The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

Mari picked up a fried chicken leg from the plate without hesitation.

Crunch

The leg tasted just as it always did.

In other words, it was incredibly delicious.

The moment she bit into the crispy coating, the texture was neither soggy nor too hard—just the perfect level of crunch.

Crunch crunch

The crispy texture with every bite was already delicious on its own.

On top of that, the oily flavor of the fried coating was perfectly complemented by the spicy aroma of pepper that didn’t get overshadowed.

Underneath the crispy coating was the juicy, glistening meat of the chicken leg.

The tender, moist meat contrasted beautifully with the crispy texture of the fried coating.

It was like a magical sensation—crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.

Crispy, juicy, oily, and savory.

Even though she had tasted fried chicken many times during her journey with Kurt, it always felt like the best thing ever.

Crunch crunch

Munch munch

In no time, Mari had completely devoured one chicken leg.

But one wasn’t enough.

Fried chicken was the kind of food that made you crave another piece as soon as you finished one.

And just as she reached for the second chicken leg…

“…Oops!”

Suddenly, as if she had forgotten something, Mari glanced at her glass.

Right. Fried chicken definitely pairs best with cola.

How could she have forgotten about the cola, even for a moment, while being so absorbed in the chicken?

She quickly asked Kurt for a refill before the aftertaste of the cola disappeared from her mouth.

“Ku, Kurt! Hurry, the cola…!”

“Hehe. Let the cola know sweetness.”

Kurt smiled at Mari’s urgent request as he poured the cola.

Glug glug

Fizz fizz

The sound of the cola filling the glass with its carbonation.

Mari couldn’t help but feel goosebumps all over her body at the sound.

‘What, what is this? Is this sound… really that delicious?’

It was just the sound of pouring a drink, but for a moment, it felt like her whole body was tingling.

Even though she had only had one glass, her body seemed to remember the taste of cola and reacted to the sound alone.

Even the sound of cola was delicious.

The cold glass with condensation.

The clear droplets forming on the cool surface.

The fluffy layer of carbonation, like black sugar snow, piled on top.

And the sound of the carbonation bubbles popping, constantly tickling her ears.

All these visual and auditory cues were imprinting the deliciousness on Mari.

Once the goosebumps subsided, Mari lifted the cola glass with both hands, careful not to let the chicken grease touch it.

Gulp gulp

And without hesitation, she drank.

The intense carbonation made her throat tingle and buzz, but Mari didn’t stop, swallowing it down as if she felt nothing.

And then.

“Phew!! So refreshing!!”

Mari’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the empty glass.

Kurt was right.

The true charm of cola shines when paired with greasy food.

In fact, looking back at the history of cola, it made perfect sense.

Cola originated as a medicinal drink.

And one of its main effects was aiding digestion.

The carbonation in the soda and the bitter flavor of the cola nut effectively cut through the grease, while the acidity and aroma of lime zest sharply stimulated the taste buds, resetting any dullness.

It was like taking a digestive aid while eating!

And what about the taste of cola itself?

The crispy texture and savory flavor of the fried chicken, followed by the fizzy and sweet texture of cola, created a fantastically harmonious balance of sweet and salty.

Eat the chicken.

Drink the cola.

And then, tear into more chicken.

“Ugh…!! I can’t help it! At this rate, I’ll end up eating all the chicken legs!!”

It was an unstoppable spiral.

Mari had already exceeded her daily recommended calorie intake.

Gulp gulp

The taste of cola after decades was special.

Even though she hadn’t particularly enjoyed cola in her human life, the taste of cola after reincarnation was incredibly sweet.

“Hmm. But it’s still not a perfect recreation of the taste from my past life. I’ll need to tweak the recipe a bit more.”

Sip

I leisurely sipped my cola while watching the group enjoy their meal.

Mari, who was supposed to be on a diet, was alternating between chicken and cola without pause.

