Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 2 - Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2: Where is my Guidepost?

1

It was the following morning.

When I woke up, Ai Fa was nowhere to be seen.

I was in a spare Ruu house, which was twice as big and splendid as the Fa home. We were supposed to be sleeping in a huddle like always atop the fur rug in the hall, but no matter where I looked, I couldn’t find Ai Fa.

“Huh? Where did Ai Fa go...?”

I sat up in a hurry and knocked on the door to the separate room in the back. I checked inside afterwards just to be sure, but she wasn’t there, either. The whole place was empty.

But just where had Ai Fa went...?

I could feel the anxiety welling up inside of me.

It couldn’t be that second son hitting on her again, right?

Now that I’d had that thought, I couldn’t just keep waiting around here.

I grabbed the white towel that had come off when I was sleeping and hurried to the door.

The bolt wasn’t latched.

...In other words, it’s safe to assume that she went outside of her own volition.

Outside, it was around the time when the sun made it over the mountain range. Normally I would have been up a good while ago and have at least finished all the washing I needed to do. But because I was being treated as a guest today, I was free of such responsibilities. That’s what made it all the more confusing as to why Ai Fa would go and leave the house.

I stepped out into the central plaza surrounded by seven houses and looked all around. There was a large woman holding an iron pot. An old lady drying out pico leaves on top of a cloth that was spread out wide. And there were small children trying not to get in the way.

I spied a number of families starting their mornings, but there wasn’t anyone around the main Ruu house in the innermost position, nor was there any sign of Ai Fa.

But still, it certainly didn’t seem as if Ai Fa had been dragged away by force. Heck, it was such a calm and gentle sight that I felt like an idiot for jumping to such a violent conclusion.

But what happened, then? She couldn’t have left me behind and headed back first, right?

I was left pretty flustered and was incoherent about the matter with Vina Ruu last night. But I kept on insisting that I just didn’t really know what she was saying because she was drunk, so Ai Fa shouldn’t have been too angry with me. I mean, she certainly seemed suspicious and there was a chilly feel coming from her, but she didn’t seem all that angry, at least. Maybe she had flown into a rage on the inside, though? Did she see through my feelings of guilt from hiding something from her?

Agh, if I was just going to end up worrying about it like this, I should have opened up about everything rather than hiding stuff! Well no, I may have to embellish a bit...

...Wait, hey, I’m way too worked up, right?!

It was like I was a lost child, separated from his parents. But, well, it was true that I was in an even more unsteady position than that here in this world.

I see... Now that I think of it, last night was the first time that we’ve each done our own thing since I got here.

Naturally, I had been left to hold down the fort plenty of times, so we had indeed acted on our own. But I had promised Ai Fa that I wouldn’t act on my own where she couldn’t see, so this was my first time leaving the house and wandering around by myself.

Bottom line, even if we had separated, Ai Fa and I could only really communicate with one another. We’d spent five days in a little world all our own.

It was Rimee Ruu’s sudden appearance that had thrown off that equilibrium. And the second we broke out of that world, we had all this craziness, huh?

Vina Ruu flirted with me, and Darmu Ruu hit on Ai Fa. It must be fate or something...

...Wait, this is no time to be thinking about crap like that!

At any rate, I’ve got to find Ai Fa. For the time being, that means visiting the main Ruu house.

And if Ai Fa happened to say her goodbyes and leave on her own, then I’d have no choice but to chase after her, crying all the while.

“Hey there, guest. What are you standing around all on your own and spaced out for?” a voice called out from behind just before I started walking. When I turned around, I saw a yellowish-brown haired boy shooting me a dubious look.

It was the youngest son of the Ruu house, Ludo Ruu.

“Ah, hey there. And right back at you. What are you doing here?”

I was heading towards the main Ruu home in the innermost part of the plaza when he came up behind me, so that meant he had come from the opposite direction.

“Hmm? I just happened to wake up weirdly early, so I went out for a stroll. I mean, if the women found me, they’d make me help them out with their work,” he replied, then gave a big yawn.

I was 170 centimeters on the dot, but he was even smaller and more slender than I was, and had a pretty cute face. Of course he didn’t look weak, but rather agile like a young deer. There was also a strong light in his big, round eyes, and he had a brazen look on his face as always.

“The women should take care of their own work. But because I’m the youngest son, they just make me do whatever they please... So, what are you doing, guest? Your name was Asuta, right?”

“Yeah. I couldn’t find Ai Fa anywhere when I got up, so I’m out looking for her. You haven’t seen her, have you?”

“No clue. Maybe she’s helping the women out with their work? Around now, they’re probably washing stuff... It’s over this way. Follow me.”

With that, he took off walking towards the main Ruu house.

