Chapter 65 – The fish that I caught myself is delicious desu After returning to the village from cave, the Elder gathered adults and started a meeting at this house.
It looks like they are going to discuss after telling everyone the predecessor Haku"s will in whether they should leave Haku to Laura or not.
「The meeting"s result is undeniable. We cannot ignore predecessor-sama"s will. We would really wish that the new Haku-sama would grow up in this village, but……the most important thing is Haku-sama"s will. And so, to spend some time, we are going to fish in the river」(Misaki)
「Ohh, fishing huh. That sounds good」(Laura)
「I want to eat grilled fish」(Anna)
「Fufufu, I shall show that Charlotte Gazard"s fishing skill is first-cla.s.s as well」
「Pii〜」
Haku"s problem was resolved faster than expected and Laura was already cheerful because of that. And an invitation to play suddenly came as well.
Of course, her spirits would go up.
However, only the Great Sage seemed to be not in the mood for such thing.
「Ah〜, sorry. I"ll return to where predecessor Haku is. I have lots of things to talk about too」
「……is that so. I understood. Well then, we shall fish Princ.i.p.al-sensei"s part as well!」
「Fufu, I"ll look forward to it」
The Great Sage started walking towards the cave.
She was not someone who has a tall height, but today, she looked somewhat smaller.
「……we worship Haku-sama, but for Great Sage-dono, Haku-sama is a friend with equal terms……I"m pretty sure that she has a lot more things, even compared to us」
Misaki also lined up with Maple and saw the Great Sage"s back appearance.
I"m worried, but I cannot chase after her just because of that.
That is too insensitive.
And the other party is a legendary person that lived for near 300 years.
She probably does not need the 9-year-old Laura worrying about her.
It would be better just to go fishing.
And so, the girls carried with them the fishing poles that Misaki brought, and went to the Mezzel River.
The Mezzel River that the girls were used to seeing was very vast, but as expected of an upstream, it was very narrow.
But instead, it has a violent flow, and it is dangerous to fall because there are lots of rocks.
「If you overturn rocks around here, there should be insects or worms. If you use that as a bait, you can fish chars and landlocked salmon」
Anna had already started to drool just by hearing that explanation.
She was the first one to overturn a rock and fish in the river after putting a worm on the hook.
「Annsan, that"s cheating, getting a head start! The t.i.tle of Fishing Queen is mine desu wa!」
Laura searched for baits while tilting her head to what in the world a Fishing Queen is.
Laura and the rest are girls, but they are aspiring adventurers. It is very easy for them to touch worms or insects.
And not to mention Misaki who grew up in the mountains, she skillfully placed an insect on her hook.
However, surprisingly, it seems that Haku is not got with worms.
「Pii〜!」
The instant she saw a wriggling worm under the rocks, she raised a scream and clung onto Laura"s arm.
She closed her eyes tightly and started trembling.
「It"s okay, Haku. I"m absolutely sure that Haku is stronger than a worm」
「Pii〜, pii〜」
Haku would not leave Laura"s side.
It looks like strength had nothing to do with it.
Well, even Laura, if she were told「you are stronger than a c.o.c.kroach so it should be fine」, she was sure that she would also shake her head.
She hates things that she hates.
「Look, Haku. Worm-san is already on the river you know. It"s okay to open your eyes now」
「Pii〜……」
Haku nervously opened her eyes and checked whether a worm is in there.
And with that, it seems like she got relieved. She climbed on Laura"s body and relaxed her limbs, throwing them to a stretch after reaching the top of her head.
「Laursan"s head is completely her home position」(Charlotte)
「Haku, she"s like a hat」(Anna)
「How envious. I want Haku-sama to like me that much too」(Misaki)
Haku Hat was popular to everyone.
However, honestly, Laura feels that it"s tiring to her neck, so she want someone to exchange places with her.
「Well then, Misaki-san. I shall lend you Haku Hat」
「Ohh, Lauraemon-dono, how generous!」
Laura took off Haku Hat and made Misaki wear it.
Misaki seemed very delighted being able to get the Haku Hat that she always wanted, but Haku herself showed an opposite reaction.
「Pii!」
Haku quickly stood up as if her relaxed mode from earlier was a farce, spread her wings and returned to Laura"s head.
It was at a speed that their eyes weren"t able to follow.
They were even surprised about the fact that she could move so fast.
「Uu……it won"t work after all if it is not Lauraemon-dono"s head huh……」
「Ahaha……well, she should get independent from her parent when she gets bigger」
「I"ll die if she lays on my head when she gets bigger」
Well, that"s true.
「I caught one」
While Laura and Misaki were getting excited about the Haku Hat, Anna had caught a fish.
「Ku……Annsan, you"re quite good. However, the next one shall be mine!」
Charlotte groaned, seriously frustrated.
However, it was Misaki"s fishing rod that caught the next fish.
And after that, it was Laura.
「W-Why……?!」
There was no way that the other girls would know even if she complained with a face that was about to cry.
Everything depends on the mood of fishes-san.
「Even so, it"s good fishing here huh. There was also lots of fishes in the lake near my family home, but I cannot fish this much」
With everyone"s total, they were able to catch 21 fishes.
However, Charlotte was unable to catch even one fish. She seemed very sad about it and cried for real.
