kitchen

Ichigo raised his eyebrows as he heard Tenno.

"You want to work in the kitchen?"

"Why?" asked Mer.

"I have fire and life abilities!" Tenno made sure to sound like an excited kid. But he really was excited. Every complex had a kitchen, and in every kitchen was gossip. He could work, earn respect and collect data! That was like getting the jackpot.

Ichigo and Mer glanced at each other, then at Tenno.

"Hm... Well, I guess we should got to the kitchen between the gardens and the eastern complex. The people there know how to handle themselves and know much about medicine." said Ichigo after a while.

Mer nodded. "I have a few friends there, they said just yesterday that they could use some help."

Tenno smiled. Mori had a place, and he would have one too. The other kids... He wouldn't help them. Mostly because he couldn't be bothered, but also because he thought that the kids should be able to do it themselves. Each had a guard, and if they were smart, they would ask what jobs were available in the palace and where they could make themselves useful.

Ichigo led Tenno to the kitchen. It was a very pretty building, surrounded by black walls and a big, moon shaped gate decorated with golden ornaments. The inside of the building was a creamy white, easy on the eyes with warm lights and full of busy and bustling people in aprons.

"Chief Bang!"

A man with bright orange hair, fox ears and two tails appeared in front of them. It was so sudden that Tenno flinched.

"Ah, sorry for startling you~! I'm Bang Cheng, a fox beastman and one of the head chefs here~... What can I do for you?"

Chief Bangs brown eyes were big, dotted with many different colors and glowing with excitement as he looked at Tenno and Ichigo.

'He's a bit much, isn't he now...' thought Tenno, a bit befuddled. The next thought was 'Such energy! Such wow!'. Remembering this meme, black lines appeared on his face. This was ridiculous...

"Ah, this brat wants to work here."

Chief Bangs ears perked up. "Oh, yes, i can see why... Come along~!"

"Wait, it's that easy?"

"For you, yes. For others..." Chief Bang wrinkled his cute nose. "... it'll be very hard."

Tenno and Ichigo exchanged a look.

'Is he serious?'

'I fear yes.'

'Oh.'

Tenno took in a deep breath and followed chief Bang while Ichigo sat down to chat with a few chefs.

"An Ifrit, huh? Haven't seen one in a long time~. Name?"

"Tenno."

"Huh, weird." grinned chief Bang.

Tenno let out two dry laughs. 'Who are you telling this? I also want a different name, but I can't come up with one...'

"Yan!"

'... Excuse me, what?'

"That means flame or blaze! Good?"

"Uh..."

"Yan Biao! Flame blaze... Fitting for an Ifrit, don't you think~?"

"I'm not sure..."

"Okay, then here in the kitchen, you'll be Yan Biao. Outside, you'll still be... Tenno."

"Ok, that works."

"Good~!" Chief Bang smiled. Then he shouted "Okay, guys! From today on, Yan Biao here will join us! Teach him well and be nice to him! You'll start with cleaning, alright~?"

"Alright."

Chief Bang smiled and showed Tenno where he could find what, introduced some chefs to him and brought him to a group of kids that was busy cleaning the utensils and putting them back to their places.

"Children, this is Yan Biao. Yan Biao, these are Wen, Kei, Lou and Ming. Please be good to each other~..." the chef said as he walked off to check on the progress of the dinner they were preparing.

Wen showed Tenno what he had to do and then continued to gossip with Kei and Ming about one of the princes while Lou rolled her eyes.

"Don't listen to them, they're stupid."

Tenno just smiled and helped where he could.

When dinner time came, a bunch of servants entered and took much food with them. Tenno was told that this food was for the gardeners and some aristocrats, the rest for the servants and kitchen personnel.

He ate together with the personnel and chefs, joked with Lou and enjoyed the good food.

Before Tenno could leave, chief Bang came to him.

"You did a good job for your first day here, probs to you~!"

"Uh, thank you..."

"Come here tomorrow at... four. In the morning. If you can do that, you can also bring a friend along~... Food raises the spirits, after all."

"Yes. Thank you, chief Bang!" Tenno smiled.

Chief Bang laughed. "You're most welcome."

Tenno nodded and went his way, but not without getting a small bundle from chief Bang.

"Remember to take a bit food along to share it with your friends~. They will appreciate it." He winked.

The Ifrit felt his mouth become dry. 'This chef... Uh. Well, whatever.'

After Ichigo went up to him, talked a bit and said goodbye to Bang Cheng, Tenno went back to the western complex and met with Mori, who was carrying a book about herbs.

"How did it go for you?"

"Very well!" Mori beamed.

Tenno chuckled and told Mori about chief Bang.

They both had established their first good relationships in the palace, had a good working place with a nice atmosphere and were in high spirits after their first day in the palace.

Ichigo and Mero exchanged a glance. Those kids weren't normal, but if they were the life of the guards would be way harder...

