Ethan hadn't had the chance to properly discuss the details of the leather outfit design with Scáthach, but progress on the stew front was a different story.
Because Dumbledore and Snape had more or less figured out the true identities of Ethan and his companions, Ethan no longer needed to be as cautious as before.
He and Dumbledore had reached a tacit understanding. Dumbledore wouldn't interfere with Ethan's "school life," and in return, Ethan wouldn't do anything that would endanger the students of Hogwarts.
Beyond that, Ethan suspected Dumbledore was deliberately showing goodwill. With Ethan hidden among the students, he became an extra layer of powerful protection for the children.
Especially once Dumbledore realized Hermione had grown close to Rin Tohsaka, a member of Ethan's group, Ethan's presence meant Harry's safety was more assured.
With that mutual understanding in place, Ethan could act more freely around school. Many things that had been inconvenient before were now easily handled. For example, materials that were hard for first-year students like Ethan and Logan to obtain were no problem at all for Snape.
As Potions Master, Snape had an extensive inventory. With his help, Ethan and Logan quickly created an extremely tasty stew.
So, on a snowy, windy evening, Ethan notified everyone in their small group. Instead of eating in the Great Hall, they gathered in a remote, little-used room at the top floor of the castle to enjoy a hot stew while the wind howled outside.
As expected, Hermione, who had become closer and closer to Rin Tohsaka, showed up.
What was unexpected was that Harry and Ron came too.
"It smells amazing!"
The stew had been simmering for hours, with all sorts of special ingredients added in. The pot was massive. If they hadn't used magic to keep the scent from leaking into the castle, students probably would've come looking for it a long time ago.
The moment Ron stepped into the seldom-used room, his attention was immediately grabbed by the mouthwatering aroma. He practically ran toward the pot.
"Hey, Logan!"
They were all first-years in Gryffindor. Even though they didn't talk much, they definitely knew each other and had exchanged words before.
Although Logan was reserved and gave off a cold vibe, everyone had figured out that he was warm-hearted and willing to help when needed. So even though he had few friends, his reputation wasn't bad.
"Ron."
Logan was stirring the pot with a large wooden spoon. Ron blinked, confused. He was pretty sure there hadn't been a spoon here a second ago.
Logan nodded toward Ron and Harry in greeting. They were used to his cool demeanor, so no one felt it was out of place.
Harry and Ron still felt a bit awkward facing Ethan and Illya. They weren't used to hanging out with Slytherins.
"Everyone's here, let's eat. Nothing better than stew in this kind of weather."
Ethan didn't mind that two extra people had come. The basilisk was massive, far more than they could eat in one sitting. Plus, there were plenty of other recipes he wanted to try.
Everyone filled their wooden bowls. Because the basilisk was so big, the chunks of meat were large, and at first Hermione, Harry, and Ron couldn't tell what exactly they were eating.
It wasn't until everyone was already halfway through their food that they remembered to ask.
"Snake meat."
Ethan didn't tease them and gave a straight answer. Still, he was a bit disappointed. He'd added a lot of ingredients, but other than tasting good, the dish didn't seem to have any special effects. Or maybe it was just his physique that made him immune?
"Snake?"
The Gryffindor trio all froze. Even Rin Tohsaka, who had been happily sipping soup, paused.
"It's really snake meat?"
Rin looked at the wooden bowl in her hand. When Ethan had said he was going to stew a big pot of snake meat, she thought it was a joke. The pieces in the pot were so large she had assumed it was beef or pork. She hadn't expected it to actually be snake meat.
Hermione suddenly remembered what Ethan had asked her on the train at the start of the school year. Back then, she thought he was just messing with her. Now it seemed he had been serious all along.
"What? It's not tasty?"
Ethan's question left them even more conflicted. They had already eaten quite a bit, and Ron had even helped himself to a second serving. It was a little too late to say it wasn't good.
Even Hermione had to admit it tasted excellent.
