Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 2 - Chapter SS1.2

2

“Ai Fa, what in the world is going on?!” cried out Saris Ran, the daughter of one of the neighboring houses.

Ai Fa didn’t have much involvement with people from other clans, making this girl one of her few friends.

“As you can see, I’m repairing the broken lattice in this window,” Ai Fa bluntly stated while sawing wood.

It was currently right between daybreak and noon. After finishing her usual gathering of herbs and firewood, Ai Fa had set about fixing the lattice that Diga Suun had broken the previous night.

The hunter’s cloak and sword were safely stowed away inside of the house. Currently, she just had on the same light women’s attire as Saris Ran.

Saris Ran came running up to her, a look of concern on her face.

“How awful... Just what happened to cause it to break like that? It almost looks like a hunter’s blade or something got shoved in there and then it was forced open, doesn’t it?”

“That was just the sort of barbaric act that did it. Really, he went and made more unnecessary work for me...”

A smile broke out on Saris Ran’s slender face, perhaps because she was relieved to see Ai Fa acting like her old self so soon after the loss of her father. It didn’t take long to shift into a frown, though.

“Is there really someone out there who would do something so awful? Just what were they planning, doing something like that?”

“Who knows? I don’t know what he was thinking, but regardless, such actions are unforgivable. And so, rather than slicing off his toe, I knocked him into the Lanto River.”

“Oh, my... Was it someone from town who had sneaked in?” Saris Ran asked, turning a few shades paler as she wrung her hands.

Ai Fa stopped cutting the wood, and looked right at her childhood friend’s worried face.

“As if people from town would set foot in the forest’s edge. No, that lawbreaker called himself Diga Suun.”

“Diga Suun... Huh? Ai Fa, isn’t that the name of the main Suun house’s oldest son?”

“Yeah. That’s definitely how he introduced himself. I’d heard rumors that the clan that leads our people had fallen to the depths of depravity, and it looks like they may actually be true.”

With this, all the rest of the color drained from Saris Ran’s face.

“A-Ai Fa... Do you understand what you’re saying? The Suun clan leads the people of the forest’s edge, right? And as the eldest son of the main family, that means he’ll eventually be in charge, so...”

“Right. That’s why I figured it was entirely possible he was just some shameless man falsely giving that name. After all, someone brazen enough to commit such a lawless act would surely be fine giving someone else’s name.”

“Y-You’re wrong, Ai Fa! Plenty of members of the Suun clan pay no heed to the law! Especially the eldest son of the main house... He’s rumored to go after beautiful women indiscriminately, isn’t he?”

Ai Fa looked a bit annoyed at the way her friend unnecessarily added “beautiful” to her statement.

“Why is such lawlessness permitted? What meaning do the laws of the forest’s edge even have at that point?”

“I mean, the Suun clan is stronger than any other family... The only ones who can oppose them are the equally strong Ruu clan, right?”

Ai Fa scowled even further, then scratched her blonde-haired head.

“So, that shameless man really was their next clan head... What a wretched thought. There’s no way that someone like him is capable of leading our people.”

“T-This is no time to be so nonchalant about things! Ai Fa, did you really strike Diga Suun?”

“Indeed. I sunk him in the Lanto River.”

Saris Ran almost collapsed, only to grab Ai Fa’s shoulders in a panic. As the outfits worn by women only hid their chests, her shoulders were completely exposed. Thanks to that, Ai Fa felt Saris Ran’s hands touching her bare skin, and secretly thought to herself that they felt warm.

“Ai Fa! Go apologize to the Suun clan! The one at fault really was that eldest son of theirs, so maybe what you did will be forgiven... But anyway, you must hurry and go now!”

“What are you saying? I let him off with just a soak in the river so they should be thanking me. There’s no reason I should have to apologize.”

“That sort of logic won’t work with the Suun clan! You should have a man you can trust accompany you... Ah, but the Fa clan doesn’t have any family, right? What should you do...?”

Looking half fed up with the girl, Ai Fa grabbed Saris Ran’s slender shoulders back.

“Saris Ran. I’m grateful for your concern, but I have no intention of bowing my head when I’m not at fault. It’s fine to just ignore that dunce.”

“But that can’t be true, right? We’re talking about the clan that leads our people...”

“If the Suun clan really is as the rumors say, not even carrying out their work as hunters, then there’s no need to fear such lowlifes. I’ll just keep turning the tables on them and throwing them in the river as many times as it takes.”

“That’s...! Even you wouldn’t be able to do anything if he came after you with more men, right?”

“I won’t know until I try.”

And even if she couldn’t do anything about it, she could see no reason to yield. After all, wouldn’t it be better to let her soul return to the forest than to live in a way that went against her ideals?