They entered the hall and saw that a bunch of kids was fighting. They were pulling at each others clothes and hair, screaming and crying.

Many guards had carried the children they were responsible for away to the rooms they were supposed to find themselves and stay in. They didn't want the kids to end up hurt.

The guards would stay in the same room as the kid they took care of, and there were really many rooms.

Tenno and Mori were a bit late, but that didn't bother them. They still found a nice room facing east, a bit secluded from the others. They shared the food Tenno had gotten from the chef and went to bed. Though they wanted to talk more, they were tired and needed to sleep to be fit for the next day.

On the morning of the second day in the palace, Tenno and Mori got up early, woke up Ichigo and Mero, washed up and went to the kitchen.

The kitchen was at 4 am already very lively, and with the arrival of Tenno and his friend, a few curious chefs came over to greet them. They helped make breakfast, ate and sent Mero and Mori off to the herbal gardens.

Chief Bang taught Tenno a few simple dishes and asked him about the other kids.

"The others?"

"Yes, that bunch in the western complex."

"I don't really know... But I guess I'll look around today."

"Mhm. Maybe you should help them a bit~..."

"Why?"

"Well, earning their respect might come in useful."

"Will they even remember that I helped them? And even if they do, I don't want to have so many people around me." Tenno said as he added a few spices and tasted if it was enough.

"Wow, so mature~!"

'Are you shitting me?'

"Aiya, don't look at me like that~! Ah, remember to stir the soup. Yes, that's good! Well, what I mean is, if you help those kids, you will meet more people of the palace. Having your own small network going on might prove useful~."

Tenno nodded. What Bang Cheng said made sense, but he first wanted to get used to this place. After all, the palace was so big it was intimidating. Everywhere were people and it was always possible that he would run into someone with a high rank but not recognize them...

"Oh!"

"What is it?"

"The king said we would receive education, but..."

"He hasn't done anything?"

Tenno nodded.

"Well, he is just that lazy~... It'll probably take like... one month. But those like you, that already have a master, won't need that kind of education."

"Master?... You?"

"Yes! Who else?!"

"I don't know... What are you getting so defensive for, geez..."

"Ah-... Ah, well, who cares~! You're already very educated. I guess you'll only need to know how to live in the palace and such things. After all, you didn't grow up here. I'll see if I can get a bit more free time every day and explain things to you. But it will also help you to experience it for yourself, so you'll also deliver food in the future."

"Okay."

"Ah, i knew you'd understand~!"

'My, he sounds so carefree...'

Bang Cheng really was quite carefree, but when it came to food and his little students, he was very serious. Anyone who had seen him get angry wanted to carry favor with him, but had no idea how...

The following days, Tenno brought Jane and Theo along, who were happily accepted by Lou and the others.

At first, when Tenno helped in the kitchen, his whole body would ache from the exercise, his hands would hurt and be dry from washing dishes, but after two weeks, he got used to it. It made him a bit stronger, and Mori gave him a creme made out of some herbs that he could put on his hands.

Tenno was so busy that he didn't have time yet to gossip with the others, but every time he returned to the western complex, he would try to figure a few things out.

Not many kids had found a place, so Tenno asked some what they were good at or what they liked and then suggested some jobs, asking the guards to help the kids find their way.

At the beginning of the third week, he knew that mostly the rich kids hadn't bothered to do anything. The ones that had been poor were very hard workers and could be found helping seniors clean and carry things in the palace. This also caught the attention of the aristocrats and ministers of the palace, but they didn't dare say anything since at the moment, the kids were said to be under the kings protection.

Anyways, as was being said, it was the beginning of the third week in the palace. Tenno was just making his way through the hall as he felt someone tap on his shoulder. He turned around and faced a child, slightly small but chubbier then him.

"What?"

"I am from the Urn family from the south, so you have to make me food! I know you're from the kitchen, so get going!"

Tenno frowned and straightened his back, revealing his full height.

"What. Do you think food is free?" he slowly asked.

The children around them quieted down in anticipation of a fight.

"You're a peasant, of course I'm-!"

Tenno stared at him, his eyes burning with a cold fire. "Huh. That's funny. Even in the palace of such a scary king, you still think you're the biggest fish in the pond. Didn't you have any parents to teach you?"

The kid went pale.

"Listen, if you ask nicely for help, others will help, but if you act like that, you'll just get very lonely. Think before you talk, it will be of great help for the likes of you."

The kid swallowed, nodded and then stepped back. Just as Tenno was about to go away, another kid came forth. It was like they were queuing up, and it really irritated the tired Ifrit.

"You yourself think you're a pretty big deal, no?" sneered the kid.

"What's it got to do with you?"

"Well, I will soon be a rank higher than you! So I'll-!"

"You think they would kids like us decide who did wrong or whatever? We're outsiders, it's already great if they accept us. You're so young, you can take your time with growing up. Later!"

He turned around and left. These kids were weird. What kind of education did they suffer to end up like this?