Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 97

Taimu, the escort knight of Count Grecia Wellride, had once been a promising talent, expected to follow in the footsteps of the Seven Virtues [a group of highly skilled knights].

The story of him becoming an escort knight to repay the Count’s kindness was still told as a heartwarming tale.

It was, perhaps, understandable that Taimu subtly looked down on Cainchel and Abel.

In his eyes, Cainchel was a mediocre Sword Knight who preferred kitchen knives to swords, and Abel was just a fledgling with a pretty face.

Recently, it had become fashionable among noble young ladies to be accompanied by handsome escort knights.

He figured Abel was one of those.

He simply hoped they wouldn’t be a hindrance.

That was Taimu’s honest assessment of Cainchel and Abel.

Then, a clear look of astonishment spread across Taimu’s face.

It was difficult for a human with a sword to attack a griffin flying in the sky.

That’s why they usually used crossbows to keep them at bay, waiting for them to descend to the ground.

“Seven Blades!”

Abel used the roof of the carriage as a springboard and launched himself into the sky.

And Enatos Xiphos [Abel’s unique sword technique] unfolded from Abel’s fingertips.

The seven split blades deflected the griffin’s beak, claws, and forepaws.

The remaining two blades were enough to target the griffin’s wings.

It was an attack that took advantage of the half-elf’s unique light build and agility.

“Kkigigigigigig!”

The griffin, wounded in the wings, could only circle in the sky, unable to mount any significant attacks.

Taimu didn’t miss the opportunity.

“Target the wounded one first! Then, shoot the crossbowmen who have finished reloading!”

The mercenaries’ crossbow bolts flew towards the griffin.

Eventually, with a heavy flapping sound, the griffin plummeted to the ground.

It was Cainchel who finished it off from below.

“Flamberge!”

The aura surrounding Cainchel’s sword began to burn red. It was difficult to inflict a fatal wound on a large griffin. However, an aura sword imbued with fire could instantly burn away all the opponent’s fur, hindering its movements.

“Kkiaaaaaaaak!”

Having neutralized the opponent, Cainchel flew straight to face another griffin.

He didn’t seem very interested in delivering the final blow.

He was so calm that it was hard to believe he was a hot-blooded young man.

“Ugh, ugh! G, Griffin!”

A griffin, aiming for a mercenary who was reloading his crossbow in the rear, raised its claws.

Cainchel didn’t hesitate.

Meringue flew towards the mercenary the griffin was targeting.

The griffin’s claws could snatch even a large horse with ease.

However, it was difficult to snatch a mercenary covered in smooth meringue.

The griffin’s most terrifying and threatening attack was completely neutralized by Cainchel’s quick thinking.

Taimu’s body trembled.

Without Cainchel, at least half of the mercenaries would have lost their lives to the griffin’s sharp claws.

“Why is someone with such skill a free knight…”

An even more incredible thing was happening at the rear of the formation.

While most of the escort troops were fighting at the front, several griffins turned back, aiming for the horses in the rear. It was Nimue who emerged from the carriage to face them.

Simultaneously, three griffins raised their claws, targeting Nimue.

They instinctively sensed that Nimue was the most dangerous one in this place.

Nimue held two swords in both hands and quietly muttered.

“Black Rose Bouquet――.”

Then, a dark red energy, like a rose stem, formed at the tip of each sword.

With a *taat!* sound, Nimue pushed off the ground. And she swung her sword at the griffin, which was dozens of meters away.

And Nimue’s sword stretched out.

To be exact, the rose stem that had formed on the sword grew longer.

Nimue used it like a whip.

Kkigigigigigik!

A sound that seemed to tear apart space itself echoed, and a blood-soaked griffin fell to the ground.

“…W, what on earth is going on…”

A moment that could be called a split second.

Dozens, hundreds of attacks lacerated the griffin’s body.

The elf, the guardian of nature, is known to love peace and trees.

However, even the flowers blooming on the roadside have the means to protect themselves. In the forest, there are poisonous plants that can even bring down giants. And even the beautiful rose has thorns.

The sword energy emanating from Nimue’s sword was comparable to that of a Sword Master.

