Chapter 41

On the afternoon of the second day, after visiting the church to admire the dazzling stained glass, they headed to Kataru's workshop.

"Mom!"

"Hey, Kataru."

When Keina and the others arrived where the employees were taking a break in the shadows of the floor and lumber, Kataru came rushing out from the back.

"Thanks for the lumber last time. Thanks to you, we were able to build a good house."

"Well, it's thanks to your skills, not mine. Hey, Luca, how are you?"

"...Yes. Hello, Kataru, ...big brother."

"Hello, I'm Ritt."

Luca, who approached Kataru, spoke with a slight bow, and then Ritt bowed her head slightly. Roxilious, who had been standing behind Keina, bowed as well.

"Oh, you must be the innkeeper's daughter. I'm Kataru, the third son of Mom. As you can see, I make ships here. Nice to meet you."

Kataru, crossing his arms and stroking his beard, gave a brief introduction. Luca, holding Ritt's hand, asked timidly with a glance upward, "Can we look around...?"

"Sure, but... There are dangerous things lying around, so don't get too close to the piles of lumber, okay?"

"...Okay." "Yes!"

"If so, I'll take care of guiding them."

Roxilious, who had silently appeared beside them, offered to guide them. Kataru then told one of his apprentices to show them around.

"Sorry, Luca asked for it."

"Ah, that's no problem. That guy over there is quite skilled, so he should be fine with a little lumber collapse, right?"

Ritt asked the human apprentice questions like "What's this?" and "What's that?" (Luca whispered to Ritt), while Roxilious kept a watchful eye from behind. The other employees, who were taking a break, watched with relaxed expressions.

"I built a house in the village, and I made more rooms than necessary, so feel free to stay anytime. We also built a bathhouse in the village."

"Wow, that sounds great."

"And this too, look!"

A barrel taken out of the item box appeared in front of Keina with a thud. The faint, fragrant smell made Kataru grin and exclaim, "Is that alcohol!" as he lunged for it.

"I decided to run a tavern in the village, so I'm giving you a barrel as a thank you for the lumber. You can drink it all yourself, share it with everyone, or do whatever you like."

"But I already paid for the lumber. Won't this be too much for me to receive?"

"You're so formal... Just accept it and be happy."

"O-Okay, I'll take it gratefully."

"If you want more, place an order through the merchant when you visit the village."

"Got it, thanks, Mom."

Kataru, who seemed quite pleased, lifted the barrel and put it away. He then called out to the employees, "You guys! Mom gave us some good alcohol, so we're drinking tonight!" The others responded with cheers, making the workshop shake.

"Do they say something like, 'Don't keep alcohol overnight'?"

"...Alcohol?"

Luca and the others, who had apparently finished their tour, returned and looked at Keina curiously.

"It means drink it all while you can."

"Hmm, getting drunk and stumbling around is pretty pathetic, isn't it..."

"Ritt is so honest."

When Ritt, like her sister Luine, spoke her honest opinion, Keina chuckled. The employees around them, who had been listening, covered their chests and looked away.

The children spent the rest of the day watching the resumption of shipbuilding, and Roxilious offered to take care of them. With nothing to do, Keina started fishing at the edge of the sandbank.

Fishing was one of Keina's skills, but she only used it for ingredients. Some players were dedicated to catching rare fish or all types of fish, and she remembered being dragged into fishing specific fish for her skill master, Kujou. She chuckled as she prepared, remembering those times.

She used her skill to create fishing bait and had a full set of fishing gear thanks to Kujou's insistence. The variety of fish in the market was also extensive, so whatever she caught would be edible, and the long-time residents of the area would help select the right ones. On her first cast, she caught a catfish, a specialty of the Edge River, and wondered if she needed a container.

As time passed, the attention of the workshop employees shifted to Keina.

She always caught something with every cast. Kataru had brought over a couple of buckets, which were now full, with the contents packed tightly like carp swarming for food. Keina, deciding that she had caught too many small fish, switched to a setup for larger catches. Surprisingly, she found it quite enjoyable, and her goal shifted from "catch enough for the family" to "catch enough for everyone," and now she was determined to keep fishing until her line broke.

Luca and Ritt, who had been watching the shipbuilding, now peered into the buckets, asking the employees and Roxilious about the names of the fish.

Kataru had given up on working for the day and was preparing to cook the fish with his apprentices. Many of them were skilled, gutting the fish, removing the innards, skewering them, and grilling them with salt (made by Roxilious). Some were making sashimi, while others were frying the fish, and the air was filled with a delicious aroma. Even nearby fishermen were drawn by the smell and brought their catches to join the impromptu party. The riverbank quickly turned into a makeshift feast with a bonfire.

"Keina... Mom, here..."

"Thank you, Luca."

