Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 160

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49. Devil’s Drink

“Jelly!”

With that determined command, a squishy, third arm popped out from Cainchel’s left shoulder.

It was a part of the slime-type homunculus [an artificially created being] taken from Bishop’s main body.

Normally, it adhered to Cainchel’s skin like a mucous membrane.

He could change its shape and properties as needed, using it as a tool.

“Shape-shifting whisk!”

This time, the end of it transformed into a whisk.

“I wonder if this is enough.”

Cainchel put flour, sugar, and some spices into a bowl and lightly mixed them.

Then, he made a well in the center, cracked in six eggs, and loosened them.

That’s when he used the whisk.

Cainchel stirred, adjusting the consistency of the dough by mixing in milk.

“…Failed again.”

After returning to the North, Cainchel began practicing using Jelly in earnest.

But it was more difficult than he thought.

The whisk made of Jelly would bend like taffy with just a little force from the hand holding it.

To prevent that, he had to fix the shape and adjust the strength according to the intended use.

Bishop’s lips popped out from Cainchel’s left arm.

“It took this body over a hundred years to freely use transformation. That’s how it is even with one’s own body. How much more difficult would it be with someone else’s body? Once you get used to it, you’ll be able to create multiple tools at the same time, so keep that in mind.”

It was never boring since the tool talked to him.

This time, he focused on maintaining the shape of the whisk and created a soft meringue.

Bishop was impressed.

“It looks soft just by looking at it. It seems like you’re making a soufflé.”

“Yes. Now, if I mix in cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, and cream cheese to give it a fluffy texture, all the preparations will be complete.”

“Are you going to bake it in the oven?”

“I’ll put it in a buttered mold for 40 minutes. Then, a cheese soufflé that is so soft it melts in your mouth will be complete.”

“Good. Very good. I want to quickly see someone else eat the cheese soufflé I made.”

Bishop also seemed to like being Cainchel’s partner and cooking together.

He couldn’t eat food with the homunculus’s body.

However, he could make food and watch someone enjoy eating it.

He felt vicarious satisfaction through that.

‘Lehmann, who can only taste food made with blood. Bishop, who enjoys making food and watching others eat it… Why do such people gather around me?’

“…Hoo.”

Cainchel took a small bite of the finished cheese soufflé.

The soft soufflé, like a pile of freshly fallen snow, tickled the tip of his tongue. And the rich flavor of the cheese, which he had generously added to the dough, filled his mouth.

It was a heavy and deep flavor, substantial enough for a meal.

While Cainchel was engrossed in cooking in the kitchen, Nimue opened the door and came inside.

She began to report.

“The elven knights who went on reconnaissance have returned. Fortunately, there are no traces of Sword Masters [highly skilled warriors] near the Gistad territory.”

Nimue had settled in the Gistad territory with about a hundred members of her clan.

Among them, nearly 70% were capable of fighting with swords and bows.

This was because they aged slowly and had been trained from a young age to protect the forest.

Those elves were in charge of the security of the Gistad territory.

In addition, Nimue acted as the lord’s proxy when Cainchel was away.

As the queen of her clan, she had excellent abilities in managing the territory.

She was so good that Cainchel felt almost unnecessary.

“Thank you, Nimue. I offered to provide land for you to settle, but I’m only receiving help.”

As if embarrassed by the compliment, Nimue widened her eyes and blushed.

She fidgeted with her fingers and said.

“Oh, no. I can live like this thanks to Cainchel… If you need anything, please tell me. I want to be more helpful in the future.”

“Then, will you help me move the soufflé? It contains butter and eggs, so the elves can’t eat it… Um, wait a little bit and I’ll bake some vegetarian cookies for you.”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

The Sword Master of Deutschland had not shown himself since then.

As long as Elizabeth and Cainchel were there, he wouldn’t be able to stir up trouble in the North as he had before.

‘However, as long as Calliope is in the Gistad territory, she’s a bomb that will explode someday. The problem is how to remove it…’

Nimue brought the cheese soufflé to Calliope and returned.

“…Even though she looks like a child, it’s not easy to treat her as a dragon.”

