Midnight Prince: Empire of Sin

Thankfully, they did not have to wait long before the food and the beverages were placed one after another on the table before them for them to enjoy.

"Normally, I should have served the drinks first, buut, for the plate that will follow you will have to eat it in this manner to extract the most flavor and enjoyment out of this meal."

Opening the cover, Ahmadou smiled as he explained the platter before them. This, in essence, is nothing extraordinary per se. This is a simple arrangement that is, in reality, closer to fast food than anything else if I had to be honest about it.

He grinned as he presented them with a beautiful steak accompanied by some fresh-looking fries. This was indeed a rather common menu item.n-)OIn

"Fancy menus are usually good when one is trying to dazzle people but I believe in only one reality. Presentation, taste, smell, and the sound of what I am about to present. I aim to captivate all the senses of my customers to bring the highest results."

He snapped his fingers and a Celtic-esque music began to fill in the air, creating a certain heroic ambiance filled with a sense of holiness— typical of the Celtic pantheon.

"The meat is from a so-called divine beast. A cow who was respected once upon a time but who went mad after receiving no offerings for years. As for the vegetables and even the potatoes that have been used in the fries, they are from a plantation that uses Holy Water as a medium to grow the plants. Not only Holy Water but the blood of powerful beasts are also thrown into the soil to nourish the earth and give the plants different kinds of nutrients. All of it amalgamates to bring in the best results."

There was clear pride in his eyes as he continued to explain his dish to both of them,

"There is no need to fear any repercussion for the Young Miss here. The holy water used in this case is from certain religions that are relatively neutral toward their treatment of the Earthly Supernatural creatures. And due to that there is no desire to harm inside the holy water, well not there by default that is. In fact, eating this food will help you build a certain resistance to other types of Holy Water and other harmful substances in general for your kind."

He grinned when he saw Natasha's eyes open wide in surprise and awe.

"The eggs used in the dish were stolen from a golden condor. The eggs are very rich in energy and using one of them is enough to increase the amount of Prana a regular hunter has by 5%. This may not seem much since you guys are still young, but for old cronies like us, who have already reached their peak, this small increase is nothing short of a godsend."

He placed his hands on the final plate of the platter that he had presented before them, a plate that was covered in chilling frost, "This is my final masterpiece. This is a piece of ice cream that was made using a very special milk."

He rolled up his sleeves, showing a claw mark trailing up through his elbows and even reaching deep into his shirt.

"I nearly lost my arm for this but I would still do it if I was given another chance."

"What kind of milk is this even?"

"The milk a wolf. More precisely, the milk of Lupa's descendants."

"Are you serious?"

Natasha stood up on her feet and looked at the ice cream like she was looking at pure diamond,

"I thought they were completely extinct."

"Nearly extinct. But some still survived through the ages. I managed to gain the respect of the current Matriarch and was given the sacred milk in return. Usually, I do not even use it even for my favorite clients, but since I am cooking for a Werewolf this time around, I decided to be a little bit extravagant in my preparations."

Natasha gulped and sat back down in her seat as she looked at Ahmadou with even more respect than she had ever shown before.

"Sir, I may have had my doubts before, but now I realize that the rumors aren't even close to describing your grandeur and capabilities."

"Heh~ Being complimented by a young beautiful lass is always heartwarming for an old crone like me."

He chuckled and started walking away, "My job here is finished. Cooking all of this had been quite tiring for these old bones. I need to have some rest. Enjoy young'uns…"

"Thank you."

He waved his hand at Adam, "I went all out because I owe Yui. However, tell her that my life is not so cheap that the debt can be cleared with just one meal alone. I still owe her a lot. Now then, you guys do whatever you want and leave the plates when you are finished. My assistants will come and take care of everything later."

His back was a little hunched and his Prana reserve was greatly depleted through this one meal alone. But he left with a proud gait and a strong tone in his voice.

Now alone, Adam gazed at the food before settling on the ice creams in the container and couldn't help but ask, "Lupa?"

"Do you know the legend of Romulus and Remus?"

"Ah… So she is the wolf from that legend?"

"Yes. The legend says that the twins were children of the God of War Mars. But it was wrong. They are in fact just children born out of violence done to Rhea Silvia by a werewolf. They were raised by Lupa after being thrown in a river by the king who feared they would usurp his throne. Lupa, a daughter of Lycaon used her milk and fed them, making them evolve from simple werewolves to true Alphas. Alphas like no other in their immeasurable strength." [1]

"So…"

"No. There is no way the milk he obtained would have such powerful effects. But even so, this will undoubtedly be a great tonic for me."

"You can take my part too."

Natasha shook her head, "He wanted to do good, but this would, in fact, be deadly for me. Since it would simply strengthen Fenrir's shadow inside of me. But, I plan to give mine to Aleksandra or my parents."

"I see. Then I guess I will give my part to Fedora."

"It seems like you became quite close to her?"

"She is a cute girl and she is like the little sister I never had in a way. So, yes, I am fond of her."

"She is indeed cute."

The two smiled and decided to start digging in before the food became completely cold.

The very moment Adam tasted the meat, he nearly moaned out because of the feeling of the meat melting in his mouth.

The taste was like nothing he had ever eaten before in his life and he could feel a certain heat spread throughout his body the moment the meat entered his stomach.

Adam immediately regretted coming to this place.

"Damn… I don't think any normal food can satisfy me in the future."

Natasha laughed bitterly as she shared the same feeling as her partner. Even so, the two of them continued to eat and enjoy themselves with the divine food bestowed upon them by a divine chef.

Natasha could feel the heat help her become bolder, as if it was breaking some of the limitations she had intentionally put on herself and she was finally able to share the goal she had for the end of this night.

"Adam—"

"Hum?"

"When we leave here. Could you let me choose our next destination for us?"

Adam looked questioningly at Natasha. He could have used the [Eyes of Truth] to get an insight into her thoughts, but he simply decided to let her surprise him once again.

"Very well. I will let you guide us to our next destination. Now though, enough with the chatter. If you don't move your knife fast, trust me when I say this to you, I will… steal your food."

She laughed out loud and continued to eat with a frantic gait. Adam had been a little too serious for her to think this was a joke.

She was feeling so nervous she could barely taste the food, which was a shame but the next event promised to be completely game changing for her after all.

She was still a little hesitant but she knew that she might not have any chances like this again if she hesitated more.

'Let's do this!'

— And so, psyching herself up in her mind, Natasha started literally wolfing the food with no care for decorum.

Not like Adam was much better as he was just one step away from simply throwing his knife and so away and simply use his hands and teeth for a faster job.

This was undoubtedly a great dinner.

[1]: This is my own mytho. Not the original one. Though Romulus and Remus being in fact werewolves isn't anything revolutionary. In the true Mytho, Rhea is still raped. Though the one raping her was supposedly the god of war, Mars. The worst is that she was a woman sworn to Virginity under the order of the goddess Vesta.

Vesta's virgins who lost their virginity were sentenced to being buried alive. But she survived thanks to her family. Well, In the end, she still killed herself.

Ngl, basically all Greek myths with birth and women are accompanied by rape or kidnapping. It's like wooing a woman normally was impossible back then.

(AN: Welcome to a new month heh )