The dormitory area was much closer to the academy's planting fields, and the path was smooth and easy to walk, so the little witches set off half an hour earlier. It had become their tradition to head down the mountain at noon, clutching their Witch Books in their left hands and blank parchment in their right, ready to take notes and capture new knowledge.
The atmosphere buzzed with excitement as they made their way to their first real magic class.
"Finally, we get to learn magic! My wand's practically vibrating with anticipation!" one witch exclaimed.
"Just wait till we start mixing all the ingredients! 'Swoosh swoosh!' I can't wait!" another added, miming the action of casting spells with her wand.
"Ha! I'm going to learn cooking magic and make the most amazing meals every day!" one witch said, rubbing her hands together as if she could already smell the delicious dishes she'd soon be conjuring.
The enthusiasm was contagious, but one witch, Cheryl, was still cautious. "Hey, even though it's magic class next, we should still read our textbooks just in case. What if Ms. Amisha asks us questions again like she did in theory class?"
The reminder sent a shiver through the group. Memories of the theory class, where they had been caught off guard, still lingered. Taking Cheryl's advice to heart, they quickly opened their textbooks, 'Learning the Magic of Cooking from Scratch', and began cramming as they walked.
Lyra, walking a little ahead, chuckled softly to herself. The textbook for the cooking magic class was far simpler than the dense theory texts they had struggled through. It was designed for beginners, witches who had no prior experience with cooking or magic, with clear instructions and easy-to-follow illustrations. Ms. Amisha was unlikely to grill them like she had in theory class.
Still, she knew preparation never hurt, so she let them read on.
When they reached the classroom, the setup was different. The cooking classroom, situated conveniently next to the academy's food pick-up area, had fifty kitchen workstations, each resembling the ones in their dormitory kitchens. But as they filed in, Lyra noticed there were only 27 kitchen setups placed around the room; some witches would have to share.
Once everyone had taken their seats, Ms. Amisha entered, her presence commanding as always. She looked around at the eager faces and began giving instructions.
"All right, everyone, put your wands down for now," she said firmly. "Don't think for a moment that you can just wave your wand and expect a feast to appear. The foundation of culinary magic is 'cooking', and there are no shortcuts."
Some of the witches exchanged glances, their excitement dimming slightly as the reality set in.
"First," Ms. Amisha continued, "you will follow the instructions in your textbooks and try to make brown bread 'without' the help of magic. The method is clearly detailed in the book, along with illustrations. If you run into trouble, consult your textbook first. Only if you cannot find the answer there, may you raise your hand and ask me."
She began patrolling the classroom, watching as the little witches started flipping through their textbooks to the bread recipe. Luckily, many of them had done a preview earlier, so they recognized the instructions and started getting to work.
Lyra and Amy had taken their places at the front workstations, their positions reflecting their knowledge and confidence in cooking. Sylph and Vasida, both with a bit less experience, sat just behind them. As Ms. Amisha made her way over, she looked at Lyra and Amy and gave them a different task.
"You two seem to have some basic cooking skills," she noted. "I want you to make 'everything' listed in the textbook for me. Show me what you've got."
Lyra, recalling Lilith's advice that cooking magic wasn't just about the food but about mastering magical techniques, nodded thoughtfully. She was already planning how to execute the dishes efficiently, considering the order of ingredients and steps. She knew there was more to this than it seemed.
Amy, however, was less prepared. "Dean, this is too easy for us," she said confidently. "Why don't we skip ahead and use the 'Valen Continent Food Picture Book'? That way, we can learn some real cooking magic!"
Ms. Amisha's eyes narrowed, but her expression remained calm. "No. You have not yet fully mastered the content of this textbook."
Amy's brows furrowed. "What do you mean? I just glanced through the whole thing, and it doesn't look difficult at all."
Ms. Amisha turned to Lyra, who was already gathering her ingredients, inspecting them with care. "Lyra, what's your take on this?" she asked.
Lyra glanced up, giving Amy a knowing look before responding. "I'm fine with the task as it is."
"Lyra…" Amy started, but Lyra was already focused on the task at hand, her expression calm and determined.
Lyra understood that while the recipes in the textbook seemed basic, there was a reason Ms. Amisha wanted them to start here. It wasn't just about the food; it was about developing the precision and discipline required for cooking magic; a foundation they needed before moving on to more advanced spells. It was about understanding the magical principles behind each ingredient and the way they interacted without relying on magic to fix mistakes.
