”Understood. You began another unusual undertaking? I am honoured that you invited me first.”
The guy who came over and immediately started chatting Kyle up like they were old pals was Aile Harper. An old friend of his.
Black hair, tan skin, a real looker-and he called himself a playboy. Under normal circumstances, he’d be Public Enemy Number One when it came to keeping him away from Flare, but apparently even Aile was scared of her, so he rarely tried to hit on her. That was a relief.
Flare just looked scary; she was actually a wonderful person, so there was nothing to be afraid of at all. But since he’d already got the wrong idea, Kyle preferred he keep it that way.
”It’s not just Aile, you know?” Kyle leaned against the doorway. “I invited my father-in-law too.”
Aile’s eyes went wide. “Your father-in-law… You mean Jack Regal!? You neglected to mention that!”
Kyle shrugged. “I didn’t tell you, no.”
This guy was the type of social butterfly who showed up everywhere, and he had a ton of hobbies, so Kyle figured he’d be a good choice to judge whether this pastime had any potential to catch on.
”Damn… I’ve never even met the man,” Aile ran a hand through his hair. “What expression am I supposed to make when I meet him?”
”It’s not like you can just meet Jack Regal whenever you feel like it,” Kyle crossed his arms. “If anything, isn’t this a rare opportunity?”
Lord Jack was a high-ranking noble. Just getting him to remember your face and name should be a happy occasion for any ordinary noble. It was about making connections.
But apparently, having Lord Jack along this time wasn’t exactly welcome news for Aile.
Well, if Kyle had to say, Lord Jack was a strict, no-nonsense adult, while Aile was the type of wastrel son who hung out with the younger sons of lesser nobles and got up to no good. So it made sense that they wouldn’t click.
”I want to have all sorts of people try out this casting fishing thing so I can get a variety of opinions,” Kyle gestured toward the harbor. “I’m even planning on having Flare try it to see if it’s feasible for women too.”
Aile raised an eyebrow. “You intend for your wife to participate as well?”
With hunting, even if a nobleman’s wife accompanied him, she usually just watched. So a woman actually participating alongside men was itself quite unusual.
”The rod’s a little heavy, so it might be tough, but if we’re doing it anyway, isn’t it better if we enjoy it together?”
Aile laughed, shaking his head. “Your way of thinking is always unusual. That is what makes you interesting, though.”
And that side of Aile was also strange, in its own way. What he just said, for example-most normal people would be taken aback by Kyle’s lack of common sense, or furrow their brows. The fact that Aile found it “interesting” made him pretty unusual too. That was precisely why their friendship had lasted, Kyle supposed. In that sense, maybe Aile and Lord Jack might actually get along.
”Here, this is a fish rubbing I took when I went on a trial fishing trip the other day,” Kyle pulled out the paper and held it up. “You can catch fish about this big.”
It showed a fish roughly the size of his arm from the elbow down.
”Whoa!?” Aile leaned in, eyes gleaming. “What is that? You covered the fish in ink and pressed it onto paper? Hm… Very well. I shall catch one larger than that!”
Just as Kyle thought-when you had an accurate record of the fish’s size, guys with Aile’s personality started getting competitive, like “I want to beat that record,” Exactly as he’d imagined.
”Lord Jack’s preparations should be done soon, so we’ll head to the harbor after that, take a short break, and then set sail.”
Lord Jack had already arrived yesterday, and last night Kyle had let him and Flare spend some long-overdue father-daughter time together. Today, he was wearing a fishing outfit that doubled as a life vest and was in the middle of preparing. Of course, they didn’t have anything like the life jackets from Kyle’s past life.
”Understood,” Aile cracked his knuckles. “I have little idea what sort of fishing we’ll be doing, but attempting something new is invigorating. I shall make certain to enjoy myself.”
”Yeah, please do,” Kyle smiled. “And if we end up turning this into a business, I’ll be counting on you for word-of-mouth advertising.”
Aile showed up at all sorts of parties and gatherings, so he’d be an excellent promoter-what you’d call a “speaker,” That was also part of the reason Kyle invited him this time.
”Whoa! Strange shape, but that’s a fine-looking boat!” Aile cheered as they approached the dock.
The boat’s design was inspired by the cruisers Kyle remembered… though that was just for show; it was actually closer to a roofed houseboat built on a medium-sized fishing trawler. But he’d made the design a bit more streamlined and added some purely decorative touches that normal fishing boats didn’t have, to make it look halfway decent.
