One day, I was lounging on my bed, idly watching a travel show on a streaming service.
Beside me sat Ferumi, who, unlike the rambunctious pups, was genuinely interested in the television and anime.
It’s a good era we live in, where we can watch TV shows online.
Now, on the travel show, the hosts were fishing in a river. They sprinkled salt on the fish they caught and grilled them over charcoal.
“Meow!” “Mew!”
Feruta and Feruco were glued to the screen, seemingly fascinated by the grilled fish.
“That looks delicious,” I said.
“Me!” “Mew!” “………”
“I’d love to try it,” I mused.
““Meow!””
We could buy fish through KAMIZON, but if possible, I wanted to catch fresh fish myself. In fact, I was itching to try fishing.
“Fishing, huh… Felmaa?”
‘What is it?’
Felmaa peeked in through the bedroom window, having been basking in the sun outside.
“Is there anywhere nearby we can fish? Like a river or a pond?”
‘There’s a lake not far from here, just outside the Dragon Vein Area.’
“Oh, a lake! Are there fish there?”
‘Yes, there are fish.’
Then it was settled.
“Please guide and protect us to the lake. Let’s all go on a picnic!”
““Meow…?””
The Puppy Fenrirs tilted their heads in confusion.
“We’ll bring lunch and go for a walk.”
““Meow…!””
Well, when I said lunch, I meant we’d catch fish and have our Head Chef, Caro-chan, prepare lunch for us. Maybe she could make some rice balls.
With that, we set off toward the nearby lake.
Our destination was outside the Dragon Vein Area, which meant we’d be in a place where monsters roamed. However, we had a level 1450 Fenrir with us.
No matter what monsters appeared, I could take them down with a single blow, so I felt safe wandering outside the Dragon Vein Area.
“Meow!” “Mew!”
Feruta and Feruco seemed to be having a blast on our walk, bouncing around with energy. They were such lively little pups.
After a while…
“Here’s the lake.”
Before us lay a vast lake with crystal-clear water. Peering in, I could see fish swimming.
“Have you ever fished, my Lord? You’re a Saint, after all.”
“I’ve fished in rivers when I was little.”
I had already purchased fishing gear through KAMIZON. I pulled out the fishing equipment from my Item Box: a rod, a float, and… bait.
“What’s that? Those orange little beads?” Fubuki asked curiously, eyeing my hands.
Feruta and Feruco sniffed at the bait, intrigued.
“This is Ikura, fish eggs… Hey, Feruta, Feruco, don’t eat that! It’s bait!”
“Meow!” “Mew!”
The pups were trying to stick their faces into the cup of Ikura.
Well, they were weaned now, so they could eat it, but I really wanted them to leave it alone since it was for fishing.
“Pet sitter, please keep an eye on the mischievous ones.”
“Even though I’m a Familiar of the Aurora God…”
Grumbling, Fubuki scooped up Feruta and Feruco under her arms.
“Now then… Let’s go fishing!”
I hooked the bait and tossed it into the lake.
‘Saintess, if you desire fish, I could dive into the lake and fetch some for you.’
“No, it’s also part of the fun to enjoy the time spent waiting for a catch.”
‘I see… Enjoying the time, is it?’
Just then, I felt a tug…!
“Whoa, it’s pulling! Did I catch something?”
“Eh, that was fast…?”
The rod bent dramatically. As I tried to lift it…
“Whoa, it’s pretty heavy…!”
But it wasn’t impossible to lift. With a strong heave, I pulled it up…
“Boom!”
“What in the world…!? It’s way too big!”
Suspended in the air was the fish I had caught. It was an absurdly large fish… no, wait.
“That’s a monster!”
‘Yes, it’s a fish.’
Felmaa and the fish monster wouldn’t call it a fish…
～～～～～～
King Fish
【Level】 400
～～～～～～
Using my appraisal skill, I discovered that this monster was as powerful as Felmaa before her enhancement.
It looked just like a tuna. A tuna in a lake…?
“Felmaa, can I count on you?”
‘Leave it to me…!’
With a leap, Felmaa soared into the air.
‘Absolute Cut!’
Felmaa spun in mid-air and sliced through the King Fish’s head with her tail.
