落とし穴１２７堀：夜釣りと波の音？ (Part1)
**Pitfall 127: Night Fishing and the Sound of Waves?**
**Side: Yuki**
"Ahaha, well, I suppose that’s just what you call a summer memory."
"Indeed it is."
The two middle-aged men laughing pleasantly were Taizo-san and Sota-san.
The sun had long since dipped below the horizon. We were currently casting our lines into the dark sea, chatting and laughing about the events of the day.
"But really, it was a shock. To think they’d actually drink the seawater."
Exactly. Kagura and the others had committed the reckless act of gulping down salt water, stumbling right at the start of our beach trip. Even before that, for some reason, they’d been hesitant to even come out of the changing rooms.
I knew there were people who had never seen the ocean, but I didn't expect them to drink it and immediately spit it back out. Their reasoning? "Because it looked so pretty."
Usually, in nature, things with vivid, beautiful colors are a warning that they’re poisonous.
"It’s not unheard of. To those living deep inland, the sea is a rare and wondrous thing," Taizo-san remarked.
"I’ve heard Japan was quite unique in that regard. Though even there, in the old days, the ocean was a mystery to those living in the mountains," Sota-san added.
I’d heard stories like that too. However, with modern transportation being what it is back home, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Japanese person today who doesn't know what the sea is.
"What surprised me even more was that neither of them could swim. Not even a little bit."
"Swimming is one of those things where people have natural talent or lack thereof, but not even knowing *how* to move in the water was a bit of a shock," Taiki chimed in.
"I mean, even Soel, who claimed she could swim, was just doing the doggy paddle."
Right. Soel—who looks like the type of girl who’d be a stern, perfect student council president—wasn't doing a graceful crawl or a butterfly stroke. She was doing the doggy paddle. Though, compared to Kagura and the others who couldn't even stay afloat, I guess she was an expert.
"Well, it can't be helped. Modern swimming strokes are a relatively recent invention," Taizo-san noted.
"Ah, I’ve heard that too. Originally, swimming was a skill meant for combat. Usually, only people living right on the coast or by rivers actually learned to swim for leisure."
"Exactly. So, it’s only natural they can't swi— Oh, Sota-san. Your rod’s twitching."
"Oops."
Sota-san grabbed his rod and reeled it in. A goby was dangling from the end.
"That’s a decent size."
"It is."
"Deep-fried, maybe?"
"Let’s put it on hold for now. If we catch a bunch of better fish, we won't need it."
The goby was tossed into a bucket. If we caught enough later, we’d probably let it go. Little guy, your fate depends on our luck for the rest of the night.
"Still, this is nice. Being able to fish so peacefully... I hear the rivers and lakes on the New Continent have calmed down lately, but back when I, Enol, and Heiren were active, there were man-eating fish everywhere. It was hardly the place for a dip in the water."
"That probably has a lot to do with why people in this world don't swim," Taizo-san mused.
I’m sure it does. If I lived somewhere with man-eating fish, I’d question the sanity of anyone jumping in for a swim too. Then again, there are people on Earth who swim with sharks, so maybe this world has its daredevils...
"Even so, people still fish in the sea. Like Dressa—her country is right on the coast."
"True. Dressa is an incredibly fast swimmer. It’s hard to believe she’s a princess with those skills."
Apparently, she used to sneak out of the castle all the time to play in the water.
"It’s all about what you need to do to survive," Taizo-san said.
"Yes. Humans are resilient wherever they go. Oh, Taizo-san, isn't yours pulling now?"
"Oho!"
This time, Taizo-san’s rod bent. When he pulled it up...
"A horse mackerel. Should we use this as bait for a flounder?"
"Think we can get one?"
"Well, it’s night. It’s not impossible."
"Man, Taiki and I are still empty-handed. It’s not like we’re fishing for dinner tonight, so it’s fine, but..."
"It’s frustrating when you don't even get a nibble," Taiki grumbled.
"True. Coming all the way out here and not catching anything is a bit dull."
As we talked, Sota-san kept his eyes on the sea and spoke up.
"Now, now. We haven't been at it that long. Aren't you being a bit impatient? We gathered here to relax and talk as much as to fish. Personally, I’m just happy that we—men of different ages but all from Japan—can stand side-by-side with our lines in the water like this."
"True enough."
"I never thought I’d end up in another world and still be able to chat with fellow Japanese people."
"Yeah, me neither."
Sota-san’s calm words cooled our competitive heat. I started to feel like it didn't really matter if I caught anything. After all, I never expected to meet other Japanese people in this world Luna dragged me to. I’d expected nothing but obstacles.
In that sense, Luna hadn't actually interfered. Everyone here had arrived before me. There haven't been any new victims since I arrived, so I suppose that’s a silver lining.
*Swoosh... crash... swoosh... crash...*
For a while, we sat in silence, listening to the rhythm of the ocean. The sea was a dark void, but the sound of the waves was incredibly soothing.
*Swoosh... crash... shhh... slop...*
Hm?
I thought I heard something strange mixed in. I strained my ears to listen again.
*Swoosh... crash... drag... squelch...*
"Hm? Does it sound like something wet is being dragged to anyone else?"
Before I could say anything, Taizo-san spoke up. He turned around toward the path on the breakwater and shone his light. We all looked in that direction, but there was nothing there.
"Did you guys hear that?"
"Yes. I definitely heard a wet, dragging sound," Sota-san confirmed.
"Maybe a plastic bag got caught on the breakwater?" Taiki suggested.
"Ah, that could be it."
I agreed without thinking much of it, but Taizo-san immediately shot the idea down.
"A plastic bag caught under the breakwater being tossed by the waves... you might think that, but I don't think such a sound would be that distinct over the roar of the ocean. For proof..."
Taizo-san dropped some chum directly below us.
*Plop.*
It made a normal sound.
"There’s a sound, but there’s no plastic bag directly below us. Not on the other side, either. That would mean the sound came from a distance, but..."
This time, he threw the chum further out. The sound was barely audible over the waves.
"At this distance, it becomes very hard to hear. But that sound earlier... didn't it sound like it was right next to us?"
"Now that you mention it, it was very clear. What do you think, Taiki-san?"
"Eh? I mean, I heard it clearly too, but isn't this getting a bit like a ghost story? Right, Yuki-san?"
"Well, ghost stories and night fishing go hand-in-hand. It is Obon season, after all."
Even as I said it, I found it hard to believe a ghost or monster would cause trouble in Weed. Our Sahagin lifeguards keep the waters so safe that there hasn't been a single drowning in this dungeon.
There are graves, sure, but the Roschur region doesn't even have a tradition like Obon for the dead. Besides, I doubt any spirit would want to come back during this heat. Therefore, seaside ghost stories were groundless. There weren't even any rumors to begin with.
As I was rationalizing this, Taiki reacted to my words.