Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 12 - Chapter 2.2

2

After saying farewell to Polarth, we were fortunately able to wrap up our day’s business without any more disturbances worth mentioning.

At The Sledgehammer and The Great Southern Tree, Reina Ruu made her giba soup and we dropped off some raw giba meat, then at The Kimyuus’s Tail, I experimented with karon meat. Meanwhile, Sheera Ruu and her group were carrying out their work at the stalls.

It was also worth noting that both stalls managed to sell all one hundred meals they had prepared. There was no way to know whether or not that momentum would continue, though, so for now the plan was to prepare the same amount for tomorrow and see how things went.

On another note, as of last night, Milano Mas finally took the plunge and started selling the kimyuus meatballs. Once he tried it with the dip made from dried kiki, which was like pickled plums, he apparently decided there wouldn’t be any issues offering it. “Thanks to that, I’ve only had karon meat left unsold,” Milano Mas had informed me.

And so, he ended up deciding that tonight he’d also offer the fried karon strips I had tried out before. That dish involved first beating the tough karon leg meat in order to pulverize the fibers, then cutting it as thinly as possible, and finally frying it along with aria, tino, and pula. Then for flavoring, it used fruit wine and pico leaves, which you had to pay for in the post town.

It might have been possible to further improve the flavor using tau oil, but Milano Mas would never agree to purchasing some from his business rival, Naudis.

“Just using fruit wine and pico leaves is already plenty extravagant. I can’t imagine any customers complaining about a dish like this,” Milano Mas had said.

If this ended up doing even a little to overturn The Kimyuus’s Tail’s reputation of having lacking food, then I would certainly be glad to hear it.

“In that case, let’s work on a soup or stew starting tomorrow. Since karon meat is apparently more suited to that anyway, I’m sure it’ll turn out well.”

“Still, it’ll be tough if we can’t use tau oil... How about something more like a stew, using tarapa?” Reina Ruu proposed, causing me to clap my hands together.

“Tarapa, huh? That could be good! As long as you boil them slowly you should be able to get a stock out of karon and kimyuus, and if we add as many different vegetables as costs allow, that sounds like it would turn out pretty good.”

“Hey, did you two go and forget your original objective here...?” Milano Mas interjected, furrowing his brow. “You’re giving these lessons in the hopes that I’ll buy giba meat from you, right? That won’t really work out if you make fantastic dishes with the kimyuus and karon I’ve already got.”

“You think? Still, I don’t see any harm in preparing a new soup dish, right?”

“If you fill up my menu that much, there won’t be any room left for your giba meat.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. It’s not like you haven’t tried giba meat to see how incredible it is,” I said, pointedly being sarcastic with him.

Milano Mas, meanwhile, just looked annoyed as he fell silent.

“At any rate, let’s do everything we can before the 15th of the white month. I mean, just like we discussed before, right now we don’t know how long we’ll be able to keep doing business, after all.”

If we were unable to expose Cyclaeus’s true nature, then we’d be facing a long break from work.

That was because it would be roughly a month until the Fou, Ran, and Sudra would be able to take the Ruu clan’s place and act as bodyguards. When I told Nail and Naudis I might need to take that long off, they looked so overcome with sorrow that it made me want to curl up into a little ball.

“But the Ruu clan said they could still use the wagon to bring fresh giba meat during that period. And in that case, it may be possible for me to cook meals at home and have them bring that too,” I had told them, to which Nail and Naudis both enthusiastically replied, “Please do so!”

And when I informed Yumi that I wouldn’t be able to continue to continue discussing doing business with The Westerly Wind until after the 15th of the white month, she gave a hearty sigh.

“Ugh, I wish I had you bond with my dad before all this happened... Are we just fated to not work together or something?”

“I’m sure that’s not how it is. If it turns out we’re able to keep doing business, then I’ll absolutely want to speak with your father.”

“You mean it? I mean, he was furious, saying he couldn’t trust a man who went back on his word once already.”

“Hmm... Wouldn’t it be best for me to give a proper apology in person, too?”

“Ah, you better not for now. If you don’t give him a bit longer to cool off, it really could end in bloodshed... Anyway, just give it your all so you can keep on doing business in the post town!”

“Right, thanks.”

That covered all of my personal interactions.

However, there was one more matter that couldn’t be overlooked, which I learned about on the way back to the forest’s edge. It related to Gazraan Rutim. Having received permission from the leading clan heads, he had headed alone to the post town and gained an audience with Zasshuma, where he informed the man of the decisions that were made yesterday.

