A Fresh Morning and the Mystery of Raw Fish
I bought an extra large tent because the one we had couldn't fit any cushions for Miya. This time I showed her how to adjust the temperature, but she said it felt cool enough already and didn't use it. Asne was worried the cushion might get wet, but she told me she could control her abilities to keep it dry. When I tested it, the cushion really didn't absorb any water even when submerged—it was incredibly fascinating. She offered to do the same for me, and it felt like a thin membrane had formed over my body. Naturally, that meant I could hug the cushion without any issues at all.
With that settled, we all drifted off to sleep in perfect happiness. It was already well past three in the morning.
If you go to bed late, you’re supposed to feel tired in the morning. But if you don’t have any reason to wake up early, that rule doesn’t really apply.
“Mmmnnn…”
Of course, a body in its mid-thirties doesn’t exactly feel refreshed just from sleeping. Muscle stiffness is inevitable, and this is the age when random aches start popping up everywhere. If you don’t take care of yourself now, you’ll end up with chronic problems. The trouble is, when you’re stuck in the daily grind of commuting and work, proper self-care becomes nearly impossible. That’s how people end up borrowing against their future health and paying for it with all sorts of ailments.
“It’s almost noon already…”
Well, at least I had finally escaped that cycle. Though this was only my third day of freedom.
“I’m hungry…”
The very first thought that crossed my mind after waking up was how empty my stomach felt. I’d eaten a hearty dinner last night, but it was already midday. Perfectly reasonable to be starving again.
I did some light stretching, threw on some clothes, and stepped out of the tent. The cold winter air made my whole body shiver instantly.
“Ugh… I just want to stay inside the tent.”
I tend to be quite sensitive to heat, so I prefer around twenty degrees Celsius the most. That’s why I’d set the tent’s internal temperature to exactly that—neither too hot nor too cold. But outside the tent was pure wilderness. The sharp, chilly air of winter hung heavy all around.
“Everyone~ Time to wake up~?”
I would’ve loved to roll around in bed a little longer, but I was the lord of this territory. Even if I didn’t strictly need to, I went out myself to wake the residents.
“Miya?”
I headed first to Miya’s tent, which was closest. The zipper was wide open—probably because she’d felt hot. I called out without looking inside, but there was no response.
“Well… it should be fine to wake Miya in person.”
She was like an adorable little sister, after all. Even when she puffed out her chest and acted all proud, it was just heartwarming to watch. So I decided to peek inside the open tent. Thankfully, there was nothing inappropriate to see.
‘So cute!’
Miya was curled up on top of Torotose’s belly, purring softly in her sleep. The sight was so precious that a smile spread across my face without me even realizing it.
“Miya. The sun’s already high in the sky. It’s time to get up.”
“Grrruu… Mommy… I wanna sleep just a little more… nyang…”
It seemed sleep-talking was the same no matter which world you were in. Miya was mumbling and calling me “mommy.” It was such an unbearably cute scene that I couldn’t help but smile like a proud mother. Not that I was actually her mom, of course.
‘She must really miss her family.’
From what I’d seen of Miya so far, her personality was genuinely nice. It was hard to imagine someone like her being chased by slave traders. Then again, she wasn’t chased every single day, and with her strength, she probably had some breathing room. If she hadn’t been strong, she would’ve been sold off at the slave market long ago. Just thinking about it made anger flare up inside me.
This place wasn’t any different. If you didn’t have money, you paid with your body. How was that any better than slavery? Pretty girls were forced into sexual favors, and if they refused, they were trampled. It happened all the time.
‘Even if my head is full of flowers, I swear I will never let my territory become a place like that.’
A place where people could live happily. It would be incredibly difficult, but that was my goal right now.
“Grrruu… Mommy…?”
I’d gone quiet while lost in thought, so Miya slowly opened her sleepy eyes. Our gazes met. She stared blankly for a moment, then realized the situation and her cheeks flushed bright red.
