Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 10 - Chapter 1.1

Chapter 1: The First Day of the White Month, Asuta’s Day (First Half)

1

Despite all the problems at hand, my day started off quite peacefully.

Each day, we kept on striving to carry out our grand objective of bringing prosperity to the forest’s edge. And no matter what sort of plots we might find ourselves wrapped up in, I had no intention of ever putting that goal second.

Meanwhile, my business had stabilized quite a bit as of late, so the same was true of my general lifestyle. Perhaps my life balancing out was helped by the fact that the climate around Genos, the forest’s edge included, seemed to be nice and consistent.

It had already been 70 days now since I had come to live at this settlement, but I hadn’t sensed any significant changes in the temperature or the length of each day. It was similar to Japan in early summer, and as for when the sun rose and set... Well, I still hadn’t seen a clock yet in this world, so I had to guess at it, but I’d say we were talking around 6am for sunrise and 7pm for sunset.

In the Fa house we started dinner around when the sun went down, and about two hours after that we lay down for bed. Before falling asleep I would generally talk with Ai Fa, only having the faint light of the animal fat candle to illuminate us, and in no time at all, I would drift off.

If my intuition was on point then we went to bed around 9pm, which sounded healthy enough to me. However, there wasn’t exactly any guarantee that a day was 24 hours here in this world. There weren’t any clocks around, and so it wasn’t clear how many hours I was sleeping for.

However, even if I didn’t have any precise numbers to work with, it was abundantly clear that we were living healthily. We worked hard during the day, stuffed our bellies full of giba cooking, slept soundly, and then woke up completely rested and full of energy for another day’s work. Living such well-regulated and fulfilling days came easier than you’d think.

And so, we headed into the first day of the white month.

As always, we started it sprawled out in the middle of the room, and the first to awaken was of course Ai Fa.

“Ah... Good morning, Ai Fa,” I said while rubbing my sleepy eyes and sitting up.

“Right,” Ai Fa nodded back. She was sitting cross-legged right in the middle of the room, skillfully doing up her blonde hair. I really loved this time of day, when the pale morning light came streaming in through the latticed windows. Just seeing Ai Fa seated there like always filled me with enough motivation to last me through the whole day.

“You should hurry up and get dressed already, too. We need to fill up the water jug today.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

After giving a hearty stretch, I started off by heading into the storage room to change my clothing. Generally, while we were staying at home I would wash my clothes at the same time that I cleaned up after the previous night’s dinner.

The storage room was packed with all kinds of assorted goods like a cracked sliding door, firewood that was drying out, and a saw leaning up against the wall. And it was there that I stripped down naked and put on fresh pants, a waistcloth, and a vest. However, I only had the one t-shirt, so I had to carefully wash it each morning and keep on using it.

My white chef’s uniform was hanging there on the far wall. It went without saying of course, but that was what I had on when I had been sent here to this world. And as far as I knew, my cleanly washed socks and underwear were still jammed into the pockets.

Ever since Ai Fa gifted me with clothing from the forest’s edge, I hadn’t slipped my arms through those sleeves even once. This climate just wasn’t well suited to a long-sleeved chef’s uniform, plus the custom here at the forest’s edge was that wearing an outfit with these swirling patterns was proof that you were brethren.

But this fabric came from Sym to start with. Shumiral wore clothing with similar patterns on it under his cloak too, so I guess it wouldn’t make for all that big of a difference even if he really does marry into the forest’s edge, I thought, reminiscing about the leader of the merchant group from the east known as the Silver Vase, who I had said farewell to just yesterday. Regardless of how things ended up between him and Vina Ruu, it would be half a year from now till he returned to Genos.

I guess around now, he had to be getting dressed to return to his travels. Was the same true of Pops’s construction group from the south, too?

As those thoughts ran through my mind, there was a knock from outside the door.

“Hey, did you fall asleep in there? If you keep on dawdling, I’m leaving you behind.”

“Ah, I’m coming out now!”

I used my waistcloth to wrap up the t-shirt and pants I had removed, then dangled that from my hips and exited the storage room.

