The abandoned mine the village chief guided me to was located at the edge of the settlement, just past a cedar grove.
Copper used to be mined there long ago, but by the time I was a child, it was already sealed off, and we were told never to go near it.
That entrance was now half open.
White cold air leaked sluggishly through the gaps of the collapsed wooden fence.
“Your breath is white, and it is not even summer yet.”
“That is why it is creepy. At night, you can hear the sound of water splashing from the depths. And strange voices, too.”
The village chief frowned.
At my feet, Mikoto held her tail straight up.
“Meow.”
“Is it dangerous?”
“Meow.”
It was probably a reply akin to, “It is dangerous, but edible.”
I took out my smartphone and started the stream.
“Hello. This is the Countryside Monster Diner. Today is less of a cooking stream and more of a check on the village safety. Since strange noises are coming from the depths of the abandoned mine, I am going to check if any pest beasts have wandered in. This is not an official dungeon clearance. If it is dangerous, I will head right back.”
“Here it goes again.” “Not something to watch first thing in the morning.” “Don’t turn on a stream for a safety check.” “Is the cat there?” “Ah, the ‘I only do cooking as an unlicensed person’ guy.”
The concurrent viewers had already exceeded three digits.
Perhaps due to the circulation of yesterday’s grilled wild boar with ginger, my channel subscribers had also suddenly increased.
Honestly, it was terrifying.
Having my name spread as a returnee from another world was not a pleasant feeling. There was also the chance that the people who banished me would find me.
Even so, to protect the village fields, a check was necessary.
Besides, if this place was turning into a dungeon, leaving it alone was more dangerous.
“Chief, please wait here. I will check the depths by myself.”
“Yuma-kun, don’t push yourself.”
“Yes. If it doesn’t look like an ingredient, I will come back.”
“Your criteria for judgment are strange.”
Receiving the village chief’s sigh at my back, I entered the abandoned mine.
The interior was clearly no longer a normal tunnel.
Pale blue ore clung to the wall surfaces, pulsing as it emitted light. The soil at my feet was frozen, with shallow puddles formed here and there.
The deeper I went, the more humid and cold the air became.
What reached my ears was the sound of dripping water.
And then, the sound of fish striking the surface of the water.
“Whoa, the cave is pretty.” “It’s seriously a dungeon.” “The qualification police are coming.” “The ‘it’s just a pest check so it’s safe’ theory.” “Looks cold.” “Mikoto-sama’s fur is fluffed up.”
Mikoto rode on my shoulder, busily moving only her ears.
Her white fur swelled slightly from the cold air, making her rounder than usual.
“Meow.”
“In the depths?”
Right after Mikoto gave a small meow, the passage opened up.
There, a space resembling an underground lake spread out.
Icicles hung from the ceiling. The ore on the walls glowed faintly, illuminating the lake surface in a bluish-white hue.
The water was transparent.
In the center of it, something silver leaped.
A splash of water rose.
A fish.
However, it was not an ordinary fish.
Its total length was around seventy centimeters. Its scales shone like mirrors, and its dorsal fin was sharp as a blade of ice. It exhaled cold air from its mouth, swimming while forming a thin film of ice on the water surface.
An ice-attribute fish-type monster.
“A frozen trout.”
“A fish?” “Is this a monster?” “Looks genuinely delicious.” “Trout?” “Wait, are you going to grill it?” “Don’t talk as if you’re definitely grilling it.”
I had seen them several times in the other world.
They were magical beasts inhabiting streams in cold regions, storing cold air within their bodies. If left alone, they would freeze water sources and kill surrounding creatures, making them troublesome pests.
However, if processed correctly, they were quite delicious.
The problem was how to defeat them.
If you slashed them carelessly with a blade, the cold air sac inside their bodies would rupture and ruin the meat. If you roasted them with magic, the fat would scatter. Freezing them back was out of the question.
I drew the knife at my waist and squatted at the edge of the lake.
“I am not fighting. To avoid damaging the ingredients, I will process it in the shortest time possible.”
“What a way to phrase it.” “Not a battle, processing.” “He has the face of a cook.” “Run away, fish.” “If the fish runs away, the village is in trouble.”
The frozen trout swam in circles underwater.
It was wary of me. It must have been reacting to my mana.
The moment it opened its mouth, a white, needle-like ice projectile flew toward me.
I shifted my upper body to dodge.
It embedded itself into the rock behind me and shattered with a sharp snap.
“Mikoto, watch quietly for a bit.”
“Meow.”
After the reply, Mikoto moved from my shoulder onto a rock.
Her eyes were serious.
Well, or maybe she was just hungry.
I brought my left hand close to the water surface and allowed a slight flow of mana.
I created ripples mimicking bait.
