Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 286

Keinzel watched Abhim, who stood behind the other orcs with a sullen expression.

He was showing Gray an unusual amount of hostility. At first, he thought it was simply because he had been defeated in the duel without being able to do anything.

But it wasn’t.

“Please, feel not just the food, but the heart of the Orc warrior Abhim within it.”

Abhim’s eyes widened at that. The oxtail stew on the counter was definitely a dish that looked incredibly delicious.

“But what on earth are you talking about? My heart is in there?”

Keinzel scratched the back of his head and continued.

“Ol Talmus told me that you are from the Crushed Heart Tribe.”

“…….”

Orcs are divided into hundreds of tribes. What allowed them to unite for the single purpose of independence was one incident.

Hampshire, one of the many territories belonging to the United States of Aragon.

There, a terrible drought had struck. The entire country was drying up to the point where there wasn’t even enough gruel for humans to eat.

Belatedly, the Aragon central government provided food and water. However, it was not enough to feed even the slaves.

The lord made a decision. And he offered rotten food under the guise of providing meals.

‘The orcs who ate it all fell ill, and the Great Lord burned down the slums on the grounds that there was an epidemic.’

The Crushed Heart Tribe was annihilated at that time. And Abhim was its only survivor.

That was all Keinzel knew. Abhim’s arms began to tremble.

The past he wanted to forget, or rather, had to forget, was resurfacing.

With a heart bleeding, he brought up the story he had kept deep inside.

“The Lord of Hampshire used physically strong orcs as gatekeepers to guard the castle. Orcs branded with a mark didn’t need to be paid separately, and they were steadfast and never betrayed him. I was the same.”

Abhim smiled bitterly as he looked at his muscles, which were twitching as if about to burst.

“From the time I was weaned and started holding farming tools, my strength was enormous. I could smash a large tree with my bare hands. The Lord of Hampshire, who noticed this, told me to become a gatekeeper and work at the castle. To be honest, I was happy. I thought that if I worked hard, I could make at least the Hampshire territory a place where orcs and humans could live together. Of course, the tribal chief opposed it to the end, saying that we shouldn’t trust humans.”

However, Abhim swore allegiance to the Lord of Hampshire and became a soldier in order to change the territory and the tribe.

“At first, it was pretty good. My swordsmanship skills increased day by day as if a fish had found water [a metaphor for thriving in a suitable environment], and I was able to gain the lord’s trust to some extent. Then, when there was a little less rain, a terrible drought came that dried up the reservoir and cracked the rice paddies. You probably already know what happened after that.”

“…….”

“Do you know what’s interesting? The reason why humans were able to endure until the central government’s support began was because we shared the beast meat and tree nuts that had been stored in the Crushed Heart Tribe. But that vile lord bastard…….”

After the tribesmen had eaten all the food they had saved, the Lord of Hampshire killed all the orcs in order to reduce the number of mouths to feed.

Abhim’s hands trembled even more violently.

“……I believed in that man until the very last moment. He said that the territory was able to survive because of the orcs, so he would definitely repay this favor. I was promised private property and the same treatment as humans. I was happy. I had received compensation for more than ten years of loyalty. And then he gave me food, saying that support had arrived from the central government.”

Abhim returned to the tribe with the food he had received from the lord, feeling like he was about to fly.

“Do you understand? Everyone believed and ate what I brought……! In the end, it was as if I had killed all the tribesmen……. Haa, haa……. But you’re saying that all of that heart is in here?”

‘I have received your heart, Abhim, wishing for your tribe to live a slightly better life.’

Although his story ended in an absurd tragedy, Keinzel’s dish was not yet complete.

Keinzel shook his head without a word.

“You can eat oxtail stew as it is. But the dish I’m actually making is stew pasta.”

“Stew pasta?!”

Keinzel began to scrape off the blackened bits from the pot.

It was the most delicious and wonderful-tasting part of any solid broth in the world.

Then, he took a generous portion of the thickened stew and sprinkled finely grated Parmesan cheese on top.

This would bring the taste of the pasta to its limit.

Then, he took out the oxtail that had been simmering in the oven until it was tender. And he deboned it.

“Now, I’m going to boil some pre-kneaded pasta and mix it with the stew.”

Abhim looked at Keinzel with a betrayed expression. However, it is a very common method to add some processing to the finished stew to make it more delicious.

Keinzel began to boil fettuccine, a wide pasta that goes well with rich sauces.

The orc chefs sniffed at the smell of the pasta cooking. It will be a long time before they learn how to make noodles.

However, they could instinctively feel how excellent Keinzel’s noodle-kneading skills were.

“It’s cooked very well. Then, put the noodles directly into the bowl with this wonderful oxtail stew. The taste drops sharply when it cools down. The important thing here is to mix in a little of the cooking water. This will make the stew stick to the pasta and give it a richer flavor.”

Then, the stew, in which everything from vegetables to meat was melted, and the salty pasta became as if they were originally one body.

Abhim realized why Gran Gray said that his heart was in this dish.

It was just the pasta cooking water, but by mixing it in a little, the stew and pasta were combined into one.

Abhim, who swore allegiance to the human lord and became a soldier in the body of an orc.

What he wanted was to become the noodle water himself.

“So here is the stew pasta flavored with oxtail and various vegetables. Please taste it before it gets cold.”

The plate was filled with well-boiled pasta noodles, steaming hot, along with a dark brown stew.

All of this was the magic of water. It was just amazing.

