Chapter 415 - 405: Sailing Carnival 7

"Are you doubting me?"

Moira Lynch narrowed her eyes at Hugh Finch.

"I’m sure about this."

It was like walking down a street; you could tell at a glance who was just wandering aimlessly and who was headed to the supermarket with a purpose.

"But judging by their current speed, they seem to be deliberately keeping their distance from us."

"Keeping their distance from this far out?"

Hugh Finch didn’t quite understand, but then he remembered they were on an alien planet. The common sense of Caelus didn’t apply here.

Besides, it was normal for marine creatures to detect the scent of prey from over a kilometer away.

After determining that the things following them posed no immediate threat, Moira Lynch started operating the automatic fishing machine, hauling in one net of fish after another.

She kept the edible ones and threw the rest back into the sea.

Seeing this, and figuring they might as well do something since they were idle anyway, the others came over to help.

"Moira, this starfish is huge! Can we eat it?"

Joy Rhodes picked a blue starfish out of the net. It was the size of her palm, and in the darkness, its surface seemed to shimmer with a faint blue light.

The voice of Patience sounded in her ear.

[Blue-Light Starfish: A very rare ornamental starfish. Non-toxic, with little flesh, and inedible. The blue light it emits has a soporific effect. It is said that keeping a Blue-Light Starfish in one’s room makes it feel as though one is living by the sea.]

"You can’t eat it. This kind of starfish has very little flesh, but you can keep it as a pet."

Moira Lynch then explained the starfish’s properties and pulled a fish tank out of her storage space.

"You really came prepared for anything."

Joy Rhodes took the fish tank and dropped the Blue-Light Starfish inside.

"We’ve been through this sort of thing so many times that we’ve gotten experienced. You have to be prepared for any unexpected situation, so we try to bring a little bit of everything," Moira Lynch explained with a smile.

The night passed without incident. During breakfast, The General came to ask about the previous night.

"Nothing happened last night, right?"

Moira Lynch shook her head. "No, everything was normal."

She didn’t mention what she had discovered.

’After all, they’re thousands of meters from the cargo ship. They probably wouldn’t believe me even if I told them, so it’s better to just keep it to myself.’

After breakfast, Shane Rhodes and the others went back to their rooms to rest. Moira Lynch didn’t feel like resting, so she just drank a bottle of Medicine that restored her energy.

’I’ve spent all my time on deck recently, and yesterday’s patrol was just for show.’

’Even though I’ve already scanned every corner of the ship with my spiritual power, I still want to have a look around myself.’

For her first stop, Moira Lynch headed to the kitchen.

Breakfast had just ended, and the kitchen staff was already bustling about, preparing for lunch.

The moment she stepped into the kitchen, Moira Lynch was hit by a familiar, nauseatingly fishy stench, so strong it almost made her pass out. Her vision swam.

She pulled a clown nose from her storage space and put it on. Only then did Moira Lynch feel like she could breathe again.

Stepping further into the kitchen, she saw a chef reach into a wooden barrel and pull out a gutted, headless fish.

The fish’s surface was coated in a layer of slime that stretched into strings as he lifted it.

[Tuck Ganma: A special delicacy found only in ports and fishing villages. The preparation process is very simple: take a caught fish, remove its head and innards, then coat its surface with the slime of a fish called a Tuck. It is then left to ferment in the sun for three days before being sealed in a wooden barrel to ferment for another half a month, after which it is ready to eat.

It is said that the longer the fermentation, the richer and more delicious the flavor of the Tuck Ganma becomes.]

Moira Lynch looked at the slime-coated fish on the cutting board. ’Isn’t this just a giant version of surströmming?’

A staff member recognized Moira Lynch.

Seeing how young she was, he didn’t immediately shoo her away. Instead, he walked over and asked, "Didn’t you get enough for breakfast? It’s still a while until lunch. How about I make you a sandwich?"

Seeing the man was about to turn and make one, Moira Lynch quickly stopped him. "Oh, no thank you! I’m not hungry. I just wanted to see if you needed any help in here."

Moira Lynch was just trying to be polite. Who knew these people would be so earnest?

Hearing Moira Lynch offer to help, the man pointed to a pile of plates in the corner. "Well, since you’re offering, we can’t really say no. Why don’t you wash that stack of plates over there?"

Moira: ’...I really shot myself in the foot with that one.’

’I’ve already said it, it’s too late to back out now.’ With no other choice, Moira Lynch went to wash the dishes.

She transformed the Universal Gloves on her hands into a pair of rubber gloves, and a green dishcloth appeared in her hand.

[Item Name: Scouring Pad

Item Level: Basic Item

Effect: Can wipe any surface perfectly clean. The bane of all stains.]

As she washed the dishes, she watched the chef preparing the Tuck Ganma.

He first used a tool to scrape the fish meat from the bones, then spread it on some dry-looking bread.

’Wait, this isn’t what they’re having for lunch, is it?’

"Um, why don’t we eat fresh fish?" Moira Lynch asked curiously.

’We’re right in the middle of the ocean, so catching fish should be easy. Surely fresh fish is better than this Tuck Ganma stuff.’

’And considering my haul from last night, it’s not like they can’t catch any.’

"Fresh fish? Why eat that stuff? It doesn’t even taste good. It’s nothing compared to Tuck Ganma," the chef said as he smeared more Tuck Ganma onto the dry bread.

Moira: ’...’ ’Are you sure you guys don’t need to get your sense of smell and taste checked at a hospital?’

But then again, remembering their cooking skills, Moira Lynch fell silent.

’I tried it before. I wouldn’t say it was disgusting, but it just... wasn’t good.’

"What, you like fresh fish?"

Moira Lynch nodded. "Tuck Ganma is a rare delicacy, I know, but the flavor is a little too strong for me. I don’t think I can get used to it."

Moira Lynch stated her opinion tactfully.

’Given how earnest these people are, I can’t say I can handle Tuck Ganma. What if they insist on watching me eat it?’

"How about this? The ship has fishing gear. We’ll cast a net in a little while. Maybe we’ll even catch a Tuck."

After she finished the dishes, Moira Lynch left the kitchen and headed toward the cargo hold.

The air was thick with the smell of Tuck Ganma, but thankfully, Moira Lynch was wearing the clown nose, so the stench couldn’t affect her.

’But with so many shipping containers... are they all filled with fish?’

Moira Lynch looked at the containers before her, a flicker of suspicion in her eyes.

’There are only about fifty of us. If all these containers are filled with food, we wouldn’t be able to finish it in three years, let alone three months.’

At this thought, Moira Lynch extended her spiritual power and began to investigate.