Chapter 215 - Food Terror with Seafood
"You searched for 5 hours!?"
"Yeah. I found a few possible starting locations, but I agonized over which one was best."
[Gossol] "5 hours!?"
[Marusan] "Amazing. Such perseverance!"
[Sack] "What was the deciding factor for this island?"
[Kedaman] "Curious about other starting points…"
etc. etc…
"I found the first one after about an hour, so it felt like there was no turning back? From there, I kept finding others and thought, 'Is this one too cold or too hot?'… I chose this island because the climate seemed best."
Its latitude was roughly the same as the Capital Wolkel in the Kingdom. And, oh yeah, with several islands around, the ocean currents shouldn't be too strong, I thought.
A high probability of being calm and relaxing, yet as far as possible from the mainland… I probably don't need to mention that part.
"So, I don't know the exact distance, but there were other islands around."
"I see."
Couldn't see them from the top of the cliff overlooking this port, though. The horizon is 5km away, right? It should be visible from higher up, so perhaps it's more than 20km away.
[Sharlann] "Other islands sound interesting."
[Yosoro] "Let's build a boat, a boat!"
[Rufaa~] "Was there a Shipbuilding skill?"
[Coconutun] "Are there players over there?"
etc. etc…
"Ah, I've confirmed you can't start from those other islands."
"As expected of Shou-kun!"
No, that's a bit embarrassing, actually. The comments section was going wild, though…
"I thought it would be super awkward if I somehow went to another island and met other players…"
[Runade] "Relatable haha"
[Yaar] "Both of us want solo play, after all."
[Jonhtho] "Our eyes meet~♪"
[Torato] "I'd pretend not to see them and go home… ( ゜д゜)"
etc. etc…
Right?
"Oh!?"
A konkon vibration transmitted to my hand, but I held back. Then, with a strong, sudden pull,
"Got one!"
I set the hook just like in real fishing. I was a bit worried about the line and hook, but it seemed fine.
[Fishing skill has leveled up!]
"Congratulations!"
"Ah, yeah. Well, it just went from 1 to 2, so…"
[Izayoi] "Congrats!"
[Shakeena] "You just got the skill, didn't you? (^-^)"
[Shigerusan] "Horse mackerel?"
[Taikoskii] "That's a nice-sized Oranjack~"
etc. etc…
This was definitely an Oranjack (horse mackerel), nearly 25cm. It was big enough to be eaten as sashimi, so I got to work immediately.
"Huh? You're eating it right away?"
"Yeah. Just to try it? Or rather, is it safe to eat as sashimi… right?"
I was relieved when the fishing players in the comments confirmed it was safe.
"It would be good if you had soy sauce."
"Can't be helped. Besides, there are other delicious ways to eat it without soy sauce."
[Bluesha] "It's delicious as is, you know~ ^_^
[Akumon] "Other than soy sauce?"
[Hirari] "Marinated with wine vinegar?"
[Reaper] "What's the difference between marinade and carpaccio?"
etc. etc…
Many guessed wine vinegar. I had initially planned that, but then I remembered something. I quickly filleted it into three, then thinly sliced it and arranged it on a plate. I took out a small dish from my inventory, filled it with Perilsense (sesame) oil, and added a pinch of salt.
"Eh?"
[Nezu~] "Sesame oil and… salt… is that right…"
[Nonnonno] "That's an idea!"
[Marusan] "Whoa, looks delicious~!!"
[Daytron] "
etc. etc…
"Now, how is it?"
I picked up a slice with chopsticks, generously dipped it in sesame oil, and took a bite…
"Ugh…"
"Ugh?"
"Delicious!"
Ah, the comments section was in agony…
"Wafu!"
"Oh, Lupi, want some too? Say 'ah~'."
I fed Lupi a piece of sashimi as she opened her mouth. Lupi was so gentle, cleverly moving only her head so as not to wake Sweee, who was sleeping on my stomach.
"Ugh, that's unfair…"
Mion was probably the biggest victim of this food terror, but I'd make it up to her on Sunday.
"Oh yeah, I had this too."
I took out Clefol (wasabi) and grated it. Good thing I made a grater for Rudish (radish).
[Draichisan] "Wasabi!"
[Donden] "Huh? You had wasabi!?"
[Mattoru] "You went to the water source, so you must have found Clefol~"
[Molto] "You can make wasabi sauce!"
etc. etc…
Quite a few players seemed to know Clefol (wasabi), and I was grateful for all the tips on how to use wasabi effectively. I'd like to try making wasabi sauce…
"Wafu."
"Oh, Lupi dislikes it. Sorry, sorry."
I apologized to Lupi, who had turned her head away with a pout. Then, I dabbed a tiny bit of grated Clefol onto a piece of sashimi, dipped it lightly in sesame oil, and ate it…
"!!"
[Kurando] "Was about to say it's several times spicier than real wasabi, but…"
[Rogappo] "Yeah, yeah, that's exactly it! That's what I wanted! o(≧▽≦)o"
[Bluesha] "They say it's spicier in places with denser mana (^◇^;)"
[Gafugafu] "If you have the Taste Resistance skill, it gets better haha"
etc. etc…
"Shou-kun, are you okay!?"
"Ugh… cough cough… I'm… cough… okay…"
Seriously tough! I didn't expect it to be this spicy…
"Wafun…"
Lupi's eyes seemed to say, 'See? That's what you get for eating weird things,' which hurt even more.
No, no, if I just know the right amount, it should be delicious!
"Phew, that was spicy. Tears… Does pain sensation setting mean nothing?"
"Shou-kun, maybe you should stop?"
"No, no, it's fine. I just learned that a little is enough. Just this much… okay, delicious!"
[Rogappo] "Yeah, that much is perfect! ♪('▽')"
[Master Chef] "When making wasabi sauce, the spiciness cooks off, so you can use more~"
[Frite] "Good that a small amount is enough, but it's hard to get the balance right…"
etc. etc…
Just a tiny bit was enough for the spiciness and flavor of the wasabi to hit my nose. So, when making wasabi sauce, heating it means I can use more?
Thanking the comments for all the information, Lupi and I finished the sashimi. Lupi's, of course, was without wasabi.
"Alright, now I'll fish for dried fish."
"You're making dried horse mackerel?"
"Yeah. For when I can finally make soy sauce."
Conversing with Mion and the comments, I resumed fishing. I wasn't particularly aiming for anything, but my second catch was also an Oranjack (horse mackerel), so I decided that was good enough.
For dried horse mackerel, I thought Drying Magic would make it instant, but according to the cooking players in the comments, it's tastier if you dry the surface first, and then sun-dry it.
"I see. You all know a lot, don't you…"
[Taikoskii] "Fishing enthusiasts cook their own catches, you know~ ^_^
[Rossan] "Don't say that to Shou-kun haha"
[Fel] "Not as much as a high schooler who knows about sesame oil and salt for sashimi haha"
etc. etc…
"My grandpa taught me about eating it with sesame oil, and oh!"
[Fishing skill has leveled up!]
I reeled in the fourth Oranjack (horse mackerel) and tossed it into the pot serving as a livewell. I was thinking that the rather high catch rate was probably because it was an Uninhabited Island, when…
"Hm? Is this one small?"
"You can tell by the bite?"
"Yeah. Well, compared to before… wait, WHOA!!"
The rod was nearly yanked away, and I hastily regripped it with both hands. This was the feeling of a big one!