Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 169

The parchment was stamped with the royal crest.

Opening it revealed only a few lines of text.

— Count Kainchel van Jistard and Elizabeth are to come to the royal castle immediately.

Elizabeth, who was devouring the stolen tofu steak, widened her eyes.

“What… why is my name there? Anyway, this is really good. It’s so light and flavorful, I can’t stop eating it.”

“Lady Elizabeth! That wasn’t left over; I was saving it!”

“Anyway, you heard that, Fox. You’re the acting lord of Krolltra from now on. It’s His Majesty’s command, so what can you do? Take good care of things.”

“Kkeueoeoeoeok….”

Thus, Fox was deprived of his tofu steak and burdened with an immense workload.

Elizabeth patted Fox’s shoulder and said,

“I heard cola is really good for restoring energy. I’ll ask the kid to get you a box, so take it back with you.”

“De, Deus…”

In the end, Kainchel and Elizabeth headed to Britannia in accordance with the royal command.

A journey that would normally take over a week by carriage.

However, by using the Deus Order’s gate [a teleportation system], they were able to reach their destination in less than half a day.

@

Flap-!

Reman, who had been hiding inside the cloak, popped out and sat on Kainchel’s shoulder.

“Whew! I thought I was going to suffocate.”

Kainchel had decided to always take Reman with him when leaving the north.

Reman’s clone had no combat abilities, but his reconnaissance and infiltration skills were unmatched.

Elizabeth looked back and forth between Kainchel and the bat and asked,

“Come to think of it, wasn’t Richard your adjutant?”

“You could say that.”

“He’s certainly been alive for a long time, so he’s very skilled at his work. How about trading him for mine?”

“I think Fox would be very sad to hear that.”

“Hmph, but it’s really amazing. It seems like only capable people gather around the kid.”

“I guess so.”

The territory is like a kitchen.

No matter how skilled the head chef is, they need sous chefs to support them.

Richard von Frèreman, Abel Carters, Blue Mountain, Nimue.

They all demonstrated outstanding abilities in one field or another.

Thanks to them, the reconstruction of the Jistard territory was progressing at an incredible pace.

The very act of meeting them was like a miracle brought about by a bowl of food.

“H-h, are you perhaps Count Jistard? It’s an honor to meet you!”

Someone who recognized Kainchel came up and offered a handshake.

Elizabeth was even more pleased.

“Our kid is starting to make a name for himself. This older sister is so proud.”

Kainchel was at the center of attention in Britannia, which had been buzzing lately.

A swordsmanship skill on the verge of Sword Master at the young age of early 20s.

As if to prove it, he had accomplished great feats in just half a year.

“Did you know? Count Jistard, who dealt with the Church of the Seven Sins, which was plotting the revival of the Seven Deadly Sins, this time… dealt with a Sword Master from Deutschland [Germany]…”

“I’ve heard that too. There’s talk that he’ll become a Sword Master soon. Then he’ll take the vacant seat of Diligence.”

“Moreover, he created an amazing drink called cola just a month after becoming the lord of the north. They say that one cup is enough to keep you up all night.”

“H-huh, did Count Jistard really make cola?”

“Huh? Didn’t you know?”

Everywhere he went, he heard stories about him.

Elizabeth put her hand on Kainchel’s shoulder and leaned close.

“You’re getting strong so fast that it’s hard to believe, but the kid is a complete celebrity. Oh, if you ever have to go to a ball, this older sister will be your partner, so call me anytime.”

If it’s like this now, what will it be like when he fills the remaining slots of the Aura Blade and becomes a complete Sword Master?

Kainchel headed to the audience chamber, receiving the attention of countless people.

A servant who confirmed his identity opened the door and announced,

“Count Kainchel van Jistard and Metatron of Agape enter!”

Numerous ministers were discussing state affairs.

However, the seat where Emperor Aslan should be was empty.

Elizabeth bared her teeth and growled.

“Hector, where did His Majesty disappear to after summoning people?”

