Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 65

Kainchel swallowed hard, eyeing the half-cooked Lizardman meat.

First, he needed to test if the detoxification was successful.

‘I have poison resistance, so I should be able to handle some toxicity. Now, let’s see…’

He cut a bite-sized cube of meat and put it in his mouth, feeling a slightly tough but springy texture.

‘…This is Lizardman meat. It feels like eating old chicken…’

It’s often said that reptile meat is similar to poultry.

Lizardmen are a type of reptile, so it was a natural result.

A subtle expression appeared on Kainchel’s face.

He had expected monster meat to have a special flavor. But it wasn’t. In the end, meat is just meat.

‘Besides, the body odor is too strong. Fortunately, I sprinkled a lot of garlic, which reduced it to some extent, but unfamiliar people might find it off-putting.’

However, it wasn’t all bad.

Unlike chicken, it had a moderate amount of fat. The fat that melted slightly when grilled was more sweet than greasy. Especially appealing was the chewy texture that bounced against his teeth.

Kainchel focused all his senses on the tip of his tongue, savoring the taste of the Lizardman meat.

Then, the Joma Mirror around his neck vibrated, indicating that something had been updated.

[Eating a new ingredient has broadened your perspective on taste.]

[Gourmet Level has increased.]

The Gourmet Level, which hadn’t changed for months, finally reached 4 stars.

Kainchel narrowed his eyes and stared at the Joma Mirror, where his level was displayed.

The bishop had said it was broken.

‘…Well, let’s think of it as a bonus. From now on, I can use the Joma Mirror for free without charging mana, right?’

Maybe he’ll be able to use the status window without the Joma Mirror.

‘Then, let’s check it out. Gourmet!’

[Gourmet: ★★★★]

* When you eat a dish, you acquire some of the experience and aura contained within.

* You can obtain various information about the dish depending on your Gourmet Level.

‘There’s a lot written…’

Was it because he understood the essence of the ability? The amount of information displayed in the status window increased dramatically.

He no longer had to struggle to figure out what abilities the newly acquired skills had.

‘…Two abilities have been added?’

Now, he could gain not only experience but also aura from the food he ate.

‘I knew it. Raising the Gourmet skill was the right way to increase aura.’

A strange light flashed in Kainchel’s eyes. To become a Swordmaster, one must be able to handle a tremendous amount of aura.

Impossible without excellent mana cultivation techniques.

He could replace that by simply eating food.

And he could now get information about the food he ate.

Kainchel tentatively put a piece of Lizardman meat in his mouth and chewed.

[Grilled Lizardman Meat]

* Only slightly cooked on the outside to prepare for cooking. It contained poison, but it has been completely removed by perfect processing.

* Completion: ★★★

Next, he ate a piece of Lizardman meat that hadn’t been cooked at all. A warning message appeared, stating that it contained poison and required careful preparation.

Thanks to his poison resistance, he didn’t get poisoned. Only the tip of his tongue tingled a little.

Despite gaining tremendous abilities, Kainchel’s expression was dark.

Reading the message on the status window, he realized the problem with the dish he was making.

‘The completion of the Lizardman meat is only 3 stars. It was naive to think that simply removing the poison would make it a delicious dish…’

Was grilling it lightly and putting it in cream stew the best way to bring out the flavor of Lizardman meat?

There are thousands of dishes that can be made with just one potato. What about pork, which has been eaten for hundreds of years? New dishes using it are still being developed.

It was as if the meat was talking to him.

— Is this all you can do? Make me more delicious.

“…”

Kainchel took a slow, deep breath. There were customers waiting for the dish.

He could worry about it after he finished it.

@

First, he poured water into the vegetables that had been stir-fried in butter and put them on the fire. The secret to making a stew delicious is to simmer it until it’s thick.

You have to wait patiently until the solids are completely softened and all the flavor is extracted.

Finally, he added chicken stock and bay leaves to add the missing flavor and closed the lid of the pot.

While the water was boiling, he had to make a white roux [a mixture of butter and flour used to thicken sauces].

First, he put plenty of butter in a pan and melted it over low heat. He added flour and stirred, and the smell reminiscent of cream stew began to spread.

