The Lizardman's Probing Offer
“Surely you’re not a dragon hater or some heretic follower, are you? This food is meant for the young ladies who protect the continent, so we can’t have any impurities tainting it.”
The red-scaled lizardman asked me with a face that looked far too much like a lizard’s. His long, slender tongue flicked out repeatedly as he spoke—lick, lick—as if it had a mind of its own.
‘He doesn’t really seem curious. More like he’s just making conversation.’
The atmosphere wasn’t tense at all. It felt more like a casual joke tossed out to ease the awkwardness of meeting someone for the first time. After all, what were the odds of a dragon hater surviving in an academy swarming with dragons?
“Ahaha… A heretic follower? Of course not.”
“Right? That’s a relief.”
I answered with an awkward laugh, deliberately avoiding a direct confirmation. There was no need to come out and say it. ‘No point in making trouble for myself.’
I brushed the topic aside and buried the whole “dragon hater” label. Revealing it would only sour the mood.
“…Then, human brother, you can help me with the packing. The rest of you beastkin brothers, please carry the finished items to the tables.”
Seemingly satisfied with my answer, the lizardman kept the friendly atmosphere while dividing the work. He appeared to be the one in charge today.
“Squeak…! Got it!”
“Hey—! How dare you speak so irreverently in the temple restaurant that serves the Primordial Dragons?!”
The lizardman raised his voice sharply at the ram rat’s squeaky reply. His yellow eyes bulged as he glared at the smaller beastkin, as if he himself were a dragon.
‘Oof, my ears. I thought my eardrums were going to burst.’
Even though my ears were ringing, it felt satisfying to have someone else firmly point out what I’d been about to say. If I had done it, the ram rat would probably have forgotten again and kept squeaking later.
“Squeak-squeak—?! S-sorry…!”
“This is a sacred space dedicated to the Primordial Dragons. Please be more careful.”
“I-I’ll remember that…!!”
“Good. I’ll keep a special eye on you, little mouse brother who looks like you’d fit in one bite.”
The lizardman scolded the ram rat, who immediately clamped his mouth shut like a dead mouse. He only nodded repeatedly, his square front teeth trembling. His face had gone completely pale, as if he were facing one of the young ladies themselves.
Given that the lizardman was licking his lips while staring at him, it was no wonder. They were natural enemies, after all. From the ram rat’s perspective, it must have been terrifying.
From the way things looked, this lizardman seemed to be the most experienced cook among those who had come today. His faith also appeared the deepest. He was like one of those strict church elders who took charge of everything.
“Human brother? Stop spacing out and help with the packing.”
“Ah, right.”
Rustle, rustle…!
The lizardman called me over while crinkling the paper wrappers. He was already skillfully wrapping hamburgers at a rapid pace.
“…By the way, are the others who came with you also continent chefs?”
I asked while wrapping the piled-up hamburgers. Judging by the quantity, they had prepared enough for at least twice the number of students.
“Of course. They’re all chefs blessed by the dragons and my fellow colleagues who follow me. Though my restaurant does have the best reputation.”
“Oh, I see.”
True to his reptilian nature, pride dripped from the lizardman’s tone. Maybe he secretly wished he were a dragon himself. Either way, he seemed to be the one in charge here, so getting on his good side couldn’t hurt. We might run into each other every week, after all. Though I’d rather skip any actual bonding.
“…Wasn’t it difficult coming all the way here by boat?”
“Hahaha, boat? We’re devotees recognized by the dragons… Thanks to the gracious ability of the vice principal, we were able to arrive comfortably. In the blink of an eye, no less.”
“Gracious ability? You don’t mean… teleportation, do you?”
“You know your stuff. If it weren’t for Professor Benetric of the Rift Clan, this honorable volunteer work wouldn’t even be possible. She’s also the one who arranged this blessed opportunity in the first place.”
I had only been trying to make small talk to get closer, but I ended up learning something unexpected. I had suspected it before, but Benetric’s main ability was teleportation. As expected of the Rift Clan, she could create rifts in space and time.
Now it made sense. The journey up must have been tough, so I had wondered how they managed to cook afterward with tired bodies. And to think she brought in top chefs from the continent… As always, Benetric was dead serious when it came to food.
