Ch.121Fishing

The content that should have been Chapter 121 has completely disappeared.

The data was lost and cannot be recovered.

The content was roughly about overcoming the clothing shortage problem by increasing the number of sheep.

※ ※ ※

After resolving the textile problem by expanding sheep farming… no incidents requiring my direct intervention occurred.

At most, there were minor romantic disputes or fights between villagers. Beyond that, we drove away wild predators appearing in the vicinity and hunted wandering goblins.

The sight of village members smoothly carrying out their respective roles was truly a beautiful scene that could bring tears to my eyes.

“Ah, finally….”

How joyful I felt that the village could now function properly with just my final approval as the highest decision-maker.

In fact, thinking about it, it’s rather strange that so many major incidents requiring my direct involvement happened one after another until now.

Anyway, this smooth division of labor meant that various village tasks could proceed without me, which in turn meant that I—who had been constantly swamped with work—now had a considerable amount of free time.

Normally, I would have spent this time practicing swordsmanship, but having reached a level where simple training could no longer improve my skills, I chose a different path.

I continued training just enough to keep my body and skills from getting rusty, while spending my remaining time enjoying some leisure and hobbies.

Typically, a nobleman’s hobby would be hunting—not hunting for practical purposes like eliminating harmful creatures, but the leisurely pursuit of pre-arranged game in hunting grounds, a privilege of the wealthy.

To be frank, it’s closer to a social activity than a genuine hobby.

But having absolutely no desire to wander around killing things even during my rest time, I chose something more modest instead of such inefficient and irrational hobbies.

Specifically, fishing in the river located a short distance from the village.

This river, more substantial than a mere stream, was reasonably deep and wide, with a well-developed native ecosystem, which translated directly into rich fishing grounds.

Carp-like native fish could be found without difficulty, as well as small fish and occasionally trout-like species, creating an environment perfectly suitable for fishing.

As I recall, in European regions, such freshwater fish were generally avoided due to issues like lack of cooking methods, but that was only applicable in other worlds where food was abundant and times were more advanced.

To be honest, in this world where food is extremely precious, we’re hardly in a position to be picky. At least in the eastern part of the Frankish Kingdom, freshwater fish are in reasonable demand as excellent protein sources.

Soup made with finger-sized small fish and turnips is a local dish commonly eaten in rural areas near rivers, while the native carp-like fish, being large and tasty, are prepared in various ways.

They can be filleted and grilled, or butterflied and grilled after removing the large bones. They’re also used in thick soups or stews. And though expensive, fried fish is considered the ultimate dish.

Additionally, trout or salmon-like fish, rich in fat (oil), are regarded as premium fish, and aquatic products in general are not particularly rejected as food sources.

River snails similar to whelks, freshwater clams resembling small clams, freshwater crayfish, shrimp, and even freshwater oysters.

In normal circumstances, these ingredients might be ignored, but when food is scarce, everything becomes edible.

Anyway, for these reasons, aquatic products from rivers in this era have definite demand, which naturally attracts people who specialize in fishing.

Even though they catch fish simply using traps and nets, the harvest is quite profitable, leading some to take it up as a side business if not a full-time occupation.

Of course, seafood like fish is notoriously perishable, and preserving it long-term without refrigeration or magical assistance is no easy task in this era.

But humans always find solutions, and these people—in some ways smarter than modern humans—eventually created all sorts of preserved foods from these freshwater fish.

They bury them in piles of salt (which has become quite accessible since the discovery of a small open-air rock salt vein nearby), remove the more perishable innards, and then dry the whole fish in the wind or smoke it.

And fish that have undergone all three processes—salted, gutted, and smoked—are the true protein source for common people in this era, a preserved food that has gained popularity due to its unique flavor distinct from meat.

Anyway, for these reasons, while a group of people (mostly including children) carried on with their fishing activities that doubled as play…

“…Hmm.”

At a spot a little distance away, I was fishing with a handmade fishing rod created using “Goblin Craftsmanship” and modern knowledge.

No matter how well I could remember my past life by tracing my soul, my only memory of fishing rods was from fishing games.

Fortunately, the game emphasized realism, so the structure of fishing rods was well-represented, and based on that, it wasn’t difficult to make a fishing rod with the help of “Goblin Craftsmanship.”

For the rod, I used a sturdy branch from a magical plant (tree) in the forest, and for the fishing line, I processed and used thread spun by special forest spiders.

As for the coveted bait, I used small pieces of “lure meat” that Gretel had made as a gift.

Originally designed to attract instinct-driven carnivorous predators, this characteristic actually allowed me to enjoy various extreme fishing experiences.

“Got one!”

[—■■■■■!!]

Specifically, luring and catching fish monsters.

If carnivorous fish monsters appeared among these fishing workers, many of whom were children, it would undoubtedly lead to disaster, especially since most low-level carnivorous fish monsters are fast and powerful against humans.

In other words, even though retired adventurers are present to protect these people, enjoying this exciting fish catching hobby also serves a public interest… right?

‘…Am I making excuses to someone right now?’

Of course… I do feel a twinge of conscience for seemingly playing alone, but actually catching something while moving around does ease that pain of conscience.

“…Ah!”

—Splash!!

For instance, catching fish like this luminous electric catfish.

An adult specimen about 1 meter long, with hundreds of sharp teeth in its mouth, it attacks by emitting blinding flashes and directional electric shocks from its entire body.

The electric shock it fires can travel in a straight line for about 30 meters without issue, with enough power to easily stop an adult human’s heart.

—Crackle!!!

‘Oops. That won’t do.’

Being a fish, its electric attack range is greatly reduced out of water, making it safe once landed, but conversely, this means it could easily kill several people in the water.

In short, it’s one of the biggest threats to safe fishing activities.

—Crack!

After stabbing a blade into the body of the creature that was wildly discharging electricity, its thrashing intensified momentarily before stopping.

And just as I was about to use my dressing knife to remove the poisonous organs from this luminous electric catfish I had hunted for lunch…

“Ribbit.”

“…Huh?”

Suddenly, I heard a suspiciously loud frog sound. Feeling an intense sense of foreboding, I turned my head to find… the monster I despise most.

“Ugh…!!”

A giant frog, as large as a bear, croaking and spewing disgusting mucus.

Occupying a position similar to bears in the freshwater ecosystem of the Western Continent, this creature—which had swallowed me in my less skilled days—extended its tentacle-like tongue toward me.

Of course, fundamentally, it’s no match for me.

“Die!”

—Slash!

Even a frog as large and strong as a grizzly bear is still just a low-level creature. I cut its whip-like, tentacle-like tongue with my dressing knife, then immediately used an extension of my slash technique to easily split its body.

Its body, similar to strong rubber, is extremely resistant to impact attacks, but conversely, somewhat vulnerable to cutting or piercing attacks.

In other words, it’s nothing more than a low-level animal.

…Except for the fact that I was swallowed by one of these in my low-level days, I probably wouldn’t need to overreact like this.