Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 18 - Chapter 5.3

3

Another four years passed.

Zattsu Suun was now forty-seven, Migi Suun twenty-five, and Tei Suun forty-one... Meanwhile, Yamiru Suun was eleven and Tei Suun’s daughter Oura had turned seventeen.

It would be another four years before Yamiru Suun could take a husband. Ever mindful of that fact, Migi Suun had remained single rather than taking a new wife.

However, that wasn’t to say that Migi Suun was remaining celibate. There were signs that the vicious fool had been assaulting and amusing himself with girls from small clans and even in town. Tei Suun had requested that Zuuro Suun take Oura for a bride in order to protect her from that man’s wicked grasp. Fortunately, the nominal heir was fond of well-behaved girls, so he readily accepted.

This would be the fifth time that Zuuro Suun took a bride. For whatever reason, the women who married him all died soon after giving birth. Two of his wives were lost when giba attacked them at the outskirts of the forest. The other two passed away when they couldn’t recover after childbirth. That might have simply been because Zuuro Suun had a preference for frail women...or perhaps the anxiety and fear of living together with Zattsu Suun caused them to grow weak. However, their child Tsuvai had been born soon after the marriage, and though two years had passed since then, Oura was still alive. Oura wasn’t as weak of a girl as her appearance might have implied. Otherwise, Tei Suun never would have considered having her marry Zuuro Suun.

In the same year that those two married, Tei Suun’s wife finally passed away from her illness, so he also became a member of the main house. It was the least he could do to atone, so that Oura wouldn’t have to be the only one to suffer.

Any way you looked at it, it was all absolutely wretched.

Tei Suun’s first priority would always be making certain that his own family was safe. While he had some vague idea of what sort of rotten means Migi Suun was capable of using to see his ambitions fulfilled, he made no plans to stop the fiend. In the past four years, Tei Suun had lost the will needed to even question what was happening around him.

Over the course of that timespan, the members of the Suun clan had continuously harvested the blessings of Morga. And eventually they had started to sully their hands with even greater crimes too. They had fallen so far that now they were attacking travelers and farms in order to pillage whatever wealth they possessed.

Only six men knew of those crimes, the leading clan head Zattsu Suun included. Supposedly, the fortune they had stolen was meant to bring greater prosperity to the Suun clan.

Because of their harvesting of the blessings of Morga, giba had started disappearing from the area around the settlement. By this point, they were only hunting a few of the beasts each month. By only slaughtering giba caught in traps, their lives were not put at any risk. Now the Suun were able to live in safety and stability.

However, the number of direct blood relations they had still wasn’t growing. Not that it ever would have been possible to grow all that much over the course of just four years. It would still be quite some time before they could make the ferocious hunters of the north follow them into battle with the Ruu.

And until that time comes, we need to keep hiding this secret, do we?

But as if that weren’t enough, Tei Suun had yet another layer of secrets that he needed to keep even from his family: The pillaging he had engaged in, known only to those six men...and the nobles of Genos.

“You are under suspicion for the crime of pillaging, leading clan head of the forest’s edge...” the little man who called himself Count Turan had begun. “If that is the truth, then we will need to punish you in accordance with the laws of Genos... No matter how dissatisfied you may happen to be with the amount of reward money you are given, such crimes simply cannot be permitted...”

“What a ridiculous accusation. If you have proof that we’ve committed some sort of crime, then you should come out and show it,” Zattsu Suun replied with a beastly grin.

Count Turan met that with a mundt-like smile. “There is no such proof... However, I cannot overlook crimes that threaten to bring harm to Genos...”

He then indicated that if they committed further crimes, he would have no choice but to punish someone, even if that meant punishing the leading clan head of the forest’s edge. Or at least, that was what Tei Suun had thought upon first hearing his warning.

However, that wasn’t the case.

After they received the reward money and exited Count Turan’s manor, a man hiding his face approached them.

“The count does not wish to aggravate matters with the people of the forest’s edge. Genos depends on the strength of your hunters, after all... So if the people of the forest’s edge are seeking greater fortune, then it would be for the best if you only targeted merchant groups that Genos has no interest in.”

The man was ridiculously large, and also incredibly suspicious. He wore his hood down far over his head like an easterner, and had a gray cloth wrapped around the lower half of his face. Only his reddish-brown eyes were openly exposed, and they had the exact same sort of tenacious shine in them as Count Turan’s had.

