"Oh!"
"It's amazing, desu."
The fish had turned out beautifully golden brown.
It looked like a total success. I had a nagging suspicion that cleaning the salt burnt onto the pot would be a nightmare, but I decided to ignore that for now.
I placed the whole fish and the pork belly onto plates and carried them over to the dining table. First, I served the ushio-jiru, ladling out four portions starting with my own. I made sure to give Milia a generous helping of the whole fish.
"Here you go."
"Thank you, desu."
"Well, shall we eat?"
"Yes, desu."
I eased my knife into the salt-crusted fish. The blade glided through as if it were cutting butter. It had been baked to a perfect, tender consistency.
I took a spoonful, and the flaky meat of the sea bream practically melted on my tongue. It was delicious. The salt had seasoned it perfectly.
"This is great. Roxanne, you try some too."
I passed the platter to Roxanne and turned my attention to the ushio-jiru. The simmered fish was moist and succulent, dissolving in my mouth. This was also incredibly good.
"It is delicious."
"The soup is excellent, too. Adding the whole fish was definitely the right call."
"The right call, desu."
While the salt-crust platter moved from Roxanne to Sherry, Milia focused on her soup. She was practically devouring the fish. Once the platter reached her, she fell upon it with even greater intensity. Actually, "eating" didn't quite do it justice; she seemed possessed by it.
"Tomorrow is a holiday, so what does everyone want to do? I assume Sherry is heading back to the library? I wonder if it's even open."
I waited for Milia's initial frenzy to subside before asking. Tomorrow was a transition day between seasons, a scheduled holiday.
"Are we actually allowed to take a day off?" Sherry asked.
"Isn't it a holiday?"
"On the calendar, yes, but..."
Was it a holiday in name only? I recalled asking around when I was out shopping; both the bakery and the greengrocer had mentioned they would be open tomorrow. However, the Guild was definitely closed. Perhaps the concept of a holiday simply didn't apply to slaves.
"What's the general custom?"
"I think most shops operate as usual," Sherry explained. "The library is open year-round, and the labyrinths certainly don't close."
"I suppose that's true."
It wouldn't hurt for the labyrinth to have a day off once in a while. But then again, art is an explosion.
"The ones who actually take the day off are the Knight Order," she continued. "The Guild's administrative counters also close. Some farmers take a break from their fields as well."
"There's an auction tomorrow," I told them. "There's a participation fee, so I'm planning to go alone. It's only natural for me to look into strengthening our party, after all."
Whenever the topic of adding more members came up, I always felt like I was making excuses. Besides, if I brought all three of them along and they decided they didn't like the woman or that she deserved to perish, it would be a headache.
"That makes sense," Roxanne agreed.
"We'll do a quick run into the labyrinth in the morning, and then we'll make the rest of the day a holiday."
Roxanne nodded, and I finalized the plan.
"Thank you very much."
"Thank you. In that case, may I spend my time at the library?" Sherry asked.
"The library it is, then."
I had no idea how massive the library's collection was, but I doubted she could get through it all in just a day or two.
"I would like to do some shopping and spend the day relaxing," Roxanne said.
"So Roxanne is sticking to her usual routine. What about you, Milia? Anywhere you want to go?"
"The sea, desu."
She didn't even hesitate. Even if she said "the sea," I doubted she meant swimming. Though she might try to get in anyway.
"Will she be alright?" I asked the others.
"I will be alright, desu," Milia insisted.
Even with her assurance, I couldn't help but worry.
"I think there is a significant risk that gathering seafood by any means other than fishing would be considered a legal issue," Sherry pointed out, echoing my concerns.
"I thought so. But wait, is fishing actually a thing here?"
"Yes. Fishing is recognized as a hobby for nobles and wealthy retirees. Because it's practiced by the influential, taking fish with a rod is permitted as an exception to standard fishing rights."
"I wonder if that applies to the ocean as well."
"My grandfather used to talk about going to the sea to fish, so I believe it does. There should be a specialized fishing gear shop in the Imperial Capital."
Now that she mentioned it, Sherry's grandfather had been quite wealthy. It made sense for a man of means to have a hobby like that. I gathered that regular people didn't fish for food or profit, though I wasn't entirely clear on the details.
"In that case, Milia, why don't you try your hand at it? Fishing. We'll go fishing."
