Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 13 - Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2: Whirling Intentions

1

Cyclaeus and Ciluel had been arrested as criminals, but that didn’t mean that everything had been settled.

The next few days steadily passed as I watched in a sort of quiet awe. By the end of the third day after, it finally started to sink in that the whole commotion was finally over. But in actuality, things wouldn’t really be done and dusted until those wicked nobles were properly judged at a trial.

However, the trial for their crimes couldn’t be carried out in just three days. From what I was told it would take quite a bit of preparation since they were handling nobles, and there was an additional urgent complication that required delays on top of that: Cyclaeus had collapsed from illness. And it had happened right in front of our eyes too.

On the day of the meeting, after Jeeda withdrew his blade, the ducal guards had moved to arrest Cyclaeus, but the man had already lost consciousness.

Doctors were immediately summoned from the castle, and their diagnosis was that Cyclaeus’s illness had reached a critical state. From what we were told, he had taken such a mental blow that he had lost the strength needed to fight back against it.

If he was moved carelessly, his life could be at risk. And if he died before the trial, it would become very difficult to properly prosecute Ciluel for his crimes. And so, it was decided that Cyclaeus would be nursed back to health at his own manor, where he would be kept under watch.

“Regardless, all his rights as Count Turan have been suspended, and the ducal guards are keeping him under heavy watch so he can’t have any outside contact. There’s no need to worry anymore,” Kamyua Yoshu informed us the day after the meeting, his words having come for Duke Genos. Apparently the plan was that the doctors would keep treating him, and then he would be moved to the castle once his illness stabilized.

And there was another matter that needed to be discussed too: how Bartha and Jeeda would be handled.

Bartha was a remnant of a bandit group, while Jeeda had set foot in the castle town without a pass, so sure enough they both were moved to Genos Castle. Of course Bartha was also an important witness, so part of the reason was to protect her. Bottom line, her trial would happen after Cyclaeus and Ciluel were judged. But Bartha had resolved herself from the start, so she looked perfectly calm as she followed the instructions from the ducal guards.

The real issue was Jeeda.

Even after Duke Marstein Genos appeared and declared an end to the whole commotion, Jeeda didn’t remove his blade from Cyclaeus’s throat.

“If I send these criminals’ heads flying here and now, there won’t be any need for a trial!” Jeeda had shouted.

And he must have thought he could run away with his mother in order to save her life too. I could see that tragic yet brave resolve in him, and I just couldn’t find the words to respond. As for Bartha, she just said, “Don’t go spouting foolhardy stuff like that,” as she stared sadly at her son’s back.

“I’m at a loss...” Marstein commented while stroking his mustache. Melfried had accepted a blade from a subordinate, and now his gray eyes had a chilly glare in them. It was starting to look like either Jeeda or Cyclaeus wouldn’t make it out of there alive, but then Donda Ruu’s solemn voice filled the room.

“Jeeda... That’s your name, right, hunter of Masara? Do you intend to trample all over your mother’s resolve?”

“Shut up! This has nothing to do with you people of the forest’s edge!”

“That’s not true. This female hunter of Masara, Bartha, had a firm will and resolve to strike down our shared enemy alongside us,” Donda Ruu declared as he looked down on the small figure with his blade pressed to Cyclaeus’s throat.

That leading clan head surely would have been able to take away the boy’s weapon by force, but instead he kept on talking.

“Cutting someone down, regardless of the law, just because it’s more convenient... You know that your own mother put her life on the line in order to expose shameless men like that, don’t you?”

“That’s...!”

“And you’re the one who put her in that predicament, Jeeda of Masara.” There wasn’t any expression showing on Donda Ruu’s face then, but there was an intense light shining in his blue eyes. “If you had not grown obsessed with revenge and left your mother’s side, Bartha of Masara would not have chosen this path. After all, she chose it so that you would not be a criminal, and to make up for having planted the seeds of revenge in her own son.”

Underneath his hunter’s cloak, Jeeda’s back had started fiercely trembling.

“By placing her life on the line to bear witness against these criminals, she could avoid your blade being soaked in blood. She risked her very life not for revenge, but for the sake of your future. And you intend to trample upon her resolve and stain your blade with bloody vengeance?”

At that, Jeeda finally dropped his weapon.

From that moment until the ducal guards arrested him and took him out of the room, he just kept on hanging his head, so right to the end I wasn’t able to see just what sort of expression he was wearing on his youthful face.

“Well, he sneaked into a noble’s manor and stuck a blade up against its owner’s throat, so normally he’d be executed for sure, but there’s the circumstances to keep in mind here. Fortunately Duke Genos isn’t as inflexible as his son, so I’d expect him to show mercy.”

I must have been making quite a pathetic face, as Kamyua Yoshu whispered that into my ear when Jeeda was led away.

And there was one other person who was arrested and taken into custody: Zuuro Suun.

Once Cyclaeus, Ciluel, Jeeda, and Bartha were all removed by the ducal guards, I figured that would settle things for the moment. But then, Zuuro Suun suddenly threw himself at Marstein’s feet.