That was how Ai Fa felt, but Saris Ran had a real look of concern on her face.

Am I the strange one here...?

Ai Fa’s late father had taught her that this was the proper way for the people of the forest’s edge to live. Obey the law, hunt giba, live in the forest, and die there as well. Ai Fa had heard since she was a little girl that that was how the people of the forest’s edge should be.

However, Saris Ran was staring at Ai Fa like she was a real blockhead who wouldn’t listen to common sense, an unusually strong look in her eyes. Saris Ran was a good, kind girl by nature, but it wasn’t at all rare for their opinions to clash like this.

And that wasn’t just limited to Saris Ran. The neighboring Ran and Fou clans kept a close eye on the Fa clan, who they had only loose ties to, but occasionally they looked completely dumbfounded by what Ai Fa or Gil Fa were doing.

The easiest example was of course the way that Ai Fa helped out with her father’s work as a hunter. They all said that women should stick to women’s work, things like gathering firewood and herbs, skinning pelts, manning the stove, and waiting for the men to return home from their hunts.

Ai Fa gathered firewood and herbs, too, and she also manned the stove. She couldn’t skin pelts on her own, but ever since her mother passed away she had done it alongside her father. In fact, for the two of them, there was no distinction between “men’s work” and “women’s work.”

Plus, men helped the women with their work even at the Ran house. She had seen men who weren’t out on the hunt doing things like carrying water jugs or chopping firewood plenty of times.

And yet, women hunting was the one thing that wasn’t permitted. The main reason she was given was that women were too weak for the work. But Ai Fa had been adeptly helping out her father even though she hadn’t been a full adult. Once she got just a bit taller and her muscles only a touch stronger, she surely would have been able to wield a large, heavy blade just like the men did. In terms of speed and agility she had already surpassed her father, and she had even managed to somehow take down a giba she happened to run across with just a knife. With just a bit more training, she would surely become a hunter worthy of the title... Her father Gil Fa had said as much, and he hadn’t been the sort of man to say things lightly.

There was no law at the forest’s edge that women couldn’t be hunters. And Ai Fa certainly had a talent for the work, too.

But in spite of all that, the only people at the forest’s edge who accepted her earnest wish to become a hunter were her father Gil Fa, Jiba Ruu, and Rimee Ruu.

“Ai Fa... What do you intend to do from here on out?” Saris Ran finally asked, looking like she had a bit of trouble saying it. “Gil Fa was a gallant hunter, but he still died in the forest. And you didn’t have any other family to rely on other than him to start with, so how are you going to make a living?”

“That’s...” Ai Fa started, only to stop midway through.

“You’ve been able to manage up till now because Gil Fa was by your side, but it’s just not possible for a woman to live on her own. You don’t have a choice but to marry into some house or become a retainer, right?”

“But then the Fa name will die out.”

“That will still happen as things are now, so what difference does it make? No matter how pretty you may be, there aren’t any men out there who would marry into a clan with no family or retainers.”

“...I believe I already said that I’d like you to stop talking about my appearance in that manner,” Ai Fa said with a frown, only for Saris Ran to say “Sorry,” with a smile.

“It’s true though, right? And you finally turned 15, so you’re old enough to marry. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of marriage offers before I even have time to worry about you...”

“I’m not thinking of getting married. If it came down to it, I would at least like to hunt as a retainer for some family.”

“There aren’t any houses out there who would take on a woman as a hunter. Ai Fa, a woman’s work is to watch over the home, birth children, and carry on the bloodline, right?”

Ai Fa gave a deep sigh.

“I haven’t thought of getting married, and besides, I’m sure no men would have me, anyway. I’m sure you’re under some great delusion, Saris Ran.”

“That’s not true. You’re a very charming woman, Ai Fa,” Saris Ran said with a smile as she grabbed hold of both of Ai Fa’s hands. “Your light hair, and your face, and that slender, shapely body of yours are all so very pretty... Why have you been helping out with hunting of all things when you’re so slim?”

“I’m not as skinny as you... And besides, weren’t you the one who got a marriage proposal?”

Ai Fa’s counterattack caused Saris Ran’s cheeks to go red.

“Um, that’s right... Ah, it’s not all locked down just yet, though. But I think I’ll probably end up marrying into the Fou clan.”

“The Fou clan, huh? Then you won’t be moving all that far.”

“Yeah. The Ran and Fou were originally part of the same family, after all... Hey, wouldn’t it be nice if you married into the Ran clan? Then we’d be related, too, right?”

After she said that, Saris Ran’s eyebrows drooped sadly again.

