第８００堀：発見 (Part1)
Chapter 800: Discovery
Discovery
Side: Yuki
"Delicious! This flounder is delicious!"
"Hiiro, eat slowly and savor it!"
"That's fine. Oh, two more plates of squid and three more of egg, please."
"It's hard to believe you were so dignified just moments ago. Oh, I'll have octopus and scallops, no wasabi."
"I think I'll have chawanmushi."
"Me too, Firia."
"Ah, I want chawanmushi too."
And so, the little ladies of my household enjoyed conveyor belt sushi.
Despite everything, Dressa seemed to be hungry too.
Well, that's natural.
She worked so hard. It's only natural she'd be hungry.
I was actually thinking it might be a bit too much, but she managed to get through it somehow.
"Indeed, it is strange. I never imagined a culture of eating raw fish would exist in an inland country."
"Basically, river fish and swamp fish are full of worms and parasites. In inland areas, people are wary of that and don't normally eat fish raw."
The custom of eating raw fish is unusual for people from inland countries, not just in this world but also on Earth.
Japan, being an island nation, has had the custom of eating raw fish since ancient times, but it's considered quite strange behavior in other countries.
Especially in jungles, eating raw fish can cause stomach problems and be life-threatening. There's no treatment for parasites.
Well, enough of that small talk...
"However, Lord Yuki, you took quite a gamble. Appointing a young lady like that as the person in charge."
"I thought it might be a bit of a stretch, but she was the only one I could entrust the position to after I left."
"You mean you're leaving? ...Ah, you mean you can't stay for an extended period?"
"Yes. Even so, I'm busy with intercontinental exchanges and the like. I can't be solely dedicated to this until the monster extermination in the Sea Siphon Kingdom is complete."
"I see. That's why you made Lady Dressa the person in charge."
"That's right. After all, we can't just disband everything once the problem is solved."
Oceanic issues are likely to arise more and more from now on.
It's not a bad idea to establish a department to handle them now.
Even for the military, the navy is only somewhat functional with the Sahagin operating a makeshift navy.
It hasn't truly been organized as a formal entity.
Moreover, the nature of navies in this world is quite different from those on Earth.
It's unlikely to be limited to naval battles involving ships ramming each other or firing cannons.
Given the existence of monsters, and the fact that the Sea Siphon Kingdom requested aid, it's clear that the situation is more complex.
"Indeed, it's unlikely that such problems can be resolved in one go."
"Furthermore, our country, being inland, doesn't have a navy, so this would be a good reason to organize one."
"Oh. Are you also anticipating battles on the sea or on the water?"
"After hearing about the Sea Siphon Kingdom, there's no way we wouldn't prepare a navy."
"That is true."
Anyone who hears that the Sea Siphon Kingdom, recognized by countries like Haiden, Findal, and Haile, has suffered damage, and still thinks the sea is safe is out of their mind.
Of course, budget constraints might be an issue, and countries not bordering the sea have little reason to organize a navy.
However, it would be utter foolishness for those bordering the sea or planning oceanic expansion not to consider the necessity of a navy.
Especially since Weed is, unintentionally, becoming a mediator between nations. And for my personal goal of solving the magic depletion problem, I realized the need for underwater forces, not just naval ones.
I hadn't ventured into this area before due to a lack of knowledge about the seas of other worlds.
But I felt the time had come, and I decided to take the plunge.
Talent is scarce, but I believed Dressa could do it.
Eventually, I'm considering having her move to naval service, away from assisting diplomats and her part-time job of cleaning and gathering information at the Adventurer's Guild.
She'll have support from Vilia and Hiiro, and as a party, they seem stable.
Of course, their consent, as well as that of my wives, is absolutely essential.
"However, this sushi... the rice is slightly sour, and the fresh fish slices on top are delicious. I haven't seen these fish before, but they are excellent."
"Hmm. So, you haven't seen many of the fish in our illustrated guide?"
I explained the toppings using the fish guide I borrowed from Hiiro while asking about the monsters.
"Well, they bear some resemblance, but in that sense, all fish look alike. It's certain these are not the same fish."
"I see."
It seems that many of the fish from the waters near Japan that I'm showing her are not found in the Sea Siphon Kingdom.
However, General Lake seems to know of fish similar to pufferfish and filefish, so they apparently exist even in this world.
Evolution follows similar paths, I thought.
Well, as long as there are people, evolution generally follows similar paths.
Still, while I'm investigating, I'm also enjoying delicious food...
"Th-this is it!"
"Hey, why are you shouting during a meal? This is it!"
"G-General Lake! Th-this!!"
Or so it was supposed to be, but General Lake's attendant seemed to have found something and presented the illustrated guide they were looking at to us.
"Hmm. Without a doubt, this is it. Excuse me."
General Lake took a sip of tea, calmed himself, and then presented the illustrated guide to me.
"I can definitively say that these fish have become monsters. The differences are not that significant."
"I see, these are..."
The entry in the illustrated guide presented to me was for a type of "ancient fish."
Ancient fish are fish that appeared in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras on Earth and have survived to the present day without going extinct, retaining almost the same form. They are often called "living fossils." Some bony fish are particularly referred to as such...
To put it simply, it's like a coelacanth became a monster.
Well, they look monstrous from the start.
Moreover, fish of this type are as hard as bony fish, and most fish classified as ancient fish are larger than modern fish.
"These fish charge at ships. They leap out of the water, create holes in the ships, and if you're unlucky, the crew gets bitten and dragged away with the ship."
What kind of panic horror movie is this?
Oh no. I suddenly don't want to go to sea at all.
Damn it. Dressa, Vilia, Hiiro, and the others are small. They could be swallowed in one gulp, couldn't they?
Did I make the wrong choice of personnel?
Also, it's clear that firearms are not very effective against this type of fish.
Even with magic, a flame that only causes minor burns to humans wouldn't kill a 3-meter-long fish.
For ordinary fish, being out of the water would cause burns, but if they've become monsters, they wouldn't be that fragile.
Unpleasant thoughts keep coming to mind, but at least now we know the target.
"Milly."
"Wha? You want a drink?"
"I'm sorry. I can't drink right now. This is serious."