Chapter 100
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: The Finals
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100
The Finals
‘That bastard deserves to be burned at the stake.’
Swaloyts chewed his nails in agitation.
‘No. The effect lasted a day, so if I just delay the plan a little, it should work out… Dammit, delay the plan?!’
Muttering the words a mage despises most, Swaloyts spat out the nail he had bitten off.
Blood spurted out, but he was too preoccupied to care.
How much effort had he poured into tomorrow’s plan?
‘…And now, because of that bastard!’
Dylan, Dylan, Dylan.
Swaloyts kept muttering the name.
He swore he would kill that man one day.
‘It has to proceed, no matter what.’
The nobles gathered for the young lady’s birthday.
The liquid that binds Aura and mana.
It was an opportunity that would never come again.
‘Just delay the time and proceed as planned.’
The risk had increased, but it couldn't be helped.
He had to accept it.
*Thwip.*
Swaloyts spat out a bloody nail and nodded.
‘…Just delay the time and stick to the plan. Once we’ve come this far, no one will be able to stop it.’
Swaloyts was in a vast cave, its walls densely covered in incomprehensible, metaphysical symbols.
‘For the sake of magic.’
Swaloyts rolled the sweet words around in his mouth and smiled broadly.
***
‘…Dammit.’
For the first time in a long while, Swaloyts felt his body was heavy.
A sense of powerlessness and anxiety washed over him.
But he couldn't just lie there, so he got up.
“It’s the finals of the garlic competition today, so everyone come watch. Hey, Gguobbaorou!”
‘To run into him first thing in the morning…’
It was a bad start to the day.
Swaloyts had slept at Hana’s tavern the night before to check on Kanna’s condition.
“I am Swaloyts, not Gguobbaorou.”
“Yeah, yeah, Gguobbaorou. You should come watch the garlic competition finals too.”
“…Aren’t you going to eat stew?”
“Who would eat that dog food?”
Swaloyts’s brow furrowed at the man’s blatant reaction.
He was just a guard captain, but his true identity was unknown, making him a dangerous figure.
Considering how he had deflected magic before and the feats he had accomplished wearing that strange helmet, he was not someone to be ignored.
However, Swaloyts had thought it wouldn't matter what the man was, as long as his mana or Aura was blocked…
‘…A man who looks like he’d tear into raw meat is calling stew dog food?’
An unexpected complication.
It felt like variables were piling up, but Swaloyts forced himself to shake his head.
‘The goal was to neutralize the young lady and Baron Pulpuchu’s forces anyway. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t eat it.’
Still, he couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling.
Soon after, he came face to face with Kanna, who seemed more vibrant than usual.
The frost forming on Kanna’s hand was no ordinary ice magic.
‘…Reinforced cooling?’
The basics were always the most important foundation of magic.
Though Kanna was talented, she had never been formally taught, so her magic was all over the place. That’s why Swaloyts had focused her on the basics.
But that cooling was clearly beyond a basic level.
The moment he saw it, the anxiety that had been building inside Swaloyts vanished.
‘For the sake of magic.’
He swallowed hard, thinking only of that.
“Kanna, they’re handing out stew in the plaza. Shall we go together?”
“No. It’s gross. Dog food.”
Kanna’s reply made Swaloyts’s brow furrow again.
‘It’s fine. When mana eventually returns, even if Kanna has her mana…’
Forcing a smile, Swaloyts left the tavern.
It was a great day for the advancement of magic.
***
‘That bastard’s acting a little weird.’
I stroked my chin as I watched Gguobbaorou hurry out.
It was subtle, but Gguobbaorou wasn’t the important thing right now.
“I can’t believe my pig’s blood and garlic concoction was eliminated. You used to drink it all the time in the desert, didn’t you?”
Choco complained with a grimace.
“That was because there was nothing else to drink.”
Just as you’d expect from a desert dweller, Choco had brought a bizarre dish that no one could have imagined.
“The scent of blood mixed with the spiciness is just fantastic.”
I shooed away the grumbling Choco with a wave of my hand.
