Volume 4 Chapter 106: Nikelbenbe

Right now, I’m dead serious.

This time, my target is the mythical fish of Aria Lake—Nikelbenbe.

The Nikelbenbe is said to inhabit Aria Lake, but very few have ever caught one. Captures are extremely rare, making it one elusive fish.

The only time you can catch a Nikelbenbe is at night, and the northern side of Aria Lake is said to be the best spot. I actually had a promising bite near the north gate once, but in my panic, I lost it.

That was the biggest mistake of my life. Even now, just thinking about it makes me tear up in frustration at my own inexperience. Even my mentor, who’s supposedly caught one, said, “That thing… isn’t something you handle with ordinary means. The fact I caught it was a miracle.” Knowing that makes my failure even more painful.

Since that day, I’ve sworn revenge on that fish, but I’ve yet to make good on my promise.

With my trusty Mar-chan miniaturized and safely tucked into my inner coat pocket, I wrapped myself in a dark, hooded cloak. Strengthening my body, I navigated the dim alleys of the Miners’ District with care and speed.

The streets, lit brightly and visible from the alleys, were bustling with miners chatting cheerfully, even at this hour. There were plenty of people around.

They must have just wrapped up their jobs or explored abandoned sites, now heading to some tavern. Some already had flushed faces, likely from hopping between bars.

Miners love their booze. The Miners’ District is packed with taverns. Maybe it’s because their job often involves risking their lives—they drink away the exhilaration, fear, and exhaustion to recharge. A drink after work must be a major comfort.

And that’s all fine. Thanks to these miners, we can live comfortably. I’m genuinely grateful for them.

I want them to enjoy their well-earned bliss after a hard day’s work.

But right now, a lively street full of miners isn’t exactly convenient for me.

Miners are generally strong and disciplined. Even if they look rough or carry an intimidating aura, most of them are decent people.

Of course, there are exceptions, like Alice, who gets away with her quirks and questionable personality thanks to her talent… Or maybe she’s just really good at fooling everyone.

Usually, there’s no problem interacting with miners. I personally avoid trouble at all costs, but for most people, walking through the streets here wouldn’t be an issue.

Still, I had one concern.

“Just so you know, you’re kind of famous among miners now.”

“Damn it…”

As I was about to cut through the Miners’ District, Alice’s words came back to haunt me.

I’d come all this way intending to invite Rett-kun for the Nikelbenbe hunt, but now I wasn’t so sure… Should I turn back…?

No, either way, the fastest route to the northern side of Aria Lake is through the Miners’ District.

I pulled the hood of my fishing cloak lower over my face.

This cloak, designed to be as inconspicuous as possible—even to sharp-eyed fish—was plain and unremarkable. As long as I wore it, people probably wouldn’t recognize me. Even if my face was known, I should be fine unless someone got a really good look. In the Miners’ District, with its variety of outfits and gear, I shouldn’t stand out too much.

If only I could use Hunter’s Concealment… Well, even without it, I’m confident in my ability to stay unnoticed.

And even if I do get spotted, my speed is legendary. I’m always ready with body enhancements, just in case.

Let me show you the power of my invisibility—figuratively speaking.

Using the secret technique I mastered at the Magic Academy, “Scenery Integration: Please Just Ignore Me,” I stepped out of the alley and headed for Rett-kun’s house.

With utmost caution—sometimes even swimming through the canals—I finally arrived at Rett-kun’s house.

He lives in a pretty nice two-story plastered home, with a canal flowing right behind it. On lazy days, he can fish from his window. Fishing in the royal capital’s canals isn’t usually allowed, but Rett-kun got proper permission, so it’s not an issue. I can’t help but envy his setup. Though, now that I think about it, this house was actually rented by Elle.

Would it kill her to arrange a house for me too? Of course, at a bargain rent.

Recently, with Ciara and Tesea joining, the White Road Markers have been clearly short on space. My room, which I went through the trouble of laying tatami mats in, has basically become their shared space. These days, I only use it to store Mar-chan and my belongings, while I sleep on the reception sofa downstairs.

