Isekai Nonbiri Sozai Saishu Seikatsu - Chapter 160

“Ah!”

As we were listening to Leilushka’s story, Lumia shouted out suddenly.

“What’s wrong, Lumia-san?”

“Just now, a lobster-like creature came out from the ground!”

When she says lobster, does she mean a creature like a shrimp?

There was a small hole in the ground where Lumia was pointing, indicating some kind of creature.

“Oh, it’s probably a marsh mantis shrimp. They’re common around here. You can grill them, boil them, or fry them, and they’re delicious.”

“Wow, you can eat them? How do you catch them?”

“I’m confident in catching mantis shrimp. Let me show you how it’s done.”

I thought she would give a brief explanation, but Leilushka, with a slightly smug expression, bent down. Then, she took out something resembling a long, thin brush from her pouch and began to seriously observe the hole.

It seems she’s going to catch a mantis shrimp now. She’s quite determined, showing her confidence.

Since we’re interested in what Mantis Shrimp are like, Lumia and I watch closely.

Leilushka inserts the brush into several holes. She pushes it in deeply, and only the cloth attached to the top comes out.

Presumably, she’s customized it so that she can retrieve it even if it goes deep into the hole.

Not only does her serious expression show her dedication, but even her tools reflect her usual commitment.

“…Any second now.”

As the three of us waited, suddenly one of the brushes moved.

“Ah! The brush over there is coming up!”

“That’s the mantis shrimp. It’s trying to push out the foreign object that entered its nest with its pincers.”

I see, catching them by utilizing crab-like behavior.

Impressed, Leilushka grabs the brush with a reaction and pushes it in and out, trying to lure the mantis shrimp inside to the surface.

“Once you lure the shrimp out, grab the one holding onto the brush tightly! That’s how you catch marsh mantis shrimp!”

“Wow!”

“Amazing!”

We applaud Leilushka for her skillful catch of the mantis shrimp.

“I’ve been catching and eating them since I was a child.”

Leilushka says somewhat proudly. As she says, her movements were quite adept.

“So, this is a mantis shrimp. It’s completely different from the lobster we saw in Lindblum.”

Lumia and I stare at the shrimp that Leilushka caught.

Its appearance is almost identical to the shrimp that existed in the previous world. It seems slightly darker in color, but otherwise, there doesn’t seem to be any difference.

【Marsh Mantis Shrimp】

A crustacean species inhabiting the Terra Phios Marhslands, with a body length ranging from twelve to twenty centimeters.

They dwell in muddy or sandy-muddy bottoms and live in U-shaped burrows.

Carnivorous, they prefer to eat other crustaceans, fish, and mollusks.

They can strike with their developed legs, resembling small sickles, and crack shells.

They are resilient to environmental changes. When boiled in salt or fried, they are delicious.

After death, enzymes are secreted under the shell, causing self-dissolution, so they should be cooked fresh.

Upon appraisal, information about mantis shrimp was obtained.

It seems to be the same as in the previous world.

“It seems interesting. Let’s try catching some ourselves.”

“That sounds good.”

Although it’s a bit of a grotesque creature, Lumia suggests it without hesitation.

Since they can be eaten properly and it seems interesting, I nod in agreement.

“May I borrow a brush?”

“No problem. You can use this brush here.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Leilushka generously hands over an additional brush.

I wonder how many brushes she carries around.

Borrowing a brush from Leilushka, Lumia and I search for holes in the ground.

“Mantis shrimp, detection.”

I tried using my skill to search, and I could see many mantis shrimp underground.

It’s a fantastic skill, but the sight of so many shrimp overlapping is quite impressive.

I inserted the brush directly into the hole where the mantis shrimp were.

Then, while still in the transparent state thanks to the skill, I poked the brush in.

At that moment, the mantis shrimp in the soil attacked the brush with its sickle legs.

I felt a definite impact as I held the brush.

Following Leilushka’s lead, I moved the brush around to tease and lure the mantis shrimp to the surface.

Carefully luring it to the surface while keeping an eye on it, I grabbed it with my other hand.

The mantis shrimp came out with a pop along with the pulled-out brush.

Since it was holding the brush between it’s claw, there was no worry about being attacked. It was perfect.

“I caught it!”

“Wow! Already!? Amazing, Shuu-san!”

“W-What nonsense. How can an amateur catch them so quickly!?”

Lumia praised the quick capture, while Leilushka wore a look of astonishment.

Her expression seemed to say she couldn’t believe it.

Normally, it would require a strong sense to discern the feeling transmitted since the underground situation is not visible.

However, since I can see the underground situation clearly, I know exactly what the mantis shrimp are doing and where they are. That’s why I can catch them easily.

After putting the caught mantis shrimp into the case, I move on to the next brush.

I poke the brush into the ground in the same way and tease the mantis shrimp.

Then, the angry mantis shrimp stands up and attacks the brush.

Gradually pulling it while guiding it upwards, I catch it when it reaches the surface. It’s a repetition of this process.

