A good amount of time had passed since we started fishing, and even though one can’t say that it’s already evening, it’s a good time for us to stop fishing. We were also starting to get hungry, so we decided to cook the fish we caught. Well, the fish Anima caught. Anima had caught a lot of River Fish, so we were going to have a full meal.

  Meanwhile, I caught 22 Crystal Fish and 9 Goldtail…… It was a big catch. Their money value is considerable…… but none of them were edible fish.

  I was going to release the fish because I didn’t particularly need money, but if I released them now, I would probably just catch more of them when we resumed fishing after our meal, so I decided to release them before we leave.

  Fortunately, the fishes weren’t under much stress because they’re in a high-performance fish tank-shaped magic tool which was expanded with Space-time Magic.

  Well, even though there were some things I wasn’t quite satisfied about, we’re still having the grilled fish that I’m looking forward to. Taking a cooking table out of the magic box, I split up duties with Anima, removing the sliminess of the fish and preparing the fish.

  I’ve heard about how you can eat the internal organs of river fishes like sweetfishes, but I’m not really a fan of their bitter taste, so I decided to remove it.

  Once that was done, I skewered it and sprinkled salt on it———— Wait. Wouldn’t this be delicious glazed with miso à la dengaku style? That sounds great, miso dengaku…… Alright, I’ll make half of it into miso dengaku.

  (T/N: brushed with a sweet and savory miso glaze before cooking.)

  [……Master, do you mind if I prepare the fire?]

  [Unnn, it’s alright. You’re going to use magic tools, right?]

  [Yes.]

  Nodding at my words, Anima took out a magic tool that looked like a spinning top. Apparently, it’s a magic tool that adventurers use to build a campfire when camping, and if you stick the part with the magic crystal in the ground and press the button on the other side of the spinning top, it will start a fire.

  I guess it’s something like a portable gas stove? It’s easy to light and put out, making it a magic tool essential for adventurers.

  Anima quickly set up the place and ignited the magic tool, and she then set up folding chairs and other equipment around it. Hmmm, I don’t know if I should say that she’s really good at what she does or not, but she’s someone I can rely on.

  [Errr, we just need to stick them around this fire, right?]

  [Yes, I’m going to make the fire smaller, so please stick it around this area……]

  [Alright…… Is this alright?]

  [I think it should be alright. Well then, I’ll turn the fire back up.]

  Now that everything’s set, I sat in a chair alongside Anima and watched as the River Fish be cooked. Hmmm, it looks really delicious. I was born and raised in the city, so I’ve never camped outside before, so this kind of situation makes me really excited.

  Once the fish was cooked to a certain degree, I glazed half of the fish with miso before cooking it some more.

  [Hmmm, they smell good…… Today really is great. It’s a beautiful day, and the scenery is also nice.]

  [I also heard that the stars look really beautiful around here at night.]

  [Heehhh…… That’s nice…… I guess just visiting here on a day trip would be a waste?]

  [……I- In that case…… Why don’t we stay overnight…… and return tomorrow?]

  [Eh? I’m alright with it…… but are you alright with that, Anima?]

  A little surprised at her unexpected suggestion, I asked back. For me, I’m glad that Anima had suggested it. Opportunities like this to relax and unwind are precious to me…… It’s also a unique opportunity to use “that super high-quality magic tool that I bought after the Six Kings Festival and haven’t used since”.

  However, with Anima’s schedule, will she be alright? She may be, or rather, she definitely would prioritize me first even if she has plans, and as expected, I’m not really comfortable with that.

  So, I returned her question with another question, to which Anima smiled.

  [……In fact, apparently because I was working too hard, Cara had forcibly changed my day off from one day to two, and I also don’t have any special plans for tomorrow.]

  [I see, then that’s good…… but I guess I was a little surprised though. I didn’t expect that such a suggestion would come from Anima…… Unnn? Could it be that Anima knew that I wanted to use “that magic tool” and was taking me into consideration?]

  [Ah, yes. It is as you say…… It would be great if I could proudly say that was the case but……]

  [Unnn?]

  Anima knew that I had purchased the best magic tool for a situation like this, but hadn’t had a chance to use it. I thought she suggested this because she knew about that but……for some reason, Anima had a troubled look on her face.

  After her gaze wandered about, as if she’s searching for the words to say, she silently muttered.

  [……Ummm…… 90% of the reason…… was that I…… would like to be with Master more.]

  [……Ahaha, I see. That’s certainly a reason that makes me happy.]

  [Auu…… Ahh, M- Master!? Aren’t the fishes cooked enough!!!?]

  Seeing Anima flusteredly trying to change the subject, probably because she’s feeling embarrassed, I felt a smile naturally creep up my face.

  It was a small thing that couldn’t be called selfishness, but it made me inexplicably happy that Anima was expressing her wishes like this. I don’t know if I should say I feel relieved when I’m with her or not, but being together with her really makes me feel at peace.

  With this in mind, I reached out for the fish skewers.

  **********