Cooking Swordmaster

Chapter 5: Don’t Look Down on Someone Just Because They Cook (2)

‘What is this? Did my cooking level go up again? But I didn’t make anything this time!’

Using a kitchen knife to prepare ingredients increased his Swordsmanship level.

Cooking raised his cooking level and various resistances.

However, all he did now was eat the deliciously grilled ‘Hamburger Steak’.

Then, something suddenly came to Köinzell’s mind.

“No way, is it my Gourmet Level?”

He could find out for sure by checking the Shoumakyou.

[You have tasted the 5-star dish ‘Juicy Hamburger Steak’.]

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

[You have leveled up!]

“……!”

Köinzell clasped his trembling fingertips that were shaking as if he was going crazy.

It wasn’t just his Swordsmanship that hadn’t grown for three years.

Stamina, Agility, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Mana, Divine Power.

The seven abilities a human could possess, in other words, his Status, hadn’t changed at all either.

But when he ate the Hamburger Steak that Gordon made, for the first time, it increased.

Köinzell carefully checked his level displayed on the Shoumakyou, afraid he might see it wrong.

[Köinzell Van Gstaad – Lv2]

“It, it really went up……, even if it’s just a little, I’ve gotten stronger…….”

Unlike the Swordsmanship level, which was displayed with ★ as it was a type of proficiency, the Status was somewhat relative.

Therefore, the abilities when first wearing the Shoumakyou became the base.

If a certain amount of growth was achieved from that point, the Status would rise, and the level would go up by one.

Köinzell recalled his Lv1 status that he had become so familiar with over the three years.

– Stamina (3), Agility (1), Strength (1), Dexterity (1), Intelligence (5), Mana (0), Divine Power (0)

The basic abilities of an ordinary person who received no training were 3.

Except for having a slightly better intelligence, all abilities were below average. Especially, he had no talent for magic and divine power at all.

Vincent’s Lv1 status had almost all items above 10.

A difference close to fifty in basic abilities alone.

In addition, while Köinzell hadn’t increased at all in three years, Vincent was at Lv57.

In the end, for Köinzell to have the same Status as Vincent, he needed to raise over a hundred levels.

‘He had said I had to reincarnate three times to be of his level.’

Köinzell shook his head, recalling Vincent’s words.

He had decided forget about that guy for a while.

‘Now, the first thing to do is to check what abilities have increased.’

Training in stamina increases strength.

Studying increases intelligence.

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But all Köinzell had done was eat a delicious meal.

What abilities could have increased to result in a level up?

It would be nice if it were abilities that help wielding a sword, like stamina, agility, or strength.

Thinking that, Köinzell read the message displayed on the Shoumakyou.

It was unusually long, but the conclusion was very simple.

[Stamina has increased by 1.]

[Agility has increased by 1.]

[Strength has increased by 1.]

[Dexterity has increased by 1.]

[Intelligence has increased by 1.]

[Mana has increased by 1.]

[Divine Power has increased by 1.]

All of them.

“…….”

If he hadn’t been sitting in a chair, he would have surely collapsed right there.

What was displayed on the Shoumakyou was so absurd.

“W-wait a minute. Stop. Pause! What is this! All abilities increased? Is it broken? Okay, let’s generously assume that even a kitchen knife counts as a sword, so it increased the Swordsmanship level. But this ignores the level and status system itself!”

He shouted as if complaining to someone, but no answer came back.

A very simple principle of one level per stat.

But to think all stats would increase at once.

Gulp-

Köinzell unconsciously swallowed his saliva.

If all of this happened because of the Gourmet Level, then perhaps he had gained something extraordinary.

A talent he thought he would never have in his life.

“…..Just in case the Shoumakyou is a bit off and spouting nonsense, I should confirm it properly….. Uaaaaah!”

Köinzell screamed as if he had seen the ghost of his deceased father.

Indeed, every single one of his abilities had increased by one.

He had to take several deep breaths to calm his heart, which felt like it was going to burst.

“Hoo……. Let’s think about this calmly…….”

His fingertips were still trembling, but he barely managed to think normally.

“Is this something to be afraid of? I decided to become a Knight. It was inevitable for the sake of the ruined family…….”

Then Köinzell recalled the talent that exploded the moment he held a kitchen knife.

“……Using a kitchen knife improves my Swordsmanship skills, and cooking grants various resistances. And……. eating a well-made dish can even raise my level. If that’s the case.”

With moist eyes, Köinzell looked at the training practice sword he had left in the corner.

There were deep marks on the handle from holding and practicing with it for so long.

“It means I might be able to become a Knight.”

Wait. Hey, Köinzell.

Can you be satisfied with just that?

It felt like someone was asking him that.

Köinzell recalled what his deceased father had said.

If you’re going to dream, dream big.

A smile unknowingly appeared on his lips.

Having obtained such an absurd talent, would he just become a Knight?

