Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 13 - Chapter 3.2

2

Soon time was flying by again as we steadily crossed off our tasks. We had already planned out our operational procedure in advance, so there were no issues on that front. The girls with me had spent a lot of time the last few days training to make these new dishes, and I couldn’t see any issues whatsoever with their performance.

It went without saying that Reina and Sheera Ruu had no problems, since they specialized in manning the stove, but Rimee Ruu was also showing astounding skill. I know they say you become good at what you like doing, but I got the feeling that the young girl’s cooking skills had grown to around the same level as her mother’s.

Now that I think about it, all the chefs I’ve seen from the castle town have been men.

From what I could recall, overwhelmingly more men worked as professional chefs than women back in my old world too.

Part of the reason was that cooking required more stamina than you might expect. When you were cutting up ingredients and heating them over a flame, and then you had to make enough for over a dozen people, it could definitely be called a battle of endurance.

But the women of the forest’s edge seemed to have bottomless stamina, and it was readily apparent how passionate the girls present were about cooking. And they had great palates on top of that, so I couldn’t think of better allies to have by my side.

Still... Just how much more skilled are they than the folks from the post town, I wonder?

There wasn’t anybody who called themselves a chef in the post town. The owners of the inns and their wives just saw the food they served as nothing but an extension of their home cooking.

The same was true for Reina Ruu and everyone, though. I had only given the women of the forest’s edge just a bit of instruction over the course of the past several months, but before that they had generally likely paid even less attention to manning the stove than the folks from the post town. And yet, now I believed their cooking would easily come out on top. If nothing else, they at least had the same powerful advantage that I did: giba meat.

In actuality, Nail and Naudis had both succeeded at making fairly successful dishes using giba meat. And they had their own advantages in the form of chitt seeds and tau oil, both imported ingredients. Thanks to that, they were currently thriving.

But lately, karon milk and milk fat had started circulating throughout the post town. And now that Cyclaeus had fallen, the ingredients he had been buying up could even start overflowing to the post town too after spreading throughout the castle town.

Overly expensive ingredients would of course be out of the question, but it seemed like it would be reasonable to expect to be able to buy stuff in the same price range as, say, tau oil. And if that happened, it would surely lead to an improvement in the cuisine on offer in the post town.

When that time came, just how far would Reina and Sheera Ruu’s skills take them? They certainly wouldn’t fall significantly short, but would they be able to stay on top? I couldn’t help but hope they would strive their hardest to do so.

“Ah, that’s a bell sound!” Rimee Ruu excitedly proclaimed while mincing up giba meat. “How neat! It rang four times, so does that mean it’s the fourth hour?”

“Yeah. So I suppose that means we have half of our scheduled time left.”

The dinner party would begin when the sun set during the sixth hour. That meant we had a little over two hours to go. And fortunately, everything was still progressing quite smoothly.

However, we were soon interrupted by another knock on the kitchen door.

“Asuta, Kamyua Yoshu is asking to see you,” Ai Fa called out, only for the aloof man’s long and narrow face to peek into the room.

“Hey there, Asuta. Sorry for bothering you while you’re working, but I’ve got some things I’d like to report. Is that all right?”

“Yeah, I don’t mind. Please, come on in.”

“Ah, no. I’ve been running all over so I’m coated in dirt and dust. I don’t want to make a mess in your kitchen, so could you step outside for a bit instead?”

“All right, I’m coming.”

After wiping down my hand with a cloth, I went ahead and walked over his way.

Kamyua Yoshu pulled his head back out, and I stepped outside right after him. In the hallway I found the two soldiers keeping watch, the four hunters guarding us, Kamyua Yoshu...and one more young fellow I recognized.

“Ah, you’re...”

“Yup. Sir Welhide of the ducal house of Banarm. I happened to run into him when I stopped by the castle, so I quickly brought him over as soon as I could.”

The young black-haired man’s pale, noble-looking face wore a fastidious expression as he silently nodded. I really had no clue how high-ranking he was as the sixth in line to inherit a ducal house in some other territory, but I certainly didn’t want to go making any careless blunders, so I went ahead and gave a bow at what seemed like a suitable-enough angle.

