Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 13 - Chapter 1.4

4

“I have yet to hear your name...” Cyclaeus stated, calmly turning toward Yamiru Lea.

Breaking out in a bewitching smile, she replied, “I am Yamiru Lea, former eldest daughter of the main Suun house. On this side of me are Diga, Doddo, and Mida, while these two are Oura and Tsuvai. Oura is Zuuro Suun’s former wife, while the rest of us are all his children... However, only Tsuvai is Oura’s daughter, while the rest of us all had different mothers.”

“Hmm... You certainly seem appropriately bold for one who has inherited Zattsu Suun’s blood.”

“Should I respond to your words with something like, ‘You have my deepest thanks for your excessive praise,’ I wonder?” Yamiru Lea said in such a provocative tone that it even caused me to feel anxious. “Allow me to simply confirm: is it not the case that you summoned us here because you thought the punishment toward the members of the Suun clan was too lax? We came prepared to be judged by the laws of Genos as criminals.”

As she said that, Yamiru Lea looked over her former family. And the first to return her gaze and respond was shockingly Mida of all people.

“Yeah... I did lots of bad stuff, so I’ve gotta a-atone...? Atone for that. That’s what everyone from the Ruu told me...”

It was hard to tell just how much of the conversation he had understood, and his words were awkward like a child’s, but they were so filled with earnest emotion that it was enough to bring you to tears.

“I wanna live with the Ruu clan as a man of the forest’s edge... So I won’t cry, no matter how you punish me...”

A silence fell over the room.

And then in the midst of that, Ciluel quietly grumbled, “Damn monster...” but his voice seemed to carry unusually well.

For a moment I felt like I was about to burst a blood vessel with pure rage, but a swift hand from beside me grabbing my wrist managed to keep me from losing control. When I turned to look, I found Ai Fa’s eyes were blazing just as brightly as before as she came in close to my ear.

“Do not lose your composure. All of us here feel the same as you.”

“Sorry...” I nodded back, then calmed my wild breathing.

Not long after, Yamiru Lea’s chilly laughter once again filled the room.

“As you can see, even Mida, mentally the youngest of us all, has gathered up an unyielding resolve. And yet now, you’ve changed over to saying the punishment handed down by the leading clan heads is unjustly heavy?”

“At the previous meeting, I had not yet seen through Kamyua Yoshu and this Asuta man’s machinations... Still, it does not change the fact that your crimes must be judged anew.”

“I see... But regardless of what you may be thinking, it simply isn’t possible to reinstate the Suun as the leading clan at this point, Count Turan.”

“Oh...? And why is that, exactly...?”

“It should be obvious with just a little thought, wouldn’t you say? After our long years of continuously betraying them, not a single person of the forest’s edge would accept the Suun leading them again,” Yamiru Lea coolly stated. “Our people cannot accept betrayal and corruption. If you attempt to reinstate the Suun as the leading clan, they would rise up in revolt. It’s possible that everyone but the Suun may even abandon the forest of Morga entirely... So tell me, count, is that the sort of conclusion you desire?”

“But you people of the forest’s edge respect the law highly, do you not...? If the members of the Suun aside from Zuuro Suun are judged innocent of these crimes, that concern should not apply, correct?”

“Not so. The Suun clan hasn’t properly hunted giba for ten years now. Though the members of the branch houses are in the midst of being taught how to do so, as you can see, this is the present state of the former main house,” Yamiru Lea proclaimed, pointing toward Diga and Doddo with her elegant finger. “There’s simply no way a man lacking the strength to even hunt a giba could possibly lead the people of the forest’s edge. And so in every way imaginable, the Suun are unfit to serve as the leading clan.”

Yamiru Lea once said that depending on circumstances she would be willing to take the seat of leading clan head and place herself in Cyclaeus’s pocket, only for Granny Jiba and Gulaf Zaza to reject the idea. But now, she was taking this tack to counter Cyclaeus’s argument.

The unexpected sudden ambush left even Cyclaeus contemplating matters for a bit.

But before long, as if he had been waiting for that moment, his younger brother shouted out, “Woman, you seem to be pleased with yourself, thinking you really laid it all out perfectly, but that just goes to show how shallow the thinking of you barbarians really is! Such drivel is pointless before our solemn laws!”

