Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 101

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31. A Dish of Food

Erich’s eyes were drawn to the winged insignia on Keinzel’s chest.

Without knowing the assassin’s identity, finding their benefactor required utmost discretion.

Erich extended his hand and created an invisible barrier of aura.

This would prevent their conversation from being overheard.

“Your Highness, do you see the Free Knights insignia on his chest?”

“Hmm… Keinzel, a Free Knight of Britannia. And quite the cook. The information we received from the Magic Tower about our benefactor matches perfectly. It’s highly likely to be him.”

Erich subtly moved his hand towards the sword at his waist, saying,

“If he is the benefactor, what will you do? We desperately need his help to cure the mercury poisoning. If Your Highness commands it…”

“Erich.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Have you forgotten that the Arkad Empire isn’t like Britannia, which often forgets its debts? We owe our benefactor a great deal. We haven’t even properly repaid that debt, so why would you consider incurring an even greater one?”

“…I apologize. I nearly made a grave error.”

Friedrich understood Erich’s loyalty. It was likely the root of his concern.

“Kathrine described the benefactor’s cooking as if she were eating something painstakingly prepared by a royal chef. Let’s first taste the food he brought. That will help confirm whether he is indeed our benefactor.”

The serious conversation could wait. More than anything, his mouth was watering so much that it was hard to focus.

Before they knew it, a delicious-looking sausage roll was placed before them.

“It’s a sausage roll wrapped in puff pastry. Please enjoy it with the tomato sauce.”

Erich was pleased to see two plates.

“You made one for me as well? I will certainly enjoy it.”

“Since you were standing side by side, I assumed you often eat together. There’s a saying that you should share even a single bean, but one roll would hardly be enough.”

Erich was impressed by Keinzel’s perceptiveness.

It is said that a skilled attendant can discern a person’s position and even their personality from the smallest gesture.

Yet, here was a young knight demonstrating a similar ability.

Friedrich, his anticipation reaching a fever pitch, picked up his fork.

“Finally, I get to taste it.”

A perfectly baked sausage roll rested on a bed of smoky tomato sauce.

Friedrich was once again struck by the presentation.

Could one achieve this level of perfection without being able to sense the oven’s internal temperature without even touching it?

As he cut into the sausage roll with a knife, the plump sausage within was revealed.

Rich juices flowed from the freshly baked sausage, practically begging to be eaten.

“Let’s have a taste.”

He put it straight into his mouth. With a ‘crunch,’ the puff pastry shattered delightfully.

It felt like holding the hand of a woman in a dress and dancing.

“How can the layers of the pastry feel so alive when baked like this?”

The surprise didn’t end there. The taste of the meat inside was also exceptional.

The sausage, made with fresh meat, was so firm it bounced against his teeth, and the more he chewed, the deeper the flavor became.

The spices permeated the sausage evenly, and the puff pastry crumbled perfectly.

These seemingly incompatible textures combined to create a ballroom dance in his mouth.

“Oh, right, the sauce.”

This time, he decided to cut a large piece of the sausage roll and dip it generously in the tomato sauce.

He could detect a spicy aroma, likely from smoked paprika.

The moment he put it in his mouth, Friedrich realized he had been missing out.

The tomato sauce perfectly elevated the already delicious sausage roll.

The crispy bread, the plump sausage, and the spicy tomato sauce.

Together, they created a complete and harmonious dish.

The speed at which he cut the sausage roll increased noticeably.

Friedrich, forgetting the dining etiquette he had been taught since childhood, moved his hands frantically.

He ate the last piece of bread, soaking it in the tomato sauce, and muttered, sounding almost regretful,

“Hmm, delicious. A truly well-made dish.”

‘Yes!’

Keinzel cheered inwardly as he watched the two devour the sausage rolls in an instant.

[6-star dish ‘Puff Pastry Sausage Roll with Tomato Sauce’ has been completed.]

[A guest with a high gourmet rating is satisfied with your dish.]

It was the first 6-star dish he had completed without the aid of Jewel Salt.

When he checked the JoMaKyung [presumably a game interface or system menu], countless messages were popping up. Most of them indicated his skill proficiency was increasing.

‘Indeed, the more you satisfy picky customers, the more proficiency you gain.’

Once again, he appreciated the almost unfair advantage provided by Brilliant Road [likely a skill or ability within the story].

Erich finished his sausage roll in two bites and gave him a somewhat pitiful look.

It seemed he felt he hadn’t had enough.

Something had become clear with this experience.

‘Truly delicious food transcends even national borders.’

What Keinzel had created was a dish that combined British sausage rolls with elements of French cuisine.

