Chapter 68

The Holy Sword Knight Order, one of the proud eleven knight orders of the Spine Empire.

And Albert, the captain of that Holy Sword Knight Order, believed that his martial talent was a gift from the heavens, even in his own estimation.

The fact that he was able to attain the position of the Empire’s knight captain in his 20s, before even turning 30, wasn’t solely due to his background as the eldest son of a count.

The Spine Empire was a society that strictly valued meritocracy.

No matter how impressive one’s background was, a fool with no ability could never hold a key position.

Albert’s rise to the position of captain of the Holy Sword Knight Order at such a young age was purely due to his outstanding martial achievements.

He was a man who could be said to be loved by the sword.

From the moment he first held a sword as a child, he stood out among squires several years his senior, and he first awakened his aura at the age of eighteen.

This was an extraordinary record, only three years behind the Master Swordsman of the Kingdom of Eustia, who was considered the greatest martial talent of the era.

Moreover, he was not complacent about his talent and never neglected his efforts. His exceptional talent, coupled with relentless investment and unwavering diligence, made him a force to be reckoned with.

With all three of these qualities, Albert’s meteoric rise was, in a way, inevitable.

In the Empire, if anyone discussed who the next Master might be, Albert’s name would come up two or three times out of ten.

He was a man who, barring some unfortunate accident or giving up the sword, was expected to reach the level of a Master before his death.

That was Albert.

But now, at this very moment, Albert was feeling a terrible sense of dread.

If he had told anyone in the Empire about this, they would have scoffed and dismissed it as unbelievable.

Yet, from the moment Kurt brought out a plate of dragon nuggets, Albert couldn’t take his eyes off him.

It felt as though if he looked away even for a moment, Kurt’s claws would tear out his throat.

Of course, Kurt harbored no particular hostility toward Albert, so such a thing wouldn’t happen, but at least in this moment, Albert felt that way.

What Albert sensed from Kurt was an unfathomable abyss.

It was a presence similar to what he had felt when facing seven Masters at a gathering of the Empire’s highest-ranking individuals.

There was no overwhelming pressure that one would expect from those who had reached such heights, but instead, the deeper he looked, the more he felt an endless abyss.

If Albert’s level had been just a bit lower, he might have been like Louis, sitting next to him, blissfully unaware.

But because Albert had, even if clumsily, approached the realm of a Master, he couldn’t help but feel the gap so vividly.

A Master.

Or, as they were called in the Empire due to their mastery of the sword, a Sword Master.

Or, as other races called them, Transcendents, Superhumans, or Achievers.

A realm where even if martial artists poured their entire lives into training, only one in ten thousand might reach it. A title that could make countless people bow their heads anywhere on the continent and grant them unparalleled respect.

And now, that absolute being was wearing an apron and placing dragon nuggets on the table.

…

And back to the present.

Albert, unable to gauge the gap between himself and the other, pressed Louis’s head down with all his might while thinking.

‘A Master!? Why a Master? Why is a Master here? And a Lizardman Master at that? I’ve never even heard of such a thing. Did the Kingdom of Eustia know about this and hide it? Since when? Does that mean there could be other hidden Masters…!’

“Uh……”

As Albert’s mind raced with confusion, Kurt’s voice snapped him back to reality, and he quickly spoke.

“I’m sorry! My companion has a condition where he can’t distinguish between what should and shouldn’t be said…!”

‘No, this isn’t it! There’s no way he’ll just accept this excuse and move on! I need a better excuse, not this rambling nonsense…!’

Perhaps because he blurted it out in a panic.

Albert, realizing his mistake mid-sentence, couldn’t take back what he had already said.

While Albert was inwardly berating himself for his poor choice of words, Kurt surprisingly accepted his excuse without question.

“Ah, I see. A tic disorder, huh? You must have it tough.”

“Huh? Ah, yes. No, not really.”

‘What? Is he really buying this?’

Albert was baffled by Kurt’s unexpectedly accepting attitude, contrary to his expectations.

But it was too early for him to breathe a sigh of relief.

Kurt pointed at the two and asked Mari.

“So, who are these people?”

“Ah, they’re here because the food we’re about to eat smells so good that they want to pay us to sell it to them!”

