Chapter Ninety-two: The Tide Comes In
As Gomamiso and I compete to scoop up swordfish, the tide begins to rise. Unfortunately, it is time to end my tide pool adventure. I hurriedly gathered our catch and tools to avoid being swallowed by the approaching waves. Gomamiso, who had already reached the shore, urges me to hurry as I hop across the rocks to catch up.
“You’ll catch a cold if you stay like that, Rin.”
“Huh? Oh, right! Thank you! Every time I experience it, I’m amazed at how incredible magic is…!”
“Is that so…? Ah, but I suppose if you came from a world without magic, that would be the case…?”
“I think so! I still get excited every time I see magic!”
Mr. Ville stopped me as I was about to head back soaking wet, casting cleansing and drying magic on me. It was the same magic he used on himself when we first met.
Experiencing it myself again, I realize what amazing magic it is! My body, sticky with seawater, feels refreshed, and my clothes and hair that were clinging to my skin are now completely dry! The power of magic is awesome!
…Well, it’s not just magic; watching Ms. Aria’s thread manipulation is also incredibly exciting!
“By the way, what are you going to do with the fish you caught today? You could sell them to the guild.”
“Since we went through the trouble of catching them, I thought we might as well eat them! I could fry the swordfish, and have the rock seabream as sashimi… or maybe even as a kind of ‘tea on rice’!”
“It’s amazing how you can come up with menu ideas so quickly, Rin.”
As we hopped from rock to rock, Mr. Ville mentioned that I could sell the fish, but I think we’ll eat them this time! Survival said they’re "delicious," and it’s the first prey I’ve made underwater since coming to this world, so I want to enjoy them!
My abdomen and back are sore, so this should be delicious, right?!
Chased by waves coming in from offshore, we dance back to the Camping Car parked nearby. It’s quite far from the water’s edge, and judging by the drift, the tide won’t reach this far. So, let’s start preparing the fish right here!
“…So, I’ve filleted it!”
“Interesting… the stripes are on the skin itself, not just the scales.”
The rock seabream, already sliced into fillets, was resting on the cutting board. Mr. Ville peered at my work from beside me, while at my feet, Gomamiso, who had been munching on the leftover bits as a snack, was now grooming itself.
I also tried tasting some meat left on the bones, and it was surprisingly delicious for being so fresh. Normally, it should lack umami due to not being aged, but the taste spreading across my tongue was rich with tender fat and a subtly sweet meatiness. And when I bit into the firm flesh, it pushed back against my teeth with a fresh, springy texture. The more I chewed, the more umami seeped out from within the meat, and after swallowing, a subtle sea breeze flavor left through my nose. This oceanic flavor was neither too strong nor too weak, just enough to whet your appetite.
…Wait, how is this possible?
Even freshly caught, it has such deep umami… what kind of structure do fish in this other world have?! Well, as the one in charge of cooking, I’m thrilled! It’s easy to prepare and delicious, which is the best combination!
“I really wanted to marinate it in sesame sauce for ‘tea on rice’, but I don’t have any sesame seeds…”
“Sesame?”
“It’s like… tiny plant seeds. They’ve been around for a very long time in my world, so I thought they might exist here too…”
Just imagining that slightly sweet, thick, and fragrant sesame sauce marinating the plump rock seabream meat… it’s enough to make my mouth water. But unfortunately, I don’t have any sesame seeds… Since I’m going to use oil to fry the swordfish anyway, I think I’ll cut this into chunks with the skin on and fry it too! While I’m at it, I’ll also fry the leftover orc meat from the fridge and make it into orc cutlet instead of pork cutlet!
The cockatrice meat will be fried too! Everything will get a bath in oil!
Even if the creatures of this otherworldly shore run out, the ingredients for fried food shall never cease…! Tonight’s dinner will be a festival! A fried food festival! Let’s Party!!!
…Well, sesame seeds have existed since ancient Egyptian times, so I have a feeling they might exist in this world too. Let’s look for them when we visit the market tomorrow!
“Alright! Once I put the rock seabream in the fridge, I’ll wash the swordfish… and…”
‘Mine! That’s my fish! I’m going to eat it!’
