The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

Shail Delphine.

He was the master of the Empire whom Kurt and his party had met during their time in Astram.

A man with an ominous aura, sent by the Empire to seize the necklace-shaped information storage device the party had found in the ruins. His true intentions were unclear.

The party struggled to prevent the necklace from falling into the Empire’s hands, but in the end, they had no choice but to hand it over to Shail.

Later, it was revealed that the necklace contained crucial knowledge of the Ancient Empire, essential for the Empire’s construction of the Dimensional Gate.

Had they not handed it over, the Empire’s plans to build the Dimensional Gate might have been severely disrupted, making it a devastating loss.

Amid the ruins left by the battle between two masters, Shail approached the party with the same mask-like smile he had worn when they first met in Astram.

“Kekeke. Perfect timing. I was just having trouble with this stubborn lizard kid. If you help me, I’d be delighted.”

“Huhu. It seems I arrived at just the right moment.”

“Indeed. A most timely entrance. No matter how much they struggle, two against one will end this quickly. Now, draw your sword.”

“Understood.”

Hopelessly.

Shail Delphine obediently raised his rapier at Duke Newgoros’s command.

“Kukuku. Getting old, my body isn’t what it used to be. Let’s finish this quickly so I can go home and rest.”

“…Damn it.”

Seeing this, Duke Newgoros already treated Kurt as a dead man, while Kurt, in contrast, clenched his teeth.

‘I was hoping to buy time for the party to escape the capital, even if it meant going down with him… I underestimated the Empire’s power!’

Newgoros laughed with ease.

Kurt, in a desperate situation, gripped his dagger and lowered his stance.

Shail slowly raised his sword.

Mari was ready to throw herself in to block at least one attack if necessary.

But just before Mari could intervene.

Shail pointed his sword at Newgoros.

“….”

“….”

“…What do you mean by this?”

“Didn’t you ask for my help to end the fight?”

“Then why is your sword pointed at me?”

Newgoros, who had been laughing as if he were enjoying a fresh breeze, now glared at Shail with a stern expression.

“Whether the Lizardman master dies or you die, the fight will end either way, won’t it?”

At those words, Newgoros’s face twisted like a crumpled hamburger wrapper.

“Are you out of your mind? So you’re saying you’ll kill me?”

“If we’re going to war with the Holy Kingdom anyway, wouldn’t it be more plausible for you to die than an unknown Lizardman master? Huhuhu.”

At that moment, Newgoros realized that Shail’s smiling eyes held no mirth.

“Do you think you’ll get away with killing me!!”

“Huh? Who said anything about me killing you? Who would believe that?”

“W-what…?”

“Would they believe the words of a notorious rogue of the Empire with no public support? Or the testimony of a master sent by the Holy Kingdom, a potential enemy? The Empire’s citizens have already seen you and the Lizardman master clash in a grand battle.

When I arrived late to the scene, the situation was already over, and all that remained was your cold corpse and the Holy Kingdom’s spy who dared to assassinate an Empire master. A truly tragic affair.

Your death will ignite the Empire’s public opinion, calling for war, and the vacant position of Duke will be inherited by me, the Marquis, who will tearfully carry on your legacy.”

“You madman. I knew you were crazy, but I never thought you were a monster without even loyalty to the Empire!”

“How could that be? My loyalty has always been to His Majesty the Emperor. But does loyalty to His Majesty mean I can’t kill you?”

As Shail spoke, he gathered aura at the tip of his sword, and Duke Newgoros, panicking, redirected his sword from Kurt to Shail.

“To have to face the Duke in such a battered state. Truly heartbreaking.”

“Madman…! You madman!!”

Shail exuded a viscous killing intent, like a snake’s tongue, as he took his stance.

“Marquis Delphine. That’s enough. The story has changed, hasn’t it?”

“Oh my.”

But at the sudden voice of another man, Shail instantly withdrew his killing intent and replaced it with a playful smile.

“Things are moving faster than expected. Being too competent is something to think about.”

“One… I’ve already ordered the Knight Order members and intelligence agents to control the information. The general public will believe this incident was an accident during the Empire Knight Order’s training.”

The man who stopped Shail and delivered the report was Albert.

