Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 88

As he did, even the nobles who had been standing at a distance began to gather around, drawn by the commotion.

The contrast between Julius, who had always been on the fast track, and Cainchel, the Free Knight previously dismissed as trash, was stark.

They watched the unfolding conflict with growing interest.

Julius, feeling his momentum slipping, raised his voice, trying to regain control.

“H-How would a merchant know anything about this? Why are you butting in!”

At that, the expressions of the merchants attending the ball turned icy. After all, this ball was primarily a gathering for *them*. Strictly speaking, the nobles were the uninvited guests.

A stern voice came from the merchant who had initiated the conversation.

“At the very least, I believe I know more about the local situation than those who spend all year in the South.”

Several other merchants chimed in, adding their voices to the fray.

“Lorenzo, the head manager, is right. We were just in the North purchasing magic crystals. We didn’t have the pleasure of meeting Sir Cainchel in person, but we heard many tales of his exploits.”

Julius’s eyes widened at the mention of ‘head manager’. These were powerful figures within the merchant guild, individuals even nobles couldn’t afford to treat lightly.

It was said that a guild’s profits hinged on the competence of its head manager.

Lorenzo appeared to be in his early thirties.

To hold such a position at such a young age spoke volumes about his abilities.

A noble observing the scene nodded in agreement.

“Indeed, no profession is as attuned to rumors as merchants. Besides, I doubt the head manager, representing the guild, would spread false information. I think it’s safe to trust his assessment to a certain extent, wouldn’t you agree?”

“It seems I should introduce myself formally. I am Lorenzo de Medici, the head manager of the Great Deer Merchant Guild.”

Cainchel recognized the name Great Deer; they had approached him previously about selling magic crystals.

‘They offered a substantial down payment. It would have been tempting if I hadn’t been in a situation where I needed to use the magic crystals myself.’

Lorenzo was the third son of the Medici viscount family.

It was common for those who couldn’t inherit the family title to become knights or merchants.

“Hoho, so you’re the son of Viscount Piero. What exactly happened in the North?”

Lorenzo bowed slightly and began his explanation.

“I believe everyone is familiar with the Church of the Seven Deadly Sins.”

“How could we forget the names of those vile traitors!”

“Among them is a werewolf who calls himself the King of Wolves. He was hiding in a newly created dungeon, building his strength, after we all thought he had died ten years ago.”

“Huh…”

“…I believe I’ve heard whispers of something similar. We must be vigilant, as the Church of the Seven Deadly Sins appears to be resurfacing.”

Lorenzo’s eloquence captivated his audience. Even the nobles who had initially appeared indifferent were now listening intently.

“If his plan had succeeded, the North would have been plunged into a terrible bloodbath. Thanks to the efforts of Sir Cainchel, we were able to defeat him.”

Julius realized that the narrative was quickly turning against him.

He stood up abruptly, raising his voice in protest.

“If that’s true, isn’t it strange! Look at the half-wing on Cainchel’s chest! If he had truly accomplished such a feat, he would have received a proper medal! And more than anything, that underachieving bastard becoming a Free Knight…”

Lorenzo narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to Julius.

“Sir Cainchel was offered the wings of a Free Knight by March Phillips [a high-ranking military official]. However, he politely declined, stating that he was simply acting according to the code of chivalry.”

“M-March Phillips’ medal?!

Receiving a medal from the March was a great honor for a knight. To refuse it, claiming he was only doing his duty…

Surprise flickered in the eyes of the watching nobles.

“Free Knight Cainchel, I’ll be sure to remember that name.”

Lorenzo delivered the final blow to Julius’s ego.

“But I must ask, Sir Julius. You’ve been so focused on titles and merits, but what great achievements have *you* accomplished thus far?”

Julius’s face contorted with humiliation.

The medal he wore so proudly now felt like a cheap trinket.

It was merely a symbol of becoming a Sword Knight, not a reward for any particular act of valor.

He had only left the training center half a year ago.

Yet, this ‘underachieving bastard’ had already become a Free Knight and earned such recognition that he received a medal from March Phillips?

He couldn’t believe it.

“Y-You’re all being deceived by this underachieving bastard! I went through the same training center as him, so I know him very well. That guy is a piece of trash who didn’t level up at all, even after wielding a sword for three years. Do you know what that means?”

Julius shouted desperately, but the gazes directed at him were cold and dismissive.

Lorenzo glanced back and forth between Julius and Cainchel, then said with a hint of amusement.

“Then isn’t it even more impressive? Despite lacking natural talent, he still managed to become a Free Knight. He embodies the code of chivalry better than anyone else. At this point, I even feel a sense of respect.”

“Hng…”

Lorenzo’s words were so measured and reasonable that there was no room for argument.

Julius felt as if he were trapped in a nightmare.

Even the trainee knights who had been giving him respectful glances moments ago now avoided his gaze.

“I never realized Sir Julius had such a… personality…”

“…I think I owe Sir Cainchel an apology on his behalf.”

But Julius refused to let it end like this. His opponent was Cainchel, the infamous underachiever of the Stanitz Knight Training Center.

From Julius’s perspective, destined for a smooth and successful career, Cainchel was nothing more than a pebble to be kicked aside.

Julius nervously fiddled with his gloves.

He clung to the belief that, even if Cainchel had gotten lucky, his own swordsmanship skills were still superior.

“I-In that case, a duel…”

Cainchel, who had been silently observing the scene, sighed quietly.

