Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 12 - Chapter 1.1

Chapter 1: The Dearly Missed Post Town

1

It was the tenth of the white month, the day after Ai Fa and everyone had managed to free me from the Turan manor in the castle town.

Having spent the night at the Ruu settlement, Ai Fa and I then got the leading clan head Donda Ruu’s permission and headed out for the post town. For bodyguards we were accompanied by a group of five hunters, including the very familiar faces of Ludo and Shin Ruu.

Naturally we hadn’t gotten permission yet to resume business, but instead we were to check out the state of the post town to prepare for doing so, as well as check in with our various acquaintances around town.

Since Reina Ruu and the rest had kept up with the stalls and inns, it would be easy enough for me to just join back in. However, Donda Ruu had determined it would be best not to act carelessly until they saw how Cyclaeus would explain himself to the leading clan heads today, once the sun hit its peak.

Cyclaeus had acted all modest yesterday, but it was hard to say just how exactly he would behave now that a new day had dawned. Had he really been unaware of the whole incident? Would Lefreya and her underlings be properly judged? With only five days left until the meeting that would determine how the Suun clan would be dealt with, the relationship between Cyclaeus and the people of the forest’s edge had grown more strained than ever before.

“Now that I think about it, Gulaf Zaza must be awfully mad at all this trouble I stirred up, huh?” I asked as we were walking down the path.

With a rather intense look my way, Ai Fa replied, “Indeed,” with a nod. “He really came after Donda Ruu and myself, saying we invited this by going and doing business in the post town of all things. But more than that, he seemed furious that you were kidnapped by those fiends.”

“Huh? You don’t mean he was worried about me, do you...?”

“Yes. Though you were born in another nation entirely, the fact that you were welcomed as one of our comrades means you must be treated as a person of the forest’s edge. And anyone who points a blade at one of our number can never be forgiven... Blood is to be met with blood, and blades with blades.”

“I see...”

“Donda Ruu was also enraged in his own way, and refused to budge from his firm assertion that Cyclaeus was behind this incident. If it weren’t for Gazraan Rutim and Dari Sauti insisting we mustn’t take up arms without any proof, all the hunters of the forest’s edge could have ended up storming the castle gates.”

There were roughly five hundred people of the forest’s edge in total. Assuming half of them were men, and subtracting out children under the age of thirteen... there still had to be around two hundred hunters in total.

I didn’t know how many soldiers there were in Genos, but regardless I couldn’t imagine them managing to keep their cool when faced with that many hunters. If things went badly, it could even end up as a literal battle for survival between Genos and the forest’s edge. Just imagining that was enough to send a chill running down my spine.

“Seriously, this time around we had to build up some real resolve, too. Plus, the whole thing was caused by us failing to protect you in the first place...” Ludo Ruu chimed in, the same sort of look in his eyes that Ai Fa had. “The Ruu clan had four whole hunters present, but just two thugs got the better of us. It was so shameful we were just about ready to smash our own heads open over it.”

“I seriously am sorry. I wasn’t anywhere near cautious enough, either.”

“That’s not true at all. It was our job to protect you, Asuta. Geez, my old man yelled at me, and Ai Fa was crying, and—”

“Ludo Ruu...” Ai Fa growled, cutting the youth off.

“Ah, no, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not talking about some childish sobbing, y’know. She had a scary look in her eyes like my old man, and the tears just—”

“Ludo Ruu!”

“Alright, I get it. Anyway, we won’t go screwing up again. We’ll work like crazy and make sure we carry out our task.”

I was just about drowning in guilt as I listened to Ludo Ruu. From last night all the way up until now, no one from the forest’s edge had directed so much as a single word of blame my way.

Apparently, that was because everyone knew that a pathetic chef like me could never protect himself. So despite all the self-condemnation Ludo and Shin Ruu were awash in, I was getting a complete pass. And I found that incredibly painful to bear.

“Oh, we finally made it,” Ludo Ruu called out.

I looked up, and found we were already in the shadows of the town’s buildings.

The wagon was loaned out to Reina Ruu’s group, and we wouldn’t use Gilulu for a group this size, and so we had just been walking the path.

By this point, the sun had already nearly hit its peak. In other words, Cyclaeus and the leading clan heads would be starting their meeting at any moment. That was just how long it took us to swing by the Fa house and take care of the bare minimum chores we had to do after staying overnight at the Ruu settlement.

