Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 112

‘Tribe…? Protagonist…? What on earth are you talking about?!’

Eirene chuckled at Cainchel’s bewildered expression.

She enjoyed watching his reaction without offering a proper explanation.

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m talking about Avelin. Although she is a half-elf—with the blood of humans and elves mixed, a being often caught between two worlds—she fought more bravely than anyone to protect the World Tree. I’m thinking of accepting her as a guardian, if she wishes.”

Avel was a half-elf.

A being like oil, unable to mix properly anywhere.

This Avel was now being recognized by both humans and elves.

‘…Good for you, Avel. I’m so glad…’

It felt like it was her own accomplishment.

However, one word bothered her.

“But Avel is a man.”

“Hmm, really? She looks like a woman to me, no matter how I look at her. Well, that’s a matter for her to decide.”

*How happy would Avel be if I told her this?*

Thinking that, Cainchel asked about a very important matter.

“But Your Majesty, if it’s alright with you, may I prepare the food needed for this banquet?”

“So you’re saying you’re the protagonist! Well, do as you please if you want to.”

To use the Mimir’s Well [a well of knowledge from Norse mythology], you need an intelligence of 100 or more.

To achieve that, it’s necessary to eat more diverse ingredients than ever before, cook, and develop gourmet and cooking skills.

Cainchel ran to the kitchen with a lighter step.

@

The elven banquet was more modest than expected.

People who got along gathered, shared the food they brought, and toasted with wine glasses.

Cainchel, who had imagined a splendid ball because the entire tribe was gathering, looked bewildered.

An elf holding a large plate took the dish made by Cainchel.

“This is a dish made by a human, but it looks really delicious. I will enjoy it.”

“Ahaha! Yes!”

Such a procession continued.

Sharing dishes made by each other is like a communion of souls for elves.

Cainchel watched the messages appearing in the Mind’s Eye [a skill or ability to perceive information] with a satisfied smile.

[Guests who ate the 5-star dish ‘Spicy Chili and Carrot Burrito’ are very satisfied.]

[Guests who ate the 5-star dish ‘Refreshing Blueberry Pancakes’ are very satisfied.]

The gazes of the elves who ate the dishes became much softer.

“Well! It’s edible for something made by a human.”

“But you ate it all up. Hey, human! Tell me how you baked this pancake next time!”

It contained Cainchel’s passion for worrying and striving to make it delicious, even for elves.

Eirene announced the start of the banquet and declared that she would accept the half-elf Avelin as a member of the tribe.

However, Avel, the person in question, sipped wine with an expression that wasn’t much different from usual.

‘She could be a little happier.’

Avel leaned close to Cainchel, who was feeling disappointed.

“Would you like a drink too, Cainchel?”

“Ugh… The smell of alcohol… How much did you drink?”

“Um, I’m okay. I’m really okay…”

Avel fell into Cainchel’s arms as she was. It seemed she was really happy.

Nimué, who saw Avel in Cainchel’s arms, blushed bright red.

“Ah, Avelin! I told you to drink wine in moderation! I’ll take you to the bedroom!”

“…Please.”

Cainchel shook his head and looked at the wine in front of him.

The dark, rose-colored liquid with a hint of black exuded the unique aroma of grapes.

As he tilted the glass, a soft fragrance like freshly picked roses swirled around his nose.

It was a more luxurious and sweet scent than any wine he had ever tasted.

Eirene smiled.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

“What kind of wine is it? The scent and taste are amazing. It seems to be almost at the level of Château Pétrus or Cheval Blanc [two of the most prestigious wines in the world].”

The names of the finest wines from Gaul [ancient region of Western Europe] popped out of Cainchel’s mouth.

It was that great of a wine.

“This? It’s just wine to drink. There are thousands of bottles of this wine piled up in the warehouse. The grapes grow as they please, even if you leave them alone. If we don’t make them into alcohol like this, they’ll rot.”

“…”

The alcohol brewed by elves often appears in stories as a great liquor.

