Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 679 - 72: Damn, He’s Truly a Gourmet!

Ethan's stomach isn't good.

Eating too much raw food gives him nausea and diarrhea, and he has extremely high standards for blood used as a drink, requiring O-negative blood, age under 21, drawn no longer than 3 days ago, and stored on ice.

The body fat percentage of the meat should be between 18%-25%, neither too fat nor too thin, and the meat must come from someone who exercises regularly, enhancing muscle texture. The chef is a retired Royal Chef who only selects belly meat and tendon, slow-cooking them to perfection with cherry sauce, embodying what a feast should look like. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Moreover, Ethan himself is a gourmet; cooking is his leisure pursuit, with profound studies on every part of the meat.

Initially, all the red-eyed ghouls present were skeptical, but as Ethan meticulously described the artistic culinary techniques, they seemed to see him in a lavish mansion in the imperial capital at night, wearing a white apron, carefully preparing top-quality ingredients, marinating them, and then igniting the stove, pouring olive oil into the pan.

Ethan selected a volunteer from the people with linen bags over their heads, his hands roving over each part of the volunteer's body, explaining to the ghouls the cooking methods and precautions for every part.

The ghouls could almost hear the sizzling sound of well-marinated meat hitting the pan, an undeniable symphony that pierced their souls, as even the air seemed to be filled with the aroma of cooking meat.

They could no longer recall the last time they had eaten cooked food.

Their identity as ghouls made them disdain culinary food long ago, yet with Ethan's explanation, drool involuntarily dripped from their mouths.

They began to see Ethan in a vastly different light.

From an arrogant, rude, troublesome imperial scion, he transformed into the only true connoisseur.

Upon meeting Ethan, they realized their insignificance; compared to him, they were like primitive beings unable to use even basic tools.

"From what I know, in the Empire, cannibalism is a grave sin."

As Ethan wrapped up his explanation on cooking liver, the noblewoman spoke with a sneer, "It's bona fide Evil God worship—no, it's far worse than ordinary sacrificial rituals. Never thought you'd manage such feats under the noses of those fanatical followers of the Goddess of Life."

Though discreet, her questioning pierced through the world of gourmet envisioning Ethan had drawn for the ghouls, and they cast questioning looks at Ethan.

It was hard to imagine anyone carrying out such "culinary explorations" recklessly at the Life Divine Teachings' stronghold.

"How long has it been since you've been to the imperial capital?"

This question landed like a heavy hammer on everyone's heart; a casual query, yet highlighted the insurmountable divide between individuals. They had never visited the Empire's center; all their understanding of it was imaginary.

Only the noblewoman spoke, "The last time I was there, Pope Julius introduced the indulgences."

"Then you should know what sort of place it is—provided you have enough money to bribe the necessary people, you can become a legally recognized citizen by the Church. Every penny you pay them becomes your umbrella; meanwhile, a few missing persons in the city—it's nothing of concern."

Ethan said, "There, I eat whatever I fancy, and her full name is Ave-Margaret."

"Present!"

Listening intently, Ave snapped to attention immediately upon hearing Ethan mention her name.

"Margaret!?"

"Is this someone related to Queen Margaret?"

The red-eyed ghouls buzzed with speculation; even the noblewoman was somewhat taken aback by the name Ethan mentioned.

"Incidentally, Ave's favorite food is slow-roasted belly meat, complemented by melon and caviar sauce—she's a new member of the gourmet club, yet her adaptability proved lousy, resulting in her current form."

Ethan shook his head helplessly.

His sigh sent shockwaves through the ranks of the red-eyed ghouls.

They had always deemed themselves unique, qualifying only as mother's children after surviving the ghoul plague, but to the "white eyes," Ave was merely a product of failed transformation!

Such was the "white-eyed" one, was this… the imperial scion?

"In that case, please exhibit your skills for us."

The noblewoman was somewhat swayed; in her mind, the imperial capital indeed presented a place glamorous on the surface, yet rotten to the core, upon reflection, incidents more outrageous than cannibalism were happening there incessantly.

"Them?"

Ethan echoed, turning to the shivering people with linen bags over their heads, "These? These are just trash, lacking the slightest culinary value; clearly, you have a ranch, but no management skills."

