Taste of Magic: Ambassador's Voice

Chapter 207 – Magical Pastry Class

Melina decided to take things easy in her first class. She wouldn't check on anyone or reprimand them. She would allow them all to do their own thing, taste their own dishes, and come to their own conclusions.

In the meantime, she would make enough sparkle meringue pie for everyone to have a slice to sample and compare with their own work. She showed everyone the pantry and explained how to use the magitech ovens. Some of the commoners had never used one before, although using an old-style oven was still an option if they preferred that. Melina got the oven going in a few minutes using her fire magic, so it wasn't an issue.

It was interesting to see what the so-called professional bakers would do with their task. Some messed up the task almost instantly by either mixing the sparkleaf into the batter or the filling. Some were a bit more careful and tried to figure out what the sparkleaf did first. But only a rare few had the patience to actually try to understand the ingredient.

Melina took note of those few people, but ultimately paid attention to her own task. She made several tart shells first, flash-baking them in the oven. While that was happening, she made the citrusy curd for the pie's filling and mixed the eggwhites with sparkleaves, being careful not to ruin the fragile ingredient.

After that, she cooked the pies and was done with her dish way before anyone else. This gave her ample time to inspect what her students were doing. Some were clearly trying to gloat and make some incredibly complex dishes. She saw an attempted croissant on one table and macarons on another. The chances of these dishes succeeding were slim.

"Excuse me," a man with bright red hair raised his hand, bringing Melina's attention to him.

"Yes?" Melina walked up to him. She noted that he was incredibly tall and had rather feminine features for a man. Most would definitely consider him very handsome, albeit his expression was rather cold.

"Is there a refrigerator?" He asked.

"Yes. Are you trying to cool down the pastry cream?" She asked, not quite understanding what he was trying to make from the setup on his bench.

"I'm trying to make an ice cream," he said.

There were a lot of curious glances in his direction. Melina smiled. This man was bold, but she believed he might be on the right track. If he did things in the right order.

"You ask Mango to assist you. She's wonderful at cooling things down at a steady temperature. She has helped me make many ice-creams and gelatos alike," Melina said, pointing to the icy fox.

Mango gave an affirmative yip and wiggled her two tails excitedly.

"Very well. If you could help me out, Mango, I'd really appreciate it," the man said to Mango kindly.

"What is your name?" Melina asked curiously.

"I'm Philip. I came from the Bakers Guild in Fenrora," he replied.

"I look forward to your dish, Philip," Melina said and continued her rounds around the kitchen. Her curiosity was piqued now. She really hoped that the man would get it right.

Melina allowed her students to cook for two hours. Some finished earlier than that, so she tested those dishes first. She didn't say anything about them, instead offering the students to taste their creations themselves and then also taste the sparkle meringue pie that she made.

Some made sour expressions after tasting her pie, likely realizing that they had done things wrong. Some were rather delighted to try her dessert, expressing eagerness to learn how to make it. Some spent every last minute she provided cooking their dish. One of the cooks had gone for a full cake.

Regardless of the complexity of the dish they chose, most were completely off the mark. Some couldn't even get the base dish right, clearly having overshot by choosing an overly complex dish. Namely, it was the croissant and macarons. They just weren't ready properly.

The problem with most dishes, however, was the fact that it was impossible to taste the sparkleaf. Most after having tasted Melina's pie realized it. Some more stubborn cases denied it, saying that they had faulty ingredients.

But there was one standout. Philip, the tall, red-haired cook, had made a beautiful sparkleaf ice cream. He'd done it completely right, too, as he added sparkleaf only in the very late stages of the churning process. That way, the sparkleaf didn't lose any of its flavor, resulting in a very unique and very tasty ice cream.

"This is wonderful. I believe it's better than my pie," Melina praised, not at all ashamed that one of the students had managed to beat her on day one.

"No, I believe I don't quite fit the requirements. This is a class for baking, yet I have produced an ice cream," Philip said humbly.

"I never said that you had to bake during this exercise, so you pass with flying colors. Besides, it can easily be incorporated in an ice-cream cake, if you wish to make it into a baked good," Melina said.