‘…Julius. There was a time when I saw you as an insurmountable obstacle.’

The level and stats that stubbornly refused to change, no matter how much he trained.

To Cainchel, Julius, who grew stronger with each passing day, was like a distant star.

No matter how hard he tried, he could never hope to surpass him.

Nevertheless, Cainchel had continued to train his body and swing his sword.

And then, the lucky breaks he thought he would never experience began to appear.

Cainchel looked at Julius’s face, twisted with humiliation, and stood up.

‘But now, he seems so… insignificant.’

With that thought, he addressed the gathered nobles.

“I apologize for disrupting the ball, which should be a pleasant occasion, with this petty dispute. Ah, the food has gotten cold. If you’ll wait a moment, I’ll warm it up.”

Julius’s face flushed crimson as he realized Cainchel was completely dismissing him.

Losing his composure, the aura surrounding his body began to churn.

“T-That underachieving bastard dares to…!”

Ignoring Julius’s outburst, Cainchel walked over to the table laden with food.

Simple dishes were arranged on silver cutlery.

Cainchel used Booster to concentrate his aura in his left hand.

An aura sword, emitting a subtle glow, materialized on Cainchel’s fist.

The trainee knights watching were stunned.

“A-An aura sword!? And he created it without any weapons!”

Cainchel effortlessly proved that he was a Sword Knight, causing Julius’s face to drain of color.

“How is Cainchel using an aura sword? S-Someone, tell me it’s a lie…”

But the transformation didn’t end there.

Cainchel picked up the dishes of cold food and held them in his hand.

Then, he activated Flambe.

A technique to infuse fire into the aura, Fire Lord.

The very technique Julius prided himself on was now being replicated at Cainchel’s fingertips.

The cold food was instantly heated, releasing an appetizing aroma.

“F-Fire Lord! And he seems to be much more skilled at controlling the flames than Sir Julius!”

It wasn’t even a competition anymore. Julius rushed towards Cainchel, grabbed his shoulder, and shook him violently.

“How did you learn Fire Lord! Tell me!”

Julius had been entrusted with the family’s secret technique this summer. If it had been leaked, he would be held responsible.

Cainchel smiled calmly and said.

“Didn’t you say earlier that anyone could use Fire Lord if they worked hard? I simply tried it, and it worked.”

Cainchel ignored Julius, who looked as if he were about to faint, and continued.

“It seems I wasn’t skilled enough to control the fire properly and ended up burning some of the food. I’ll head to the kitchen and ask them to bring out fresh dishes.”

“Ugh!”

Julius finally collapsed, defeated. The medal on his chest and the Fire Lord technique, which he had been so proud of, now seemed utterly insignificant.

It was a truly humiliating defeat for Julius.

@

Cainchel retrieved a chef’s uniform from his two-dimensional pocket, changed into it, and headed towards the kitchen.

The food served at the ball was even worse than he had initially thought. He was curious about the conditions in the kitchen that could produce such a result.

The scene he encountered was appalling.

It looked as if a typhoon had swept through the room.

Pots filled with burnt sauce lay scattered on the floor, and unidentified debris clung to the counters.

The only person who resembled a chef was a man clutching his head in despair.

But the figure seemed strangely familiar.

“Chef Bruno?”

Bruno, the chef from Galia who had helped him prepare coq au vin. He never expected to meet him again in a place like this.

Bruno suddenly jumped up and rushed towards Cainchel.

“A-Are you here to help us?”

It seemed he had been single-handedly preparing food for hundreds of guests.

Cainchel sighed quietly and nodded.

“I thought the party could use some more food. If you tell me what ingredients are left, I’ll prepare something.”

“Hoo…. I hate to say this to someone who came all this way, but you’d be better off going back. If I had known it was going to be this kind of job, I wouldn’t have taken it, no matter how much they paid me…”

The situation in the kitchen was indeed dire.

Bruno, still clutching his head, explained the circumstances.

“It seems many nobles are attending tonight’s ball, so the mayor is closely monitoring everything. Just look at the ingredients we have left.”

He opened a box to reveal a collection of rotting ingredients. The usable ones had already been exhausted, leaving only the inedible scraps.

“He emphasized repeatedly that the food shouldn’t be too delicious. He told us to weaken the seasoning and reduce the use of spices. But…”

To ensure the chef couldn’t create anything too appealing, the mayor had provided only the lowest quality ingredients.

Cainchel was amazed that Chef Bruno had managed to create even edible dishes with such limited resources.

“…These are the only ingredients left. I’m sorry, but I can’t make anything edible with this. Even Chef Gordon [a famous chef] wouldn’t be able to pull it off.”

“Even Chef Gordon couldn’t do it?”

Cainchel’s eyes lit up at those words. The kitchen was filled with nothing but rotten ingredients.

If he could create edible food from this mess, he would undoubtedly gain a significant amount of experience.

‘This is the perfect challenge for me.’

He found the chaotic kitchen far more appealing than the bright lights of the glamorous ball.

“Would you mind waiting a moment? I’ll start by assessing the ingredients.”

“Oh, but haven’t we met before?”

“I’ve visited Epicure [Bruno’s restaurant] a few times as a guest. The coq au vin you made was truly exceptional.”

“Y-You mean that time!?”

Cainchel smiled and drew the kitchen knife from his waist.

A new culinary miracle was about to unfold in the messy kitchen.

Humiliation of Julius #3