With a bit of nervousness, Perry slowly shared his assessments of the five ingredients with Oliver and Fido. He explained the characteristics, scents, and his guesses about their attributes for each ingredient in detail, yet he felt a thread of anxiety, worried his judgments might be off. However, after listening, Oliver paused in mild surprise; Perry's ability to accurately identify the attributes of some ingredients was more than he had expected. He nodded, a trace of approval on his face, and with a hint of affirmation, said, "You managed to guess correctly on quite a few. It seems you're more perceptive about ingredients than I anticipated."
Hearing this, Perry's initial nervousness gradually transformed into a feeling of joy and confidence, his eyes lighting up. He wasn't entirely sure if his skill in detecting flavors would continue to help him, but the recognition lifted his spirits. Oliver then added, "Since you've passed the test, be sure to bring the tuition fee when class begins in two days. But before that, there's a task for you to complete." Saying this, he pulled out a pen and paper, quickly jotting something down with a serious expression before handing the note to Perry.
"This is a list of ingredients," Oliver explained as he passed the note to Perry. "Before classes start, you'll need to gather everything on this list as part of your prep. Head to the library to look up these ingredients, study their properties and characteristics in detail, so you can truly understand how to use them." He paused, his gaze turning serious as he looked at Perry. "Understanding ingredients goes beyond flavor. To master them, you need to feel every nuance of their nature, every layer of their change, so that you can control them effortlessly."
Perry nodded solemnly and carefully tucked the note away. His eyes showed a hint of curiosity as though he wanted to ask Chef Oliver something. Noticing this, Chef Oliver smiled and said, "I'll briefly explain the basic characteristics of each of these ingredients, so you have some direction when gathering them."
After gathering his thoughts, Chef Oliver began to explain each one: "First, we have soft tofu, a non-attribute ingredient. It has a mild, slightly sweet flavor and is a common base in many dishes. Its gentle texture pairs well with a variety of other ingredients to enhance a dish's texture."
Chef Oliver gave a soft smile and pointed to the next item on the list: "Then there's the Laughing Pepper, which retains a vibrant green color only if it hasn't been exposed to dark environments. It has an extremely spicy flavor and a fire attribute. This chili's heat isn't just a taste but holds the essence of fire. When used well, it adds a lively layer of intensity to a dish but must be handled carefully so as not to overwhelm other flavors."
At this point, Chef Oliver paused, sliding his finger to the third item, "The ribbon fish. Its flesh has a mild sweetness with a subtle oceanic aroma, along with a fire attribute. In cooking, ribbon fish can add a delicate sweetness to broths, but the cooking temperature must be managed carefully to bring out its unique fragrance."
Listening intently, Perry mentally recorded each detail, his attention fully absorbed so as not to miss anything important. Chef Oliver continued, "Next is the Durri Fruit, which has a sweet and sour taste with the main flavor being sour, and an earth attribute. The sourness of Durri Fruit has a refreshing quality, making it suitable for light dishes and adding depth."
Chef Oliver glanced at Perry to confirm he understood everything, then concluded, "As for the meat of the Raza Quadbeast, it's unique. It has a salty flavor with a hint of bitterness that varies depending on how it's handled. The bitterness is influenced by the suffering the Quadbeast endured in life, so this meat needs careful soothing to soften its flavor. Its attribute is water, giving it a unique cooling effect in dishes, helping balance the strong flavors of warmer ingredients."
Perry listened attentively, developing a clearer understanding of these ingredients and silently resolved to explore the full potential of each one.
As Chef Oliver finished speaking, he turned his attention to Fido. Moving over to the storage shelf, he took down a single leaf, pure white and thin as paper, with a soft, luminous sheen. He gently weighed it in his hand before placing it into the soup Fido had been brewing. Perry watched closely, noticing that the leaf slowly turned from white to deep black as it touched the broth, as if absorbing the essence of the soup. At the same time, the broth brightened, taking on a vibrant, lively glow.
