Interlude: Code Hamburg — Rir Of The Rebellion

“……I see. So that’s what happened.”

“Yes, sir. In short, his arrest was just him getting caught up in the second prince’s scheme.”

“Don’t give me that. How dare they drag Shuri into a mess like that.”

“Precisely.”

I was receiving Teg’s report in a room at the inn.

It was a plain room with only two beds and nothing to pass the time with.

Having five unit captains crammed in made the space feel overwhelmingly cramped.

We were currently being confined inside this very inn.

We, the Gungrave Mercenary Band, were ordered to be confined to the inn on charges of committing lese-majesty against Lord Sunity.

The cause of all this stemmed from Shuri.

That banquet had been going smoothly until halfway through. When he served that wonderful whole roasted pig dish, I wanted to raise both hands and rejoice, thinking we would finally be granted our own territory.

However, Shuri suddenly knocked the lord’s wine glass straight out of his hand.

Shuri was imprisoned for committing lese-majesty, while we were ordered to stay confined in the designated inn until the facts could be verified.

Naturally, the contract between Sunity and our mercenary band had already concluded. The contract was fulfilled the moment we won the war.

We could have used forceful measures right then and there, but in my anxiety over losing the chance to receive our territory, I hesitated.

And so, my subordinates were locked in a different inn, while the rest of us were packed in here like sardines.

“Looked at a certain way, Shuri actually saved the lord.”

I had plenty of time to think after being confined to the inn.

I suspect the other captains were pondering Shuri’s actions too, even if they didn’t say it out loud.

I won’t pretend there wasn’t a part of me that wanted to blame Shuri. If he hadn’t done something like that, we would be getting our land and building a town right now, with one foot already firmly placed in our dream.

Instead, because he pulled a stunt like that, things got complicated, and we ended up looking like we’ve fallen on hard times.

I thought that when I saw him again, I’d pour out all my resentment and bitterness.

Yet, no matter how much I thought about it, a strange feeling kept welling up inside me. Any words of resentment would appear for just a second, float up, and instantly vanish.

Shuri isn’t the type of guy to do something like that without a reason.

Despite his gentle appearance, he’s surprisingly tough. Back with me, in Niewbist, and in Alturia—he always pushed through using his wit and cooking skills.

I couldn’t believe a guy like him would commit lese-majesty without a plan or noticing something was off.

The other unit captains felt the exact same way.

Rir said that hamburg steaks never lie. I didn’t quite get what she meant.

Kuuga said he just wanted to eat Shuri’s food again. Same here.

Arius said that our wedding celebration hasn’t happened yet. She’s right about that.

Teg said he couldn’t just abandon his best friend. That’s right.

He’s a best friend. A comrade. Family.

Any of those reasons is good enough.

He’s a guy who can walk side by side with the five of us childhood friends as equals.

To me, Shuri is one of the few friends I can stand beside and laugh with.

That’s reason enough to believe in him.

Once our minds were set, things moved fast.

First, we started by establishing a communication line with our subordinates.

After pulling up the floorboards in our room, Rir and Arius created a hole leading outside the inn.

Once it was open, Teg and Kuuga went outside to scout the perimeter—Teg using his reconnaissance skills, and Kuuga acting as his guard.

After confirming it was safe, I asked Teg to travel between the inns to contact our subordinates, using a special paper Rir developed.

This paper was something Shuri had taught us long ago as a prank. It involved writing on paper with fruit juice, which would turn dark and reveal the text when heated over a fire later. It was so childish and simple that it was utterly useless in warfare, but it apparently gave Rir more than enough inspiration.

She heavily modified it to create a customized encrypted paper. Even if it were intercepted, no one would be able to make heads or tails of what was written.

Carrying that, Teg visited the various inns and established contact with our subordinates.

That was when the difference between the new recruits and the veterans became clear.

The new recruits made no effort to hide their rage toward Shuri.

The veterans trusted Shuri, and instead laughed it off as him being his usual hopeless self.

