Chapter 88

Mongrel stood at the riverbank, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother. But that's not the story here. Let's translate the fishing scene:

Lure fishing might have been better out at sea. It was a bit too big for the fish around here.

The last fish that Rina caught had only bitten the hook, so it worked out well...

So, by reducing the size of the lure and switching to a smaller hook... well, they started to bite. Small fish, just like before.

"Here they come! I caught another one!"

Rina showed off two consecutive catches.

"Wow, it's trembling...! Hey, this feeling is actually quite fun...! Whoa!?"

Ulrika also managed to catch a medium-sized fish.

What was its name again... I remember seeing a clumsy drawing of it in the guild's fish encyclopedia.

A large, solid dorsal fin that was milky white, and a gradient of yellow and white...

"Ah, I remember, it's an Abeit. It uses its hard dorsal fin to protect itself from birds. Good job, it's edible."

"Abeit... wow... it's thrashing around so much."

"Better to dispatch it and remove the guts quickly."

Despite being first-timers, they were all thinking about properly dispatching and gutting the fish.

There was no sign of anyone saying, "Ew, it's so slimy" or "It's gross." The fish they caught were all considered prey. They were quite wild... I don't really like the smell of raw fish... I want some floral soap.

"...Ah! I caught one... I caught one!"

"Wow! It's Goriliana!"

"Amazing, amazing! This one is also an Abeit!"

"Seriously? I'm the only one who hasn't caught anything?"

"Hehe, Mongrel, you have a fishing rod but haven't caught anything yet."

This kid... teasing me...

"...Alright, today we're making Ulrika's Southern-style pickled fish!"

"Kyaa! I'm being attacked!"

"What's Southern-style pickled fish...?"

"I think it's a dish..."

After playing around by chasing Ulrika with a stick, I was needlessly tired and decided to prepare the fish we caught.

It was past noon. We had a light breakfast at the inn, and it was about time for lunch.

I started a fire in a stone hearth, plucked the down feathers from a waterbird, and began to grill the last fish on a skewer over a gentle flame. It's a simple salt-grilled fish. After removing the guts, scales, and slime, I rubbed it with salt and grilled it slowly. I remember that river fish are grilled from the back, but I'm not sure...

In Regal, fresh fish are hardly available, and if they are, they're probably for the rich in fancy restaurants. They would likely use ice to keep the fish fresh, and it would be sea fish. Fresh river fish like this are probably rare.

"Ah, Senpai Shina and the others are coming this way."

"Really? ...Wow, a huge number of waterbirds..."

Shina and Nastasha's boat was approaching from the small island.

They were probably using some fantasy magic to move it. I was envious... but then I saw the boat was loaded with birds. They must have caught about ten.

"Everyone was fishing... what happened to the birds?"

"We caught them! Three of them. We've been shooting at the waterbirds as they approached."

"I caught five, but I had to stop because my arrows ran out."

"Oh, that's a big catch... Can you help us pluck the feathers? There are too many..."

I see, they had bled the birds but didn't have time to pluck the feathers.

It's natural with so many. They must have been busy shooting and retrieving them.

"Shina, I'll pluck them..."

"Alright, I'll help too. I'm going to become a pro at plucking feathers today."

"Then I'll help too."

"If you do, I'll use the free fishing rod. I was curious about it."

In the end, everyone came to our shore.

Some were plucking feathers, others were fishing... yeah, it's a real leisure activity. But there's a lot to do, and it's getting busy.

"Shina Senpai, you have a good aim. You shot them right through the head."

"Yeah, it makes the processing much easier... impressive."

"Why do you shoot them from the front or back? The target area is small and hard to hit. Wouldn't it be better to shoot them from the side?"

"Mongrel Senpai, you don't know? Waterbirds move, so it's harder to hit them from the side. It's easier to predict and shoot them from the front."

"Ah, I see."

Something about predicting the fall and zeroing in... I get it, that kind of thing.

It's military-like knowledge. Well, bows are pretty much military too.

"Look, Shina. This small fish model moves like a real fish when pulled underwater. The prey is attracted to this movement."

"Wow, interesting. It's not the bait but the movement that hooks them."

"But you need to constantly reel it in. It's not an efficient fishing method."

"That's Mongrel's creation. What can you expect?"

"Hey, customers, we can hear you."

The fish were nicely grilled by the time we finished plucking the feathers.

When the flesh starts to bubble and the skin gets a bit crispy, it's ready.

For safety, it's fine even if it's a bit charred.

"Here, all three of you, try it."

The three are, of course, Rina, Ulrika, and Goriliana.

I won't give any to the big shot who mocked my fishing rod.

