Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 86

The shadow that escaped Verus darted through the back alleys of Citizen, where even moonlight struggled to penetrate.

Having failed to achieve its objective, it was retreating to its hideout to regroup.

Anticipating this, Cainchel followed the shadow, maintaining a discreet distance.

However, the shadow’s movements were erratic.

‘This is the same place we just passed through.’

The back alleys of Citizen are a disorganized labyrinth.

They are quite literally like a maze.

Simply circling around would be enough to lose most pursuers.

However, the shadow was marked with Cainchel’s aura.

‘He’s incredibly cautious. If I hadn’t attached the meringue [a magical marker], I would have lost him several times already.’

“······?!”

Suddenly, the situation shifted.

The shadow, having reached an empty alley, abruptly reversed direction and sprinted back the way it came.

Could it have detected that it was being followed?

The meringue’s duration was dwindling. Losing him now would mean failure.

Decisively, Cainchel drew the sword from his waist and leaped from the rooftop where he had been concealed.

As he landed, the shadow cried out in apparent shock.

“Wh, what!”

It didn’t appear that he had noticed the pursuit and reacted accordingly.

‘Changing direction and speed so suddenly… is this also part of his usual escape route?’

Just what is his identity that he moves with such extreme caution?

Cainchel called out casually.

“Sir. If you’ve eaten the food, you have to pay. You can’t just run off like that.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

“Didn’t you steal food from the kitchen? There was only flour to eat, though. Next time, I suggest you rob a proper restaurant.”

The figure was clad entirely in black, and it became clear that he was wearing a black mask.

The masked man drew his own weapon: a scimitar with a crescent-shaped blade.

“Hahaha! If it isn’t the owner of Verus? I’ve been having a dry spell for days, and I was starting to consider kidnapping someone, but my prey has conveniently walked right into my trap.”

“How about removing that mask and continuing this conversation?”

“You seem to have bought an expensive knife now that you’ve made some money. Who’s going to be intimidated by someone who used to wield a kitchen knife? Well, even if you’re missing an arm, you can still talk as long as you have a mouth.”

The masked man gripped his scimitar and charged at Cainchel. His swordsmanship was surprisingly competent.

Since the opponent had drawn his sword, there was no need for restraint. Cainchel stilled his breathing and lowered his stance as much as possible.

Focusing his aura on his feet and thighs, his muscles bulged as if they would tear.

‘Booster!’

With a powerful kick, Cainchel launched himself towards the masked man like an arrow from a bow.

“Cough!”

The fight ended instantly.

The masked man, who had seemed so confident, couldn’t withstand Cainchel’s attack.

“If I have to repeat myself, this time, I’ll aim for your arm instead of your sword.”

“Wh, what kind of chef is this strong!”

“Don’t you know that these days, you need at least aura to cook properly?”

The masked man spat resentfully and removed his gloves. A tattoo covering his entire palm was revealed.

“I didn’t want to resort to this, but…”

Cainchel had encountered something similar before.

A technique of engraving magical imprints on the body and activating powerful magic by destroying them.

It was the same type used by Antares of the Seven Deadly Sins Church.

However, self-destruction is a difficult choice unless one is truly deranged.

The masked man hesitated for a moment before bending his fingers.

That pause created an opening.

Cainchel kicked off the ground and lunged at the masked man, delivering a punch to the solar plexus.

Thwack!

A loud thud, like hitting a sandbag, echoed as the masked man foamed at the mouth and collapsed.

“Tch, if the distance had been a little greater, the magic imprint would have activated.”

There might be a significant figure backing the masked man.

Cainchel picked up the unconscious masked man and returned to Verus.

@

When the mask was removed, a familiar face was revealed.

“This person…”

“Huh? Is he someone you know, hyung [older brother/term of endearment]?”

Zeke, who was sharpening a knife on a whetstone, inquired. Now was the time to extract any information the masked man possessed.

“It’s a face I saw once last summer. He was definitely selling skewers on the street.”

His skewers were particularly bad, which is why his face stuck in Cainchel’s memory.

“Then he’s connected to the street vendor alliance. So, they were the ones after the ice cream recipe.”

That was something Cainchel had already suspected.

However, the discovery of a magic imprint on the opponent’s body changed the situation.

Cainchel pointed to the unconscious masked man’s hand.

“Zeke, do you see the tattoo there?”

“Hmm. It looks a bit unusual?”

“I’ve seen a similar type of tattoo before. A man named Antares of the Seven Deadly Sins Church used it to activate high-level magic.”

“Ch, the Seven Deadly Sins Church’s technique? He’s just a street vendor owner, isn’t he?”

“The Seven Deadly Sins Church are criminals who have committed serious crimes. We should assume they still wield significant influence in the underworld.”

Cainchel examined the magic imprint on the masked man’s hand more closely.

Compared to Antares’s magic imprint, which seemed to embody anger itself, this one appeared crude.

“I plan to stay in Citizen for a while, so if possible, could you investigate this magic imprint in detail?”

“Okay, hyung! Just trust me! But what are you going to do with that guy? If you leave him to me, I’ll make him reveal his first love’s name.”

If the opponent was merely the street vendor alliance, it wouldn’t be a major concern.

