Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 20 - Chapter 4.9

Intermezzo: The Deen Clan

Toor Deen was feeling rather nervous as she waited for the Deen men to get back from hunting giba. She was currently in the main Deen house’s kitchen, and evening was fast approaching. It was still too early to start preparing dinner, though, so the young chef was in the midst of giving cooking lessons to the women of the Deen clan.

“Was the show those traveling performers put on really as amazing as it sounds?” an older woman from one of the branch houses asked in the middle of the class.

As she wiped the fat off her meat carving knife, Toor Deen nodded to the woman. “Y-Yes. Actually, I’d have to say it was more scary than amazing... I mean, she stood up on top of that thin pole and played a flute. It was too frightening for me to watch.”

“What’s so scary about that? There’s nothing scary about standing on a thin pole, is there?”

“Well, the pole was incredibly tall. It was more than twice as high as the roof of a house here at the forest’s edge...”

“Wow. That is quite a performance, then!” the older woman said, her eyes opening wide.

One of the younger women who had just finished wiping down her workstation leaned in, her expression brimming with curiosity. “So they really do have shows like that in town? I’ve never had a chance to see them myself, since we’ve always tried to avoid town at this time of year.”

“That we have. The sun god’s revival festival, yes? I was always told that since there are a lot of outsiders around, going there would be nothing but trouble.”

“And now, you and the others handle all the shopping after you finish doing business, so there’s no need to head into the post town. I feel a little jealous of you, Toor Deen, when I hear about how you get to see stuff like that...”

“Huh? Ah, I-I’m sorry...” Toor Deen said with a flustered bow.

“What are you saying?” the older woman asked with a chuckle. “I can’t think of anything you would have to apologize for. After all, you’re heading into the post town for work, and we all know how busy you are every single day.”

“That’s right. You’re even using the little bit of free time you have today to help us out... Oh, uh, sorry for saying I was jealous of you. My bad.”

Both of the women were smiling softly, clearly showing how they were actually concerned for Toor Deen. The simple fact that they cared so much was deeply moving for the young chef.

It had been over five months at this point since Toor Deen had become a member of the Deen clan. In that time, her new clan members had come to treat her as a true equal, like they would any of their comrades.

I have to try even harder, to repay the kindness everyone has shown me...

As that thought was passing through Toor Deen’s mind, the younger woman poked her on the cheek.

“What’s with that brooding look on your face, Toor Deen? Only us members of the Deen clan are around, so don’t be so on edge.”

Toor Deen’s face went red as she shrank down even further.

It was just then that a commotion could be heard approaching from outside. The men had returned from the forest.

“My, they’re back rather early today. We don’t have anything urgent to take care of right now, so how about we go greet them?”

And so, Toor Deen’s group headed out front and found four men approaching. They were the men of the main Deen house: the clan head, his two sons, and Toor Deen’s father. The two sons were carrying a giba tied to a grigee pole together, and the elder son’s eyes widened when he spotted them. “Oh? You have quite a group here today. Was Toor giving you a lesson?”

“Yes. Toor made it back earlier than usual today, so we asked her to teach us before we set about working on dinner,” the elder son’s wife answered with a reserved smile. They were an innocent young couple who had only just gotten married recently.

“I see. Well, it wouldn’t be fair for us to be the only ones who get to enjoy delicious food. I feel bad for imposing on you so much, Toor, but it’s important for the women of the branch houses to learn all that you have to teach them, so we’re counting on you.”

“R-Right. I’m still quite inexperienced myself, but I’d like to give my all for everyone in the clan,” Toor Deen replied, causing the elder brother to break out in a grin.

“As earnest as always, Toor. That spirit of yours makes you highly reliable, but take care not to strain yourself too hard.”

With that, the brothers went off to go handle the giba.

Their father, the clan head, was currently talking with his wife. The other women had returned to the kitchen, so Toor Deen called out to her father, “Welcome home. I’m glad that you made it back safely again today.”

Her rather untalkative father just nodded back. “Yes.” Rather than trying to say anything further, he looked down upon his daughter with a gentle gaze. Then, his brow suddenly furrowed. “Is something the matter, Toor? Your eyes are all red, as if you’ve been crying.”

“Ah, no, that’s not it. You see, Asuta...” she started to say, only for the clan head who had been chatting with his wife to call out.

“Toor, you seem to have something to discuss with me. Is there some sort of issue with the work you do for the Fa clan?”

Instantly, Toor Deen shrunk back. The head of the main Deen house had an incredibly strict personality and an intense face that hardly ever showed a smile. This was someone Toor Deen had a tremendous amount of reverence for. While his eldest son was pretty big-hearted by nature, the young man seemed to have gotten that from his mother.

“R-Right. There was something I wanted to discuss, yes... I was planning to bring it up over dinner, though...”

“Is it anything complicated? If so, then that’s all the more reason to tell me now,” the clan head replied, wrinkles forming around his brows as he approached Toor Deen. He wasn’t trying to intimidate the young chef, but his face just packed such a punch that it tended to have that effect.

