Listening to Bai En's critique, the bald Uncle Jie Kai muttered to himself, "Is it really that bad? I followed the recipe step by step."
He stared at Bai En with a strange look for a moment, then, as if disbelieving, dipped his index finger into the black soup along the rim and put it into his mouth.
"Ugh~"
In an instant, Jie Kai grabbed the dish and quickly ran to a secluded corner, throwing up repeatedly. "It's truly disgusting..."
The members of the Aqua Deer Squad, led by Captain Rill, looked at Jie Kai with a sense of helplessness.
Not only was his cooking terrible, but he also had no self-awareness of how "disgusting" his own dishes were.
"He's coming again soon!"
Amidst the low whispers of the Aqua Deer members, Jie Kai swiftly ran over with his dish: "Great~ This dish failed again, but I won't give up!"
"Next time, no, tomorrow morning's breakfast will be prepared by me. I will definitely let everyone enjoy a supremely delicious meal! Please trust me!"
"Eh! No!"
Jie Kai, who had made the decision on his own, completely ignored the Aqua Deer members' rejections. He turned to Bai En with an appreciative look and clapped him on the shoulder, "Yo~ A new face I haven't seen before."
"Are you a new member?"
"Yes."
Jie Kai smiled, "Very good, kid, I think highly of you. Work hard after joining the Aqua Deer. If you have any problems, you can come to me."
As he spoke, his hand instinctively reached for Bai En's shoulder. Bai En felt uncomfortable and dodged to the side, but was instantly pulled back by a great force. The two walked arm-in-arm, like old friends who hadn't seen each other in years.
"Oh, right, kid, after I finish cooking tomorrow morning, I'll definitely come to you first for a taste. Consider it a celebration for your first day in the Aqua Deer."
"Really?" Bai En blinked, looking at the dish in Jie Kai's hand, which resembled boiled worms, and asked, "Then can I participate in the cooking process tomorrow? Since I'm new, I'd like to contribute."
"Is that so~" Jie Kai smacked his lips, "Originally, I could handle this by myself, but you want to join too? It's a bit difficult... it might affect my culinary skills, but since you've said it so sincerely, I'll bring you along tomorrow."
"Thank you~"
"Then I'll go prepare the ingredients. Remember to wake up early tomorrow morning!"
The friendly conversation between the two made the Aqua Deer Squad members in the room feel apprehensive. Would tomorrow's breakfast be some kind of death meal, like steamed rice with poisonous toads and ladybugs?
Many had already decided to feign disappearance tomorrow morning... After Jie Kai left to prepare ingredients, Walter, the old butler in a suit, finally appeared, giving the impression that he only showed up after a big problem had left.
"Where did Mr. Walter go just now?" Bai En asked.
"This old man just went to the restroom~"
Walter stroked his beard, his brows unfurrowed like a cunning fox. "Alright~ Now, let me briefly introduce everyone in the Aqua Deer Squad, so you can all get an initial impression of each other."
"Let's start the introductions from Captain Rill's side—"
"This person with reddish-brown hair, wearing a brown outfit with red stripes, is Sesk. He is a Tessi from the Common Realm and uses bronze magic~"
"Please guide me."
Facing the senior's polite words, Bai En and Nancy also returned the courtesy: "Please guide us~ x2"
"The blue-haired young lady wearing a fluffy hood is Fragil. She, like Young Master Rill, is a noble."
"This curly-haired person is Gu Sen, who uses fire magic. Of course, if you have emotional problems, you can ask him for help. The remaining person is Francis, who is skilled in water magic..."
After Walter introduced everyone in the room, he said to Bai En and Nancy, "Several other members of the Aqua Deer Squad are currently on missions, including the Vice Captain. You'll know when you meet them next time."
"Ah~ and the one who was preparing ingredients and cooking just now was Jie Kai."
Bai En and Nancy also began to introduce themselves to everyone.
"My name is Bai En Laikaisite, from Hage Village. Besides fighting, my specialty is cooking."
'Eh... no wonder he shares the same 'taste' as Jie Kai.'
"Hage Village?" Sesk frowned as he listened to Bai En, seeming to ponder where that was. Soon, he came to a conclusion: "That village on the furthest border of the Clover Kingdom?"
"That's right."
"Then that means you're a commoner?"
Bai En did not reply.
Contrary to the derogatory remarks he expected, Sesk continued, "So commoners can also pass the Magic Knights exam and be chosen by the Captain?"
"That's amazing. I thought it was already impressive enough for commoners like me and Uncle Jie Kai to get in."
"Beautiful lady, may I ask your name?" Gu Sen had already moved past Bai En and stood before Nancy, holding a vibrant flower, seemingly just picked.
Nancy stepped back a few paces, increasing the distance between them. Even though she maintained a smile, the subtle coldness emanating from her brows created an "ice wall" between their unfamiliar relationship.
It was still that beautiful bow, with perfect movements and a gentle demeanor that was flawless. "Nancy Quidoranna, from a fallen noble family."
"A fallen noble?"
Bai En raised an eyebrow and looked at the fair-skinned, delicate-featured girl behind him, who exuded a sense of coldness. Few people introduce themselves in such a way.
Especially those fallen nobles; no one would admit the fact that they had fallen.
"Very good, very good~" Rill clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention. "Now that introductions are done, why don't we paint a picture with the newcomers to deepen our relationship?"
As his voice fell, Gu Sen and Sesk had already returned to the sofa, busy seeking revenge in their card game.
"Damn it~ Fragil, you haven't lost a single round after playing for so long. Gu Sen and I will definitely win this round!"
Gu Sen cheered like a sycophant: "That's right, that's right, we'll definitely win this round!"
"I won't lose." Fragil was reshuffling the cards.
"Eh eh eh? You guys don't want to draw with me?" Rill looked at the busy group, a disappointed expression on his face.
"Captain Rill, we already went through this 'drawing with newcomers' thing on our first day of joining. Besides, isn't this an assessment for the newcomers? Don't include us."
"Is that so? Alright then~" Rill said limply, but then turned to the two newcomers, his spirits revived. "Come on, come on, how about we draw together?"
Nancy raised her hand, "Um... I'm not very good at drawing. Can I not participate?"
Walter, the butler, came up to Nancy and Bai En and took their luggage. "The young master's 'drawing' doesn't mean drawing on paper, but finding inspiration in battle~"
"I'll put your luggage in your respective rooms first. After the battle, I'll take you there. This is the young master's test for new members. It cannot be refused, and if you don't perform well, you might even be expelled."
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
This time, Nancy no longer refused, tacitly agreeing.
After Rill left with Bai En and Nancy, Sesk immediately shut the door tightly, afraid that Captain Rill would make a surprise return and drag him out.
"You're quite cautious, Sesk." Gu Sen teased, watching Sesk close the door.
Sesk retorted without batting an eye: "You don't want to fight with Captain Rill either, do you? Last time, who was it that Captain Rill hung from a tree with magic like a spider's cocoon, crying out for my help?"
"How are you any better?" Gu Sen said fiercely, "You used magic to release a pack of hounds, but then you were chased all over the world by a colorful big dog drawn by Captain Rill."
"..."
Both fell silent simultaneously, sincerely wishing in their hearts that the two newcomers wouldn't be traumatized.
"Francis, you never mentioned what happened when you first joined. Could it be that the Captain never 'cared' for you with his drawings?"
"Ha... ha..."
Francis gave an awkward laugh, not directly answering, but the hand trimming his hair was trembling slightly...