Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 28

————– 28/203 ————–

@

“Did you hear? A trainee knight received a ‘Savior’ rank in this goblin extermination.”

“Huh? Goblin extermination is a rookie mission, not a senior one, right? But someone got a Savior there?”

“That’s what I’m saying. This year’s rookies seem to be on another level.”

“Then it must be Kundam, the Black Knight Captain. His talent sometimes gives me chills. Plus, he’s the top rookie.”

“Wrong. It’s someone else.”

“Then Abel Carter? The Yellow Knights haven’t produced a top ranker in generations, but is this year going to be different?”

“Half right. The Savior rank did come from the Yellow Knights, but it’s not Captain Abel.”

“Then who on earth…?”

“Kainchel Van Zistad.”

“What are you talking about? Are you kidding me?”

“I’m serious. Currently ranked 35th among the rookies. He was at the bottom just three months ago, and now he’s climbing the ranks at an alarming rate.”

“…If that’s true, it’s a truly unprecedented event.”

“Unprecedented indeed. In so many ways.”

·········.

······.

“Did you hear the news?”

······.

···.

“Friends, listen to this and tell me if it makes sense.”

@

A trainee knight received a Savior rank, which has never happened before in the rookie class.

That alone is enough to cause a stir throughout the Stanitz Knight Academy.

But the person in question was Kainchel, a slow learner who hadn’t raised his level in three years.

The rumor about this unprecedented event spread not only through the rookie class but also to the senior and Chevalier classes.

Those especially nervous were the rookies who would have to face Kainchel in future ranking battles.

There are two ways to raise your ranking.

Receive good evaluations in training or win ranking battles against other trainee knights.

Kainchel’s ranking, which was at the bottom until three months ago, has risen to the mid-upper ranks after three ranking battles.

Moreover, he was receiving high grades in training, so he would soon enter the upper ranks.

How far will Kainchel’s rise continue?

Heated debates took place everywhere.

Kainchel himself was holding his head and deep in thought.

“Savior… If I get such a high rank from the start, I won’t be satisfied with just Platinum anymore…”

The contempt and ridicule in the gazes directed at Kainchel disappeared, replaced by shock and amazement.

If he receives Platinum or higher in all remaining training sessions, a double class-up is possible.

That alone is nearly impossible.

What would happen if he continued to earn Savior ranks?

‘…To become a Swordmaster, wouldn’t I have to do that much?’

To reach the dream of becoming a Swordmaster, he must continue to show unprecedented achievements that no one else has accomplished.

Kainchel bit his lip.

To do that, his current abilities are not enough.

‘From now on, I’ll have to compete with guys who use intermediate swordsmanship. Basic swordsmanship alone won’t be enough.’

Moreover, with the start of the second season, the time he could spend cooking was cut in half.

If the quantity decreases, shouldn’t the quality increase?

Kainchel still had two unreleased skills.

Brilliant Road, which requires creating 5-star or higher creative dishes.

And Aura Sword, which requires moving people’s hearts with cooking.

‘To get those, I need to be able to freely make at least 4-star dishes.’

In the end, the conclusion is that he must somehow improve his cooking skills.

Kainchel recalled when he learned how to grill steak from Gordon Ram Bolton.

‘It was a bit intense, but I got the Fallen Star skill. And I can grill anything very well. I need that kind of teaching.’

Kainchel’s swordsmanship level rises when he cooks.

In other words, Gordon Ram Bolton is not a chef but a Swordmaster.

How great would it be if he could receive his teachings to his heart’s content?

‘Something good, like with the steak…’

Thinking that, he stirred the demi-glace sauce in the pot.

Recently, it wasn’t just Kainchel’s swordsmanship that was recognized.

His cooking skills had also grown to the point where he could make sauces.

It usually takes three years for a newcomer to handle sauces.

It was thanks to learning to cook as if his life depended on it.

Demi-glace is a nearly universal sauce that tastes great on grilled dishes and is used when making broth.

As such, a lot of care goes into making it.

First, make a brown roux with butter and flour.

Then, simmer finely ground beef bones with tomatoes, wine, and pepper to make brown stock.

Mixing the two and simmering them over low heat for a long time creates demi-glace sauce.

Originally, it should be simmered for several days to bring out the rich flavor, but at the academy, it had to be completed in half a day due to time constraints.

That makes controlling the heat tricky, and you have to stay by the pot.

Eventually, it became Kainchel’s responsibility.

Gordon, the commander-in-chief of the kitchen, shouted.

“How long are you going to boil the noodles!”

“Sorry! I’ll do it right away!”

“Ten minutes until serving time! Hurry up!”

“Yes, Chef!”

“Salad’s ready!”

“Sir Kainchel! How’s the sauce coming?”

The kitchen just before mealtime is hotter than any battlefield.

Kainchel tasted the sauce one last time and said.

“It’s just finished.”

Then Ainkel, who was transferring the salad in the bowl, approached.

“May I… have a taste?”

“Yes, of course.”

Ainkel used a small ladle to scoop up the perfectly reduced sauce and put it in his mouth.

“Hmm, good! Very delicious. You must have used high heat to quickly extract the flavor… It’s not burnt at all. You made it really well.”

“Thank you.”

Kainchel scratched the back of his head.

Using Fallen Star, you can check even the slightest temperature. All you have to do is find the temperature at which the sauce is best extracted and maintain it.