Yamiru Lea shot Ciluel a chilly sidelong glance.

The man gave a devilish laugh, the bangs of his mushroom-like hair swaying all the while.

“Qualifications don’t come from someone’s ability! They come from their bloodline and position! As long as someone has the right blood flowing through their veins, it doesn’t matter how incompetent or wicked they may be!”

“So even if they’re incompetent or abuse their power, it doesn’t matter so long as they’re not a criminal?”

“That’s right! And none have been tormented more by that harsh truth than my older brother and myself!”

For some reason, Cyclaeus wiped the expression from his face and closed his eyes. There was a strange feel hanging in the air.

“Lord Melfried and Sir Zylus, you both understand what I am saying, don’t you? Our father and older brother were utterly useless fools! They may not have been wicked, but they were thoroughly ordinary incompetents incapable of shouldering the Turan name! But until their souls were sent to Selva, we had to keep on living in their shadows!”

So there was yet another older brother above Cyclaeus, the current head of the house?

At any rate, there was some unidentifiable emotion like an inferno whirling about in Ciluel’s eyes as he sat there, his face bright red.

“And yet, we had no choice but to endure those hardships until Selva indicated the proper path forward! Then, at the end of that travail awaited the prosperity Turan now enjoys! Since you people of the forest’s edge live here in Genos, you must obey its laws! Even if your leading clan head is incompetent and foolish, your one and only option is to live alongside and support them!”

“I do not know what sort of life you were forced to live... But does reinstating the Suun clan truly align so perfectly with the laws of Genos?” Yamiru Lea replied, having calmly stared at Ciluel as he suddenly tossed his dignity out the window. “It was our people who determined several decades ago that the Suun would be the leading clan. And now, with the approval of all of the clan heads, the Ruu, Zaza, and Sauti have taken up that responsibility. Neither of those matters should have anything to do with the laws of Genos.”

“If that was a matter solely relating to the people of the forest’s edge, it is true that we might have no room to interfere... But what if a plot by those meaning to cause friction here in Genos was involved?” Cyclaeus asked, suddenly reviving.

It was impossible to say what was going on with how he had turned so eerily silent and expressionless, but now he was once again staring back at Yamiru Lea with a viscous smile.

“I cannot help but believe it incredibly dangerous to continue to accept the three leading clan heads put in place as a result of a plot formed by Kamyua Yoshu and this visitor from overseas, Asuta... Will those three clans not bring even greater chaos and disaster to both Genos and the forest’s edge than the Suun ever did?”

“So you’ve decided the eldest son of the main Suun house should be the next leading clan head?” Donda Ruu chimed in, speaking up for the first time.

His expression looked far calmer than Gulaf Zaza and Dari Sauti, who both had rage burning brightly in their eyes.

“If you value bloodline above all else, then Diga there would be the one most qualified to lead.”

Diga turned to face Donda Ruu, looking utterly aghast. His stubble-coated face was now twisted with what could be described as pure terror.

“So you are the eldest son, Diga Suun...?” Cyclaeus asked, his sickening gaze turning that way. “Your father was the former leading clan head as well as the head of your clan, but he must be judged for his crimes... Do you not have a responsibility to properly lead your people as his heir?”

“I-I...” Diga started, his voice trembling with fear.

It was like watching a frog being glared at by a snake.

“You are still young... And so, I believe it would be for the best if you put your life on the line and strove to rectify the mistakes of your father and grandfather... What do you say...?”

Diga gulped so loud it was clearly audible.

But then... for some reason, he stole a glance at me and Ai Fa, and said, “I-I... I had the Suun name taken from me a month back now... I-I’m not qualified to be called an heir anymore.”

“Oh...? But if it is judged that punishment was improper, then just as before, you can—”

“I-I surrendered to my fear of the criminal Zattsu Suun and fled the Dom settlement! And then after that, I ran away from Zattsu Suun too! There’s no way someone like me would ever be qualified to call myself a member of the Suun clan!” Diga suddenly shouted.

His eyes that had sunken into his gaunt face started to faintly tear up.