The power of thirty silver coins was quite something.
All sorts of garlic recipes had emerged.
Of course, most of them were garbage, but there were some decent ones, and the final round was scheduled for today.
“Aron! Dog food! I worked so hard on it!”
Just then, Hana came out, wiping sweat from her forehead.
Strangely, unlike Adela, she had a pleasant scent.
When the inner castle was making the stew, they had recruited a few people from the outer wall, and for some reason, Hana had been chosen.
Knowing Hana’s cooking skills, I found it questionable but didn't voice my thoughts.
“Here, try some. I secretly brought this over yesterday.”
Hana winked, as if she were malnourished, and offered me a bowl.
It was filled to the brim with a stew that looked like dog food.
The inner castle must have spent a fair bit on the young lady’s birthday party because it was full of ingredients, but it didn't look appetizing.
“Ah, I’m a judge. That would be a problem.”
I held up my palm and shook my head firmly.
“…What? Oh, right, you said it’s the garlic competition finals today. If it weren’t for the stew, I would’ve entered too!”
Hana rolled up her sleeves and grinned.
Though she was thin, her arms had toned muscles and looked quite strong.
“Your forearms are pretty… Hana, want to learn the sword later?”
“What? No. I can just shoot them with my crossbow, why would I need to learn the sword?”
Hana’s rebuttal made me pause for a moment.
I couldn’t think of a counterargument.
“If not the sword, then this…”
“Never mind.”
Seeing her squint and wave her hand dismissively, I grimaced, and Hana burst out laughing.
“Well, good luck with the finals! If you have time, come to the plaza. I’ll set some aside for you, Aron.”
Hana spoke with a confident expression, but since she was talking about setting aside dog food, it wasn’t very appealing.
“Let’s go.”
At that moment, Kanna, with an expression like she was heading into battle, stuck close to my side and spoke.
The pot and various utensils strapped to her tiny back caught my eye.
“The judging will be fair.”
I said, stroking Kanna’s head.
Kanna nodded with a serious look on her face.
***
The ‘Handsome Aron the Rabbit’ tavern was open.
Preparations for the garlic competition finals were also complete.
The trio of suckers and a few volunteers must have been busy since morning.
I didn't bother reporting to the Daejang that I wouldn't be able to work today.
Because, well…
“Honorable Jojang Aron! Good morning! How’s that cough of yours? You should probably rest!”
The Daejang was also a contestant who had made it to the finals, so there was no need to report to him.
“I’m a judge today.”
“Urgh… I know! I know, but I was so happy to see you that I couldn’t help myself… Ahem.”
At my firm words, the Daejang cleared his throat and stepped back.
In the middle of the tavern’s first floor, a spacious judging area had been set up.
‘Well made.’
The judging area was configured exactly to my specifications.
In the center were four tables with various cooking utensils and ingredients.
And to get a clear view of them, there were three slightly elevated chairs and a table.
In the finals, the three fair judges would evaluate the contestants based on their cooking process as well.
And the two sub-judges, besides myself, were already seated.
“Ahem… Why am I…”
The Abbot muttered, clearing his throat with an embarrassed look.
Across from him, the Washerman sat with a reverent expression. Both of them looked the part of a judge.
I adjusted my armor and sat in the middle chair.
A good number of people had gathered on the second floor to watch.
The garlic smell filling the tavern made their faces twist slightly, but less so than yesterday.
It was a sign that these uncivilized medieval folk were slowly being enlightened to the scent of garlic.
“The contestants will now enter.”
Berman said, standing on the stairs. Beside him, Kel’s lips twitched as he cleared his throat.
Woooah-!
A small cheer erupted.
The contestants entered one by one.
“The representative widow of Cassadic! Masha and her son, Brick!”
Kel even whistled as he energetically introduced Masha.
Brick’s name, which followed, was almost inaudible.
The gently smiling Masha entered first, and Brick, behind her, shouted at the crowd, “Don’t cheer!”
“Masha! Masha! Masha!”
Every time the crowd chanted Masha’s name, Brick’s face crumpled.