But its true nature was that it was made into alcohol simply because there was nowhere to dispose of the leftover grapes.

Eirene picked up a wine bottle and approached Cainchel’s side.

And she plopped down and said.

“What do you think? Can you sell this?”

“What do you mean by selling it?”

“Just like that. In fact, the reason I accepted Avelin into the tribe is because of this. You can scold me for being a calculating elf, because it’s true.”

Elves obtain everything they need to live from the forest.

That’s why they haven’t felt the need for trade until now.

“But the situation has changed. The Wind Tree tribe lost the World Tree so helplessly due to Antares’ magic imprints. The same goes for Eldrad. If it weren’t for Cainchel, it would have ended the same way. So I’m trying to prepare for that.”

“Are you perhaps talking about magical tools?”

“That’s right. Nimué told me. Elves will need barriers made with magical tools in the future.”

Magical tools are expensive.

It would cost an astronomical amount of money to create a barrier to protect the entire Eldrad.

“In the end, we have to make money. To do that, we have to sell what we have. I’m going to entrust that role to Avelin.”

Cainchel swallowed hard.

Trade between humans and elves. It was something that had never been done before.

The alcohol brewed by elves is at a level that is by no means inferior, even when compared to the finest wines from Gaul.

If you only look at the rarity, it is much higher than that.

It will surely be sold at an enormous price.

‘Besides, if I can get ingredients grown with the blessing of the World Tree…’

You can make surprisingly delicious vegetarian dishes.

“Of course, I won’t do it with just anyone. I’m only thinking of trading through Avelin.”

‘That’s exclusive trading rights!’

Large-scale trade with the elven race is only done through Avel.

What kind of repercussions will that bring about?

“I wonder if I’ve given her too heavy a responsibility on her small shoulders, but she is now a guardian of the World Tree. To protect something, you sometimes need to fight with something other than a sword. So please take care of Avelin in the future.”

Cainchel nodded as if it were natural.

Avel was the first friend and colleague she had ever made.

Nothing will change even if a few more modifiers are added.

Eirene held out a small ornament made by twisting golden threads.

But the color is strangely familiar.

Cainchel looked back and forth between Eirene’s hair and the ornament.

‘Oh, that’s made from the Queen’s hair!?’

Eirene put it on Cainchel’s wrist.

“This is the last gift I’m giving you. I hope you will accept it as a token of friendship. If you ever need to contact me, break a strand of this and think of my face.”

The token of friendship given by the Elf Queen.

It was more valuable than any medal.

Eirene filled Cainchel’s glass with wine and said.

“Then shall we make a final toast?”

“Shall we?”

That was the end of the long and long festival of the elves.

@

Alfredo, the head of the Weimar trading company, stood up from his seat at the inn and shouted.

“T-trade rights with the elves, you say?”

The glass he had placed on the table fell over and beer spilled.

In the end, the pants he was wearing became wet, but that was a minor problem.

“Yes. Moreover, it is exclusive trading rights. What they can provide is 1500 boxes of the finest wine every year…”

In the end, Alfredo fell backwards in his chair.

Cainchel, who left for Eldrad, returned with something amazing.

Wine made by elves!

The wine they make is famous for its amazing taste and aroma, often appearing in legends.

But not many people have actually tasted it.

What if you could sell that? Surely you would gain unbelievably huge profits.

“D-jackpot… Jackpot!”

Alfredo thought he had done well to risk many dangers and come this far.

With this level of performance, wouldn’t he be able to rise to the position of head trader soon?

Everything was thanks to the activities of the free knight in front of him.

Alfredo was overwhelmed with the desire to hug him and kiss him.

Of course, there are still problems such as dispatching an alchemist to install a barrier to protect Eldrad.

But that can be done slowly in the future.

Fhiedel, who was sitting next to him, chimed in.

“Wine made by elves. If you don’t mind, I’d like to get a bottle and drink it.”

“I have already prepared one for the prince.”