“You would have to do something about the Suun clan before that, though. There’s no way you could marry into a clan when you’ve earned the anger of the leaders of our people...”

“What’s this about the Suun clan?” a little girl’s voice suddenly asked from below.

Reflexively, Ai Fa leapt to the side and glared at the source of the voice.

“Rimee Ruu, how many times do I have to tell you not to approach me while hiding your presence before you finally understand?”

“Hehe, you seem energetic, Ai Fa! That’s a relief!”

The little girl with the fluffy reddish brown hair, Rimee Ruu, shot a gleeful smile back at Ai Fa.

“So, what’s this about the Suun clan?”

◇

The dinner that night at the Ruu house was even more boisterous than it had been the night before.

Naturally, this was because of the shocking news that Rimee Ruu let slip.

“Hmph... So that blockheaded Suun boy went and did something like that, did he?”

Today, Donda Ruu was wearing a smile that made him look like a carnivore that had found its prey.

“It’s such a ridiculous story that it’s almost hard to believe. Just how far must one fall to be willing to do something so wretched?” Jiza Ruu harshly criticized while wearing an exceedingly gentle expression.

Across from them, the clan head’s wife Mia Lea Ruu gave a sigh.

“That Ai Fa girl really is unfortunate. She not only lost her father, but had to deal with something that horrible on the very same night... What happened after that, Rimee?”

“Nothing happened! Ai Fa’s friend or whatever said she should apologize to the Suun Clan, but Ai Fa was the same as always. She said regardless of if he was part of the clan that led our people or whatever, she just gave a shameless man his just punishment... Hey, will Ai Fa really be alright?” Rimee Ruu asked, her eyes already tearing up.

Nobody present was willing to say things would be just fine. After all, the Suun clan that led their people had only fallen deeper and deeper into depravity over the past 20 years.

The Ruu clan was similarly powerful, so as long as they kept a watchful eye, the Suun wouldn’t make a move on the surface. But at the same time, they were absolutely the sort to use cruel and cowardly tactics to strike in secret.

“What do you want to do, clan head? That Ai Fa girl’s got some real guts, but if she keeps acting so tough, even the houses in her neighborhood won’t want to take her as a bride, right?”

“Oh...? You think so too?” Donda Ruu said with a smile that bared his teeth.

His wife put down her half-eaten plate of food, a sullen look on her face.

“I’ve been thinking... I’ve never heard of the Fa, Fou, or Ran clans before. That must mean none of them have much in the way of family or retainers, isn’t that so? There’s no way such small clans would possibly defy the Suun, right?”

“That only makes sense... But there’s no reason for us to save someone who isn’t even one of our retainers, and the Fa house is so far from the Ruu house to start with. We couldn’t send help to her even if we wanted to.”

“That’s true. We can’t exactly post a lookout when the Fa house is so far away...”

Mia Lea Ruu and the other women all looked concerned.

Even if Ai Fa wasn’t related to them, she still had a bond with their precious family, Jiba Ruu and Rimee Ruu. None of them knew how strong that friendship was, but when they saw how Rimee Ruu was wailing, they couldn’t help but feel for her.

“Darmu, you’re already 17, aren’t you?” Donda Ruu said with a grin like a wild beast as he looked at his second son.

With a look in his eyes just as intense as his father’s, Darmu Ruu gave a dubious nod and said, “Yeah.”

“Then you’re at the age where you should be taking a wife soon. It wouldn’t be such a bad idea taking that tomboy as your wife, don’t you think?”

Almost everyone present looked shocked.

“Are you serious, dad?! You really want Darmu to take a girl from a small clan without family or retainers as his wife?!” the youngest son, Ludo Ruu, asked as the representative for the group.

“Yeah. You only just turned 13, and Jiza already has a fine wife for himself. So Darmu’s the only man left around here who can take a wife, right?”

“Yeah, but...”

At the forest’s edge, blood ties mattered above all else. That made marriage a means of furthering a clan’s power, either by forming deeper bonds with retainers, or by forming a new connection with a powerful clan.

“Clan Head Donda, I didn’t think you had become so taken by the Fa clan... But even so, wouldn’t it make sense in that case to have her marry into a Ruu branch family, or perhaps the Rutim or Lea clans? That should allow for plenty of unwed men to choose from,” Jiza Ruu calmly stated.

With that, Donda Ruu’s fierce smile drew back and he replied, “Hmm? Jiza, you want to foist a tomboy who snapped at the Suun clan on a branch family or one of the other clans under us?”