“Tei Suun ran from the Dom settlement along with us! But he stayed by Zattsu Suun’s side and took back the Suun name... And then he died as a criminal! Doddo and I just abandoned him, so we’re not good enough to call ourselves Suun! As if we ever could! If you want to give me the Suun name back anyway, th-then just scalp me right next to my father!”

“If Diga’s executed, then I’d be next in line as the second son...” Doddo mumbled in a gloomy voice. “But I feel the same as him... So I guess that brings things to Mida.”

At that, Mida stared blankly down at his former big brother.

And from beside them, Yamiru Lea broke out in a graceful smile.

“Mida is still only fourteen, so it will be a year until he’s qualified to be clan head. Up until that time, I would need to hold onto that post for him as eldest daughter... Of course, I also have no interest in taking over as the head of the wicked Suun clan.”

“When there are no children over the age of fifteen, the custom is for the clan head’s wife to take charge...” Oura quietly chimed in while tightly grasping Tsuvai’s hand. “But I have no intention of serving in that role either. So please, execute me as a criminal along with the others.”

Every last one of them had renounced the post of Suun clan head.

And as she sat there before the silenced Cyclaeus, Yamiru Lea’s lips twisted into a grin.

“It seems that none of the members of the main house are up to the task. In cases such as that, next we look to branch houses with strong ties of blood. However, Zuuro Suun’s siblings all died without leaving behind children, and so it turns to looking at branch houses with weaker blood ties.”

Cyclaeus had no response.

“But can someone with such fleeting ties of blood truly serve as leading clan head? To start with, I can’t imagine those men and women who were bound by their fear of Zattsu Suun alone would have the backbone needed for the task.” At that, Yamiru Lea shot Gulaf Zaza a suspicious sidelong glance. “If a member of the branch houses were to become clan head, everyone would want them to be folded into one of their former subordinate clans. In order to recover severed blood ties, the largest of the clans formerly under the Suun would be chosen, so the post of leading clan head would ultimately go to Gulaf Zaza.”

The wicked noble remained silent.

“That is the only path forward if you wish to respect the Suun bloodline when choosing the leading clan head. Are you satisfied now, Count Turan?”

“That’s ridiculous! There’s no way it’s all right for everyone but me and Mida to get executed!” Tsuvai wailed, shooting to her feet.

“No standing without permission!” Ciluel shouted.

But Tsuvai just shot back, “Shut up! I’ve been sitting here silently listening, but everyone just keeps spouting selfish drivel! Besides, there’s no way we’d ever become underlings to some noble like that!”

“You brat! You dare make light of the noble bloodlines of Genos?!” Ciluel raged, reaching for his hip without thinking. Naturally, though, there wasn’t a sword there.

As she met his glare head on, Tsuvai snorted. “Hmph! If you all claim to be the rulers of us people of the forest’s edge, then you should show some responsibility too! You just let Zattsu Suun do as he pleased, so how can you just sit there acting all arrogant?!”

“You little...!”

“Our people of the forest’s edge decided every last one of us would atone for Zattsu Suun’s crimes! The Suun clan is making up for it by living properly from here on out, and everyone else is guiding us down the right path! That’s why the Ruu and Rutim and Dom took in troublemakers like us!”

Though Tsuvai was the littlest one present, she was standing in front of her precious mother to protect her as she glared at Ciluel. And right now, her big eyes were blazing even brighter with rage than they had last night. “Still, Zattsu Suun and his group committed crimes outside the forest’s edge too! And if you knew and just turned a blind eye, then you’re guilty too! So how can you go blaming the people of the forest’s edge?!”

“That’s nothing more than slander fabricated by that scoundrel Kamyua Yoshu! We knew nothing of any crimes committed by members of the Suun clan!”

“You must be blind, then! And the Ruu and Rutim must be more capable than you, since they noticed first!” Tsuvai retorted, and then her big eyes half closed. “And besides, Diga and Doddo said before that you folks from the castle town let the Suun clan’s crimes slide. So when Doddo or Mida caused a commotion in town, you all smoothed it over, didn’t you?”

