Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 17 - Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2: Departing on a Journey

1

It was now the twenty-second of the indigo month. Just as planned, we were about to depart on our trip to Dabagg.

After finishing up the bare minimum tasks like handling our washing at the break of dawn, we went ahead and got the wagon ready. For his part, Gilulu kept tilting his head at the fact that we were heading out several hours earlier than usual.

“Well then, I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about with Ai Fa coming along, but do try not to get careless just to be safe,” Lem Dom said, seeing us off. Since it was necessary to stir the meat buried in pico leaves once a day, we were having her look after the Fa house. After saying farewell to this girl who seemed to be growing more and more wild each time we met, we departed from our home.

After picking up Toor Deen, we passed through the Ruu settlement, then headed into town, where we met up with Mikel and Myme. Though we only had sundials to rely on for keeping to our schedule, not a single person was late.

Our group heading for Dabagg numbered thirteen, which was big enough to fill two wagons.

Ai Fa was handling the reins of the Fa clan wagon, and riding within it were me, Jeeda, Mikel, Myme, and Zasshuma, for a total of six. Meanwhile, Dan Rutim was the one driving the Ruu clan’s wagon, with Deem Rutim, Reina Ruu, Sheera Ruu, Rimee Ruu, Toor Deen, and Bartha inside, making for a group of seven. I had heard that six or seven was the maximum capacity for a single-totos-drawn wagon, so we had the smaller Rimee Ruu and Toor Deen ride together in order to lighten the load on the huge birds pulling us along.

From the main highway running north to south through the post town, we turned onto the road to the west that the gates of the castle town opened onto, then we just kept on going. Thanks to how early in the morning it was, there weren’t many other travelers around. Once our wagons passed by the stone walls of Genos, for a while all we saw was the path in front of us, sandwiched between dense thickets.

“Genos is a frontier town that was only just settled two hundred years back. The highway’s real nice, but you step off the beaten path at all and this is what you get,” our guide Zasshuma explained as the wagon swayed along.

Since nobody else was speaking up, I called out from the seat across from him, “Oh, really? It’s hard to imagine that Genos only has a history of two hundred or so years. Seeing how the people of the forest’s edge were treated as heretics when they moved here eighty years ago, I figured this was a much older town.”

“Yeah. At first it was just a piddly settlement for wandering westerners located in the free territories near the border, but then they discovered the huge Tanto river, and in no time at all the house of Count Genos was dispatched from the capital and took over. That was when that fine castle town was built.”

“Then what happened to the people who were living there to begin with?”

“Hmm? Naturally, the folks who seemed useful were welcomed as citizens of Genos, and those who didn’t were driven off. That inn owner you’re so close to probably has indigenous blood flowing in his veins, right?”

“Huh? You mean Milano Mas?”

“Yeah, that’s right. The majority of westerners don’t have family names, after all. The ones that do, maybe it’s because a bit of Sym culture got carried over in those days, but I don’t really know the details. At any rate, anyone living in Genos with a family name is from a bloodline that runs back to those frontier settlement days.”

I see, I thought to myself, feeling impressed. Out of all the westerners I had met up till now, the only ones I could recall having last names were Milano Mas’s family and Shilly Rou.

“Then folks from nearby regions started moving in one after another, forming the foundation for the current Genos. As they started doing business with folks from Sym and Jagar, the town kept on developing, and within a hundred years it had become the greatest city on the frontier.”

Then the house of Genos was granted the rank of duke, and the houses of Daleim, Turan, and Saturas were conferred the rank of count. Not long after, they accepted the people of the forest’s edge as citizens to deal with the significant losses they were suffering from giba attacks.

“When you lay it out like that, I guess Genos has really changed a lot over time.”

“That’s true. And it’s in the midst of another big change right now,” Zasshuma said amusedly, then he suddenly brought his face close to mine. “Still, it’s just been the two of us talking for a while now. Kinda makes for a gloomy trip, don’t you think?”