The people of the forest’s edge suspected Cyclaeus manipulated the criminal known as Zattsu Suun. And so, the people of the forest’s edge intended to use the meeting on the 15th of the white month in order to clear up those doubts while also discussing how the Suun clan would be handled. However, if they were not satisfied with Cyclaeus’s words, then they would refuse to hand over the Suun clan, even if it meant taking up blades.

And Gazraan Rutim also asked Zasshuma to spread that information throughout the post town.

“Hmph... Well, people are gonna talk regardless. So I suppose handing out accurate information before half-baked rumors can spread may be wise,” Zasshuma had apparently replied. “Alright, got it. I’ve got no clue how much effect it’ll have with just four days left, but I’ll use whatever sources I’ve got to spread it around.”

Things really were progressing steadily.

But just what sort of days awaited us from tomorrow onwards? With that question held firmly in my heart, we returned to the Ruu settlement.

◇

“Ah, good work, everyone,” Bartha of all people called out as we pulled the wagon around the back of the main house to find her chopping firewood.

I was even more surprised to see that there were also two men beside her working away at the same task.

“Ryada Ruu and Mida... What in the world are you two doing here?”

It was Shin and Sheera Ruu’s father Ryada Ruu as well as Mida, who currently fell under the Ruu clan.

“This guest here is every bit as strong as a hunter of the forest’s edge. As such, we were told that if we were to lend her a blade, we should have men keep watch over her,” Ryada Ruu replied just as calmly as always. He really was so slender that it made it easy to forget he was Donda Ruu’s younger brother. The blackish brown hair of this sombre man in his prime fell smoothly behind his head, and he also had a well-maintained mustache.

“But today, the other men started preparing to begin hunting again. Mida and I cannot partake in such work, though, so the task of watching over her fell to us.”

Ryada Ruu had retired from hunting when he injured his leg, while Mida was still building up stamina so that he wouldn’t be a burden.

The choice of personnel made sense when I thought about it, but seeing the trio together still left an odd sense of incongruity.

“Asuta... Did you sell lots of food?” Mida questioned, looking down at me while holding chopped firewood under his thick arms.

Though he seemed to have shed some excess fat, Mida’s huge frame still made him look like a sort of fleshy balloon.

“Yeah, since it was our first time selling myamuu giba in a while. We prepared a lot, but we still sold all of them.”

“Hmm...” Mida murmured, but he didn’t move. His little piglet-like eyes just kept on staring at me.

It was the same way he had stared at me the night before last, when I returned after days of absence.

From what I was told, Mida had been in a daze ever since he heard that someone had abducted me. Though he did finish all his work each day, he had been even less talkative than normal, and when he had free time he just sat there like a little mountain as he stared off into space.

Once I returned, Dan Rutim showed up and things got as rowdy as a banquet. That was around when Mida sluggishly came over to the main house and said, “I didn’t cry...”

That brief statement was enough to make me feel like sobbing.

Yamiru Lea had once said Mida’s heart was lacking some crucial piece, but it was obvious to me that he was capable of thinking of others.

Was he able to avoid growing twisted like the rest of his family despite living with Zattsu Suun due to the fact that he was oblivious to greed, or because he was strong...? There was no way I would find an answer to that question no matter how much I thought about it, but at any rate, I had no doubt at all that a pure soul fitting for a person of the forest’s edge dwelled inside his massive frame.

“Still, this sure is a ton. Have you been chopping firewood all day?” Ludo Ruu asked, peeking out from behind me.

“No...” Mida replied with a shake of his head. It didn’t move all that far, though, because his fatty cheeks and shoulders and the like got in the way. “We carried water jugs, and skinned pelts... We did all sorts of stuff today...”

“I see. Good work, there. And I’d say you’ve already chopped plenty of firewood, right? So go ahead and rest up till dinner.”

“Actually, if you’re done with your work, would you mind training with me instead, Mida?” Shin Ruu interjected.

Apparently, Shin Ruu had also practiced with Mida for contests of strength yesterday after his guard work.

The youth must have deeply regretted the fact that he was unable to protect me from Sanjura. Anyway, as Ludo Ruu watched the other boy out of the corner of his eye, he rustled his hair and said, “Shin Ruu, you’ve been working as a bodyguard day and night, too. It’s important to get your rest when you can, you know.”

“That’s no problem. I just want to get stronger.”

