Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 224

Arriving at Brittan Royal Castle, Cainchel, guided by the Chief Secretary, was able to meet the current Royal Chef.

Elizabeth insisted on following him, determined to see things through.

However, her injuries were too severe, and the Royal Physician, grabbing her by the collar, dragged her away.

The current Royal Chef was Chef Sanders.

A veteran of over 30 years in the kitchen, he felt a deep sense of loyalty to Gordon Lambolton.

He bowed with an embarrassed expression at Cainchel’s request to use the kitchen.

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that would be difficult. Ah, it’s not that I don’t recognize Duke Cainchel’s skills. In fact, it’s because you’re *too* good at cooking.”

“Is that a problem?”

“…Yes. His Majesty Aslan is avoiding gourmet food. So the food cooked here is deliberately made to taste…unpleasant. No matter how much Duke Cainchel asks, I can’t break that rule.”

Sanders let out a sigh so loud it seemed like he was about to suffocate.

Regardless of the rules, the man before him was the Sword Master of Diligence and the great hero who ended the War of the Seven Deadly Sins. He desperately wanted to grant his request.

“Ah… then how about this? If you absolutely must cook, I can recommend a nearby restaurant. The facilities are good and clean; I think Duke Cainchel will find it suitable.”

Cainchel shook his head.

It only made sense to cook here, where Emperor Aslan, who was sealing the Seven Deadly Sins within his own body, resided.

Of course, he could easily get what he wanted by using force.

However, Cainchel was also a chef. He wanted to respect the Royal Chef as much as possible.

The problem was solved by a completely unexpected person.

“It’s been a while, Sir Cainchel.”

Cainchel turned towards the voice.

There stood a woman in the Deus Order’s [a religious order] bishop’s robes, someone familiar to Cainchel.

“Archbishop Caroline, why are you here?!”

The Royal Family and the Deus Order respected each other but didn’t interfere much in each other’s affairs.

No matter how talented Caroline was, even as a potential future cardinal, she couldn’t freely enter the Royal Palace.

Then Caroline smiled and said.

“Even though I’m married out [referring to her commitment to the Deus Order], I don’t need permission to enter my own home.”

“…This is your home?!”

“Yes. Caroline is my baptismal name. The name I used before joining the Order is Guinevere.”

Only then did Cainchel realize why Guinevere von Pendragon’s identity had been shrouded in mystery.

To think she had entrusted herself to the Deus Order.

Caroline bowed to Cainchel.

“I didn’t deliberately hide it. In fact, until recently, I didn’t even know I was a princess.”

At that moment, a fact flashed through Cainchel’s mind like lightning.

The Holy Emperor Aslan sacrificed precious things to seal the Seven Deadly Sins.

Could it be that this resulted in entrusting his only daughter to the Order?

And perhaps Caroline regained her lost memories because…

“Yes. That’s right. It was the Jewel Ice Cream that Sir Cainchel made that restored my memories. When I ate it, the fog in my head began to clear little by little. And half a year ago, I was able to fully regain my memories.”

It was around the time Cainchel became a Sword Master and received the title of Diligence from Aslan.

“Have you met Emperor Aslan?”

“Fortunately, he remembered that I was a princess. But that’s all. His Majesty has nothing left now. Emotions, desires, even the love for his daughter have all disappeared…”

Caroline knelt before Cainchel and bowed her head.

“Why, why are you doing this, Princess?! Please get up!”

“I’m not speaking as a princess, but as Caroline, who loves the ice cream Sir Cainchel makes more than anything else. Please save Emperor Aslan… no, Father, just like you woke up Frellia!”

Chef Sanders had already fainted, foaming at the mouth.

He couldn’t bear the shocking truth.

Cainchel took a slow, deep breath and grabbed the kitchen knife from his waist.

“That’s what I came here to do in the first place. Then let’s start cooking.”

* * *

He had already decided what to make.

Chicken soup and beef stew, the most common beef dish in Britannia.

It was a dish made by simmering meat, potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables with various spices.

It was such a common dish that everyone had eaten it at least once.

What better dish to capture the hearts of so many people?

Cainchel explained the cooking process to Caroline, who was looking at him with a desperate expression.

“First, I’m going to make a Brown Roux [a mixture of butter and flour used as a base for sauces], which is the base of the stew. First, melt butter in a heated pan, then stir in flour. The ratio is really important, but this time I’m going to add a little more flour. I’m going to put a lot of meat and vegetables in it, so it’s really important to adjust the consistency.”

It takes some skill to take the pot off the heat to cool it down so it doesn’t burn, and then stir it again.

As he continued to stir the roux, it turned a deep brown color, and a savory smell began to waft out.

Cainchel cut the beef into bite-sized pieces and seasoned it with salt and pepper.

Then, he sprinkled a spoonful of flour and mixed it gently.

This will make the meat look appetizingly brown when it’s cooked.

Plus, it adds to the flavor of the wheat.

Once the meat is ready, it’s time to prepare the vegetables.

“Onion Swordsmanship… !”

The number of blades, which was only seven when he fought Basaago, had increased to eight.

It was Cainchel at his best, showing his true skills when he had to cook.

In an instant, the onions, carrots, potatoes, and celery were transformed into bite-sized pieces.

