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

Intermezzo: The Same Path as You

On this particular day, Lala Ruu had been in a bad mood from the moment she woke up in the morning.

She rose when dawn broke, bathed with her sisters, washed the dishes in the same place, and went to the edge of the forest to gather pico and lilo leaves. And she had hardly said a word the whole time, so on the way back, Sati Lea Ruu asked in a concerned tone, “What’s the matter, Lala? You seem rather down today.”

Sati Lea Ruu was married to Lala Ruu’s older brother, Jiza Ruu. She was older than the girl’s sisters, and was currently staring at Lala Ruu with an incredibly gentle look in her eyes. Turning her way, Lala Ruu just replied, “It’s nothing.”

“But you haven’t said a word all morning, have you? If you’re not feeling well, you should take it easy rather than pushing yourself.”

“I feel fine! And I gathered even more pico leaves than you, Sati Lea Ruu,” Lala Ruu snapped back due to her bad mood. She regretted that for a moment, until she noticed Sati Lea Ruu’s smile hadn’t changed one bit.

“That’s true. You certainly are impressive, considering you’re still just nine years old, Lala. But are you really not feeling bad at all...? Or is there something bothering you?”

It seemed like her lies couldn’t win against Sati Lea Ruu’s wisdom. But even so, Lala Ruu stubbornly replied, “No,” with a shake of her head. “It really is nothing. And we’re done with work, so let’s hurry on back.”

“I see...” was the only response she got. Sati Lea Ruu didn’t pursue the matter any further.

As they walked along the edge of the forest, her sisters were happily chatting away. Since the youngest, Rimee Ruu, had been left back home, the group consisted of Lala Ruu and her two older sisters, and also Sati Lea Ruu. And from the strong sunlight streaming down through the branches overhead, it seemed that the sun was getting close to its peak.

Before long the giba would start waking up out in the forest, and the hunters would get to work.

That thought caused the oppressive feeling in Lala Ruu’s chest to grow even heavier.

“Ah, welcome back. Did you get all your work done?” her grandmother Tito Min Ruu greeted as they exited the forest.

She had a large hatchet in her hand, and there was a big pile of firewood by her feet. She must have been chopping it all on her own.

“Yeah, we got plenty of pico and lilo. We should help you out with chopping the firewood, too...” the oldest sister, Vina Ruu, replied.

Tito Min Ruu responded with a smile, “There’s no need to be in such a hurry. I was thinking it was about time for me to take a break, too. The sun will hit its peak soon, so the rest can wait till after we chew on some jerky. Just go ahead and store that lilo and pico in the pantry first.”

“Alright. Well then, we’ll see you later...”

It really was a perfectly ordinary day, just like always.

And yet, today was special. After storing away the herbs they picked in the pantry, they went to return home, only to hear some commotion from the plaza as if to prove that fact.

“Hmm? What are they making such a fuss about?” Reina Ruu questioned with a tilt of her head.

Lala Ruu bit her lip, then turned toward her sisters.

“Sorry, but I’ve got a little something to take care of. You guys go ahead, okay?”

“Ah, Lala...?” Sati Lea Ruu called out in concern, but Lala Ruu ignored her and took off running toward the plaza.

She already knew where those voices had come from. There was a crowd gathered in front of a branch house not far removed from the main house. It belonged to Ryada Ruu, the younger brother of Lala Ruu’s father Donda Ruu.

Ryada and Shin Ruu were standing there in front of the house.

And when she saw them, Lala Ruu bit her lip again.

Shin Ruu was wearing a brand new hunter’s cloak his family must have made for him, and he had a sword dangling at his hip. Yesterday he had turned thirteen, and so starting today he would participate in giba hunts as a hunter in training.

“Ah, you really look the part.”

“You’re still a bit small, but you look just like Ryada Ruu when he was little.”

“I’m sure you’ll become a fine hunter, Shin Ruu.”

The women from the other branch houses gathered there were all chatting away. And Shin Ruu just stood there silently in the middle of them, looking as calm as always.

He was about a head shorter than Ryada Ruu. And though his father was on the slender side, Shin Ruu was even more so. Lala Ruu was still just a child at the age of nine, but there was only a four-year difference between her and Shin Ruu. So before even considering the sword, that thick fur cloak alone already looked heavy for Shin Ruu as he was now.

