Colby had never forgotten about that special congratulatory gift for becoming a Knight-in-Training. Life just got in the way. But now, he was ready to start working on that gift, even if she didn’t deserve it for being taller than him.

  It was experimental, but he was confident it would be the perfect gift for her. After all, cheese was what he was good at.

  Mozzarella mixed with candied ginger was delicious, but not enough if he wanted it to be sold in the shop. Candied ginger with chévre would pair even better, making it a complete package, assuming his cheese instincts were correct. But there was another cheese. Not as good as chévre but a definite upgrade over mozzarella.

  Ricotta.

  It was light, fluffy, and most importantly, sweet. And you know what else was sweet? Butterfly Ginger.

  Combining the two, he’d be able to make the sweetest cheese yet.

  Fortunately, there was ricotta being made right now. The cheese was inside of Cheese Press’s mold, where it was currently being drained of whey.

  Colby walked up to the trembling Core Construct. Every step he took caused Cheese Press to shudder even harder, vibrations rippling through his wooden frame and the plastic cheese mold. If Cheese Press wasn’t careful, he might shake himself apart.

  “Hey there, Cheese Press,” Colby said.

  Plastic noodle limbs sprouted out from the sides of the plastic mold as Cheese Press signed, “P-please don’t hurt me. I promise to be good. Please don’t torture me again.”

  “Torture you? What are you talking about? I’ve never tortured you.”

  “P-please don’t torture me.”

  “But I really never tortured you.”

  Cheese Press didn’t respond. Instead, his trembling was dialed up from eleven to a hundred. The entire wooden frame, mold, and supporting weights vibrating into a blur of colors.

  Curds! What did he do to Cheese Press?

  He had better get out of her before Cheese Press deconstructed himself. But first, the ricotta. Colby grabbed the cheese from the vibrating plastic mold before sprinting away from Cheese Press. The further he moved away, the slower the trembling, but it never stopped.

  As for the ricotta in his hands, it still had to be chilled overnight before it was done.

  Colby rushed over to The Cheesetastic Fridge and opened his door before gently placing the cheese within one of the empty containers that came with the Core Construct.

  Then, he rushed over to Smart Waiter, telling him about the situation with Cheese Press and asking for help before quickly exiting his Core before Cheese Press did any further damage to himself because of his presence.

  Back in the real world, Colby spent the rest of the day playing with Brie and Thornelius, and sharing with her the awesome stories of him getting the ingredients over the past two days.

  The next day, Colby went back into his Core, ready to start work on the ricotta and hopefully find out more about Cheese Press.

  Inside, he found the mobile Core Constructs surrounding Cheese Press. The moment he took a single step, Smart Waiter slammed his hatch open and shut. The mobile Core Constructs turned and spotted Colby.

  Cheese Bowl jumped up in a panic before rushing over to him, while the other Core Constructs formed a barrier with their bodies, blocking Cheese Press from seeing him.

  “What’s going on?” Colby asked.

  “You tortured Cheese Press!” Cheese Bowl signed. “How could you?”

  “Tortured him? How did I torture him? When did I torture him?”

  “Yesterday! You waterboarded him with whey?”

  “Yesterday? Whey? You mean when I used Cheese Press’ mold to skim the curds for the ricotta I was making?”

  Cheese Bowl nodded.

  “Oh my curds! I didn’t realize that was what I was doing to Cheese Press. No wonder he was so afraid of me. Wait, but I did it in front of everyone yesterday. Why didn’t anyone say anything about it?”

  “We didn’t realize that it was hurting Cheese Press until you told us to investigate.”

  “I need to apologize to him.”

  All of the mobile Core Constructs shook their heads.

  “Not yet. Not now.”

  “But—”

  “No!” Cheese Bowl loudly signed, slapping Colby’s ankle.

  “Ouch. What was that for?”

  “Cheese Press needs space right now. He needs time.”

  Colby looked at the trembling Core Construct, hidden behind the rest of his mobile Core Constructs.

  “I guess,” he sighed. “But tell him that I never meant to hurt him. Tell him I’m sorry.”

  Cheese Bowl nodded before walking back to comfort Cheese Press along with the rest of the mobile Core Constructs.

