Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 105

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“······I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s true that the technique to remove the pufferfish poison is impressive, but isn’t that where the story ends? It’s like saying a street dancer’s dance is beautiful but doesn’t belong at a formal ball.”

Gottfried realized this was a leading question.

He had made sure that even in the worst-case scenario, his name would not come out of his subordinates’ mouths.

No matter how hard they searched, they would not find any evidence that he had ordered the poisoning.

Therefore, he just needed to act as if he had nothing to do with the poisoning incident until the end.

Keinzel narrowed his eyes as if he could see through Gottfried’s thoughts.

Then, he created a small bubble at the tip of his finger.

“This is a meringue technique. Although it looks weak, it blocks attacks that don’t have Aura [a type of magical energy] quite well.”

“You have an interesting technique.”

“I couldn’t let the pufferfish, which I worked so hard to detoxify, get contaminated. So, I covered the plate with this.”

Gottfried’s thick fingers twitched.

Was that why he was unharmed even after putting the pufferfish sashimi on a poisoned plate?

But there were still mysteries left.

What kind of magic did he use to find out that it was the plate that was poisoned?

It would be impossible unless he had a habit of licking the plates before putting food on them.

‘Indeed, the idea of putting poison on the plate without touching the pufferfish sashimi was great. But what I found was not poison, but hostility.’

After Phiedler handed out invitations to the ball, Keinzel searched for the hostility targeting him.

And he discovered an enormous amount of hostility emanating from the head butler who was carrying the plates.

It was so strong that he could feel it even though it wasn’t directed at him.

‘And it had the same kind of poison that was in the well. If it weren’t for Fallen Star [Keinzel’s unique ability or skill], I would have been caught off guard.’

Phiedler, who had been dealing with the young ladies in the center, approached Gottfried.

“Thank you for attending the ball I hosted, Brother Gottfried. Unfortunately, Brother Adolf is too busy with work to attend.”

Gottfried’s face contorted as he realized the meaning behind those words.

Even this ball was a trap to identify the assassin.

It felt like he was being played in Phiedler’s palm.

“Oh, right, brother. I almost forgot to introduce you. This is Keinzel, whom I became friends with on my travels. He is a very talented cook. I’m sure you’ll like it if you take a bite.”

Damn it, that guy planned everything.

Gottfried glared at Keinzel with a menacing look.

But he couldn’t lose his reason here.

“I’m sorry, but I’m suddenly tired. I think I’ll go in first.”

“Please do, brother. Oh, and there are strangely many gnats in the royal palace these days. I’ve told Erich to sweep them all away. It will be very clean by tomorrow.”

“······Surely not while I’m at the ball?!”

Phiedler, who had approached Gottfried, whispered in a small voice.

“Brother, don’t drag innocent people into sibling fights. You’ll get hurt badly.”

Gottfried hurriedly left the ball. Phiedler smiled bitterly as he watched him go.

“This should stop him from doing anything foolish for a while. It’s only at the level of cutting off a few fingers, but how well will the hands and feet that have learned pain listen to the head?”

With this, Phiedler took a step ahead in the battle for the throne. It all started with a bowl of food.

How can he ever repay this favor?

Fortunately, there was still plenty of time left before the ball ended.

There was enough time to think.

Phiedler muttered as he looked at the cold tomato soup hidden behind the colorful pufferfish sashimi.

“Finally, it’s time for the medicinal cuisine, the main attraction of this ball, to appear.”

@

Before they knew it, the young ladies had eaten all the pufferfish sashimi and were sending regretful glances.

“I never knew pufferfish sashimi could be so delicious.”

“I wish I could have just one more bite······.”

Keinzel, who was clearing the empty plates, smiled and said.

“That regret is also part of the dish. If you had taken a large amount and eaten it several times, the emotion you are feeling now would have been greatly reduced.”

“You’re the one who made this dish, right? It was really delicious. If you don’t mind, would you tell me how you met the prince? Ah, I’m sorry! How dare such an ugly person like me talk to you!”

Thanks to the guests enjoying the food, he was able to greatly increase his poison resistance.

Now it was time to repay them.

The noble young ladies who were gathered were all wearing thick masks.

They must have been wearing them to hide the side effects of mercury poisoning.

Keinzel smiled and said.

“Those masks look uncomfortable just by looking at them. Soon you will be able to take them off and walk around.”

“Pardon?”

“This is gazpacho, a cold tomato soup. Tomatoes have the effect of making the skin smooth.”

“So, is it this ordinary-looking tomato soup, not the pufferfish, that cures mercury poisoning?”

“And your ruined faces will also return to normal.”

A bright smile appeared on the girl’s face at the words that mercury poisoning could be cured.

‘Eating broccoli, onions, garlic, paprika, kale, and mustard can increase the liver’s detoxification function. That will cure the mercury poisoning.’

Of course, eating them doesn’t have an immediate effect.

However, the medicinal cuisine created using the effect amplification shows a tremendous healing effect.

Keinzel handed the young ladies, who were sending him hot glances, a bowl of gazpacho.

“······Then, I’ll enjoy it.”

The young ladies, who would normally have used a spoon to eat elegantly, began to drink the soup straight from the plate.

It was as if their bodies were telling them to drink the soup.

“Please tell me if you need more. There is plenty of soup.”