She turned back to her station, preparing to begin. If there was one thing Lyra had learned at the academy, it was that sometimes the simplest lessons held the most valuable knowledge.
"Amy, cooking and cooking magic are two completely different things," Lyra explained, her tone serious. "I've tried it myself, and trust me, it's much harder to master than you'd think. It's best to start with the simplest dishes and work our way up."
"Okay!" Amy agreed, though a hint of confusion lingered in her eyes. She had always assumed cooking magic would be straightforward, but since Lyra seemed confident and her cooking skills were definitely better; Amy figured there had to be some truth to it.
Seeing that Amy was willing to listen, Amisha nodded approvingly and moved on to check on the other students. Lyra seized the moment to share her weekend cooking mishap with Amy.
"Listen, over the weekend, I tried using magic to cook without following the basics. It was a disaster," she admitted, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Didn't your mother, who's a food witch, start with regular cooking before using magic?"
Amy frowned, recalling memories of her mother. "I always thought it was just because she liked cooking the traditional way," she said, shrugging. "I had no idea it was part of learning cooking magic."
Lyra smiled knowingly. "Your mom was already a famous food witch when you were born, right? She probably didn't want to scare you off by showing how tough it is to start from scratch."
Amy's eyes widened. "She hid it so well!" She paused, then muttered, "But I guess it's my fault, too. I never asked."
As if testing her luck, Amy glanced around to make sure Ms. Amisha wasn't watching. Then, she aimed her wand at two tomatoes, trying to lift them simultaneously. They wobbled for a moment, but ultimately, they dropped with a thud.
Her shoulders sagged. "Alright, I get it now. No shortcuts," she sighed, finally committed to following the instructions.
An hour and a half passed, with the little witches working diligently under Ms. Amisha's watchful eye. The classroom was filled with the smells of baking bread, but the results varied wildly. Each witch's black bread looked different, some were oddly shaped, others too dark or too pale.
Meanwhile, Lyra and Amy, having followed the instructions to the letter, managed to complete all the dishes listed in the textbook.
When time was up, Ms. Amisha called out, "Alright! The last half hour is tasting time. Let's see how well you all did."
The witches exchanged nervous glances, but they dutifully brought forward small samples of their work for Ms. Amisha to taste. She moved from table to table, knife and fork in hand, her expression unreadable as she tried each dish.
The little witches, watching her with bated breath, were eager to try their own creations, until they actually tasted them.
"Ouch! It's so hard; I can't even bite into it!" one witch yelped.
"Is this bread or a rock?" another muttered, poking at her dense loaf with a scowl.
"Hey, mine's still raw inside!" someone else complained, looking horrified.
As they watched Ms. Amisha calmly continue her tasting, the witches couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. The dean's patience was admirable; the bread was nearly inedible.
After tasting everything, Ms. Amisha finally turned back to the group. "Lyra and Amy, you both have passed the basic cooking test. You can begin learning cooking magic tomorrow."
Lyra and Amy exchanged a look of triumph, their hard work paying off. They grinned as the realization set in: the dean had been testing their cooking skills all along.
But the other little witches looked uneasy. Their confidence was shaken after tasting their own black bread. Ms. Amisha's announcement only confirmed their worries.
"To the rest of you," she continued, "you will keep practicing black bread in the next class until you master it."
"Dean, when can we start learning cooking magic?" one of the witches dared to ask, her voice tinged with desperation.
Ms. Amisha's eyes were firm. "When you can cook all the dishes in the textbook as skillfully as Lyra and Amy, then you'll be ready."
With that, she left them with a harsh but fair challenge and exited the room. The little witches stared after her, flipping through their textbooks in dismay.
"Let's see… brown bread, white bread, vegetable soup, mushroom soup, potato soup, fried steak, fried lamb chops… Oh no, there's so many!" one witch counted, her eyes wide with dread.
"The black bread we made today was supposed to be the easiest!" another moaned. "It's meant to be simple, basic food, and it's still rock-hard. The textbook even says it's the kind of bread people in the wilderness eat, but ours… ours could be used as weapons!"
"Cooking magic class… and we didn't even get to use magic," someone grumbled.
"Hey, it's not the same for Lyra and Amy, they've already got the basics down, so they're moving on!" another witch pointed out, feeling the pressure mount.
With spirits low and shoulders slumped, the first-year witches trudged out of their first magic practice class, their excitement deflated. They had arrived with high hopes, ready to wield magic, but left with the sobering realization that they had a long way to go before they could earn that privilege.