The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

‘…!?’

Chewing off the outer layer of the dish with her teeth, what lay hidden inside was a fierce ambush of beef and chives.

It was akin to the moment she escaped the Holy Kingdom, when she exploited the gaps in the surveillance of those watching her to launch a surprise attack.

Moreover, the moisture that had felt like warm water on the surface, once the outer layer was peeled away, had fully absorbed the aroma of beef and chives, transforming into a subtle yet profound soup.

‘Warm…’

It wasn’t just because the broth was perfectly heated.

The warmth, akin to body temperature, neither too sweet nor too salty, yet not bland either, seeped gently into her fatigued body with the perfect balance of flavor and aroma.

The beef inside the outer layer, far from being burdensome, melted in her mouth as if it were dissolving.

No need to hide it.

At this very moment, the dish Aila was eating was called water dumplings.

If you can steam, grill, or fry, then boiling is naturally possible too.

Water dumplings, like all dumplings, originated in China, but unlike the Han Chinese, they were primarily consumed by the Manchu people.

From steamed dumplings to pan-fried, and from pan-fried to deep-fried, the more you process them, the more their flavor intensifies, but they also become greasier and easier to bite into. In contrast, water dumplings, being the exact opposite of deep-fried dumplings, have their own unique set of pros and cons.

Boiled in water after being steamed, water dumplings retain the utmost moisture, making them the juiciest of all.

Compared to other dumplings, the initial bite might not have the impact of pan-fried or deep-fried dumplings, but before you know it, you’ve emptied the plate without realizing it, making them the hidden ambush of the dumpling world.

Especially, the water dumplings eaten by the Manchu people had another distinguishing feature.

While in China, steamed dumplings were mainly consumed, and in Japan, gyoza, a type of pan-fried dumpling, was popular, the Manchu people primarily consumed water dumplings as a staple, unlike in China or Japan where dumplings were consumed as a side dish with strong flavors and aromas.

What is a staple?

A staple is a dish that, depending on the situation, is meant to be eaten alongside other side dishes.

In Korea, they didn’t have such an image and were simply made with a strong flavor, not differing much from other pan-fried or steamed dumplings, but at least the original water dumplings had a rather mild taste.

And the water dumplings Kurt made were also in the original style, not localized to Korean tastes.

Moist, overflowing with water, the filling soft, and the dumpling stuffing, like minced beef, was mixed with finely chopped chives and egg batter, easily crumbling in the mouth without much effort, making it easy to chew and not burdensome on the stomach.

It was truly a dish that suited a patient’s meal.

Compared to pan-fried or steamed dumplings, it might have been milder in taste, but it wasn’t devoid of flavor.

Although the amount of salt, sugar, and spices like pepper, which enhance flavor, was reduced or omitted, the natural taste of the ingredients was distinctly felt.

The subtle aroma of chives, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms, along with the savory taste of beef, filled the void left by the absence of strong salty, sweet, or spicy flavors.

A healthy and gentle taste that could only be achieved by considering the best options to satisfy the eater without burdening the patient.

Of course, Aila’s condition wasn’t severe enough to require a patient’s meal, but after a long period of physical strain and irregular meals, such consideration was particularly welcome.

Thus, Aila, about to eat her first water dumpling, looked at the dish with eyes that had regained a bit more vitality than when she had just woken up.

Unbeknownst to her, the dumplings she was eating were completely different from the ones everyone else had been eating downstairs; they were freshly made by Kurt just for her.

Pan-fried, steamed, deep-fried, and water dumplings.

The names attached to the dumplings merely indicate how they are cooked, but in reality, the various types of dumplings differ not only in cooking methods but also in the combination of fillings, the size of the dumpling skin, and the way they are wrapped.

To avoid burdening the patient’s stomach, the seasoning was made softer and milder by omitting pepper, and the size of the dumpling skin was made as small as an acorn, easy to swallow in one bite.