"If it's snake meat, why are the chunks so big?"
Harry suddenly had a thought. He looked at Ethan, startled. "Wait... is this from the one in the Chamber...?"
"Yup, that one. It lived for years and got huge. There's a lot of meat. If you want more, we can try a different recipe next time."
"Uh..."
The trio looked at each other. After hesitating for a moment, they realized it wasn't a big deal. They had already eaten a lot, and it really didn't taste bad. Might as well keep eating.
They were kids, after all, and wizards at that. Think of all the bizarre ingredients used in potion-making. Didn't they still have to drink those?
This was just snake meat, and it had been properly prepared. There was nothing wrong with that.
Once they got over it, everyone continued eating. The entire pot of basilisk meat, soup included, was gone in no time.
After they finished, Logan cleaned everything up. The large pot and all the wooden bowls disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only the lingering aroma of the stew.
"Whoa, that's so convenient. How'd you do that?"
Ron hadn't seen clearly how Logan cleaned up. It was like everything vanished in the blink of an eye. He really wanted to learn that magic.
Unfortunately, Logan just shrugged without answering. It was hard to explain since it involved his equipment. Was he supposed to just give Ron a set?
"Are you going home for Christmas this year?"
"No. The holiday's short, and I don't feel like traveling."
Hermione, who had to go home for Christmas with her parents, had been asking around about everyone else's plans. In the end, she was the only one returning home.
"Hearing you all say that makes me not want to go back."
Regardless of how she felt, she still had to leave. Only a small number of students stayed behind at school for the holiday.
But none of that affected Ethan. His daily routine remained the same. He kept meeting with Snape to "copy and paste" more knowledge into the Book of Inheritance and chat along the way.
Sometimes, Ethan would leave the book in Snape's office and let it slowly copy from the stack of books, while he returned to class.
He had more than enough reasons to skip classes, but he didn't abuse that. Since he said he was here to experience student life, it wouldn't feel right to skip too many.
When Ethan first left the Book of Inheritance behind, Snape had looked at the hardcover book floating above a stack of books. It was emitting a white beam of light. Curious, he leaned in to take a closer look.
He couldn't understand much, but when he focused on the book, its name appeared naturally in his mind: Merlin's Book of Inheritance.
Snape unconsciously stepped back and let out a long breath. He stared at the suspended book, wrestled with himself for a moment, then quietly sat back down behind his desk.
At that moment, he felt like his entire being had been elevated, his willpower strengthened. It was as if no external object could shake him anymore. Of course, that was just his illusion.
Afterward, Snape seemed to have confirmed Scáthach's identity and started asking Ethan more and more about Runes. After answering a few questions, Ethan realized what was going on and simply had Scáthach come over. She had already mastered this year's coursework, so skipping the remaining classes wouldn't affect her grades.
However, if she skipped too many classes, it would impact House points. So to ask her about Runes, Snape had to personally explain things to Professor Flitwick, the Head of Ravenclaw, and a few other professors.
In this relatively calm and peaceful school life, the second year quietly came to an end. The upcoming summer holiday once again gave Ethan a headache.
However, compared to last year, he now had more options.
Without Dumbledore assigning someone to watch him, Ethan no longer had to pretend to be a normal student during the break. He could go wherever he wanted and spend the holiday however he liked.
"Where should we go for fun this holiday?"
Ethan wasn't the only one thinking that. Illya and the others also felt life had been a bit too quiet lately and were itching for some excitement.
"Let's look around first and see what places seem fun."
Ethan planned to return to the Moon Goddess and check on Ryu's progress. If he was doing well, maybe Ethan would give him a reward.
Then he'd swing by Arthur's world, the Starship Troopers world, and the Marvel universe. In Arthur's world, he wanted to check in on Shirou and Artoria. The other stops were just for fun.
After making that round, he should have a better idea of where to spend the summer.
(To be continued.)