Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 31

‘Instead of simply making various dishes, consider the synergy between them to create a course meal…’

Innumerable recipes flashed through Cainchel’s mind.

What would be the best dish he could make with the ingredients at hand?

‘There are plump ducks and plenty of nuts, so let’s make that the main course, with a side salad. A dessert decorated with fruit would be a great finish. If I had more time, I could bake earthenware and even make soup…’

He decided to postpone his regrets until the next survival training.

He would be spending a week here with the Yellow Knights soon enough.

He could easily decide on the rest of the menu, but the main course was the problem.

‘Without an oven, the limit is grilling it on a skewer over the fire. That’s no fun.’

Wasn’t there a more amazing cooking method?

If he was going to use plating, he wanted to surprise the other person even more.

‘…I don’t have the right tools, but something that can be cooked as deliciously as possible while giving the other person an unexpected surprise…’

For some reason, Abel’s face popped into his mind as he enjoyed the butter potatoes he had made.

“Butter potatoes? Wait… I definitely grilled the potatoes wrapped in mud!”

Back then, without any special tools, he had no choice but to coat the potatoes with mud and cook them using the heat of the bonfire.

But the taste was amazing.

The completed dish was also 4-star.

Could he grill meat in the same way?

“No, that’s not enough… That’s still in the realm of cooking. To become a *dish*, something more is needed.”

First, he decided to get some mud from the river.

Often, good ideas came to him when he moved his body. That was what he was aiming for.

There was a fairly large river flowing inside the survival training ground.

Arriving there, Cainchel looked around for a moment.

‘Is there anything I can use for cooking?’

Numerous flowers were blooming in profusion under the moonlight.

“Oh, lotus flowers. I’m sure the roots are edible, and the flowers and leaves have antipyretic [fever-reducing] effects, right?”

Cainchel’s eyes sparkled.

It would be great to add that fragrance to the duck roast.

Instantly, a very plausible cooking method came to mind.

‘Put lotus flowers and lotus roots inside the duck, wrap it in lotus leaves, and then cover it with mud, dig a hole in the ground, bury it, and then light a fire on top…’

Roasting potatoes or sweet potatoes over a bonfire was something he had often done before.

What would happen if he roasted a duck in that way?

‘The problem is that you can’t check the contents because it’s buried and roasted underground. It requires much more delicate fire control than baking in an oven. But I have Fallen Star, right? I’m sure I can roast it very well.’

As expected, when in doubt, use Fallen Star.

On the way back with the collected mud, he was lucky enough to get a beehive.

Excited, Cainchel clenched his fist.

‘Honey! I’ll apply this to the duck’s skin before roasting it! Then the skin will be even crispier, and the flesh will be very moist. I feel like an amazing dish will be born just by imagining it! Maybe I can fill one of the Brilliant Road slots.’

A dish made from ingredients obtained in the wild that didn’t exist before.

If the rating is good, it perfectly meets the condition of a 5-star original dish.

The recipe was set.

Cainchel immediately grabbed the kitchen knife and started cooking.

‘First, I need to cut off the duck’s neck and hang it upside down to drain the blood. Otherwise, the blood will pool in the body and it will smell fishy.’

In the meantime, he began to prepare the other ingredients.

He roasted some nuts and olives he had gathered from the forest to extract oil.

He planned to use this to make a salad.

For dessert, he decided to decorate with freshly picked wild fruits such as crab apples, raspberries, cornus fruit [also known as Cornelian cherries], and cherries.

Having finished all the preparations, Cainchel held the kitchen knife and looked at the duck that would be the main dish.

After plucking the feathers, he added lotus roots and lotus flowers, along with a few basil leaves.

A spice that reduces the greasiness of the meat with its bitter taste.

Since he didn’t have a separate tool for applying honey, he smeared it on his hands and spread it all over.

‘Now, just let it sit for about 5 minutes.’

After slightly marinating the duck, he wrapped it in lotus leaves and covered it with mud.

Then, he dug a hole in the ground, buried it, and lit a large bonfire on top.

Finally, he activated Fallen Star and began to find the optimal temperature for cooking the duck.