Kamyua Yoshu continued, “Though half a month has passed since that meeting, Ciluel is apparently continuing to feign ignorance. It really isn’t looking like we’ll be able to settle anything without a formal trial.”

“Oh, I see.”

“And as for Cyclaeus, he doesn’t have much strength to talk, and he certainly doesn’t seem to be trying to do so either. If things keep going like this and Cyclaeus succumbs to his illness and draws his last breath, it’ll leave us in a real troublesome situation.”

“Right. The leading clan heads have concerns about that too. So we really do need Cyclaeus’s testimony in order to pass proper judgment on Ciluel?”

“Yup, since it’s seeming pretty likely that if Cyclaeus passes away, Ciluel will try to shove all of the crimes on his dead brother. Thanks to the attack he tried to pull off at the meeting, he won’t be able to escape all of his crimes like that, but we want to fully adjudicate their past offenses too.”

“I wouldn’t be able to face my father if the truth was buried in the shadows for such a reason...” Welhide whispered, an intense look on his face. “Was it Cyclaeus or Ciluel who caused my father’s death? If we cannot at least determine that much, then I’ll be liable to be the one left dying in a fit of indignation.”

“Right. The boy in my care, Leito, is in much the same position as you are, so I can certainly understand that way of thinking,” Kamyua Yoshu agreed, trying to make as serious of an expression as he could with his usually aloof face. “So anyway, though I’m sure you’ve got some strong feelings of your own on the matter, I’d really like you to give your all to make something that can satisfy Cyclaeus, Asuta. No matter how hard we try appealing to his heart and mind, I can’t imagine us ever reforming him, though.”

“I don’t know about trying to appeal to him, but now that I’ve decided to cook, I want to make the best meal that I can.”

“Yup, I’m counting on you. And Cyclaeus’s meal will be delivered after the dinner party with the leading clan heads, right?”

“Yes. I have to attend the party, so it has to wait till that’s over.”

The biggest issue was the question of whether or not Cyclaeus would have the strength needed to even eat my cooking in his weakened state.

But all I could do was carry out the work in front of me. It was true that my feelings about all this were complicated, but regardless, I went ahead and gave Kamyua Yoshu a bow.

“Well then, I’ll be getting back to work. Excuse me.”

“Ah, hold on a moment! There’s still one more thing we need to discuss!”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Umm...” Kamyua Yoshu murmured, his tall, lanky frame squirming in a way that was quite unlike him. It probably went without saying, but he didn’t look cute in the least. “The thing is, I know it’s impolite to ask, but...well, would it be possible for me to have some of your cooking too?”

“Hmm? You mean the meal we’re preparing for everyone on guard and kitchen duty?”

“Yeah. Someone in my position could never hope to participate in the dinner party, after all. And so I was wondering if you could grant me just a bit of the food you’re preparing for everyone else... Is it too much to ask after all?”

“No, we brought along plenty of giba meat, so as long as we don’t have any sudden massive slip-ups, we can prepare as much as we need.”

As soon as I said that, Kamyua Yoshu’s eyes started to sparkle.

If I betrayed his expectations now, just how sad of a face would he make? I was a little tempted to find out, but I would never actually go and do something so mean.

“All right, we’ll go ahead and get it ready. The dinner for the chefs has to wait till after the party, though, so understand that it’ll be pretty late.”

“Of course! Thank you! I owe you one, Asuta!”

“Is giba meat cooking really that delicious...?” Welhide asked quizzically. “My apologies if this statement upsets you, but I have heard it said that giba meat isn’t something most can even eat. Obviously, rumors about how it will make you grow horns and the like are mere folk tales, but still, Genos is even more well off than Banarm, is it not?”

“Yup, sure is. I’ve been invited to some real unusual dinners by Duke Genos myself, but it’s a shock to hear him going with giba dishes... Ah, but nothing else out there compares to Asuta’s cooking.”

“Ah, er, please don’t go overboard with raising his expectations like that...”

“It’s fine! Your cooking’s deliciousness comes across to anyone who eats it, no matter their status! Whether noble or commoner, there doesn’t exist a single person alive who can deny your skill!”

I gave a deep, deep sigh.