The other chefs who were watching Cainchel cook widened their eyes.

“A, amazing! His kitchen knife and body are moving as one! You can’t even see the trajectory of the blade!”

All ingredients must maintain the same state.

This is to prevent some from being overcooked while others remain undercooked.

He oiled a well-seasoned pan and started frying the meat first.

Cainchel added a little thyme to remove the gamey smell of the meat and give it a good aroma.

Once the surface color turns light brown, it’s time for the rest of the ingredients to appear.

Sizzle-!

As he stirred the ingredients well, the hearts contained in the dishes he had made came to mind.

Meliot, who made a soup that warmed the soul for his sick lover.

His ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’.

Princess Leah’s ‘Tears of Blood Soup’, which she cooked to convey her feelings to a lover she thought she could never be with.

The girl’s contradiction was contained in the ‘Self-Contradictory Calf Liver Steak’, who had to abandon her name to replace her dead brother but could not become stronger no matter how much she wielded her sword.

And Bathory’s ‘Melt-in-Your-Heart Lava Cake’, which contained her heart to save her father, who had become a beast.

Numerous hearts melted into the ingredients that Cainchel was frying.

Then, a fragrance that was so rich that it was almost sweet began to emanate.

Caroline’s face, which had been tense, softened like dried seaweed in water.

“Haa… Sir Cainchel’s cooking is really the best… It’s like my whole body is melting…”

Once the vegetables and meat start to cook deliciously, it’s time to add the broth and tomato paste and simmer.

“Most beef stews sold in restaurants contain demi-glace sauce [a rich brown sauce]. The rich taste is good, but this time it’s home-style, so I’m going to simply flavor it with dark beer.”

Caroline nodded, her mouth open.

“I remember eating stew cooked like that in the training center. They said that beer makes the meat tender and enhances the flavor.”

Cainchel used beer to deglaze the ingredients stuck to the pot.

This will melt all the flavors contained in the ingredients into the stew.

Pour in beef broth until the ingredients are submerged, and add three spoonfuls of tomato paste to prepare the beef stew.

“Because there are a lot of vegetables in it, it can become too watery. So I’m going to add the brown roux I made in advance to adjust the consistency.”

“It’s easier than I thought?”

“I’ll teach you next time, so would you like to make it yourself? If it contains the heart of thinking about the person you’re going to serve, it will definitely be delicious.”

“Ooh-hoo-hoo, thank you. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Cainchel sprinkled cloves and bay leaves to add flavor, then put the pan in the oven.

Now, simmer it for a very long time until the beef becomes tender and all the flavors of the ingredients are extracted.

Without rushing, with persistence.

So that the heart contained in it can be conveyed to everyone.

The smell of beef stew slowly began to spread.

Beyond the Imperial Castle, to the entire Britannia.

* * *

Frellia, who was dozing off in a chair, woke up without realizing it from the delicious smell wafting from somewhere.

“Huh? Why am I sleeping here?”

She was in Britannia because of the bakery alliance.

Then she was so busy that she forgot to eat ice cream.

“Ugh, I almost slept for days. But why is the curse of sloth lifted even though I didn’t eat ice cream…”

At that moment, for some reason, Frellia’s eyes turned red.

She felt the love of a man who cooked chicken soup for his sick lover.

“…Ah.”

Such sublime love.

Frellia was certain that the woman the man loved must have been happy until the very last moment.

And she realized that his heart had healed her curse.

The miracle was not only for Frellia.

“Oh… William…! Do you recognize me?! Look, I told you! My son will definitely come back alive!”

“Huh? What was I doing here? Why am I tied to a rope…? What? I was crazy for a while? What the hell is the curse of anger!?”

“Y, honey! Jonathan!”

The smell of beef stew spread throughout Britannia on the wind.

The heart contained in the dish was conveyed to everyone.

“Is it possible that the son of a forester can’t even chop firewood properly?! Damn it! Let’s see who wins from now on… Ugh! Th, that’s it! I chopped the firewood! I can now follow in my father’s footsteps… !”

“Haa… Where is this delicious smell coming from?”

“…Don’t panic, I’m just hungry. I’ll ask my stomach. What do you want to eat?”

“Closing my eyes and smelling the stew makes me suddenly think of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast.”

“Beauty and the Beast?”

“Yeah. It’s a really touching fairy tale…”

Cainchel is just cooking. But in Britannia, dozens, no… hundreds, thousands of miracles were happening at the same time.

The fact was quickly conveyed to the Brittan Royal Castle.

Lohengrin, who temporarily became the captain of the Imperial Guard after Hector, who would be remembered as a noble hero, died, asked his adjutant.

“What the hell is going on in Britannia right now?”

The adjutant stuttered as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Th, that is… The Sword Master of Diligence… no, the Cooking Sword Master, Duke Cainchel, is cooking.”

“Ah, I see. That person is cooking.”

“Is it okay not to stop him?”

“Why should I stop him when he’s making such delicious food? Let’s go get a bowl when it’s done.”

“Haha, I understand. It looks like it’s going to be really delicious.”

Everyone in Britannia had a happy expression on their faces at the smell of the beef stew that Cainchel was cooking.

It was the day that the title ‘Cooking Sword Master’ was strongly imprinted on their minds.