The girls bustled around the dormitory. They were busy with everything and nothing. As if they were trying to occupy their thoughts with something. Frida sprawled in an armchair.
"Evan's taking a long time to come back," she complained, scrolling through something on her phone but not paying particular attention to anything.
"Unfortunately young culinary apprentices don't have it easy. Father pushed me pretty hard in childhood." Callisa sighed.
At that moment they heard the sound of the door opening.
"Finally." Frida stood up from the armchair. "Evan…"
In that moment the girls froze.
Evan looked bad, as if a truck going at full speed had hit him, then a meteorite had fallen on him and a flood had washed over him.
"What happened to you?" Aiko cried. "You look like after a fight with some ultra-hard boss."
Callisa approached him with sympathy.
"Come. Sit down."
She seated Evan in the armchair and shouted toward the kitchen.
"Morona, make lemon-balm tea."
The mantis put water on.
Frida looked at Callisa. She seemed to understand completely what he was feeling.
"Foxy, what's wrong with him?"
Callisa looked at Evan, who seemed shaken.
"First slaughter, right?"
Evan only nodded heavily.
That day Evan was working in one of Arslan's restaurants. After one day he could already fry meat without his hands trembling, even though hunger and erosion were raging in his mind.
Something was bothering him, though. Arslan seemed more… firm when he looked at him.
When he finished the task, he approached him.
"Evan, come with me."
He went. They headed to the loading ramp. Two helpers were with them.
A moment later a van pulled up to the ramp.
"A delivery?"
Arslan nodded. Evan exhaled. So an ordinary delivery. Probably some new more important client had reserved a table and ordered something specific.
A moment later two drivers got out of the van. Evan recognized their uniforms. They belonged to the meat law department.
"So meat. Nothing to worry about."
That was what he thought. He didn't yet know how wrong he was.
"Which of you gentlemen is receiving the order?"
Arslan stepped forward and held out his hand. The official began reading the waybill. It was quite a lot of meat for the entire restaurant. Both for immediate preparation and for aging. Several whole carcasses. Only at the last one did he tremble slightly.
"…One live ram. These are his documents."
The driver handed the papers to Arslan. He read them. Evan noticed that at one of them he opened his eyes wider.
"Unload. We'll leave the live one for last." The deliverymen opened the first chamber. Inside were crates and large pieces of meat. Transferring the crates and pieces of meat and setting them in the cold room took them a dozen or so minutes. Evan had the impression it lasted much longer. Everything was cut and packed. Until now he had seen this in a shop and when the girls brought meat, but this was the first time he himself was taking part in such a delivery.
"Quite a lot of mutton."
"True, kid. Maybe the boss is planning some lamb week."
When they finished, Arslan nodded and the deliverymen opened the second chamber.
The moment they opened it, a scream came from inside.
"Let me out! There's been a mistake!"
The interior looked like a marriage of a waiting room, a plexiglass cube, a death cell, a fully disinfected room and a capsule hotel. The whole thing was lined with white panels, and the space was occupied by rectangular containers. One of them was pulled out with a hydraulic set and set on the ramp. Inside was a young ram. He was naked except for a numbered band. Evan recognized him.
"Maurycy Coure?"
"Maurycy de Coeur, commoner. What are you doing here?"
Evan knew Maurycy better than he would have liked.
He was in the second year at Tenebrae. He came from a rich family. Left and right he showed off money and his parents' influence. He wore expensive clothes that could probably have bought Evan's entire wardrobe. He drove a luxury car that seemed more expensive than the entire dormitory Evan lived in. He constantly racked up fines, claiming they were just bills for a fun ride. Worse, however, was his character. He treated everyone less wealthy than himself from above. Several times he had thrown at Evan that he should sell himself to a restaurant, because that was his "duty toward the better situated." He voiced similar views every day. It was he who had invented the joke that something would happen sooner than Rufus Lapin scoring any girl. Evan didn't like him and tried to stay as far away from him as possible.
"Director Flambe?! What luck. You have to help me, Director. There's been a mistake."
"This is not a mistake."
For a moment Maurycy looked shocked.
"My father said he would take care of it!"
"Take him to storage."
They took Maurycy to storage. The same one Evan had once been in. A moment later Evan and Flambe were in the processing room.
"Master, did you order Maurycy?"
"I ordered live mutton. I didn't expect they would bring him specifically."
"I understand. Did someone order a roast?"
"No. This is teaching material."
Evan turned in surprise.
"Teaching?"
Arslan looked at him like a teacher announcing an unannounced test.
"Every restaurant that serves live meat must follow certain procedures. Today you will learn about them."
