Chapter 8 - Darkmtl
Switch Mode
You can get fewer ads when you log in and remove all ads by subscribing.

Chapter 8



Mari, with a smile so bright it could make anyone happy, held a fried potato in each hand and stuffed her cheeks to the point of bursting as she ate.

Anyone who saw her might suspect she wasn’t an elf but a hamster beastkin.

Judging by her appearance, it seemed like it was her first time eating fried potatoes, and it looked like she really enjoyed them.

After finishing her satisfying meal, Mari didn’t even wipe her greasy lips and said,

“That was delicious! I believed from the start that the food would turn out amazing!”

Yeah, right. Without even a hint of hesitation, she lied.

“Don’t lie. You made a face like you genuinely hated the idea when I said I’d cook.”

Well, whatever.

“As long as you enjoyed it, that’s all that matters.”

Just like the boy who ate the basilisk steak last time, seeing someone enjoy the food you’ve made is rewarding in itself.

The Lizardmen in the village would even say poorly grilled, almost spoiled meat was delicious, so reactions like this really hit home.

Though personally, I think fried potatoes aren’t complete without ketchup.

Still, the taste of fried potatoes after decades was special.

Mari, who threw all dignity aside and ended up eating with a fried potato in each hand, wasn’t the only one—I was also busy shoving fried potatoes into my mouth nonstop.

“By the way, what’s that cooking method? You put potatoes in oil, and it turned into a completely different dish! Did you learn magic or something?”

“…I just fried the potatoes.”

“I’ve never heard of this ‘frying’ method before!”

She doesn’t know about frying?

No matter how you look at it, it’s not like this world doesn’t have the concept of frying.

Even if the civilization level is low, you’d have to go back to the Stone Age to find a time when such a simple cooking method didn’t exist.

It’s not a method commonly used by commoners due to the large amount of oil required, but it’s not like no one in this world has ever tried it before.

So, the conclusion is clear.

“Are elves really just not that intelligent?”

“That’s species discrimination again! It’s just that the elf village I lived in rarely used fire for cooking!”

“Ah. I see.”

Elves, due to their racial traits, ‘cannot’ eat meat.

Among those who don’t know much about elves, it’s believed that elves don’t eat meat because they love nature and animals, but that’s simply not true.

Of course, most elves live in forests and love nature more than other races, but if that were the reason for their vegetarianism, other races living in forests would also be vegetarian.

Elves’ vegetarianism isn’t due to preference, culture, or religion—it’s purely biological. They have a hard time digesting animal protein.

Just like how other races get stomachaches or food poisoning from eating improperly processed monster meat, elves have a similar reaction to all meat and fish.

Thus, elf cuisine is strictly vegetarian.

And unlike meat, most vegetables and fruits can be enjoyed raw without much impact on digestion or taste.

Considering that most elves live in forests centered around the World Tree and rely heavily on it for their livelihood, it’s no surprise that their culture minimizes the use of fire.

Even if they occasionally use fire for cooking, it’s mostly for boiling, steaming, or making stew.

Thinking about it, it’s no wonder Mari was clueless about frying.

As I pondered this, Mari suddenly stood up and walked over to my wok.

“What are you doing? We’ve already finished all the fried potatoes.”

In response, she pulled out a pouch and started trying to scoop up the oil used for frying.

“I’m taking the oil! With this, I can fry potatoes as many times as I want!”

“Stop. The oil used for frying goes bad after a few days and becomes unusable for cooking.”

Frying requires precise temperature control, and a beginner who just discovered frying wouldn’t be able to do it properly in a campsite without the right tools.

“Then I’ll just put it in the pouch and smell it before bed…!”

Mari said, leaning so close to the pot it looked like she was about to stick her face in it, sniffing the oil.

*Sniff*

*Sigh*

*Sniff*

*Sigh*

No, seriously. Is it not just cultural but that elves as a species are less intelligent?

