Becoming a god by raising witches

"I will work hard."

Locke said with a smile.

I finally got a proper chef job, and the director is a hidden witch. While receiving a salary, I can also use the director's skills for free. This job couldn't be better.

Yes, we must keep it a secret from the black-haired bureau chief.

If she finds out that she knows her identity as a witch, she'll most likely be killed off sooner.

As Locke was lost in thought, his colleagues began introducing themselves.

“My name is Fedor Lawley.”

The man, who was about 40 years old, had a beer belly, and a scar on his left hand, introduced himself.

Then the other two also revealed their names; the tall, thin chef wearing an eyepatch was named Georgia Hawthorne.

The chef, short in stature with skin like orange peel and large pores, was named Graf Hughes.

Locke greeted them all. He knew he had to respect the seniors in the kitchen, or he wouldn't have an easy time in the future.

"I've been cooking for 30 years, and I've never tasted such a novel dish before. What's its origin?"

Old Rani believes that behind every delicious dish is a touching story, and adding this story makes the dish even more flavorful.

So he couldn't resist his curiosity and asked Locke.

The other three chefs also cast curious glances their way.

"It is said that the origin of ice-boiled mutton was Genghis Khan. When Genghis Khan led his troops to attack Natas City and arrived at the shore of Lake Baikal, the climate was very cold. The city could not be captured for a long time, and the soldiers did not have much food left, so they only had some sheep left."

These sheep were originally intended for use in celebrations after a victory. However, Genghis Khan decided to take a desperate gamble and ordered the sheep to be slaughtered and distributed to the soldiers in the hope that they could regain some strength. But when the soldiers were cooking the mutton, they found that the river was frozen. With no other option, they cooked the ice and the freshly slaughtered mutton together.

The soldiers found the mutton cooked this way to be different from usual, with an exceptionally delicious flavor. After eating, their strength was restored, and they captured Natas City in one fell swoop. With the victory in the war, this way of eating gradually spread, so "ice-cooked mutton" is also called "soldier-cooked mutton." This is the origin of "ice-cooked mutton."

Locke recounted the origins of the "Ice-boiled Lamb" from his memory.

The chefs' mouths seem to be able to hold an egg.

They stared at Locke in astonishment, as if he were a traveler from another world.

"I made this up."

Locke scratched his head.

Fedor, with his beer belly, was the first to burst out laughing.

"Haha, Locke, this is the most exciting story I've heard in the last two years. I'm sure your hobby must be being a novelist."

The tall, thin Georgia and the large-poreed Graf also laughed.

"Locke, you are a genius."

"Yes, I almost thought it was because I was too ignorant that I didn't know a great man like Genghis Khan."

Only old Rani looked serious. When he wasn't speaking, he seemed to be immersed in the grief of losing his wife, exuding a gloomy aura.

Locke sensed that old Rani was probably angry.

Just as he was about to explain and ease the tension, old Rani slapped his thigh, stood up, and said excitedly,

"We are going to present this dish to Her Majesty the Queen. It was invented by Locke, a new chef in our Sixth Sheriff's House kitchen! This dish will be promoted throughout Yorkshire! The reputation of our Sixth Sheriff's House kitchen will resound throughout the entire North!"

Yorkshire and the Coastalshire are the northern border of the Kingdom of Tumen. In winter, temperatures can drop to -40 degrees Celsius, and snow and ice cover the entire northern border.

Locke had seen photos of the North in a geography magazine and longed to experience the real northern landscape.

Of course, this is on the premise that there is enough money and that one's life can be saved.

He had heard from a veteran that during previous kingdom wars, the North had even experienced extreme food shortages, leading to cannibalism.

This is not the part Locke wanted to experience.

Old Rani, like a rooster suddenly ignited with fighting spirit, grabbed Locke and exclaimed excitedly,

"Locke, your fame will resound throughout the entire North. You will be the youngest and most accomplished gourmet, and you are about to fulfill a dream that I could never achieve in my entire life!"

For 30 years, Rani has been pursuing gourmet cuisine, but he can only repeat the dishes passed down from his predecessors. Even after making improvements, he cannot create something unique. He believes that he will never become a true gourmet because he lacks the talent for innovation.

