"But, Mr. Yila... Split Shells are poisonous, and the tiny clam bodies contain a lot of mana that's bad for living creatures. Purple Sea Cucumber is also poisonous in winter, though it's a delicacy in spring and summer."
Lime, the green semi-transparent creature, said as he picked out several types of seafood unsuitable for consumption... Indeed, Yila had overlooked this before; although Vera was from a noble family disconnected from daily chores, Mr. Lime was a professional chef.
He knew very well which seafood was poisonous and which was inedible.
"These remaining are enough. Reserve some for the castle, and distribute the rest throughout the Demon King Territory. It's enough for everyone to sustain until the next trade caravan arrives. I really appreciate your help."
With great sentiment, Lime tossed the selected seafood through a door in the kitchen. The clear splash indicated they were thrown into a water pool connected to the kitchen.
Speaking of which, what's behind those wooden doors?
Yila pondered, looking curiously at the several wooden doors in the kitchen. He inexplicably felt that peculiar sensation of opening one and finding an endless prairie behind it.
"By the way, Yila, how did you manage to dig out so many shells in just one morning?"
Lime inquired. Clearly, the magical creatures within the Demon King Territory also enjoyed supplementing their diet with ocean products, but they hadn't considered beachcombing. Additionally, Sea Demon-type creatures excelled at fishing, so they still ate mostly fish.
Living by mountains, one lives off mountains; living by water, one lives off water. Any intelligent creature understands this logic. If the food crisis continues for some time, Hilena and Satan Ye will consider modifying Battle Ports and trade ships to also suit fishing.
They just lack the proficient techniques of the aquatic (demon) creatures and wouldn't bother with the laborious task of beachcombing, as they hadn't thought of employing a succubus's power.
Does this expansive capture using mana sprinkling really count as beachcombing? There's no need to sprinkle salt on clam holes or to quickly dig.
This way, soon they'll have an abundance of seafood, only requiring a reminder not to catch too young ones after some time.
"That's what I wanted to say. By using the succubus's ability, it's easy to make the shellfish voluntarily come out from under the sand. Perhaps to alleviate the urgent need, a few succubus maids could collaborate with other magical creatures."
Said Yila, while Lime had an enlightened expression, he continued, "But, I might have overlooked something... Our spice reserves are insufficient, possibly making it difficult to deal with the seafood odor."
"..."
"Mr. Yila, do you live inland?"
Inland? Why? Within the Empire, I suppose I've always lived in inland cities...
Yila, somewhat puzzled, nodded lightly at Lime's query, "Yes."
"Actually, fresh shellfish doesn't have a strong odor. It's during transport or due to improper storage that the smell develops. And we do have some spices."
Lime said, clearly in a good mood, gently pushing Yila out of the kitchen, "The Demon King really likes grilled food. I'll prepare some barbecue for you tonight, so look forward to it~"
"..."
For some reason, Yila felt Lime's words were odd. What did he mean by 'send it to you'? He wasn't having dinner with Satan Ye tonight.
"Mr. Yila."
Satan Ye's voice came from behind. Yila paused for a moment and turned to see Satan Ye accompanied by Hilena. She seemed to have business here... Was she looking for something to eat?
"It's good you're here. I have something to discuss with you."
Looks like she's looking for me.
Realizing this, Yila nodded, indicating for Satan Ye to continue. He seemed to notice Satan Ye's tail stretching straight behind her, swaying slightly at the tip.
Magical creatures resemble many animals. Their traits reflect their emotions, but Yila, unfamiliar with small animals, neither having owned a cat or a dog in his previous world, was unsure what Satan Ye was thinking.
Could it be curiosity or something else?
"Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? I have a few things I'd like to ask."
Satan Ye's words turned Lime's boast into reality. This time the 'send barbecue to you' was true, and Yila had no reason to refuse.
"Of course, or if you'd like to discuss something, you can do so anytime."
Yila said, realizing he no longer added preconditions, like 'as long as it's about combat and mana knowledge.'
"No need; we can discuss it over dinner."
It's worth mentioning that Satan Ye is really adorable. She always maintains this sturdy and serious demeanor... But Yila knew she had once given up and wanted to use her life to make the Empire's final trouble.
But now, she seemed completely at ease. The self-adjustment ability of magical creatures surpassed that of any human who tends to overthink...
Yila attributed Satan Ye's state to her self-adjustment ability, unaware the greatest change in the Demon King Territory was his arrival. He looked at Hilena, saying, "Looks like I used your mana before."
"..."
"Mmm~"
The flush on Hilena's face had not faded as she instinctively touched her face, sighing slightly, "Indeed, at that time I was correcting a maid's mistake, and you suddenly drew my mana... mm, mm~"
Hmm, come to think of it...
Yila nodded, recalling how Hilena had been gently explaining the maid's mistakes when he suddenly drew her magic power, and her face turned red as she fought the peculiar sensation, suppressing any strange sounds.
It felt kind of thrilling.
"Sorry, maybe I should have informed you in advance or chosen another magical creature's mana."
Yila said, not quite understanding what it's like for a succubus to have their mana extracted, but he could imagine how embarrassing it would be if it led to strange reactions in public.
"No, if my mana can help Lord Yila, then continuing to use it is no trouble."
Even as Hilena spoke this, her tail behind her contracted and trembled, indicating her inner unrest... Indeed, magical creatures are fascinating beings.
So, do you wish for me to continue using it or not?
Succubi, truly a hard-to-understand species...