"Brothers, stick to the plan!" Luke shouted, and the riverbank instantly erupted with activity.
Ten fishing boats spread out in formation, their oars churning the water into a frothy mess.
The fishermen lowered massive seine nets into the river—specially modified ones that automatically tightened the moment they hit the water.
"Hold formation! Don't let the fish escape!"
The veins on Captain Reg's arms bulged as he held the thick hemp rope, taut as a bowstring.
Dark shadows surged beneath the surface, moving like a living tide.
"They're in the net! They're in the net!" someone shouted, and the river seemed to explode with energy.
Fat river fish slammed into the nets, but the iron-barrel formation of ten boats left them with no escape.
The fishermen moved with precision, tightening the ropes and locking down the catch.
The water roiled with splashes, and silvery fish leapt into the air, their scales shimmering in the sunlight—a truly mesmerizing sight.
"Pull quickly! Don't let the net loosen!"
"Haha! I've never seen this many fish in my life!"
The fishermen pulled together, their arms taut and muscles straining.
The heavy seine net continued to contract, the tension so great that the boats began to tilt from the weight.
When the final net was hauled in, every boat was piled high with thrashing fish.
Each catch was significantly larger than average river fish, with shiny, plump bodies wriggling endlessly.
The haul exceeded all expectations—more than two thousand fish, enough to feed all of Red Tide Territory for several days.
On the opposite riverbank, another team of fishermen was casting nets by hand with all their might.
"The angle of the cast is critical! If it's off, you'll miss the fish," an experienced old fisherman advised a young apprentice beside him.
The young man took a deep breath, grasped the net tightly, and flung it outward.
It traced a perfect arc through the air and splashed into a school of fish just beneath the surface.
"Got them!"
Excited, he tightened the rope. The water churned as several two-foot-long fat fish thrashed inside the net, struggling desperately.
"This one's huge!"
He lifted a fish as long as his arm, drawing envious looks from the others.
"If you made soup with this, I can't imagine how good it would taste!"
Laughter and excitement spread. The team's hands moved even faster.
Although their catch wasn't as massive as the seine net group's, they still managed to haul in several hundred fish, quickly filling their wooden buckets.
Further down the riverbank, a traditional fishing group made up of local residents employed another method—spear fishing.
Each person held a polished fish spear, their eyes scanning the water with laser focus.
"There!"
A seasoned fisherman swung his arm, and the spear pierced the surface.
Pfft!
Bloody foam rose as a large fish weighing over three catties struggled on the spear.
Despite its frantic thrashing, it couldn't escape.
In no time, their buckets were already full with seven or eight fish, their tails still flapping over the rim.
Out in the shallows, some fishermen were quietly tending to submerged fish traps.
They had placed them in advance and now waited patiently for fish to enter.
"Just a little longer… a little longer…"
Suddenly, a man's eyes lit up, and he quickly pulled the trap from the water.
"Caught them! Over a dozen!"
Excited cheers erupted. These smaller fish were not as large, but their tender meat made them a delicacy.
The entire fishing operation stretched over several hours.
Eventually, the fishermen began pulling in their final nets.
Every boat was now overflowing with fresh, lively fish.
Their scales glistened, tails thumping loudly and splashing water in all directions.
"Over three thousand fish! More than three thousand!"
As soon as the count was announced, the dock broke into joyous celebration.
"Our Lord is brilliant! He said there'd be fish today, and he was right!"
"We've never seen a fishing method like this before—catching so much all at once!"
"Not only does Lord Louis know how to govern, but he's amazing at fishing too!"
Laughter, cheers, and applause filled the air.
Fishermen clapped each other on the back, grinning ear to ear, full of gratitude and admiration for Louis.
Those who had doubted the day's plan were now fully convinced.
Luke stood quietly at the edge of the dock, overcome by a deep sense of awe.
His earlier concerns had dissolved into sheer amazement.
He hadn't expected Louis's prediction to be this accurate—almost supernatural.
Luke's gaze drifted up to where Lord Louis stood on the dock's high platform.
Louis wore a faint, satisfied smile.
Seeing the joy on the fishermen's faces filled him with pride.
He knew this was just the beginning—the first true step in pulling Red Tide Territory out of hardship.
The food crisis, for now, was eased.
But more importantly, this signaled the birth of a long-term, sustainable fishing industry.
As a transmigrator, Louis was fully aware of the dangers of overexploitation.
He had already designed a careful fisheries management strategy to ensure long-term sustainability.
First, all nets were required to have larger mesh sizes, allowing immature fish to escape and grow to adulthood.
Second, fishing could only occur during designated periods each day, with at least one no-fishing day per week to let the river replenish.
This way, future harvests would remain stable, rather than collapsing due to overfishing.
In addition to wild fishing, Louis also planned to build designated aquaculture zones.
He would select healthy, high-quality fish as broodstock and raise them in controlled areas.
That way, they wouldn't need to rely solely on nature's rhythm for future supplies.
Looking at the mountain of fresh fish now piled on the dock, Louis began to consider the next step—preservation.
No matter how abundant the food, if not handled correctly, it could quickly spoil.
A celebration feast, he thought.
In a few days, it would mark exactly one month since he arrived in Red Tide Territory.
That day deserved to be commemorated.
In the past month, this territory had gone from scarce resources, low morale, and chaos to a slowly stabilizing community.
Order had returned. Farming and fishing were developing.
Most importantly, people had begun to regain hope.
Louis knew this success wasn't entirely his doing.
That's why the feast would not only celebrate the harvest, but also honor the efforts of the fishermen, artisans, and soldiers who had contributed to rebuilding the land.
Still, a feast would consume only a fraction of the total catch.
Long-term storage was essential.
Even though today's fish could feed over a thousand people for a few days, there was still the looming threat of winter shortages.
The rest had to be preserved.
Suddenly, Louis remembered a preservation method he'd learned in his original world—one that could keep fish edible for months.
He had to try it.