The girl Calliope was always sitting blankly by the window, looking at the snowy fields.

Nimue was one of the few people who knew that Calliope’s true identity was a White Dragon.

“Well, she says she won’t bite or harm anyone, so I’ll have to trust her.”

“Hmm… Oh, I have something to report. The Grand Cross Knights are coming to reinforce the defense of the North.”

“Reinforce?”

“Yes, and Captain Lohengrin himself is coming.”

Cainchel’s eyes narrowed.

The Grand Cross, the knight order that protects Aslan, the emperor of the Britannia Empire.

It was the strongest military group, with all members being Sword Knights [skilled knights].

Their direct action meant that the Sword Master of Deutschland was a significant threat.

‘Is the emperor thinking of starting a war?’

There had been small and large territorial disputes between Britannia and Deutschland for a long time.

‘Even so, I have to prevent a full-scale war from breaking out in the North.’

If things went wrong, the World Tree, which had just begun to take root, could be burned down.

“The best thing would be to defeat Pentagram with my own hands.”

To do that, he had to become more familiar with the use of Jelly. And the best way to do that was to use it in actual combat rather than repeated practice.

“Nimue.”

“Yes, is there anything else I can help you with?”

“You said your body is completely healed, right?”

“Of course. I’m much stronger than before, thanks to Mimir’s Well, which is full of the energy of the World Tree. Near the World Tree, I won’t easily lose even to a Sword Master now.”

“That’s a relief. Then, shall we have a sparring match for the first time in a while?”

Then, Nimue gave a sulky smile and said.

“Hmm… Are you really okay? I’m really strong now, you know?”

“I’m the same way. Besides, I have a new skill this time. Let’s have a proper match to understand each other’s abilities.”

“In that case, I can’t go easy on you.”

@

“What, a fight?”

“It’s not a fight, it’s a sparring match. And the lord and the lord’s proxy are going to have a match.”

The Gistad County was gradually taking on the appearance of a proper territory thanks to Blue Mountain’s efforts.

Most of the territory’s residents were gypsies who had wandered the North or people who had moved in to break the curse of the Seven Deadly Sins.

The number of residents was still small, but it was developing at an alarming rate.

Nimue said in a small voice that only Cainchel could hear.

“I’ll try to fight as spectacularly as possible. It’s also the first time the lord of the Gistad County will be revealed to be so strong.”

“That’s good. I was right to have Nimue as my proxy.”

Then, this time, even Nimue’s ears turned bright red.

Thus, a sparring match between Cainchel and Nimue began on a snowy field slightly away from the Gistad territory.

Nimue was the first to draw her sword.

“Then, here I go!”

Before that voice even reached his ears, a flurry of roses was launched at Cainchel.

Kukukung-!

A speed that even those who could not use Aura [a magical energy] could not see the afterimage.

However, Cainchel had prepared in advance and was able to respond properly.

The air between the two blades exploded as they collided.

The snow piled up on the ground melted away from the impact.

It was Nimue, who had attacked first, who was surprised.

“Cainchel! I heard you were close to Sword Master level, but is it true?”

Nimue had actually intended to blow away Cainchel’s sword with this attack.

She wanted to become closer to Cainchel by showing her skills.

However, the two people’s skills were almost evenly matched.

“It’s not fully grown, but the World Tree has taken root in the North. And it gives strong vitality to the elves, who are its guardians. To block an attack that uses all of that so easily…”

“At this rate, I think I can use all the bouquets of roses?”

Nimue nodded and drew another bouquet of roses from her waist.

The bouquet of roses, which had been filled with life force, lengthened dozens of times.

Nimue whipped it like a whip and drove Cainchel into a corner.

He could easily deal with the bouquet of roses by using Onion Swordsmanship.

However, today he had to break through the storm of swords using only Jelly.

That was the purpose of the sparring match.

‘Then, Jelly!’

Nimue’s eyes widened as a slippery mass spewed out from Cainchel’s body.

“W-What is that?”

“It’s a new skill I got this time called Jelly. It looks squishy, but it’s tougher than it looks.”

