Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 168

“Actually, if you look at it, it’s not entirely impossible.”

“Really?”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened. Elves and dwarves have such different food preferences that they usually refuse to even sit at the same table.

Dwarves consider it a proper meal only when they’ve eaten greasy food to their fill and washed it down with cool beer.

In contrast, elves mainly eat salads or vegetable soups made with fresh, uncooked vegetables.

They only bake pies with mushrooms or lentils when they want something special.

“Think of french fries. Elves can eat them, and dwarves enjoy them too.”

Of course, elves can’t eat animal products, so the fries have to be fried in soybean oil.

Only then did Elizabeth understand what Cainchel was saying, and she nodded.

“But if you only serve french fries, salad, vegetable soup, and bread, angry dwarves will swing their axes. Do you perhaps dislike someone? Just tell me. I can take care of that quietly…”

“…Lady Elizabeth, would you please put away the aura blade you took out?”

“Oh, when did this pop out?”

‘What I’m going to make now is a ‘main dish’ that doesn’t use any animal ingredients and is still filling,’ Cainchel thought.

Elizabeth tapped her feet impatiently.

She needed to return to Krolltra soon to catch up on her piled-up work.

But she didn’t want to leave such an interesting thing behind and go back to work.

In the end, Elizabeth called her adjutant in Krolltra and had him set up a temporary office for her.

And she declared confidently.

“I’ll be working here for a while.”

“E-Elizabeth, it’s difficult when the Grand Lord is away from her post for so long…”

The adjutant was a middle-aged man with a seasoned air.

Sitting next to Elizabeth, they looked like a parent and daughter.

But in fact, Elizabeth was older in terms of actual age.

“There are plenty of people who can do the work besides me, anyway, right? Besides, it’s important to train my disciple.”

A groan escaped the adjutant’s lips at the word disciple.

For Elizabeth, who had no children, a disciple was like an heir.

“You can’t just decide something so important on your own!”

“Why? If you have a complaint, draw your sword and challenge me.”

“……”

Elizabeth put her arm around Abel’s shoulder and introduced him to the adjutant.

“This is Abel Carteras, who will be learning swordsmanship from me. Isn’t he cute? And that guy is Viscount Weekline. He’s my adjutant.”

“I’m Abel Carteras. You’ve been through a lot.”

“Please call me Fox. Unlike Lady Elizabeth, you seem like a proper person, so I’m relieved.”

“What? So you’re saying I’m not a proper human being?”

“If you want to be treated properly, please do your job!”

“Ugh, if you were just a little less competent, I would bite you.”

Fox borrowed a room and began moving in the things he needed for work.

Thus, one more person stayed in the Gistad territory.

@

Cainchel was refining salt from seawater.

At that moment, Elizabeth, who had passed all her work onto Fox and Abel, opened the door and came in.

“Phew, finally finished. Huh? What? You haven’t even started cooking yet?”

“There’s something I need before that.”

Elizabeth put her nose to the open oak barrel and frowned.

“Ugh, salty smell! This is seawater. But if it’s salt, isn’t there something shiny and pretty?”

Cainchel said as he transferred the seawater from which the salt had been extracted.

“What I need isn’t salt, but this.”

“…You’re not planning to cook with seawater, are you?!”

“Yes, I’m making tofu.”

“Tofu?”

“It’s a type of bean curd that’s popular in the East. It has a savory and soft texture that’s quite a delicacy.”

Elizabeth’s eyes sparkled.

To think there was a dish made using seawater.

‘Isn’t this already in the realm of alchemy!’ she mused.

Cainchel had been preparing to make tofu for the elves for some time.

The reason elves can live without eating much food is that they receive energy from the trees.

‘It’s going to be difficult until the World Tree is fully grown. Until then, they need to eat foods rich in protein and fat. Beans, in particular, contain a very balanced amount of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Elves, who cannot consume animal products, will now have to make beans their staple food.’

Cainchel made various bean dishes for the elves who had immigrated to the Gistad territory.

And tofu was one of them.

Cainchel, who had obtained enough bittern [a residue from evaporated seawater used as a coagulant] to fill an oak barrel, began to make tofu in earnest.

“Ugh, bitter… I thought it would taste good since you’re cooking with it, but it’s like rotten water?”

