Pizza Party

The ovens belonging to the camp cafeterias are magnificent. Things of absolute beauty. They're large firestone brick things with enough capacity to bake enough food to feed all these calorie-burning athletes here on a daily basis.

No other set of ovens, not even the Ventrella mansion's, can compare.

How did I get access into these kitchens with the sublime ovens?

I didn't sneak in, I have to be able to use and command people to use these things after all. While I'm nowhere as in power here like I am at home, there are a few familiar faces. It's true, some of my kitchen staff work rotation with the cafeteria. That explains the shared recipes.

If the little eldest Miss, granddaughter to their boss, wants in then she gets in. She also gets a cup of juice! Giving orders is thirsty work.

I should have realized sooner that my yeast research was actually taking place here, where the more experienced bakers are. God where these massive ovens are.

"And what business does the little lady have barging up into my kitchen like this" grunts a man that resembles a warthog, sharp mustache for tuffs. The head baker I believe.

"I've come to give my thanks and greetings for our daily bread, may I just say what beautiful a kitchen this is. Especially the ovens, what glorious ovens!"

"Hmmpf, is that so!"

He huffs but looks very pleased every time I compliment the bread or the ovens. Yes yes the kitchen and tools are a chef's pride! I shall rain on the praise, no need to lie, because these are some really great brick and clay ovens. It smells wonderful in here!

"It's not much but please accept these little things as a sign of my love and appreciation all this time."

"Oh, I think I've seen some of this from the mansion."

Yes, the thing I've prepared ahead of time and paced in my storage bag is loads of soap. Batch one and two basic cleaning soaps! There's also the 'olive oil' soaps since that may be more familiar of a thing. I've rounded up the rest of the stock except for some saved samples to not only curry favor with the staff here but get more test subjects!

After some inquiring, I've discovered that no, grampa did not dip his toes in soap making nor did he share such things with his own training camp. I do have a monopoly on this, bwahahaha.

"Just scrape a little into a water or vinegar mixture, you will find it far more effective in cleaning all matters of things. By itself, it is also very gentle on the skin. Yes, your poor hands will thank you!."

In one final hit of kissing up, I present Mr. Boar Baker with some bars of the more limited new poppy seed and slightly older rose soaps, making sure to play up my sales pitch in a complimenting way.

Amar and Lukas sit watching on the side, one casually sipping kiddy juice while the other stares slack-jawed. Something tells me Lukas and Mr. Boar Baker don't get along the best. It's not just Amar's previous warning about how Lukas keeps getting caught stealing food.

"Oh ho ho, not bad , not bad at all. You certainly know how to show your respect to your elders. Now, what do you really want."

Mr. Boar Baker gives me a look sharper than the point on his mustache. Threats aside he's definitely pleased, I can tell from how he's immediately pocketed the bribes. I like smart and to the point people so I don't mind at all.

"I've heard the word 'pizza' trickled among and whispered by the troops here. For once I would like a little more discretion on what is shared and spoken about to others outside the kitchens, some things are not ready to be revealed yet. But secondly..."

Mr. Boar Baker goes form glaring in the boy's direction to carefully regarding me again, hanging on to what I'm about to ask.

"...I require help in creating the full version of 'pizza'. Today."

Instead of confusion or even a sign of complaint like I expected, Mr. Boar Baker breaks into a rather murderous looking grin. With a clap of his very large hands, a line of staff people come rushing out. They carry a variety of items but at the forefront are those with large bowls and lumps of dough, in various states of rest and rising.

"My young lady, I have been waiting for this since we've first received your orders. To find and create the perfect dough for this savory 'pizza' pie. "

"You're very well prepared."

"We have been expecting you my young lady, please inspect the results of our labor."

I should be a little more shocked at the level of preparedness but again, I don't dislike straightforwardness. Especially not when it's so effective. There's too much dough though, I can't possibly know what's going on here or which one will work out. Still, I poke and prod at each sample presented to me.

"There's only one real way to test your work, you must know. What of the other ingredients?"

"As my young lady has spoken, we have long gathered and bottled a sauce made from tomatoes and herbs. The now regular purchase of water buffalo milk and cheese has acquainted our staff with proficiency in using the ingredient. It is well stocked."

"Wonderful, excellent work! You shall all be rewarded appropriately! Very well then...Fire Up the Ovens!"

"Yes my young Lady, you heard her! Get to work!"

"Yes chef!"

A chorus of the same lines echoes back as the entire cafeteria staff bows and rushes to work.

Lukas jaw seems to have dropped even lower while Amar looks like he's watching an entertaining show, Somewhere in the time I've been giving orders he's gotten a refill of juice, hey no fair I'm parched too.

While the ovens are firing up to the right temperate, everyone is acquainting themselves with the mandatory soap hand washing.

There are 17 different yeasts and dough types, and each is no small amount. With a very tall stepping stool and a lot of willing eyes and hands, I demonstrate the proper way to prepare a pizza pie.

You must work the dough! Stretch it and flatten it! They are to be molded to a safe 12-14 inch sized pizza each. The primary test today is not on the sauce, cheese or even toppings but the dough. Thus all of those other things are to be kept simple, pizzas for all. Herbs and cuts of veggies annd bacon are kept on stand by for variety in toppings but it is my belief to keep these crucial first test tastes simple and unaided by other flavors.

Not long after the first round of pizzas was put into the ovens, that familiar mouth-watering smell wafted through the room. Even though everyone is hard at work preparing the next pies to baked, such a scent stopped everyone in their tracks, even Mr. Boar.

"Is...is it supposed to smell so good?" spoke Amar, barely above a whisper.

"This really is like the stuff in legends and stuff!" exclaimed Lukas, jumping up and down in excitement.