There were three reasons for that.

First up, Ai Fa was even more serious than usual as she focused on driving the wagon. Then you had the fact that Jeeda was just untalkative by nature. And lastly...Mikel and Myme were in the middle of a father-daughter fight.

“My dad won’t let me open a stall in the post town!” Myme had told me when I saw her several days back in the post town. “He keeps on saying that since there are so many outlaws around the post town, it’s too dangerous for a child like me to open a shop. Right when I was ready to reveal my completed dish to everyone... It’s just awful.”

“Yeah, but supposedly there’s a lot of crime in the post town. From what I’ve heard, we people of the forest’s edge have been able to stay out of danger because so many people are afraid of us.”

“I understand that. But if that’s the problem, why can’t I just hire a bodyguard? When I try to talk to dad about it, he just says you can’t trust anyone you can hire for cheap.”

In that case, it could make sense to discuss the matter with Zasshuma and have him introduce her to someone trustworthy. At least, that’s what I thought, but if I moved forward with my idea and didn’t consult Mikel, it could turn into an even bigger problem. To avoid that, I had been looking for a chance to propose the idea to the eternally displeased-looking Mikel all morning. But right now, Mikel and Myme weren’t talking at all, and were facing away from each other. After a brief comment to Zasshuma, I went ahead and moved up toward the driver’s seat.

“How are you doing, Ai Fa?”

“I’m having no issues. The path just keeps on stretching onward, with the woods all around us.”

The firm stone path continued west with a gentle curve. Since Dabagg was half a day from Genos, if you left at the break of dawn you would arrive around when the sun hit its peak. Since the route was just a single path, there was no worry of getting lost.

“Hey, if you’ve got the leeway for it, why don’t you join in the conversation too? It’s not really an issue for me personally, but it would be nice to clear away this tension in the air before we reach Dabagg.”

“I have no such leeway. If I let my guard down, who knows what danger may appear before us.”

Ai Fa was being so watchful because she had heard how the envoys from Banarm had lost several totos to an assault by poisonous insects. She was gripping the reins with the full strength of a hunter, as if to say she wouldn’t ever let her precious Gilulu meet such a tragic fate.

“But don’t poisonous insects creep up on you from the ground? So we should be on guard when we take a break rather than while we’re moving, right?”

“The safest option is to remain constantly on guard. But you don’t need to worry yourself. Just get some rest.”

She didn’t even glance my way when she said that. Her profile looked dead serious too. As the wind rustled her blonde bangs, her wonderful forehead was in plain view. Her nose was high and her lips thin, and her face was quite elegant as a whole. There wasn’t so much as a single wrinkle on her smooth cheek, and her eyes with their piercing gaze were adorned with long golden eyelashes.

I ended up thinking to myself once again about what a beautiful face she had. But it wasn’t just pretty, as the sharpness of a hunter blended with the gentleness of a woman, giving her an elegance all her own.

“Do you have some sort of further business with me...?”

“Ah, no, not really.”

“Then go take it easy back in the wagon... I can’t help but be distracted when you stare at me like that.”

I went ahead and followed my clan head’s instructions before my face could turn beet red. There had been no great changes in Ai Fa following that night ten days back. However, there might have been some small ones. Like, there had been more cases lately where she seemed somehow out of sorts, at times acting kindly or coldly with no pattern I could make sense of. However, the same might have been true for me too; I didn’t think I had been this captivated by the sight of Ai Fa during one of our conversations for months.

“I see. So things have been going well for you at the forest’s edge, huh? Well, glad to hear it. I’ve never been near Masara before, since there aren’t any big towns around there. But the gaaje leopards that live in the area are supposed to be just as nasty as giba, aren’t they?” Zasshuma was saying to Jeeda as I returned to my seat.

The small fourteen-year-old boy with red hair, yellow eyes, and just as much intensity as the hunters of the forest’s edge was only offering brief replies with his usual sour look. “Yeah. They’re real dangerous.”