“Sorry you’ve had to take multiple days in a row off from hunting, Ai Fa...” I whispered.

“Don’t say that,” Ai Fa replied with a bitter look. “I did it all of my own volition. You should feel no responsibility in the matter.”

“Oh, that’s right. Since it’s only the two of you in your house, hunting just one giba in five days would be enough work to keep you going just fine. And since Ai Fa’s been going and catching more than that left and right for a while now, nobody could possibly blame her for taking a bit of a break,” Ludo Ruu remarked.

With a gloomy look, Ai Fa replied, “Right...” with a nod. Even so, I figured Ai Fa’s pride wouldn’t accept putting her work as a hunter second even if the Ruu clan were asking for a skilled bodyguard.

By the way, in the past half month Ai Fa had kept on hunting down giba at a pace of one every two days rather than five. Including the money I had been making, the Fa clan was amassing more and more fortune that we didn’t know what to do with.

“More importantly, it’s time to finally cross over into the post town. I can’t imagine anyone here would be dumb enough to do this today of all days, but don’t let your guards down, alright?”

The young hunters of the branch houses surrounding me all nodded, piercing looks in their eyes.

As for me, well, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. Thanks to that whole commotion surrounding me, it was possible a crucial fracture had occurred in the relationship between the people of the forest’s edge and the townsfolk, and I was about to find out firsthand.

Of course Reina Ruu and everyone had kept doing business, and from what I was told, sales remained steady, so perhaps there was no need to worry. And yet, I just couldn’t feel all that optimistic about matters.

“Alright, let’s get going,” Ludo Ruu commanded, and we slipped past the buildings and set foot on the stone highway.

The sun was already high in the sky, and so the street was packed with people.

As we walked further along, a southerner hurrying the other way went, “Huh?” and turned to face us. “Hey, if it isn’t the giba seller kid!”

I somehow recognized the man, so he must have come by the stalls numerous times. Since southerners were generally around the same stature and always had those disheveled dark brown mustaches, though, a lot of them tended to blend together in my mind.

“You really did make it back! I had heard rumors, but still! So you were kidnapped by some noble girl and trapped in the castle town?”

“Huh? People have already spread that around the post town?”

As I stood there shocked, Ai Fa glared at me out of the corner of her eye.

“I already told you that everyone tied to you was informed of last night’s happenings in advance, did I not? We only asked them to hold their tongues until sunset, and to actually spread the information after that point... By doing so, even if I was also captured after setting foot in the castle town, it would be possible to make further moves. Or at least, that was how Gazraan Rutim’s plan went.”

So in that case, the fact that Cyclaeus’s daughter Lefreya had her underlings Mussel and Sanjura kidnap me was already widely known throughout the post town?

“Of course, if it turned out that Jeeda boy was lying it would mean we had sullied Cyclaeus’s name without proof, but we had no time to worry about such niceties. After all, it had already been five days since you were kidnapped by that point...”

The southerner shot us a suspicious look as we whispered away, then adjusted the load on his shoulders and turned around.

“Well, at any rate, I’m glad things ended up alright. I’ll be looking forward to the day you’re open again for business, alright?”

“Ah, yes, thank you!”

With that, the man disappeared into the crowd.

Even after that, though, plenty of folks called out to us as we walked down the street.

Despite there being six hunters in our group including Ai Fa, around half of the passersby didn’t seem concerned by that fact in the least. Did that mean the townsfolk really had built up a resistance to seeing hunters after sixty of them were coming into town for several days on end?

The easterners we passed had their faces hidden under their hoods and just gave small nods, while cheerful southerners called out stuff like, “Glad to see you got your buddy back,” to Ludo and Shin Ruu, which surprised me.

On the other hand, it was true that some percentage of the crowd looked even more cautious and tried to distance themselves from us. That trend was strikingly more common among westerners in particular.

But the people of the forest’s edge had been attracting more and more attention ever since the commotion with Tei Suun anyway. And while they were watching us so intently, trying to figure out just what kind of people we were, an incident like this happened.

Perhaps some of them saw a truly honorable people who did whatever it took for the sake of one of their comrades.

On the other hand, some probably saw a terrifying group that would bare their fangs and seek revenge in numbers against anyone who wronged one of them.

Honestly, neither was probably wrong.

On top of that, some must have seen the people of the forest’s edge as dangerous now that it had become clear we had a strained relationship with the powerful noble Cyclaeus.

