NOVEL WEB Chapter 17.2
17.2. Port Town
The request Nord presented was for crew members aboard a fishing boat.
It was issued by the fishing guild and involved working as a crew member on a boat catching water fish. The job required both fishing and fighting off any water fish that might attack.
With Elsa’s agreement, they approached the counter to accept the request, where they were instructed to head to the fishing guild for further details.
On their way to the designated place, they passed through the lively streets, hearing energetic shouts. The merchants lining the streets were calling out to passersby.
“We have imported liquor! It’s a hit overseas!”
“Look at this sharp blade, it’s a famous sword from the far East!”
“Hey there, miss, this hair accessory would suit you!”
Adventurers, merchants, and local housewives were all busy shopping. The streets were bustling with people, and the noise seemed even more intense than in the capital.
As the voices blended into the din of the town, they continued down the cobblestone streets until they arrived at the fishing guild’s location.
It appeared that the red brick building they had seen from the outskirts was indeed the guild, with a sign depicting a fisherman pulling up fish with a net.
Upon entering the building, while not as chaotic as the Adventurers Guild, it was still lively.
Perhaps it was a trait of sea folk to be so boisterous.
“I’d like to accept a request,” Nord announced at the counter, and the process began.
According to the explanation, they would board the designated fishing boat, work as crew members, and the boat would return to port that same day, allowing them to complete the paperwork again to receive a day’s wage.
There were quotas based on their catch, and if they fell short, their pay would be reduced. The shipowner would purchase any surplus catch above the required amount. This effectively made it a commission-based job.
Since Nord needed the water fish scales, he consulted about that and was told he could keep any excess. When he inquired about what would happen if they caught something other than water fish, he was informed they could do as they pleased with those catches.
The prompt response suggested that many adventurers were likely participating for similar reasons.
§
On the ship, Elsa was thriving in both fishing and combat.
At first, she handled the bait with trepidation, but soon got used to it, reeling in fish, finishing off the flailing catch, and tossing the fish into the tank.
The fish tank was an apparatus on the ship to hold the caught fish, equipped with magical tools that allowed them to be stored at low temperatures to prevent spoilage.
Elsa was catching fish in a way that seemed impossible for a first-timer. At this rate, she would easily fulfill her quota and aim for bonus rewards.
Her impressive pace was astonishing to the surrounding adventurers, perhaps indicating a commonality between her use of a spear and a fishing rod.
Meanwhile, Nord was not only keeping up but was reeling in fish at an abnormal pace.
Having swung a fishing rod as much as a sword since childhood, Nord’s fishing skills had already reached a remarkable level at a young age.
In less than five seconds after dropping the line, he got a response, and with a precise and refined motion, he lifted the rod, causing a fish to leap from the water.
Even while managing his sword, which hung at his waist on the unstable deck, he skillfully dispatched the fish.
With fluid motions, he tossed the fish into the tank, and before long, the rod baited and lowered again into the sea.
After several hours of this, the tank was quickly filling up.
When his tank was full, he turned to the crew for instructions, only to be met with blank stares. It seemed they hadn’t anticipated such a situation.
When a crew member relayed this to the captain, Nord was told to fish in another location, so he was hurriedly moved to a different spot.
And soon, his tank was filling up again.
Guh, gugh….
Nord felt a different kind of resistance on his fishing rod, one unlike the fish.
Having switched his target to the Box Octopus, Nord discreetly altered the depth of the line and the bait on the hook (he had brought his own bait), and while the carnivorous fish were nibbling at it, his catch rate had significantly slowed down.
(──It’s here!)
Instinctively, Nord realized that it was the Box Octopus.
Unlike fish, the Box Octopus wouldn’t immediately bite the bait. It would first check with its eight tentacles, then take the bait.
Guh……guh……
(──Not yet; it’s just checking. Stay calm… stay calm…)
Nord concentrated all his senses on the sensation transmitted from the rod.
The sound of the waves, the creaking of the ship, the presence of surrounding adventurers and crew.
All of these faded from his consciousness, and he felt as if he had become one with the fishing rod.
In his extreme focus, only the existence of the Box Octopus, presumably at the seabed, was acknowledged by Nord.
Guh……guh……gugh
(──!! Now!)
For a moment, the resistance slackened, and the regularity of the resistance stopped, only to be followed by a strong tug. The Box Octopus had bitten!
“Whoa!!”
Through the rod, an immense force transmitted to him. The Box Octopus, large enough to weigh as much as a person and carry its own home, was heavy.
A strong pulling tension was placed on the fishing line.
The Box Octopus was thrashing about underwater.
The line was moving abruptly right and left, and the crew noticed Nord’s fierce struggle.
──Did he hook something big?
With the previous display of Nord’s extraordinary fishing skills, the captain and crew recognized him as an honorary sea man.
Everyone was curious about what this fishing expert would catch.
Gradually, the resistance weakened. Nord’s superb technique ensured that the rod, line, and hook remained intact while exhausting the prey’s stamina.
It seemed the Box Octopus no longer had the energy to dive deep into the seabed.
As the line was slowly reeled in, the form of the Box Octopus began to appear through the seawater.
“──It’s a Treasure Octopus!!”
One of the crew members, who had gathered around Nord—clearly slacking off, though the captain overlooked it—recognized the catch and shouted.
Wow!
Other crew members and adventurers familiar with the Treasure Octopus joined in the excitement.
The Treasure Octopus is said to be a chance for a windfall, a prized catch for any seafarer.
“──Heave-ho!!”
With Nord’s shout, the fishing rod was swung high, and a shadow leaped from the water’s surface.
When it thudded onto the deck, its form was unmistakably that of a large octopus, with a box-like shell on its back. It was indeed the Treasure Octopus.
The fate of the octopus, twisting its tentacles in vain, was already sealed.
§
Afterward, Nord and Elsa were on their way back to the royal capital.
They had taken on another escort mission, traveling while riding on the cart’s platform.
The client was a different merchant from the outward journey, overseeing multiple cart escorts. Nord recognized this merchant as one who operated a large store in the royal capital, carrying expensive goods and requiring many guards.
Nord had loaded his belongings onto one of the carts. In exchange for a reduced reward, he was allowed to stow his items in the empty space.
There were three bags inside. The first and smallest bag contained the scales of fish.
In the fishing mission, Nord and Elsa had achieved great success, so much so that the captain personally requested them for more jobs over the coming days.
Nord was eager to accept, but Elsa seemed to have fully enjoyed fishing in that single mission, so she reluctantly declined the offer.
“Please consider us for future requests,” the captain’s parting words were surely not mere lip service.
The second was the scaled hide of a Fish Dragon.
The thick hide protruding from a large burlap sack likely belonged to a rather aged individual that had molted. It was thick and had intricate layers like tree rings, shimmering in deep blue.
Obtained as planned from the Treasure Octopus’s home, it was of sufficient size.
Combined with all the gathered materials, it would surely be reborn as a reliable piece of armor at the royal capital’s armory.
And lastly, there was a bag about the size of Nord’s torso, smaller than the Fish Dragon’s scaled hide.
Inside, several fist-sized stones glimmered in a verdant hue, resembling gems.
Obtained from inside the Treasure Octopus’s home, these were ores containing a metal known as Jadelite, which has a metallic property.
Nord and Elsa, along with the other onlookers, were momentarily surprised to think they had found gems, but quickly realized the truth, resulting in a collective letdown.
However, the Jadelite refined from the ore is a superior metal that demonstrates hardness and sharpness.
Unlike the spectators who had hoped for gold or jewels, the possibility of acquiring a superior weapon made this adventure a resounding success for Nord and Elsa.