pearls sprinkled on white sand. Blue, water drop-like puffs of whipped cream squeezed from piping bags decorated the bottom of the dessert.
Even professional pastry artisans and pâtissiers cannot compare to his skills in decorating desserts and pastries.
"Hm?" Ian was also surprised by how adept and nimble this trainee was with dessert making and decorating.
Sensing that Ian was intrigued by this orange and yellow haired trainee, Sling dutifully introduced the young man by Ian's ears, so as to not be heard by others, "Master, his name is Chase Hack. In the application he submitted, he said he wanted to be a chef at the main mansion. During this short period of time, not only did he showcase his outstanding dessert craft, he also proved his cooking skills to be out of this world.
"He is by far the top trainee in the special training program. I guarantee that he has what it takes to pass the test with a near perfect score. Moreover, he is one of the loyal types I mentioned to you before."
Ian nodded absentmindedly at Sling's words.
Chase, with his prominent, vibrant orange and yellow hair, used a sweat towel to wipe away his sweat, proudly smiling at his beautiful handiwork.
That smile jogged a memory in Ian's mind.
Taking a closer look at the young man in his 20s, Ian felt as though he were struck by lightning. He finally understood where the inexplicable sense of familiarity came from. In his memories, the young man looked much older than he does now, with a melancholy vibe to him. That's why Ian didn't recognize him at first.
A wind of nostalgia blew the stray locks of hair in front of Ian's face around.
"Keep a close eye on him and report his periodical progress and as well as his results to me," Ian suddenly ordered Butler Srca out of the blue.
Although surprised, Butler Srca actually did not find it too strange that Ian would be interested in Chase. Chase was highly intelligent and a fast-learner, quick with his hands and wits. Not to mention he was loyal and affectionate.
He was the ideal person to recruit as a subordinate.
Taking a step back and digressing, before any of the trainees passed the resume and application round of the hiring process, the Everett group conducted a deep analysis and search into the backgrounds and history of each potential employee. Scrutinizing every detail and events they could get their hands on.
On top of that, during the special training, Butler Srca and the other trustworthy instructors were secretly tasked with the mission to observe the trainees to confirm the accuracy of the background check with their own eyes.
Nothing beats getting to know a person better than observing them with your own eyes. Each and every nuance of their movement, speech, gesture, style, facial expression, and overall attitude tells of their true nature and personality.
The instructors take that into consideration as well for the final test scores. In fact, that was the most important part of the test. Even if a trainee were to ace all the other parts of the special training and perfectly reenact their accomplishments, if they fail the personality test, they would fail the entire test and have their applications scrapped.
The key criteria to pass the personality test, surprisingly simple, was to not be talkative or be a blabbermouth. Even if they were, as long as they understand—and act on that understanding—that they cannot circulate any information they hear or see within the Everett mansion, they'll pass just fine.
That's why, in order to see if they do pass the critical personality test, the instructors have to observe the trainees every second of every day during the ongoing special training, especially during the period of time before bedtime when they are free.
That's when they let down their guard and their behaviors become unrestrained and real. Unaware of the instructors watching them through a hidden camera and overhearing all their conversations.
All in all, this was how Sling knew and could tell Chase was the loyal type. Through both background check and personal observation.
Seeing that there was nothing else to see, Ian decided to leave.
Walking a few steps forward, Ian noticed that Levi wasn't following him.
Ian tilted his head in doubt. Does Levi have his eyes on someone?
Indeed he did.
A gloomy looking guy in the corner whose presence was almost completely nonexistent caught Levi's eyes while Ian was preoccupied with his thoughts of Chase.
The trainees around him ignored him completely as though they couldn't see him. And when they accidentally bumped into the gloomy guy, they were startled to notice him and wore a confused expression, scratching their heads as they went back to their work after apologizing.
"Butler Srca, why don't you keep an eye on that guy for me as well? I would be very grateful to you." Levi smiled as he fanned himself elegantly with his fan, exuding a scholarly vibe that attracted the eyes of the trainees.
Sensing the gazes on him, Levi felt smug, thinking that they were attracted by his elegant and scholarly demeanor. However, unbeknownst to him, their stares were out of the feeling that he looked out of place with his ancient-looking outfit and strange hairstyle rather than his elegant demeanor. Sticking out like a sore thumb among modernly-dressed people.
Yet in spite of this, one person thought that Levi looked handsome and ethereal in his outfit.