“Hmm... I do not know who you are, but do you truly dare to call the proud people of the forest’s edge bandits?” Zattsu Suun questioned as he reached for the blade at his hip, only for the other man to step back in a fluster.

“Oh, of course not. I simply wish for the people of the forest’s edge to live with as much comfort and ease as possible... No matter what might happen to some merchants who do not work for the benefit of Genos, our soldiers will have no reason to make a move. And fortunately, I just so happen to have a number of such merchants in mind.”

He proceeded to teach them the routes for a number of merchant caravans and told them that if they ran across any treasures they would have difficulty dealing with he would help exchange them for coins, after which he hurriedly departed.

“So, is this a plot meant to entrap us, or are they simply trying to incentivize us to act as they wish? It will be quite interesting to see where this leads.”

“You can’t possibly trust that suspicious man’s words, can you?”

“I don’t trust him at all. Yet ultimately, I will happily accept the information he offered us.”

Zattsu Suun attacked every last one of those merchant caravans. And when he did, he killed everyone present and looted their wealth.

Whether it was a ploy or not, with six hunters on the job, there was never any chance of failure. Not to mention the fact that two of the six were Zattsu and Migi Suun, who were some of the foremost hunters of the forest’s edge.

Tei Suun’s blade was also stained with the blood of innocents.

However, the forest still refused to take his soul.

Could that mean this was actually the correct path after all?

Was it as Zattsu Suun said, and their actions would lead the people of the forest’s edge toward a better future?

Tei Suun couldn’t say.

He could only force his emotions down and swing his blade.

At some point, Tei Suun became a man incapable of feeling anger or sadness.

“The man who leads the soldiers of Genos is putting together a plan to subjugate your people on his own initiative...”

Once that information was delivered, they went and killed the man in the dead of night.

When they held banquets where they invited the clans under them and needed to provide vegetables from town, such as aria and poitan, they would raid the farms to get ahold of them.

Even that sort of crime was not enough to stir Tei Suun’s heart.

And while the other of the people of the forest’s edge feared Migi Suun’s outrageous actions, they knew nothing of just how far the Suun clan’s transgressions went.

Then, that day finally came...

◇

“Don’t slip up, Tei Suun. We’ll finish this when we approach the ravine,” Migi Suun whispered as they advanced along a trackless path deep in the forest.

Behind the two of them was a merchant caravan thirty members strong. The group was from Genos, and they were heading for the Eastern Kingdom of Sym. They had seven wagons pulled by two totos each, which were advancing steadily down the verdant animal trail despite various difficulties.

This merchant caravan was today’s target.

Of all things, they had said that they wanted to pass through the forest of Morga in order to head to Sym. To that end, they had asked the Suun clan to guide them.

Packed inside those wagons were mountains of food and treasure to be sold in Sym. There was absolutely no way that Zattsu Suun would allow such an opportunity to slip on by.

“Might this not be a plot to expose our crimes?” Tei Suun had questioned, only for Zattsu Suun to laugh at the idea.

“The merchant caravan said they were tied to the house of Saturas, didn’t they? In which case, Count Turan has no reason to concern himself with them...”

Apparently, the house of Saturas was in charge of handling the post town. And to be sure, although Count Turan had brought the matter to Zattsu Suun, he had certainly acted as if he had little interest in the whole affair.

Tei Suun figured why not do as they pleased. They were deep into the woods now, so if the mother forest couldn’t forgive his crimes, he would surely receive the punishment he deserved for them. By this point, he only thought to entrust all matters of right or wrong to the forest.

“I had heard the forest of Morga was a place of death, but it’s quite beautiful, isn’t it?” a flaxen-haired young man called out as they advanced through the forest, where it was dark despite being the middle of the day. But though he was young, he was the leader of this merchant caravan.

In response, Tei Suun nodded back toward the young man holding the reins of a totos. “The forest is a sacred place, as well as our home. Only the townsfolk who lack the strength to live here call it a place of death.”

“Right. Still, we aren’t encountering many giba around here, are we? Without the fear of giba hanging over us, the forest just feels like a place brimming with life.”