Today, he tasted Locke's [Ice-boiled Lamb] and once again felt the healing power of food. It made him feel as if he saw his teacher from his youth, that genius gourmet. He decided to help Locke become a gourmet of this era and spread this [Ice-boiled Lamb] throughout the entire Tumen Kingdom.

Looking into old Rani's burning gaze, Locke experienced for the first time the dedication and passion of a culinary fanatic for food.

He swallowed hard and asked hesitantly.

"Will my salary increase after becoming a food critic?"

"Of course, the entire kitchen of the Sixth Security Court will get a pay raise because of you. Well, that's not the point. The point is that you're a gourmet. The kingdom hasn't had a true gourmet in 10 years. This is the highest honor for a chef!"

Old Rani's eyes were bloodshot, a testament to his passion for cooking.

"Okay, I will try my best to become a gourmet."

For a raise that we can all get!

Locke felt as if he had received a supreme mission as soon as he entered this new group.

Fedor, Giorgia, and Graf also got excited.

They love eating [cooked lamb in ice water], but they love even more the fame and accolades that the dish has gained since it became famous.

If [cooked lamb] were to become widespread in the North, they would no longer be unknown cooks; they would be colleagues of gourmets.

Of course, meeting the Queen is far from simple.

To present this dish, one must overcome numerous obstacles.

The first hurdle is to win over the Director. Only after the Director approves can you communicate with the Household Officer in charge of the palace's food. After winning over the Household Officer's palate, you also need to win over Her Majesty's Head Maid. Finally, the Queen happens to want to eat mutton so that the dish can be served.

Therefore, this road is very long.

Old Rani decided to let Locke familiarize himself with the kitchen work first.

"Including you, there are a total of 5 people in our kitchen. We are responsible for the meals of about 100 people. The most important thing is the cooking of Director Renis. She has a sweet tooth and likes to eat sweets."

"Secondly, there are six investigators. It is said that new people have recently joined. The exact number is not important. They are either on a date with death or on their way to a date with death. No one knows who they will see the next day."

Locke's Adam's apple bobbed, and he began to salivate, wondering if he had been tricked.

"Old Lani, don't scare the newbie. Most of the old guys in our department are still living very comfortably."

"It's a tall, thin man wearing a one-eyed eyepatch," said Georgia.

"That's right, like you, you're only blind in one eye."

Old Neil said coldly that he hated it when people interrupted him, and whenever that happened, he couldn't help but snap back.

Georgia pursed his lips and returned to his post to cut meat. The sound of the cleaver thumping loudly seemed to treat Old Neil like a fish on a chopping board.

"The remaining 90-odd people are all temporary workers. These temporary workers are either desperate and unlucky or heinous criminals. We don't need to cater to their tastes. Even if we feed them leftovers from the previous day, they will be grateful to us. Of course, we can't do that, for the sake of the kitchen's reputation."

As Old Rani spoke, he led Locke to the kitchen warehouse.

"The warehouse is full of the freshest vegetables and meats. Feel free to take whatever you want if you want to experiment with new dishes."

Locke's eyes gleamed slightly.

"Oh, but it can only be here, not taken home."

Old Rani added, "I hate thieves who have no sense of smell, and I'm sure you're not one."

Locke felt a little guilty, recalling the scene of getting freebies from the black market.

Okay, now that I have money, let's bring back my morals and integrity.

Locke decided to be a gentleman of good character, starting with not stealing vegetables.

Even though he was so envious of the warehouse full of fresh fruits, vegetables and meat that he wished he could empty the warehouse.

"That's enough for today. We'll officially start work tomorrow, at 8 a.m. every morning. Can you be on time then?"

“I will be on time, but I need to go to church to pray once a day; it’s an agreement I made with the priest.”

Locke said.

Old Rani nodded and touched the leaf on his neck.

“Pious young man, it’s alright. As long as it doesn’t interfere with your mealtime, you can go to church.”

"Well, I'm also a part-time investigator, so I need to go out when there are assignments."

Locke scratched his head sheepishly. It was best to make this clear to the head chef from the beginning to avoid unnecessary trouble later.

"Part-time investigator?"

The chefs in the kitchen all looked at Locke, their eyes filled with shock.

"Are you a weirdo?"

Old Rani asked seriously.

Locke nodded slightly. "I guess so."

"Then why did you become a chef?"

Fedor asked in surprise.

Why can't people with weirdo traits be cooks?