“Next, the legendary Daejang of the Outer Wall Guard, who stuffed ten silver coins into his nostrils!!”
“Groooaaar!!”
The Daejang, with his nostrils stuffed full of small coppers, made a grand entrance, scattering coppers with every step.
Perhaps because of that feat, the cheers he received were no less than Masha’s.
“Greetings. I am the Daejang of the Outer Wall Guard, where Brick serves. You can call me the Daejang of Brick's Guard.”
“Oh my, I hear my son has been a great help to you.”
“Haha, a help is an understatement…”
Upon entering, the Daejang naturally approached Masha, took her hand, and started a conversation.
However, as their handshake dragged on a little too long, Brick’s face contorted.
“Next is the spice merchant, Marita!!”
Berman introduced her, but this time the cheers were small.
‘Is this the one who soaked garlic in vinegar?’
At first, I had planned to kick her out for soaking garlic in vinegar, but the taste was tart like pickled garlic, so I let her pass.
The idea of using vinegar to tame the spiciness of garlic was clever.
‘But just taming the spiciness won’t be enough to win.’
“And finally…! An executive of Namaiyad! The arbiter of Cassadic! Aron’s daughter!! Kaaannnaaa!!”
Kel’s booming voice and…
*Twing-.*
A sudden guitar sound.
The room abruptly darkened.
A single light shone from one side.
“Kuh!!!”
Kanna, wearing a bucket on her head, raised both hands and shouted.
“Kuh! Kuh! Kuh!”
Cheers echoed from all around.
‘…Give me a fucking break.’
Watching Kanna make a grand entrance like a professional wrestler gave me a headache.
She even provided fan service by shooting ice and fire from her hands, a move that belonged in the realm of professionals, not amateurs.
An immense cheer, unlike any before, followed.
Kanna, having made her entrance amidst the downpour of cheers, climbed onto a table and stood proudly.
She probably wanted to stand taller than the other contestants, but climbing on a table in a cooking competition was…
“Kuh!!”
‘…Well, if the kid’s happy.’
And so, the four teams took their places at their respective tables.
“The time limit is until this candle burns out. If you don’t finish by then, you’re disqualified. The judging criteria include the cooking process. The scores of the three judges will be applied fairly…”
After Berman’s explanation, the final round began.
The contestants moved about busily.
Everyone began cooking in their own way.
“…Why did you call me here?”
The Abbot asked with an uneasy expression.
“It just felt like the right thing to do.”
The Abbot, with not a single hair out of place, looked like a very strict judge.
A competition like this needed a character like that. It was always more entertaining with some harsh criticism or a performance of spitting out food after a bite.
“And you, when are you going to attend a service?”
“Soon. Soon.”
“You’re an honorary monk, yet you treat attending service like a transaction. It’s absurd. Even if it’s honorary, you are still a monk…”
However, the Abbot’s subsequent nagging made me regret my decision.
“That must be the infamous fish bread.”
The Washerman said, his sharp eyes scanning the contestants.
The Washerman was apparently a skilled cook, so I had high hopes for his evaluation.
The Daejang, who had been talking to Masha all this time, finally grabbed his bread dough.
He kneaded the dough with clumsy hands.
Next, the Daejang relentlessly smashed garlic into a powder with a nearby hammer.
Tears streamed from his large eyes, but his rough hands did not stop.
He then piled the nearly pulverized garlic onto the bread and haphazardly threw the other ingredients on top.
His appearance reminded me of my cousin, who used to come home from work, rummage through the fridge, and make bibimbap.
‘…He’s being too reckless with the ingredients.’
My fist trembled for a moment when I saw him pour in even the precious sugar, but I managed to hold back.
A miserly heart was an obstacle to progress.
Since I was hosting a competition, I should provide unsparing support…
“You added sugar, so why are you adding honey too!”
“You definitely said we could use as much as we wanted…”
The Daejang flinched and answered meekly.
I suppressed my anger and waved my hand.
The Daejang threw the dough, laden with all sorts of ingredients, carelessly into the fireplace behind him.
With such a mix of clumsiness and carelessness, I had no expectations for the result.
