Chapter 55

I want soy sauce.

But, soy sauce can't be made without soybeans.

It's impossible, huh~

I should think about what seasonings I can make with what I have now.

There's a lake, maybe there are fish there?

If there are fish, I should be able to make fish sauce.

I remember, it's about mixing fish and salt and fermenting it, as I saw on TV...

It apparently has a bit of a peculiar smell, but I might give it a try.

Anyway, I'll head to the lake tomorrow.

……

I came to the lake, but it's so wide.

I can't see any curses, and I feel refreshed since morning.

Now, whether there are fish in the lake or not.

…There's no way to tell from above.

What should I do?

A fishing rod?

How do I make one?

A stick should be fine for a rod, and I'll ask Sanmetsu for the thread.

Then, I need a hook and bait...

The hook... that's a tough problem.

Hio and Crow came with me and are keeping watch around.

Thank you.

Fuwafuwa is with me today too.

For some reason, Fuwafuwa has been flying around restlessly since morning.

Is something wrong?

Fuwafuwa, Fuwafuwa, Fuwafuwa.

Um, you're flying around in front of me and it's a bit of a bother.

Are you trying to tell me something?

It's harder to understand you than Shuri or the boss.

"Fuwafuwa, I want to catch fish."

For some reason, Fuwafuwa started spinning and flapping its wings when I said that.

Wow~ I saw its wings moving for the first time.

Then, it flew out to the middle of the lake.

Eh~ it dove in.

Is it okay?

The lake glowed blue, and something was thrown out of the lake.

Right in front of me.

I see, Fuwafuwa is good at catching fish.

I thought I'd try with a small fish, but a huge fish, about 5 meters long, was jumping in front of me, circling around me after Fuwafuwa brought it.

"Haha, thank you. You saved me...?"

Anyway, I got the fish!

Grilling it would be nice too.

……

I strangled the huge fish on the spot... I couldn't find a place to cut its head off.

I'm not good with guts, so I removed them.

I used magic to cool it thoroughly and stop time.

I moved it by floating it in the air.

Thanks to magic.

I cut the huge fish and washed it clean.

I'll try making it, so I'll start with one-sixth.

I don't know how much salt to use.

It should be quite a lot, about 20% of the fish, right?

How do I measure the amount of salt?

Just imagine it.

It's impossible.

It's too ambitious.

I'll just do my best with an estimate.

I made a container with silver ore and cleaned it.

When I cut the fish, blood comes out.

It bothers me, so I use magic to remove the blood.

I sprinkle salt on the fish, a bit more than usual.

I'm glad I made extra salt.

I put it in the container and add a bit more salt.

I close the lid and leave it for 1 to 2 years... I can't wait.

I use magic to force the container to age 3 months.

I shake the container and do it again for 3 months, repeating this a few times, four times in total.

The fermentation is progressing.

I open the lid... oh, a unique smell.

I'm a bit surprised since it's my first time.

I filter it cleanly with a cloth.

It turned into a clear brown liquid.

It's a bit salty, but I think it's a success.

I grilled some meat and tried it, and it was delicious.

The Cores' reaction was amazing.

Shuri tried the grilled meat, and the battle for it with the baby ants was scary.

I grilled the fish.

It's been a while since I had fish, and it has no fishy smell, so it's quite delicious.

I want some white rice.