Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 12 - Chapter 3.3

3

The following day, the 14th of the white month, had arrived. In other words, the day before the meeting with Cyclaeus.

There was a restless air slowly permeating the post town. It seemed that the rumors unleashed by Zasshuma were really starting to take off.

The people of the forest’s edge suspected Cyclaeus of a great crime. Tomorrow, they would be meeting with the man to discuss how the relatives of the criminal known as Zattsu Suun would be dealt with. And if both sides could not come to an agreement, it was hard to say just what would happen... Soon everyone in the post town would hear how things were about to boil over.

For the time being, the plan for our stalls was to take tomorrow off. Our business with the inns would also pause, but today I’d be selling them enough raw meat to last for three days. As for what would happen the day after tomorrow onwards, that would depend on the results of tomorrow’s meeting.

And in the midst of all this, Yang’s business was chugging along nicely. From what I heard, he sold all two hundred meals he had prepared for the first day. Since it was normal for places selling miniature-sized meals like that to generally only sell around fifty, that was certainly a remarkable accomplishment.

Plus, from what I observed on my way to the inns, Yang’s stall was looking every bit as lively again today.

However, I sensed a slight change in the customer base this time around. Yesterday there had been a roughly equal ratio of men to women, but today there definitely seemed to be more of the latter. On top of that, there also looked to be more children around, too. Perhaps that shouldn’t have been surprising, though, considering it was a dish that emphasized sweetness. And the colorfulness might have also helped to make it popular with women and children, too. Also, there were unsurprisingly very few easterners and southerners, and even among the westerners, I couldn’t see any of the rough types who chugged down fruit wine in the middle of the day.

It really was seeming more and more like Yang was drawing the exact opposite type of clientele as our stalls. Put another way, that meant he was getting the customers that we lost. I shelved that thought carefully in the back of my mind as something I should consider later.

But at any rate, it was clear that Yang’s shop was undoubtedly prospering.

And as of today, there were three inns and four stalls using baked poitan, all of them using it as a direct substitute for fuwano. Having obtained the assistance of the house of Saturas that ruled over the post town, Polarth had already roped in that many places to sell it. He was also offering processed powdered poitan at cost price, charging no additional service fee. And he additionally provided the method of coloring them as part of his sales experiment, it seemed.

As I walked through the stall area, I was able to confirm that those places seemed to be fairly bustling. They must have been attracting interest because of the unusual coloration from the nenon and nanaar, as well as the novel method of cooking poitan, an ingredient folks hadn’t really paid attention to up till now. Of course, using the same sort of baked poitan as Yang’s business, which had been earning quite a reputation throughout the post town, obviously didn’t hurt.

Additionally, the shops that answered this request also got priority when it came to learning how to make milk fat. So, in the not-too-distant future when those shops handling baked poitan started using butter too, they were sure to earn an even greater reputation.

It really was thoroughly plotted out.

And the introduction of milk fat couldn’t have been something Kamyua Yoshu had expected, so Polarth and Yang must have come up with that strategy entirely on their own.

At this rate, the idea of poitan and fuwano switching places really might not have been just pure fantasy. Just as Polarth had once said, poitan was notably cheaper than fuwano, so there was no reason for anyone to avoid either purchasing or selling it.

“These changes are sure to reach Cyclaeus’s ears soon enough. And he may just sneer at it for now, but once he learns both the Daleim and Saturas houses are involved, well, I can’t imagine he’ll be keeping his calm then,” Zasshuma had said with a chuckle.

But ultimately, this was all groundwork to corner Cyclaeus. It would still be quite a while till results would truly start showing, so as things stood, we wouldn’t be dealing him a knock-out blow just yet. Still, we could put pressure on him with the message, “Your prosperity won’t last forever,” digging a hole in the sturdy castle walls surrounding him.

Thanks to that, it might really have been more of a check against the people surrounding Cyclaeus.

In actuality, the head of the house of Daleim had given his tacit approval to his son’s actions, despite finding them outrageous. And while I didn’t know how far the house of Saturas had actively involved themselves, they were lending Polarth a hand at the bare minimum. Cyclaeus’s stronghold was slowly yet surely crumbling.