“…”

The strengthened Jelly acted as both a weapon and armor in itself.

Moreover, it moved more freely than the bouquet of roses that had turned into a whip, putting pressure on the opponent.

However, Nimue did not give in easily.

She used the overwhelmingly long range of the bouquet of roses to drive Cainchel into a corner.

‘Nimue has really become strong. She seems like a completely different person from when she fought the Griffin.’

If he hadn’t devoured the dragon meat, he wouldn’t have been able to withstand the first blow and would have fallen.

In the end, Cainchel activated Brilliant Road.

A cooking skill that reveals the optimal sword path to reach the opponent.

It gave Cainchel a precognitive ability close to foresight for a moment.

‘Durandal can’t break through Nimue’s bouquet of roses. Then…’

“Grow, Jelly!”

Then, the Jelly that was wrapped around Cainchel’s left arm became thin and long and burrowed into the ground.

Nimue tilted her head.

“What are you aiming for? I’m here.”

“The darkest place is always under the torch!”

And the Jelly that had disappeared popped out from around Nimue’s feet.

The Jelly was not completely subordinate to Cainchel.

Sometimes, it was possible to move on its own like this to attack the enemy.

“Kya, kyaak!”

Nimue screamed as her feet were grabbed by the squishy Jelly.

However, no matter how much she swung her sword filled with Aura, the Jelly would not even be scratched.

In the end, Nimue, unable to move one foot, surrendered.

“…Cainchel. What exactly is the identity of Jelly? I’ve never heard of such a skill before.”

“It’s quite useful, right?”

Even with just transformation, such absurd attacks were possible.

If he could freely use shape-shifting, its utility would increase even more.

Bishop, who had returned to Cainchel’s left arm, grumbled.

“Partner. Refrain from this kind of attack. As long as it’s separated from the main body, maintaining this body depends on your Aura. If you make a mistake, you may not be able to maintain the shape and disappear.”

“Then, how long can you last separated from the body?”

“Hmm. About 3 minutes at most.”

“That’s enough. I’ll continue to use it well in the future.”

“…If you’re a master, you should cherish your tools more.”

The residents of the territory who were watching the sparring match between Cainchel and Nimue were shocked.

The ground cracked and the surrounding snow melted with just a few exchanges of swords.

It was a scene that showed why the sparring match was held in an empty snowy field.

“I-I’m sure I heard that Count Gistad was a Sword Knight. But how can he be so strong?”

“Did you move here without knowing? Count Gistad will soon become a Sword Master!”

“S-Sword Master?! Then, the curry I ate yesterday was made by a Sword Master?!”

The strength that Cainchel showed in the sparring match quickly spread among the immigrants.

And there was also a man watching the sparring match.

Clap clap clap-!

He was a sharp-looking man with gorgeous platinum blonde hair. His wrinkle-free face gave off an unusually deep sense of age.

The man was wearing pure white armor with a large cross engraved on it. There was only one knight order in Britannia that used such a symbol.

‘Could it be the Grand Cross?’

The man said.

“I unintentionally ended up watching the sparring match. I thought the rumors were exaggerated, but rather, they didn’t properly capture your skills.”

“I am Cainchel, the lord of the Gistad County.”

“I’m late to introduce myself. I am Lohengrin, the captain of the Grand Cross Knights.”

Lohengrin, the Sword Master of Benevolence, had arrived in the North earlier than expected.

And he was alone, without even a servant.

Nimue looked at Cainchel with a nervous expression. She was ready to draw her bouquet of roses if something happened.

What exactly was Lohengrin’s purpose?

As Cainchel was about to ask that, Lohengrin took out a magazine and handed it to him.

“…A magazine?”

The cover featured Goethe with a stern expression, glaring at the viewer.

The magazines, which were printed using magical tools, had become essential items for nobles despite their exorbitant prices.

Lohengrin smiled broadly, showing his teeth, and said.

“If it’s not too much trouble, could I have a glass of that cola drink?”

The magazine with Goethe’s review had been released yesterday.

It seemed that Lohengrin had wanted to drink cola as soon as he saw it and had come to the North.

Devil’s Drink #2