Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 34

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With a crisp sound, a tiny piece of the sandwich disappeared.

“······Ugh, ungh······.”

A strange moan escaped Frellia’s lips.

It was as if she was saying it wasn’t the right taste.

“······Hmph. Bring me a properly made sandwich.”

“Yes.”

Keinzel clicked his tongue.

The honey butter sandwich hadn’t weakened Frellia’s curse.

It was time to taste the meticulously crafted, 5-star honey butter sandwich.

“Frellia, try it again. This time, unlike before, it will be very delicious.”

“······.”

Frellia parted her soft, pinkish lips.

Nom.

A much clearer crunching sound than before echoed in the room.

Nom nom.

The eating speed increased.

When biting into the crispy baguette, the moderately melted cheese stretched out, long and inviting.

Add to that the crunchy texture of the thickly sliced cucumber pickles and the sweet and savory taste of honey butter.

And the incredibly tender mojo pork, boasting the best flavor, with a texture as if it had been braised.

Juices dripped down her lips with every chew.

Frellia took another bite as if she regretted the sandwich disappearing from her mouth so quickly.

In the end, the count’s palm-sized sandwich vanished completely in an instant.

Zeke, who had been watching, groaned.

“······What kind of torture is this? To only watch her eat so deliciously… just kill me instead.”

Old Butler Brad, with wide eyes, poked Zeke’s thigh, signaling him not to spoil this touching moment.

Zeke was a man who was always flippant, regardless of time or place.

The effect of eating the 5-star honey butter sandwich was immediate.

“Yawn. Ah, Father? When did I fall asleep?”

Frellia looked around with sleepy eyes. It was her first awakening in three weeks.

“Frellia······.”

The Count’s eyes welled up.

“We will step out for a moment. From now on, it is time for just the two of you.”

Brad grabbed Zeke by the scruff of his neck and dragged him out of the room.

The onlookers had to wait in the hallway for a while.

@

In the end, Keinzel was able to figure out what had awakened Frellia.

‘As expected, it was the power of 5-star cuisine that weakened the curse of the Seven Deadly Sins.’

“Hoo! She only wakes up when she eats something delicious! This is a reaction on the level of a culinary competition judge! Ugh, woops!”

Brad couldn’t hold back and gagged Zeke.

Then, he began to explain to Keinzel what he knew.

“······After learning that the honey butter sandwich woke the young lady, the Count summoned numerous chefs to make honey butter sandwiches. But the only sandwich that had an effect was the one made by Hool.”

Keinzel nodded silently.

To others, it just looked like a well-made dish.

However, Keinzel could tell the completeness of the dish through the Scripture of Supreme Culinary Arts.

‘Most of them were probably around 3 to 4 stars. I can’t make a 5-star honey butter sandwich without Fallen Star and Fist of Fire either. ······But cooking doesn’t end at 5 stars, does it?’

A chill ran down his spine.

The name of the dish that was so delicious that he felt admiration from just one bite came to mind.

‘······Chicken Soup for the Soul. That was definitely not 5-star level. At least 6 stars······. No, there’s a possibility it was 7 stars······. What would happen if Frellia ate that dish?’

Just one bowl gave Keinzel a gourmet level.

Well-made dishes contain the power to weaken curses.

Clearly, the higher the grade, the greater the effect.

‘Maybe I can completely break the curse of the Seven Deadly Sins!’

Keinzel pondered.

Should he tell the Count about this?

‘No. I can’t even make a 5-star dish perfectly yet. It’s like telling someone who hasn’t even become a Sword Knight to draw an Aura Blade [a technique where a swordsman channels their inner energy to create a blade of pure energy]. Then introducing another chef… If they don’t achieve any results, the resentment will fall entirely on me…’

Keinzel knew very well what his limits were right now.

Even so, he wanted to help Frellia.

She ate the food he made so deliciously.

And she even helped him find a clue to the Aura Sword.

And just like his mother…

Until now, Keinzel used cooking as a means to strengthen his swordsmanship.

But that wasn’t it.

Cooking was meaningful in itself.

‘Not just for swordsmanship. For Frellia… No, even for my mother, I have to make higher-grade dishes.’

If he ever makes a 6-star dish, he should ask Frellia to taste it first.

Then she would smile and say it was delicious again, right?

“Come inside.”

The Count’s voice was heard from inside the room.

@

Keinzel was the first to speak.

“First of all, I would like to be paid 4 gold each, as I said before.”

Then a look of bewilderment appeared on the Count’s face.

Then he suddenly burst out laughing.

“Hahaha. I understand. 4 gold… You’re really persistent. So, how many days a week will you come to work?”

“You can only eat one sandwich per meal. How about visiting once a week and making thirty honey butter sandwiches?”

“One day a week… I would like you to come every day if possible, but I will accommodate you as much as you want.”

Keinzel bowed to express his gratitude.

In the first place, he could only leave the training center for one day a week.

“Yes. Since it has been proven that it is ineffective if the taste deteriorates, you will have to call a sorcerer to cast a preservation spell.”

“That’s not difficult. I can even call the Tower Master if necessary.”

