Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 264

Siana’s eyes began to tremble violently, grappling with a reality she couldn’t comprehend.

She had attacked Cainchel with the intent to capture him and deliver him to Gottfried.

But the thought of being so easily overpowered was jarring.

A poison? A weapon? Or magic?

Numerous possibilities raced through Siana’s mind. The unfamiliar sensation in her mouth was unlike anything she’d ever experienced.

“…H, Hieon.”

It was a freshly baked bread, steam curling upwards.

“Careful not to burn your tongue; it’s hot.”

It felt absurd, like being a guest at a bizarre restaurant.

She detected no hostility from him. Almost unconsciously, Siana bit into the bread in her mouth.

And then she realized she was making a grave error.

This wasn’t just bread. It was a hot dog, complete with a perfectly grilled sausage, mustard, and chili sauce.

A common street food in El Akard.

“What the heck is going on…?!”

Why would someone suddenly offer a hot dog to their opponent in the middle of a fight?

It was impossible to communicate with a mouthful of bread.

Reluctantly, Siana decided to swallow, chewing vigorously.

“…!”.

But the taste was extraordinary.

The first thing she noticed was the flavor of the expertly baked bread. The outside was golden brown, crispy, and savory.

But the inside, subtly sweet, was moist and soft.

This wasn’t just a hot dog carrier; it was bread that could be savored on its own.

Her astonishment at the bread’s taste was fleeting. The flavor of the sausage exploded in her mouth.

The grilled skin snapped satisfyingly, releasing a burst of juicy flavor.

“…What is this sausage? It’s incredibly delicious.”

The aura that had been binding Siana’s arms had dissipated.

However, she was so engrossed in the taste of the hot dog that she didn’t even notice.

She ended up grabbing the hot dog with both hands and devouring it.

The true magic of a hot dog lies in the harmony of the spicy chili sauce and the exquisitely seasoned sausage.

In that respect, the hot dog she was currently eating was by far the best she had ever tasted.

“…Especially the minced onions hidden beneath the sausage, practically invisible, are truly exceptional. The unique, pungent, and spicy aroma is amplified, making it a perfect complement to the rich, smoked meat. And this tangy flavor is…”.

“That’s onion that has been soaked in cold water to remove the harshness, then lightly seasoned with wine vinegar and oregano. It’s a common preparation in Macedonia [a region in southeastern Europe], but it surprisingly complements hot dogs well, don’t you think?”

“…”

Siana stared at Cainchel with a dumbfounded expression.

The chili sauce smeared on her fingertips confirmed that what had just transpired was real.

“Sir Schleicher. Do you know who I am?”

Siana’s eyes began to tremble so violently it was pitiful.

“You are to be captured alive by order of His Majesty Gottfried… No, wait, the one I swore allegiance to is His Majesty Phidley… Ugh, ugh…”

Siana clutched her head in agony for a moment. Then, she abruptly drew the dagger she wore on her hip and stabbed herself in the thigh.

The thick fog that had clouded her mind instantly cleared.

“Hic… My head feels clearer now. I’m sorry, Duke Cainchel. I think I was out of my mind for a moment.”

Cainchel nodded with a satisfied expression. As expected, eating a 6-star hot dog breaks brainwashing. It must be a power akin to the curse of the Seven Deadly Sins [a reference to a popular anime/manga series].

“Then, can you explain what happened in Weimar?”

“Before that, I have a question. It seems like I regained my senses because I ate the hot dog, is that right?”

“It seems that way.”

Siana pointed to the Sky Knights who were tied up by the vines created by Horizon.

“I know it’s presumptuous to ask this after attacking you… But could you please share the hot dogs with my subordinates as well? Please.”

Cainchel smiled and nodded.

“I was planning to do that anyway.”

He had made and brought plenty of 6-star hot dogs just in case. Enough for all twenty or so knights to eat.

He took out the slightly frozen hot dogs from the dimensional pocket and thawed them with Flambe’s flames.

The trick was to slightly undercook them, anticipating that they would be heated again.

The steaming hot dogs looked delicious just by looking at them.

‘I’m completely used to frozen food now.’

“Horizon, please help feed the knights.”

“Hmph! Do you think I’m some kind of nanny? …Well, if you ask me so nicely, I’ll do it once.”

Of course, he had never actually asked nicely. That’s Horizon’s charm: grumbling while complying.

“Spirits of the trees…!”

At Horizon’s gesture, the vines that had been wrapped around the knights’ bodies slithered away.

The blood of the ancient Dryad [a tree nymph in Greek mythology] flows through his body.

It is said that he can manipulate plants as he wishes or temporarily accelerate their growth.

At first, they had to force the hot dogs into the knights’ mouths, but after tasting them, they began to grab them and eat them on their own.

“Whoa! What is this hot dog…! It’s so delicious!?”

“Yeah! The chewy sausage is the best!”

“…Huh? What have I been doing here until now? Ugh! My leg is broken!?”

After a brief commotion, Cainchel was finally able to hear the real story.

* * *

Siana von Schleicher was pursuing the escaped Gottfried under orders to capture him.

“I was able to locate the man’s whereabouts sooner than I expected. He was waiting at the harbor as if he wanted to be caught. But…”

Gottfried was surprisingly relaxed.

Even though the Sky Knights were providing security, they couldn’t withstand even a single blow from a Sword Master [a highly skilled swordsman].

Then, Gottfried smiled at Siana and said this.

― In the name of ○○○○. Become my bloodkin.

“…From then on, I became a loyal servant to Gottfried, to the point where I would stab myself in the heart if he told me to commit suicide.”