“Yes. There aren’t many of the fruits giba feed on in this area, and with so many people walking along without hiding their presence, the giba feel on edge and won’t approach.”

Those words were no lie.

Even so, this area was the Sauti clan’s domain, and they had been ordered to take a day of rest from their hunting. Officially, that was because it would be dangerous if a giba they were chasing ended up coming this way. But the true reason was to keep them from finding out about the violence that was to come.

“Hmm. If there aren’t many giba around here, then wouldn’t it make sense to clear away the trees and make a path that anyone can use? If you did, then we wouldn’t have to trouble you in the future in order to head to Sym like we are now.”

“Come on, that’s totally crazy. You want to clear a path this deep in the forest?”

That reply had come not from Tei Suun, but rather from the older man who served as the young man’s partner. Apparently, this fellow with tanned skin and a fine physique was the vice-leader of the caravan.

The younger of the two turned his way with an earnest smile and said, “The roads connecting Genos and Sym go through a desert filled with poisonous snakes and insects. To be blunt, I’d say there’s not much difference in terms of danger between that and the forest of Morga. And going this way makes for a shorter route, which is why we came up with this plan, isn’t it? That’s exactly why we’re here traveling this way.”

“Well, it isn’t our job to worry about whether or not a path should be cleared. If they think it seems like a good plan, the nobles of Genos will figure it out somehow, I’m sure,” the vice-leader said with an exasperated chuckle. The two must have shared a deep, trusting relationship. Though they looked like ordinary townsfolk, there was an incredibly strong light shining in their eyes. These merchants certainly had to have some guts to try passing through the dangerous forest of Morga for the distant land of Sym.

“Ah, the ravine has come into view,” Migi Suun said from the head of the group, holding back a grin. Sure enough, a rugged yellow rocky surface was visible to the right. “You should go ahead and use the giba warding fruit now. This area is dangerous enough that we really can’t afford to have giba attack us.”

The young group leader nodded, then signaled to his allies behind him. A number of red fruits were brought out of one of the wagons and passed around from one man to another.

However, they weren’t giba warding fruits, but rather giba summoning fruits.

The plan was to use the aroma to draw in giba, so that they would wipe out the whole merchant caravan.

Among the group of thirty in the merchant caravan, nearly half of them were bodyguards hired with coins. None of them looked to be especially skilled, but Zattsu and Migi Suun had decided to use this cunning scheme in order to be all the more certain.

However, Zattsu Suun wasn’t participating in this attack. He had started feeling unwell a few days ago. In just three more years, the man would turn fifty. It was hard to believe that Zattsu Suun might die before his ambitions were fulfilled...but even so, a shadow of doubt had been cast over their endeavors, where none had existed before.

As such thoughts meandered through Tei Suun’s head, the flaxen-haired young man turned his way.

“So we just need to crush this and coat ourselves in the juices, correct?”

“Yes. The shell is rather tough, so you should use the bottom of a knife or something similar to crack it open.”

The young man did as he was told and swung the butt of a knife’s handle down on the fruit resting in his palm. With a thud, the red shell was smashed in and a small amount of scarlet juice sprayed out like smoke.

“Ack, that sure is a powerful smell. It’s as sweet as a flower from Jagar.”

“It seems like it won’t just cling to our bodies, but to our hair and clothing too.”

Tei and Migi Suun casually stepped back. It wouldn’t be enough to escape from the scent, but at least it was a good deal better than getting it coated in it.

Giba summoning fruit didn’t just draw the beasts in, but also made them more vicious, which is why it was so incredibly dangerous. In days long past, there was a technique that used it to draw giba to yourself called sacrificial hunting, but the risks were too great to justify and the practice had died out.

“All right, now let’s move out before the scent weakens,” Migi Suun ordered, and the group proceeded onto the rocky surface.

To their right was a precipice, and on their left was woodlands. If they continued along this stony tract for half a day or so, they would safely make it out of the forest.

However, this was not to be.

Around half an hour or so later, the hoofbeats of death and destruction sounded out.

“Hmm? There seems to be some sort of commotion out in the forest...” the large man who served as the vice-leader said, mere moments before a massive giba leaped out of the forest on the left.

It had lost all sense thanks to the scent of the giba summoning fruit. The beast hurtled forward over the edge of the cliff, plummeting down to the bottom and taking one of the dumbfounded men who had been standing there along with it.

