CH 242

The next day. I received the magic potion in the morning and then headed to the blacksmith.

Yesterday I healed Adol’s mother, but she fell asleep and didn’t wake up. So, I went back to the blacksmith’s and wondered if she had recovered.

Well, I did all I could do. I will just have to rely on her resilience.

“Good morning.” (Rook)

I opened the door and was greeted by a young man standing at the counter, he was not the master I usually talked to.

He might be the one in charge in the morning.

“I asked the master for something yesterday, is it ready?” (Rook)

“Yeah, it is done.” (Young Man)

He showed me a pale blue and white fishhook about two centimeters long.

As I had ordered, the tip of the hook had a hook and a hole to thread the line through. This would be good.

I picked up one of the hooks and checked it out.

The needle is less than a millimeter thick. However, it did not feel like bending when I applied force to it.

I think it was a good decision to use mithril alloy. I was worried about the strength of ordinary iron for such a thin needle.

I don’t know what kind of iron is used in this store, but from what I have seen in various weapon shops, I don’t think it is possible to make the kind of sturdy, rust-resistant iron used for fishhooks on Earth.

“I checked. I’ll take this one then. The rest will be ready in about seven days, is that all right?” (Rook)

“Yeah, I heard that from my master. I’ll make it and leave it for you, so you can come and get it whenever you want.” (Young Man)

I left the blacksmith shop and dove into the dungeon.

As usual, I went through the first, second, and third floors. After staying overnight on the third floor, I went through the fourth floor and arrived at the fifth floor in the early afternoon.

Perhaps because my level has risen, or perhaps because I have become accustomed to this floor, my speed passing through the fourth floor has increased dramatically.

“Hmmm… I have some time left, maybe I’ll go fishing.” (Rook)

If I enter the Fifth Floor Village at this point, it will be difficult to get out later.

This is because the Fifth Floor Village takes money every time you enter the village, a total rip-off.

… Well, it would be too much trouble to manage if they issue a pass that allows you to go in and out all day long like in some other countries. There is no way around that.

I proceeded westward in a clockwise direction around the lake, looking for a suitable place to find something that could be used as bait.

“…Shall I use that?” (Rook)

While walking around at random, I sensed something that was in the range of [Magi Location].

The first I did was grab my Mithril Alloy Cudgel and run immediately. I slipped through the trees at high speed and strikes it in the brain.

“Guu!” (Acid Frog)

The sensation of something being crushed was transmitted to my hand.

The Acid Frog is lying on the ground while twitching and convulsing.

This time I defeated it with my weapon, so none of its dangerous fluids leaked. Acid Frogs have to be subjugated like this. Well, not only Acid Frogs but this whole dungeon is best taken with blunt weapons.

I cut open the stomach of the Acid Frog, the magic stone is taken out, and the flesh of the leg is removed. Then he cuts the meat into pieces about a centimeter cubed.

“Is this thing, okay?” (Rook)

With my improvised “bait,” I moved near the lake. Then, I looked for a good spot.

I found a place where some rocks were sticking out from the lake, so I started to fix my equipment in front of the rocks.

But all I had to do was to attach the line to the hook.

I take out a bag containing a line and the hook from my bag. And the hook…

“…” (Rook)

Sure enough, the hook got stuck in the bag and it was a big annoyance.

I still want to get a plastic fishing tackle case, but such a sophisticated thing does not exist in this world, so I will look for a wooden container when I return to Aluppo.

Somehow, I managed to get the hook out, thread it, and stick the Acid Frog meat to the tip of the hook.

“Okay! Let’s try this for now!” (Rook)

I unwind about five meters of fishing line from the wooden board, gathering it up and holding it in my hand, then I toss pebbles across the rock and to the water.

The sound and the impact caused the fish in the vicinity to flee.

“…I will have to wait until the fish come back.” (Rook)

I sat down on one knee on the rock and waited, trying not to make a sound.

After a while, when the fishes let their guard down, I threw in my hook a few meters away.

The hook lands in the lake with a plop and sinks slowly.

A cold wind blew on the lake and the surface of the water shivered.

I slowly reeled in the line to keep the hook from hitting the bottom of the lake.

“Here it comes!” (Rook)

The moment I felt a fish on the hook pulling my finger, I pulled the line.

