Chapter 97

Last Summary ------------------------------------------------------

Obtained materials for lures and fly fishing.

Under Tommy's guidance, we made a fly.

The next day, our lure-making continued.

Carving wood for a long time can be tiring, so we alternated with weaving nets for landing nets to keep the mood up. By mid-afternoon, we had roughly shaped a fish.

Although it wasn't the best, I consoled myself that it wasn't bad for a beginner and proceeded to paint it. I drew a fish-like pattern and lightly applied varnish, sprinkling gold powder on top to make it look a bit more like scales.

We then applied more layers of varnish and attached the hook to complete the lure.

Honestly, I didn't expect to find varnish suitable for lures, but I managed to get something with sufficient strength and water resistance, though the ingredients were unknown. It was a bit expensive, but since we only needed a small amount, it wasn't a problem.

We proudly showed the completed lure to the girls, but their reactions were mixed.

"Well, it's pretty good, I guess?"

"...Effort award"

"It doesn't look like a fish at all."

Natsuki was the only one who was kind, while Yuki seemed to be holding back, and Haruka was blunt.

Wiping the cloud from my eyes, which had been clouded by the joy of completion, I realized that Natsuki's kindness was actually painful.

"Is this really going to work?"

"I'm not sure. I've heard that you don't necessarily have to make it look exactly like a fish..."

"It's fine, really. It's just for fun, after all."

"That's true, but wouldn't it be nice to catch some fish?"

"Yeah... I'll think of something, too."

Ordinary fishing hooks, flies, and lures. We prepared three, so we shouldn't come back empty-handed, but we were still amateurs. If push comes to shove, we could probably catch a few fish using the landing net and our physical abilities.

"By the way, we have a reservation soon. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, there's not much to prepare, really."

Today, we were having a victory party at Aera's shop.

It wasn't a grand celebration; just a gathering among friends, and we didn't need to dress up.

The most we had to do was clean up the mess from making the lures.

"I'm looking forward to Aera's cooking. It's expensive, but it must be delicious..."

Toya said this with a relaxed expression, and I agreed.

"Haruka, let's start cleaning up. There's a lot of thread and debris on the floor."

"Right, let's meet downstairs once we're done."

"Sure."

We nodded firmly.

◇ ◇ ◇

The food at the victory party was, to put it mildly, quite delicious.

While we might be able to eat better for the same price in Japan, that's not the point.

At the very least, we learned that in this world, you can get delicious food if you're willing to pay a high price.

However, it seems Aera provided the meal at cost, and if we were to eat at the same level at other restaurants, it would cost 2 to 3 times as much.

In other words, about 100,000 yen per person. Not a sum we could easily afford.

This time, we splurged, but even a tenth of that would make us hesitate. For a commoner like me.

Thinking about it, finding a cheap and delicious place to eat seems quite difficult.

I look forward to Haruka's home-cooked meals. That will happen once we have a place to live.

The victory party was just between us and Aera, so we basically just ate and chatted. Later, Aera joined us after finishing cooking, and we had a good time talking about various things.

In terms of refreshing our spirits, it was a success.

The day after the victory party, we went to buy the tent and cloaks we had put on hold.

After discussing with Haruka and the others, we decided to buy only one tent and each chose a cloak we liked.

After shopping, we headed straight to Saurstadt.

We ran most of the way, turning left when we saw the gates of Saurstadt and heading upstream along the Noria River.

After leaving the main road, we slowed down and moved more cautiously.

The river, which was over 30 meters wide in Saurstadt, narrowed rapidly as we moved upstream, and the water volume decreased significantly.

"Hey, this river doesn't have any tributaries. Why is it so big?"

Yuki, puzzled by the river's appearance, tilted her head and asked.

"I'm not sure, but maybe it's due to underground water?"

"Ah, I see. The mountains are deep, so that makes sense, doesn't it?"

We had moved along the mountains on our left from Lafan to Saurstadt, but there were no rivers in between.

If you consider that the rainwater from those mountains collects in the Noria River, its size isn't so surprising.

"Since it exists, that must be the case, right?"

"Toya, you're so blunt. But if that's true, digging a well in that area should yield water. Why isn't it farmland?"

The farmland in Lafan is only on the south side and isn't very extensive.

Given that the eastern grasslands we explored were relatively safe, it seems like they could be developed into farmland.

"Maybe there just aren't enough people working in agriculture. Since furniture making is the main industry, they can import crops. If the population grows and land becomes scarce, farmland might naturally expand here."

"Interesting."

If the first farmland was created on the south side, farmers would likely expand their land in that direction when increasing their holdings.

If Lafan is stable as it is, there's no need to take the risk of bringing in new people for forced agricultural development.

Whether that's the right approach as a ruler is another matter.

"Anyway, let's focus on the quest. The giant salamanders should appear further upstream, right?"

"According to the information, they appear about an hour upstream from Saurstadt..."

"That's pretty vague."

"Yeah. In this world, there's a big difference in physical abilities among people."

There's no standard like '5 minutes from the station.'

Considering the information came from the Adventurer's Guild, it's probably based on the average adventurer's speed.

"We've been moving for about an hour, right?"

"Yeah. We should be in the area by now, time-wise."

In Saurstadt, the ratio of sand to rocks was about 7:3, but here it was more like 4:6.

Looking into the river, the water was much clearer, with no muddy turbidity like near Saurstadt.

"Naoto, what do you think? Are they here?"

"Can't tell. Are giant salamanders even swimming in the river, or hiding under rocks?"

"Ah, Natsuki, what do you think?"

"In our world, giant salamanders are nocturnal, but I don't know much about the great salamanders in this world. I don't know if any ecological studies have been done, but they weren't mentioned in the guild's information."

