Chapter 14

Today’s catch was 10 river shrimp and a Cyclops’ eyeball. However, all the shrimp were caught by Rina. With this, I can’t even pretend to be a senior. From next time, I need to study my fishing techniques a bit more.

“Cyclops, that’s quite dangerous. There wasn’t a standing request for it, right?”

“Yeah, I saw one near the Sylsaris Bridge, on the other side of the river. It was just one, and it was unarmed.”

“Well, that’s a problem. We need to send someone to investigate.”

At the processing plant, we had the Cyclops’ parts checked and received a voucher to hand over to the guild. Additionally, since this was an unexpected encounter, and it was a Cyclops, we needed to have that noted as well. That’s the job of the dissection professionals.

“Mongrel, did you gut the corpse?”

“Oh, I forgot.”

“I see. Next time, don’t forget to check the contents. If there are humans or livestock in the stomach, the handling will be more serious.”

Honestly, I don’t really want to see the insides of humanoid monsters. I’ll remember that for next time.

“Our party also checked the stomach and intestines of the ogre.”

“Ugh, that’s gross.”

“Yeah, it really is. It’s different when you’re dealing with that type of monster.”

After a short wait, the voucher was written, and we were able to return to Regal.

While enjoying the sensation of the shrimp thrashing around inside the pot, I temporarily left them in my lodging to let them clean themselves out for a day.

The report on the Cyclops is the troublesome part. If I had encountered it alone, I could have just kept quiet, but Rina is here. As a senior, I need to set a good example, which is the tough part.

“A Cyclops near the Sylsaris Bridge… That’s a problem. Recently, rookies have been running around doing whatever they want, so they might have disturbed some remote area.”

After showing the voucher to the receptionist, we were immediately taken to the guild’s deputy leader’s office. The deputy leader, a hardworking man, usually handles all the tedious tasks in place of the often absent guild leader. He probably has a detailed map of the Sylsaris River in his head. Guild branch members are usually very knowledgeable about the surrounding geography.

“Was this hunt done by the two of you?”

“Yeah, pretty much. Rina shot the Cyclops’ head with an arrow from across the river, and then it stumbled over and crossed the river, where I finished it off.”

“Well, that’s not exactly it. My archery isn’t that good.”

“Hmm… Was there a request for the riverbank? I’m sorry, I don’t quite remember.”

“We were fishing for shrimp. There are a lot of them around there this time of year.”

“Ah… I see. I understand.”

The deputy leader seemed a bit troubled.

“Hmm, I don’t really want to, but a re-investigation is necessary. We’ll send a team of Silver-ranked or higher to scout the area. If they come up empty a couple of times, that should be enough.”

“Wait, the guild will handle it? Won’t the guards take care of it?”

“The timing is bad… The guards are busy with security and disputes within Regal. Lately, they’ve been delegating everything outside to us.”

Ah, the city has become crowded, making things difficult. I’m sorry. It’s my fault.

“By the way, I think both Mongrel and Rina are still Bronze. Isn’t it about time for Rina to be promoted?”

“I’m just fine as I am.”

“You say that, but you don’t want to be promoted.”

“I don’t.”

“Yeah… Me. Promotion… Hmm… I just became Bronze 3 recently, so I think it’s a bit early. I still have a lot to learn.”

Rina’s bronze plate, hanging around her neck, has three star-shaped decorations embedded in it. The number of stars indicates the finer details of one’s rank within the same tier. Bronze 3 is just one step below Silver, the same as me. The transition to a new material for the plate is the most strictly reviewed. In my case, I’m being pushed to promote quickly.

“Got it. Just keep improving steadily. Good archers are valuable.”

“Yeah.”

“Mongrel… Well, since you’re earning contribution points, I won’t say much.”

“Hehehe, sorry.”

“But the guild’s reputation is at stake. If you refuse promotion, you should clearly communicate that to those around you. We don’t want rumors that the guild is holding back promotions based on race.”

“Of course, I’ll continue to make my stance clear as usual.”

The guild wants to have a certain number of Silver-ranked or higher members available for situations like this, but they can’t force someone who is earning contribution points and acting as a model to promote.

“Phew, dealing with higher-ups is suffocating.”

Leaving the deputy leader’s office, I felt a sense of relief. What a relief.

“I understand. It’s even worse when dealing with nobles.”

“Yeah, I talk to Artemis quite often.”

“I can’t go into details… But I try not to stand out and hide behind everyone else.”

“That’s the best approach.”

Nobles in this world, or in the Halperia Kingdom, are genuinely scary. The best choice is to avoid drawing their attention. Especially for those with skills, they are often targeted, both positively and negatively. If I pretend to only be able to “enhance,” I can blend in with the crowd.

“So, are these edible shrimp?”

“Yeah. When fried in oil, the shell and legs are crispy and delicious.”

The next day at noon, we decided to eat fried shrimp at “The Forest’s Bounty.” We paid the restaurant to prepare it because setting up the cooking oil and equipment is a hassle. Ideally, we would do it ourselves, but it’s too much trouble. Besides, I want to drink ale freely.

“Wow, they look so colorful and beautiful… They smell great.”

“Try them, try them.”

“Mmm… Mmm! Delicious! So good!”

What a delightful smile. Then I’ll…

“Rina, I’m going to eat the shrimp!”

“Feel free, I paid for the preparation.”

“Thanks, hehehe.”

“Your laugh is creepy.”

Since Rina caught all the shrimp, I can be as humble as I want for good food.

Let’s see… Ah, the fresh smell of the just-fried shrimp. The shell… Yeah, it’s a bit larger than I expected, but it’s still edible.

“This goes well with ale…”

“Excuse me, another ale!”

But Rina drinks a lot. I knew she was strong, but I’ve never seen her completely drunk. It’s probably due to the weaker alcohol in this world and her constitution.

“Hey, Rina. Try some vinegar on it.”

“Eh, this? Is it okay to make it sour?”

“Well, squeezing citrus is best, but you’re missing out on half of life if you don’t try it.”

“Your life philosophy is made of shrimp and vinegar… But okay, let’s see… Mmm! Delicious!”

“See?”

Well, vinegar is also used on fish and chips. I prefer it on fried seafood more than on meat.

“Ah… Shrimp fishing is great…”

“Right?”

Drinking from noon and enjoying delicious snacks. What a cultural day.

“Well, not to the point of betting my life on it…”

“Let’s go fishing again sometime.”

“Yeah! But next time, Mongrel-senpai, you need to catch some too.”

“Sure.”

Next time, I’ll definitely try to redeem myself. The food is only as good as the effort you put into catching it.