Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 64

Chapter 20: The Place Where Everything Freezes

The journey to the White Mountains was more peaceful than expected.

The express carriage, pulled by two fine horses, was rented from the Edelweiss Merchant Guild.

At this speed, we should reach our destination in about two days.

‘What was it like when I went to the Stanis Training Center…’

Back then, I didn’t even have a proper horse, let alone a carriage. It took me a whole month of walking to barely reach the training center.

‘…I was such a mess that I almost got kicked out.’

If Lord Carters hadn’t vouched for me, that really would have happened.

A comfortable homecoming, except for a slightly sore butt from the rough road.

If I had to complain about one thing, it would be the presence of that man sitting in the coachman’s seat.

“As expected, you’re amazing, Brother! How on earth did you get so close to the Bishop?”

It’s already been five days since we left Citizen. But Siegfried hasn’t stopped talking for a single moment.

Keinzel rubbed the back of his head, which was starting to ache, and pretended to sleep to shut him up.

“Hey, Brother, that won’t work on me. You’ve been deliberately choosing bumpy roads to drive the carriage on since a while ago. But your posture hasn’t broken down and is being maintained. If you were sleeping, you would have collapsed. Am I right?”

Siegfried might be top-notch as a detective, but he was the worst as a coachman.

“…Ugh.”

Keinzel had no choice but to open his eyes.

“It’s getting really cold, probably because we’re reaching the edge of the White Mountains. Could you get the cold protection gear from the luggage compartment?”

Keinzel answered, then rummaged through the luggage compartment and took out the cold protection gear he had purchased from the Magic Tower.

Before he knew it, white breath was escaping from his mouth whenever he opened it.

“Here you go.”

“Aren’t you cold, Brother?”

“I’m still okay.”

Keinzel was born in the White Mountains. This level of cold is nothing.

Clatter! Clatter!

The carriage sped along with the cheerful sound of horses’ hooves.

The closer we got to the White Mountains, the faster the surrounding temperature dropped.

The Gistad Territory, which was covered in white snow for most of the year, except for the summer.

That was the final battleground of the War of the Seven Sins.

However, there was no time to be lost in sentimentality.

Zeke, who had stopped the carriage, turned around and looked at Keinzel.

“Brother, did you hear that?”

Keinzel quietly nodded.

The sound of weapons clashing could be heard on the wind.

“What should we do? Oh, by the way, I won’t follow any orders to fight monsters or save people in danger. My life is precious, so it’s very expensive.”

Keinzel looked at Zeke, who was smiling with a frivolous face.

If the situation worsened, Zeke would be the first to run away.

The Count also told me not to expect any combat ability from Zeke.

Even so, the reason we’re traveling together is because Zeke’s specialty lies in things other than combat.

“Let’s get closer and check out the situation first.”

“Aye, aye, sir!”

Keinzel and Zeke got out of the carriage and approached the location where a small-scale skirmish was taking place.

There, about ten men with swords were fighting a group of Lizardmen.

The man who appeared to be the leader shouted.

“Maintain formation! Focus on defeating them while taking as little damage as possible!”

As countless humans died in the War of the Seven Sins, there were things that prospered in return.

The heteromorphic monsters, commonly known as monsters.

They inhabit a wide range, from the Black Mountains to the Red Mountains.

However, they are also creatures with their own territories and ecosystems.

It is rare to encounter them in places outside of those areas.

Zeke whistled and said.

“Whew~ Why are Lizardmen coming out here? They say the landscape changes in ten years, but it seems like it’s changed too much, don’t you think?”

Keinzel quietly nodded. The monsters that inhabit the White Mountains are only furry types like Nolls and Lycanthropes.

This place is winter for most of the year.

It’s difficult for reptile-type monsters like Lizardmen to survive.

‘Something is attracting the monsters.’

Could this also be the work of the heretics of the Great Sins Church?

In the meantime, the fight between the armed humans and the Lizardmen ended. In the first place, Lizardmen can’t move properly in such a cold place. Anyone who knows how to handle a sword to some extent should be able to deal with them without difficulty.

“Ooooooh!”

“We won!”

“Long live Captain Wolf!”

The armed men cheered. It seemed like they were a mercenary group that had been commissioned to exterminate monsters.

‘Their skills are pretty good.’

The number of mercenaries and Lizardmen was similar.

Even if they were weakened by the cold, it would be difficult to wipe them out so easily.

