The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

A delicious-looking crepe received from Yuri.

However, Arisa, who actually received the crepe, seemed to feel no emotion from it and mechanically shoved the crepe into her mouth just to finish it quickly and get up from her seat.

Fluffy.

“Thank you for inviting me to this meal… But a worthless Dark Elf like me, who shifts the blame for her own mistakes onto her comrades, doesn’t deserve such care… Huh?”

Even as she put the crepe in her mouth, Arisa couldn’t stop her negative thoughts.

But in an instant.

Her negative thoughts stopped.

Fluffy.

The cause was the soft, pillowy cream in the crepe.

“So soft…”

It was a sensation that filled her mouth gently, like a cloud.

Though both were dairy, this was different from the cold milk that slid down her throat—this was a warm, comforting embrace.

The cream seemed to warmly hug her body, which had grown cold from drinking nothing but milk on an empty stomach for days.

Not only was it soft and comforting, but there was also a subtle sweetness in the cream.

But the sweetness wasn’t overpowering; it was delicate, more of a supporting role than the main attraction.

The sweetness served to awaken her taste buds, allowing her to feel the deep flavor of the milk more vividly.

The contrast was even stronger because she had been drinking nothing but cold milk for days.

“…”

Though it was in her mouth, the texture of the cream felt as if it was embracing her. Arisa, without realizing it, stopped her negative thoughts and simply savored the sensation.

Chew chew.

Fluffy fluffy.

With each movement of her tongue, the creamy foam rose gently, like waves.

Arisa, dazed, felt the texture.

Munch munch.

“Ah! This taste…!?”

Suddenly, an entirely different flavor burst into her mind.

It was a surprising tartness.

The citrusy tang of a fruit that stimulated her salivary glands.

The acidity pierced through Arisa’s dazed thoughts like a flash of light.

And by the time she realized the sourness, her teeth had already bitten into the fruit of the Predatory Water.

The juice of the fruit burst in her mouth, mingling with the cream, turning the flavor into a sweet-and-sour delight.

Her salivary glands exploded from the refreshing taste.

But the crepe’s flavor didn’t end there.

Next came the strong sweetness of strawberry jam.

If the jam’s sweetness had hit her first, she might have felt repulsed, given her empty stomach from drinking only milk.

But after coating her tongue with the creamy fat of the cream, slowly awakening her taste buds, and forcibly stimulating her appetite with the sudden tartness of the Predatory Water’s fruit…

The intense sweetness of the strawberry jam melted into her body as if it were dissolving.

Crunch crunch.

Finally, the crunchy texture of the nuts, cut to just the right size for her after days of drinking only milk, awakened the joy of chewing.

Hah.

Her appetite, which had been as empty as her bank account before payday, vanished, replaced by a ravenous hunger demanding more of this sweet dessert.

And so, Arisa, in that moment, let go of all her worries and quietly lost herself in the taste of the crepe Yuri had made.

Second bite.

The strong sweetness of the strawberry jam, which had initially felt intense, now blended harmoniously with the cream, transforming into a soft sweetness.

Hah.

Third bite.

She moved past the top layer of cream and finally attacked the crepe itself.

The rich cream filled her mouth, accompanied by the fluffy yet distinctly textured crepe.

The crepe wasn’t just a handle for the dessert.

No matter how intense the cream’s flavor and aroma, cream alone couldn’t fill her up.

So, while the initial taste of just the cream was blissful, the satisfaction would quickly diminish with repetition.

That’s why the crepe itself was the savior, appearing before the satisfaction could wane.

Though not as flashy or intense as the cream and fruit topping, it reliably filled in what the cream lacked.

The overwhelming stability provided by the flour became a solid foundation for the cream and fruit to shine.

It was like the dependable best friend in a dating sim, subtly dropping hints to the protagonist about the heroine’s feelings, even offering small laughs along the way.

Chew chew.

But that wasn’t all.

The more she chewed the crepe, the stronger its flavor became.

The ingredients used in the crepe were essentially the same as those in pancake batter.

Meaning, the crepe itself was delicious on its own.

Even without the cream, the more she chewed, the more the savory aroma of butter and Three-legged Fowl eggs spread in her mouth.

“And this crepe… it’s no ordinary crepe!”

Not only that.

Another delicious shock hit Arisa.