“Not yet, not yet! I need a stronger fire!”

Cainchel ran into the forest and gathered dry wood as much as he could. When he put it in, the flames grew stronger with a whoosh.

“More, more, more!”

The duck meat, soaked in honey and wrapped in lotus leaves, was cooking.

Then, an unbearably enchanting smell leaked out through the ground.

Cainchel swallowed hard and reached out to take out the duck roast, which was cooked in an ideal shape.

The heat of the bonfire still remained, but it didn’t matter.

Since his fire resistance exceeded 30%, this level of heat wasn’t even lukewarm.

“This is duck mud roast…?”

In Cainchel’s hand was a lump of mud baked like earthenware.

If he broke this, he could eat the duck roast inside.

A fragrant smell that was beyond words wafted through the mud.

“Gulp….”

He swallowed saliva without realizing it.

At least a 4-star, or if he was lucky, a 5-star original dish was completed.

‘This is a jackpot!’

What kind of evaluation would Gordon give after eating this?

Cainchel’s heart began to beat rapidly.

@

When he entered the kitchen, Gordon was dozing off with his eyes closed.

Surprised, Cainchel bowed.

Gordon opened his eyes and said.

“…You’re already back, did you give up?”

‘It’s good that I don’t have to call him separately. But was he waiting for me to come back?

That stubborn and selfish chef waited for him?

No way. He must have been looking for food to have as a snack, like last time.

“I have completed all the missions you mentioned.”

“Is that so? Then you must have found out what was lacking in your cooking.”

“Yes, Chef. My dish was not plated. To complete a dish, you have to consider the way the food is placed on the plate, the combination with other foods, and even the order in which it is eaten.”

Gordon let out a low groan at Cainchel’s answer.

“It’s not a hundred points, but it’s an eighty-point answer. But I will evaluate your skills after eating the dish you have made.”

“I will prepare it right away.”

Cainchel placed the dishes he had made in the wild on the table one by one.

The first thing that came into Gordon’s view was the salad made with vegetables picked from the forest.

“You used lotus leaves instead of a plate. It’s a decent touch. But this smell… Did you squeeze the oil from the nuts and sprinkle it?”

“Yes, Chef. I used it after roasting it once to bring out the cleanest taste possible.”

“Hmm. Next is dessert. Haha! You used a small tree and hung various tree fruits on it. Crab apples, raspberries, cornus fruit, cherries… Where should I taste it?”

Gordon picked a cherry and put it in his mouth.

It was like bringing the taste of the wild as it is.

“It seems that you have chosen the ones with the highest sugar content as much as possible, but it is still slightly lacking. If you are thinking of making the same dessert in the future, use it pickled in sugar.”

“Yes, Chef.”

So far, it meant he had passed.

Finally, it was time for the main course of honey duck wrapped in lotus flowers.

When the lotus flower was removed, a ball-shaped mud appeared.

Wrinkles appeared on Gordon’s forehead.

“What is this?”

“It’s the main dish.”

“Last time, you gave me meat that was charred like charcoal, and this time, you’re telling me to eat grilled mud?”

Cainchel smiled.

He hadn’t even finished preparing yet, but he was already starting to evaluate it. He was too hasty.

“Would you wait a moment?”

He took out a combat knife from his pocket and struck the baked mud with the handle.

After repeating it several times, the mud broke with a clanging sound, revealing the contents.

The duck, which was roasted golden brown with a dizzyingly sweet lotus scent, was shining like a jewel.

Cainchel removed the lotus leaves and lotus flowers, which were half-burned and turned to ashes, and took out only the duck meat.

Then, he beautifully decorated it with new lotus leaves and lotus flowers that he had prepared in advance.

With this, a dish was completed.

“…An interesting dish. Did you grill the duck wrapped in mud? Is this scent lotus? You even added lotus leaves to make the scent even stronger.”

Gordon narrowed his eyes and looked at the duck.

The outer surface was particularly shiny.

“You applied something and grilled it. Corn syrup? No, is this honey? This will make the skin even crispier and the flesh moist. Then let’s taste it.”

