"Thank you for everything!"
"Thank you for using our services. Please come again."
The next day, as planned, we left the inn "Gingetsu."
It was a fun hot spring trip after a long time. Everyone in the family seems satisfied.
We took the inn’s shuttle bus and became regular passengers on the local train again. The rhythmic sound of the train, "katatan, katatan," still lulls me into sleep...
"So, are we going to the aquarium today?"
"Yeah. Since we went to the zoo before, I thought we could visit the aquarium this time. It won’t be too tiring if we just stop by on the way back. And I’m sure Dad and Mom won’t be able to rest much longer, right?"
Neither of them are bestselling authors, and if they take more than three days off, I think it would affect their income... I’m sure they have some savings, but I can’t have them use it all up.
Actually, it would be nice if I could send them money from the other world. If I could exchange gems or gold here for cash... But, that would leave a trace.
Wait a minute. Then how about sending actual goods? Rice, wheat, or long-lasting food once a year when I return home. I could just hand over a box with [Storage] in it...
It would be great if I could do that. But, on Earth, magic tools lose their magic power quickly, so things like vegetables, meat, and fish that don’t last wouldn’t work.
Well, I could always make money through gambling... I could easily cheat without anyone finding out if I use magic.
That said, even if I gave them that kind of money, Dad and Mom wouldn’t be happy about it. I guess it’s better to send actual goods like rice, wheat, salt, sugar... and maybe alcohol?
"It’s going to be fun! The aquarium!"
"There will be lots of fish, right?"
"They’ll eat a lot!"
While looking outside the train window, Alice, Linne, and Frei were excited. It seems like Frei has misunderstood something... Well, since there’s a food court, maybe she’s not wrong?
It’s an aquarium, so maybe they’ll serve grilled fish sets... Wait, is it okay for the fish we see in the tanks to be cooked and served? Wouldn’t the kids cry? Well, I guess they’re probably not cooking the exact same fish we saw swimming in the tank.
Anyway, my kids aren’t that soft-hearted, so I’m not worried about that. They’re used to cooking and eating meat from magical beasts they’ve hunted themselves...
We boarded the direct bus to the aquarium from the large station terminal, which we had passed by when we arrived by bullet train.
The aquarium is located near the sea, so the bus ride took about 15 minutes, and soon we could see the destination.
The aquarium, with its stylish white exterior, looked quite fashionable. Apparently, it had only been built recently.
‘An aquarium!’
"Ah, wait...!"
As soon as the bus stopped, all the kids, except for Kuon, rushed toward the entrance. I guess showing them a video of what an aquarium is like on my smartphone back on the bus made their excitement reach new heights.
"Kids sure are full of energy."
"But I kind of get it. It’s exciting, right?"
I heard Yaé and Linze’s voices from behind. Well, if the wives are excited too, that’s fine.
I took Fuyuki's hand, bought tickets for everyone, and entered the building with the impatient kids.
We passed through the high-ceilinged, spacious entrance and grabbed a pamphlet at the visitor guide stand.
I see, we follow the course in order. We’ll pass through the first floor, head up to the second, circle around the second floor, and then return to the first floor.
For now, we follow the path on the first floor.
There was a short passage with "Nihon no Umi" (Japan’s Sea) written on the wall, and the ceiling was made of a water tank where we could see fish swimming below.
"Fish!"
"Yeah, it’s fish."
Fuyuki's, holding my hand, was staring intently at the fish swimming above her head. There’s a tank above, and looking up at it from below feels strange.
We passed through the passage and turned the corner, suddenly entering a wide open space.
"Wow..."
I wonder who said that.
In front of us was a huge tank like a wall, with various fish swimming leisurely inside. It was a large tank that reached up to the second floor.
In the dim light, the blue water tank shimmered, and I was momentarily speechless, watching the various fish of all sizes swim. This is amazing. It really feels like the "world of blue."
I’m not that knowledgeable about fish, so I’m not sure what they all are, but there’s a fish that looks like a sea bream and even a small stingray. There’s even a shark-like fish.
"There are so many gathered!"
"So round!"
Linne and Steph were pointing excitedly at the fish that were clustered together, almost like a ball.
Is that... sardines? Yeah, they’re probably Japanese sardines. There’s a description plate here.
I think they call that a bait ball? I remember seeing on TV that they form a group to protect themselves from predators, but ironically, that also makes them easier for predators to spot.
The ball of sardines began to change shape. They spread out across the surface of the water, covering the entire large tank, making it look like the sardines were a lid for the tank.
Every time the school moved, the sardines reflected light, making it seem like the tank itself was glowing.
"Beautiful..."
"Yeah..."