"I understand." Evan swallowed. He felt it would be hard. He had had the chance to experience such procedures, but today he was the one who was supposed to apply them.
Shouts came from behind the door. A moment later two helpers brought Maurycy in.
"Director…" Arslan silenced him with a gesture and handed Evan a tablet. "First the paperwork. Start the face scanner."
Evan scanned Maurycy's face and notifications immediately appeared.
"Read. Out loud."
"Maurycy de Coeur. Race: Sheep. Sex: male. Subject number…" He entered the number and fell silent for a moment.
"Read."
"Convicted of…"
"It's not my fault! It was his fault."
"Silence!" Arslan looked at him in such a way that Maurycy even curled up in fear. "Read on."
"Convicted of… Driving under the influence of alcohol. Blood alcohol content 1.62 per mille." Evan thought that wasn't anything serious, but further on it was much worse. "Exceeding the speed limit in a built-up area by… 98 km." He looked at Maurycy as at a madman or a road pirate. He felt his mouth go dry.
The ram clearly wanted to say something, but Arslan's look made him sit quietly.
"Causing an accident with a fatal outcome… One dead person. Two people seriously injured. Destruction of municipal infrastructure." He read further in a single breath. It was becoming harder and harder to look at Maurycy as a schoolmate. "Fleeing the scene. Possession of forged license plates. Attempt to flee abroad."
Evan fell silent for a moment. He simply could not believe it.
"It's not my fault! They walked under my wheels!"
Arslan looked at him with full disapproval.
"The judge didn't believe that. Neither do I. I've told you more than once, de Coeur, that this kind of behavior would get you into trouble. Especially since according to the doctor that dead person could have survived if he had received help quickly. Evan, read on."
"Sentenced by court verdict to meat processing."
He looked at Maurycy. The ram seemed terrified. Evan himself was unmoved. He felt no compassion toward him, not after what he had read.
"FATHER SAID HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT!!! HE'LL FILE AN APPEAL!!!"
Evan looked at the tablet.
"He did."
Maurycy exhaled.
"It says all motions to change the sentence have been rejected."
"What?" Maurycy seemed in a state of complete shock. He shook his head as if he couldn't believe it.
"Master, why did he actually end up with us? Isn't this a job for a processing plant?"
Arslan pointed him to the last field.
"Motion to change processing from industrial to restaurant-artisanal. Accepted."
Arslan turned to Maurycy.
"Your father arranged a more dignified end for you than a factory line."
Maurycy began to tremble. Under Arslan's supervision Evan clicked a few options and it was done.
"Good. Now he's a fully legal ingredient."
"No…" Maurycy said it very thinly. Evan couldn't believe he was capable of that.
"What now, Master?"
"Sanitary inspection. We'll check whether he can be cooked."
Maurycy suddenly came to life and said with hope.
"So if he can't, then…"
Arslan cut him off.
"The examination will be repeated after some time or he will be directed to industrial processing or disposal."
"If they postpone the examination, will I be able to file an appeal?"
"You may file, but it will do no good."
Maurycy began to cough.
"I suddenly feel unwell."
"We'll see."
In turn they checked temperature, pulse, blood pressure, tested the blood for hormones and other factors, the inside of the mouth, the skin in search of wounds and other things.
Everything was within the norm.
"Suitable for processing."
The ram would have fallen to his knees if two helpers hadn't been holding him up.
"I'M FILING AN APPEAL!"
"Nobody cares. Take him to the washing station. We don't want dirt in the food."
Evan and the helpers carried out Arslan's order. Maurycy was chained in the shower corner and sprayed with soapy water from a hose, then dried with a hot-air blower. Evan had a flashback to his trip to the processing plant. Frida's father, to prove something to him, had arranged a ride for him through the slaughter line. He had stopped only near the end, when Evan thought it was already over.
When Maurycy was already clean they began leading him to Arslan, who stood by a solid wooden block equipped with leather straps. Fear closed his mouth, but he still braced his legs.
For some reason unknown to himself Evan began to feel frustration.
"You're only delaying everything. This is still better than the factory."
Maurycy looked at him as at a monster. Tears appeared in his eyes.
Two helpers began tying Maurycy to the block. Evan wondered whether those words had not come from his mouth too easily… no, why had he even said that. Although he had to admit Maurycy looked appetizing. On the other hand he himself would probably have looked appetizing too. He remembered the scene from the hunting club. He regretted that no photos had been taken then.
He shook his head slightly. What was happening to him?
