Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 66

Sausages hung in bunches at a tavern that looked about ten years old.

It was a type of sausage made by filling minced meat and various spices into pig intestines.

In the meat-scarce North, they had to use every part of the animal, including the pig’s skin, organs, and even blood, which led to the development of this dish.

Among them, the most popular was boudin noir [blood sausage], filled with pork fat and oil, various minced meats and vegetables, and pig’s blood.

On days when that was on the table, they would even lick the oil off the plate.

Seeing the food of his hometown after so long, a deep longing appeared in Cainchel’s eyes.

Pushing through the crowd, he approached the tavern and saw a man cooking.

He looked to be in his early fifties.

The man had a sturdy build that didn’t match his graying hair.

His thick, log-like forearms had several scars that looked like they were from a knife.

He looked more like an old warrior than a cook.

Percival stirred the stew in the pot with a ladle that looked like a snow shovel.

‘That pot looks like it could easily boil a calf whole,’ Cainchel thought.

Every time he moved the ladle, the muscles that bulged out of his clothes twitched.

Percival chuckled and shouted.

“Looks like a lot of dirty mercenaries have gathered again today! Well, today’s menu is rabbit stew with plenty of meat. It’s 10 coppers a ladle, so pay up and take it!”

The price was shockingly cheap.

One scoop with that huge ladle would be enough for at least three servings.

‘Is it really rabbit stew, or did they just boil water that a rabbit swam through?’ Cainchel wondered.

Curious, Cainchel went to the back of the line.

“Old man, I’m short on money, can I give you five rabbits instead?”

“Haha! They’re very plump! Just throw them over there.”

“I caught a roe deer!”

The scene of bartering rather than using money created a completely different atmosphere from the city.

The line quickly shortened, and soon it was Cainchel’s turn.

When he took out a shiny silver coin, Percival looked at him with curious eyes.

“I haven’t seen you around here before, young man. Judging by the crest on your chest, you’re a Free Knight.”

“Yes, the stew looks delicious. I’ll enjoy it.”

“Haha! I hope you earn the other half of your wing soon and fly high. I put in a lot of meat especially for you.”

On Cainchel’s left chest was a half-wing, symbolizing a Free Knight.

If a knight achieved meritorious service, they would receive a half-wing-shaped medal depending on the content.

Usually, you are only treated as a full-fledged Free Knight when you have a pair of wings.

Therefore, most people with only half a wing hid it.

It was like wearing a sign that you were a rookie who hadn’t achieved anything.

‘But in a place with so many mercenaries, it’s useful for reducing unnecessary conflicts,’ Cainchel reasoned.

The wooden bowl was so big that it had to be held with both hands.

Zeke grinned as he received it.

“I always get lucky with food when I’m with you, Brother!”

While Zeke was devouring the stew, Cainchel checked the ingredients.

It was made by adding minced celery, onions, carrots, and potatoes to the main ingredient, rabbit meat, boiling it thoroughly, and flavoring it with tomato paste.

He thought it wouldn’t be anything special because of the cheap price, but it was surprisingly well-made rabbit stew.

The thoroughly boiled rabbit meat was so tender that you could even eat the bones.

The stew, filled with tomatoes and various vegetables, had a complex and sweet aroma.

‘It smells like grass, and the chewy texture melts in your mouth?’ he mused.

In conclusion, it was a killer taste.

He could see why Chief Wolf had recommended it so much.

And the most surprising thing was the presence of a certain seasoning that doubled the taste of the stew.

It was bringing the flavors of the numerous spices, vegetables, and rabbit meat to their peak.

When he looked at the Jo Ma Kyung [a skill that analyzes food], the dish’s grade came to mind.

[You have tasted the 4-star dish ‘Rabbit Stew with ○○’.]

* Northern-style rabbit stew boiled thoroughly. Rabbit meat is boiled thoroughly with minced celery, onions, carrots, and potatoes, and flavored with tomato paste. The influence of ○○ is making the taste much better than the completeness.

* Some of the ingredients are hidden due to the low gourmet level.

* Completeness: ★★★

More information is displayed due to the gourmet level rising to 4 stars.

However, except for one thing, it was content that Cainchel already knew.

“…What the heck is ○○?!”

It’s certainly not a very well-made dish.