And Welhide’s mouth was still hanging open with a suspicious look... In fact, it was like his expression had frozen in place for some reason.

“Um, Asuta, I’m terribly sorry to interrupt your conversation, but there’s a little something I’d like to ask you...” a voice called out timidly from behind. Turning to look, I found Reina Ruu peeking halfway out the door. “I opened a new bottle of fruit wine, but it’s really sour and doesn’t seem usable. Could we swap it out for another fruit wine?”

“Ah, no, that’s made from mamaria just like the fruit wine, but it’s actually something called vinegar. I believe there should still be some normal fruit wine left on the shelves, though.”

“Oh, I see! I’m sorry I jumped to a conclusion there...”

“You’ve got nothing to apologize for. It would be nice if we could start handling mamaria vinegar at the forest’s edge and in the post town too, though,” I replied as I slowly turned my gaze. Welhide’s eyes were still open wide in surprise, and naturally, they were looking right at Reina Ruu.

The second Ruu daughter also noticed that and asked with a troubled smile, “Um, is something the matter?” And just like Roy had done earlier, Welhide vigorously shook his head in response.

Umm... If I’m seeing what I think I’m seeing, do the people of the castle town and Banarm not have as strong a prejudice against the people of the forest’s edge, since they aren’t as intimately familiar with how terrifying giba are?

Knowing nothing of the thoughts running through my head, Kamyua Yoshu then brightly proclaimed, “Now then! I feel bad about interfering with your work, so I suppose it’s about time for us to head out. The second son of the house of Daleim will arrive soon, so why don’t I go ahead and introduce you to him, Lord Welhide?”

“A-Ah, yes... Please do so.”

At that, Kamyua Yoshu and Welhide departed.

With a tilted head, Reina Ruu returned to the kitchen, and having watched over the whole exchange, Rau Lea stroked his narrow chin and said, “Hmm... Well, it’s hard to ignore how she can be a bit childish at times, but I guess Reina Ruu is definitely quite the looker. Slender beauties like Ai Fa here are more my type, though.”

“What are you babbling about, all of a sudden...?” Ai Fa questioned, shooting Rau Lea a frightening glare.

“I mean, I’m just stating my true feelings. I told you before, didn’t I? That if you weren’t a hunter, I’d definitely want you for a bride.”

“Again, what are you—”

“I’m telling you, I’m talking about your looks, as a woman. We’re at the age where it’s about time for us to get serious about getting married, right, Darmu Ruu?”

Darmu Ruu seemed to have an aura of irritation about him like whirling black flames as he silently closed his eyes. And then, he quietly called out, “Asuta of the Fa clan.”

“Yes? What is it?!”

“If you’re done here, then get back to work...”

“Right, understood...”

Darmu Ruu had reached a point where he had withdrawn and stated he would no longer criticize Ai Fa’s way of life. Of course, Rau Lea wasn’t at fault as he knew nothing at all about that, but it still made for quite the nerve-wracking exchange.

Now that I think about it, I recall hearing Ratsu and Gaaz men have proposed to Ai Fa too.

Were those sorts of worries that occurred between men and women universal, no matter which world you were in?

At any rate, I somehow managed to get myself back on track, focusing once again on my work.

◇

From there, the hours ticked along, and by the time we started needing the light from the candles on the walls, we had managed to finish six different dishes.

With just the meat and fuwano, er, poitan dishes, we wanted to serve them up nice and hot, so they were currently sitting uncooked atop the work station.

“We get to eat once Papa Donda and everyone are done with dinner, right? Ugh, I’m starving,” Rimee Ruu complained.

“In that case, you should have stolen some nibbles here and there. Should I fry up just a bit of tatsuta age for you?”

“No! I’m gonna hold off and let the excitement build for later!”

As we were having that conversation, there was another knock on the door. This time, the one to appear was Chiffon Chel.

“The bells for the sixth hour will be ringing shortly... Sir Asuta, could I have you move to the dining hall...?”

“Got it. Is it all right to bring along the appetizer at this point?”

“Yes... Those on duty shall carry it...”

Following that statement, two of the pages dressed in yellow uniforms entered the kitchen. I had seen the pages frequently around the manor, but these boys seemed to be part of a different lineup.