“Oh, right, brother? What’s your name? We’re late with introductions. I’m Maruti, sous-chef of One Burger Restaurant.”
“I’m Breeder, a servant at the academy.”
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Breeder. The vice principal has told me quite a bit about you.”
“Hmm, what exactly did she say?”
“Don’t be so modest. She visited my restaurant yesterday and sang your praises.”
“She praised me? That can’t be right…”
“It’s true. She said your skills were better than most continent chefs. That’s why I was curious about you.”
We continued talking while packing. As expected, having someone to chat with made the repetitive work go faster.
“So you even satisfied that picky Vice Principal Benetric? And twice in a row?”
“You really heard everything. It was just luck, that’s all.”
Maruti kept wrapping hamburgers with practiced hands while chatting nonstop. The constant talk about Benetric made me uneasy.
“You’re quite humble. I like that.”
“Huh? You like that?”
Out of nowhere, Maruti expressed his favor. As long as he didn’t try to bond with me, I’d reject him cleanly.
“The vice principal also mentioned it would be good for you and me to exchange culinary ideas during today’s worship time.”
“Exchange culinary ideas? But I’m not even a proper chef.”
“No need to be surprised. It’s just about sharing cooking know-how so we can make even tastier food for the young ladies!”
‘What nonsense? I had a bad feeling about this.’ Benetric’s intentions were obvious. She had deliberately paired me with Maruti to extract the recipes for mint chocolate and Hawaiian pizza through him. That way, she could enjoy satisfying meals anytime without having to watch my reactions.
“Maruti? Are you happy dedicating delicious food to the young ladies?”
“Of course! Being recognized and cherished for my humble skills is the greatest honor imaginable!”
“I see. If you enjoy it that much, why not work in the kitchen full-time? I hear they’re short on skilled cooks right now.”
I returned his words with a hint of sarcasm. If he liked being a slave so much, he could do it himself. Then every day would be glorious for him.
“Ahem…!”
At my suggestion, Maruti coughed and shut his mouth. Rustle! He pretended not to hear and focused only on packing, deliberately avoiding my gaze. It was hard to believe this was the same chatty lizardman from moments ago.
It wasn’t funny. No matter how devout a believer he was, spending his life rotting away at the academy was clearly something he wanted to avoid.
“Um… Maruti?”
“Ah…!!! Beastkin brothers—?! Once the packing is done, move straight to serving the food! The young ladies are waiting! Hurry, hurry—!”
Maruti acted busy and pretended not to hear me, then unnecessarily scolded the beastkin instead. After that, we were a bit busy delivering the packed hamburgers and other dishes.
“Whew, now we can finally breathe. Hey, Brother Breeder?”
“Yes? What is it?”
Only after sending off all the food did Maruti speak to me again.
“We’ve got some time now, so how about having a meal with me and having a deep discussion about cuisine? I’ll specially share the recipe for One Burger, my restaurant’s signature dish.”
Maruti dangled the bait. At least he wasn’t offering it for free. His intentions were crystal clear. He wanted to use the One Burger recipe as leverage to extract my monstrous food recipes, which were basically my lifeline.
“Maruti? Would it really be okay for me to receive that recipe?”
“Of course! We’re all beings blessed by the Primordial Dragons… As those who bear the duty of chefs, our role is to serve the dragons the most delicious food possible. Do you agree, Brother Breeder?”
“Ah, well, I suppose…”
“Then I’ll share the One Burger recipe with you. In return, could you share the recipes for the dishes and desserts that impressed the vice principal?”
I had hoped otherwise, but of course it came to this. True to his lizard nature, his tongue was long in more ways than one. But there was no way I was playing along with Benetric’s schemes.
“Ah, I’d like to, but what can I do…?”
“Hmm? What do you mean, brother?”
“I also want to cooperate for the young ladies’ cuisine, but…”
“But…?”
“As someone who still hasn’t atoned for the sin of being a dragon hater, would it really be appropriate?”
“Wh-what, what, what, what, what, what did you just say—?! H-how blasphemous—!!!!”