“Tomorrow, you’ll finally be marching into the castle town...” Dora said with a deeply serious expression as we approached his shop after work to purchase vegetables for dinner. “That meeting of yours is supposed to start when the sun hits its peak, right? Then it should be over by the second or third hour.”

“Yeah, but I don’t really know the details, either.”

“At any rate, it surely won’t take till the sun sets... If your people don’t exit the castle gates before then, will it become another huge commotion?” Dora asked, his expression somewhere between anger and grinning. “At the very least, I’d definitely head over to the gates again. And the southerners and easterners would never keep quiet, either.”

“Right. So we’ll do our best to return safely before that happens.”

“Aah, still, I can’t help but worry! And the fact that you’re going too is the biggest worry of all!” Dora exclaimed, now looking dejected.

Dora had feared that the people of the forest’s edge might destroy Genos itself, and yet he was also deeply concerned for our well-being at the same time.

Naturally, that was because the leading clan heads had gone and accepted all of Cyclaeus’s conditions.

Ryada Ruu had called it perfectly when he predicted that Donda Ruu had been prepared for Cyclaeus to pull something like that right from the start. Just as should be expected from the man’s brother.

“Just like Gazraan Rutim said, the reason behind bringing along a whole mess of hunters as bodyguards was to conspicuously show off our resolve. It was a threat, to let them know that we were ready to use force to resist depending on the attitude they took,” Donda Ruu had stated at dinner last night. “But the other side still didn’t realize that we were planning on bringing along that many men. We just let them know we were bringing the former members of the Suun house, yet they had such an overblown response... So they must be looking to prepare for this to end in violence too, in their own way.”

“So what should we do, then? Just accept their ridiculous demands?” Ludo Ruu retorted, sounding clearly displeased.

Donda Ruu, however, grinned like a wild beast.

“What reason do we have to reject them? Gulaf Zaza and I will both be there at the meeting place. Same for Dari Sauti and Gazraan Rutim. No matter how many hindrances we’ve got, there’s no chance they’ll ever get the better of us. And that goes even more so when they’re allowing us to bring along ten bodyguards, too.”

“But they’re going to take your blades at the meeting place, aren’t they? And the other side will have fully-armed soldiers, so—” I started to object, but Donda Ruu’s expression remained utterly unchanged as he turned my way.

“Yeah, but we just need to snatch away some blades from those soldiers if things turn violent. And we won’t be the only ones dealing with hindrances...” Donda Ruu replied, his eyes turning into an intense blue blaze. “Before those hack soldiers from the castle town could put so much as a scratch on one of my allies, I’d grab that Cyclaeus noble by the scruff of his neck. And if those soldiers keep resisting even so... Then they’ll really see some violence.”

It was true that I really couldn’t see Donda Ruu or Gulaf Zaza getting taken down by soldiers.

Just as Dora had worried, the greatest concern really might have been Cyclaeus underestimating the strength possessed by the hunters of the forest’s edge and foolishly resorting to violence.

“Still, there’s no chance of us taking up arms first, at any rate. If things end in violence even so, then it will be down to the laws of Genos to determine whether it’s us or Cyclaeus who are criminals... And that’s what’s most important,” Donda Ruu stated, his blazing blue eyes firmly fixed on me. “Regardless, I won’t be handing anyone over to Cyclaeus, be it you or the former members of the Suun. And if he’s going to go complaining about your birthplace, then just go ahead and explain yourself away with that skilled tongue of yours, Asuta of the Fa clan.”

“Right. Understood,” I replied with a big nod.

“Hold on,” Ai Fa calmly chimed in. “If that is the decision of the leading clan heads, then I will also obey. However... If Asuta’s being taken along, then allow me to accompany him. As clan head of the Fa, that is one point I absolutely cannot yield on.”

“There are six people set to head to the meeting. The three leading clan heads, and the hunters accompanying them... Gazraan Rutim, the Fou clan head, and the Beim clan head...”

Ai Fa just silently listened.

“However, they were the ones who went and thrust new conditions our way. If they insist that we must bring along Asuta of the Fa clan, then we’ll tell Cyclaeus we’re also bringing the Fa clan head, who invited him into the forest’s edge in the first place.”

“You have my gratitude,” Ai Fa said with a bow of her head.

And so it had been decided that both I and Ai Fa would be attending tomorrow’s meeting.

“Come back safely, alright?” Tara said, her eyes tearing up.

