By the Grace of the Gods (LN) - Volume 9 - Chapter 2

Chapter 6 Episode 2: The Village Tour and a Local Specialty

“It’s been too long!”

“Thanks for coming!”

“Oh, do we have a guest?”

“Hey, mom. Didn’t realize you were with them.”

As I was organizing my things in the room they had prepared for me, Kai, Kei, and their mother had returned and came up to the room, greeted by May.

“Thank you for having me. I’m Ryoma Takebayashi.”

“Oh, so you’re the one who took care of my little idiots and their friends. You’re much younger than I imagined... Come to think of it, wasn’t next month when you were supposed to be coming?”

“Come on, mom, he’s here to help protect our catches while we get them off the boats. We won’t be doing any fishing next month.”

“What a hassle... I don’t have anything to feed our guest.”

“Wait, there’s only enough for us?”

“There’s plenty of food, but it’s not exactly...”

Maybe they had a special meal in mind for me. “Please, don’t mind me. I’ll gladly eat whatever you offer me.” I wasn’t about to complain about free food when I was already getting free room and board from them.

“Are you sure? Today we were going to—”

“Just leave dinner to us,” May cut in. “Kai, Kei. Ryoma’s going to be staying with us for a while, right? Why don’t you show him around the village? Besides, the other three know him as well, don’t they? Go let them know he’s here.”

“Hey, there’s an idea!”

“Is there anywhere you want to go first, Ryoma?”

“Now that you ask...”

I was eager to join the mad salamander hunt as soon as I could the next day, so I took them up on the offer and asked to see where the hunt would take place, so I could meet the adventurers already stationed there. Then, I asked if they could show me a place where I could train during my stay.

“That’d be a full lap around the village. Going out to shore, then to the edge of the village, and stopping by the village hall might take you until dinner.”

“Then you take him, Kei. I’ll go talk to Thane and the others. We have something to discuss anyway, and I figure we can just eat together. We’ll talk more once we get there.” The brothers, being naturally familiar with the village, solidified a tour route for me before long.

“All right, I’m off to get them. Take care.”

“Thank you,” I answered Kai. “See you later.”

“We’re going this way!” Kei called to me, and we went down the street the opposite way. The village was as peaceful as before, although the sky was darkening.

The children on the streets and the ladies at the well had seemed to retreat into their own homes, leaving fewer signs of life than before outside... That is, except for a group of young men engaged in some sort of exercise. Kei seemed to notice them too, giving them a greeting as we walked by.

I asked him about it, and Kei explained, “Fishermen always do that exercise when they get up. If a fisherman isn’t nimble, he could put himself, and his crewmates, in danger on the boat. So, before getting on a boat, they do this exercise routine together to make sure they’re at their best. That’s what I was told, anyway.”

“I see.”

“I mean, your crewmates will know if you’re not feeling well with or without that routine. To be honest, most people do it out of habit. Just don’t tell that to my pops, or any of the old folks around here who think it’s a hard-and-fast rule.” Kei chuckled like a mischievous kid.

Then, someone called out to Kei from a distance and he answered with a greeting. Half a minute later, someone else spoke to him, then a few minutes later, there was another greeting... Kei would exchange a greeting and a few words with just about everyone we passed.

“Seems like everyone knows each other around here.”

“It’s a small village. Most of the men are fishermen, and we recognize most people here like ‘that’s so-and-so’s wife’ or ‘that’s so-and-so’s youngest.’ And if you’re not from the village, you’ll be the talk of the village. I imagine everybody around here will know your name soon enough, Ryoma.”

Small town closeness at its finest. I just need to ensure I give them a good impression.

“How many people live in this village?”

“Less than five hundred. It’s more if you include people working out in the city or who’ve married off to another village, though... We’re almost there.”

I followed his point to see something refracting through a pair of houses—the lake I had gotten a distant view of when I came to the village. Soon, we made it past the last building before the shore.

I could hardly believe how beautiful it was; nothing impeded my view. The wind made ripples along the vast lake, refracting flickers of light. The water was crystal clear, and didn’t look too deep; I could see the vibrant vegetation on the lake’s floor from where I stood. Although the breeze was cold, I felt a sense of warmth at the view.

A white beach stretched between us and the lake, and I finally saw a semblance of a fishing port in the rows of small fishing bots and tools.

“How do you like the view?” Kei asked.

Making my way through the woods, the scenery of Okinawa had come to mind for me...

“It’s beautiful. Really. It’s like nature has been preserved as much as possible. Plus it’s idyllic enough that I bet tourists would love it here.”

“Glad to hear it.”

According to Kei, Lake Latoin was practically sacred to all of the fishing villages around it. The lake provided them with food and livelihood; they took pride in their duty of conserving the lake.

“There must be some rules to ensure conservation, then.”

“Well, since you’re not a fisherman, the rules aren’t as strict for you, but there are a few things we’d like you to be careful of. For example, anyone can receive the blessing of the lake, but only by pole-fishing or catching by hand, unless you’re a fisherman; you can’t use nets or baskets. And, do you see that little island on the surface?”

“Uh... The one that looks like a raft made out of branches? Yeah, I can see something small on top of it.” It was hard to identify the creature in the distance through the refracting light, but I could see a furry animal that resembled a beaver or otter.

“That’s a winter nest, built by a monster we call an isle rat. They also serve as refuge for small fish and markers for fishermen to find their fishing spots in spring. So we can’t harm isle rats or their nests. Be careful not to chase any away if you see them on the beach or in the village; they’re quite harmless.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

He continued to list some more basic etiquette like not littering, using the designated bathrooms, and so on, as we walked along the beach.