Curious, Perry's eyes showed a hint of question, and he couldn't resist asking, "This leaf… what exactly does it do?"
With a slight, mysterious smile, Oliver explained, "This isn't just any leaf. It's called an 'Attribute Absorption Leaf.' Its special quality is that it can absorb the attributes in a dish, making this broth neutral in attribute. Since it's tasteless and odorless, it doesn't alter the original flavor of the broth, but when it absorbs a dark attribute, it turns black. From here, you can add it to any dish, and that dish will then take on the dark attribute." He paused, then continued, "Think of it like a blank canvas—it can absorb even the most complex attributes, and it reflects the specific characteristics it absorbs."
Chef Oliver's clear explanation left Perry with a newfound understanding, but he also sensed the extraordinary value of this leaf. Standing nearby, Fido's eyes lit up in amazement, and he added, "This single leaf isn't cheap, you know—it costs ten thousand gold coins!"
Perry gasped, exclaiming in shock, "What? A single leaf costs ten thousand coins? That's outrageous!"
Chef Oliver chuckled, shaking his head at Perry's reaction, unsurprised. He calmly took out a transparent testing strip, dipped it into the soup, and closely examined the broth to confirm the attributes had been fully absorbed, then nodded. "Alright, the soup's attributes are now entirely neutral."
With that, he picked up a ladle, carefully blew on the hot soup, sipped a small amount, and savored it. After a moment, he nodded slightly, offering feedback in an approving and mildly instructive tone, "The balance of sour and spicy is well done; the heat and acidity are just right. However, a touch less salt would be ideal, and you could use a little less chili to better highlight the freshness of the tomato. As for the combination of chicken and electric eel, it's unexpectedly harmonious, full of rich flavors, a truly clever pairing."
Fido, listening to Chef Oliver's feedback, looked enlightened, clearly feeling he'd learned a lot. Enthusiastically, he scooped up a ladle of soup and, smiling, offered it to Perry, "Here, give it a taste, try my creation!"
Perry carefully took the spoon from Fido and sipped the soup. The sour and spicy flavors danced on his tongue, lively and stimulating, as if performing in his mouth. As the soup glided down, each ingredient's flavor unfolded distinctly—sour, spicy, salty, and savory—alternating yet harmonizing seamlessly. Perry nodded, silently acknowledging that Chef Oliver's advice was spot-on; reducing the saltiness and chili just a bit would indeed create a more balanced flavor, enhancing the natural taste of the ingredients.
Fido, sipping his own carefully prepared soup, was clearly pleased, fully trusting Oliver's feedback. Glancing at Perry with a smile, he remarked, "As I thought, cooking is fascinating. There's still so much I have to learn."
Chef Oliver checked the time and, seeing that today's lesson was wrapping up, clapped his hands and instructed Fido and Perry to clean up the kitchen. Fido nodded right away, grabbed some clean cloths from a nearby shelf, handed one to Perry, and signaled for him to help with the tidying. "Since we have time, we can go out to gather ingredients afterward," Fido said as he organized the stovetop.
Before leaving, Chef Oliver specifically reminded Fido to teach Perry methods and techniques for finding ingredients, ensuring they'd have them for the next lesson. Perry's heart tensed at this, recalling yesterday's ingredient hunt. That place was dark and damp, giving him an inexplicable feeling of unease. Remembering the strange energy that lingered there, he frowned, reluctant to revisit that area.
Noticing Perry's thoughtful expression, Fido gave his shoulder a light pat and smiled, "Don't drift off now! Help me portion out this soup, we don't want any of this deliciousness to go to waste." With that, Fido went into the storage room, retrieved several clean ceramic containers, and carefully ladled the soup into five portions. He poured each portion with precision, ensuring every container held the same pure, flavorful broth.
