Chapter 395

While Haruto was considering what to prepare for the banquet, his gaze drifted toward Milim, who was standing a short distance away.

The pink-haired Demon Lord was watching him with an expression of eager anticipation.

Seeing her practically vibrating with excitement, Haruto suddenly had an idea.

With a thought, he retrieved an enormous creature from the Gourmet Restaurant.

Thud!

A Black Iron Bull standing more than three meters tall landed heavily on the open ground.

The creature’s entire body was covered in dark, metallic-looking fur, and its muscular physique looked as though it had been forged from solid steel.

Even in death, the enormous bull retained an intimidating presence.

Haruto then retrieved another collection of ingredients.

This time, he brought out twenty or thirty Cave Spiders, each roughly the size of an adult human.

Their enormous bodies were piled together in the clearing, their dark, faintly luminous carapaces reflecting the cold gleam of the nearby firelight.

"Hmm? You can eat these spiders too?"

Milim came bouncing over, her curiosity immediately aroused.

She reached out and poked one of the spiders’ hard shells.

Her finger effortlessly punched several small holes through the carapace.

"Of course you can."

Haruto nodded before approaching the pile of spiders and casually picking one up.

The Cave Spider’s eight legs were long and exceptionally tough, with tiny serrations along their joints.

Haruto drew his kitchen knife, Myriad Worlds.

The blade trembled faintly in his hand.

A flash of cold steel followed, and all eight legs fell neatly onto the cutting board.

Every cut was as smooth as a polished mirror, with not even a trace of liquid escaping from the severed surfaces.

Haruto picked up another spider and removed its legs just as efficiently.

Then came a third, followed by a fourth.

He continued working through the pile, his movements precise and remarkably fast.

Nearby, Shion watched with intense concentration.

Her notebook was open, and her pen moved rapidly across the pages as she tried to record everything Haruto did.

After all, Lord Rimuru absolutely loved this man’s cooking.

As Rimuru’s secretary and bodyguard, Shion considered it her duty to learn as much as possible from such an accomplished chef.

If she could master his techniques, she would surely be able to prepare even more delicious meals filled with love for Lord Rimuru.

Haruto paid little attention to her enthusiastic note-taking.

Instead, he began processing the spider legs he’d removed.

Picking up one of the enormous appendages, he drew Myriad Worlds gently along its length.

The hard outer shell split cleanly apart, revealing tender, cherry-blossom-pink flesh inside.

Haruto examined it carefully.

The muscle fibers were remarkably fine, and the surface of the meat was covered in a thin layer of transparent, gelatinous fluid.

A delicate sweetness rose from it, reminiscent of fresh seafood.

According to the information provided by his Unique Skill Gourmet, Cave Spiders possessed exceptionally well-developed leg muscles.

However, because they spent most of their lives in environments with very little sunlight, the flesh inside those powerful limbs remained unusually tender.

Its texture fell somewhere between crab legs and lobster meat.

And roasting was one of the best ways to prepare it.

Satisfied with his assessment, Haruto arranged the cleaned spider legs neatly across a large grill.

"Kagura, could you take care of these? Keep the fire at a moderate temperature and roast them slowly. Make sure they cook evenly."

"Got it."

Kagura nodded seriously and stepped forward to take over the grill.

Using her wind manipulation, she carefully regulated the flames of the bonfire beneath it.

Gentle currents of air moved around the grill, directing the heat so that every spider leg received an even amount.

With that task entrusted to Kagura, Haruto turned toward the enormous Black Iron Bull.

He examined its body briefly before raising Myriad Worlds.

The knife immediately began changing shape.

Its blade expanded and lengthened, transforming into an enormous butcher’s knife.

Haruto drew a deep breath.

Then, in the next instant, he moved.

"Mighty Bull Azure Dragon Slash!"

His figure became a streak of light.

The enormous blade seemed to release the roar of a dragon as a phantom azure dragon coiled around its edge, twisting and roaring through the air.

Haruto’s movement carried him past the Black Iron Bull in an instant.

By the time he came to a stop, the enormous carcass had already been completely butchered.

Tenderloin, brisket, shank, ribs, and the other cuts had all been separated with astonishing precision.

