Chapter 24 - Catching Fish
"Oh! I caught one."
"Ooh! How many is that now?"
"The sixth one!"
"Dammit, I've only got three!"
Downstream, where the river flow was gentle. Perhaps because of the mossy stones and patches of grass that fish seem to like, many fish were swimming in the transparent water.
Thanks to that, they bit well when we put on bait and dropped our hooks.
Toak knew the spots where fish gathered, but I think we're lucky to have so many fish gathered here.
Since I have to provide for my own dinner and give some to Elgis-san, I have to catch a lot without missing this opportunity.
"Oh, it's an Ayu."
Looking at the fish I landed, it was an Ayu. (T/N: A local river fish similar to sweetfish).
These are delicious when grilled with salt. I've eaten this fish many times, and salt goes so well with that light white meat. It's my favorite river fish.
Recalling the taste in my mind, saliva flooded my mouth.
I pulled in the line extending from the fishing rod and put the Ayu into the bucket filled with water.
"That means the school of fish over there are all Ayu. I'll aim for that spot."
I put fresh bait on the hook and cast it a bit further than before.
Then, the hook sank with a plop and moved toward the school of Ayu with the flow of the water.
While moving the rod to make the bait look lively, I waited calmly for the prey to take the hook.
The sound of the water flowing with a cool sound was pleasant. If I took a deep breath, I could smell the scent of water, moss, grass, and various other natural fragrances.
The pleasure of outwitting a fish and landing it is the best part of fishing, but I think it's also a good thing to surrender oneself to nature like this and taste a sense of unity.
While feeling as if I were blending with nature, I closed my eyes and was spacing out when a vibration traveled from the rod.
Judging by the twitching sensation, a fish must be pecking at the bait. The rod in my hand bent slightly.
Not yet. I shouldn't pull it up yet.
Judging so, I waited intently, and then the rod was pulled with a jerk.
—Now!
The moment I thought that, I put strength into the hand holding the rod and pulled.
Feeling the weight of the hook catching the fish, I pulled, and the fish struggled on the surface, creating water splashes.
"Again!? That was fast!?"
Hearing Toak's surprised voice, I pulled in the rod so it wouldn't escape. Whether by chance or because it was smart, it tried to flee into a spot where stones were scattered, but I blocked that and pulled.
And when the fish's movements slowed, I pulled the rod up all at once.
What appeared from the surface was the same grayish-green Ayu as before.
"Ooh! That's huge!?"
However, it was far larger than the usual fifteen-centimeter size. It was just under twenty centimeters.
It was quite a big one for an Ayu and looked like it would be worth eating.
I slowly pulled in the Ayu dangling in the air. It would be terrible if it escaped here.
While feeling nervous as the Ayu twisted its body, I managed to pull it in and put it into the bucket.
"Phew..."
I felt a sense of accomplishment from catching a somewhat large one.
Comparing it to the Ayu I caught earlier, it really is big.
Today, I suddenly invited Flora and caused her trouble, and the fishing rod belongs to Elgis-san.
I'll make this the fish I share with Elgis-san's house.
"Toak—! How's it going over there?"
"I haven't caught a single thing since the third one!"
When I called out to Toak on the opposite bank, a grumpy voice came back.
"Isn't it because you have such a grumpy face?"
"My face has nothing to do with it!"
I'm sure the fish are sensing some animalistic instinct and avoiding him.
Toak cast his hook while knitting his brows.
After that, whether the fish took the bait or it just drifted away, he replaced the bait twice.
In the meantime, I had caught two more Ayu.
I feel a bit bad that only I am doing well. However, competing for the number of prey is part of the fun, so I won't hold back.
"How is it—? Are you catching a lot?"
As I put on new bait and sank the hook, Aisha and Flora came over with their hair fluttering.
The long red and golden hair swaying in the wind was very beautiful.
"How is it going?"
Flora, who came to my side, asked while holding down her hair that was flowing in the wind.
Thanks to wiping off the moisture with the towel, her blouse was no longer transparent. It's a secret that there was a part of me that felt a bit disappointed.
"I'm catching quite a lot. I've already caught nine."
"Nine already even though not much time has passed? That's amazing! And this Ayu is big..."
Flora, peering into the bucket, said with an innocent smile.
Being praised like that makes me want to catch even more.
I wonder if the adventurers who were praised by the beautiful receptionists at the guild felt like this.
I didn't particularly care back then, but if Flora were a receptionist, I might have jumped into deadly situations with glee. The Adventurer's Guild does some pretty wicked things.
"...Over there, you can tell his status just by looking at his face."
Aisha laughed while pointing at Toak.
Toak must have realized Aisha was laughing, as a deep wrinkle appeared between his brows. The irregular shaking of the rod wasn't to lure fish, but likely a tremor from anger.
However, perhaps thanks to that anger luring the fish, Toak's rod bent.
"Oh! Here it comes!"
Switching from a surly face to a lively expression, Toak pulled in the rod.
It seems he finally got a bite over there too.
"It looks like a fish bit on Toak-san's side."
"...It might be a shoe or a piece of wood, you know?"
"Looking at that reaction, it's a fish."
If that were a piece of wood, Toak would be too pitiful.
Against the fish thrashing on the surface, Toak patiently continued to pull.
I couldn't see well because of the distance, but I saw a large, white body for a moment. That must be quite a big one. As proof, Toak's rod was bending significantly.
It was a bigger pull than the Ayu I had caught.
Toak, with a serious expression, slowly pulled it toward himself.
We continued to watch Toak with bated breath... and then,
"Hah!"
Toak vigorously swung the rod up. The fish that had been submerged in the water soared into the air.
It was a long, white fish called a Shiragisu. (T/N: A local river fish).
It is characterized by its slimy skin and the way it moves like a snake, and when grilled, it has thick yet light-tasting meat and is very delicious.
"Oh! You did it, Toak!"
"Congratulations!"
"Hehe, thanks!"
When Flora and I let out voices of admiration, Toak laughed bashfully.
Then, he happily and carefully removed the Shiragisu from the hook and put it into the bucket.
Watching Toak, Aisha let out a mutter.
"...So it didn't end with the Shiragisu slipping from his hand and returning to the river. How boring."
"...I'm definitely not giving any to you!"
[Author's Note]
Another chapter update scheduled for 6:00 PM today. Changed the fish from sweetfish to an original fish called Ayu. It is almost the same as sweetfish.