Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 152

‘I’m glad I bought a bunch of these when I went to Edinburgh, just in case.’

Keinzel took out dozens of oysters from his two-dimensional pocket.

Baron Mikelan Mino, who was watching, widened his eyes.

“Lord Keinzel, what kind of dish are you planning to make with those stones?”

“These aren’t stones; they’re oysters, known as the milk of the sea.”

“Oysters?”

Keinzel chuckled and split an oyster shell in half with a kitchen knife. A strong sea smell wafted out, revealing the soft flesh inside.

“Ugh, it has a very unique scent.”

Oysters were a rare ingredient in inland northern Britannia.

Of course, one could acquire them by paying several times the price near the coast.

However, Baron Mikelan was frugal.

The seafood on his table was, at most, fish caught in a nearby river.

“The nobles of the Gallia Kingdom consider eating raw oysters with white wine as the greatest pleasure. They are that delicious and nutritious.”

“Oh, I’m learning something new.”

The nutrients in oysters help regenerate wounds and restore energy.

Moreover, using cooking skills can amplify the effect dozens of times.

This was almost the level of a blessing used by a bishop-level priest.

‘Of course, the best thing is to use the Mimir’s Well, but only elves can absorb the life force contained within it.’

Keinzel looked at the girl who was breathing weakly.

‘Time is of the essence.’

First of all, it seemed necessary to restore some physical strength with a dish based on raw oysters.

After preparing the oysters, he used Aura to the limit to amplify their beneficial effects.

Then, he started making a sauce to go with it.

He finely chopped half a red onion and mixed it with white wine vinegar.

Then, he added lemon juice and peppercorns to complete the mignonette sauce that enhances the taste and aroma of fresh oysters.

As he divided the oysters and sauce into small plates, Abel entered the kitchen.

“I’ll do the feeding.”

He seemed to feel responsible for bringing the girl.

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Keinzel narrowed his eyes and looked at the remaining raw oyster dish.

“May I ask for a tasting?”

“A tasting?”

“Yes, there’s something I need to check.”

“I understand. Although I’m not a gourmet, I’m confident when it comes to eating.”

Baron Mikelan lifted a spoonful with a solemn expression, as if performing a sacred ritual.

Perhaps it was because the wine vinegar in the sauce neutralized the unique fishy smell of the oysters.

A subtle lemon scent mingled with the deep aroma of the sea.

“Then…”

The moment it entered his mouth, he felt it smoothly slide down his throat.

It was his first time experiencing such a sensual texture. Moreover, the rich taste fully captured the essence of the sea.

Baron Mikelan closed his eyes and savored the taste.

It was like tilting a glass of wine while watching the waves crash on the sea.

“Amazing… This is more delicious than a great steak.”

He raised his thumb and nodded. He seemed to like the oyster dish he was eating for the first time.

[4-star dish ‘Raw Oysters with Mignonette Sauce’ has been completed.]

‘As expected…’

Keinzel sighed quietly as he looked at the message that appeared in his Mind’s Eye.

Contrary to Baron Mikelan’s praise, the oyster dish only rated 4 stars.

‘It’s hard to get a high rating for dishes eaten raw.’

What he made now was just raw oysters cut in half and sprinkled with sauce.

‘But puffer fish sashimi is also eaten raw, right? So why is there such a difference?’

Keinzel was able to find the answer without difficulty.

The texture of puffer fish sashimi varies greatly depending on how it is sliced.

You can enjoy a chewy texture by slicing it thickly, or you can slice it thinly like paper.

‘It seems that dishes whose taste is determined by the freshness of the ingredients rather than the chef’s skill are difficult to get a high rating.’

Abel, who was feeding the wounded child raw oyster dishes, shouted.

“Keinzel, it seems like you need to make more dishes. She’s already eaten it all.”

Fortunately, even a 4-star dish seemed to have some effect.

The pale face began to regain its color, and her breathing became more comfortable.

“Then this time, I’ll have to make something that can show off the chef’s skills even more.”

Keinzel finely chopped Emmental cheese and placed it on the raw oysters.

This was a dish that was baked in the fireplace with the shell.

It is served with shallots and mushrooms sautéed in a pan with a little cream.

The Emmental cheese sprinkled on top melts, and the oysters are cooked golden brown.

Abel, who was examining the girl’s wounds, groaned.

“Hmm, grilled oysters. I’ve had them when I followed my father around. When you put it in your mouth with the melted cheese, the sweet juice created by the milk of the land and the milk of the sea flows into your mouth. I want to eat it again.”

Keinzel chuckled and said.

“Since there are plenty of oysters anyway, we can make a lot so that other people can eat them too.”

“No, that’s not enough.”

The one who spoke was the girl who had been lying on the makeshift bed until just now.

She had already regained consciousness and was looking at Keinzel with her back straight.

The girl pointed to the oyster shells she had eaten and asked.

“Who made this dish?”

It was a voice so beautiful that it was hard to believe it was human.

“Keinzel made it. Are you okay?”

“Keinzel?”

The girl tilted her head, calling Keinzel’s name.

Then her snow-white hair fluttered.

Keinzel’s figure was reflected in her unfocused eyes, as if she were looking at a distant mountain.

“I am the White Dragon Calliope. Keinzel, I need the food you made. Bring me more.”

@

In an instant, the air froze.