  Boy, had he really messed up. And there was no one to blame but him.

  Unsure what to do, Colby decided to dive into his work once more, making a flavored cheese using ricotta and candied ginger.

  Repeating the process again, Smart Waiter managed to produce a bunch of chewy pieces of Butterfly Ginger.

  He then grabbed the ricotta that had rested overnight in The Cheesetastic Fridge, pouring the white creamy contents into Cheese Bowl. Then he took the chewy, sweet Butterfly Ginger and cut them into small little chunks using Curd-Cutter, before slowly mixing everything together.

  So simple, yet so delicious.

  But he could make it even better. He could make it even fluffier.

  Using Curd-Cutter again, he angled the blade toward the cheese, channeling the intent to ‘cut the fluff’. As the handle sliced through the ricotta, one half hardened like rocks, while the other softened into a fluffy white cloud shape, with small little bits of ginger poking out of it.

  Perfect.

  He didn’t need to taste it to know how good it was. But he knew he should.

  Tearing off a small little piece from the fluffy side, he placed it into Smart Waiter. Back in the real world, it materialized in his palm. Happy with the way it looked, felt, and smelled, Colby plopped it into his mouth.

  Just as he suspected, it was delicious.

  The ricotta on its own was sweet, far sweeter than mozzarella. Even the sweetness of the mozzarella mixed with candied Butterfly Ginger was barely on par with the ricotta’s base sweetness. But the moment his teeth sank into the chewy fragments of Butterfly Ginger, sweetness exploded across his mouth. His tongue tingled in delight, and his salivary glands went into overdrive from the mild heat that followed.

  Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

  And that was just the taste.

  The extra fluffiness from the [Cheese Pillow] made it feel like he was eating a cloud. It was light, airy, and gave cotton candy a run for its money.

  It was an infinitely better version compared to what he whipped up for Elaine in an attempt to cheer her up after having to confront her parents.

  There were still tons of room for improvement, but Elaine had waited long enough. That’s why this would be an intermediary gift. A little appetizer before the true gift, where he perfected this recipe.

  Now, it was time to find Elaine. And afterwards, maybe harvest some Skate Goat milk.

  Colby rushed out of his room, down to the shop floor.

  “Is everything okay, dear?” his mother asked. It was her turn to man the shop, something which he had been neglecting for quite some time. Now that things were starting to go back to normal, he’d make it up to them by taking extra shifts.

  “Yup, Mom. The rennet worked. I’m off to see Elaine.”

  “Elaine? Isn’t she in the middle of training? You shouldn’t be disturbing her.”

  “It’s okay, Mom. I’ll be quick. Oh, and I might get some Skate Goat milk later.”

  “What? I mean, okay. Just be safe, dear. Please.”

  “Got it, Mom.”

  Colby ran out of the door.

  A bark rang out behind him.

  Turning around, he found Thornelius charging after him, leafy paws thudding happily against the cobbled path. Looks like the Thornwolf had had enough of house life and wanted to go out and play for a bit.

  Even further back, he caught sight of Brie. She managed to take a single step out of the door when a hand—presumably his mother’s—reached out and grabbed her. Colby ignored her indignant wails of not being able to go out and play with him.

  Hopefully, Elaine was still in Brinebrook and not already shipped out. She was still a Knight-in-training after all. The Kingdom wouldn’t be that foolish, right?

  He’d find out soon enough.

  With Thornelius next to him, he ran to the Knight’s quarters. It was an area near the east side of town where knights and Knights-in-training lived and trained. On the other side of Brinebrook, somewhere near the coast, was where the Arcanists from The Arcanum did all of their living and spell sorcery.

  Now, if only they could come up with a spell that would end the war in one quick blow instead of… To be honest, he didn’t exactly know what they did.

  Like Brinebrook, the Knight’s quarters were enclosed within cobbled walls. They were high enough that he couldn’t take a peek into its interior, not unless he wanted to be accused of trespassing.

  Colby walked along the stretch of cobblestone and finally spotted what looked to be the entrance in the distance.

