“Whoa! The sand boats that everyone uses for collecting sand magic stones are just like fishing boats!”
Since we were going to fish with the desert fishermen and the young sand magic stone gatherers, I and a few other inexperienced young folks climbed aboard the fishermen’s sand boat.
Once I actually got on the boat, it was quite impressive. Not only was it fast, but it seemed like the sand boat was imbued with magic that repelled the sand, allowing us to break through the big waves of sand that occasionally crashed against us. It was thrilling and refreshing at the same time.
The experienced young fishermen were using nets borrowed from the fishing boats. As I mentioned earlier, the basic structure of the sand boats seemed to be quite similar. They were likely optimized for the Ednail Desert. Adding unnecessary features would probably make the boat heavier, reducing speed and maneuverability.
If that’s the case, it’s understandable why the fishermen looked down on modern magical weapons. While small guns might work, there’s no way a cannon could be integrated into a sand boat. Since bullets don’t interact well with the sand, getting the desired power would be difficult.
The fishermen used harpoons, which were also magical devices. They were attached to ropes enhanced with magic that pulled them back after use, making them return almost immediartely. The veteran fishermen were incredible! With a single throw of their harpoons, they caught several prey, like lizard-like sharks and crab-like scorpions.
“Whoa!? I got one! It’s pretty strong! You guys make this look so easy…”
After a few hours of fishing, I finally caught my first prey. What I caught with my net was… a fish? It looked like a root fish covered in white scales, reminiscent of a white frying pan with pectoral and tail fins.
“Whoa!? You’re amazing, brother!! Catching a mirror fish!! That’s a rare one. I haven’t seen one caught around here in days.”
“Huh? Is it really that rare? Hehe, lucky me! But even if you say it’s amazing, there are others who are even better than me. Hahaha.”
“All right!! Here I go!!”
With a spirited shout, Diar hurled the harpoon into the desert. It returned in an instant, bringing back at least four huge catches. She was throwing the harpoon every four seconds, spending barely a second on each throw and about three seconds retrieving the prey.
“Hahaha, this is just too funny. It’s clearly beyond what a human can do. Hey, miss, take a break over there. If this keeps up, it’ll lead to overfishing.”
“Oh! You’re right, I’m sorry. I got a little too carried away.”
“Diar, you’re amazing. I couldn’t catch anything at all. Well, I did catch more than Jandalum, so I guess that’s something.”
“Hey, Sepia! I caught that rare mirror fish, you know? That’s a rare one, worth 100 points. You’ll need to catch 80 more to beat me.”
Sepia was a young man who was the leader of the young sand magic stone gatherers. We had grown close enough during the fishing to start calling each other by our names.
“Huh!? I’ve caught 20! That’s quite impressive for a beginner, right? I’m definitely better than Jandalum!”
“Yeah, you’ve got potential, kid. Catching this much on your first fishing trip is genius. It makes me feel like it’s such a waste that you haven’t fished before.”
“Really? Is that how talented I am at fishing?”
“Of course! Just look at the others without fishing experience. They’ve barely caught a handful. But you’ve got a good look on your face. It’s obvious… our ancestors have been fishing like this for thousands of years. Seeing you enjoy fishing so much makes me feel that we are descendants of those who love fishing.”
“Old man, even if you’re older, the young sand magic stone gatherers are Ednail people just like you. They’re overharvesting the sand magic stones according to the country’s policy. It shows that Ednail is changing in ways beyond tradition.”
“What’s this, Jan? You want me to accept the changes of the times?”
“No, that’s not it. Just imagine. Your younger self, doing something other than fishing. You’ve got the blood of a fisherman, but you’re doing something else. Why is that? There’s always a reason for things, even if they seem coincidental. There’s a flow, a history leading up to them. So if there’s an issue with the sand magic stone gathering, the real problem isn’t the act itself, but something else that creates that flow.”
“What could that something be…?”
“I don’t know. The information is just too scarce. But—because I don’t know, I’ll move to find out. I’ll go see and ask. I promised I’d treat everyone to dinner, right? Let’s talk a lot there and try to uncover whatever it is we don’t know!”
“…Haa, you’re right. I can’t beat you, Jan. If I ignore the request of the lucky boy who caught a mirror fish on his first fishing trip, the fishing gods will surely be angry with me. Even though I felt nothing but anger toward them… it turns out they were all nice guys when we fished together. I learned something I didn’t know. A good thing—huh? No way… You guys!! We need to run!! The sand sea reversal is coming!!”
“Sand sea reversal? What’s that—huh? What the heck is that gigantic scorpion…!?”
The fishermen shouted. In the direction they were looking, there was a massive scorpion, at least 50 meters long. And it wasn’t just one; there were five of them. They were still a distance away, but they were coming straight for us. The distance was closing… faster than the sand boat…