First up was transporting the water jug and the pot stuffed with tableware. I tilted the empty water jug over and rolled it towards the door, while Ai Fa carried over the pot.

“Good morning, Gilulu,” I said, spying our totos friend already tied up to a tree.

Lately Ai Fa had been letting Gilulu out after waking up and then getting dressed. I suspected that she was secretly getting her fill of his fluffy plumage as she did so, but unfortunately, I was slower to rise so I hadn’t been able to take in such a sight as of yet.

At any rate, I placed the water jug and pot atop the large pulling board, grabbed hold of the attached vines, and took off for the washing place.

Borrowing Gilulu’s assistance would certainly make the task a lot easier, but it would be bad for appearances to have the Fa clan be the only ones taking such a lazy route. And besides, it also served as strength training to try to do something about how weak I was. The route to and from the post town had already gotten much less intense, so if I didn’t at least keep doing this much, I’d end up right back where I started, weakened by modern conveniences.

At any rate, I just kept on dragging the pulling board, with Ai Fa supporting the stuff atop so it didn’t fall, as always.

The washing place was located less than ten minutes away from the Fa house, and it was one of the branches that came off of the Lanto River. A cold, clear stream steadily running through the rugged, rocky ground, leaving a little pool carved out by the power of water.

There were already four women there at the washing place, from the nearby Fou and Ran. Those were the only two clans who lived close enough to share this washing place. Apparently the Gaaz, Ratsu, and Beim lived further south, while the Sudra and Deen were more to the north.

As we approached, one of the women stood and said “Ah...” She was young, and I didn’t really recognize her.

Lately women from the nearby clans had been frequently visiting the Fa house to request cooking lessons, but not all of them did so.

Hmm... But I get the feeling I’ve seen her somewhere once before... I thought, cocking my head.

Meanwhile, Ai Fa gave her a silent nod from beside me.

However, the woman just sort of wrung her hands and weakly cast her gaze downwards. Meanwhile, the other three women all smiled our way.

“Ah, it’s Asuta and Ai Fa! We’re wrapping up here, so you can have this spot.”

“Thank you,” I replied as I dragged up my load.

With that, that uneasy-looking woman moved aside so fast it was like she was about to flee from the scene.

Ai Fa, however, remained completely silent and expressionless.

Somehow, I got the feeling that there was something between the two of them.

“Hey Asuta, we’d like to come by for cooking lessons today. Would that be alright?” an older Ran woman asked.

I replied “Yeah,” with a nod. “Li Sudra’s set to come by today too, so that works out just fine.”

“Glad to hear it. Um, you see, we were actually thinking about trying out that hamburger steak thing in our clan, too. Do you think we’re not ready for it yet, though...?”

“Of course you are. What matters most is to just keep practicing every day. Even I burned patties back when I was first learning how to make them, and it was just a complete mess.”

“Really? I can’t even imagine it,” the Ran woman said with a grin.

I couldn’t help but feel that I was seeing these women smile a whole lot more lately. Of course being released from the Suun clan’s control likely had a big effect there, but I felt like the new prosperity that had been brought to their lives was having an even bigger impact in terms of brightening them up. And I suspected that applied to both the physical fortune they earned by selling meat to the Fa clan, as well as the joy brought to them by eating delicious food. Though I’m sure I was letting my own desires influence my thinking there. Still, it was a fact that they looked happier, and they also seemed to have a strong desire to strengthen their cooking skills further.

“Yesterday the bloodletting didn’t go all that well. Apparently the giba was really running wild, so they had to bring it down by stabbing it over and over.”

“Well, the men all made it back safely, so that’s what’s most important. Anyway, we did like you told us to, Asuta, and washed the meat in water with salt dissolved in it.”

“Ah, did that help with the stench?”

“Yeah. And the men still tried to drain out as much of the blood as they could manage. Then we pickled it in fruit wine and myamuu and gave it a try, and the taste really wasn’t all that bad.”

“Even if we couldn’t sell it, it was still more than good enough for us to eat,” one of the women chimed in with a smile.

“Anyway, we’ll be counting on you later for the cooking lessons. I’ll go ahead and invite that Deen girl, too.”

