Having visited Lilliwood, Magnawell, and Megiddo, our next stop was naturally Isis's castle.
Despite our unannounced arrival, the ever-kind Isis welcomed us warmly. As we sipped our tea, Kuro began to explain the details of her Baby Castella research.
"...I see... Baby Castella is delicious... I can understand... the desire to make it... even better."
"Right? Exactly! Baby Castella has infinite potential!"
"...Yes... but... I am not very knowledgeable about this... A method... that Kuromueina hasn't tried yet... Hmmm... What do you all think?"
Wearing a pensive expression at Kuro's question, Isis turned to her subordinates for their input. Since Iris was quite skilled at cooking, I figured we might get some solid advice from her.
While thinking about that, I reached down to stroke Vul, who was affectionately rubbing against my lap as if begging for attention.
"Baby Castella, is it? Since so many flavors have likely already been tested... how about experimenting with the texture? Ingredients aside, the texture changes significantly depending on the degree of baking. Even with the same flavor, a different texture can make it feel like an entirely new snack."
"I see. That’s true. Until now, I’ve always had Ein bake them to a perfect, exquisite consistency, but purposefully baking them until they’re hard might actually be worth a try."
The first to answer was Iris, and as expected of her, the advice was simple yet versatile. It was true that even established flavors would feel different with a change in texture. Plus, since I had received some rice flour from Alice earlier, the range of possible applications seemed quite broad.
"...I didn't eat much before I became Isis-sama’s subordinate, but the Witch Race has its own unique blends of spices. They aren't exactly kept secret, but since we don't really sell them, they're almost never seen on the open market. If I recall correctly, the flavor seemed like it would pair well with Baby Castella."
"Heh, there really are a lot of ingredients unique to specific races, aren't there? I have some acquaintances among the Witch Race, so I'll try reaching out to them soon. Thank you."
Polaris’s suggestion concerned the Witch Race’s secret spices, and Kuro seemed intrigued. With so many different races living in the Demon Realm, there were bound to be countless unique food cultures to explore.
Next up was Sirius. She crossed her arms and tilted her head, speaking with a noticeable lack of confidence.
"...W-What about... using tree sap?"
"That is merely a preference of your own kind, you Insectoid. This is why you muscle-brains are so hopeless..."
"...And do you have a better idea?"
"If you want rare ingredients, then Bloody Berries are essential. If it is me, I can provide them in bulk."
"Those are poisonous fruits that grow on corpses! The only one who would enjoy eating something like that is a Carrion Woman like you!"
"...Hah?"
"...What was that?"
"Stop fighting, you fools. Have some respect for your surroundings."
After both had offered their unconventional ideas, Sirius and Rasal grew confrontational, grabbing each other by the collar. According to Isis, they were supposedly so close that they fought constantly.
Well, Iris eventually lost her patience, grabbed both of them by the scruffs of their necks, and hauled them out of the room. Since they were out of the picture... the last one left was Spica.
"Hmm~, would you like to eat some Blue Crystal Flowers~? I can make some bloom that have been specially adjusted for consumption~."
"Oh, I actually considered that for a moment. If you're willing, Spica-chan, I'd love to have some."
"Certainly~. I'll have some ready for you to take home~."
Spica's answer concerned edible Blue Crystal Flowers—an idea that had crossed my mind when I spoke with Camellia earlier.
Since Spica was the only Blue Crystal Flower Spirit in existence, she was the only one who could provide such an ingredient, and Kuro looked quite fascinated by the prospect.
"Man, everyone at Isis’s place is so unique. It’s fun."
"...Yes... my boastful children..."
"I see. I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, Isis. It makes me happy, too. By the way, do you have any ideas, Isis?"
"...Hmm... Chilling them... maybe?"
"Now that you mention it, Alice was making Baby Castella with ice cream in them during the Six Kings Festival. Maybe we could steer things toward the frozen dessert category?"
"Oh, that's interesting! Baby Castella made specifically to be eaten when it's hot... I like it! I can really feel the potential now!!"
It was deeply annoying that I’d become so adept at participating in these bizarre conversations, but there was no doubt that chilled Baby Castella sounded delicious in its own right.
"...W-Well, anyway, thank you very much, Isis-san."
"...Yes... If I could be of help... to Kaito and Kuromueina... then I am happy, too."
Isis offered a smile so pure it could only be described as angelic.