“Yes, yes. I’ll give you some swordfish too. Mr. Ville, please hold Gomamiso. It’s dangerous, I might accidentally kick it…”
“Got it… But Gomamiso is a winged lynx. It has a good defense, so if anything, you’d probably hurt yourself more if you kicked it…”
“Eh, that’s scary… Mr. Ville, please make sure to hug Gomamiso tightly!”
As I emptied the swordfish into a colander and started washing them to remove the scales, Gomamiso noticed the new snack and began meowing and making a fuss at my feet. A kitten rubbing its head against your shins while wandering around is nothing but a dangerous object that you might accidentally kick or trip over. And what do you mean I’d get hurt instead of Gomamiso if I kicked it?! Having no choice, I decided to have Mr. Ville hold it. The moment Mr. Ville picked it up, the shameless kitten started purring and narrowing its eyes. I handed Mr. Ville a few swordfish. I think I’ll assign him the task of petting Gomamiso and feeding it snacks! It’s not a task just anyone can do, so I hope he takes it seriously.
…And meanwhile, I remove the scales from the swordfish and drain the water, okay? Then coat them in a mixture of flour, salt, and pepper, okay?
“Feuer!!!”
Into the hot oil, they go!
Instantly, the pan roared as the oil surface bubbled violently with a loud sizzle. I could see Gomamiso, who had been content on the sofa by the window after getting its swordfish, suddenly perk up its ears and fluff up its tail. Mr. Ville also glanced over with a questioning expression.
I’m not bothered by the suspicious glances from the two males. What I need to focus on is protecting myself from the splattering oil and stirring the contents of the frying pan amidst the steam. Even so, after a while, the intensity dies down, so I carefully pick it with chopsticks to check…
“Alright! Looks good! And since they’re so fresh, they’d probably be fine even a bit undercooked!”
The moment I feel a slight vibration from the chopsticks, that’s when it’s ready.
“Let’s have some as a snack too!”
“That sounds good! The weather and scenery are nice, shall we eat outside?”
“Yes, that’s a great idea! Mr. Ville, please take the plates out!”
Mr. Ville, alternating his gaze between the plate I was piling high with fried fish and the scenery outside the window, grinned and made the suggestion. Eating freshly fried food while watching the returning waves and the sun tilting slightly to the west… Doesn’t that sound perfect? Right?
With that decided, I have Mr. Ville hold the plates while I take out folding chairs and a mini table from the infinite storage and rush outside. By the way, if you’re wondering why I have two folding chairs, it’s because I have a smaller one for fishing spots and a larger one with armrests and a backrest for camping.
I set up both chairs facing the sea, spread the mini table between them, and place the plates on it. Setup complete. Given his build, I’ll have Mr. Ville sit in the larger chair.
“Wow! What a spectacular view!”
“The sunlight and wind aren’t too strong, and the waves are calm… it’s a good day today.”
Gomamiso, who had been wandering between me and Mr. Ville, finally settled on my lap. While petting the furball that quickly curled up, I gaze at the scene before me. The sky is beginning to take on a reddish tinge, the reflecting sea surface, and the windbreak forest swaying in the breeze.
The deliciousness of the hot, freshly fried swordfish eaten while viewing this spectacular scenery…! The crispy coating is so hot it makes my teeth tingle, but biting through it, it breaks with a satisfying crunch. The fish inside is perfectly cooked and tender. I fried it without removing the innards, but there’s hardly any bitterness. Or rather, there might be a slight bitterness, but it only serves as a good accent to the rich umami of the fluffy meat.
A. fish with blue backs tend to smell, so the fishy odor is a bit strong, but right now, even that’s delicious.
“This fish is quite delicious, isn’t it…”
“Fresh fish is always delicious! Come to think of it, almost all the ingredients in this world seem to be tasty!”
“…Now that you mention it, the first thing you fed me was fish too, wasn’t it?”
“That’s right… It hasn’t been that long since then, but it feels like an incredibly long time has passed…”
…Mr. Ville’s nostalgic murmur as he picked up a piece of fried swordfish made me reflect on everything that’s happened so far.
…That’s right. My first meal in this other world was eaten with just Mr. Ville and me…
It’s strange… it hasn’t been that long since I was summoned to this world, but the experiences have been so intense that I feel completely immersed.
While feeling an inexplicable nostalgia for what are actually very recent memories… Mr. Ville and I continued to pick at the fried swordfish.
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