The cabin had chairs, so you could sit like in a carriage. And there were handles to hold onto in case of rocking.
There was even a toilet. Though it just emptied straight into the sea.
The weather was clear and sunny, the waves were calm-perfect conditions for a boat outing. Ideally, they might have aimed for early morning or dusk, but since this was more of a cruising pleasure trip than serious fishing…
Originally, fishing meant casting a line from the shore. Almost nobody went out to sea on a boat to fish. For fishermen, if you were heading offshore, using a net was clearly more efficient, so that was only natural.
The whole point of going all the way out to sea just to fish was that it was recreational.
”Alright, first, let me explain,” Kyle took the rod and held it up for them to see. “This is a lure-an artificial bait. And this is a reel-a mechanism for casting the lure far out and reeling it back. Let me show you once.”
Kyle swung the rod the way he did before, and the lure flew far out, glinting with silver light. He stopped the line as it hit the water, then turned the handle at his end with a crank-crank-crank, and the line wound back, bringing the lure to his hand.
”By repeatedly making the lure swim like this, big fish that mistake it for a small fry will bite.”
Jack let out a low whistle. “Hoh… And this genuinely works? I have never seen or heard of anything quite like it.”
Aile was practically bouncing. “Excellent. Sitting around waiting is not my style. And deceiving fish with artificial bait sounds promising. Let me try.”
Both Lord Jack and Aile seemed fascinated by Kyle’s casting demonstration. After giving them the usual warnings-like holding the line to prevent backlashes and making sure not to hit anyone nearby-he let them try it out.
Both of them seemed dexterous enough; they fumbled a bit at first but soon got the hang of casting properly.
Jack cast his line out smoothly, watching the lure arc across the water. “The wind feels splendid, and merely casting and reeling like this is satisfying in itself. And watching the returning lure-was it?-the artificial bait, from the boat, it genuinely resembles a fish. Fascinating.”
Aile nodded, already cranking his reel back in. “This reel has a satisfying weight to it. Now we require only a large one to bite.”
Nobody had caught anything yet, but the casting itself was fun, so it was getting good reviews. However, for Flare, the rod still seemed too heavy-she was struggling.
Kyle walked over to her. “Hmm, I guess I really do need to make it lighter for women.”
Flare lowered the rod, breathing hard. “W-Well, I am rather strong among noble daughters, so if even I am struggling, it would likely prove difficult for an average woman. And I imagine very few would wish to attempt it in the first place.”
Right. So if they were turning this into a business, maybe they should focus their target demographic on men. The family could stroll along the beach or shoreline while the husband or father went fishing…
”Hm? Wha-!” Jack’s rod suddenly bent sharply. “The rod is trembling… It is heavy!”
Kyle spun around, eyes wide. “Ah, you’ve got a bite! Set the hook once, then keep reeling in! If the fish fights, raise the rod!”
”Ugh! Like this!?” Jack braced his feet against the deck.
His rod bent like a crescent moon-a solid hit. Might be a pretty big one. Kyle grabbed the net and moved to support his father-in-law.
Aile watched intently, holding his breath, as the rod bent and vibrated with every struggle from the fish.
Jack’s face split into a fearless grin. “Oh! Ohhh! What a sensation! This truly feels like a direct contest with the fish beneath the sea! Come now, surface!”
He reeled in, muscles straining. The rod shook violently as the fish darted left and right. It seemed quite heavy-the reel wouldn’t turn smoothly. But Lord Jack must have understood by instinct: he briefly loosened the tension, took a few cranks while the line was slack, and repeated the motion of raising the rod, gradually drawing the fish closer.
”Mm, there!” Jack leaned over the side. “I see it! It is enormous!”
A dark fish shadow emerged from the clear depths. As it reached the surface, it leaped with a last burst of defiance, scattering silvery spray. It was definitely huge-maybe twice the size of the fish Kyle had made into a rubbing.
”That’s big enough for sashimi!” Kyle readied the net. “Almost there!”
”Whoa!” Jack’s arms trembled. “The enemy appears to be tiring, but so am I… I shall not lose!”
