Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 54

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Rumors spread that this year’s rookies were exceptionally talented.

No less than three were confirmed to become Chevalier class without going through the Senior course.

So far, only one person has succeeded in the Double Class Up.

And he is now a Swordmaster representing the Empire.

Nobles lined up at the training center to scout the next generation of promising talents.

“You never know what might happen. Who would have known that a mediocre student whom no one paid attention to would bring such a storm?”

“Indeed. But I heard that he didn’t learn proper mana cultivation. I wonder if he can handle Aura properly.”

“Hmm. Is that true? Isn’t the reason for going down to the fief and picking a guard knight to invest in the possibility of becoming a Swordmaster? If that’s the case······.”

“Hmph! I was expecting it since there were three of them. In the end, the promising talent is narrowed down to one person. It was Abel of the Carters family, right?”

“Yes. Isn’t he the best prospect that all instructors recommend? I heard his swordsmanship has improved tremendously in the past month?”

“Haha! I’ve already sent a letter to the Carters family. It’s no use eyeing him.”

“Oh dear······, I’m one step late.”

Keinzel chuckled as he listened to the great nobles’ conversation, which felt like being at a horse market [a place where people are being evaluated and potentially ‘bought’].

‘Sorry, but Abel already has a prior engagement.’

Keinzel turned his head and looked at Abel, who was wielding a sword in the training ground.

A beautiful sight, as if dancing.

Before he knew it, Abel’s sword had split into seven, simultaneously facing three training knights.

‘To increase the number of blades by two in just two weeks······.’

Abel, who had finished sparring, wiped away sweat and approached.

“Congratulations on the Double Class Up, Keinzel.”

“Congratulations to you too. But how could you change so much in just a month?”

“······Um. Would you follow me this way for a moment?”

Abel grabbed Keinzel’s arm and led him to a secluded place where there were no people.

After confirming that there was no one nearby, Abel blushed and said.

“Do I look that much like a woman?”

After revealing his identity to Keinzel, Abel had become so beautiful that he couldn’t hide it with low-level Polymorph magic [magic that alters one’s physical form].

He even changed his tone to reduce his femininity, but even that just looked cute.

Training knights were lining up, unable to sleep at night because they were so smitten with Abel’s appearance.

“No, you’ve definitely become prettier······. But I was talking about swordsmanship.”

“Ugh! Ugh!”

Abel, who seemed embarrassed by something, just nodded with his arms crossed.

As Keinzel said, Abel’s swordsmanship skills had improved tremendously in less than a month.

The intermediate swordsmanship, which was 7-star, rose to 9-star.

The three blades had increased to seven.

His stamina was still weak, and his basic swordsmanship remained the same, but his sword-handling technique alone already overwhelmed even Vincent.

Abel said with a flushed face.

“After revealing my secret, I’ve become able to like non-humans a little, though it’s only a little. I think that’s the reason.”

Keinzel quietly nodded.

As if a seal had been lifted, Abel’s appearance changed even more like an elf.

The barley-like hair grew rapidly and already covered his ears, and his eyes turned a deep teal color.

At this rate, his distinct blonde hair would cover his back in less than half a year.

Abel came next to Keinzel and said in a small voice.

“······I started mana cultivation a while ago. But it’s much more effective to do it in the forest than in a Sorcerer’s mana field.”

“You mean the Carters family’s mana cultivation method?”

“Yes. I’d like to secretly tell you, but leaking the family’s cultivation method is something you should never do, no matter how close you are······. I’m really sorry.”

Keinzel sighed.

It seemed that he still thought that he was struggling because he didn’t have a mana cultivation method.

“Abel. Wait a moment.”

He drew the sword he was wearing on his waist and infused it with Aura.

Then, the Aura containing divine power glowed faintly.

“······That, that’s an Aura Sword, isn’t it!”

Keinzel explained that he had been able to handle Aura after doing basic physical training to death for three years.

Then Abel rejoiced as if it were his own business.

“I didn’t know you’d encounter such a stroke of luck! To think that Instructor Ian was hiding such a technique. Can’t I learn it too? I think I could become a little more manly if I did.”

“That’s a bit······.”

“Tch.”

Keinzel felt very sorry for Abel that he had to hide the fact about cooking.

However, now that it was confirmed to be related to the Curse of the Seven Deadly Sins, it was better to do so for safety.

Besides, he hadn’t told him about cooking, but everything else was true.

“With this, I can go to the interview with peace of mind. I hope you’ll fight for my share.”

In three days, they would have an annihilation battle with the Golden Knights, with Vincent as their captain.

The problem was that Hector and the Inquisitor of Sacrifice Fire were visiting this place.

If caught by the Inquisitor, even a low-level Polymorph would be detected at once.

Mixed blood with a different race is heresy.

He had to prevent Abel’s half-elf status from being revealed at all costs.

Abel, who had elven blood, could receive a tremendous amount of mana just by breathing in the forest.

If he refined it with the Carters family’s mana cultivation method, he would be able to implement an Aura Sword in an instant.

‘If we get through this time, he can become Prellia’s guard knight and receive the Count’s protection.’

The match with Vincent, which was only three days away.

And Hector and the Inquisitor, who were hiding something.

Their meeting would surely bring another storm.

Keinzel licked his lips and said.

“But Abel.”

“What is it?”

“Can’t you do something about that tone?”

“······Why, is it strange? Aren’t I becoming a knight to protect a lady? I think this much manliness is necessary.”

In the end, Keinzel couldn’t bring himself to say that he didn’t sound manly at all, but extremely cute.

@

In just 10 days, the training with Ian was showing some results.

Keinzel was able to concentrate Aura on the desired muscles according to Ian’s guidance.

“As expected, it’s worth doing basic physical training for three years. You’re very skilled at handling muscles.”