“Hmm, it’s alright with me, but... Is it alright if I stop chopping wood, Ryada Ruu...?”

As Ryada Ruu stared calmly at his son’s anxious expression, he nodded back, “Alright.”

With that, Mida and Shin Ruu took off along with the other hunters acting as bodyguards. And so, the only hunters left were Ai Fa and Ludo Ruu.

“Huh? Hold on, where’d the kid get to?” Ludo Ruu asked.

“That Leito child headed off to the post town, from what I hear. He plans to carry out his own work there for the time being,” Ryada Ruu answered.

“Hmm...” Ludo Ruu murmured while furrowing his brow. He still seemed a bit uncertain about how exactly to handle Leito. It seemed less that he was worried about trusting him, and more that he was uneasy about the way the boy acted just as aloof as his master, Kamyua Yoshu, to the point that it put him off. And I was definitely of the same opinion there.

“Well then, how about we get to work too? If it’s alright, I’d like to help out with dinner again tonight, but where’s Mia Lea Ruu so I can ask?”

“Isn’t our mom in the kitchen? She should be on duty there for today.”

I nodded in response to Lala Ruu, then readjusted my grip on Gilulu’s reins.

Instantly, Bartha chimed in, “Preparing dinner, is it? If you don’t mind, could I watch? I’ve been wondering since yesterday just how exactly you made that delicious food.”

“Umm, I think you’d need permission from Mia Lea Ruu for that, since she’s in charge of the women.”

And so, our whole group headed on over to the kitchen. But when I went to peek into the open door, Vina Ruu suddenly appeared.

“My... I see you’ve all returned...”

“Yeah. Is Mom around? Asuta said he wants to help prepare dinner again.”

“Hmm... Mother should be here soon. You’re helping again today, Asuta...?”

“Yes, as long as I won’t be a hindrance.”

“I can’t imagine anyone here in this settlement would ever think of you as a hindrance...” Vina Ruu replied with an absentminded smile. Her appearance was just so seductive that my heart unwittingly skipped a beat.

Vina Ruu dripping with sex appeal certainly wasn’t anything new. In fact, it happened often enough to make me wonder if something in her body had gone out of control when it came to giving off pheromones.

But somehow, it felt like she had grown even sexier lately when I saw her. And something felt different about her lately... Her expression was always heavily anguished, and she seemed listless in a way that made it appear her mind was elsewhere.

She was clearly speaking less, and I pretty much never saw her give a carefree smile anymore. It was as if even when people were standing in front of her, her focus was far off into the distance instead. That was the state she was in, and yet she had never looked more beautiful and bewitching.

Isn’t half a year a bit long to think things over...?

It had only been ten days now since Shumiral had departed from Genos, saying that he wanted to marry into the Ruu clan. What sort of work was he undertaking now, and where?

As I pondered those questions, Mia Lea Ruu suddenly appeared from the shadow of the building.

“My, so you want to help out with dinner preparations again today? I’m certainly grateful to hear it,” she said with a cheerful smile. “Naturally, we welcome your help. Still, I can’t help but feel awkward about having you help out day after day like this...”

“I mean, I couldn’t help but worry I’d be breaking some custom of the forest’s edge by asking so lightly to help man the stove, myself.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. With how close the Ruu and Fa are, you don’t need to act so distant.”

With that said, dinner was a sacred event to the people of the forest’s edge, in which they partook of the living energy they needed for the day. And considering how Jiza Ruu felt about the Fa clan’s actions, for example, it didn’t feel right to go acting so rashly in that regard.

But as long as we were staying here in the Ruu settlement, if I didn’t help make dinner then there wouldn’t be any chance for me to feed Ai Fa my cooking. And considering my clan head already wanted to return to her own house but couldn’t, I at least wanted to make dinner for her if nothing else.

“Help out to your heart’s content! We’ll take charge of the poitan and soup.”

“Thank you. I’ll try my hardest to satisfy everybody.”

But first came the preparations for tomorrow.

Reina, Sheera, and Lala Ruu started making the hamburger patties, while I set about chopping up the meat for the myamuu giba. Around then, Ryada Ruu returned to his own house, leaving only Ai Fa and Ludo Ruu to keep an eye on Bartha.

“Hmm, so that’s giba meat? The color sure does make it look tasty,” Bartha cheerfully called out from the corner, where she was standing so she didn’t get in our way. “I’ve got to say, I’m jealous of how you can eat the same prey you risk your life to hunt down. Gaaje leopards are man-eaters, so their only value’s in their pelt and fangs.”

