Chapter 76: The Blue Sea, Seafood Salt-Sauce Yakisoba, and a Barbecue 

The sky stretched overhead in a brilliant shade of blue.

The sea shimmered beneath it like an endless sapphire.

And the beach was lined with dazzling white sand that sparkled beneath the warm summer sun.

“So huge!! It’s even bigger than the lake!!”

“The sea breeze feels wonderful!”

“The sound of the waves is so calming…”

“I want to go swimming already too!!”

Luka, Nor, Rio, and even Amate were bursting with excitement, their eyes sparkling as they ran across the beach. Watching them laugh and shout with such carefree joy naturally brought a smile to my face.

There were plenty of other visitors scattered around the beach besides us, but it wasn’t overcrowded. There were just enough people to make the place feel lively without ruining the peaceful atmosphere.

That said…

For some reason…

Everyone seemed to be staring at us.

Well, I supposed it wasn’t all that surprising.

A group made up of beautiful women, adorable girls, and a bunch of energetic, lovable children was bound to attract attention wherever they went.

Still…

“…I’m more curious about why the beach shop was selling school swimsuits…”

Countless little beachside stalls lined the shore, each selling swimwear and beach supplies.

Among them…

Were old-fashioned Japanese school swimsuits for children.

Not even the modern kind, either.

They were the older, rather revealing design.

There was only one explanation.

Some summoned visitor from another world who had once lived in the Luresia Empire must have introduced them.

Whoever that person was… they certainly had interesting tastes.

“So… why do the two of you look like you’ve been through a war?”

“It’s entirely Eve’s fault.”

“Ehh? I only told the truth.”

Now changed into their swimsuits, both Raphiel and Eve looked unusually battered.

Raphiel wore an elegant off-the-shoulder bikini trimmed with delicate lace, while Eve had chosen a cute one-piece swimsuit.

Both outfits suited them perfectly.

Which only made all the scrapes and scuffs covering them seem even more unfortunate.

Eve happily explained what had happened.

“I just casually asked, ‘Saintie, have you put on a little weight?’ Then she suddenly punched me with a straight right. Don’t you think that’s cruel?”

“You kind of deserved it.”

“Exactly. I’m at my ideal weight.”

“…Though… it’s true you haven’t been getting much exercise lately, Raphiel-sama…”

“Mmph.”

Raphiel immediately caught my quiet muttering.

Her expression stiffened ever so slightly.

Then…

She suddenly reached out and took my hand.

“Then you should confirm it yourself, Eight.”

“W-wait…”

“My, my… how bold, Saintie.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Raphiel guided my hand to her waist.

My fingers gently rested against her side.

She still had a perfectly defined figure, so she certainly wasn’t overweight.

But…

There was a noticeable softness beneath my fingertips.

Warm.

Supple.

Comfortably squishy.

…Stay calm.

There’s no reason to panic.

I’m just touching a girl’s waist.

Nothing suspicious is happening.

Then Raphiel quietly murmured—

“…Now that I think about it… I believe I’m doing something incredibly embarrassing.”

Although her usual expression remained almost perfectly blank…

A faint blush slowly spread across her cheeks.

Seeing that unexpected reaction made my own heart skip a beat.

Startled, I quickly pulled my hand away and did my best to act composed.

“S-since we came all the way to the beach… why don’t you go swimming with Luka and the others?”

“Very well. As their big sister, I shall watch over them.”

“Then Grandpa and I’ll build a Demon King’s Castle in the sand!”

Raphiel immediately charged toward the ocean together with Luka and the children.

Meanwhile, Eve enthusiastically began constructing an enormous sandcastle with the old butler’s reluctant assistance.

A peaceful afternoon by the sea had finally begun—

“…Sorry to keep you waiting, Eight.”

A familiar voice called out.

Tifana, Sabine, and Reina had finally arrived.

The problem…

Was what they were wearing.

Their swimsuits were so daring that they looked like something straight out of an adults-only video.

Far too revealing for me to even begin describing.

“Th-Those are… very bold swimsuits.”

“Ugh… I knew it, Tifana! He’s totally put off by them!”

Tifana giggled.

“Oh my, he’s not put off. He’s just flustered.”

“I-I’m not flustered at all!”

“Whatever. I’m going to take a nap.”

While Sabine buried her face in embarrassment and Tifana continued teasing me without mercy, Reina remained completely indifferent.

She simply unfolded a beach chair beneath a parasol and lay down as though nothing else in the world mattered.

Then…

Tifana reached into the valley of her swimsuit.

“…?”

After rummaging around for a moment, she pulled out a small bottle.

