After Karin and I had sex.
We took a bath to wash off our sweat and went to the entrance of the hideout.
「 It’s finally done, Shinomiya-kun! 」
Meiko talks to me happily.
She happily shows the round net with a handle she holds with both hands.
It’s a fishing need used to scoop fish.
「 This looks good! 」
I asked her to make these nets.
The handle is longer and the mouth is wider.
You need both hands to use this.
「 Is the strength good enough? 」
「 I think it’s okay. We’ve increased the percentage of bronze over the small one we made for Arisa’s sea fishing before 」
「 Then, that’s more than enough 」
I came up with the idea of fishing using a scoop net because Arisa wanted one.
I had a flash of inspiration when I saw that Meiko made one use for sea fishing.
「 Yeah, this looks good 」
I took the finished scooping net and checked it.
It’s mixed with bronze so it’s rough and hard to touch.
I feel like my hand would break if I grip too tightly.
The handle is made of wood and the net is a mixture of thread and bronze.
It looks awkward but it’s got perfect performance.
This scoop net is the fruit of our technology.
「 Speaking of which, why am I the only one you still call by the last name? 」
I asked incidentally.
Meiko basically calls me “Shinomiya-kun”
Sometimes, she calls me “Hokage-kun,” but doesn’t do as much.
On the other hand, I started calling the girls by their first names early on.
For example, I call Arisa by her name from Nikotama-san.
「 There’s no particular reason, do you not like it when I call you by your last name? 」
「 Not really 」
「 Then I’ll call you with what I feel is right 」
「 I see, okay 」
Meiko changes the subject, saying “That aside”
「 What fish will you use this scoop net on? 」
「 Oh this? Well 」
I was about to say, but she interrupted.
「 Either way, you’ll show the real one. We’ll go fishing with that on Monday 」
I point at the boat parked at the entrance of the hideout.
It’s different from the boat we built before.
This is a small fishing boat Yoshiokada designed.
The fishing boat is just simply a larger version of the boat.
Even though I say it’s larger, it’s still classified as small.
The maximum number of people you can supposedly board is five, but in reality, it’s just about three or four.
Unlike the fishing boats in Japan, these are powered by oars and the wind.
Therefore, it has a sail, but the sails aren’t that strong.
It was our first time building a bigger boat so we can’t get a good grip on the wind.
Even so, this is much more powerful than the boats we were using.
It’s also very stable so it won’t capsize.
「 We’ll be fishing at the sea for the first time in our history 」
◇
And so, Monday came.
September 23rd, 68 days since we came to this other world.
「 These are some interesting members 」
Meiko says while we’re moving through the sea in a fishing boat.
Apart from the two of us, there are two other people on board.
First is Muscle Takahashi.
He sits at the stern of the boat, turning the oars magnificently.
I hear him say “Muscle” every time the oar spins.
The other one is Yoshiokada.
I took him aboard hoping that he’d get some ideas on how to improve the sailboat.
This ship needs improving since its level isn’t enough to call it a sailing vessel to be honest.
I want Yoshiokada, who’s in charge of the design, to accumulate as much experience as possible.
「 Good, we’ve got a school of fish on target. Hold up, Takahashi 」
「 Muscle 」
「 Thanks. Take a rest for now 」
「 Roger that muscle! 」
Takahashi stops rowing.
We also folded our sails at the same time.
The ship that was moving fast earlier came to a sudden stop.
「 Meiko, do you know what kind of fish is this school? 」
I point at the school of fish swimming below the boat.
A big haul of small fish swimming in clusters.
Meiko leaned over the boat, looked at the fish, and said;
「 Medaka? 」
「 That’s a miss. They’re small fishes but Medaka is clearly bigger than those 」
「 I’m not familiar with fish names. 」 So, what fish is this? 」
「 Pilchard 」
This school of fish is sardines.
This is often caught by fishing industries in modern times.
Their fishing method is using two boats with nets connecting the two of them, literally catching the whole school.
We don’t need that many so we’re using an easier method.
Sardines are coastal fish so their school swims in shallow waters.
Sardines living in this vicinity have the same ecosystem.
If we go too far from the island, there’s a mysterious storm so we don’t go too far.
「 It’s surprisingly easy to catch these guys. 」
I slowly sink the net into the sea.
Then, I just let it stay there vertically, it looks like it was slicing through the school of fish.
What’s left is to count and scoop them up.
We succeeded in capturing more than ten sardines at a time.
「 Ooh! Well done! 」
Meiko clapped her hands and brought a bucket to me.
Inside is seawater we pumped in beforehand.
Then, I throw the sardines in the net to it.
「 At this rate, we’ll catch a thousand before we go home 」
「 A-A thousand?! Isn’t that too much? 」
「 I can’t eat that much, over 」
Yoshiokada’s faint voice comes to me.
I had no idea that he was getting seasick, his face was turning pale.
「 I don’t intend to eat them all today. We’re preserving them 」
Fishes spoil quickly if left alone.
If eating normally, one should consume it on the same day or the next day.
However, you can store them for long times if you soak them in oil.
It’s called oiled sardines, and it’s easy to make.
First is to prepare the fish by cutting off the head and removing internal organs.
Then, just marinate them in oil and cook them and we’re done.
The most common oil to use is olive oil and we have it.
Sardines have great nutritional value.
If you marinate it in oil, the smell will fade away and it becomes easier to eat.
Besides, it’s impeccable because it lasts a long time.
「 Do you put in any spices in the oil when you marinate it? 」
Meiko asks as I explain the method.
「 You noticed? 」
When you marinate fish in oil, you season it with spices.
If you add garlic, it becomes ajillo.
We don’t have that much spice.
The quantity is small, and there were only a few types.
And so, even if we use spices, they’ll inevitably end up tasting similar.
「 Eri and I decided not to use any spices to give it more range of flavor 」
You can also cook it without spices, but it will be thin.
That’s not good, so I was thinking of alternative ways to scent it.
「 So, as a small twist, we’re going to smoke it 」
「 Smoke? 」
「 We’re going to smoke it before oiling. This will reduce the odor. Plus, it lasts a lot longer than regular oiled fish so it’s great from a preservation standpoint 」
That’s my idea.
I explained it to Eri and she agreed.
「 Smoked sardines in oil, that sounds delicious 」
「 It can be a dish on its own or served with rice. It’s the best 」
After filling multiple buckets of large hauls of sardines, we returned to our hideout.