“But the barobaro birds you can catch there are exquisite, from what I hear. A work buddy told me once how pricey their meat is.”

“Yeah. They’re real tasty.”

“I see. I’d like to give it a try myself sometime... So, you two intend to keep staying at the forest’s edge for the time being?”

“Yeah. That’s the plan.”

“Gotcha. I always say, regardless of where you live, your hometown’s still your hometown. But as long as it’s not causing you any issues, it’s not like there’s any need to hurry back,” Zasshuma rambled, putting an end to the conversation before moving his face close to mine again. “That hunter from Masara seems just as unfriendly as the ones from the forest’s edge. Though that big fellow driving the other wagon seems pretty pleasant.”

“His name’s Dan Rutim. You’ve met his son already, Gazraan Rutim.”

“Gazraan Rutim...? Ah, that extra serious hunter from the forest’s edge, right? They don’t seem very much alike,” Zasshuma replied, a cheerful grin crossing his unshaven face. “I remember thinking I’d like to have a drink with that guy someday, but I never imagined I’d have the chance to do so with his old man. I’ll be looking forward to tonight.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you and Dan Rutim will get along just fine.”

“Hmm. Then in that case, guess I really would have been better off in the other wagon. They’ve got a pair of beautiful women over there too.” When I shot him a surprised look, Zasshuma broke out in an even brighter grin. “I have no intention of getting into trouble with the people of the forest’s edge, so you don’t have to look so worried. It’s just, it puts you more at ease, sitting with beautiful young women rather than dour hunters or old folks, you know?”

Now that he had brought it up, Zasshuma had said something about paying to spend a night with Vina Ruu back when they first met. I had figured that had been part of his act, pretending to be the unrestrained leader of a group of merchants, but surprisingly, it might have actually been how he really felt.

“Seems like you’re in a pretty good mood, Zasshuma. Are you excited about heading back home for the first time in a while?”

“Yeah. Well, I’m at least happy at the thought of getting to eat delicious karon meat.”

“And I’m looking forward to seeing just what sort of town Dabagg is.” I realized that once again it was just me and Zasshuma excitedly chatting away. Still, there was no real helping that. After all, despite the fact that we were finally off on our little trip, the two of us were the only ones in the wagon who were actually excited about it.

As that thought ran through my head, I heard Myme, who had been cradling her knees in the corner, let out an “Ooh” of admiration.

Both Zasshuma and I looked her way. Since we had the canopy up in the rear, we could see the surrounding scenery.

As we passed out of the thicket, a desolate landscape came into view. The sandy earth looked utterly devoid of moisture, with rocks sticking up here and there. It was a stark sight, with the land stretching out so wide it seemed as if you could see the entire horizon. Something about it made the heart tremble.

“Amazing! This is my first time seeing such open scenery outside of the Daleim lands!” Myme said with a smile, turning my way.

I was simply glad to see her smile, but Zasshuma gave a “Hmm” and rubbed his chin with a doubtful look. “However, all of this is just useless wastelands. There aren’t any watering holes and you can’t grow crops here, so as you can see, it’s abandoned. The only things that can live in a place like this are poisonous insects and sand lizards.”

“Even so, I still can’t help but find it somehow exciting! I mean, this is my first time away from Genos.”

“Well, most folks never set foot outside of the place they were born, living out their whole lives there. I guess it’s only natural to be curious,” Zasshuma said with a grin, leaning forward and staring out to the north. “The western territory is vast, but the areas where folks can live are pretty limited. And they’re spilling blood to snatch land back and forth along the border with Mahyudra even now. You should all be grateful to have been born somewhere as peaceful as Genos.”

“Yeah. It’s all down to the judgment of the western god,” Myme said.

After that, we took a break every two hours as we continued to head west.

A large merchant caravan we passed along the way must have been heading to Genos to sell karon meat. As the sun rose higher in the sky, we passed a traveler from Sym riding alone atop a totos, and some unidentifiable wagon. Each time, Ai Fa grew tense, but fortunately we didn’t end up getting attacked by any bandits pretending to be travelers.