Every section lay neatly divided according to its place on the animal.

Rimuru and the others stared in disbelief.

They had barely managed to follow Haruto’s movements, yet the three-meter-tall monster had been dismantled in the blink of an eye.

Noticing their astonishment, Haruto simply smiled before continuing his preparations.

First, he set the beef tenderloin aside.

He then sorted the remaining cuts into separate basins, keeping each part of the animal apart from the others.

Since different cuts possessed different textures and fat contents, he prepared a separate marinade for each.

Once the seasonings had been added, Haruto began thoroughly mixing the meat by hand.

As he worked, he activated the skill converted from his Rapid Flavor Infusion Magic.

The flavors of the marinades rapidly penetrated the beef, spreading deep into the muscle fibers rather than remaining only on the surface.

At the same time, Haruto used controlled pressure to massage and lightly pat the meat.

Under his practiced hands, the fibers gradually relaxed, becoming softer and more elastic.

Shion’s pen was practically flying across her notebook.

She watched every movement with unwavering attention, desperately trying to record the precise techniques and methods he employed.

Once the meat had been properly prepared, Haruto brought over an enormous iron spit measuring approximately two meters long.

He began threading the seasoned beef onto it.

One slice, then another, followed by a third.

His arrangement was anything but random.

Each piece overlapped the next at a carefully chosen angle, with lean and fatty cuts alternating throughout the structure.

The layers gradually accumulated, creating an enormous column of meat.

Before long, the spit was surrounded by a massive stack of beef, so thick that an adult would have needed both arms to wrap around it.

"W-Whoa! That’s one enormous meat skewer!"

Gobta stared at the construction, completely dumbfounded.

His mouth was already watering.

"You’re making rotisserie meat!"

Rimuru immediately recognized what Haruto was preparing.

The thought of freshly roasted meat slowly turning beside a fire brought back some particularly delicious memories.

His expression brightened with anticipation.

"Exactly!"

Haruto nodded.

He carried the enormous spit over to a specially prepared roasting stand and secured it above the bonfire.

Then he glanced toward Shion, who was still diligently writing in her notebook.

He paused.

After a moment’s consideration, he shifted his attention toward Gobta, who was busy wiping drool from the corner of his mouth.

"Gobta, I’ve got a job for you."

"Huh? Me?"

"That’s right. I need you to keep this spit turning while the meat cooks."

Haruto gestured toward the enormous column of beef.

"Make sure you rotate it at a steady speed. Don’t suddenly speed up or slow down. Every side needs to receive the same amount of heat. Think you can manage that?"

"Leave it to me!"

Gobta agreed immediately.

He hurried over to the fire, grabbed the handle of the enormous spit, and began turning it with great enthusiasm.

When it came to anything involving food, Gobta was extremely serious.

Haruto observed him for a moment and adjusted his rotation speed until it was just right.

Then he returned to the beef tenderloin he’d set aside earlier.

This was the most tender cut from the Black Iron Bull.

It weighed more than fifty kilograms, possessed a beautiful rose-red color, and contained almost no fat.

Haruto intended to turn it into Sweet-and-Sour Beef Tenderloin.

He had chosen this dish specifically for Milim.

After all, Milim loved honey, so it stood to reason that she would also enjoy the combination of sweetness and acidity in a well-made sweet-and-sour sauce.

Haruto picked up his knife and began cutting the tenderloin into long strips approximately the thickness of a finger.

Every strip was perfectly uniform in size and thickness.

He placed the prepared beef into a large basin and added natural cooking wine, an appropriate amount of salt, and some ground white pepper.

The initial seasoning was deliberately simple.

Haruto began mixing the beef by hand, using his fingers to firmly but carefully massage each strip so that the seasonings penetrated the muscle fibers.

Once the meat had been thoroughly seasoned, he brought out several Cave Spider eggs.

Each egg was approximately the size of a fist, with a beautiful sky-blue shell.

The liquid inside was exceptionally thick.

Haruto cracked the eggs into the basin one after another.

Rich, golden egg liquid flowed over the pink beef strips, covering their surfaces with a glossy coating.

He then added some olive oil and an appropriate quantity of starch before mixing everything together again.

The coating needed to be carefully balanced.

