The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

Shail calmly admitted defeat at a moment no one expected.

Perhaps it was because the act of admitting defeat was done so quietly?

Kurt and his companions reacted a beat later.

“What does that mean…?”

“W-wait a minute! Are you saying you admit defeat!?”

Arisa, who stepped forward before Kurt could, asked in disbelief.

To her, Shail, with a calm expression as if his obsession with the match had been a lie, resolved her doubts.

“Yes. I admit my defeat. I never imagined I would suffer such a perfect defeat. You truly possess remarkable skills.”

“You were also one of the best chefs I’ve ever encountered.”

Although it wasn’t a battle with real swords or fists, the cooking duel lightened the atmosphere between Shail and Kurt’s group.

The fact that they were still at odds over the necklace-type artifact hadn’t changed, but they had exchanged emotional connections through their skills.

Of course, the atmosphere softened partly because his companions, who had been sneaking bites of the dishes while making excuses about not having eaten yet, were also present.

“A Lizardman with such culinary skills… I must admit, I underestimated you.”

“Still, it’s a shame. It feels like you haven’t shown all your skills, yet you’re giving up.”

“Giving up before seeing the end isn’t something I’m fond of either, but I’m not reckless enough to charge into an unwinnable fight.”

At those words, Kurt, with a regretful expression, eventually accepted Shail’s declaration of defeat.

After all, for him, the situation where the artifact of the Ancient Empire was at stake and victory was confirmed was a welcome outcome.

Thus, the two acknowledged each other’s skills and concluded the match.

“Well, now that the match is over, it’s time to clean up.”

“Wait, wait! It’s over just like that!? I can still eat more!”

“I bribed so much to become a judge for this cooking duel! How can it end like this!? I’ll give you money, anything! Just give me that dish…! Give it to me!”

“Gasp! Did you find out that I deliberately gave perfect scores to demand a rematch!?”

There were some minor moments where the judges desperately clung on, not wanting it to end.

…

After the heat of the cooking duel cooled and everyone left, they gathered in a corner of the Adventurer Guild.

Although they hadn’t met with good intentions, the atmosphere wasn’t bad since they managed to end things peacefully.

They shared the dishes made in large quantities during the cooking duel and enjoyed their meal.

“Ugh… The cost of these dessert ingredients…”

“Miss Mari, but thanks to that, we won the match.”

“More importantly, try this Three Non-Stick dish. The texture is really amazing.”

“Sniff… Munch munch. It’s still delicious.”

While everyone was eating in peace.

After the match ended and Arisa, freed from her role as a hostage, returned to Kurt’s side, she asked Shail again for confirmation.

“Y-you’re really admitting defeat, right? So you’re giving up on targeting this artifact from the Empire?”

“Of course. I made a promise, didn’t I? If I lost this match, I would cleanly give up on the artifact and return to the Empire.”

Shail answered with a harmless-looking smile, as if to reassure her.

“R-right…”

Arisa visibly relaxed at his words.

However, not everyone let their guard down after hearing Shail’s words.

Daria looked at him with a suspicious expression, unable to trust his words.

Her attitude was a natural reaction as a Sister of the Holy Kingdom, who had often clashed with the Empire over ancient relics.

“Even if you made a promise, are you really giving up on the artifact so easily?”

“Why? Do you wish I hadn’t given up?”

“Ha! Of course not. It’s just that for the Empire, which has been drooling over ancient relics, giving up so easily seems too good to be true. Especially after sending a Master like you!”

“Well, from the Empire’s perspective, that’s how it is, but from my personal perspective, it’s a different story.”

Shail smiled brightly, as if to say he didn’t care about the Empire’s affairs.

Such a statement would be considered blasphemous by any ordinary citizen of the Empire.

But Shail was no ordinary citizen—he was one of the seven Masters of the Empire.

As a Master, he had every right to be arrogant.

And Shail Delphine was the most unpredictable among those seven Masters.

Though he usually appeared as a kind, squint-eyed young man, he could also show a ruthless side, not hesitating to cut down even fellow citizens of the Empire.

“But still, giving up so easily seems…”

“If you’re really dissatisfied, I don’t mind having another match in a different category…”

“Hmph. Fine.”

Daria, still suspicious, sat down without pressing further.

After all, the fact that he was giving up on the artifact was something she had hoped for.

“By the way…”

“What is it? Are you going to challenge me to another match…?”

“Enough about that! What is the Empire really planning? No matter how interested the Empire is in ancient relics, sending a Master like some spy…!”

“No matter what, I can’t tell you that. The conditions of the defeat didn’t include that, did they?”

“Tch.”

Naturally, Shail didn’t answer Daria’s question, and she clicked her tongue, turning her gaze away as if she hadn’t expected an answer in the first place.

“You should ask the Lizardman lady about what the Empire is up to.”

“…Lizardman lady? Are you talking about Lakia?”

But Shail’s next words pointed to Lakia, suggesting that while he couldn’t answer, she might.

Daria’s eyes widened as she looked at Lakia.

She hadn’t expected to get any meaningful information, let alone from someone as unexpected as Lakia.

“….”

“Miss Lakia. Do you know something?”

Lakia, under their gaze, continued eating silently without any reaction.

But her lack of response despite being pointed out only implied that she knew something.

