Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 284

16. Yearning

Royten led Cainchel to the wyvern he had hidden nearby, where his main body was waiting.

“Please, ride, Lord Gray.”

“Orc ride wyvern.”

Royten grinned and shook his head.

“I know you’ve already been released from the brand. The biggest proof is that you can use Mystic Arts.”

“Orc don’t know hard words.”

“It just means you can speak comfortably. I think it would be better to hear the details from the Chieftain.”

Royten spoke in fluent Common.

He was completely different from the Orc slaves Cainchel had encountered so far.

If it weren’t for his burly, muscular appearance and dark gray skin, one would think he was human.

‘Come to think of it, Karak was like that too. Is there a reason for this?’

He would soon find out.

The wyvern carrying Cainchel and Royten slowly began to flap its wings.

After flying for about half a day, they reached their destination.

It was a huge canyon made of stones and rocks, with small shadows moving between them.

It was a place that was virtually inaccessible without a wyvern.

“This place was originally the residence of the Flame Plunderer tribe. However, All Talmus, who was freed from the brand, rose to the position of Chieftain by uniting the twelve tribes in the vicinity.”

Cainchel’s eyes narrowed as he looked down at the Orc tribe. He could see them grilling and eating what was clearly a monster.

‘They are hunting monsters for food after all.’

As soon as they dismounted from the wyvern, a green-skinned Orc who had been waiting raised his voice.

“Welcome to the Flame Plunderer tribe, young warrior Gray. I am Talmus, the Chieftain of the tribe.”

The armor he was wearing seemed about to burst due to his muscles, which were swollen to the limit. Moreover, his body was more than twice the size of Cainchel’s.

Chieftain Talmus resembled Karak to an uncanny degree, except for the slight wrinkles around his eyes.

“I am Gray.”

Then, a warrior lined up next to Talmus roared, emitting a fierce aura.

“Insolent! How dare you hold your head up high in front of the Chieftain! Show some respect!”

It seemed as if he was saying that if he didn’t like it, he would take the axe he was holding and chop him up.

It was an incredible display of belligerence.

“Stop it. How can you expect someone who has been living among humans to know the tribe’s laws?”

“But isn’t that a bit much?”

“I told you to stop!”

“I, I’m sorry…”

Talmus looked at Cainchel with interest.

He seemed to like the fact that he was not at all intimidated by the tremendous murderous intent.

“Anyway, since you’ve been living among humans, you know very well how the tribe is being treated. Most of the more than a hundred tribes on the continent have been reduced to slavery. If you feel even a little resentment about that fact, I hope you will fight with me. If you are a user of Mystic Arts, you are skilled enough to receive the title of Great Warrior. After performing a sacred ritual, become an official warrior of the tribe.”

“Does the ritual mean a duel?”

“You know it well. Strength is the law. It is natural for the strong to be above. Originally, my son Karak should test your skills, but he is seriously injured and is being treated. Instead, Abhim will be your opponent.”

Then, the warrior who had been prostrating next to Talmus raised his head and began to glare at Cainchel.

He seemed to dislike him quite a bit.

‘It’s only natural that he’s acting like that. They’re trying to put some brat they don’t even know where he came from in a high position.’

In the end, it seemed that he had to win the sparring match with the warrior Abhim in order to continue the conversation properly.

“In the past, we had real sword fights, but we shouldn’t hurt our precious warriors. So, the event will be a hand-to-hand combat.”

“I understand.”

At the same time as he answered, an enormous aura began to emanate from Abhim’s entire body.

‘He is skilled in the use of aura. He is indeed a skilled warrior whom the Chieftain keeps by his side.’

Abhim shouted.

“Don’t be happy just because we’re fighting with fists! I will soon become a Great Warrior! Bare hands are enough to deal with a brat like you!”

Before his voice could fade away, his fist shot out.

The power emanating from his body, which had been strengthened by the aura, was as good as a weapon even without holding one.

If hit directly, it would tear the muscles and break the bones.

Moreover, it was so fast that ordinary people could not even follow the afterimage. It was an attack possible because Orcs have far superior physical abilities compared to humans.

