Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 14 - Chapter 1.5

5

After finishing up our work in the post town, we returned to the Ruu settlement first.

The time was halfway through the lower second hour, or around 3 p.m. by my reckoning. My daily routine had me remaining here for two hours, preparing the food for tomorrow and also giving cooking lessons.

“Hey there. Good work again today, everybody,” a large figure chopping firewood greeted as we pulled the wagon around to the back of the main house.

It was the hunter from Masara, survivor of the Red Beards bandit group, Bartha. She had been released from the castle and was currently staying here in the Ruu settlement along with her son Jeeda.

“The fact that I was a survivor of the Red Beards got out, after all. So it’d be a little tough to just head back home to Masara,” Bartha had said after reuniting with Jeeda.

However, though the nobles held a grudge against her old bandit group, the common folk had idolized them. When I went ahead and pointed that out, she retorted, “That’s what’d make it so hard to go back.”

And so, Bartha petitioned Donda Ruu to stay in the settlement at the forest’s edge for a while. She didn’t go so far as to ask to be made a person of the forest’s edge, though. But at the very least, she wanted to remain until her son Jeeda learned a bit more about what it really meant to have the spirit of a hunter.

“Leading clan head Donda Ruu, I feel like Jeeda could learn how to live properly as a hunter under you. Since I can’t say I’m a better hunter than him anymore, I don’t think I can keep leading him well like I used to.”

With some extra backing from Mia Lea Ruu behind it, Donda Ruu ultimately ended up accepting her request.

And that was how Bartha and Jeeda ended up living in the Ruu settlement’s vacant house.

“I see you’re working hard too, Bartha. Chopping firewood again today?”

“Yeah, since it feels like what I’m most suited to,” Bartha replied.

Her appearance really had undergone quite a change. Currently, she was wearing her long dark-brown hair down instead of pulled up tightly into a bun, and in place of her previous leather armor and masculine attire, she had on a cloth dress.

On her wrist she wore a bracelet to ward away insects, and there were leather sandals on her feet. Aside from the lack of a necklace of blessings, she was dressed just like a woman of the forest’s edge.

“It’s easier dressing like this for work around the house,” Bartha had stated, but when I first saw her in that outfit it gave me quite a shock. Not because it didn’t suit her, though. If anything, it was the opposite. In that attire, I couldn’t see Bartha as anything but a truly mature woman.

Naturally there hadn’t been any changes to her intense leonine face, nor to her arms and shoulders that were just as muscular as any man’s. Plus, her build was still just as burly as Jiza Ruu’s, with a height even greater than Darmu Ruu.

But even so, Bartha was undoubtedly a woman. Or to be more exact, she was a mother.

Her appearance, speech, and actions hadn’t changed, but there was a gentler look in her eyes than before, and her strength now felt motherly instead. That was the impression she was giving me.

Perhaps Bartha had also had some sort of change of heart after that struggle with Cyclaeus. Until that point, she had tried to guide Jeeda as a hunter, but now she would do so as a mother... That just might have been what she was thinking.

It wasn’t as if Bartha had abandoned her work as a hunter, though. Up until the sun hit its peak, while the giba were still sleeping, she entered the forest with Jeeda and hunted wild birds.

Naturally, they had received permission from Genos. After all, the giba didn’t prey upon the birds that lived at the base of Mount Morga, so there were no laws against such actions.

“Even if they aren’t as good as barobaro, there are plenty of fine birds flying around out there. It really is a mystery why nobody tried to hunt them before now.”

That was surely because the people of the forest’s edge ate giba, while the townsfolk ate kimyuus and karon, which were raised as livestock. And the people of the forest’s edge would never be permitted to devote their efforts to hunting birds instead of giba, while the townsfolk would surely never set foot in the forest to begin with.

At any rate, Bartha and Jeeda hunted birds out in the forest, then traded their meat for coins by way of Polarth. The meat from just two hunters wouldn’t be enough to throw any supply chains out of sorts, and there were apparently also a fair number of connoisseurs in the castle town with an interest in something as unusual as wild bird meat.

Then, after the sun peaked, Jeeda would also join in the giba hunts. Thanks to the boy’s fantastic skills as a hunter, Donda Ruu granted him permission to participate.

“I spent more than a few years facing down gaaje leopards up on Mount Masara myself, you know,” Bartha had explained, “but I didn’t feel like putting in the training needed to hunt down something as ferocious as a giba at this point, so I’ve been helping the women out with their work instead.”

That was the current state of affairs with Bartha and Jeeda.

It had also become the norm that she would help man the stove when we made it back too.