“Ah, do you mean Toor Deen?”

“Yup. She’s been seeming rather down because she hasn’t been able to see you lately. Give it enough time, and she seems like she’d make a pretty nice bride...”

I gave a little laugh in response, stealing a glance at my clan head as I did so.

Ai Fa was just silently washing a wooden plate. From what I could tell, she didn’t seem to be paying any attention to our conversation.

As for that woman who acted so strangely when we arrived, she was filling a water jug with a gloomy look on her face.

Staring at her sad expression from the side, I suddenly remembered who she was. She was that Fou woman who had visited the Fa house a while back... Her name was Saris Ran Fou, and she had brought pico leaves as thanks for Ai Fa giving them pelts, back before the Suun clan fell.

It was no surprise that I had such a hard time recalling. That had happened around when I had just started doing business in the post town, which meant it had been a month or so since we met.

And back then, she had been holding an infant even smaller than Kota Ruu. Had she not come to us to learn cooking or here to wash stuff because she was busy taking care of that child? In that case, the fact that she was here now had to mean that tiny little baby was now healthy enough that she could step away for a bit. If the prosperity brought by the Fa clan was even a little bit of a help there, then I would certainly feel glad to hear it.

“Well then, we’ll see you after you’re done with your midday work.”

“Right. I’ll be waiting.”

With that, the Fou and Ran women departed.

Saris Ran Fou didn’t say a single word the whole time, and Ai Fa never looked up at all.

Once we finished with the washing, next up was work around the house and preparing everything for business in the post town.

After hanging our freshly washed clothing by the window to dry, we each set about handling our own work. For me that meant baking poitan, caring for my cooking knives, and checking over the pantry.

In terms of her daily routine, Ai Fa naturally maintained her blades, too. Aside from that, she used this time to take care of whatever was needed, whether that meant chopping firewood, making jerky, or drying out pico leaves. As for today, she chose the pico leaves.

After baking the poitan just enough that they wouldn’t burn, I laid them out in a sunny spot beside Ai Fa’s pico leaves, wrapped up my other tasks, and then headed straight into the forest with Ai Fa. Until the poitan and pico leaves were ready, we would gather firewood, herbs, and grigee fruit.

Of course, bathing was naturally part of the daily routine too. The Fou and Ran women apparently had business to take care of further downstream, so there wasn’t any real chance of running into them at the riverside.

After entering the forest and walking for around 20 minutes, the Lanto River came into view. An area around a large cluster of rocks about the size of a human was our usual bathing spot.

Yielding the first go to my clan head, I took a seat and leaned up against the biggest rock. After entrusting me with her hunter’s cloak and necklace, Ai Fa circled around towards the river.

It would be more efficient for me to use this time to gather stuff, but Ai Fa didn’t like me leaving her side when we were in the forest. Even though giba generally weren’t active until the sun hit its peak, you’d still occasionally see them now and again before that. And as someone who had actually been attacked by one of those early risers, I couldn’t exactly write off Ai Fa’s concerns as her being overprotective.

Still, it sure seems peaceful again today, I thought with a sigh while leaning against the rugged rocky surface.

The light shone down through the trees as a bird cried out from overhead. A cool, refreshing breeze blew through the morning forest, bringing with it the aroma of vegetation and flowers. And from the other side of the rock, I could hear Ai Fa splashing gently in the water as she bathed. In the midst of my busy days, times like this were truly precious to me.

“The weather sure seems nice again today, Ai Fa,” I called out with a raised voice.

“Yes,” Ai Fa replied.

As long as I was with her, it didn’t feel awkward even if we were completely silent. But today, I felt like trying to talk with her.

As I pondered just what topic to go with, though, I recalled the incident from this morning.

“Hey Ai Fa, do you have some sort of ties with that Saris Ran Fou woman?”

No reply came for a bit, which was a little unusual for someone as prompt as my clan head.

Eventually, though, a voice emotionlessly answered, “I wouldn’t go so far as to say that. I was just close to her when we were younger...”

“Ah, a childhood friend! You had someone like that?!”