During the break periods, we burned some leaves to keep away poisonous insects, and then let our tired bodies get some rest. Even if the suspension was working to some degree, the swaying of the wagon was still enough to wear you down. As the drivers, Ai Fa and Dan Rutim in particular had to deal with a lot more fatigue, but they were tough hunters of the forest’s edge, so neither of them ended up yielding the reins of their totos to anyone else.

After six hours of riding in wagons with two breaks in the middle...Dabagg finally came into view.

“Look, that’s the town border,” Zasshuma said, gesturing toward the wooden fence stretching north and south in the distance. It was as if the barrier made of logs was cleaving the ground from the sky. Well, realistically, the fence was still just a fence. I could tell how sturdy it was despite the distance, but it seemed to be shorter than a person was tall.

“You see, that fence is to keep the karon from getting out. I mean, there’s no way they could build a stone wall stretching all the way around Dabagg’s ranches. Just like with Genos’s post town and the Daleim lands, it’s people who protect the land, not some fortification.”

Zasshuma’s expression had grown brighter and brighter as we approached the place he was born.

With just another half hour or so, we finally arrived at Dabagg. The stone road came to a sudden end right before the town’s entrance, giving way to a square plaza that was around ten meters wide. After crossing it, we arrived at the fence, where two guards with spears were standing.

Looking closely, the fence was built to open and close in just that one spot, and on the other side I could make out a wooden building and some totos tied to trees. Apparently, that was the rear entrance to town and they were the gatekeepers. That building behind them served as their barracks.

Ai Fa and Dan Rutim stopped the wagons before the fence, and the younger of the guards rather casually called out, “Looks like we’ve got a load of unfamiliar faces here. What business do you have in Dabagg?”

These men in their leather armor didn’t look all that different from the guards I was used to seeing around the Genos post town, but their behavior was a lot less formal, and when they looked at us they seemed totally unconcerned.

“We’re from Genos, and we came here to Dabagg to do business,” our guide Zasshuma said with a smile, hopping down from the wagon and approaching the guards. “By the way, I was born here in Dabagg. I’m from the Malotta ranch to the north, but now I work as a bodyguard. Look, here’s the necklace that proves I’m officially certified.”

“Ooh, I didn’t know old man Malotta had such a fine son. And you’re a proper bodyguard. Impressive,” the man replied, seeming to open up even further. Then he glanced over toward the wagons. “They must be quite the merchant group to hire an official bodyguard...but their carts are awfully small...”

“They may not look like much, but they’re some fine folks. There isn’t a single person in the Genos post town who doesn’t know them by now, I’d say.”

“I see. Well then, could we go ahead and look everyone over to start with?”

At their prompting, all of us descended from the wagons. As it happened, entering into Dabagg required one inspection that Genos didn’t.

“Now then, could you show me your right shoulders?”

The hunters brushed aside their cloaks and I rolled up the sleeve on my t-shirt. The women’s shoulders were only covered by their transparent veils, so they didn’t need to do anything further. Bartha was wearing leather armor today, which meant she just had to roll up her sleeve like me.

There was a custom in the western kingdom that criminals were given tattoos. This was an inspection to confirm we hadn’t committed any serious crimes in the past, or had any wanted criminals in our midst.

Though it was just a cursory inspection, it still likely helped to keep the peace in town. Supposedly, Genos had so many outlaws gather there precisely because they didn’t do so.

“Well, while Genos may skip that whole hassle, they’ve got a lot of guards out protecting the town. It’s all down to how the lord of the land decides to handle things,” Zasshuma had said.

At any rate, we awaited their inspection. All it involved was those soldiers with spears coming and checking us one by one from the left and right.

Eventually, one of them stopped right in front of Jeeda. It was the guard with some years on him who hadn’t talked to Zasshuma. As he peered at Jeeda’s face he tilted his head and went “Hmm?”

