Chapter 37

Deciding to go fishing with everyone, I entrusted the care and watering of the crops to Rent and the others, and made my way to the clear stream near the lake.

The sound of water flowing dominated the quiet forest. The water flowing from the lake was very clear and pristine.

I could see fish swimming around in the water.

"It's been a while since I came here. Last time, I caught Reidia."

"...I was really taken care of then."

Reidia seemed uncomfortable, remembering the place where she had been caught.

"What do you mean by catching Reidia?"

On the other hand, Carmilla and Claire, who didn't know about my encounter with Reidia, tilted their heads in curiosity.

"Coming here to find something interesting and getting beaten up by monsters, Reidia is such a fool!"

"You're reckless."

"Shut up! You two were beaten up by the Pillar and the Mother Plant too!"

Come to think of it, Carmilla and Claire had also been beaten up.

Is it the fate of those who come to this forest to get beaten up?

I wish I could encounter people more peacefully.

"Well, let's start fishing."

Since it would be strange to just keep talking, I handed the fishing rods to Reidia and the others.

The fishing rods were made from wood I had grown and shaped. The line was provided by the Thread-Spinning Ants, and the hooks were made by carving the bones of monsters.

It's surprising how good a fishing rod can be made with just the materials available here.

For bait, we used the grubs and larvae we had found on the way. Reidia and the others, who seemed used to insects, caught them without hesitation.

This is the kind of strength that people in this world, who often live in natural environments unlike in my previous life, possess.

With the fishing preparations complete, we spread out and cast our lines.

The weighted hooks plopped into the water and sank.

I had already seen fish biting the bait, so it shouldn't be a matter of the wrong bait.

Reidia was on the diagonal opposite me, and Carmilla and Claire were casting their lines from a distance.

Reidia and Claire seemed very relaxed, but Carmilla looked determined to catch a fish.

I could even sense a bit of magic power. If she's so eager, the fish might get scared and run away.

While worrying about that a little, I refocused my attention.

I continued to wait, listening to the sound of the flowing water. It might seem like a boring time, but it was surprisingly comfortable in the rich natural surroundings.

The faint sound of fish jumping, the calls of wild birds in the distance, the rustling of leaves in the wind, and the smell of the earth. Just being here allowed me to feel the breath of nature.

It's good to savor such ordinary days.

"Hashira, I think you have a bite?"

While basking in the pleasant breeze and sunlight, Reidia called out to me.

Her voice brought me back to reality, and I felt the fishing rod bending and a trembling sensation in my hand.

I definitely felt that I had caught something.

Pulling the line firmly and lifting the fishing rod, I reeled in a fish similar to an iwana.

"Wow, I caught one!"

"You did it!"

Just relaxing and casting the line is fun, but catching a fish is even more exciting.

"Ah, I have a bite too!"

While making a wooden basket to hold the water and the catch, Reidia's rod also bent.

And Reidia reeled in a fish of impressive size.

"What!? Not only Hashira, but Reidia too! I can't let this go!"

"Miss, you're leaking magic. That will scare the fish away."

Carmilla, who had been spurred on by seeing me catch a fish, was scolded by Claire.

It's nice to be able to enjoy this kind of leisure when we all come together.

"Ugh, I can't catch anything. Can I use magic to catch them?"

"The rule is to catch them with just the fishing rod."

"Grumble, grumble..."

I rejected Carmilla's childish suggestion. If it was just for securing food, it would be fine, but this time it's for recreation on a day off, so no.

Besides, if she did that, I can't imagine a future where I win, since the other three are quite skilled at using magic.

When I caught the third fish and Reidia the fourth, the sun had risen to its zenith, so we decided to have lunch.

For lunch, we had sandwiches made with steamed Mochi Mochi fruits, seasoned meat, and leafy vegetables. The taste of the Mochi Mochi fruit is similar to rice flour bread, so it was delicious even in this form.

Reidia's sandwich had more vegetables, while Carmilla's had more meat, reflecting their individual preferences.

Incidentally, Claire's sandwich was a sweet jam sandwich with Graveling and Pink Cherry jam.

It seems she really likes fruits, and the trend is to eat them with jam.

After enjoying a pleasant lunch, we resumed fishing.

"...It's a bit hot."

The season was transitioning from spring to summer, and the sun was quite strong in the afternoon recently.

I should have had the Thread-Spinning Ants make some hats.

Looking around, there were few spots that could provide shade.

"If there's none, I'll grow a tree to make some shade."

Using my ability, I grew a tree from the ground. I didn't make it too tall, but spread the branches wide to create a nice shadow.

Just blocking the direct sunlight made it feel much cooler.

While enjoying the coolness, I felt a piercing glare from Reidia across from me.

And from Carmilla and Claire, who were far away.

"I'll grow trees for everyone too."

"Thank you."

Understanding my intention, Reidia smiled and thanked me, and Carmilla and Claire also smiled.

After growing trees to provide shade for the three of them, I got another bite on my fishing rod.

"Wow! The first bite of the afternoon!"

When I felt a strong tug, I reeled in the line, and a fish similar to the one I caught earlier was on the hook.

However, the hook was not set well, and it fell off in mid-air and plopped back into the river.

I was stunned, having thought I had caught it but watching it escape right in front of me.

"Hehehe, that's a common fishing experience!"

Seeing my reaction, Reidia across from me laughed.

Next time, I'll reel it in and catch it with a wooden net.

While thinking that, Reidia got a bite.

"Aah!?"

However, Reidia's hook was also not set well, and like me, the fish escaped right in front of her.

"Haha, too bad."

I don't enjoy laughing at others' misfortunes, but since I was laughed at earlier, it was a bit of payback.

Reidia's stunned face was amusing.

"...Mmm, maybe it's because of the hooks Hashira made?"

"If you have complaints, you can make your own."

I was troubled by being blamed for not catching anything. It was just a matter of the timing or the hook not being set well.

"Ugh, it's so unfair that only Hashira and Reidia are catching fish!"

Carmilla, who had come over looking frustrated, was probably envious of our consecutive catches.

While Hashira, Reidia, and Claire had been catching fish since the morning, Carmilla hadn't caught a single one.

I knew the reason.

"Carmilla, as Claire said, you need to relax your shoulders and not leak magic. The fish are getting scared and running away. Just zone out here."

"Zone out?"

"Listen to the sound of the river and the birds, take deep breaths, and enjoy the smell of the earth and leaves."

"Oh..."

Carmilla was too focused on the visible fish, which was why they were escaping.

Instead, she needed to wait for the catch without focusing on anything.

After zoning out together for a while, Carmilla's rod got a bite.

However, Carmilla, absorbed in zoning out, didn't notice.

"Carmilla, the fish is biting!"

"O-oh!?"

I slapped her cheek to wake her up, and Carmilla came to and gripped the fishing rod firmly.

She reeled in the fish with overwhelming force, not even letting it resist.

"Wow, I caught one! My first catch today!"

"Congratulations, Carmilla!"

"Catching fish myself is fun! I'll catch more!"

"You're getting too excited and leaking magic again."

"Ugh, again?"

"Sure. Do you want me to absorb your magic again?"

If she was leaking magic, I could reduce it so it wouldn't leak.

"Th-that's not necessary!"

Seeing Carmilla back away, we laughed.

After that, we caught fish one after another and enjoyed grilled fish for dinner.

We decided to have regular days off after seeing everyone's positive reactions.

Rest is important, after all. I want to go fishing with everyone again.