99-089 Fishing (3)

Well, this is our first encampment. ......2 We'll have to take turns keeping watch.

We'll have to take turns keeping watch. If you have a higher level of space-time magic, there is a spell called "Sanctuary" .......

My current level of space-time magic is level 3. Sanctuary is a spell that can be used at level 4. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.

This is a spell that restricts the objects that can enter the area designated by the sorcerer, and if you are not skilled enough, it is only effective in repelling insects (although it is still beneficial), but if you are skilled enough, it can completely block demons up to a certain level.

Even if you can't block it, you don't need to leave a guard because the sorcerer will know that you have entered.

Incidentally, there is also a level 5 spell called "Isolation Field" that completely isolates the user, but this spell is very dangerous in a sense because it does not allow even air to pass through.

I'm not sure what to do. What do we do?

"We'll just play rock-paper-scissors.

It's not a big problem, so we'll just go with Yuki's suggestion.

As a result, it was decided that Haruka and I would play in pairs first, and Toya, Natsuki and Yuki would play later.

Then, Natsuki and the others should go to bed.

That's right. If we go to bed now, we'll each get about five or six hours of sleep.

Chatting around the fire sounds like fun, but what can we do?

"No, you guys talked a lot during the day!

No, you guys talked a lot during the day!

I understand Yuki's feelings, but I also agree with Toya. In a way, I'm impressed that they have so much to talk about.

I like the night situation. ...... Well, sleeping is part of the job, in a way. It's an adventurer's job.

As he said this, Yuki followed Natsuki into the tent, and finally Toya entered.

The sun hadn't set yet, so it was probably around 7pm.

If we keep watch for five or six hours from now and take turns, Haruka and I will be able to sleep until dawn as well. If we were to take three shifts, we would be able to sleep more, but for a few days, this amount of sleep would be fine.

But sitting around for five or six hours is boring, isn't it?

I whispered to Haruka as she sat back down next to me.

The tent I bought is waterproof and a bit thick, but it's not soundproof, so I can't pass the time by chatting.

"Well, I guess I can only train my skills.

That's limited to things that don't make noise.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

I'm not sure if I'd be able to do that.　I'm not sure if I'll be able to do that.

Perhaps my sense of time has improved since I came here, or perhaps I've become more sensitive to the movements of nature, such as the sun, so I can judge the time from five minutes to an hour without much difference, but at night, even five or six hours, I'm not so sure.

I can see the stars today, but I still need a watch.

Is it expensive?

In Laffan, bells ring at regular intervals, but I've never seen a clock.

There are no clocks hanging in stores or restaurants, and there is no such thing as a clock tower.

If you live in the city, you probably don't have much need for them, but still, since you don't see them at all, you can imagine that they are not cheap.

It's so expensive that the average person can't afford it. Since it is made by alchemy, it would be better to gather the materials and make it yourself. There are hourglasses for measuring intervals, but they're expensive enough.

Glasswork, you know.

Perhaps because of the existence of magic and alchemy, glass has become so common that you can see glass windows in the city, but it is still not cheap. If it was an hourglass that required delicate work, it would be more like a craft than a mere utility item.

"Well, I'll take care of the time, and you can do whatever training you want. You need to sleep.

I understand.

I'll take Haruka's word for it. ...... The first thing to do is [search for enemies].

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it. It's not good to disturb the edge of sleep.

On the other hand, [Searching for Enemies] is completely passive. It doesn't emit any magic or sound, so it won't interfere with your sleep.

I'm going to meditate and search for the range of the enemy.

First, the river. There is very little movement, which is a change from daytime. The landlocked salmon are probably asleep. However, there are some active responses. Nocturnal fish and amphibians, perhaps.

The frogs are still croaking, so it is quite noisy. Considering the Great Salamander, it may be easier to find it if we go there now. ...... Well, there's no need to push it.

It's hard to catch a lot of them in the same place, considering their size and the fact that they seem to have a certain amount of territory.

The next time I turned my attention to the forest, I saw that there were quite a few of these nocturnal animals moving around in the forest. The response itself is not large, so it's unlikely that there are any that would pose a threat to us, but we should at least be careful.

When I told Haruka this, she pondered a bit and muttered.