After a brief glance, the boy with black hair and black eyes turned away, focusing back on his task.
With Levi's attention off of Sling, Sling took the chance to slip to Ian's side and whispered something.
Ian's eyes flashed.
"…It's alright. Just do as Levi says. I trust he knows what he's doing," Ian quietly spoke under his breath so that Levi won't hear.
Sling nodded in acquiesce.
After having had enough of busking in the attention, Levi contentedly followed after Ian who was leaving, and left as well.
Butler Srca well-mannerly and respectfully sent them off.
Turning back, Butler Srca now paid attention to two trainees in particular.
Chase Hack.
And
Blake Keiran.
*****
A few hours after Ian and Levi left, the trainees ate their late-night meal after the lessons ended for the day.
Now, they were getting ready for bed.
This was their liveliest and happiest time of day, lately.
The trainees dorming in the same room as Chase chatted with each other loudly about what happened today.
They complained about how tough and inhumane the tasks were, regretted what they could have done better, and envied those who did better than them.
Frustrated, one of them even contemplated, "Maybe I should quit. I keep on making minor mistakes and I just can't seem to fix them. I know what they are and I remind myself not to make them every time, but when I actually get to it, I forget. Argh! I doubt I'll pass at this rate."
"But the pay rate, once you get hired, is really good. Just stick it out, maybe you'll be finding yourself improving later on. Who knows, you might make it," a trainee encouraged him.
"Yeah, true. The pay really is very good. That's what attracted me here in the first place."
"Well, we are going to be serving the head of the Everett Touch Corporation—a huge giant in the business world—if we pass the special training and the legendary test they keep on mentioning." A trainee pointed out.
"True." They all nodded in agreement.
Nowadays, the trainees were finally easing into the special training and their bodies adapted somewhat to the harsh demands placed on them. Nevertheless, they felt their entire body breaking apart and their mind melting everyday from exhaustion and overwork. It was too much for their untrained and unskilled bodies to handle.
This special training was evil; methods straight from hell. Meant to torture them!
Was all the trainees' common consensus.
The chatty trainees spoke on with renewed energy—despite their fatigue—about basically everything that had occurred today and events from the start of the special training to now, while changing out of their sweaty clothes, some of which had blood on them.
—That's right. A few also complained about their cut fingers and hands. Goofing around, they even started a contest to see who cut themselves the least.
"That's right. Two people came to see us today." One of them suddenly brought up this matter.
"Yeah. The shorter one was young master Ian and the taller one was Mr. Levi. We were shown their pictures on the very first day the special training started, dumbbutt."
"Otherwise, how would we recognize our superiors?" Another butted into the conversation.
"Whatevers~ Anyways, did you notice how nervous Dan and his dorm mates were? Hahaha! I bet their points were taken off. Instructor Srca looked really displeased with them!"
During the special training period, the trainees were obliged to call Butler Srca 'Instructor Srca'. Only after they passed the special training and the test can they switch to calling him 'Butler Srca'. Either that, or when they fail.
Just the thought of failing made the energetically talking trainees shiver. Just thinking of themselves being rudely thrown out of the training building and out of the estate in an embarrassing state made their thin skins crawl with shame.
Putting back on his earrings that he took off for the lessons, Chase listened as the other trainees chatted and complained about the lessons today as usual. Most interesting of all, they talked about the unexpected appearance of the young master of the Everett Touch Corporation.
Overhearing their mention of that event made Chase recall something that had happened this evening.
Chase had noticed a young teenage boy staring at him today while he was decorating a dessert, which was his task for the cooking lesson today. Although he concentrated intensely on the dessert itself, he still noticed a strong and unignorable presence around him. An oppressing and cold aura that subconsciously seeped out of the young boy—Young Master Ian.
Chase wondered if the young master took a liking to him, if not, why else would he stare at him the whole time when he didn't look twice at the other trainees. After all, although few in number, there were still some trainees who did as well as him in the special training. His skills weren't really that impressive.
'Oh well. I won't know the truth anyways unless he tells me.' Chase simply shrugged his shoulders and headed to bed, no longer thinking about this unsolvable question, wanting instead to sleep off the exhaustion that plagued him. This special training was no joke. It was even harsher than the military camp. Testing both their body and mind, and stretching their potentials to the limit.
His fluffy orange and yellow hair—looking much more docile in his weariness—sprayed out on the soft pillow as he buried himself deeply into his bed and blanket. His sleepy red eyes closed as he drifted off into dreamland.