Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 161

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“······Partner.”

Kainchel glared at his left arm at the sudden voice.

‘A Sword Master is glaring right at me, how can you talk to me now!’

Bishop replied as if he had read Kainchel’s mind.

“You don’t have to worry about being heard by others. In the first place, this body is not speaking using vocal cords.”

‘Oh, really?’

It felt like the voice was coming directly from inside his head.

It was similar to the Dragon Words used by Calliope, but different.

“Well, Dragon Words directly inject will into the other person, but what this body is doing is simply connecting to the neural network to have a conversation. This is much lower level.”

Kainchel asked in a small voice, being careful not to be heard by Loengrin.

“So, you’re saying you can read my thoughts and talk to me directly?”

“Well, think of it that way.”

Bishop went straight to the point as if he didn’t have time to explain in detail.

“I can sense an incredible amount of Aura from Loengrin, the Sword Master of Charity, to the point where it doesn’t seem human.”

“······Certainly, Elizabeth said that the Wings of Light she often uses were originally Loengrin’s technique.”

The Wings of Light that annihilated the goblins widely deployed along with the vast earth.

It had the power to seriously injure even a dragon if hit directly.

According to Elizabeth, Loengrin can handle 12 Wings of Light.

“That means Loengrin has at least 120,000 units of Aura. That’s almost Grand Sword Master level.”

Cold sweat ran down Kainchel’s cheek.

It seemed that the Seven Virtues each had a field in which they excelled.

Elizabeth’s unique skill.

Melilot’s physical abilities.

And in Loengrin’s case, it was Aura.

The homunculus [an artificially created human being] who had lived for hundreds of years discerned the true nature of the power contained within the opponent’s body.

“I see it now that I’m looking directly. I can feel divinity from Loengrin’s body. That is evidence that the blood of the Celestial Race flows within him. It may have manifested through atavism [the reappearance of a trait or characteristic after being absent for several generations].”

“Celestial Race······.”

Vampires, Giants, Dragons, Celestial Race.

Superior races continued to gather around Kainchel.

“Partner, you don’t need to be intimidated by them. As long as this body is with you, your own spiritual rank has risen to the point where it is not inferior to the superior races.”

Kainchel chuckled.

“I’m not intimidated. I’m not comparing myself either. I’m just amazed. Until a year ago, even Sword Knight felt like a mountain I couldn’t climb. But now I’m about to become a Sword Master. Were you worried about me?”

“Ahem, ahem. This body is just giving advice. It is this body that will be in trouble if the partner doesn’t cook. Anyway, be careful of Loengrin. A homunculus created through alchemy is an existence that goes against the teachings of God. If possible, be careful about using this body in front of him.”

“Okay, I’ll be careful.”

At the same time as he answered, the slowed time returned to normal.

It felt like they had been talking for quite a while, but it hadn’t even been 10 seconds.

‘······Is this also Bishop’s ability?’

Kainchel looked at Loengrin, who was waiting for an answer.

“So, you came all the way here because you wanted to drink Cola?”

Loengrin scratched the back of his head, perhaps embarrassed, and cleared his throat.

“Ahem! The reason I visited Gistad Territory in such a hurry was something else. The Pentagram, a military group from Deutschland [Germany], has crossed the border. So I wanted to check the state of the north myself.”

“That’s a relief then. I would have felt sorry if it was because of the Cola. You’ll have to wait a few more days for production to finish.”

“······Then what was it that Goethe drank?”

“That was a prototype; only a few bottles were produced.”

Loengrin looked crestfallen. It seemed he thought he could drink Cola as soon as he came to the north.

Bishop gave a further explanation at his unusually obsessive behavior with Cola.

“Loengrin has no desire for wealth and lives very frugally. However, he is a person who enjoys tea ceremony to a maniacal degree.”

Kainchel nodded.

It seemed he thought of Cola as a type of tea.

“I happen to have one prototype bottle left; would you like to try it?”

“Oh, oh! Really?”

Loengrin smiled brightly as if he had met his lover from a past life.

@

“Oh, a black liquid contained in such a beautiful glass bottle! It’s a truly fascinating color! I understand why Goethe praised it as the devil’s drink.”

The charm of Cola was not just that.

Swaaa-!

When Cola is poured into a chilled glass, bubbles that look refreshing float to the top.

“Is Cola a tea that is drunk cold?”

“It’s more of a type of beverage than tea. It’s called a carbonated drink, to be exact.”

“I am grateful for your kindness. I will enjoy it.”

