Chapter 475: The Rice Alone Can Already Be Called a Seafood Feast!
"It smells so good!"
"Ryohei-kun, what are we eating for lunch?"
"..."
As noon approached, everyone returned one after another.
Kobayashi and Tohru, who went sea fishing, also came back—their spoils of war were few, with only a handful of fish and shrimp. It seemed Kobayashi's fishing skills weren't that great.
Or perhaps the poor catch was due to Tohru's true form?
Ryohei wasn't entirely clear on the exact reason either.
At this moment, he was standing in the kitchen with his arms crossed, waiting patiently.
Hearing Elma's voice, he turned his face sideways to look at her and chuckled softly, "For lunch, I prepared Spanish Seafood Paella, Smashed Cucumber Salad, and Winter Melon and Clam Soup."
"Don't be fooled by the small number of dishes; the Spanish Seafood Paella alone is hearty enough!"
Ryohei held up a finger and spoke with assurance: "I put Botan shrimp, Yako shells, clams, squid, cod, and Ise lobster in it, paired with onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and green peas!"
"This rice alone can already be called a seafood feast!"
"Mmm... It sounds so delicious, I'm really looking forward to it! (´﹃｀)" Elma looked at the two large rustic iron woks on the stove, her saliva flowing out disappointingly.
"It's definitely delicious!"
Ryohei couldn't help but smile knowingly looking at her gluttonous appearance.
To be honest, as a chef, there probably wasn't anyone who wouldn't like a big gluttonous girl like her, especially now that she was wearing a sexy bikini outfit—that was definitely a bonus point!
Ryohei's mood unconsciously brightened up quite a bit!
"Is the food ready? I'm starving."
Jashin-chan strolled into the kitchen rubbing her belly. She had expended quite a bit of energy this morning, so she got hungry faster than usual.
"Almost."
Ryohei turned his head and casually replied.
Immediately after, the few little ones also came into the kitchen, asking about what they were having for lunch and when it would be ready...
...
Fifteen minutes later—
In the spacious, bright, and rather stylish dining room, the group divided into two tables, the atmosphere relaxed and lively.
The main character of today's lunch was undoubtedly the Spanish Seafood Paella.
The freshly cooked paella steamed with heat. The orange-yellow rice grains were plump and distinct, having absorbed all the essence of the seafood, looking oily and shiny.
The rice was generously topped with various top-tier seafood, bringing a tremendous sense of visual satisfaction.
The rich, fresh aroma wafted against their faces, enticing everyone to dig in and completely opening their appetites!
"It's my first time eating Spanish Seafood Paella... The portion of seafood is truly generous!"
A smile of anticipation brimming on her face, Yurine picked up a porcelain spoon.
She said "Itadakimasu," then scooped up a spoonful of the orange-yellow rice along with a few green peas and a shelled, translucent pinkish-white Botan shrimp, and put it into her mouth.
"Mmm-hmm—!"
A single bite that captured the soul!
A rich, honey-like sweet aroma, accompanied by a hint of hay or tobacco-like slight bitterness and spiciness, swept through her mouth with an overall warm, deep, and exotic fragrance.
—This was the taste of saffron!
Immediately following, the pungent aroma of the stir-fried onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers surged up along with a complex, fresh oceanic umami flavor.
Yurine couldn't help but close her teeth and gently chew—
The outer layer of the rice was soft, while the core carried a perfectly al dente chewiness. The green peas were sweet and soft, bringing a hint of fresh herbal fragrance. The Botan shrimp, whose surface had been lightly seared with a blowtorch, had a glutinous, sticky, and incomparably fresh and sweet texture...
"It's so delicious!"
Yurine couldn't help but tilt her chin up, the lines on her face softening completely.
"Super delicious! This taste makes it impossible to stop!" Minos ate joyfully, her silver-white cow tail swaying gently behind her, displaying her happy mood.
Elma at the neighboring table deeply agreed with this. She buried her head and furiously scarfed down her food, making snorting and puffing sounds, almost eating to the point of making pig noises.
"—Truly stunning!"
Persephone once again envied her daughter for being able to frequently eat such delicious cuisine.
"It's simply too delicious! Spanish Seafood Paella is so good!" Atre let out a cry of pleasant surprise, her voice softer than usual.
"..."
"The Ise lobster meat is firm and bouncy, carrying a fresh sweet taste. The cod pieces are fresh, tender, and juicy, possessing a melt-in-the-mouth texture... Every bite is full of layers!"
The pink-haired angel sat beside Yurine, cupping her cheek with one hand, a face full of intoxication.
Lucoa sat nearby, her mature and charming face full of enjoyment: "The squid rings are soft and tender with a bouncy chew, forming a delightful contrast with the crispness of the Yako shells, and the clams are fresh and juicy..."
"And the thing that absolutely cannot be ignored is the rice—it embraces and integrates all the flavors!"
Yusa, who had put a lot of effort into this lunch, excitedly took over the conversation.
As they continued to taste, various different ocean flavors converged and overlapped in their mouths, forming a highly impactful yet incredibly harmonious taste experience!
—Her consciousness was dragged into the sea by this taste experience!
"..."
Glug glug—!
A string of silver-white bubbles floated towards the sea surface.
Yusa opened her eyes, and what met her sight was a colorful underwater world.
Sunlight pierced through the sparkling sea surface, shattering into thousands of golden threads that gently spilled across the shallows.
Colorful corals grew in scattered clusters, and schools of fish clad in iridescent scales shuttled leisurely like drifting clouds.
A few Ise lobsters waved their large pincers, patrolling their territory majestically. Botan shrimp clung lightly to the reefs, slowly foraging for seaweed.
"..." Yusa felt as if she had become a mermaid.
Looking down—
Two milky-white shells were affixed to her full chest, and her icy blue fish tail shimmered with a faint pearlescent glow under the sunlight.
She suddenly felt a sensation in her heart and turned to look in a certain direction—
Only to see a throne constructed from materials like coral, shells, and pearls quietly standing atop an underwater hill.
Sitting on the throne was a young man she shared an intimate relationship with—he had a human body and a fish tail, wore a golden crown on his head, and held a trident, just like the sovereign of the seabed.
Surrounding the sovereign were several familiar, beautiful silhouettes...