I see—without us noticing, Shuri had spent a long time deepening his bond with the troops, and strictly in a good way.

After setting up a communication and intelligence network through the coordination of Teg’s bow unit and Rir’s magi-engineering unit, we shared all kinds of information.

First, Shuri is safe. He hasn’t been executed yet, and is currently confined in the castle’s dungeon.

No further information could be gathered beyond that. Either the guards are extremely tight-lipped, or information is being deliberately suppressed.

A political struggle over how to handle Shuri has erupted between the first prince and the second prince. The first prince wants him alive, while the second prince wants him dead. It’s likely connected to this entire incident. Whoever wins this struggle will expand their influence. Or so it seems, though if you ask me, it hardly qualifies as a true political conflict—it’s more like a simple difference of opinion.

However, the one taking this political struggle seriously is the second prince. He’s likely trying to expand his power and use this opportunity to move up as the primary heir.

As for the first prince? From what we’ve heard, he’s also expanding his influence and amassing wealth.

Though it seems he’s distributing that wealth to the poor.

The first prince might be looking outward to win public support, while the second prince is looking inward to gain the support of the castle staff.

Taking advantage of this, I decided to craft a scheme.

While letting the conflict inside the castle play out, we’ll nudge public opinion toward supporting the first prince.

And just in case, we’ll leak a little bit of Shuri’s information.

Eighty percent lies, twenty percent truth!

The twenty percent truth is that Shuri is currently imprisoned.

The eighty percent lies goes like this:

A kind-hearted chef named Shuri prepared a meal at the lord’s request, but the second prince found fault with it and imprisoned him, demanding he become a slave to cook only for him. Even when Shuri refused and suffered even worse treatment, he held fast to his pride as a chef and endured with dignity, prompting his mercenary comrades to stand up against this injustice under the banner of righteousness.

I spread a story along those lines bit by bit.

Public sentiment is shifting slightly toward resentment against the lord and support for the first prince, but things will probably be chaotic by the time Shuri gets out. I’m not taking the blame for that.

Once our intelligence network and agitation had progressed enough, Teg, who had sneaked into the castle to gather info, brought back news about Shuri and the First Prince Ecres.

To sum it up simply:

Shuri knocked the wine glass away because it was tampered with, putting the lord’s life in danger.

And the one who tampered with it was the Second Prince Gings.

The First Prince Ecres asked Shuri to take her along and escape in exchange for helping him.

That’s the gist of it.

“Still, who would’ve thought the first prince was actually a woman?”

“I was shocked too, boss. I thought the first prince was pretty feminine, but it turns out she was actually the subordinate’s younger sister. I could barely believe my ears when I overheard their conversation.”

“It helped that they dropped their guard. Thanks to that, I managed to read the report in full.”

“If they were passing information that secretly, that subordinate must be extremely confident in his own espionage skills.”

“Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to pull off being a double agent.”

“He’ll definitely be killed if he’s caught. The second prince will lose his mind for sure.”

No doubt about it.

That guy named Garn is no amateur if he can notice Teg’s presence. Whether someone is on high alert or completely relaxed, Teg’s presence concealment is normally impossible to detect.

The reconnaissance and espionage skills Teg honed through practice after Shuri arrived were beyond master level. His intel had saved us in past battles.

Yet that guy managed to notice him.

“What about Shuri’s location?”

“It’s just as we heard—he’s in the castle dungeon. I drew a rough map of it here.”

Looking at the paper Teg handed over, the path leading to Shuri’s location was clearly drawn.

We had already walked around the castle during our contract negotiations and the banquet, so this amount of information was more than enough.

“Alright. Now, about the First Prince Ecres.”

“She said she wants to join our mercenary band.”

“She probably thought that since her true identity isn’t widely known, everything would go smoothly once she returned to being a woman.”

“Now that her secret is out, though, she might resort to another tactic.”

If I use this intel to denounce them, it will definitely bring harm to Sunity’s ruling family.

This is likely her insurance policy for when that happens. She really took us lightly.

