Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 96

The preparations for the departure to Deutschland [Germany] proceeded at a tremendous pace.

It seemed like the regular monthly trading trip was simply joined by Keinzel and his group.

However, the scale was unprecedented.

Alfredo, the head merchant in charge of this trading trip, trembled as he watched the loading of the goods.

“Various precious metals, top-grade spices, and antique artworks… This trading trip must succeed no matter what…”

The usual animal hides and wheat that they mainly traded were nowhere to be seen.

If this trading trip succeeded, they would reap enormous profits, but if it failed…

Considering Count Well-ide’s emphasis on trust and stability, it was an unusual situation.

However, it was also part of Count Well-ide’s strategy.

If the cargo is gold, even the eyes of the porters change.

The size of the escort force was also enormous. Almost all the forces that the Edelweiss Merchant Guild could mobilize were投入 [thrown] into this trading trip.

“Thirty-three… Thirty-four… Haa! All the goods are loaded onto the wagons.”

If one were to hear the value of the goods loaded onto those wagons, most merchants would faint.

It was literally like carrying a castle.

Alfredo looked at the lodging wagon at the very end.

Sword Knight Abel and an elf wrapped in a black cloak were riding in it.

Although he couldn’t see her face, her voice alone was enough to captivate anyone.

“The guild leader told us to protect them even if we had to abandon all the goods. Just what are their identities?”

Even a princess of a kingdom wouldn’t receive such treatment.

The most important thing for this trading trip was to safely take them to their destination.

Alfredo, who vaguely realized this, swallowed hard.

While the merchants were loading the goods, Keinzel was also preparing to leave Citizen.

First, he had to make plenty of Jewel Ice Cream for Frellia to eat.

As long as the cold was maintained, it could last for about a month, even if the taste deteriorated slightly.

‘I need to emphasize that even a little melting will immediately lower the grade.’

Joffrey took charge of the ice cream to be sold at the festival.

As a master of dessert making, he consistently produced ice cream of 4-star quality or higher.

‘I wanted to make that myself if possible…’

It seemed he had to be satisfied with this much.

Next, he began packing cooking tools into his two-dimensional pocket [a magical storage space].

He had prepared more than ten kitchen knives in advance.

‘Ordinary kitchen knives can’t withstand Aura [magical energy] and break quickly.’

But he couldn’t make kitchen knives out of Mithril [a rare and strong metal].

Unfortunately, he had no choice but to bring a lot of kitchen knives.

He wanted to fill the remaining slots of the Brilliant Road [Keinzel’s culinary goal] during this trading trip no matter what.

To do that, using the elf Nimue was the best option.

They can’t eat animal products at all. Meat is literally an unknown food to them.

That was what Keinzel was aiming for.

‘I’m going to recreate the meat itself.’

The Janissaries of the Ottoman Empire do not eat meat for religious reasons. That’s why dishes using beans were developed.

Grinding white beans, adding various nuts, breadcrumbs, and corn flour, and kneading it creates a texture similar to meat.

However, the taste was still lacking. Beans could not produce the unique savory flavor of meat.

‘If I can solve that, I can make meat dishes without using meat.’

A new dish that has never existed before.

If he could create a high-quality Bean Meat Steak, he could fill the last piece of the Brilliant Road.

Finally, with Keinzel joining, the trading trip to Deutschland began.

Alfredo spoke to Keinzel as he boarded the lodging wagon.

“I look forward to working with you for the next month.”

“The pleasure is all mine. Aren’t you the head merchant in charge of this trading trip, Alfredo?”

Alfredo stroked his long beard and carefully opened his mouth.

“With so many escorts, we should be able to pass through Britannia without any problems. However, we need to be careful from the moment we cross the border.”

“Are there any dangerous monsters?”

“Deutschland has a large number of griffons, to the point where they have knight orders composed of aerial troops. They often snatch horses one by one, so caution is needed.”

“Griffons…”

They were very dangerous monsters with the body of a lion and the head, wings, and front paws of an eagle.