Maurycy was already openly sobbing and through tears begging for mercy. Evan felt no compassion. Something in his mind was breaking this ram down into pieces. Roasted haunch. Maybe spicy curry or an exquisite stew, or classic cutlets.
He felt himself licking his lips. And he heard his stomach growl.
"Evan, come here."
He carried out Arslan's order.
"Now the hardest part of the lesson."
For a moment he wondered what that might mean. At first he assumed the Master would handle the last stage. But he handed him a cleaver, and his look told him everything.
He was the one who was supposed to kill Maurycy.
"This cannot be taught any other way."
It was unclear who should have been more terrified by those words. Him or Maurycy.
Arslan indicated the place he should strike.
Evan stood over Maurycy. He clenched his hand on the cleaver's handle. He felt his palm sweating. He adjusted his grip. He trembled. He set it against the place. He raised the blade.
The whole time he wrestled with his thoughts. More than once he had almost died; now he was the one who was supposed to kill. Kill someone he knew, even if he didn't like him.
He felt his teeth chattering. His hand trembled. He looked at Maurycy. He was a year older than him and Rufus. Before he had looked like a horrible spoiled brat; now like a poor broken boy who had just understood that money did not give him invulnerability.
He was ready.
He tensed his muscles.
He sent the cleaver down. Toward the target.
Maurycy saw out of the corner of his eye the blade falling toward his neck. He still managed to scream.
"Evan! May you yourself end up on a plate!!!"
Barely had his last word, filled with venom, faded when the cleaver hit the target. There was the sound of metal striking wood, and a moment later a metallic clang as the severed head fell into a metal bowl.
Arslan noted the time of slaughter.
Evan stood and breathed heavily. He gulped great drafts of air, as if he had just surfaced from underwater and nearly drowned.
He had done it!
He had killed him!
"Mr. Evan."
"Yes, Master?" He trembled like jelly when he spoke those words.
"It needs to be dressed."
In that moment Evan's entire being trembled. Physical and spiritual. A moment ago he had committed murder… wait, it was slaughter after all… never mind! He had killed, and now they were telling him…
"Cooking does not end with slaughter, Evan. Help with dressing the carcass, then you will cook a piece."
Evan trembled again. Through the entire beginning of the work his hands shook. It was good that no one rushed him and he could work at his own clumsy pace. Even the other workers supported him.
After some time he began to calm down. His hands were regaining precision.
After a few moments he calmed down completely. He did not feel comfortable with that. That he had calmed down so quickly after a slaughter.
When he finished cooking he had before him a dish that would not have been shameful to serve in an expensive restaurant. He tasted it.
He could not believe Maurycy was so delicious. Well, at least he had the impression that this meat seemed to try to place itself above the other ingredients. He didn't know why.
When he left work at the restaurant, all the sensations of the day crashed down on him like an avalanche. He returned to the dormitory, barely shuffling.
"Maurycy. That buffoon?!" Aiko clenched her fists. "Because of him the festival was ruined. Supposedly he argued with one of the organizers."
"You know he tried to join my gang. When he found out my old man is a councilor, he went soft faster than… I don't even know what. No one to feel sorry for." Frida didn't mince words. "After that he didn't try again."
"Actually how come none of your girls has ended up in a display case yet?"
"Because I keep an eye on the kittens. I know where the line is between unpleasantness and serious trouble. I keep them far away from it."
At that moment Evan groaned. It was a drawn-out groan full of existential suffering.
"I'm a murderer…"
The girls surrounded Evan.
"I'm a murderer."
Callisa took his hand and began to rub it.
"No, Evan. You're not a murderer. You're a cook. You did everything by the letter of the law, so everything is fine."
"Exactly, this is all Maurycy's fault. He brought this misfortune on himself."
Evan looked at them with gratitude. He stood up heavily and said one word.
"Water."
He stood. Morona handed him water. She said something about a knife cutting body and soul. Evan drank. The girls watched in silence, but one could not hold back.
Frida grabbed his ass and began to grope him intensely.
"I can't take it anymore! I want the old Evan! I want it to be like before!"
Evan jumped back and shouted!
"Frida! Again?!"
For a moment he covered the groped spot, and then for some reason… he exhaled with relief.
"Thank you."
They looked at him in surprise.
"I missed your old reactions too."
He looked at them with emotion and spread his arms before them. All four threw themselves at him and hugged him.
Evan thought for a moment. It was a bit stupid and maybe absurd, but thanks to that he felt better.
He had done something irreversible. Something that was required of a cook. After a moment he thought Callisa was right. He was a cook, not a murderer.
He also knew he would not escape this. He also knew he would do it again. He just didn't know when.