Lien and Sakura seemed to be mesmerized by the fantastical scene.
There are so many fish besides the sardines... Um, there’s a sea bass, a leatherjacket, a snapper, mackerel... they all have delicious-sounding names...
There’s even a catshark and a manta ray. I wonder if the ray swimming over there is a manta ray?
We watched the vast, fantastical world in the enormous tank, bathed in sunlight, without getting tired.
That said, we couldn’t just stand here staring forever, so we headed to the next corner.
The lighting in the next passage was dimmed even more than in the large tank area, and there was a sign on the wall saying "Cold Sea."
It looks like there are fish from cold seas.
There were various fish like the sakuradai (rose bitterling), the sagifue (gudgeon), and the umi-tanago (sand smelt)... It’s not just fish, there are also a giant Pacific octopus and a Japanese spider crab.
"That’s a huge octopus..."
The giant Pacific octopus, sticking to the back of the tank at the top, had a head that was as big as a basketball.
"I think this one’s on the smaller side. The giant Pacific octopus is the largest octopus in the world, and there are some that are nearly ten meters long."
"How do you know that, Dad...?"
"When you’re a manga artist, you tend to pick up strange trivia."
Is that really how it works? I do feel like I have to research a lot for my work, so maybe it’s true.
Fuyuki, probably curious, was being held by Dad and staring at the giant Pacific octopus stuck to the top of the tank.
"Well, it’s said to taste watery, and that the common octopus is tastier."
Really? So, you’re not that tasty after all. Well, good thing you’re not overhunted... I guess some people might prefer this one, though, so I can’t say for sure.
Looking at the tank, I noticed the Japanese spider crabs moving their long legs. There are so many of them... Maybe about ten?
Whenever I look at the spider crabs, I can’t help but think of that old man, the apostle of the evil god, and it makes me feel uneasy...
"Looks delicious..."
"It really does..."
Yakumo and Frei were staring intently at the Japanese spider crabs, and perhaps sensing danger, several of the crabs scurried to the corners of the tank to escape.
After the cold sea exhibit, the next section is called "The Colorful Sea."
Along with fish, seaweed was also on display. The atmosphere here, with the wooden-patterned flooring and walls, felt warm and inviting, a complete contrast to the previous area.
In this "seaweed forest," small fish swam freely in all directions. There were familiar fish like the ayna (black rockfish), shima soi (striped bass), and mebaru (sea bass).
I’ve eaten ayna before. Grandpa caught it once and made it into sashimi. I remember it tasting pretty good.
Next was "The Treasure Sea."
Immediately upon entering, there was a giant sunfish in a cylindrical tank that stood out.
I’ve often seen online that sunfish are easy to die, but I’ve heard that’s a myth. It turns out it’s an urban legend that spread from people making up their own fun facts online.
That said, it’s true that sunfish are delicate. They’re not very good at swimming and can’t make sharp turns, so they often bump into the sides of the tank. That causes them stress, and some aquariums even put vinyl fences up to prevent it.
Watching the sunfish swimming lazily and gently in the water, I felt a sense of warmth...
"Can you eat this fish?"
"Huh? I wonder..."
I was a bit startled by Arcia’s sudden question. Can you eat sunfish? Wait, are we really talking about eating this fish?
Isn’t it a bit hard to eat such a cute, dopey-looking sunfish?
"You can eat it normally. It’s good in sashimi, hot pots with vinegar miso, fried, or tempura. Winter Night, you’ve probably had some when you were younger."
"What!?"
I was a little shocked by Mom’s words. Sorry, sunfish. I’ve already tasted you...
The sunfish, as if disappointed, turned its back on us and swam deeper into the tank. Sorry... It’s a shame I don’t remember the taste...
After bidding farewell to the sunfish, we moved on to the next section, "The Blessed Sea."
Hanging from the tank above us were oysters, tied with strings. Wait, are the oysters attached to shells of scallops with strings in the center? These must be farmed oysters, right?
In the tank next to the oysters, several squirming, slithering things were swimming.
Eels... No, wait, they’re anago (conger eels). After seeing the name on the information plate, I realized they were anago, not unagi (freshwater eels).
"I don’t really get the difference between eels and conger eels..."
"Unagi are darker and close to black. Anago have white spots all over, and their tails are fan-shaped. Unagi has a rich taste, while anago has a lighter flavor, and they taste different depending on whether they’re wild or farmed. But unagi is much more nutritious. It’s a great food for preventing summer fatigue and strengthening vitality."
"O-oh... You really know your stuff..."
"I looked it up yesterday after hearing we were going to the aquarium!"
Lu gave me a smug look.
Since coming to Earth, Lu and the others have been able to connect their smartphones to the internet. Whether this is thanks to Dr. Babylon’s technology or a service from the gods, I’m not sure.
