A Demonic Covenant Reforged in the Ashes

Dining Together

"But Mr. Ira... split-shell clams are poisonous, small-shell razor clams contain harmful mana, and purple sea urchins are toxic during winter, though they become a delicacy in spring and summer."

The green, semi-transparent Lime spoke as he picked out the inedible seafood.

Right. Ira had overlooked one thing—though Vera came from a noble family where she never had to deal with food preparation, Lime was a professional chef.

He was well-versed in which seafood was safe to eat and which was not.

"This remaining batch is enough. Leave a portion for the castle and distribute the rest throughout the Demon Lord’s domain. It should be sufficient to last until the next trade caravan arrives. I truly appreciate your help," Lime said with gratitude, tossing the selected seafood into one of the kitchen’s wooden doors. A distinct splash echoed from within, suggesting the seafood had landed in a water tank connected to the kitchen.

That reminded Ira... what exactly was behind those wooden doors?

He couldn't shake the peculiar thought that if he opened one, he might find himself staring at an endless grassland—something completely irrational.

"But Ira, how exactly did you manage to dig up so many shellfish in just one morning?"

Lime's curiosity was understandable. The demons in the Demon Lord’s domain enjoyed supplementing their diet with seafood, but the idea of clam digging had never occurred to them. Since the aquatic monster races excelled at fishing, the domain mostly relied on fish rather than shellfish.

It was the natural logic of survival—people near mountains relied on the forest, while those near the sea depended on its bounty. If the food shortage persisted, Shelina and Satania would eventually convert the war port and trade ships into vessels suitable for large-scale fishing.

But for now, the demons had neither the expertise of the aquatic races nor the inclination to perform something as labor-intensive as clam digging. After all, they had never considered using a succubus's powers for the task.

Was this even considered clam digging?

There was no need to sprinkle salt at clam holes or dig frantically at the first sign of movement.

With this method, the Demon Lord’s domain could soon enjoy an abundance of seafood. Though, at some point, Ira would need to remind everyone not to harvest the young shellfish to ensure sustainability.

"That's what I wanted to discuss. By using a succubus's abilities, it's easy to lure shellfish to the surface. We could temporarily assign some succubus maids to assist other demons in gathering seafood," Ira explained.

Lime’s face lit up with understanding.

"But... I may have overlooked something… Our spice reserves are low, which might make it difficult to mask the seafood’s fishy smell."

"…Ira, did you grow up inland?"

What was that supposed to mean?

Ira had indeed lived in inland cities throughout the Empire, so he nodded in confirmation.

"Actually, fresh shellfish doesn't have a strong fishy smell. That odor comes from improper storage or prolonged transportation. And we do have some spices left."

Lime’s cheerful tone suggested he was quite pleased with the situation. He gently pushed Ira out of the kitchen and said, "The Demon Lord loves grilled food. I’ll prepare a barbecue feast for you both tonight.

Please look forward to it~"

…Something about that wording seemed off.

What did he mean by "for you both"?

It wasn’t like Ira was having dinner with Satania.

"Ira."

Satania’s voice called from behind him.

Startled, Ira turned to see her approaching with Shelina. It seemed like she had business here as well.

Was she looking for something to eat?

"Since you're here, I have something to discuss with you."

So she was looking for him.

Ira nodded, signaling for her to continue. He also noticed that Satania's tail was stretched out behind her, the tip swaying slightly from side to side.

Demons were similar to many animals—their unique features often reflected their emotions.

Unfortunately, Ira wasn’t well-versed in animal behavior. He had never owned a cat or dog in his previous life, so he couldn’t decipher what Satania’s tail movements meant.

Was it curiosity? Something else?

"Would you join me for dinner tonight? There’s something I’d like to ask you."

With that, Lime’s words became a reality—he really was preparing dinner for the two of them.

But Ira had no reason to refuse.

"Of course. Or rather… if you ever have questions, you can always ask me anytime."

Unconsciously, Ira no longer added qualifiers like as long as it's about combat and mana.

"No, it's fine. We can talk about it over dinner."

Satania was truly adorable.

She always appeared strong and determined.

But Ira knew—she had once been on the brink of despair, willing to throw away her life just to cause trouble for the Empire one last time.

Yet now, she seemed to have fully recovered.

Demons had a remarkable ability to adjust to hardships—far better than humans who tended to overthink and get lost in despair.

Ira attributed Satania’s change to her own resilience.

What he didn’t realize was that the biggest reason for the transformation was him.

As Ira turned to Shelina, he remarked, "It seems I was using your mana earlier."

"…Ugh."

Shelina's face, still faintly flushed, twitched as she subconsciously touched her cheeks. Then, with some

reluctance, she admitted, "Yes, I was in the middle of disciplining a maid when you suddenly drew my mana…"

She hesitated before continuing, her voice carrying a tinge of exasperation.

"I had to suppress the sensation, but my face turned red, and I almost made… a sound in front of everyone."

Now that Ira thought about it…

He could vividly imagine Shelina, calmly explaining the maid’s mistakes, only to suddenly feel something, her face turning bright red as she fought to keep from making an unseemly noise.

…That was kind of embarrassing.

"Sorry. I should have warned you in advance or chosen another demon’s mana."

Ira wasn’t entirely sure what it felt like for a succubus to have their mana extracted, but it was easy to guess—if the sensation had caused her to almost make a strange noise in public, it had to be awkward.

"No… If my mana can assist you, then I don’t mind you using it."

Though Shelina said that, the subtle twitching of her tail betrayed her inner conflict.

Demons were truly fascinating creatures.

So… did she want him to continue using her mana, or not?

Succubi were really hard to understand.

Fun fact: A demon’s tail stretching out straight, its tip swaying slightly from side to side, while they look up at you and blink—indicates closeness and anticipation.