And as the Daejang slowly sidled up to Masha, Brick yelled at him.
But Masha, who was cleaning a fish, scolded Brick, and the Daejang quickly took his place beside her.
‘Complicated. So complicated.’
A sour smell wafted through the air.
I turned my head and saw the one called the spice merchant taking garlic out of vinegar.
While everyone was busy, Kanna alone stood with her arms crossed, looking down on them.
Of course, since Kanna was short, she had to stand on a table on her tiptoes to look down.
Kanna raised her hand high.
“Aron’s daughter! Aron’s daughter!”
A strange cheer echoed.
Then, frost began to form around Kanna’s hand.
The power was formidable, but its small size kept it contained around her hand.
Once the frost took a solid form, Kanna suddenly squatted down and started punching the garlic.
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
Every time Kanna’s frost-covered fist came down, the garlic shattered into pieces as if it had been flash-frozen.
“I thought you were joking about her being your daughter since she doesn’t resemble you at all, but now I see she is indeed your daughter.”
At the Abbot’s words, I scratched my cheek.
‘…She won’t be able to put her full power into it by punching like that.’
After shattering all the garlic, Kanna began to waddle around, smashing the surrounding ingredients with her flash-freezing fists.
“Straighten your back more and extend your fist all the way.”
Out of frustration, I found myself giving her advice.
Kanna nodded vigorously, corrected her stance, and threw another punch.
I gave her a few more pointers, and by the end, Kanna’s form was quite decent.
‘But is this really cooking?’
The question arose, but after shattering all the ingredients, Kanna raised both hands, shouted “Kuh!”, and beamed, so I clapped for her.
It wasn’t molecular gastronomy but decomposition cuisine, but since Kanna herself was satisfied, I had nothing more to say.
With that, the final round of the garlic competition came to an end.
“We will taste each dish and rank them.”
“So why am I ranking food…”
Ignoring the Abbot’s minor protest, I started with the pickled garlic placed in front.
‘The taste is fine, but it’s a bit bland. And there was no performance.’
It perfectly met the initial objective, but now that the scale had grown and the competition had lost its original spirit, I couldn't give it a high score.
“Before tasting, you must cleanse your palate with beer to get rid of any lingering flavors.”
I explained, lifting the beer mug in front of me.
“I am abstaining from alcohol.”
The Abbot refused firmly.
Next was the decomposition cuisine from Kanna, a top contender.
The remnants of what were once ingredients were frozen solid and mixed together.
“The taste is fascinating.”
The Abbot, his stern face returning, picked up the beads and ate them, letting out a small sound of admiration.
“I can only say, ‘This is Kanna’s work.’”
The Washerman, unlike before, even nodded his head in praise.
He and Kanna exchanged glances, suggesting some unseen connection.
‘…It’s just Dippin’ Dots.’
It was even more like Dippin’ Dots because she had sprinkled a ton of sugar on top.
There was a faint smell of garlic, so it was something like garlic-flavored Dippin’ Dots.
‘It might not be a bad first step to enlighten people to the taste of garlic.’
It was a dish recommendable for garlic novices, but the lack of general applicability in its recipe was a demerit.
Next up was the garlic fish bread.
The Washerman and the Abbot groaned at the gruesome sight of the fish’s face peeking out.
After a moment’s hesitation, the Abbot chugged the beer in front of him. It didn't seem like he was trying to cleanse his palate.
“It’s quite delicious. You don’t need to worry.”
Knowing that its taste was excellent despite its terrible appearance, I took a bite without hesitation.
The burst of freshness from the fish and the spiciness of the garlic.
It was a fantastic combination, even on a second tasting.
The other two, who had been watching me eat, seemed to make up their minds and took a bite of the garlic fish bread—
“The combination isn’t bad. I’d say this comes after Kanna’s dish.”
The Washerman nodded in approval.
“It’s spicy and fishy. It merely covers up its flaws with a strong taste. This is like hiding a sin with a greater sin instead of repenting, so I must say it is misguided.”