Not that long ago, he had scolded her once while wearing a face like that. She had mixed poitan together with sugar and egg to make a sweet dish, and he had been terribly harsh when he told her not to waste precious ingredients like that.

Thanks to Asuta, the matter had been resolved, but it had been a really big deal from her point of view. She and her father had previously been members of the Suun clan, so they needed to work harder than anyone to live proper lives as people of the forest’s edge. Since the Deen clan head was the one who had taken in the burdensome pair, they had to be even more certain not to do anything displeasing in front of him.

“So, what is it you wanted to discuss?” the Deen clan head asked, looking down at Toor Deen from up close.

Though the young chef felt like her heart was going to up and wither away, she calmed herself and worked up the courage to reply. “You see...on the twenty-first of the violet month, Asuta and some of the others are scheduled to travel to the Daleim lands. And, well...I was asked to accompany them.”

The Deen clan head scrunched up his face more and more doubtfully. “You have gone to the Daleim lands before, haven’t you? Are you saying that wasn’t sufficient?”

“That’s right. Before, we simply observed how the farms grew vegetables... This time, the plan is to eat dinner alongside the people there in order to deepen our bonds, and then spend the night in their home.”

“Spend the night in the same home? So you’re asking to sleep away from the forest’s edge yet again?” Just last month, Toor Deen had accompanied Asuta to Dabagg. The Deen clan head had looked rather reluctant about the whole thing back then too. “And you said the twenty-first of the violet month? If I recall correctly, aren’t you scheduled to work in the post town not only during the day but at night as well on the following day?”

“Yes. During the day, we’ll be serving whole roast giba, and at night we’ll run the stalls. The post town and Daleim lands aren’t that far apart, so that’s why Asuta chose the day before for the outing.”

The Deen clan head still wore an intense look on his rugged face as he held his tongue.

Toor Deen strove to calm her heart, which was pounding from anxiety, earnestly continuing, “It seems we’ll have an opportunity to taste the cooking of the Daleim lands on that day. Asuta thinks it will be useful both for understanding how the people there live, and also to improve my skills as a chef. It seems that a great many of those who live there still have an aversion to us people of the forest’s edge, so maybe we’ll be able to help correct that somewhat, and...”

At that, the Deen clan head raised his hand to cut the young girl off.

“You’ll be accompanied by hunters acting as guards, won’t you?”

“Huh? Ah, yes, of course. Not just Ai Fa, but also several hunters from under the Ruu... I believe it should be roughly the same number overall as when we went to Dabagg.”

“Hmm. I suppose there’s no way one of the leaders of our people, Donda Ruu, would be careless enough to expose the women under his clan to danger,” the man remarked, then he shot Toor Deen a glare. “So...you wish to accompany Asuta as well?”

“Y-Yes, of course!”

“Then why did you cry so much that your eyes turned red?” Toor Deen hadn’t expected him to point that out, so she was left at a loss for words. Her own father was one thing, but even among the women she worked with, not many had noticed. “There are a great many chefs who follow Asuta, aren’t there? You’re still young, so there’s no need to strain yourself to go along with them.”

“N-No, that’s not it! This is, well... I was just so happy that Asuta would show such favor to someone as inexperienced as me, and the tears just started coming out.”

“Oh? So you’re saying you were so overjoyed that you couldn’t help but cry?”

With a blush, Toor Deen replied, “Yes.”

The man looked astounded and tilted his head. “It seems my fears were completely unfounded. In that case, do as you please.”

“Huh? Th-Then, do you mean I have your permission to go to the Daleim lands?”

“You yourself wish for it too, don’t you? Then I can’t see any reason to refuse,” he answered, and then his face scrunched up again. “Still, you’re only ten years old. Don’t push yourself too hard and break down, all right? Our parent clan, the Zaza, told you to observe the Fa clan’s actions, so it wouldn’t do to have to give up midway through.”

“R-Right. I understand that much.”

“Then that is enough. I’ll hear the rest at dinner,” the man said, turning around to head to the house. Partway there, though, he turned to send a sidelong glance back at Toor Deen. “There is one more thing I forgot to say... Though you are still young, you shouldn’t cry so easily. You don’t want to make your father worry more than he needs to.”

Leaving those words behind, the clan head finally went on his way. His wife had been standing off to the side silently the whole time, but now she let a giggle slip out and turned toward Toor Deen. “The clan head is concerned for you as well, Toor. Be sure not to overwork yourself, for him too.”

“Right... Understood.”

The clan head’s wife gave a single nod before disappearing back into the kitchen.

Now Toor Deen and her father were the only ones left there. He patted her head with his large hand. “You were just told not to cry so easily, weren’t you? It’s not just me. Lots of people in our clan will worry if you do,” he said, his voice gentle and calm.

That just brought Toor Deen’s tears on even quicker, though. Earlier in the day, she had cried a whole lot and made Asuta feel troubled, but she just couldn’t hold them back.

Mother forest... I’m truly grateful from the depths of my heart that you guided me here to the Deen clan...

Toor Deen lifted her head, and through her teary vision she could see her father smiling kindly. She wasn’t able to stop her tears, but the young chef put all of the emotions she was feeling into the smile gave him back.