We were on our way, but we immediately ran into problems.

「How do I use this?」

I have fished before, but this was my first time fishing with proper equipment, and I did not know how to use the tools that were provided.
When I used to do it, I would attach a line and a hook to a suitable tree, magically strengthen the line and tree to prevent it from breaking or snapping, and pull it up when a fish was caught.
But from what I have seen of this tool, it seems to catch fish in a different way.

「Shake the rod and the line will stretch. After that, you press a button on the rod and the line shortens」
「Is that all?」
「Un. There is nothing difficult about it. The rod shakes to tell you when a fish is on the hook」

Shia-san seems to be experienced.
First, she shows it by doing it as an example.

「There aren’t many fish here because it’s shallow water. So we’ll head for the center and… cast」

The line stretched out with a shuffle, a small splash, and the hook landed on the water.

「Like this」
「Okay, I understand」

We are fishing behind our house. What a surprise, we have a dedicated fishing area, a pier that stretches from our house to the center of the lake!
However, the water under the pier is only up to my knees, and it is not deep.
So we will be casting our hooks toward the center of the river. I heard it is called “cast fishing”.
The lake seemed to be shallow continuously for a while and then deepened rapidly in the middle of the lake, so Shia-san cast her hook into a spot about 20m away from the lake.
Un, I could do it normally.

「Shia, which one is the bait?」

Snow-san, who seemed to have no experience, listened to the explanation with me, but she seemed to understand how to do it and asked Shia-san for some fishing bait.

「That」

Shia-san pointed to a wiggling creature.

「I-Is this all there is?」
「Un」

The wiggling creature… it’s a worm.
It is not a monster, it is a larva that grows up to become a moth.

「Um, can someone please help me put it on?」

We are fine, but Snow-san doesn’t want to touch the worm and asks for our help.

「I’ll put it on for you」

Kiara-chan plucked the worm with a flick and stuck it in a hook about the size of a pinky fingernail.
Instead of attaching it, she stabbed it. Along the shape of a fish hook.

「Hii」
「What’s wrong?」

Snow-san let out a small scream when she saw the worm still moving even though it was stuck in the hook.

「Sorry, can I just fish?」
「Uh, well, here you go, then」

Kiara-chan seemed experienced and had already started fishing.
Kiara-chan gives her own fishing rod to Snow-san.

「Thank you!」
「Yes, please let me know if the bait is taken so I can replace it again」
「Kiara-chan can normally touch worms?」
「Un, elven villages are in the woods, so there are lots of insects, and I’m used to it」

Unlike Snow-san, who grew up in a city, we grew up in countryside. Our tolerance for insects is higher than Snow-san’s.
Especially since the orphanage where I grew up was in shambles, insects came in all the time, and there was also a black thing that moved around.
I’m not a fan of the black ones either.
And then Kiara-chan also cast a new hook, and the four of us were finally able to start fishing together.

「So, can we say that the team that didn’t catch more than the other team listens to every single thing the other team says?」

The plan was to enjoy fishing as usual, but since it was a special occasion, we decided to have a competition based on the results of our fishing.
There are experienced and inexperienced members, so it will be a team game.
It’s the usual team of me and Shia-san versus Snow-san and Kiara-chan.
The rules are simply 1 point per fish caught, but since that is boring, the team that catches the biggest fish will receive an additional 3 points.

「Won’t lose」
「I won’t lose either」

Shia-san and Snow-san are creating sparks.

「Let’s take it easy」
「Yes. But I’ll do my best!」

I’m all about taking it easy and having fun. Kiara-chan is a little more motivated.

And so the fishing competition began…

「It’s peaceful~」
「Un」

There is nothing else to do but sit there with my feet dangling off the pier, gripping my fishing rod.
But that’s the best part of fishing, the waiting part is fun too.

「Fish… Are there any?」
「Snow-san, you have to be still or the fish will run away」

Me and Shia-san can stay put, but Snow-san seems to have a bit of trouble.

「I’ve been escorting and training repeatedly, so I’ve never had time to relax like this before」
「Get it」

Shia-san nodded at Snow-san’s words, though her experience in fishing and staying at a high-class inn make her less credible.
Shia-san may be a surprisingly active person.