It was a technique I learned in the other world, closer to luring than fishing. Magical beasts were sensitive to mana, so once you got used to it, you could do things like this.
The frozen trout changed direction.
One circle.
Two circles.
And then, its silver body broke the water surface.
At that exact moment, I struck a single point on its head with the back of my knife.
A dull thud.
Following that, I slipped the blade beneath its gills, cutting only the vital spots.
Do not let it thrash.
Pull it out before the blood spreads into the water.
The silver fish body shuddered within my hands, and then grew still.
“Target confirmed, one frozen trout. The presence of a swarm in the vicinity is weak. I am glad it was before it turned into a water source.”
“So fast.” “What did it just do?” “The fish gave up before it could even turn into sashimi.” “Scarier than a regular professional fisherman.” “Isn’t this a cooking stream?” “The cat is leaning forward.”
Mikoto waited on top of the rock with her front paws neatly aligned.
Only her tail swayed left and right.
It was completely the face of someone waiting for a meal.
“If I grill the whole thing here, the smell will linger, so I will head back near the entrance. The check inside the abandoned mine is kept to a minimum. I am not going deep.”
“Smart.” “Because it’s a check, not a clearance.” “A pantry of takeout ingredients.” “Don’t call it a pantry.”
I wrapped the fish in a cloth and headed back to the entrance.
The village chief looked at the silver fish I was holding with wide eyes.
“What is that?”
“The cause. A frozen trout. A magical beast that freezes water bodies. Probably, a small water vein formed inside the abandoned mine, and it is starting to turn into a dungeon. For now, it was just one.”
“Just one caused that much cold air.”
“Yes. Let’s seal the entrance back up. Though, before completely blocking it, it might be better to consult the shrine as well.”
The village chief nodded with a troubled face.
I placed a portable stove in the open space in front of the abandoned mine.
Today’s cooking will be kept as simple as possible.
The frozen trout has a clear, inherent umami taste in its meat itself. Adding unnecessary flavors would kill that precious aroma.
“Now, cooking starts from here. Salt-grilled frozen trout. The only thing used is salt.”
“I’ve been waiting for this.” “The fish is pretty.” “The scales look like jewels.” “I want this sold in a normal supermarket.” “Mikoto-sama is way too close.”
First, remove the slime.
Rinsing the surface with cold water gave it a texture that clung to the palm. The scales were fine and shone like scattered silver powder.
When I opened the belly, a white, transparent steam, no, cold air spilled out.
The internal organs were tightened almost to the point of freezing, and there was almost no unpleasant odor. I carefully wiped away the blood clots and lightly applied salt all the way inside the belly.
Salt on the skin, too.
Not too much.
Just enough to blend with the fingertips.
“If you damage the cold air sac of this fish, the meat becomes watery. This time, I will grill it whole without cutting off the head. The idea is to trap the umami inside the skin.”
“The explanation is solid.” “So this is what I only do cooking means.” “I’m getting hungry.” “It’s still morning.” “Mikoto-sama is already planning to eat.”
Skewer it.
Run it along the spine, passing it through slowly so as not to break the meat.
When I lit the charcoal fire, white smoke mixed with the cold air of the abandoned mine.
The charcoal popped with a crackle.
I put the fish over the fire.
Distant fire at first.
The moisture on the surface of the skin dried, and the silver color gradually turned milky white.
Before long, the skin swelled up slightly.
A drop of fat fell onto the charcoal.
Sizzle.
Simultaneously with that sound, an aroma rose.
The sweet undertone of light fat. The clean scent characteristic of river fish. Overlapping with that was the distinct, refreshing cold scent unique to the frozen trout, which clears the back of the nose.
Hot yet cool.
It was a scent that made you think of a mountain stream, despite being a grilled fish.
“The sound is insane.” “It went sizzle.” “I can smell it even though there’s no smell.” “Isn’t this food porn?” “The skin! Show us the skin!”
I tilted the skewer slightly and turned the skin side toward the camera.
The salt stood out white, and the skin was lightly charred to a golden brown. Silver scales remained here and there, glittering as they reflected the charcoal fire.
Transparent fat oozed from the cut in the belly.
The meat started to crack open softly, raising steam.
Mikoto took a step forward.
“Not yet.”
“Meow.”
Another step.
“Not yet.”
“Meow.”
The sound of protest was small.
She was genuinely concentrated.
Finally, I roasted the skin crisp with high heat.
A dry, crisp sound echoed.
I lifted the skewer and let it rest for just a moment.
“It is done. Salt-grilled frozen trout.”
“Whoa.” “This is a win.” “Something you’d get at a traditional inn.” “Wait, monsters don’t appear at inns.” “The cat’s eyes are completely those of a hunter.”
I inserted my chopsticks.
The skin cracked crisply, and white meat crumbled softly from beneath it.
Steam rose.