The Abbot gave a cold critique, wiping his mouth with the provided cloth.
‘It’s a divisive dish.’
It suited my palate, but it seemed to hit the medieval folks’ palates a little differently.
Of course, since it was delicious to me, I gave it a high score.
The judges’ scores were weighted 80% for me and a combined 20% for the other two, so the garlic fish bread was in the lead.
The last dish was the bread the Daejang had made by carelessly throwing ingredients together. His cooking process had been so half-hearted that I didn't have high expectations.
The Daejang belatedly took the bread out of the hearth—
Its form was anything but ordinary.
‘…Pizza?’
A wide piece of bread topped with various ingredients, and the fragrant aroma of roasted garlic.
Honey and sugar sprinkled on top.
He had thrown in all the ingredients so carelessly that I hadn't expected anything, but the aroma was exceptional.
“Hot! Hot! Ah, hot!!”
The Daejang made a fuss as he placed it in front of me.
‘…A garlic gorgonzola pizza?’
Of course, it wasn't exactly a pizza, but it seemed to have been adapted to a medieval style.
“Topping bread with ingredients… You don’t know the basics of cooking. You should put the ingredients inside so they cook well and the flavor deepens.”
“I’ve never seen bread in this shape before. However, an excessive amount of ingredients has been used, beyond a reasonable level. This is a waste that should be guarded against.”
While the uncivilized medieval folks next to me babbled on, I reached out a trembling hand and grabbed the bread.
However, since it wasn't cut, I had to pick up the whole thing.
The two beside me didn't seem eager to eat it anyway, so I brought it straight to my mouth—
“The Daejang wins.”
The winner was decided with the first bite.
The cost of ingredients, the medieval folks’ palates—none of that mattered. The difference in taste was so overwhelming that there was nothing to deliberate.
“Huh? Me?”
The Daejang, who had been scratching his bald head for a moment, let out a long cheer and waved his hands.
“I dedicate this honor to Masha!”
“Oh my.”
“Dedicate what? Get down from there, Daejang! I won’t go easy on you just because you’re the Daejang!”
‘I only thought of kimchi stew. I completely forgot about pizza. Right, there was this.’
Tears welled up in my eyes as I took another bite of the pizza left in my hand.
“…If you were going to be the only one judging anyway, why on earth did you make us sit here?”
“You need three people for it to look right.”
The Abbot, who had been staring at me intently, let out a small sigh and put a piece of pickled garlic in his mouth.
By the time I had completely devoured the pizza.
“…Can I get this separately?”
The Abbot asked with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
***
[Lady Vivian and I, Rivilian of House Penell, have decided to hold our wedding at Bolt Castle. This is due to the passion of youth…]
‘…Where did it all go wrong?’
Swaloyts muttered, staring blankly at the paper in his hand.
The plan was simple.
Neutralize the young lady and the knights of House Pulpuchu.
Then, Swaloyts would kidnap the young lady and meet at the prepared cave.
Kanna would be picked up separately in the process.
It was a plan made possible by the fact that this was a remote castle with no defenses against mages.
Furthermore, with so many nobles visiting for the young lady’s birthday, the chances of being identified as the culprit were very low.
It was a good plan.
A plan made possible because mages from the Grey Tower and the White Tower had joined hands.
‘…But why.’
Swaloyts went back to the beginning.
The plan was going smoothly.
Not only Baron Pulpuchu but all his knights ate that strange stew.
When Count Behardt also ate it, complaining about the garlic smell, everyone else followed suit.
Swaloyts found it odd since he hadn't seen any garlic when the stew was being made, but it was a boon for him.
‘And then…’
Knights normally didn't draw out their Aura often. So, there was a high probability they wouldn't notice if their Aura was cut off for a day.
Swaloyts had expected as much.
But then Adela suddenly singled out a male knight.
Claiming she had been insulted, Adela drew her sword, and the opposing knight, flustered, drew his.
A battle that unfolded in an instant, with no time for anyone to intervene.
After several exchanges, Adela easily overpowered her opponent, but the expressions on both their faces were strange.
