Chapter 374: Tasting Festival
That day was a feast of catches. Perhaps it was because the giant fish were rarely hunted, but once we prepared live bait, they eagerly snapped at it with surprising enthusiasm. However, as it became tedious to haul them up to the surface, and I felt as if I were being watched from a distance by a large ship, I decided to change my fishing method midway.
Instead of using bait, I plunged into the water with it in hand, and the fish came rushing at me. Since I was moving myself, there was no need to prepare live bait. All I had to do was open a Dimensional Box right in front of the approaching fish, and they would willingly swim inside—an incredibly simple task.
I had worried that seawater might seep in, but that was not the case. Only what I wished to store would enter the box, which was quite convenient. Otherwise, the box would be filled with air during regular use, and it made sense that seawater didn’t come in.
“You’re in a good mood,” Ivan remarked with a hint of exasperation as we returned to the harbor in the evening. It seemed everyone else had gathered at the port as well.
“Well, of course!”
“Hehe.”
When Rio and I exchanged glances, our smiles deepened. After all, we had caught a massive amount of tuna. The size was enormous, and while I couldn’t tell if it was the same as the tuna I had eaten in Japan, I couldn’t help but feel excited.
“We caught a lot of other things too, but tuna comes first,” I said.
“True. But I have a feeling we’ll only be able to focus on the tuna today,” Rio replied.
“Maybe.”
As I spoke, I retrieved the tuna from the Dimensional Box. Suddenly, the fish began to thrash violently.
“Whoa!”
I quickly used magic to lift it into the air, where it continued to wriggle and thrash about.
“Isn’t it too big?”
“It’s huge!”
“Wuff wuff wuff!”
The tuna was about sixty meters long. Although I had released it in the empty square at the harbor, it was still smaller than the hundred-meter space available, so I had only taken out a smaller one. Nearby, fishermen who had finished their work were drinking and snacking on leftovers, and they tumbled off their chairs in shock.
“Need a hand?”
“Yeah, please.”
I asked Rio to hold the tuna in the air while I prepared the table, cutting board, and my katana to begin the butchering process. With a swift strike to the tuna’s head, I bled it out, and the disassembly of the giant fish commenced.
After arranging several one-meter-sized fillets on the table, a decent crowd of onlookers had gathered at the harbor. While I stored the other parts in the Dimensional Box, I left the head out for display. It would be clear to everyone what kind of fish was being processed.
El was taking pictures of the butchering process, and perhaps inspired by her, we were also recording videos.
“Uh, hey, that’s the kind that goes outside the bay, right…?” A cautious fisherman approached, unable to suppress his curiosity.
“That’s right. Would you like to try some?” I offered.
“Eh? Huh? Really? Is that okay?”
I intended to sell a few of the giant tunas, but since no one else had caught any, it would be very convenient to let them taste it first and then let the locals set the price. With that condition, I offered a chunk of fillet to the fisherman, who readily accepted.
“Anyone who can catch something like this is one of a kind. I bet there are people who would pay a premium for it,” he said.
“If you do that, only the wealthy will be able to buy it,” I replied.
“Haha, you’re right. Thanks!”
With a smile, the fisherman waved goodbye and headed to the next table. “I got a treat! You guys help out!” he shouted, and the excitement began to spread among them.
“From here on out, I’ll take over,” El said, stepping forward as the ingredients had shrunk to a more manageable size for cooking. The butchering of the giant fish had been challenging for her since I had used magic to extend the blade.
“Thanks.”
As El took over, she skillfully prepared the fillets. From what I could see, they looked just like tuna. Having eaten sashimi at the imperial harbor, I figured she would be fine with the tuna-like fish, and my appraisal confirmed there were no issues.
“First up is sashimi.”
She placed wasabi on the fish and drizzled soy sauce over it, the sauce glistening as it pooled around the fatty slices.
“It looks like medium fatty tuna. It seems delicious.”
As I tasted the sashimi, the rich flavor of tuna and the sweetness of the fat spread across my palate.
“It’s delicious!”
“This is way too good!”
“Wuff wuff!”
Even Nil, who usually preferred meat, was happily enjoying the meal.
“Next is salted tuna.”
This was tuna that had been cured with salt, removing just the right amount of moisture. The flavor was concentrated, making it equally delicious. El continued to serve up various tuna dishes: tuna carpaccio, yukhoe, vinegared tuna, seared tuna, and even tuna katsu with a crispy exterior and garlic soy sauce steak.
“W-What are those delicious-looking dishes!?”
“Oh, I can provide the seasonings if you’d like,” I said, responding to the excited fishermen and townsfolk nearby, sharing some of the recipes as well. Most of the recipes required specific seasonings, so they wouldn’t spread too widely.
“Is this… the Legendary Mayonnaise!?”
“It’s so good!!”
“This flavor is different from regular fish!?”
“You even have the Legendary Soy Sauce and Miso!?”
It seemed some townsfolk were thrilled by the seasonings, but the dishes I provided were being well-received. That day, the harbor, usually quiet, was filled with the sounds of celebration late into the night.