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“Wow, what a catch…! Well done, Leone!”
“Fantastic job!”
“Thank you! It’s incredible that the Special Grade Rune allows me to wield all kinds of Artifacts. But let’s hurry and collect the fish…!”

Leone gracefully descended to the water’s edge, wielding her broad, long black greatsword. Using its expansive blade, she skillfully scooped the floating fish from the water, gathering nearly twenty in total.

“Look at these! They’re going to be delicious, freshly caught from the open sea ♪”

Rafinha’s eyes lit up with anticipation.

“It’s rare for us to eat sea fish, so this is exciting.”
“I’m excited as well. Given that Ymir is inland, and the capital is distant from the sea, surrounded mostly by lakes and rivers, sea fish is a novelty. I wonder, do they taste saltier because they live in saltwater?”
“I don’t think there’s much difference…”

Lieselotte chimed in with her thoughts.

“That reminds me, isn’t Shealot along the west coast?”

Liselotte confirmed Inglis’ remark with a nod.

“Indeed. Fish like these are commonly found in Shealot too. Yet, being out here in the open sea, they seem especially lively and large. They’re sure to be delicious.”
“Shall we start grilling them, Rani?”
“Absolutely! Let’s grill ‘em! Oh, Leone, could you catch some more? This barely scratches the surface!”

“Really? Even this big haul isn’t enough… Ahaha…”
“I’m concerned we might deplete the local fish population…”
“No worries, the ocean is vast and bountiful; it will surely provide for us…!”
“Exactly… I once overdid it while fishing in Lake Vault back in the capital and got a scolding from the fishermen, but here… we can catch to our heart’s content!”
“I just hope we leave some for Shealot…”

Their current location was amidst the vast ocean, having traveled from Charalia’s western coast. Their route took them over the Duchy of Althea, Liselotte’s homeland, and the city of Shealot.

“Look, Rani, the fire’s ready.”
“Great, skewer them, let’s get grilling~♪”

While Leone continued her fishing efforts, Inglis, Rafinha, and Liselotte were busy grilling the fish. Soon, the delightful aroma of cooking fish wafted through the air.

To protect themselves from the chill and potential sparks, they donned clothes over their swimsuits, resembling ornate ceremonial robes adorned with large stigmata-like markings on the chest.

Currently, the island’s central systems were largely inactive, leaving only a few facilities operational amidst the silence induced by the emergency. Their visit to Professor Vilkin’s lab, fortunately still functional, was guided by Vilma. They couldn’t even travel to this coastline on autopilot and had to rely on the Star Princess to get here.

Most Highlanders remained hidden in underground shelters, steering clear of the surface to prepare for unexpected Prism Flows and magic stone beast attacks. A Prism Flow incident would have catastrophic consequences for the inhabitants.

Thus, despite the island’s picturesque surroundings—a vast city bordered by clear blue waters under a pristine sky—it felt eerily deserted. Yet, to them, it seemed as if they had the entire place to themselves, adding a unique charm to their experience.

“Alright, it’s time to eat~!”
“Holding so many skewers at once will only make it difficult for you to eat, Rani.”
“But I don’t want them to escape!”

Rafinha’s response suggested Inglis’ advice was playfully disregarded.

In mere moments, the fish skewered by Rafinha were reduced to mere heads and bones.

“Wehsais, ah nyow def jast myaying dho maihk mee dlob mah pess…! (Besides, I know you’re just trying to make me drop my pace…!)” Rafinha mumbled, her words almost incomprehensible with her mouth full.

“Ah wyon fho dad…! (I won’t do that…!)” Inglis replied, her speech equally muffled as she juggled two skewers per finger in each hand. Despite the disadvantage her smaller size usually presented in eating contests against Rafinha, she was determined not to fall behind.

Before long, they had created a small mountain of fish bones.

““Leone! Seconds, please!”” they chorused, still eager for more.

“Alright, alright. I got it, I’ll go catch more…” Leone said, chuckling and readying herself to dive back into the sea. She discarded the ceremonial robe draped over her swimsuit, revealing her readiness to fetch another round of fish. However, Rene — usually found snugly hidden in Leone’s bosom — was conspicuously absent.