NOVEL WEB Chapter 84 - Chapter 84: Fishing
Chapter 84: Fishing
In the afternoon, Kuro and I take a stroll around the hideout after a long time. The sunlight is still intense as usual, but the hideout has plenty of shade from trees, making it relatively comfortable even during the day. Especially around the lake, there’s a resort-like atmosphere, making the stroll pleasant in itself.
Of course, if there were any signs of Kidanakemo, such feelings would vanish in an instant, and we’d be sprinting at full speed… But for today, it seems to be okay.
Tomorrow, we’ll be heading back to the noisy Savoia. Today, I want to take it easy.
“Alright, how about this spot?”
“Meh meh~”
“Thanks. Let’s bait them then.”
Sitting on a large rock by the lakeside, I attach bait to the fishing hook. I suddenly decided to try fishing. However, I don’t have any fancy equipment. It’s a simple setup with a fishing hook made from Kidanakemo’s bones, a wooden float, a stone weight, and thread spun from Elizabeth’s fur, all tied to a suitable wooden branch.
I brought smoked meat as bait, but Kuro seems to prefer using bugs he gathered himself. He skillfully threads what looks like a large centipede onto the hook. It’s dripping purple liquid and wriggling vigorously, quite a stimulating sight…
“This area seems pretty deep. Hope there are fish.”
“Meh meh~!”
“Hey, don’t bring that thing close to me! Get it to the lake quickly!”
Proudly, Kuro shows off the creepy bug she skillfully skewered. I hope it’s not poisonous or anything… Kuro seems even more cheerful than usual today. She seems to enjoy catching fish, as she listened eagerly with sparkling eyes when Mil talked about fishing before. According to Mil, until the Black Wolves came to the village, the villagers used to fish regularly. Come to think of it, fish was served during the meal at the village when we defeated the Black Wolves. Fishing wasn’t allowed in the waters near the village due to it being a buffer zone with the Tamir Empire, but personal fishing along the coast was fine. Mil used to fish a lot on days off. That’s why, when Mil found the lake shortly after coming to the hideout, she was delighted and planned to fish as a pastime. However, due to incidents like the Black Panther’s turmoil, it was completely abandoned until now. Mil is still busy preparing to go to Savoia, so there’s no time for fishing.
“Well, I’m not sure if there are any fish here, but let’s relax for a bit.”
“Meh~”
Following Mil’s advice, Kuro watches the float quietly without making much noise. The rock we’re sitting on now has just enough shade at this time of day, and it’s cool when the wind blows. It’s a place we don’t usually approach, with high water transparency but no visible bottom, and if you look into the water, you feel like you’ll be sucked in. Since we can’t see any fish, it’s doubtful if we can actually catch any, but it’s okay if we can relax today. As I sit idly holding the fishing rod and gaze at the lakeside scenery, I start to feel sleepy. Maybe it’s because lunch today was especially delicious, and I ended up eating too much. It was a dish like liver and chives stir-fry, slightly sweet and savory, using vegetables like chives harvested at the hideout and seasoning shared by Jeda. I wanted rice, but Mil seemed disappointed that there was no bread. Oh, right, Mil was a baker…
“Meh meh~!”
“Wow! Did you catch it already?”
“Meh meh~!”
Kuro pulls up a small trout-like fish. Honestly, I didn’t expect any decent fish, so I didn’t bring any tools. Anyway, to avoid cutting my hand, I cautiously dispatch the thrashing fish with a knife.
“Meh meh~!”
“Good job, Kuro.”
Kuro jumps around, holding the fish in both hands. It looked like it could bite into me alive, so I’ll suggest grilling it later. However, since there’s no cooler box, I just leave it on the rock for now.
“Well, I’ll keep fishing. If only there were bugs…”
“Meh~”
I tried to hand over the smoked meat, but Kuro quickly ran off to catch bugs. Well, she’ll be back soon…
My fishing rod, on the other hand, shows no response at all. But it’s okay if I can just daydream today.
As I gaze at the sparkling lake surface reflecting the afternoon sunlight, various thoughts come and go. However, after a while, my thoughts are inevitably drawn to tomorrow’s plans. Tomorrow morning, we’ll all go out together, but from Savoia, we’ll go our separate ways. Our lives will be divided into three major patterns. Gisella and Mil will be in Savoia, while Elizabeth, Zamza, and Kohaku will stay at the hideout.
