Lyra strode out of the house, her basket swinging at her side, brimming with excitement. she had a plan: gather the finest ingredients to whip up some authentic Blue Star delicacies. She'd been itching to show off her culinary magic and couldn't wait to impress her seniors; Vasida, Sylph, and Lilith; with a meal they'd never forget. she could already picture their surprise and delight as they tasted each dish, every bite made richer by the company.
After all, she thought, food is always better when shared.
Lyra recalled watching her mother use cooking magic, the way ingredients seemed to float and slice themselves, pots stirred without hands, and plates danced into place. It looked so effortless. If she could pull it off, she'd not only save time but look incredibly skilled doing it. This dinner would be the perfect ending to a relaxing night with friends before diving into another week of study and spellwork. Yet, as with all good plans, there was a twist...
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**Knock, knock.**
Before they even touched the door, Lilith, Vasida, and Sylph heard clanging, banging, and the unmistakable sound of something or someone, thrashing about inside. The door creaked open by itself, revealing a chaotic sight.
Pots and pans lay scattered across the floor, knives were lodged at odd angles in the wall, forks were tangled with herbs, and broken eggs lay smeared over vegetables. Standing amidst the culinary wreckage was Lyra, her back turned, shoulders slumped in defeat.
The three seniors exchanged glances. Sylph cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "Lyra? Are we interrupting... a battle with a troublemaker?"
Lilith took a step forward, her magic wand held firmly in her grip. "Where is the little gremlin? These troublemakers love candy; if you have any, put it out as bait! Once we catch this pest, I'll make sure it learns its lesson, by turning it into a potato!"
Now, troublemakers were notorious little creatures, resembling plump, mischievous potatoes with a tendency to sneak into homes and wreak havoc, all in search of sweets. If they couldn't find any candy, they'd vent their frustration by overturning furniture, breaking dishes, and causing general mayhem. Most families had developed a simple solution: leave a small candy stash out as a peace offering. The troublemaker would eat, leave a small mark of appreciation, and vanish for weeks. However, some people took a more aggressive approach; using candy to lure the creature into a trap and then transforming it into a real potato, whose juice could be smeared around the house to keep other troublemakers at bay.
The trick was that poor families, who had no sweets, rarely encountered troublemakers. Those sneaky creatures had a knack for finding households with a sugar stash, as predictably as roaches find crumbs.
Determined, Lilith scanned the room, her eyes narrowing. "Alright, show yourself, troublemaker!"
Lyra shifted uncomfortably, finally turning to face her friends. she took a deep breath, cheeks flushed. "Uh… I, uh… might be the troublemaker," she admitted sheepishly.
Lilith blinked in surprise. "Wait… you?"
Lyra nodded, visibly embarrassed. "I thought I'd try cooking magic like I saw my mom do. It looked so easy! I was sure I could handle it. But, uh… things didn't exactly go as planned."
With a sigh, she continued. "I was feeling confident, so I used my magic to move all the ingredients and tools at once, thinking they'd fall into place perfectly. But instead… well, you see what happened."
Lilith pressed her hand to her forehead, struggling to hold back a laugh. "How many ingredients and utensils did you try to control simultaneously?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Lyra hesitated. "All of them?"
Lilith shook her head. "Lyra! Cooking magic isn't something you can rush. Even though it's the first spell most young witches learn, it's not simple. You need not only the basics of cooking but also an immense amount of focus and control. Trying to move everything at once is like trying to juggle while riding a broomstick; you're asking for chaos."
Lyra looked around at the mess with a rueful smile. "I see that now..."
The room fell silent for a beat, then Vasida let out a chuckle, unable to keep a straight face any longer. Sylph and Lilith joined in, the laughter filling the air and lightening the weight of Lyra's blunder.
Lilith finally wiped a tear from her eye and clapped Lyra on the back. "Look at it this way, every witch has to start somewhere! How about we help you clean up and, this time, we'll cook together? You'll get the hang of it soon enough."
