Reincarnated as a dragon’s egg ～Lets aim to be the strongest～

blanches, his mouth flapping open and closed.

“A-are you truly saying that?”

“What about you, are you truly saying that? This expedition is being undertaken at great expense for the purpose of making me king, you know? Do you mean to suggest that an idiot like yourself could ever understand the trouble I had to go through to get permission to dispatch troops? If the subjugation of the Lithovar tribe were suspended now, the potential fame I could have claimed would disappear before my eyes, the cost of the expedition would be brought to nothing, and I would be laughed by those who would say I suspended  the subjugation out of fear of a tribe of barbarians.”

Truly, this is why unthinking idiots are problematic.
I hate fools that are slow to understand.
Most of all, I hate the fools who waste my time.

“In the first place, as we shall be laying waste to the forest in search of the mythical beast known as the carbuncle, conflict with the Lithovars is inevitable.
Regardless of their disposition, it is no matter to me.”

I swing my sheathed sword, striking the ground next to him.

“…”

“Good grief, you make me sick.
This is why idiots with poor births and poor heads are troublesome.
Azalea, remove this idiot from my sight.”

“Hah!”

As Azalea moves to grip Derek’s shoulder, Derek steps back to avoid him.

“I had heard of your violent disposition, but I didn’t think it’d be this bad! Savage this, savage that… The savage here is you, Tolman! I shall follow you no more! I leave your awful private army today!”

Derek strips the jacket of his uniform and throws it on the ground before me.
He moves to leave, spear tightly gripped in his hand.

The noble myself is a violent savage? I find myself close to losing my reason in anger, but then remember that it is no more than the drivel of an uneducated, low-born mutt.
I regain my calm a moment later.

Derek is moving towards the depths of the forest.
Is he really going to their village to warn them? Truly, this man’s idiocy knows no bounds.

“Derek, you bastard, do you understand what it is you’re trying to do?”

“What of it?! How about you reconsider what you’re doing yourself?!”

“It seems you don’t understand.
With one order of mine, I can have the heads of all the members of your family that live my domain.”

“Hey…”

Derek is at a loss for words.

“But I am merciful.
Even though you are trying to betray me by turning to the barbarians, I shall give you a option.
If you swear to leave straight out of this forest, I shall not interfere.
If you return to your family and leave my territory with them before I return, I shall not give chase.
But, by any chance, you do not do that…”

Derek stands dumbfounded, then looks back at the forest depths.
Then, eyes shut, he lets go of the spear.
Turning inthe opposite direction, he breaks into a run.

I scowl at his back for a moment, then look away and yawn.
I have no intention of going out of my way to capture him.
After all, I promised to do nothing if he returned straight to my territory and took his family away.

“Hey, Azalea.”

“Hah!”

Azalea lets out a short reply, then raises a hand towards Derek’s back.

“Fire magic, [Flare].”

The surroundings are bathed in a red light.
Amid the dazzling light, a single line flashes out.
Tracing from Azalea’s outstretched hand, it hits Derek’s back.

Letting out a scream, he collapses ungainly on the spot.
His charred knees fall to the ground and black embers dance as through the air.
In his back there is a gaping hole in his back.

“How cruel, Azalea.”

I say, smirking.
Azalea kneels on the ground.

“I cannot apologise enough.
I could not bear his repeated insolence towards Tolman-kakka, and my hand moved on its own.
This Azalea shall accept any punishment you give me.”

Of course, he cast the magic after I called him by name and he understood my intention.

“I said I would do nothing.
But if my follower were to act rashly… This is why having followers that are too loyal is troublesome!”

“Tolman-kakka, you said that if he did not return and leave with his family, they would be executed.
What should be done?”

“Hmm? Isn’t that decided? As a man with a strong sense of duty, I keep my promises.
Unlike that charcoal scum who defied his master, that is.”

I jest, and the surroundings erupt in laughter.

Then, an eight-man group appears.
In the lead is the officer of the 『Starved Hunters’』20th unit, Grodel.
Beneath his red hair, he bears a large wound from his forehead to his eyes.

“Tolman-samaa, the magic circle has been completed! The effects should be felt soon.”

“Ooh, Grodel, you’ve done well!”

With this, the preparations for my plan are all complete.
I can attack at any time.

“However, we were seen and so had to silence three people.
Their bodies may already be found, so they might be on high alert.”

“Well, it can’t be helped.
I don’t like the idea of moving the battle preparations too far forward.
I wanted to wait to see the effects, but… Tomorrow morning, before the sun has risen, let us begin the assault.
My beloved sword aches to kill the barbarians as soon as possible, after all.”

“Oorah! As expected of Tolman-sama! Let’s kill them at once!”

Fuhfuh, I shall be able to cut down humans for the first time in a long while.
I should assemble those who are on standby and adjust the plan.