Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 118

A smile flickered across the face of an unremarkable man in the audience.

Goethe, one of the judges, was notorious for his exacting standards.

Yet, after tasting Miss Skull’s buttermilk chicken, Goethe showered it with praise.

It was a feat that even chefs from the finest restaurants struggled to achieve.

“He inherited Gordon Lambolton’s talent completely. I suppose his absence from cooking was due to health issues,” the man mused.

The man already knew Miss Skull’s true identity. It wasn’t uncommon for a child to step in for their missing parent in such competitions.

“I was planning to deal with this soon anyway, so this works out nicely.”

However, an unexpected twist occurred.

Goethe, after sampling Huul’s seasoned chicken, displayed an astonishing reaction.

“…Goethe only uses the word ‘delicious’ when he’s truly blown away… Could Huul’s dish really be that exceptional?”

The man’s hands began to tremble with anticipation. He had stumbled upon two incredibly talented chefs in the most unlikely of places.

He reached up and wiped his suddenly moist lips.

Before he realized it, he was drooling at the thought of tasting Huul’s seasoned chicken.

“Hearing ‘spicy and sweet’ is enough to make my mouth water. At this level, it’s a complete jackpot.”

On stage, Mayor Wilson practically leaped into the air, shouting at the top of his lungs.

“Seasoned chicken has conquered Goethe’s palate! A spicy and sweet sensation! I can only imagine the taste! Let’s have the people in the front row sample the seasoned chicken first!”

The audience erupted in cheers.

“Oh, oh, oh! We get to try the seasoned chicken! It was worth skipping dinner to come here!”

“Get in line! You arrived after me!”

The food that Goethe devoured with such relish that he couldn’t even offer a proper critique.

The audience was in an uproar at the prospect of tasting it themselves.

Meanwhile, the man slipped out of the tent.

Melting into the shadows of a back alley, he muttered to himself.

“Who is this Huul, possessing such incredible culinary skills…”

The question, posed without expecting a response, was answered in an unexpected way.

“Haha! Heehee! Hoohoo! Hehe! Hoho! Guest. The circus isn’t over yet, why are you leaving in such a hurry?”

“Hu, Huul? What are you doing here! You were just on stage a moment ago!”

Even now, Huul was handing out seasoned chicken to the audience on the circus stage.

Kainchel grinned, drawing the sword concealed within his clown costume.

He had simply switched places with Zik, who was disguised in the same manner, after preparing the seasoned chicken.

“A clown will go to any lengths to entertain the guests. But you seem particularly interested in my identity.”

The sword in Kainchel’s hand began to glow with an intense light.

“…Sword Knight?”

The man recoiled in shock, unable to believe what he was witnessing.

The reason he was able to serve as an informant for the Assassin Guild was twofold.

An ordinary face, lacking any distinguishing features.

And a magical artifact that further enhanced this characteristic.

It allowed him to infiltrate the royal palace and steal information.

But all of that had been seen through by a clown.

“Am I walking into a trap…?”

The man muttered, pulling a smoke bomb from his pocket. He intended to use it to escape.

Thud!

But the smoke bomb failed to detonate, bouncing harmlessly on the ground like a deflated rubber ball.

“Damn it, it’s defective!”

Kainchel’s sword flashed blue, piercing the man’s thigh.

“Kuaaaak!”

“Meringue is still the best.”

Meringue, a skill that uses Aura to create protective bubbles around objects.

Conversely, it could also absorb the impact transmitted to an object.

Kainchel knocked the man unconscious and dragged him to the basement of the Wellride mansion.

Zik, arriving late, widened his eyes.

“That’s not like you, brother, such rough handling. Well, after what happened yesterday…”

“…”

Abel and Nimue, who had departed to plant the sapling of Yggdrasil [the World Tree in Norse mythology] in the Green Mountains.

They had returned to the Wellride mansion fifteen days earlier than expected.

Moreover, they were bearing injuries so severe that it was a wonder they were still alive.

@

Kainchel summoned Archbishop Caroline to treat them. However, even Caroline, with her immense divine power, shook her head after examining the elves’ wounds.

“There’s barely a spark of life left in their bodies… They’re clinging to life by a thread, fueled by sheer will…”

“Are you saying we can only wait for them to die?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Suddenly, something occurred to Kainchel.

The World Tree, taking root and flourishing in the earth. And the Well of Mimir [a well of wisdom in Norse mythology], where its essence is gathered.

It was said that plants sprinkled with its water would possess a powerful vitality, capable of thriving in any environment.

“Perhaps I can heal Abel with the water from the Well of Mimir.”

Kainchel channeled all his Aura to amplify the effects of the water from the Well of Mimir.

He carefully poured it into the mouths of the two elves, one sip at a time.

To his astonishment, color began to return to their corpse-like bodies.

What kind of monster had Nimue faced to end up in such a state?

The answer came directly from Nimue, who opened her eyes.

Realizing she was alive, she wept uncontrollably.

“I, I’m so sorry. I failed to fulfill my duty…”

And she began to speak in a trembling voice.

“We arrived at the Green Mountains without incident. But there, a man with madness in his eyes… Ah! What was that monster… !”

Nimue buried her face in the bed and screamed for a long while. She seemed to be in shock.

He wanted to brew some herbal tea to calm her nerves.

However, Nimue was in such a fragile state that she couldn’t even drink water.