He had a pretty coarse way of talking, but he may have actually been a surprisingly thoughtful kid. I got the feeling that he was easily the most decent person out of that group of ruffians that made up the men of the family, and he was also the only one of them to acknowledge our cooking.

“Man... You guys are leaving today, right? What a drag. I wanted to eat more of that delicious cooking.”

Hearing that made me really happy. My rating of him seriously was on the rise.

“Still, I did at least teach the women of your house some techniques. Even if I’m not around, they should be able to make you some tasty food.”

“The women around here aren’t that skilled! And my old man will never allow them to make that ‘hamburger’ stuff, anyway! Even if they do somehow manage a delicious meal, only Granny Jiba will get to eat it.” He looked at me with a sulky gaze. “Hey, Asuta, you really won’t marry into the family? I don’t care if it’s Reina or Vina, just pick one to go after and gobble up.”

“You say some pretty horrifying things for a little brother... Don’t you care at all about your precious big sisters meeting that fate?”

“They’re going to get married eventually anyway, so it’s all the same to me. Actually, if they married into some other family they’d have to move away, but if a husband marries into our clan, they’ll be part of our family forever. So it’s better that way, right?”

Hmm. He did seem to at least care about his big sisters, but it was a mindset I just couldn’t understand as someone from another world. Could he really respect a brother-in-law who just picks out one of his sisters, goes after them, and gobbles them up?

“I mean, Reina’s already 17, and Vina’s hit 20, y’know? Folks are gossiping a whole lot lately about why the women of the main Ruu house still haven’t gotten married. I mean, it’s a key job for women to hurry up and marry, have kids, and grow the family.”

“Hmm... By the way, how old are you?”

“I’m 15. I finally hit the age where I can take a bride myself... Hey, could you stop just calling me ‘you’ all the time already? It feels weird, somehow.”

“Sorry about that, Ludo Ruu. Ah, is that where they’re washing?”

“It’s this way.”

What an easygoing kid.

Now I’d had a chance to talk properly with all but the third daughter, Lala Ruu, and they certainly were a varied bunch of siblings.

The eldest son, Jiza Ruu, who gave off some sort of unknowable pressure.

The second son, Darmu Ruu, who had a dangerous glare like a wild wolf.

The youngest son, Ludo Ruu, who was blunt but friendly.

The eldest daughter, Vina Ruu, who overflowed with way too much sex appeal.

The second daughter, Reina Ruu, who was earnest, innocent, and serious.

The only girl to dislike my giburgers, Lala Ruu.

The absolutely adorable Rimee Ruu.

They seriously were a diverse group. It really was amusing how a single couple could produce such varied children.

“So, I can’t talk you into marrying into the family? I mean, I think I could definitely talk Reina into it...” We walked along the left side of the Ruu house, down a path with a good number of bushes and shrubs. “Like, what if you just jumped in on her when she was bathing? I mean, you know that the law says if you see an unmarried woman’s nude body, either you have your eyes crushed or you marry her, right? And Reina’s so weak-willed that she would only ever consider marrying you in that case, I’m sure.”

“I don’t want to torment Reina Ruu with something like that! And hey, I can’t see anything but my eyes getting crushed in that case!”

“But it’d be real easy to just jump her and get her pregnant, right?”

“You’re seriously way off base here... Ludo Ruu, you really should consider your sisters’ happiness more seriously.”

“But she would be happy. I mean, she’d get to eat that delicious food every day!”

He was being pretty sleazy, but I was finding it hard to hate him when he was saying stuff like that... But wait, was I being way too superficial here?

But still, honestly, Donda Ruu’s harsh words from last night were seriously eating away at me, so hearing something like that was really soothing.

“Hmm... Then I guess the only option left is to convince that stubborn old man of mine.”

“No, I’m telling you, I don’t even want to marry into the family in the first place...”

“That’s not what I meant. I meant we’ve got to convince him the food is delicious.”

I ended up staring at his face without thinking. Ludo Ruu didn’t seem to notice, and started walking like he was stretching out his legs as he went, with his hands together behind his head.

“I thought that giba meat was crazy tasty, but my old man was complaining, saying stuff like it was too sweet and soft. But in that case, if you made something that wasn’t sweet or soft, he’d have nothing to complain about, right? And if he recognizes your skill, then he can’t complain about our women copying your techniques while cooking... That seems like the most impossible way of doing things, though.”

Even if it was the hardest destination to reach, it was the one I wanted to go for. Now if only I could find a route to get there...

“But Donda Ruu won’t let me man the stove again, right?”

“Hmm? Nah, that’s not true. If you said, ‘I’ll make something delicious this time around, so let me do it!’ I’m sure he’d take you up on that. I mean, he’s not the sort to just stay silent after hearing something like that.”

“Is that so...?”

“Hey, cut it out! If you do that and screw up, he’ll hack the fingers off both of your hands or something! And then I’d never be able to eat your delicious cooking ever again! That’d be awful, right...?”