The meat was fine-textured and trembled delicately when held with chopsticks. The fat was not excessive, yet it was not dry. Because the salt tightened the surface, the sweetness emerged from deep within.
I flaked a portion onto a small plate, carefully removed the bones, and placed it in front of Mikoto.
“It is hot, so eat it a little at a time.”
Mikoto sniffed the aroma.
One second.
Two seconds.
And then, she ate it in one big bite.
The next moment, her movement stopped.
Her eyes widened, and only her mouth moved slightly.
Chewing.
Swallowing.
Another bite.
And then, silence.
Mikoto, who would usually give her impressions haughtily, continued to eat in complete silence.
With her front paws holding down the edge of the plate, wearing a face that said she would hand it over to no one.
“Silence.” “Mikoto-sama fell silent.” “This is the real deal.” “Abandoned food reviews.” “Cute.” “Holding the plate is a foul move.” “A flavor that leaves a cat speechless.”
I also took a bite.
The fragrance of the skin came first.
Next, the salt.
After that, the sweetness of the meat unraveled on my tongue.
The aftertaste was lighter than regular grilled fish. Even though fat was present, it vanished smoothly as it passed down the throat. It was as if the ice-attribute mana was washing away all excess odors.
“Delicious.”
The voice slipped out on its own.
I shared a little with the village chief, too.
The village chief timidly put it in his mouth, remained silent for a while, and then let the tension leave his shoulders.
“This is fish.”
“It is fish.”
“No, isn’t it a magical beast?”
“It is a fish-type monster.”
“But the taste is fish.”
“It is a delicious fish.”
The village chief nodded with a serious face.
“Then, it would be a waste to just be afraid of it in the village.”
At those words, I smiled just a little bit.
Do not leave scary things just as they are.
Eat what is edible.
Process what is dangerous.
If I can live here doing just that, then that is fine.
By the time the stream ended, the comment section had returned to a strange fervor.
“Countryside Monster Diner, Abandoned Mine Arc” “Subscribed” “Mikoto-sama compilation confirmed” “Is the guild watching?” “I want this to be a restaurant” “I want to eat fish” “I want to visit the village”
I bowed my head at the end.
“Today was strictly a check on the village safety. Please do not enter the abandoned mine without permission. The frozen trout is also dangerous if processed incorrectly. Well then, until next time.”
I cut the stream.
In front of the quieted abandoned mine, Mikoto was longingly licking the empty plate.
“Are you satisfied?”
“…”
“Mikoto?”
“Meow.”
The reply was slow.
She seemed to still be lingering in the aftertaste of the flavor.
That evening.
When I finished cleaning up and returned home, a woman was standing in front of the gate.
Her age was around mine, or slightly older.
A white shirt and a dark navy apron. Her hair was tied back, and she carried a small paper bag in her hand. She looked urban for a village local, but there was dirt on her shoes.
When she saw me, she gave a slight bow.
“You must be Yuma Kamishiro-san.”
“I am, but…”
“Riko Hayase. I run Café Komorebi in the village. Sorry for coming out of nowhere.”
Café Komorebi.
If I recall correctly, it was a shop started by an immigrant who renovated an old folk house. The village chief had mentioned she was young yet reliable.
Riko-san held out the paper bag.
“Baked goods. I thought it would be rude to come empty-handed.”
“Ah, thank you.”
When I accepted it, a pleasant aroma of butter wafted up.
Mikoto reacted at my feet.
“Meow.”
“This is probably not for the cat.”
“Probably not, yes.”
Riko-san smiled just a little.
However, her eyes immediately turned serious.
“I saw the stream. The Horned Rabbit episode, the wild boar episode, and today’s frozen trout.”
“Thank you. Was there any problem?”
“Rather than a problem, it is dangerous.”
The wind blew.
A dishcloth hung out to dry at the edge of the yard fluttered.
Riko-san took out her smartphone and displayed the screen.
Lined up there were clips from my streams.
The scene where Mikoto silently ate fish.
The scene where I butchered the wild boar.
The blue light of the abandoned mine.
The view counts were growing much faster than I had anticipated.
“Cute, looks delicious, amazing. If it is just reactions like that, it is fine. But it is no longer just that. Accounts that look like guild affiliates are watching, too. It has also started appearing on summary sites for returnees from another world. The spread is faster than you think.”
“You run a café, yet you are well-informed.”
“I use streaming to promote my shop. I have seen shops that got burned in flames, and streamers who got used.”
Riko-san looked straight at me.
She was wary.
Yet, there was no hostility.
Those were the eyes of someone looking at reality as a job.
“Kamishiro-san. I think your cooking helps people. It is probably necessary for the village, too.”
She cut her words off there once.
And then, she said clearly.
“However, at this rate, you will either be burned down by flames or exploited.”