Using Brilliant Road, he could obtain recipes for foods that had never existed before.

Realizing how amazing that was, the hardships he had endured so far seemed to melt away.

Friedrich wiped the sauce from his mouth with a napkin and asked,

“Have you ever made food for someone at the Magic Tower?”

“It was several months ago, but I made tomato soup for a lady named Kathrine.”

“It’s him. Erich, ensure our conversation remains private.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As Erich moved his hand, the vast aura he possessed surged outwards.

Nimue, who was in the carriage, was so surprised that she rushed out.

“Wh-what is it? Are we fighting now?”

Keinzel quietly raised his hand to reassure Nimue. He didn’t sense any hostility from Erich or Prince Friedrich.

They probably just wanted to speak privately.

Friedrich bowed his head to Keinzel.

“I apologize for not recognizing you, our benefactor. Thanks to the food you made, my sister Kathrine was able to save her life.”

Alfredo, who was observing the situation from a distance, looked like he was about to faint.

How delicious must the food be for royalty to bow so deeply?

Friedrich, unaware of such misunderstandings, began to speak quietly.

@

The engagement of Erich von Gustav and Princess Kathrine had brought about a significant shift in the political landscape of Deutschland [Germany].

Friedrich, who was sixth in line to the throne, was now in a much stronger position relative to his brothers.

“Eventually, someone feeling threatened poisoned Kathrine with mercury. If the benefactor hadn’t healed her, she would have passed away.”

This time, Erich, who was standing next to him, grasped Keinzel’s hand and bowed his head.

“I also want to express my gratitude. Kathrine, whom the benefactor saved, is my fiancée. I can’t imagine a world without her.”

He had simply made a dish to test the efficacy of medicinal cuisine.

He never imagined that the consequences would unfold in this way after several months.

“But this is the first time I’ve heard of mercury being used as a poison.”

It hasn’t been long since the dangers of mercury to the body were discovered.

Until a few years ago, noble ladies used cosmetics containing mercury to enhance their appearance.

As a result, many ladies are still suffering from mercury poisoning.

“The amount in cosmetics is not enough to cause such severe mercury poisoning. Someone deliberately administered it to Kathrine.”

Mercury poisoning causes the whole body to swell and the face to become disfigured.

The culprit’s aim was to diminish Kathrine’s beauty, believing that Erich’s affection would naturally fade.

“Seeing that Kathrine has recovered, the assassin has now begun to target Prince Friedrich directly. In Weimar, one cannot even drink water drawn from the well.”

To harm Friedrich, poison was introduced into the well from which hundreds of people drank.

How many innocent people must have died in agony?

“I know that we cannot easily repay the favors we have already received from the benefactor. However, many ladies are still suffering from mercury poisoning. Would you please use your abilities to help them?”

Keinzel looked at Erich with a serious expression.

He seemed to understand why they wanted to meet him in this clandestine manner.

If the noble ladies suffering from mercury poisoning were healed, it would reflect positively on Friedrich.

That was something that those who opposed Friedrich’s ascension to the throne would want to prevent.

“You mean you want me to create dishes that detoxify mercury for the noble ladies discreetly?”

“Yes, we are asking a great deal.”

Friedrich was thinking of those suffering from mercury poisoning even amidst the assassination attempts against him.

Keinzel quietly nodded.

“That’s something I would be happy to do. It pleases me to know that many people enjoy the food I make.”

As a bonus, he could greatly improve his cooking skills.

However, something still bothered him.

“By the way, what happened to the well that was poisoned?”

“It remains contaminated in Weimar. It seems difficult to purify due to the potency of the poison used.”

Keinzel said quietly, but with conviction,

“There is a way to identify the person who poisoned the well.”

@

Since they had to pass through Weimar, the capital of Deutschland, to reach Eldrad, they ended up staying with the Edelweiss Merchant Company for a few days.

The company was able to leave the Great Plains in two days under Erich’s escort.

The carriage arrived at a small village slightly outside of Weimar.

The assassin had poisoned the only well in that location.

He knew that Friedrich would stop there to replenish water whenever he passed by.

It was a situation where they couldn’t even trust their allies.

Eventually, Keinzel, Friedrich, and Erich left the company for a while to assess the condition of the well.

Erich, upon arriving at the well, asked,

“How exactly are you planning to catch the person who poisoned the well, benefactor?”

“You’ll see. The tongue can sometimes make magical things possible.”

Keinzel quietly lowered the bucket and drew water from it.

It was the very water that was contaminated with poison.

And he drank it in one gulp.

A Dish of Food #2