The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

After deciding to help the mysterious woman, I quickly set up a camping kitchen just in case she changed her mind.

Hoo.

It’s been a while since I last cooked.

Even though it’s only been a few days since I last cooked, my hands are already itching to get back to it.

To be honest, there’s a part of me that feels a bit uneasy about serving food to someone whose identity is unknown.

But as they say, even a ghost who died from hunger has a certain charm.

Even if she were hiding hostile intentions and approached us, wouldn’t it be fine to at least offer her a meal?

Moreover, while we continue to assume that she might be hostile, what if she’s not some evil vampire but simply someone in need of our help?

In that case, wouldn’t it be an act of extreme cruelty to ignore her just because we’re wary, especially in such a dangerous place?

From that perspective, even though her identity is a mystery, it’s only right for a Lizardman to help, even if it means taking risks.

…

This is absolutely not an excuse to cook.

Probably.

With that, I convinced myself and started cooking.

Even as I was thinking all this, my body naturally began preparing for the cooking.

She mentioned she has anemia and has been skipping meals.

But judging by her demeanor, it doesn’t seem like she’s been starving for too long.

If she had been starving for a long time, it would be obvious at a glance.

In that case, there’s no need to limit the menu to just easy-to-eat patient meals.

Something good for anemia and high in calories…

There are many ingredients that come to mind, but given the limitations of camping, there’s only so much I can work with.

Sigh. If only my current situation were a bit better, I could have made a proper meal…

It’s a shame that I have to cook with only the ingredients I have on hand.

But there’s always a way.

The group said we should save time to reach the Holy Kingdom as soon as possible, but I secretly smuggled in some ingredients just in case something like this happened.

This time, I’ll be using beef.

Among beef cuts, fat spoils easily, so I brought lean meat with almost no fat.

I secretly brought this red meat because it spoils slower, and it’s also an excellent ingredient for anemia.

Lean red beef is rich in iron, protein, vitamins, and amino acids, making it one of the best foods for anemia.

While organ meats like liver are even better, they’re hard to come by in this situation.

So, I’ll make a high-calorie dish that’s good for someone with anemia using this beef.

First, I slice the lean beef into very thin pieces since it tends to be tough.

Then, I marinate it with soy sauce and sugar that I also secretly brought.

Next, I wash the rice I smuggled in and start cooking it.

I also blanch the onions and bok choy I brought, and roast the garlic…

…

“Just how many ingredients did you secretly bring in that backpack?”

“Not only did you smuggle them in, but how did they all physically fit in that backpack?”

“Is that bag enchanted with magic or something?”

The group watched in disbelief as Kurt pulled out ingredient after ingredient from his backpack.

Given his personality, they expected him to have smuggled in a few cooking ingredients, but…

They were in awe, wondering if he had somehow packed an entire kitchen into his backpack.

But Kurt’s idealistic behavior when it comes to cooking is nothing new.

Right now, there’s something more important.

They turned their attention back to the mysterious woman.

While they decided to help her, they hadn’t completely let their guard down.

It would be wise to gather information about her while waiting for the meal.

To start the conversation, they introduced themselves.

“Thank you so much for helping me.”

“Ah, it’s nothing. It’s only right to help someone in need. My name is Marisia, and these people here are…”

“Ah, my name is Mir… no, Camila.”

The woman in the nun’s robe introduced herself as Camila, correcting her name mid-sentence as if she had misspoken.

It could have been seen as the behavior of someone trying to hide their identity, but the group simply took it as a slip of the tongue and continued questioning.

“So, Camila, what brings you here? We took a shortcut through this dangerous area to speed up our journey. Did you come here to cross quickly too?”

“No. I heard rumors that someone I know is here, so I came to meet them.”

By understanding why she came here, they might uncover her identity.

With that strategy, they asked Camila why she came here, and she replied that she came to meet an old acquaintance.

That was a strange answer.

This area had become a desolate land overrun by undead due to vampire attacks, and it wasn’t something that happened just recently.

If it had happened recently, it wouldn’t have been marked on the map.

The fact that it’s marked on the map means it’s been decades since it happened.

So, she came to this land, which has been an undead-infested wasteland for decades, to meet someone she knows?

Even if such a person existed, they would have either died long ago from the undead attacks or moved to another region.

But instead of questioning her answer, the group relaxed, reassured that she wasn’t an undead, a vampire, or even a pursuer from the Holy Kingdom.

“Ah, I see. That’s unfortunate.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll meet the person you’re looking for soon.”

“Yeah, cheer up.”

Not only that, but they even comforted her, believing her story without suspicion.

Convinced that Camila was just a harmless traveler, they dropped their guard and started asking her more questions.

“By the way, Camila, you mentioned you have anemia. Do you have some kind of illness?”

“Haha, no. It’s not an illness, just a family trait. My parents were the same.”

Camila smiled, her pale skin contrasting with her blood-red lips.

“I understand. I used to be weak too until about a year ago, so I mostly stayed in the mansion.”

“Oh, really?”

Liche nodded in sympathy, and their gazes shifted from suspicion to pity.

“So, Camila, what kind of food do you like?”

“Because of my anemia, I tend to like foods that are good for it. For example, I enjoy fresh liver.”

Perhaps feeling that it was rude to keep talking about her condition, they changed the subject to food.

At the question, Camila smiled seductively, as if the thought alone made her mouth water.

“Ah, I just noticed, but your eyes are red, Camila. They’re so beautiful, like gemstones.”

“Ah, really? Now that you mention it, such an eye color is so striking, how did I not notice earlier?”

“Thank you. It’s genetic. Everyone in my family has pale skin and red eyes.”

As they talked, they noticed that her eyes were as red as her lips.

Moreover, upon closer inspection, her hair, visible through her nun’s robe, was a mysterious silver-white, as if spun from pure silver.

“Ah, I see. It’s a family trait.”

“Yes. Some people call us albinos.”

The group nodded in understanding, and soon they had another question.

“So, is the faint glow in your eyes also because of your family trait?”

“I see. It feels like my mind is getting foggy just looking at them. Must be because of the trait.”

“Yeah, like a fog in my head… If it’s a family trait, there’s nothing we can do…”

As the conversation continued, Camila’s eyes grew brighter and redder, and the group’s hostility and wariness towards her gradually faded.

Once they seemed to have completely let their guard down, Camila stopped talking and simply smiled.

And just as she seemed unable to resist her hunger any longer, licking her lips…

Thud.

“Here. It’s done.”

Kurt placed the finished dish on the table.

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