"Yes, desu. Fishing, desu."
Fishing it was. She seemed genuinely happy about the idea, even if I had my doubts about whether she truly understood what it entailed.
The next morning, after our labyrinth run and breakfast, we all headed to the library in the Imperial Capital. My Item Box was stuffed with loot from the early morning, but since the Guild was closed, I couldn't liquidate any of it.
I handed Sherry a gold coin and five silver coins before seeing her off. Just as I was about to watch her head inside, she came back from the reception desk for some reason.
"What's wrong? Forget something?"
"No. I just asked for the location of the fishing gear shop. It's in the opposite direction of the Adventurer Guild, toward the Imperial Palace. You turn onto the second street, and it's right there."
"You went out of your way to check for us? Thanks."
I had planned to ask at the Adventurer Guild, but this saved me the walk. I was grateful, especially since the Guild might have been deserted anyway.
After Sherry headed inside, I set off with Roxanne and Milia. Past the alabaster hall of the library, we entered a district filled with grand estates. They weren't crammed together; instead, each stood with plenty of space around it. It felt exactly like a noble district. The road transitioned into a sophisticated main street paved with clean cobblestones.
It felt a bit out of place for us. Was the Imperial Palace just beyond this area?
"It looks like that's the place," Roxanne said, pointing.
There was a shop with several rods displayed out front. It was definitely a fishing gear shop. The rods were crafted from some kind of wood; they looked a bit rudimentary, but they were unmistakably fishing rods. It seemed fishing was indeed a recognized pastime here.
"Welcome," a clerk greeted us as we entered.
"I'm looking to do some sea fishing. Could you put together a full set of equipment for me?"
The interior didn't have a massive amount of gear on display. Perhaps they didn't use overly complex setups tailored to specific fish or locations. Since the clerk's job was Merchant, it was easiest to just let him handle the selection.
"Is this your first time fishing?"
"It is. Milia, you've never done this before either, right?"
"Never, desu."
Milia, who had been peering at the equipment with intense curiosity, walked over to join us.
"Understood. I will be happy to prepare everything you need."
"I'll leave it to you."
The clerk began assembling the tackle: a rod, a reel, fishing line, sinkers, and hooks. There weren't any floats, which suggested this was for tight-line fishing.
"For your first rod, I recommend this one. Once you gain some experience, you'll discover your own preferences and can choose different equipment based on where you fish."
"Fair enough."
"One reel, and two spools of line to ensure you have a spare. Since sinkers and hooks are changed depending on the day's conditions and the target fish, I'll provide several varieties. You connect them together to create a tackle setup like this."
The clerk showed us a sample. The line ran from the rod to the hook at the end. It was a standard, straightforward setup.
"I see."
"You attach the bait to the hook and let it sink. For bait, worms or small shrimp gathered from the shore work well. Scraps of small fish or crabs can also be effective. However, you must never use shellfish."
Right—shellfish in this world were toxic.
"I see, I see."
"I see, desu."
"If the wind is high or the current is strong, you'll use a heavier sinker. However, if the line stays completely on the bottom, it's more likely to get snagged. You need to use a sinker light enough that it doesn't sink too deep."
The clerk even took the time to explain the basic technique. I only listened with half an ear, but Milia listened with rapt attention, occasionally relying on Roxanne to translate the technical terms into something she could grasp.
"I see, desu."
"I heard that fishing is exempt from standard fishing rights. Is that true?"
"Yes, exactly. The Empire permits fishing to be performed anywhere. However, there is a strict limit of one rod per person and a single hook. Attaching multiple hooks could be seen as a violation of the fishing ban."
"Understood."
Just one hook, then. Without floats and with only a single hook, it was unlikely that a hobbyist could catch enough to deplete the local fishing grounds.
I picked up the rod the clerk had chosen. it was a multi-piece rod that broke down into three sections. Although it was made of wood, it had a surprising amount of flex. More impressively, it was an inner-line type, where the line ran through the center of the rod. The craftsmanship was unnecessarily sophisticated.
The reel, however, was quite basic. It lacked a bail arm, so it probably wasn't meant for casting. It was really just for winding the line back in.
"That rod is one of our shop's finest pieces. I believe it will serve you well for many years."
"What do you think?"
I handed the base of the rod to Milia.