The maid squad is too strong, what use is there for me, the Demon King?

Gray glanced around the cabin at the people participating in the meeting, totaling twenty-three people (excluding Gray and Alice Villa).

The majority of them were middle-aged or elderly, accounting for about 80% of the total population. There were a few young, strong men, and a little girl who looked to be a little over ten years old.

A faint magical fluctuation could be sensed from the little girl. Gray believed that Alice Violet thought the little girl was a promising talent, after all, she was a rare professional among ordinary people, and she was still so young.

Low emotional intelligence: a tiny little thing.

High emotional intelligence: Great potential for growth.

Gray estimated that the middle-aged and elderly people Alice had chosen were all village chiefs, and from larger villages at that, otherwise there wouldn't be so few of them; the number of people in the small villages they passed along the way was much greater.

Gray had no objection to Aliceville's selection, as long as she had some prestige among the people (at least in the village), that was all that mattered.

Abilities are secondary; they weren't really expected to help with the main battles during the War of the Eight Princes in Westphalia anyway.

Being able to farm and support oneself is enough; of course, it would be even better if some logistical support could be provided.

Alice Wilt smiled and began the meeting: "Everyone, I have some good news. We can change things up a bit."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room was somewhat bewildered.

They understood the idea of ​​changing their diet; it just meant eating something else to fill their stomachs. But what else could they possibly eat? They could barely survive on black bread and undercooked flatbread. They had always thought that this was all the Second Princess could do. After all, she had been distributing relief food to thousands of people for so many days; having anything to eat was already a blessing. They couldn't possibly expect anything more luxurious.

Want to dig for wild vegetables?

This is one of the few other food sources they can think of.

Seeing their bewildered expressions, Aliceville smiled and said, "We have to thank Mr. Gray of the Shadow Court for providing us with better food."

Gray raised an eyebrow slightly when he heard this, but said nothing.

He allowed Aliceville to openly declare the Shadow Court, with the aim of boosting its reputation among the common people.

The Shadow Court is something most Westphalians have never heard of. Even in the Olmec Kingdom, where the Shadow Court is active, few ordinary people know about it. However, the Grand Merchant Guild, which provides financial support for the Shadow Court's activities, is a household name.

Compared to the Shadow Court, an organization they had never even heard of, they were more concerned about what Aliceville meant by "better food."

However, they don't need to ask directly; someone will naturally raise the question on their behalf.

"Sister Aliceville, did you bring anything delicious?"

A tiny, delicate, and somewhat immature voice rang out; it belonged to the youngest girl in the room, though Alice was only a teenager herself.

Alice Villa knew that this little foodie would be the first to ask.

The little guy looks small, but he has a big appetite, eating more than a normal adult. Perhaps because he is a professional, his body needs more energy and nutrition.

However, Alice Villanre didn't think she could eat as much as the little one in one meal.

The little one isn't picky about food; she enjoys eating black bread, but that doesn't mean she doesn't want to eat better things.

Aliceville gently touched the spatial ring.

Immediately afterwards, a heavy sack of rice slammed onto the table with a dull thud.

"This is it."

Aliceville untied the cloth bag, revealing the rice grains.

Most of the middle-aged and elderly people at the scene had poor eyesight and could not see clearly, so they could only get close to look at the white, tiny grains of rice.

"This is?"

An elderly village chief spoke first: "Your Highness, Second Princess, please forgive this old man for being ignorant, but may I ask what this is?"

The little one immediately chimed in, "Right? Sister Aliceville, what's this?"

“You may not have seen the actual product, but you’ve probably heard of it, right?” Aliceville smiled and said, “Rice is cooked using the stuff in the bag.”

These words immediately caused an uproar in the room, with everyone discussing the matter.

The little girl was the most honest of all, and tears immediately streamed down her face.

However, most people still...

"Your Highness, Second Princess..." After some discussion, the old village chief stepped forward to express everyone's opinion: "We are of lowly status and cannot afford such precious things..."

After all, in the eyes of the Westphalians, rice was a scarce food that only royalty and nobility could afford.

Rather than spending a fortune to taste this rare delicacy, they would rather be able to survive by eating black bread every day.

How much black bread could you buy with the money from this bag of rice?

Alice Villa knew what they wanted to say and said, "It's not as precious as you think. This was provided by Gray. He came all the way from abroad. In his country, this is just ordinary food."

Gray spoke up at the right moment, not intending to slack off the whole time: "I'll cook a portion for everyone to try first."

Then take out the necessary tools for cooking rice.

Water, earthenware steamer (a type of steamer with holes at the bottom), and bowls for serving rice.

There was a buzz of discussion among the audience, but Gray noticed a little guy sneaking over.

“Brother Gray…”

This little creature seemed to know how to use its petite and adorable size to easily get close to Gray, its intentions evident in its drooling.

"Cai'er wants to eat..."

The little one just wanted to be the first to eat crab (rice).

Gray chuckled at the little foodie's little scheme: "Okay."

Then the earthenware pot was placed in place, water and rice were added, and a flame was lit under the pot.

The townspeople were startled by the sudden appearance of the flames and immediately realized that this "Mr. Gray" was a professional, and a magic-based professional who could use fire magic.

That's a misunderstanding; Gray has never considered himself a noble mage.

He does know basic magic, but he generally doesn't use it in combat.

This little bit of magic is not as powerful as Gray's punch with his magic power, so it can only be used in special situations.

Alice Villa watched Gray's actions and pondered.

It was cast without chanting. Although it was only a first-tier fire spell, mages without fire talent could not use it, and casting it instantly without chanting was something that low-level mages who had not studied it deeply could not do.

But when Alice saw Gray jump off the roof and land steadily, she realized that he was clearly a professional who cultivated physical constitution.

Alice Villanelle was once again convinced of Gray's strength and realized she was no match for him. She was once again grateful that Gray had no ill intentions towards her.

Little Cai'er didn't think about all that.

She stood beside Gray, full of anticipation.