“Hmm…”

There are many kinds of black magic that can erase the opponent’s consciousness and manipulate them as desired.

However, that only creates a puppet that can barely perform simple commands. It doesn’t even bring out 1/10 of the original power.

But Gottfried made her a puppet while maintaining her full power.

“Making someone a slave just by giving orders… I suspect his unique ability, ‘Bloodkin,’ is activated in a different way.”

“That’s the thing…”

Siana was sweating profusely and flustered.

Even though it was something she did while not in her right mind, she had committed an unforgivable act of rudeness to Phidley’s benefactor.

Cainchel smiled and put his index finger to his lips.

“Let’s take this to the grave. I was never attacked today.”

“…Wahahaha. Thank you so much.”

Siana was said to be in her late 40s, but she looked very young for her age.

She looked about the same age as Cainchel at most.

Moreover, there was the existence of the Aura Blade, which had tremendous versatility called Furinkazan [referencing a Japanese military banner meaning “as fast as the wind, as silent as the forest, as daring as fire, as immovable as the mountain”].

Perhaps she was also a descendant of a god or some ancient species.

Siana continued her explanation with a much more relaxed expression.

“Gottfried… That traitor has the blood of a dragon flowing through his body. It is a power that has been passed down through the El Akard royal family for generations.”

Cainchel recalled what he had heard from Phidley two years ago.

‘Adolf, who is now dead, inherited a fragment of the Dragon Heart, and Gottfried inherited the blood, right?’

For reference, Cainchel ate all of the dragon meat that was supposed to be Phidley’s share.

He promised to share it when he could cook, but it was so delicious that he couldn’t help himself.

‘Hmm…, now that I think about it, I feel a little guilty. I should at least make him a wyvern [a dragon-like creature with two legs and wings] roast instead of a dragon.’

Gottfried, the man who gained the unique ability ‘Bloodkin’ due to the blood of the dragon.

“However, there are several conditions that must be met in order to activate the Bloodkin ability. First of all, there must be a master-servant relationship. Like a king and his subjects, or a master and his slaves.”

Moreover, they have to perform a ritual of sharing blood. As powerful as the ability is, there are many restrictions attached to it.

“But you’re saying he’s using the Bloodkin ability without any conditions?”

“That’s right. The moment I looked into his eyes and heard his voice, I became someone who could never disobey his orders. How on earth did he gain such an ability…?”

What’s even more frightening is that nearly thousands of people have already become Gottfried’s slaves.

If he is given enough time, the entire continent may fall into his grasp.

Cainchel’s eyes narrowed.

“Are you familiar with the demons of the crossroads?”

“Yes. I heard that a contractor appeared in the Ottoman Empire [a historical empire centered in present-day Turkey]. And that Duke Cainchel took care of it.”

“As expected of the intelligence agency that El Akard is so proud of.”

“Wahahaha… But the reason why demons often appear at crossroads is because that’s where the two worlds connect. But the traitor was confined to the countryside of El Akard. Where on earth did he meet the demon?”

There was one thing that came to mind.

“Perhaps the entire El Akard is a crossroads. Because it is a country created by the intersection of two completely different races, humans and elves.”

Siana nodded as if in agreement.

“…That certainly makes sense. In the first place, a crossroads is not simply a road, but a matter of concept. Then the problem is what kind of demon the traitor contracted with. I think we’ll have to investigate that separately.”

“I know a demon expert; I’ll contact him right away.”

“A demon expert? Are you perhaps talking about an Inquisitor [an official of the Inquisition, a historical institution of the Catholic Church]?”

“He’s much more knowledgeable than those people.”

Siana tilted her head, her eyes wide.

To know someone that even she, the commander of the intelligence agency, doesn’t know. She could see why Phidley treated him as a benefactor.

“But I don’t know if we’ll have time to go meet him now.”

“No, there’s no need to go meet him. I have a way to contact him.”

“Is it some kind of magic tool?”

“Something like that.”

Cainchel gestured towards a bat sitting on a nearby tree, dozing off.

“…Hey, Reman! I told you to stand by for a while, but I don’t think I told you to sleep?”

“Eek, a, a bat!?”

Richard von Prerhmann fluttered and flew up, then was enveloped in smoke.

Where it cleared, there was a boy who looked about ten years old.

“I wasn’t sleeping, Master!”

Then Siana’s eyes lit up.

“Are you perhaps the vampire Prerhmann? I’ve always wanted to meet you! If you don’t mind, would you consider naturalizing to El Akard? I can give you at least a count title with my authority…”

Vampires can turn their bodies into bats and mist. Moreover, they can seduce people with their mystic eyes or read their minds.

An ability that anyone who handles information would covet.

But Reman was firm.

“No can do! My body belongs to Master!”

“…”

For some reason, Siana’s cheeks turned red.

Cainchel lightly ignored the embarrassed Siana and asked Reman to contact another doppelganger.

“Okie dokie! Connected to Teacher Goethe! Just say what you want to say!”

“T, Teacher Goethe, are you perhaps talking about the one who wrote *The Sorrows of Young Werther* [a famous novel by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]?”

“Is there another Goethe?”

“Oh, my… Oh my… As expected, you’re so obsessed with demons that you write such childish scribbles. I want to say this someday if I have the chance. Werther is just lucky and sold a little well. After all, the true great writer on the continent is Teacher Schiller [another famous German writer].”

“…I’ll pass that on to him later. I think he’ll like it in a different way.”

It was a truly refreshing experience, having only met Goethe fans all the time.

Cainchel contacted Goethe, who was hundreds of kilometers away, through Reman. And he passed on the information he had gathered so far.

How much time had passed? The long-awaited answer came back.