“…If you wait a little longer, I’ll make soft tofu for you. So please stop picking at it!”

“Soft tofu? Is that delicious?”

“It’s amazing.”

“Really? Then I’ll wait quietly.”

Cainchel ground the soaked beans to make soy milk.

He used a millstone made by stacking rough stones.

“You can do it with a knife, but you have to use a millstone to make the particles fine and bring out the protein of the beans well.”

“Where did you get such a tool?”

“A dwarf made it for me.”

Dwarves with good manual skills can create plausible objects without blueprints if you just tell them the principle and shape.

He didn’t mention the name Blue Mountain.

He was originally a craftsman working in Krolltra.

After boiling the finely ground bean juice from the millstone once, pour it onto a fine cloth to filter out the solids.

Add bittern, a coagulant, to it and let it harden to make soft tofu.

Elizabeth drooled over the soft tofu, which looked like custard pudding.

“Taste it before it gets cold.”

“Wow, is this really a dish made only with beans and seawater? It looks delicious.”

The freshly made soft tofu had a savory taste when put in the mouth, even without any seasoning.

Cainchel sprinkled a little ponzu sauce [a citrus-based sauce], which he used to eat with pufferfish sashimi, on top of the soft tofu.

“…Wow, it’s good to eat like this too? The refreshing and salty taste blends with the savory taste of the soft tofu, making it very easy to swallow.”

Tofu was made by putting soft tofu in a frame and hardening it.

Cainchel quickly made a large plate full of tofu.

“I’m sure both elves and dwarves can eat this deliciously. Hmm, kid! Let’s have one more plate!”

It seemed that Elizabeth was also completely captivated by the taste of tofu.

“But eating tofu as it is is not enough as a main dish.”

“Then?”

“I’m going to make tofu steak.”

“Make steak with this…?”

How could you make a steak with tofu that is so soft that it crumbles as soon as you put it in your mouth?

Cainchel fried potatoes while making a sauce to eat with the tofu steak.

‘I’m not fast enough trying to do several things at once… Oh well! Double Booster!’

Then Cainchel’s movements became so fast that they were invisible.

At this rate, he could make one or two more dishes.

Elizabeth muttered with a dumbfounded expression.

“Isn’t that the technique he used when fighting Adolf? Is cooking on the same level as Sword Master for the kid…?”

When the onion swordsmanship was added to it, a huge amount of tofu, onions, carrots, and mushrooms were finely chopped.

The basic trick is the same as hamburger steak.

Of course, tofu alone lacks umami [savory taste]. To revive it, use mushrooms that have been dried well in the sun to bring out the umami.

‘Originally, it would be good to add eggs for stickiness, but since the elves will eat it, grate some Japanese yam instead….’

Finally, add a little sweet honey and it’s done.

Shape the finished dough into bite-sized pieces and bake well.

Tofu steak ripening on fresh soybean oil.

The savory smell fills the kitchen.

In this way, a dish that resembles hamburger steak in color, taste, and aroma was completed.

@

“Are you already drinking before the food comes out?”

“Originally, I wanted to pick up and tear apart a whole piece of meat dripping with juice. I’m putting up with it and getting along, but you don’t even know how grateful you should be…”

“You’re the one who should be grateful!”

Nimue and Blue Mountain, sitting across from each other at the table, started fighting again.

But it was a great thing just that they were gathered in one place.

Elizabeth, who was sitting in the corner with Abel, yawned with her mouth wide open.

“By the way, it’s always amazing to see elves and dwarves together. And I heard that they’re going to start making wine soon, so they’ll be raking in the money.”

Merchants come every month to buy cola.

Through them, you can buy and sell not only cola but also other things.

Cainchel, who had approached them, placed a tofu steak on the table.

“Cola is just the beginning. It will develop further in the future.”

“Did you bring it yourself? Wow, I’ll enjoy it!”

Thanks to the servants who helped with the serving, tofu steaks were placed on all the tables almost simultaneously.

Blue Mountain, who received the iron plate, widened his eyes.

There was golden-brown grilled meat and crispy fried potatoes sprinkled with salt.

“Isn’t this hamburger steak and french fries…? It certainly looks delicious, but can they eat this?”