As soon as she switched to a different setup, Keina caught a three-meter-long fish, a rare and delicious Piraluk, which elicited cheers from the crowd. It was a high-end fish that cost at least two silver coins in the market. Since Keina wasn't particularly interested, she told them to eat it. Luca brought the first piece of the fish, which had been steamed with herbs, and fed it to Keina.

"Hot, phew, phew. Ah, this is delicious."

The fish, seasoned with herbs and salt, was soft and had a taste similar to sea bream. When her plate was empty, Ritt brought more, and they shared it, amazed by its deliciousness. Kataru then approached with a cup, apparently serving the beer from the barrel.

"Here, Mom's share. You've caught enough, so why don't you stop fishing and join the party?"

"Hmm, it's getting fun. I'll fish a bit more."

"Keina, Mom, are you... still eating?"

"Sure, bring me some salt-grilled fish."

"...Okay."

Meanwhile, Roxilious was using his cooking skills to make sushi, which was being eaten as soon as it was made. It was a rare treat, and the crowd was enjoying it.

Keina, holding a fishing rod, was munching on the salt-grilled fish Luca had brought. Ritt, out of habit, had become a server, bringing food and pouring drinks. Some people started singing and playing flutes, and even a wandering bard joined in, making the party even more lively.

"Do things like this happen often?"

"Not really. When Mom comes, there's always... some kind of commotion."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, ...it's fun."

Kataru, who had moved to the riverbank where Keina was, was drinking and eating. Luca, sitting on a large rock nearby, was watching the party, which had grown to over eighty people. Roxilious returned with a tired Ritt.

"Good job, Ritt."

"Ugh, I somehow ended up serving..."

"That's just a professional habit, miss."

"Sorry, Keina-sama. I couldn't take care of you properly."

"Call me if you need anything. Do what you like."

It seemed she didn't want to be scolded by Roxilious when she returned. Roxilious, who had been apologizing for leaving, was being comforted by Luca, who was patting her head.

"Keina, are you still fishing?"

"Hmm, I'll go back to the inn after one more catch... Wait?"

As she spoke, her rod bent sharply. It seemed something had caught her special setup for large fish, and the line was cutting through the water, illuminated by the bonfire. Keina, holding the rod with both hands, called out, "Light!" Roxilius cast [Add White Light LV2: Light] on the tip of the rod and summoned two light spirits to illuminate the water. A moment later, a massive shadow appeared on the surface, and the Keina family watched in amazement.

"Wow, what is that?"

"It's huge. Will it fit here if we catch it?"

Kataru, glancing around the riverbank, told the nearby people to move back.

"No, I'm not sure if I can catch it!"

"I believe you will, Mom!"

"Too much expectation is scary..."

Not only his son but also the partygoers were watching Keina, who was holding the rod firmly. Instead of reeling in, she decided to pull it out, and started moving backward while keeping the rod up.

Eventually, the fish, seemingly giving up or in a last-ditch effort, dragged itself onto the shore. When the light spirits illuminated its form, people screamed and fled the riverbank. Roxilious, holding Luca and Ritt, moved away. Only Kataru, holding a beer, and Keina, still holding the rod, remained.

"What is this?"

"It's a monster."

The creature, about six meters long, had a rough, dark green skin and walked on four legs. It had a shark's head, an alligator's jaw and body, and a wide, ray-like fin on its back, along with a long, thin tail. It opened and closed its jaws, making a clacking sound, and tried to intimidate Keina and her companions.

"Ah, now that you mention it, there was a warning about the riverbank area."

Kataru, taking a swig of beer, recalled this with a casual air. His apprentices, however, shouted, "Didn't you hear about it, boss?!" Kataru, unable to yell back in front of his mother, just glared. Keina, chuckling, tried to calm him down.

At that moment, the monster, roaring, lunged at Keina, who had looked away. The onlookers gasped, "Danger!" and closed their eyes to avoid the gruesome scene. However, Keina, without panicking, kicked the monster with a powerful kick.

[Combat Skill: Earthquake Kick]

The monster's body, from the neck down, exploded, and it fell to the ground, dead.

A painful silence fell over the area, and the onlookers, who had been watching cautiously, stared at the motionless monster. Soon, a small applause broke out, and it quickly turned into a loud cheer that echoed through the night of Felskeiro.

The party was then called off, and the people who had been drinking and eating started cleaning up. During this, a royal guard, who had been patrolling the area, inspected the monster. Apparently, there had been reports of a monster attacking small boats and people near the water, and the guards had been on alert. They thanked Keina for removing the threat and mentioned that there was a bounty on the monster from the Adventurer's Guild. They asked her to claim the reward the next day.

"Hmm, the river is indeed unpredictable."

"I don't think that's the problem..."

The next day, the fishermen, as a token of gratitude, delivered a large amount of fish to the inn, and Keina went to the Adventurer's Guild in the evening. The bounty was eight silver coins.