This wasn’t just any crepe—it was made with special ingredients painstakingly gathered by her comrades, Liche and Yuri.

The eggs from wild Three-legged Fowl were several times more vibrant than regular eggs, with superior nutritional value and deeper flavor.

And instead of milk, they used Palm Goat milk, which, despite being animal milk, had a unique and charming aroma reminiscent of coconut milk.

The crepe made with these ingredients was so good it didn’t even need syrup.

With this level of charm, it wasn’t just the protagonist’s friend—it was as if it had a hidden backstory of being a cross-dressing heroine who had secretly loved the protagonist all along, even while supporting his romance with another heroine.

Munch munch.

Desserts are usually most exciting on the first bite, with satisfaction diminishing as you eat more.

But somehow, the more she ate, the more delicious this crepe became, and Arisa couldn’t think of anything else as she quickly devoured the entire crepe.

“Huh!?”

After finishing the crepe, Arisa looked at her empty hands with regret before snapping back to reality.

And then came the self-loathing.

After acting as if the world was ending, she had succumbed to hunger.

It was a natural instinct, but she was embarrassed by how she had given in to her physical desires.

“So, was it good?”

“…”

Arisa couldn’t respond to Kurt’s teasing question and remained silent.

“Must’ve been good. You had cream all over your mouth.”

“…”

Arisa kept her mouth shut as Kurt continued.

Even she was disgusted with herself—how ridiculous must she have looked to others?

She couldn’t say anything even if he mocked her.

But Kurt’s words weren’t meant to mock her.

“Your comrades worked hard to gather the ingredients for this dessert. Of course it’s delicious.”

“…!!”

At those words, Arisa’s mind snapped back to attention.

Liche, Yuri.

She had been so focused on Daria and Aila leaving the party because of her mistake that she had completely forgotten about the two of them.

With Kurt’s words, her surroundings finally came into view.

What she saw were the two of them, looking tired and worn, their clothes torn here and there, but their eyes filled with satisfaction.

“Finally, you’re looking this way.”

“Hehe. How was it? The crepe I rolled for you. By the way, I cut the fruit in it!”

“L-Liche… Yuri…!”

At that moment, Arisa finally realized.

This meal wasn’t just something Mari had suggested—it was something Liche and Yuri had prepared for her.

She had been wallowing in self-pity, drinking nothing but milk for days, acting like a wreck.

And yet, they had gone through so much trouble to prepare this meal to cheer her up.

In that moment, Arisa felt something hot surge from deep within her.

“Liche! Yuri!”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“I’m here too!”

“Sniff…! I’m sorry! I made you two go through so much because of me…!”

“It’s okay. We’re comrades.”

“It’s only natural for adventurers to help their precious comrades when they’re struggling!”

As she cried in their arms, Arisa felt guilt and remorse.

But this guilt wasn’t the self-loathing and helplessness she had felt before.

It was a warmer, more overwhelming emotion.

.

.

.

“Sniff… I’m sorry.”

“As long as you’re feeling better.”

“We help each other out!”

After crying for a while, Arisa, with a somewhat embarrassed expression, apologized again, and the two waved it off as if it was nothing.

As the mood settled, Liche suddenly turned to Kurt and asked.

“By the way, did you know?”

“Know what?”

“Don’t play dumb. This dinner. You knew from the start it would turn out like this, didn’t you? It wasn’t about what dish we made. What really mattered was that Yuri and I put our hearts into making this meal for Arisa. You knew that from the start, didn’t you?”

Liche looked at Kurt with a softer expression.

“To have seen this far ahead from the beginning… Maybe I’ve been misunderstanding you all this time.”

With those words, Liche, for the first time, smiled warmly at Kurt, not with her usual proud expression.

And in response to her smile, Kurt remained silent for a moment before speaking.

“Huh? What are you talking about? Of course the important thing is the food. What weird stuff are you saying?”

Kurt looked at Liche as if he couldn’t understand her.

“Y-you… I was trying to say something nice…”

Embarrassed, Liche’s face turned red.

“Today, I even prepared so you could customize the crepes. You’re not going to stop after just one, are you? You haven’t even tried the secret ingredient yet…”

Kurt, as always, was serious about the food.

“Don’t ignore me!”

With Liche’s shouts of embarrassment and betrayal as background noise, the crepe party at the Adventurer Guild continued.

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