Chapter 86

After getting off the carriage, we have to walk for a while.

Harperia is basically a gentle terrain, but there's quite a slope around here. My custom-made boots can handle such paths without any trouble, but walking on such a path with cheap shoes seems more difficult than a bit of modern mountaineering.

"Mr. Mongrel, isn't that heavy?"

"Totally fine. I could even carry your luggage if you want. For a fee, of course. Fifty Jerries per item."

"Wow, you're so stingy!"

"I can carry my own stuff."

If we climb a bit more up this slope, we should reach the lake. I'm looking forward to it.

"Okay, fifty Jerries."

"Seriously?"

As I was looking forward to it, Natasha handed me some coins and her luggage. To me, it doesn't seem like a heavy load at all. Do you really hate carrying this much?

"I'm happy to carry your luggage. Hehehe..."

"Yeah, it's light and good."

"Natasha-senpai..."

But if I get paid, I'm happy to do it. As a professional...

When we finally reached the top of the slope, we could see part of Lake Zahia.

It's a wavy lake surrounded by tall trees. It's much bigger than I thought. At least it's not just a pond.

This place seems like a good spot for fishing...!

"From here, you can see quite a few water birds. They might be mallards."

"Great, great. It's been a while since I've hunted mallards... Ah, there are also wigeons!"

"Really? You can get good fletching materials from them. I definitely want to hunt them."

I was quite moved by this view, but the archers were already excited about their prey. They are hunters, after all. I can't hunt birds, so I don't get as excited...

I wondered how Gorilliana and Natasha were doing, and they were already starting to go down the slope.

"Let's borrow a boat. We can't hunt water birds without one."

"It doesn't seem like there are many hunters here, so I doubt we won't be able to borrow one..."

Apparently, there's a lake management building ahead.

A boat, huh. Boat fishing doesn't sound bad. I just don't trust the boats in this world. I have a bias, but I feel like they would sink after an hour.

"Ah, yeah, yeah. Lately, the guys have been making a lot of noise. Give them a good thrashing. And if you manage to get any mallards, could you share them with me? If you're staying here for a few days, it would be boring to just eat birds. I have various ingredients, so take them with you."

An old man in his sixties was in the management building, smoking a corn pipe idly.

There are a few houses at the entrance to the lake, and he seems to live here. He makes a living with a small field and boat rentals. There were also some pieces of wood that looked like a boat under construction, so he might be a bit of a shipwright.

"Thank you. I'll definitely bring you the mallards if I get them."

"Thanks. Ah, the boats are behind the building. Choose whichever you like. Oh, the one on the far left is broken, so don't use it. It will sink. Hehehe..."

Hehehe, old man. You should dismantle that scary thing right away.

"Let's go."

Gorilliana and I carried the boat to the dock and launched it.

The boat is for two people and has two oars. It's a typical rowing boat.

The old man said the one on the left was broken, but the other boats also look quite old. Honestly, they all look scary to me. They have the air of boats that would sink after two hours.

"There are a few beaches and docks. We want to find a good spot. The shore near the houses probably has fewer prey..."

"Hey, can we walk to such spots even though we've already launched the boat?"

"The paths aren't well-maintained... Plus, your fishing rod might get caught on branches."

"Oh, I see."

The area around the lake is deep in nature. It wouldn't be comfortable to walk.

Considering the fishing rod, walking would be a hassle.

"Let's get on the boat and decide from there. We have to go to the far shore anyway."

"Right. Which way should we sit?"

"Okay, I'll get on Gorilliana's boat! It looks easier to row!"

"I'll get on with Sheena. Rina, you get on with Mongrel."

"Ah, got it."

"Rowing boat. We have to be careful not to bump into anything because it's old."

"I don't want to pay for damages. Everyone, be careful when getting on."

So, I ended up on the boat with Rina.

We put the luggage in the middle and sat facing each other. It's almost like a romantic situation. Well, if this were a duck boat at Yoyogi Park, but with a bow-wielding woman and a man eager to camp, it's not romantic at all.

