Taking It Easy

I gazed absently at a bobber floating on the surface of a large lake, letting time flow by.

Occasionally a fish would nibble at the bobber and make it sway, but there was no sign of them biting.

"Master, why are we fishing?"

"I'd like to know that myself."

"Ahaha… but I don't dislike it. I get to spend relaxed time with you, Master."

"It has been a while since we've had quiet time like this, just the two of us."

"It really has."

Beside me, Azu sat on a wooden chair holding a fishing rod just like Yohane.

The straw hat she wore for sun protection suited her well.

Azu and Yohane were the only ones fishing at the lake.

The others were each helping out in their own ways.

As for how things came to this, we needed to procure ingredients for dinner, though the circumstances were rather sudden.

We visited Luido, but the residents were going about their normal daily lives with no visible impact. The most notable change, apparently, was that the livestock had been a bit restless.

When I spoke with the village representative, he hadn't even known about the incident in the Royal Capital.

For them, what mattered was their daily life… tending to fields and livestock, and how much money they had on hand. They had little interest in anything else.

Gossip seemed popular as entertainment, but the content was pastoral things like livestock giving birth or this year's crops turning out well.

Amid all this, I thought it would be wrong to stir up unnecessary anxiety, so I explained that I'd simply dropped by while passing through the capital.

The ale and monster meat I'd brought as gifts were very well received, and talk turned to having a little festival.

Elza and Alexia went to check on the Earth Elemental Stone and harvest those sweet potatoes while they were at it.

I hoped they'd gathered a good amount.

Finn and Orleans were taken off by Luido's matrons to help with cooking.

Since they were children, the matrons were fussing over them and showering them with affection. Both looked troubled but didn't seem to dislike it.

And Azu and Yohane had been more or less forced into procuring fish, which is why we were here.

I was technically supposed to be in charge, but… should I take this as being accepted as family?

"There we go."

Unlike Yohane with his zero catches, Azu's bucket had several fish swimming in it.

She reacted the instant her rod moved and pulled them in skillfully.

A far cry from Yohane, who noticed bites too slowly and let them get away.

"Leave it to me. I'll catch your share too, Master."

"I'll do my best too."

As a man, or rather as her master, I wanted to show some pride and catch at least one fish.

I could hear birds singing, and in the warm sunlight, a cool breeze blew through.

"Feeling nature" was the perfect way to describe it.

At first, all sorts of thoughts floated through my mind, but eventually I found myself watching the clouds drift by, thinking of nothing.

My mind had gotten used to being idle. Surely it was fine to take it easy at times like this.

Chatting with Azu beside me was comfortable too.

The sun had moved, and it was getting close to evening.

Just as I thought maybe I should wrap up without catching a single fish.

The bobber disappeared.

"Huh?"

"What is it?"

"No, the bobber…"

Mid-sentence, a tremendous force pulled at the fishing rod.

I closed my mouth and hastily put strength into both hands, bracing so the rod wouldn't be pulled away.

What incredible strength. I stood up without meaning to.

Keeping the rod from being pulled away was all I could manage. There was no way I could haul it in.

"Azu, give me a hand."

"Got it!"

Azu set down her own rod and stepped in close to me.

Then she grabbed the rod. The scent of soap tickled my nostrils.

"Such amazing strength!"

"Yeah. Must be a big one."

Whenever the catch's pulling force slackened, Azu and I combined our strength to pull it closer.

It couldn't resist Azu's power; each time, we managed to pull it closer with a heave.

"Heave-ho!"

Once it was close enough, Azu forcibly hauled the catch up.

The rod bent so far I thought it might snap, but our prey revealed itself.

A plump, fat fish.

It didn't seem like any ordinary fish.

"Is this… a monster? I get that feeling from it."

"If you as an adventurer say so, then it probably is. A fish monster, huh. This size definitely isn't normal."

Even lifted onto the ground, it thrashed about with its whole body.

Water splashed everywhere. What an energetic fish.

"Hyah."

Azu struck its head with a rock, and it finally went still.

When she opened its mouth, there was a magic stone deep inside.

As expected, it had been a monster.

Luido's people apparently fished here often, but was that really safe?

When we brought the fish back, preparations for the festival were underway.

The matrons were very pleased with the fish.

In the end it was thanks to Azu, but at least I'd saved face.

Apparently all the fish would be skewered and grilled over the bonfire.

Including that huge fish.

"Is that monster fish really okay?"

"Oh, that's sort of like the Master of the Lake. No matter how many times someone manages to catch it, it shows up again before long, but it's harmless. It doesn't eat all the fish in the lake, and it doesn't attack humans. People do fall into the lake trying to catch it, but it just gives them a triumphant look and ignores them."

That was the response I got when I asked the village representative about the fish.

I'd heard all monsters were dangerous, but could it be that even monsters had become lax from Luido's peaceful atmosphere?

Being here made our usual busy lifestyle seem foolish.

Elza and Alexia came back.

The Earth Elemental Stone seemed to be doing well.

"Look, we got a great harvest."

"The field was doing wonderfully. And the growth is so fast, which is nice."

The sweet potatoes we'd gotten from the northern region were growing well too.

These potatoes would be made into a stew in a huge pot.

I see, at this rate, we should be able to meet the quota Princess Tianis had set.

"If you two have time, help out."

"Sir, please."

Finn and Orleans, wearing aprons, were peeling vegetables endlessly.

"You two are so good with knives, it really helps."

"Of course. This is nothing."

"I'd love to have you as a bride for my son. He's only four though."

"I'll pass on that…"

"I belong to my sir, so…"

Finn seemed to be fitting in well.

Orleans, that phrasing is going to cause misunderstandings.