Saying this, he raised the volunteer girl's emaciated arm before the gathered red-eyed ghouls, "Even the finest chef couldn't handle such ingredients; they ruin everything. If you intend to put them on the dining table, there's a need for at least ten days of maturation."

"We can wait."

Before the noblewoman could speak, a red-eyed ghoul eagerly spoke up; they were entirely bewitched by Ethan, too desperate to taste the gourmet delicacies Ethan had described.

Ethan did not immediately respond but instead looked at the noblewoman, "If I am to take over these ingredients, none of you are allowed within a step of them during the forthcoming ten days. I will ensure the utmost preparations, allowing only them to meet the lowest standard for the dining table."

"Have it done according to your suggestions."

The noblewoman ultimately conceded, saying, "You should stay here during this time."

She somewhat believed Ethan's words since a human who hasn't tasted human flesh couldn't possibly describe the cooking methods for each part of the body so clearly and accurately. If he were making it up, he would instantly reveal himself as a fraud before a real ghoul, but Ethan?

He seemed to have eaten at least hundreds of people; perhaps even he couldn't remember the exact number.

Just as when they were human, they never remembered how many chickens or cows they had eaten.

This explanation of treating the human body like ordinary ingredients set him apart, even among the ghouls.

...

The banquet ended midway due to Ethan's gourmet lecture; these unfortunate humans were accommodated in luxurious rooms at Ethan's request. This was because Ethan had imparted one of the secrets to making food delicious—ensuring they were in a good mood before serving them on the dining table.

They don't eat depressed patients.

Apart from that, they had to be well-fed and watered, especially ensuring the supply of fruits three times a day, which was for pre-seasoning.

This made Ave's mood heavier; Ethan's detailed and vivid lecture not only fooled the noblewoman but also made her suspicious.

After the red-eyed ghouls who were guiding them left, she spoke with a complex heart, "Ethan, I need to ask you something, and you must answer me honestly."

"Hmm?"

"Treat it as a secret between us; I absolutely won't tell anyone."

"What exactly do you want to ask?"

"How many people have you eaten?"

Ave's gaze was deep, "Is there any chance of being found out by others?"

As the Prime Minister of the new cabinet and the author of "Imperial Truth," if the Empire's citizens who believed in Ethan discovered this unknown side of him, it would be a devastating blow to his image and the Empire's stability.

"No, do you also believe it?"

"There's no one else here."

Ave's eyes were serious; the golden hair on her head stood up, looking like she was listening carefully, "Those details can't be known just by thinking."

"A friend told me."

"Is this friend you're talking about yourself?"

"His name is Hannibal."

While explaining cooking techniques to the ghouls, Ethan envisioned himself in Hannibal's role. If there were ghouls in that world, Mr. Hannibal was undoubtedly at the top of the food chain.

"Hannibal..."

Ave frowned, "Never heard of him, is he also an Old God?"

"You can think of it that way."

Ethan didn't want to dwell on these trivial details; things were moving in the right direction. He had successfully secured ten days for those unfortunate souls captured by ghouls. In the next ten days, they would no longer be kept in a dark cell but treated like real humans.

He convinced the red-eyed ghouls that this would make them more flavorful.

And in the next ten days, they were to find Valerie. According to the timeline provided by Demon Hunter Van Fleet, she had been missing for over a year. There must be some unknown reason why the noblewoman kept her.

"Knock knock, knock knock——!"

They hadn't spoken much before the knocking sounded again.

"Is Mr. Ethan here, Mr. Ethan?"

This was a young voice, and Ethan thought of the youngest red-eyed ghoul in the banquet hall, who was the most excited during his lecture, drooling excessively at the time.

"Although it's somewhat presumptuous, I'd like to invite you to visit our ranch!"

"I'll be right there."

Ethan responded helplessly.

They still needed to maintain a good relationship with the red-eyed ones here before seeing Valerie.

Ave gave him a reassuring look; since she arrived here, the pain brought by the ghoul plague had entirely disappeared, and the fog even made her more energized.

"You go stabilize them; I'll confirm Teacher Valerie's whereabouts."