The Love of the Powerful

Cooking X Is X Easy?

"Congratulations on those who managed to get out of the marshes alive and well!" Satotz mechanically said, before introducing the area that they were in, which was called the Biska Woods, where their second exam would take place. Cain didn't hear the rest of his rather short speech as he was getting fussed over by the tall purple man.

"I'm fine Gitta-san, see?" He jumped as an example, partly satisfying the said man who continued to tend to his scratches. Hisoka appeared not long later, when the announcer exclaimed that the second phase would begin at noon. He bore a few more bruises than Cain but Gittarackur paid his whines no attention.

"Tired?" Gittarackur's voice awoke Cain from his daydream, he nodded sleepily, leaning onto the tall figure before falling asleep defenselessly. Noon, which he guessed was a few hours away, perfect for a nap.

That was until he was grabbed by the waist and strung into the middle of the forest not awhile later. Cain was filled in by Hisoka about the project to make roasted pork, so he decided to do just that, except Gittarackur wasn't going to release him and motion sickness was getting onto him.

"Umm Gitta-san... if you let me go then I will-"

A loud echo of stomping was heard.

"Get both of us some pigs.. um okay?" Cain gasped at the size of those monstrous pigs, those would be enough for him in two lifetimes, and yet there are people who could eat all of that in one sitting? He sighed, this scenario isn't going to persuade the man to release his iron grip onto his waist, not even a little bit.
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Eventually Cain was free from the chain called Gittarackur, who ran off to get pigs for both of them as he had convinced himself that the latter was weak and unable to defend himself. So Cain stood around and gathered some herbs that he had recognised from the gardening book his master's husband had given to him.

The man, Arland Aleire was a gentle person, which contrasted the brash and outgoing nature of his lover, Cain's master. Arland was also the person who taught-no forced- Cain to take up cooking as an interest as the young boy from his past lacked hobbies or just anything that he particularly favoured doing.

'I wonder how they're doing now."

After retreating to the area lined with the same kitchen sets over and over, Cain propped some herbs on his station and started working. Gittarackur later returned with two large pigs and inquired how to fully cook such a large animal without burning its skin, which Cain shook of with a shrug of his shoulders, even if Gittarackur was a friend, he isn't going to reveal a culinary hint since his life is at stake.

Arland had once taught him that if he one day had to roast a large animal, he would have to layer the seasonings and roast it over in low heat. It was simple, fairly self explanatory, but nobody in the crowd picked it up. Bunch of nutcases who believed that culinary hunters shouldn't be classified as a hunter occupation. Arland would be gritting his teeth and boiling them by now, if he was here.

So Cain did just that and the time for judging quickly approached, and one by one each contestant was waved off by the woman who introduced herself as "Menchi". Menchi was indeed a culinary expert, probably those people who only ate from a small selection of elite chefs in the world, she was what's making this phase so difficult. When his turn arrived, Cain walked confidently (enough) with the weight of the meat in his arms, and gently placed the platter on the table.

The larger man, whose name Cain didn't catch, engulfed half of the dish in seconds. Menchi only sat there and picked at some herbs.

"I liked the idea of putting herbs and seasoning this, but the texture of the pork is too stringy for my liking. You're better by not much."

Cain wondered why he put his hopes up.

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I kind of just scanned over this chapter, might edit once I'm not sleep deprived and sad about my technologies assignment.