Abhim grabbed the fork as if he was possessed by something. And he vigorously twirled the pasta.

The dark brown stew gave off an indescribably rich smell.

He takes it to his mouth with the oxtail cut into bite-sized pieces.

“……!?”

Delicious…….

I wanted to list a lot of great rhetoric, but that was the only conclusion.

The first thing you feel is the soft texture of the oxtail, which has been simmered for almost half a day.

It was so tender that it melted and disappeared in your mouth. Who would have thought that oxtail would be so delicious?

“Hoo…….”

Soon, as the meat disappeared in his mouth, a sigh of regret escaped.

The taste of the stew, which was full of the umami [a savory taste] of meat and vegetables, was so intense that his mind went blank for a moment.

He slurped the pasta noodles, which were generously coated with it, with a cheerful sound.

And when he chewed slowly, the taste that had been concentrated for half a day exploded.

Every time you take a bite, it tastes different, so you keep eating it.

Also, how on earth was the fettuccine boiled? It was chewy and strangely elastic. It was a little salty, so it seemed delicious enough to eat just the noodles.

“Haa…….”

For some reason, hot tears welled up in Abhim’s eyes.

He just wanted to become noodle water. He just thought that he couldn’t get anything without trusting someone.

But the Crushed Heart Tribe was annihilated as its name suggested, and Abhim was the only one left.

The longing that had continued since then had allowed Abhim to survive until now.

Keinzel approached Abhim, who was frantically eating stew pasta, and whispered.

“What if the Crushed Heart Tribe wasn’t completely wiped out?”

“Wh, what do you mean…….”

“Even if there was an epidemic, isn’t it strange that the entire tribe was wiped out? I heard from a cowboy working there that there were some people from the Crushed Heart Tribe mixed in among the slaves.”

Abhim’s eyes widened. Of course, only a very small portion of the whole would have survived. But it is enough to atone for Abhim, who massacred his clan because of a wrong choice.

“Oh, and the place to be liberated using water cuisine has been decided as the Hampshire territory.”

“……Then, can I save my clan from the brand with my strength?”

“That depends on the dish you make from now on.”

Abhim’s eyes began to burn with a strong will. But the reaction was strange.

“Gran Gray……. I don’t know how to repay you. Ah, if you’re okay with it, would you like to meet my daughter? She’s very beautiful.”

“……I’ll just take the thought.”

At the same time, the Jomakyung [a magical artifact] vibrated with a tremendous notification sound.

[7-star dish ‘Stew Pasta with Atonement and Longing’ has been completed.]

[Apprentice Orc chefs are beginning to look at you with respectful eyes.]

[The proficiency of Aura Blade greatly increases.]

When I checked, the regeneration amplification and pasta-related skills had increased dramatically overall. It’s definitely a 7-star dish. Every time I make it, I get stronger beyond recognition.

However, there was something strangely concerning about Abhim’s story.

‘By the way, how was the Crushed Heart Tribe able to preserve food during the long drought? Surely the only cooking method orcs can do is grilling over a fire.’

Perhaps this will be an opportunity to fill the last slot of sous vide [a cooking technique].

Keinzel looked at the apprentice chefs burning with motivation and vigorously raised his kitchen knife.

“Then, let’s make the stew you just ate as quickly as possible. Now, let’s try peeling potatoes again.”

“Yes, Chef!”

* * *

After that, in just one week, the orc chefs became so familiar with cooking that they were able to make a 4-star stew.

The monster meat that Talmus grilled and distributed to the clan was 3 stars.

This was a sufficient grade to remove the brand.

However, first, we need to test how far water cuisine can go.

Abhim rode a wyvern and rescued an orc who was living as a slave in Oakland.

The slave trembled, looking at his fellow tribesmen with an uneasy face.

“Orc, must do what master says. Good weather today. Must work to eat.”

Royten brought the beef stew he had made all night. Making it with oxtail is the most delicious, but there is not enough quantity to feed thousands of people.

“Try this, comrade.”

Royten moved his trembling hands and put the stew in the orc slave’s mouth.

Then, an amazing thing happened.

“What is this rich and thick taste……. I’ve never eaten such delicious food before……. Huh? What am I doing here…….”

“Ar, are you coming to your senses?!”

Joy appeared on Royten’s face. He ran to Keinzel, who was watching from behind with a satisfied expression, and grabbed his hand.

“The compatriot has really come to his senses! Cooking is such a wonderful thing! It’s all thanks to Gran Gray!”

“It’s not over yet. Why do you keep trying to put that damn peppermint in the stew? I clearly said that rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf go best with it.”

“Rosemary is all gone…….”

“And I’ve told you so many times that you have to grill the meat once before putting it in the stew. But you just put in raw meat, right?”

“Hu, heok……. Ho, how did you…….”

If you only boil it without grilling it in advance, the meat will become tough.

Keinzel quietly sighed. If he hadn’t helped, it would have been difficult to get even 3 stars, let alone 4 stars.

“Besides, where did the Parmesan cheese go? I clearly said that you have to sprinkle it on at the end to complete the dish.”

“……I’m sorry, Chef.”

Ol Talmus tilted his head and tasted the stew in the pot.

“Hmm? It’s just super delicious, I don’t know why Gran Gray has so many complaints.”

“Everything.”

Keinzel quietly sighed. Somehow, he is becoming more and more like Gordon Lambolton [a famous chef known for his high standards].

However, there was still a long and arduous path of training left for the orcs to get rid of their apprentice status.