“Of course,” I nodded back at the girl and her father. “I’ll make it back okay for sure. I promise you that I’ll do everything I can to make sure that happens.”

I couldn’t even properly use a blade to fight, so I shouldn’t hold any real responsibility on that front. But I would still believe in my allies putting their lives and pride on the line for the same goal, and I would also do everything that I could.

And with that, we said farewell to the father and daughter pair and departed from the post town.

Back at the forest’s edge, the last great task to prepare for tomorrow still awaited us.

◇

“Hey there! Long time no see, Asuta and Ai Fa!” Rau Lea greeted us upon our arrival at the Ruu settlement. In actuality, it hadn’t been all that long since we last saw him. Only about four days or so.

“Ah, Rau Lea. What’s up?”

“What do you mean ‘what’s up’? I brought Yamiru Lea. And since I lent you guys my totos, we had to walk all the way here.”

“Huh? You came personally, even though you’re the clan head?”

Until I was kidnapped, Rau and Yamiru Lea had paid frequent visits to the Fa house on totos-back. Was he just as light on his feet as Dan Rutim, to walk all the way here?

“All my clan members who are able to work are needed back home! And besides, this is one task I’ve got no intention of yielding to anyone else,” Rau Lea replied, his eyes burning bright with the look of a hunting dog. “Asuta... Today you’ll be serving Yamiru Lea and the others food you personally prepared, won’t you? I’d like to attend too. What do you say?”

“Huh? I don’t mind at all, but isn’t that more a question for Donda Ruu?”

“I’ll handle talking to him! But I have your approval, right?” Rau Lea asked, breaking out in a relieved grin. “You have my gratitude! Ever since that festival of the hunt, I’ve been seriously itching to eat your cooking again! The Lea women really have gotten a lot more skilled, but they still don’t measure up to you at all!”

“Right, well, I’ll do my best not to disappoint you.”

I was about to ask where Yamiru Lea was, only for a booming voice to shout out from behind, “Oh, Asuta!” I turned to look while still holding onto Gilulu’s reins, and unsurprisingly I found Dan Rutim standing there.

“Long time no see! The thing is, I’ve got a request I’d like to make of you, so—”

“Ah, right, if it’s about dinner, then could you just let Donda Ruu know?”

“My! Did you read my mind?!”

All I could do in response was give a long-suffering chuckle.

As Dan Rutim stood there with his eyes opened wide in shock, I spied Gazraan Rutim and a woman behind him.

“So you’re finally back, Asuta? Ludo Ruu, we’ve brought Oura...”

Oura was Tsuvai’s mother and had once been Zuuro Suun’s wife, and currently she fell under the Rutim clan. Her dark brown hair was evenly cut at around shoulder length, and she was slender with a graceful face. She looked so young it was hard to imagine she had given birth to Tsuvai, though her expression remained quite listless, especially her darkly clouded eyes.

“It’s good to see you again, Oura. Tsuvai’s walking back with Ama Min Rutim’s group, so I’d imagine she’ll arrive soon.”

“I see...” she quietly responded with a nod.

I hadn’t seen her since Tei Suun’s burial out in the forest. The impression I got from her hadn’t changed at all since then, but I didn’t know whether that was something to feel glad or uneasy about...

“There’s still a good bit of time left until dinner. Where should Oura wait until then?” Dan Rutim asked Ludo Ruu, but Rau Lea was the one to answer.

“I tossed Yamiru Lea into the empty house over there. I figured I’d give her a bit of a chance to talk with her former family.”

“Huh? Do you mean Mida? Or—”

“Zuuro Suun, Diga, and Doddo. Right now, Gulaf Zaza and his people are keeping watch outside the house.”

“In that case, how about you head over too?”

Oura’s shoulders twitched a bit in response to Dan Rutim’s words.

“Right... As long as I have permission...”

“There’s no need to hold back! Since you cut ties, you were forbidden from meeting each other frequently. But thinking another way, times like this are pretty much your only chance to talk, right?”

“I’ll go talk to Gulaf Zaza, then,” Rau Lea chimed in, leading Oura toward the vacant house where we had been sleeping.

Though it was pretty unusual for him, Dan Rutim looked a bit worried as he watched them leave.

