Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 121

Merchants had gathered around Cainchel before he even realized it.

They clutched their empty stomachs, chattering about how to cook the Sand Worm.

“The smell is intense… Cooking it as it is will make it inedible, no matter how delicious it might be.”

“Ugh… I feel nauseous…”

As the Sand Worm’s meat was cut, a disgusting smell, like rotten sewage, intensified.

Purifying this was the first step in Sand Worm cuisine.

Cainchel retrieved special spices from his dimensional pocket, spices that only grew near the World Tree.

Pianol, a root vegetable with a flavor reminiscent of onion and saffron.

Mixing Kemin leaves thoroughly with Pianol creates a spice that drastically reduces the meat’s odor.

‘It’s amazing how an ingredient used by elves can refresh the smell of meat.’

But that alone wasn’t enough.

Cainchel added several herbs with detoxifying effects, along with minced garlic, onion, and ginger.

Then, he used his aura to amplify the effects of the spices several times.

‘Alright. There won’t be a deodorant as effective as this on the continent.’

After firmly tying the large Sand Worm meat with string, he placed it in a pot. Then, he added spices and gem salt and began to boil it.

Bubbles containing the foul smell floated to the surface, and the meat turned light brown.

‘From here on, it’s the same as making chicken stock. You have to keep skimming off the rising foam and boil it very carefully.’

The tedious work continued for hours.

There was no magical, dramatic change.

However, very slowly, the Sand Worm meat was transforming into something edible.

The merchants’ eyes widened.

“Huh? That’s strange. Has the nauseating smell disappeared?”

“Indeed. Now, it smells like chicken soup with plenty of herbs…”

Cainchel chuckled. The magic was about to begin.

The Sand Worm’s flesh, boiled for nearly two hours to remove the smell and poison, was ready. He cut off a small piece and tasted it.

‘This taste is… similar to lobster, but with a much stronger flavor.’

Unlike lobster, which loses its flavor when boiled, Sand Worm meat fiercely absorbs flavors.

The secret to bringing out the flavor of Sand Worm meat was to boil it with various spices and then grill it.

Cainchel turned up the heat to the maximum and heated the pan. Then, he took out the deliciously transformed Sand Worm meat and began to slice it.

Thanks to being boiled with spices, the tough flesh had softened somewhat.

He placed it on the heated frying pan.

Sizzle-

The aroma of the cooking meat spread instantly.

Cainchel skillfully seared it.

After grilling the outside until it was crispy over high heat, he reduced the heat to cook the rest.

Then, the flavor of the spices infused inside permeated the meat.

‘Crispy and moist steak is the best. And the seasoning is simply gem salt for a clean taste.’

A braised dish made with soy sauce, an Eastern seasoning, could bring out the umami [savory flavor] of Sand Worm meat even better.

For a richer flavor, Buddha’s Delight [a vegetarian dish with various ingredients] would be better.

However, the more familiar steak would be easier to eat without feeling overwhelmed.

A temporary kitchen was created inside the collapsed tunnel.

However, its heat was more intense than any kitchen anywhere.

Cainchel placed the well-grilled Sand Worm meat on a cutting board and began to slice it into bite-sized pieces.

Slice! Slice!

“Th-that’s Sand Worm meat? But why does it look so delicious?”

“Ugh, I can’t stand it…”

To the merchants, the fact that it was monster meat was no longer important.

‘Even if it’s monster meat, it’s still meat. The chef’s role is to cook it as deliciously as possible…’

Cainchel reduced the wine to make a sauce and poured it over.

He had already grilled 6-star steaks several times.

But this was the first time he had dealt with such hungry customers. How deliciously would they eat it?

A merchant who had been wiping the drool from his mouth approached.

It was the man who had shouted that it was better to die from poisoning than to starve to death.

“Can we eat now?”

“Yes, it’s ready. To ensure you can eat it with confidence, I will taste it first.”

As Cainchel took a piece and brought it to his mouth, people who had been watching cautiously rushed in.

“It would have been better if there were side dishes or bread to eat with it… But this is the best I can do. There’s plenty of meat, so you can eat as much as you want.”

“M-meat! It’s really meat!”

“Ugh, thank you for the food!”

The merchants grabbed the steak with their hands and brought it straight to their mouths. There was no time for knives and forks.

Biting into the well-grilled Sand Worm steak, they tasted a surprisingly deep flavor.

“This is Sand Worm? What, it’s more delicious than the best steak!”

“Is it really delicious?”

“Try it! It’s really amazing!”

Even people who had been repulsed by the Sand Worm’s meat rushed in to get a steak.

The mountain of meat dwindled in an instant. The speed of grilling the meat couldn’t keep up.

And a miracle happened.

@

“Hooah! That was a really good meal.”

“It was the best!”

“You saved us!”

The faces of the merchants, who had been emaciated from starving for days, regained their vitality.

A satisfied smile appeared on Cainchel’s lips.

‘This is why I cook.’

The Giant Sand Worm’s meat was plentiful enough to feed hundreds of people.

They wouldn’t have to worry about food for a while.

However, the condition of the merchants who ate the Sand Worm meat was strange.

“My, my stomach is full, and I feel energized! I feel like I can move a mountain right now!”

“Oh! What, the pickaxe is so light? At this rate, I could hold one in each hand and swing them around?”

That was not just a simple metaphor.

The merchants, unable to control their overflowing strength, began to dig through the buried wall with shovels and pickaxes.