“Th-that’s… I didn’t mean that Minsoo is my mommy or anything…”
“I know. Now that you’re awake, get your head together and come out so we can eat.”
“Okay~!”
I simply smiled and headed toward the next tent.
“Lei? Are you up?”
I called out in front of the tent where Lei was staying. After a moment, I heard rustling inside. Unlike Miya, she seemed to have woken up right away. Ziiip—
“Lord… You came to wake me yourself. I’m sorry for the trouble…”
Lei greeted me while rubbing her still-sleepy eyes. A warm, sweet scent wafted out through the open zipper. She was still wearing that same dress from yesterday… and because she’d been in that temperature all night, she was drenched in sweat.
‘Whoa…’
Sweat droplets glistened on her pale skin. Her hair and clothes clung to her body. Especially those overflowing, bouncy curves with sweat trickling down the deep valley between them…
“Ahem! Lei, get yourself together and come out so we can eat.”
“Understood, Lord…”
Now for the final challenge. I headed toward the broken pier.
“Asne? I wonder if she’s awake?”
Yesterday she had been floating lazily out at sea, but today she was submerged underwater. If she didn’t respond, I had no idea how to wake her. I called out for quite a while, but there was no answer from Asne.
“Umm… Lady Siren isn’t moving at all?”
“Lord, the Siren race has always been known for sleeping a lot.”
“Hmm… Let’s call her a few more times. If she still doesn’t wake up, we’ll just eat without her.”
The three of us called out together, but Asne remained silent. We decided that if she woke up later we’d talk about a better method, and the three of us would eat first.
“Miya, do you want meat? Lei, what do you like?”
“Yeah! Meat is the best!!!”
“Are you going to catch it yourself, Lord? Fish would be nice, but if it’s too much trouble, I’m fine with meat like Miya.”
Lei must have seen me buying things at the market yesterday, yet she thought I was going to catch them myself. Food and goods were different categories, so it was understandable she might not know. In that case, I’d treat them to some truly delicious fish.
Come to think of it, didn’t felines usually like fish?
“Miya, what do you think about fish?”
“Fish? Umm… Sea Grok is delicious!”
“Sea Grok is hard to call a fish. Right, Lei?”
“Lord, Sea Grok is a fish.”
“What?! That thing’s an amphibian!”
I was genuinely shocked by what the two of them said. No matter how you looked at it, Sea Grok was an amphibian. It was a frog-like monster with arms and legs. Frogs aren’t fish.
“Umm…? Amphibian…? Something that lives on both land and water? Yeah, since Sea Grok can live in both water and on land, that makes sense! Minsoo is so smart!”
“Fish usually refers to creatures in the fish category.”
“Ehh…? Lord… you eat fish…?”
“Minsoo… you eat that gross stuff?”
Our perceptions were completely different. When I asked, they explained that in their world, “fish” referred to monsters like Sea Grok. Actual fish from the sea were nothing more than monster food and apparently tasted horribly bad.
“Hah… You two have never tasted real fish… I’ll have to treat you to a full course!”
“Hiiiiek…! Minsoo is going to torture us with food!”
“Hic…! Lord, are you doing this because you’re displeased with me…?”
“Hah… Just try it first and then decide.”
I started by buying some sashimi. To be honest, I wasn’t an expert on it either. It was expensive, so I hadn’t eaten it often. The most I’d had was the occasional flatfish or rockfish.
‘My friend always said to eat it with spicy sauce, but… I prefer dipping it in soy sauce. That chewy, savory, salty flavor is the best.’
A large plate piled high with shredded radish, neatly arranged slices of raw fish on top. I had chosen flatfish, rockfish, and amberjack. I picked the first two because they were usually safe bets, and amberjack because it was in season during winter.
“People with truly refined palates can taste the umami, but honestly I don’t really get that. I just like the texture and that subtle savory aftertaste you get when you dip it in soy sauce. Is this flatfish… or wait, is this rockfish?”
