Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 60

————– 60/203 ————–

19. The Master of the Magic Tower

“I think I’ll try making a different dish today.”

Count Wellride’s eyes widened several times more than usual at Cainchel’s words.

He looked like someone who had finally received a long-awaited meal.

“Yes, I was starting to get tired of sandwiches.”

“······Aren’t you going to ask why?”

“What are you talking about? Hool, I already knew that it wasn’t the ‘sandwich’ you make, but the power to undo the curse was in ‘you making’ the sandwich.”

The meaning completely changed depending on which part was emphasized.

This kind of trick often appeared in conversations between merchants.

A bitter smile appeared on Cainchel’s lips.

Come to think of it, he had deliberately made a 4-star sandwich once to test it.

The Count had only seen that and figured out where the curse-releasing point was.

“I need to check to know exactly. So, I’m thinking of making milk pudding first, which doesn’t take long to cook.”

“Ah, Prellia loves that.”

“Then, could you get the ingredients written here?”

“Let’s see······. Milk, eggs, sugar, and strawberries······. Of course, I can get them right away, but the strawberries aren’t very fresh this season. Wouldn’t it be better to make it with other fruits?”

“It’s okay.”

Cainchel smiled.

To make a 5-star dessert, you need ingredients that can utilize the Fresh Again skill.

It was almost the first snowfall season.

It was a season when it was difficult to find fresh strawberries, let alone withered ones.

It was only possible because he was the owner of Edelweiss, one of the Empire’s top three merchant guilds.

In less than 30 minutes, all the ingredients needed to make the pudding were gathered. Cainchel’s eyes lit up as he opened the sack containing the sugar.

It was snow-white refined sugar. A luxury item that required giving silver for its weight to obtain.

The strawberries were quite fresh, except that the leaves were slightly wilted and the surface was slightly dry.

“That’s all I could get for strawberries.”

“This is amazing, considering the season. By the way, I’m sorry, but could you please leave for a moment until the cooking is finished?”

From now on, he had to make pudding using the Fresh Again skill. He couldn’t show that to the Count.

A mischievous smile appeared on Count Wellride’s lips.

“Are you going to use Aura to cook? I already know you’re a Sword Knight.”

“······.”

“Could it be, was that the answer? You should never become a merchant. You can’t control your facial expressions like that.”

The Count made an exaggerated gesture of surprise, as if he had just realized it.

Cainchel realized that it was an act.

Until now, he had just pretended not to know.

The Count must have guessed to some extent that he was a trainee knight.

Because the only people who eat with a sword near Citizen are mercenaries and trainee knights.

Perhaps the decisive clue was the introduction of Abel Carterus.

Cainchel fell into thought.

He began to weigh how much he should trust the Count.

The answer came quickly.

As long as he makes dishes for Prellia, the Count will not betray him.

Knowing that, wasn’t that why he entrusted his only friend, Abel Carterus?

Even that picky Abel evaluated Count Wellride as a merchant who protects honor and trust.

‘······Here, it’s best for me to reveal my identity directly and use it as a sign of trust.’

Cainchel wet a towel with water and wiped off the makeup covering his face.

Then, when he quietly cast Materialize, pure white armor appeared instead of the clown clothes.

The Count held out his hand.

“Nice to meet you, Free Knight Cainchel van Zistard. What should I call you from now on?”

‘He knew everything after all! Maybe he even knows a secret about my birth that I don’t know?’

“Please call me Cainchel.”

The Count nodded with a satisfied face.

“Okay. Thank you for revealing your secret first. Does this mean we are now perfect accomplices? Of course, I will take your identity to the grave with my daughter, so don’t worry.”

“······Thank you.”

It was the most trustworthy word of all.

Thus, the merchant and the free knight joined hands for their mutual benefit.

@

“But I’m curious how you use Aura in cooking. Do you even use an Aura Sword to prepare the ingredients?”

Cainchel smiled and placed his hand on the ingredients laid out on the counter.

“――Fresh Again!”

Then, a subtle light began to surround the ingredients that were in his hand.

And as if turning back time, the ingredients returned to their freshest state.

“Oh, oh······!”