The faces of the elves in front of the food turned pale.

No matter how you looked at it, it was a hamburger steak made of meat.

Nimue asked on their behalf.

“Cainchel, is this also a dish made without using meat?”

“It’s called tofu, which is similar to but different from soy meat. Try it, it’s delicious.”

“Then, here goes…”

Nimue took a knife and cut the tofu steak in half. Then, a light and savory smell wafts out.

When she bit into it, she could taste the crispy surface grilled in oil and the soft flesh inside.

Completely contrasting textures melt in your mouth and become one.

“T-This is delicious! It’s really delicious!”

What complements the light taste is the sauce made with soy sauce and tomatoes.

If you take a generous amount of the sweet and sour sauce, a smile will naturally appear on your face.

The sauce also went perfectly with the french fries.

The elves who were watching Nimue eat the tofu steak picked up their forks.

“R-Really! There’s no meat in here at all! I can eat as much as I want!”

Unlike the elves who were eating excitedly, a bitter smile appeared on Blue Mountain’s face.

“Beans, huh…”

Dwarves didn’t really like beans.

They didn’t like the rough texture, and the astringent taste didn’t suit their taste.

But when the elves ate so deliciously, he unknowingly raised his fork.

“Huh? It’s delicious?”

The taste of the tofu steak was so good that it was hard to believe it was made from beans.

It had an umami taste like eating meat and a soft and savory flavor.

Besides, it goes well with cola.

“These days, I’m more drawn to cola than beer.”

Recently, dwarves have been fascinated by the sparkling and refreshing taste of cola. After work, the number of people looking for cola instead of beer has increased significantly.

Cainchel explained its identity to Blue Mountain, who had emptied two bottles of cola in one go.

“In fact, only elves can handle the raw materials of cola.”

“R-Really?”

“Yes. There is no cola without elves.”

Then Blue Mountain’s gaze towards the elves softened.

“Ahem, ahem. I think I’ve been too harsh so far. I should get along a little better in the future.”

Elizabeth sat in front of Nimue, who was moving her fork with a haughty expression.

She seemed to have something to say.

“Elf… Nimue, was it? I heard you’re the strongest among the elves. Let’s fight sometime.”

“……”

Nimue, who was almost killed by Meliot’s hand, was wary of the Sword Master.

But she was just putting up with it because she was Abel’s teacher and Cainchel’s friend.

“Well, I don’t intend to get along, so don’t show it too much. Oh, aren’t you curious why the kid made tofu?”

“……I’m curious.”

“That’s…”

Elizabeth explained the reason with a playful expression.

“…You mean, this is all a dish made for the elves?”

“So don’t leave any and chew it all up.”

Nimue was on the verge of tears.

She hadn’t even repaid the favor of saving her life yet.

But they provided a place to settle down and even made such wonderful food for the clan.

Elizabeth scratched her head and muttered.

“I wonder if I just increased the competition.”

Elves and dwarves.

They are people who can never mix.

But they both ate the tofu steak made by Cainchel very deliciously.

The Gistad territory where humans, elves, dwarves, and dragons gathered.

It seemed that they would be able to live somehow in the future.

Ting-

[You have created a new meaning of existence in the ‘Gistad Territory’ through cooking.]

[The power of containing the heart has melted into the ‘Aura Blade’ skill.]

[Aura Blade: 9/10]

Cainchel clenched his fist as he looked at the Aura Blade with the 9th slot filled.

To think that the condition was cooking for the entire territory, not just individuals.

Now, only the last step remained.

Cainchel looked at the people who were enjoying the tofu steak, french fries, and cola.

And he realized that there was only one person who didn’t touch anything.

“Perhaps the condition for filling the last slot is…”

Knock knock knock!

At that time, the man in charge of communication through the gate came into the restaurant.

He widened his eyes as if surprised to see dwarves and elves eating together.

And soon he found Cainchel and ran to him, panting.

“L-Lord Gistad… This is a royal decree. His Majesty Aslan wants you to come to the royal palace as soon as possible…”

A royal decree that flew in as soon as he obtained the 9th slot of the Aura Blade.

Cainchel’s eyes sank coldly.

It turned out to be a typhoon instead of a breeze #4