“Meow!” “Mew!” “……!”
The Puppy Fenrirs were in awe, witnessing their mother’s impressive display.
“Did she just take down a level 400 powerful monster in one hit…? She’s getting even stronger!”
Fubuki held the pups tightly to prevent them from falling into the lake. Felmaa landed gracefully.
Before the King Fish could splash into the water, I quickly stored it in my Item Box.
“Great job, Felmaa. Nice work.”
‘I’m honored by your praise!’
Felmaa wagged her tail vigorously, nearly shaking herself apart.
“Meow!” “Mew!” “……!”
The pups bounced around Felmaa’s feet, excitedly celebrating their mother’s coolness.
Well, it was a monster, but a fish is still a fish.
“Let’s have Caro-chan prepare it for sashimi right away.”
‘“What!?”’
Felmaa and Fubuki’s eyes widened in shock.
“Are you serious!?”
‘Saintess, please don’t jest! Eating a monster is…!’
Huh…?
“What’s wrong with you two? Why are you so flustered?”
“Because the Lord is about to engage in a dangerous act of eating a monster!”
“Eating a monster is… a dangerous act?”
That was news to me. So, I decided to search for it on the Omniscient and Omnipotent (Internet).
It turns out that eating monsters is considered a taboo in this world, known as Magushoku.
‘Monsters contain a substance called Maso, which can adversely affect the human body if consumed.’
“Adult monsters have organs that neutralize Maso, but humans do not.”
Apparently, even juvenile monsters can’t be eaten because their organs are underdeveloped.
“So, we can’t eat the sashimi from monsters, right?”
“Meow…” “Mew…” “…………”
The Puppy Fenrirs looked visibly downcast. It was quite pitiful.
I wanted to try it too, so I wondered if there was a way around this.
I took the King Fish’s corpse out of my Item Box.
“It looks so fresh and delicious…”
I decided to use my appraisal skill again.
…Huh?
“It seems like I can eat it.”
“‘Huh…?’”
“Caro-chan, could you prepare a bit for me?”
Caro-chan, my Head Chef and Familiar, appeared out of nowhere.
With a swift motion, she sliced a piece of the King Fish and placed it on a paper plate, offering it to me.
“Thank you.”
I took a bite.
“Mmm…”
“‘Mmm?’”
“It’s delicious…!”
“‘What!?’”
It tasted like tuna. But since it was just caught, it was incredibly fresh.
Even without soy sauce or anything, it was surprisingly sweet. Maybe it had good fat content?
“Everyone, feel free to try some.”
I placed the paper plate in front of the Puppy Fenrirs. They eagerly dug into the sashimi.
“Yummy!” “Mew!” “……!”
It seemed the pups loved the sashimi. Meanwhile, Caro-chan was putting on a tuna filleting show right in front of us.
“What’s going on…? Monsters shouldn’t be edible…”
“I checked on the Omniscient and Omnipotent (Internet), and it seems I was completely purifying the Maso contained in the monster’s body.”
“You neutralized the Maso!? When did that happen?”
“It happened when I caught the King Fish, or rather, when the King Fish ate the Ikura.”
According to the Omniscient and Omnipotent (Internet), the Ikura I used as bait had been imbued with my Holy Magic, which leaked from my body.
As a result, the Maso inside the King Fish disappeared, making it edible.
…It seems I’ve somehow started to emit Holy Magic from the Dragon Vein Area as well. Perhaps my divine power has increased.
‘That’s incredible, Saintess. To neutralize only the Maso of a monster is unprecedented.’
“Really?”
‘Yes!’
Wow… that’s interesting.
“Monsters are considered delicacies and are trending among gourmets.”
“Huh? Isn’t that taboo?”
“Indeed. However, it seems many people are willing to take the risk of dying just to taste them.”
That sounds like fugu…
“A skilled chef, even after many years, could not achieve the feat of making monsters edible. Yet… our Master accomplished it with such ease.”
“As expected of you, Saintess!”
Wait, isn’t this something that could cause a stir if others found out? Like the nobles and their gourmet circles.
…Yeah. I should keep this to myself.
【★☆ A Special Request ☆★】
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