...... Wolves, perhaps?　There are nocturnal wolves in this forest, aren't there?

Apparently. They don't seem to attack people very often.

They must understand the risk of attacking people. If their habits are the same as in the original world, a pack is no more than ten wolves. Only adventurers camp in the forest, and if you attack them, you'll almost certainly kill a few of them.

There's no reason to attack an adventurer with a weapon unless he's defenseless.

It would be safer and easier to just go after the deer.

Incidentally, a pack of wolves covers an area of about 10 to 30 kilometers square, so it is unlikely that dozens of wolves will attack you in tandem.

This means that their ecology is different from that of demons that settle under a superior species. Thankfully. I like dogs, so I don't want to kill them unnecessarily.

The pelts seemed to be sellable, but I wouldn't dare hunt them.

For the next few hours, I spent my time training in [spotting], magic, and [stealthy footing].

The first two were unpopular with Haruka, but I'd like to continue this training, as it's not something I usually do.

The next morning, Haruka and I went to the beach.

The next morning, when Haruka and I were woken up by Yuki and came out of the tent, breakfast was already ready.

Yuki and her friends had nothing much to do in the middle of the night, so they were leisurely preparing breakfast.

However, only Toya, who was useless for cooking, was covered in sweat from repeated muscle training alone, and was hit by Haruka's Purify in the morning.

Toya said, "That's very thoughtful of you! But I think Haruka just didn't want to see you covered in sweat at the breakfast table.

This morning I made a soup with fish and wild herbs, and added something like udon noodles.

Did you get any wildflowers?

Yes. Toya picked up some parsley from the river. The rest was just some edible leaves I gathered in the forest.

Just like that?

But the pot I looked into smelled good and looked quite tasty.

The chopped landlocked salmon in the pot seemed to have been salted and dried overnight.

The "udon-like" thing is something I made. Forgive me if it's too short for the space.

The udon seems to have been made by Yuki when she was bored.

The reason it's less than 20 centimeters long is because she didn't have a rolling pin or a wide board, and used a cutting board to make it.

I don't care how long it is, as long as it tastes good.

I haven't tasted it yet, but I'm sure it's not bad.

Well, let's eat.

Yeah. My stomach's been growling all night.

That's because I've been doing strength training all night.

I've been tiptoeing for a long time, but Toya's even more so. I didn't make any noise, so it wasn't a problem.

Let's eat, then.

"Itadakimasu.

We all chanted in unison and took a sip of the soup.

Yes, it's good.

The base seems to be salty and some spices, but the broth from the landlocked salmon makes a good soup.

The seri (parsley) is a little more fragrant than the other wild plants that Natsuki probably collected, but it also adds to the flavor.

The udon is almost as good as frozen Sanuki udon, except that it is shorter. The udon is a little less thirsty, but considering the fact that it was made in this environment, it is a good product.

"How's ......?

"Delicious. The udon and the soup are good.

I replied and smiled at Yuki's worried question.

There is something about the taste that makes me feel at home in Japan.

I don't mind the bread, but I get bored with it all the time.

You're right. It's been a long time since I've had fish soup. It's delicious.

It's going to be cold soon, so you might as well make dried fish. For soup stock.

So far, I haven't found any kombu or dried bonito flakes, so Natsuki wants something to use as soup stock for her future cooking. Of course, I'm willing to help if it's for good food.

Dried shiitake mushrooms are another option, but dried mushrooms are expensive, aren't they?

Yes. They're expensive. I guess they are not cultivated.

I asked Natsuki about the price, but it was too expensive to buy for soup stock.

No, it's not a matter of soup stock or anything like that. At least, it's not something you can use for everyday cooking.

"Is fish cheap in a city near the sea?

"It may be cheaper at the beach, but the distance is too great. It takes days to get there from here, so I can't go shopping.

There is no such thing as a horse-drawn carriage, so we have to make our own carriage or go on foot, which is a very tough way to go.

As a matter of course, you will have to camp along the way, and there are dangers from demons and bandits.

At the very least, it does not seem practical to go there just to buy fish.

"Hmmm, this means I'll have to catch more and more fish for a good meal!

"Yeah, right.

No objections!

We were both eager to go fishing.