In the first place, it’s a dish made by putting a large amount of ingredients in a large pot and boiling it. No matter how skilled a chef makes it, it’s difficult for a dish higher than 3 stars to come out.

Nevertheless, the rabbit stew was 4 stars.

[Due to the influence of the gourmet level, some of the experience and aura contained in the dish have been absorbed.]

[Level has increased.]

In the meantime, another level rose.

When the gourmet level reached 4 stars, one status was added to Cainchel.

[Cainchel Ban Zistard – Lv43]

– Stamina (45), Agility (43), Strength (43), Dexterity (43), Intelligence (47), Magic (42), Divinity (42),

– Aura (110/112)

‘My aura increased by 2? Can I use the Aura Sword for about 2 minutes with this?’

As befits a stew containing the strong vitality of the North, eating one bowl increased the total amount by 2%.

If possible, he wanted to eat another bowl, but solving the secret of the rabbit stew came first.

‘What on earth did he put in it that raised the grade of the dish by one?’

Cainchel swallowed hard.

The cooking level, which had been stagnant for a while and not changing.

However, if he could solve the secret that upgraded the taste of the rabbit meat, the path to a 6-star dish might open.

To think he would encounter such an opportunity in a small northern village.

‘I guess I’ll have to postpone my return home for a bit.’

There’s nothing left in the Zistard estate anyway.

His father and mother would wait for their son, even if he was a little late.

Now that it’s come to this, he’ll stay here for a while and find out the secret of the rabbit stew made by Percival.

But how can he become friends with Percival?

The opportunity came sooner than expected.

“Ssibal! What, the stew is all gone? Does business end when it’s all gone?”

“Aigo, I waited for 20 minutes, and if I go back empty-handed, the chief will kill me!”

“Ahem, young friends are full of energy. The rabbit stew is all gone, but there are other dishes left.”

“That’s not it! I want to eat rabbit stew!”

Several mercenaries who looked to be silver-ranked were causing a ruckus at the tavern.

Cainchel quietly reached for his sword hilt.

Wasn’t it also the duty of a Free Knight to solve such problems? But the reactions of the other people were strange.

“Aigoo, I thought there were a lot of mercenaries, but the mercenary leader over there doesn’t even educate them properly?”

“That’s right. You shouldn’t mess with Percival.”

“Hahaha! How can you do mercenary work without knowing Spear King Percival.”

Percival went into the tavern with an expression as if he were watching cute children’s antics.

He was already holding a large glaive [a polearm weapon].

“Aang, what? Do you think anyone will be scared if you bring such a thing? We are the Three Brothers Mercenary Corps that even crying children stop when they hear our name…”

“It’s been a while since I’ve exercised! Heop!”

When Percival shouted, a clear aura formed on the entire 2M-long spear.

Horror dawned on the faces of the mercenary brothers.

“What, what! Why is a Sword Knight cooking stew!”

“Hehehe! It’s a good thing because my spear was getting dusty from not using it so much!”

Percival swung the spear very lightly.

But the power contained within was by no means light.

Kwa Kwang!

The blow was so powerful that a large pit was created in the floor.

In the end, the mercenary brothers ran away from the tavern with faces like mice that had met a cat.

Percival chuckled and waved his hand.

“Come earlier next time! Oh, right, it’s 10 coppers a ladle!”

Cainchel scratched the back of his head with the hand that was about to draw his sword. If he had stepped forward, a very embarrassing situation would have unfolded.

It was an amount of aura that wouldn’t be strange if he reached the realm of Sword Master soon.

He became more and more curious about the identity of the man named Percival.

As the mercenaries who had finished their meals returned to their lodgings, the tavern quickly became quiet.

Percival muttered, swinging the glaive lightly as if it were a toy.

“Then I have to prepare for the evening business. Haa, I should hire one more employee or the number of customers will increase and it will be difficult to work alone.”

‘That’s right, this kind of tavern is usually very quiet in the afternoon. There’s enough time to order other dishes and have a conversation,’ Cainchel thought.

The sausage he had seen earlier came to mind.

Cainchel licked his lips and entered the place where everything had frozen.

Cainchel ordered a glass of ale and a sausage. The tavern was spacious and neatly organized. When the sun went down, tired mercenaries would fill this place.