BZZT-BZZT-BZZT-the rod shook violently, but gradually the shocks subsided as the fish was reeled closer. Finally, when it was close enough to touch the hull, Kyle leaned over, scooped it up with the net, and hauled it aboard.
Kyle grunted under the weight. “Wow, this is seriously heavy. This is a big one.”
The fish that took the bait was a garuga-a white-fleshed fish similar to sea bream, and a high-end catch that could be served as sashimi and traded at a considerable price.
Even after being hauled onto the deck, the garuga thrashed violently. But the captain, who had been aboard to help steer and coordinate, swiftly dispatched it and bled it out. Only then did the garuga finally stop struggling.
Once the blood was washed into the sea and the body cleaned, it was truly massive, its silver scales gleaming beautifully. Even the crew couldn’t help but applaud at the sight.
”Well done!” Kyle clapped Jack on the shoulder.
”Oh, I did it!” Jack laughed, wiping sweat from his brow. “A formidable opponent with considerable strength, but I managed it on my own. Heh heh-what a thrill. My hands are still trembling. I shall not be able to cast another line until I have rested for a while. Hahaha!”
As he said, Jack’s hands were indeed shaking. In reality, from the moment it struck to the moment he landed it, perhaps only ten minutes or so had passed-but in that time, he’d been locked in a full-power tug-of-war with the fish. No wonder his arms were numb. Exhausted though he was, Jack looked immensely satisfied, gazing proudly at his prize.
Aile’s jaw tightened. “Gh… damn it… I could have…”
Roused by Jack’s display, Aile shook off his frustration and began casting again. He was competitive by nature-seeing someone land a big one right in front of him must have stung.
About two hours passed.
Bites came to each rod in turn, and by the end, Kyle had caught five fish ranging from palm-sized to a bit larger; Aile had four; Jack had four. No one went home empty-handed.
Palm-sized fish made excellent fried bites, and the other catches were just as good-served as carpaccio, sashimi, or even meunière.
But the highlight of the day was undeniably Jack’s big garuga. That one fish alone could yield enough sashimi for ten servings or more.
”Alright, once we’re back at port, we’ll take a rubbing of it, then have the kitchen prepare it and we’ll enjoy it,” Kyle tucked the fish into the cooler. “I’ll have the fish rubbing framed and delivered to you later.”
Jack waved a tired hand. “Ah, leave it to you. But enjoyable though it was, I am worn out-hahaha!”
Jack was in high spirits throughout, while Aile, in contrast, looked sore about it. Not that Aile had done poorly-he’d caught some fine vizuku of decent size, plenty for dinner. Still, after witnessing Jack’s fight, he probably couldn’t help wanting to land a big one himself.
That night’s dinner was naturally built around the day’s catch, prepared by Mei. Normally, noble meals were served in courses, but for this activity, everything was placed out on the table buffet-style, so everyone could sample fish caught by others. That way, you’d think, “This fish is great… next time I want to catch that.”
And the star of this evening’s meal was, predictably, Jack’s garuga.
Flare gestured toward the platter. “Oh, so this is that fish Father caught?”
Jack smiled proudly. “Yes, that is right. A garuga of this size and with such fine marbling is rare, so we served it fresh as sashimi. Being able to eat raw fish like this-bled immediately after the catch-is something one can only do with a harbour-side activity such as this. We used the flesh for the dish, but do not worry-we took the rubbing, so the size of your catch is properly recorded, Father.”
Jack chuckled, but his fork hovered uncertainly. “Hahaha, is that so. But… raw, hmm…”
Jack was still cheerful, but having no culture of eating raw fish, he hesitated, fork hovering over the sashimi.
Flare reached for the platter. “Father, this sashimi looks absolutely divine. May I have some?”
”Hm? Flare-of course, go ahead…”
As if reading Jack’s hesitation, Flare reached her fork toward the garuga sashimi he’d caught, dipped it elegantly in fish sauce, and brought it to her lips.
Her movements were graceful; despite clearly eating Japanese-style sashimi, she carried herself as if she were dining on French haute cuisine.
She closed her eyes, savoring the bite. “Mmm… this fish-is it because it is so fresh, or because it is such a magnificent specimen…? This is the finest sashimi I have ever had at this restaurant!”
Jack puffed out his chest. “Is that so?! Well, I did put up quite a fight reeling that one in-hahaha!”
Flattered by his daughter, Jack’s cheeks relaxed.