Then Hector, Emperor Aslan’s right-hand man and the pinnacle of the military, rose from his seat.

“Lower your voice, Elizabeth. Is this not a public place? And His Majesty is not feeling well right now.”

Elizabeth kicked the sweating Minister of Finance in the butt.

Then, with a shriek, an empty seat was created.

“Come on, kid, sit next to me.”

The ministers’ eyes gleamed at the sight of Elizabeth sticking close to Kainchel.

Finally, someone has appeared to take that old maid away!

Once Kainchel was seated, the countermeasures meeting began in earnest.

The Foreign Minister briefly explained the situation.

“Two days ago, a diplomatic envoy arrived secretly from Deutschland [Germany]. He was severely injured and is now being treated by the High Priest.”

Then the Minister of Military Affairs raised his voice.

“I still think it’s shameless! No less than three Sword Masters from Deutschland [Germany] crossed the border and trampled on Britannia’s territory! Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of Count Jistard and Lady Elizabeth here, we achieved a great victory. However, we still don’t know what their purpose is! And now they’re asking for help! We should reject them outright!”

This time, the Foreign Minister replied in a calm voice.

“The ambassador claims it was the act of a traitor.”

“Surely you don’t believe that?”

Hector, who had been silently watching the ministers’ fight, said,

“Enough, Marquis Bedivere. Did His Majesty not order you to accept the ambassador’s request?”

“I-I apologize.”

‘If it’s a traitor, they must be talking about Adolf?’

It seemed that Friedrich had been decided as the next king of Deutschland [Germany].

Elizabeth poked the Foreign Minister’s side as if to ask for a more detailed explanation.

Then, they were finally able to hear the full story.

Prince Adolf invaded Britannia’s territory in order to win the battle for the throne.

And he lost both arms and two Sword Masters who were even more precious than that.

“In the end, the current king of Deutschland [Germany] declared Adolf a traitor to the nation and tried to capture him. But….”

Adolf, who reappeared, was said to have become frighteningly strong. And the king of Deutschland [Germany] lost his life at his hands.

‘What, Adolf barely escaped with his life, right? What on earth happened?’

“I, I, I will explain….”

The door to the audience chamber opened, and Erich von Gustav, wrapped in bandages all over his body, entered.

Kainchel, startled, widened his eyes.

“L-Lord Erich!?”

“I’m sorry, benefactor…. I never thought I would see you again like this….”

Erich sat down in a chair with the High Priest’s support. And he explained what had happened in the past month.

“Adolf, who took the head of His Majesty the King, declared himself Emperor of the Akard Empire and began a bloody purge. He beheaded the vassals who did not obey his orders…. In the end, Akard… no, Deutschland [Germany] was divided into east and west.”

“Is Prince Friedrich safe?”

“Fortunately, he survived and is hiding in the east….”

And although they were enemy countries, they came to Britannia, who had fought together against the Seven Deadly Sins, to ask for help.

Erich took a rough breath and continued.

“Ku, cough…! Adolf is no longer a prince! He sold his soul to the devil and became a monster!”

It was also Adolf who had driven Erich to the brink of death.

What on earth happened to him, who had lost both arms and barely escaped?

Tingle-!

Bishop, connected to the neural network, spoke with a small pain.

— It seems he sold his body to the alchemist of life, Merlin, not the devil.

‘…Are you saying he became a chimera of his own will?’

— A fragment of the Dragon Heart is in Adolf’s body. He must have created a complete Tartarus [a powerful magical artifact or being] using it as a medium. He must have gained power comparable to a dragon, enough to make a Sword Master feel such great fear.

Erich knelt down.

“Adolf, who has become a monster, is trying to stain his homeland with blood! Please help us!”

The Foreign Minister shook his head.

“Your situation is unfortunate, but diplomacy cannot be done with emotions alone.”

“…I know. His Highness Friedrich told me to deliver this.”

Erich took out a parchment that he had been carefully keeping in his arms.

It was stained with blood, belonging to someone unknown.