“Thank you, Master.”

“Ugh. It’s cheesy. Can’t you just call me ‘hyung’ [older brother or mentor] comfortably? The sound of ‘master’ is too ticklish.”

Keinzel chuckled without realizing it.

If his father, who died during the Seven Deadly Sins War, were alive, wouldn’t it feel like that?

“Then this time, try concentrating Aura without my help. First, the biceps!”

“Biceps!”

“Triceps!”

“Triceps!”

The most important thing to gather Aura spread throughout the body to some muscles is to understand the muscles.

What muscles are needed to move the arm.

What parts need to be strengthened to throw a strong punch.

Only then can you activate muscle strengthening with your will.

All the things he had learned countless times from Ian for three years.

― You can’t just do arm exercises! The waist is important! A man’s life is his waist!

It felt like he could hear Ian’s cry.

‘If I concentrate Aura on the muscles connected to the triceps brachii and brachialis, focusing on the erector spinae······.’

Keinzel took a slow, deep breath. He concentrates his mind on all the muscles in his body. And slowly moves it to the muscles that need to be strengthened.

Then, the muscles in his right arm swelled up twice in an instant.

‘Now!’

Imagining an exploding fist, he stepped forward as it was. The target is the sandbag in front of him.

If Ian’s fist was a large hammer, Keinzel’s fist became a sharp arrow.

Paah······!

The sandbag swayed with the sound of tearing through the wind.

The power contained in the punch emanating from the strengthened muscles was enormous.

‘Oh! It, it works!’

He had hit the sandbag with his bare hands without wearing any protective gear.

There was no way his fist would be safe. Blood was flowing down his arm, but it didn’t hurt at all.

Rather, Ian, who was watching, screamed.

“Ke, Keinzel! Y, your fist! You! Who told you to hit the sandbag with your bare hands! Ugh! B, bandage! Bandage!”

“Hoo······.”

Keinzel took a slow, deep breath and recalled the feeling from just now. The power was less than half of Ian’s punch.

But it was a satisfactory result for the first time.

Ting-

[The technique of strengthening muscles with Aura has been sublimated into the ‘Booster’ skill.]

[‘Booster’ has been created.]

* Booster: ★

“······.”

Keinzel couldn’t say anything for a while. After holding the kitchen knife, countless stars began to shine in his Jo Ma Kyung [his personal skill system].

But this was a skill that could be learned as a result of devoting himself to basic physical training for three years.

It was also a technique taught by Ian, who felt like a father. Its meaning was special.

He remembered when a star first nested in his beginner swordsmanship.

He felt more moved than that time.

Saint-Germain, who was dragged by Ian, shouted with a flustered expression.

“Why am I here just because a fist is a little broken······.”

“What are you talking about! Saint-Germain Priest! Are you going to take responsibility if the finger bones are fractured!”

“Hehe······. Yes, I understand. I’ll heal it very cleanly right away.”

When he received Saint-Germain’s divine power, his shattered fist healed in an instant.

Ian glared at Keinzel and put him in a headlock.

“Keuk······. S, no, hyung······. A, at this rate, I’ll really d······.”

“You! I told you never to hit the sandbag without knuckle guards!”

“······I’ll keep that in mind from now on.”

In the end, Ian sighed with relief only after putting knuckle guards on both of Keinzel’s hands.

“To be able to use Booster in just ten days······.”

“Isn’t it all thanks to you, hyung?”

“You’re disgusting, you bastard.”

Ian coughed a few times and said.

“The power of Booster is not just about increasing punching power. By strengthening the erector spinae, it becomes possible to maintain a more stable posture when wielding a sword. And like this······.”

Ian strengthened his leg muscles and jumped in place in an instant.

He did a sergeant jump of 2 meters without any run-up and smiled.

“You can increase all physical abilities in an instant. I think you know how great this is without me having to explain it separately.”

Keinzel stared at Ian with a shocked expression.

Booster was an amazing technique beyond what he had thought. By strengthening the muscles in the feet, you can increase your weight several times in an instant. That means the power put into the sword itself becomes stronger.

‘Maybe it’s possible to link Booster with intermediate swordsmanship.’

Of course, it would require even more bone-shattering training in the future, but he didn’t care.

He had been doing that to death since three years ago.

“Hoo······. Then shall we take a break for a while?”

“Ah, would you wait a moment?”

After moving the body vigorously, a short rest is necessary. That is the basis of muscle training.

Keinzel ran to the kitchen and brought the rosemary that was left over from making Coq au vin [a French braise of chicken, wine, mushrooms, and bacon] for Vincent. He brewed herbal tea with it and handed it to Ian.

“Drinking rosemary tea is said to improve blood circulation and strengthen the immune system.”

“Oh, I’ll drink it well. Hmm! The scent is amazing.”

Ian sipped the tea and said.

“Be sure to win. So you can give those guys who only trust Aura and neglect physical training a hard time.”

Keinzel thought about the Booster skill newly registered in his Jo Ma Kyung.

It was not just a simple skill. It was the form of a dream that Ian had created throughout his life.

Having learned it, he was now burdened with Ian’s dream as well.

In two days, Hector, the Swordmaster of Temperance, will visit this place.

He will face Vincent with a sword in front of him.

“If you defeat even Vincent, there will surely be a huge uproar.”

“I’ll give you a hot punch like you showed me, hyung.”

“You! It’s still 10 years too early for that!”

Keinzel quietly drank the tea brewed with rosemary.

Defeat Vincent and prove that he can use the Aura Sword.

Everyone will cheer at the birth of a new Sword Knight.

Then the preparation to leave this place will be over.

Three years spent at the Stanis Knight Academy.

Keinzel Van Zistad’s childhood was finally coming to an end.

Swordmaster’s Dignity #1