255-230 Family Services

So soon?　Thank you very much.

When we delivered the Red Strike Ox milk to the Adventurer's Guild, Diora seemed to be a little surprised that we were able to purchase it for cash so quickly.

To be specific, 115 bottles were worth 15,000 gold coins.

Each piece cost about 130 gold coins, but this price was apparently based on the quality and quick delivery.

Isn't it ...... amazing to earn 15,000 gold coins in just one week of work?

I'm sure it's not often that they are sold because there are only a few people who will buy them, but even if you count Mary and her friends, that's 2,000 gold coins per person. A house can be built.

I guess I can understand why there aren't many high ranking adventurers.

I understand that we make a lot of money thanks to magic, and I understand that there aren't many people who can use magic, but we're still able to make so much money as rank 5 adventurers.

Even without magic, if you become rank 6 or 7, you can probably make a good amount of money.

If that's the case, it's not difficult to save enough money for retirement. If so, it won't be difficult to save enough money for retirement (?), and you will probably retire at a good point.

Those who do not retire are either those who love the adventuring life or those who are too busy spending money to continue earning money.

There are many adventurers who spend as much as they earn, so it's hard to say whether the latter is true or not.

I'm going to go take care of the escort request.　When I go to take care of the escort request.

"Yes, of course. We're going to the same place.

Thank you, sir. It'll save on the magic bags.

Using a magic bag is the most efficient way to carry more than 100 glass bottles without damage, but even the Adventurer's Guild doesn't have many magic bags.

But even the Adventurer's Guild doesn't have many magic bags, so they can make a request to us without lending out their magic bags.

However, they will pay us extra for the use of their own magic bags, so it is a very tasty request from our point of view. As long as we accept the request for an escort, we will need to travel to Pining anyway.

Please come back to pick it up on the day of departure. I'll have it ready for you.

I'll be ready.

We had finished collecting milk from Red Strike Ox, and there was still some time before our scheduled departure date, so we had come to the upper Noria River to fish for the first time in a while.

Since the weather was getting more comfortable, we had an idea to train deep in the forest, but we hadn't taken a break for a while, and if we were asked to escort someone, we naturally wouldn't be able to take a break.

The situation is fluid, but taking everything into consideration, it will take about one to two months from the time I leave Laffan until I come home again.

Before that, we decided to take a refreshing break.

In addition to Mary and Mitya, Tommy is accompanying us this time.

However, Tommy, who has a serious job, will be back home in a night or two.

A while ago, I told Tommy that he could ask for experience at the temple of Lord Adversus, and he seems to have been training continuously little by little, and now he can go to and from the fishing grounds without any problem.

If he hadn't, I wouldn't have brought him along this time, so his efforts have not been in vain.

"Great!　It's amazing!　I can catch so many fish!

"I can't believe how easy it is to get fish!

This is the first time in my life that I've fished and I'm excited about it.

No, Mitya is simply happy to be able to catch fish, while Mary is bewildered by the fact that she can easily catch fish that are expensive to buy.

In a way, it's like fishing for money.

"You can always catch fish here.

"Ah. It's a fishing ground to be cherished. It's a good place for us to eat.

I've heard that women don't go fishing with men, but Haruka and his friends don't complain and go fishing with us every time.

Maybe it's because they can catch a lot of fish at the same time, or because they need to secure food, but I'm grateful.

For me, though, there are some things that are lacking. There's not much room for creativity.

But then again, Tommy's fish are huge.

It's all about the hookwork and the size of the hook. My advantage is that I'm a blacksmith.

It's not a big difference, but as Toya said, Tommy's catches are bigger on average.

It's not like I'm going to make a fish print, so I don't really care, but I'm happy when I catch a big one, so I'm a little jealous.

The rod is a little different, isn't it?

Yes, I've made some modifications to the rod in case it breaks.

Unlike us who just cut a piece of wood at random, Tommy's rod has a sense of luxury.

When we asked him about it, he told us that he had ordered it from a furniture maker and added some hardware to it.

...... doesn't mean much, does it?　When you fish here.

"Yes, it does. You won't catch any fish that are too big for the rod to bend, and even if they are a little big, you can easily scoop them up with a tamo net. ....... I don't know, it doesn't really matter how you rig it, does it?

I don't know. In fact, it seems like you don't even need a rod.

That's right. Even if the fish is somewhat large, you can pull it in by holding the line directly and scoop it up with a tamo net.

Even a bare tree branch will not give you much trouble.

If you have a fishing net, you don't need much more than a line reel and a hook, like those used for boat fishing.

I'm working on a prototype gaff and reel. ...... Do you have any plans to go to the sea?

A gaff is a tool with a hook on the end of a stick that is used to pull in big fish, but of course, there are no fish in this river that need a gaff.

The same goes for the reel. There are no fish that pull too hard, and if you don't throw the hook far, it is not necessary. If you don't have an area as large as a lake, you won't dare to use it.

If you think about it, the sea is probably the best place to use it...

I don't see any. This country doesn't face the sea.

"What!　--I had a feeling that was the case, but I guess it's true~. Huh.

Tommy's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but then he let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping, as if he had been expecting it.

Even as adventurers, we've only just learned about the surrounding countries. There was no way that Tommy, who had devoted himself to blacksmithing, knew much about geography.

Incidentally, neither the Principality of Austianum, the Kingdom of Fegley, nor the Empire of Upiclisar have oceans, so if we wanted to go to the sea, we would have to go through one of those countries to the other, but if we wanted to avoid trouble, the Principality of Austianum would be our only choice.

But if you want to avoid trouble, the only option is the Duchy of Austianum.