With so little research on even dangerous monsters, it's no surprise that ordinary animals haven't been studied.

We observed the river for about 30 more minutes, moving further upstream until the ratio of sand to rocks was about 2:8.

"Ah!"

Almost simultaneously with the exclamation, a spear thrust from my side pierced the river bottom.

When the spear was pulled up, a black, flat creature, a cross between a catfish and a lizard, was impaled, twitching.

"It's a great salamander."

Natsuki had made the kill.

I confirmed with the Help skill, and it indeed showed 'Great Salamander.'

It was about 80 centimeters long.

It didn't look much different from the giant salamanders I imagined, but it was still a bit gross.

"Natsuki, you did well. I should have seen it too..."

"Yeah, I was right next to you."

Since Natsuki thrust the spear from right next to me, our fields of vision should have been almost the same. Yet, I didn't notice the great salamander in the river at all.

I had seen a few fish swimming, but I completely missed something that size.

"The light reflects off the water, and the color is hard to see. Let's put it away quickly."

"Right, good point."

Since freshness is important, Haruka cooled the immobilized great salamander and put it in the magic bag.

This should net us at least 20 gold coins. While it's not a major concern for leisure, it's nice to make some money since we came all this way.

"I didn't see it either, but Naoto, can't you detect it with your scouting skill?"

"Hmm, not clearly. There are a lot of reactions in the river, but they're small, maybe because they're not enemies."

The Scouting skill is good for detecting 'enemies,' but non-threatening creatures are hard to sense unless you concentrate. On the other hand, if you could sense all living things, it would be too difficult to use in a forest full of insects. In a way, it's a relief.

"There were reactions from the great salamanders mixed in with the fish, but they weren't much different. If there was a bigger difference, I would have noticed."

"Toya, what about you?"

"Nope, nothing. I can't sense anything in the river. My skill is more like a sixth sense, and it doesn't work in water where my sense of smell is blocked."

Toya's Scouting skill probably combines visual, auditory, olfactory, and magical senses. It's not very effective when one or two of those are blocked.

"Hmm... Is this it?"

Focusing on Scouting, I selected a likely spot and peered under a rock. There was a black, slimy creature.

Compared to the great salamander, it was clearly shorter. The Help skill identified it as a 'Poison Toad,' a toxic frog.

It was about the size of a bullfrog, which was a bit creepy.

"What is it... Ah! No, that's not it!"

Haruka, peering over my shoulder, exclaimed in protest. Maybe the sudden appearance was the problem, as the great salamander was also creepy.

"It's toxic, so be careful. It's a poison toad."

From the name, it's clear it's toxic, but is it dangerous to touch?

Or does it bite or spray toxins?

"The poison toad isn't that dangerous. Touching it and then touching your eyes or skin can cause irritation, but it's apparently edible despite the name."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

If you properly skin, clean, and cook it, it's safe to eat.

However, because it requires careful handling, it's not commonly eaten.

"It's also bland and not particularly delicious, so no one bothers to catch it."

"The great salamander, which is part of a quest, must be delicious."

Despite their similar appearances.

"Otherwise, no one would pay so much. ...Is this it? -- Oops!"

I flipped a rock and pinned the creature underneath with the butt of my spear.

It was a distinctive turtle, a snapping turtle.

"Another snapping turtle. What do we do with it?"

Toya hit the snapping turtle I was holding down with a branch, and it extended its surprisingly long neck to bite the branch.

"Wow, it's strong... No, too strong?"

Toya tried to pull the branch, but the snapping turtle wouldn't let go, and the branch started to creak. The branch was thicker than my thumb, not a mere chopstick. How much strength does it have?

"If it bites you, it could tear off a finger..."

Seeing this, Yuki, who was peering from the side, shuddered and stepped back.

"It's dangerous for ordinary people. We adventurers should be fine, but we can't be careless."

"But it's still a snapping turtle, right? Can we eat it?"

"It's edible. I've heard it's a delicacy in Saurstadt, though I've only heard about it."

Snapping turtles can be caught in the Saurstadt area and are on the menu at inns.

However, considering the taste of those dishes, I doubt they're very delicious.

"I've never eaten a snapping turtle. Is it good?"

Haruka looked at us, but we all shook our heads.

It's not a common ingredient, and in my mind, it's a high-end dish you'd find in a specialty restaurant. As a commoner, I've never had the chance.

The only one who didn't shake her head was Natsuki.

"It looks a bit strange, but it's delicious."

"Really? ...But Japanese people eat snapping turtles but not frogs."

Despite being similar in terms of exoticness.

"Probably because frogs aren't that delicious. If they were, Japanese people would eat them."

It's a convincing argument.

We eat sea cucumbers, after all.

"If it's delicious, I'd like to try it. Is there anyone who can cook it? Can we manage with the Cooking skill?"

"Cooking isn't that difficult, but cleaning the mud takes time, so we can't put it in the magic bag. The water here is clean, so it shouldn't take more than a week or two..."

"It would be a waste to let it go. We've already caught a great salamander. How about we camp here?"

No one objected to Toya's suggestion.

The great salamander was a side quest, and our main goal was leisure. It would be good to practice camping while taking a break.

Besides, the area is rich in fish, which is perfect for my fishing hobby.

"Let's get started, then..."

I lifted the snapping turtle I had been holding down with my foot and put it in the bucket Toya had taken out.

We had prepared a large bucket for fish, but a 50-centimeter snapping turtle filled it almost completely, leaving no room for movement.

We filled it with clean water created by magic, closed the lid, and placed a stone on top to prevent it from escaping. We just need to change the water occasionally.

I'm looking forward to trying my first snapping turtle.