“Hmm... It’s already been a month since Oura and Tsuvai joined our Rutim clan, eh? It seems like they still aren’t ready to open up to us yet, though. Personally, I’d like to give them the Rutim name as soon as possible, but still...”

“That just goes to show how massive an influence Zattsu Suun had. I believe it’s best that we don’t rush, and allow time for their feelings on the matter to settle,” Gazraan Rutim replied while looking quite calm, and then he turned my way. “By the way, Asuta... Would it be possible to ask you to prepare dinner for several more people, rather than just my father Dan?”

“Huh? Ah, yeah. I was already expecting more than twenty people, so having to add on more is no big issue...”

“In that case, I would absolutely like to ask you to do so. Would five people be alright...?”

“Of course. But who exactly are you talking about?”

“Dari Sauti, Gulaf Zaza, the Fou and Beim clan heads, and myself. In other words, everyone who shall be attending tomorrow’s meeting,” Gazraan Rutim replied, breaking out in a grin. “Dari Sauti came to me, saying if Donda Ruu, Zuuro Suun, and all the others were going to eat your cooking, then we should just go ahead and gather everyone involved. Gulaf Zaza brought Zuuro Suun and company here personally and still remains, while Dari Sauti said he wanted to come anyway to discuss things in preparation for tomorrow.”

Back at the festival of the hunt, Dari Sauti had said that Gulaf Zaza should also eat my cooking. That if he was going to oppose the actions of the Fa clan, he should properly learn firsthand the sort of strength and joy our clan and the Ruu had gained by accepting delicious cooking into our lives.

“If you approve, then I was thinking of borrowing the Ruu clan’s totos and going to summon the Fou and Beim clan heads. Dari Sauti is already set to head this way after finishing up his hunting work, after all.”

“Hmph! So you intended to leave me out of all your plotting?! How cruel, Gazraan!” Dan Rutim huffed.

His son Gazraan Rutim just chuckled back, “My apologies. You have a far more vigorous appetite than others, Father, so I was thinking it best not to add to the burden on Asuta. I certainly never meant any malice by my actions, though.”

“What’s that?! Did you hear what he said, Asuta?! Now that he’s married, he thinks he can discount his old man!”

“Ama Min Rutim has nothing to do with it.”

I burst out laughing without thinking.

Still, if the guest list was swelling that greatly, then I couldn’t waste time.

“Well then, I’m going to set about preparing dinner. Will you go get permission from Donda Ruu, Dan Rutim?”

“Yeah, just leave it to me!”

Since it was uncertain what would happen in terms of business the day after tomorrow, I went ahead and just bought all the vegetables we’d need ahead of time. So it would be possible to make things work in terms of ingredients, I figured.

Still, seven more guests made for a fairly significant additional load. I needed to hurry up and get to work.

“Hmm, so how many are we preparing for altogether, then?” Reina Ruu asked as we headed toward the kitchen.

“There are twelve in the main Ruu house, seven in Yamiru Lea’s group, and then three more between me, Ai Fa, and Bartha... Then six from Shin Ruu’s house, so we had twenty-eight to start.”

Since I had wanted to ask for Sheera and Tari Ruu’s help, the plan had been to make dinner for Shin Ruu’s house too.

“Adding in these newcomers, we get thirty-five people we’re preparing for. But some of that number eat more than normal, so I think it’d be good to aim for enough for fifty.”

“Fifty people’s worth... That’s enough for a banquet, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. But if we all work together, we should be able to pull it off.”

We had roughly three hours remaining. But since tomorrow would be a day off, we could all throw everything we had at getting dinner ready on time. So with that in mind, it at least seemed doable on paper.

“Ah, welcome back! Asuta, I baked the poitan!”

When we got to the kitchen, we found that Rimee Ruu and company had already started working.

“Thanks. We’ve got more unexpected guests, though. Sorry, but could you prepare enough for ten more?”

“Ten more? Got it!” Rimee Ruu replied, taking off running toward the pantry.

“Hold on,” Sati Lea Ruu called out toward the girl’s tiny back. “You’re skilled at manning the stove, Rimee, so you should help Asuta. Allow me to handle the poitan.”

“Thank you, Sati Lea Ruu.”

“Think nothing of it,” she replied with a gentle smile. “Besides, all the stoves here are being used for different dishes, aren’t they? So I’ll go bake the poitan at Shin Ruu’s house.”

