Chapter 2

“Kya. Today’s stew is amazing.”

The stew, made with the meat of a One-Horned Rabbit that had just finished smoking, had a mouthwatering aroma that made it hard to believe it was whipped up with whatever ingredients were available in the temporary hut.

The real stroke of genius was buying an empty oak barrel from a merchant who had passed through the village earlier, along with some wine, for a bargain price.

“Kukuku. Since it’s rabbit meat, maybe it’s not ‘stroke of genius’ but ‘rabbit stroke’?”

The oak barrel, which had been used to ferment fruit wine, was infused with the unique aroma of the wine, making it perfect for smoking. When used as smoking wood, it imparted a flavor as if the meat had been aged in fruit wine.

Since the base meat was delicious, the stew turned out high-quality even without special ingredients.

Another hidden element that elevated the flavor was the onion.

Before adding the meat and water, the finely chopped onion was generously sautéed until it turned brown, then combined with the wine, meat, and water bought from the merchant.

Even without adding sweeteners, the natural sweetness from the onion’s juices was enough to give the stew a subtle sweetness.

Additionally, the spices used to marinate the rabbit meat during smoking naturally infused into the stew, creating a deep, rich flavor without needing extra seasoning.

While the stew alone might not be enough for a full meal, expecting more from a temporary hunting outpost would be a luxury.

“It seems like it’s almost done. Should I prepare the utensils now?”

Of course, since I’m the only one eating, one set of utensils would suffice.

Wait, no.

I might need to prepare an extra set.

As I was struggling to remember where I had stashed the spare utensils in the hut, the door burst open, and a boy rushed in.

Hmm… Ever since I reincarnated as a Lizardman, I haven’t had much interaction with humans, so I’m not very confident.

Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be in his mid-teens. For his age, he had a fairly well-trained body, but the lack of noticeable scars suggested he was a novice adventurer.

The boy seemed startled when he saw me inside the hut.

I guess it’s his first time seeing a Lizardman?

The boy rudely mistook me for a Basilisk or something, but I wasn’t hurt by the rudeness of a child less than half my age, considering both my past and current lives.

In such situations, it’s proper to show tolerance as an adult.

And the best way to break the awkward atmosphere is to share a meal, right?

“Boy, do you want some food?”

“No, that’s not it! There’s a Basilisk outside!”

“A Basilisk!? Are you serious?”

“Yes, it’s true!”

A Basilisk? That’s the apex predator of the Verde Jungle’s ecosystem.

And it’s coming this way?

Hearing the boy’s words, I hurriedly grabbed the ladle and stepped outside the hut.

Once outside, I realized the boy was telling the truth—a massive Basilisk had approached right up to the hut.

“Damn, I let my guard down!”

Normally, the ruler of this jungle rarely leaves its nest.

Moreover, it almost never comes this close to the hut.

That’s why I had let my guard down, never expecting it to get this close.

It was entirely my mistake for being careless.

The creature, now right in front of my hut, stopped and stared at me cautiously.

But its hesitation was brief.

Soon, as if its pride was hurt by its own hesitation, it let out a fierce roar.

“Kieeeeeeek!!”

“Kieeeeeeek! Today’s lunch is steak!”

And I, too, let out a roar as I charged at the Basilisk with the ladle in hand.

Phew. I almost missed out on the meat dish.

.

.

.

Theo watched with a tired expression as the Lizardman skillfully skinned the Basilisk.

“Honestly, I was a bit disappointed when you came into the hut empty-handed. Isn’t it a bit rude to visit someone’s home without bringing anything? Of course, I wouldn’t kick you out over it, but there’s such a thing as manners, right?”

“Yes, yes…”

“But who would’ve thought you’d bring Basilisk meat as a housewarming gift? Hahaha! I completely misjudged you!”

“Ah, haha… I guess so.”

Of course, Theo hadn’t brought the Basilisk as a gift, but after seeing the Lizardman infuse the ladle with aura and take down the beast in one hit, he decided not to say anything.

He knew from books that Lizardmen had superior stamina compared to humans, but to take down a fully grown Basilisk in one hit?

“Anyway, you’re staying for a meal, right?”

“Meal?”

“Yeah. Since we’ve met like this, let’s share a meal.”