“Oh lord of Genos... I am also a criminal who broke the laws of both Genos and the forest’s edge, so can I not also surrender myself to you...?”

The people of the forest’s edge present had all levelheadedly watched over things as Marstein took command, but this made them erupt in a commotion. In particular, Gulaf Zaza stepped forward, both of his eyes blazing bright with rage.

“What are you saying now, you bastard? It can’t be... Have you lost the guts to face our intended punishment for you?”

“I’m not afraid of having my soul returned to the forest at this point... But I believe if the laws of Genos seek to judge me as a criminal, then that’s how I should be handled...” Zuuro Suun listlessly replied as he groveled at Marstein’s feet. “The townsfolk know we people of the forest’s edge... No, we members of the Suun clan are protected by the nobles in the castle... Even so, from what I hear, their suspicions and anger were partially quieted when judgment was passed on Zattsu and Tei Suun... In that case, if I’m judged properly by the laws of Genos as the last great criminal left, then both the lord of this land and the people of the forest’s edge should both be able to regain their honor together. Isn’t that possible...?”

“But...”

“Also... If I am fairly judged for my crimes, then it will be known that those left behind...my former family members, are not criminals, and that they were justly pardoned according to Genos’s laws...”

“Hmm...” Marstein mumbled as he swept aside his long bangs. Then, his wise-looking brown eyes turned toward the old man sitting in the corner of the room.

“Legal Officer Zylus, according to the laws of Genos, what sort of punishment do you believe this man Zuuro Suun would face for his crimes? I am asking for your personal opinion rather than any sort of official ruling.”

“Yes, well... To begin with, the law that the fruits of Morga are not to be pillaged was made specifically for the people of the forest’s edge, and it has not ever been the subject of official adjudication. However... Considering it occurred over the course of more than ten years and involved dozens of relatives as well as a neglect of their hunting duty, the order to do so could be seen as a clear act of rebellion against Genos... In my humble opinion, it would merit a weightier sentence than death, ten years of penal servitude.”

“I see. Ten years of penal servitude, is it?” Marstein repeated with a big nod, and then he stared down at Zuuro Suun’s rounded back. “Penal servitude is the heaviest punishment that exists in Genos, and is far more intense than standard prison labor. Virtually no one survives more than five years, which is why it is reserved for criminals for whom even execution is too light a punishment. That is what you will be given. With that in mind, wouldn’t having your comrades from the forest’s edge take your head make for a much easier end?”

“Ten years... In just ten years, my crimes will be forgiven...?”

“Yes. Ten years of penal servitude, harsher and more hopeless than what even slaves face. From what I can recall, no one has lasted for a full ten years since Genos was founded.”

“Hope... I do have hope... If I can call myself a person of the forest’s edge again after ten years, then what greater hope could there be...?” Zuuro Suun replied in a trembling voice, and then he turned our way.

He seemed to lack the strength needed to shift his sagging face into a proper expression, but it looked like there were now tears welling up just a bit in his little eyes.

Yamiru Lea, Oura, Tsuvai, Diga, Doddo, and Mida... Those six former members of his family all just silently stared back at him.

“I do not know if I will be able to endure ten years of suffering to atone for ten years of leading my people down the wrong path... But if ten years from now I still live and return to the settlement... I would like to once more entrust my fate to my comrades at the forest’s edge...”

“When that time comes, I’ll judge your crimes with my own two eyes,” Gulaf Zaza replied in a firm tone.

Nobody raised an objection, and so Zuuro Suun was ultimately taken away by the ducal guards too.

With that, the commotion finally came to an end.

Duke Marstein Genos had given us a firm promise that Cyclaeus and Ciluel would be justly tried. No matter which of them was the principal offender, the weight of their crimes would be equally heavy. They would either be executed or face lifelong confinement, but either way, they would never again be free to act.

“I had put my trust in Count Turan’s abilities and granted him the role of mediating matters with the people of the forest’s edge. Now that it has been proven that command was a mistake, it’s my responsibility to pledge myself to wiping away that shame... Until a new mediator is determined, I intend to personally take on the role of forging bonds with the people of the forest’s edge,” Marstein stated, keeping a cheerful grin all throughout. “Even now, the people of the forest’s edge play an irreplaceable role in supporting the prosperity of Genos, and are our precious comrades. I swear that I’ll spare no effort in order to clear up any misunderstandings and discord between my people.”

This was our first time meeting Marstein, and it was hard to say just how much we could trust him. But if we couldn’t trust him, then the people of the forest’s edge wouldn’t have a place here in Genos any longer.

At any rate, the leading clan heads of the forest’s edge announced that until Cyclaeus’s illness stabilized and his trial began, they wished to keep living as they had been.

And then, there was us.

Even if we were told to keep living as we had been, there was a complication getting in the way. And that was the fact that Duke Genos had told us, “Please continue to keep your guard up.”

But what exactly were we supposed to be on guard against?