“Yes, you dodged that question at the last meeting, but can you provide a satisfactory answer to it today?” Gazraan Rutim calmly interjected, gently reaching out with his long arm and sitting Tsuvai back down. “You’re insisting that you had no knowledge of Zattsu Suun’s wrongdoing. On the other hand, you have unjustly covered for Doddo and Mida’s crimes. Exactly what reasons did you have for doing that?”

Even now, the noble brothers remained silent.

“I am asking you, Ciluel, leader of the militia. It was the town guards who protected the Suun clan, and they fall under your command, do they not?”

“Hmph! You think I know anything about the failings of the guards in the post town?! My job is to command the whole of the militia!”

“So you are saying it isn’t your role to command the town guards?” Gazraan Rutim calmly pressed, only for Ciluel to reply with an extremely repulsive faint smile.

“If you’ve got a complaint, then lodge it with the head guard. It’s got nothing to do with me!”

“So it was done at that head guard’s sole discretion? I’ve heard tell that whenever Mida destroyed a stall, soldiers came from the castle town to pay for the damages and settle things, though.”

“Don’t ask me! If there really is someone who’d do that in my militia, then start by proving it!”

“I cannot say your demeanor shows much willingness to understand and sympathize with our position. How truly disappointing,” Gazraan Rutim said while maintaining that same calm tone as always. “The truth is, Asuta is a pure-blooded person of the forest’s edge, born in our settlement... Could you believe such a statement?”

“What? What are you trying to pull now?”

“Every now and again, someone with an appearance like Asuta’s is born in the settlement at the forest’s edge. Asuta was simply joking when he said he was a visitor from overseas, so I ask that you discard any suspicion of him conspiring with Kamyua Yoshu here and now.”

“That’s ridiculous! Do you really think an excuse like that will work at this—”

“Well then, is there any proof that Asuta is a visitor from overseas? Asuta just happened to be born at the forest’s edge with the appearance of a foreigner, and visited the post town for the first time at the age of seventeen. That’s all there is to it. There’s no way someone like him would conspire with someone from town to bring harm to Genos and the forest’s edge, wouldn’t you say?” After saying all that in a dead serious tone, Gazraan Rutim broke out in a smile. “That is the sort of thing that you are saying. If you cannot trust me, then I also cannot trust you.”

Though Ciluel looked furious, he held his tongue.

Taking that as his cue, Leito grinned and started pouring salt on that wound. “Well then, I suppose it’s our turn. After all, focusing on topics with actual proof seems beneficial to us all.”

“You are Kamyua Yoshu’s attendant, are you not, child...?” Cyclaeus asked, shooting Leito a crafty look. “And I have also heard tell that you are the orphaned child of the leader of that merchant caravan that was attacked ten years ago. I most certainly sympathize with your circumstances, but I cannot imagine anything useful can be gained from having a child like yourself act as a witness at this point...”

“Yes, there isn’t any value to my testimony. Instead, as Kamyua Yoshu’s proxy I have brought Bartha here as a witness.”

Cyclaeus’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, but Leito just smiled even brighter.

“Did you think that Kamyua planned to have me act as a witness out of desperation when he realized he wouldn’t make it? That’s certainly quite a misunderstanding. In fact, the reason Kamyua left Genos in the first place was to search for Bartha here.”

All the while, Bartha was silently burning holes in Ciluel with her glare.

After glancing her way out of the corner of his eye, Leito continued on, “Bartha was the wife of the late leader of the Red Beards, Goram. Have I said enough for you to understand the value of her testimony?”

“Wife...? Wait, are you saying that person is a woman...?” Cyclaeus asked.

“Geez, everyone’s so rude about that. Well, I’m used to getting treated like a man by this point,” Bartha said with a brazen grin.

And then, she reached up and roughly pulled off the leather strap holding back her hair, letting her surprisingly long blackish-brown locks tumble down over her face.

“Well? Do I look at least a bit womanly now? Not that I’m ever gonna look sensual with a face like this, though.”

In all likelihood, everyone had noticed the unusual change that had occurred. Ciluel had just been beet red with rage, but now he was frozen stiff like a statue and completely pale.

“Over these past ten years and some change, I’ve been retraining my weakened body. I was pretty skinny back then, so did you not recognize me? I knew who you were at first sight, though.”