I remember saying something like 'Would you risk your life for fishing' before, but I think sea fishing is really risking your life.

Really?

I don't even know what country I'm going through before I get to the ocean. If you're not careful, you might even get caught and fall into slavery as soon as you enter the country.

Right. In the surrounding countries, the Fegley Kingdom might be dangerous. The country itself may be dangerous, but depending on the lord, anything can happen. There seems to be a lot of discrimination.

Among the countries in this area, the authority of the lord is originally strong, and the country is in a state of internal conflict.

In fact, even the seemingly decent Viscount Nenus of this country was arrested for minor crimes in the previous generation and thrown into the mines like a slave.

It's a very risky world.

I don't mind fighting demons, but I don't want to risk my life in that direction.

That's right. Well, if it's safe to go to the sea, I'll invite you. But don't get your hopes up. It's more likely that you won't.

I'm still happy. I'm really counting on you, Toya!

I also like to eat sea fish, especially sashimi, so I'm not afraid to ask Tommy out, but ...... seems unlikely.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it if I ever get the chance to travel that far myself.

I'm not sure what to make of this.

Normally, fishing is a very leisurely activity, but this time, since Mary and her friends were there for the first time, we tried to roast fish on skewers over a fire.

Naturally, these two were up for the challenge.

"First, please remove the scales.

"Yes!

"They're a little slimy. ......

Under Natsuki's guidance, Mary and Mitya try their hand at cooking fish.

They are able to dismantle beasts and demons without hesitation, but the first time they touch a fish, they seem to be a little unsure of how to handle it.

After removing the scales, tear open the belly to reveal the guts and remove the gills.

"Does it look like this ......?

"Yes. It looks good. Wash it clean.

While Natsuki instructed, Yuki and Haruka quickly took care of ours.

And Tommy is also doing a good job.

We stayed out of that and made a bonfire.

This is also an important job, because you can't burn without a fire.

Tommy, you're more experienced than I thought.　Do you cook a lot?

"No, not as much as Yuki and the others. ....... As for fish, you know. You can't catch a fish and not handle it, so ...... your parents.

Tommy smiled at Yuki, who looked a little surprised.

I'm sure he's had quite a few of these in his family home.

"Oh, I see. Tommy's mother is not a fish cutter, is she?　They don't sell many whole fish in the supermarket these days.

"No, I think she's probably better than average.　But when I catch a lot of fish, it's like ......

But if I catch a lot of fish, it'll be a hassle. I didn't have much of a chance to process fish before I came here either.

The fish sold in supermarkets are either fillets or pre-processed in trays. Even the whole fish is sold in trays, so you have to ask them to process it for you.

"Yes, that's it!　It's not easy to get a chance to do that, because it's definitely cleaner than doing it yourself. ...... Well, that's why I've been doing it so much since I came here.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

The number of fish we've eaten so far is in the hundreds, and Yuki and the others have taken care of almost all of them.

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one.　Compared to fish in the ocean, it's easy, right?　In the ocean, you can sometimes catch strange fish and have a hard time processing them.

Like what?

For example, the major ones like hamo and anglerfish?　I managed to handle anglerfish by looking it up on the Internet, but it takes skill to cut the bones of hamo. ......

It's not easy to copy. What did you do?　Did you have to endure it?

No. I made it into fish balls. In the blender.

It's a waste of time, but it's smart, right?　Well, then you won't have to cut the bones.

It was delicious.　It's a little different from what you'd expect from a hamo dish.

While Haruka and the others were talking about this, Natsuki's cooking class was coming to an end.

The last step is to stick it on a skewer in a twisting motion, sprinkle with ...... salt, and you're done.

"It's done!

The fish skewers that Mitya and the others held up like a parappa, were well done for their first time.

In the meantime, Haruka and the others had finished 13 skewers, two for each of them, but that was a minor problem.

Please stick the skewers in a line around the fire.

"Yes.

Sixteen skewers lined up in a row around the fire. It's quite a spectacle.

As if fish were not enough, Natsuki prepared another fire and made barley porridge there.

Incidentally, barley porridge and rice are served relatively often in addition to bread at our house.

In fact, I would like to eat rice, but it is not available, so this is a substitute for it.

Barley is just barley, but depending on the variety of barley, it can be glutinous or pressed, so it is quite tasty.

"Is it ready yet?　Are we there yet?

"Me, calm down. ...... How long will it take to eat?

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I'm sure you'll agree that it's best to cook it slowly for about an hour.

You can easily cook it on a charcoal grill, but if you try to cook it on a skewer, it will take longer than expected.

"No, not that much!

"What? I can't wait!

We both smiled at Mitya, who waved her hands in frustration.

We've already reached the point where we're veterans at skewering fish, so we've already factored in that amount of time.

Incidentally, the grilled dried fish that Haruka and her friends make for soup stock takes much longer, at least two or three hours, so an hour is still a bit short.

"Oh, well. Let's just eat this and wait for a while. The barley porridge will take a while too.

Yuki took out a variety of fruits she had obtained in the dungeon.

We'll wait and see!

Mitya immediately changed his attitude and stared at the fruits in Yuki's hands.

After waiting for the fish to be cooked, I tasted the grilled fish with barley porridge.

Yeah. If it was just a matter of taste, it would probably taste better cooked in the kitchen, but perhaps it was the effect of the situation that made it taste so good.

Mary and her friends also enjoyed the fish with big smiles on their faces, and the deliciousness of the fish made them go fishing again after the meal.

Early in the morning of the next day, Tommy went back to the town of Laffan after having breakfast.

We, on the other hand, stayed there for another three days, replenishing ourselves with enough fish, shrimps, and crabs before returning home.