By the way, though Li Sudra had been returning right away to help with work at home up until now, since we shortened our work hours, she was now participating in this combined prep work and study session. It was only around a one-hour extension over our initial agreement, and since I proposed paying her for it too, the Sudra clan head consented.

“I really am grateful. Thanks to you, Asuta, I’ve been able to share delicious cooking with the members of my family, at least a little.”

Li Sudra had become a first-rate member of our group. While I couldn’t bring myself to literally rank everyone or anything, Vina and Lala Ruu probably still hadn’t caught up to her yet. Though she didn’t stand out as much as Rimee Ruu or Toor Deen, cooking must have been in her nature to start with.

And when we got to the main house’s kitchen, Sheera Ruu was waiting there for us, working away at the preparations for tomorrow’s business. As she stirred a pot that was giving off a wonderful aroma, she offered us a gentle smile.

“The tarapa sauce and aria are already done, so all that’s left is mincing the meat and making the patties.”

“Thanks. Well then, let’s all finish that up together.”

Reina Ruu, Tsuvai, Morun Rutim, and Bartha all joined in. Then there was Toor Deen, Yamiru Lea, and Li Sudra from our end, preparing the food to be sold in the Fa stalls.

“Okay, Yamiru Lea and Li Sudra, I’ll ask you to cook the poitan as always. Toor Deen and I will chop up the meat.”

We would handle the lion’s share of the prep work in the morning, so we just took care of what was necessary on the day before.

Thanks to the experimentation being undertaken by the house of Daleim, it was determined that poitan kept just fine when made into a powder, so it had become common to boil down enough for several days at once. Plus, it didn’t get all dry and hard after a day like fuwano, so there was no issue with always cooking it the night before like this.

“What should I teach everyone today...? Do you have any requests, Toor Deen?” I asked while cutting the giba meat we had left at the Ruu house into blocks.

“Hmm...” the girl replied with a cute tilt of her head. “I think what I want to learn most is how to use new ingredients. I believe I’ve learned fairly well how to handle tau oil and sugar, but I still have no idea what to do with mamaria vinegar or panam honey.”

The ingredients that had begun circulating throughout the post town were now flowing into the forest’s edge too, bit by bit. Seasonings in particular could have a dramatic impact on a dish’s flavor with just a small amount, so the women of the forest’s edge eagerly welcomed them.

And through the Fa clan’s business connections, the Deen, Sudra, and Fou were able to purchase those seasonings. As small clans, the Sudra and Fou had trouble purchasing aria and poitan up until just a short while ago, so that was yet another big change.

“Let’s see. I don’t know many ways of using panam honey other than to make sweets either. As for mamaria vinegar, aside from the sweet and sour giba, I’ve just used it in condiments like sweetened vinegar, ketchup, and mayonnaise.”

“I see. So even you haven’t been able to find very many uses for them...”

“Yeah. Of course, I’m sure there’s lots of dishes they could be used in, but that’s all I’ve been able to come up with so far.”

As we had that exchange, it suddenly started getting noisy outside.

I figured maybe the men had returned from their giba hunting early, but that turned out not to be the case. It was in fact a man, but instead one belonging to the clans under the Ruu.

“Hey, is Morun back yet? The women in the main house said they hadn’t seen her, so could you please open this door!”

“Oh my, it’s dad,” Morun Rutim exclaimed, her eyes going wide.

After wiping her dirtied hands on a cloth, Vina Ruu headed over to the door leading outside.

“Ah, sorry for interrupting you all in the middle of your work!”

As soon as the door was opened, the Rutim clan head plodded on in.

He still wore the same wide grin as always, but Dan Rutim was supporting himself on a sturdy-looking grigee cane and holding his right leg up off the ground. That was because he had injured it around when we reopened for business.

Apparently he had fallen from a cliff and dislocated his ankle, then walked on that hurt leg for several hours while carrying an injured comrade, so he had done serious damage to his muscles in the process. Despite all that, he would supposedly recover just fine given time, but it was definitely painful to look at.

The man himself looked quite energetic, though, and was taking the opportunity to ride the totos the Rutim had recently purchased all around every day.

“What is it, dad? Do you need something from me?”

“Yeah! From you and Donda Ruu! But Donda Ruu probably won’t be back before the sun starts setting, so I figured I’d handle my business with you first!” Dan Rutim replied as he leaned up against the wooden wall. “You see, the hunters we lent to the settlement up north have returned. Apparently, starting today, the clans up north have gone on break. So the hunters we had been hosting in the Rutim settlement are also heading back home.”

“Huh...? Then it’s finally time for us women to take our turn?”