Indeed, Jack’s garuga was an impressive catch rarely seen even at the fishing port; while purse-seine nets sometimes brought in large fish that had to be speared, Jack’s was hooked, scooped up in a net without a scratch, and bled immediately-resulting in flesh of exceptional sweetness and quality.
Though the two men had initially hesitated over raw fish, perhaps they thought that if a woman like Flare could eat it without a second thought, they’d lose face as men if they kept flinching.
Still, they tentatively tried the garuga sashimi-and once they’d taken a bite, they exclaimed in delight at the sweetness and unique texture.
Aile’s eyes went wide. “Oh… this is… excellent!”
Jack simply nodded, unable to speak as he reached for another piece. “…!”
Jack’s garuga was far too much for one person to finish, so it was served on a large platter for everyone to share-like a boat platter, though not quite.
It paired beautifully with white wine.
Watching everyone enjoy themselves, Jack-the one who’d caught that fish-looked immensely proud. Aile, on the other hand, stayed silent but couldn’t quite hide his chagrin.
Kyle leaned in, trying to smooth things over. “The fried vizuku is great too, you know? Sometimes you just want something hot. And there’s a fish-bone soup coming too. So, what’d you think of raw fish?”
Aile pulled a sullen face. “It is good… but I still feel somewhat sore about it,” He was sulking like a child.
Kyle shrugged with a small smile. “Then why not try again? Jack’s busy, so he probably can’t come that often, but you’ve got time, right? Bring some friends along. Then it’d be your second time, so you’d be more used to it than them-you could even teach them.”
Aile straightened, a spark returning to his eyes. “…Right. They haven’t done this before. Then I’d probably have the advantage!”
Kyle chuckled. “Though being more used to it doesn’t guarantee you’ll land a big one.”
Jack himself was a first-timer today. It wasn’t about experience; it was about… well, human prowess or something.
Aile slammed his hand on the table. “Very well. Next time, I shall invite some mates who would enjoy this sort of thing!”
Jack nodded, raising his glass. “Today has been the most excitement I have had in a while, and the food is excellent. I believe I shall invite some of the nobles who have grown tired of hunting and find it physically demanding.”
The fish was delicious, and the framed fish rubbing was impressive and decorative. Would showing it off while Jack recounted the fight with vivid detail spark interest in others?
Aile laughed self-deprecatingly, boosting Jack while downplaying himself. “My fish rubbing-or whatever one calls it-is nothing worth boasting about, but the size of the fish Lord Regal caught and the thrill of the fight will make an excellent souvenir story,” He seemed to be in a fully good mood again.
Jack tilted his head. “Ho? You are the Harper family’s second son, are you not?”
Aile bowed slightly. “Yes, that is correct. Thank you for today.”
Jack raised his glass in return. “Ah, I had a wonderful time as well.”
Now in better spirits, Aile chatted amiably with Jack. That kind of social grace was truly his strong suit-though before the fishing trip, he’d said he wasn’t good with Jack.
And so, on Flare’s proposal to make surf fishing a signature activity of Quinta, the pre-opening trial was a resounding success.
There were still plenty of issues to sort out-rental equipment, accommodation, meal arrangements, crew costs, overall pricing plans, guides for larger groups, room reservations-but at least they’d confirmed that surf fishing itself was a pastime that resonated with the people of this world.
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿To be continued
Trivia:
- The protagonist’s past life knowledge of life jackets, cruisers, and fishing techniques suggests he may be reincarnated or possess memories from another world, yet he never directly states this to others.
- The boat’s decorative features, which serve no practical purpose, hint at the protagonist’s underlying desire to impress and create an enjoyable atmosphere, revealing a thoughtful side beneath his pragmatic exterior.
- Lord Jack’s instinctive understanding of the reel’s tension mechanics—releasing pressure to gain line—demonstrates his sharp adaptability and suggests a background in strategic thinking or combat experience, not just aristocratic leisure.
- The garuga’s quality is emphasized not just by size but by the fact it was caught on a line and scooped with a net without damage, unlike purse-seine catches that require spearing.
- Flare’s deliberate public tasting of the sashimi serves dual purposes: reassuring her father and diplomatically encouraging the other hesitant nobles to follow suit.
- The buffet-style dining format is a deliberate gamification tactic, designed to make guests crave specific fish they sampled from others’ catches.