The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

As the search began, Arisa focused and started looking around, touching anything that seemed suspicious.

Liche, standing by her side, also tried to find anything suspicious, but compared to Arisa’s investigative skills, Liche’s level was practically amateur, so she wasn’t much help. Eventually, feeling bored, Liche couldn’t hold back and spoke to her.

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Ah, yes. Go ahead.”

Arisa responded while still moving her eyes diligently.

“So, what do you think about this?”

“About what?”

“About cats. I mentioned I wanted to raise one, remember?”

“Ah… I understand. Cats are cute.”

“Right?! I’m not the only one who thinks that, am I?”

“No. Ahaha…”

“So, what do you think if I raised a pet monster like a cat?”

“A pet monster?”

“Yeah. You know, those harmless, cute monsters that aren’t even ranked for extermination. Nobles often keep them as pets… I was thinking maybe I should try raising one too…”

Liche, who had spent years alone in a mansion too large for one person, had come to Astram and was now living as an adventurer, meeting many people and enjoying her days. However, her long years in the mansion had left her with a lingering sense of loneliness.

Seeing the cat that Kurt’s group doted on, Liche felt not only that the cat was cute but also a desire to have someone—or something—she could open her heart to, even if it wasn’t a person.

In fact, recommending pets to people suffering from depression or loneliness is a common psychological therapy method.

“Of course, it’s not just a frivolous desire to raise something cute! It’s just that living with someone else seems better than living alone… And I would take the responsibility of caring for a life seriously…!”

With that, Liche mustered the courage to share her true feelings with Arisa.

“Ah, I think it’s fine. I mean, if you want to raise one, it’s not like I can stop you, right?”

“Really?”

Arisa readily agreed to Liche’s words.

In truth, whether Liche raised a pet monster or not was entirely up to her, and Arisa had no reason to interfere. Moreover, Arisa herself secretly thought, “That sounds nice,” when she saw the cat, so it wasn’t a bad idea.

After all, like Liche, Arisa was also a natural loner who felt loneliness deeply, even if she wasn’t outwardly expressive.

Liche smiled happily at the response.

“Huhu… So that’s it. That’s it. Then it’s decided!”

“Decided? What do you mean?”

“If I find a cute, harmless monster during a quest, I’ll take it to the Adventurer Guild and make it my pet. I can’t feel any fate in buying one from a pet monster shop! I’ll meet my cat-like pet monster by fate!”

With that, Liche, energized by her conversation with Arisa, continued the search with a cheerful expression.

—

After a light search, the two returned to their original spot.

“Did you find anything?”

“There are definitely traces that seem recent. Footprints of a human adult male or a creature of similar build, and marks from something sharp cutting branches. The traces span from over a month ago to just a few days ago, so it doesn’t seem like they were left by a passing traveler.”

“Is there no chance the traces are from different people?”

“Hmm… It’s not impossible, but it’s unlikely. The pattern of the traces is consistent, and the height inferred from multiple traces is also consistent.”

“Hmm. So Count Astram’s request wasn’t unfounded.”

“Yes. Judging by the scale and type of traces, it seems like two or three people left them. They’ve been here for at least a month, and the strange thing is that there are no traces of daily life, like eating or sleeping, that ordinary people would leave.”

“That means if they’re not beings that don’t need to eat or sleep, they’re deliberately and skillfully hiding their traces. Staying hidden for over a month while meticulously concealing their daily life… That’s like…”

“Yes. Someone who intentionally hides their presence from others. In other words, they’re likely criminals.”

“Moreover, if they can erase their traces so thoroughly that even you, Arisa, can’t track them, they’re no amateurs. Come to think of it, there was a recent incident where several criminals escaped from Astram’s prison. This request might be more dangerous than we thought. Let’s be careful.”

“Yes. Understood.”

With that, the two began to survey the area more cautiously.

“Ah, Miss Arisa. There are footprints here too. The target must have a hideout nearby.”