Me, Kuro, and Shiro commute every day. It seems Elizabeth and Zamza are providing transportation, but I worry about the way back…
Anyway, we’ve agreed to meet around the time the sun starts to set.
But depending on the circumstances, one of us might end up waiting for quite some time.
“Meh meh~!”
“Whoa… looks like a rhinoceros beetle larva…”
Kuro has caught a new bug and proudly shows it off.
She’s baiting the hook herself, but she looks like she’s tempted to eat it too.
“Don’t fish yourself, okay?”
“Meh~… Meh~!”
Seems like she managed to resist the temptation and continues fishing…
But speaking of Savoia… will we be targeted by thieves again?
Suddenly, I remember the attack from the past.
Unpleasant memories…
I hope it’s recognized by now that I lead the demons and associate with Marie and Azir, so they won’t dare to mess with us.
Shiro and Zamza look dangerous just by appearance, and Gisella, especially, seems to be quite feared in the Savoia area around the black market, where security is the worst.
As the Bonus Company, if we continue to be recognized as a group that includes such individuals, we might not be targeted anymore.
Moreover, lately, Kuro’s demeanor seems quite impressive even to the untrained eye.
Despite being small, she skillfully uses her agile and well-proportioned body, perfectly controlling her own movements.
Although she’s not particularly strong, her abnormal reflexes, observation skills, and spatial awareness make her seem to dominate the area with an intimidating presence.
Sometimes she moves as if defying gravity, suddenly starts dancing or laughing.
She’s fun and reliable as long as you’re on good terms with her, but if you consider her an enemy, she must be quite terrifying.
Although they’re different, I think she’s just as dangerous as Marie.
“Meh meh~! Meh meh meh~!”
“Wow, you caught another one?”
While shouting triumphantly, Kuro catches a fish that seems a bit bigger than before, then flashes her knife and swiftly dispatches it in midair.
Just by looking at it once, she’s much better at it than me…
“Meh, meh meh meh~ meh~”
“I wonder if this place surprisingly has a good catch. My float hasn’t shown any reaction… well, as long as Kuro is having fun, that’s what matters.”
“Meh meh.”
While humming a tune, Kuro removes the hook and lines up the fish she caught earlier.
She smiles brightly and nods.
Kuro might seem quite dangerous if she becomes an enemy, but for me, she’s just innocent, cheerful, and cute.
Without her, Savoia might have become even darker and more unpleasant for me.
I also want to take Kohaku to Savoia after watching a little more.
Since they probably won’t be able to go far when they grow up, I want to take them to various places as much as possible while they’re still young.
It may be somewhat cruel and selfish in a sense, but I still want to show them the vast world.
While I’m lost in thought, staring at the lake surface, Kuro catches three more fish.
It’s about time to head back, and the fish she caught might spoil soon.
“In the end, I caught nothing… well, Kuro caught five, so it’s fine.”
“Meh~ Meh meh meh~!”
“Huh… ah… Aaah… Ahhh! Oh no…”
When I resigned myself to leave, my float sank for the first time.
I grabbed the rod in a hurry, but before I could feel any significant resistance, the hook and bait were taken away in an instant.
“They even bit through Elizabeth’s fur…”
“Meh…”
“Well, these things happen. Shall we go back… hmm?”
Both Kuro and I feel a bit disappointed, but there’s nothing we can do about it.
Just when I thought there was a brief moment of excitement, something appears to be approaching from the spot where the bait was taken earlier, underwater.
Just as I lost sight of it right before it jumped out of the water, a small yellow hand extends from the edge of the rock, drops my fishing hook, and disappears with a small splash.
“…What was that just now?”
“Meh~?”
Both Kuro and I tilt our heads, but the lake remains as usual.
A breeze picks up, causing ripples on the lake surface.
…Well, it might not be so bad after all.
The smoked meat was taken, but they returned the hook.
I know there are still many small creatures wandering around the hideout, but… let’s not worry too much about it.
We might encounter them eventually, but when that happens, let’s just be good neighbors.
Come to think of it, I need to think about the pink logo for the Bonus Company.