It landed squarely in Cainchel’s abdomen.

Thwack……!

Along with the heavy sensation felt at the fingertips, a thrilling sensation was felt.

A bitter smile appeared on Abhim’s lips. Even if he was lucky enough to awaken Mystic Arts, his opponent was just a brat. The scale of battles he had experienced so far were different.

But something was wrong. Even though he was attacked directly in the abdomen, he didn’t look like he was in pain at all.

“Hmm?”

Only then did Abhim realize that a faint aura was lingering on the opponent’s palm.

He had used it to lightly block his fist.

It was a method that could not be done without knowing exactly where to attack.

A look of bewilderment appeared in Abhim’s eyes.

“What is this…”

“Now it’s my turn.”

Cainchel stepped forward and instantly closed the distance between them.

Clearly, Abhim was faster.

Thanks to Mermaid’s ability, he could become an Orc in appearance, but the essence was still human.

The difference in innate physical abilities could not be helped.

However, Cainchel had long been out of the ordinary.

Thud.

A small sound, less than 1/5 of what it was before, echoed.

However, the shock that Abhim felt was beyond imagination.

“Ugh, cough… !”

It was as if the bones and flesh were separating.

He had only been hit once, but the shock had penetrated through the thick muscles and reached his internal organs.

However, Abhim was not just going to keep getting hit.

He forcibly twisted his shoulder and swung his fist towards Cainchel’s face.

As if he knew he would aim for his face, Cainchel lowered his stance and continued to strike Abhim’s abdomen.

Thud, thwack! Thwack!

The skin cracked and blood splattered from an attack that had only slightly grazed him.

‘His physical abilities are definitely outstanding, but that’s all. Moreover, Meliot was one step ahead in terms of strength and speed.’

It was a waste of strength. That was Cainchel’s cold assessment of Abhim’s fighting style.

Was it necessary to strengthen the muscles of the whole body just to stretch out his arm?

It is best to use seasoning and aura only as much as is needed.

And the Double Booster makes the use of aura even more precise.

“…Hmm.”

A strange groan escaped Talmus’s mouth as he watched the two Orcs sparring from a short distance away.

Abhim is one of the strongest warriors in the tribe who has led numerous battles to victory.

He just couldn’t break through the wall and awaken Mystic Arts, but his skills are as good as a Great Warrior.

But what was going on? Wasn’t he being constantly toyed with by the attacks of a young warrior?

“Especially in terms of power distribution, he is several levels above Abhim. How many actual battles do you have to go through to fight like that?”

“Keah!”

This time, Cainchel’s fist exploded on Abhim’s face.

The power emanating from it was enormous because the shoulder muscles had been strengthened with the Double Booster.

Abhim rolled helplessly to the floor.

There was no shame like this. To be so confident in accepting the duel, only to be beaten without being able to do anything.

The warriors who were watching swallowed hard. The difference was so great even with bare hands. If it was a battle with swords, they wouldn’t have been able to withstand a single blow properly.

Abhim dripped blood from his nose and shouted.

“Not yet… I haven’t lost yet! Come on, brat!”

In the end, Talmus had to step in.

“No, that’s enough.”

“Ch, Chieftain! What do you mean?!”

The difference in skill between the two Orcs was so clear that even a child could tell.

Fighting like this would only inflict greater damage on his remaining pride.

Talmus licked his lips and declared Abhim’s defeat. If Karak had been safe, a much better match would have been made.

For Orcs, it is natural for the strong to be above. There was no need for status or origin.

“From now on, I declare in the name of All Talmus! The title of Great Warrior ‘Gran’ is bestowed upon the tribe’s young warrior Gray!”

“G, Great Warrior?!”

“To that young warrior?!”

“Anyone who is dissatisfied, come forward and apply for a duel according to the honorable ritual!”

“…”

They had seen Abhim getting beaten to a pulp right in front of them.

In the end, not a single Orc voiced any complaints after that.

* * *

To think that he would be accepted as a member of the Orcs so easily.