Like Shail, he was acquainted with Kurt’s party and was the commander of the Holy Sword Knight Order, one of the eleven Empire Knight Orders.

Seeing Albert, Duke Newgoros shouted as if he had been starving for three days and finally got a bowl of milk porridge.

“You there!! Commander Albert! Mobilize the Knight Order and arrest this lunatic! How dare he, who has received the Empire’s grace, try to kill another Empire master! Employing such a madman as a master from the start was…!”

“One… Indeed, Marquis Delphine’s words were excessive, but this time, Duke Newgoros, you’ve also gone too far. Please stop here and return.”

“What? You insolent…!”

“It’s His Majesty’s order.”

“….!”

“His Majesty is already aware of your unilateral actions. He will overlook what has happened so far as an overflow of loyalty to the Empire, so please stop and return.”

At those words, Duke Newgoros’s face twisted as if he had bitten into a cockroach leg while eating a hamburger, then forced a friendly smile.

“…Hahaha. Is that so? Lizard kid. It seems today is not the day your luck runs out. His Majesty’s grace is truly boundless. Kekeke.”

With his pride wounded, Newgoros sheathed his sword, and Albert turned to Kurt.

Kurt, sensing that there would be no more fighting today, sheathed his dagger and greeted Albert.

“Long time no see. And Miss Marisia as well.”

“…It’s been a while. I didn’t expect to meet under these circumstances. Anyway, thanks to you, I’ve survived. I owe you one.”

“No need to think of it as a debt. How could I possibly stop a master? I merely brought Marquis Delphine here.”

“Still, a debt is a debt.”

“Then consider it repayment for the meals I had in Astram.”

“Meals… I don’t recall serving anything that grand.”

Kurt smiled, feeling the strangeness of the world.

“So, I overheard your conversation… You have a message from the Emperor?”

“Yes. His Majesty wishes to meet the envoy sent by the Holy Kingdom. The details of the schedule and location are here…”

As he spoke, Albert took out a letter wrapped in an elegant handkerchief from his pocket and carefully handed it to Kurt.

“Understood. I’ll deliver this letter to Daria. Anything else?”

“No. I’m only here to deliver His Majesty’s message and the letter.”

“Alright. Let’s have a meal together next time.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

With that, Albert smiled and began directing his subordinates to manipulate the scene.

Shail, who had been smiling all along, approached Kurt and Mari after confirming Albert was busy.

Kurt, wary but grateful, thanked him.

“Meeting again in Astram. Thanks to you, I’m alive.”

“Haha. It’s nothing. I just had a feeling we’d be on the same side someday. Consider it repayment for the necklace you handed over back then.”

“That wasn’t a handover…!”

Mari flared up, about to retort, but Shail cut her off and continued.

“Ah. By the way, did you know? The current Emperor wasn’t originally like this. While he now enforces a harsh iron-fisted rule against other races, as the Crown Prince, he was quite open-minded and conciliatory. However, a few years before ascending the throne, he suddenly went into seclusion, disappearing from public view and refusing to meet anyone. When he finally emerged to take the throne, he was a completely different man, a ruthless ruler.”

“…Why are you telling us this all of a sudden?”

Mari, supporting Kurt, asked suspiciously at Shail’s rambling.

“Oh my, if you’re so wary, I might cry. I’m just sharing information with potential future teammates.”

“Hmph. Why would we team up with you…?”

“One more thing. Did you know that Tyrving, the owner of this mansion, went missing about 30 years ago during a blood feud in the frontier lord’s family? He reappeared in the Empire a few years later, but the promising talent he once was had become a rogue. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? It’s best not to trust him too much.”

But Mari, undeterred, replied boldly.

“…No need to worry. I don’t trust him as much as the amount of minced carrots in a hamburger.”

“That’s a relief.”

Shail, having said what he wanted, left the mansion with Albert without another word.

Watching Shail’s retreating figure, Mari looked puzzled and spoke to Kurt.

“…He’s an enigma till the end. Did he really think we were close to Tyrving just because we’re in his mansion? What a pointless worry. Right, Kurt?”

Mari looked at Kurt, but his gaze was fixed elsewhere.

Following his gaze, Mari saw Tyrving, who had thrown himself to shield the elf servants, now unconscious.

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