Iron-Eating Beast

Half an hour later, Aqua Laguna receded.

The gloomy gray sky looked as though it had been washed clean. It turned a brilliant blue once more, without a single white cloud in sight. A blazing sun hung high overhead, lighting all of Water 7.

People reopened their tightly shut doors and windows, then brought out brooms and buckets to collect the concentrated sea salt Aqua Laguna had left on their eaves.

Flooding was no concern. Since its founding, Water 7 had weathered Aqua Laguna every year. Its buildings, canals, and sewers formed an extensive network that could easily drain the city.

On a street in Water 7.

With Kokoro leading the way, Freya walked along the street with Erza, Ayala, and their bodyguard, Scarl the gorilla nanny.

"Is that sea salt?"

Freya, a chef, gazed curiously at the white crystals the people of Water 7 were collecting in their buckets.

"Mm. It's a gift from the sea—highly concentrated sea salt. For a chef, it's an excellent seasoning."

Freya's eyes lit up even more.

A woman sweeping nearby recognized Kokoro. She noticed the beautiful Freya and the two adorable little girls beside her, then came over to ask,

"Oh, Kokoro! Are these your friends? Girls, would you like to try some?"

"Huh? May we?"

"Of course."

Kokoro knew what the woman had in mind, but she did not interfere. Seeing that, Freya dipped a finger into the sea salt and touched it to her tongue. Her eyes lit up at once.

"What a rich flavor!"

Erza and Ayala tried some too, curious.

"Ah... so salty... so salty..."

"It tastes different from ordinary salt..."

Only then did the woman reveal what she was really after.

"Well? Would you like to buy some?"

"Huh! You're selling it?"

Kokoro spoke up then.

"Of course.