Fiona, Noel, the manager—everyone—said they wouldn’t mind sharing rooms. But seriously? No way. Absolutely not.

Ciara and Tesea aside, it’s just not happening.

Honestly, I don’t mind as long as I have a place to sleep, so the sofa is fine… But the glaring gender imbalance is undeniably a problem.

I’ve felt this way since long before Ciara and Tesea arrived—my position here is precarious.

On top of that, everyone’s far too relaxed. It’s hard to put into words, but… yeah.

Anyway, I really wish they’d be more mindful of my presence. My heart can’t take it. And now I don’t even have the option to hole up in my room.

I was seriously starting to consider living on my own.

If I didn’t aim for a house as nice as Rett-kun’s, it should be doable. Sure, I’d be giving up the perk of three meals and a roof over my head, but for the sake of my peace of mind, it might be a necessary sacrifice. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

That said… now that I think about it, I kind of blew a lot of money today…

Maybe I should ask Elle to help me find something cheap… No, let’s not. That feels too shameless, and my instincts are screaming at me not to go there.

Actually, the fact that my first instinct is to rely on someone else is already a problem. When did I become such a hopeless person? Maybe I always was.

Anyway, I’ll think about living alone later.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled a key from the pouch at my waist and unlocked the front door.

Since Rett-kun and I are best friends, of course, I have a spare key. There are no barriers between us.

“Rett-kun! Let’s go fish for Nikelbenbe!”

I called out as I opened the door—

“……”

—and immediately closed it again.

After rubbing my temples, I opened it once more.

“…What are you doing?”

Hanging in midair, wrapped tightly in ropes dangling from the ceiling, was Rett-kun. It wasn’t a hallucination after all.

Never in my life did I expect to open my best friend’s door and see something like this.

“…Oh, hey, Noil.”

“Yeah…”

Rett-kun, still suspended, gave me a weak smile.

“Sorry… I can’t today.”

“I see…”

“The boss told me to hang here until tomorrow as punishment…”

“Why?”

I was relieved to confirm my friend hadn’t discovered some bizarre new hobby, but this still didn’t make any sense. What sequence of events leads to this?

“You can guess, right?”

“Sorry, no clue.”

With a self-deprecating chuckle, Rett-kun shook his head, but nothing about why he was hanging here made any sense to me.

“I… chose ass over brains, Noil…”

“Oh…”

It was possibly the dumbest reason I’d ever heard.

“So yeah, don’t worry about me. Just go catch that Nikelbenbe.”

“No, this is burned into my memory now. I’m going to think about this randomly for the rest of my life. Anyway, let me help you down. You can sneak back up in the morning.”

“Can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“There’s a spirit watching me.”

“Oh…”

“If I cheat and untie myself, my fishing gear gets destroyed on the spot.”

“I see…”

“So just go. Don’t look back.”

“Alright…”

“Heh… Say hi to that Nikelbenbe bastard for me.”

“If I catch it…”

Quietly, I closed the door, locked it, and returned the spare key to my pouch before stretching with a sigh.

“Well then… wait for me, Nikelbenbe!”

And with that, I erased the surreal events of the past few minutes from my mind and walked away without looking back.

◇

I chose a dimly lit, less crowded alley to make my way through the Miners’ District. For unavoidable major streets, I relied on Scenery Integration to slip past unnoticed. Sure, I could take a carriage, but at night, they’re scarce and cost money. Besides, even without Hunter’s Concealment, my body enhancements allow me to run faster than any carriage in the city, so there’s no need to bother with one.

As I made my way swiftly through the district and approached the gate separating the commercial and residential areas—

“Haai! My friend!”

“……”

In the middle of an otherwise empty, dark alley, I ran into someone sparkling.

The narrow path, barely wide enough for two people to pass, was completely blocked by this outstretched, glittering individual.

