The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

“Miss Arisa. It’s done.”

Liche came out of the kitchen, announcing the completion of the dish after finishing the preparation of Ratatouille.

And beside her, a golem carrying the pot of Ratatouille in her stead.

Liche naturally entrusted her pot to the golem, and the golem, as if responding to Liche’s expectations, naturally held the pot.

This scene showed how close Liche and the golem had become in the short time since entering the kitchen.

“Ah, Miss Liche.”

Arisa, noticing the change between the two, looked at them with surprise.

“Uh, somehow, it seems like you’ve gotten closer to the golem.”

“Oh my. Does it look that way?”

Before entering the kitchen, Liche had accepted the golem, but it felt more like she was swept up in the atmosphere, and she had been awkward.

However, after finishing the cooking and naturally entrusting her pot to the golem, a subtle sense of trust in the golem could be felt.

Liche naturally sat down with the golem’s escort, and the golem, after escorting Liche, naturally set the table.

“Ah, thank you for the wine.”

“Now, shall we begin the meal?”

“Ah, ah. Yes…….”

Arisa awkwardly responded to Liche’s words, perhaps uncomfortable with the golem’s escort.

Thus, in a corner of the Adventurer Guild, a peculiar scene of two women being escorted by a knight in white armor began their meal.

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‘What on earth happened in the kitchen for them to get so close?’

Though the sudden closeness between Liche and the golem was on her mind, Arisa, having grown quite hungry while waiting for Liche’s meal preparation, set aside her questions and lifted her spoon.

Though unexpectedly moving a lot had made her hungry, today’s menu was Ratatouille, a dish she loved.

Ratatouille was a humble, rustic dish enjoyed by the common folk of southern France, and in this world, it was no different, treated as a common household dish.

A simple vegetable dish without any special cooking methods or meat, yet she loved Ratatouille for that very reason.

Though she had awakened to the taste of meat dishes after meeting Kurt, her vegetarian palate, cultivated over time, hadn’t easily changed. Or perhaps it was simply because Liche was a good cook, as she still loved vegetable dishes as much as meat dishes.

Thus, Arisa scooped a generous ladleful of Ratatouille into her bowl.

As soon as the Ratatouille was in her bowl, the rich aroma of tomato sauce clearly tickled her nose.

Not the greasy scent of meat or the stimulating aroma of strongly spiced dishes, but the ordinary scent of tomatoes.

A scent befitting the evaluation of a humble home-cooked meal.

Yet, sometimes, the savory aroma of miso soup seeps in more than the sweet and stimulating scent of bulgogi.

The humble aroma of Ratatouille, precisely because of its simplicity, subtly stimulates the appetite.

First, she scooped a spoonful of the Ratatouille’s broth into her mouth.

The first thing she felt was the warm aroma of tomatoes.

The perfect concentration of the broth, somewhere between tomato stew and tomato vegetable stew, neither too thin nor too thick, accurately conveyed the acidity and umami of the tomatoes to her stomach.

But it wasn’t just the taste of tomatoes.

Vegetables, when heated, naturally release their juices.

Similarly, the aroma of the vegetables that seeped out while boiling the Ratatouille enriched the broth’s flavor without the need for special spices.

The subtle sweetness felt on the tip of her tongue was the sweetness of onions.

No, not just onions.

The combined sweetness from eggplants and zucchini, blending together, created a unique sweetness that enveloped her tongue without the use of sugar.

Especially, the sweetness from vegetables, fundamentally different from that of sugar, doesn’t produce a strong, impressive sweetness but instead offers a mild, subtle sweetness that doesn’t easily tire the palate.

And this sweetness, different from that of fruits, might be too mild and lacking in presence for some, but once tasted, its deep charm rivals that of sugar or fruit sweetness.

And Arisa, being a Dark Elf who knew how to enjoy this sweetness.

Finally, the aroma of minced garlic neatly catches any bitterness or astringency that vegetable-only dishes might have.

With just one spoonful, it felt like returning home, not just warming the body but also the soul, filling her with contentment.

Next, the second spoonful included not just the broth but also a handful of the solids.

Though there was no crisp texture from being boiled in tomato sauce, instead, the vegetables melted softly in her mouth.

The aroma of the eggplant, soaked in the flavors of tomato sauce and butter, was so fluffy it was hard to believe it was the texture of a vegetable, almost like chewing a springy mushroom.

The zucchini, soft enough to be crushed by rolling it on her tongue, offered a subtle sweetness and savory flavor that delighted her mouth.

And the eggplant and zucchini, sliced and baked in the oven separately from those boiled in tomato sauce, how were they?

The vegetables baked in the oven’s heat, distinct from those gently cooked in tomato sauce, clearly showcased their individuality.

The eggplant and zucchini, dried out in the oven’s hot air, offered a completely new taste and texture when eaten with tomato sauce, like dipping grilled vegetables directly into the sauce.

The eggplant, having lost moisture and become chewy, offered a texture more akin to meat than mushrooms, doubling the pleasure of chewing.

