The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

The group had previously entered the Imperial Palace during a battle with spirits, but most of that time was spent fighting.

They did have a meal, but it was only because the spirit had transformed the audience hall into a banquet hall using magic to show off its abilities.

At the time, the audience hall was large enough to serve as a banquet hall, but…

It couldn’t compare to the “real” banquet hall.

And that banquet hall was slightly exaggerated, filled with countless dishes.

“Is this… all cooked by Mr. Kurt?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Even if I’m a transcendent, it’s impossible to cook this many dishes in such a short time.”

His tone suggested that if given more time, it might be possible.

Mari, who had asked the question, decided not to press further, sensing that it wasn’t a joke.

“I only made a few dozen servings as a demonstration to teach the palace servants the recipes.”

“…That’s still unbelievable.”

“I had to provide the recipes to borrow the palace’s cooking facilities. Besides, I couldn’t make all the banquet dishes alone.”

While Mari and Kurt were talking, all the nobles in the banquet hall had taken their seats, and the emperor gave a brief pre-meal greeting, signaling the start of the feast.

With the emperor’s permission, the atmosphere in the hall heated up, and the nobles began chatting or ordering servants to bring dishes.

Kurt’s group also prepared to enjoy the feast like the other nobles.

“By the way, Mr. Kurt, which of these is the appetizer you mentioned? There are so many dishes, I can’t tell.”

“Ah, wait a moment. I’ll bring it over.”

Kurt, overwhelmed by the scale of the banquet hall, carefully returned with dishes for everyone.

Clatter

Skillfully placing the plates on the tray, Kurt distributed them to the table.

Mari looked at the plate Kurt handed her and asked, puzzled.

“Huh? Didn’t you say the appetizer was soup?”

“It is soup. Specifically, Encroûté soup.”

“But this just looks like a pie.”

What Kurt had brought wasn’t soup but a pie.

The only unusual thing was that the dough was so puffed up it spilled over the plate.

There was no sign of soup anywhere.

“Right. Encroûté soup is a dish that’s both a pie and a soup.”

Kurt said this as he used a knife to cut the pie dough in half, revealing a radiant filling.

En croûté.

Of course, it wasn’t just a meaningless word similar to Kurt’s name.

“En croûté” in French means “encased in crust,” which perfectly describes the essence of this soup.

As the pie dough was cut in half, the aroma of rich butter and mushrooms filled the air.

Surprisingly, beneath the pie dough was the soup.

“Encroûté soup is a dish where pie dough is placed over a bowl of soup to trap the heat and moisture.”

“Soup inside a pie…”

The large pie dough spilling over the plate wasn’t due to excess dough but because it was used to seal the soup, preventing the moisture from escaping.

The aroma of the soup was trapped beneath the dough, infusing the pie with the soup’s flavor, while the soup absorbed the buttery richness of the dough.

The pie used as a lid could be eaten alongside other dishes or dipped into the soup.

In fact, the origin of Encroûté soup can be traced back to a dish called Pâté en croûte, which Kurt had cooked at Tirbing’s mansion.

That dish involved finely chopped ingredients encased in pie dough and baked to hold its shape. The modern version combines this with soup, creating Encroûté soup.

While Pâté en croûte’s dough shapes the filling, Encroûté soup’s dough serves to protect the soup’s heat and moisture.

It’s the perfect dish for banquets or buffets, designed to keep the soup hot and moist even after prolonged exposure.

“This is…”

“Hmm. It seems you liked the twist. Using pie dough as a lid is both creative and practical, and it adds a touch of elegance suitable for banquets. The concept is modern, but the technique is quite traditional. It’s a strategically designed dish. I was amazed when I first saw it.”

Mari was silent, seemingly stunned by the twist, and Kurt, pleased, continued explaining.

“No, it’s not that! It’s the mushrooms in the soup!”

“Ah, that.”

But Mari wasn’t shocked by the soup’s twist.

The real reason she was stunned was the soup’s contents.

Inside the pie Kurt had cut in half was a cream-based mushroom soup, but the key was the mushrooms.

Red, blue, green—multicolored, faintly glowing mushrooms.

They were RGB mushrooms, among other monster mushrooms.

Back when Mari and Kurt’s group first formed, they had taken on a quest to gather mushrooms while dieting.

These were the same mushrooms they had collected back then.

“Right. This soup uses the same type of mushrooms we ate back then. The palace’s ingredient storage is packed with all sorts of things. How about it? Feels nostalgic, doesn’t it?”

“Nostalgic…? I guess…”

Back then, they had suffered greatly from hallucinogenic mushrooms. If it weren’t for Kurt, they might have become hosts for the mushrooms and died in a half-elf mushroom farm.

Mari’s expression grew complicated at the memory.

“Well, it did taste good, though.”

Mari, with a subtle expression, lifted her spoon and scooped up some RGB mushroom soup.

The mushrooms emerged like glowing jellyfish from a deep-sea cave.

Slurp

One bite, and it was indeed delicious.

Despite their bizarre, glowing appearance, the monster mushrooms had a firm texture and deep flavor.

It reminded her of the mushroom hotpot they had eaten before, but it was also entirely different.

While the hotpot’s clear broth highlighted the mushrooms’ flavor, the soup’s creamy richness was supported by the mushrooms’ unique aroma.

After savoring the soup, Mari tore off a piece of the pie lid and dipped it into the soup.

Slurp

And another bite.

The pie, soaked in the thick cream soup, was heavenly.

The buttery, flaky pastry, paired with the mushroom-infused cream soup, had the destructive power to end a meal on its own.

The mushrooms’ texture and flavor were excellent, but mushrooms are inherently low-calorie, often used in diet foods.

In contrast, the carbohydrate-rich pastry, which crumbled with a buttery freshness, was in perfect caloric harmony with the soup.

Bread and soup are like rice and soup in Eastern cuisine—basic yet soulmates.

Even the most lovey-dovey couple would realize their compatibility pales in comparison to bread and soup’s perfect pairing.

By the time Mari came to her senses, both the pastry and the RGB mushroom soup had vanished from her plate.

This was partly because she had gotten hungry during the meal, but also because the Encroûté soup portion was quite small.

“Hmm… A bit… disappointing. This feels more like a tasting portion.”

However, there was one thing.

While the Encroûté soup was perfect, the small portion was regrettable.

Naturally, Mari tried to order another bowl.

Even if the original portion had been generous, Mari would still have asked for “one more bowl.”

But at that moment, Kurt grabbed her arm, stopping her.

“Wait. Are you seriously planning to eat another bowl of Encroûté soup?”

“Yes, of course. There’s no way this would fill me up.”

“But isn’t it a bit reckless to fill up on just Encroûté soup?”

“…Ah.”

Only after finishing the soup did Mari realize her hunger and finally looked around.

That’s right.

The Imperial Palace’s feast wouldn’t offer just one bowl of soup.

All around, aside from the Encroûté soup Kurt had brought, there were countless other dishes, and the palace servants were elegantly yet busily carrying them.

Mari realized then.

The small portion of Encroûté soup wasn’t due to the Spine Empire’s fasting culture but because there were so many dishes at the banquet.

A buffet is about enjoying a variety of dishes in small portions.

That’s why each dish was served in small amounts to prevent filling up on just one.

The feast was just beginning.

Before she knew it, Mari felt her heart racing even more than when she had received a medal from the emperor.

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