"Ice-cream cake…" The man sounded intrigued. "Will you be teaching how to make that?"

"Yes, it's a recipe I learned from a drow chef. I'll be teaching you all the recipes that I've learned in my rather short time as a baker. Most importantly, I'll be teaching how to use Monster Realm ingredients safely," Melina smiled, then went to the front of the class to address everyone.

"As you saw today, Monster Realm ingredients are rather temperamental and difficult to work with. Sparkleaf, which I made you work with today, is actually an easy ingredient to work with, because the worst consequence you can have is losing the flavor. However, other ingredients are more dangerous. Some may poison a person if not processed correctly. Some may cause hallucinations in excessive quantities. Some have too much mana in them for the human body to handle."

"If you wish to work with Monster Realm ingredients and secure a deal with Count Speziale to order them for yourself, you have to learn about them and understand. Only once you have my approval will the Count be willing to sell the ingredients to your household, business, or guild," Melina cautioned.

"Who are you to determine that? You're just some girl barely into her adulthood. Why do you get to decide anything?" One of the cooks called from the back. It was the one who had failed at making macarons.

"I am Melina Dufour, fiancée of Alistair Sinclair and the first [Archpatissier] in the Human Realm. If you do not trust my accomplishments, then you are welcome to leave my class. I'm not holding anyone here. You're welcome to forge your own path if you so wish," Melina said firmly.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Some people did actually leave. They were the more experienced-looking cooks who looked incapable of taking direction. Good. Melina didn't want to deal with them anyway. She wanted to work with people who could follow directions.

"To those of you who remain, are you ready to follow my instructions?" Melina asked.

"Yes," most replied. She noticed that Philip, in particular, was focused on her intently. He wanted nothing more than to learn about the Monster Realm ingredients, although it was likely that he needed her guidance the least.

"Wonderful, then let us begin the first lesson!"

Several more people left Melina's class by the end of the week, leaving her with twenty-four students in total. She would be lying if she said that she wasn't disappointed. However, the people who were left were more than eager to learn her technique.

The cooks working for nobles' houses were excited to see how Monster Realm ingredients could elevate cakes and other baked goods to completely new heights, while the guild cooks were eager to learn how to make healing waffles and cream puffs.

Melina ended up splitting the class into two. Half of the class focused on more decorative effects and desserts like shimmertart and opera cake, while the other half was more focused on the actual effects provided by the Monster Realm ingredients.

There were, however, a few oddballs among her students. Philip was one of them. Frankly, she believed he didn't even need her classes. The man was incredibly talented when it came to cooking. Any recipe she showed him, he picked up almost instantly.

He also understood the effects of the Monster Realm ingredients and was quick to apply them correctly in dishes. In fact, he created several new dishes on the fly, beating all of Melina's expectations. This man would undoubtedly go far.

"I'm ashamed to admit it, but I don't think there's much left I can teach you," Melina said after two weeks of her lessons.

Everyone else was still polishing their skills and trying to figure out perfect ways of working with each of the ingredients Melina had presented to them: feyfruit, sparkleaf, scorchvine pepper, and leafshade cacao. Thankfully, after Melina discovered the right processing technique, Count Speziale took it upon himself to do the processing.

"Don't sell yourself short, young lady. I'm nearly twice your age and have been working in the kitchen since before I turned eighteen. There are some things only experience can show you. The fact that you could teach me something new already shows great potential in your future," Philip said patiently.

"Would you perhaps teach me something you know? I feel like there's so much I could learn from you," Melina admitted.

"Of course. I believe it is only fair," the red-haired man smiled, his features softening ever so softly. He then looked around for a moment, as if to make sure that nobody else was listening in on their conversation. "I had a question for you. Unrelated to cooking."

"Please, ask away. If there's anything I can do to help," Melina said.

"Your fiancé is Duke Sinclair's youngest son, is that correct?" Philip asked somewhat uncomfortably.

"Yes…" Melina replied, wondering where this topic was going.

"And the Duke approves of your marriage, correct?"

"That's correct."