However, having confirmed the magic imprint, it was necessary to proceed with greater caution.

Perhaps it was connected to the epidemic spreading in Britannia.

Cainchel sighed as he looked at the masked man.

‘To discover traces of the Seven Deadly Sins Church in a place like this.’

“Please, without leaving too many visible wounds.”

“Yes, hyung! Leave it to me!”

Zeke grinned like a child who had received a desired toy.

He dragged the masked man into the warehouse.

For a while, screams reminiscent of a pig being slaughtered echoed, and then Zeke emerged with a satisfied expression.

“Well, did you get any useful information?”

“Sigh! He didn’t know anything? He said the boss told him to get the tattoo on his hand.”

“Boss?”

“The representative of the street vendor alliance. To get proper information, we need to catch that guy. But it doesn’t seem easy. If what you said is true, hyung, that guy is very cautious.”

If he learns that the masked man has disappeared, he will become even more guarded.

He might vanish from Citizen altogether.

How can they catch him?

Cainchel, who had been pondering with his arms crossed, snapped his fingers.

“Zeke. You remember the same-level mercenaries who attacked me this summer, right?”

Zeke nodded.

“Of course! I even discovered that the street vendor alliance hired them.”

“Looking at it that way, doesn’t it seem a bit strange? Back then, they mobilized mercenaries. But why are they using the street vendor alliance now, which is essentially their own workforce? It would have been safer to use mercenaries again this time.”

“Isn’t it because this matter is far more important?”

Cainchel smiled at Zeke.

“The boss must be the type to select his operatives based on the importance of the task. A very important task. And he’ll only act directly when the situation is absolutely secure.”

Zeke trembled as if deeply moved.

“Sob… Is this the feeling of a teacher watching his disciple grow? If you learn a little more, you could work as a detective!”

If they understand the opponent’s tendencies, they can set a trap to ensnare him.

Upon returning to the warehouse, they found the masked man unconscious with his eyes wide open, bearing the expression of someone who had witnessed something terrifying.

“He definitely had a magic tool called a Memorial Cutter, right?”

“Hoo! I’m ready to use it anytime!”

The Memorial Cutter was a magic tool that Zeke frequently employed. Shaving with it could erase memories equivalent to the time it took for the hair to grow.

Looking at the masked man’s face, his entire chin was blue, as if he had shaved that morning.

A few hairs that had begun to sprout were noticeable.

“Zeke. Can I borrow the Memorial Cutter for a moment?”

“Yes! Hyung!”

Cainchel held the razor and smiled wickedly. Using this would erase not only today’s chase but also all the torture Zeke had inflicted from the masked man’s memory.

“You have to give him what he wants. Then he won’t be able to resist coming out.”

Shave! Shave!

With a cheerful sound, the masked man’s face became even cleaner.

@

The masked man clutched his head, throbbing as if it would explode, and sat up.

“Wh, where is this…”

He was lying on a pile of garbage in a deserted back alley.

In one hand was an empty bottle of alcohol, and his body reeked of liquor so potent it could strip paint.

“…Oh dear.”

Only then did the masked man grasp the situation.

A week had passed since he began spying on Verus to steal the ice cream recipe under Gilbert’s orders.

However, he was in a dire predicament, having failed to achieve any tangible results.

He hadn’t slept a wink in days.

He must have resorted to alcohol to find some rest, but it seemed he had overindulged.

The masked man groaned and stood up. If Gilbert found him in this state, he would face severe repercussions.

He would steal the ice cream recipe at all costs today.

With renewed determination, the masked man quietly infiltrated Verus’s kitchen.

Verus was still bustling with customers. The masked man gritted his teeth.

“Damn it, if only I had the ice cream recipe…”

However, Verus’s kitchen was unusually noisy. A man with slicked-back hair, whom he hadn’t seen until yesterday, was working there, apparently a new cook.

“Are you even in your right mind! I explicitly told you to fetch today’s ice cream from the ice storage this morning!”

“I’m sorry. I’ll go get it right now.”

“Ice cream can only be made in the ice storage! While you’re at it, make plenty for tomorrow too!”

The masked man’s eyes widened at the mention of ‘ice storage.’ He had never considered that they were making ice cream in such a place.

He finally understood why he hadn’t found any clues for over a week.

The masked man began to tail the man with slicked-back hair. The moment to finally acquire the recipe he craved had arrived.

“He’s taken the bait.”

Cainchel, who was playing the role of a demanding owner in the kitchen, sighed in relief.

Fortunately, the masked man had acted as expected.

Now Zeke, who had gone to the ice storage, would begin making ice cream very poorly.

Witnessing this, the masked man would report that he had discovered the ice cream recipe.

The ice storage was a type of warehouse built deep underground to preserve ice.

It was created so that nobles could enjoy ice even in the middle of summer.

A place closely associated with ice.

If you don’t know the truth, you’ll be completely fooled.

‘Now, all I have to do is wait and see what kind of movement the street vendor alliance will make.’

Even though she had never appeared in social circles, Frellia’s beauty was renowned.

A ball she was attending for the first time. Already, many nobles were gathering in Citizen to attend it.

And there, the three-flavored ice cream would be revealed to the world for the first time.

Would they be able to remain passive even after witnessing that?

Julius’s Humiliation #1