The Count looked at the strawberries with a surprised expression.

They look as fresh as if they had just been harvested from the field. He was drooling without even realizing it.

Cainchel, who had used Fresh Again on all the ingredients, began to make milk pudding in earnest.

The recipe he learned from Geoffrey, the owner of the cake shop.

To make a pudding with a soft texture, the initial preparation is important.

First, whisk the eggs with the chalazae [the white cords attached to the yolk] removed so that air enters well.

Strain it through a fine sieve to completely remove any lumps, then add it to the warm milk and mix.

After that, if you add a lot of sugar to the point where it is a waste, the basic preparation is finished.

“Just looking at it makes my teeth rot. Was that what you wanted to hide, not the Aura?”

Finally, after applying plenty of sweet caramel syrup to the pudding bowl, put the ingredients in a steamer and steam for about 20 minutes to complete.

To maintain the pudding’s unique soft texture, no steam should enter the ingredients.

For that, it is necessary to perfectly seal it using expensive beeswax.

This is why it is unnecessarily expensive compared to the ingredients that go into it.

“Now, all that’s left is plating.”

Place the beautifully shaped pudding on a plate and top it with plenty of halved strawberries.

After that, if you put it outside in the cool air to cool and harden the shape, a very delicious-looking milk pudding is completed.

When he tasted it as a test, it was fortunately a 5-star dessert.

When he made it in front of Geoffrey, it was all 4-star.

After all, it seemed easier to make 5-star dishes if you used ingredients with the best freshness.

‘This will definitely work.’

Cainchel and Count Wellride took the finished pudding and headed to the bedroom where Prellia was sleeping.

“Prellia. Sir Cainchel made a very delicious-looking pudding today. Wake up and have a bite.”

Was it just an illusion that Prellia’s body trembled very slightly at that moment?

The Count picked up Prellia, sat her on his lap, and picked up a spoon.

When he gently brought the silver spoon to the pudding, it was lifted very softly with a springy texture.

When he carefully brought it to Prellia’s lips, her pink lips opened very slightly.

Yum!

Prellia began to eat the pudding with a slightly more cheerful sound than usual.

The slightly bitter but rich caramel sauce and the sweetness of the pudding made with only milk and eggs.

The fantastic harmony of flavors was a taste that dessert lovers would pounce on with their eyes lit up.

“Eung······. It’s delicious······. Father, I’ll eat the rest.”

Prellia, who had woken up from her sleep, blinked her big eyes and held out her hand.

Prellia, a girl who spends most of her day asleep.

It was as if the air in the room had changed, as if the sealed beauty was being released.

Cainchel felt his heart beating fast and took a deep breath slowly.

Once again, he could feel that there was no one more suitable for Prellia’s escort knight than Abel.

“······Okay. Eat slowly, Prellia.”

“Yes. Thank you, Sir Cainchel, for making such a wonderful pudding. I always enjoy eating it.”

It seemed that it was true that her body was asleep, but her mind was awake.

“I’m glad you like it, Young Lady Prellia.”

“I heard you even introduced me to a knight to protect me. I don’t know how to repay this favor······.”

A smile appeared on Cainchel’s lips.

Prellia ate the sandwich he made so deliciously that she was able to have high fire resistance.

Thanks to that, he was able to overcome the crisis of death several times, so it was literally a Win – Win situation.

“Ahem. Well then, since Prellia is awake, why don’t we start discussing the schedule for the future in earnest?”

“I think that would be good.”

If he kept looking at Prellia’s face like this, he wouldn’t be able to hold back his overflowing bloodlust any longer.

Prellia and Cainchel sat at a small table, and the real story began.

“I’ve heard rumors about Sir Cainchel. He saved the life of Hector, the Swordmaster of Temperance, and even received an offer to join the Grand Cross.”

“You know. Actually, it would have been difficult to control my facial expressions if you had come to the inauguration ceremony, Count.”

“I was just talking to Abel Carterus at that time. He’s a very smart and cute friend. And since he’s even a eunuch, he’ll be a really good fit as Prellia’s knight. Thank you for introducing me to a good person.”

“······.”