The Rutim clan and the settlement to the north had each exchanged three of their hunters in order to teach bloodletting, as well as how to remove and wash organs.

Although the final decision about our businesses in the post town had been put off till next year’s clan head meeting, Gulaf Zaza had finally accepted the idea of bringing delicious meals into the lives of all the people of the forest’s edge.

And now that the men were finished learning, it was finally time for the women. If they were entering a break period, that made for perfect timing.

However, Dan Rutim shook his head, “No,” with a blank look on his face. “Just like Darmu and Ludo Ruu said in the past, they built their houses up north right near the giba’s territory. Thanks to that, women there have to be cautious of giba and mundt even in the middle of the day, so we can’t loan them Rutim women like that.”

“Huh? Then...what will we do?”

“Hrmm. Well, they’re going to use this break period to clear out a bit more of the area around their settlement and get things ready to keep away the beasts. That’s why we’ll have to wait to send any of you to them, probably till after the break period ends in half a month.”

“Oh, so that’s the plan...” Morun Rutim murmured with a dejected slump of her shoulders.

I didn’t know the circumstances there, but she seemed to desperately want to go to the northern settlement. That would create a gap in the stall staff, but from what I heard, her sister-in-law Ama Min Rutim would take over on that front.

“And the other matter is something I wanted to tell Donda Ruu, but could I leave a message with you instead as the eldest daughter of the main house, Vina Ruu?”

“Yes, what is it...?”

“Apparently before we exchange those women, they want to send over a single woman from the Dom clan during the break period. They don’t care if it’s the Ruu or the Rutim who take her in, but we’ll need Donda Ruu’s permission either way as the leader of our clans.”

“Hmm...? What exactly is that woman coming here for...?”

“I don’t really know, but apparently she’s passionate about wanting to improve her cooking skills. And if she’s willing to go off and stay with some other clan all on her own, she sure must have some guts.”

As Dan Rutim chuckled, Yamiru Lea and Toor Deen shared a look next to me.

“Is there really a woman up north who places such importance on manning the stove...?”

“Hmm. That’s kinda hard for me to believe.”

They had both been born into the Suun, so they were also previously residents of the north.

Still, the Zaza, Dom, and Jeen hunters from up in that area were known for their dauntlessness and the giba pelts and skulls they wore atop their heads. The only ones I knew by name were Gulaf Zaza and Deek Dom, who were both large and intense enough to be a match for even Donda Ruu.

Just what exactly are the women up north like, though? They aren’t hunters, so I don’t think they’d wear any pelts or skulls on their heads, but still...

At any rate, I mentally prepared myself so I wouldn’t be surprised no matter how daunting of a woman showed up.

“If Donda Ruu approves, then I’ll go take the totos and tell the folks up north what’s going on. So make sure to pass that along, all right?!”

“I understand... Are you leaving already, Dan Rutim...?”

“Yup! I promised Rau Lea we’d have a totos race when he gets back from the forest, after all!”

At that, Morun Rutim and Yamiru Lea both sighed in sync. It was the shared modest lament of those stuck with overly simple-minded clan heads.

As that thought ran through my head, Dan Rutim suddenly turned to face me.

“By the way, Asuta, I named my totos Mim Cha. It’s a good name, isn’t it?”

“Mim Cha, is it? Sounds cute.”

“Cute? It means ‘tomorrow’ in the eastern tongue, apparently.”

“‘Tomorrow,’ huh?”

“Yup. Your name means the same thing, right? So I took that in mind and named it Mim Cha. I’d have loved to give the name to another child if I had one, but I don’t exactly have any plans to marry again!”

And so, having left me at a loss for words, Dan Rutim hobbled on out of the kitchen.

◇

It was now nighttime.

After finishing our dinner, with the main dish being the giba sweet sauce stew I was experimenting on, Ai Fa and I were relaxing under the light from the candle like we always did.

My clan head had let down her blonde hair and was seated leaning up against the wall. I sat facing her in a relaxed lounging posture.

“Well, anyway, I’d like to invite that Myme girl here to the forest’s edge. I should hear Donda Ruu’s response tomorrow morning, but still... What do you think, Ai Fa?”

“I don’t mind in the least, but I cannot say I’m especially fond of the thought of inviting a stranger into my home when I am not around.”

“Yeah, I was thinking it would be best to show our skills to one another by preparing dinner together. So I figured we could work on our cooking on the outside stove until you got back from hunting.”

“I see. Then I have no issue. We can have dinner together, and then I will escort her back to the Turan lands after that.”