Apparently the answer was the private army employed by Cyclaeus and Ciluel.

Both of them had been arrested, and in turn all their authority was suspended. The guard unit assigned to the house of Turan was temporarily dissolved and it was being looked into whether or not they were involved in the incidents that had occurred, while the militia was being reformed under a new commander. At this point, it would be impossible for those wicked nobles to use those soldiers as pawns.

But Cyclaeus and Ciluel also employed a private army of soldiers to carry out tasks secretly in the shadows. For example, tasks such as dressing up as people of the forest’s edge and raiding plantations.

Even if it was their lord’s order, it was certainly hard to imagine the militia or the retainers of house Turan staining their hands with such blatantly criminal acts. And so, the assumption was that they kept a secret group of leashed ruffians around to handle such tasks that went against the laws of Genos.

The one to come to that conclusion was none other than Kamyua Yoshu. When Zattsu Suun fell prey to illness ten years ago, Cyclaeus and Ciluel would have needed some fresh pawns to take his place... Kamyua Yoshu had delivered that incredibly disquieting report to both the leading clan heads of the forest’s edge and the lord of Genos.

“They must be better at hiding themselves than Zattsu Suun, though, since I just can’t seem to get a lead on them. Those ruffians may have lost their owners, but there’s no knowing what sort of oaths they might have taken, so everyone should make sure to stay on guard,” Kamyua Yoshu had apparently warned.

Thanks to that, neither the Fa nor Ruu clans were able to resume business. After all, since the Ruu and their related clans were no longer on break, we weren’t able to gather up the guards needed.

Apparently Marstein raised the proposal of dispatching members of the ducal guard to watch over us, but they were shorthanded from needing to keep an eye on Cyclaeus and guard Bartha on top of everything else they did, so they weren’t able to offer enough men to satisfy Donda Ruu.

“The militia has enough personnel to offer, but we don’t know just how far-reaching Ciluel’s corrupting influence really was,” Marstein had stated, which was an opinion also shared by Kamyua Yoshu. From what I was told, the leadership of the militia had strong ties to the house of Turan, which made reorganizing them quite difficult.

And so, we had no choice but to exercise some self-restraint.

Still, we were just barely able to resume our work with the inns, if nothing else.

We prepared the food early in the morning, then early risers like Ai Fa and Ludo Ruu acted as our bodyguards while we delivered it to the inns and made it back by the time the sun hit its peak. We resumed work in that fashion two days after the meeting, and by the third day we also increased the amount of fresh meat we were providing.

“Since they can’t eat it at your stalls during the day, I’ve had more customers wanting giba cooking for dinner,” explained Nail, the owner of the Sledgehammer.

As a result, The Sledgehammer ordered sixty meals and enough fresh meat for twenty more each day, while The Great Southern Tree went with seventy meals and fresh meat for an additional thirty. The Great Southern Tree was one thing since it was a large establishment, but it kinda amazed me that a small inn made by remodeling a home like The Sledgehammer ordered that much, and from what I was told, neither ever had any leftovers.

Nail continued. “Our rooms have all been filled every day, and there have been even more customers from other inns than before stopping by for dinner too. Thanks to your efforts, we’re hardly selling any karon or kimyuus meals at this point.”

“Ah... I don’t know what to say to that...”

“As long as you don’t start selling your giba cooking to a great many other inns, I can’t imagine this commotion dying down. Rather than shrieking with delight, I actually feel vaguely apprehensive at how much business our dining room is seeing... So much so that I can’t help but feel it would be good of you to hurry up and start offering your cooking at other inns.”

I certainly did have a desire to expand my business.

However, I couldn’t advance my talks with The Kimyuus’s Tail or The Westerly Wind at this point. Until Cyclaeus and Ciluel’s mysterious private army was detained and the danger subsided, for the time being I just had to maintain the status quo.

Thanks to that, the Ruu women and I just did our best to make the food in the morning, deliver it to the post town by wagon, then return to the forest’s edge with newly purchased fresh vegetables. We took turns taking care of other work and used our spare time experimenting with our cooking. It made for some really busy yet peaceful days.

It probably went without saying, but Ai Fa and I were both still staying at the Ruu settlement for the time being. The former members of the main Suun house returned to the Lea, Rutim, and Dom clans, but since things were still so unstable, it felt too dangerous to have us go back to the Fa house.

And at the Ruu settlement they were quite shorthanded during the day since the hunters had gone back to work. Even so, there were still boys under the age of thirteen and old men to help out, not to mention Ryada Ruu and Mida. So at the very least it was still safer than me and Ai Fa staying on our own, even if my clan head ended up biting her lip over the matter again.

At any rate, we were able to spend those days in peace thanks to everyone’s hard work and effort.

And so, three days passed as I remained vaguely on edge, only for there to be a big change on day four. It came to us from Kamyua Yoshu, who had been acting as Marstein’s messenger and visiting the Ruu settlement each day.

However, before I got to that, I was shocked by the redheaded boy standing by his side.