The village of Sikum was located to the southeast of Latoin Lake, which meant the beach—which would be my office as of tomorrow—was to the northwest of the village. Kei’s house was evidently close to the west side of the village. We walked along the shore of the lake northward, and I came out with a good layout of the place: the pier, the building used to keep and treat the fish, and other locations I would be coming to during my work.

“Right, now you should be able to find your way around during work without getting lost.”

“Yeah, I should be fine.”

“Great. Now I’ll show you your training ground.”

We continued our small talk as we went around the edge of the village about a quarter of the way. We came to a location due east of the village, bordering the mangrove forest where a good number of trees had been trimmed or cut down to a stump.

“This is where we harvest our lumber and firewood, so you’ll have quite a bit of space, and you won’t bother anyone if things get a bit loud. What do you think?”

“It’s a very wide clearing, considering how close to the village we are. Looks like I could bring out my familiars.”

“That reminds me, you’re collecting slimes, aren’t you? Sometimes we find a slime called a mud slime here—”

“Really? Sweet!” A mud slime... That made sense, considering the local terrain. “How often do you see them?”

“Huh? Uh... I’ve seen them a few times myself when I come to get firewood. I’m sure you’d find one if you looked for it.”

That settles it. I’ll try and find one while I’m out jogging or something... Whatever the cost.

“Looks like you’re already eyeing for one... I’m glad you like the spot, anyway. The sun’s coming down, so why don’t we head to the village hall?”

The thought of a new slime lurking around the corner was nagging at me hard, but I forced the thought down and headed back with Kei. We went from the village hall to a few houses, introducing myself and handing a few gifts to my soon-to-be colleagues. Maybe it was the unfamiliar locale, but I was acting like an office’s new hire. Good thing those adventurers took it well.

■ ■ ■

After all of that, we finally made it home... Well, at least it would be my home for the time being. When we returned to Kei’s house, I could hear a crowd behind the closed door. As it turned out, the adults had already started to drink.

“Why is dad already drinking?” Kei asked May.

“What was I supposed to do? He asked for a drink first thing, and you know how quiet and stoic he usually is. A drink or two’ll help him make a better first impression.”

“May! Kei! Why are you keeping our guest standing around?! Give him a seat!”

We’d barely gotten through the introductions before more drinks were brought, and we all took our seats around the hearth. Across from me stood Kei’s father, a man named Hoy. He looked to be in his fifties with his wrinkles and long beard, but he was built like a bodybuilder with rippling muscles and a dark tan, perhaps from decades of labor; it made him look much younger from the neck down. He reminded me of my past life a little, which gave me a sense of camaraderie.

“You really are a shrimp.”

“Dad!”

“Hey, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I am quite young, after all.”

“Still, I’ve heard all about how you helped these knuckleheads out... They’re good kids, but they don’t know anything that goes on outside of this little village. The farthest we go around here’s the city across the lake. It was all fine and dandy how they set off like they were going on vacation, but...” He went on to recount the failed adventure.

While the father seemed positively giddy in his drunkenness, the members of Sikum’s Pier, who had once come to sell a bloody slime to the Tamer’s Guild in Gimul, all looked rather uncomfortable at the reminder.

“Fancy seeing you all again, Shin, Thane, Peyron.”

“Yeah...”

“Uh huh...”

“Mm...”

“Dinner’s ready! Make room!” Their mother came in, thankfully clearing the air.

The group parted to make way for her to carry a large pot, enough bowls for everyone, and a sphere that looked like a woven plant from the dirt floor kitchen to the hearth. The sphere looked like it was boiled, with something inside of it. It had a scent that wasn’t powerful, and yet somehow nostalgic. Whatever it was, it was some sort of seafood. My excitement climbed as I remembered that there were plenty of fish here that I couldn’t have tasted in Gimul.

“Ugh. This is what we’re having?”

“You don’t like this dish, Kai?”

“I do, but most outsiders don’t.”

He went through the trouble of lifting the pot lid to show me, so I obliged.

“Crab?!” The pot was filled to its brim with fist-sized crabs boiled bright red! “Wow... This brings me back!” They must have been a freshwater crab, right from the lake. In Japan, I had eaten crab a few times as an occasional treat, but I had never even seen one in this world before. “You can catch crabs from the lake too?”

“By the traploads. You don’t mind them, Ryoma?”

“It’s a common food in my homeland, and one of my favorites to boot.”

“Oh, really?” Their mother looked relieved. “That’s great if you can eat them. I made some fish too, but there’s plenty of these. Have as much as you want.” She lined the hearth with skewered fish, and poured soup into our bowls, with a much brighter expression on her face. She handed us the bowls filled to the brim with the chunky soup.

“Go ahead, dig in!”

I took one of the crabs, tore off a leg and took a bite... It was lean, and plumper than I had expected. The sweet crab juices soaked through my mouth with every bite, complemented by just the right amount of salt... Simple, yet perfect execution.

“Yes, it’s delicious!” I exclaimed. Smaller crabs made for smaller legs, which were easy for me to eat even in my child’s stature.

“Look at you go! Have as much as you want. Here’s another crab, and your soup.”

“Thank you, May... Mm! This soup is wonderful.” The soup had a kick to it; it tasted somewhat like mustard and red pepper, but it mixed perfectly with the fish broth.

“Here comes another one, kid.”

“Thank you.” I could eat a hundred of these crabs!

“Here! Don’t be shy, now!”

What a feast... Everyone kept offering me more and more food, and I kept eating and eating.

Once everyone was full, Shin, Thane, and Peyron went home, bringing an end to my welcome dinner. Then, May led me to my room, convincing me with little effort that I was quite tired from the journey and would have an early morning for work tomorrow.

While I was laying alone in bed, I realized that we were too busy eating crab to have any real conversation.