I Was a Small Fish When I Reincarnated, but It Seems That I Can Become a Dragon, so I Will Do My Best - Extra Chapter 4
1-4. Fishing Treasure Fish
As we left the mansion to fetch our fishing gear, a multitude of Onis began to gather in a hurry. Uchikage-Ojichan is considered the lord of this place, so it seems he cannot simply leave and go somewhere else. However, once the Onis realized that I was accompanying him, they all seemed to understand the situation.
For some reason, Uchikage-Ojichan and my mother, Karna, both hold me, a child, in very high regard. Even the young Onis and the elderly ones don’t know the exact reason, but they assume it’s because they find human children intriguing and endearing, which is quite unusual. They’ve been doting on me since I was not even one year old.
“…Uchikage-sama, I understand that Yuuzen-kun is cute, but as the lord, it’s essential not to neglect your duties…”
“My work for today is already finished. The documents are placed on the shelves in the Shiroshoin, you can check them later.”
“Ughh…”
“At least let us accompany you.”
“It’s not necessary. Fulfill your respective tasks.”
“Uchikage-Ojichan, aren’t you leaving yet?”
“Yes, it’s time. I’m counting on you.”
“Uchikage-sama…”
With dejected expressions, the Onis eventually gave up and saw us off quietly. I didn’t fully understand why they tried to detain him in the first place and followed Uchikage-Ojichan as we continued on our way.
The Oni Castle is vast. We had to take quite a detour to get from Second Palace to Third Palace. I wondered why it was constructed like a labyrinth, but I passed through the main gate.
The passing Onis saw Uchikage-Ojichan and were amazed. They all bowed deeply in greeting. While saying a few words to them, Uchikage-Ojichan smiled.
“You’re quite popular, Uchikage-Ojichan!”
“Do you think so, Yuuzen?”
“Don’t you?”
“Hmm, it might be slightly different. Nevertheless, let’s leave it at that. Well, it seems like I’ll finally get some rest.”
Saying this, he stretched his arms and let out a loud yawn. It seemed like he hadn’t had much rest lately. He mumbled softly, “It’s been a while since I went outside like this.”
Afterward, we left the town and walked along the paths lined with rice fields and vegetable gardens. The rice was turning golden, and the breeze made it sway gently.
As we walked with the wind at our backs, we entered the forest. Following the well-maintained path, we soon heard the sound of a stream and the scent of water grew stronger. Finally, we arrived at the river where we could catch treasure fish.
I had been to this place several times before. Uchikage-Ojichan had taken me fishing here once. It was a large river with a considerable distance to the opposite bank, and a plateau extended further in the background.
The plateau was called “Treasure Fish Plateau.” It was named after the first time we caught treasure fish here. The name stuck, just as it was.
“Alright, this spot should do.”
“Can you catch them here?”
“Probably. Treasure fish are large, so catching them can be a bit challenging, as I told you before, right?”
“I remember! If you pull too hard, the fishing rod can break.”
“That’s right. Many Onis learn to control their strength while fishing this way…”
“Uchikage-Ojichan, can we start fishing now?”
“Ah, sure.”
Uchikage-Ojichan sat down on the spot, placing all his gear on the ground. He untied the line wrapped around the fishing rod, stretched it taut, and attached bait to the hook. We used artificial bait when fishing for treasure fish. We cast the bait that resembled a large fly upstream and allowed it to float with the current. After the line was taut, we would cast it again. We repeated this process.
It’s a straightforward way to fish, so even I can do it easily. But what makes this fishing challenging is the need to wait. If you move around and cast while walking, the treasure fish can hear your footsteps and get scared, so you have to stay in one place and cast repeatedly.
“Alright, I’ll fish over here!”
“Then I’ll fish downstream a bit. Be careful not to fall into the river.”
“I will!”
I enjoy fishing, and I’ve caught treasure fish a couple of times before, but they were relatively small. This time, I’m determined to catch a big one and surprise my mother!
Holding my fishing rod, I made a swooshing sound as I cast the artificial bait upstream. Now it’s time for repetition.