Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 41

Abel narrowed his eyes, watching Cainchel prepare the ingredients.

The kitchen knife in his hand seemed to multiply, slicing the onion and cabbage in half simultaneously.

“Cainchel… I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while. What kind of swordsmanship is that?”

“You mean what I just did? I call it Onion Swordsmanship because it lets me slice two onions at once.”

“Onion Swordsmanship?”

“Yeah, Onion Swordsmanship.”

Abel sighed deeply.

What Cainchel was using was, by all appearances, the secret swordsmanship of the Carter family. He was imitating its core techniques after only seeing them a few times.

He had never heard of such a thing being possible. *Should* he report it to his father?

“…Well, let’s move on from that. I feel like nothing Cainchel does will surprise me anymore.”

Cainchel grinned mischievously.

“Don’t just stand there watching; go get the pot from the wagon. I’m thinking of making some stuffed cabbage rolls.”

“Um… what should I say at times like this? Captain?”

“Chef.”

“Yes, Chef!”

While Abel went to fetch the pot, Cainchel thought about the dishes he would make today.

First, the main course would be wild duck, wrapped in lotus leaves and mud, then roasted over a bonfire.

And he planned to make skewers with vegetables picked fresh from the garden.

He decided to start with the wild duck, as it would take the longest to cook.

He stuffed the lotus roots and lotus seeds into the belly of the prepped duck and carefully brushed honey all over it.

“Oh, the Captain’s putting something weird on the meat!”

“I think that’s the honey he got earlier?”

“Ugh! Now he’s putting mud on it! What kind of dish is he making?!”

“…Before he put the mud on, he wrapped the meat in some strange leaves. What are those?”

“Those are lotus leaves! Ah, so he’s going to roast it whole over the bonfire!”

The squad members stared wide-eyed at the cooking they were seeing for the first time, crowding around Cainchel.

Wild duck prepared this way was unconventional, to say the least.

Finally, he dug a hole, buried the mud-covered duck, and lit a bonfire right on top of it.

“Wow! So that’s how you cook it. I wonder what it will taste like?”

“Since it’s roasted with honey, the skin will be crispy and the inside will be moist, right? Plus, it’ll have a subtle lotus fragrance throughout…”

“Ughhh! Damn it! I want to eat it already! Let me eat it soon!”

All they had eaten all day were dried-up bread crusts and jerky.

And now, to see such delicious-looking food being made right in front of them!

It felt like torture.

While the Yellow Knights squad members clutched their stomachs and groaned, Cainchel prepared the rest of the dishes.

‘Since there are fresh cabbages and tomatoes from the garden, making stuffed cabbage rolls would be amazing. And if I make shashlik [a type of skewered meat, similar to kebabs] with the venison Abel caught…’

Surprisingly, Abel Carter, who had a good eye for hunting, had managed to bag a deer.

The gamey smell was strong, making it unappetizing to eat as is.

Cainchel had brought plenty of lemons in advance for times like this, thanks to a deal he had made with Instructor Ian beforehand.

‘Salt alone can’t get rid of the gamey smell unique to wild animals. In that case, it has to be lemons!’

Cainchel cut the lemons and evenly sprinkled the juice over the venison. Then, he mixed it well with the onions, cut into roughly 2cm pieces.

After sprinkling herbs and salt on it and letting it marinate for about 10 minutes, the shashlik was ready to be made.

‘Next are the stuffed cabbage rolls!’

He removed the cores and peeled the cabbages one by one after soaking them in hot water to soften them.

He finely chopped the bacon and the duck meat left over from the wild duck to make the filling.

Adding a little chopped onion would give it a pleasant, crunchy texture.

Since there was already bacon full of salt, there was no need to season it separately.

He put the meat-filled cabbage leaves into a pot and boiled it over high heat.

Once the water boiled, he reduced the heat and simmered it over low heat for about 40 minutes to finish it.

‘Let’s make the sauce with the tomatoes since there are plenty of them.’

He used the wine that Saint-Germain was cherishing and boiled it with the peeled tomatoes.

A simple tomato sauce was complete.

“Gulp… The stuffed cabbage rolls look so delicious too! S, save me! Let me eat soon!”

“The smell is so good! Ughhhh!”

Cainchel smiled and first brought the completed stuffed cabbage rolls to the table.

