kscans

Chapter 81 - A Quiet Day

After leaving the castle, we immediately headed for the Guild.

Our purpose was to receive our reward money.

After reporting to the receptionist, we were shown to the Guild Master's room. We entered and sat on the sofa.

The master, sitting in his chair, said, "Good work, both of you. ...This request turned out to be quite the disaster. ...I've heard the story from the soldiers. You fought an intruder who broke into the castle last night, I hear. ...However, unfortunately, the prince's request was to be a playmate, not to subjugate an enemy. Therefore, there will be no additional reward."

To the master's declaration, I replied, "That's fine. ...Fighting the intruder was my own decision. ...Please don't worry about it."

I raised my left hand and waved it dismissively.

Tina gave a similar response.

Seeing this, the master said, "...You two are a strange pair. ...Most adventurers would whine and complain about getting an additional reward for trouble that happened outside of a request. ...Well, enough about that. ...There's something I want to ask. Is it true that the intruder was a half-fishman?"

With a sharp gaze, the master looked at me.

"...Yes. There's no doubt about it. His face was like a fusion of a human and a fish, and despite being bare-chested, his body was as hard as steel. He introduced himself as Madelo, a half-tuna fishman."

To this answer, the master muttered, "...For a half-fishman to appear, is this a sign of something major? ...No, is that too hasty? ..."

He was talking to himself.

Tina and I decided to wait until the master finished his thoughts.

After a while, the master snapped out of it.

"My apologies. I got lost in thought. ...However, it's rare for a half-fishman to attack people, and more importantly, this is the first time I've ever heard of one coming onto land. ...After all, half-fishmen only attack those who pollute the sea."

To this answer, I asked, "Those who pollute the sea? ...What specifically?"

To this question, the master replied, "...Let's see. The most common story is them grabbing the legs of people who kill fish just for sport and throw them back into the sea, dragging them in. Or throwing rocks at those who dump man-made objects or furniture into the sea because they're too lazy to dispose of them properly, seriously injuring them and throwing the trash back. ...They show no mercy to those who desecrate the sea."

To this explanation, I asked, "...So, is it okay to sell or eat the fish you catch?"

To this question, the master replied, "That's fine. If you catch them for the purpose of eating, the half-fishmen won't attack. ...It doesn't seem like they're hostile towards humans, but... this recent incident has made things suspicious. ...However, according to the soldiers, the story of a half-fishman assassin is to be treated as top secret, and no one is to speak of it."

"? Why is that?" I asked.

The master replied, "Because it would cause chaos. In this country, it's widely believed that half-fishmen are monsters who have no interest in anything but the sea. ...But if that common knowledge were to crumble, people would not only stay away from the sea, but they would live in constant fear of when a school of half-fishmen might attack. What would happen if that continued for a long time? ...You can probably guess, right?"

I understood.

If fear and anxiety continued, stress would build up. ...And the more it built up, the worse the situation would become. Then, if something were to trigger an explosion... riots would break out, or people would start thinking of defeating the half-fishmen themselves.

...And that would mean war. A war between humans and monsters.

It would be the same as the Empire. However, the half-fishmen would have the advantage.

Why? Because humans can't breathe underwater. They wouldn't be able to hold their breath long enough to reach their base. In contrast, half-fishmen can operate on land, and they're strong. ...Defeat would be certain.

...In that case, it would be better to just say the intruder was a human and that he was killed. That would be quicker and easier for people to accept.

Of course, we who knew the truth...

"...Then it's better if we don't say anything either," I said. "...The king didn't tell us not to talk, but we'd rather avoid unnecessary trouble too."

The master replied, "Thank you. ...The soldiers told me to warn you two as well, so it's a relief that you understand so quickly. ...Well then, please accept your reward for this job."

With that, he placed a small coin pouch on the desk.

Inside were ten gold coins. ...An exceptional amount.

...It seems that prince intended this from the beginning.

...What a cunning person.

With that thought, we left the room.

The master sat in his chair and gazed at the sky.

"...Half-fishmen. Adventurers from another country. The crumbling balance in the Empire. ...I hope nothing bad happens. ...For whatever reason, peace is the best. ..."

With that, he drank his tea.

We decided to walk around town without taking a job at the Guild.

There was no particular reason. We just felt like taking a walk.

As we walked down the street lined with shops, we could hear the bustling voices all around us. ...Leaving was still forbidden, but it seemed like no one cared. I glanced at the products as we walked by; fruits, medicinal herbs, meat, fish, seasonings—all the necessities of life were there. Amidst all this, I noticed something.

"...They have dried meat here, but no dried fish."

To this murmur, Tina asked, "? ...What's dried fish?"

She asked with a puzzled look.

I explained what dried fish was.

At that moment, Tina said, "...I see, it's common in Shinsuke's country. ...But we don't dry fish here. ...We either serve it raw or freeze it."