“Yes. We must treat the bloodline of the main Ruu house with care. I am the oldest son and I have already taken a wife, but sadly we have yet to be blessed with a child. If I should happen to die in the forest before I receive such a blessing, the next clan head will be Darmu, and in turn his child will become the heir to the main Ruu house, yes?”

Jiza Ruu’s wife Sati Lea Ruu looked down a bit. As he cast a sideways glance at that, Donda Ruu gave a “Hmph.” Then, he continued on, “You shouldn’t be saying stuff like that after just a year or two of trying... And besides, that crazy father and daughter were going after giba all on their own, so don’t you think she’d give birth to a splendid hunter? Even without family or retainers, as long as there’s strong blood running through her veins, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Clan Head Donda, could it perhaps be...” Jiza Ruu started, his eyes narrowing even further. “Did you have some sort of connection with that Gil Fa man? Something deeper than just seeing him at a meeting of clan heads, I mean...”

“It’s nothing all that serious. We just knew each other a bit way back,” Donda Ruu said in an annoyed tone, waving it off with his thick hand.

With that, a pleasant smile crossed his face again, and he turned to face Darmu Ruu, who had been sitting there in gloomy silence.

“It’s just that I knew that ridiculous bastard’s skill as a hunter full well. I feel that it’d be plenty worthwhile to see if that girl is worthy of being part of our Ruu clan.”

After dinner, Rimee Ruu visited Jiba Ruu’s bedroom.

The ill Jiba Ruu was lying atop a pile of blankets, gently looking back at Rimee Ruu’s face.

“So... Just what is it that you wish for, Rimee...?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t want those Suun guys to do something awful to Ai Fa, but... I just can’t imagine her becoming Darmu’s wife,” Rimee Ruu replied, looking completely stricken with grief.

Jiba Ruu took hold of the little girl’s hands with fingers like withered branches.

“Only a man and a woman can know of the bond they share... If they share one they can come together, and if they don’t, nothing may come of it... I’m sure that regardless of our concerns, Ai Fa will choose the best path for herself...”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t be worried if Ai Fa was her usual self, either. But now that Gil Fa passed away... She still looks like normal, but I think something’s definitely off about her.”

Jiba Ruu’s lips trembled a little in concern upon hearing those words.

“Is that so...? I haven’t seen Ai Fa in some time, so I don’t know about how she is now... I’m sure she must be devastated, having lost her precious father...”

Rimee Ruu had met Gil Fa many times, but with her weak legs Jiba Ruu had never visited the Fa house. Since their houses were far apart, Ai Fa and Jiba Ruu would met midway, where they always deepened their friendship.

It had been four years since the two first met. The old woman had been out with a two year old Rimee Ruu, who loved walks, and they ran into Ai Fa after having gone rather far out.

Then, two years after they met, the 13 year old Ai Fa started helping her father with her work, and so they had far fewer chances to see each other. And as Jiba Ruu’s legs weakened, they started seeing each other only once a month, then once every two months... And in time, Jiba Ruu grew sick.

Now that she was old enough to go out and play on her own, Rimee Ruu never spent more than half a month between visits to the Fa house, but Jiba Ruu hadn’t seen Ai Fa for over two months. And in the midst of that time, Ai Fa’s father Gil Fa suddenly died.

“Rimee... Can I count on you to take care of Ai Fa...?” Jiba Ruu weakly asked.

When she heard that, Rimee Ruu looked like she was about to break down crying.

“Take care of her...? But I can’t do anything! I’m not a really good speaker like you are, Granny Jiba!”

“You don’t need to be all that skilled with your words... You just need to be by Ai Fa’s side, Rimee. If you’re with her and smiling, I’m sure Ai Fa will be alright...”

“It won’t be alright! You need to help save Ai Fa too, Granny Jiba!”

The tears finally started to flow from Rimee Ruu’s big eyes.

The exhaustion from her illness clearly showing in her gaze, Jiba Ruu listlessly stared back at the crying little girl.

“These old bones may already be done for... Even if I survive this illness, I may lack the strength to walk anymore... And even today, another one of my teeth fell out...”

“No! Gil Fa already died, and I don’t want to lose you too, no matter what! You said you’d keep on living till I get married!”

“I’d like to keep living... But it’s only natural for us old folks to die first... I’ve lived longer than anyone else at the forest’s edge, so I no longer fear death...”

“I don’t get it! Granny Jiba, you big dummy!”

Rimee Ruu clung to Jiba Ruu’s withering body and wept.

As she ran her trembling fingers along the little girl’s back, Jiba Ruu whispered to no one at all, “I’ve already lived plenty... So, mother forest... If you really are our mother, please, bring these young folk happiness... Help yourself to this old woman’s soul, and in exchange, lend these children your strength...”