Gordon tore off the duck’s leg and bit into it.

Then, the taste of the duck meat, which was grilled deliciously with all the oil removed, filled his mouth.

Gordon’s eyes widened.

“…What *is* this flavor just by putting it in mud and grilling it? The juice remains as if it were baked in an oven… This taste that I can’t believe is just grilled meat. The scent of lotus flowers and lotus leaves is infused as it is, so it’s not greasy at all. Besides, this honey-glazed skin is so good you can eat it on its own. I’ve never heard of such a dish.”

‘Of course, because it’s my original dish.’

Cainchel listened to the evaluation coming from Gordon’s mouth and stroked his Joma Mirror.

He had a feeling close to certainty.

That duck roast is definitely….

[5-star dish ‘Wild Duck’ has been completed.]

[The guest is shocked by your cooking.]

….

….

[You have created a dish that did not exist before.]

[The sense of developing a new menu has been incorporated into the ‘Brilliant Road’ skill.]

[Brilliant Road: 2/5]

‘…Good! But according to what’s written on the Joma Mirror, Chef Gordon was very surprised. Could it be, *that* expression?’

Gordon was still eating the duck with an expression that he was still dissatisfied with something.

‘Was that just his original face? But he keeps eating?’

Gordon would normally end the evaluation by tasting only a little.

But before he knew it, more than half of the duck roast had disappeared.

‘…That means my cooking is delicious!’

A more overwhelming emotion came over him than hearing dozens of words.

Gordon, who had finished tasting, wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“The duck roast is decent. It was good that you used mud to grill it in the wild where you can’t use an oven. The other menus were not bad overall. However, you still lack the knack for plating. This is an area of ​​sense rather than knowledge.”

Gordon crossed his arms and began to explain about plating.

“Rather than serving the duck roast whole, it would have been better to separate the skin and flesh in advance and set it up. If you want to do the performance of breaking the mud, you can cut it into bite-sized pieces after that. And the salad is….”

Everything was Gordon’s know-how of plating that he had learned himself for decades.

Cainchel concentrated all his attention so as not to miss a single word.

“…The most important thing is to prioritize taste. No matter how important the form is, the essence of food is taste.”

“Thank you, Chef.”

“There are still many shortcomings, but… With this much, I can entrust you with treating VIPs.”

Cainchel felt his hands trembling with excitement.

Before he knew it, his gaze turned to the Joma Mirror.

[The sense of decorating dishes is very excellent.]

[Decoration level has been created.]

….

….

[You have been taught by a chef with a high level of decoration.]

[Level has increased.]

Following the 5-star original dish, this time a decoration level was created.

Moreover, thanks to being taught by Gordon, he rose to 2 stars at once.

Gordon, who had eaten all the dishes Cainchel had made, wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“It’s late at night. Go back and rest. If it’s this level of cooking even when treating VIPs, you won’t be embarrassed at least.”

Cainchel bowed and thanked Gordon.

As expected, meeting Gordon was a greater opportunity than anything else.

“Then I’ll go in first.”

“Okay.”

After Cainchel left, Gordon, who was left alone in the kitchen, covered his face.

“That, duck meat… What the hell *is* it? I couldn’t stop eating it… Is that a dish made by a rookie who has been holding a kitchen knife for three months?”

A smile appeared on Gordon’s face.

Cainchel Van Gistard.

He wanted to know how far his cooking skills would go.

@

Cainchel, who came out of the kitchen, leaned against the wall and took out the Joma Mirror.

And he organized the harvests he had obtained today.

First, he developed a new 5-star original dish.

As a result, he was able to fill one of the Brilliant Road slots.

In addition, a decoration level was created following cooking, gourmet, and tea ceremony.

Even so, the Joma Mirror was still notifying something.

“Then it’s finally time for intermediate swordsmanship to appear.”

Cainchel licked his lips and began to read the message floating on the Joma Mirror.

[Elementary Swordsmanship is ready to be promoted.]

[Please select a skill tree.]

“…Skill tree?”

A word he had never seen before was floating on the Joma Mirror.

Frellia #1