“It’s a treaty of alliance. I think it would be better to read the details and make a decision.”

“Hmm.”

The Foreign Minister took it and began to read it. It was only an alliance in name, and it was full of content that was favorable to Britannia.

“Haha, His Majesty knew this and gave such an order….”

Erich this time clung to Kainchel.

“Heok, heuk…, b-benefactor, Catherine is being held captive. Please help….”

In the end, he fainted after saying those words.

It seemed that he would need to rest for a few more days.

And after nearly half a day of meetings, the ministers decided to dispatch two Sword Masters.

This was because a small elite force was needed to rescue the captured hostages and deal with the traitors.

However, the problem was who would help Deutschland [Germany].

“The kid and I can go. The kid is okay with that, right?”

The cola trees, which could be said to be the raw material for cola, were gradually running out.

Kainchel thought for a moment and nodded.

‘For the sake of cola, Friedrich must become the king of Deutschland [Germany]. Then is it decided?’

Besides, Merlin’s existence was also bothering him.

“It’s certainly reassuring if Lady Elizabeth goes. Besides, Erich von Gustav called Count Jistard his benefactor. If it’s these two, they won’t complain.”

“But Count Jistard is not yet a Sword Master, is he? How about Marquis Morgana, the Sword Master of Chastity?”

Elizabeth’s face twisted at the name Morgana.

“Morgan le Fay…. I’d rather quit everything and take a nap than be with that bitch.”

“….”

There are only two women among the seven virtues. And their relationship is very bad.

The Minister of Military Affairs, who had forgotten that, had cold sweat running down his cheeks.

“Anyway, it will take a few more days for Erich, who knows the infiltration route, to recover enough to move.”

“….That’s right.”

“That’s enough.”

“What do you mean enough?”

“It’s enough for the kid to become a Sword Master.”

Then the eyes of the ministers gathered in the audience chamber widened.

It usually takes 10 to 20 years or more to overcome the wall of Sword Master.

To break it down at once, a medium like Dragon Heart is needed.

Elizabeth smiled brightly and said.

“You’ve overcome another wall today and are now only one step away from the final stage, right?”

Then everyone in the audience chamber opened their mouths and stood up from their seats.

“A-Adjutant!”

“No, call the secretary!”

Only Hector was looking at Kainchel with eyes that contained no emotion.

@

“Thanks to Lady Elizabeth, I have an absurd time limit. How are you going to take responsibility?”

“Huh? Did I say anything wrong?”

“But why are you so bad with the Sword Master of Chastity?”

“You’ll know how annoying that bitch is if you meet her. Anyway, if you become a Sword Master within three days, I’ll let you call me Elza instead of Elizabeth. Ihihi! You know that no one calls me by a nickname, right? It’s very special!”

Kainchel shrugged.

Elizabeth is spoiled and selfish. But it was also true that he had received a lot of help from her.

‘Besides, she’s one of the customers who eats the food I cook very deliciously.’

She was literally an unhateable colleague.

“So, have you found a clue to becoming a Sword Master?”

“Maybe.”

“Well, I guess so. I can vaguely see Aura Blade in your skill window.”

“You can see that too?”

“Of course! Don’t ignore my unique skills. So what do you need? Inner core? Legendary weapon? Just tell me if you need anything.”

“First of all, I have to go to the place where it all started from now on.”

“Where is that?”

“….It’s called Stanise Knight Academy, and it’s half a day away by carriage.”

Elizabeth widened her eyes. It was a place where trainee knights honed their swordsmanship skills to become Sword Knights.

But the clue to becoming a Sword Master is hidden there?

Kainchel briefly recalled the appearance of the Knight Academy.

There, he ate a bowl of food and gained the Gourmet skill.

It was only a year ago. But it felt like a distant past.

He was able to fill the 9th slot with a dish for the Jistard territory.

Then all that’s left is Kainchel himself.

‘The chicken soup for the soul I ate back then. By revealing its identity, I’ll be able to obtain the Aura Blade.’

The meaning of soul food #1