‘The coordination between the front line in charge of defense and the rear line in charge of attack is very good. They’re more like a well-trained army than mercenaries.’

The man called Captain Wolf shouted.

“Those who have hands to spare, dig a hole and bury the monster corpses!”

“““Yes!”””

Wolf’s actions were very appropriate.

If the Lizardmen’s corpses were left unattended, other monsters might be attracted by the smell.

Zeke nudged Keinzel’s waist with his elbow and said.

“Brother, let’s buy those monster corpses.”

“…Why would we buy Lizardmen corpses?”

“They sell surprisingly well. The blood and skin are used as materials for magical tools. There are even mercenaries who specialize in hunting monsters. But these people seem to be moving on a monster extermination request. Otherwise, they wouldn’t abandon such good prey.”

Keinzel quietly nodded.

Zeke was so eager to buy a dimensional pocket [a portable storage space], so he must have been planning to use it for this.

“Then I’ll do the bargaining, and we’ll split the profits fifty-fifty.”

“Seventy-thirty.”

“Bro, Brother… I need to make a living too!”

“Seventy-thirty.”

“…Then how about sixty-forty?”

“Eighty-twenty.”

“Ugh, I raised a tiger cub!”

In the end, it was Keinzel who held the reins with the dimensional pocket. Zeke had no choice but to accept the exorbitant rate of seventy-thirty with tears in his eyes.

@

Zeke approached the mercenaries with a cheerful gait.

“You’ve worked hard! Shall I help you clean up the trash?”

The mercenary captain, Wolf, frowned at the sudden appearance of the uninvited guest.

“Who is this bastard?”

Even with a fierce face glaring at him, Zeke still wore a pleasant smile.

“Ahaha! What do you mean? I’m a helper who will help you guys. It’s hard to clean up monster corpses, right? Your joints are screaming in the cold weather, and you have to dig the holes pretty deep to bury the monsters. How about just 2 silver per monster? Wow! You don’t even have to shovel! You also get extra income! Besides, 2 silver for a Lizardman corpse is a really good price.”

Wolf crossed his arms and muttered.

“I didn’t expect to meet a scavenger [a derogatory term for those who profit from monster corpses] in a place like this. It’s certainly not a bad offer. But I’m a mercenary formally hired by Baron Mino. The contract includes burying and disposing of all the monsters we exterminate.”

Scavenger was a derogatory term for mercenaries who made a living selling monster corpses.

However, Zeke wasn’t one to get angry at such provocation.

“Hey, there’s no one watching here anyway. How about it? Then I’ll give you 3 silver per monster. Ah, I really won’t have anything left if I do this…”

“…Give me 4 silver each, and I’ll do it.”

With that, fifteen Lizardmen corpses were added to Keinzel’s dimensional pocket.

“Sorry, but I don’t take promissory notes.”

“Of course, I have to give you shiny gold coins when dealing with someone like you, Brother!”

“Hmm… I’m Wolf of the Grey Wolf Mercenary Corps.”

“I’m Siegfried. Just call me Zeke. If it’s the Grey Wolf Mercenary Corps, aren’t you the monster hunting experts whose bravery has spread to the capital? I knew there was something extraordinary about the way you dealt with the Lizardmen.”

“Hehe. Is that so? The rumors have spread to the capital?”

Having met for less than an hour, Zeke and Wolf became like brothers.

“Ah, this is Brother Keinzel, who is working with me. Brother, this is Brother Wolf of the Grey Wolf Mercenary Corps.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Keinzel.”

“Wolf.”

Before they knew it, it was night, and the group sat around a campfire.

Zeke used his amazing eloquence to coax Wolf and find out why they were exterminating monsters here.

Keinzel, who was listening to it from the side, let out a low groan.

‘White Dragon…’

The awakening of a young White Dragon sleeping in the White Mountains was the beginning of all the incidents.

Numerous monsters flocked to him for protection, causing chaos in the nearby territories.

“I heard that several dungeons have been created because the White Dragon is recklessly scattering condensed mana [magical energy].”

“Oh, really? If you can dig out the core in the deepest part, you can live off it for the rest of your life.”

“That’s true, but there are specialized fields for everything.”

Thanks to Zeke’s efforts, Keinzel was able to find out the situation around the White Mountains to some extent.

The White Dragon Nagnipa, who had awakened from a long hibernation.