The baked zucchini, unlike the soft zucchini in the sauce, prominently showcased its own texture and unique sweet flavor.

The same eggplant and zucchini, yet so different when cooked in the sauce versus separately.

The dual faces of these vegetables, like the different charms of a person at work and in private, captivated her every time she ate.

This is Ratatouille.

Certainly a humble home-cooked vegetable dish, but a silent powerhouse hiding unexpected depth that surprises when you scoop it up without expectations.

If eaten with excessive expectations due to its fame, one might be disappointed.

But conversely, if dismissed as mere common folk’s home cooking, one might be unexpectedly charmed and fall in love with it.

That is Ratatouille.

“Ah……. It’s good.”

Arisa, forgetting the discord caused by the golem’s treatment and the sudden closeness between Liche and the golem, happily savored the aroma of tomatoes.

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Just as Arisa and Liche were enjoying a happy moment.

“You’re eating quite a good meal, aren’t you?”

A man’s voice interjected at their table.

“Oh my. Isn’t that Mr. Kurt?”

Liche, perhaps because of what had just happened, spoke curtly to Kurt.

And the golem, quickly sensing her master’s displeasure, stepped between her and Kurt.

“So, what’s the matter?”

“No. I smelled something delicious. I just finished cooking myself, so if it’s okay, why don’t we share our dishes? I also have something to talk about.”

Saying so, Kurt glared at the golem blocking his way.

He still seemed displeased with Liche keeping the golem.

But Liche had already decided to keep the golem by her side.

Thus, she coldly intended to refuse Kurt’s offer.

“Hmph. No matter how you say it, my answer won’t change.”

“No. That’s not what I wanted to say…….”

But he shook his head as if that wasn’t it.

“Huh?”

“I don’t like to discuss depressing matters during meals. Meals should be enjoyed.”

“…Then what did you want to talk about?”

“I noticed that the cooking time was about 5 minutes shorter than the last time we made the same dish. Did you change the recipe?”

“You were keeping track…….”

“It’s basic for a cook.”

“Ugh…….”

Kurt’s relentless focus on cooking was still unsettling.

Though she had a one-sided rivalry with him and strived to improve her cooking skills, even she couldn’t help but be slightly taken aback by his meticulous timing of others’ cooking.

“The cooking time was shortened because Charlotte helped with the cooking.”

“Charlotte?”

“That’s this golem’s name. Full name Charlotte. Shortened to Char.”

“That golem’s name is Charlotte…?”

Liche pointed to the golem in white armor protecting her.

At this, Kurt made a slightly taken aback expression.

“It’s a good name, right?”

“Uh……. Well, let’s move on……. Wait!? That golem cooked?”

“To be precise, it helped with chopping vegetables…….”

Liche, not understanding why Kurt was so shocked, trailed off.

But Kurt, not hearing Liche’s answer, made a serious expression.

“A golem from the Ancient Empire that can cook……. Could this be a chance to obtain the lost recipes of the Ancient Empire…….”

“So Char just helped with chopping vegetables…….”

“Ugh……. The recipes of the Ancient Empire……. The lost technology recipes of an advanced magical civilization…….”

Kurt agonized with a troubled expression for a while.

And just as Liche was about to speak, worried about Kurt.

“Hey. Are you okay?”

“….”

“…Hey?”

“Thinking about it, that golem does possess formidable strength, but considering it has sworn loyalty to you, and conversely, returning the golem to the ruins wouldn’t eliminate the danger. It might actually be better for Astram’s peace to keep the golem close and monitor it. After all, accepting the golem is your personal right, and I might have been too pushy. Moreover, if you’re with the golem and control it, and if something truly dangerous happens, I can also help stop the golem. Thinking about it now, I might have been too scared and opposed it unconditionally. In that sense, the important thing now is to clearly determine whether this golem is truly harmless or harmful. To do that, we need to get closer to the golem and learn more about it.”

“…Huh?”

Kurt, having poured out his thoughts like a rapid-fire, ignored Liche, who was left dumbfounded, and promptly offered a handshake to Char.

“If you’ve sworn loyalty to Liche, then you’re part of Liche’s party, and if you’re part of Liche’s party, then you’re part of my party. Nice to meet you, Char.”

And at Kurt’s sudden change in attitude.

Slap!

Char coldly slapped his hand away.

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“Eh~. I’m not really into vegetables…….”

“Hey. You’re an Elf and you’re picky about vegetables? You ate them every day just last year.”

“Because of Mr. Kurt, I can’t be satisfied with just vegetables anymore. And I’m a Half-Elf, so it’s okay!”

“I prefer meat over vegetable stew~.”

“Ah! I like tomato stew!”

By the way, Mari and Serena, who joined the table later, complained about the side dishes and were scolded by Kurt.

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Also, for reference, a cat that barged in later ate the Ratatouille very deliciously, purring contentedly and lying down on Liche’s lap.

Liche was happy with the cat’s affection.

Seeing this, Char was jealous of the cat.

But that’s another story.

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