It was nearly thirty minutes before Nimue could continue her story.

“He was a berserker [a warrior who fights with uncontrollable rage] who had lost his mind. He could only say Lucia. But he was incredibly strong.”

“…Berserker.”

“Yes. He must have been a Sword Master.”

With that, Nimue collapsed as if she had fainted.

That was what had happened the previous night.

@

Kainchel looked at Zik with grave eyes.

“If a Sword Master becomes a berserker, how powerful would they be?”

“Wouldn’t they be weaker? Usually, berserkers gain terrifying strength and speed at the cost of their reason. But that only applies up to Sword Knight. Sword Masters possess advanced swordsmanship.”

Zik had a point.

The intermediate swordsmanship enhanced with Aura Blade is called advanced swordsmanship because of its power.

To wield it effectively, one needs a clear mind, unburdened by emotional instability.

But there was a notable exception.

“Do you know who Count Alejandro Algedi’s son-in-law is?”

“Um. It’s definitely Meliot Sandalphon, right? He embodies diligence among the seven virtues.”

Meliot was a man who had reached the realm of Sword Master using only beginner swordsmanship.

It was said that his sword could split rivers and shatter mountains.

If he were to become a berserker, how strong would he be?

It was beyond comprehension.

“Are you suggesting that Sir Meliot attacked the Queen? Hey, that doesn’t make sense. He’s one of the seven virtues. Why would he become a berserker? Unless he’s completely insane…”

“Count Algedi has allied himself with the Church of the Seven Deadly Sins. I’d say that’s crazy enough.”

“…That could be true. But instead of speculating, why don’t we wake this guy up and ask him?”

Zik looked at the unconscious man with eager eyes.

He seemed to be waiting for permission.

Kainchel nodded and retrieved a small book from his pocket.

It contained the information the man had been gathering.

However, it was written in code, making it impossible to decipher through ordinary means.

“Then I’ll leave the interrogation to you.”

“Yes, yes!”

Zik grinned as he revived the unconscious man. A rather unpleasant interrogation ensued for some time.

But it yielded little useful information.

“Keu, keueuk… Just kill me…”

“I don’t think we’ll get any real information unless we remove a few parts? If you don’t care about dying, shall we continue the interrogation?”

“Wait a minute, let me try.”

Kainchel approached the man. His body was covered in bruises from the intense interrogation.

“Don’t you want to tell us who you work for?”

“…I, I don’t know anything. You’ve captured an innocent man!”

Neolmeok-

Kainchel licked the sweat trickling down the man’s cheek.

Then the Gourmet skill began to analyze it.

[Sweat of a Liar]

* A person who lies sweats more than usual. In most cases, the concentration naturally decreases.

The taste of sweat varies depending on the conditions in which it is shed. Sweat produced simply from heat is more bland than sweat produced from exercise.

Salt in human sweat is also a type of ingredient.

Kainchel’s tongue had become so sensitive that he could even discern the concentration of salt in sweat.

“Then let’s start with an easy question this time. You have a very ordinary face, what’s your name?”

“Keo, Common…”

“…It’s true. His name really is Common.”

Common’s pupils dilated in shock. Most people assume it’s a pseudonym when they hear the name Common.

But Kainchel had figured it out instantly. It was as if he could read minds.

“Then shall we change our approach? Do you know anything about Alejandro Algedi?”

“Mo, I don’t!”

Neolmeok-

“Unfortunately, that’s a lie.”

“… !”

Some highly trained assassins don’t sweat, even when lying.

But Common hadn’t received that level of training.

Who would have imagined that someone could detect lies by the taste of sweat?

Kainchel continued to interrogate Common, even feeding him water to keep him sweating.

And he managed to extract almost all the information Common possessed.

Common was an informant for the Assassin Guild.

And Alejandro Algedi was gathering skilled chefs from across Britannia.

He was also responsible for Gordon’s kidnapping.

But Common didn’t know the purpose behind gathering the chefs.

Kainchel bit his lip.

There were still many unanswered questions.

But with this information, Count Algedi’s objective was becoming clearer.

‘Count Algedi is trying to cook immortal cells. Even with 5 stars or more.’

A person who cooks and consumes immortal cells becomes immortal. Like Antares’ body, which remains alive even after decapitation.

“Oh, right, brother. What should we do with the magic tool this guy had?”

“It was a magic tool that blurred one’s presence, right?”

“Yes. It’s a bracelet called ‘Feature Killing’. It’s something kings used to wear on secret missions to gauge public sentiment… How did it end up in the hands of the Assassin Guild?”

It was a very ordinary-looking bracelet. Wearing it made the wearer blend in anywhere.

It was a magic tool of lower quality compared to those that could alter one’s face.

However, in the hands of Common, who already had an unremarkable appearance, it possessed terrifying power.

The power of a magic tool varies depending on the user.

“I think I’ll have to go to Krolltra.”

“That’s the enemy’s base, isn’t it? Isn’t it too dangerous? At least wait until the Queen recovers…”

“Then it will be too late. I think I need to cook and eat dragon meat right now.”

Kainchel thought of the dragon meat stored in the two-dimensional pocket.

With his current stats, he couldn’t face a Sword Master.

He needed to consume dragon meat and create a vessel capable of handling more Aura.

And the final component required for that was in Krolltra.

Special Dish #1