That meant that Mermaid’s ‘Mimicry’ to change her appearance was amazing.

Even the shaman Royten didn’t notice that there was a human wearing Orc skin in front of him.

Talmus nodded with a satisfied expression, as if he was satisfied with Cainchel’s skills.

“Please understand that I have given you, a young warrior, the heavy title of ‘Gran’. My son Karak was seriously injured in a fight with a vile human Sword Master. The tribe needs a strong warrior.”

‘That human is right here.’

Cainchel felt his mouth twitch and had to pinch his thigh.

If he was caught, he would become the public enemy of the entire Orc race. That’s why he left Gawain in Auckland.

“But what exactly does the brand mean?”

“Kekeke, I’m sorry about this. I was not explaining the most important thing.”

From now on, this was the main point. Sensing this, Cainchel listened to Talmus’s story.

“First of all, I must explain why the Orcs, who once reigned as the rulers of the continent, have fallen into such a state.”

It was something he had heard roughly from Elizabeth before.

The Orcs, who had lost the god they followed, lost their unique belligerence and became beings who could not disobey orders.

“At some point, we began to call it the brand. We couldn’t even fight strong monsters, and just lived by catching and eating weak animals. But fifteen years ago, a cataclysm came to the tribe. We found a way to break free from the brand.”

At Talmus’s gesture, an Orc who had been waiting outside brought a large knife.

“I grilled a plump Giant Toad, would you like to eat it?”

“…I’ll pass.”

“Then we’ll eat it among ourselves.”

Talmus began to cut up the large frog monster that was being grilled in the fireplace. And he distributed it to the other Orcs.

“Grilling and eating the monsters you catch together. This is the only way to break free from the brand.”

“…? !”

Cainchel’s eyes widened.

To think that the way to temporarily regain the connection with the forgotten god was cooking.

Talmus smiled bitterly and continued.

“The Orcs, who once ruled the entire continent, have been reduced to slavery for such an absurd reason. I can’t even laugh when I think about it now.”

It is said that by grilling meat over a fire, offerings can be made to the god in the form of smoke.

Cainchel recalled the principle of smoking that he had heard from Bishop as he looked at the Giant Toad barbecue.

Fire is an interesting phenomenon in itself.

It is not the wood that burns, but the various complex substances inside it that catch fire.

If you cut fresh cherry wood and grill meat, it will have a subtle cherry scent.

That’s because the compounds that create the fruit scent are in the wood.

When meat is cooked, thousands of compounds are created, which makes the taste more complex.

All of that was nothing more than a religious ritual for the Orcs.

“Then why are you leaving the enslaved Orcs as they are? If you grill the meat and share it, won’t their brand disappear too?”

“I thought so at first. But there was a limit to cooking with fire alone. Only about 20% of the total were able to escape. The rest could not be saved no matter what.”

Talmus’s eyes narrowed even further. And he spoke of the tribe’s secrets that he could only hear because he had become a Great Warrior.

“Then the Demon Duke Andras contacted us. He offered to tell us how to cook the remaining sacrifices to offer to the god in exchange for cooperating with him. In order to save the remaining tribe, I had no choice but to follow his words. But don’t worry. I will bear all the sins. That is the destiny given to me as the Chieftain.”

It was the same as having tens of thousands of Orcs held hostage.

At that moment, the scattered puzzle pieces came together to form a strange shape.

The reason why the Orcs have such a burning belligerence is because they have tasted the cooking of fire.

If you think about it that way, there was something missing.

‘Wait a minute… Isn’t fire part of the four elements that can be said to be the symbol of alchemy?’

In addition to fire, it also includes water, wind, and earth.

Maybe the forgotten god that the Orcs are talking about is…

“Talmus-nim [respected title], I’m sorry, but I have just one question. What would you do if you could know the other three cooking methods?”

“Of course, even the soul… S, surely, Gran Gray. Do you even know that?”

Cainchel’s eyes narrowed. It’s not certain, but it’s worth a try.

Maybe he had found an absurd breakthrough to deal with Andras.