Loengrin rejoiced like a child and drank the Cola in one gulp. Then, the intense stimulation of the carbonation and the taste created by various sweeteners and Cola extract spread throughout his mouth.

“Keuh, this thrilling pleasure spreading throughout my body······. It truly has a taste worthy of being called the devil’s drink. Thanks to you, I have come to know such an attractive drink, so I must thank Goethe.”

And he smacked his lips as if one bottle wasn’t enough.

How did Goethe write his review to elicit such an enthusiastic response?

Kainchel asked Loengrin for permission and checked the contents of the magazine.

Avel, who was watching from the side, shared his honest thoughts.

“It’s full of praise to the point where it makes the person reading it blush. And it’s actually true.”

“I know. If I had known it would be like this, I should have made a little more.”

Loengrin, who was drinking the green tea that Kainchel had brewed with a regretful expression, asked.

“I want to buy about a hundred bottles of Cola. How much would that be?”

“······One silver coin per bottle, five gold coins.”

“Haha, that’s a really cheap price for such an amazing drink. And it’s contained in such a beautiful bottle, so it’s perfect for gifts. If you’re okay with it, I’d like to buy twice that amount.”

Kainchel realized that he had made a huge mistake. Cola is a luxury item that one person can consume several bottles of.

With this kind of reaction, wouldn’t all of it have been sold even if he had produced not just ten thousand bottles, but ten times that amount?

That prediction was accurate.

The first production run of Cola, 10,000 bottles.

As soon as sales began in earnest, not only Citizen but the entire Britannia was in an uproar.

@

In the case of Honey Butter Sandwiches, Kainchel had to make them himself.

In the end, no matter how popular they were, the limit was 200 servings a day.

Ice cream had a storage problem.

No matter how explosive the reaction, it could only be sold inside Citizen, where there was an ice storage.

But Cola is different.

If stored in a glass bottle, it can easily last for about a year.

Baron Brand, who works as a scribe in the royal castle of Britannia, was a passionate fan of Goethe.

He read and reread his books and even the reviews he wrote in magazines until the pages were worn out.

He also visited the places where Goethe stayed and the restaurants where he ate without fail.

What recently excited Baron Brand was the devil’s drink Cola, which Goethe had praised.

However, no matter how hard he tried, it was difficult to obtain.

In the end, he was able to obtain only a few bottles after paying nearly dozens of times the price.

And the long-awaited social gathering time arrived.

“Baron Brand. Have you read Goethe’s review? These days, the Cola mentioned in it is called the devil’s drink and is incredibly popular.”

“Why else would I have called you all here? I happened to hear from a trading company that I deal with that they managed to get a box of Cola with great difficulty.”

“You mean the Great Deer Trading Company. But even that great company could only get one box?”

“Isn’t it something that has just started production? But isn’t it also a pleasure to be able to eat it first like this?”

Baron Brand took out a bottle that was so beautiful it looked like a work of art. The nobles who saw it cheered.

“I, isn’t that Cola!”

“Hahaha! I specially purchased a few bottles because I wanted to drink it with my lords.”

Baron Brand poured a little Cola into the glasses that the nobles were holding.

At most, it would be two or three sips.

“I will enjoy it. Keuh······! It’s so delicious that I feel like screaming!”

“Haa······, I want to save it little by little like a fine wine if I could. But once you open it, the bubbles inside will escape. I have no choice but to drink it all.”

“I don’t have the confidence to save this at all. I’m sorry, but can I have just one more sip?”

“I’m sorry, but that’s the last of it. I want to pile it up and drink it like water, but it’s really hard to get these days.”

“Actually, I’ve mobilized all my connections to get Cola, but it’s been difficult. Anyway, I really enjoyed it.”

“You can’t buy it even if you have money; it’s literally the devil’s drink.”

In that way, Cola spread like a trend throughout Britannia.

At first, most people savored it little by little, like drinking wine.

However, people soon learned the horror of Cola.

The Cola, which was delicious even when eaten alone, was even more delicious when eaten with food.

At social gatherings, heated discussions were held every day about what food to eat with Cola.

“Cola goes best with steak. Especially when eaten with fatty and somewhat greasy pork, it refreshes the mouth very pleasantly.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Cola goes best with french fries. If you eat a lot of crispy fried french fries with cheese and drink Cola, it’s just······. Now it’s hard to imagine a meal without Cola.”

“It’s also good to add a little whiskey to Cola. I named it Jack Coke, what do you think?”

A drink that goes well with any food, from steak to salad.

