Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 132

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Eyes bloodshot red, the whites barely visible, and possessing immense strength.

That alone was enough to tell that the man before me had become a Berserker.

However, his companions seemed to think he was just drunk.

“Why, why are you doing this? Calm down! If you make this much noise, the guards will come!”

“Yeah, I’ll listen to whatever complaints you have. There’s no good in this for you!”

However, the Berserker no longer responded to reason.

“Khek, kikikikik!”

Kainchel read the rage and bloodlust in his eyes and quietly rose from his seat.

Fortunately, the attention of everyone in the tavern was focused entirely on the Berserker.

After slipping out the back door unnoticed, he took out a clown costume from his four-dimensional pocket [a pocket dimension, like a bag of holding].

‘From here on out, it’s enemy territory. Just blurring my features won’t be enough.’

As expected, disguising himself as Hool was the best option in times like these. Kainchel recalled what Zeke had investigated.

‘Chefs have been disappearing continuously since Gordon Lambolton. He still hasn’t gotten what he wants.’

To catch a bear, you have to go into the bear’s den.

What the opponent wants is a chef who can cook immortal cells to a high degree of perfection.

‘Just like Hool right here.’

Kainchel, who had changed into a clown costume, drew Durandal [his sword] and returned to the tavern.

Before he knew it, the Berserker was wielding a sword, causing a ruckus, probably stolen from someone.

“Kishishishishi!”

Every time he rampaged, tables and chairs were smashed, and the sound of breaking dishes echoed loudly.

“I, is that perhaps madness?! It looks like he won’t stop until he sees blood! Is, is there a mercenary here! I’ll pay you if you catch that guy!”

Not wanting to make a big deal out of it, he looks for a mercenary before calling the guards.

Three men, who appeared to be his companions, threw themselves to stop the Berserker. But it was not enough. Their bodies flew through the air from the swung arm and crashed into one wall.

“Y, you guys run away too! That person is mad! I’ll go get the guards right now!”

The Berserker’s companion desperately shouted, even with blood flowing from his head.

“He’s our friend, even if he’s mad! How can we abandon him…? And please don’t call the guards. We’ll handle it somehow… Keheok…”

He was sacrificing himself to save his friend, even while spitting blood.

Kainchel laughed with exaggerated gestures and walked towards them.

It is not knightly to not respond to such upright friendship.

It is not chef-like to not serve delicious food in return for such wonderful friendship.

“Dear ladies and gentlemen. It seems a bit too noisy to enjoy my performance.”

Then, the surprised people screamed.

“Where did that clown suddenly come from! Hey! Get back! It’s dangerous! Be, be careful…!”

At the same time, the table the Berserker was holding slammed into Kainchel’s head.

Crash!

A gruesome sound of something shattering echoed through the tavern.

“U, uaaagh! I, I told you to dodge!”

“Su, surely his head is broken! Definitely broken!”

It is common for people to get drunk and cause a ruckus in a tavern.

Most of the time, it is resolved amicably by paying for the broken items with emergency funds.

But if someone dies, the story changes.

Especially in cases of suspected madness, even being showered with blades would not be enough to atone.

But the clown, who should have collapsed with his head shattered, was smiling with an indifferent face.

“Haha! Hihi! Huhu! Hehe! Hoho!”

The onlookers swallowed hard. Rather, one of the Berserker’s hands, which had attacked, was twisted in a bizarre direction.

The table he was holding was nowhere to be seen.

The Berserker’s attack failed to penetrate the meringue [a protective magical barrier] that was covering Kainchel’s head.

Durandal emitted a chilling aura.

At the same time, the Berserker fell. Spectators did not realize that four attacks had been made in less than a second.

‘Maybe it’s because he doesn’t have much aura, but he’s not that strong. But can the curse of rage be resolved with a 5-star dish?’

Kainchel wrapped one hand around his waist and bowed to the audience.

Zeke rushed like lightning and tied the Berserker’s body with rope.

Since it was a rope with durability enhanced with meringue, even a Berserker could not easily break it.

“It seems one of the audience members was a little angry! Sit here and cool your head for a while!”

Then, a man who appeared to be a companion of the Berserker approached.

“Cl, clown. What are you going to do with Rolf?”

Perhaps because he had seen Kainchel’s skills.

Even though he was dressed ridiculously, he was very polite.

“I am the clown Hool! Isn’t it best to eat delicious food and rest well when you’re not feeling well!”

Most of the people in the tavern seemed to have fled during the Berserker’s rampage.