「That’s not the case」
「I haven’t said anything yet?」
「I know roughly what Yuan is thinking」

I guess it was obvious on my face, Shia-san found out.

「Yosh, it’s the second one!」
「Kiara-chan is amazing!」
「Un, I’ve always fished a lot, so I’m a little good at it」

So far, Kiara-chan has caught two fish, Shia-san has caught one, and I and Snow-san are the only ones who have not caught a fish.

「Shia-san, this is not good」
「Don’t worry. Fishing is patience」
「Yes, it’s essentially 2 against 1」

Kiara-chan seems to be doing well, but Snow-san remains restless, repeatedly checking and tossing the bait.
As always, though, she is careful not to touch the worm.

「Ah, I can’t catch any」
「Please do your best Snow-san!」

Kiara-chan, who caught her third fish, encourages Snow-san.
The gap has widened.

「Kiara-chan, do you have any tips or tricks?」
「Un, I have」

Apparently there is a trick to it.
It is no fluke that Kiara-chan catches fish, but there seems to be a reason for it.

「The birds are circling over the lake, right?」
「They’re flying」
「Birds target fish that come to the surface of the water, so there are likely to be fish in the area where the birds land, so if you target that area, you may be able to catch them」
「I’ll try it」
「Maybe I’ll go for it too」

The lake is wide and the line cannot reach the center of it.
So, I will wait for a while, aiming at the time when the bird comes within the range of the line.

「Yuan-san, over there」
「Yes!」
「So we just aim there」

The circling bird swooped down and landed on the lake.
Snow-san and I aim for that spot and swing our rods at the same time.
My hook lands right where I want it to, right around where the bird lands on the water.
And Snow-san’s hook is…

「Kueee!」
「A catch!?」

The line tangled with the bird as it tried to fly out of the water and successfully captured it.
Snow-san happily winds up the line.

「Fufu, a catch」
「I don’t think so?」

Snow-san is disappointed when I told her that the bird does not count as a point.

「Sorry」
「Kueeeeee!」

Kiara-chan apologizes as she unwinds the tangled line.

「Or rather, that bird is a monster」
「Un. Water Bird. No harm done」

The Water Bird, which is 1 meter long and looks to be about 2 meters when its wings are spread, looks like a Tonbi1A japanese hawk, but is classified as a monster.
However, one definition of the difference between monsters and animals is whether they have magic power or not, so they are not included in the list of targets for defeat because they only have magic power and do not attack humans.
In other words, they are no different from animals except that they have magic powers, but if there is a difference…

「Tastes better than regular birds」

Shia-san’s words spooked the Water Bird, and it began to thrash about.

「Ah, please don’t go wild!」
「Gueeeee!」

The outburst causes extra tangling of the line and it makes an anguished cry.

「We won’t eat you, it’s okay」

There are times when you find yourself talking to someone even if you don’t understand their language.
Kiara-chan calls out to the Water Bird, desperately trying to appease it while she removes the line.

「Yes, I got it」

After the line was removed, the Water Bird was able to move and flap its wings as if to check its condition.

「I’ll give you a fish as an apology」

Kiara-chan gave a fish she caught to the Water Bird.

「Kue!」

The fish we caught were in a net and still alive, so they were splashing around right in front of the Water Bird’s eyes.
The fish was not very big and the Water Bird swallowed it in one gulp.

「It’s cute」
「Un」

The Water Bird repeatedly bows its head to Kiara-chan as if to say thank you. It’s a bit like a chicken, and the movement is funny, but cute.

「Sorry, you can go now, okay?」

At Kiara-chan’s words, the Water Bird spread its wings, fluttered its wings, and lifted its body softly.
Then it jumps straight onto Kiara-chan’s shoulders.

「I-It’s heavy」
「Kiara-chan, you’ll be missed」

The Water Bird on Kiara-chan’s shoulder rubs its head on her cheek.
Has her talent as a tamer also blossomed since the Ladi-kun incident?
It seems that Summoner is considered a superior position to Tamer, so it is possible.

「Kiara-chan, what are you going to do with that child?」
「Hmm~ …」

Kiara-chan seems to be confused by the suddenness of the situation.
After that, the Water Bird continued to stay by Kiara-chan’s side, and we resumed fishing, both for dinner and for the game.