"H-How did you… acquire the Duke's permission? While you're a talented young woman and every baker in the country has heard of your grandfather, you're still a commoner, isn't that right?"

"Yes. Both of my parents were commoners," Melina confirmed. There was a moment of pause as Melina wondered how best to answer the question. Many things had come into play for Melina's and Alistair's marriage to be approved.

His unwavering loyalty and love for her. Her being a System user and one of the best magic users in the country. Her monster familiars and knowledge of the monster realm. She had many strengths that managed to overpower the fact that she was a commoner.

But why would Philip be interested in that? She didn't get it at first, but as the man rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, Melina realized. He must have fallen in love with a noblewoman.

"I'm… not sure if I can give you sound advice regarding the matter. I'm somewhat of a unique case. An oddity, if you will," Melina replied sheepishly.

Philip deflated. "I see… It was a silly question to ask. Let's return to the lesson."

Melina wished there was something she could do to help Philip, but unfortunately, she didn't know. Perhaps, she could consult with Alistair to figure out some kind of answer for him.

But that would have to wait for another day. Once the class was finished, Melina had an improved task to do. Something she was putting away for weeks now.

But the first frost had graced the earth this morning, creating a thin layer of ice on fallen leaves. Trees were completely barren, and Melina couldn't head outside without a proper thick coat and a shawl anymore. It also meant that the weather was too cold for Sienna to remain in Sunglow anymore.

With a heavy heart, she returned home, where the wyvern was huddled under the cover near the hearth. That was all she did these days.

Alistair was crouched down next to Sienna and only looked up when Melina came up next to them. They shared a sad glance, and Mango whimpered sadly at Sienna.

The wyvern did lift her head. Melina scratched under her chin, watching Sienna chitter with delight.

"I think it's time for you to go to a warmer place," Melina said sadly.

Sienna looked sad, too, but they all knew that this couldn't go on. She couldn't handle the cold at all. What would the wyvern do during the cold months when a thick layer of snow covered everything and subzero temperatures were a daily occurrence?

"Let's get going. I got Knight ready," Alistair said.

Melina nodded and picked up the wyvern, keeping her huddled in the covers. "I'm going to keep you warm on the way with magic, so don't worry."

Sienna pressed herself against Melina's body, enjoying the warmth she exuded. Melina conjured a protective warm barrier around the wyvern, and they set out.

While the barrier was able to protect Sienna from the cold, it wasn't something Melina could keep up for long. Not to a degree that Sienna needed at least. The wyvern required warm temperatures to be comfortable, so Melina had to use quite a bit of mana to keep the air around Sienna constantly warm.

Thankfully, atop Knight's back, getting to the Monster Realm proved to be a quick and easy task. Melina wished it had taken longer.

As they stepped into the Monster Realm, she could finally release the heat magic she had been emitting and release Sienna. The wyvern seemed hesitant at first, only poking out her head. But once it was clear that the temperature in the Monster Realm was still pleasantly warm, Sienna leapt down onto the ground and took her large form.

The wyvern stretched her wings pleasantly and whipped her tail around. Like she was finally able to emerge from a prison.

Melina watched the scene with mixed feelings. She was happy to see Sienna comfortable again. But she wouldn't be able to spend all her time with her familiar anymore. Ever since the day Melina tamed Sienna, they had never been apart for long.

Of course, Melina knew that she would still be able to visit her wyvern friend. But it wouldn't be something she could do every day.

"I'm going to miss you, Sienna," Melina said, patting Sienna's neck.

Sienna let out a soft coo and nuzzled against Melina, indicating that she would miss her too.

"We'll come visit," Alistair added, and Mango jumped up and down in agreement.

Sienna let out an approving roar and then, after throwing a last longing look at Melina, took to the skies. Melina watched her familiar retreat into the distance, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"What's the big deal? You can visit the lizard anytime, and once it's warm, you can take the beast back," an annoyingly familiar voice suddenly interrupted the tender moment.

Melina looked to the source and saw Aeriganta standing not too far away from where they were.

"What are you doing here?" Alistair asked cautiously, narrowing his eyes at the siren.

"Me? I'm going back to Sunglow!"