Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 114

Descending the stairs to the basement, Cainchel took a deep breath. The mere act of imprisoning Antares was causing an absurd amount of dark energy to surge.

This was the deepest part of the Well-ride mansion, usually reserved for storing sensitive items that shouldn’t be leaked to the public.

Caroline, who was following a short distance behind, raised her hand.

“I’ll cast a blessing to ward off evil, just in case,” she said.

“The Archbishop’s blessing is certainly reassuring.”

“Oh, radiance of Deus, God of Light, destroy all evil!”

A holy light emanated from Caroline’s hand.

It was the same kind of blessing Cainchel had received from Saint-Germain when investigating the plague-stricken village, blocking not only the plague but also the curses spread by the dead.

Caroline’s divine power resonated with Cainchel, emitting an even stronger light. She murmured with a surprised expression.

“To possess such pure divine power… Brother, you must be a devout follower of Deus [the God of Light in this world].”

Caroline, being an Archbishop, seemed to have noticed the divine power Cainchel was concealing.

“Well, something like that.”

Knight trainees attended the Deus temple for worship every Sunday. Cainchel, having done that for three years, was practically considered a Deus follower.

Cainchel had fought and defeated Antares, who tried to burn the World Tree, even blowing his head off. But Antares didn’t die. No, he couldn’t be killed.

‘Antares… just what are you…?’

Arriving in the basement, Cainchel and Lion exchanged silent glances and drew their swords. Although they had bound Antares with chains, they couldn’t afford to lower their guard. He was already something beyond the realm of living beings.

“······!”

Opening the door, they found Antares transformed into a large, wriggling lump of flesh.

Caroline, who had a weak stomach, frowned.

A groan escaped Lion’s lips.

“Oh… Deus… is that really…”

Antares, having lost his head, was regenerating his body at a terrifying speed, devouring everything around him. But it was hardly an act that could be called resurrection.

‘That’s no longer human. A monster moving only by rage…’

Krrrrrr――!

Sensing Cainchel’s approach, Antares’ body convulsed. The rage towards the man who killed him amplified Antares’ power several times over. The struggling was so intense that the chains binding him were about to break. A large arm sprouted from Antares’ body, swinging to attack Cainchel.

Caroline screamed at the sudden attack.

“Kyaaaaak!”

“Brother!”

Lion swung the greatsword he was holding, blocking Antares’ arm. With a sizzling sound, Antares’ arm burned away, thanks to the blessing on the greatsword. The disgusting smell, like burning rotten meat, made it hard to breathe. Lion moved the greatsword once more, this time blowing off Antares’ arm.

Twitch!

As soon as one arm was cut off, two more sprouted out. He was a figure like a monster that had jumped straight out of the Abyss [a hellish dimension]. At this rate, there seemed to be no end.

‘Damn it, I thought he was quiet for a while, but he’s at it again. The only way to stop that is to burn it.’

Cainchel gritted his teeth and ignited the flames of Flambe on his mithril sword.

Whoosh!

Sensing a threat to his life, Antares gained an absurdly tremendous regenerative ability. To stop it, his body had to be constantly burned. Cainchel kicked off the ground and ran forward. Antares had tremendous regenerative power and brute strength, but he had no head. He was just a monster moving according to instinct.

He just needed to be cut down before he could attack.

“I’ll cook you to a well-done this time!”

The flames of Flambe began to burn Antares’ two arms.

Gueooooooo――!

A disgusting scream leaked out through the severed part of his neck. He had burned his body like this several times, but each time Antares regenerated.

‘How the hell can I kill him?’

If Antares’ head had remained, how terrible would things have become?

Once the situation was somewhat under control, Lion breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Cainchel with fervent eyes and said.

“Brother, have you ever thought about joining the Deus Order and aiming to become a Paladin [a holy knight]? If someone with such strong will and divine power as you joins us, we can spread Deus’ grace even more widely.”

“Thank you for the offer, but…”

If he became a Paladin, he would have to abandon even his family name and dedicate his life to God. It was not a position suitable for Cainchel, who wanted to rebuild his family.

“…Is that so? You must be carrying a lot on your shoulders, brother.”

Lion clicked his tongue as if he was disappointed.

Cainchel stared at Antares, who was constantly regenerating even as he burned.

Just what was the immortal cell that gave him such tremendous regenerative ability?

“Did you see that? It’s like this even after cutting off his head.”

“…Brother, I sense the will of an evil god from that man’s body. I’ll try to suppress it.”

Caroline took out a bottle of holy water and some tools and cast a barrier throughout the basement. Then, Antares’ body stopped moving. Caroline murmured with a tired face.

“Such an evil spell…”

“This is not the end. Their goal is the resurrection of the Seven Deadly Sins. The power of the Deus Order is needed to stop it.”