It might well have been true that Rimee Ruu was more skilled at manning the stove than Sati Lea Ruu, but the latter was likely the only one around who could see that at a glance. With such a strong lineup gathered here, there was no way we had anything to worry about.

“Well then, the process we need to follow is just like I explained, so I’ll be counting on each of you. And I’ll fill in Sati Lea Ruu’s spot.”

Between the women of the main Ruu house and Shin Ruu’s family, we had eight people cooking here in total. The only one missing was Granny Tito Min, who was looking after Kota Ruu.

“Oh, and I’m sorry this is so sudden, but I was thinking of adding ribs to our initial menu.”

“Ribs? Why is that?” Sheera Ruu questioned, and I shot her a grin.

“It seems Dan Rutim will be attending, so I figured it’d be best if we add them just to be safe. No matter how wonderful a meal we prepare, I could still see that man feeling sad if there weren’t any ribs.”

“My...” Sheera Ruu said with a smile.

From next to her, Lala Ruu added, “But you know, is it really alright to expand the menu when we’re already preparing a ton of meals?”

“By adding another dish, we can reduce the amount of the others that we need to prepare. I doubt it’ll have too big of an impact on the total amount of work needed. And at any rate, I don’t think we’re at risk of being too late for dinner.”

“Hmm. Well, if you say so, then I don’t especially mind.”

It really was only natural for Lala Ruu to worry, as the plan was already to prepare eight different dishes for today.

Considering the number of people we were cooking for and the fact that we were trying to convey the notion of what the Fa clan’s actions truly were to Zuuro Suun and his family, through showing them just what kind of food we were selling in the post town, the thinking had been that it was best to offer as wide of a variety as possible.

So today’s menu consisted of giba burgers, myamuu giba, cubed giba meat stew, meat and chatchi stew, giba sauté arrabbiata, giba cutlets, giba soup prepared with tau oil, giba soup prepared with karon milk, and now finally giba spare ribs. That made for a grand spread of nine dishes in total.

Among those dishes, I could yield control of the giba burgers, myamuu giba, and giba soup prepared with tau oil to Reina and Sheera Ruu. For the rest, I had to assign tasks as efficiently as I could to everyone else.

“Well then, I’ll be returning home to prepare the hamburgers along with my mother.”

“Right, I’m counting on you. Reina Ruu, could you prepare the soup? I’ll go carry in the karon milk. Ai Fa, could you help me transport the jars...?”

“Right.”

With that, Ai Fa and I exited the kitchen along with Sheera Ruu. However, as the girl from the branch houses walked in front of us, she suddenly stopped and I almost unintentionally bumped into her.

“Darmu Ruu... I see you’ve returned.”

Sure enough, I could see the man in question over Sheera Ruu’s shoulders. His long black hair was tied up in back, he had a deep scar on his right cheek, and his eyes shone like a wolf’s... Yup, that was the second son of the main Ruu house, Darmu Ruu.

Half a month ago, he had headed to the Zaza settlement to help watch over Zuuro Suun and the others. Now that they had been moved to the Ruu settlement, it was only natural that he had returned.

“It has been some time, Darmu Ruu... I’m glad to see you doing well.”

“Yeah,” he nodded back at Sheera Ruu, and then his blazing glare turned my way.

Then, he grabbed hold of my upper arm and firmly tugged.

It seemed like Ai Fa was about to immediately object, but before she could, Darmu Ruu grumbled, “I have business with Asuta of the Fa clan.”

“What sort of business do you have with him? Regardless, to just grab him like—”

“I won’t get rough with him. If I break that promise, you can take my right arm.”

With that same line he had given in the past, Darmu Ruu started dragging me away from Ai Fa, still holding firmly onto my arm.

Then, once we had marched around ten meters, he stopped. It was far enough that I could still see Ai Fa and Sheera Ruu, but our voices wouldn’t reach.

Glancing out of the corner of my eye, I saw that my clan head looked ready to come running over at any moment, while Sheera Ruu was clinging to her arm to stop her.

“L-Long time no see, Darmu Ruu,” I threw out there, offering a perfectly ordinary greeting to start with.

Letting go of my arm, Darmu Ruu then brought his face in awfully close.

“Asuta of the Fa clan... Are you an idiot?”