Then, the mercenaries, who had been lying around like corpses, raised their heads.

“…Ugh, I’m hungry…. I feel like I could boil and eat my shoes right now…”

“Why are you smacking your lips like that?”

“This is parchment with cinnamon powder on it, dried. If I keep it in my mouth, it makes saliva and I feel refreshed.”

Kainchel sighed.

He had to make the cream stew as delicious as possible for the customers who were waiting.

He added goat’s milk to the flour fried in butter and simmered until it thickened.

It would be better if he had fresh cream, but this was a sufficiently luxurious stew to eat in the field.

He poured the white roux into the pot where the vegetables were boiling, added the Lizardman meat last, and covered it.

“Simmer for about 20 minutes…. Okay, it’s done!”

Then, several mercenaries lined up with bowls.

Wolf Captain still looked dubious.

“Is this really edible?”

Kainchel grinned and used a ladle to scoop up a generous portion of meat and put it in his mouth in front of everyone.

The taste of vegetables and meat permeated with the smooth cream and butter flavor.

“It’s not bad. When the weather is cold like this, there’s nothing like cream stew. Eat before it gets cold.”

Then, the hesitant mercenaries rushed in.

They had been eating only dried bread and jerky for a while.

Looking at the steaming stew, they couldn’t help but drool.

“Woo-hoo-hoo! Thank you for the food!”

“I’ve always wanted to try Lizardman meat. Give me a lot.”

“Wow, to be able to eat cream stew in a place like this…”

The mercenaries wiped their dirty spoons on their clothes and began to devour the cream stew.

The potatoes, full of the stew’s umami [a savory taste], crumbled softly in their mouths.

The carrots and turnips, carefully stir-fried in butter, had a sweet taste as the broth melted into them. They scooped up the thick broth full of milk and butter and put it in their mouths, warming their cold bodies.

The mercenaries’ stiff expressions softened, and happy smiles appeared.

“This is pretty good?”

“I know, right? I was nervous because it was Lizardman meat. But it’s just like slightly tough chicken.”

“The meat flavor is a bit strong. But if you eat it with the broth, carrots, and turnips…. Cough…. I feel like I’ve come back to life.”

Kainchel, who had finished serving, sighed.

The mercenaries enjoyed the cream stew, but their evaluation was harsh.

‘This isn’t a Lizardman dish. It’s just cream stew with Lizardman meat in it.’

Naturally, the ‘Brilliant Road’ slot remained the same.

Maybe he should salt it with rock salt, dry it, and then age it.

In the Tuscan Confederation, they make ham called Jamón [a type of dry-cured ham] in that way. Using Lizardman meat instead of pork.

Then, the chewy texture with moderate fat and the intense meat flavor would be concentrated, creating an even more intense Jamón.

‘But what is this evaluation?’

Kainchel looked at the Joma Mirror, thinking of the mercenaries who were eating the stew as if they were going to lick the bowl clean.

[A 4-star dish, ‘Lizardman Cream Stew,’ has been completed.]

[The customer likes your dish.]

However, in the case of mercenaries who were repulsed by the meat flavor of the Lizardman meat, it was 3 stars.

Has a dish made at once ever been evaluated so differently?

‘The evaluation of the same dish can be so different depending on the customer.’

Kainchel felt like he knew why the completion, not the grade, was displayed when he tasted the Lizardman meat.

In the end, it is up to the customer to decide the grade of the dish.

Wolf, who had approached, sat next to Kainchel and said.

“Thank you for the dinner. It’s my first time eating Lizardman meat, and it was pretty good.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“But you don’t seem very satisfied.”

“I thought I would get a buff if I ate a dish made with monster meat, but it’s just meat.”

“Buff? What’s that?”

“I’m just kidding.”

“Silly. Anyway, if you’re okay with it, would you like to join the Wolf Mercenary Corps? You can handle aura and you’re good at cooking, so you can definitely become an ace. We’ll treat you well. Monster extermination involves sleeping outside a lot, but there’s nothing like it for making money.”

Kainchel smiled and said.

“I’m already committed to freedom and honor.”