“Eight, would you put this on for me?”

“W-What’s this?”

“Tanning oil. The shopkeeper told me that having someone of the opposite sex apply it’s practically a beach tradition.”

…I bet that shopkeeper learned that from another summoned person.

Between the school swimsuits and this tanning oil custom…

I was beginning to form a pretty clear picture of what kind of individual had influenced this country.

“Come on, Eight.”

She smiled sweetly while holding the bottle toward me.

“Go ahead.”

“U-um… I don’t know if I should…”

“Oh, don’t be shy. You can rub it in until you’re completely satisfied—”

“Take this.”

“Hyah♡”

Before I even realized she’d returned…

Rio suddenly smacked Tifana squarely on the backside.

“I had a bad feeling… and now I see why.”

She smiled.

It was a perfectly sweet smile.

One that somehow felt utterly terrifying.

“You don’t get to make a move on him all by yourself.”

“Oh my, Rio.”

Tifana laughed gracefully.

“‘Making a move’ is such an ugly way to put it.”

“…Eight-niichan.”

Rio’s smile never faltered.

“I need to have a little talk with Mom.”

“…O-Okay.”

With what looked like the embodiment of impending doom standing silently behind her, Rio cheerfully dragged Tifana away.

Guess I’ll start making lunch.

“There are still plenty of ingredients Raphiel-sama stuffed into the refrigerator without asking… and I bought a lot of fresh seafood from the morning market too.”

Fortunately, a nearby rental shop had loaned me a large iron griddle and everything else I needed.

The first step…

Preparation.

I picked up the shrimp-like sea centipedes I’d bought earlier that morning.

Sliding a toothpick beneath the shell, I carefully removed the vein before peeling them.

Next came something that looked almost exactly like Japanese flying squid.

I separated the body from the legs before slicing the tube into bite-sized rings.

As for the liver…

I’ll save that and make shiokara later.

I spread oil across the hot griddle.

The shrimp and squid went on first.

Once they had lightly cooked and their colors began changing, I added sliced carrots and cabbage.

After everything was cooked through, I pushed the ingredients off to one side of the griddle, creating an empty space.

“Now loosen up the Chinese noodles and let them slowly cook until the bottoms develop a light golden crust!”

Once just the right amount of moisture had evaporated…

I seasoned everything simply with salt and pepper.

Finally, I mixed the noodles back together with the seafood and vegetables using the spatulas.

“And that’s seafood salt yakisoba!”

Most people associated yakisoba with sweet sauce.

But when seafood was involved…

Salt was definitely the superior choice.

Besides that, I skewered the rest of the seafood I’d bought and arranged everything neatly over the barbecue grill.

Now lunch was complete.

I called everyone over.

“Food’s ready!”

“I’m starving!!”

“It smells delicious!”

“What a wonderful aroma…”

“Father! I want an extra-large serving!!”

I dished generous portions of yakisoba for the children first.

Then I served Tifana and the other adults.

“Eating your cooking while enjoying the sea breeze somehow makes it taste even better, Eight.”

“Sabine… feeding myself is too much work. Feed me.”

“You still haven’t learned how to ask people for favors properly, Reina.”

Just then…

Raphiel and Eve finally returned.

Eve, in particular, was completely covered from head to toe in sand.

Looking toward the beach…

I saw why.

Towering over the shoreline stood a gigantic sandcastle that had to be several dozen meters tall.

“Eve… you actually built all that?”

“Of course.”

She proudly puffed out her chest.

“I guess I’m a natural-born architect too.”

“Hmph.”

Raphiel folded her arms.

“A castle that small could be destroyed with a single punch.”

“Oh?”

Eve narrowed her eyes.

“You wanna fight?”

“Gladly.”

Raphiel answered without missing a beat.

“One of my specialties happens to be siege warfare.”

Sparks practically flew between them as they glared at one another.

I sighed.

“It doesn’t matter which one of you wins. Go wash your hands and eat before the food gets cold.”

“Okaaay!”

Both of them instantly answered in perfect unison before happily running off toward the water.

Watching them go…

I suddenly noticed something strange.

Among Luka and the other children…

There was one unfamiliar little figure quietly eating yakisoba alongside them.

Did they already make a new friend?

Smiling to myself, I watched the children chatting happily together.

Then…

The small girl stood up.

Carrying an empty plate, she trotted straight over to me.

Without saying much, she held it out.

“…More…”

“…Little Dragon King?”

“Mhm.”

At some point…

Without anyone noticing…

The Dragon King had somehow slipped into Luka’s group and was casually eating lunch with the children as though she had always belonged there.