Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 180

While Marquis Nicholas was reorganizing Potsdam, Cainchel decided to visit the Vlad Grand Duchy.

Erich volunteered to escort Phiedel, but Leman opposed it.

“Too many people will make Dracula reluctant to open the door.”

“You don’t have to worry, Erich. What could be the problem with my benefactor and Princess Elizabeth together?”

“…Understood.”

The elven swordswoman Horizon stopped Phiedel as he was about to leave Potsdam.

“I have something to say, human. Since the enemy is targeting elves, this is no longer just your problem. From now on, the Guardians of the World Tree will join you.”

“Are you saying you’ll help us fight Adolf?”

“Think what you want. I’ll bring reinforcements from Eldrad right away.”

Elves, who grow up wielding swords and bows in the forest, are powerful warriors regardless of age or gender.

Moreover, Horizon is a master-level expert.

From Phiedel’s perspective, it was like gaining tremendous reinforcements.

“Horizon, the first sword of Eldrad, I appreciate your help. It is said that true friends shine in times of difficulty. I will never forget this grace.”

“Hmph, you’re really good with words. We’re just adding our strength to the side with the highest probability of winning.”

Elves who ride the wind have unparalleled mobility.

In three days, five hundred elven knights will join them.

A union was formed with a different race with completely different cultures and eating habits.

Horizon smiled at Cainchel.

“Do you know? The reason we decided to help humans is because of you.”

“Because of me?”

“Yes. There is no elf who doesn’t know the Gistad Territory. Master Nimue joined hands with the dwarves to rebuild the race. Thinking that way, cooperating with humans is nothing.”

Cainchel’s actions changed even the elves of Eldrad, who had been thoroughly independent.

“…Besides, at least if you’re around, they won’t give me meat dripping with blood.”

It was a heartwarming thing to say.

“If I have the chance, I’ll make dishes that elves and dwarves will both enjoy.”

“What? There’s such a dish in this world?! Elves and dwarves have completely opposite tastes! But a food that both races can enjoy! Answer me! What kind of dish is it!”

“I’ll leave that to the pleasure of eating it. Anticipation is also a seasoning that enhances the taste of the dish.”

“Euhahaha! You’ve become much more flexible. But I don’t hate that side of you.”

“……”

Horizon turned around and left Potsdam.

To think that he would hear such words from Horizon, who hated and despised humans.

“As expected of my lord. He’s very popular with elves.”

“What, did the kid even seduce a man? I can’t let my guard down.”

Cainchel shrugged his shoulders and headed to the Vlad Grand Duchy.

It was located about half a day’s ride from Potsdam.

“This is the Vlad Grand Duchy…”

A magnificent stone building stood there, as if to announce that it was the tomb of a great man.

As a place visited by royalty every year, it was well maintained even after a thousand years.

Phiedel, who got off his horse, stroked the inscription on the tombstone and muttered.

“Look, benefactor. There’s nothing but a vast plain.”

“Let’s check for a moment.”

Cainchel closed his eyes and activated Fallen Star [a skill that detects magical anomalies].

If there was a monster farm here, there would be some reaction.

“…Found it.”

“What, what’s there?”

Cainchel lowered his head and looked at the ground.

A huge hostility was crawling out from deep below.

“Why are you looking at the ground? Keek, s-surely there are monsters there?”

“Yes, I think so. I feel a tremendous hostility from under my feet right now.”

“Ugh! So the entire plain we’ve been riding on is a monster farm! I’m totally creeped out right now.”

Leman, a vampire, sleeps in Cainchel’s cloak during the sunny daytime.

But from now on, his guidance was needed.

“Leman, wake up. We’ve arrived. Tell me how to get inside.”

“…Um, already? Then I’ll transform back into human form.”

The bat’s form blurred and instantly transformed into a child of about 10 years old.

Elizabeth put her hand on Leman’s shoulder and lifted him up.

