Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 290

“I’ll do anything for the sake of the clan.”

His tone was gentle, but his words were resolute.

It meant he would never reveal anything that could be even slightly detrimental to the Orcs.

“The Flame Plunderer Tribe was cooperating with the Demon Archduke Andras until recently, correct?”

“……I won’t deny it.”

That was something Talmus had already admitted.

Talmus had explained that he’d hardened his resolve after the Crushed Heart Tribe was falsely accused and destroyed.

If things continued as they were, the Orcs had no future. They had to achieve complete independence, even if it meant cooperating with demons.

That was his reasoning.

“And you sent your prized Great Warrior to another continent, only for him to return wounded.”

“…….”

“From the start, Andras had no real interest in the independence of the Orcs. He simply needed puppets to do his bidding. The fact that you haven’t received anything of substance in return for your cooperation proves that.”

That was a cold dagger to Talmus’s heart.

It implied that everything he had done for the clan so far had been a waste.

“That’s because the mission failed. If it had succeeded, we would have at least obtained a recipe……”

“Demons never truly give their contractors what they promise unless their own lives are on the line. There are people who have become witches after being deceived by demons’ lies.”

Keinzel briefly recounted the stories of Morgana and Bathory. Talmus then collapsed, as if struck by a terrible blow.

“……So, you’re suggesting that Andras was behind the fall of the Crushed Heart Tribe from the beginning?”

“I have no concrete evidence, of course. But the methods are strikingly similar, especially the way they corner you until you have no other choice.”

Talmus stared at Keinzel, horrified. The only ability Andras could grant was the control of monsters.

It was limited to a few rideable monsters, but Orc shamans could already do that.

That alone couldn’t explain the madness that had swept through the entire Hampshire estate.

“The answer to that was surprisingly close. Didn’t Andras’s agent order Gran Karack to bring someone to him?”

“Yes, he specifically told me to kidnap Prince Gottfried from Deutschland in the Central Continent. Unfortunately, it failed… But how do you know about that?”

At that moment, a hulking Orc emerged from the shadows.

“Chieftain Talmus, I believe I can answer that question.”

It was Karack, who had remained to guard Chieftain Talmus despite his serious injuries.

The title of Great Warrior was no longer applicable, but the fighting spirit still burned in his eyes.

“What are you talking about, Karack?”

“I think I know who this man is. What he just said confirms it. Gran Grey, no, Sword Master Keinzel van Zistad of Britannia…!”

Karack grimaced, as if the sight of him aggravated his wounds.

“……Su, surely you don’t mean he’s human?!”

Karack smiled grimly and touched the indelible scar on his shoulder.

“He’s the man who gave me this arm. Though we met as enemies, I have to acknowledge his strength.”

“Heh heh… My son’s nemesis has become the hero of the clan… What is happening….”

Keinzel approached the bewildered Talmus.

He sensed no hostility from Karack. In fact, he wasn’t even holding a weapon.

“It is a warrior’s duty to fight to the death on the battlefield. But even if you wore the mask of a fellow Orc, I respect your achievements in saving our clan. So, if you have something to say, say it. I’ll listen.”

Keinzel, who had been ready for a fight, shrugged and said.

“An agent is an existence that has inherited the demon’s abilities as they are, in other words, an avatar. So, there can’t be multiple people at the same time. If an agent dies in an accident, they have to find a new contractor.”

And it hadn’t even been a year since Gottfried became an agent.

Talmus understood Keinzel’s implication instantly.

“Are you saying that Andras was controlling Argon from behind using Orobas’s abilities?”

“Perhaps after the predecessor died in some accident, they needed the power of Gottfried, who had newly become Orobas’s agent.”

Talmus felt a chill run down his spine. Indeed, Andras had become much more cautious around that time.

Instead of acting directly, he would send familiars to deliver orders and then disappear.

Karack was equally shocked.

“Th, then does that mean I fought to put a dog collar around the clan’s neck….”

Keinzel took another step towards the two bewildered Orcs.

“I know very well what humans have done to Orcs. I’ve felt it deeply while living in this form. I won’t ask you to fight alongside me. In the first place, being in this form is all to defeat those two demons.”

Then, Karack finally burst out laughing.

“Kuhahaha…! So, everything you’ve done for the Orcs so far is just to defeat the demons?”

Keinzel shrugged and replied in his usual tone.

“Do I need another reason?”

He was definitely a human that he wouldn’t be satisfied with even if he chewed him up and swallowed him. But for some reason, he didn’t hate him at all.

No, it was the opposite.

Karack, who had been laughing like a madman, took a deep breath and looked at Talmus.

“Chieftain, I will vouch for this human from now on. If he does anything foolish and harms the clan, I will apologize with my life. Although it’s detestable that he pretended to be a fellow Orc, everything he did was beneficial to the clan, wasn’t it? Besides…”

Karack approached Keinzel and grabbed his collar. Being a head taller, the pressure he exerted was immense. Nevertheless, Keinzel’s expression remained relaxed.

He instinctively felt that this was Karack’s way of showing affection.

“If what you said is true, then we have to give that demon a taste of his own medicine. Although my injuries haven’t fully healed, I’m still better than most warriors.”