"Why didn't you bring your bow, Mongrel-senpai?"

"Well, I thought about it, but the luggage was too bulky."

"Practice is important."

I rowed, and Rina gave directions. She also seemed to have the intention of shooting at water birds whenever possible, but there didn't seem to be any stupid water birds nearby. She had her bow but hadn't taken any arrows out of the quiver.

"Anyway, this is a lake. If you shoot and the arrow falls into the lake, what will you do? I'm such a bad shot that my quiver would be empty in ten minutes."

"The arrows float on water. The tips are light this time."

"Oh, they're made of wood, so that makes sense."

"But it's hard to find one arrow in a large lake, so you basically want to hit. Losing several would be a big loss."

"Arrows aren't cheap. Thinking about it, hunting water birds might not be worth it."

Searching for a small arrow floating on the lake in a rowing boat... I don't want to think about that. I'm strong now, so rowing isn't hard, but it would have been a tough job in my previous life.

"Rina, you go first."

"Okay."

"Hey, that's a bit unfair, isn't it?"

"Efficient use of strength."

As I was rowing, Sheena and Natasha passed us smoothly.

It seems Natasha was using some water magic by sticking her staff into the water. They were using fantasy power...

After rowing through the wavy lake and checking out the back, we found about three good spots. Or so it seems. I don't really understand.

The first one is a small island in the middle of the lake. Such a place is good. There's a dilapidated dock where you can easily moor the boat. You can see a lot of the lake, so it's easy to target.

The second one is the shore at the far end. There are stakes and ropes to moor the boat. It's somewhat cleared, so it seems comfortable.

The third one is a sandy beach that is out of sight from the management building. You can just pull the boat onto the sand. There are few trees around, so it's perfect for camping. There seem to be many water birds because it's out of sight.

"Sheena-senpai seems to have taken the island. It's a good position for her to target various things."

"Where do you want to go, Rina? I'll row you there."

"Hmm, Mongrel-senpai is setting up a tent this time, right? I want to base my hunting around a good spot for the base."

"Ah, that would be helpful. Let's go to the shore then."

"Got it. Just in case, can you set up the tent as far back from the shore as possible? I don't want the birds to notice us."

"I see, we have to be careful about that. It would be easier if they came at us like monsters, though."

But being attacked by a group of birds like in that old "The Birds" movie would be scary.

Even if they're not tough opponents with a sword, horror is horror.

We moored the boat at the shore and put the luggage on the ground. This will be our campsite.

The water quality of the lake is really good, as expected. We'll use the water from here. It's clean enough to boil and use. It's clear and looks good.

"Are you going to fish, Mongrel-senpai?"

"Yeah, I am. Do you want to try?"

"I want to, but... if I lose the fishing gear again..."

"Oh, you're still worried about that? It's fine. It was shallow last time, so it couldn't be helped. This time, it should be fine, so if you want to, go ahead. I have spares."

This time, I brought a case with a variety of lures, hooks, sinkers, floats, and extra line. I can lose a few and still be okay. I'm here to fish, fish, and fish. If I get a hit, I can even do a Genocide Cutter pose and jump. I'm that determined.

"...So, when there are no prey nearby, can I fish?"

"Sure, sure. Let's catch a big one together. Like the master of the lake."

"The master of the lake... would it be this big?"

Rina made a gesture of about 40 centimeters. Man, kids these days have no dreams!

"The master of the lake is much bigger, like this, like this!"

"Is there such a big fish!?"

"Probably, since it's a lake. Usually, there's a stubborn old fish in such waters. I want to catch it, cook it, and enjoy it."

"Sounds good..."

Well, I just want Rina to experience the thrill of a fish hitting the line.

Crabs and shrimp are good, but fish are also a must-have experience.

"Birds and fish... tonight's dinner will be luxurious, won't it?"

"We haven't caught anything yet... muahaha..."

I understand, but the most fun is when you're making these plans.