Cooking Swordmaster

Chapter 6: Don’t Look Down on Someone Just Because They Cook (3)

Ainkel was reporting the situation to Gordon with a tearful face.

“So… the ingredients needed for tomorrow… Sir Köinzell will prepare…”

He looked like a rabbit trembling in front of a lion.

What? You told a beginner who hasn’t even held a kitchen knife for two days to prepare ingredients for VIPs? Are you seriously reporting such nonsense! It would be better to dress a tiger in a chef’s uniform!

Gordon, who usually would have burst out yelling like this in anger.

“I see. But make sure to teach the newcomer how to handle the ingredients properly. If any problems arise, it will all be your responsibility.”

“Th-Then, do I have permission…?”

“What are you doing? How many times do you plan to make me answer the same question? Go.”

“Y-Yes!”

Thus, Gordon Rambolton’s permission was granted.

After Ainkel left the room, Gordon, now alone, poured rum into his empty glass.

He downed it in one go and let out a sigh mixed with the influence of alcohol.

“Damn it… What does he think cooking is…”

The burning passion in Gordon’s eyes from his younger days had long since disappeared.

“So, it’s better to use this when handling fish instead of a kitchen knife?”

Köinzell held up a small, sharp knife that looked like a dagger.

The handle, made of shark skin, felt snug in his grip.

“Y-Yes… Here, we have some unprocessed salmon… Could you try it as I showed you?”

Köinzell was learning from Ainkel how to handle basic cooking ingredients.

“Alright, let’s give it a try.”

It was a large salmon, requiring both hands to hold.

Removing the fins, head, and entrails was not too difficult.

The delicate work came afterward.

The thick skin and tiny bones needed to be completely removed for it to be usable in today’s dish.

‘First, cut a bit off the tail end, then insert the blade there and start peeling off the skin horizontally. Then, use the snap of your wrist to slice through it…’

After that, wrap the remaining skin around your fingers and remove it entirely.

“You did very well. You passed. It seems like you’ve done this hundreds of times… Really, was yesterday the first time you held a kitchen knife? Oh, and lastly, use these tweezers to remove all the tiny bones…”

Köinzell focused all his attention on Ainkel’s explanation, ensuring he didn’t miss a single word.

He could learn various practical tips from a professional chef that books couldn’t teach.

All of this would be a foundation to improve his Swordsmanship skills.

“Now, with this, you should be able to handle most of the ingredients in the food storage.”

“Yes, Chef. I’ll have everything done by tomorrow morning.”

As it was time to leave work, Ainkel returned to his home where his daughter awaited.

Köinzell, now alone, stared at the mountain of ingredients.

He didn’t have time to cook with them, but he decided to focus on raising his Swordsmanship level for now.

“Let’s start by handling the salmon.”

The main dish for dinner was salmon steak garnished with vegetables.

To feed 400 people, an enormous amount was needed.

After taking a deep breath, Köinzell picked up the fillet knife and began slicing the salmon.

As he grew accustomed to the salty smell of the salmon.

Ding-

The Shoumakyou hanging around his neck started to ring.

[You have skillfully processed ‘Salmon for Steak’.]

[Your Basic Swordsmanship level has increased.]

[‘Disarm’ has been created.]

“Yes!”

Köinzell clenched his fist tightly.

Finally, his Basic Swordsmanship had reached 4 stars.

Most of the knight candidates had held a sword since birth.

They received personal lessons from skilled knights and learned the Mana Cultivation Method passed down through their families.

When their Swordsmanship skill was measured with the Shoumakyou, most of them were at basic 4 to 5 stars.

And the training at the academy was mostly tailored to that level.

In the end, unless one had a god-given talent, most who became knights came from martial families.

Opportunities only appeared to be fair on the surface.

‘Only now am I starting from the same line. But there seemed to be something strange at the end.’

Köinzell reviewed the message displayed on the Shoumakyou once more.

Below the message indicating his Swordsmanship level had increased, there was something unusual.

“Dis-Disarm?”

[Disarm: ★]

– A technique to destroy the opponent’s weapons and armor using the sword.

“This is a skill!”

A special technique repeated countless times until it became second nature was usually called a ‘skill’.

To obtain it, one had to be taught by someone else or create it independently.

Moreover, even after obtaining a skill, one had to repeat it tens of thousands of times to master it completely.

As such, knights who possessed high-level skills considered them as their personal symbols.

‘Like Sir Bane Cruel with his Lance Charging or Sir Bernard Willacon with his Shield Bash… I can’t believe I have a skill…’

Currently, among the knight candidates, only Vincent with his Aura Sword possessed a skill.

The Aura Sword, regarded as a symbol of the Sword Knight, was a type of skill.

‘Could this also be because of cooking?’

What Köinzell learned from Ainkel was only how to handle the salmon.

And after peeling its skin, a skill emerged.

“Peeling the skin… Right, the skin is indeed the armor for the fish. Wait a minute. Then maybe…”

He gained the ‘Disarm’ skill by learning how to peel salmon skin.

What if he learned other cooking techniques?

And if each time, a Swordsmanship skill emerged?

“This is amazing.”

As far as Köinzell knew, no one in history had obtained such an opportunity.

――To become a Swordmaster.

His dream was becoming a reality, drawing a step closer to Köinzell.

@

Despite acquiring a new skill, there was still plenty of work to do.

To prepare the garnish for the salmon steak, various vegetables had to be readied.