  Unsurprisingly, it was guarded. Two knights, both in full armor, the emblem of Paralos stamped proudly across their breastplates. Halberds rested in their grip as they stood at attention, though one had a sword secured in its scabbard by the side.

  The most striking difference was their size. One knight towered over the other, more than a head taller.

  Something told Colby that a Thornwolf waltzing by would earn him more trouble than was worth it. So, he ordered Thornelius to hide amongst the rows of bushes opposite the wall. The Thornwolf obeyed, slipping across the road and becoming one with the shrubbery.

  Colby walked forward, trying to look as casual as possible. He stopped right in front of the entrance and looked at the knights. They looked back.

  He took a single step forward.

  Both Knights raised their halberds, crossing the long shafts to form an ‘X’ that blocked his path.

  “Stop,” the shorter Knight said.

  It was a girl’s voice.

  “State your intentions.”

  “I’m here to give my friend a gift.”

  “That is not a valid reason to enter.”

  The taller knight held up their hand before speaking.

  “And who is this friend of yours?”

  The taller knight’s voice was feminine, but it was forced deep and low, like she was trying her best to sound like a man.

  Wait.

  Tall. Girl. Trying to disguise their voice.

  “Elaine! It’s for you.”

  “You got me,” the taller Knight said, pulling up her visor. “Hey, Colbs. You doing good? What brings you here?”

  “I literally just said it five seconds ago.”

  “Just in case I didn’t quite catch it. It’s hard to hear with this helmet on.”

  “Elaine!” the shorter Knight shouted, opening her visor.

  It was just the face of a girl. She had brown eyes, and that was pretty much all the helmet revealed.

  “Yeah, Maisie?” Elaine said, looking at her shorter companion.

  “We’re on guard duty. What if we get caught?”

  “We won’t.”

  “Wait, guard duty?” Colby said. “What happened to all of that training and stuff?”

  “Oh, I’m still doing that. It’s just that guarding the peace of Brinebrook, including this base, is part of our duty. Something which some people ought to realize by now.”

  “Are you mad at her or me?” Colby asked. “Because you sound mad.”

  “I’m not mad, just annoyed. Also, I’m still kind of annoyed over that stunt you pulled. Anyway, those noble Knights-in-training push these kinds of responsibilities to us commoner Knights-in-training. It’s beneath them, apparently.”

  He had heard his fair share of complaints about nobles. He’d also promptly forget them just as quickly, clearing his head for things that really mattered. Like cheese.

  “Of course it is.”

  Either ventriloquism was part of their training, because he didn’t see their mouths move, or the voice came from behind them.

  Colby leaned to the side, looking past Elaine and Maisie. Two more girls were approaching, both dressed in fitted leather armor with the symbol of Paralos stamped across their chests, and swords hanging at their hips.

  The most striking thing about them was their color coordination.

  Tied into pigtails, one had flaming red hair—even brighter than Elaine’s—while the other was sky blue. Even their leather armor matched the hue.

  “Slacking during guard duty, Elaine?” the red-haired girl said.

  Like Maisie, Elaine stood a head taller than them.

  “Says the people who don’t even do guard duty. And no, Helena. I’m just stopping a civilian from entering the premises.”

  “Really, now?” said the blue-haired girl. “And why would this commoner want to enter the Knight’s base?”

  “I was just looking for a friend to give her a gift,” Colby said.

  “You don’t have to lie, little commoner boy. We know the real reason. You're hoping to get in the good graces of one of us nobles, that’s why you showed up with a gift.”

  This was his first encounter with a noble—unless he had forgotten. Why were they so prickly?

  “I’m not lying. Also, I’m taller than you. I’m actually here for Elaine.”

  “Her? That overgrown tree,” the blue-haired girl said, glancing up at Elaine.

  “Yes, Noelle. He’s here for me.”

  That statement stunned both of them into silence.

  As for Maisie. Well, she was quivering in her boots like it was the dead of winter while caught outside in the nude.

  Taking advantage of the peace and quiet, Elaine and Colby continued their little conversation.

  “Anyway, sorry you had to bump into them, Colbs. So what’s this gift?”

  “Close your eyes.”

  “I’m on guard duty. You know I can’t do that.”

