Welcome to Hell!

Chapter 108: The Carnela Port Recapture Operation (15)

We had finished digging the underground passage and were allowed to go outside once. Besides us, there were others who were also digging underground passages, but it seemed that the imperial army would launch a full-scale attack only after the passages were all done.

“Wow… the sunlight is so warm and bright,”

“Huh? Tears are welling up in my eyes…”

Many of the demons, including Tigar and others, who emerged from beneath the surface, trembled in awe of the sunlight. Although we were demons accustomed to darkness, being in a place without light for so long had caused considerable stress for everyone. The joy of being liberated from that was immeasurable.

Meanwhile, there were individuals like me who remained unaffected by such emotions. One such example was Sophie, who seemed more bothered by the dirt and dust clinging to her long hair than by the joy of being on the surface.

This peculiar sensation must have been a result of the organisms we were synthesized with when we became demons. For someone like me, who was perfectly content being buried in the sand, and for Sophie, who was synthesized with the Gemstone Snake that dwelled in caves, being in dark and enclosed spaces posed no burden.

Putting aside the individual differences among demons, I didn’t expect to be granted leisure time simply because we had ventured outside after such a long time. I assumed we would be immediately ordered to join the battle on the surface. With a sense of resignation, I held onto that belief. However, what came out of Marcellus’ mouth, who awaited us above ground, was an unexpected statement.

“Great job with the underground passage work. I apologize for the quick turnaround, but we have been assigned our next mission. Our next task is… to monitor the sea for potential threats and secure provisions”

According to Marcellus, the Imperial Army was concerned about the arrival of reinforcements in the form of battleships. However, the Republican Navy had suffered a devastating blow in its initial battle against the Imperial Army and was currently undergoing rapid reconstruction. Therefore, the responsibility of maritime patrol monitoring fell upon the demons who were capable of flight.

While the flying demons kept watch over the sea, we weren’t allowed to simply enjoy ourselves. During that time, we would act as fishermen on the coast, supplementing the Imperial Army’s rations. Although an ample amount of food was being sent from the rear, it was quite a burden to sustain the stomachs of one hundred thousand soldiers. It would be preferable if the imperial army could gather provisions locally.

Hence, we were given the order to catch fish in large quantities using nets, as opposed to the traditional method of individually hooking them with fishing rods. At first glance, it didn’t seem like a particularly difficult task, but if we were to repeat it from morning till evening, the situation would change. It would become a labor-intensive task comparable to excavating the underground passages.

As soon as we heard the mission briefing, we set off without delay. We advanced eastward from our main camp until we reached the coastline. There, nets provided by the supply unit from the rear were already laid out. Now, how are you supposed to use these? I had no idea.

Marcellus approached the supply unit responsible for managing the nets to confirm the handover and other details. Once that was done, the supply unit swiftly headed back south. All that remained were the large boxes containing the nets and about ten carts, likely meant for transporting the caught fish.

The carts were stacked with empty wooden crates, presumably for packing the fish. However, there were no horses or other animals hitched to the carts. It seemed we would have to transport them manually.

“We’ve heard the instructions, so we’ll be fine. First…”

Following Marcellus’ instructions, we started our fishing operation. While we were holding one end of the ropes extending from the massive net, Mika and the others, who could fly, held the opposite ends and spread the net out into the sea. Then, as they returned, we would take hold of the ropes they carried and pull them back together in one swift motion.

Initially, I had doubts about how successful this method called “seine fishing” would be in catching our prey. However, when we finally hauled the net back up, it was filled to the brim with an abundance of fish and seafood.

Since the occupation of Carnela Port, there hadn’t been any fishing activity in these waters, so Mika speculated that the number of fish and seafood had increased… That being said, it still wouldn’t be enough to satisfy the stomachs of one hundred thousand soldiers. We would need to continue fishing.

“After removing the entrails, we’ll freeze them using our spiritual arts and pack them into the crates to transport them back to the main camp. I apologize to everyone, but we’ll have to keep fishing until the other underground passages are completed. Decius, I’m counting on you for the rest,”

“Yes, Vice Commander”

Marcellus entrusted the command of the fishing operation to Decius and headed back to the main camp. It seemed he wouldn’t accompany us this time. Decius later explained the situation to us.

“There are quite a few responsibilities for our vice commander. Especially since our commander… isn’t exactly dedicated to his duties.”

The commander he mentioned must be that tall, skinny man who only bossed us around on the first day and then disappeared. From Decius’ tone, it seemed like Marcellus had to handle the commander’s tasks as well. He had it tough as well.

“Well then, enough talk. Let’s start the work. Anything that can’t be eaten, we’ll throw back into the sea.”

