Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 103

The three-day eve festival concluded, and the winter festival officially commenced.

In the central square, meticulously crafted ice sculptures sparkled under the sunlight.

Bards and jesters from all over Britannia, braving the cold, showcased their talents.

Smoke billowed from the stalls lining the streets, carrying the aroma of grilling meat.

Among them was Bruno’s stall, offering Croque Madame [a baked or fried boiled ham and cheese sandwich] and quiche [a savoury, open-faced pastry crust with a filling of eggs, cheese, meat, seafood or vegetables].

Especially popular was the Croque Madame, a French-style sandwich.

Bruno began by spreading béchamel sauce [a basic white sauce made with milk thickened with butter and flour] on sliced bread, adding ham and cheese, and sprinkling mozzarella cheese on top.

When he placed it on the griddle, it sizzled and began to cook, releasing a savory aroma.

He placed it on a plate and topped it with a perfectly cooked fried egg.

“Croque Madame, enjoy.”

The customer who received the plate widened his eyes. It was surprisingly well-made for street food.

When he cut the egg in half with a knife, the yolk flowed out, soaking into the bread slathered with béchamel sauce, creating an incredibly appetizing scent.

“Wow, this is amazing!”

Who would have thought they would sell such delicious food at a street stall?

Sizzle!

The food Bruno made sold as quickly as he could prepare it.

The same was true for other stalls.

Chefs who had been confined to their shops due to the Stallholders’ Union’s restrictions were now out on the streets.

Bruno smiled as he glanced at the stall bearing the Epicure sign.

What they were selling was truly street food, but there were plenty of customers who enjoyed it.

‘Thank you, Cainchel. Thanks to you, I think my wife and I can continue Epicure in the future.’

Numerous stalls, including Bruno’s, thrived on the main street.

However, they couldn’t compete with the single stall in the central square.

“Why are there so many people? Did everyone come to see the ice cream instead of the festival?”

“I came all the way from the island just to eat this! But I haven’t been able to get my hands on it for days!”

“Hey there. I came from Marpasino.”

Some people dismissed the popularity of ice cream as a mere fad.

What would they think when they saw nearly a thousand people lining up to buy it?

“Get in line! There’s still plenty of ice cream!”

“Damn it! I didn’t even get to try the honey butter sandwich they sold in the summer!”

However, the customers’ complaints vanished as soon as they received their ice cream.

“To line up like this just to eat something like this… Oh, it’s good?”

“The rumors were true! The moment you put it in your mouth, it melts away, leaving only sweetness. It feels like eating a cloud!”

“Besides, the bowl holding the ice cream is made of waffle, so you can eat it too.”

“Oh? Really? This cookie is also very delicious.”

That was Joffrey’s idea.

Ice cream didn’t suit the wooden plates used at the stalls, but they couldn’t use glass cups that cost several silvers each.

In the end, they baked waffles so that even the plate could be eaten, and placed the ice cream on top.

The response was surprisingly positive.

And a notable guest approached Joffrey, who was frantically selling ice cream.

Customers who recognized him whispered.

“Isn’t that Mr. Goethe [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a highly influential German writer and statesman]?”

“Oh? It really is him. I’m sure it’s him. If I had known, I would have brought the first edition of ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther’ [Goethe’s famous novel]. I missed a good opportunity to get an autograph.”

“I can’t help it. I have to get an autograph on my palm, and I’m never washing my hands again.”

“But did Mr. Goethe come to buy ice cream too? Could it be that the column he wrote about ice cream was genuine?”

Goethe accepted the chocolate ice cream he ordered and said,

“I like this. It’s as sweet as the devil’s temptation. I’m writing a story these days about a mediocre scholar who has devoted his life to scholarship making a deal with the devil. That’s why I especially wanted to eat chocolate ice cream.”

The people gathered there began to whisper about Goethe’s new story, which they had been eagerly awaiting for years.

“But Cainchel doesn’t seem to be in Citizen. I haven’t seen him lately.”

“The owner is away from Britannia for a while on business.”