Keinzel shrugged. His tone and actions were rough, but the conclusion was clear: he would fight alongside them against Andras’s agent.

Talmus coughed a few times, embarrassed by the display of affection between the human and the Orc.

“Ahem, ahem. It seems like you know each other well. Anyway, Grey… No, Keinzel van Zistad, I’m sorry, but I would like you to keep the fact that you are human a secret from the other clans.”

“Of course. I was going to do that anyway.”

Talmus and Karack had somehow accepted it, but the problem remained. If the other Orcs knew that Keinzel was human, many would attack him without hesitation.

Rather than explaining the situation to them one by one, it was better to continue acting as the Great Warrior Grey.

“Besides, it’s much easier for you to lead the clan that way.”

“That’s right.”

“Anyway, I will have an Orc warrior named Green join you as well.”

“Is he also human?”

“For now.”

With this, they had secured the full cooperation of the Orc chieftain and the former Great Warrior.

Just then, a wyvern rider who had been scouting the location of the next Orc tribe to be liberated returned.

“Gran Grey! James van Jackson has finally drawn his sword! He has deployed a large number of troops around the Sunrise Tribe, as if he had been waiting for this!”

Keinzel’s eyes narrowed.

The days of sneaking in and easily liberating the Orcs were over. From now on, they would have to engage in full-scale armed conflict.

‘If I capture James and interrogate him, I might find some clues about Andras’s agent.’

Keinzel removed the kitchen knife from his waist and stored it in his dimensional pocket. He then equipped Durandal and Fragarach [his swords].

It was finally a full-scale war with James van Jackson.

* * *

Keinzel waved to Gawain, who stood among the Orcs with a fierce expression, as if something displeased him.

“Long time no see, Green.”

“Buhiiiiiik!”

Dialogue using his voice was still impossible due to the disguise penalty. But Keinzel could read the other person’s lip movements.

“……Ah, how can Lady Sednael be so quiet and beautiful? For her sake, I feel like I can beat up demons and everything else.”

It seemed he had been traveling with the mermaids and had fallen deeply in love with them.

He was a natural-born playboy. It was no wonder he was still single well over forty.

Keinzel sighed as he looked at the Orc warriors gathered in the square.

From now on, they would have to fight a full-scale war against the private soldiers of James van Jackson, a known Sword Master.

The plan was simple: while elites like Keinzel, Gawain, and Karack tied up the enemy’s main forces, a mobile strike force riding wyverns would infiltrate the enemy camp and distribute the camembert cheese they had brought.

Unlike stew, it was fine even when cold and was lightweight. They could finish the distribution quickly.

It was crucial to minimize casualties on both sides, but the Orc warriors’ morale was sky-high.

“Gran Karack! Gran Grey! The two Great Warriors are together! We are invincible!”

“I’ll turn humans into minced meat with my axe!”

“Krrash!”

As if in response, cheers erupted from all around.

“Germa! Krrash, Germa!”

Finally, Keinzel, unable to bear it any longer, stood before the gathered Orc warriors.

“Thank you for gathering, brave warriors. But the number of troops needed for this operation is thirty. Mobility is key, so I had no choice but to make this decision. Please understand.”

The warriors began counting the number of Orcs present.

“One, two… Damn it, there are too many!”

“There are about five hundred, not thirty?”

“Damn it, I’ll go first!”

“We can’t lose either…!”

Being able to fight alongside the Great Warriors was the greatest honor for them.

Moreover, it was a battle to liberate their fellow Orcs.

Warriors from other tribes had gathered, not just those from the Flame Plunderer Tribe, creating a massive crowd.

Keinzel had no choice but to select skilled pilots from among the gathered warriors.

“The method is simple. Aviators must maintain their composure without panicking in any unexpected situation.”

“That’s easy. I’m so skilled that I can take a nap on the wyvern.”

“Really? Then you can go with peace of mind.”

Keinzel shot a few strands of pasta at the rider who was riding the wyvern and flying into the sky.

The slender noodles made of aura wrapped around the wyvern rider, immediately disrupting his posture.

“Kkeueeeeeeek!”

“Sorry, but you failed. Don’t forget that aviators are the archers’ top priority target, and it’s important to keep changing your position. Next!”

He shot thin strands of aura like threads and hit the body of the wyvern rider circling dozens of meters in the air. It was a technique so precise that it left everyone speechless.

Karack, watching the selection of the mobile strike force from the side, muttered.

“Tsk, I was hit by that too. It’s still scary to see it again.”

The selection continued. Skilled aviators had to be able to avoid obstacles immediately while flying at high speed.

Keinzel used pasta noodles to simulate numerous situations that could occur on the battlefield.

“Fly……!”

Even when a wall suddenly appeared in front of him, Abhim calmly pulled the reins. The wyvern straightened its body and began to ascend.

Exclamations erupted from the crowd.

“As expected, Master Shaman Loiten. A perfect step-up.”

“How can he rise so cleanly?”

Excluding Loiten, five Orc chefs passed the test.

Only Abhim’s turn remained, but his condition was somewhat strange.

Abhim approached Keinzel, his face flushed with excitement.

“Ch, Chef… What is this….”