Chapter 116: Traveling

[Delicious Roasted Meat Set]

[Roasted meat marinated in chili sauce, paired with fresh vegetables. Wrapping the meat and side dishes in lettuce leaves enhances the flavor.]

[Permanently increases stamina upon first consumption.]

[Permanently increases strength upon first consumption.]

[Delicious Effect: Permanently increases Luck by 1 upon first consumption.]

[Delicious Effect: Increases strength for 24 hours.]

[Crafting Difficulty: ★★★★]

Fresh ingredients combined with Ethan’s superb culinary skills had pushed the rating to four stars.

"You two, eat something before we chat." He served the roasted meat set to Elara and Leon.

"Ah, we were just discussing the High Elves. What is this?" Elara asked curiously.

"This is roasted meat. It tastes best wrapped in lettuce." As he spoke, Ethan distributed servings to Elara’s guards as well.

The guards had long heard of his cooking. Now that they finally had the chance to taste it, they were thrilled. They eagerly picked up lettuce leaves, wrapped the roasted meat and side dishes inside, and took large bites.

"Mmm, delicious, so delicious."

The crisp lettuce, combined with the tender, juicy roasted meat and the fragrant, spicy sauce, blended together perfectly in their mouths.

The flavors complemented each other beautifully, leaving a lingering aftertaste that made every bite better than the last, the elves were completely conquered by the dish, singing its praises with every mouthful.

Seeing this, Ethan also picked up a lettuce leaf, wrapped some roasted meat and side dishes inside, and took a bite of his own.

"I only now realize that Mr. Ethan’s culinary skills are simply miraculous!" Elara marveled as she ate.

"You flatter me," Ethan said modestly.

"Especially this lettuce — it’s so fresh, where did you get it?" Elara asked curiously.

"I grew it myself," Ethan answered.

"What? You grew it in such a short amount of time?" she asked in astonishment.

"It’s one of my abilities."

"That is truly unbelievable, you are a miraculous person." Elara’s eyes were filled with admiration.

After everyone had eaten their fill, Ethan took the initiative to start clearing the dishes away.

"We can clear these dishes," Elara said, rising from her seat.

"No need — I’m going to head back in and prepare dessert, so I’ll leave the cleanup to you all." Since they insisted on helping, he could at least let them handle this part.

Ethan turned and went back into the kitchen.

"What are you going to make, meow?" Pearl asked curiously.

"Candied Fruit Skewers."

First, the syrup. Ethan poured water and white sugar into the Cauldron of Blessing and brought it to a slow boil over medium heat. Once the syrup thickened and began to bubble, he lowered the heat to low and continued simmering.

"The Fire of the Spirits really is handy." The most important part of boiling syrup was controlling the heat, and the Fire of the Spirits let him manage the temperature with absolute precision. It greatly increased the success rate.

While waiting for the syrup, he began prepping the fruit — washing strawberries, grapes, and tangerines, then threading them onto bamboo sticks.

"What are you doing, meow?"

"Making Candied Fruit Skewers."

"What are Candied Fruit Skewers, meow?" Pearl grew even more curious.

"You’ll know in a bit." Ethan smiled and continued working.

Just then, a few elves walked into the kitchen. Seeing Ethan skewering fruit, they offered to help. Before long, a large platter of fruit skewers sat ready. Ethan thanked the helpers and began evenly drizzling the boiled syrup over each skewer.

"Is it done now, meow?" Pearl asked.

"Normally, it takes some time for the syrup to cool and harden, but we don’t have time to wait." He activated Frost, the hot syrup cooled and solidified in an instant, turning into a crystal-clear sugar coating.

[Delicious Candied Fruit Skewers]

[Fresh fruits coated in a sugar glaze. Sweet, sour, and loved by all ages.]

[Randomly increases the level of one skill by 1 for 24 hours after consumption.]

[Randomly increases one attribute stat for 24 hours after consumption.]

[Delicious Effect: Permanently increases Luck by 1 upon first consumption.]

[Crafting Difficulty: ★★★]

"Alright, everyone take a skewer." Ethan distributed the finished Candied Fruit Skewers to the elves.

"Thank you." They grabbed the skewers and ran outside excitedly.

Ethan carried a platter out after them, the children who had eaten the lettuce earlier were staring at him with wide, expectant eyes.

"Here, this is for you." He smiled, walked over, and handed out Candied Fruit Skewers to the children.

"Wow! What is this?!"

"So pretty~!"

The children cheered excitedly as they took the skewers and impatiently took a bite. "Delicious, really delicious."

Seeing the children eating with such relish, a gratified smile appeared on Ethan’s face.

He was about to turn and leave when an elderly voice called out. "Young man, could I have a skewer as well?"

Ethan turned around and saw an elegantly dressed elderly elf looking at him expectantly.

"I’m not selling these." He had only made the Candied Fruit Skewers to make everyone happy and didn’t plan on selling them.

"I know, I know," the elderly elf said hurriedly.

"I can trade you this for it." He pulled a gold coin from his pocket and offered it to Ethan.

Ethan shook his head and refused. "There’s really no need."

"No, no, I cannot take your things for nothing," the elderly elf insisted.

"Since you refuse to accept money, then please accept this instead." He pulled a delicate pendant from his pocket and pressed it into Ethan’s hand, it was crafted from gold and silver, inlaid with several sparkling gemstones, one look was enough to tell it was extremely valuable.

Ethan tried to refuse, but the elderly elf spoke first: "Take it, young man. In the future, if you bring this pendant to me, I can grant you one wish." With that, the old elf turned and left.

Ethan stared at the pendant, baffled. "Pearl, do you know what this is?"

"I don’t know, meow." Pearl shook its head.

’I’ll ask Leon and Elara when the opportunity arises.’

He tucked the pendant into his pocket and returned to the inn. "How was it? Did the food suit your tastes?"

"It was incredibly delicious, as expected of Mr. Ethan."

"Yes, it was truly too delicious, I don’t even know how to thank you." The elves praised his cooking to the skies.

"If you like it, I can cook for everyone on the road."

Cheers erupted instantly. "Really? That’s wonderful."

After resting at the inn overnight, Ethan and his group set out early the next morning.

Before the morning light had completely dispelled the darkness, they left the bustling city behind.

"How far is it from here to our destination?" Ethan asked.

"If we travel as fast as we can, we can arrive in three days," Elara replied.

"If we’re only going to the place where the High Elf is, we’ll get there by this evening."

"A High Elf..." Leon repeated the term in a low voice, seemingly deep in thought.

"What’s wrong?" Ethan asked.

"It’s nothing. I just think it’s a truly rare experience to have the chance to meet a High Elf," Leon remarked with feeling.

Although Leon could be considered a seasoned traveler, even he had never seen a High Elf before.