It’s fine for them to have access, but I’m a bit worried that the kids and the wives might believe all the fake news and urban legends floating around the internet.
I did warn them that the internet has a lot of lies, so not to believe everything they read, though.
Anyway, with oysters and anago... I see, this exhibit is all about marine life. That’s why it’s called "The Blessed Sea."
But seeing so many anago wriggling around makes me feel a little uncomfortable.
I think it would be the same if they were eels. Seeing one or two is fine, but in a group... it’s a bit eerie.
After passing the squirming anago, we headed to the next section. "The Cradle of the Sea"...? Seagrass beds?
"Is this eelgrass, the long, slender seaweed?"
"Yeah, that's right. It’s not seaweed, but a marine seed plant that grows underwater."
I answered Leen’s question like that. It’s not seaweed, but seagrass. It’s not a type of algae that spreads through spores.
It’s written on the sign here that it serves as a hideout for creatures, a spawning ground, helps clean the water, and produces oxygen—truly a "cradle of the sea."
It really doesn’t look like wakame or kombu (types of edible seaweed). It’s more like pampas grass or rice plants.
Its other name is "Ryugu no Otohimenomotoyuinokirihazushi" (The cutting of the knot from the Dragon Palace Princess's hair)... the longest name for a plant in Japanese, huh? It’s definitely long.
I guess it’s named after the idea of cutting off the knot of the Dragon Palace Princess’s hair. Overseas, it’s called eelgrass... the eel again.
Well, it doesn’t wriggle around, so it’s not too creepy.
Despite the fish swimming around, the kids didn’t seem too interested in the seaweed, and quickly moved on to the next section.
To the right and left of the path were sections labeled "Higata" and "Shinkai" ("tidal flat" and "deep sea"). The "Higata" section had a shallow pool around waist height, where you could observe creatures up close, like clams, stone crabs, and gobies.
The kids went over to that area and chased after the crabs and gobies in the water at their eye level.
As for me, I was drawn to the "Shinkai" section... the deep sea, where I saw the giant isopod.
Inside the glass case, a giant isopod, over 40 centimeters long, was lying on its back, motionless. Is this a specimen?
Is it a finely crafted model? It’s not a shed exoskeleton, right...? It looks like a cicada's exoskeleton...
Looking at it from behind, it’s really creepy. I think people who are afraid of bugs would have a hard time with it.
Other deep-sea creatures were on display as well, but they were also quite... Dad seemed to be looking at them with interest, but Fuyuki, who was being carried by him, had a disgusted look on her face. Little sister, your feelings are correct. If you were enjoying this, I’d be a little worried.
After passing through the deep-sea creatures and heading to the next section, we went outside for a bit.
The area outside felt like a courtyard, with a curved roofed path, with exhibits on both sides.
"Look at all the fish!"
Frey ran excitedly to the outdoor tank. On the side of the roofed path, at eye level, there was a tank... or rather a pond? Inside, a lot of koi fish were swimming. There were also some crucian carp. Goldfish and silverfish?
For some reason, there was a capsule toy gacha machine nearby. Why would there be one here? Upon closer inspection, it seemed the contents were koi fish food. The commercial spirit is strong...
"Want to feed them?"
"Yes!"
"I want to!"
At Mom's suggestion, Linne and Steph eagerly responded. I think they’re more excited about this than the koi fish are.
Mom gave 100 yen to not just Linne and Steph, but all the kids. 1,000 yen for koi fish food... I’m sorry, there are so many kids. I’ll pay them back later...
The kids turned the handle of the gacha machine and got the koi fish food. I thought it would be breadcrumbs or something, but it turned out to be pellets that looked like dog food.
As the kids threw the food into the water, the koi fish immediately swarmed to it.
I take it back. The koi are much more enthusiastic than Linne and Steph. Their mouths were opening and closing, almost pleading for more food.
The koi were swarming the food, claiming it as their own. The kids spread out, feeding the koi in different spots. Maybe since it’s a weekday and there aren’t many people, the koi haven’t been fed much today?
Looking at the other tank, I saw fish like the ugui (Japanese dace), oikawa (loach), and ayu (sweetfish).
In the tank beyond that, iwana (char) and yamame (landlocked cherry salmon) were swimming.
I see, this section has river fish... Then, "The Blessed Sea" makes sense.
But seeing so many anago (conger eel) wriggling around like that is a bit creepy.
I’d probably feel the same if they were eels. One or two is fine, but in a group... it’s kind of unsettling.
After passing the wriggling anago, we moved to the next section. "The Cradle of the Sea"...? Amamo (eelgrass)?
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