Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 92

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“A Medal of Honorary Citizenship?”

Upon hearing the title from Keinzel, Prellia widened her already large eyes even further.

Then, she clasped Keinzel’s hands, who was sitting across from her.

It was that surprising and delightful. It meant everyone would know about Keinzel’s achievements.

“Congratulations! Oh, Keinzel receiving a Medal of Honorary Citizenship… It makes my heart flutter.”

“Ahem, ahem…”

Keinzel cleared his throat, feeling the soft sensation on his palms.

Prellia was undoubtedly beautiful, even among numerous noble ladies. Her warm reception made him unsure how to react.

He was fortunate to have built some resistance thanks to his time with Abel.

“Is a Medal of Honorary Citizenship that significant?”

Prellia giggled and replied.

“It’s the highest honor a mayor, who isn’t a noble and doesn’t have command authority, can bestow. Plus, there are several privileges.”

“What kind of privileges can one receive?”

Keinzel’s eyes sparkled. ‘Privileges’ was a particularly attractive word.

“Yes, from now on, the Citizen [the city of Citizen] will guarantee Keinzel’s identity. If you’re a merchant, you’ll be exempt from taxes on commercial activities within the city, and if you’re a knight, you’ll have independent investigative rights. Wearing the Medal of Honorary Citizenship means you’ll be welcomed even at uninvited parties. And you can use city-operated facilities like libraries and bathhouses for free.”

In addition, they would receive some financial support for activities and significant advantages in obtaining various permits.

‘Gate usage will be much easier from now on.’

“Lastly, honorary citizens can exercise voting rights, just like city council members. It means you can interfere in city affairs to some extent. Isn’t it amazing?”

Keinzel quietly nodded.

It was certainly an enormous privilege. It was worth at least several hundred gold.

He could understand how grateful Mayor Wilson must be.

However, there was one concerning aspect.

Prellia also understood this fact and mentioned the examples of merchants and knights.

Keinzel was a free knight and ran a dessert shop in Citizen.

In other words, he was both a merchant and a knight.

“Then, what happens in my case?”

“Hmm… Usually, in such cases, they ask what role you want to play in the city and provide benefits accordingly.”

Both were attractive. However, what he needed now was independent investigative rights.

‘But I can use this as bargaining material.’

Keinzel took out a flyer from his pocket and handed it to Prellia.

“Could you take a look at this for a moment?”

Prellia tilted her head and read the words written on the flyer.

Surprise appeared in her eyes, and a cute gasp escaped from her slightly parted lips.

“Oh my… This is…”

It contained the words ‘Gordon VS Huul’ along with the plan for a cooking competition to be held at the winter festival.

The flyers were made of hemp cloth to prevent tearing. They had been using it in the kitchen to squeeze moisture from the ingredients.

‘I was so surprised when I found this…’

“The mayor doesn’t know that the identity of the clown Huul is Keinzel, does he?”

“Isn’t it interesting? This plan was created and then abolished without the person involved even knowing.”

Packaging the cooking competition as a circus and presenting it to the public. It was a brilliant idea that only Mayor Wilson could come up with.

Keinzel recalled the time when he had a cooking competition with Percival.

It was held on the spot, and there weren’t even proper judges.

Nevertheless, he was able to gain tremendous experience in an instant.

A former imperial chef who taught Keinzel how to grill meat.

He wanted to taste the food he made once again.

“I heard you settled in Citizen, but I couldn’t find any traces of you. Maybe Mayor Wilson knows the reason.”

“Keinzel, you want to compete with this person? I’ll cooperate too.”

“It’s reassuring to have the young lady’s help.”

At the word ‘young lady,’ Prellia stood up and put her hands on her hips.

Then, in a strangely raised voice, she said.

“I’m not a young lady, I’m a friend. Can’t you call me comfortably? And drop the formalities.”

After a moment of consideration, Keinzel decided to do as she wished.

“Okay. No… Okay, Prellia.”

Then Prellia, as if overjoyed, smiled brightly. Very brightly.

“Then, would you like to have tea with me sometime? The black tea you brew is really delicious.”

Keinzel’s tea ceremony level was 3 stars.

His butler, Brad, was much better at brewing tea.

‘……What part of the tea I brewed does Lady Prellia like so much?’

It was a riddle that could never be easily solved.

@

“Ugh!”

Mayor Wilson groaned, pulling at the few remaining hairs on his head.

Before him lay documents awaiting approval.

Signing here would make the free knight Keinzel an honorary citizen of Citizen.

Keinzel’s achievements were enough to make him an honorary citizen. But his position was ambiguous.

He was a free knight and was engaged in commercial activities in Citizen at the same time.

Usually, in such cases, the giver would ask which position the recipient valued more and reward them accordingly.

“He probably wants a tax exemption…”

Thinking that way, he regretted the enormous amount of money that ice cream would earn in the future.