「U-Uu……」
「Yosh, yosh」
Anna consoled the crying Charlotte by patting her head. It was a pleasing scene. What a beautiful friendship.
「……re? The fishes decreased?」
They should"ve gathered the fishes that everyone caught into one place.
But, even if they counted them, there were only 16 fishes.
Where did the other five go?
「Don"t tell me……a thief?!」
「Though I can"t imagine that a thief would go this far deep, and disappear after stealing only 5 fishes」
Misaki also has a point.
However, the fishes really disappeared.
It"s not like they grew legs and ran away by themselves right?
「Pii〜」
I heard Haku"s voice from below.
Come to think of it, Haku who I wore as a hat from earlier had disappeared from my head when I noticed it.
I did not think much of it since I was concentrating on fishing.
「Ah! Haku, you"re the culprit huh!」
「Pi?」
Looking at Haku, there was a fish tail in her mouth.
However, Haku seemed guilt free, and swallowed it.
What a daring crime in broad daylight!
「You shouldn"t do that okay? Eating the fishes everyone caught by yourself」
「That is right. There is no doubt that it is more delicious cooked than raw!」
Misaki said something off the issue.
「Lauraemon-dono is a magician. Please cook the fish using magic for Haku-sama"s sake」
「Eh, no, let"s eat with everyone, not just Haku」
「That is fine too. Anyways, raw is dangerous」
Well, it might be dangerous for a human to eat a raw fish, but isn"t it alright for Haku who"s clearly a dragon?
In fact, she"s eating it very deliciously.
However, I completely agree on the idea of cooking the fish.
Laura also wants to eat the fish she caught quickly.
And so, Laura lined up the fish on a flat rock, and released flames from her palm.
If you reach Laura"s level, it is possible to cook fishes by releasing flames at the suitable firepower.
After it was brown on one side, once again after turning it over.
「Here, I cooked it well!」
「Ohh, as expected of Lauraemon-dono!」
「Jyururi」
「T-This much, I can do it as well!」
And, they picked up some suitable branches, washed them in the river, then used them as a subst.i.tute for a fork.
The preparations to eat is complete with this.
I ate it.
It is crispy outside. The oil inside is mouth-watering.
Good. It is very delicious.
「The fish that I caught myself is delicious huh〜」
「I agree」
「Delicious desu waa〜」
「MoguMogu, MoguMogu」
It was strange that even Charlotte who did not catch anything had a 『I caught it myself bonus』, but she seemed satisfied, so it is good that way.
「Here Haku, you eat too. It"s more delicious than raw you know」
Laura places the cooked fish in front of Haku and she started gobbling it.
「Pii〜!!」
It looks like cooked fish tastes delicious for a G.o.d Beast"s tongue as well.
She ate one whole very quickly.
「You ate five of them raw earlier, but you"re still hungry? You don"t need to rush okay? There are still lots of fishes」
Haku was also engrossed to the second fish.
And when she was about to gobble on the third fish.
She stared at the cooked fishes that lined up on the rock and had a face of deep thoughts.
「……what is it? Haku」
「Pii!」
Haku showed a huge nod and breathed fire.
It was such excellent flames.
It was violent flames that were completely different from the suitable flame that Laura released earlier.
「Haku-sama, how amazing. I admire you so much being able to breathe fire as a baby!」
「Misaki-san, it"s not the time for praising! The fishes became ashes……oh, Haku Why did you do such thing?!」
Laura questioned Haku with a strict town thinking that she must scold her.
However, Haku didn"t notice that she was even being scolded, and puffed out her chest in front the fishes that were burnt black. She seemed very proud of it.
「……Haku. Don"t tell me, are you thinking that it would be delicious the more it is cooked?」
「Pi!」
I can"t tell with her words, but I can understand what Haku"s thinking with her expression and gesture.
She completely thinks that she has done a good thing.
I must scold her but I can"t.
However, Haku"s confidence did not last long.
Haku took a bite on the fish that became inedible.
And「Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!」, she vomited after raising such a scream.
Of course. It looks disgusting from its looks.
「I-I have just eaten two……Uu」
Charlotte started crying after seeing the fishes turn to ashes.
I must ask Anna san to console her again, but when I looked towards her, Anna was crying with her.
「There is nothing heavier than the sadness of food……」
「Oh no, the two of you, please do not cry……what should I do, this is my fault……I"m Haku"s parent, but, but, I was unable to look after her properly……ueeeeeeeeeen!!!」
Laura felt like she was about to be crushed by guilt.
And seeing that Laura, Haku started to cry as well.
「Piiii〜……Piiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!」
「I-It"s not Haku"s fault……it is all because I"m irresponsible……」
「It is not Lauraemon-dono"s fault! You do not need to take it in heart……ahh, Haksama, please stop crying as well……what should I do to make, make everyone stop crying? Uwaaaaaan!」
Everyone who was on that place opened their mouth and began to cry due to a complicated and strange cause.
Destruction only gives birth to sorrow.
And, it would lead to a chain of sorrow.
That was the lesson for the day.
However, people immediately forget about their lessons.
More specifically, when a delicious smell came from the village when it was about to get dark, they completely forgot their sorrow when they started walking lured by that.