“You’ve got the wrong guy.”

“No no no! No no no no no no no!”

So loud. Insanely loud.

When I tried to sidestep and force my way past, they grabbed my shoulders and shook their head vigorously, flashing their teeth in an almost blinding smile.

“You are unmistakably! Noil!”

“Uh, yeah.”

They dramatically pulled back my hood, throwing in a loud, almost audible wink. At that point, ignoring them wasn’t an option. Especially since they were still holding onto one of my shoulders.

Sighing in resignation, I turned to face them properly.

“What is it, Kreis-san? I’m kind of busy right now. Nikelbenbe is waiting.”

“Hahaha! So cold, my friend!”

“Yes, and Nikelbenbe is famously hard to catch. That’s why I’m in a hurry.”

“Nikelbenbe’s gonna flee, baaybeee!”

…Annoying.

And this, this is why I didn’t want to run into him.

It’s not that I dislike Kreis-san, but he has an unparalleled ability to waste your time. Normally, I wouldn’t mind, but tonight is a rare opportunity for uninterrupted fishing.

I need to escape somehow. Maybe I should just invite him to come fishing. All men love fishing, right?

“…That’s not making any sound.”

While I was lost in thought, Kreis-san tried to whistle with his fingers, but no sound came out. I couldn’t help pointing it out. What’s even the point of this?

“No no! This is perfect! Now!”

Still holding onto my shoulder, Kreis-san let go of his mouth and gave me a dazzling thumbs-up, his fingers glistening with saliva.

“What are you even—”

Before I could finish, I heard a light thud behind me.

Startled, I turned to look over my shoulder.

“Good evening, Noil.”

“Master.”

There stood my mentor, casually holding a paper bag in one hand. Judging by his stance, he’d just landed. From where, I have no idea, but the earlier thud must’ve been his landing.

I have no clue why Kreis-san’s soundless whistle summoned him, but this worked out perfectly.

“Good evening, Master. I’m heading out to catch Nikelbenbe. Care to join me?”

Having someone who’s actually caught a Nikelbenbe before would be reassuring. I’d been dreading this encounter, but now I was grateful to Kreis-san for bringing him here. Let’s all go fishing together!

“Nikelbenbe, huh…”

“Yes! Nikelbenbe!”

“Hmm…”

Master lightly licked his finger and held it up, as if sensing something. He closed his eyes for a moment, appearing deep in concentration. Finally, he lowered his hand and slowly opened his eyes.

“It’s not time yet.”

“Whoa…”

I couldn’t help but mutter in awe.

From that simple gesture, he’d determined whether Nikelbenbe could be caught tonight. Unfortunately, it seemed tonight wasn’t the night. Still, I was blown away. What a man. I could never reach his level. We’re in completely different leagues.

“Understood. Let’s just do some regular night fishing, then.”

Fishing isn’t just about Nikelbenbe. If it’s not going to happen tonight, we can target other fish. I’ll just have to tackle Nikelbenbe another time. It’s always been a long-term goal anyway. For tonight, I’ll set it aside.

I looked at Master with admiration as I made my proposal again.

But—

“No.”

“What?”

“There’s something more important.”

My knees buckled, and I sank to the ground.

Master… Master just called fishing “something more important”… The shock was unbearable. Utterly devastating.

I thought he loved fishing, but now he’s dismissing it like this?

“Mina isn’t feeling well.”

“…What?”

Still reeling, my mind blank, those words somehow reached my ears.

“That’s why! We were looking for you, my friend!”

Kreis-san started patting my shoulder rapidly. His hands moved so fast it was dizzying. What was the point? The vibrations were oddly soothing, though, which was frustrating.

Mina’s not feeling well? Is that why she wasn’t with Elle and the others?

I guess… compared to his daughter, calling fishing “something more important” makes sense…

Relieved, I lifted my head to see Master holding out the paper bag.

“Go visit her for me, Noil.”

He asked me to check on Mina.