WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS
Translator: Abood
Editor: Ryuu
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Saviour Embarks on a Nameless Journey
Chapter 11: Special Skill
Although the forest lasted on, the stream of water was scarce.
That being said, fish it is. As night approaches and the water temperature drops, the fish will disappear from sight.
That was close. I felt relieved to see the fish still swimming—if they’d hidden, it would have been troublesome. It’s not that there aren’t ways to catch them, but it would be a hassle.
Snap.
With a swing of a long, thin branch, a fish flew into the air. I hooked the swimming fish with the branch, tossing it right out of the water.
What on earth had prompted me to start doing this in the first place? Ah, that’s right—it was Shato who I thought had instigated it. No, actually, it was Marius and Elaine doing the instigating. Shato, on the other hand, defended me and even offered to share the fish he’d caught. I ended up reacting on my own out of sheer stubbornness.
I was rather good at fishing, but on that day, I just happened to be the only one who couldn’t catch anything. Yet, I could see the fish swimming leisurely in the water, which made me so angry that I hooked one with the branch I was using as a rod. —That was how it all began.
After flipping about four fish out of the water, I hopped over the stones protruding from the surface and returned to the bank. I grabbed the fish thrashing on the grass, gutted them by the water, and rinsed out the innards. Then, I threaded a young branch, leaves still attached, through their gills, stringing the four fish together.
“...What will Pya eat?”
As I went back, I suddenly realized. Spirits can only draw power from offerings—or rather, from prayers or something like that.
“Pya—”
Whatever, I’ll ask an expert when I return. One woodcock, and four fairly large trout. Marius will probably eat half the woodcock and one of the trout. If Pya eats one or two, it shouldn't be an issue.
“In the end, you’ve settled with ‘Pya’ instead, have you not?”
When I got back and asked Marius, his initial reaction was one of dismay.
“What the heck will Shinju eat?”
“It’s not that the spirit needs to eat, but the offerings are blessed with people’s prayers and good wishes. As for the blessing itself, that’s something I can take care of.”
Marius responded nonchalantly to my correction—his personality may be a bit unpleasant, but he truly is a priest after all.
I feel like he’s become a bit more mellow compared to the past, but it’s only natural that I’d be on guard or suspicious.
“I understand. Now then, shall we get the fire started?”
I took out the salt from my luggage and started preparing.
“Certainly.”
“Mhm.”
I took the herbs that Marius held out to me.
“Rosemary, huh.”
The herb seemed to have been rinsed in the stream, as it was damp. I gave it a light shake to remove the water, then rubbed it onto the halved and splayed grouse to help it cook faster, stuffing the remaining herb into the trout’s belly.
While I was off tracking down some prey, he must have started a fire and looked around for anything else edible nearby.
Rosemary is a strongly aromatic herb, often used to mask the odor of meat. It also pairs well with the delicate flavor of fish, making it a valuable addition.
Because travelers have a habit of collecting and scattering seeds, herbs like this often grow along the roadside.
“It’s quite peaceful.”
Marius said, gazing at the trout cooking over the fire.
When there are issues with crop yields or distribution, the hungry would clear everything out, and it wouldn’t be like this. During the journey to defeat the Demon Lord, places overrun by monsters and avoided by people were often more abundant.
As the sun set and the surroundings grew darker, I watched the fire while listening to the crackling of the firewood. Every so often, I adjusted the angle of the skewers with the woodcock and trout, poking the branches into the fire to shift the wood and control the heat.
The calls of nocturnal birds and the rustling of leaves can be heard, but it's a quiet night. Marius, who is with me, isn't bothered by silence; he's not a noisy man.
The fat from the trout oozed out, sizzling as it fell into the fire with a sharp hiss.
“Pya—”
“It’s about time now, hmm?”
“Want some trout? As for the woodcock—well, you prefer it slightly overcooked, don't you?“
This man prefers meat that's slightly overcooked rather than tender and juicy.
Perhaps trying to appear refined, he makes a fuss about the doneness of the meat in restaurants. Although overcooking is out of question. The only ones who know that Marius prefers his meat charred are his travel companions probably.
“By the way, when will this Pya thing get off my back already? It’s not planning to eat while on my back too, right!?”
It’ll be apart at least when it eats right!?
"It seems like it thinks that's a safe zone in many ways."
As he said that, he picked up one of the skewers with the trout and muttered something under his breath whilst gently caressing it with one hand.
"I don’t want it spilling over, and I definitely don’t want to crush it by mistake."
I’m far from being a neat freak, but even I would hate to have something eating and drinking on my back.
“Pya—”
“I doubt you’d be able to crush it though. Even if wood or rock leaned on it, the sacred beast would pass right through them if it doesn’t want to touch them.”
“Your Pya translation skills are too good, you bastard!”
“It is only but a composed view.”
“Hold on, don’t give it the trout behind my back!”
“We’ve already finished the blessings y’know.”
“That’s not the issue!”
“Pya—”
Where on earth did my quiet night go!?
Footnotes:
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