Only Rolf’s companions remained.

Rolf’s companion knelt down.

“Hool! Pl, please. Please don’t hand Rolf over to the guards. There are people who often go mad like that because of hard work, and they are all dragged to prison and never return.”

“Are you saying that person is mad?”

“Yes, he’s usually a very diligent and quiet friend who only does his job. I thought he was finally getting better after working hard to save money… Keuheuk… Deus! Why do you give us this trial?”

Kainchel’s eyes narrowed.

No matter how he looked at it, it was the appearance of a person cursed by rage. But to call that madness.

‘I’ll have to stay here for a while and investigate in detail. But first, I have to do something about that person.’

Clap clap clap!

Kainchel clapped lightly to gather people’s attention.

“Have you ever heard the saying that you don’t know if one will die even if two are eating together?”

“I’ve heard of it. What does that mean…”

“It means that if you eat really delicious food, you can get your lost mind back! This Hool! I’ll show you my skills for the guest over there!”

Rolf’s companions nodded as if grasping at straws.

Kainchel gave four 10-copper coins to the waiter who was hiding in the kitchen and said.

“Then I’ll borrow the kitchen for a while. This is the rental fee.”

“Ye, yes. Pl, please do.”

Since he was giving back the food money he had discounted earlier anyway, it wasn’t a big deal.

The guards would be coming after hearing the commotion. He had to finish before that, so he couldn’t make a dish that would take a long time.

There were salted hams and salamis hanging from the kitchen.

Most of them were ingredients suitable for snacks. It was like a tavern’s kitchen.

‘It would be delicious to slice the raw ham thickly and make a sandwich with tomatoes and cheese.’

But unfortunately, the quality of the bread that was prepared was not good. Even if he made a sandwich with this, it would be difficult to make it more than 4 stars.

Kainchel searched the kitchen and found a few good clams and a cod.

‘This is Merluza [a type of white fish] caught in the Mediterranean. It looks similar to cod, but it’s not suitable for frying.’

In Britannia, they are all lumped together as one type of cod.

However, in the Tuscan Confederation, where fish dishes are well-developed, there are more than ten types of cod used in cooking alone.

In particular, dishes made with Bacalhau [dried and salted cod], which is filleted and half-dried, are one of the most beloved foods in the Tuscan Confederation.

‘Merluza with parsley sauce is easy to make and will be done quickly. 10 minutes from now. I’ll finish it within that time!’

Kainchel’s eyes lit up.

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Kainchel placed Aegis [his shield] on the cooking table.

Perhaps because it was so large, there was still room even after placing the large Merluza on it whole.

“That’s a huge cutting board. Does he always carry that around?”

‘See, everyone thinks it’s a cutting board. Who would think of this as a god’s shield?’

He chuckled and began to prepare the Merluza with a aura-infused kitchen knife.

It was much easier to trim the fish because the sturdy Aegis was supporting it from below.

The fish was quickly filleted and cut into bite-sized pieces. The eyes of the people watching widened at the incredible speed.

‘Aegis, you’re really the best cutting board!’

It was so satisfying that he wanted to hug it as it was.

As expected, it is much easier to cook the same dish with good tools.

Kainchel put olive oil in a pot and started frying finely chopped garlic.

When the garlic was cooked to some extent, he added flour to make it thick. And he poured in white wine made by the elves.

Then, an unbelievably fragrant smell spread throughout the kitchen.

“Haa… What is this sweet and fragrant smell…”

“That’s wine! How much high-end wine are you using for cooking!?”

A wine that feels somewhat fresh because it is not properly aged.

When it was fried with garlic, it had the same effect as a skilled sommelier decanting it.

‘As expected, this is a wine that is specialized for cooking rather than just drinking. I’ll have to ask for a few more boxes next time.’

As the white wine sauce simmered, Kainchel’s movements became faster.

After placing the fish in the pot with the skin facing down, he filled the remaining space with well-prepared clams.

Merluza is a fish with a light taste and soft texture. The saltiness of the clams alone is not enough.

Kainchel took out jewel-like salt from his pocket and sprinkled it lightly.

“Huwa… Is that salt you just put in? But why does it smell so good…”

“Damn it, I want to eat it! If I kiss Rolf, will I get mad too?”

“Hey, don’t say that even as a joke.”

When the Merluza was cooked, he sprinkled chopped parsley on top. Most of the spices in the tavern were half-wilted, but Kainchel had freshness recovery.