And she probably made the same proposal to Shuri.

She’d help the mercenary band, but in exchange, he had to help her escape.

I gritted my teeth at the dirty tactic.

Sure, negotiations often involve underhanded tricks—I’m actively spreading rumors to incite the public, after all.

However, Shuri is a non-combatant, and a captive on top of that. There’s no way he could refuse.

If the first prince joined the execution faction, Shuri’s life would be forfeit.

I refuse to accept someone like that as a comrade.

“What kind of move are you talking about, Gungrave?”

Kuuga crossed his arms, his hands tightening into fists.

He was undoubtedly feeling anger over Shuri’s current situation and Ecres’s negotiation tactics.

“Well, it wouldn’t be surprising if the second prince took drastic action soon.”

“After all, he tried to harm his own father. That’s unforgivable for the ruling family, and he could lose his succession rights.”

“Before that happens, Ecres plans to take Shuri and run.”

“The ones who noticed the information leak were Ecres and her subordinate, Garn.”

“When I make my move, those two will be the first ones capable of fleeing.”

“As long as she has Shuri, his cooking skills will allow them to survive anywhere on the run.”

“They could set up a food stall or a shop and wander around while having him cook.”

That was one of the “worst-case scenarios” I envisioned.

Everyone here acknowledges Shuri’s incredible talent for cooking.

To be honest, more than once or twice, I thought he’d easily succeed and prosper if he opened a shop instead of staying with our mercenary band.

Pairing those skills with an administrator who’s good with numbers and a subordinate specialized in gathering intel, they could travel indefinitely while pulling a food cart.

In short, she intends to use him to escape far away.

“Alternatively, she could use her subordinates to secure Shuri right now, using his custody to force an equal negotiation with us.”

That was another “worst-case scenario.”

The fault in this incident clearly lies with their side.

We’d need solid proof, but if pushed on the matter, the lord’s family wouldn’t escape unscathed.

They’d face massive reparations and severe damage to their reputation.

It’s impossible for the lord’s side to hush this up and keep it from reaching the public, since my subordinates have already laid the groundwork to manipulate public opinion.

If they try to brush this off with a simple apology, it will only spread the real reason behind the recent food shortages.

The second prince is the kind of guy who would kill civilians to cover up his own mistakes, completely unbothered by securing food at the expense of starving the populace.

If I spread this information and actually lead the public to act, the people won’t stay silent. Their frustration will explode, and they might storm the castle.

Even now, they’re barely maintaining their sanity thanks to Ecres’s relief efforts, but if they find out the second prince is the cause, they’ll snap.

They’d demand the royal family stop dragging the public into their internal embarrassments.

Either way, once the seed of discontent is planted, it’s only a matter of time before it blooms.

To prevent that, they might use Shuri’s custody as leverage for negotiations.

They’d say, ‘We admit our fault and apologize, but in exchange, return your subordinate safely.’

It’s obvious we’d be furious, but without doing that, the damage to them would be catastrophic.

“There are other possibilities, but do you need me to explain them?”

“No need, boss.”

Teg replied with a trembling voice, his face filled with anger.

“Leave gathering the proof to me. I don’t want to leave my best friend in a place like that for another second.”

“I’m counting on you.”

“I’ll make sure my blade work doesn’t rust until then.”

“Relying on you.”

“As for me…”

Setting aside Teg’s and Kuuga’s resolve, Arius looked toward the bed with a worried expression.

“I suppose I should continue nursing Rir.”

Rir was currently lying on the bed.

She was broken.

Her eyes stared blankly upward at nothing in particular.

Her face was utterly devoid of expression.

Her complexion was slightly grayish.

Strands of white hair were mixed into her hair.

Her skin was completely dried out.

She was broken.

Rir lay broken on the bed.

“How is… Rir holding up?”

“She still hasn’t regained consciousness.”

Arius shook her head.

“She just mutters deliriously without responding to anything.”

“I see…”

I spoke, feeling genuinely exasperated.

