Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 81

A man with a rather robust physique for a chef was cooking there.

With gray-tinged black hair and strangely shadowed eyes, his handsome face nonetheless made Caroline’s eyes widen.

Each time he moved his hands, something pure white bloomed between his palms.

“Wow…”

It was as if she were watching a great mage conjuring clouds with a mere gesture.

On closer inspection, the identity of the clouds was cotton candy.

A confection that was hard to come by, as it required a generous amount of sugar. The amount needed to make just one of those could buy thirty cups of black tea.

“How on earth can he make cotton candy without any tools?”

The surprises didn’t end there.

After completing a large cotton candy, the man placed it aside and took out a large wooden tub.

Inside it was a small castle encased in ice.

What kind of dish was he trying to make?

“Ugh, I can’t see… Should I go to the kitchen and ask him to show me…”

Seeing Caroline craning her neck to peek into the kitchen, the escort knight cleared his throat.

“Your Grace, please maintain your composure. You must not forget that you always represent the Deus Church.”

“But I’m curious about what kind of dessert is coming out!”

As if he had heard her, the man cooking in the kitchen approached Caroline.

“Anticipation enhances the pleasure of the moment. This is a service. Please enjoy it slowly while you wait.”

“Wow! Black tea and cake? Thank you!”

The man lightly bowed and returned to the kitchen.

His disciplined demeanor was like that of a holy knight.

On the plate were steaming black tea and bite-sized cheese cakes.

Opening the small jar next to it revealed it was full of sugar.

Caroline said with an excited expression.

“It looks like I can put as much sugar as I want! The cardinal nags me every day not to put in more than one spoonful!”

“Because it’s expensive.”

She put in more sugar than usual and took a sip, feeling a subtle fragrance along with the deep sweetness.

Clearly, a skilled expert had brewed a high-grade black tea.

The cake, filled with rich cream cheese, was also superb.

“Umm! This moist softness that wets the tongue… They say a piece of this cake is only 10 coppers [a low-value coin]! Finding such a wonderful place makes all the hard work worthwhile!”

Her escort knight nodded.

“The fact that it’s not too sweet is good. I should buy one to take back.”

“Me too!”

Looking at her like this, Caroline was just an ordinary teenage girl. The escort knight sighed inwardly.

To think that such a young girl is the archbishop in charge of a diocese.

Even if she was born with tremendous divine power, it seemed like she was bearing too much responsibility.

“The cake and black tea that came as a service are this delicious, so what will the premium menu, the Jewel Ice Cream, taste like?”

How long had she waited? The man who had conjured clouds from his hands brought what she had been waiting for.

“This is the Jewel Ice Cream you ordered. You can sprinkle syrup on it to your liking.”

A gasp escaped from Caroline’s lips as she looked at the dessert on the plate.

“Wow…”

It was more like looking at a work of art than food.

On top of a rounded snow mountain, pure white clouds were blooming. The light pink snow mountain was so perfect that it was almost a shame to put a spoon to it.

First, she tore off a small piece of cloud and brought it to her mouth, where it melted away.

“…Umm! Sweet!”

What she had eaten so far was worth more than 1 gold [a high-value coin]. But there was still the jewel-like beautiful part left.

Caroline boldly scooped up the top of the snow mountain. A cool chill was transmitted through the spoon.

“It’s a dessert made by freezing sweet whipped cream. It doesn’t seem like magic was used, but I wonder how they made it.”

“Indeed. Well, let’s taste it.”

She wondered what this mysterious dessert would taste like. With a determined expression, Caroline brought the ice cream to her mouth.

“…Haaa.”

She had expected an even sweeter taste after eating the sweet cotton candy. But what she felt from the ice cream was a subtly refreshing salty taste.

It blended with the sweetness that remained in her mouth, giving her an indescribably blissful feeling.

Caroline’s face turned red. She felt so happy that her whole body was melting.

It couldn’t have tasted like this if it was just sweet. Something salty in the ice cream was bringing the sweetness to its extreme.

“Ah, ah…”

Caroline brought the Jewel Ice Cream to her mouth as if she were possessed. It melted away in an instant, but left a lingering feeling as if she had a happy dream.

The escort knight, who was watching Caroline eat the Jewel Ice Cream, swallowed hard.

To think that just a plate of dessert could make such a happy face.

Caroline, who had eaten all of the Jewel Ice Cream, muttered.

“…I’ve had a lot of desserts, but I’ve never tasted anything like this before.”

“W-was it that delicious?”

“It was like my whole body was melting.”

The corners of the patient escort knight’s mouth twitched. If his pockets were deep enough, he would have ordered the Jewel Ice Cream.

Realizing this, Caroline smiled mischievously.

“You suffer every day because of me, so I’ll buy you one. But you have to come here again for the next mass.”

In the end, the escort knight bowed his head at the cute bribe.

And after eating the Jewel Ice Cream, he could understand Caroline’s reaction.

To think there could be such delicious food in the world.

The Jewel Ice Cream was so delicious that even a holy knight who could be described as strict, solemn, and serious fell in love with it at first sight.

@

Joffrey sighed after finishing business for the day.

The desserts had sold better than he had expected, but that was only because the prices were low.

Besides, he sometimes even gave them away for free to the neighborhood kids.