I was pretty taken off-guard. But thinking more on it, it was not all that surprising. After all, before all that bad blood with the Suun, the Fa must have had relations with the nearby clans.

“So why were things so awkward between you two? There shouldn’t be any more need to worry about the Suun clan anymore, so why not reform your other bonds like with Rimee Ruu and Granny Jiba?”

“Do you really think that’s so easy to do...?” Ai Fa replied, her voice still emotionless but also lacking its usual strength. That was certainly enough to make me regret my thoughtless remark, there.

It wasn’t like Rimee Ruu or Granny Jiba had cut their ties with Ai Fa of their own volition. Ai Fa was the one who distanced herself so as to not bring disaster their way.

However, it was different with the members of the Fou and Ran. They had severed their bonds with the Fa out of fear of the Suun clan.

In spite of all that, Ai Fa had been secretly delivering giba pelts to their houses. She stealthily helped them out without the Suun clan noticing. Perhaps thanks to that, the leaders of the Fou and Ran had come out in support of the Fa clan’s actions back at the clan head meeting. In other words, they had clearly and openly revolted against the tyrannical leading clan.

And then, the Suun clan fell and those clan heads bowed before Ai Fa and expressed their regret for their actions, requesting to reforge their bonds with the Fa.

I thought that had settled everything, but I apparently hadn’t considered such personal matters. Honestly, I never even imagined Ai Fa would have had a childhood friend.

Just how had Saris Ran Fou felt when she cut ties with Ai Fa? And what was she feeling now?

Did she feel so bad about it that she didn’t want to go and approach Ai Fa out of nowhere...?

“That’s nothing for you to worry about, Asuta,” Ai Fa stated. “The Suun clan was only one of the causes. The ties between myself and Saris Ran Fou were destined to be cut regardless. And that is why they haven’t been reformed even after the fall of the Suun.”

“Right... I don’t think there’s any need to force things, either,” I replied.

Ai Fa was a truly wondrous person. I really believed that was why the Fou, Ran, and Sudra had all gathered around the Fa clan.

Even if the desire to gain more prosperous lives was at the root of their actions, I believed that Ai Fa’s charm was even more important there. That her strength as a hunter, dedication to the way of life of the people of the forest’s edge, and overwhelming spirit charmed those clan heads.

And so even without forcing it, I was sure that Saris Ran Fou would eventually return to Ai Fa’s side. That was what I truly believed.

“You’re a stubborn one, so I can’t imagine you being the one to take action, anyway,” I added in a whisper, so that Ai Fa wouldn’t get angry at me.

In the next instant, though, freezing cold water was dumped over my head and I yelped, “Gyah!”

When I turned around, I found Ai Fa staring down at me from atop the rock, her hair down and dripping. I could only see from her shoulders up, but both her hands were stretched out my way. There was no doubt at all that that was her doing just now.

“What was that for?! That was just plain mean, doing something like that out of nowhere!”

“Oh, I was mean? Who was the one who called his clan head stubborn, exactly?”

“Ah, you heard that...? Huh? But that was way too quick of a retaliation, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, well that’s because I sensed you were going to say something rude and had prepared in advance to strike back.”

“That’s way too prepared, there! What would you have done if I hadn’t said anything?”

“I cannot say. All is in accordance with the forest’s guidance,” Ai Fa replied with a composed look and a shrug of her shoulders. And those shoulders of hers were soaked, too. She must have been hurriedly preparing to retaliate rather than taking the time to put on clothes.

“Are you clinging to the back of that rock in the nude? It’d sure be something if there was someone on the opposite shore...” I threw out there to at least get a little revenge, and Ai Fa’s head swiftly disappeared from sight.

“Hold on for a moment. I’ll pay you back for that comment shortly.”

“Just hurry up and get dressed already! If I’m going to take a bath, I’d really prefer it to be after I’ve got my clothes off!”

I heard a quiet little chuckle from beyond the rock.

So had her mood improved from a nice bath and chastising her rude clan member? I had no way of knowing the truth, but if Ai Fa was feeling better now, then that was all that mattered.