“Is not being able to eat hamburg steaks really that much of a shock to her?”

Indeed, Rir had aged rapidly ever since she stopped getting to eat hamburg steaks.

She managed to hold on for the first few days, enduring by eating the awful food provided by this inn.

However, it seemed her HP (Hamburg-steak Power), as she called it, had run out completely. I didn’t really understand what she meant by that.

Before long, she couldn’t stand, couldn’t sit up, and ended up lying here, completely drained of life.

From time to time, she would deliriously mutter, “Potatoes… a revelation of the perfect potatoes for hamburg steaks…” It was creepy.

Still, we couldn’t just leave her like this forever. It was time to start moving in earnest by gathering evidence and organizing our intel.

Rir’s help was necessary for the plan to rescue Shuri.

Now then, it was time to wake her up.

“Arius, you can stop nursing her.”

“Huh? But…”

“I’m going to wake her up.”

I stepped closer to Rir’s bed and whispered.

“Hey, can you hear me?”

“The plan to rescue Shuri has been set. It’s time to move.”

“Once we rescue him, we’re going to throw a massive party with Shuri’s cooking.”

Rir’s body gave a slight twitch. Good, she’s still responding.

“We’ll have him make whatever we want and celebrate our reunion.”

“I think I’ll ask him to make some cream stew. I’m gonna eat until I burst.”

“Kuuga, what do you want to eat?”

“Huh? …Well, I suppose some delicious fish dish.”

“What about you, Teg?”

“I’m fine with anything, but if possible, maybe pot-au-feu, or oden would be great.”

“Arius, how about you?”

“Naturally, boiled tofu would be wonderful. My subordinates would surely desire it as well.”

Each of us salivated as we pictured our favorite dishes.

Naturally, I was drooling too.

“Since you’ve been bedridden, would you prefer something easy on the stomach?”

“Or…”

I paused for a beat.

“Would you prefer a hamburg steak?”

Thump! Rir’s body surged with sudden movement.

Her skin tone rapidly recovered its healthy color, and her hair violently shifted back to its vibrant hue.

Her skin regained its radiance and elasticity, while strength flooded back into her previously lifeless eyes.

“Ah, I suppose someone who’s bedridden can only handle porridge.”

“Knowing Shuri, even his porridge would taste amazing.”

“But are you really fine with that?”

“Did you endure the terrible food at this inn and hold on until today just for porridge? When Shuri returns, will you truly be satisfied with just porridge?”

“Of course not!”

“You’ve been dreaming of smelling that savory meat aroma, watching the rich juices overflow as you slice into it with a knife, and bringing it to your mouth to experience the harmony of simple salt and pepper with a refreshing sauce!”

Yeah, honestly, I had no idea what I was saying either.

The three behind me were staring at me with cold, unimpressionable eyes. I wished they’d stop.

“Wake up, Rir! Now is the time for you to be free!”

Boom! A powerful shockwave echoed through the room, kicking up dust everywhere.

“Someone once said…”

Amidst the swirling dust, Rir stood upright.

“That the only ones allowed to eat highball steaks are those prepared to be consumed by hamburg steaks!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about…”

Teg, don’t bother pointing it out.

“That is why Rir accepted the Geas!”

“Just to eat a highball steak?!”

Kuuga, don’t you start pointing it out either.

“『Fasting Hamburg Steak (Fear of Death)』—Rir is reborn!”

“…”

Yeah, looking on with warm, gentle eyes is more than enough, Arius.

As the dust settled to the floor and cleared our vision, Rir stood there.

A junkie who had fully reclaimed her power.

“Thank you, Gungrave.”

“It seems Rir was having a long dream.”

“Because you were sleeping.”

“That ends now. Come, let us begin.”

Rir dramatically spread her arms wide and declared.

“Operation 『Beef Requiem』!”

“That’s not what it’s named, though. Alright everyone, now that the theatrical act is over, let’s map out the plan.”

Nothing good comes from entertaining someone like her.

Just wait, Shuri.

We are definitely going to save you.