Chapter 144 What Happened To The Poaching?
We learn about the surroundings of Lake Edna, which is located between Ensgard (here) and Wareels (there), as explained by Jam-san.
One interesting aspect is that the lake itself does not serve as a border between the two countries. Instead, certain rules have been established over the years, such as the prohibition of building walls or gates directly on the lake's shore.
Although Ensgard and Wareels were once part of the same country, they became neighboring nations after the division. In the Ensgard branch of the adventurer's guild, they were investigating a particular issue that Mom (Danna) had mentioned regarding the inability to catch Great Trout anymore.
Could it be that the Great Trout, which used to swim upstream from the sea to lay their eggs in the lake, have stopped reproducing? Or perhaps the increased toxicity of the Oso (Dreadful element) and the subsequent transformation into Magic Beasts (Majuu) have led to a decrease in the number of spawnings?
In Ensgard, the primary sources of sustenance are meat, fish, and vegetables. If one were to hunt Magic Beasts, which have abundant edible parts, it would be enough to survive on their meat alone. However, both Queen Myla and Mother, as well as Mom (Danna), have a particular fondness for fish.
Maya-chan mentioned that her cat-people maid, Diemirena, also known as 'Mii-cchan,' loves fish as well.
Additionally, Centrena and Alesion also enjoy eating fish. Even I, Rosalier-san, and Maya-chan are fans of fish.
While grains are used as part of the seasoning in Ensgard, the main staples are meat, fish, and vegetables. Rosalier-san, Maya-chan, and I occasionally have bread that we bake for meals.
Currently, meat takes the spotlight, and fish is considered a delicacy, served to guests or enjoyed when we want to indulge in something delicious.
Fish is a versatile ingredient that can be prepared in various ways. It can be grilled, fried, or even stewed. Unlike meat, fish offers a wide range of cooking options. It can be served as a main dish, with vegetables as a side dish, or as an appetizer. It's like a culinary adventure! Fish dishes can be as diverse as the different cooking methods used.
"Last winter, adventurers who were conducting surveys near the border of a certain country reported a strange phenomenon."
"That's it, that's it?"
"What's it like?"
"Yes. From near the border over there, there's a really appetizing smell carried by the wind, like fish being grilled."
"The smell of grilled fish, huh... Wait? Brother, isn't that strange?"
"Hmm?"
"I mean, those people over there..."
"Yeah?"
"Weren't they saying they don't eat fish?"
"Oh."
Oh, right, I remember hearing that.
"That's right."
Jam nodded vigorously. Maya-chan looked like she was about to fall, then scrambled up again. Pretty nimble, huh? Geez.
"As a general knowledge, we were taught in Wareels that after taking the magic stones, they grind up our bodies and use them as fertilizer for fields and such. If Wareels doesn't eat fish like we do, then it means they're incinerating their bodies. It seems really wasteful, doesn't it?"
"Yeah."
"In winter, the wind always blows down from the northern mountains. It's like the wind blowing from Wareels to here. But before, they never noticed any smell coming with that wind."
"So, where exactly did they notice the smell?"
"Well, reports said it was when they were investigating the shallows where they dock their boats."
So they stumbled upon that situation when they happened to investigate?
"I see. By the way, Maya-chan."
"What is it? Brother"
"When it comes to fish fertilizer, isn't it usually fish meal?"
"Right? I mean, it seems really wasteful to burn it and spread the ashes. Surely, there wouldn't be anyone who passed on such a foolish 'knowledge cheat'?"
Burning fish and turning them into ashes for fertilizer... While it's possible that someone might have proudly shared such a strange idea, I doubt it, well, probably not. After all, it wouldn't yield any results.
Despite how it may seem, Maya-chan might actually be smarter than me. Without a doubt, she'd probably do better in school grades. I mean, I barely got into that company with my college degree, and she could probably get in with just a high school diploma.
"I see. I saw on some special program that they boil fish, squeeze out the water and fat, dry it, then crush it into small pieces and use all of it as fertilizer."
"Yeah, yeah. I've seen Maya in videos too."
"Haha, really? We love Great Trout so much that we even fry the head and bones in oil for snacks."
Frying the salted skin on a small charcoal grill or deep frying the remaining bones from filleting should be delicious.
"That sounds so tasty. It really goes well with liquor."
"Brother could eat so much rice."
"I see, that's it."
"Anyway, it's weird to incinerate them."
"Yeah, definitely."
Our opinions matched. It didn't make sense that just burning the squeezed oil would create such a 'nice smell'. Tigerman has a sharper sense of smell than us humans. If even they say it's a 'nice smell', then they must be burning the skin and flesh as well.
"Hey Jam-san."
"Yeah?"
"Has this kind of thing happened before?"
"No, not really. Usually, during winter, the wind blows from that direction. Both Tigermen and Cat-people have sharp senses, so we're pretty sure."
"Right. Cats and tigers both love fish."
"Yeah, we really do."
"With the report and Mom mentioning the shortage of Great Trout, it's definitely suspicious."
"Yeah, it makes you think of poaching, huh?"
"Yeah, for sure."
"Well, we started investigating relying on the scent of Wolf-Humans and Dog-people."
"I see. Beastmen are like that, huh? Come to think of it, Kumei-san used to open the door before I could. Sometimes Mother would open it with my scent and give me a big hug like a tiger hug and I felt like I was going to die."
"Pupupu. Tiger hug or something."
"A tiger hug?"
"Yeah, Mother hugged me so hard my guts felt like they were gonna pop out of my mouth. Normally, you're supposed to face each other and hug with both hands behind your back. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, I kinda get it. Tigermen are taught that they have to be gentle with little kids because they're stronger than other races."
"But wasn't Mother being gentle?"
"Haha, she just didn't want to hurt Maya."
"I get it. Anyway, how did the investigation go?"
"Well, we searched from morning till noon and from noon till night."
"Uh-huh."
"By noon, there were no ships in sight, and we couldn't smell anything. Of course, I also visited the scene to confirm."
"Wow, you were really taking charge."
"Yeah, I had to. Our higher-ups were expecting results..."
"I see, that makes sense. It's quite something."
"Yeah, it's a lot to handle..."
Alright, so here's the deal. Gefi-san's sky-high expectations, or should I say pressure, are a real pain in the neck. Jam-san, with a nervous chuckle, shrugged it off like, "It's just the usual stuff, you know?"
Now, it's not like Ensgard set these up, but somewhere beyond the central part of the lake, these temporary checkpoints, almost like castle walls, popped up on the west and east sides. Sure, it doesn't affect us since we don't go there, but Jam-san was sweating bullets over how it's disregarding past agreements.
I'm planning to ask Centrena to check it out later, but seriously, who would've thought that was a thing? And because of that mess, if we want to head to Wareels (over there), we gotta go through that checkpoint or travel over the water.
On top of that, those folks over there are Beastmen too, so just like Ensgard, they've got a keen sense of smell. I gotta take that into consideration. And it makes sense, even if the wind's blowing from their side, there's a high chance they could sniff out our moves. That's the situation, apparently.
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