Becoming a god by raising witches

Dimo shrugged and hung the bottle at his waist.

"I'm sorry, Angela isn't usually this willful. Don't let her small stature fool you, she's already 18, which is the age for marriage."

In Kosalk, women reach adulthood at 14 and men at 16, and adults can marry.

Therefore, if you are not married by the age of 18, you are considered to be of advanced age.

Someone like Hannah, who graduated from a proper grammar school and has been working for 5 years without getting married, is at the level of a Gold Saint.

This situation did not change until Queen Katerina Tumen came to power.

Thanks to the Queen's initiative, the minimum marriage age for women has been raised from 14 to 18, so 25-year-old Hannah is still very popular in the marriage market.

"Dimo!"

Angela's roar echoed from the doorway once more.

Dimo quickly chased after him, saying humbly,

"Angela, I was wrong, please don't be angry."

"Don't mind him. You can treat Dimo ​​as Angela's father, so don't mess with Angela easily. Dimo ​​is petty. He's been worried about Angela not dating lately."

Sieg explained to Locke and Robson with a smile.

Locke nodded slightly. Although this was different from the situation in the dream, the relationships between the characters were the same.

"Aren't there any other colleagues?"

Robson asked curiously.

"They've all been assigned to other places. You might see them tomorrow, or maybe next year, or perhaps even at a cemetery. Don't worry, you'll meet them eventually."

Sieg replied.

Robson nodded in understanding.

Locke twitched his lips. Wasn't the mortality rate supposed to be only 5%, lower than that of female factory workers? Why did he feel like he'd been tricked?

"There are no fixed workstations. Most investigators don't work fixed hours. They carry out tasks when there are tasks and rest when there are no tasks. They can play cards in the break room or here. Reading newspapers, writing poetry, drinking coffee, and tasting red wine are all good pastimes."

After the three left the investigator's office, Sieg and Robson took Locke to the kitchen on the first floor, handed him over to old Rani, and then said goodbye and left.

Sieg planned to take Robson out for a drink, but of course Robson would have to pay, since he had lost his wallet.

Because he still had to undergo a test from the head chef, Old Man Rani, Locke could not participate in social gatherings with his colleagues.

Old Rani was a red-bearded old man with a tall chef's hat and uniform. He was of medium build and between 50 and 60 years old, in the prime of his life.

Older gentlemen in this age group are very popular in the marriage market, especially young and beautiful girls who like older men with savings.

He had deep dark circles under his eyes, probably due to insomnia caused by recent widowhood, giving him a gloomy aura.

Old Rani with the red beard had a pair of bright green eyes, which had become somewhat cloudy with the passage of time.

He stared intently at Locke, giving Locke an invisible pressure.

"Newcomer, you can choose any ingredients you like. You cook a dish, and if it satisfies me, I'll let you stay in the kitchen. Otherwise, even if you bribe the director with your body, you'd better stay away from the kitchen!"

Old Rani, with his eccentric temper, seemed to be someone who wouldn't listen to reason.

But at least he didn't require himself to have a chef's diploma, which is good news.

Locke nodded slightly and walked into the sacred kitchen.

The Bureau of Investigation's kitchen is huge, larger than the largest kitchen Locke has ever seen in this world, even larger than the kitchen in Miss Eileen's Rhine Apartments, and at least six times the size of Locke's current apartment.

Besides the red-bearded old Rani, there were three cooks, all between thirty and forty years old.

They were all busy with their own things and didn't come up to say hello.

In their view, a young man like Locke would most likely not pass the test of the picky old Rani, and therefore would not become a future colleague.

Since that's the case, there's no need to waste time on small talk.

The kitchen's food storage room is stocked with various fresh meats, including plucked turkeys, whole lambs, whole beef, as well as fish and shrimp.

All the seasonings were readily available, along with cooking utensils of various shapes, which gave Locke a lot of room to experiment.

He remembered the big meal he had originally planned to make when he got home today—[Iced Lamb].

He already had an idea in mind and decided to use this dish to win over the temperamental Redbeard.

Of course, the first thing he did was ask the kitchen if they had any ice, and only after receiving a positive answer did Locke begin to take action.

I washed my hands thoroughly, scanned the knives on the cutting board with a determined look, and chose the most suitable one.

Locke removed the meat from the front part of the goat's leg, which was connected to the loin, and then removed the entire front leg. The whole movement was smooth and efficient, without the slightest hesitation.

From the details of Locke taking the meat, old Rani could tell that he was not an amateur, as laymen generally cannot distinguish between front leg meat and hind leg meat.