The name White Dragon popped out of Calliope’s mouth.

Abel, flustered, raised his voice.

“What are you talking about? Did you hit your head somewhere while collapsing? Besides, the dragon living in the White Mountains is Nagnipada.”

“It may sound different in human language, but it means the same thing.”

Keinzel reflexively reached for Durendal.

He had seen it in ancient books in a library that no one visits. Calliope is an ancient word meaning beautiful voice.

It is also read as Nagniparo.

If Calliope’s words were true, he had to kill her before she returned to her true form.

The White Dragon is considered the weakest of the dragons, but that’s only by dragon standards.

Even three Sword Masters cannot defeat a White Dragon.

“You don’t have to worry about harming you. Calliope used all the mana she had to survive. She needs to sleep for at least a thousand years to recover fully. Until then, she is as weak as she looks—weaker than a young girl.”

Calliope stared blankly at the oyster dish cooking on the fireplace.

“But when I ate the food you made, I recovered a little mana. Calliope thought, which is more likely to survive: hiding my identity as it is, or revealing my identity?”

As a result, Calliope decided to confess her identity.

Calliope told the story of being attacked by a Sword Master in a thin voice.

Baron Mikelan, who was listening next to her, groaned.

“No matter how I think about it, Deutschland [Germany] crossed the border. This is no longer just a northern problem.”

He was busy rebuilding the Gistad territory, but now there was a territorial dispute with Deutschland.

The White Dragon, who caused it, was tilting her head with a blank expression.

“But usually, you can only defeat a dragon if about ten Sword Masters attack it, right?”

Then Calliope said, sobbing.

“Calliope young. Weak.”

Keinzel rubbed the back of his head, which was starting to hurt, and asked.

“The dragon’s body itself is a huge treasure. Dragon heart, as well as bones, meat, flesh, and internal organs…”

“So you’re going to kill me?”

“If necessary.”

Her appearance is that of a child, but her identity is that of a dragon, the strongest creature.

It’s better to eat it than to hand it over to Deutschland for nothing.

“Calliope human?”

“But if you kill it, it will return to its original state. The magic on your body will be released.”

Calliope’s eyes widened as if she hadn’t thought that far.

Her naivety was overflowing.

‘Tsk, that’s why she gets hunted by humans.’

“Ah, that’s okay. The magic I put on Calliope is designed not to be released even if she dies. All you can get by killing her is a human corpse.”

I don’t know how much to believe, but it didn’t seem like a lie.

“So you want to eat the food I made?”

“Yes. A lot of it.”

“So what can I get? You’re not going to eat it for free, are you?”

Calliope nodded with a blank expression.

“Make me food until I recover all my mana. Then I’ll give you one thing you want.”

“One is too little.”

“If it’s not life-threatening, even my body is fine. Keinzel smells like a dragon. You must have eaten dragon meat.”

It was a direct hit.

The two-dimensional pocket he was wearing around his waist still contained dragon meat.

‘If I can get the part I want by making food, it’s definitely not a bad deal. However…’

“But how can I believe your words? After regaining your strength, you might break your promise, blow a breath at the territory, and then run away.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“If it were between humans, I would write a contract, but you’re a dragon.”

“Dragons don’t lie. Otherwise, they won’t be able to use dragon words. I’ll show you the proof right here.”

Calliope looked at the empty air and muttered something incomprehensible.

It was transmitted directly to Keinzel’s mind without passing through his vocal cords.

― This is a 『covenant』 made with language, and it will never be broken until one of us dies.

Then, a collar of unknown material appeared on Calliope’s snow-white neck.

Calliope raised her hand and pretended to slap Keinzel’s cheek.

Then the collar around her neck began to tighten strongly.

“See? Now Calliope can’t bite or harm Keinzel.”

Calliope also seemed desperate to survive.

In the end, Keinzel decided to think of Calliope as a guest.

“If a guest wants to eat the food I made this much, I have to provide it.”

Then she smiled brightly, as if she had never sobbed.

“Yeah, it was really delicious.”

This is the level even after eating a 4-star dish.

But if it’s a 5-star dish that’s currently being baked on the fireplace, what kind of reaction will she show?

Keinzel sprinkled lemon juice on the well-baked oysters.

“Okay, done. This one will be much more delicious.”

Calliope rushed to the oyster dish as it was and began to eat it with her hands.

Baron Mikelan pinched his cheeks several times, unable to believe what was happening in front of him.

“An elf, a dwarf, and a dragon are eating food at the same table… This is ridiculous…”

But it was all real, judging by the stinging.

And Calliope, who put the grilled oyster in her mouth, fainted as it was,

with the words that she had never eaten such delicious food in her life.

@

I decided to receive teeth, tail, and some blood from Calliope.

It was more than enough in return for making food.

It will surely be a good foundation for the development of the Gistad territory.

Thinking so, Keinzel cleaned up the kitchen.

It was a mess because he made various dishes to help Calliope recover.

“Oh, but why is this here?”

Something that looked like a branch was placed in the corner of the counter.

It seems that what I had put in the two-dimensional pocket fell out while looking for spices.

It was a tree that only grew in the land blessed by the World Tree.

“I’m sure the name was Cola tree.”

Keinzel reflexively touched it and used Brilliant Road.

Then, the image of a black liquid in a small bottle came to mind.

“A drink? What the hell is this…”

People gathering in the north #3