✦ ✦ ✦
While her eyes were full of tears, the expression she wore was one of triumph. It overwhelmed Mia, but she managed to nod. “Y-Yes, that was excellent, Miss Rafina.”
The Holy Lady broke out into a childlike grin. “That was much easier than I thought it would be!” she exclaimed, puffing out her chest.
Ugh... Not that it really matters, but this is beginning to feel like some secret society’s initiation ceremony.
Thus, the clandestine Anglers Club was born on Saint-Noel Island! Not that it mattered. At all.
“Anyways, let’s get fishing...” said Orania.
Mia grabbed her pole and cheerfully marched to the boat’s edge, peering into the lake below. “Moons! You can see the fish all the way from here!”
The water of Noelige Lake was so breathtakingly clear, you could see straight to the bottom.
“Actually... The fish tend to be less wary in murkier waters, but there’s nothing we can do about that here...” said Orania, slightly dejected. But then, she giggled. “Still...I can’t wait to throw down against these fish...”
“Then let’s get to fishing! I’ll even catch the King!” announced Mia. On her signal, the big group of fishing buddies rushed to their fishing spots.
Fishing had begun, and while everyone found spots of their own, Mia stealthily looked for Orania. She chased her down to the ship’s bow and called out to her just as she was sitting down. “Is this seat taken?” she asked, wearing the same obsequious grin she had sported every time she attempted to present Rafina with a friendship-earning gift in the previous timeline.
If you want to be friends, you need to get to know the person, and that requires chatting! I need to sit next to her. Not to mention, I’m dying to hear more about these mushrooms of the sea... Oh, but that’s just an aside! We don’t have to discuss them! People tend to only divulge their secrets to their true friends, so I doubt she’ll open up about these sea mushrooms with me. I really do need to get close to her...
Mia had begun to lose sight of the real reason she needed to befriend Orania.
“U-Um...” Mia’s sudden voice caused Orania to jump, and she tried to distance herself from the other princess.
Not that Mia was going to let her escape. “Hey! You three come over here as well! Orania’s an excellent fisherman, and I’m sure you’ll be able to learn plenty just by watching her,” she said, inviting the SEEC children to join them. Mia had already asked Orania to help teach them, and with them around, it would be hard for her to run.
But she had another plan up her sleeve. “Miss Rafina. Would you join us too?”
The Holy Lady seemed to have yet to decide on a fishing spot, and she nervously and frequently was glancing Mia’s way. Noticing this, she decided to invite her over, as it would ensure Orania couldn’t do anything unjust to either Mia or the children. In other words, Rafina was serving as a watchman.
It’ll be near impossible to deny anything for “the sake of the children” in front of Miss Rafina, and it’ll be much harder to ignore me too! And we already promised to go fishing together anyways. I’ll be killing two birds with one stone!
Mia’s invitation earned a beaming smile from Rafina, but she quickly composed herself with a cough. “Sure! It’ll be best if I stay near the children, so I’ll take you up on that offer. Could you watch the others, Santeri?” she said, moving to where Mia stood in a flash. Thus, the children were forced to sit next to Orania.
“Thank you so much, Orania. The children will have so much fun thanks to you.”
“Right... Ugh...” said Orania, her expression incredibly hard to read.
Hmm... Something’s off about her. She seems afraid, but not of Miss Rafina—rather, of the children. Perhaps she just isn’t accustomed to interacting with commoners?
Plenty of nobles despised poor children, and it had been the reason the nobles of Tearmoon used to avoid the Newmoon District.
Well, I’m sure spending a day fishing together will change that. You can’t ignore someone you’ve conversed with, and this is the perfect opportunity for her to chat with them, thought Mia, and luckily, that opportunity came immediately. Orania had avoided even looking at the children at first, but something came over her that changed that—the passionate blood of a fisherman that coursed through her veins!
“That’s not how you do it... If you don’t let the line out farther, your hook won’t reach the fish,” she said, correcting Yanna’s poor handling of her pole. “It’s best if you can move your pole sometimes. It lures the fish... Oh, you’ve got a bite... But don’t reel it in just yet... The fish might just be poking at the bait, so leave it for now,” she said, barking orders at Kiryl.
Oho ho! I knew this would be the case! She just can’t keep herself from saying something! A true fish maniac’s heart is awe-inspiring...
Orania watched over the children, just as Mia had predicted. She couldn’t help but snicker. Then, once the children had thoroughly loosened Orania’s mouth, she began with some small talk. “About those mushrooms of the sea you told me about the other day, could I ask for some more details?”
“Well, they’re a type of shellfish...so they really don’t have much to do with fishing...” said Orania Fish-Maniac Ganudos, all the while describing this shellfish in great detail.
“So they tend to live on the beaches near the shores of Ganudos... Perhaps there were some on that deserted island,” thought Mia. That’s when she noticed Keithwood, who was fishing right behind her. “I didn’t realize you were over here, Keithwood! Were you hoping to capitalize on Orania’s skills?”
Mia’s thoughts were simple: Orania was a fisherman bound to pick the best spot, so fishing there should be lucrative for others as well!
“Yes, I suppose so. Aha ha ha!” His laugh sounded awfully forced.