“Is that so? I happen to be judging the circus, but the content is a complete cooking competition. Doesn’t it sound really fun? I really wanted Cainchel to come.”

Goethe left those words behind and disappeared, licking his ice cream.

With the unexpected appearance of the great writer, the number of customers seeking chocolate ice cream suddenly increased.

In that way, the popularity of ice cream grew day by day, like adding fuel to a fire.

Eventually.

“Mayor! Even if we open up the entire central square, we can’t accommodate all the customers who have come to eat ice cream!”

“Mayor Wilson! The Sultan of the Ottoman Empire is visiting Citizen to try ice cream!”

“M, M, M, Mayor! All the inns in Citizen are full!”

Wilson, the mayor of Citizen, tore at the few strands of hair he had left and shouted.

“Damn it! Speak one at a time!”

While Cainchel was away from Citizen, ice cream was creating numerous legends.

@

Victor was not at all surprised by Phideli’s sudden visit.

He simply bowed his head with an expression as if he were bearing the weight of the world’s sins.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. With my limited knowledge, I was unable to identify the poison in the well.”

It was an incredibly perfect performance, so shamelessly convincing that it was dumbfounding.

If he hadn’t learned from Cainchel that Victor was the one who created the poison, he would have been completely fooled.

But now he still had to play along.

“I don’t care how much time and money it takes, but you must discover the identity of the poison. However, there was an unexpected achievement during the research.”

“If it’s not rude, may I ask what that achievement is?”

“Cainchel will explain.”

Then Cainchel, who had been observing the tank behind Phideli, spoke.

“Many ladies are still suffering from mercury poisoning. While researching the poison with Prince Phideli, I discovered that a certain ingredient has the effect of curing mercury poisoning.”

“A, are you saying it can cure mercury poisoning?”

“Do you remember Princess Catherine suffering from mercury poisoning?”

Victor’s pupils subtly flickered, a detail Cainchel didn’t miss.

“…Even as a royal physician, I could only slightly alleviate the symptoms. But does a method to cure mercury poisoning truly exist?”

Cainchel quietly nodded.

“Prince Phideli has already sent invitations to the ball to the ladies suffering from mercury poisoning. We plan to serve them pufferfish dishes there.”

“S, surely pufferfish doesn’t have such an effect…”

Phideli, who had been watching Cainchel and Victor’s conversation, clenched his fist tightly.

Judging from Victor’s reaction, it seemed he had also identified the culprit behind Catherine’s mercury poisoning.

“But even if pufferfish has such an amazing effect, it’s not an easy food to eat unless you’re someone like Cainchel, who has a resistance to potent toxins. What will you do if the ladies refuse to eat pufferfish?”

It was a natural question, but knowing Victor was a traitor, it sounded different.

Phideli maintained a nonchalant expression and turned his head away.

If he continued to look at Victor, he wouldn’t be able to contain his rising anger.

“The poison of pufferfish is only in the intestines and eggs. If those are carefully removed, it’s very safe to eat. His Highness Phideli will demonstrate its safety by tasting the pufferfish himself.”

“Y, Your Highness! Is what Cainchel is saying true?”

“That’s right. I know how terrible mercury poisoning is because I saw Catherine suffering. If the young ladies can be helped, I must do what I can.”

Of course, pufferfish was just bait to lure the enemy. He had no intention of actually eating it.

But Victor, who knew Phideli’s personality well, was completely deceived.

“Even a royal chef can’t properly prepare pufferfish. But how…?”

“Cainchel here will cook the pufferfish.”

Cainchel has a resistance to potent toxins. Knowing that fact, Victor nodded.

“Then provide as much pufferfish as Cainchel needs.”

“I understand, Your Highness.”

Phideli, after leaving Victor’s lab, looked at Cainchel with admiration.

“It was an incredibly convincing performance. To make them believe that pufferfish is a cure for mercury poisoning without explicitly stating it.”

A bitter smile touched Cainchel’s lips.

Who would have thought he would use the acting skills he learned while disguising himself as a clown in this way?