  “Cover your eyes?”

  “Again, I can’t do that.”

  “Blind yourself?”

  “It is well within my right to attack a potential intruder.”

  “Relax, Laine. It was a joke. I’ll close my eyes on your behalf.”

  Darkness consumed his vision as his eyelids were sealed shut.

  It was also an excuse to hone in on his Core. Grabbing the super fluffy ricotta mixed with Butterfly Binger, Colby placed it into Smart Waiter.

  In the real world, he held out his palm, the cheese materializing on it.

  Congratulations! [Cheese Pillow] has reached Level 5!

  “Surprise!” he said.

  “You shouldn’t have,” Elaine said, grabbing the white cloud with small yellow bits from his hand.

  “I actually had to.”

  Rolling her eyes, Elaine took a bite. Her shoulders slumped ever so slightly as she moaned in delight. “It’s so sweet… and fluffy. It’s like eating a cloud.”

  “I’m glad you like it. Is it a good Knight-in-training reward and a sorry-for-sneaking-out-and-causing-you-a-ton-of-worry-apology gift?”

  “Yes, Colby,” she said. “The best.”

  Helena and Noelle finally unfroze. The red-haired girl was the first to recover. She let out a short laugh as her gaze flicked from the cheese in Elaine’s hand to her euphoric expression.

  “The best? That’s just some peasant food. It doesn’t hold a candle to what we normally eat, much less a gift.”

  The blue-haired girl nodded along beside her, sky-blue pigtails bouncing in agreement.

  “You get to eat clouds as nobles?” Colby asked.

  “What cloud?” Noelle screeched. “That’s just some white mush.”

  “I mean, Laine did say it was like eating a cloud.”

  Elaine took a second bite and said, “Actually, I think it’s even fluffier than a cloud. It’s the best thing I’ve ever had.”

  “You think so?” Colby said, eyes lighting up. “Well, I’ve got some good news for you, Laine. That was actually just the intermediary gift. The real one is going to taste even better.”

  “Oh, I can’t wait! Thanks, Colbs,” she said, hugging him.

  “You are very much welcome, Laine. Also, do you know where’s Port? I owe him an apology, too.”

  “He’s out Supply Running as per usual.”

  “Yeah, I figured.”

  “How dare you ignore us!” Helena snapped, her face flushing as red as her hair. “Come, Noelle. Let us leave before we catch whatever commoner sickness makes them confuse slop for actual food.”

  She turned and walked away. The blue-haired girl followed a heartbeat later, nose wrinkled as though the air was sour.

  As they walked away, the sudden peace and quiet allowed the gears in his head to finally turn. The red-haired girl was Helena, and the blue-haired girl was Noelle. Got it. That wasn’t the only thing he had realized.

  “That’s it!” Colby shouted. “I know why nobles act like that.”

  Helena and Noelle both turned on their heels, rushing towards him. They leaned in close as if personal space was a foreign concept to them.

  “You better choose your next words wisely, peasant boy.”

  “Relax, Colbs. I’ll make sure they don’t do anything. So what’s this big revelation?” Elaine said.

  “You know, I was wondering why they kept being all mean, negative, and even straight-up denying whatever I said. Then I realize, it’s because they have to. They’re NO-bles. And over here are Hele-NAH and NO-elle. It was their destiny to act like this.”

  Elaine snorted, unable to stifle her laughter as she shook her head.

  “Never change, Colbs. Never change.”

  “You—” Helena sputtered, raising a gloved finger at him. It shook with anger. Heat rushed to her face, turning it almost as red as her hair.

  “How dare you!” Noelle shouted, jabbing a gloved finger into his shoulder.

  “Is that not the reason?” Colby asked, taking a step back and raising his hands above his head. “I really thought I was onto something.”

  Silence lingered in the air, but for a moment. Helena lowered her finger, fire burning in her eyes. She pulled off her leather glove, slapping Colby across the face with it.

  “For disrespecting the house of Vapronel, I challenge you to a duel,” Helena declared.

  “What?” Elaine blurted.

  “What?” Maisie said, finally speaking up.

  “What?” Colby echoed.