“Huh? Well, I know I’m not especially sharp, but still...”

“You told me before that you wanted to protect Ai Fa, didn’t you? So why did you go and fall into the enemy’s hands?” the second Ruu son questioned, his blue eyes boring into me as he glared from up close and personal. “You said you wanted to protect her thoughts and feelings and even her pride. Were those words meant for nothing more than to escape in that moment? That’s all the resolve you’ve got standing at Ai Fa’s side?”

My chest felt like it had been pierced, and I couldn’t bring myself to immediately respond.

And all the while, the look in Darmu Ruu’s eyes grew all the more intense as he brought his face even closer.

“I told you I would end you if you failed to protect Ai Fa. But if you go and die on your own first, there won’t be anything left for me to do, now will there?”

The tone in Darmu Ruu’s voice made it seem like he was desperately trying to hold back his rage.

And as if he could restrain it no longer, he suddenly grabbed my shoulders.

“What do you think will happen to Ai Fa if she loses you now? You’ve dug yourself a spot deep in her soul, so do you know much despair she would feel if you were gone?”

I felt like I could hear the bones in my shoulders start to creak. However, Darmu Ruu’s words hurt even more than that.

“That’s what it means to protect Ai Fa. Before you can start worrying about her dying out in the forest, you need to concern yourself about staying by her side. If you can’t even understand that much... Then why did I even...?”

“I get that! Or at least, I think I do...”

I was fully aware that no matter what I said now, it would just sound like an excuse.

But even so, I still felt the need to speak my mind.

“Even though I’m too weak to protect myself, I want to keep on staying by Ai Fa’s side... To live long, satisfying lives together, sharing our fate until we meet our natural ends. Maybe these words aren’t persuasive in the least after I screwed up so badly... But if nothing else, those feelings are no lie.”

Darmu Ruu didn’t say a word.

“This incident thoroughly taught me just how powerless I really am. But even so... I want to stay with Ai Fa.”

For a while longer, Darmu Ruu remained silent as he glared into the depths of my eyes, and then eventually he roughly shoved away my shoulders.

Then, he masked his eyes with his hands as if he were suffering from some awful headache.

“I’m begging you...”

“Huh?”

“Please, don’t make Ai Fa suffer any more than you already have,” Darmu Ruu quietly muttered, turning his back to me.

With that, he swiftly departed, and then Ai Fa and Sheera Ruu came running on over to me.

“What in the world was that about? I don’t understand at all, Asuta,” Ai Fa angrily stated, getting her face up as close as Darmu Ruu’s had just been. “Whether it’s the night of the banquet or just now, why does that second son always look at you like that?”

“Yeah, well... To put it simply, he was just chewing me out for falling into enemy hands.”

Ai Fa brought her face in even closer, not looking satisfied in the least.

“That was the failure of the hunters guarding you. There’s no logic in blaming you for that.”

“That’s not true. And since pretty much nobody else blamed me for it at all, I actually appreciate Darmu Ruu doing so.” That was how I earnestly felt.

With a frown, Ai Fa stared deep into my eyes just as Darmu Ruu had done. “I simply don’t understand. You seem to grow more untalkative after quarreling with that second son, Asuta.”

“Yeah, that may be so.”

As Ai Fa pulled back, this time she gave a displeased frown.

Next to her, though, Sheera Ruu broke out in a delicate smile.

“Well then, I’ll be returning home. I’ll return soon, once the hamburger preparations are finished.”

“Right... Ah, thank you, Sheera Ruu.”

As she moved to turn around, Sheera Ruu smiled even deeper.

“I haven’t done anything you need to thank me for... I simply listened to my own feelings, Asuta.”

With that, Sheera Ruu left too.

After giving a little sigh, I firmly slapped my cheek with my right palm.

“What are you doing, Asuta?” Ai Fa questioned, her eyes opening wide.

“Ah, I was just trying to get myself fired up again. Alright, let’s get to carrying those jars!” I said, shooting my clan head a grin.

With a hearty furrowing of her brow, Ai Fa firmly pressed her own palm up to my cheek.

“That looked quite painful, Asuta.”

“I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt at all.”

With that, I took Ai Fa’s hand in my own, and we headed for the pantry.

The sun was right in between its peak and the point where it would set, steadily creeping along toward the west.