The young lady, who had devoured the gazpacho as if she hadn’t eaten in days, blushed.

“I’m sorry, it was so delicious······.”

It was the same for the other young ladies. The gazpacho, full of vegetables, went down smoothly.

The baguette bread that came with it was still crispy even though it was soaked in soup.

“How can you make it so delicious······.”

And a miracle happened.

The young ladies, who had emptied several bowls of gazpacho in an instant, began to sweat like rain.

It was the other nobles who attended the ball who were embarrassed.

“Lady Margaret! What’s wrong!”

“Someone, get a handkerchief!”

However, what was on the young ladies’ faces was not pain, but a happy smile.

As the capillaries opened and blood circulation proceeded at a tremendous speed, the young ladies’ bodies became hot.

There were even people who couldn’t stand it and threw off half of the dresses they were wearing.

“Cough, cough!”

“I think the men should go out.”

“How could such a thing happen just by eating a bowl of food······.”

The effect of the medicinal cuisine was immediate.

First of all, the skin, which had turned dark blue due to the mercury’s poison, returned to its original color.

The pain in the joints, which had been stabbing with every movement, disappeared.

Most of all, what was pleasing was that the unsightly spots that had filled their faces disappeared and turned as white as milk.

“My face is back to normal······.”

“M, my joints don’t hurt at all!”

The young ladies, realizing the changes in their bodies, shed hot tears. They began to hug each other and cry.

Their families were also teary-eyed.

Someone bowed to Keinzel, who was in the garden with Prince Phiedler.

“Oh my god······. This is the first time I’ve seen my daughter so happy. Thank you so much. How can I ever repay this favor······.”

“I can see why the prince called you his friend. I will treat you as a lifelong VIP in the name of the Falkenhausen barony.”

“My sister couldn’t stand her ruined appearance and tried to commit suicide several times. The food that my benefactor made saved my sister’s life!”

Dugun.

Dugun······.

Something hot spread through Keinzel’s chest.

A bowl of food had healed the souls of wounded people.

Like the ‘chicken soup’ that had caressed the soul that was about to be broken by frustration.

Tting-

[You have succeeded in healing wounded hearts through cooking.]

[The power to contain the heart has been sublimated into the ‘Aura Blade’ skill.]

[‘Aura Blade’ has been created.]

‘O, Aura Blade!’

It was the symbol of a Sword Master and the technique of creating a sword made of Aura [magical energy] alone.

After obtaining the Aura Sword, Keinzel made numerous dishes.

But he couldn’t find a clue to the Aura Blade.

To think that what was needed to obtain it was the power to contain the heart.

He was so happy that he couldn’t even cheer.

He had finally taken a step closer to the realm of Sword Master.

But there was still something to check.

In order to obtain the Aura Blade, he must continue to perform the miracle of putting his heart into his cooking.

[Aura Blade: 1/10]

* Not activated due to lack of experience in making heartfelt dishes.

The number of slots needed this time was a whopping 10.

But this confirmed that he could become a Sword Master by cooking.

Then there is only one thing to do.

‘I will make a dish that can even heal wounded hearts!’

@

After the ball.

Phiedler and Keinzel were walking through the royal palace garden, talking.

“It’s a shame you have to leave tomorrow. You said you were going to Eldrado. I won’t ask for the details. It would be difficult if the prince of an enemy country found out.”

“I will definitely stop by on my way back.”

“That elf swordsman······. Was her name Nimue? Are you two lovers?”

Keinzel almost fell forward at that moment. That’s how shocking Phiedler’s words were.

“······I’ve only made her a few dishes.”

“Tsk tsk. You’re so oblivious. She is in love with her benefactor. A romance with a beautiful elf woman is a common subject for bards.”

“D, did I hear you wrong?”

“Well, that’s enough. I feel like my neck will be cut off by her swordsmanship if I talk any more.”

Keinzel’s back became damp. That proud elf Nimue is in love with him?

Phiedler must be greatly mistaken.

“The benefactor saved not only Katrin’s life, but also cured the mercury poisoning of countless young ladies. I’ve been constantly thinking about how I can repay you.”

“I didn’t do it for a reward.”

In fact, the stats and poison resistance he gained from cooking pufferfish were already a huge reward.

But it didn’t seem to be the case for Phiedler.

“Originally, I was going to give you the mana cultivation technique that Erich had learned. After all, the benefactor is also Erich’s benefactor.”

“······Are you talking about the Sword Master’s mana cultivation technique?”

“Yes. But for some reason, it doesn’t feel like the benefactor needs it very much.”

Keinzel nodded silently.

He was gathering Aura [magical energy] through gourmet skills, not mana cultivation.

It was an incredible ability that no mana cultivation technique could ever match.

“So, I thought about something comparable to the Sword Master’s mana cultivation technique. In the end, there was only one conclusion. I’m sure the benefactor will like this.”

Phiedler opened the entrance to a secret passage hidden in the garden.

It was a place where only royalty could enter.

“······Is it okay for you to show me even this?”

“Didn’t I say? The benefactor is my friend. The Akard Empire once obtained the corpse of a dragon in the past. It is sleeping here.”

‘Dragon?’

Keinzel swallowed hard without realizing it at the word he had never expected.

What you need to cook a dragon #1