“Our food?”

Kurt’s voice was filled with confusion.

To Albert, it sounded like, “These lunatics are after my food?”

So, before Albert could even feel relief over Louis’s rudeness being forgiven, his mind went blank again.

“Ah, no! That’s not it! I mean, we just stopped by because it smelled good! No other intentions!”

“Huh? That’s different from what you said earlier.”

“Exactly! Captain, seeing the food, it looks even more delicious than I imagined. I can’t possibly give up now!”

‘Please shut up!’

Ignoring Mari’s clueless interjection, Albert glared at Louis, who was blurring the lines between ally and enemy, but it was too late to undo what had been said.

Fortunately, Kurt laughed good-naturedly at the comment.

“If that’s the case, then great. I made a lot for a late-night snack anyway, so just join us. But you’re buying the drinks.”

“Huh!? Ah, no…… I mean……”

Honestly, Albert just wanted to get away from this monstrous Lizardman Master, but Kurt’s welcoming demeanor left him flustered and unable to act.

And amidst this, Louis, clueless as ever, brought a chair and sat at the table.

“Hahaha! This Lizardman friend is quite the conversationalist!”

Bang! Bang!

Not only did he casually join the meal, but he also started chatting familiarly and even slapped Kurt on the shoulder.

Albert felt a moment of sheer terror, as if his heart had stopped.

‘It’s over. This crazy Lizardman Master is going to kill us all.’

Thinking this, Albert closed his eyes tightly, but after a while, the catastrophe he feared didn’t happen.

Instead, Kurt didn’t seem to mind Louis’s familiarity and even served him some dragon nuggets.

And so, the evening meal began.

“Wow! Your cooking skills are impressive! Honestly, when I think of Lizardmen, I imagine them eating bloody meat and bitter grass straight from the ground! I never expected such culinary skills!”

‘Ugh, ughhhhh…!’

While Louis casually made comments that blurred the line between compliment and insult, Albert felt as though his stomach was twisting violently.

“And this ketchup sauce goes really well with the fried food! I’d love to learn the recipe and take it home…! Oh! The ketchup splattered. Sorry~.”

‘Aaaaaah……’

When Louis splattered ketchup on Kurt’s clothes, Albert felt as though his soul had left his body, questioning if he was still alive.

…

Overall, the meal was satisfying.

The dragon meat, shaped into cute forms with a mold, coated in a thin batter, and fried, gleamed with oil under the light, its savory aroma captivating both sight and smell.

And the taste?

At first bite, the lack of crispiness in the batter might disappoint, but as you savor it, you realize the thin batter wasn’t meant to be crispy but to emphasize the salty flavor.

The finely minced dragon meat inside was tender, melting in your mouth with each bite.

The thick, tangy red sauce, made with tomatoes and vinegar, added a sharp, salty, and umami kick to the already flavorful nuggets.

After savoring the intense ketchup-dipped nuggets, when you start feeling greasy, a gulp of magically chilled beer washes away the lingering sauce and grease.

And then, you start all over again.

Everyone, except one person, enjoyed the endlessly delicious dragon nuggets.

…

“Hahaha! What? You’re a mage? Being able to have cold beer anytime is so convenient!”

“Praise me more! More praise! Hahaha!”

“Amazing! Incredible!”

“Hahahaha! What’s that!”

Even Louis, who had initially stirred up tension with Mari’s group, quickly warmed up and became friendly, laughing and chatting as if they were old friends.

And amidst all this, Albert felt like he was about to suffer from indigestion.

…

On the way back after the meal.

Louis, clearly satisfied with the meal at the Adventurer Guild, couldn’t stop laughing and chatting.

“Hahaha! Captain, the non-humans aren’t so bad after all, huh? Right?”

“Ugh, ughhh……”

“Captain?”

But unlike Louis, Albert was pale, clutching his stomach.

“Captain, did you eat too much and get an upset stomach? Hahaha!”

That clueless remark from Louis was the final blow.

After enduring the uncomfortable meal, Albert’s stomach finally gave out, and he slowly collapsed, glaring at Louis with hatred.

“Never… eating with you again… Ughhh……”

…