“G-Giba!” the men started shouting in fear as Tei and Migi Suun ran along the rocky surface. As per the plan, their other three comrades had coated themselves in giba summoning fruit and led the beasts here.

After moving to a safe distance, Tei Suun came to a stop and turned around.

The sight that awaited him truly was something out of a nightmare.

Roughly ten giba were running the men down. The gibas’ sharp horns and tusks were tearing into flesh and sending gouts of blood flying through the air. A number of men had taken the charging giba head-on and fallen off the cliff.

Some of the totos attached to the wagons suffered the same fate. Others panicked and ended up trampling a few of the merchants, or ran them over with the wagons.

“Whoa!” Migi Suun called out as he leaped backward. Not a moment later, a giba appeared from the forest to his side.

It seemed some amount of the scent had gotten onto the two of them as well. With a wide grin, Migi Suun swung his sword. The blow shattered the giba’s skull. Even after four years of fooling around, his muscles showed no signs of having weakened in the slightest.

“It’s been a while since I’ve hunted giba! Now then, how about I indulge in some of the forest’s vitality?”

As the giba twitched and spasmed, Migi Suun grabbed hold of its pelt and lifted its short and stout figure over his head. The fresh blood spurting from its crushed skull stained Migi Suun’s massive body red.

This was also an old custom for taking the life force of the forest inside oneself. But even at the Suun settlement, only Zattsu and Migi Suun continued with the tradition. As he considered that, Tei Suun realized that he himself had stopped praying to the forest at the ritual hall...

It was then that Migi Suun groaned, “Urgh! The leader of the caravan is trying to flee into the forest!”

When Tei Suun turned to look, he saw the young man with his flaxen hair stained red running into a thicket. A number of arrows came flying at the merchant from atop the trees, which must have come from their comrades who had led the giba here. Naturally, they had gone up the trees that bordered the rocky tract in order to escape from the beasts.

“Did they get him? We can’t let even a single one escape!”

Migi Suun tossed the giba’s corpse to the ground and took off running that way. Though one of the giba that had been running wild atop the rocky ground came after him, it met its end from a single swing of Migi Suun’s blade. And with that, he also disappeared into the forest.

I suppose it’s about time... Tei Suun waved his hand toward his comrades atop the trees.

Now the grigee arrows flew toward the giba on the rocks. One by one, their tremendous death cries rang out across the ravine.

Of the nearly ten giba in total, some collapsed on the ground, while others fell down the cliff. Once they had stopped moving, Tei Suun slowly approached to survey the scene.

Giba, totos, and human corpses were piled there in heaps. The sweet scent of giba summoning fruit mixed with the thick smell of blood, making for an overwhelming stench. However, Tei Suun could no longer be moved by such things. His allies who came down from the trees all had eyes like those glass orbs made in Sym as well.

“After you empty out everything from inside, push the wagons down to the bottom of the cliff. And just to be safe, be sure to pull out all the arrows.”

“Right.”

His comrades silently got to work. Meanwhile, Tei Suun started checking for any survivors. It would take half a day to make it back to town from here. Even if soldiers from Genos were dispatched to confirm the truth of any reports that might be made, they wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow. The carrion-eating mundt would have consumed everything by that point.

Just where will the souls of townsfolk attacked by giba and eaten by mundt return to? Tei Suun thought to himself as he approached yet another corpse...or at least, what he thought was a corpse before the man grabbed him.

“Wha...?!”

“You damn traitor! You deceived us!”

It was the vice-leader of the group.

The man’s bright, intense brown eyes were glaring at Tei Suun with overwhelming hatred. With blood gushing from his stomach, he wrapped his hands around Tei Suun’s throat.

“May disaster befall the cowardly people of the forest’s edge! We... We trusted in you!”

“Let go... You were fools for believing in us!”

Tei Suun shoved the man away half on instinct. But in that moment, the man just so happened to have a hold on Tei Suun’s necklace of horns and tusks, and it was torn from his body.

With the glare of a man driven mad with pure hatred, the vice-leader fell to the bottom of the cliff.

Yes... You were fools for believing in the Suun clan. Tei Suun repeated his earlier words in his heart.

Then one of his comrades called out from behind him. “Tei Suun, should we leave the giba corpses too?”