Puck! Puck-puck-!

A rock so large that it would take several people to move.

The sight of them lightly lifting it and throwing it far away was jaw-dropping.

‘Uh, wait a minute… Even if they’re full, that’s too much, isn’t it?’

Tass, seeing the people’s motivation return, shouted excitedly.

“The fact that there’s still air left in the tunnel for days means that this place isn’t completely buried! If we put in a little more effort, we can get out!”

“Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!”

Even though they ate a lot of delicious food, such a change was not normal.

Cainchel picked up his monocle and checked the message floating on it.

[The customers who ate the 6-star dish ‘Steak Containing the Characteristics of the Giant Sand Worm’ are very satisfied.]

[The customers’ strength and stamina have temporarily increased.]

“Containing the characteristics of the Sand Worm…?”

It was a description that had not been written on any of the dishes he had made so far.

Could this be a new ability that appeared as his cooking level increased?

However, the seasoned chicken he made after that did not have this effect.

What made the difference?

‘It definitely said it contained the characteristics of the Sand Worm.’

Perhaps this power is what’s needed to cook the immortal cells?

But first, getting out of here was the priority.

The merchants who ate the Sand Worm dish broke through the wall at a terrifying speed.

In just half a day, they did more work than they had done in the past three days.

“We can get out! Just a little more effort!”

“Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!”

The merchants shouted as if they were warriors about to go into battle.

It seemed that this was also an effect of the Sand Worm dish.

Tass approached Cainchel, who was preparing the Sand Worm for dinner, and bowed deeply.

“I don’t know how to thank you enough… If it weren’t for Cainchel, we would all be dead. If we get out of here, I will tell Chief Lorenzo to treat you as a benefactor of the Great Deer Merchant Company for life.”

“Aren’t we all in the same boat? I just did what was natural to survive.”

“Are you trying to make me a man who doesn’t know gratitude?”

Tass sighed and took out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.

He wrote his name on it, along with the words ‘To an old friend,’ and handed it over.

“There are dwarves in Krolltra who are masters among masters. However, they are all contracted with large merchant companies or lords and do not accept weapon production requests.”

“I see.”

“Go to Blue Mountain in Iron Hammer and show him this. If you say you came with my introduction, he will at least do some maintenance on your weapon. The blade must have been damaged quite a bit while fighting the Sand Worm.”

Of course, Cainchel’s sword was made of Mithril [a strong and light metal], so there was no need to worry about that.

However, there was no reason to refuse if a dwarven craftsman would take a look at it.

“But a dwarf as a friend… There must be a story behind that.”

Tass chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

“I saved his life a long time ago. At that time, I made a promise to grant him one favor, no matter what it was. I was going to ask him to make me a famous sword and sell it, but I thought it was too precious to use.”

“You’re giving me such a valuable reward. Thank you, Tass.”

“I would have died if it weren’t for Cainchel anyway. Coincidentally, we both owe each other our lives. Hahaha!”

Tass bowed once more and returned to work.

The air quality had already changed. It meant that they would be able to get out soon.

‘A dish containing the characteristics of a monster and the dwarf Blue Mountain… Maybe I’ve gained another opportunity.’

Cainchel placed the Sand Worm meat, infused with the aroma of various spices, on the hot pan.

Sizzle-!

It cooked with such a delicious aroma.

@

“It’s, it’s outside!”

“We’re alive! We’re alive!”

“Ehehehehe!”

The people who escaped the tunnel took a deep breath of fresh air and raised their hands in the air.

Although they had paid a huge price, they decided to enjoy the joy of being able to see the sunlight again.

Tass, who was supporting the injured, asked.

“Where are you going now, Cainchel?”

“First, I’m going to go to Iron Hammer to meet the dwarf you introduced me to. I have something to do there.”

“Then we’ll have to part ways here. I have to go to the Great Deer Merchant Company’s branch in Anvil. The tunnel must have collapsed and caused a mess by now.”

“Surely the branches of the merchant companies operating in Krolltra are gathered in Anvil, right?”

“Yes. Please feel free to stop by anytime.”

Cainchel and Zeke, who had parted ways with Tass, began to walk towards Iron Hammer.

The industrial district of Krolltra was a closed-off territory, so much so that it was called a country within a country.

The amount of weapons and industrial products produced in Krolltra is enormous.

To achieve such productivity, the entire city is said to be interlocked like gears.

And it was an open secret that the diet of the workers there was unbelievably poor.

That was what Cainchel was aiming for.

After walking for about half a day, they reached the gates of Iron Hammer.

However, the atmosphere was unusual.

Not only armed soldiers but also knights who appeared to be Sword Knights were gathered.

A man who appeared to be the commander approached Cainchel.

He looked at the Free Knight emblem on Cainchel’s chest and said.

“What business does a Free Knight have in Iron Hammer?”

“I came to meet a dwarf named Blue Mountain on the recommendation of an acquaintance.”

“Blue Mountain? Was there such a dwarf? I’m sorry, but entry is prohibited.”

Cainchel narrowed his eyes and looked at the commander. Judging by the fact that the gate was tightly closed, something had happened.

“I don’t intend to leave unless you tell me the reason.”

“The dwarves working in Iron Hammer went on strike. They said they can’t work eating this kind of food. I’m going to wait until tomorrow and forcibly suppress them.”

‘A strike? Wait, could it be…’

Cainchel swallowed hard without realizing it. Perhaps the rumors were true.

The Hungry Ones #1