“T, that is the elf’s First Sword…”

Elves become even stronger where there are trees.

Even in the plains, it’s this powerful, so how terrifying would it be in the forest?

Before they knew it, nearly half of the griffins had fallen to Nimue’s sword.

The remaining griffins eventually turned into half-cooked eagle skewers thanks to the combined efforts of Cainchel and the mercenaries.

The griffin attack, which would have originally caused devastating damage before they could barely drive it away, had been stopped with almost no losses.

“Waaaaaa!”

“W, we won!”

The mercenaries cheered.

If they encountered such a strong monster on the way, the amount of reward they received after the job would double. Moreover, there were almost no casualties, so the mercenaries’ joy was immense.

The only one with a gloomy expression was Nimue, the elf.

She was already hungry, and she had kept moving her body and recklessly using her aura, so how could she not be?

If she hadn’t eaten the vegetarian cookies Cainchel had baked for her, she would have collapsed.

“T, that cookie was so delicious…”

Nimue shook her head, feeling saliva gathering in her mouth.

She was the noble guardian elf of the forest.

She shouldn’t be swayed by human snacks.

However, the rumbling sound from her stomach was getting louder and louder.

@

“Everyone, you’ve worked hard! Let’s eat our fill tonight and get some rest.”

Alfredo, the head merchant, released the meat and alcohol he had been saving for the mercenaries who had finished the difficult battle.

Delicious-looking meat was roasting on the bonfire, and a savory cream stew was starting to boil in the pot.

They shouldn’t get drunk, so they were only given enough alcohol to wet their lips.

However, this was enough to enjoy the joy of victory.

Alfredo approached Cainchel and his group, who were gathered next to the carriage, and bowed his head.

“I don’t know whether to call this good luck or bad luck… If you hadn’t been here, we would have suffered tremendous damage. Thank you so much.”

“We were just doing what we had to do. And we were able to get some griffin meat too.”

“Are you really thinking of cooking with griffin?”

“Using new ingredients is always a pleasure.”

However, Nimue, who had played the biggest role in the griffin hunt, was nowhere to be seen.

When asked about it, Cainchel answered with a bitter smile.

“It seems like she doesn’t even like the smell of meat.”

“I should have paid more attention… I was in such a hurry to leave that I didn’t consider the elf. I’m really sorry.”

Cainchel deliberately spoke in a loud voice so that it could be heard inside the carriage.

“But it’s a shame if the main character is missing from a celebration of victory, isn’t it? So I’m going to make a meat dish that even an elf can eat. Then maybe Nimue can eat with us.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea. But meat that even an elf can eat… What kind of meat is it?”

A movement was felt inside the carriage.

And the door opened slightly, and Nimue’s voice floated out.

“I’m curious about that too. Elves can’t even put animal milk in their mouths. But meat?”

“Actually, it’s only called meat, but it’s made from beans, so it’ll be bean meat.”

“Hmm… Bean meat… I could eat that.”

“I’m going to cook it now, would you like to try it?”

“……”

No answer came back from inside the carriage.

Only the sound of swallowing saliva could be heard faintly.

“Then I’ll make it for now, and you can throw it away if you don’t like it.”

“…Why would I throw away food that you’ve bothered to make?”

It seemed that Nimue was also interested in bean meat.

Cainchel shrugged his shoulders and set up a makeshift kitchen behind the carriage.

Then, a few mercenaries who were caught up in the atmosphere showed interest.

“What’s going on?”

“He’s going to make a meat dish that even an elf can eat?”

“Hey, that doesn’t make sense, does it? It might look like meat, but it’ll just taste like beans.”

“You’ve come at the right time. When the cooking is done, would you mind tasting it to see if it really tastes like meat?”

“That sounds fun. I’ll look forward to it.”

With that, Cainchel began to make bean meat steak in earnest, under the gaze of onlookers.

First, he ground the beans soaked in water very finely.

From now on, he was going to use this to create meat.

To bring out the savory taste of meat, he used several types of dried mushrooms.

He also mixed walnuts, almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and other nuts evenly.

This was to supplement the fat that bean meat might lack.