At this point, things were still far too up in the air to truly say whether or not this whole episode would turn out to be for the better or the worse in the end.

In terms of how it feels, it seems like the friendly folks have grown even more friendly, while the ones who already felt otherwise have gotten even more distant.

We had decided to check out how things were doing with the stalls first, and so as that thought ran through my head, we found Dora in his usual spot.

“Hey there. So you really did stop by, huh, Asuta?” he called out with a grin.

Naturally, Tara was right there next to him, smiling away.

“Thank you again for coming out so late yesterday. And um, I’m sorry for worrying you so—”

“Don’t let that bother you! After all, you made it home safely in the end,” Dora replied with a bright smile, his easy-to-read eyes tearing up again. “You’re checking out the stalls, right? Business is already booming over that way. It seems those girls are no less skilled than you are.”

“Right. I really do think so, too.”

“Tch, you’re way too calm there! I wanted to tease you by saying they’d take over your business completely before long at this rate,” he said, once more grinning and showing the whites of his teeth.

After thanking him once again, I headed off north up the road.

Since the busiest time of day was already fast approaching, there was quite a crowd gathered around the stalls.

“Ah, Asuta!” Reina Ruu greeted me with a brilliant, shining smile as she made up giba burgers at the stall.

I went to grin back at her, only to notice someone utterly unexpected there next to her and freeze in place. The girl had a small body but a large head, dark brown hair pulled back in a way that made her look like an onion, and big, wide-open eyes. It was the former youngest daughter of the Suun main house, Tsuvai.

“Ah, Asuta of the Fa clan. So you really are back, huh? Not that you being gone was any real issue, though.”

“Ts-Tsuvai... Long time no see. So you’ve been helping out with the stalls these last few days?”

Tsuvai currently fell under the Rutim clan along with her mother, Oura. And so, it really wasn’t all that strange for her to be assigned such a task... except that she was one of the people Cyclaeus was demanding we hand over. Even if Cyclaeus wouldn’t recognize her, it still seemed kinda audacious to send her here.

“Hmph! No one else but me can seriously run calculations with coins, so there was no choice. So I can’t see any reason for you to complain about me!” she snapped, her big eyes glaring at me in a way that made their whites stand out. “And what do you mean, ‘helping out’? This is a proper job, resulting from a contract between the Ruu clan and that man from town. Make no mistake, I’ve got no intention of handing my pay over to the likes of you!”

“Now Tsuvai, before complaining don’t you think you should polish up your skills first? You’re still better with your mouth than your hands, after all,” Reina Ruu chided with a giggle.

“Oh, shut up!” Tsuvai snapped back.

By the way, since Tsuvai was so short, she was standing atop a little log stand as she worked.

“Hey Asuta, you sure took your time getting here! Sheera Ruu, it’s Asuta!”

“Ah, Asuta... I know I saw you just last night, but I’m still glad to once again find you doing well.”

Lala and Sheera Ruu were over in the neighboring stall, hard at work.

Since they were limiting the menu to just giba burgers I thought for sure they would only be running the one stall, but it seemed I was mistaken.

“You see, when the giba burgers sell out it takes time to make a new batch, right? So when either stall is running low we consolidate everything in one pot and make up some more while those are selling,” Reina Ruu explained with a smile.

She had been grinning away for quite a while now, actually.

“That certainly sounds efficient. Umm, and if I recall correctly, you’ve been preparing a hundred giba burgers each day, right?”

“Yes. And we’ve been selling out a bit after the sun has hit its peak. It would take a while to prepare more than that, and we were also helping to search for you, so that felt like the right amount to go with.”

“I see, thanks. I really hadn’t ever imagined all of you would keep on doing business without me...”

“That was because Sheera Ruu and I thought it was the proper thing to do. It must have been the guidance of the forest that led to us practicing hard enough to be able to prepare the food as needed,” Reina Ruu said with a really proud grin.

It was certainly true that it was a job that only they could handle. And as a result, they also displayed their own strength to the townsfolk.

“So, are you going to begin working again starting tomorrow, Asuta? We’ve had quite a few customers from the south craving that myamuu dish, after all.”

“Hmm, that’ll depend on the results of today’s meeting. If Cyclaeus goes back on his words from yesterday, it could end up as another serious mess,” I replied just as another group from the forest’s edge approached from the south.