Lizardman.

Like many beastkin, Lizardmen rarely interacted with other human races and had a closed social structure. How could a Lizardman have information about the Empire’s secret schemes?

“I don’t know exactly what or how much she knows, but it seems she knows something.”

“Miss Lakia. Is that true?”

Looking back, it was Lakia who mediated the situation when Shail and Kurt’s group first met, preventing what could have turned into a bloodbath.

It was her single statement that made Shail give up on fighting Kurt’s group and agree to negotiate.

“I’m also curious. How much do you know about the Empire’s plans, and how did you find out?”

Daria and Shail both looked at Lakia.

Lakia continued eating under their gaze, but eventually sighed softly, unable to ignore their persistent stares.

“Sigh… Fine. As you said, I saw what your nation is planning through prognostication.”

“Prognostication? I’ve heard that some beastkin have their own unique magic systems, unlike other human races… So Lizardmen are one of those races? What did you see?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

At those words, Shail’s smile faded as he looked at Lakia.

“You can’t tell me…?”

“Right. Telling you what I know was part of the condition if you won, wasn’t it?”

“…Hahaha! That’s right. I forgot about that for a moment. This makes me regret losing the match even more.”

Shail blinked, as if remembering the other condition of the match, and then laughed loudly, as if admitting defeat.

“But let me ask you one thing. Will my wish come true?”

“I can’t say. Prognostication is just observing countless possibilities of the future. What I saw was just one of the more likely possibilities. Your wish may or may not come true.”

“Hahaha. That answer is enough. It means my wish isn’t completely impossible.”

Shail smiled genuinely, as if satisfied with their conversation.

After laughing for a while, Shail stood up and said,

“Then I’ll be going now.”

“Going? Where?”

“Back to the Empire, of course. My mission here is done, so there’s no more business in Astram.”

“L-Lord Marquis!”

At Shail’s words, Albert, who had been quietly eating in a corner, quickly rushed to his side.

“Hahaha. Although I lost the cooking duel, it was a meaningful encounter. I look forward to meeting you again.”

“Who said anything about meeting you again?”

Daria snapped back, but Shail ignored her and left the Adventurer Guild with a smile.

Just as suddenly as he had appeared, the Empire’s Master disappeared from Kurt’s group.

…

“Phew… Is he really gone?”

“Yeah. Seems like it. Keeping up the tension was exhausting.”

“Tell me about it. I could only eat two bowls because of the tension.”

After Shail left.

Kurt’s group breathed a sigh of relief, finally relaxing and resuming their meal.

But one among them.

Kurt, with a more serious expression than before, looked at Lakia and asked,

“Is it done?”

“Yes. Thanks for following my signal.”

“Hmph. After spending years together in the Lizardman village.”

Kurt snorted and looked at the empty space where Shail had been, hoping his choice hadn’t been wrong.

…

“Lord Marquis. Are you really okay with this?”

“With what?”

“The mission… Even for you, it’s a mission directly entrusted by the Empire. Is it really okay to give up like this?”

“Hmph. You talk well. Weren’t you siding with those adventurers and betraying me earlier?”

“N-no! That’s a misunderstanding!”

Albert panicked and tried to explain.

“Hahaha. I know. You were just trying to stop me because you knew the Lizardman Master’s skills, right?”

“Phew. I’m glad you understand.”

“Besides, who said I gave up on the mission?”

“…What?”

Clink

In response to Albert’s question, Shail silently pulled something out of his pocket and showed it to him.

“T-that’s…!”

It was a crystal necklace.

The very artifact Arisa had been wearing.

“How did you…! She was still wearing it when we left the Adventurer Guild…”

“It’s a swap. I prepared a fake artifact from the moment you first reported the artifact to the Empire, anticipating something like this. It wasn’t hard to prepare. I already knew the artifact’s appearance from your report.”

That’s right.

The reason Shail gave up on Arisa’s artifact so easily.

It wasn’t because he gave up on obtaining it—it was because he had already obtained it.

While overwhelmed by Kurt’s Three Non-Stick dish and realizing he couldn’t win the cooking duel, Shail had swapped the real artifact around Arisa’s neck with the fake one he had hidden.

Fortunately, Arisa, who had the artifact, had willingly become a hostage and stayed by his side, and the commotion from the cooking duel provided the perfect cover.

Even Arisa, with her keen senses, hadn’t noticed the Master’s swift swap.

Or rather, she hadn’t expected someone of the Master’s caliber to resort to such a petty trick.

Thus, Shail, even at the cost of his pride as the Empire’s Master, had obtained Arisa’s artifact.

“A swap…!? A Master resorting to such pickpocket tactics…!”

“Well, I said I’d give up on targeting the artifact if I lost, but the swap happened before I admitted defeat, so it’s irrelevant.”

The only danger was if someone of Kurt’s caliber noticed, but fortunately, he seemed unaware of Shail’s swap.

“Even so, a fake is a fake. It won’t take long for them to realize the swapped item is a counterfeit. Call the Vice-Commander of the Holy Sword Knight Order. We’re leaving Astram immediately.”

“T-the Master resorting to thievery…!”

And so, the Empire’s Master returned to the Empire with the artifact containing countless secrets of the Ancient Empire.

It took Arisa’s group three days to realize the artifact had been swapped.

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