Cainchel pointed to a box placed in the corner.

It contained wine in a rough glass bottle.

When the cork was removed, a fragrance spread as if he were in a flower garden.

“Goodness… As expected of wine made by elves, it has an amazing scent. Are you going to sell this in the future? If possible, I would like to buy about a hundred boxes.”

The amount of wine consumed by the Weimar royal family every year is enormous.

“You can discuss the details with Edelweiss Trading Company. I plan to trade through them from now on.”

“Anyway, I’ll enjoy it. Wine made by elves, I’m really looking forward to it.”

Fhiedel took out a letter with the royal family crest from his pocket and handed it over.

“Since I received a precious gift, I will give you what I promised. It’s a gate permit. If you use this, you can go to the border in an instant.”

“Thank you for preparing it, Your Highness.”

“It’s for a friend, so I have to do this much.”

Cainchel looked at the World Tree sapling loaded on the carriage. From now on, he has to take that to Britannia.

Now that it has become clear that the Church of the Seven Deadly Sins is targeting the World Tree, it is best to move quickly using the gate.

However, it is difficult to use the gate in another country.

It was Fhiedel who solved that problem.

‘If I use the gate again after going to the border, I can return to Citizen right away.’

Cainchel checked the calendar.

If everything goes according to plan, he will be able to arrive in Citizen one day before the festival ends.

‘Exactly one day before the cooking competition with Gordon Rambleton begins.’

If it weren’t for Fhiedel’s help, it would have been delayed by nearly eleven days.

Cainchel suppressed the excitement that had begun to beat in his chest.

From now on, he must transport the World Tree sapling, betting on the fate of the Wind Tree tribe.

Nevertheless, only the dishes made by Gordon came to mind.

Cainchel’s cooking skills have improved dramatically since leaving the training center.

What kind of evaluation will Gordon give after seeing the results?

Fhiedel muttered with a regretful expression as he watched Cainchel preparing to leave.

“Are you leaving already?”

“I still have a lot of dishes to make.”

“I see. Cainchel, you are a friend of this Fhiedel. Come to Weimar anytime if you want.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“If I have the chance, I would like to eat the dishes you made again.”

For some reason, he had a feeling that Fhiedel’s wish would come true before long.

But now it was time to return to Britannia.

@

Oracle Rambleton had been weak since birth.

That’s why, despite having an amazing talent for cooking, she couldn’t become a chef.

Perhaps she could only move properly for an hour or two a day.

Moreover, her condition had recently worsened, and she was drinking expensive medicine like water.

The wealth her father had accumulated since he was a royal chef was running out.

Moreover, problems continued to arise at the restaurant that was preparing to reopen.

In the end, Oracle’s father resorted to something he would never normally do.

– A cooking competition? Are you trying to make me do something that clowns do!

Oracle blushed at the fact that she had accepted an offer she had refused several times.

If her body hadn’t been weak, her father wouldn’t have broken his pride as a chef.

But this was an opportunity. The great writer Goethe [a famous German writer] was said to be attending as a judge. If he received favorable reviews from him, it would be of great help to the opening of the restaurant.

Oracle thought of her father, who would be in the kitchen making food for the cooking competition.

“Pfft! You say you don’t like it, but you’re preparing diligently. Then, shall I bake an apple pie for my hard-working father?”

She quickly made a delicious apple pie. She took it to the kitchen where her father was working.

Oracle carefully opened the door and said.

“I baked some apple pie. Eat this and take a break.”

But there was no one there.

“Father…?”

The pork chops she was baking and the sliced paprika were left on the counter as they were.

Her father is not the type to leave the food he was making and disappear.

Oracle frantically searched the kitchen.

But her father disappeared as if he had evaporated.

Robbery? Kidnapping? Missing?

A number of possibilities came to Oracle’s mind.

‘Gordon Rambleton’ disappeared in front of his daughter’s eyes.

It happened two days before the cooking competition with Hool.

Missing Chef #1