After we finished up with bathing, next came gathering out in the forest. First up were the pico leaves needed to preserve meat, followed by the lilo leaves used for jerky and cubed giba meat stew, and then lastly the grigee fruit used for warding off venomous insects.

As an aside, I never found the body odor of the people of the forest’s edge unpleasant. Despite the warm climate they lived in, just eating lots of meat and bathing once a day was enough that it wasn’t a problem even for my fine sense of smell.

I felt like these grigee fruits were definitely one of the reasons for that. The people of the forest’s edge always wore bracelets made with them in order to keep away bugs, so that scent like a flower just starting to blossom always hit me first.

And when it came to women, they were in frequent contact with pico and lilo leaves. The latter added a nice refreshing aroma, while dried pico leaves were very reminiscent of black pepper.

Plus, I didn’t know if it was the fact that they took those herbs into themselves, or just my own subjective impression, but... The people of the forest’s edge seemed to smell more of the forest than of human beings, like they were always clad in the scents of the vegetation, earth, and flowers I smelled here in this place.

On top of that, Ai Fa used giba summoning fruit in her hunting. It had been a while now since she had rubbed it on herself for the dangerous act of sacrificial hunting, but it had a more intense smell than grigee and she still used it in traps and the like, so it still clung about her hair, clothing, and body.

Thanks to that, Ai Fa always had a sweeter smell about her than anyone else. When she gathered supplies on the outskirts of the forest like this and worked her freshly bathed body up to a sweat, it only seemed to make that sweet aroma stand out all the more.

At some point I suddenly got the impulse to jokingly say, “It makes me want to charge like a giba!” Naturally, that earned me plenty of kicks to the leg.

At any rate, though, we spent around an hour or so each day gathering herbs and firewood. Then once that was done, I finally started with the prep work for the food I would be selling in the post town.

However, I had ceded the baking of the poitan for the myamuu giba and the preparation of the patties for the giba burgers to Reina and Sheera Ruu. And so, that just left me with the poitan for the giba burgers and the marinade for the myamuu giba to prepare.

The poitan I left out to dry before heading into the forest was looking good and parched by now, and so I added water to it and then placed it on the iron tray to bake. I was only preparing enough for 60 giba burgers though, so it was no real hassle once I got used to it.

Thanks to that, I actually ended up with between 40-50 minutes to spare today. That was thanks to both splitting the prep work with the Ruu clan, and also because the introduction of the wagon had shortened our travel time.

“Still, there’s not really anything I can take care of by being free around this time of day. I guess I’ll chop some firewood or something?” I said.

However, as she bit into some jerky, Ai Fa retorted, “That’s my work. If you take it from me, then I’ll be the one left with time to spare.”

The Ruu clan would be taking care of the guard work for today, while Ai Fa would be staying home.

And apparently since she was generally free until the sun hit its peak, she would use the time after I left the house to take care of miscellaneous tasks.

“Then how about you take a nap, Ai Fa? Don’t a lot of the men from other houses snore away till around when the sun hits its peak?”

“I’m not sleepy, so do you really think I could nap? I’ve both slept and woke at the same time for many years now. And so, I certainly can’t go changing that now.”

Ever since Ai Fa lost her mother back when she was 13, she had always worked from the morning all the way till night. Until she turned 15 it was just her and her father, and after that she was all on her own. And so, she had kept on working more diligently than anyone else at the forest’s edge.

“Hmm, then what should I do? There’s not enough time to do any proper cooking experimentation, and there’s not really any work I can get a headstart on either.”

All I had to take care of in the afternoon was cutting up the meat for the myamuu giba and the dishes for the inns. Without having to prepare the giba burgers anymore, my workload had seriously decreased.

With 40-50 minutes I could probably take care of that in advance. But I would need to submerge the cuts of meat in pico leaves, and since the moisture would drain even faster than when it was in a block, it would have a significant impact on the texture, and would also put a strain on the pico leaves themselves.