They sat the big plate with the appetizer and the wooden plates for portioning it out atop a stylish wheeled cart. Then they placed a bowl-shaped lid over the plate, like a cloche or some sort of dust cover, hiding the food from view.

“Ah, right, do you not need to test it for poison?”

“I do not... The custom of testing for poison was only put in place by the previous lord of this house, I am told...”

“I see. So that’s how it was, huh?”

Kamyua Yoshu had said something about Cyclaeus’s father dying by poison. Though the truth of the matter still hadn’t been made clear, that was likely why he had implemented such a practice.

We still don’t know anywhere near enough about the nobles of this world.

Cyclaeus was a wicked man who derided the people of the forest’s edge, calling them barbarians.

That seemed to go even more so for Ciluel.

As for Lefreya, her sense of ethics seemed to be missing a few pieces.

But Polarth felt like a cheerful, carefree sort of guy.

And Melfried was the complete opposite, stern to a fault.

That old legal official, Zylus, had come from a branch of the Saturas house, and, well, he seemed solemn and trustworthy.

Welhide seemed like a really earnest young man.

And finally there was Marstein, who I still couldn’t completely pin down.

Still, I had only spent a very short amount of time around any of those nobles, not just Marstein. Exactly what sort of institution was the aristocracy of the Western Kingdom of Selva? And were they at all compatible with the people of the forest’s edge? Today’s dinner party would be a litmus test for those questions.

“Asuta, please take care,” Reina Ruu called out.

“Yeah, same for all of you.”

With that, I exited the kitchen alongside the page boys. Darmu Ruu and Rau Lea remained behind, while Ai Fa and Ludo Ruu followed along as guards.

Under Chiffon Chel’s guidance, we walked down the labyrinth of hallways. And unsurprisingly, what appeared before us at the end of it all was an imposing set of double doors.

This was the room that Lefreya had summoned me to in days past. Back then, not only had Lefreya and Diel been present, but later also Polarth and Ai Fa...when I was finally released from my five days of imprisonment.

“We have brought the chef from the forest’s edge, Sir Asuta of the Fa clan!” one of the page boys announced in a soprano voice.

As the soldiers opened the doors, the hall for the dinner party came into view, complete with the nobles of Genos and leading clan heads of the forest’s edge seated there.

“Ah, Asuta of the Fa clan. My apologies for troubling you so much today,” a male voice cheerfully called out. It had come from Marstein, seated at the head of the massive table. And next to him sat Welhide, who was here as the witness to this event.

The chandelier giving off a dazzling white light, the half-human half-beast stone statues guarding the four corners of the room, the velvet tapestry covering the brick walls, and the long-piled dark purple carpet... Everything was just as I remembered it. And though there had been plenty of room to spare at the massive table back then, today it was filled with guests.

On the right-hand side was the group from the forest’s edge: Donda Ruu, Gulaf Zaza, Dari Sauti, Gazraan Rutim, and the Beim and Fou clan heads.

To the left were the nobles of Genos: Lefreya, the upper-middle-aged man who was apparently her new guardian, Melfried, Polarth, and a slim young man who was apparently the representative for the house of Saturas.

It really was a distinguished group of thirteen. On top of that, on either side of Marstein and Welhide there were two ducal guards in white and a young female attendant.

And along the wall on the noble side, Timalo was standing up straight, accompanied by two pages just as I had been. Naturally, he wasn’t hiding his mouth in any way at present. Instead, he simply wore a polite, composed expression.

“Asuta of the Fa clan, you should wait there alongside the leading clan heads. Once the bell for the sixth hour rings, the dinner party will begin.”

“Right,” I nodded as I moved into position as I was told. Ai Fa and Ludo Ruu, meanwhile, remained in front of the now closed doors, their piercing gazes scanning the room.

It seemed everyone in the group from the forest’s edge had handed over their blades, which meant the only ones armed in this place were the four soldiers at the head of the table, as well as Ai Fa and Ludo Ruu.

Of course, the antechamber was likely packed with ducal guards on standby, but considering the capabilities possessed by hunters of the forest’s edge, they could surely take control of the room at a moment’s notice. And so, this overly lax guard setup was undoubtedly a show of Marstein’s trust.