“Ah, so you don’t eat carnivorous beasts on Masara either?”

Here in Genos, it was taboo to try to make a meal of the carrion-eating mundt or giiz.

“Of course we don’t. But in order to hunt barobaro birds, there’s no choice but to set foot in gaaje leopard territory. So ultimately, you need the strength to take down a gaaje leopard in order to be a hunter on Masara.”

“I see. I suppose each mountain has its own hardships, huh?” I replied to Bartha as I cut up the giba sirloin using my knife from Jagar.

By the way, Ai Fa had brought this meat over from the Fa house in the morning. She had continued to do her work as effectively as ever, even while I was kidnapped, so for the time being we would still be able to use our own meat in the business.

“So what shall we be eating tonight?” Ai Fa asked when I finished cutting the meat.

“I was thinking of going with roast giba. We haven’t had that for a while. And I was planning on using diced aria and tau oil as a base to prepare what’s known as Japanese-style sauce.”

“I see...”

Her eyes were clearly saying, “So not hamburger steak?”

If I went with a soup-and-hamburger meal, I probably wouldn’t get any complaints from Donda Ruu or any of the others who were difficult to please, but it didn’t seem like something they would especially welcome, either. And so, I shot Ai Fa back a look that said, “We’re freeloaders here, so we can’t be selfish with what we serve.”

However, my clan head just turned away in a huff. There were four days left until the 15th of the white month. Would Ai Fa be able to hold out that long, though...? And would we even be able to return to the Fa house at that point, anyway? If our stay got extended, it would be difficult to maintain the peace in the Fa clan if I couldn’t find a way to get hamburger steak on the menu.

And as she made those hamburger patties Ai Fa so craved, Reina Ruu was staring down at my hands.

“Asuta, is that powder for tonight’s dinner too?”

Atop my work station, I had spread out the fuwano flour I had purchased on the way back from a dealer Milano Mas told me about.

“Yeah. I’m just using a bit today, though. Umm... Sorry, Mia Lea Ruu, but could I help prepare dinner tomorrow night, too?”

“Like I said, you have nothing to apologize for. As long as it’s not a burden for you, please go ahead and help out every day.”

“Thank you. In that case, I’d like to go ahead and handle the preparations for tomorrow, too.”

After borrowing a large wooden plate, I mixed together some fuwano flour and water. Then, for the first time in two days now, I kneaded it into a fuwano dough.

“So that’s the fuwano that the townsfolk eat? It certainly does seem different from poitan, doesn’t it?” Sheera Ruu chimed in. Though she didn’t let much emotion show on her face, she was just as passionate when it came to cooking as Reina Ruu.

“Right. The biggest difference is that with poitan you want it in a semi-liquid state before cooking, while fuwano should be solid before you heat it.”

There was no reason to fixate on form, so I went with the simplest flat ball shape for cooking the fuwano.

Once it was done, it came out with the same texture as poitan, and was even whiter. Lala and Mia Lea Ruu and everyone also watched over me with great interest as I worked.

“So, what do you do with that? Once it’s cooked, it doesn’t seem all that different from poitan.”

“Now I leave it to dry out. And if it turns hard and dry by tomorrow like I’m expecting, I’m planning to use that to try out a new dish.”

I recalled Sheera Ruu or someone telling me before that baked poitan didn’t change all that much over the course of a night. But at any rate, Polarth was supposed to be experimenting with poitan, while I was shifting my sights to fuwano in an attempt to make a panko substitute.

Even if things go according to Polarth’s plan and poitan becomes the new staple food in Genos, that doesn’t mean there won’t be any use left for fuwano.

Poitan wasn’t as close to wheat flour as fuwano. So for stuff like making sweets or preparing the roux for a stew, fuwano was still preferable.

Poitan and fuwano were the only grains I had encountered up till now, and so I wanted to employ the strong points of each of them as much as possible.

“Alright, let’s go ahead and get started preparing tonight’s dinner,” I declared.

However, Reina Ruu let out an odd, “A-Ah,” then said, “C-Could you hold on a little longer, Asuta?! We’ll be finished with our work before long!”

“Oh, you’re manning the stove today too, Reina Ruu?”

“No, Lala Ruu is on for today, but I don’t have any urgent business to take care of, so I would love to receive instruction from you if that’s alright.”