In reality, the forelegs have more fat than the hind legs, and the meat is more tender, but it is also more moderate in terms of fat content compared to other parts of the sheep's body, which is why it is considered the best part. The area where the front part of the lamb leg connects to the loin is the tenderest part of the entire lamb.

The nonchalant old Rani suddenly perked up, eager to see what kind of dish Locke could make with this cut of premium meat.

Locke quickly cut the lamb leg open with a knife, cutting the sinewy leg meat into chunks and the tender parts into thin slices that curled slightly, and placed them on a plate.

Old Rani with the red beard watched as the boy skillfully and swiftly cut along the white fat marbling between the tendons, and nodded in satisfaction. At least his knife skills were acknowledging his talent.

Locke noticed old Rani's gaze, but he was single-minded, only wanting to make the dish the best it could be.

Compared to the previous interview with the witch's chef, he was much more at ease in this interview.

He found the perfect iron pot for cooking hot pot and carefully layered ice cubes at the bottom of the pot.

Old Rani watched the boy's actions in surprise. Although he had a million questions in his mind, he didn't say anything, afraid of disturbing the boy's rhythm.

Place the pot on the fire, arrange the lamb chunks neatly on the ice, add water to slightly cover the ice, add the prepared spices, and finally add a little fresh milk.

Put the lid on and let it simmer.

Besides old Rani, the other cooks in the kitchen couldn't sit still any longer and came over to watch.

The main problem was that Locke's approach was too peculiar.

They never tried cooking mutton with ice; the ice was actually used to refrigerate food ingredients.

Unlike old Rani, they couldn't hold back any longer and began to ask the boy questions.

Why add ice to the pot? Why not just use water?

Chapter 67, The Genius Gourmet

Locke answered while preparing the side dishes and dipping sauces.

"This dish is called [Ice-boiled Lamb]. Based on the principle of thermal expansion and contraction, the lamb will tighten when it is very fresh and hot. As it is heated and the ice melts, the lamb will gradually expand. During this process, the lamb will absorb the broth. When it is cooked, the lamb will shrink and release the broth. The meat cooked in this way is very smooth and delicious, and the muttony smell is also less.

The cooks listened to the impressive-sounding terms that Locke was using.

Boiled lamb in ice—the concept of thermal expansion and contraction sounds so high-end!

Locke judged from their surprised expressions that the principle of thermal expansion and contraction did not seem to be widely known in the world. Of course, it was also possible that the cooks did not understand science.

Once the mutton chunks had turned milky white, the aroma had permeated every corner of the kitchen.

Locke first presented a bowl of soup and respectfully handed it to old Rani.

“Mr. Rani, please.”

Old Rani solemnly accepted the exquisite porcelain bowl, gently scooped a spoonful with a soup spoon, and put it into his mouth.

The fresh and delicious flavors burst on the tip of the tongue, like fairies dancing.

Old Rani's cloudy eyes gleamed slightly, as if he had returned to the feeling of tasting his teacher's first dish when he was young.

tasty!

Then Locke picked up the mutton, placed it on a small plate, dipped it in the sauce, and served it to old Rani.

Old Rani put the milky white mutton into his mouth, and his eyes seemed to regain their clarity, as if he had returned to the feeling of cooking for his wife when he proposed. It was so delicious that he almost bit his tongue off.

It was the first time the chefs had ever seen Old Rani so unconcerned about his image, constantly scooping mutton from the pot. Smelling the aroma filling the room, they joined in the food appreciation session.

Locke was also hungry, so he started eating mutton slices without any hesitation.

The meat is tender, the soup is sweet and clear, and the aroma is elevated to another level when coated with sesame oil.

Locke was quite satisfied with the [cooked lamb in ice water] he had made.

I've decided to make it again for Eileen and Hannah when I get home; I'm sure they'll love it.

After finishing the hotpot, Old Rani had recovered from the grief of losing his wife and felt the redemption that the goddess of life had given him.

"You must be sent by the goddess to save me, young man. What's your name?"

"Rock Bemon".

Locke thought old Rani was exaggerating a bit.

"Very well, Locke Bemon, you are now a proud chef in the kitchen."

The three chefs in the kitchen applauded to welcome Locke; having a new colleague meant they could take another day off.

Moreover, Locke's culinary skills were unanimously recognized by them.

This dish, [Ice-cooked Lamb], gave them a fresh perspective. It turns out that ice is not only used to refrigerate food and extend its shelf life, but can also be used directly in cooking.