“The ice cream that should be selling well has only sold two servings. Shouldn’t we raise the prices of the other desserts?”

Keinzel explained with a relaxed expression about the guest who had come during the day.

“She is Archbishop Caroline, who is in charge of this diocese. She is famous in society as a girl who loves desserts more than anyone else.”

“You didn’t invite her, did you?”

“You could say that. The Deus Church’s mass ends at a set time every week. I deliberately provided desserts for free at that time. After talking for a few hours, they get hungry. Wouldn’t they naturally be drawn to the sight of people eating delicious desserts?”

Even if he failed to attract Caroline, he could at least spread the word.

To let people know that they can buy sweet and delicious desserts in Verus.

“I’m worried about whether she will move as you expect.”

“Don’t worry too much. There will be a response soon.”

But the ice cream didn’t sell well. After two servings were sold on the first day, no one ordered the premium menu.

But as Keinzel said, the response started in a completely unexpected place.

The number of noble young ladies staying in Citizen is not large.

As such, they maintain close relationships.

They gather in the same place every three days to read books and drink tea.

The topic of conversation this week was the mysterious dessert that Archbishop Caroline had eaten.

“Have you heard? A newly opened dessert shop sells a very strange food.”

“I’ve heard too. The Archbishop praised it so much. She said that it melts in your mouth and tastes like heaven.”

“It must be something like sherbet or snow milk. I’ve had it a few times, and it’s definitely cool, but I wouldn’t say it’s that delicious…”

“They say it’s so delicious that it can’t be compared to that. The moment you put it in your mouth, it melts away like snow and leaves a deep aftertaste, and it’s sweeter than any dessert you’ve ever eaten.”

“Really? What was the name?”

“Jewel Ice Cream.”

After several social gatherings, the name Jewel Ice Cream was etched in the minds of the noble young ladies.

And one by one, they began to visit Verus.

“Have you tried the ice cream?”

“No. The Archbishop likes all sweet foods. Even if it’s delicious, wouldn’t it just be snow milk? It’s not worth going to eat.”

“Actually, I went there yesterday and tried it. And the taste is really…”

“Is it that sweet?”

“Yes! You really have to try it. You can eat it leisurely now, but it will be a mess soon. They only sell thirty servings a day.”

The young ladies who heard the rumors spread by Caroline began to visit Verus one or two at a time.

The fancy interior and delicious desserts were perfect for social gatherings.

And the Jewel Ice Cream, which could only be eaten in the store, made them fall in love at first sight.

“About the book club this weekend…”

“Ah, I was going to say that too. How about doing it at Verus?”

“I agree.”

Before they knew it, several ornately decorated carriages began to line up in front of Verus.

They ordered ice cream without regard to the exorbitant price.

“Wow…”

“Haaa.”

“…Hooaa.”

The moment they put it in their mouths, they couldn’t say anything.

First, they admire the appearance, which is like a luxurious work of art, and then they are shocked by the taste.

They had eaten all kinds of desserts with sugar, but this was the first time they had eaten such a dessert.

To think that the sweetness that melts your whole body is hidden behind the clean salty taste.

The young ladies instantly became prisoners of the Jewel Ice Cream.

At the same time, other desserts also sold like hotcakes.

“Can I have four Jewel Ice Creams?”

“I’m sorry, but we’ve sold out of today’s supply.”

“Haa… If I had known, I would have lined up before eating breakfast… I can’t help it. Give me a mille-feuille and black tea.”

It was so popular that Joffrey couldn’t handle it alone.

The Jewel Ice Cream, which was said to be sold only 30 a day, spread like a trend among the young ladies.

@

“The Jewel Ice Cream was sold out before 9 a.m. today.”

“Then other desserts will sell well.”

“Can’t we increase the production a little? Even if we make twice as much as we do now, it will be sold out in half a day.”

Joffrey had a worried expression on his face because of the excess inventory until a week ago.

But now he couldn’t sell it because he didn’t have it.

The Jewel Ice Cream, which is made by freezing it little by little, has a limited amount that can be made every day. That’s why he had no choice but to pursue a luxury strategy.

It worked. No, it wasn’t just that, Verus became the center of the gathering.

Joffrey stared at Keinzel, who was making Jewel Ice Cream, speechless.

Did he know this would happen and made Verus a dignified space that nobles would like?

Keinzel shrugged his shoulders as he looked at the young ladies filling the store.

‘I just brought the leftover furniture from the Count’s mansion. Surprisingly, everyone likes it.’

Keinzel couldn’t understand the tastes of the nobles.

In fact, there was another reason why he had grown the business so much.

“This black tea is really delicious.”

“That’s right. The water temperature is just right, so it’s perfect to drink.”

[Customers admire the tea you brewed.]

[Your skill in boiling water is very high.]

[Your tea ceremony level has increased.]

The tea ceremony level, which was 1 star, had risen to 3 before he knew it. That wasn’t all. When he made dishes using ice, cold resistance, which had not existed before, was created.

‘As expected, if you make a variety of dishes, you will gain resistance related to them.’

It will definitely be more helpful to work in the North in the future.

As he was excited about the rising levels and cooking, the store was prospering before he knew it.

But something happened that Keinzel didn’t expect at all.

Ignoring the ridiculous price of 100 gold, he received a request to go on a business trip.

More Sweetly #4