“Why did you get so young? But you’re surprisingly cute?”

“It’s a clone made from a part of my blood, so it can’t be helped. Please put me down.”

“Ah, sorry.”

Leman approached the stone wall commemorating Grand Duke Vlad.

He scratched the tip of his finger with his sharp fangs, and blood dripped down.

He drew an unknown letter with it.

“According to the great blood oath, a member of Richard von Freremang requests that you guide this body to your master.”

Then the stone wall opened, revealing a deep, dark passage leading somewhere.

Leman still held out his finger, dripping with blood.

“Please take a drop each.”

“What, you want me to drink that? Surely you don’t think I don’t know what happens if I drink a vampire’s blood?”

“It’s okay. A single drop of blood cannot make someone a complete subordinate [a vampire’s thrall]. Only those with vampire blood can enter from here.”

“Tch, then I have no choice.”

In the end, not only Elizabeth but also Cainchel and Phiedel drank Leman’s blood.

Then the Gourmet skill was activated.

[Vampire Freremang’s Blood]

* Consuming a large amount will transform the body into a vampire.

* The blood concentration is low, so it is not affected by ‘subordination’.

It seems Leman’s words are true.

Cainchel, who drank Leman’s blood, stepped into the underground passage leading to the Vlad Grand Duchy.

How many minutes had passed? A huge cavity with a faint light appeared.

Leman said in a strangely lively voice.

“It’s a moonstone containing the energy of the moon. Just as sunlight gives vitality to humans, moonlight strengthens the power of vampires.”

“Hmm, I was wondering why I was so sleepy, and that was the culprit.”

“Isn’t big sister always sleepy?”

“Just because I treat you like you’re cute doesn’t mean you can keep climbing on me?”

Elizabeth and Leman were bickering for a moment.

Thump, thump!

A man with faded gray hair appeared with the sound of the stone wall ringing.

It’s hard to guess his age just by looking at his face.

He seemed like a wise man who understood the truth of ancient times, but at some point, he turned into a young man full of energy.

As the cloak fluttered, dust that seemed to have been there for decades swirled.

The elderly sage opened his mouth.

“Richard? You seem to be getting younger and younger.”

“It’s been a while, Grandpa Dracula.”

Grand Duke Vlad Dracula glanced at the group and asked.

“A sword master and a descendant of Acad [referring to Phiedel, from the Acad Empire]? There’s no way you could have made them subordinates with your skills. What wind blew you here?”

“It’s not me who has business, it’s my lord.”

“Lord?”

“I’ve come to serve my lord this time.”

It was unprecedented in history for a human to have a vampire as a subordinate.

Dracula’s eyes lit up like a child who had found a toy.

“I guess you have to live a long time to see something like this. So, Leman’s lord. What brings you to me, Dracula?”

Dracula exuded a terrifying aura just by speaking.

Vampire Dracula, who had sucked the blood of countless monsters for nearly a thousand years.

He already had power close to a demigod.

A single drop of Dracula’s blood could turn over a thousand people into subordinates.

If what he wanted was human blood, Deutschland would be called the Vlad Empire.

Phiedel’s hand trembled.

Phiedel’s instincts, who had grown up as royalty since childhood, sensed Dracula’s fear.

“Are you really Grand Duke Vlad?”

“Yes, child of Chronos.”

Chronos was the name of the first emperor who founded the Acad Empire.

Dracula spoke of it as if he were calling a close friend.

“I’ll ask you just one thing. Why did you leave him?”

“I just needed a place to rest. I helped him according to the contract. And I received this place in return.”

“…Understood.”

Among the heroic tales left by Chronos and Grand Duke Vlad, there were plenty of stories of friendship and love.

Phiedel grew up listening to them. And he wanted to become a great king like Chronos.

But the heroic stories that Grand Duke Vlad showed were simply because of a contract!

A dark shadow fell over Phiedel’s eyes.