Following Decius’ instructions, we began packing the crates. We unloaded wooden boxes from the carts and processed the still-living fish before placing them inside and sealing the lids. Sharl, who was skilled in the use of spiritual arts, and Tuhru, adept at freezing, froze the sealed crates, which were then loaded back onto the carts.

All ten carts were filled to the brim with crates from just one round of fishing. However, I couldn’t help but notice that there were still many fish and seafood left in the nets. Were we not going to eat them?

“They can be eaten, especially the shellfish. They all look splendid. It’s possible that the Empire lacks a culinary culture… Decius, would that be acceptable?” Mika said.

“What is it?” Decius asked.

“There are still shellfish and such in the nets. They should be edible, but are we going to discard them as well?”

“Edible…? These?”

Decius frowned noticeably in response to Mika’s question. It seemed he either didn’t recognize them as food or genuinely believed they were inedible. Whether he was simply unaware or if they were truly not consumed in the Empire remained uncertain. However, one thing was certain—he didn’t instruct us to put them in the crates.

I picked up a squirming creature from the net with my fingers. The knowledge within me informed me that it was a shrimp. I wasn’t sure if it was edible or not, but since my days as a scorpion, I had consumed copious amounts of toxins. If there was any poison, I could usually taste it, or it wouldn’t affect me at all. Without hesitation, I tossed it into my mouth.

The moment it entered my mouth, I was greeted by the salty taste of seawater. Ignoring that, I vigorously crunched through the shell, and although it differed from dried fruit, it had a sweet flavor as well. There was no trace of poison. In fact, it wasn’t bad at all. I picked up a second shrimp and devoured it.

“Is this actually delicious?”

“…”

Without hesitation, I nodded in response to Tigar’s question. He looked intrigued and followed suit, lifting a shrimp and putting it in his mouth. Like me, he crunched through the shell and chewed, before swallowing with a gulp.

“Oh? This is quite good! You all should try it too!” Tigar exclaimed.

“Is that so? Well then, I shall give it a taste as well,”

As soon as Tigar claimed it was edible, the other demons who had been watching me with curiosity began eating the shrimp as well. It seemed to appeal to their tastes, as more and more of them joined in.

However, I noticed that only a few of us, including Tigar and myself, ate the shrimp without bothering to remove the shells. The others took the time to peel off the shells before consuming them. It seemed they disliked the toughness and the risk of it getting stuck in their throats. If they found it tastier that way, then that was perfectly fine.

Next, I lifted a crab from the nets, mingling with the shrimp. During the infiltration mission, I had eaten a small crab that had tried to pass by me while I was hidden in the sand. It had been decent that time, so this should be edible too.

The crab, about the size of my head, swung its pincers in resistance as I held it. Annoyed by its behavior, I tore it apart from the base and tossed it into my mouth.

The shell of this crab was much tougher compared to the shrimp. However, it was no match for the power of my jaws. As I crunched through the shell, a different kind of sweetness spread in my mouth. Encouraged by this, I devoured the crab entirely. However, I honestly didn’t enjoy the slimy texture of something that resided within its body.

Nevertheless, some individuals found it appealing just like me. Tigar, Gora, and even Tuhru seemed to favor it. However, instead of consuming the whole shell like me, they dismantled the crab and ate its contents.

“…Huh?”

“Hey, are you going to try that too?! You’ve got guts”

Setting aside the shellfish since Mika had mentioned they were edible… the last thing I had to try was a slimy creature with numerous legs. According to my knowledge, it was called an octopus. Despite its eerie appearance, could it be consumed? I hesitated for a moment before sinking my teeth into the head of the octopus.

Hmm, the taste is quite peculiar, I can’t quite put my finger on it. Just as I was about to take another bite, two of the creature’s legs stuck to my face. I severed the annoying legs with the small pincers on my cheeks and decided to give them a taste.

Oh? The legs seem sweeter than the head. As I was examining the flavor, the wriggling legs clung to my face once again. I severed them with the cheek pincers, but they still clung to my face even after being cut. Using the pincers again, I severed the legs and placed them in my mouth.

Indeed, the legs are sweeter than the head. Encouraged by this, I continued cutting the octopus legs with my small pincers and savored them in my mouth.

“Oh wow! This is delicious too!”

“I can enjoy this as well!”

While I was relishing the octopus, Tigar and the others were indulging in the shellfish. They used their demon strength to crush the shells and consumed the meat inside. It seems shellfish are indeed edible. There’s no need for me to verify that.

Now then, let’s try something that no one has eaten yet. With that thought in mind, I picked up a star-shaped creature with resilient skin—a sea star-like creature known as a “starfish”

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TN: mc eats anything lol