She was moving her hands and mouth nonstop, like she was canceling skills in a game.

Karina, who seemed surprisingly sensitive to carbonation, kept hiccuping but continued to drink cola with a happy smile.

Serena, without anyone teaching her, was already skillfully mixing distilled liquor with cola to make a makeshift rum and coke.

Everyone was enjoying the cola in their own way.

I turned my head to look at Pepper, who was eagerly eating fried chicken, hamburgers, and cola with her small frame.

“How is it? Delicious?”

“Yes! I’ve never eaten anything this delicious in my life!”

“I’m glad to hear that. There’s plenty of food, so eat as much as you want.”

“Okay!”

Fortunately, Pepper seemed more absorbed in the food than traumatized by the events of the day.

Whether she was naturally strong or my cooking was just that good, at least she wouldn’t be crying herself to sleep tonight.

I hoped that today would be remembered not as a nightmare of being attacked by a zombie bear, but as a good memory of defeating the bear and enjoying delicious food.

Ah, right.

In the end, cooking is about making the people who eat it happy and joyful.

If something good happens, make that good day even better.

If something bad happens, create a delicious memory that can wash away the bad.

That is the ultimate goal of cooking and the duty of a chef.

“Wait! Kurt! Mari’s trying to eat all the chicken legs by herself!!”

“Eek! Caught!”

“…Hey! Mari! If you eat all the chicken legs, what are the rest of us supposed to eat?”

“Ah, I like chicken breast too….”

And so, our feast continued late into the night.

…

…

…

Some time later.

With the cola perfected and the request completed, we took a proper break and returned to Astram fully recharged.

The villagers had a hopeful expression, different from when we first arrived, and we left amidst their warm farewells.

“Phew. Thanks to you, we had a comfortable stay. It feels like all the fatigue has been washed away.”

“Same here. It’s been so long since I’ve relaxed like this.”

“Ahem. Sorry about that.”

Karina and Serena looked refreshed, having shed all the fatigue they had accumulated during their stay in the village.

“Haha. No, it’s fine. After tasting the cola, I understand why Kurt was so obsessed with it.”

“Ah. That’s a shame.”

“A shame? What’s a shame?”

“The cola. When we were in the village, there was a mineral spring nearby, so we could make it every day. But now that we’re heading back to Astram, we won’t be able to have it for a while.”

“Well, that’s true. But don’t worry. Once we get to Astram….”

“Hehehe….”

That’s when it happened.

Mari, who had been quietly listening, suddenly started laughing suspiciously.

She had been unusually quiet. She must have been plotting something.

As I turned to look, she was holding a large wooden barrel with a mischievous smile.

“Yes? What is it? Hehehe.”

“Why are you laughing like that by yourself?”

“Heehee. It’s all thanks to this carbonated water!”

“What? Carbonated water?”

“Yes! A few days ago, I asked Pepper to pack some carbonated water so we could have cola during the journey! With this, we can have cola even on the way back to Astram!”

“Ah… So that’s what you were so busy packing when we left the village?”

“Of course! With this carbonated water, we can have cola anywhere! Hehe! Don’t worry! I’ll share this carbonated water with everyone!”

Mari boasted confidently.

She had completely fallen under the spell of cola during her stay in the village, drinking it every day instead of water.

Drinking cola like that would make her feel guilty later.

But more importantly….

“Sorry, but that’s not possible.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Mari looked at me with innocent eyes.

It was sad to have to shatter that innocence.

“That wooden barrel won’t keep the carbonation unless it’s specially sealed. The carbonation would have mostly escaped by now, turning it into plain water.”

“…What?”

“If you filled that barrel a few days ago, the carbonation would be mostly gone by now, leaving just water.”

“No way!”

At my words, Mari frantically opened the barrel to check, and upon seeing the nearly flat carbonated water, she fell into despair.

And then, for the first time in a long while, she cried as she buried the carbonated water.

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