“The opponent even poisoned the well the prince was passing by. If they know you are tasting pufferfish dishes, they will definitely take action.”

“I agree with your assessment. Pufferfish is inherently a poisonous fish. Even if poison is added, it won’t raise suspicion. It’s a natural way to assassinate. I’ll leave the ball in two days to you.”

Phideli lightly bowed his head to Cainchel.

He was someone who deserved to be called a benefactor for life, just for curing Catherine’s mercury poisoning.

But he also uncovered a traitor hiding in the palace and is now preparing dishes for those suffering from mercury poisoning.

How can I ever repay this favor?

@

Cainchel, having obtained the pufferfish that Victor was raising, began to cook with it in earnest.

Until now, no one had ever considered cooking and eating pufferfish, a fish known for its potent toxins.

Naturally, there were no existing pufferfish dishes.

Cainchel placed the wriggling pufferfish on the counter and grabbed a kitchen knife.

“Then is it finally time to use the true power of Brilliant Road?”

By using Brilliant Road, he could see the best recipe he could create at that moment.

That held true even for dishes that had never existed before.

Cainchel placed his hand on the pufferfish and activated Brilliant Road. A brilliantly shining path of light appeared.

There was Cainchel, who had been cooking fish for decades.

And Cainchel, who had cooked countless fish, eventually encountered pufferfish.

In that way, recipes for pufferfish dishes appeared before Cainchel’s eyes.

“Pufferfish sashimi [thinly sliced raw fish], pufferfish soup, pufferfish bulgogi [thinly sliced, marinated beef that is grilled], pufferfish tempura [deep fried seafood and vegetables], boiled pufferfish…”

Every single dish was something he had never seen before.

To be able to make so many dishes with just one pufferfish!

Cainchel’s hands began to tremble with excitement. Even improperly prepared pufferfish is said to be incredibly delicious.

What would it taste like if properly prepared?

As he moved forward on the Brilliant Road, even the cooking methods evolved into things he had never encountered.

Pufferfish Buddha Jumps Over the Wall (佛跳牆) [a complex and rich soup made with a variety of ingredients including seafood, meats, and vegetables], which is made by combining pufferfish, scallops, taro, wolfberries, Shaoxing wine [a type of Chinese rice wine], oysters, and other ingredients – 30 in total, along with 18 spices – in a large brazier and simmering them thoroughly.

Pufferfish shabu-shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ) [a Japanese hotpot dish], which involves dipping thinly sliced pufferfish in broth and lightly cooking it.

‘Shabu-shabu? Buddha Jumps Over the Wall? What kind of dishes are these?’

Cainchel swallowed hard.

He was convinced that he should stop progressing on the Brilliant Road.

These were dishes he could never create with his current abilities.

In the end, he had to leave the Brilliant Road with one familiar recipe in his grasp.

When he opened his eyes, his whole body was drenched in cold sweat.

But Cainchel had obtained the recipe for the pufferfish sashimi he desired.

“…Raw fish, huh.”

It was a cooking method that wasn’t particularly popular in Deutschland, let alone Marpasino, which was more familiar with carpaccio [a dish of thinly sliced raw meat or fish].

Should he look for something else?

‘No. Raw pufferfish looked incredibly delicious. If I can slice it properly, it will definitely be a fantastic dish.’

Cainchel recalled the image of the pufferfish sashimi he had seen on the Brilliant Road.

The thinly sliced pufferfish sashimi, so delicate it was almost translucent, was arranged on a plate in the shape of wings.

It was so beautiful it seemed almost too good to eat.

How much skill would it take to wield a kitchen knife to create such a dish?

‘But I have beginner swordsmanship at 12 stars and a decoration skill of 4 stars!’

Cainchel slowly infused aura into the kitchen knife.

An aura-enhanced blade was necessary to slice the pufferfish sashimi as thinly as he had seen in the recipe.

‘First, I have to fillet it while being careful not to rupture the intestines.’

In that way, something that had never existed before was about to be born.

A bowl of dish #4