“Haha! You don’t have to worry so much. The mercenaries accompanying this trading trip are very skilled at dealing with griffons. No matter how scary the monster is, they can be driven away with crossbows.”

Indeed, as he said, the mercenaries each had a crossbow hanging from their waist.

If dozens of mercenaries fired crossbows at once, they could easily deal with one or two griffons.

“That’s reassuring.”

Keinzel said with a wry smile.

In fact, he was just curious about whether griffons tasted more like eagles or lions.

‘If I catch one, I have to cook it.’

“Then let’s depart.”

At Alfredo’s signal, dozens of wagons began to move.

@

As Alfredo said, the trading trip was very stable.

Monsters occasionally attacked the wagons, but it was not a problem at all.

There were as many as ten Gold-ranked mercenaries escorting the group.

They were experts in dealing with monsters, and they were hired at a high price for that purpose.

The only one experiencing difficulties was the elf Nimue.

Nutrient intake is paramount on long-distance trading trips.

Not only the mercenaries who use their bodies a lot, but also the merchants who have to pull the wagons consume a lot of energy.

So meat was always included in every meal.

The stew was cooked with plenty of pork fat, and fresh vegetables were nowhere to be found even if you looked closely.

In the end, Nimue had to eat only tasteless, dry biscuits every meal.

Eventually, Nimue, unable to bear it, carefully opened her mouth.

“Human. Is tonight’s campsite also on the plains?”

If they camped in the forest, they could gather edible ingredients. But coincidentally, the wagons consistently traveled only across wide plains.

“They say it’s safer to go this way, even if it takes a little longer. If we cut through the forest, we can shorten the schedule by about half a day, but there’s a chance we’ll encounter dangerous monsters like Twin Head Ogres or Drakes. Is it hard because it’s not a forest?”

Nimue vigorously shook her head as if she couldn’t show weakness to humans.

“Elves are not so weak that they weaken without a forest.”

She always seemed to be holding her stomach, as if she was enduring hunger.

Keinzel, unable to watch any longer, said.

“If you’re hungry, shall I make you some of the bean dishes you ate the other day?”

The elf’s ears, which had been drooping, perked up vigorously.

“I don’t need it. This is enough for me.”

Nimue took out the biscuit she had put in her pocket and began to nibble on it little by little.

But it wasn’t enough, and her stomach kept growling.

The way she was forcibly suppressing her hunger felt strangely cute.

‘…Even though she speaks harshly, her stomach is honest. I knew this would happen, so I baked some cookies in advance.’

Keinzel held out a small pouch.

“What is this?”

“These are cookies made with nuts and honey without butter. Would you like to try some?”

“…”

Was Nimue’s face a little red simply because it was hot inside the wagon?

“It certainly doesn’t seem to contain butter. Well, since you baked it for me, I’ll at least taste it.”

Nimue picked up a vegetarian cookie and put it in her mouth. It was savory and sweet even though it didn’t contain butter.

It was a little dry, but it was still delicious enough.

She had been eating only hard biscuits for a while, so the sweet cookie seemed to melt her body.

The cookies, which had been quite plentiful, were now almost gone. Nimue looked at it with a regretful expression.

“How is the taste?”

“It’s not bad for something made by a human.”

Nimue’s eyes softened.

Keinzel smiled mischievously and said.

“Do you need more?”

“…”

It seemed he had to complete the Bean Meat Steak as soon as possible. Nimue could eat that with peace of mind.

Keinzel and Abel’s mission was to protect Nimue, who held the fate of Yggdrasil [a sacred tree in elven culture] and her race.

Wouldn’t taking responsibility for her meals also be included in that?

After studying hard for a while, the Bean Meat was nearing completion.

Finely grinding several types of mushrooms and mixing them well with potatoes and radishes gives it a unique savory taste of meat.

‘Then I should make Bean Meat Steak for dinner tonight. Is it almost the border?’

Deutschland.

The number of Sword Masters they possess is smaller than that of Britannia.

However, the existence of aerial troops riding tamed griffons made them a military power that could not be ignored.

Alfredo warned.