The monsters that flocked to him to be under his influence.

Even the adventurers trying to conquer the dungeons created due to the unstable mana.

‘…It’s a complete pandemonium.’

A mercenary who was grilling jerky over the campfire muttered.

“Ah, how long do I have to eat dried bread and jerky? I want to eat some hot soup!”

Then a strange smile appeared on Keinzel’s lips.

He had been thinking about something ever since he obtained fifteen Lizardmen.

“Would anyone like me to make a meat stew with plenty of meat in it?”

“Oh, stew is good! But what are you going to cook it with if you don’t have any ingredients?”

“I have vegetables and butter that I brought with me. And don’t you have the meat that the mercenaries hunted?”

“What did we hunt…? Wait a minute… You, you crazy bastard! Monster meat is poisonous!”

“If it’s poison, I can detoxify it.”

“Anyway, I’m not going to eat it! You eat a lot!”

The other mercenaries had the same reaction.

Keinzel sighed. Cooking with monster meat.

He decided to try it because he had learned about detoxifying ingredients from the Bishop.

‘You can’t usually eat monster meat just by adding garlic or ginger. But what if Effect Amplification is used?’

If this succeeds, a new dish that has never existed before will be born.

Maybe I can fill the three remaining slots of the ‘Brilliant Road’ skill.

‘Besides, the Gourmet skill allows you to gain more experience the more unusual food you eat. Even if it seems crazy, it’s worth a try.’

Keinzel created a makeshift kitchen behind the carriage.

Then the mercenary captain, Wolf, came to watch.

“The others said they wouldn’t eat it, but what about you, Captain?”

“Hmm. It’s amazing that you’re cooking with monsters. I’ll just watch.”

Keinzel grinned.

I wonder if he can resist eating it after seeing the dish I’m about to make.

First, he took out the sword he was wearing on his waist and activated the Aura Sword [a sword imbued with magical energy]. It was coated with Mithril [a rare and highly conductive metal] to increase the conductivity of the aura.

Surprise flashed across Wolf’s eyes.

“Aura Sword?! What! I thought you were just a scavenger at best! Are you a Gold-ranked mercenary?!”

Those who can use the Aura Sword basically receive a Gold rank when they become mercenaries.

‘Captain, how can you be so surprised at this level? The person over there, arm in arm with the other mercenaries, is Mithril-class.’

Thinking that, Keinzel chuckled.

Using the Aura Sword, he was able to easily cut off the Lizardman’s thigh meat.

I heard that reptile meat usually tastes similar to chicken.

Then it would be best to use the breast meat, but it’s impossible to go that far.

Now it was time to use the kitchen knife. There’s nothing better than an Aura Sword for cutting the Lizardman’s tough skin.

Buzz-!

When he activated the Aura Sword, a fainter aura than before flickered at the end of the kitchen knife.

‘As expected, the implementation rate is different from the Mithril sword. Should I get a kitchen knife made of Mithril at this opportunity?’

Thinking such terrifying thoughts, he began to chop garlic and ginger.

Both are ingredients with the effect of detoxifying poison.

If I amplify that effect, I should be able to neutralize the poison in the Lizardman meat.

‘Effect Amplification!’

Wolf screamed when he saw the brilliant aura forming on the minced garlic and ginger.

“Ugh! This time, he’s putting aura into the ingredients! What, what the hell are you!”

Keinzel answered by lightly shrugging his shoulders.

He applied plenty of the garlic and ginger, which had been amplified, to the Lizardman meat.

Finally, he soaked it in milk to remove the gamey smell and other odors, and a delicious-looking meat was created.

Now it was time to make the cream stew in earnest.

First, he cut the carrots, onions, broccoli, and turnips into bite-sized pieces.

Then, he added the Lizardman meat, seasoned with salt and pepper, and stir-fried it until it was half cooked.

Then, a delicious aroma began to waft out, so much so that you couldn’t imagine it was originally a Lizardman.

“What, where is that incredibly good smell coming from…?”

“Ugh! He’s really cooking with Lizardmen!”

“Gulp… But why does it look so delicious?”

Wolf watched Keinzel stir-frying the Lizardman meat and screamed inwardly.

That is a monster.

It’s a monster…

But why does it look so delicious?

The Swordmaster Who Cooks with Monsters.

The legend that will change the history of Britannia’s gastronomy began in the place where everything froze.

The Place Where Everything Freezes #2