Cainchel felt a little sorry for Abel.

The Count scratched his head and continued the story.

“By the way, is the reason why Sir Cainchel rejected the Grand Cross’s offer because of Prellia?”

Only then did Cainchel seem to know why the Count had been subtly sorry since they met today.

Joining the Grand Cross is a path that any trainee knight would want.

If he didn’t have the ability to get stronger by cooking, he would have accepted the offer without hesitation.

The Count seemed to have misunderstood that Cainchel became a free knight for Prellia.

“That’s part of the reason, but not all of it. You don’t have to feel so sorry.”

“That’s a relief then. You are Prellia’s benefactor. And I am a merchant. If I receive something, I must repay it with something of equal value. I can’t give you a treasure like the one Hector gave you, but if it’s a request that can be solved with money, I’ll grant you anything.”

“Then, can I ask you to pay for the round-trip portal fee once a week from now on?”

“Hmm? Are you going somewhere far away?”

Cainchel quietly nodded and explained the incident that occurred in the White Mountains.

Deep wrinkles appeared on the Count’s eyes.

“I can’t believe those guys were still alive······. And you were the owner of Zistard Territory, the final battlefield of the Seven Sins War······.”

Was he trying to recall old memories? A deep longing was buried in the Count’s eyes.

“Although it is a fallen family, it is my hometown where I was born.”

“Yes, if you are the heir to the territory, you must bear the duty and responsibility to protect it. If that’s the reason, I will spare no support.”

“Thank you. Of course, that’s not the only reason. The better the cooking, the stronger the power to undo the curse. From now on, I’m thinking of going not only to the Britannia Empire but also to other countries to learn the cooking there.”

“Hmm······. Everything is for Prellia······. Then I shouldn’t spare any more support.”

“Besides, there is another reason why I need the portal.”

Cainchel looked at the Count’s face with a heavy expression. And he talked about the tail that had started following him some time ago.

Was it from when he saved Vincent from the attack of Antares?

An unidentified shadow began to follow Cainchel.

A stealthy tracker that he wouldn’t have noticed without Fallen Star.

He approached, aiming for an opportunity to counterattack, but disappeared like smoke each time.

‘I can’t go to the north with such an unpleasant guy.’

“A tail······. Certainly, using the portal will get rid of the tracker. But that doesn’t mean it’s completely solved. I know an expert in that field.”

The Count called Siegfried, who was waiting outside the mansion.

And he ordered him to always follow and assist Cainchel from now on.

Then Zeke smiled and said.

“So, how much are you going to pay me?”

Thus, a small war was fought without using swords, and Zeke received a whopping 20 gold a week.

The Count stroked his chin and said.

“But simply using the portal is a bit lackluster. Isn’t that a magic tool that transcends a designated space? You can’t use it in places where the portal isn’t installed.”

Zeke spun around like an excited beagle and said.

“Wow! Big brother! Th, that! That! Could it be, could it be!”

“Sir Cainchel. Would you like to go to the Magic Tower with Siegfried?”

Cainchel also knew the word Magic Tower.

The exact name is the Tower of the Sage, but it is usually called the Magic Tower.

“What do I have to do there?”

“Have them custom-make a magic tool so that you can return here once a week no matter where you are.”

Then Zeke began to roll on the floor with a look that seemed like he was about to faint.

He was a man who loved magic tools so much.

And from now on, they are going to buy the magic tools they will use in the future.

With someone else’s money.

The Count took out a blank promissory note and wrote a whopping 500 gold on it.

“With this much, you’ll have about a hundred gold left over even after buying a magic tool containing Gate magic. Use the change to buy the magic tools you need in the future.”

Eventually, Zeke screamed and hugged Count Wellride.

“Kyaaaaak! As expected, big brother! You’re so generous!”

“Why are you so happy when I’m not buying it for you?”

“What’s brother’s is mine and what’s mine is brother’s! 으하하하하핫!”

Cainchel, who suddenly went shopping at the Magic Tower, could only stare at the Count and Zeke alternately with a blank expression.

But if it’s 500 gold, how many potatoes is that?

The Alchemist of the Magic Tower #2