Viktor wiped away the build-up of sweat on his forehead, humming a melody he learned somewhere during his time in the Survey Corps. It felt like not much time had passed since he started cooking, but already an hour had passed. The dumpling stew sat simmering over the iron stove, steam rising from its surface and circulating the room. Viktor brought his apron to his face and wiped away more sweat, the late afternoon sun accompanied by a stuffy kitchen was just the recipe for perspiration; perhaps it would be better to go outside than stay in the mess hall for another hour or so. Viktor pulled out the last of the bread loaves from inside the gargantuan stove and placed them with the others in a neat row along a wooden cutting board, their golden brown crust radiating heat and the sweet smell of freshness, they would cool off and still remain fresh by the time the meal would be served. Viktor smiled at his work and slipped off the apron, he would have the opportunity to be at the delivering end of the evaluation. Of course not him directly, but the fact that he would get to watch the whole ordeal unfold from a different point of view would be an interesting experience.

Re-buttoning his shirt Viktor slipped out through the back of the mess hall and jogged to the officer's quarters, He would have to borrow a spare uniform since his was in tatters. Slipping on a uniform with a better fit, Viktor stealthily made his way back to the training grounds, lining up by the other officers. The Chief supervisor being the bumptious man that everyone knew him to be, shouting orders in an obviously annoyed tone. Viktor stood attention, hands behind his back, stiff upper lip and eyes forward, looking over the new recruits, picking out a few he had spotted earlier. Today was going to be an interesting start