Then, the squad members who had been clutching their stomachs eagerly raised their hands.

“It’s hereeeeee!”

“I made it so you can drink the broth too, so it’ll be perfect as an appetizer.”

“Thank you! I’ll enjoy it, Captain!”

“The Black Squad guys brag about how their captain is a genius with the sword. Our captain is good at swordsmanship *and* even cooking! Your captain would never do this even if he were reborn! Well then, I’ll enjoy it!”

Then, Saint-Germain, who had been lying in the wagon all day because he had been squeezing out divine power, crawled out.

“Brothers! Before we eat, let’s offer a prayer of thanks to our Lord Deus!”

“For our daily bread… The rest is omitted! Let’s eat!”

The stuffed cabbage rolls swam in a warm tomato soup. When he lifted the spoon and cut one in half, hot steam rose.

First, he scooped up a spoonful of soup and brought it to his mouth.

“It’s so refreshing, yet subtly rich… That’s right! It’s the taste that comes from the meat inside the stuffed cabbage rolls! Then this time, the stuffed cabbage rolls themselves…”

The taste of the duck meat wrapped in bacon spread throughout his mouth, mingling with the soft texture of the well-boiled cabbage.

It wasn’t overly stimulating, but it was a very comforting taste.

“Captain! Can I have a little more broth?”

“I want more stuffed cabbage rolls!”

“Me too!”

The dinner was just beginning.

Cainchel placed the venison skewers on the fire.

They cooked in an instant because the heat was so strong.

Then, he sprinkled olive oil on the vegetables picked from the garden and served them with the venison.

A fantastic barbecue was complete – something they could never have imagined eating in the field.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle.

He placed the well-cooked meat and vegetables on a plate with the skewers still on.

There was no need to use a fork. A skewer in each hand, a bite of barbecue, and a bite of vegetables.

“Mmm, hmmm!”

“I feel like my body is getting hot!”

“Uwooooo! I feel like I can swing my sword all night!”

The overflowing juice was rich, and the wild flavor was preserved perfectly.

Cainchel activated Fallen Star to check the condition of the duck roasting under the bonfire.

‘It’s cooked just right. Is it about time for the main character of today’s meal to appear?’

“The Captain is walking towards the bonfire. Could it finally be done!”

“Ah, he’s putting his hand right in and taking out the food! It looks so hot, is he okay?”

“Wow! When he breaks the mud, there’s a well-roasted duck inside!”

“T, the smell is no joke! I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep a wink tonight if I don’t eat that!”

Cainchel grinned and placed the roasted duck on the table.

And he recalled the advice Gordon had given him.

‘Cut it up and arrange it so it’s easy to eat, right?’

The wild duck was a dish that allowed you to enjoy the crispy skin and moist flesh roasted with honey at the same time.

He cut the two parts into bite-sized pieces and placed them on a plate, carefully arranging the grilled vegetables to create an appealing color arrangement.

“Alright, then the main course for today, wild duck, is here!”

Even though they had already eaten plenty of shashlik and tomato sauce stuffed cabbage rolls, their mouths watered.

They had eaten similar things to those two before, so they could guess what they would taste like.

But what was in front of them now was a dish they were seeing for the first time.

What would it taste like?

@

“Ugh… I’m full…”

“I ate too much…”

“But that dish called wild duck was really amazing. The taste of the crispy skin and moist flesh is really… This is the first time I’ve had such delicious roasted duck…”

“The butter potatoes we had last time were delicious too, but the roasted duck we had today is really… Haa. I don’t think I’ll be able to eat food sold elsewhere anymore…”

“Damn it! If it weren’t for the Captain, I’d be forever…”

“Is that a confession?”

“Uh… Wait a minute! That’s not what I meant!”

Abel, who was clearing the table, smiled brightly and said.

“Everyone seems to like the food you made.”

“I guess so. It’s rewarding to make it since they enjoy eating it.”

As a bonus, he was able to gain a lot of experience points.

“Just eating delicious food can make you feel so happy. But why did His Majesty Aslan define gastronomy [the art of good eating] as a sin?”

“…”

At that moment, Cainchel stopped the hand that was sharpening the knife.

Why hadn’t he realized this fact until now?

The Holy King Aslan, who led the Seven Deadly Sins War to victory, argued after the war ended that gastronomy invited gluttony.

