Chapter 81

When I returned to Regol, the gatekeeper, who was yawning widely at the sky, greeted me with a lack of enthusiasm.

"Huh? Mongrel, were you out for seven days?"

"Yeah. I was hunting deep in the forest, eating and repeating the cycle. As you can see, most of my catch is just fur. I ate everything that was edible."

"Oh, I thought it was meat. So all that bulge is just fur?"

"Sorry, it's not edible. Do you want some Halperferret jerky?"

"That stuff is terrible. No thanks, just get inside!"

"Sure thing."

At the processing plant, I handed over the furs and paid the tanning fee. Bringing back untreated furs wouldn't be worth anything. Only after paying for the tanning process and getting the finished product would it become my income.

This time, I got a good number of Halperferret skins, which should fetch a good price. They are in high demand as luxury furs for the wealthy, often used for collars in winter clothing. They really are quite nice.

"Hey, Mongrel-senpai. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Hey, Lina. I just got back from camping."

After leaving my gear at the inn, I stopped by the guild, where Lina seemed to be teaching archery to a younger boy and girl.

She's acting like a senior now. But because she's so short, she looks younger than them.

"Well, from here on, it's better to practice at the guild's training ground..."

"Thank you, Lina-san!"

"Thank you for teaching us!"

"Sure thing."

What polite kids. Kids like them probably won't end up as criminal slaves. That's my bias, though.

"...Did you go camping in the Baroa Forest?"

"Yeah. We fought goblins, trapped weasels, and even demolished an old, abandoned hearth for fun."

"Sounds like you had a lot of fun..."

"Destroying things is great, Lina... It heals your soul..."

"I wish I could get a destructive skill too..."

It seems Lina is worried about her skills.

I remember the guild leader, Sheena, saying that promotions are forbidden until the second skill appears. She must be getting anxious about it.

"Hey, two ales, please!"

"Sure, but shouldn't you report your return first, Mongrel-san?"

"Oh, right. I forgot. Sorry, sorry."

I submitted the records of my free hunt, which were recognized at the processing plant, and the mission was completed.

For these kinds of free hunts, which aren't official quests, the rewards are set quite low for most targets.

Still, it's better than nothing, so I'll take it. I'll use this money to buy some ales and something else.

After getting the money and ales, I returned to the table, and Lina bowed slightly.

"Here you go. Drink up."

"Thanks."

"Try this really terrible jerky too."

"What is it...?"

"Halperferret jerky. They're terrible whether you cook them or make them into jerky."

"Really...? Let me see... Ugh... It's just regular meat... Ew..."

"Told you it's terrible, right?"

"Frankly, this is poison..."

"Frankly, you're frank."

Well, food is all about experience. If you only want to eat good-tasting things, you'd end up eating just beef, pork, and chicken. It's important to try these things to enrich your life.

"So, you're getting anxious because you can't acquire a new skill, huh?"

"...Yeah. I've been practicing archery on birds, but I guess I need to hunt larger monsters..."

"I'm not sure. But it's about time, isn't it?"

"I got my first skill pretty early, so it should be about time now."

Skills are acquired based on your experience.

Those who wield swords get sword skills, and those who use bows get bow skills.

Lina, unlike me, doesn't dabble in different equipment and hardly uses secondary weapons. She consciously uses her bow a lot, so she's probably hoping for a non-support skill this time.

She's groaning and holding her head, typical of a teenager. It's a serious concern.

"Don't worry too much. Skills are something that take years to acquire. If you keep thinking 'I want this, I want that,' you'll end up feeling bad for years."

"Ugh... I know, but..."

"Sometimes, it's good to change your hunting grounds for a change of pace."

"Change of pace... Oh!"

Lina looked up.

"By the way, I'm going on an expedition to Dryden with Artemis soon."

"Dryden? An escort mission?"

"Yeah. And while we're there, I thought I might do some hunting around Lake Zaha."

"Lake? Sounds nice."

"It's not that big, apparently, but people from outside say it's nice."

Lake Zaha is a lake further inland from Dryden. Dryden uses the water that flows from there for daily life.

I've never been there.

"...Mongrel-senpai, are you coming with us to Lake Zaha?"

"Hmm, Dryden? It's quite far..."

And with Artemis...

"But there's fishing at the lake."

"Oh!"

Fishing at the lake, huh? That sounds great.

"Sure, I'll go."

"Wow! You decided so quickly!"

"Once I hear 'fishing,' I can't resist. I'm the Bluegill Mongrel of the Regol branch, after all."

"What's a Bluegill?"

"No idea. I think I saw it in a suspicious fish guide a while back. You can catch it with just a hook."

"There are easy fish to catch, too..."

With a lake, there should be various depths and fish. If there are water birds, it's even better.

Great, great, this is getting interesting. Isn't it exciting, Lake Zaha?

"Lina, do you want to try fishing with me? I'll bring a few rods."

"Um... I don't want to lose the lures again like last time..."

"Don't worry, don't worry. Mistakes happen. And this time, I'll bring enough spares. Let's catch the lake's master together. I'll cook you a delicious fish dish."

"Fish dish, huh..."

What's with that attitude? You're crossing your arms and thinking.

"Do you not like fish, Lina?"

"Um, no, I do... They're delicious, but they're a bit of a hassle to eat, and there aren't many places to eat them..."

"That's because of the dried fish. Leave it to me; I'll make a truly delicious fish dish."

"Where does Mongrel-senpai's passion for fish come from?"

"Here."

"Your heart?"

"Pretty much."

Actually, I prefer sea fish. You can make sashimi. River fish sashimi is too risky because of parasites.

Still, the mild taste of river fish is perfect for beginners. Fish you catch yourself should be especially delicious.

I have three rods, including a new prototype... I'll let Ulrika try one.

Thinking about it, I'm getting excited. I can't just sit here. I need to maintain my fishing gear and make more lures as soon as I get home...

"...The main focus is my water bird hunting, right?"

"I know, I know."

"Do you really know...?"