That’s too small of a dream.

Köinzell stood up and grabbed the kitchen knife.

And he muttered softly.

“In that case, the goal is to become a Swordmaster.”

It was a title given to those who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, of which there were only seven in the Empire.

@

After the afternoon training, when he went to the mess hall, Joffrey was furiously raging.

“Damn these noble bastards! Are they really looking down on us just because we cook?”

“J-Joffrey ssi, p-please, c-calm down…… l-let’s think of a s-solution…”

“What solution can we come up with when no one will do the work for us? Ha, it’s hard enough to find kitchen assistants due to the harvest festival in the nearby village. What are we supposed to do when they suddenly dump work on us like this!”

“U-uhhh…… M-maybe we could ask Chief Gordon for help……”

“If you can do it, go ahead and try! As if Chief would help just because we lack hands to peel potatoes. Like he would help if we said, ‘Please help us.’”

“Ah, come to think of it, there is a noble here who volunteered to help in the kitchen.”

“Ahem!”

From the two chefs’ conversation, it seemed an unreasonable order had been given to the mess hall.

Köinzell asked with as neutral an expression as possible.

“I’m here to help with dinner preparations. Is there a problem?”

Joffrey, still uncomfortable with Köinzell, crossed his arms and walked off somewhere.

In the end, Ainkel had to provide the proper explanation.

“T-the thing is……. Do you know Vincent Von Sven from the Chevalier Class?”

“I know him too well, which is the problem.”

The situation was simple.

Two days ago, it was revealed in the Status Update that Vincent had become a Sword Knight.

To celebrate this fact, the Marquis Sven decided to send a royal orchestra to the Stanis Training Academy.

And it was an enormous group of 200 people.

“Why is that a problem? They’ll be performing for the Chevaliers anyway.”

Ainkel sighed deeply and lowered his head.

“T-the performance can be held anywhere…… But the problem is that they will be eating here……”

“Ah.”

Only then did Köinzell nod his head in understanding.

In this mess hall, 200 knight cadets and soldiers eat every day.

But suddenly, 200 more people were being added.

“There’s no additional kitchen support, right?”

“You, you know the military well……. Chef Joffrey said he’d somehow find chefs to help with the cooking, but……. There’s no way we can prepare ingredients for 400 servings by tomorrow…….”

It meant there wasn’t enough time to prepare.

Moreover, unlike breakfast, which could be somewhat simple, it was dinner.

If they served poorly, the Marquis Sven’s wrath would surely follow.

Chef Ainkel, on the verge of tears, spoke.

“W-what can we do…… Orders are orders from above……. Even if we have to stay up all night to prepare……. I’m so sorry, Michelle! I promised to make something delicious for your birthday, but it looks like I won’t be able to come home!”

Despite his large build, Ainkel collapsed to the floor and began to sob uncontrollably.

Köinzell pondered how to console a man twice his age.

Then, a very plausible idea struck him.

Ingredients for 400 servings?

Make the food they will eat?

That’s a huge opportunity.

“……Chef Ainkel.”

“Wahh wahh! Mi-Michelle!”

“Please calm down and listen to me for a moment.”

“Sniff…… I-I’m sorry, Lord Köinzell.”

“Let’s summarize the situation simply. The problem now is that you need to prepare food for an additional 200 people suddenly, and there’s no time to prepare the ingredients, right?”

“Y-yes……”

The mess hall was already short-staffed. Gordon, who should be overseeing the kitchen, wasn’t working properly, and there were no soldiers available to support the kitchen currently.

There was only one knight cadet assigned to kitchen support.

In the end, it seemed Joffrey and Ainkel, the chefs, would have to work overnight.

“So here’s what I propose.”

“Y-yes?”

“I can prepare all the ingredients needed for tomorrow by myself.”

“W-what are you saying! We need to prepare nearly 400 servings for tonight. There’s no way you can do it alone…….”

“If I work two hours later than usual and start two hours earlier, it’s enough.”

“But soldiers need to sleep at night……”

“That’s not an issue. There’s a system in place for urgent matters in the division, allowing night work with daytime rest shifts.”

Ah, how is there such a wonderful person?

Volunteering to do tasks that others don’t want to do!

Forgetting any notion of rudeness, Ainkel grasped Köinzell’s hands.

“O-oh! My goodness! Thank you, thank you so much! My daughter will be really grateful!”

“But you’re not stuttering now.”

“Huh? Ah, yes!”

Watching the jubilant Ainkel, Köinzell internally celebrated.

‘Vincent…….. Who knew you’d be helpful in this way.’

Could he perhaps use this opportunity to take on more responsibilities and even cook?

Cooking for 400 people. How many levels would that increase?

It would surely be an immense level boost.

Köinzell smirked, calculating how much his Swordsmanship level could increase tonight.

“Isn’t it good for both of us?”

“Absolutely!”

He felt he could stay on good terms with Ainkel from now on.