The shape that best suits boiling minimizes the risk of tearing when the dumpling skin is too large, while ensuring the inside isn’t too watery, just enough to keep the filling moist.

Gulp

Gulp

She silently picked up the second water dumpling with a fork and brought it to her mouth, and those gathered in the room silently watched her.

The panic she had shown upon waking was nowhere to be seen as she ate silently, as if the warmth of the water dumplings was gently soothing her heart, gradually calming her down.

Slurp

Gulp gulp

Thus, the room was quietly filled with the sound of her eating.

If the first bite seemed like she had no appetite, eating only because Kurt had told her to,

The second bite was as if her hand moved unconsciously.

Then, as if accepting the warmth of the water dumplings.

And as if the hunger she had forgotten was finally catching up.

Her lifeless eyes gradually filled with vitality, soon glistening as if tears were about to fall.

But in the end, she didn’t shed any tears, and she finished all the water dumplings on the plate Kurt had brought.

.

.

.

Aila remained silent for a long time after finishing her meal.

As the others in the room began to worry about her, she turned to Kurt with a lighter expression.

“I’m sorry. I must have looked pitiful.”

“Have you come to your senses now?”

“Yes. Thanks to Kurt’s persuasion and cooking, I was able to calm down. Thank you again. And thank you all for treating and nursing me.”

Aila bowed her head politely as she spoke.

Though she usually wore armor, making it hard to notice, with her bright blonde hair neatly tied and her head bowed, Aila looked every bit the image of a serene and beautiful nun.

“Oh, no. We just did what we had to do……”

“Right. Don’t worry too much.”

“Y-yes. I still consider Aila part of our party…!”

Thus, Aila and the others in the room exchanged words of gratitude.

As the atmosphere calmed down after the exchange of pleasantries, Kurt brought up the question he had been postponing.

“So, what exactly happened? As far as I know, you and Daria left to report to the Holy Kingdom with the master gun. And where is Daria…….”

“….”

At the question, Aila’s expression faltered for the first time since regaining her composure.

“If it’s hard to answer right now, you can take your time.”

“There’s no need to delay. I came back to Astram, breaking free from the Holy Kingdom’s restraints, to tell you all this story and ask for help. And time is running out.”

“…The Holy Kingdom’s restraints?”

Kurt was taken aback by the unexpected term.

And it wasn’t just Kurt who was surprised.

While it was easy to guess from her appearance that she was being pursued by someone, they never imagined her pursuer would be the Holy Kingdom.

But what followed was even more shocking.

After the empire’s master Shail stole the artifact containing Arisa’s secrets of the Ancient Empire, Daria, Aila, and Astram’s alchemist Seiri headed to the Holy Kingdom.

Daria and Aila went to report the empire’s affairs to the Holy Kingdom, and Seiri, having come across too many secrets related to the history of the Ancient Empire at its ruins, went for surveillance and protection.

The journey from the Kingdom of Eustia to the Holy Kingdom was quite a distance, but the three of them found the journey itself not too difficult.

After all, Daria and Aila were used to traveling around the world on the Holy Kingdom’s orders, and their skills were quite formidable, so it was only natural.

However, the problem arose after they arrived at the Holy Kingdom.

Daria, who had entered the Holy King’s court to report what had happened in Astram, did not return.

At first, they thought she was just late because she had colleagues and mentors inside the court to meet.

After all, the Holy Kingdom was like a hometown to them, having taken in and raised them as orphans, so they didn’t suspect anything had gone wrong.

But as days passed without her return, Aila began to feel that something was amiss.

And then, news reached her ears.

Daria, who had entered the Holy King’s court to report on behalf of the three, had been brought before a religious trial.

The charge was heresy.

“If this continues, Daria might die……”

“Wait! What!? Why are you telling this important story now!!”

“No. Until just now, you said to calm down and that the story could wait……”

Kurt scolded her angrily at her words, and Aila protested with a look of grievance.

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