It was Li Sudra, who was coming in to relieve them when the sun hit its peak. Since Reina Ruu and the others were continuing on with not just the stalls but also the inns, her help had been absolutely essential.

And additionally, Li Sudra was surrounded by six hunters. That meant it was an even bigger crowd than back when Zattsu and Tei Suun whipped the post town into a panic.

“Ah, so you came too, Asuta? I’m glad to see you doing alright,” the Sudra clan head’s wife said with a refreshing smile.

I had already seen her today, when we stopped by the Fa house in the morning. The other clans had heard of my return to the forest’s edge, and nearby ones including the Sudra had come to show their wholehearted thankfulness for the fact that I was okay.

“Well then, we’ll be leaving things to you while we’re away, Li Sudra. You’re heading to the inns after this too, aren’t you, Asuta? In that case, why not come with us?” Reina Ruu asked with a smile. Ultimately, it was her and Lala Ruu embarking for the inns.

With that, the six men already on guard duty came out of the thicket. We had brought six guards, there were six protecting the stalls, and another six would be accompanying Reina and Lala Ruu to the inns. In other words, we had gathered eighteen guards together in total.

Up until now, young Ruu and Rutim hunters were selected for the job so as not to frighten the people of the post town, but that didn’t exactly work out when we needed numbers like these. While my bodyguards were made up of youths from the Ruu branch houses, the other twelve were a mixed group of various ages from the Rutim, the Lea, and other clans like them.

“There were even more hunters in town up through yesterday. So there’s no point in fixating on what we look like to them anymore. Besides... We know for sure now that they may pick a fight with us head on. In that case, we can’t exactly go holding back,” Ludo Ruu had stated.

As a result, we ended up heading out for The Sledgehammer in a huge group of fifteen... which led to something of a slight issue. Which is to say, a group of guards came running over from the other side of the street and stopped in front of us.

“Wh-What is all this commotion about? Your missing comrade is back in your care now, so there shouldn’t be any further need for you people of the forest’s edge to come to town en masse.”

Standing at the head of the group was the little guard captain who had once questioned us in front of Dora’s shop. He was only accompanied by a mere five guards, so perhaps that was why he had gone so completely and utterly pale.

“Oh, it’s you. Thanks for your help up these last few days. Of course, nobles were behind it in the end so your efforts were for nothing, but you’ve still got my gratitude for all the work you did for Asuta,” Ludo Ruu replied as the group representative, being the only man of the main Ruu house in the group.

“W-We’re not here for idle chatter like that! We’re asking why you’re strolling through the post town in such a large group?! Upsetting public order is a legitimate crime, you know.”

“Hmm? We’re just here to protect our weak and defenseless chefs. We simply happen to have two groups accompanying each other right now, but normally each group would have six guards. Since we now know four isn’t enough, there’s not really any helping that, right?”

“B-But...”

“In that case, how about we split here into groups of seven and eight? We wouldn’t have any issues doing that.”

The guard captain ended up just standing there, looking like he was at a loss.

With that, a familiar young guard stepped forwards.

“People of the forest’s edge, it’s true that we brushed aside your insistence that the culprit was a noble from the castle town, and forbid you from approaching the gates. However... We most certainly never intended to provide cover for criminals.”

“Yeah, I know all that. I just thanked you for your efforts, didn’t I? Besides, you aren’t even permitted to set foot in the castle town to begin with, right? So we’ve got no complaints.”

Even though Ludo Ruu’s tone most certainly wasn’t sarcastic, the young guard still bit his lip in frustration. Right before I was kidnapped, he had loudly proclaimed how just and broad-minded the nobles in the castle town were.

And the culprit behind this whole incident was Lefreya, the niece of their big boss, the militia commander Ciluel. His pride must have taken a beating, as he had been asserting how the nobles were in the right, with Ciluel as the foremost example.

“At any rate, we’ve got no intention of stirring people up. If this group is too unsettling, we’ll go ahead and split into two, so cut us a break for today, alright?”

That put an end to the questioning.

We let Reina Ruu’s group go first, and then once there were around ten meters or so between us, we started moving again.

“So even if they fall under the militia, it seems like Cyclaeus’s bad influence doesn’t reach all the way to the guys on the ground level, huh...?” I whispered when we were sufficiently far enough away from the guards.