“I don’t think you came here to ask such a thing. I want to rest. Tell me what you need.”

Dracula erases the memories of any human who accidentally sets foot here and sends them back out.

The only reason he listened to the story was because of Richard’s request, who was one of the few remaining of his kind.

Cainchel took a step forward and said.

“I want to make a deal.”

“Were you a merchant?”

“I’m not a merchant, I’m a chef. I want the monster meat that Grand Duke Dracula has.”

“Hahaha, a chef? Aren’t you a sword master?”

“Then let’s just say I’m a sword master who cooks.”

Dracula burst into hearty laughter as if he was dumbfounded.

Even Phiedel, who was royalty, was kneeling under his aura.

But he was facing him with an indifferent expression.

“The monster meat left over after sucking blood is just a byproduct. I give it to other monsters as food or destroy the leftovers with magic. I can give it to you if you want. But, I want to see your skills as a chef in front of me.”

Dracula did not miss the strong smell of blood on Cainchel’s body.

Cow, pig, chicken, duck, goose.

The blood of many animals was mixed together. He must be making dishes using animal blood to keep Leman by his side.

But Dracula had lived much longer than Leman, who was only 300 years old.

He had tasted all the blood dishes that existed on the entire continent.

But the best thing is to stick your teeth in and suck fresh blood.

“I want to tell you in advance that I’m different from Richard, who has childish tastes. I enjoy the raw blood of monsters more than anything else.”

“Isn’t it a chef’s pride to satisfy customers with picky tastes?”

“Hahaha! That’s a great confidence.”

“I learned to cook from the best teacher.”

“I think I know why Richard chose you as his lord. If you make a dish that satisfies me, I will provide you with what you want. But, if you fail, don’t even think about getting out of here safely.”

Then Phiedel, who had been intimidated, sighed in relief.

“There’s no way the food my benefactor makes will be bad, so I’m relieved.”

“That’s right. Let’s cook quickly, get the monster meat, and go back.”

Dracula muttered with a strangely depressed expression when he didn’t get the reaction he expected.

“…It seems you are trusted by your companions.”

“Everyone is a customer who likes my cooking.”

Elizabeth muttered as if she was dumbfounded.

“Cus, customers? Kid, that’s not right…”

“Then follow me.”

Dracula led Cainchel to a farm where he was raising various monsters.

@

There were almost all the monsters Cainchel knew.

“Goblins, orcs, kobolds, and ogres… I don’t even know how many there are in total.”

“Goodness! There’s even a Twin Head Ogre!”

“Wow, that’s a Giant Sand Worm? Where do you get the food? And there are trolls, subspecies, and variants… It’s literally a monster farm.”

If all those monsters were released, something terrible would happen to Deutschland.

Fortunately, perhaps because of Dracula’s taste for not sucking human blood, there were no half-human, half-beast monsters.

“They’ve all drunk my blood and become my subordinates, so they won’t bite or harm you.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“You can use as many ingredients as you want. But there’s no kitchen, is that okay?”

Cainchel took out a cooking table from his two-dimensional pocket.

It was something he always carried around so he could cook anywhere.

“…I think I said something unnecessary.”

“And beef blood is enough for the ingredients.”

“I don’t know what kind of dish you’re going to make, but it’s better to use monster blood if possible. I’m tired of eating too much beef.”

“If you change the cooking method, even familiar ingredients will taste completely different.”

“Then I’ll happily wait.”

Phiedel asked Cainchel, who had started cooking in earnest.

“Benefactor. It will be difficult to satisfy Grand Duke Vlad with a simple blood dish.”

“It’s okay. What I’m going to make is not a simple blood dish.”

Cainchel recalled the story he had heard from Leman.

It contained the whole story of the incident that made Dracula stop sucking human blood.

“Blood soup with tears. With this, I can convey the heart of Princess Leia, who died at the hands of Grand Duke Vlad over a thousand years.”

Acad Empire’s Secret #3