Unexpectedly, Ai Fa was acting quite friendly toward Myme of Turan. It seemed she felt like she owed Mikel, thanks to the man telling Jeeda the location of the Turan manor. But, well, it was true that it was impossible to tell just what would have become of me if Jeeda and Mikel hadn’t been around, so I was certainly grateful to them too.

“Still, you didn’t so much as raise an eyebrow when I said Myme might be a more skilled chef than me. That got Reina Ruu all in a huff.”

“I am not so narrow-minded of a person. The world is vast, so I could see how chefs even greater than you could exist out there,” Ai Fa replied, calmly staring back at me. “Besides, when it seemed like Reina Ruu was catching up to you in soup-making, you soon overtook her once again.”

“Umm...so are you saying even if Myme’s more skilled than me, I’ll probably catch up to her before long?”

“Can you accept the idea of a chef more skilled than you, Asuta?” Ai Fa asked, the look in her eyes unchanged. “Besides, you once said that having a worthy opponent helps drive you to further polish your skills. Or were those merely words?”

“No, I meant what I said, but still...”

“Then there is no issue.”

In the past, Ai Fa had been insistent that I create a more delicious soup than Reina Ruu, but now her gaze was full of absolute trust as she stared at me. That change made me feel glad, and proud too... At any rate, it seemed her belief that I wouldn’t let myself fall behind anyone else remained the same.

“I’ve got no intention of slacking in my training, naturally. But no matter how much free praise I’ve been given here at the forest’s edge or in Genos, I’m still ultimately just a chef in training.”

“Hmph. I know you simply mean to be modest, but you shouldn’t say such things outside this house, Asuta.”

“Huh? Why’s that?”

“You won in a taste comparison with a chef from the castle town, did you not? Deprecating yourself reflects even more harshly on the man who lost to you, doesn’t it?” Ai Fa said, calmly brushing aside her bangs. “It is not as if I’m satisfied with my own strength. But if I were to put myself down, that would mean doing the same to all those out there who do not manage to hunt as many giba as I do. I believe people should live with pride, rather than abasing themselves.”

“Right, and I’m proud of myself too.”

“I know that fact better than anyone. It’s rare to find someone who is so prideful and unhappy about losing,” Ai Fa stated, finally breaking out in a smile. “That is why I wouldn’t ever misinterpret your words, but there is a risk someone who is not as familiar with you would see them as an insult. That is why I’m warning you to watch your words out there.”

“I know. You seem a lot more solemn than usual today, somehow.”

“You make it sound as if I always act like a child,” Ai Fa retorted with a pout.

That was precisely the side of her that was childish, but both sides of her were precious to me, so there was no issue there.

“Still, you certainly do move from one thing to the next. Just when I felt things were finally settling down with regards to your business in the post town, now it’s a young girl with skills as a chef that equal yours, if not exceed them.”

“Yeah, but I guess that’s just what I should’ve expected from Mikel’s daughter. And I really did want to try his cooking, at least once.”

“That’s the first time you’ve said such a thing...”

“Really? Whenever Yang unveils a new dish, I always look forward to that too. Still, Myme’s cooking is something else entirely...”

In regards to Yang’s cooking, what I felt was more of a curiosity about the cooking of a chef from another country...er, world.

But with Myme...it was more of an admiration for someone who could make food that was purely delicious, regardless of her background or standing. I certainly didn’t have even the slightest feeling of hostility. However, I could feel a great heat rising up around my chest.

Perhaps it was a sense of camaraderie toward someone who had the same sort of sensibilities, or maybe it was joy at finding someone who I could have a friendly rivalry with that was on the same level.

“At any rate, I think meeting that girl was a good thing for you,” Ai Fa suddenly declared, as if she had seen right through what I was thinking. “So I would like to welcome her here as well. I look forward to the day that she visits.”

“Yeah, just as long as Donda Ruu gives his permission... Anyway, I guess it’s about time we got to sleep, huh?”

“Indeed.”

After extinguishing the candle by the window, Ai Fa lay down right in front of me.

And then, she tightly gripped my hand.

“Don’t have any bad dreams tonight, Asuta.”

“I certainly would like to avoid it if I could, but it’s all down to luck.”

“No matter what nightmare you may see, I’ll be here by your side. If nothing else, never forget that fact.”

I could make out the calm sparkle in Ai Fa’s blue eyes amidst the darkness.

“There is nothing to worry about. You’re all right, Asuta.”

“Yeah.”

I gripped Ai Fa’s hand back just as tightly.

Everything was fine.

As long as Ai Fa was by my side, I would be okay.

Holding on to that one thought, I gently closed my eyes.

And on that night, I slept till morning without so much as a single nightmare.