“I don’t know about that,” Ludo Ruu said with a shrug of his shoulders. “This time around the culprit was a mystery, so they just kept carrying on with their work as usual. Otherwise, don’t you figure they’d act in whatever way’s most convenient for the nobles?”

“You think so? That young guard for example didn’t seem like he’d be able to stand obeying unreasonable orders.”

“Even so, if the one giving commands to the group has a wicked heart, those under him will also be led astray,” Ai Fa quietly interjected. “Or have you forgotten? When that former second son of the Suun quarreled with us in the post town, the guards only paid any heed to his words. If they are ordered to do something, then they are not permitted to disobey.”

It really might have been just as she said.

On top of that, that young guard seemed to trust Ciluel, while we were questioning whether or not he was one of Cyclaeus’s co-conspirators.

As I held back a sigh, I brought up the other matter that was bugging me.

“By the way, has the number of guards patrolling town decreased compared to before? Up until I was abducted, there seemed to be a lot more of them about thanks to that whole commotion with the bandits.”

“Ah, they formed a special unit to wipe out those bandits, so they told us many times over the previous days that they could not spare too many people to assist in our search for you. I haven’t told you before, but plantations were attacked again by bandits dressed as people of the forest’s edge every other day after you were kidnapped.”

“Then did they decide it was finally time to dispatch soldiers to take the bandits down outside of Genos itself, too?”

“I haven’t heard such details, but that seems likely,” Ai Fa replied, her expression unsurprisingly intense.

Kamyua Yoshu had taken hunters from the Ruu branch houses and left Genos, searching for the mysterious wife of the Red Beard leader Goram. And they still had yet to return.

Was Cyclaeus trying to pin these crimes on the three hunters? That was ultimately still just one possibility, but I couldn’t help but feel like the situation was starting to grow seriously tense.

“Well, guess there’s no point in worrying about those folks outside of town. We’re talking about Kamyua and three Ruu clan hunters, so they should be able to manage somehow no matter what plots they face.”

By that point in the conversation, we had reached The Sledgehammer.

After meeting up with Reina Ruu’s group in front of the inn, we stepped inside together. Ai Fa and Shin Ruu plus two hunters from Reina Ruu’s side joined us as guards, while the rest kept watch over the entrances.

“Ah, Asuta... And fellows of the Ruu clan as well, welcome,” Nail greeted us from the reception desk, standing up straight.

He somehow managed to keep a flat expression, but the turbulent emotions in his eyes were not so well contained.

“I’m truly glad to be able to greet you once more, after something awful like that happened.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m the one who brought that disaster to you.”

“No, I am at fault for failing to see that the customers staying at my inn were such villains. If I had just been more careful, I could have prevented that whole incident.”

“No, but...”

“Asuta. Would it be possible to continue fostering our bond even still?” Nail asked, his eyes now looking desperate.

“That’s... I mean, I came out here to check whether or not you were done with me, you know.”

“No, of course not. I cannot see any reason that I would reject you.”

I couldn’t help but think, Really?

I mean, his very life was put in danger, so I actually couldn’t see any reason for him to be so fixated on me...

“Besides, I have many eastern customers here who think favorably of you and the people of the forest’s edge. They feel angry at the outrageous actions of the nobles, and it certainly wouldn’t do to have them avoid staying here. I most definitely do not want to lose the bond I’ve formed with the people of the forest’s edge like this,” Nail said, intertwining his fingers in front of his chest. “And the cooking made by Reina Ruu has been quite favorably received, but I have no end of customers requesting dishes made by you, Asuta. So I ask that you please continue working with me as you have up until now.”

“Is it really alright? It was Cyclaeus’s daughter behind what happened this time, but things have grown pretty complicated between the people of the forest’s edge and the noble himself, you know.”

“That is no issue. In fact, now that that fact has become known publicly, even the nobles shouldn’t be able to act carelessly from here on out, correct?” Nail said, no hesitation at all in his eyes.

“Thank you,” I replied with a bow. “However, the leading clan heads are scheduled to meet with Cyclaeus today, so please wait until we hear what happened there. After that, I’ll have to discuss what my future plans are with them, I think.”

“Understood. In that case, I will be eagerly awaiting the results.”

After thanking Nail one last time, I turned to depart from The Sledgehammer. But then I remembered one more matter that caught my attention, so I went ahead and brought it up.

“By the way, Reina Ruu had been making her stew here with tau oil, right? I know that ingredient is a specialty of Jagar, but your customers from the east were fine with it?”