And to bring out the moist feeling of meat, he grated radish and potatoes to complete the bean meat.

Combining various flavors to create the taste of meat seemed to be in the realm of alchemy.

Surprise appeared in the mercenaries’ eyes.

“Oh, the color is gradually changing to look plausible? It smells good too.”

“But the texture is more important than the taste of meat, isn’t it? How are you going to create that?”

A smile appeared on Cainchel’s lips. He had already prepared the answer.

‘Well-kneaded flour has a stickiness to it. If I use that, I can reproduce the texture of meat.’

He piled flour like a mountain on the counter and sprinkled cold water on it.

He kneaded it as sticky as possible and then wrapped it in a cloth.

‘If I keep rinsing and kneading this in cold water, only a slippery texture will remain. If I mix that in well…’

Cainchel mixed the slime-like flour dough into the bean meat and kneaded it.

Then, it gained a strong elasticity that would return to its original shape when pressed.

“M, meat! He really made meat out of beans!”

A sight that was hard to believe even when seen with their own eyes.

However, the ingredients were only prepared. The cooking was just beginning.

Cainchel put onions in a heated pan and cooked them until they turned brown.

He added garlic and rosemary to infuse the flavor.

When he put the bean meat on top of it, a delicious smell began to waft through the air with a sizzle.

When the bean meat was cooked to a suitable degree, Cainchel cut it into bite-sized pieces and handed it to the mercenaries.

“Please try a sample.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you for the food.”

The mercenaries who received the bean meat picked it up and put it in their mouths.

They wondered if it would really taste like meat here.

“Hmm…”

An elasticity that pushed back against their teeth.

It was so perfect that anyone who ate it with their eyes closed would think of meat.

The surprise didn’t end there.

The savory taste unique to meat spread throughout their mouths.

“M, meat…”

Now they could even feel the juice. It was thanks to adding plenty of oily nuts to supplement the fat that the bean meat lacked.

The mercenary who tasted the bean meat swallowed his saliva without realizing it. If he walked a little further, he could eat barbecue made with real meat.

Nevertheless, he wanted to eat the dish made with bean meat.

To be exact, it would be more accurate to say that it was the dish made by Cainchel.

How delicious would the dish made by the man who made meat out of beans be?

He was envious of Nimue, who was about to eat it.

“At first, I thought you were joking when you said you were going to make meat out of beans. But after eating it… This is just meat. No other explanation is needed.”

The mercenary quietly raised his thumb.

The number of onlookers had already doubled. A mercenary who had not been selected as a taster shouted.

“If there’s any bean meat left, please call me. I’ll take care of it all.”

Cainchel smiled and replied.

“Will there be any left?”

Before they knew it, the bean meat steak was only one step away from completion.

Cainchel had found out that a red wine sauce with a refreshing taste went well with bean meat with a rich taste.

He placed the bean meat steak on a plate and poured the red wine sauce on top of it.

As a side garnish, he thinly sliced and grilled matsutake mushrooms.

It looked so delicious that it felt like a plausible dish just by itself.

The mercenaries who were watching quietly swallowed their saliva.

Cainchel looked at the completed bean meat steak. There was no need to check with Joma Kyung [a famous food critic].

‘This is a 5-star dish.’

And if Nimue ate this deliciously, he would be able to obtain the Brilliant Road skill that he had been so eager for.

He was sure of it.

Cainchel took it and knocked on the door of the carriage where Nimue was waiting.

“The bean meat steak is ready.”

Then, the door suddenly opened and a slender hand popped out.

“I can eat that, right?”

Her face was flushed with anticipation. A meat dish she was eating for the first time in her life. Although it was made with beans, its taste had already been proven through the mouths of the mercenaries.

What does meat taste like?

Nimue, with her face flushed red, began to urge Cainchel to give her the dish.

“Then enjoy your meal.”

Nimue, who received the plate, began to cut the bean meat steak with a small knife.

Something resembling juice dripped down.

A savory and fragrant smell.

Is this what humans eat as meat?

Nimue quietly brought it to her mouth.

The Path of Brilliant Glory #1