Chapter 153: Soya Yellow-striped Fish

Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Soya Yellow-striped Fish

"Huh... Where’s Wally?"

Vilia stretched, glanced around, and suddenly realized Wally wasn’t in the dining room.

It was strange for the little white bear to skip breakfast.

Usually, Wally always woke up earlier than she did. While she was eating breakfast, he would be lying nearby, enjoying his own meal.

But today, Wally was nowhere to be seen.

"He’s probably still asleep, or he snuck off to town to play."

Of course, Vili wouldn’t tell Vilia the truth. If she found out Wally was lying in his bathroom, she would definitely go investigate.

"Such a rascal..."

Vilia pouted, looking thoroughly exasperated with the incorrigible bear.

She wasn’t worried about Wally’s safety, though. She had seen him unleash lightning with her own eyes. Even if he left the estate, no one could possibly hurt him. If anything, everyone else should be more worried about being pranked by him.

After all, nearly everyone in Blue Whale Town knew that Baron Vili had a deeply cherished white bear.

It was the pet of a nobleman, after all. In the eyes of many, its status was higher than that of a commoner.

Vilia stopped dwelling on Wally and turned her attention to the breakfast the attendant had just served.

"It smells amazing!"

Despite having tasted countless delicacies, Vilia now smelled a uniquely alluring aroma.

She looked down at the plate to see neatly arranged slices of roasted meat. Its surface was only lightly sprinkled with seasonings, yet the aroma wafted directly into her nostrils.

"Hm?"

Vili was also a little surprised to see the breakfast they were served.

He didn’t think he’d ever seen food like this before. It was clearly meat, yet its rich aroma carried a fresh, savory quality.

Vili nudged the slices of roasted meat with his fork, examining them closely.

’It looks like some kind of fish.’

"This is absolutely delicious!"

Vilia placed a slice into her mouth and chewed gently.

She discovered that beneath the firm outer layer, the fish was tender and succulent. There wasn’t the slightest fishy taste; instead, it had a faint, creamy aroma.

Seeing her reaction, Vili quickly put a piece of the fish in his mouth as well.

He chewed slowly, savoring the marvelous flavor that filled his mouth.

Vilia hadn’t been exaggerating in the slightest.

"What is this?"

Vili asked the attendant, his brow slightly furrowed.

"This is the Soya Yellow-striped Fish, a rare species that lives in the deep sea."

The attendant seemed prepared for the question and explained in detail, "Soya Yellow-striped Fish are very difficult to catch. They normally live in the deep sea and rarely venture toward the surface. They only swim upward to forage if they experience a temporary food shortage for some reason, but the chances of that happening are very small."

The attendant’s reply was smooth and practiced.

"So where did the Soya Yellow-striped Fish we’re eating come from?"

Vili asked.

"They were accidentally caught by the Conch Fishing Team, White Bear Town’s largest fishing fleet, while they were out on a deep-sea fishing trip a few days ago. They hauled in about a dozen Soya Yellow-striped Fish, and upon returning to White Bear Town, they sent the entire catch to you, Lord Baron."

the attendant explained.

Vili nodded, lost in thought.

He had eaten many aristocratic delicacies and plenty of seafood since arriving in White Bear Town, but it seemed nothing had ever been this delicious.

Vili knew that if Soya Yellow-striped Fish could be sold to other nobles, it would surely be immensely popular.

But according to the attendant, the fish was caught in extremely small quantities, making it nearly impossible to establish a regular supply for sale.

"So, being able to enjoy this food is just a matter of luck, then..."

As a Lord, Vili’s way of thinking about things had started to change.

"What’s the market price for this Soya Yellow-striped Fish?"

Vili asked. Generally, something this delicious was certain to be sought after by many nobles and the wealthy.

"About one Gold Rum per pound," the attendant replied. "But since it’s so rare, it’s a case of there being a price but never any supply."

Vilia, who had been busy stuffing slices of fish into her mouth, slowed down upon hearing the attendant’s words.

’A delicacy this precious, where every bite means there’s less to go around, is best savored slowly.’

"If only I could establish my own deep-sea fishing fleet..."

Vili sighed. If he could do that, White Bear Town’s fishing industry would make another great leap forward.

But he also knew that with the technology of this era, venturing into the deep sea was essentially impossible without the aid of specialized Extraordinary Power.

’As for creating an Extraordinary deep-sea fishing fleet...’

Vili suddenly arched a brow.

’Right now, there seems to be an Extraordinary guest from the seabed lying in my bathroom.’

’Press-ganging her into service, however, seemed like a tall order.’

At this thought, Vili shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it for the time being.

"Bring me some white bread and sour fish paste."

Vili called to the attendant.

The attendant bowed slightly and returned with a plate of sliced white bread and a brown sour fish paste.

"Vilia, you eat the rest of this."

Then, Vili pushed his plate, still full of Soya Yellow-striped Fish, in front of Vilia.

He could tell how much Vilia was enjoying it.

"You’re not eating any?"

Vilia’s brow furrowed as she looked at Vili in confusion.

"I find that sour fish paste in the morning is more invigorating. It gives me energy for the whole day’s work."

Vili dipped a slice of white bread into the sour fish paste and put it in his mouth.

Vilia pursed her lips, clearly not buying it.

’She knew this was just Vili’s way of showing he cared for her.’

’His not eating was just an excuse; he just wanted her to have more.’

Vilia extended her fork, slid a few slices of the Soya Yellow-striped Fish onto her plate, and pushed the rest back toward Vili.

"I can’t eat too much, or I’ll get fat."

Vilia said with a straight face.

Vili smiled, pleased. "Alright, then. Here’s to you becoming ever slimmer and more beautiful."

"Thank you for your blessing, my dear Lord Baron."

Vilia finished, then made a face at Vili.

Then, as if remembering something, she turned to the attendant beside her. "Please store the rest of the Soya Yellow-striped Fish. Have it cooked when Father, Mother, and my eldest brother are all home together."

"Of course, Miss Vilia,"

the attendant replied respectfully.

Vili, who was watching from the side, smiled softly at this and took a large bite of his bread and sour fish paste.