“It sure is something. Starting today, Shin Ruu’s finally a hunter, huh?” a familiar voice said from right beside Lala Ruu.

At some point her older brother Ludo Ruu had approached, staring at Shin Ruu while chewing on jerky.

“Up till yesterday, he was playing together with us. I wanna hurry up and become a hunter, too.”

Ludo Ruu was twelve, so he still had around a whole year left until he would be a hunter. He was even shorter than Shin Ruu, and was slender like a woman, too.

“But when you become a hunter, you have to face off with giba out in the forest, right...?” Lala Ruu quietly replied.

“Of course you do,” her brother answered with a chuckle. “That’s a hunter’s job, right? Man, I wish my birthday wasn’t so far off.”

“But why...? You and Shin Ruu are so small. If you take on a giba, you could die.”

“If you die out in the forest, then that’s just your fate. No matter how strong a hunter may be, they can still end up having their soul return to the forest at an early age, even if they are big,” Ludo Ruu said while sticking out his tongue and facing straight ahead.

Lala Ruu was reaching out to smack him on the head, but just then the crowd parted and Shin Ruu approached.

“So you came, Ludo and Lala Ruu? Is Donda Ruu up already?”

“Who knows? He’s probably still asleep. Either that, or back home chewing on jerky.”

“I see. I’ll have to make sure I greet the head of the main house before we head out, though.”

Sure enough, Shin Ruu was still acting just the same as always. And his face that hardly ever smiled, as elegant as a woman’s, was unchanged too.

The only thing that had changed was the hunter’s cloak on his slender frame and the large sword dangling at his hip. But that alone was enough to make him look a whole lot more grown up.

Even if he was little, he was still around a head taller than the nine-year-old Lala Ruu, enough so that it was hard to tell whether or not her head reached up to his shoulders. At any rate, Shin Ruu looked down at her with the same calm gaze as always.

“Are you two taking a break? I suppose it’s about time for everyone to be finished gathering herbs and firewood.”

“Ah, I guess you don’t have to help out around the house anymore. That alone’s enough to make me jealous,” Ludo Ruu said before his sister spoke up, causing Shin Ruu to turn his way.

“Housework and hunting are both equally important. It’s not good to make light of that, Ludo Ruu.”

“But there’s nothing fun at all about gathering herbs and skinning pelts. It’s way more fun to have contests of strength with you, Shin Ruu.”

“Right. Please help my younger brothers train until you turn thirteen, too.”

“Your brothers are still just itty bitty runts! You can give them sticks or whatever, but they still won’t put up a decent fight.”

The pair seemed to really be enjoying themselves.

Even if he hadn’t changed, Shin Ruu still looked incredibly proud, and Ludo Ruu was clearly happy for him. That much was only naturally for folks around their age.

But amidst all that, Lala Ruu still had a heavy heart.

“Shin Ruu, take care not to get hurt, alright...?” Lala Ruu called out, causing Shin Ruu to look back her way, his upturned eyes happily narrowing.

“Everything is in accordance with the will of the forest, but I intend to strive my hardest to keep working as a hunter for as long as I can. And you should keep on striving with your housework too, Lala Ruu.”

Since Lala Ruu’s emotions were still in flux, she couldn’t even bring herself to respond. Shin Ruu’s eyes had made him look glad, but now he appeared a bit worried. Before he could say anything further, though, Ryada Ruu approached.

“Shin, you should go visit the head of the main house, Donda Ruu. And if she’s up to it, you should also greet the elder before heading into the forest.”

“Right, understood,” Shin Ruu nodded, then after taking one more look down at Lala Ruu, he headed for the main house alongside his father.

And with that, the women of the branch houses returned to their own work, leaving just Lala and Ludo Ruu standing there.

“What’s with you? Did you have a fight with Shin Ruu or something? You’re seriously acting different than usual.”

“Of course I didn’t...”

“Bet you did. Geez, this is an important day for Shin Ruu, so stop it with the weird worrying, already,” Ludo Ruu stated, bringing his hands together behind his head and walking off toward who knows where.

