The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

As we entered, the gazes of the Empire’s nobles all turned toward us.

Simple curiosity, calculating looks, sneers, contempt, or hostility.

Countless eyes were fixed on us, but there were almost no friendly glances among them.

It really felt like we had stepped into enemy territory.

Once their evaluation of us seemed to end, the Empire’s nobles began whispering among themselves in low voices.

Even if I weren’t a transcendent, I could hear them, but they didn’t care whether we heard or not.

However, the arrogant attitude of those nobles was wiped away in an instant as soon as the Emperor opened his mouth.

“Our guest from afar has arrived. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

Though it was just one sentence, the nobles stopped their chatter and focused solely on the Emperor’s words.

In fact, the nobles who had been sneering at us moments ago turned slightly pale upon hearing that the Emperor had been looking forward to meeting us.

The Emperor, seemingly indifferent to the nobles’ presence, looked only at us.

His emotionless black eyes.

Those eyes were less indifferent and more like the eyes of a mannequin.

He wore an expression that seemed to show interest, but the lack of emotion in his black eyes made it eerily unsettling.

As the nobles in the audience chamber began to look uncomfortable, the Emperor, who had been pretending to observe us with interest, suddenly spoke.

“It seems like a good time to have a meal and talk.”

Though it was still early for a meal, none of the nobles protested.

With a wave of the Emperor’s hand, the audience chamber transformed into a banquet hall in an instant.

The room, already spacious enough to hold many nobles, didn’t feel cramped even with tables and dishes added.

The Emperor naturally invited us to sit by his side, and the Empire’s nobles, far from protesting, lowered their eyes and made way.

“I have much to discuss with you. There’s still time before the announcement, so let’s talk slowly.”

Though the Emperor said this, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t the Emperor speaking, but someone using him as a puppet.

—

Clatter.

Clatter.

As expected of a meal served to the Emperor of the Empire.

The meals brought by the maids were all impeccable and splendid.

Especially the steak drenched in a blood-red sauce and the salad delicately seasoned with pepper and oil—even I couldn’t help but admire them.

Yet, despite the lavish dishes, the only sounds at the table were the occasional clinking of knives and forks.

With such an atmosphere, even the finest food couldn’t be properly savored.

The Emperor, who had hosted the meal, also seemed uninterested in the food.

It was a pity, but there was nothing to be done.

While I usually prioritize meals during mealtime, it seemed the Emperor who invited us here believed that “meals are just for show.”

We hadn’t come here today to enjoy the food either.

The Emperor was the first to break the silence.

“Does the food not suit your taste? You don’t seem to be enjoying it. That steak and salad are Imperial Palace dishes in the style of the Ancient Empire.”

“Unfortunately, we’re not in a position to purely enjoy the food right now.”

“That’s a shame. Let me correct one misunderstanding—I don’t hold any ill will toward you. As proof, didn’t I save your Master? I want your cooperation.”

“…No ill will? Do you know why we’ve come to see Your Majesty?”

“Is it because of the gate the Empire has been secretly building for the Holy Kingdom?”

“….”

None of us had expected the Emperor to bring up the gate first, leaving Daria momentarily speechless.

She immediately tensed up and glanced around, but the other nobles in the banquet hall seemed to no longer even notice our presence, let alone our conversation.

Had they taken measures to prevent the conversation from leaking?

Blocking sound was one thing, but making people completely unaware of our presence—was this the magic of the Ancient Empire? I hadn’t even noticed.

“The fact that the Archbishop sent an envoy personally at this time must mean something.”

The Emperor muttered to himself, “I thought the Holy Kingdom had been particularly strict about controlling information lately… I don’t know how the plan leaked,” before continuing.

“Since the plan has been revealed, there’s no point in wasting time hiding our intentions. To be blunt, the Empire’s plan won’t harm you either.”

“How is opening a gate to annihilate all other races not harmful to us? If the Empire’s actions were so beneficial to the Holy Kingdom, why did the Empire go as far as planting traitors to hide the plan?”

Daria, now certain the nobles weren’t aware of them, didn’t hold back her hostility and growled.

But the Emperor didn’t seem to care about her animosity. Or perhaps he didn’t care about anything at all.

“Ah, I see. So that’s how the Holy Kingdom understood the gate’s construction. I hid it only to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings like this. Please understand. Historically, the Holy Kingdom has overreacted to the Ancient Empire’s legacy. And now, the Holy Kingdom is misunderstanding the Empire, isn’t it?”

“Misunderstanding? Then tell us, what exactly are we misunderstanding?”

“The Empire is building the gate to eliminate all non-human and non-beastkin races from this land. In the past, when the Ancient Empire was the sole nation, only humans and beastkin existed here. Elves and dwarves didn’t exist from the beginning. This is merely an act of restoring the world to its proper state.”

“So you’re saying you’ll kill all races that aren’t your own? What kind of lunatic calls that ‘restoration’?”

“The second misunderstanding is that I don’t mean to kill all the other races by removing them from this land.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Haven’t you ever wondered? How can annihilating other races by opening a gate work? If we wanted war, we’d develop weapons, not open a gate. Using a gate to annihilate other races is too inefficient.”

“….”

We had actually been pondering that very question.

How could opening a gate alone lead to the extinction of other races?

In the end, we had arrived at the Spine Empire without finding an answer to that question. The Emperor had pointed out exactly that.

“I’ve already learned many lessons from the failures of the Ancient Empire. My Empire has no intention of dominating the world through violence and war like the Ancient Empire did.”

“Don’t you think it’s ironic for the Emperor of a nation that forcibly annexed countless neighboring states and tribes to say that?”

“That was the minimal sacrifice necessary to gain the power and wealth needed to build the gate. Once the gate is operational, I promise there will be no more conquests.”

The Emperor let out a bizarre laugh at Daria’s words.

“But that’s not the point now. The non-human races living on this land are all beings that have transferred from another dimension. Though they didn’t come through the gate, they were caught up in its aftermath. So, in a way, they were transferred here by the gate. So, what if we reverse the idea? If beings from another dimension can come here, can’t the opposite also be possible? Couldn’t we send them back to their original homes through the gate?”

“You can’t mean….”

“The gate is the means to send them back to their homeland. By amplifying the gate to its limits, we can momentarily expand its range to cover the entire continent. And that moment is enough. The gate can read and trace their origins, automatically sending them back to their original homes. They can return to their homes without any cost, and this land will be restored to its proper state. Isn’t that beautiful?”

That was the true purpose of the Spine Empire—and the Emperor.

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