As the white wine sauce flavored with parsley simmered, an irresistibly delicious smell wafted through the air.

The appetizing appearance of the fish with a hint of wine.

The mouths of the onlookers watered.

First, place a piece of Merluza in the center of a large plate and pour plenty of sauce on top.

And place plump clams full of clam meat around it.

As a finishing touch, he picked a few pine needles to decorate so that a cool scent would permeate.

“It’s done!”

“Th, that’s amazing. To make such a dish in an instant…”

“I made plenty, so I’ll share the rest with the audience.”

But first, he had to feed this to Rolf, who had become a Berserker.

When the gag in his mouth was released, a mixture of groans and screams echoed.

“Kkeuik, kkieeeeik!”

“Ro, Rolf! Don’t do that and just take a bite. I’m giving it to you even though I want to eat it!”

There is no guarantee that his madness will be cured by eating this. But this was the only thing to believe in now.

Two burly men pressed down on Rolf’s shoulders. He was so strong that his body continued to twitch even then.

“Come on, say ah.”

“Keureureureuk!”

The man cut the fish into small pieces and put it in Rolf’s mouth. Then, an amazing thing happened.

Oomph oomph-

“Oh, he, he’s eating! There’s more, so eat slowly!”

“Oh my god! His body, which was swollen as if it would burst, is returning to normal!”

“His eyes! Rolf’s eyes!”

Rolf mumbled as he swallowed the fish he was chewing.

“…What, this is so delicious? Huh? Why am I tied up?”

“Ooh! Rolf! You’ve come to your senses!”

“No, why are you sweaty bastards like this! Get off!”

“Rolf!”

He had only eaten one bite. But the curse of rage that had been dominating Rolf’s body disappeared, and his lost reason returned.

It was amazing. No one who suffered from madness had ever returned to normal.

“Still, just in case, eat all the rest.”

“Ugh, my head hurts like it’s going to break… Did I drink too much?”

“You didn’t drink alcohol, you ate your mind, you idiot!”

[6-star dish ‘Merluza with Parsley Sauce’ has been completed.]

“But what is this dish… Strangely, tears keep coming out…”

“You! Kneel down and bow to Hool over there! If that person hadn’t made you a dish, you would have been dead!”

“Re, really?”

[The guest is moved by your cooking.]

Rather, Kainchel was the one who was moved.

‘I thought it would be 5 stars at best, but it became a 6-star dish…’

The men threw themselves to protect their mad companion.

They struggled with all their might even while bleeding. If they hadn’t bought time, wouldn’t the guards have been dispatched sooner?

Their friendship moved Kainchel’s heart, and that melted into the dish.

Bang!

The guards, who arrived late, raised their voices.

“I heard there was a mad person! Where is he!”

The guard, who looked around the tavern, widened his eyes. Nowhere was there a mad person to be seen.

“Th, that’s the person over there! His eyes were red and he was holding a table…”

“Huh? Madness? Where’s the madness of putting your arm around your friend’s shoulder!”

“……”

When the guard left, silence flowed through the tavern for a while.

Madness was cured by eating just one bowl of food.

A tremendous miracle that was unbelievable even when seen with one’s own eyes.

A skinny man prostrated himself on the floor.

“Hool! Please make that dish again! There are mad people on the back mountain. Please make them a dish too!”

‘As expected, it wasn’t just one or two people who were cursed.’

People who are cursed try to hide the fact at all costs. Perhaps more people than are known are suffering from the curse of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Kainchel narrowed his eyes. He felt like he knew why this power was imbued in him.

Filling the slots of the aura blade by healing wounded hearts. It was the same with those suffering from the curse.

‘There are six remaining slots on the aura blade. If I fill them, I’ll become a Sword Master.’

Thinking that, Kainchel gestured to the person who was prostrating.

“Dear ladies and gentlemen. I am a clown who runs with a smile to any place where there are people who will enjoy my performance!”

“Performance…?”

“Didn’t I just do it here! Oh, right, I’ll take the admission fee as your pocket allows!”

Then the men emptied their pockets and took out all the coins they had.

“I’m sorry, this is all I have…”

“Haha! Hihi! Huhu! Hehe! Hoho! Clowns live on the laughter of the audience! This is enough!”

“Then the performance…”

“It starts right from today! A fun performance that everyone from adults to children can enjoy will begin. Everyone, gather outside!”

The Honey Butter Sandwich that made so many people enthusiastic in Citizen. That legend was about to be reproduced at this moment.

Reincarnation of the Legend #3