And just like that, the fact that they couldn't use their Aura was revealed much earlier than expected.
Someone mentioned the devil, and the atmosphere turned icy.
The first to move was Count Behardt.
Count Behardt, his expression now strange, barricaded himself in the inner castle, and the other heirs also took their knights and scattered into hiding.
No one dared to go outside due to rumors of a devil waiting outside the castle.
It seemed they all planned to send for their family soldiers first and observe the situation from Cassadic Castle.
Security had tightened, but Swaloyts tried to think positively.
In any case, their Aura was blocked, so as long as there were no witnesses, it would be fine.
But when he arrived at the young lady’s room, it was already empty.
Only a letter from the Penell heir remained.
It was a series of incomprehensible events.
And that was what he was pondering now.
Thinking back, the biggest problem was…
‘The delay in the plan’s timing was fatal.’
Dylan…
Swaloyts ground his teeth.
“Ahhh… so… what do we do now?”
The Grey Tower mage standing beside him asked in a voice tinged with amusement.
It sounded like he was mocking him, and Swaloyts’s nerves frayed, but now was not the time to be hostile.
“First, we secure the young lady. She couldn’t have gotten far.”
“Ahhh… I see… But how…?”
The grey mage’s gloomy eyes curved into a smile.
Those eyes seemed to ask.
…You can’t use mana right now, can you?
Swaloyts mentally calculated the remaining time.
His mana would return soon. It was fortunate that he had eaten it before the people here.
He had a leeway of about half a day.
That would be enough.
‘No, this might even be better. If I snatch the young lady from the heir and send him to Bolt Castle…’
Even if the young lady were to be found dead, the heir would surely be blamed.
Swaloyts forced a relaxed tone, cleared his throat, and spoke.
“It will wear off soon. You go after the young lady. I’ll grab Kanna and follow.”
“Ahhh…”
The grey mage let out a small sigh, nodded, and disappeared behind him.
‘…If it weren’t for that son of a bitch.’
Swaloyts scowled, muttering ‘Dylan’.
‘First, I’ll throw the castle into chaos with this…’
Swaloyts quickly revised his plan and took out a precious magic tool from his pocket.
***
“I’ve been wronged. So wronged. All because I got on that fucker’s bad side.”
In a secluded spot in the deserted Sector 7.
Dylan grumbled, tapping his foot in front of his secret warehouse.
‘He should have just said no to the stew from the start. Calling that delicious stew dog food… what an ignorant fucker.’
Next to Dylan, two empty bowls lay on the ground.
“It’s hopeless. Hopeless.”
In the end, Dylan had failed to find the gold coins the fucker demanded or a way to eat garlic deliciously.
He knew he would get beaten to a pulp if he ran into the fucker, so he had taken refuge in the warehouse he had secretly prepared.
“If only something big would happen right about now. Something to completely distract that fucker. Something huge.”
Dylan shifted, his body feeling stiff.
Just then, something kept poking him from inside his pants.
‘Have I gotten this big?’
Annoyed, he reached in and pulled out what was bothering him…
At the sight of the brilliant gold coin, Dylan’s eyes widened as if they would tear.
Dylan pondered for a moment.
Had he become capable of shitting gold coins?
He gave a slight push, and a stream of yellow liquid came out.
He had to go anyway, so Dylan relieved himself while deep in thought.
If he hadn't shat the gold coin, then this was… the fucker’s…
‘I’m fucked.’
Dylan swallowed hard, looking at the urine-soaked gold coin.
Just then.
*KABOOOM-!*
A blast of hot wind blew from somewhere.
He turned his head and saw the inner castle in flames.
Dylan’s eyes wavered for a moment before a firm light took over.
He didn't know what was happening, but this was clearly a miracle sent from the heavens to save him.
‘The heavens are on my side.’
Dylan quickly grabbed his dagger and shot to his feet.
No, thinking that wasn’t enough, he hastily smeared mud from a nearby puddle all over his body.
Now he looked like he had been through a tough struggle.
“Brooo-theeeer!!”
Finally satisfied, Dylan grinned and took off at a run.