Only the boys had to guts to speak up through the tantalizing smell. Out of fairness I also made them help out. If I have to be covered in flour, so do they.

"Not legends, no. This is pizza."

Saliva runs but no one is to touch the steaming pizzas, not without my orders. To keep efficiency we must slide in the next batch into the ovens, the fresh pizzas are too hot anyways.

With a two-handed saw device, the finished pizza pies are cut into perfectly even slices. Despite orders, no one can work any further, to transfixed with the delicacy in front of them.

17 beautiful Margarita cheese pizzas line up. Out of all the dough, number 14 looked to be most promising, most resembling the pizza dough I'm used to. I point and Mr Boar reverently places the pie in front of me.

"My young Lady, please have a taste."

It's a nerve-wracking moment, held with bated breath, more for all the people watching than for me myself. The slice is so hot I need a napkin to not burn my hand and chorus of gasps rushes through the room as I ignore the fork and knife prepared for me.

A huff and a puff to blow it down.

I bite down with a satisfying crispy sound and the cheese oozes and stretches the moment I pull. Even though I want to fall and relish into the delicious aroma I must chew and judge carefully.

Pass!

This taste that I can't forget passes!

I just can't get enough of this chewy dough, a classic Margarita pizza is very satisfying! So good so good! Every 'pizza' flavor thing I've made till now was but a desperate imitation for this pie! This is the real deal!

So good that I have no words! I must keep eating. It's so nostalgically delicious that I near forget my audience if not the low whines and air of desperation around me.

I give a thumbs up, mouth full of delicious pizza and the crowd cheers.

The floodgates let loose and the pizza slices are distributed, mostly everyone handling to piping hot slices with their hands after my example. IT is both chaos and heaven as dozens of people, for the first time in this world, try 'pizza' pie.

Shouts, incomprehensible roars, tears, laughter, and all sorts of reactions go off like fireworks.

It's just so good!

There's not a single displeased face in the crowd once they bite down and it just makes me want to eat more. I may have chosen number 14 first but it's important to try and analyze each and every one. Number 8 with the flat crust also looked very tempting.

Since I can't actually eat 17 slices of pizza there were already instructions to cut a little sample size of each, but the first batch to pizzas is entirely gone!

The room is full of happy sounds and people are clamoring so well over the food, it can't be helped. In fact, I'm glad that so many people like it, my heart swells with an odd mix of emotions. No matter what the world is people get ridiculously hyped up over a pizza party.

..I'll just have to wait for the next batch t try everything.

Being closest to me, the kids managed to grab slices of number 14 before the pies were all gone. Though Lukas also dual highhandedly got a slice of number 13 as well. His reaction was to be expected, like feeding a cute excitable piglet! There are absolute stars in his eyes and I'm pretty sure he burned the roof of his mouth but still eating quickly anyways. Meanwhile, Amar usually has a much more subdued reaction to anything compared to Lukas but I see no less of approval in the way his eyes are closed, utterly blissed out on stuffing his face with pizza. Pizza sauce stains his face, in fact, it stains many people's face.

We all need to calm down a little.

There's no point on even asking for their thoughts and market research right now. Everyone's busy just enjoying the moment with tasty food, which is the best opinion I can ask for.

"Damn it smells like heaven in here but it's wafting outside and a riot is going to form."

"Oi! I brought your damn deliveries so where's the good food you promised""

At the same time, two new presences make their way past the cafeteria security I had set up before the pizza making.

Yuna comes with wagon load trailing behind him by a rope, it's full of fresh ingredients I called for. II expected we would need more ingredients not knowing Mr. Boar had prepared so much ahead of time. Well the more the merrier.

Towering over him is Tamera, looking confused at the scene in front of her. The scent of pizza is a dangerous thing, even more, fearsome than that of a 5-star meal. There's just something about it. Upping the cafeteria kitchen's security and placing crowd control. If there's anyone absolutely intimating enough to damper a possible riot, I definitely trust Tamera to be it.

I'd offer them a slice but it's all gone.

"Alright everyone, back to work! WE can't let the next batch burn! Everyone to your stations, let's get this pizza party started!"

"Yes My Lady!" responds the crowd, while respectful enough previously, the taste of pizza has no energized and chained them to follow my commands. My ranking has obviously risen in their eyes beyond just "Lord Commander's Granddaughter

"Mr. Boar!"

"It's Boaregous my lady, what can I do to serve you?'.

"Apologies Mr. Boaregous, I'd like you to prepare bite-sized samples of each pie."

"Yes, of course, my lady."

"But for further the new ingredients, focus on doughs such as number 14. There is no need to prepare more of dough 1-4, nor number 16 and 17. Even without tasting yet I can tell they're not suitable for this dish. Keep the yeast reserved for future bread."

"Of course My Lady, your wisdom and tongue are truly beyond your years. I shall prepare your samples immediately."

"Thank you Boaregous, and take care of my friends that have just arrived, they shall have the very first slices when the next batch is ready."

I wasn't making fun of Mr. Boar Baker, his name really is Boar, it's just kinda the long version. But I don't have the habit of butchering other's names, even if it's easier for me. It's disrespectful. But maybe I can get away with calling him Mr. Boar as a nickname, surely others already do right?

With all these ingredients we definitely have enough to serve out to the troops for an early dinner thing. I can have a bigger pool of taste testers to research which pizza is most popular here!

I'm not sure how to market or sell pizza, in fact, I'm not sure it can feasibly make me money. But watching everyone excitably working together and enjoying this little piece of my home, my other world, well that's enough for now. Everyone's simple happiness, especially the kids, is more than enough for now.

Ah, the pizza is ready!