“I got one!” (Rook)

The hook seems to have caught well, and the line bites into my hand.

I slowly reeled it in and pulled it out of the lake just as it reached my feet.

“Yeah!” (Rook)

“Kyu!” (Shion)

Shion cried happily.

I placed the flopping fish on a rock and took a closer look at it.

I wasn’t that familiar with the fish, but it looked more like a trout than salmon… It was about 30 centimeters long and thick-fleshed. It has a speckled pattern on its body, and when the sun reflects off it, it glows a greenish color.

“Hmmm… A trout in the dungeon. …Sounds like a Dungeon Trout, huh?” (Rook)

It’s a dungeon trout, not a dungeon master. [T/N: Rook is talking about the spelling/pronunciation of dungeon trout ダンジョンマスvs dungeon master ダンジョンマスター, they are sort of homonyms.]

I don’t know if this fish has an official name, but let’s call it that for now.

However, I expected it to some extent, but I caught it unexpectedly easily. I’ve heard rumors somewhere that wild animals in uninhabited areas are not afraid of humans, and that fish in areas where no anglers come are less cautious and can be caught easily. I think that’s probably what this is.

“Alright! Let’s catch more!” (Rook)

I continued fishing and caught a total of four dungeon trout in less than an hour.

I would have caught more if I kept on fishing, but I couldn’t handle catching any more. This amount would be just right.

“Hmm…” (Rook)

At any rate, I was able to confirm that I could catch fish in the lake.

The next step is to see if I can actually eat them, right?

For example, there must be fish that are poisonous all over their body, like some pufferfish. There may be constipation-free fish like oil fish, which can be eaten but number two flows out easily when eaten. There may be fish like the stonefish, which can be eaten as long as its poisonous stinger is removed. [T/N: Not sure how true this is about oil fish.]

Now, what kind of fish is this fish?

Well, the ogre ate it, so I think it is probably safe.

“Let’s dismantle it for now.” (Rook)

I don’t have much experience in fish processing, but I remember how to do it.

Well, for now, all I have to do is cut open the belly and take out the innards!

Splitting the fish’s belly with a knife and I pull out the internal organs.

“Next … Hmmm, maybe I just grill it with salt?” (Rook)

That’s the only way to cook it now…

Boiled fish is made by boiling oily white fish in a sweet and salty sauce. Tuna with slightly sweet and sour rice. I hope to be able to eat such things someday. However, aside from I may never be able to eat sushi again because I am too afraid of parasites.

Thinking about it makes me feel a little lonely.

Perhaps I will never be able to experience the rich food culture in Japan again.

It may be a good idea to add the reproduction of Japanese food to one of my goals. But…

“To begin with, there are many restrictions in the life of a rootless adventurer…” (Rook)

The fish I caught in this way have to be eaten right here and now.

It’s difficult to carry various cooking utensils, and it’s difficult to work on things that take time to dismantle.

The four fish are all gutted, and salt is sprinkled over all the fish.

“Smoking… it would be nice if I could do it…” (Rook)

If it could be smoked, this dungeon trout would last longer and could be stored like dried Fungus and used for another occasion.

But that is difficult to do.

When I was in Japan, I once wanted to make my own smoked fish and made it by hand from a smoker. It was a simple one made from a cardboard box. Then I bought some chips and tried to preserve the smoked food I had actually made—it still spoiled.

Later, when I looked into it, I found out that such a simple way of making smoked food hardly improves its preservation. Apparently, the original smoking process requires continuous smoking for a month, and at that time, a large-scale facility is needed to cool the smoke so that it does not burn the ingredients.

An adventurer would not be able to build such a thing in an inn. If they did, they would be smoked by the pissed-off steaming innkeeper.

I’m not sure if I’d be able to carry even a simple smoker, since it would be too big for my lifestyle.

If I have one like that, I’ll have to carry a smoker on my back as an adventurer. It’s not like Kinjiro Ninomiya… [T/N: A well-known statue with firewood on his back.]

“That’s as expected…” (Rook)

I gathered dead and fallen trees from the surrounding area and set them on fire.

“Flame, into my hand, [Fire Seed].” (Rook)

Yeah. Life Magic is really useful.