‘As expected, Fallen Star is a cheat the more you use it. I wish I had just one more skill like this. What kind of abilities does Brilliant Road have?’

His anticipation grew with each passing day.

Ainkel, who tasted the demi-glace sauce, gave a thumbs up.

“It’s a very textbook sauce. Now that you can grill meat well, make sauces, bake bread, and make appetizers, you should try a course meal sometime, right?”

Course meal…?

In an instant, lightning struck Kainchel’s head.

That’s right, if I use this method, I can learn to cook from Gordon!

But to use that plan, there was one thing missing.

@

The trainee knight stared blankly at his sword, which had flown far away.

Just one blow.

He couldn’t block it properly, and the duel ended as soon as it began.

He could understand if he was the one challenging.

But the opponent was lower ranked than him.

He stared at the sky with a dazed expression and muttered.

“I lost…”

Kainchel bowed to his opponent and put his sword away.

“Good work.”

“…Good work…”

With this, Kainchel’s ranking rose two places to 33rd.

Combined with the Savior rank he received in the goblin extermination, how high will he rise?

The trainee knights who were watching chattered noisily.

“Isn’t that his fourth straight win?”

“Besides, it ended again with him knocking the opponent’s sword away. How much of a skill difference must there be to do that?”

“What would have happened if the ranking battles weren’t once a week?”

“My ranking is 17th, but what if I become Kainchel’s opponent next time?”

Kainchel, who had finished sparring, was catching his breath in the corner of the training ground.

Someone approached and spoke to him.

“Sir Kainchel.”

“Ah, Captain. Are you done sparring?”

Flaxen hair like well-baked rye bread and a head shorter than Kainchel. But Abel was a charming man with eyes full of strong will.

“I won the defense battle, so I’m still second. I wish I could be the one challenging. By the way, you won again.”

“Yes.”

“Three straight wins?”

“Four straight wins.”

“Hmm. It was a really clean strike. He took advantage of the opponent’s weakness and knocked away the weapon with overwhelming power. How much do you have to practice the sword to be able to do that attack?”

It felt strange to receive praise from a man who knocked down three goblins with one swing of his sword.

To think the day would come when he would be recognized by someone from a martial arts family who wields a sword before he can walk.

Abel sat next to Kainchel and continued.

“You know that the captain who completes the first group training is given the authority to choose a Strider and a Meister, right?”

“Yes, Captain.”

The Strider, who must face the enemy ahead of anyone else in the Knights, is mostly chosen in order of ranking.

“Sir Wagon has agreed to be the Strider for our Yellow Knights.”

He was the man who ate the butter potatoes Kainchel made very deliciously.

Thinking about that made him smile without realizing it.

‘Sir Wagon is definitely 7th… No, he won today’s ranking battle, so he’s 6th.’

Abel said.

“And I want Sir Kainchel to be the Meister.”

For a moment, Kainchel didn’t understand what he had heard.

‘Haha, he wants me to be the Meister? Is there such a dish? Wait… M, Meister…?’

If the Strider is the sword of the Knights, the Meister is the head.

He plans and researches tactics with the captain to lead the Knights.

Above all, the Meister is on par with the captain of the Knights.

Other members must use honorifics to the Meister.

“…Why are you entrusting such an important position to me?”

“Isn’t the training you will receive the third time by count? Ah, don’t misunderstand. I’m not ignoring that at all. You used it well in the goblin extermination, didn’t you? The experience you have is very precious and cannot be exchanged for anything. I think the position of Meister is the best way to make the most of it.”

“…I’ve never received such an offer before.”

“That’s because everyone’s heads are so full of pride that they can’t think of getting help from others. I want to beat the other Knights in the upcoming training. And I want to take first place in the rankings. To do that, I need your help.”

Abel bowed his head.

In that moment, Kainchel felt something hot flowing down his throat.

Abel Carter. Ranked 2nd among the rookies and a master of swordsmanship who has learned the rising sword technique of the martial arts family since childhood.

To think that such a man would bow his head and ask him for a favor.

His hands trembled.

His lips wouldn’t open easily.

He never thought he would receive an offer to become a Meister.

There are bonus points for the staff. This was an opportunity to seize.

“…I understand. I will take on the role of Meister for the Yellow Knights.”

“You’ll take it? Ahaha! Yes, that’s right. I liked Sir Kainchel. I want to be friends with you in the future.”

“…?”

Abel’s ears turned bright red as his true feelings came out.

“C, cough… Sir Kainchel… We will be living as the captain and Meister of the same Knights for the next six months, so how about we drop the formalities?”

Kainchel gave a wicked smile.

“Um, so you’re saying let’s be friends?”

“C, cough, cough! Yes! If I become friends with you, I can get to eat butter potatoes like the ones I had last time, right?”

In that moment, Kainchel grabbed his stomach and laughed.

“Pfft, puahaha! So you wanted to eat butter potatoes again?”

“Yes! What, what about it? Do you have a problem with that?”

Abel, who was always solemn as the captain, was very cute when he dropped the formalities.

“Abel.”

“Why?”

“Do you have someone named Ram Bolton among your distant relatives?”

“…What does that mean?”

“No. It just feels a bit similar.”

That day, after training, Kainchel called Abel and Wagon and made butter potatoes for them.

Three years since entering the Knight Academy.

For the first time, he made a colleague… No, a friend.

Wild Teaching #1