That shift in texture wouldn’t ruin the taste and could even lead to the meat curing, plus I could cut it with the knowledge that it would contract. But I couldn’t say the lifespan of the pico leaves being cut down would be all that welcome. The Fa house was already using a ton of pico leaves to preserve the meat we used in our business, so I really would like to avoid having to gather more than the current norm each day.

“Alright, then... I guess rather than trying to push stuff forwards, I can bring my evening work into the following morning instead,” I decided.

In other words, that would mean moving the work I did last night to the morning. If I did that, then I could devote the evening entirely to experimenting with cooking. I couldn’t help but chuckle at how great the idea was, causing Ai Fa to shoot me a suspicious glare.

“But in the end, that still leaves me with nothing to do this morning. Hey, isn’t there any work left at all for me to take care of?”

“No. If you’re free though, then shouldn’t you be the one allowing yourself to rest? After this, you’ll have no time to properly relax until after dinner is done this evening, correct?” Ai Fa questioned while leaning up against the wall and sounding a bit astounded. “When I have time on my hands, I rest like this even if I can’t go to sleep. Not wasting your strength needlessly is also an important task to keep in mind.”

“Hmm... But thanks to Gilulu I have to carry heavy loads a lot less often lately. I’m scared of losing the stamina and strength that I’ve built up.”

“Stamina and strength...?”

“Yeah, yeah. I know that it’s hardly anything at all compared to you purebred people of the forest’s edge.”

According to Ai Fa, my stamina was around the same level as a ten-year-old child here.

I certainly took a bit of offense, only for Ai Fa to silently approach while brushing up her bangs. Then, without saying a word, she grabbed hold of my upper arms with both hands.

“Wh-What...? Are you angry about something?”

“I don’t get angry without reason,” she muttered back as she started seriously rubbing my arms.

As my t-shirt was still drying, I just had on the vest. And it really was an odd feeling, having her touch my bare skin all the way from my shoulders down to my forearms.

“Hmm... looking closely, it seems you really have gained a bit of strength.”

“Really? You said before I was at the same level as a ten-year-old.”

“Yes. Now, you may be closer to a child of 12.”

“Oh, I see...”

Well, 12 was just on the verge of earning the right to be a hunter. Thinking of it like that, perhaps this was a good bit of growth... so maybe it was something to feel happy about?

“So I guess that means I’d be able to put up a good match against Shin Ruu’s little brother, huh? What an honor.”

“Hmm... I suppose you may have at least some chance of victory in that case.”

So that really was the level I was at, huh?

As I disappointedly slumped my shoulders, Ai Fa shot me a slightly worried look, her hands still on my arms.

“What is it? Is it unpleasant having me feel you so thoroughly after all?”

“No. It was like a massage and actually felt sort of nice.”

“Massage?”

“Ah, right... I guess you’d describe that as sort of rubbing muscles so the blood flows better, and it feels good?”

“I see,” Ai Fa replied as her fingers slid inside my vest and started feeling around my sides.

Instantly, I screamed out, “Gyah!” and leapt backwards.

“Why are you fleeing? Didn’t you say that it felt good?” Ai Fa questioned with a tilt of her head, her hands still hanging where my sides had been.

I let out a meaningless laugh. “Ahahaha! Sorry. It just tickled there. Maybe it wasn’t too bad, but I’d prefer not to do that.”

“Tickled? I can’t imagine that’s true...” Ai Fa replied, her head still tilted as she now squeezed her own taut sides.

It was only natural that it wouldn’t tickle when she was the one touching herself there.

“You know, I think I remember getting hit once for just poking your arm a while back...”

“Hmm...? Is that so?”

“And I got punched after stroking your hair, too.”

“That was surely because I found it unpleasant to be treated like a child. But I don’t feel that way now,” Ai Fa stated with a serious look on her face, then she drew closer to me. “I’m not lying, you know.”

“Huh? I didn’t particularly think that you were...”

“Then you can go ahead and confirm it.”

“What?”

“Go on.”

What did she mean, go on?

And what the heck? She had an incredibly serious look on her face. Some part of her that was unfathomable to me must have been seriously driving her actions right now.