“I believe this is your first time meeting each other, Asuta of the Fa clan. This is the man who will be Lady Lefreya’s guardian from now on, Torst, and the first son of Count Saturas, Leeheim.”

I had trouble remembering so many names thrown out one after another, but at any rate I gave them each a bow.

Torst was a little man with a smushed face like a pug’s who was heading into his twilight years, while Leeheim was a skinny young man with oily dark brown hair. The former had on a milky white frock very similar to the one worn by Polarth, while the latter wore a Jagar-style collared outfit much like Marstein. It seemed that nobles had a fondness for wearing attire in the style of Jagar.

What grabbed my attention even more so, though, was Lefreya.

Her crudely-chopped chestnut brown hair had been styled into an adorable short bob, but any expression whatsoever had been wiped clean from her face.

There was a tiara sitting atop her head, and her small body was clad in a white dress coated in frills and ribbons. Her skin looked utterly untouched by the sun, and overall she had a cute appearance like a French doll... But by the same token, she really did feel like some delicate object, not showing any signs of human emotion.

Of course, considering her current standing, she couldn’t exactly go about being all haughty. But still, she really was acting utterly unlike her usual little tyrant self.

“Well then, how about I give you all a little greeting before the dinner party begins?” Marstein proposed in his usual relaxed tone.

His long dark brown hair was tied together loosely behind his neck, and the collar of his white formal cloak was loose as well. He had a very youthful visage, and his tawny eyes had a bright yet firm shine to them, while underneath his neatly-trimmed mustache he wore a cheerful smile. If nothing else, he really didn’t seem to be cut from the same cloth as his son Melfried.

“As I’ve already announced, this dinner party is an event meant to foster goodwill and reforge the bonds between our land of Genos and the people of the forest’s edge. Up until now, the former head of the house of Turan, Cyclaeus, has been in charge of such mediation. However, he is suspected of conspiring along with the leading clan head who ruled before the previous one and bringing calamity to the western kingdom. And we find that a grave, unprecedented matter.”

None of the leading clan heads or nobles interjected so much as a single word.

Even Lefreya just silently stared off into the distance.

“As the one who rules over Genos, I must atone for these crimes alongside the people of the forest’s edge. And to this end, I believe it necessary to join together and understand one another. As part of our efforts, Lady Lefreya has officially become the next Countess Turan, while Torst has become her guardian. And I will also announce here and now that my first son Melfried, head of the ducal guard, has been appointed to act as mediator with the people of the forest’s edge.”

I quietly gasped.

We had already known about Lefreya and her guardian, but this was my first time hearing about Melfried’s new post.

It certainly was true that Marstein couldn’t have chosen anyone closer to him for the part, though.

“That’s all from me. I’ve set aside time for a meeting after dinner to discuss all the troublesome details, so for now let’s enjoy the meal kindly prepared by Timalo and Asuta of the Fa clan and deepen the friendship between us.”

Marstein slowly looked over everyone present.

Nobody seemed to be showing any real emotion in response, Lefreya foremost among them. Though, I did spy Polarth stealing timid glances at the hunters, and next to him Leeheim was somewhat sulkily casting his gaze downward. Perhaps that was down to the power difference between the houses of counts and dukes, as they didn’t seem to be able to act as resolutely as the younger Welhide.

Still, this sure is a crazy sight.

On the right were the strong, dauntless, and frank dark-skinned hunters of the forest’s edge, clad in their giba cloaks and brimming with the energy of wild beasts. And to the left were the sophisticated and refined nobles of the city of stone, clad in white frocks reminiscent of characters from Greek myth, or collared uniforms in what I’d have called a western style back in my old world. The two sides of the huge table looked as if they had come from different worlds entirely as they sat there facing one another.

Up until now, the nobles and the people of the forest’s edge had essentially no interaction whatsoever. Just how much of the gap between them that had been growing for eighty years could be filled in tonight...? I had absolutely no way of knowing at this point.

But at any rate, from his position right in the middle, Marstein alone gave a composed smile and a satisfied nod.

It was then that a bell solemnly rang out from somewhere.

“It’s now the sixth hour. So, how about we get this dinner party started...?”