“Second one, third one, fourth one.”

“What speed! I can’t let myself be beaten!”

Seeing me capture them one after another, Leilushka seems to be inspired and starts moving her brush.

Using the skill, you can catch a lot quickly, but that alone is a bit boring.

I intentionally turn off the skill and try to catch mantis shrimp without it.

I watch the brush poking up and down and try to challenge it.

I grab the brush with a response and push it firmly. There’s a rebounding impact, but I can’t discern the specific situation.

…If I can’t see, I have no idea what’s happening now.

Still, I try to use the experience from earlier and coax them out somehow.

“Has this one come out?”

As I try to grab it with my opposite fingers, I feel the grasp of the mantis shrimp’s claw. However, it slips through my fingers and escapes back into the hole.

“Ah, it got away!”

“Hmph, looks like things didn’t go smoothly multiple times. Look, I caught six!”

Leilushka flaunts the mantis shrimp she caught to me.

She seems surprisingly competitive. Or rather, catching six in such a short time is too serious.

“You’re fast.”

“Of course, I’m the best shrimp catcher in the village.”

I praise her honestly and she says such things while rubbing her nose with her finger.

I never would have guessed she was the best in the village. No wonder she’s amazing.

Ah, now there’s mud on her nose from rubbing it. That’s also amazing in another way.

“How about you, Lumia?”

Just as I asked, Lumia exclaimed, “Ah!?”

“I… it got away!”

Lumia let out a sad voice while looking at us.

Did I call out at a bad time? I feel a little sorry.

“Shall we use a shovel?”

“What a ruthless suggestion!”

“I feel like I’d lose if I did that! I’ll catch it with my own hands!”

Timidly suggesting, Lumia shook her head vigorously.

She was scolded by Leilushka as well.

It’s like trying to catch a crayfish with a net.

Crayfish also live in shallow waters, so they can be easily caught with a net.

However, to make it more interesting, many people deliberately catch them with fishing rods. It’s probably the same with catching mantis shrimp.

“Hmm, it’s better to poke and then release a little more.”

Seeing Lumia’s struggle, Leilushka, using a nearby brush, demonstrated the movement.

“Like this?”

“Yeah, you’re poking the mantis shrimp to provoke it.”

Watching Leilushka’s technique, Lumia imitated it to lure the mantis shrimp closer.

Then, the legs of the mantis shrimp appeared on the slightly tense water surface.

“It’s coming out! Grab the legs and pull it up!”

“Yes!”

In response to Leilushka’s voice, Lumia grabbed the legs with one hand and pulled them up.

“I did it! I caught it—Aaaah! Only the legs!”

Lumia’s scream echoed through the marsh.

On the tip of the brush she held, there were only the legs of the mantis shrimp, and the crucial body was missing.

“Oh no, just the legs…”

“It seems like we were just a bit too late.”

At the moment Lumia grabbed the legs, the mantis shrimp must have also exerted all its strength to escape simultaneously.

The result is a gruesome outcome.

“Don’t get down. There are still plenty of mantis shrimps. Look, that brush over there is moving.”

“Yes!”

Encouraged by Leilushka, Lumia moves on to the next brush.

Using the movements she was taught earlier, she provokes the mantis shrimp.

“How’s it going? Are they touching?”

“They are touching! It seems eager! But, it’s hard to tell how far it’s coming…”

Indeed, being underground makes it difficult to gauge how far the mantis shrimp has come.

To assist a bit, I use my detection skill to see through.

There’s a mantis shrimp at the tip of Lumia’s brush. However, it seems to be wary of the brush, as it’s standing still for now.

“Try pushing the brush a bit deeper and make sure the tip touches it firmly.”

“Y-yes. Sorry but…Ei! Ei, ei!”

Lumia pushes the brush in with a bit of hesitation.

It hits the mantis shrimp’s face firmly, prompting it to aggressively attack with its legs.

“Wow! It’s attacking fiercely!”

“Keep pulling it gradually to lure it out.”

Perhaps still upset from the previous attack, when Lumia pulls the brush, the mantis shrimp easily follows.

“It should be coming out soon. Get ready.”

As I say this, Lumia, seemingly focused, reaches out with her opposite hand in silence.

At this point, she probably doesn’t need any advice.

Watching her move the brush attentively, Lumia swiftly extends her left hand and lifts the brush.

Not only the legs but also the entire body of the mantis shrimp is on the tip of the brush.

“I caught it this time! It’s a mantis shrimp!”

“Congratulations.”

“Congratulations!”

“Thanks to the advice from Shuu-san and Leilushka-san!”

Watching Lumia looking so delighted, my own cheeks loosen in response.

Leilushka, who had been drawn in with a soft expression, suddenly returns to a dignified one.

“All right, you’ve got the hang of it now! Let’s go for another one and don’t forget what you’ve learned!”

“Yes, master!”

It seems Lumia has found herself a new mentor.

For a while, we worked hard to catch mantis shrimp.