"Mmm... it's fluffy and delicious."

"Mmm... it's good. The skin is salty and tasty."

"..."

Goriliana was eating silently. She eats really fast.

Well, grilled river fish are like that. They're more like a snack than a meal.

"I'll dissect an Abeit. Want to watch?"

"Mongrel Senpai, do you know how to dissect fish? You really look like a chef."

"Sure, I've learned a bit from my father back home."

"...Really... Mongrel, can I watch too?"

"Sure, watch and learn. I might make mistakes since it's my first time, but I'll teach you as we go."

"Alright, thank you."

First, we found a piece of wood that could serve as a cutting board.

Since we didn't find a suitable piece, I used my bastard sword to create one.

Then, we placed the fish and...

"Since the scales are already off, the next step is to remove the head. Cut from the gills towards the spine, and do the same from the other side. This removes the head."

"Ah, the head isn't edible."

"Maybe, but there's some good meat near the cheeks and forehead, though it's not much. For this fish, the dorsal fin is sharp and hard, so we'll cut it off."

Using a knife to dissect a fish is tricky... I wish I had a proper knife.

"Next, remove the guts. Cut from the anus and remove them. Also, remove the dark gills. It's best to wash the inside with your fingers."

"Ah, it's similar to animals."

"True, but the bones are different."

"Move the knife along the spine from the belly to the tail..."

Why does a knife feel so hard to use... it's hard to tell where the blade is going.

"Then, make a cut on the back and move the knife along the spine towards the tail... that's it."

"It looks like you're peeling the skin."

"Sort of, the feeling is similar. Especially with a small fish like this. Here, one side is done."

"Ah."

This is the first fillet.

"Then, do the same on the other side, moving the knife along the spine... there, three fillets."

"Wow, wow!"

"It's a method that leaves the central bone. Interesting, I see."

I might be using modern knowledge, but I think locals near the coast probably know this much and can do it. In Regal, you might need to be a chef to know this.

"Finally, remove the rib bones. They're different from the spine and cover the guts. They'll be left in the flesh with this method. Scrape them off, and that's it. This is how it's done..."

"Wow."

I don't know much about fish dissection. I'm not an expert, but this is probably how it's done.

"Hey, Rina, let's try it once. We have another Abeit left."

"Sure!"

While they try, I'll prepare the meal.

After considering various options, I decided to make meunière. Raw fish isn't an option with river fish.

"First, make cuts in the skin..."

Since we've already filleted the fish, we can proceed with the cooking.

After making the cuts, rub the flesh with salt and a mysterious spice (I don't know the name) and coat it with flour.

Next, place the fillets in a homemade frying pan that looks like a backler, and add butter and laurel leaves that I bought in Dryden this morning.

Place the floured fillets skin-side down and grill them quickly. Then, flip them and grill them slowly, covering the pan with a small pot. It's not a perfect lid, but it's better than nothing.

"The butter smells good."

Nastasha, who doesn't do any work, is here for the food. You'll wash the butter-stained dishes later.

"And here's the pan-fried fish."

"Wow, it looks great!"

Ah, you finished the filleting too. ...Yeah, for your first time, it's pretty good. The flesh is a bit jagged, but it's the knife's fault.

"Then, transfer the grilled fish to a wooden plate."

"...Mongrel, you really brought everything..."

"Of course. Next, I'll make a stir-fry with the leftover butter in the pan."

"Ah, there are mushrooms."

"Let's add some duck meat too!"

I don't think the duck meat will go well with the meunière. Please, spare me. Meunière can't compete with meat.

So, I quickly stir-fried the mushrooms and cut the meunière into three pieces with a knife. It's time to taste. I don't know how it will taste. It's an edible fish, but...

"Let's try it."

"I'll have a bite too."

The leader and vice-leader took a bite. Thanks for testing it. How is it? Not too fishy? I added laurel leaves.

"Yeah... it's good. It has a nice flavor and texture."

"Not bad."

"I want to try it too!"

"Sure, here you go. Try the fillets too..."

"Mmm, Mongrel, this is delicious!"

"...! This is good...! It's different from just salt-grilled fish..."

Of course, of course. It's delicious, it's delicious.

Even though it's meunière, it's a common dish made with ordinary ingredients in this country. It's not some over-technology. Similar butter-fried fish dishes are found everywhere. The novelty is using fresh freshwater fish.

"Mmm... the mushrooms soaked in the butter and fish flavors are great..."

"Agreed, the butter-soaked mushrooms are great..."

Butter is reasonably affordable in Dryden. It could be a local specialty. Not that I'm interested in promoting Dryden, but...