“Wh-What are you saying...?”

“Don’t play dumb. You were the one who asked my husband Goram to attack those envoys from Banarm, weren’t you, Ciluel?” Bartha said, the rage simmering in her eyes. “If I’m wrong, why not lift up that amusing hair of yours a bit? Goram was so furious that he gave you a nice, deep cut on your forehead, and I can’t imagine a scar like that would vanish after just ten years.”

Ciluel was pressed tight up against the back of his chair, and he had started trembling like he had the shakes. He probably didn’t even realize it, but his hand had reached up to cover his hearty bangs and forehead.

“Even I never thought a noble would personally hire bandits, but it looks like Kamyua’s guess hit the mark,” Leito chimed in with the same smile as before. “Well, before taking on the role of militia leader, you had plenty of time on your hands, didn’t you? And Kamyua also said Lord Cyclaeus would never trust anyone but a relative to help with such a criminal plot.”

“I see... So this is yet another of that fool’s ploys, is it...?” Cyclaeus responded with a gloomy chuckle. “Did he learn of the old scar on Ciluel’s head and then come up with it...? Woman, if you value your life, I suggest that you wash your hands of this trickery...”

“Hmph, you don’t need to worry about that. You can’t go picking a fight with nobles if you aren’t willing to put your life on the line, after all.”

“Oh...? Do you truly understand...? After all, if you are the Red Beard leader’s wife, that means you were a member of those bandits until you had his child...”

“I’m well aware of what that means.”

“Hmph... So you say you came here prepared to be judged as a remnant of that bandit group...?” Cyclaeus asked, a downright venomous shine in his eyes. “Ten years may have passed, but those crimes haven’t been forgiven... If you insist that you are Goram Redbeard’s wife, then regardless of anything Ciluel may or may not have done, you will be punished as a criminal...”

“This is getting repetitive. What did you think I meant when I said I was putting my life on the line, eh?” Bartha asked with a daring grin, brushing off Cyclaeus’s glare. “I’m the last survivor of the Red Beards, Goram Redbeard’s wife Bartha. You can go ahead and hang me or whatever you need to do. I was ready for that when I set foot in the castle town, after all.”

I unwittingly gulped. And then, I remembered how Bartha was yesterday. She said she wanted to see her son Jeeda one last time... Thinking back on her words, I was impressed again by how much resolve was behind them.

And from beside me, Ai Fa was also staring intensely at Bartha.

“I swear on my life and the name of the western god Selva that I am the wife of Goram Redbeard, and that the man seated there is the fiend who tried to get my husband wrapped up in this wicked plot. He tried to instigate Goram by telling him a group of envoys from Banarm would be coming soon, as well as the date they’d arrive on, the route they’d be taking, and how they’d be guarded. And he said to kill them all and loot their treasure.”

“S-Silence! I have the noble Turan blood running through my veins, so the idea of me visiting some bandit group is—”

“But being part of a count’s house in Genos is pretty insignificant as far as nobles go, right? Kamyua Yoshu said the only ones with a significant position and fortune are the heads of house and their heirs,” Bartha calmly yet fiercely responded, cutting off a bewildered Ciluel. “That’s why you became your house head’s yes-man and errand boy, isn’t it? Well, whatever. All I can do is testify that you’re the one who visited my husband and tried to incite him to commit that crime. I leave the rest to everyone else.”

Once again, silence descended over the room.

And the one to break it this time around was Melfried.

“Sir Ciluel, it was in the same period in which those envoys from Banarm were attacked that you were assigned the task of leading the militia. And from what I am told, that was an unprecedented promotion, brought about by the emphatic demands of Count Cyclaeus.”

Ciluel sat there silently.

“And once you acquired that post, you declared the Red Beards were the ones who had attacked the envoy group and the previous militia leader, and mobilized a group to subdue them. However, from what I am told, the only reason it was determined that the Red Beards were responsible was because they were the only bandit group with sufficient forces to do such a thing at the time.”

Even still, Ciluel didn’t say a word.

“But the ambush in the forest of Morga was also said to be the work of the Red Beards, while we now know it was committed by Zattsu Suun. Is it not true that when you failed to bring the Red Beards under your command, you decided instead to pin false crimes upon them in order to seal their lips?”