“Could I be instructed, too...?” Sheera Ruu added.

“I don’t mind at all, but don’t you have work to take care of for your own house, Sheera Ruu?”

There was still some time left till the sun would set, but the only women in her house were her and her mother. So once she was done preparing for business, she was supposed to head back home to help make dinner.

Currently, Sheera Ruu had finished making patties and was putting together tarapa sauce, and she now shot me a pained look.

“But... Since you’re manning the stove and everything, I wanted to receive instruction from you. If I don’t, then I’ll end up being a hindrance for Reina Ruu in the future...”

“What are you saying, Sheera Ruu? When it comes to the dishes we sell, you already have more techniques down than I do, don’t you?”

“No, I’m still not as skilled at making soup as you are, and you were better at manning the stove from the very start, weren’t you?”

“I don’t think that’s true at all. You started helping Asuta out with work far earlier than I did, so you have more knowledge and experience than I do.”

Reina Ruu was as brilliant as the sun while Sheera Ruu felt as radiant as the moon, and as they had this little argument, their hands kept on working away without so much as a single mistake.

Of course, in spite of their rivalry, they also had firm ties of blood. Aside from the fact that the older Sheera Ruu always made sure to use a polite tone, they seemed like close sisters openly sharing their opinions, which I found heartening.

“In that case, what if I traded work with you, Sheera Ruu? It’d be tough on Tari Ruu to have to do everything on her own, so I’ll go help her out,” Lala Ruu, who had been tending the stove’s flame, suddenly called out.

Sheera Ruu turned the girl’s way with a questioning look.

“I certainly would appreciate that, but when you man a house’s stove, that means you must eat there, doesn’t it?”

“Huh...? Yeah, but it’d be fine if I just eat at your house while you eat here, right? Stuff like that can be fun, every now and again,” Lala Ruu said, her cheeks growing visibly red.

As he saw that, Ludo Ruu loudly proclaimed, “So that’s it, huh? That’s pretty sneaky, how you act like you’re only thinking of Sheera Ruu, there! You just want to go visit Shin Ruu’s house, don’t you?”

“I never said anything like that! Don’t go around shouting nonsense like that, stupid Ludo!”

“I mean, I can’t see it any other way. But, well, it’d probably make Shin Ruu happy too, so I guess it’s fine.”

Lala Ruu grabbed one of the pieces of firewood at hand and threw it at her brother as hard as she could.

The boy just caught it right in front of his face though, and gave an amused chuckle.

“Vina and Reina still haven’t found husbands yet, but it’s looking like you may be the first one to awaken to your womanly desires, even though you’re just thirteen! You could be the first one to get married out of— Gah, what the?!”

More chunks of firewood had come flying at Ludo Ruu, this time from three directions. It had been a perfect attack in waves from the three sisters. In a panic, Ludo Ruu grabbed a hold of some nearby firewood and started smacking down the incoming projectiles.

“If you want to start roughhousing, then do it outside. You’re going to get wood chips in the cooking,” Mia Lea Ruu scolded with a chuckle.

“Aah...” Bartha chimed in. “Family sure is a wonderful thing to have. I sure do want to hurry up and catch that prodigal son of mine.”

When I turned around and looked, I found Bartha with a shockingly calm smile on her leonine face.

And Mia Lea Ruu was looking that way with a smile, too.

“That son of yours is your only family? I’ll be praying to the forest that you can reunite as soon as possible.”

“You’ve got my thanks. Honestly, I was worried about whether or not I should get on that wagon of Kamyua Yoshu’s, since I had always thought of you people of the forest’s edge as the ones behind my husband’s death. But now, I can’t help but feel it really was worth coming all the way here from Masara.”

Mia Lea Ruu had birthed seven children and also took charge when it came to housework, while Bartha had resolved to keep living the harsh life of a hunter for the sake of her young son. Secretly, I was feeling deeply impressed by the meeting of these two indomitable mothers.

And before I noticed it, my gaze had turned toward Ai Fa. She was expressionless other than an ever so light smile showing in her eyes as she looked over the pair.

Then, she noticed my gaze and quietly turned my way.

Family sure is a wonderful thing...

What sort of feelings had to be bubbling up in Ai Fa’s chest at the moment?

Regardless, even though we had both lost our families, we each now had a precious, irreplaceable presence in our lives once again.

And with such thoughts running through my head, the sun gently set on the day.

The showdown that would determine whether or not we could keep on having such peaceful days was creeping ever closer.