I didn’t want to go and wreck Ai Fa’s mood over something like this right at the start of the day, and so I suppressed the embarrassment I was feeling and did as she said, patting my palm down atop her head. Her hair had dried completely after having been washed, and felt nice to the touch. And I could definitely feel her warmth, too.

As I stroked it just enough so as not to pull anything out of place, Ai Fa broke out in a smile.

“Yes, it certainly isn’t unpleasant.”

That’s all?! I thought incredulously, almost tumbling over.

I felt like a real idiot for worrying in the least.

Still, getting to see such a wonderful smile this early in the day made this feel like a real big win. But wait, what was I winning at, exactly?

With that, my thoughts wandered into an entirely unproductive labyrinth. What saved me from that maze, though, was Ai Fa’s incredibly kind-sounding voice.

“Asuta, I cannot accompany you to town today,” Ai Fa stated, firmly grabbing hold of my dangling left hand. Her tone was gentle and her eyes looked completely serious.

As I lowered my hand from Ai Fa’s head, I nodded and replied, “Right.”

“I’m the one who decided I would only go to town every other day. Normally, it would make sense to leave all of the guard work up to the Ruu clan since they’re currently on break. However, I just couldn’t bring myself to leave that task entirely up to others... I wished to do it at least once every other day.”

“Yeah. I think I understand how you feel.”

Ai Fa had her work as a hunter, too. We weren’t hurting for money and could always buy meat from other clans now, so there was no need for her to force herself to do so. However, her pride as a hunter wouldn’t allow her to shirk that duty. It would be one thing if there was no one around for the job, but since the Ruu were available, insisting on always acting as my bodyguard would mean Ai Fa was putting her hunting work second.

And so, she made a rule for herself to only go to town every other day. And she added to her decision that she wouldn’t let the amount she caught fall even if she only spent half the amount of time in the forest.

We had already had a conversation about it just the other day.

However, an element of uncertainty that had her ill at ease had appeared since then: the boy Jeeda who had attacked us in the post town.

The people of the forest’s edge had decided to provide bodyguards on the off chance that Cyclaeus made a move. However, they ended up being crucial for an entirely different reason than that.

“The incident from yesterday has been fully explained to Donda Ruu, too. The Ruu have plenty of men, so he promised you would have enough guards.”

“Ah, right.”

“That Jeeda boy from yesterday wasn’t all that skilled. Shin Ruu from the branch houses didn’t fall that far short of him, after all. I’d say that Ludo Ruu would be able to easily defeat him.”

“Right. Plus he got seriously wounded by Sanjura, too.”

“If this enemy is even close to that man’s skill, even Ludo Ruu may find himself in danger. That is why I asked Donda Ruu to provide a sufficient number of guards. So Asuta... Don’t do anything reckless, alright?” Ai Fa stated, her innocent smile suddenly shifting into a serious look. That tense expression made it painfully clear just how worried about me she was.

Even so, she had firmed up her resolve to carry out her work as a hunter, and also let me do my own job in the post town. And so, with her still holding onto my left hand, I gave her a firm nod back.

“I won’t. I promise you that. Let’s each carry out our own work and return home safely.”

“Right,” Ai Fa replied, her eyes happily narrowing as she brought my hand up to her chest. I almost panicked for a split second, but then she gently let go. “I believe in you, Asuta.”

“Y-Yeah! Just leave it to me!”

I really was getting thrown for a loop this morning.

However, I was also able to reconfirm what it was I needed to do: carry out my work in the post town, then return here to the Fa house.

And that wasn’t just for today. It was for every day from here on out.

Just like how Ai Fa carried out her dangerous hunts and returned home each day, I needed to make sure I made it back too. No matter what sort of wicked plots Cyclaeus may be hatching...

If at all possible, I’d like to get a hold of Goram Redbeard’s son Jeeda and introduce him to the leading clan heads. And I’d have to get to know that Mikel of Turan person Shumiral found, too. Plus, if the Ruu clan was going to handle the rough stuff, then I needed to make sure I carried out my tasks.

As those thoughts ran through my head I sat alongside Ai Fa by the wall, and we spent our remaining time idly chatting away as we rested up.