5. Test Started
It's Saturday, the time has come.
"Time to get a job", Exxone off to tavern where he signed up as a cooking assistant in the morning around 10 o'clock.
Today is the examination day for the applicants, this is an opportunity for Exxone to find some money for his daily life needs. Three years ago before he enrolled in Magical Mudrost, he was a home cook and sold his own homemade dishes. His dishes are famous around his house, Rias Avenue. He is quite famous there thanks to his cooking skills.
"Thank you to all the applicants who have gathered here, now let's begin the test as an assistant chef at Union Tavern!" , said the manager of the Union. The judge is a woman named Dalvi, she has long wavy hair and a sexy body, it can be seen from the way she dresses.
"Why are we here? Doesn't a cook have to work in the kitchen? ", ask Claude, one of the Applicants. A young boy with light orange hair with athletic physic.
"A chef doesn't only relying his cooking skills! A chef is also tested in real conditions forcing him to survive! All of you will cook with ingredients gathered here, you guys better not using ingredients that you brought by yourself, you will immediately be disqualified!"
"Ha?"
"What?"
"I don't remember we have to survive to be cooks", chatter from the applicants.
"You can use fire magic to help the cooking process! But there is no transmutation, transformation, or teleportation magic! I will soon realize it just by looking at the dish ", Dalvi warned all applicants.
There are about ten applicants here.
Danilo's Wish, a place filled with rivers, grass, and waterfalls. A perfect place to find inspiration an innovation for artist, also a place to hang out and have fun while enjoying the cool air.
But today it will be filled with competition and seafood, thought all of the applicants.
"In addition, we will give you a magic book as a gift!", added Dalvi while showing a book with a smiley icon on the cover.
"Who is the author of the book? Is that someone like Professor Nebojsa? Because magic books are rare items that can be published if the original author is a wizard who has popularity,", asked another applicant.
"Hmm, there is no author's name here, the title is Magic for Dummies, Fire Edition, this book belongs to our family and has been kept in our house for a long time, we also don't have magic power to use the contents of this book, that's why we make it as a gifts from our family for those who accepted! ", explained Dalvi.
"Hey, you said Magic for-?", then everyone started making a fuss and talking about what kind of dish to cook since this place had limited ingredients to find.
"You have only 3 hours from now, no more talk, we start in 3..2..1! Start cooking! ", shouted Dalvi. Everyone started running and started looking for cooking ingredients.
"Hmm, river huh, means seafood dish, algae plants can be used as fuel for cooking", Exxone rushed to the river to have a look.
Most people carrying nets or swam to catch fish, and others carrying rifles.
BAM!
"These people don't know how to treat the ingredients, huh??" Exxone walked away from the crowd and found a different river path by himself.
"I will use my new magic technique that I got from that book", Exxone took out a small knife that he always carried around.
"Work is a part of life, but that doesn't apply to magicians. Work for me! " , then the knife dashed quickly into the water and hit the two fish at once, then picked up them.
"Not bad as a beginner, hehe", Exxone pocketed the fish into the basket.
"Drrp..drpp ... drpp ... hiii", sound of a horse coming from beneath of his feet, Exxone is standing on a higher ground from where the sound came from.
"Here, take it, make sure you pass this test and bring that book to me", Exxone could not see the person wearing a robe and mask who come to deliver something to Claude, one of the applicants.
"Observation is one source of all information! Far Sight! ", Exxone is looking what the mysterious person gave to Claude, then he opened the covering cloth on it.
"HA? Fried fish? This guy is really a bastard, he asked someone else to bring food here? A chef is nothing if he can't cook", muttered Exxone angrily and clenched his fists.
Claude felt like he was being watched from a distance, then he shifted his gaze to where Exxone was staring at him.
"Ah, who's there ?!" Claude immediately rushed after Exxone.
"Mana is the same like breath and life energy, explode! Strengthen me! ", he ran and jumped over the rocks towards Exxone quickly and nimbly.
"?! HA?! He also do magic ?! What kind of magic is that?", Exxone surprised seeing Claude moving so fast towards him.
The boy quickly jumped over the rocks and when one more step was right in front of Exonne,
CRACK !!
"Hee?", Claude was taken aback.
The final stepping stone cracked and shattered, then he lost his balance, he released his grip on the fish basket and fell into the river.
Exxone who realized what was happening,
"FLY !!", instead of helping Claude not to fall into the river, he caught the basket of fried fish using flight magic.
"Of course I will ignore that bastard and choose this fish instead", he said that while casting his eyes on…. us?
"How can I fly someone, I just learned this technique this week", in Exxone's mind.
PLASHHH!!! BUSH!! DRAP..DRAPDRAPDRAP ... !!, hurried step coming towards Exxone, only this time Exxone could feel anxiety accompanying the sound of those steps.
"HEY, PLEASE RETURN IT! I ALREADY HAD ENOUGH DIFFICULTIES TO MAKE IT!", said Claude in a jolted tone with a gasping breath.
He rushed over to Exxone in soaked clothes and many plants stuck on his head.
"Hooo… you had enough difficulties? You mean by sneaking around the crowds and received this dish from a suspicious person who appear out of nowhere, huh? ", Exxone dictates him.
"All big mess sometimes comes from small mistakes. Tinder! ", Exxone flicked a small flame from the tip of his middle finger into the basket of fried fish.
"A chef who can't catch and fry better fish better die- ", Exxone got Tinder magic in his childhood.
"WOAH WOAH! WAIT, WAIT !! ARE YOU CRAZY ?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING ?!" Claude panicked.
"As you can see, it's not like I want to get in the way of your life for getting a job and use the same way to trick anyone other than this shop manager, but as a cook I really can't accept this," Exxone explained in firm tone.
"WAIT WAIT! Can we negotiate something? Anything ???", Claude's voice was more elevated but languid.
"There's nothing to negotiate," Exxone replied coldly.
"Damn, there's no other choice," Claude said as if there was no other solution.
"GIVE ME STRENGTH!",
"Oh shit!", Exxone immediately set fire the basket of fried fish after hearing Claude's magic spell.
BUWOSHHH !! PLASHH !!
"UOHH !!", Claude ran into Exxone and knocked them both into the river. In the middle of the day, the calm river water becomes scattered because of their actions.
BRAK !!
The basket was thrown backwards and all of the fish came out from it, but the fish was still in the wrapped plastic bag.The two of them immediately got out of the river and rushed to the burning basket, but the contents of the fried fish were still safe because they came out. Claude was already in front of Exxone after they noticed it. The two of them now looking the fried fish lying on the ground.
"I won't let you!", said Exxone as he chanted levitation magic on stones to destroy the fish.
"GIVE ME MORE POWER!", Claude jumped over faster than the rock that Exxone had thrown and hugged the fish as if protecting his own life. Seeing his efforts, Exxone canceled the effect of his magic activation and the stone fell before hitting Claude.
"Hahh, okay then, I lost, take the damn fish and get out of my sight", said Exxone.
Claude then said, "I didn't do this without reason, I also have my own reasons for doing this".
"Hoo ..? What is it?" Exxone said with a provoking expression.
Claude then turned his face to Exxone while sitting on the ground and said, "I want to get that book and become a fire mage", Claude said with slightly watery eyes.
"Does he EVEN KNOW what he said?"