“From now on, it’s enemy territory. Be careful not to reveal that you are Sword Knights.”

There were too many Sword Knights in the group for the escort of a mere trading trip. If they were not careful, they could be mistaken for spies or assassins.

“I understand. Please take care of the entry examination.”

However, the situation at the border was unusual. Knights, not soldiers, were guarding the border.

The inspection was also more stringent than usual.

“Guten Tag [Good day]. Alfredo, why does the escort seem more strict than usual?”

“The Edelweiss Merchant Guild has put everything on the line for this trading trip. Here is the list of what we are carrying.”

“Hoo, with this amount, it’s certainly worth putting everything on the line. Hmm, I’m a little thirsty.”

“Haha! We just got some good wine, so I brought some.”

Of course, the box contained some bribes along with the wine. The expression of the inspector, who received it, softened.

“Once you pass the border, move as carefully as possible. A very important person has come nearby.”

“Who is it?”

“I can’t tell you that. Just be careful. Then pass!”

The air changed as soon as they crossed the border.

From now on, it was enemy territory.

Nimue opened the door and felt the blowing wind, saying.

“At this speed, we should be able to reach the Alsace region [a region in France, close to Germany] where Yggdrasil is in about a week.”

Keinzel quietly nodded.

The wagon was running across the endless plains.

The trading trip ends in Weimar, the capital of Deutschland. After that, they had to get off the wagon and go to the Alsace region.

Calculating, they had about 5 days to spare.

“But don’t you hear the sound of flapping wings?”

“What sound are you talking about?”

“The sound of a large bird flapping its wings… There seem to be quite a few of them.”

“Isn’t that a griffon!”

Elves have sensitive senses. In particular, they never miss the sound transmitted by the wind.

Keinzel kicked open the wagon door and shouted.

“It’s a griffon!”

Then Taimu, who was driving the lead horse, frowned and said.

“What are you talking about, Sir Keinzel? Have you been cooped up cooking all day and your head has gone bad? Where is the griffon… Ugh, ughaaaaak!”

The black dots in the distance were getting bigger and bigger.

“It’s a griffon! All troops prepare crossbows!”

“T, there are too many!”

“Stay calm and deal with them one by one! Damn it! It’s not even breeding season, a griffon swarm!”

The number of griffons was estimated to be more than ten.

It is rare for griffons, who do not live in groups, to move around like that.

“Why are there so many!”

In an instant, the shadow created by the griffons loomed over the group’s heads.

Taimu shouted.

“Aim for the wings, not the body! If we just drop them to the ground, we have a good chance of winning! Everyone fire!”

The mercenaries who pulled out their crossbows began to shoot at the griffons. Several griffons were hit in the wings and fluttered to the ground.

It was a calm response worthy of experienced mercenaries.

But the number of enemies was too large.

They can deal with one or two griffons with crossbows. But if the number increases, the situation changes.

Crossbows are powerful, but they take a long time to reload.

Taking advantage of that gap, the griffons were attacking the mercenaries.

The sharp claws of an eagle brushed past, and thick armor was torn like a piece of paper.

“Be careful! The griffon is aiming for your neck!”

A mercenary closed his eyes tightly as he saw the shadow of a griffon aiming at him.

Thud!

A dull impact like hitting the head with a club was felt. But it was blocked by a transparent barrier that surrounded the body and did no damage.

The mercenary muttered without realizing it.

“Foam…?”

It was meringue created by Keinzel.

As a result of eating hard for a while, the number of meringues that could be used at the same time had increased to five.

But the number of griffons was still large. Keinzel said to Abel, who followed.

“Griffons also have to come down to the ground to attack. Enatos Xiphos [Abel’s sword technique] will be able to attack and defend at the same time.”

Abel quietly nodded. Nimue, who had already come out of the wagon, was already fighting three griffons.

“…It’s coming!”

Keinzel activated his Aura Sword [a sword imbued with magical energy].

It was the first time fighting an enemy flying in the sky.

But he didn’t think he would lose.

The Elf’s First Sword #3