Well-Ride Count called Zeke, the Mithril-class mercenary [a high ranking mercenary], who was waiting outside.

“Siegfried, come in.”

“Is it finally my turn? I was so hungry waiting…”

“Can’t you shut that mouth? You will work as Hool’s assistant from now on.”

“Hool? I’m sorry, but I don’t know how to cook?”

“I don’t mean that kind of assistant, but to help with everything he does. You saw what kind of power is contained in the food he makes.”

“So, I’m a bodyguard and assistant! Do I get paid a monthly salary for working one day a week?”

“Of course.”

“As expected, the Count is generous!”

Well-Ride Count had a headache. Still, the reason he kept Zeke around at great expense was because of his abilities.

“…If you exclude that ridiculous personality, he’s a useful guy. Above all, he’s a Mithril-class mercenary. He will be of great help in future activities.”

“Mithril-class…”

Keinzel looked at Zeke, who was running around the room flippantly.

A smooth skin that made it difficult to guess his age.

Hair slicked back completely with oil.

Half-closed, squinting eyes.

And a beagle-like personality.

He knew that the Count kept him around because he was quite skilled, but he never imagined he would be a Mithril-class mercenary.

‘That means he’s the best in one field.’

Zeke grinned and held out his hand.

“I look forward to working with you, brother.”

“Brother…?”

“Since I’ll be serving you from now on, aren’t you my brother? Hee hee hee!”

Keinzel felt like he knew why the Count was clutching his head.

That’s how Keinzel got an older brother.

“Then, since I received the advance payment, I will make today’s batch. I’ll make plenty so that others can eat as well.”

“Thank you.”

If he didn’t hurry, he would exceed the allotted time for his outing. Keinzel went to the kitchen and started kneading the bread first.

Everything must be made to 5-star quality.

That requires tremendous concentration.

But the assistant next to him kept pestering him and talking.

“Brother. You’re actually a sword-wielding person, right?”

“······.”

“Hey, that’s right. I could tell just by looking at your gait. You can’t use such a controlled gait unless you learn from a proper person. Besides, you unconsciously wrap your hand around your waist. That’s because you’re in the habit of putting your hand on the scabbard. You didn’t know? Anyway, your clown disguise is too clumsy. I could do it better if it were me.”

“Mr. Siegfried. I’m sorry, but could you please be a little quieter?”

“Please call me Zeke comfortably, brother! And this is also helpful to you, brother. My specialty is not catching people like other mercenaries, but finding people.”

“······?”

It was an undeniable statement.

The fact that he was speaking so confidently meant that Zeke was an expert in a field other than swordsmanship.

“Right? I won’t ask why you’re wearing a disguise. Hey, I just want to help you with what you’re doing? I’ll help you make your disguise more perfect.”

Keinzel stopped kneading and looked at Zeke.

He had to disguise himself as Hool once a week.

The opponent was a Mithril-class mercenary. If he could learn his disguise techniques, it would be much easier to move around in the future.

“Brother! I’ll tell you everything! It’s so easy to work with you, I don’t even have to rummage through smelly back alleys! I want our relationship to last a long time!”

That’s how Zeke’s disguise training began.

“First of all, to play a clown, you need to meet a lot of clowns. You have to practice until you can follow how they move, how they breathe, and what gestures they make, even with your eyes closed.”

“······Is that so.”

Zeke continued, grinning.

“My friends call me ‘Detective’. If you learn how to disguise yourself from me, now everyone will think you’re a perfect clown.”

Keinzel’s eyes lit up.

Maybe he had encountered another stroke of luck.

“And you have to come here every Sunday. Don’t wear a clown disguise. The festival is over, so it’s too noticeable. I’ll get you a silver-grade mercenary badge. Just put some mud on your face and pass through the gate. You’ll have to pay a toll, but you get a huge daily wage, so it’s okay, right? As for the meeting place, the Nine Cats Inn on the outskirts of Citizen [the main city]…”

In addition, he was able to learn special slang used among mercenaries, how to say passwords, and the locations of several secret passages in Citizen, etc.

Keinzel realized why the Count had assigned Zeke to him.

‘Indeed, he’s Mithril-class because he has these abilities.’

As a sign of gratitude, Keinzel first made a honey butter sandwich and handed it to Zeke.

“Hoo! This is the famous honey butter sandwich! You’re the best, brother!”

Zeke started eating the sandwich, wriggling his body.

And he screamed that it was delicious.

The know-how he learned from him in an hour was something he could only get after working in the field for several years.

It would be of great help in the upcoming training.

Keinzel thought of the training that would start next week.

‘Originally, survival training in the wild was scheduled to start right away. But someone messed with the principal, so it was postponed a bit.’

Keinzel, who knew the culprit, smiled.

He said that the hostage rescue training, which was supposed to be done a month later, would be conducted first.

The content is that the two knight orders are divided into rescue teams and hostage-taker teams to compete.

The opponent of the Yellow Knights, to which Keinzel belongs, is the Black Knights.

It was the very knight order that Kundam, the genius of the sword, was the captain of.

Surpass the Genius #1