And he himself ate tasteless food, presenting it as if it were a virtue.

Eventually, the nobles, who had to be mindful of the king’s opinions, began to eat simple and modest meals rather than delicious and extravagant food.

In that way, the gastronomy that had been developing for thousands of years gradually began to disappear.

It became an era where it was considered a point of pride that the chef working in one’s home was bad at cooking.

‘Of course, no one likes tasteless food. They just can’t say it out loud.’

The image of the people who were enthusiastic about the honey butter sandwich came to mind.

Gastronomy had not disappeared.

It was just hiding for a while.

Cainchel had discovered that cooking was the key to breaking the curse of the Seven Deadly Sins by making honey butter sandwiches.

‘Chefs being oppressed… Gordon Lambolton, a skilled chef who can make 5-star dishes, was kicked out of the castle…’

If similar things continue to happen within the empire…

Cainchel felt a chill.

Perhaps the Holy King Aslan knows that cooking above a certain level, like 5-star cuisine, is the way to break the curse of the Seven Deadly Sins.

And he doesn’t want that fact to be known.

People who are still suffering from the curse.

The children of Beelzebub who have begun to reveal themselves.

Nothing has been clearly revealed.

But if they are all signs that explain one phenomenon…

‘…That means the Seven Deadly Sins War is still going on.’

Thinking that, Cainchel felt a chill.

If that were true, the Holy King Aslan and the Seven Virtues would not be heroes who saved humanity.

@

Temperance Swordmaster Hector van Sven.

After the Seven Deadly Sins War ended in humanity’s victory thanks to the efforts of the Holy King Aslan and the Seven Virtues,

the seven Swordmasters each returned to where they had been.

To their families. To the Tower of Non.

However, there was still someone who remained by the side of the Holy King Aslan and guarded him.

Aslan’s close friend and Swordmaster Hector, who had stronger loyalty than anyone else.

It was still debated why he wasn’t the Swordmaster of Loyalty.

Hector had given the position of head of the Sven family to his younger brother and was staying in the Imperial Palace.

A place where he could run to whenever Aslan called.

That was where Hector belonged.

Hector was sitting on the Sacrifice Fire chair, listening to the reports of the staff.

The seat was only allowed to Hector, the king’s right-hand man and commander of special operations.

“Only temperance brings the greatest joy! The First Prince of Deutschland claims to be the true descendant of the Acad Empire and is gathering forces. Three of the Swordmasters owned by the kingdom have already gone over to the First Prince. And the Third Prince is preparing to hunt dragons to take the throne. It seems they plan to settle it within at least two years.”

Hector said with an indifferent expression.

“No matter how brave a hyena is, everything will eventually belong to the lion who has drawn its claws. Next.”

Not only about the Britannia Empire, but also the political situation of each country.

When Emperor Aslan was away, all of that was conveyed to Hector.

Hector, who had been listening to the staff’s report with an indifferent expression, looked at the last remaining security officer.

The man, a high-ranking official of the court who was in charge of security for the entire region, opened his mouth.

“Yes. Ghouls have been sighted in a small village attached to the Red Mountains.”

Hector, upon hearing the report, rose from his seat.

It was a huge deal for Hector, who was not very interested in state affairs, to show such a reaction.

The staff lined up widened their eyes.

“Ghouls? Nonsense. His Majesty the Holy King clearly annihilated them all ten years ago. Are you perhaps not acknowledging that achievement?”

“I, I, I, I’m sorry. But the son of Baron Carter saw it himself during training…”

“He must have seen something during strenuous training. But it’s intriguing. Find out more about who saw it and how.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The investigation took less than 10 minutes.

Hector made a bizarre expression as he looked at the report he received.

“Trainee knights from the Stanis Knight Training Center. My son happens to be attending there. I guess I should pay a visit.”

“A, are you saying that you, Swordmaster of Temperance, Hector, will go in person?!”

Hector gave a bitter smile to the shocked staff and sent them all out.

And he called his subordinates.

Members of the sacred flame that destroys impure beings.

Hector ordered them.

“Ghouls should no longer exist in this world. So that means the village of Pelga, where the ghouls appeared, also does not exist.”

“Only temperance brings the greatest joy. We will follow Hector’s orders.”

That day, a sacred flame that burned everything blazed.

And the village that was called Pelga disappeared.

A Meal for a Friend #1