After heaving a sigh, Lala Ruu noticed there were still a number of people in front of the house, so she headed over that way. There, she found Shin Ruu’s mother Tari Ruu, his older sister Sheera Ruu, and his two younger brothers.

Sheera Ruu’s eyes were cast downwards and full of worry, while Tari Ruu was patting her shoulder to comfort her. The two young boys didn’t seem to understand what was going on all that well, and they were just chatting away and chewing jerky.

Their family member had finally been thrust into the dangerous world of a hunter. There was no way the only thing they’d feel about that was pride.

And seeing how worried the especially timid Sheera Ruu was, Lala Ruu felt like she had finally found someone who could relate with what she was feeling.

◇

“I see. So you were worried about Shin Ruu?” Sati Lea Ruu asked as they were laying out the pico leaves they gathered that morning atop a spread cloth.

As she helped with the task, Lala Ruu nodded back, “Yeah.”

Unable to hold it back any longer, she had opened up to Sati Lea Ruu about what she had been feeling.

The sun had already reached its peak, and the men were out in the forest. When she recalled how Shin Ruu had looked so strikingly small compared to the others as they headed off, Lala Ruu had to hold back tears.

“You got along quite well with Shin Ruu, didn’t you, Lala? I can understand how you’d be worried. Hunting giba is incredibly dangerous work, after all.”

“Right...”

“But being a hunter in training shouldn’t be all that bad, you know. At the start, he’ll be accompanied by strong hunters as he learns to hide his presence and track giba, from what I’ve been told.”

“You can be attacked out of nowhere just walking out in the forest, though, right? A man from the branch houses had his soul return to the forest not long ago like that, didn’t he?”

“That’s true. Things like that do happen, of course. But it’s all according to the will of the forest.”

Sati Lea Ruu patted Lala Ruu on the shoulder, just like Tari Ruu had done for her daughter just a little while earlier.

As she wiped away the tears gradually leaking out with the back of her hand, Lala Ruu looked up at her.

“How can you all keep so calm, Sati Lea? If your precious family or husband lose their lives out in the forest, you’ll never see them again. There’s no way you don’t get sad thinking about that, right?”

“Of course. And so we pray to the forest each and every day that that won’t happen.”

“But day after day, the forest doesn’t ever answer those prayers... I just can’t stand it!”

If her parents heard those words, she would definitely be scolded. And so, Lala Ruu clung to Sati Lea Ruu instead.

The woman was even older than her sisters, and was already married, too. But she was still just nineteen, so she was closer in age to Lala Ruu than to her parents. While she probably wasn’t as wise and far-sighted as older women, Sati Lea Ruu was always calm and wearing a gentle smile, and so she looked more reliable than anyone to Lala Ruu at the moment.

“Just as you say, losing family or a husband is incredibly sad. Even if it is the result of the forest’s guidance, you’re still never able to so much as talk to that precious person ever again. I can’t think of a worse pain than that.”

“Right.”

“A soul returned to the forest will appear again before its allies, though its form will be changed. Those are the teachings of the forest, but there’s no way to truly understand that while you’re still young... You just wonder why, chasing after traces of the one you lost,” Sati Lea Ruu said, breaking out in a sudden smile. It was a bit different than her usual one though, looking somehow pained. “Lala, I’ve already lost both of my parents.”

“Huh?! B-But you were born into the main Lea house, weren’t you? And I know I saw the Lea clan head at the last festival of the hunt...”

“I was originally born to a branch house. But I lost my parents at a young age, and was taken into the main house,” Sati Lea Ruu replied, her eyes narrowing and staring off into the distance. “My father lost his life as a hunter in the forest, while an illness took my mother away. And so I thought... When someone dies, the people left behind only lose them, while those who die lose everyone all at once. But even so... Up until the very end, the only thing my mother worried about was me.”

Lala Ruu just quietly listened.

“So then, I had the thought... that it wasn’t good for those left behind to keep dragging along that sadness with them. My mother and father’s souls watch over me together with the forest... I decided to believe that teaching with all my heart. Otherwise, it would just be too sad for my parents, who were ripped away from everyone...”

“I don’t... understand...”

Not even knowing what was driving her feelings at the moment, Lala Ruu finally broke down crying.

