The atmosphere at the table slowly settled down after the cheers.
Several cadets began chatting in small groups.
Sebas set down his glass.
“So…”
He looked across the huge table.
“…when are we eating?”
Cassian immediately raised a hand.
“Finally, someone asked.”
Elara laughed.
“You were the most excited about the cheers.”
“Cheers doesn’t fill your stomach.”
Sebas nodded seriously.
“Exactly. That’s the problem.”
Aether was just about to open the menu panel when a female voice came from behind them.
“So, what are you all having?”
Sebas turned around.
A young woman was standing beside their table.
She had long, dark-blue hair, with a few strands falling over her shoulders.
Her face was beautiful, and her eyes were the color of the deep sea.
She smiled casually.
She wasn’t wearing a server’s uniform.
There was no tray.
No cooking utensils either.
Sebas immediately recognized her as the Siren Ghost he had seen at their table earlier.
“Oh.”
He pointed at her.
“You’re our table’s chef, right?”
“Mm-hm.”
The woman pulled out an empty chair and casually sat down at the end of the table.
“My name’s Laurel.”
She rested her chin on her hand.
“You’re going to be seeing my face a lot from tonight onward.”
Cassian immediately spoke up.
“With a face this pretty, I definitely don’t mind.”
Laurel stared at him.
“We’ve only known each other for five seconds…”
Cassian smiled.
“Which means I’m pretty fast.”
“Or just pretty bold.”
“Those two are pretty close.”
“Personally, I’d say you’re just annoying.”
Several cadets laughed.
Cassian chuckled.
“Alright. I’ll try again tomorrow.”
Laurel pointed at him.
“Don’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m still going to reject you.”
Sebas held back a laugh.
“Ouch.”
Cassian looked at him.
“Stay out of this.”
Laurel stood up again.
“Enough.”
She raised both hands.
“Before you two start a war at the dinner table, you should probably order your food first.”
A blue light appeared in the air.
A menu panel opened in front of them.
Laurel glanced across the entire table.
“So… who’s first?”
Several hands immediately shot up.
“Me!”
“Steak.”
“Roasted meat.”
“Soup.”
“Seafood.”
Laurel nodded at each person.
“Which steak?”
“The biggest one.”
“Everyone always says that.”
She glanced at the panel.
“Number seventeen?”
Cassian nodded immediately.
“Yeah.”
“Rare?”
“Medium.”
“Alright.”
Laurel moved her finger through the air.
A thin magic circle appeared for a moment.
Then it vanished.
Cassian blinked.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“But you haven’t cooked anything yet.”
Laurel stared at him flatly.
“Am I supposed to bring the entire kitchen over here?”
Cassian looked around the table.
“I don’t see anything.”
Laurel smiled.
“Magic.”
“Ohhhh.”
Cassian nodded.
“Damn. Right.”
Sebas looked around as well.
“So you guys actually cook using the Authority of Magic?”
Laurel nodded.
“Yep.”
“But where do you get all the ingredients?”
Laurel raised one hand.
“Subspace.”
A small circle opened beside her.
There was no wind.
No sound.
Just a dark space that seemed far deeper than its tiny opening should have allowed.
Laurel reached inside and pulled out several ingredients.
Sebas watched closely. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“You keep all of that in there?”
“Mm.”
“That much?”
“The stuff in my Subspace?”
Laurel closed the small portal.
“Yup. More than enough for all of you to eat as much as you want for the entire year.”
Sebas raised an eyebrow.
“How much?”
Laurel smiled proudly.
“Millions.”
“…”
Sebas stared at her.
“Millions?”
“Ingredients.”
“For one table?”
“For a whole year.”
Sebas slowly shook his head.
“And I thought GIMA was just a military academy.”
Laurel giggled.
“You learn how to fight here.”
She pointed at the table.
“And how to eat properly.”
“Both are important, you know.”
Then Laurel looked at Aether, who still hadn’t ordered anything and was staring at the menu panel.
Laurel glanced at him.
“What about you? What do you want?”
Aether thought for a moment.
“Roasted meat.”
“Which one?”
Aether hesitated.
“I don’t know…”
He looked at the menu again.
“Just something simple.”
Laurel looked at him.
“Just grilled meat?”
Aether nodded.
“Yeah.”
“You sure?”
Aether nodded again.
Laurel gave him a small smile.
“Alright.”
She moved her finger through the air again.
“Selene?”
Selene looked at the panel.
“Beef cream soup and bread.”
Laurel entered the order.
“Spicy?”
“A little.”
“A little according to you, or a little according to me?”
Selene thought for a moment.
“According to me.”
Laurel chuckled.
“Safe choice.”
Elara raised her hand.
“I’ll just have pasta.”
