The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

“Hmm. This is the end.”

With that, I dug up a single root of Sun Garlic that I had been secretly eyeing for a while and placed it in my pouch.

Sun Garlic is originally a crop that grows around the Holy Kingdom, but somehow a few roots had made their way here and were growing near the ancient ruins.

I had discovered it a few days ago when I came to fetch some palm goat milk and had been keeping it in mind to harvest once it fully ripened. Fortunately, no one had touched it in those few days, and it remained intact.

This area wasn’t frequently visited by people, but I’m glad it was still here.

Come to think of it, this area near the ancient ruins was once bustling with adventurers and merchants, but after it was revealed that there was nothing left inside the ruins and access was restricted, it became quiet again.

It’s hard to believe that so many people once crowded here, making it lively.

“Ah. I shouldn’t be lost in thought like this. I should head back and prepare dinner…”

Just as I finished organizing the Sun Garlic and was about to stand up, I felt an odd sensation.

This is…

“A gaze?”

It was a faint, almost imperceptible presence, even to me, a transcendent being.

If the presence is this concealed, it might be a rare monster.

Today was already unlucky since there were no requests on the guild board for edible monsters to hunt.

Thinking that, I immediately expanded my senses to feel the subtle presence more clearly.

But…

“…Was it just my imagination?”

Even when I heightened my senses, there was no sign of any animal within my domain.

For anyone else, it might be possible, but for a transcendent like me to not sense any presence at all, it’s no easy feat.

Perhaps it was just an illusion created by my subconscious, disappointed at not being able to hunt a rare monster.

“Hoo. In the end, I couldn’t hunt a rare monster today. It would’ve been nice to hunt at least one Fruit Tree Antlered Reindeer like last year around this time.”

With that, I shook off my disappointment and returned to Astram.

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…

…

Even though I returned to Astram, I couldn’t go straight back to the Adventurer Guild.

While I could gather rare ingredients outside the city, I couldn’t get all the cooking ingredients I needed from outside.

So, I bought various ingredients, including some secret ones I hadn’t purchased before, and returned to the Adventurer Guild.

Creak

“Ah, ah. Oh, you’re back?”

“Y-you’re back earlier than expected.”

“Yeah. I thought it’d take longer.”

The three of them were visibly flustered when I returned.

It was as if they were hiding a cat and were nervously trying to cover it up, afraid of getting scolded by their parents.

But there’s no way they’d be hiding a cat from me, and I’m not the type to get angry over picking up a stray cat.

In other words, their awkward reaction was simply because they were embarrassed to face me.

Feeling a bit hurt by their awkwardness, I once again reflected on the fact that I had wronged Mari.

It’s hard to gain trust, but losing it can happen in an instant—this must be what they mean by that.

This is the price I pay for being swept up in a moment of desire and forcing her to take a suspicious powder medicine bought from a shady goblin merchant, all for my own pleasure.

Reflecting on my actions, I couldn’t bear their awkward gazes and fled to the kitchen.

…

…

…

Once I entered the kitchen.

Although I was shocked by the three of them acting as if they were hiding something, I also realized something.

For the sake of the party’s future, I needed to properly apologize to Mari.

Of course, to do that, making delicious food was essential.

Because, in this world, most problems are half-solved by eating good food.

So, I quickly placed the ingredients I had gathered near Astram and bought from the market on the cutting board.

The dish I’m making is chicken.

Originally, I wanted to cook rare meat like the Fruit Tree Antlered Reindeer I hunted last year around this time, but coincidentally, neither the guild board nor the area around Astram had any rare monsters today.

Since I couldn’t prepare rare monster meat and had to make a dish with the usual meat, I chose the most familiar ingredient for her.

That is, chicken.

Come to think of it, the first time I made chicken for Mari was around this time last year.

The Three-legged Fowl on the cutting board is cut into bite-sized pieces, just like I always do when making fried chicken.

Then, it’s marinated with milk, salt, and pepper.

Up to this point, it’s a normal chicken recipe.

But the dish I’m making today isn’t ordinary fried chicken.

If the ingredient selection isn’t special, at least the way it’s processed should be.

I made the marinade slightly milder than usual and let the Three-legged Fowl soak in it.

While marinating, I prepared the next step.

First, the frying flour.

For the frying flour, I used low-gluten flour, added yeast, and potato starch.

Considering that the coating would absorb the seasoning, I increased the amount of potato starch slightly to make the coating crispier.

Then, the breadcrumbs for the outer layer.

The breadcrumbs are made by grating dry, hard bread with a grater.

To ensure the coating absorbs the seasoning well, I made the breadcrumbs finer than usual to create a thinner coating.

And the most important part.

After preparing all this, the next step is obvious.

That is, the seasoning.

Yes.

The chicken I’m making today isn’t ordinary fried chicken but a sticky, sweet, and spicy sauce-coated chicken that clings to every corner of your tongue and mouth—the ultimate in刺激性 seasoning chicken.

The base is corn syrup, which adds sweetness and the sticky consistency unique to seasoned chicken.

Soy sauce for saltiness and umami, and ketchup for a tangy flavor.

The Sun Garlic I harvested earlier from the ancient ruins.

Surprisingly, though it might seem out of place, strawberry jam is a staple in seasoned chicken seasoning, adding a fresh tanginess that balances the heaviness of soy sauce and the bland sweetness of corn syrup.

Finally, the star of seasoned chicken, the gochujang I boldly bought from the market today.

Unlike soy sauce, which is widely used across the Eastern Continent, gochujang is a regional specialty used in only a few countries, making it incredibly expensive due to import premiums.

On top of that, it’s sold in large jars, not small portions, so the price is almost enough for an average family of four to live on for a month.

Even in a country where I don’t skimp on cooking expenses and use sugar generously in desserts, it’s a price that’s hard to justify.

It’s no wonder I’ve made soy sauce-based dishes often but never touched gochujang-based ones.

But today, when I really need to make amends, I decided to splurge on gochujang.

I mixed the ingredients carefully.

If the ratio is off, it could turn into ketchup chicken or strawberry chicken—a monstrosity.

Once everything is mixed, I heat it in a frying pan, letting all the ingredients meld and condense into a single sauce.

By this time, the Three-legged Fowl is done marinating.

I coat the pieces in the frying flour and breadcrumbs, then drop them into oil heated to the perfect temperature of 180 degrees.

Fry until they turn a tempting golden color.

Once the chicken is fried, I drain it on a rack, shake off the excess oil, and toss it in the sauce pan, coating it evenly over low heat.

Finally, I plate the sauced chicken, sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Peanut powder isn’t a bad choice, but I think sesame seeds suit the thin coating of seasoned chicken better.

Since seasoned chicken is essentially an American fried chicken reinterpreted in a Korean style, I think the flavor of sesame seeds, a common Korean spice, pairs better.

Both are nutty flavors, and since the aroma comes from fats, it’s ultimately a matter of personal preference.

In any case, it’s done.

Three-legged Fowl Seasoned Chicken.

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