“What’s the matter? We shouldn’t have any criminals mixed in with the group,” Zasshuma called out, sounding suspicious.

“Right,” the guard dubiously replied. “It’s not as if I suspect him of being a criminal or anything... I was just a bit surprised since he looks just like this one outlaw they stopped searching for ten years ago.”

Jeeda silently stared back at the guard’s face. From just a short distance away, Bartha chuckled and called out, “Yeah, there aren’t exactly many westerners out there with red hair and yellow eyes. But he’s not the one you’re thinking of. He’s not exactly tall enough to be that guy, right?”

“I know. After all, that man was supposedly executed in Genos back then...and from what I hear, he had nothing to do with half the crimes he was charged with anyway.”

The man was undoubtedly referring to Goram Redbeard, who was executed thanks to Cyclaeus and Ciluel’s plot. And it seemed the name of the Red Beards that he led had reached out here too.

Still, the man surely never thought in his wildest dreams that he was looking at Goram Redbeard’s wife and son. Regardless, he went ahead and inspected the rest of the group, looking a bit nostalgic all the while.

“All right, there don’t seem to be any issues here... Once again, we welcome you to Dabagg. I wish you good luck with your business.”

“Right. We’ll be passing through again midday tomorrow,” Zasshuma replied, and with that we returned to the wagons. After passing by the small barracks, we found a path paved with dirt rather than stone continuing onward. “Now we’re finally entering into Dabagg. Just go ahead and follow the path for now.”

Small wooden structures lined either side of the road, blocking the fields from view. Since I wasn’t able to spy any karon earlier when we were at a distance, now the anticipation was starting to make my heart pound faster.

“Hmph, even though it’s been years now, nothing’s changed here at all... Asuta, do you mind if we head to my place first rather than the inn?”

“Okay. Since we have limited time, I’d love the chance to see a karon ranch first.”

“Then in that case, let’s turn onto that path to the right.”

“Understood,” Ai Fa replied with a nod from up in the driver’s seat.

My clan head directed Gilulu as instructed, and suddenly our field of view opened wide. We were now on a small path between wooden fences. Just beyond those fences were fields filled with dense green grass.

I could hear oohs and ahhs filled with surprise coming from the wagon following behind us. They must have been seeing the same things we were: huge beasts wandering slowly around the ranches.

“So those are karon, huh?” I questioned as I leaned forward next to the driver’s seat.

They certainly were big. In terms of animals I was familiar with, they were at least as big as Holstein cattle if not larger. However, they didn’t look like cattle exactly. How to describe their appearance...

In addition to their large bodies they also had similarly thick necks and legs. At the ends of their thick necks were large heads with protruding snouts. I couldn’t spy any horns or tusks, but little elliptical ears popped up at the tops of their heads. The fur coating their bodies was brown with white spots, and since it wasn’t very long, the general shape of their short and stout bodies was easy to distinguish.

If I had to say...they probably looked most similar to tapirs. That’s just what they reminded me of, somehow, with their long snouts, sluggish-looking figures, and the vague aura of being relaxed that hung about them.

However, they certainly were bigger than the tapirs I was familiar with. The biggest one I could spy looked like it had to be two meters or so long. The only thing they did was just move slowly along and graze on the grass at their feet. Just like with the kimyuus, this was my first time seeing a karon despite having had a good number of opportunities to cook them.

“These also seem to be rather carefree animals...” Ai Fa suddenly said from the driver’s seat. “But they’re huge. If they were to attack us, they could be just as threatening as giba.”

“That’s true. You’d better watch out so you don’t get trampled by them, okay?” I teased.

“This is no joke. We should listen carefully to the people accustomed to handling them and take care not to invite any danger upon ourselves.”

“I know, I know. You don’t need to worry,” I replied with a smile, only for Ai Fa to shoot me a glare out of the corner of her eye.

At any rate, our educational field trip was off to an incredibly relaxed start.