Each strip of tenderloin had to be covered evenly with the egg-and-starch mixture, but the layer couldn’t be too thick or too thin.

If the coating was too thick, it would become hard after frying.

If it was too thin, it wouldn’t develop the crisp texture he wanted.

Haruto continued mixing until the starch and egg liquid had combined perfectly, forming a thin, smooth batter that clung tightly to every piece of meat.

"There we go. That’s exactly what we want."

He nodded in satisfaction.

Next came the frying.

Haruto placed a large wok over the heat and poured in a generous quantity of cooking oil.

As the temperature rose, faint ripples began appearing across the oil’s surface.

Once it reached approximately sixty percent of full frying heat, Haruto began adding the prepared beef strips.

He lowered them into the wok individually, working quickly while ensuring they didn’t stick together.

Sssssss!

The instant the beef entered the hot oil, vigorous bubbles erupted around it.

Golden bubbles rolled across the surface as the strips began frying, releasing an increasingly rich aroma of beef.

The fragrance spread through the cooking area before being carried far across the village by the breeze.

Haruto used a skimmer to gently move the strips through the oil, preventing them from clumping and ensuring they cooked evenly.

At the same time, he carefully controlled the heat, maintaining a moderate temperature throughout the first frying.

This stage was intended to cook the beef thoroughly without allowing the coating to brown too quickly.

Before long, the strips had developed a beautiful golden color.

They floated near the surface of the oil, producing a gentle sizzling sound.

Haruto removed them with the skimmer and placed them on a rack to drain.

Even at this stage, the beef looked exceptionally appetizing.

Each strip was covered in a thin golden crust, and the fragrance of freshly fried meat filled the air.

While the excess oil drained away, Haruto turned toward Shion, who was still recording everything with unwavering concentration.

"The first frying is mainly about cooking the meat through," he explained.

"The second frying is what makes the coating really crisp."

He gestured toward the beef.

"That second pass is important. It gives you a much crunchier exterior without having to keep the meat in the oil for too long."

Shion immediately wrote down his explanation.

Meanwhile, Haruto raised the oil temperature.

Once it reached approximately eighty percent of full frying heat, faint wisps of smoke began rising from the surface.

He returned the previously fried beef strips to the wok.

Sssssss!

The oil erupted into vigorous bubbling once again.

Sharp crackling sounds filled the air, almost like firecrackers going off during a festival.

The beef strips rolled and tumbled through the hot oil, their color deepening visibly.

Within moments, the pale-golden coating turned an appetizing deep golden-red.

The exterior tightened and became noticeably crisper.

After only a few seconds, Haruto swiftly removed every strip from the wok and set them aside to drain.

The finished beef was beautifully golden and glossy.

Its outer coating looked so crisp that it seemed capable of shattering at the slightest touch.

The rich aroma of beef blended with the irresistible fragrance of freshly fried batter, making the dish tempting even before the sauce had been added.

Milim had already edged closer to the cooking station.

Her eyes were fixed on the golden strips, and her little nose kept twitching as she eagerly inhaled their fragrance.

She was practically drooling.

"That smells soooo good..."

Haruto, meanwhile, turned away to begin preparing the sweet-and-sour sauce.

Milim watched him for a moment.

Then her eyes darted toward the fried beef.

She glanced at Haruto again.

He still had his back turned.

A mischievous expression appeared on her face.

Her small hand shot forward, snatched one of the freshly fried tenderloin strips, and immediately brought it to her mouth.

Crunch!

The crisp coating shattered between her teeth.

Milim’s eyes widened dramatically.

’Delicious!’

’This is amazing!’

The exterior was unbelievably crisp, breaking apart with a satisfying crunch under the slightest pressure from her teeth.

Yet the beef beneath that delicate coating was astonishingly tender.

It was so juicy that the moment she bit into it, a burst of rich meat juices spread throughout her mouth.

The deep, savory flavor of the Black Iron Bull filled her senses, accompanied by the wonderful aroma of the perfectly fried crust.

There wasn’t even any sweet-and-sour sauce on it yet.

But the plain fried tenderloin alone was already so delicious that Milim practically wanted to swallow her own tongue.

And this was supposed to be just the beginning!