TPMITWON Chapter 16: Lizard Soup and Grilled Meat

The woman smiled, as if she was ready for that question, and began to explain the menu with great enthusiasm, as if the food being offered was a priceless work of art.

"We have lizard soup, desert crab soup, and desert rabbit soup. There are also other dishes, such as grilled bird meat, roasted snake meat, and fried lizard meat. All the dishes are prepared with fresh ingredients that we get directly from the desert, from all kinds of creatures that live here." The woman's smile grew wider as she spoke about her special menu.

Pakura, who heard the menu, immediately nodded eagerly and chose the lizard soup—a cheaper option. But Souta, who was hearing about such dishes for the first time, looked confused. Souta's eyes widened slightly as he tried to digest all the information he had just received.

In Souta's previous life, grilled rabbit or grilled bird was food he might encounter, but lizard soup? Roasted snake meat? Fried lizard meat? All of that felt very foreign to Souta. He even felt a bit squeamish imagining the taste.

For a moment, Souta felt confused and didn't know what to order. That feeling of strangeness pushed Souta to think more, until he finally looked at Pakura, who was calmly waiting for her lizard soup to arrive.

Suddenly, a realization dawned on Souta—living in this world indeed required courage and a strong mentality. This world was full of unpredictable things, and Souta had to adapt, even to unusual food.

Taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself, Souta finally glanced at the menu again. After a few seconds of consideration, Souta decided to order the grilled bird meat.

Although it was a bit more expensive than the lizard soup, at least it was more acceptable to Souta's stomach, which was still accustomed to the food from his old world. Moreover, the portion of grilled bird meat was much larger, so it would be enough for lunch and a bit more economical for dinner the next day.

"Auntie! I choose the grilled bird meat!" Souta exclaimed, his voice now sounding more assured and confident.

"Of course!" replied the owner of the stall with a wide smile, nodding promptly. The woman quickly noted their order with swift hand movements, clearly accustomed to the various orders that came in every day.

After a few minutes of waiting, their food was finally ready. Pakura's lizard soup arrived first. The simple clay bowl contained soup that was still steaming warmly, giving an inviting warmth that immediately whetted the appetite.

The broth was brownish, with green flecks from the wild leaves added to it, as if the desert itself was served in a single bowl.

On the surface of the soup, pale gray lizard meat pieces floated, looking tender yet slightly fibrous, as if showcasing a texture of meat rarely found in the previous world. Each piece of meat seemed to be submerged in a layer of natural oil that reflected the light.

Some rare desert spices, such as finely chopped desert roots and bitter leaves, were seen floating in the soup. The sharp and slightly bitter aroma of these spices burst forth strongly, as if reminding one of the harshness of life in the unforgiving desert.

The oil from the lizard meat created a thin, shiny layer on the surface of the broth, enriching its appearance and adding allure even though the ingredients seemed simple.

Meanwhile, Souta's grilled bird meat arrived with thin wisps of smoke still rising from its surface. The eagle meat, brown in color with a slightly charred surface from the grill, gave an impression of being crispy and crunchy on the outside.