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 5

1-5. The Enormous Fish

Plop.

Swish… swish…

The river’s flow wasn’t very fast. As a result, I didn’t need to recast my line as frequently, but I still hadn’t caught anything. I had already cast my line fifteen times.

I glanced at Uchikage-Ojichan. It seemed he was having a dry spell as well. However, he remained intensely focused, repeatedly casting and patiently waiting for a chance.

But what puzzled me was that Uchikage-Ojichan wasn’t paying attention to the artificial bait. He had taught me that when fishing for treasure fish, it’s crucial to watch the bait. So I continued watching it closely.

Could it be that Uchikage-Ojichan knows a different method for catching treasure fish, one that doesn’t require him to watch the bait?

“Grrr… How frustrating…”

Experience and intuition built over the years weren’t something a child could easily grasp. The idea of catching fish without watching the bait seemed so cool that I was tempted to try it myself. However, since I wasn’t particularly skilled at fishing, I kept my eyes on the bait, waiting for the right moment.

The line became taut.

I lifted the rod and reeled in the bait before casting it upstream again. It made a small splash as the “insect” landed in the water, but still, there was no sign of any fish taking the bait.

Maybe today wasn’t a lucky day for fishing? But Uchikage-Ojichan had mentioned that we might catch a big treasure fish. Perhaps it was just a matter of time.

I also considered that maybe I needed to be more patient.

SPLASH!

“Huh?”

Near the artificial bait on my line, a large fish leaped out of the water, creating a splash. It startled me, but more importantly, my bait was gone.

“Wait! Where’s my bait?”

“Yuuzen! You’ve got a catch! Lift the rod!”

“Huh?! What?! That—!”

With a powerful tug, the rod bent severely, and the sensation of the fish’s pull vibrated through my hand. I was startled by the unprecedented strength, but I braced myself and held on. However, the force exerted by the fish trying to swim away was stronger than anything I had ever experienced.

The rod was being pulled away from me, and if I held on too tightly, I might end up in the river myself.

“Waaah! Wawawawa!”

“Whoa! Okay, you’re fine now.”

“Uchikage-Ojichan! Thank you!”

Just in the nick of time, Uchikage-Ojichan reached out and grabbed me, holding the rod together with me. He had been quite far away, so I couldn’t figure out how he got here so quickly. Nevertheless, I had to focus on what was right in front of me.

The fish thrashed, and the rod was tugged relentlessly. Yet, with Uchikage-Ojichan, the veteran Oni, by my side, I knew we wouldn’t lose. But it seemed that he was trying to pull the fish in slowly and carefully.

“Uchikage-Ojichan, why aren’t you pulling it harder?”

“I’m playing with it to tire it out. Besides, if you pull too hard, the rod might break. Don’t you remember me saying that?”

“Oh, right…”

“The size is good… Let’s play with it a bit more and then scoop it up with a net.”

“Got it!”

As I played the fish, letting it exhaust itself, it gradually reduced the frequency of its thrashing. Finally, the fish’s head emerged from the water.

Its gaping mouth seemed capable of swallowing almost anything. The artificial bait was securely inside, and the hook was firmly embedded. It seemed to have lodged in a good spot, making it impossible for the hook to come loose.

“Wow! It’s huge!”

“Yes, a good size. Let’s pull it over here.”

“Okay!”

I raised the rod high, and the line came closer to us. Simultaneously, the fish with its mouth wide open drew nearer to the surface.

Just a bit more…

Uchikage-Ojichan held a net in one hand, slowly approaching the water’s surface and carefully guiding it.

With a final motion, he scooped up the treasure fish in the net. It flopped around and made one last attempt to escape, but once inside the net, there was no way out.

Now, we could finally catch our breath.

“Phew! We did it! We did it!”

“This one is quite round. It’s well-nourished.”

I remembered that treasure fish were used in some festival in the Oni Castle. There was a festival known as the Harvest Festival, and I think they served treasure fish dishes at that time.

They were so delicious! I think they made sashimi with it. There was also something called “sushi” where you put it on top of vinegared rice. The Oni Castle had many delicious foods.

“Hehe, I think that person would be delighted.”

“Uchikage-Ojichan, who are you talking about?”

“Hmm? Oh, did I say that out loud? I tend to talk to myself more as I grow older.”

“Talking to yourself, huh?”

“Yes, talking to myself. Now, should we prepare a fish tank? Do you know how to make one?”

“I’m good at it!”

When you catch fish, you need to make a fish tank to keep them alive until you get home. That’s what I was taught. Fish can’t survive without water, so you need to make a fish tank by piling up stones in a shallow area by the river.

Since treasure fish are large, you need to make a somewhat larger fish tank and ensure that it’s not easily damaged. If you collect larger stones and arrange them carefully, it should do the trick.

I quickly found some suitable stones, picked them up, and started running to the designated spot. But I tripped and fell, and my face collided with various-sized stones scattered on the riverbank. To make matters worse, a stone I had thrown up hit my head.

“Yuuzen!”

“Is there a problem?”

“Heh heh, it seems you’ve picked up some bad habits from that person…”

I stood up as if nothing happened, brushing off the dirt on my face. I picked up the stone that had hit my head and continued building the fish tank in the shallows.

Uchikage-Ojichan, watching me, couldn’t help but feel somewhat complex about the situation but continued to observe.