“Ah, you were a knight. But if you’re a free knight, you probably don’t have much money. Tell me anytime you need money.”

He didn’t expect to receive a joining offer like this. Kainchel realized once again that he had become a Sword Knight.

Those who can strengthen their bodies with aura and even cut through steel.

If one more Sword Knight is added, the mercenary corps’ strength will double.

“It’s never bad to be friends with a Sword Knight, so I’ll give you some good information. You seem to be interested in cooking, so if you ever go to Mino, visit Elder Percival.”

“You mean Mino Territory?”

“Yes, he’s an elder who retired a while ago and is running a tavern. He makes really amazing dishes with even trivial ingredients. If you say Wolf sent you, he’ll treat you very well.”

Mino was a small territory half a day’s ride from Gistad Territory.

‘If a tavern has been built, it means the territory has grown quite a bit. Is it because of the dungeon?’

When people gather, it is natural for the infrastructure for them to increase.

He was going to stop there to resupply and return to Citizen anyway.

“Is he that good at cooking?”

“I’m sorry to say this after eating so well, but the rabbit stew that Elder Percival made was much better than what you made.”

A strange light flashed in Kainchel’s eyes. He was more curious than upset that he had lost in cooking skills.

Clearly, the evaluation that Wolf gave when he ate the cream stew was 4 stars.

But if there is a dish that is more delicious than that, it is definitely 5 stars or higher.

He might be a skilled person like Gordon Ramsay [a famous chef].

‘Why is someone like that running a tavern in a place like this?’

Maybe he was chased all the way here because he couldn’t stand Emperor Aslan.

“Thank you for the introduction. But are you mainly active around Mino, Captain Wolf?”

“Yes. I go back to the territory for maintenance about once every ten days.”

“Then, next time we meet, I’ll treat you to a proper Lizardman dish.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Kainchel stroked the interdimensional pouch. There were still 14 Lizardmen inside.

‘There are enough ingredients. I need to find a way to bring out the best flavor of Lizardman meat using these.’

And he would complete a dish that was so delicious that it couldn’t be compared to what others made.

@

Mino, which he had visited in years, had changed beyond recognition.

The few inns were all full, and makeshift accommodations that appeared to belong to mercenary corps were lined up outside the village.

He gave a few coins to a young man who was chopping wood, and he was able to hear the situation.

“It’s all because of the dungeon. It’s called a blessing and a curse for a reason.”

Dungeons were a type of subspace that formed in places where mana was unstable.

They occur around a core with strong magical power, and monsters attracted to it stay inside.

The problem was the mana crystal stones that formed in the bodies of the monsters living in the dungeon. These so-called magic stones were worth money.

They are used as materials for magical tools, and if Sword Knights absorb them, they can increase the amount of aura.

Mino Territory was enjoying an unexpected boom thanks to the suddenly created magic stone mine.

The young man’s expression was pitiful when he said that the great nobles nearby were reaching out with black hands, aiming for the dungeon.

“The Mino Lady has already received four marriage proposals this month. And that’s as the fourth wife of some count…. Isn’t that just trying to get it for free?”

The Mino Baron was more like the village chief of a rural village than a nobleman.

But suddenly, a dungeon with tremendous value was created in his territory.

No wonder the great nobles’ private soldiers were gathering nearby.

They were clearly trying to take the dungeon for free, taking advantage of the gap.

“Then, when did the dungeon appear?”

“It’s been about ten months. Well, since there are so many people, they charge 10 coppers for a pile of firewood, so I’ve made quite a bit of money.”

The young man waved his hand and disappeared, saying he had to go chop wood.

People gather where there is money. And where there are many people, incidents happen.

Kainchel swallowed hard as he saw a group of people running towards him.

‘Could it be a monster attack!?’

He listened carefully and could hear the sounds they were making.

“Elder Percival is making stew!”

“Oh! That’s what I live for these days!”

“Gather with your pots right now!”

“If you’re late, there won’t be any broth left!”

And in an instant, dozens of people gathered in front of a building and formed a long line.

There was a sign that said ‘The Place Where Everything Freezes’.