“…Doesn’t this seem strange?”

“Strange how?”

“They meticulously erased all traces of daily life, like eating or sleeping, to the point where even I couldn’t find them, but they left footprints so carelessly that even an amateur like Liche could find them…”

At those words, Liche felt her hair stand on end.

If someone was meticulous enough to erase all traces of their daily life, erasing footprints should be basic.

Would someone that meticulous leave footprints by mistake?

Not only that.

The reason the two had taken this request was because suspicious figures had been repeatedly sighted near these ancient ruins.

For someone so meticulous to repeatedly expose themselves to the point of making nearby people uneasy is a contradiction.

Unless it was intentional.

“Does that mean they’re luring us in?”

“…Yes. Probably.”

At that moment.

“Kuhaha! Correct! Dark Elf!”

“You’re quite the skilled darkie. You’ll fetch a high price.”

Two figures revealed themselves, having apparently been listening to their conversation.

The man had only half of his right arm below the elbow, with a long steel blade glowing ominously in its place.

The woman, while appearing gentle, had eyes that gleamed like a snake eyeing its prey, revealing her true nature.

It was clear at a glance that these two were not here for good intentions.

“Who are you?”

Liche asked sharply, but her voice trembled with tension.

Sensing this, the two smiled sadistically and answered.

“Why ask? You probably already have an idea.”

The man raised his blade threateningly.

At his words, Liche’s already stiff expression hardened further.

“You’re the escapees from Astram’s prison two weeks ago.”

“Huhu. See? You knew all along.”

The merchant who had tried to kidnap Jungwoo and Elsee earlier had mentioned that he had escaped during the prison break.

The masterminds of that prison break.

They were the two before them.

And at the same time, they were the vile slave hunters who had tried to raid the werewolf village last year but were stopped by Kurt’s group and imprisoned.

“Anyway, since you know who we are, let’s make this quick. Girl, leave the Dark Elf and get lost. We’re slave hunters, not human hunters.”

“Spare me your disgusting talk of mercy. Whether you’re human hunters or slave hunters, you’re still disgusting criminals.”

“Criminals? We’re honest adventurers who trade with credit and skill. It’s just unfortunate that trading with non-humans is illegal in this world, so we’re labeled as criminals.”

They truly believed the world was wrong, not them.

Their shamelessness finally made Liche snap.

“…Trash.”

This request had been a trap from the start.

The slave hunters who had escaped from Astram’s prison had set up camp in the forest not far from Astram.

They deliberately showed themselves to passersby, and when Astram sent people to investigate, they hid if it was guards or human adventurers. But if a rare non-human adventurer appeared, they revealed themselves to hunt.

Like a carnivorous plant luring insects into its trap.

“By the way, we’re short on funds and need to start over. So, how about handing over that Dark Elf? A Dark Elf would give us enough capital to restart our business. If you do, we won’t forget this favor.”

The female slave hunter, Fione, asked as naturally as if asking for a piece of bread.

Finally, Liche realized why she had felt such discomfort since meeting them.

Their sense of common sense was entirely different.

They didn’t see people as people.

They didn’t see non-humans as people.

That’s why they spoke politely to Liche, who looked human, as if she were a fellow traveler.

But to Arisa, they never once looked at her as an equal, intelligent being.

They only saw her as an object, livestock, to be valued.

Realizing this, Liche clenched her teeth and replied.

“…Do you think I’d listen to that? Arisa is my precious comrade. I can’t hand her over to subhuman trash like you.”

“Liche…”

At the slave hunters’ words, Liche stepped forward to protect Arisa. Seeing this, Leon, the one-armed slave hunter whose right arm had been completely crushed by Kurt, sighed and lowered his head.

“Sigh… I figured as much. Hey, Fione.”

“Well… Can’t be helped.”

And then.

“Then we’ll have to do this the hard way!!”

With that, they suddenly charged at Liche and Arisa, marking the beginning of the battle.

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