“Yes. If there are no giba bones left behind, it could cast suspicion on us as their guides. Leave them here, and don’t remove the horns or tusks.”

“Understood. By the way, Migi Suun still hasn’t returned, has he?” the man replied, at which Tei Suun looked over toward the forest.

It was hard to imagine that injured man being able to flee very far, but now that he thought about it, it was true that Migi Suun should have been back by now.

“I’ll go take a look. You three finish things up here.”

With that Tei Suun stepped into the thicket. There were drops of the young man’s blood spattered on the grass, leaves, and tree trunks.

“Where are you, Migi Suun?”

There was no response.

His fingers grasping the hilt of his blade, Tei Suun carefully pushed forward into the depths of the forest.

The places where the foliage was trampled showed where they had been. And that trail stretched surprisingly far.

“Migi Suun?”

Tei Suun kept going, prepared for a giba attack should one come.

It wasn’t until his comrades were completely out of view that he finally heard a weak voice call out, “Tei Suun... Over here...”

Tei Suun hurried forward, then peered around the large tree in front of him. When he did, his eyes shot open wide in shock. Migi Suun was sitting there, leaning up against the trunk of the tree. Beside him were the corpses of a massive giba and the young man. Furthermore, there was a silver dagger stabbed halfway into Migi Suun’s stomach.

“Migi Suun, what happened?”

“I screwed up... Just when I had caught up to him and grabbed him by the neck, this giba rammed into me... Just when I finished it off, the kid used the chance to stab me in the stomach...”

Even so, it was the giba and the caravan leader who had ended up dead. The giba’s skull was smashed, while the young man’s neck was broken.

As he sat there powerless, Migi Suun grinned.

“The wound in my stomach is nothing. I mean, it didn’t make it to my guts... But thanks to this giba, I seem to have broken several ribs...”

Even with multiple broken ribs, he had managed to smash a giba’s head in and snap that young man’s neck? Feeling horrified for the first time in a while, Tei Suun looked down at the young man’s corpse.

His fingers had raked the ground pitifully. His flaxen hair was stained with blood, and red droplets had run down his cheeks like tears. With his eyes closed, his face somehow looked more youthful than when he had been alive.

But this young man...he said he had family he left behind in Genos.

The young man had given Tei Suun a pained smile, saying that around when he had started preparing for this job, he learned that his wife was with child. But he had thought that if he hurried back from Sym, then maybe he would be able to return home in time for the birth.

However, his eyes would never open again.

Those fingers that now looked like snapped claws would never hold his child.

“Ugh, how annoying... To think that a mere townsperson tried to injure me... I’m the man who will be the next leading clan head of the forest’s edge... If my legs would just work right, I’d stamp on that disgusting face of his...”

Tei Suun slowly turned to face Migi Suun. “Migi Suun, don’t you think we should remove that blade as soon as possible and have you treated? It could prove fatal if you get a bad infection.”

“Hmm, but my fingers lack the strength... I used it all up finishing these two off...”

“I see. Well then, allow me to pull it out for you.”

Tei Suun leaned down and grabbed the handle of the dagger in Migi Suun’s stomach.

◇

It was late at night by the time Tei Suun made it back to the settlement.

Holding a torch purchased from town, he approached the main Suun house. As he did, he saw a dark shadow curled up in front.

“Who’s there? Mida Suun?”

“Yeah...”

It was the youngest son of the household, Mida Suun. Though he had only just turned four, he looked about twice that age. The boy was oddly large and also round and plump, like a ball of meat.

“What are you doing out here? Were Diga and Doddo Suun picking on you again?”

“Yeah...”

Diga and Doddo Suun had become the sort that picked on those who were weaker than them. Even at such a young age, they’d had it driven into their heads that the strong could treat the weak however they pleased.

“Even so, you can’t just keep crying all the time. Didn’t I tell you before that you should talk to Zuuro Suun and Oura when things are tough?”

“Yeah...” Mida Suun’s little pale-colored eyes stared up at Tei Suun.

Tei Suun couldn’t read what Mida Suun was thinking whatsoever. Neither could the boy’s father, Zuuro Suun. The only one who seemed to understand the boy even a little was Oura, who had looked after him since he was even younger than he was now.