When I gave her a suspicious look, she awkwardly put the pouch down and finally let go of her attachment to the oil.

“Hiiing… Okay, fine. Please stop looking at me like that.”

“With that airheaded personality, it’s amazing you even set out on a journey.”

“Hehe. Ever since I was little, traveling the world has been my dream. Elf life just felt too stifling.”

“I guess elf culture does have its closed-off aspects.”

Just looking at their cooking methods, despite having lifespans several times longer than most human races, their lack of curiosity or ambition might just be an inherent trait of the elf race.

“By the way, what brings you around here, Kurt?”

“I’m also on a journey. Just started today, actually.”

“A journey? Even as an elf, saying this feels weird, but aren’t Lizardmen a pretty closed-off race? Why are you traveling?”

“No particular reason. If I had to say, I guess I felt stifled just staying in the Lizardman village, like you. I just wanted to see the world.”

“Heeeh… So you’re like me, Kurt. Then…”

Suddenly, as soon as I finished speaking, Mari’s eyes started sparkling with a dangerous glint.

Ah. This feels like something bad is about to happen to me.

Before Mari could continue, I spoke first.

“No.”

“Won’t you travel with me…? No. Why not!”

“Just… feels like it’d be a hassle.”

This girl definitely gives off troublemaker vibes.

If I took her as a companion, she’d probably cause trouble at every plot bottleneck, conveniently creating episodes out of thin air like a troublemaker character in a web novel.

“I’ll clean and do the laundry! Just cook for me!”

“I can do that much on my own.”

“Then hunting! I may look like this, but I’m an amazing archer!”

“I was a full-time hunter until yesterday. I’m probably better at hunting than you.”

“Uuuu…”

Hunting isn’t just about being good with a bow.

It requires extensive knowledge of the ecosystem where animals and monsters live, as well as patience and reasoning.

At my words, she seemed to realize she couldn’t claim to be better than a full-time hunter and fell silent.

“T-Then how about being a meal buddy! I’m really confident in eating deliciously… though…”

Mari trailed off, almost crawling as she spoke, but surprisingly, her offer was quite appealing.

After decades among Lizardmen who couldn’t appreciate proper taste, having someone who reacts like a vending machine, exclaiming “delicious” with every bite, is mentally healing in itself.

But I can’t just take anyone as a companion just because they eat with me.

“I’ll pass on the companion offer. I want to travel alone at first.”

“I figured as much…”

“But if our paths happen to cross, we can travel together for a bit. Not as companions, though.”

That much would just be a few days together, so there’s no need to refuse.

At my words, Mari’s eyes sparkled, and she smiled brightly.

“Yay! Thank you so much!”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. We’re just traveling the same path, nothing more.”

Wait, that line sounded way too tsundere.

With the agreement to travel together until we reached the village, Mari suddenly got serious and said to me,

“By the way, Kurt. I have a proposal.”

“…What is it? Why so serious all of a sudden?”

“How about we have lunch soon?”

“Huh? What are you talking about? We just ate fried potatoes.”

But Mari ignored me and started rambling on her own.

“Hehe. You said the oil used for frying goes bad after a few days, right? That means oil that’s only been used for a few hours is still good! I want fried potatoes for lunch too!”

Is this really an elf?

In the end, we didn’t make any progress that day, using the same oil to fry all the remaining potatoes for lunch and dinner.

And the next day, after Mari insisted on eating fried potatoes one more time, I made an excuse about the oil going bad and threw it all out, finally allowing us to start our journey properly.

By the way, Mari genuinely mourned the discarded oil, making a grave for it.

Ah. Maybe I should just travel alone.


You can get fewer ads when logging in and remove all ads by subscribing for just $2 per month.
The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

Status: Completed
A chaotic and whirlwind culinary adventure of a lizardman reincarnated in another world, driven by an insatiable craving for hamburgers!

Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Options

not work with dark mode
Reset