“Uh, I…”

“You?”

“If you’re offering, I’ll gladly accept! Hahaha…”

Honestly, Theo wanted to bolt home immediately, but he couldn’t bring himself to refuse the monstrous Lizardman.

Frankly, the Lizardman who had taken down the Basilisk was scarier than the beast that had chased him for hours.

But all Theo could do was hope that the “meal” the Lizardman was talking about wasn’t something like fried rice with Basilisk blood for a novice adventurer.

Fortunately, the Lizardman didn’t seem to view Theo as a source of nutrition.

After skillfully skinning the Basilisk, the Lizardman began extracting blood from its tail.

‘He’s not planning to eat Basilisk meat, is he?’

Generally, monster meat wasn’t suitable for consumption.

The key difference between monsters and animals was the presence of organs that stored or utilized mana.

Because of this, monsters, big or small, had bodies that were somewhat altered by mana.

And most monster meat couldn’t be properly digested by humans, who lacked the organs to absorb mana.

Of course, smaller monsters like the One-Horned Rabbit, or those whose mana-induced transformations were harmless, could be eaten raw or cooked without issue.

But a Basilisk was a silver-grade monster, with significant mana-induced body alterations, including the Evil Eye of Petrification. Without proper preparation, even a small amount could cause stomachaches or, in severe cases, food poisoning.

‘Do Lizardmen have bodies tough enough to eat monster meat without risk of food poisoning?’

But for humans, eating high-grade monster meat like Basilisk would result in a 100% chance of food poisoning.

Remembering this, Theo, though scared, mustered the courage to try to refuse.

But then he recalled that in some demi-human cultures, sharing a meal was an important act of bonding, and refusing could be seen as a hostile act.

Was the Lizardman from such a culture?

He tried to remember, but the book he’d read had glossed over that part, deeming it unimportant for adventurers.

‘What do you mean unimportant? That’s the most important part!’

If only he’d read that part carefully, he could’ve used it now, facing a Lizardman who could one-shot a Basilisk and was offering him its meat.

And that future was now!

As Theo hesitated, the Lizardman finished removing the blood from the Basilisk’s tail and began expertly preparing the meat.

‘Huh? He’s surprisingly skilled at preparing meat.’

Compared to humans, Lizardmen were known to have lower cultural standards, so Theo had expected the meat to be roughly grilled without even draining the blood. But the Lizardman’s preparation was on par with, if not better than, the only restaurant-inn owner in Theo’s village, Uncle George.

‘No, not just on par—it’s even better…’

After ensuring the meat’s texture remained intact while removing bones, tendons, and membranes, the Lizardman pulled out a strangely shaped fruit from a corner of the hut.

‘What’s that? That fruit doesn’t look ordinary… I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere…’

As Theo pondered the suspicious fruit, the Lizardman skillfully sliced it thin and wrapped it around the Basilisk meat.

“Ah! The fruit of the Predatory Water Tree!”

“Oh? You recognize it?”

“The Predatory Water Tree emits a hypnotic scent to lure and eat people or animals, right?”

“Exactly. The juice of this fruit contains a unique component that breaks down the toxic elements in monster meat. It seems the same components used to digest animals are present in the fruit. But that’s not all this fruit can do.”

“Not all?”

“It also excels at removing the gamey taste and tenderizing the meat!”

“Ah, I see.”

“This is called a tenderizing effect. Some fruits can soften meat just by being placed next to it. Since we’re using monster meat, I’m using the Predatory Water fruit, but even common fruits like pears have similar effects.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Hmm. I’m not sure if they call it the same in this world, but this is called a marinade.”

“This world?”

“Never mind. It’s nothing.”

First a Basilisk, and now the fruit of a Predatory Water Tree, another silver-grade monster.

And to use such a precious fruit just for a single meal, not even as the main dish but as a seasoning for the meat.

The more Theo saw, the more he realized how dangerously unpredictable this Lizardman was.

But strangely, Theo no longer felt as scared of the Lizardman as he had when they first met.

Listening to the Lizardman passionately talk about cooking, Theo realized about 30 minutes had passed.

After some time, the Lizardman took out the meat again and began grilling it on a metal plate he had prepared.