She explained.

...Freezing, huh. It's said to be possible with the Empire's technology, but I would think it would be the other way around. ...Well, I guess it just means their technology developed at a different time. With that thought, I said, "...Alright, then let's make some dried fish."

With that decision made, I bought some horse mackerel.

We began our work on a sandy beach a little away from the port. First, I cut open the horse mackerels' bellies, removed the innards, and washed them thoroughly in water. Next, I placed the fish in a saltwater solution of about the same concentration as seawater and left them for about two hours. Then, I laid them on an aluminum mesh, belly up, and let them dry under the sun. They should be ready in about three hours. After finishing all the work, Tina said, "...It's surprisingly easy and fast. ...Dried meat can only be made in a cold place, and it takes three days to finish. ...Compared to that, wouldn't fish be more in demand?"

To this question, I replied, "...Well, it has its drawbacks. ...In the case of fish, it only lasts for a week at most. ...On the other hand, meat is said to last for a month. ...It's fine for short-term jobs, but I wouldn't recommend it for long trips."

To this answer, Tina said, "...I see. ...So everything has its disadvantages. ...Does that mean we have to eat what you made within a week?"

To this question, I replied, "...Well, that's right. ...We can leave the country tomorrow. ...Let's have some dried fish for dinner tonight as a taste test, and eat the rest on the road."

Tina nodded in agreement.

And so, the dried horse mackerel was finished. We put them in a bag and started walking through the town again.

Evening.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened, and we decided to return to the inn.

Dinner time. ...We decided to eat the dried fish we made today and cream stew in our room. ...I thought it might be a bit of an odd combination, but there was no Japanese food here. With that thought, I ate the dried fish. ...The taste was fine, and the texture was perfect. It turned out great.

Tina said, "...I thought it would be dry like dried meat and not as delicious as raw fish, but... this is quite good."

She continued to eat with a smile.

Seeing her, I felt relieved. ...I was glad she liked it. After finishing our meal, we had our regular report. ...Since Tina was wearing her green armor, I began my preparations.

I had Tina lie on her back on the bed, raise both hands in a surrender pose, and tied them to the bed's headboard. I also tied her feet together to the footboard. It was a crucifixion-style bondage. ...I touched Tina's body all over through her armor and smelled her defenseless armpits.

Feeling this, Tina said, "! Shinsuke... st-stop... hehe... that tickles... p-please..."

To Tina's pleading, I replied, "...What's wrong? ...It smells nice here. ...I like it."

To my innocent reply, Tina said, "!? ...Th-that's not what I mean. ...It's just that... I-I haven't wiped them very well, so... I'm just embarrassed..."

She stammered, bright red.

Seeing her like that, I raised my head and this time, gently touched her with my hand. Tina desperately held back her laughter. ...If she laughed now, the person in the next room would hear. ...She endured with the sole desire not to do something so embarrassing. I kissed Tina like that. ...Tina was unable to hide her surprise at my sudden action and was flustered.

We spent the night enjoying ourselves to the fullest.

The sea at night.

Two figures floated on the surface of the sea. One was Daios the Sea General. The other was Madelo.

Looking at the Republic, Madelo said, "...I apologize. ...I was unable to reach the king and had to flee."

To this apology, Daios said, "...It's fine. ...The presence of that Otherworlder was unexpected. ...But as long as the goal is to stall them, there's no problem as long as you act accordingly. ...Good work."

He offered words of praise.

Madelo was inwardly relieved, but that feeling quickly vanished. What came after was a feeling of frustration. He knew what this feeling was. It was the feeling of not being able to settle the score with the Otherworlder.

Madelo decided in his heart that one day, he would settle things with that man.

And when that time came, he would bring his favorite weapon. ...

The next morning.

I untied Tina, who was still sleeping in her restraints, and we had breakfast.

Then, after preparing our equipment, we headed for the main gate. The lockdown had been lifted, and people were coming and going. Seeing this, I muttered, "...It seems King Rukarl kept his promise."

To my muttering, Tina said, "...Of course. ...A king must keep the promises he makes. ...Is it different in Shinsuke's country?"

To this question, I replied, "...For the sake of money, people deceive their friends, make up phony get-rich-quick schemes, and cheat them. ...When the people at the top commit fraud, they blame it on others and feign ignorance. ...It's a gathering of the worst kind of people."

Seeing my slightly bitter face, Tina said, "...It's the same here. ...But I can say this much. ...Good people don't cause trouble for others."

Tina had a somewhat enlightened look on her face.

"...You're right," I said. "...It means they've fallen so low as to forget something so basic. ...Well, that's enough of the gloomy talk. Let's get ready for our journey."

Tina nodded as I changed the subject.

We transformed the iron box hidden in an alleyway into a cart, confirmed that we still had food, and set off.

Our destination was the forest of the Church.

To write a teleportation magic circle.