“Yes. My eastern customers are broad-minded, so they do not let such matters concern them. Folks from Jagar may avoid ingredients from Sym, though.”

“Really? That’s good to know, then.”

“Chitt seeds also went well with Reina Ruu’s cooking. Adding too many ruins the taste, but finely dicing some and adding just a bit made my eastern customers quite happy.”

“Ah, I see.”

Giba soup prepared with tau oil was close to a Japanese tofu and vegetable chowder, so I could see the chili pepper-like chitt seeds pairing well with it.

“In that case, if I’m permitted to do business again, how about having me and Reina Ruu switch off who prepares the cooking each day?” I threw out there, though when I turned to face the girl herself I found her in a fluster. “Ah, sorry. I should have asked you first, Reina Ruu. Is asking you to prepare food for an inn too big of an additional burden on you and the Ruu clan?”

“No. As long as we can prepare enough personnel for the stalls, it should be no issue at all... But my cooking shouldn’t be needed anymore now that you’ve returned, right?” Reina Ruu asked, looking puzzled.

Lala Ruu was also dubiously furrowing her brow.

“I mean, I figure there’s real significance to having natural born people of the forest’s edge like you form bonds with the people of the post town rather than just a foreigner like me. Plus, this is a good chance to polish up your skills as a chef, isn’t it?”

“That’s true. I well understand what you’re saying, Asuta,” Nail chimed in with his agreement, having a great passion for cultural exchange.

After seeming to chew over my words for a bit while staring down at the floor, Reina Ruu finally said, “Understood. I’ll try discussing the matter with my father. Um, Asuta...” Reina Ruu visibly hesitated, but then she went and grabbed hold of my hand. “Thank you. I don’t know if I fully comprehend your thoughts and feelings, but... I feel very proud, now.”

I certainly didn’t think she was misunderstanding or distorting anything.

That was just how clear and bright of a smile she was wearing on her face.

I had once felt I didn’t even know how to handle Reina Ruu at all, but through cooking, our bonds had deepened, and I was now able to earnestly open up to her.

In this way, we could keep on going, encouraging one another to further heights, right? It was with such thoughts running through my head that I ultimately left The Sledgehammer.

“Reina Ruu... She really does seem to have changed over the course of these past several days,” Ai Fa murmured as we headed toward our next destination, The Great Southern Tree. “Somehow, I can sense a great vitality from her, like a mizora flower in the process of blooming. And that strength... It seems to resemble yours in some way, Asuta.”

“Ah, Reina Ruu and I are both chefs, so I guess that makes sense,” I replied while feeling impressed by Ai Fa’s always-sharp powers of perception.

However, my clan head ended up frowning in response.

“I find it difficult to understand, the thought that other people like you exist... Though I don’t feel Reina Ruu is quite as foolish as you.”

“Hey, you didn’t need to go saying that. Anyway, you’re striving to get strong enough that you’ll be just as strong as any other hunter, right, Ai Fa? I figure that’s the same sort of way Reina Ruu feels about me.”

“You’re saying Reina Ruu wishes to defeat you...?” Ai Fa questioned, a light shining intently in her eyes.

With a strained grin, I shrugged my shoulders.

“I mean, that’s not such a bad thing, is it? You want to become a stronger hunter than even Dan Rutim or Donda Ruu, and there’s nothing wrong with feeling that way, right?”

Ai Fa didn’t respond.

“Besides, having folks like that out there pushes the one getting chased down to try even harder, too. I’m sure guys like Dan Rutim respect your overwhelming power, and are also motivated by the thought of not wanting to lose to you.”

“I see...” Ai Fa quietly whispered. “In that case I can somewhat understand, and it doesn’t seem so bad for you or Reina Ruu.”

“I’m glad, then.”

“However, I won’t tolerate you losing to Reina Ruu as a chef, you know.”

“I don’t know about that... If they keep building up their knowledge and experience, who knows how skilled Reina and Sheera Ruu could end up.”

“Stop acting so timid. I told you it won’t be tolerated, so that’s that,” Ai Fa declared, her pout returning and becoming its most pronounced.

Though we were surrounded by intimidating hunters acting as bodyguards, compared to the last few days, this afternoon stroll felt a lot more nice and peaceful. That was what I felt down to the bottom of my heart as we walked back to the chaotic main street of town.