Wilson had tasted all three types of ice cream that Keinzel had newly created.

While retaining the cool and sweet characteristics of ice cream, they contained all the flavors of strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate.

It would surely become a specialty representing Citizen in the future.

However, he didn’t want to miss out on something big by aiming for something small.

After much deliberation, Mayor Wilson finally signed the report. With this, the free knight Keinzel became an honorary citizen of Citizen.

At that moment, the voice of the aide outside was heard.

“Sir, Keinzel would like to see you.”

“Hmm? The award ceremony isn’t until next week.”

“He says he has something to say about it.”

Mayor Wilson swallowed hard and stood up.

“Hello, Mayor Wilson.”

“Honor to the Wings of Freedom [Keinzel’s title]. You’ve come at a good time.”

After a brief greeting, the main conversation began.

“I heard there are several privileges for honorary citizens.”

Mayor Wilson looked at Keinzel’s face, feeling that what was coming had come.

“I am a free knight who practices chivalry before I am the owner of Verus [Keinzel’s dessert shop]. I would appreciate it if you would think of me that way.”

“Oh… Ah, yes. I understand.”

Life returned to Mayor Wilson’s withering face. It was as if he had wandered through the desert and found an oasis.

“By the way, Mayor. I know that honorary citizens can make suggestions regarding the progress of festivals and events for the development of the city.”

Of course, such a system existed. However, it was only formal, and few people used it.

However, Wilson, who was feeling like he was about to fly away with joy, nodded with a pleased expression.

“Of course. Please feel free to share any good ideas.”

“I happened to find this.”

Keinzel took out a flyer from his pocket that described the cooking competition between Gordon and Huul and handed it over.

“Ah, I also think it’s a very regrettable plan. Fortunately, I got permission from Gordon Lambolton to participate, but the clown, who was the most important, disappeared, so it was canceled.”

“You got permission from Chef Gordon?”

Wilson sighed with a troubled face. And slowly began to speak.

“He has been preparing to open a restaurant here for some time. In the meantime, those guys who deserve to be boiled alive… got into a fight with Gilbert’s gang. As a result, the opening date has been continuously postponed. Eventually, Gordon Lambolton, unable to bear it, came to the city hall to negotiate. And somehow, he got a promise that he could attend the cooking competition. Haha!”

Mayor Wilson did not explain the details. But he seemed to know what had happened.

There must have been some kind of deal regarding the opening of the restaurant.

‘They even picked a fight with Gordon Lambolton. It must have been a thorn in their side for a former imperial chef to open a restaurant here.’

In the end, Keinzel had removed one of the obstacles hindering Gordon.

It was a strange thing.

If it hadn’t been for Gordon Lambolton, he wouldn’t have become so proficient in cooking so quickly.

Keinzel had unknowingly repaid Gordon’s favor.

Wilson sighed and said.

“Isn’t Gordon a talented chef? I thought it would be a plausible picture if he had a cooking competition with Huul, who became famous overnight with honey butter.”

“That’s right. I’m one of the people who really wants to see that competition. But what if there was someone who could bring Huul to this place?”

Wilson’s hands began to tremble as he understood what Keinzel was trying to say.

“…Surely, the best competition will be held.”

Keinzel smiled and nodded.

“I can bring Huul. I’ve already gotten permission. What do you think? Don’t you think ice cream alone is not enough to heat up the winter festival?”

“…!”

It was time to talk about the deal in earnest.

@

That’s how the competition with Gordon was held at the winter festival.

Keinzel’s hands trembled with excitement.

– The meat is undercooked! Who would eat meat like this!

– Follow me. I’ll show you how to grill an amazing steak.

– Hmm, it’s delicious. But it’s not enough yet. Something big is missing from your cooking!

Even now, when he closed his eyes, he could still hear his shouts. Keinzel had been wielding a kitchen knife constantly since leaving the training center.

In addition to onion swordsmanship [a cooking technique], he was able to handle two intermediate swordsmanships: flambé and meringue [both are cooking techniques].

And he gained ridiculous cooking skills called freshness recovery and effect amplification.

Using it, you can make more delicious dishes.

‘……Nevertheless, my cooking skills haven’t changed much since I left the training center.’

Although he learned how to make desserts from Joffrey, it wasn’t enough.

There are thousands of dishes that can be made with just one egg. How many of them can he do?

‘Maybe I was too used to Britannia style… no, Stanis style cooking.’

To raise the cooking level to 6 stars or higher, you have to overcome your limitations.

Gordon said that he wanted to create the ultimate dish that anyone, regardless of borders or even race, would say was delicious.

‘Gordon could already make dishes from more than 10 countries.’

Wouldn’t Britannia alone be enough to beat him?

Making more diverse dishes.

Maybe that’s what he lacks the most right now.

‘I happen to know a chef who is very skilled in foreign cuisine.’

Keinzel quietly recalled the man’s face.

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