Chapter 45

"Phew, with this much baked, we should be fine for now."

In front of Reedia, a pile of freshly baked, chewy fruits was stacked.

The Itotsumugari were gobbling them up, but there were plenty, so it didn't seem like they would run out anytime soon.

"My stomach is growling too. Let's eat some, shall we?"

"Agreed!"

Having been surrounded by the delicious aroma and seeing the Itotsumugari enjoy their meal, our stomachs started to rumble as well.

We decided to eat the chewy fruits left in the frying pan.

We rolled the hot, freshly baked fruits in our palms, blowing on them as we took a bite.

The outside was crispy, and the inside was chewy. The texture was enhanced by the heat, and the flavor was richer, making them delicious.

When it gets cold, eating freshly made food like this will be even more delicious.

"Hahaha! I'll interfere! Oh, what's this? Is it a festival today or something? -- Whoa!"

While we were eating the chewy fruits, a voice came from above, and Tentakulus charged forward, pushing something away.

"Huh? Did I just hear a voice?"

"Tentakulus charged forward, didn't he?"

I felt a magical reaction, but it was brief, and I couldn't tell what happened.

"Probably Father, who just transferred, was pushed away by Tentakulus."

"I think so too."

What? Was that the Demon King just now?

When I looked, the Demon King was casting spells at Tentakulus.

He was shooting purple projectile-like spells, but they only slightly slowed down the charging Tentakulus.

"Wait, this is Tentakulus! He's the worst match for me, a magic type! Hey, Hashira! This is one of your companions, right? Stop him quickly!"

It seems the Demon King, like Reedia, mainly uses magic in battle, and he was quite flustered.

"Tentakulus! That person is an acquaintance, so you don't need to attack!"

When I shouted, Tentakulus, who was about to charge with his three horns, stopped abruptly.

He turned around, looked at me and the Demon King alternately, and then flew back up.

"Sorry. Tentakulus just recently joined us..."

I should have informed Tentakulus that the Demon King would be transferring here.

He faithfully carried out his duty, so it's not his fault. It's my fault.

"No, I shouldn't have transferred right next to the house. In the future, I'll transfer to a more distant location or near Hashira."

"Yeah, that would help a lot."

Transferring is convenient, but it's surprising when someone suddenly appears.

And as we saw today, it can also suddenly increase the number of our companions.

"Hahaha! It was funny to see Father get sent flying by Tentakulus!"

"Karmila, it's not right to laugh when your father is in trouble. You would be flustered too if someone suddenly charged at you, right?"

"I'm different from Father; I'm good at physical attacks too! If someone gets close, I can punch them!"

"...That's really like Ermira."

The Demon King is often attacked, but his ability to remain calm is impressive.

"Who is Ermira?"

"She is the Demon King's wife and Karmila's mother."

When I asked Clare about the unfamiliar name, she answered.

From the conversation, it seems Karmila is even more powerful than her.

I want to meet her, but I'm a bit scared too.

"By the way, Demon King, why did you come today?"

"It's about the settlers I mentioned before. When I called out, about ten people gathered."

"That was surprisingly quick. You didn't force them to agree, right?"

I know from the Demon King that this world has a slave system.

As a powerful figure, the Demon King could easily gather such people, which would be convenient, but we don't want to bring people who were forced to come.

We want to live with people who understand and want to come.

"Yes, as Hashira requested, they all agreed willingly."

I see, then there's no problem. I'll trust the Demon King.

"Can I ask what races the settlers are?"

This world has various races, such as beastmen, elves, and dwarves.

Some, like the giant race, are quite large, so we need to prepare the environment accordingly.

"Five elves, two dwarves, and three demons, including my subordinates."

"Can I ask why you chose those races?"

"I chose the elves because we have a high elf, Reedia, and a spirit, Gaianote, so they should be easy to handle. The dwarves are the craftsmen Hashira requested. I included my subordinates to observe the situation for future settlers."

"I see..."

The Demon King's reasons made a lot of sense.

It seems high elves are respected by other elves, so it would be smoother to have obedient settlers from the start.

I understand the choice of dwarves, and it makes sense to send demons from the Demon King's country.

While there might be various intentions behind this, I want to maintain good relations with the Demon Kingdom, and there's nothing to hide.

"Is that okay with Reedia?"

I asked Reedia, who would be most affected by this.

If there are any issues, like bad relations with elves, I'll have to ask the Demon King to change the selection.

"It's fine. Just don't be too formal when you interact with me."

"Understood. What about Karmila and Clare?"

"Sure, I have no problem. If any brats come, I'll give them a good scolding."

"I have no particular issues either."

It seems both are fine.

"We can transfer them immediately, but when would you like it to happen?"

"Then, let's do it in five days."

"Is that soon enough? It looks like you don't even have a house yet..."

"Yeah, I can build one with my ability."

To demonstrate, I grew a tree and built a small house in front of them, then immediately dismantled it.

The biggest issue with preparation is building houses for the settlers, but I can do that quickly with my ability.

Actually, making furniture and dishes will take more time.

"You're as unpredictable as ever. Understood. I'll bring the settlers in five days. Make sure to inform the guard monsters. If the settlers are attacked by Tentakulus's charge or Motherplant's attack, they'll die."

The Demon King, who usually speaks more gently, emphasized this point.

Indeed, that's the biggest concern. The Demon King can survive, but ordinary people would be in serious trouble if attacked.

I still remember Clare being beaten up and crying.

"Understood. I'll make sure to inform them."

"Good. Then..."

While saying goodbye, the Demon King stopped to look at the chewy fruits.

"I'll eat this and then leave."

He picked up a baked chewy fruit and sat down.

"Sure, help yourself."

"Great! I'll stay over on the fifth day, so prepare a place for me to sleep too."

"Got it, got it."

Nodding at the Demon King's insistence, I also started eating the chewy fruits.