Potatoes, asparagus, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, olives, and more – nearly ten different ingredients needed to be prepared.

Köinzell washed all the ingredients under running water, cut them into bite-sized pieces, and stored them neatly.

Meanwhile, his Swordsmanship level rose to 4 stars, significantly increasing his work speed.

With increased speed came more focus on the work, and with more focus, his Swordsmanship level rose even faster.

A perfect virtuous cycle.

Ainkel, who came to check on the situation, was left speechless with his mouth agape for a while.

“D-did you really do this much already? What kind of magic did you use?”

Köinzell replied while chopping bell peppers at a speed where his hands were barely visible.

“I just kept doing it, and it worked out.”

“Haha… If you ever want to become a chef, feel free to…”

“Thank you for the offer, but I’m here to become a knight.”

“Ah, I-I’m sorry.”

Ainkel smacked his lips with a disappointed expression.

With that level of talent, he could become a chef representing the empire.

Köinzell, quick to catch on, knew what Ainkel was thinking.

‘He thinks I have immense talent for cooking, doesn’t he?’

Köinzell had swung his sword diligently for three years, yearning for a bit of talent.

And now, just by holding a kitchen knife, the situation had changed this much.

Feeling embarrassed, Ainkel handed over a cloth he was holding.

When unfolded, it revealed well-baked blueberry pancakes.

“It’s a late-night snack. I thought you might be hungry, so I brought some.”

“I was just getting hungry, thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

Köinzell’s eyes sparkled.

After the Gourmet Level appeared, Köinzell was able to absorb a portion of the experience of the person who made the food by eating their dishes.

However, the effect didn’t apply to dishes he made himself. This was the only downside.

‘I wonder how much my level would increase if I ate Ainkel’s cooking.’

Köinzell started eyeing the pancakes like a man who hadn’t eaten in a month.

Misunderstanding this, Ainkel smiled.

“You must be very hungry. Ah, just a moment. I also boiled some potatoes, thinking this might happen. I’ll make them into a garnish with other vegetables. Please start with the pancakes.”

‘Wow! I get to eat two different dishes at once!’

This was like a double experience event!

First, he decided to eat the blueberry pancakes.

They were still warm, as if freshly baked.

When he cut a piece of butter with his fork and placed it on top, it melted smoothly.

‘The aroma of melted butter mixed with freshly baked pancakes is amazing. This must taste fantastic.’

Köinzell cut a large piece of pancake in half and brought it to his mouth.

A warm sweetness spread through his mouth. How could it taste like this without any syrup?

“It’s sweet, right? I added honey to the batter. It’s nice to drizzle it on top too, but my daughter keeps spilling it on the table when I give it to her separately.”

“Haha…”

It seemed the secret to the taste was a father’s love.

“I’m glad you enjoy it. It’s worth making. Knights are no fun at all. Always going on about Raphael’s blessing.”

“…That’s certainly true.”

While Köinzell ate the pancakes, Ainkel finished preparing the vegetable garnish.

Just from finishing the pancakes, his level had already increased.

But he was still hungry.

Köinzell licked his lips and muttered.

“Let’s eat a lot and level up as much as possible.”

“Huh? What are you leveling up?”

“Oh, nothing. The taste is simply amazing.”

“Hehe, thank you.”

The garnish was a simple dish made by frying boiled potatoes, bell peppers, asparagus, and onions in olive oil.

The seasoning was simple, just salt mixed with herbs and black pepper, but it blended perfectly with the aroma of the cooking vegetables.

“You first sautéed finely chopped garlic to bring out the aroma, right? This is what they call hidden flavor?”

“Yes, that’s right. Sometimes I add brown sauce, but the vegetables are so fresh that their flavor alone is quite sufficient.”

Köinzell picked up various vegetables with his fork and brought them to his mouth.

It felt like tasting the essence of spring.

Ainkel was right. It was just a simple vegetable stir-fry, but the flavor of the ingredients was vivid and clear.

A taste on a different level from what he usually ate.

When he asked about it, Ainkel gave a wistful smile.

“We’re very short on chefs. We’re supposed to have six chefs on staff, but we only have three. And the head chef…”

Ainkel explained that Gordon only worked in the kitchen a few days each month.

It was just as Köinzell had known.

“He doesn’t completely avoid work; he does what needs to be done. But it’s like his passion for cooking has dried up.”

“Passion?”

“Yes. Oh, would you like to hear how amazing Chef Gordon is?”

“Hmm?”

The chef Gordon, with his incredible skills, was someone Köinzell wanted to learn more about. He listened intently.

“…Ah, I’ll tell you more about that tomorrow. It’s too late now. Please take care of the cleanup.”

With those words, Ainkel stood up.

In the end, Köinzell didn’t get to hear more about Gordon.

It seemed he would have to wait until tomorrow.

After finishing the rest of the garnish, the Shoumakyou started ringing again.

Ding-

[You have tasted the 3-star dish ‘Spring Scented Garnish’.]

[Due to the influence of your Gourmet Level, you have absorbed some of the experience contained in the dish.]

Köinzell checked to see if anyone was nearby.

Once today was over, he wouldn’t be able to use the Shoumakyou for a while.

This meant that now was his last chance to check his status update for this month.

‘First, I need to firmly imprint my current level in my mind. And for the remaining month, let’s see how far I can go.’

Up until now, status updates had only brought mockery, disappointment, and anguish.

But now things were different.