“Ridiculous! The Red Beards were a vicious band of thieves! It is an undeniable fact that they perpetrated countless crimes over the course of many years!”

“That’s true, of course. Even if the group didn’t kill, it doesn’t change the weight of their other crimes. As such, there was no option but to have everyone who had committed those numerous robberies pay with their lives.”

Did that mean...Bartha was going to receive a death sentence too?

As I just sat there worrying, I heard Ai Fa grinding her teeth next to me.

“Even so, the blade of justice must be swung in a correct and proper manner. Even if someone is already a criminal, that doesn’t make it acceptable to place false charges upon them.”

“Hold on, Lord Melfried... This is all a plot by that scoundrel, Kamyua Yoshu. That despicable man set about laying all sorts of traps in a scheme to bring down Ciluel and myself,” Cyclaeus stated, once more holding out a hand to restrain his brother, who was currently alternating between going pale and red with rage. Though he had the look of a cornered beast in his eyes, his twisted grin still clung to his face. “That woman may indeed be the survivor of that bandit group... But even if that is so, that doesn’t mean that everything she says is true, now does it...?”

“Are you claiming that she is telling lies? What reason could there be for going so far as risking your life to submit false testimony?”

“Oh, there is a reason for such things... For example, what if Kamyua Yoshu held someone more precious to her than life itself in his grasp?”

“Hah! Are you talking about my boy Jeeda, perhaps? No matter how skilled of a bodyguard Kamyua Yoshu may be, he won’t be catching that wild brat of mine easily,” Bartha replied with a sneer.

And as his gaze remained fixed on Melfried, Cyclaeus’s lips twisted into a grin.

“I wonder about that... Half a month ago, a red-haired bandit child attacked people of the forest’s edge in town, including Asuta there. If that boy was the child of the late bandit leader, that would mean he had contact with Asuta, who in turn has ties to Kamyua Yoshu. Is that all simply a coincidence...?”

“It is. It’s been a year now since Jeeda and I went our separate ways. I’m following my own will, and the same is true of that son of mine,” Bartha replied, but Cyclaeus unsurprisingly ignored her.

“There has also been further suspicion cast upon Kamyua Yoshu... Lord Melfried, you have heard tell of the bandits dressed as people of the forest’s edge who attacked the Daleim plantations, have you not...? I believe that incident was also part of that accursed Kamyua Yoshu’s plot.”

Melfried just sat there listening to his words, expressionless. I really couldn’t sense any emotion at all in his chilly gray eyes.

“That man took several hunters of the forest’s edge along with him and left Genos... And not long after, that suspicious group of bandits appeared... Was it not Kamyua Yoshu’s plan to frame the hunters with him as the culprits and have the militia cast judgment upon them?”

“And you’re saying this is yet another piece of that supposed plot to form a rift between Genos and the people of the forest’s edge?”

“Of course... Naturally, though, Ciluel was not foolish enough to fall for such an obvious ploy. Currently, he has a unit patrolling outside of Genos in order to capture the criminals who have committed these deeds under Kamyua Yoshu’s guidance. I’m certain Kamyua Yoshu and his accomplices shall be brought in by the militia in short order...”

So that whole commotion was meant to take down Kamyua Yoshu rather than the people of the forest’s edge... Cyclaeus must have been plotting to seal that aloof bodyguard’s lips first.

In that case, maybe it’s a good thing that Kamyua didn’t make it back... Or is it the opposite, and we can’t settle anything without him around? I pondered, only for a voice to sound out from behind us.

“Count Turan, guests have arrived!” Jimon shouted out from the other side of the heavy door.

Cyclaeus’s face froze, with his eerie grin still firmly in place.

“Guests...? But all the participants in today’s meeting are already gathered...”

“That’s not true. I’m nothing but a proxy, after all,” Leito cheerfully chimed in.

With that, everyone realized just who had arrived.

A moment later, the door swung open, and just the person we had expected came into view.

“I’m seriously late, huh? I’m just glad I managed to make it before everyone left,” a voice said with an aloof chuckle.

This was my first time in half a month seeing Kamyua Yoshu, as he wandered into the room.