“Hiiiiek…! Minsoo is eating fish raw! Minsoo, no!”
“Hic…! I’m sorry…! I’m sorry for running away because I didn’t want to work…!”
Flatfish sashimi is characterized by its pure white color. Rockfish has slightly cloudy skin and veins. But the ones I bought had been expertly sliced and looked perfectly clean. There was a very faint cloudiness that suggested rockfish, but it was hard to tell them apart.
I picked up a piece with beautiful, snow-white flesh. The two girls freaked out the moment I held it up.
“This must be the flatfish. It was pretty expensive, so maybe the artisan used premium ingredients and showed off their skills. Let’s see… I’ll try it without sauce first to taste the difference.”
“Hiiiiek!”
“Hic!”
It had a wonderfully chewy texture. Rockfish felt a bit softer, so this had to be flatfish. The flavor… honestly, it seemed just a tiny bit sweet, but the difference wasn’t huge. Still, that satisfying chewiness alone was more than enough.
“Mmm~ That’s good. Next… this must be the rockfish. Alright then~”
It definitely had a softer texture than the flatfish. The taste was similar too—an extremely subtle sweetness and just a hint of savoriness.
“Minsoo… is it really that good…?”
“Lord, you don’t have to force yourself to eat it.”
“Tsk— Miya. Did you already forget how I showed you yesterday that vegetables can be delicious too?”
“Ah!”
“Lei, even though you’re not officially a resident yet, I wouldn’t serve my people something that tastes bad, would I?”
When I spoke with strict, serious sincerity, the two of them glanced at me nervously.
“Right. If both of you really hate it, I can’t force you. I’ll eat all of this myself. I’ll grill the remaining Sea Grok meat for you.”
“N-no…! If Minsoo says it like that, I’ll eat it.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t trust the Lord’s kind offer.”
My little “try it, try it” encouragement worked perfectly.
“Hap…! Hmm?! Uuuum!?”
Miya had been making it very clear with her expression, drooping ears, and tightly curled tail that she hated the idea. But the moment she chewed the sashimi, her ears perked up, her tail straightened, and her face lit up with delight. Her jaw, which had been moving slowly at first, gradually picked up speed.
“It’s good, right?”
“Mmm! Mmm!!”
Miya nodded vigorously at my question. All that fuss when she was clearly going to enjoy it anyway.
“Lei… was it so good it made you cry?”
Encouraged by Miya’s reaction, Lei bravely took a bite too. She chewed delicately for a moment, then froze completely. Her eyes closed as she savored it, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
“Haaaa~ I’ve wasted half my life…”
After savoring it for a long time, she let out a strangely sensual sigh and spoke.
“How is it? It’s really good, isn’t it?”
“Yes yes!!! I’m sorry for doubting you when Minsoo is never wrong!”
“To give us such delicious food… Lord, thank you so much.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
That was how our meal began. I started with soy sauce and switched to spicy sauce when I got tired of it. But the two of them said the sauces were too strong and masked the fish’s natural flavor, so after trying it once they refused to dip anything again and simply ate the sashimi plain. I had clearly underestimated the beastmen’s sense of taste. I felt a little jealous.
“Huuu… This rich, fatty flavor… It’s the best…”
‘I bet that subtle savoriness they talked about feels several times stronger to them. I’m so curious…!’
Miya especially loved the amberjack. I found it a bit too oily to eat much of it myself.
“This chewy texture. That pure white appearance. The sweet and savory taste… It’s truly perfect.”
Lei preferred the flatfish. Watching her eat with tears in her eyes made me incredibly curious what kind of flavors she was experiencing. I would probably never fully understand what the two of them were tasting. It left me feeling just a little bittersweet.
But the two of them were simply happy, completely unaware of how I felt. Well, as long as they were happy, that was enough. And so our breakfast-slash-lunch continued pleasantly.