“What kind?”
Elara smiled.
“I’ll let you choose, Laurel.”
Laurel raised an eyebrow.
“You trust me?”
“If it tastes bad, I’ll just blame you.”
Laurel laughed.
“Bold.”
She moved her hand, and Elara’s order was added to the panel.
Several other cadets began placing their orders.
Laurel moved from one side of the table to the other.
Every time someone named a dish, a magic circle briefly appeared in the air.
There were no stoves.
No knives.
No frying pans.
And yet, only a few seconds later, the aroma of food began filling the air.
Aether turned his head.
A small knife made of blue light formed in Laurel’s hand.
The ingredients she had just taken out began cutting themselves.
A small flame appeared in the air.
A transparent pot formed out of mana.
Laurel didn’t even seem to be concentrating.
Every movement came so naturally that it looked like second nature.
Sebas watched her.
“So you really do this every day?”
Laurel didn’t stop working.
“Every day.”
“For six thousand cadets?”
“More or less.”
Sebas shook his head.
“How many Siren Ghosts work here?”
“Everyone?”
Laurel thought for a moment.
“Well… there are definitely a lot.”
Sebas sighed.
“That answer was incredibly helpful.”
“I’m not part of administration, you know.”
Sebas laughed.
From the table beside them, another female voice called out.
“Laurel!”
Laurel turned.
A Siren Ghost with silvery-white hair was standing at the second-year Special Division table.
Laurel raised a hand.
“Marina!”
Marina smiled.
“Still alive?”
“Still alive.”
“Looks like you’ve got a bunch of new cadets.”
Laurel pointed toward the first-year table.
Marina looked toward them.
“Hope they survive.”
Laurel laughed.
“You too.”
Suddenly, a second-year cadet at Marina’s table called out.
“Marina!”
“Hm?”
“Make me another tenderloin steak!”
Marina stared at him.
“You already ate two…”
“This is the third one!”
“Is your stomach a bottomless pit or something?”
The cadet shook his head.
“Nope! I’m just still hungry!”
Marina let out a sigh.
“Fine.”
Laurel turned back toward their table.
Sebas had been watching the whole exchange.
“You guys really know each other?”
Laurel nodded.
“For a long time.”
“So you all know each other?”
“Most of us, yeah…”
Laurel smiled.
“We have lives of our own, you know.”
Cassian chimed in.
“So that means you guys have gossip too?”
Laurel stopped for a moment.
Then she smiled.
“Of course.”
Several cadets immediately laughed.
“Well then…”
Laurel cut him off.
“Nope.”
She pointed at them.
“You haven’t been here long enough.”
Sebas leaned back in his chair.
“You mean we have to survive until second year first?”
“Exactly.”
Laurel tapped the table.
“After that, you’re allowed to hear our gossip.”
Sebas smiled.
“Then I have a reason to survive all three years here.”
Laurel looked at him.
“Because of me?”
Sebas shook his head.
“Because the food is good.”
Laurel stared at him.
“You’re no fun.”
She pointed at him.
“No wonder you don’t have a partner. Pfft.”
Sebas froze.
He sat there in complete silence, unable to find a single word.
The first dishes finally appeared in front of several cadets.
The aroma of roasted meat immediately spread through the air.
Cassian stared at his plate.
“…”
He picked up his fork.
He took a bite.
His eyes immediately widened.
“Laurel.”
“Hm?”
“This is really good.”
Laurel smiled proudly.
“I know.”
“You didn’t even say thank you after I complimented you.”
“Why should I? I’m very confident in my cooking.”
Cassian pouted slightly.
“Whatever. As long as your food tastes good.”
He went back to eating.
Sebas looked at Laurel.
“You can really cook while talking like this the whole time?”
“I’m used to it.”
“And you don’t get tired?”
Laurel shrugged.
“Just for you guys?”
She glanced across the entire table.
“Well… not yet.”
Sebas laughed.
“So we’re safe?”
Laurel leaned slightly closer.
“For now…”
Sebas pointed at himself.
“What about me?”
Laurel answered immediately.
“You’re the loudest one here.”
Sebas clutched his chest.
“That’s cruel…”
“We’ve only known each other for two minutes.”
“And you’ve already judged me this badly…”
“My observations are always accurate.”
Selene, who had been eating while listening to their conversation, finally laughed.
Aether smiled as well.
Laurel watched them for a moment.
Then she went back to work.
Around the large table, the conversation continued.
Orders arrived one after another.
Laughter became more frequent.
And slowly…
their first night at GIMA began to feel like something much simpler than an entrance ceremony.
It felt like an ordinary dinner.
Except…
their ordinary dinner was taking place inside one of the largest academies in the world.
Laurel is very beautiful yknow..