I really was feeling the urge to just give those smooth little cheeks a peck or something. But I figured it’d be a real issue if that awakened either me or this kid to a whole new world, so I decided not to.

I see... If he really will bite onto it, then I’ve got a chance for a revenge match with a different dish...! I thought, my fighting spirit getting secretly fired up.

Ludo Ruu, meanwhile, gave a sigh and then said, “The easiest way really is just to have you marry into the family. I recommend Reina. You’re about the same age, right?”

“Apparently we’re the same age, yeah. But it’s weird to decide who you’re going to marry over something like that. I want my feelings to be sincere when it comes to who I spend my life with.”

I wanted to be honest with my feelings, and faithful to my own heart.

A bored sounding “That so?” is all I got in response from Ludo Ruu, though.

“Ah, you see how there’re what look sort of like sliding doors standing there? The washing area is on the other side. I don’t want to get roped into helping out, so I’m leaving, alright?”

“Got it, thanks. Ah, and I’m a little late saying it, but thanks for this necklace. What you did last night really made me feel glad.”

“What’s that about? You’re thanking me for giving you my blessing? That’s your just reward, y’know,” he said, sticking out his tongue in a cheeky manner and then turning around to leave.

I guess they really are related, huh? I mean, his actions were just as varied and interesting as those of his adorable little sister.

Now then, looking ahead of me, I did indeed see what looked like several sliding doors standing up against the shrubbery. I didn’t know why they were set up in a place like this, but I could hear the sounds of splashing water and female voices coming from the other side.

Never mind a rematch or whatever. Finding Ai Fa comes first, I thought to myself, and walked towards the doors.

They sure sounded like they were enjoying themselves. That must be Rimee Ruu laughing, right? She sure is energetic for so early in the morning.

“Excuse me, but is Ai Fa here?” I called out, peeking in.

My benefactor herself was standing right in front of me. Yeah, Ai Fa was right there. She was running a towel through her golden hair, right in front of my very eyes. My field of view was utterly filled with her. Her smooth, creamy, chocolate-colored skin made for a beautiful sight.

It was Ai Fa, the first person I met after coming to this other world. And so, I had taken Ai Fa to be the norm for this forest’s edge at the start. I could see now that was completely wrong, though. Ai Fa wasn’t just different from the norm, she was outright irregular by the settlement’s standards.

It seemed that Ai Fa was the one and only woman who swung around a savage blade, hunting giba in the depths of the forest.

That was why I hadn’t seen anyone else like her. I hadn’t seen anyone but Ai Fa with eyes like a wildcat, who behaved decisively like a man, and was so brave, and strong, and full of life and fighting spirit.

And she was clearly different physically, too. Thanks to the rather exposing attire worn by the women of this settlement, especially the unmarried ones, the difference in their lifestyles was readily apparent even at a glance. No other woman had a body as heavily built up as Ai Fa’s.

Naturally even the women went into the forest to gather herbs and kindling, split firewood with hatchets, carried around heavy iron pots and water jugs, and other such strenuous tasks, so none of them were exactly lazing around and getting fat. But even so, they were clearly different.

Running through the forest, swinging a blade made of steel, hunting ferocious giba... Ai Fa’s body had been carefully honed for those tasks, like tempered steel. I mean, her build actually looked pretty slender, and her arms and legs and torso certainly weren’t especially thick. No, she didn’t have a burly build that reminded you of a man. But even so, she was hiding away tough, strong muscles trained for battle. Her body was taut like a leather whip, with not even the slightest bit of useless fat to it.

It was a slender body honed not through some unnatural diet, but rather by the harsh job of a hunter. And so, she hadn’t completely lost the grace and tenderness of a young woman, still having a tight rear and lively-looking legs that made for a wonderful silhouette.

She was absolutely stunning, like a wild leopard. Her body was a work of art, as perfect as a world-class athlete. Yet, Ai Fa was positively amazing in terms of her womanly charms, too.

I had silently admired that beautiful, harmoniously balanced body, which made her perfect as an animal, a human being, and a woman.

And...

Right now, that wonderful body of Ai Fa’s was burning itself into my eyes.

There were pale white scars all over, but even now her dark, smooth skin positively sparkled, with no impure foreign matter blocking it from my gaze.

Well, in other words, Ai Fa was buck naked.

She had gotten out of the water and was now standing straight up and frozen atop the rocks, stopped midway through drying her wet hair with a cloth, baring everything straight at me. There were several other naked women behind her, and they let out shrill screams when they noticed me, but I was hardly even aware of them.

If you ask me why, well, my female benefactor’s face went pale, she broke out in an embarrassed expression that suited her perfectly, then she socked me with a right hook that she put the full weight of her body into.