Dungeon Delicacies! (I)

Enema Duralan was clad in a chef's coat, quietly preparing the meal alone.

In the kitchen, which seemed far too spacious for one person, her presence exuded the aura of a master chef. As I peeked into the kitchen adjacent to the dining room, I caught sight of her at work.

Her skill was impressive. Despite cooking alone, she handled multiple tasks simultaneously, seamlessly transitioning from one task to another without using a timer, relying solely on her instincts to manage everything in parallel. I had considered bringing in more assistants for her, but seeing her work, I realized they might only get in the way.

As I watched her quietly from the doorway, our eyes suddenly met.

Startled, perhaps embarrassed to have her work observed, she briefly showed a hint of fluster before quickly giving me a nod and returning to her tasks. However, it was clear that her rhythm had been disrupted. Though she looked adorable with her face flushed, I knew my presence was making it hard for her to concentrate, so I quickly returned to the dining room.

Perhaps because I had slept for five days straight, I was experiencing an unprecedented level of hunger. When I saw the dishes Enema was preparing, I nearly reached out for them like a ravenous beast, drooling at the sight. But I managed to restrain myself and took a seat at the dining table.

The long, rectangular table was draped with a pure white tablecloth, and there were seventeen seats arranged around it.

There were eight seats on each side, with one at the head of the table, which was naturally reserved for me.

When I took my seat, my subordinates had already taken theirs. Initially, entering this dining room was quite a hassle. None of my subordinates would sit down until I did. When I asked them to go ahead and sit down, another issue arose who would sit next to me?

Though they wouldn't be sitting directly beside me, they all seemed eager to be as close to me as possible, leading them to debate who would sit where. While they were sorting this out, I went to the kitchen to check on Enema's progress, and by the time I returned, they had apparently reached a decision, with everyone already seated.

The ones who had secured the seats next to me were Keena and Rorona, who handled the procurement of supplies. While it might have been more dignified to have someone like Harumena or Kaleido by my side, having these two more youthful companions made for a slightly more relaxed dining experience.

"Um..."

Rorona hesitantly spoke to me.

"Is it really okay for someone like me to dine with the great Mari-sama?"

"Of course! Meals taste better when shared with everyone, don't they? Besides, I want to get to know all of you better. Just because I'm the Demon Lord or the one who created you doesn't mean I want to be treated so differently. We're all family here."

"Family...?"

"Yes, family."

As we talked, the dining room door slowly opened. Standing there was Mary, our medical officer.

"Sorry, I'm late."

On my way here, I had tried out the messaging technique Elrodea had taught me and managed to contact her. It worked surprisingly well, feeling almost like telepathy a way of transmitting my thoughts directly to her.

From what she had told me, the wood fairies couldn't eat most of the food we consumed. Their diet consisted mainly of nuts and flowers, so I used the same messaging technique to inform Enema. Special meals were being prepared for her.

As Mary entered the dining room, she took in the seating arrangement and puffed out her cheeks slightly.

"You all decided on the seating without me?"

"It's your fault for being late."

It was Harumena who responded.

"Well, you're right. It's my fault for being late."

I was a bit surprised by how quickly Mary accepted this. I had expected some sort of confrontation, but it seemed nothing would come of it after all. I felt relieved if only briefly.

As she moved to take the furthest empty seat, she turned to Harumena, who was seated nearby, and with a sly smile, she said, "But unlike me, who got here with time to spare, it's rather pathetic that you, as a close aide, didn't manage to secure a seat next to Mari-sama."

With those words, the atmosphere immediately shifted. Harumena, crossing a line she couldn't uncross, smiled chillingly at Mary before suddenly casting a spell.

A loud explosion shook the room, engulfing Mary in a cloud of smoke. The blast sent tableware flying and shattering on the floor.

"Oh dear, my hand must have slipped," Harumena said with feigned innocence.

"Not a problem at all. I don't think anyone here could be hurt by something like that," came Mary's calm voice from within the smoke.

No, I seriously doubted that anyone could survive an attack from Harumena without a scratch.

However, when the smoke cleared, Mary stood there, unharmed, her body pristine. Seeing this, Harumena glared at her with a look of pure disdain.

The tension in the room became palpable, so intense that it made the air tremble. The younger ones, like Kina and Rorona, seemed rattled by the hostile atmosphere, while the more mature ones, like Rafaena and Akagiri, wore expressions of mild exasperation.

Realizing that a serious battle might break out if this continued, I reluctantly stepped in to mediate.

"Both of you, calm down. There's no need to fight here. We're about to have a meal, so let's not stir up any more dust."

As soon as my words reached them, it was as if they had forgotten themselves. Both women stood up and bowed their heads.

"We sincerely apologize, Mari-sama! It was disgraceful of us to behave in such a way before you!"

"As long as you understand, Now, clean up the mess, please."

"Yes!"

The two of them, now resembling scolded puppies, immediately began picking up the broken dishes from the floor.

Still, I was quite surprised. While Harumena was created for combat, I hadn't expected Mary, who had no combat role whatsoever, to be capable of such feats.

If she could hold her own like that, I wondered if Catela, our maid, might also be able to match up. The abilities of our subordinates seemed to reflect the power of their creator, so I couldn't help but speculate.

"Mari-sama! Thank you for waiting!"