There has never been such a drink before, and there will never be one in the future.

With its first appearance, Cola drove the entire Britannia into a frenzy.

Moreover, the price of 1 silver is very cheap compared to other luxury goods enjoyed by the nobles.

The only place where Cola is produced, Gistad Territory.

The eyes of countless people were focused on that place.

@

Kainchel grabbed his head and groaned.

He thought he could sell 10,000 bottles of Cola for about a month.

But who would have thought that it would run out in just 3 days.

“······It’s all because Goethe wrote the review so well.”

He opened the window and looked outside. There, merchants who had come from all over Britannia were camped out.

No matter how much he explained that Cola was being produced in the Magic Tower, they wouldn’t leave.

A merchant who discovered Kainchel shouted.

“Count Gistad! I’ll give you twice the price······. No, three times the price! Please sell me Cola!”

I would if I had any to sell!

He barely managed to hold back from shouting that.

The money earned from selling 10,000 bottles of Cola was 5,000 gold.

Even after excluding the various costs involved, the net profit was a whopping 3,500 gold.

Carbonated water can be mined from natural carbonated water mines as much as you want, and Bishop provides glass bottles at a price close to free.

What’s even more frightening is that this is the money earned in just 3 days.

If it continues to sell like this in the future, won’t the ranking of Britannia’s richest people change?

Avel, who is in charge of Cola sales, narrowed his eyes. He was wearing a tuxedo, and it suited him as if it had been tailored for him.

“This is only selling in Britannia. It would be difficult if requests for transactions came from other countries.”

“You’re right. I’ll talk to Bishop and ask him to increase the production speed as much as possible.”

Then Bishop grumbled.

“Partner. I’ve been making Cola for a week without sleeping. Production is limited to 10,000 bottles a month. I don’t know beyond that.”

“······Bishop contacted me. He said it’s difficult beyond that. Who would have known that 10,000 bottles would be insufficient.”

“I don’t have enough time to be with Kainchel because I’m so busy. Fortunately, the World Tree is nearby.”

“I’ll make you a dish with fatigue recovery effects in the evening.”

“That’s good. I’m looking forward to it.”

People who had already tasted Cola tried to make similar drinks using carbonated water.

However, the key ingredient, the Cola tree, only grows in land blessed by the World Tree.

In the end, no one was able to figure out the manufacturing method of Cola, and a monopoly market was formed.

Merchants lined up with money bags, saying they would make a reservation.

And an unexpected visitor appeared in Gistad Territory.

Duke Phillips, who is in charge of the security of the north with a knight order consisting of Sword Knights, came to visit.

“I heard that you are making a very good income in Gistad Territory these days; what is it?”

“Yes, it is called Cola.”

“If you have such a good money-making business, you should report it to me!”

Then the face of the adjutant next to him turned pale.

“Lord Ludwig. Count Kainchel is about to become a Sword Master. Please be careful with your words······.”

“What, do you want me to grovel in front of such a greenhorn? Besides, what, Sword Master? It sounds good, but how many knights haven’t been able to break through that wall? That Plenzer guy also says he’s going to be a Sword Master every day, but he’s been the same for years.”

The Margrave [a noble title, similar to a Marquis] is granted a large territory and a powerful knight order to maintain public order.

In that region, he receives treatment no different from a king.

Such a Ludwig had someone appear in the north whom he had to appease.

“The Sword Master of Charity is······. He’s over there.”

Loengrin was on his way back after checking the state of the border. Ludwig ran to him and bowed.

“Captain of the Great Grand Cross Knights. I consider it an infinite honor to be able to see Lord Loengrin.”

“Who are you?”

“I am Margrave Phillips, Ludwig Wilhelm. If you had only given me a word that you were visiting the north, I would have taken you to Byron Castle right away; it’s all my fault.”

“So you’re saying you’re the Margrave of the north?”

“Don’t stay in such a humble territory; follow me. I have finished preparing to welcome you as a distinguished guest.”

Loengrin looked at Ludwig with eyes that were so cold they seemed to freeze over and said.

“I have heard of your achievements, Margrave Phillips. That you don’t distinguish between day and night for the security of the north. It’s a good thing you came. I was going to visit Byron Castle anyway.”

“Th, thank you.”

“You’re good at talking with your mouth open. Do you think the things I’m wearing are doll’s eyes? The state of public order in the north is very excellent. The Sword Master of the enemy country comes and goes as if it were his own home.”

Only then did Ludwig realize that he was not being praised, and his face turned white.

Devil’s Drink #3