“Haha! A young customer is looking for boudin noir. You must be from the North.”

“Yes, I’m from the Zistard estate.”

Percival, who had been laughing heartily, suddenly looked at Cainchel with a face that had lost its smile.

“Are you really a survivor from that place?”

“…I’m ashamed to say I survived.”

“Why are you ashamed of surviving! You look young, so you must have been about ten years old at the time of the war!”

Cainchel had no memory of the war.

It was like he had taken a very long nap, and when he woke up, everything had turned white.

When he explained that fact, a long-held longing appeared in Percival’s eyes.

“So, you were a survivor of the Zistard estate… And to think you would grow up so well and even become a knight… Joanna would be very happy if she knew.”

“…Who is that?”

“It’s a common love story. Will you listen?”

Before he knew it, Percival was sitting next to Cainchel and tilting his beer glass.

And he began to tell the story of ten years ago.

“I was the leader of a mercenary group. I only used a spear for decades, so I got the embarrassing nickname of Spear King.”

“Ho, are you perhaps talking about the Highlander Mercenary Corps?”

“That’s right.”

Cainchel rose from his seat and gave the knight’s salute.

The Highlander was the name of the mercenary group that had achieved the most achievements in the Seven Deadly Sins War.

“It is an honor to meet the great hero of the Seven Deadly Sins War!”

“Such titles are only suitable for the Seven Virtues. To call a piece of trash like me, who couldn’t even protect the person I loved, a hero. Hehe…”

“No. If it weren’t for Percival, there would have been much more damage.”

“I’ve abandoned that name. Now I’m just Old Man Percival.”

Percival drank his ale and told the story of the war in a quiet voice.

As the war dragged on, many nobles died. In that case, his successor would inherit the title and participate in the war.

Joanna was also such a case.

“Countess Joanna was a more affectionate and kind woman than anyone else. And I fell in love with her at first sight. The fact that I, who was at best a Sword Knight, could fight among Sword Masters was probably thanks to my love for her.”

“The person named Joanna…”

“She was an excellent commander and survived until the end of the war. And we vowed to marry.”

Percival was telling stories that he had never been able to tell anyone before.

Before his eyes, the Seven Deadly Sins trampling on humanity were visible.

A countess with a slender back was blocking it alone.

“And the Gluttony King Baalzebub appeared in the Zistard estate. Along with him, a huge number of undead legions, enough to cover the entire North, began to advance.”

It was content that Cainchel also learned in the training center.

What kind of expression should he make when he hears that such a huge battle took place in the place where he was born and raised?

“…”

“In the end, Emperor Aslan made a decision for the sake of the country. He decided to summon the 8th class magic Meteor over the entire North. Joanna, hearing that news, opposed it. She was tasked with evacuating the residents and carried it out faithfully until the end, but she couldn’t complete it all.”

Percival was speaking in a calm tone, but the content contained within was by no means light.

“…”

“In the end, Joanna left to save the people who were left in a few villages. She promised to bring back the survivors without fail. She’s a woman who always keeps her promises. I fell in love with her at first sight because of her confident appearance.”

Cainchel’s throat was choked up, and he couldn’t say anything. This was the closest territory to Zistard.

Then the reason why Percival is still here…

It’s already been 10 years since the war ended.

But the scars of that time still remained in people’s hearts.

“Haha! Anyway, it’s a really happy day! I never thought I would meet a survivor of the Zistard estate while I was alive! If you don’t mind, would you like to tell me your story this time?”

Cainchel quietly nodded. And he began to tell the story of what he had experienced, except for the cooking.

Before he knew it, it was time for dusk, and mercenaries began to enter the tavern one by one.

“Sorry, but today is a temporary holiday!”

“Oh, old man? Why are you crying?”

“There’s too much dust because I haven’t cleaned for a while!”

“Hahaha! Then I’ll come tomorrow.”

Percival looked at Cainchel with quiet but strong-willed eyes.

“So, you want to know the secret of my rabbit stew, but you can’t tell me the reason?”

“Yes, I’m sorry for not being able to tell you the detailed reason.”

“No. Isn’t this also a connection that Joanna made? Actually, it’s not that great. My rabbit stew is…”

Percival went into the kitchen and took out a small jar.

The secret of the taste that even the 4-star gourmet level could not reveal is contained in this.