Lyra's face brightened as she nodded, grateful for their support. With renewed determination, she rolled up her sleeves, ready to tackle the challenge with her friends by her side.
Lilith raised her eyebrows, a grin tugging at her lips. "Being able to multitask like that; controlling so many ingredients, directing all those kitchen tools, and cooking multiple dishes at once, that's the kind of skill only a high-level gourmet witch has! No wonder things went wild on you."
Lyra sighed, feeling her cheeks burn. "I'm so sorry, I thought I could handle it… turns out I made a royal mess of things."
Only now was she realizing the limits of her book, *Learning Cooking Magic from Scratch*. The book promised to teach cooking magic, sure, but it only covered three basic recipes: bread, vegetable soup, and fried steak.
Not exactly a full-course meal.
And on top of that, the instructions were as bare-bones as could be; simple steps, minimal ingredients, and only the most basic tools. Lyra had figured it was because the book was for little witches just starting out, so she'd thought her basic cooking knowledge could fill in the gaps. She'd even skipped a few steps, sure that she could handle the magic on her own. But now, she was realizing that these dishes were specifically chosen because of their simplicity; they required minimal control and had almost no chance of causing chaos.
Vasida nudged her with a reassuring smile. "Hey, it's your first go at it, Lyra. Everyone stumbles a bit at the start."
Sylph nodded, picking up a stray carrot from the floor. "And look; half these veggies are still fine! We just need to give them a rinse, and they're good to go."
Meanwhile, Lilith had already taken out her wand, effortlessly waving it over the mess. One by one, the fallen utensils, vegetables, and cracked eggs began floating back into the basket or onto the stove. Lyra noticed how each item returned in a single, orderly file, one piece at a time, without any chaotic collision. Lilith wasn't rushing, guiding every item smoothly, with just the right amount of control.
"Let me take over tonight," Lilith offered, her eyes gleaming. "I'll show you how an apprentice-level witch handles cooking magic. It's not flashy, but it gets the job done."
Lyra beamed with relief. "Thank you, Senior! I… I've seriously underestimated what cooking magic can do." She thought back to Shana's mother, who often talked about her two specialties: mental magic and cooking magic. Yet, Shana's mother never called herself a 'food witch.' But looking back, Lyra now realized her skills far surpassed basic cooking magic; she was, in every sense, a gourmet witch.
As Lilith gathered the tools, Vasida and Sylph exchanged curious glances. Vasida's family didn't exactly do traditional cooking; her father, a zombie, followed some unique "zombie culinary methods," while Sylph was used to meals of bread, simple soups, and fresh-picked fruit from her parents. They were just as eager as Lyra to see Lilith's skills.
Lilith noticed the eager faces around her and winked, tossing the basket over her shoulder. "Alright, you three! Let's head to my place. I need my kitchen for this. My cooking magic is a bit, well… attached to my own tools."
The three witches looked at each other, confused. "Wait… aren't the kitchens in all the dorms the same?" Lyra asked, frowning. "Does the magic really care about location?"
Lilith was already heading out, the other three trailing behind like curious ducklings. She nodded as she explained, "Oh, definitely! Cooking magic works best with familiar tools. My utensils and cauldron have absorbed just a touch of my magic over time, so they're easier to control. It's all about precision, if I can control my kitchenware precisely, cooking magic becomes one of the most powerful forms of magic, even more so for household spells."
Lyra's eyes widened. She'd never thought of it that way, but it made sense. If you could control knives, ladles, and other kitchen tools with the same accuracy that some wizards controlled their wands, then why not apply that precision to, say, weapons? A well-orchestrated attack of self-directed knives could make for serious combat magic.
No wonder she'd made such a mess today. It wasn't just about understanding ingredients or recipes. There was a whole level of subtlety she hadn't even considered.
As they reached Lilith's cozy kitchen, she set the basket down and gestured to a chair by the stove. "Alright, Lyra. When you're learning, it's crucial to be able to see every single detail happening in the kitchen. Sit here and keep your eyes on every step."
Lyra nodded, focusing intently