第１６４７堀：仲が悪いというのは洒落にならない (Part1)
Chapter 1647: Bad Blood is No Laughing Matter
Side: Stasia
Following our discussion with Yuki, Seraria led a series of military meetings to hash out the details of our new organizational structure and personnel reinforcements. Once we finally wrapped up and returned home, however...
"Huh? Is it just me, or does it smell a bit... pungent?"
"Hm? Now that you mention it, you’re right."
"Indeed, aren't they?"
At Seraria’s prompt, Jessica and I both caught the peculiar scent. It was a smell I’d encountered before, though the memory remained frustratingly elusive. I briefly wondered if some sort of incident had occurred, but before I could dwell on it, Sasari appeared in the foyer to greet us.
"Welcome home, everyone. My apologies for the delayed greeting."
"Don't worry about it. I can manage to get through the front door on my own. But tell me, what is this scent?"
As Seraria tucked away her shoes, she gestured toward the air. Sasari offered a wry smile.
"Haha, my apologies. Are you aware that Yuki-sama was conducting a test run of the ships at the harbor today?"
"Now that you mention it..."
"He did mention that, yes."
Jessica and I exchanged a look, the realization dawning on us simultaneously.
"Fish?"
"Yes. It seems he took the opportunity to do some fishing while he was out, and he brought back quite a haul of fresh catch. I had hoped he might keep it in the kitchens, but..."
"Ah, that sounds like my husband. He’s the type to bring it out here just to show off his success."
It was true; Yuki-sama possessed a certain childlike, guileless quality that often manifested in exactly these sorts of ways.
"Thanks to that, the place has become quite... aromatic."
"I see. Now that you say it, it is definitely the smell of fish."
"So, the test run and the fishing trip were both successful, then?"
"It would appear so, for the time being."
"What do you mean by 'for the time being'?"
We tilted our heads at Sasari’s phrasing.
"I believe it would be best to hear the details directly from Danna-sama."
"True enough. We shouldn't get in the way of your work by chatting here, Sasari."
"Haha, I really do need to get to the ventilation, anyway."
Thinking that sounded like a chore, we decided to head toward the kitchen to check on Yuki-sama. Upon arriving, we found that the others who had already returned were gathered there as well.
"Oh, welcome back, military division."
"...Mm. Welcome back."
Samantha and Cleena greeted us as we entered.
"We’re home. So, how was the catch?"
"It’s quite impressive. Right this way."
Led by Samantha, we stepped into the back, where we found boxes filled with ice and fish—so many that they wouldn't even fit on the prep tables.
"These are fish I've never seen before."
I inspected the contents, confirming they were entirely new to me. Hearing my comment, Dressa stepped forward.
"They’re caught in the waters near the harbor town. Up until now, the harbor garrison has consumed them locally, so this is the first time they’ve been brought here."
"Is it safe?"
Whenever I encounter unfamiliar food, I can’t help but worry about the implications. Jessica seemed to share my concern, voicing the same question.
"As for whether they’re safe to eat, Rurua’s department has already inspected them and confirmed there are no issues. As for the garrison’s reaction? They say it’s a delicious, fatty fish. I tried some myself; it’s quite similar to saury."
"Oh? That sounds delightful."
If it was comparable to saury, I could safely judge it to be delicious. It seemed we were in for a wonderful fish dinner tonight. Our gazes drifted toward Yuki-sama and the others, who were busy preparing the catch. As always, they moved with impressive dexterity.
As I watched, Seraria called out to Yuki-sama.
"Dear. I heard you caught a lot of fish. Does this mean the ship’s test run went off without a hitch?"
"Hm? Ah, Seraria, Jessica, Stasia, welcome back."
Yuki-sama glanced our way, but clearly focused on his task, he returned his eyes to the cutting board as he continued.
"Sorry for talking while I work, but it’s best fresh. As for the test run, the ship itself is fine. Yayui handled the helm perfectly; it was a comfortable ride."
At his words, our eyes turned to Yayui, who was nervously filleting a fish nearby.
"Hey now, Yayui. You’re being asked for a comment."
"Eh? What was that, Hovis? Oh, welcome back, Seraria-sama and everyone. Um, what are we talking about?"
"The ship, of course."
"Oh, thank you, Orelia. Well, regarding the ship’s performance, I have no complaints. However, we definitely need more practice, today’s waves were quite calm, and the market prices haven't been established yet, so it’s hard to say for sure."
"I see what you mean."
I felt satisfied with Yayui’s explanation. As Sasari had hinted, it was very much a "for the time being" situation.
"As for the pricing, since Weed is the developer, we can manage that however we like. More importantly, I’d rather prioritize safety over cost. I want to avoid any situation where the common folk go out to fish and end up losing their lives because of the ships."
"Life comes first, indeed. Well, that’s where the data from Dressa and the others comes in, along with the experience of those who will be heading out to fish. It’s something we can only learn by doing."
"The Navy intends to provide support, of course, but there are limits. If they don't master the basics of navigation, the sea won't be the only thing giving them trouble."
Dressa was right; without the ability to properly handle a vessel, fishing would be impossible.
"Well, we’ve only been developing the harbor town for less than a month, and things are going remarkably well. Let’s take our time with this."
"Agreed. So, work talk is over. We’ve got some excellent fish, so look forward to dinner."
"Indeed. It’s not right to spend all our time at home talking about work. We’re going to go take a bath."
"That sounds like a good plan. We’ll keep working on the food here."
"Understood."
With that, we decided to leave them to their cooking—partly because we didn't want to be a nuisance, and partly because we didn't want to smell like fish ourselves. We headed off to wash away the day’s sweat.
*Splash...*
The sound echoed through the hot spring. The scalding water soaked into our bodies and spirits alike.
"We haven't even been in battle, so why am I so exhausted...?"
"Meetings, paperwork, and authorizations will do that to you. My eyes are tired just thinking about it."
"Indeed. No matter where we turn, it’s all paperwork. I’ve barely moved my body at all lately."
It made one wonder what kind of soldiers we were, but paperwork was a soldier’s duty, too. Especially when it came to organizational structures.
"That’s the truth. Perhaps the stress is building up precisely because we haven't been moving enough?"
"Well, that may be true."
"Still, we haven't decided which of our troops to send to the harbor town yet, have we?"
That was true. The subject of who would be stationed at the harbor town had been the focus of our meetings for days.