“At any rate, you should come back inside with me. The night wind isn’t good for you. Diga and Doddo Suun must be asleep in their own rooms by now, right?”

“Yeah...” Mida Suun’s round body slowly rose. All the while, his eyes never stopped staring at Tei Suun. “Tei Suun...are you okay?”

“Hmm? Why do you ask?”

“Well...you just look really sad...”

Tei Suun was left at a loss for words.

He felt as if some small animal had inexplicably started talking to him.

Just what did the world look like through those young eyes? Tei Suun couldn’t even fathom.

“I’m fine. Now come along, let’s go in...”

“Okay...”

After putting out the torch, Tei Suun opened the door to the house. When he did, he found Oura sitting there alone in the main hall.

“Papa Tei, and Mida too... Weren’t you sleeping in your room, Mida?”

“No, I was outside...”

“I see. I was in my room soothing Tsuvai, so I didn’t notice at all. You’re still young, so you shouldn’t go out at night on your own, Mida.”

“Okay...”

Oura gave a faint smile.

Tsuvai, who had only just turned two, was sleeping away in her arms.

“Good work today, Papa Tei... How did things go?”

“Mmm,” was all Tei Suun could reply with.

Oura’s eyebrows slumped sadly. “Papa Tei, there’s something I wanted to discuss with you...”

“Save it for later. I have to go see the leading clan head now.”

“But Papa Tei...”

“Oura, you’re the wife of the clan head’s heir, Zuuro Suun. And you’re a mother to a young daughter as well, so you shouldn’t speak so childishly,” Tei Suun stated as he removed his leather footwear. “At least call me father...or even just Tei Suun. With my weak blood ties, I am the lowest of anyone here at the main house, so from now on, I shall refer to you as Oura Suun.”

As Oura deeply hung her head, she hugged the child in her arms tightly.

“Very well...father.”

“Good.”

Leaving Oura and Mida Suun behind in the main hall, Tei Suun headed for Zattsu Suun’s bedroom. But just as he was about to knock on the door, it opened from the inside.

“My, Tei Suun...” It was Yamiru Suun. The girl was now eleven years old, and she wore a chilly smile as she shut the door. “So you finally made it back. How was your work guiding that merchant caravan?”

“The leading clan head should be telling everyone about that tomorrow morning.”

Last year when Yamiru Suun turned ten she had switched from wearing children’s attire to that of a woman, and Tei Suun started talking to her differently.

The edges of Yamiru Suun’s lips raised in an even more pronounced grin. She never used to smile at all, but even now that she did, it was always with such a cold look on her face.

“The leading clan head seems to be doing quite poorly. Come tomorrow, it’s questionable as to whether or not he’ll even be able to walk on his own two feet.”

Yamiru Suun had also grown unusually tall for her age. Her face and build were oddly mature as well. On top of that, her blackish eyes had only grown more and more chilly with age.

“Even so, I’m sure it will still be some time before his soul departs... He laughed and said he would make sure to live at least long enough to see me take a husband.”

“Is that so?”

“Where is Migi Suun? Did he return home without even offering a report?”

“The leading clan head should be telling you about that tomorrow morning as well...”

“Hmm?” Narrowing her eyes doubtfully, Yamiru Suun turned to leave. “Well, whatever. I expect to never have any reason on my end to interact with that man... Well then, have a good night, Tei Suun.”

After watching her graceful figure depart, Tei Suun knocked on the door.

“It’s Tei Suun. I’ve just now returned.”

“You may enter...”

As soon as he entered the room, he was met with a burning glare.

Zattsu Suun really did seem to be doing even worse than he had been in the morning. His cheeks looked a bit emaciated, and the areas under his eyes were becoming sunken. But as for his eyes themselves, the tenacity and vitality brimming from them remained just the same as always.

“You’re rather late... You didn’t fail, did you?”

“No, we didn’t. We carried out our task. However...”

When he heard what Tei Suun said next, Zattsu Suun’s eyes shot open wide.

It was the first time Tei Suun had ever seen the man look so openly shocked.

“What? Say that again...”

“Yes, clan head,” Tei Suun said with a nod. “Unfortunately, Migi Suun perished out in the forest. He was stabbed in the stomach by a member of the merchant caravan, and his innards were gouged out.”

Just where exactly would his actions take the Suun clan?

He didn’t care enough to even try imagining.