Perry stood nearby, holding containers and watching Fido's meticulous work, amazed at his attention to detail. After finishing, Fido dusted off his hands, turned to Perry, and said, "Now, put the prepped ingredients into these small containers, keeping each type separate." He demonstrated once, arranging the cut ingredients neatly into individual containers on the workstation.
Following his example, Perry packed each ingredient type with care, handling each piece delicately. Fido nodded approvingly, instructing, "These ingredients will be used shortly, so make sure to store them carefully." Perry wasn't sure what they'd be used for but followed instructions diligently.
Once the kitchen was tidied, Perry looked at the clean workstation, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Fido wiped away the last bit of moisture, placed the towel back on the shelf, and turned to Perry, "Alright, we're about ready to go. I'll take you to the trade market, where we'll trade these ingredients for others. There, you'll find all kinds of rare materials. You can use ingredients or gold coin to buy things at there. I gone sell my soup and you aldo can sell those ingredients."
"This sound good."
To avoid drawing attention, Perry and Fido had changed out of their conspicuous chef uniforms. Fido wore a simple white shirt paired with deep green checkered pants, looking clean and neat, yet casual, with no trace of the heavy work atmosphere from the kitchen.
The afternoon sunlight streamed down, casting dappled shadows through the trees, and the air was filled with a warm, pleasant breeze. They needed to reach the teleportation phone booth, and considering the time and their energy, Perry decided to use teleportation magic to transport both himself and Fido near the booth. As he softly recited the spell, a flash of light appeared, and in the blink of an eye, they found themselves at the entrance of the phone booth.
Since it was the afternoon, a long line had already formed in front of the phone booth. Most of the students seemed to be preparing to go to the market to buy ingredients or head home, carrying shopping bags and walking briskly. Everyone in the line appeared to have a clear purpose, and Perry and Fido's appearance seemed to go unnoticed by the others. They stood at the end of the line, and Perry counted quietly, noticing that there were about ten people ahead of them. Although the line was a bit long, it wouldn't take them too long to reach the booth. Perry silently let out a sigh of relief.
However, as they stood waiting, Perry's gaze unintentionally swept across a familiar pair of figures in the line. He froze instantly—it was Lionel and Omar. The two of them were standing not far away, also preparing to use the teleportation phone booth. Seeing their familiar faces, Perry immediately felt a rush of anxiety. He definitely didn't want to be seen by them at such a time, especially since he didn't want to reveal that he was pursuing a career as a chef. That could cause unnecessary trouble.
His heart racing, Perry quickly pulled the hood of his magic robe over his head, covering most of his face. Almost instinctively, he tried to hide behind Fido, hoping to avoid drawing attention. Fido noticed Perry's sudden movement and couldn't help but turn around, asking in a low voice, "Are you trying to hide from someone?"
Perry, flustered, lowered his voice and whispered, "That's Lionel and Omar over there. I don't want them to see me. It's best if we slip by quietly."
Fido glanced in the direction Perry was referring to and saw that the two were chatting happily, seemingly unaware of them. He smiled lightly, patted Perry on the shoulder, and reassured him, "Don't worry. With you hiding like this, they won't see you. Besides, your cloak is long enough and covers your face well. There's no need to be nervous."
Perry relaxed a little, adjusting his breathing and trying to stay calm, though he still remained cautious. Even though Lionel and Omar didn't seem to notice them, Perry wasn't ready to fully let his guard down, fearing that any small detail might expose him. He stayed behind Fido, keeping as quiet and low-key as possible, waiting for his turn in the line.
As the line gradually moved forward, Perry took a careful glance and saw that Lionel and Omar hadn't turned around. They were still engaged in their conversation, clearly not paying attention to them. Perry's anxiety slowly eased, and he was finally able to relax a little. At that moment, Fido, with a low chuckle, said, "See? Nothing to worry about. We'll get through this just fine."
The two of them continued to stand at the back of the line, patiently waiting as the people ahead of them slowly made their way to the booth. When it was finally their turn, Perry let out a quiet sigh of relief.