Still smiling, Sati Lea Ruu wrapped her arms gently around the girl’s head.

“You’re still young, so it may be a bit too tricky of a topic for you, Lala. What I wanted to say is, my mother and father both seemed very happy. Back then I was still little so I was just awash in sadness, but when I grew a bit, I started thinking I would like to live joyful lives like them. And then at the end, my soul could return to the forest.”

“Right...”

“Death awaits us all. But that’s exactly why we have to live as hard as we can up until the very end. Focus on life, rather than death. If you can do that, I believe you’ll be able to feel satisfied when your soul returns to the forest, just like my parents were.”

Sati Lea Ruu’s words really were too much for the young Lala Ruu to truly understand.

It was then, though, that there was a commotion in the plaza behind them again.

Turning around in surprise, Lala Ruu saw that a number of hunters had returned carrying giba. Even though practically no time at all had passed since they went into the forest, they had already hunted down two of the beasts.

Lala Ruu turned back toward Sati Lea Ruu, a look of urgency on her face. Seeing her anxiousness, the older girl patted her head and gently smiled.

“Go. I’ll take care of the pico leaves.”

With a nod, Lala Ruu once more took off running toward the plaza.

There were four hunters there in total, carrying the two giba in pairs. And among them was Shin Ruu, who Lala Ruu couldn’t fail to recognize even at a distance.

“Shin Ruu! You’re back already?”

“Ah, Lala Ruu... Yes, we were attacked by these two while on the way to check on the traps that had been set. We weren’t that far from the settlement at that point, so we turned around to deliver these giba first.”

The giba’s legs were tied to a grigee pole, and the hunters were carrying it on their shoulders. It was a fine giba, even bigger than Shin Ruu. He was carrying it along with his father Ryada Ruu, while the other two men belonged to a different branch family.

“You were attacked by giba? Did you get hurt anywhere?” Lala Ruu asked in a trembling voice.

“No,” Shin Ruu succinctly replied.

It was true that he didn’t have any visible wounds, and the two of them also seemed to be carrying such a big giba easily. It was a sight that clearly displayed the strength possessed by the hunters of the forest’s edge.

“My father Ryada dealt the finishing blow, but the arrow I shot hit its leg and stopped it from moving. So, we’ll get to keep this giba’s pelt.”

“I see... That’s amazing, Shin Ruu.”

“I just got lucky. Still, I’m glad to have carried out my work,” Shin Ruu replied, breaking out in a grin.

It was a proud, somewhat childish smile of the sort that the boy only rarely showed.

Shin Ruu was living life to its furthest. And he clearly felt proudly about living as a hunter, more so than anything. That was why he could bring himself to smile like that.

From underneath the painful emotions swirling about in her chest, Lala Ruu managed to force out a different feeling entirely.

She wasn’t lying to herself. Instead, she was openly expressing her own feelings, having been crushed under the weight of sadness and doubt.

When Shin Ruu was smiling like that, she didn’t want to be the only one sobbing. So with such thoughts running through her head, she grinned with all her might.

“Congratulations! I’m glad to see you do so well at your work, too!”

At that, Shin Ruu smiled even more joyfully.

That smile from her beloved childhood friend was something Lala Ruu knew quite well.

“Once we get these put away, we’ll be heading back out into the forest. Please, pray that we stay safe on our hunt.”

“Right! I’ll be waiting, along with Sheera Ruu and everyone!”

Urged on by Ryada Ruu, Shin Ruu then headed back to his house.

And as she watched them leave, Lala Ruu once again wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes.

I want to hurry and grow up, too.

On her next birthday she would be able to dress as a woman, and then when she turned thirteen, she would be able to do the same work as all the adults. Would she be able to properly understand what Sati Lea Ruu had told her then, too?

She had no idea, but there was something she did know.

Lala Ruu wanted to walk the same path as Shin Ruu.

She wanted to live as a person of the forest’s edge should. Never letting her soul grow rotten like the Suun clan, never fearing what others thought, and properly following the teachings of her people... And she wanted to share her happiness together with the people precious to her. Those feelings burned bright in her.

With her doubts put to rest, Lala Ruu turned around and took off running back to the place where she belonged.