Lion grabbed Cainchel’s hand.

“I understand! If you move to destroy the Seven Deadly Sins Church, the Deus Order will be with you. I will report to the Pope through the Cardinal right away. May Deus’ blessing be with you.”

As expected, he was a Paladin full of justice. It was easier than he thought to get their cooperation.

‘But was Antares the only one who received the immortal cell? Maybe I’ll have to face countless immortals in the future.’

If he knew the identity of the immortal cell, he could find a way to deal with it. Cainchel approached Caroline, who was examining Antares’ body.

“He said he became immortal thanks to the immortal cell. Do you know anything about it?”

Caroline shook her head with a heavy expression.

“I’m sorry…”

In the end, even Caroline, the Archbishop of the Deus Order, could not uncover the secret of Antares’ regeneration.

Just what was the immortal cell that gave him such tremendous power? How did Antares receive it?

It was then.

Drip…

A sticky liquid flowed down Cainchel’s cheek.

‘Oh, the arm Lion cut off is stuck in the ceiling. Then this is Antares’ blood…’

In an instant, an absurd thought flashed through Cainchel’s mind.

‘……Maybe I can use the Gourmet skill to uncover the secret?’

The 5-star Gourmet skill had even identified the blended pufferfish poison. Some dishes used blood during cooking.

‘Then…’

Cainchel licked the blood of Antares on his face. The nauseating taste of blood lingered on the tip of his tongue, but there was something of unknown identity mixed in it. The Gourmet skill told Cainchel what it was.

[Mammon’s Thigh]

* Flesh cut from the leg of Mammon, the King of Greed. If cooked properly, you can gain his immortality.
* Completion: ★★★

“…Ugh, Uaaaaaagh!”

Cainchel screamed. He couldn’t believe what he saw. Mixed in Antares’ blood was Mammon’s thigh, one of the Seven Deadly Sins. That meant only one thing: the identity of the immortal cell was Mammon, the King of Greed himself, and to draw out all of that power, a chef with excellent skills was needed.

@

“Contact with Antares has been lost. It seems that the removal of Eldrad’s World Tree has failed. Perhaps the Britannia’s World Tree will also be revived soon.”

The black shadow hid in the darkness and reported.

The man sitting in the chair had an expression that was neither crying nor laughing.

“Is that so? I shouldn’t have trusted that criminal. I even transplanted the immortal cell, albeit an incomplete one, but he failed… What a waste of the magic imprint.”

He had a slender body and an ordinary appearance that didn’t seem like a noble. He was Count Alejandro Algedi, who had accumulated enormous wealth through the Seven Deadly Sins War. Algedi licked his lips, which were stained red as if they were covered in blood.

“If there is someone who can undo it, the magic imprint loses its value as a weapon. Meliot.”

Then, a man of enormous size, who had been kneeling in the corner, stood up. The body that had been respected by many knights was enlarged to the point of being unsightly. The eyes, which had been as calm as a lake, were now filled with madness. Only the lips that had sung of love were still performing their role.

“Kkeueuk… Lucia… My love… For you… Anything…”

Count Algedi clicked his tongue. It was good to use the immortal cell to make him obey any order, but he never expected him to become a berserker who had lost his reason.

“Well, that’s not bad either. Meliot is a man who reached the rank of Sword Master with only basic swordsmanship. The sword he wields casually shatters mountains and splits rivers. Shadow.”

Then the shadow kneeling in front of Algedi raised his head. Shadow, the best assassin raised by the Assassin Guild, was a master of stealth, so much so that even a master could not notice his approach.

“Yes, Algedi-nim.”

“From now on, transform into Lucia’s appearance. Then Meliot will offer even his heart if you ask him to.”

The man called Shadow activated a magical tool that changed his appearance. Then, a woman with dazzlingly gorgeous purple hair appeared. It was a magical tool that perfectly changed not only the appearance but also the gender and voice. It was one of the treasures passed down in the Assassin Guild.

Lucia smiled brightly, as if flowers were blooming, and bowed.

“Good morning, Father.”

“Yes, Lucia. From now on, go and burn all the elves remaining in Britannia to death with your husband.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Meliot, the berserker, did not even recognize that his wife’s appearance was made up with a magical tool. He just clung to her feet and whispered his love.

“Oh, Lucia… You are beautiful today… May I kiss your hand…”

“Meliot, follow me. Let’s go carry out the order Father gave us.”

“Lucia… Lucia…”

As Shadow, transformed into Lucia, walked, Meliot followed behind. Algedi, left alone, chuckled at what was so enjoyable.

“Then, let’s leave the handling of the elves to Shadow… And should I continue to look for a chef who can properly cook the immortal cell?”

How many of those in power would not want an immortal body? The war merchant Algedi finally moved to make even immortality his product.

The Vanished Chef #3