Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 22 - Chapter 3.2

2

A little over half an hour later, we arrived at the Saturas manor.

It was a large building that stretched out horizontally in front of us, though still somewhat smaller than the former Turan manor. There was a sprawling garden in front of the manor and a path paved with gray stone stretching from the gate to the entrance. Maybe that was just standard for the manors of nobles in Genos.

“We’ve been waiting for you. Please, come this way.”

A young page and a middle-aged officer in an unfamiliar uniform welcomed us into the manor. The hallway inside was lined with thick carpeting, and there were framed paintings here and there along the walls. It seemed they had put more effort into the decorations here than the Turans had at their manor, giving the place an elegant feel.

As expected, we found ourselves invited to use their bathhouse first. The antechamber was impressively spacious, and there were a surprising number of servants awaiting us there. Eight in total, both young and old, men and women. They were all clad in milky-white flowing robes, and held their hands together in front of their stomachs as they stood in a line.

“You may enjoy the bath in groups of up to ten. Please feel free to select whichever attendants you wish to assist you.”

“You mean to help wash us? In that case, we won’t be needing any,” I replied in Jiza Ruu’s place, as he had only used a noble bathhouse once before.

The page who led us here looked a bit troubled. “It is customary here at this house to demonstrate our hospitality in this way. Please don’t hesitate to pick out a servant to assist you, dear guests.”

I had a feeling that if we refused to take any of them along, they would be scolded by their master. Figuring there was no helping it, the men in our group simply picked the youngest boy among the pages and then we headed in to bathe. So, it was me, Jiza Ruu, Shin Ruu, and Ludo Ruu going in together. We started removing our clothes, with the page silently accepting them from us with his eyes staring down at the ground.

“Hey, I can’t imagine this would be the case, but can male guests ask to have a woman assist them?” Ludo Ruu asked while throwing off his clothing.

“Yes,” the boy succinctly replied.

“Then what about female guests choosing to have a man help them? There’s no way that would be allowed, right?”

“No.”

“Which part are you saying no to? Are you saying women can expose themselves to men?”

“Yes.”

Ludo Ruu rustled his yellowish-brown hair while Jiza Ruu and I shared a look.

“Hey, are we really going to be okay here?” the young hunter asked.

“No matter what customs the nobles may have, we simply need to follow our own,” Jiza Ruu said.

“That’s for sure. There’s no way our women would ever expose themselves to a man who isn’t family, right, Asuta?”

“Y-Yeah, that’s right.”

Once, a long time ago, Ludo Ruu had tricked me into going to their bathing area while the women had been using it. Jiza Ruu had come down hard on both of us, but Ludo Ruu seemed completely nonchalant about it now, as if he had completely forgotten that it had ever happened.

Also, I hadn’t told anyone about this yet, but the first time I had been taken to one of these bathhouses, I had been accompanied by Chiffon Chel, a member of the opposite sex. Maybe that was just one of the standard ways nobles showed hospitality to their guests.

It does seem fitting, when you look at how they tend to think, but it’s obvious that the people of the forest’s edge wouldn’t see things the same way.

We then opened the door to the next room and stepped into the steamy bathhouse. There was a mugwort-like scent in the air, just like there had been at the Turan manor and the palace from the tea party, with a sweet, flowery aroma mixed in. There were also bathtubs filled with water along the opposite wall from us.

“What’s this? We’re supposed to cleanse ourselves in here?” Ludo Ruu asked.

“Yes. We have prepared both cool and hot water, so feel free to use whichever you please.”

The page boy stripped off his robe, leaving him standing there in a simple loincloth. He was a pale, slender lad, and it felt odd to think that part of his job was to assist bathing noblewomen.

At any rate, Ludo Ruu was really happy to see that they had proper baths here. The people of the forest’s edge were far more familiar with the idea of dumping water over themselves to get clean than they were with steaming themselves and wiping off grime. And in an area with weather as temperate as Genos’s, bathing in cool water felt quite pleasant.

The tubs were built into the room so that their bottoms were lower than the floor, with stone stairs you could step down to submerge yourself. They were deep enough that the water—which had red and pink flower petals floating on its surface—would come up to your chest if you sat down in them.

Ludo and Shin Ruu immediately went and got in one of the tubs together, while Jiza Ruu started cleaning his body with one of those spatula-like wooden scrubbers. As nobody had called for him, the page boy just stood in the corner of the room, and I decided to step into the second bath by myself while also watching everyone out of the corner of my eye.

The water was just a bit warmer than skin temperature. Did that mean they had a fire going to keep it that way? The bath was large enough to fit five people at once, so it must have required quite a bit of fuel to heat.

Still, this was my first warm bath in seven months. I would have preferred it to be a bit hotter, but it felt quite pleasant in an entirely different way than soaking in cool water. Finally, I had found something I could feel grateful for in the extravagant lifestyles enjoyed by the nobles.

“Why’re you getting in the warm water? It’s just gonna make you sweat, right?” Ludo Ruu asked while splashing water at Shin Ruu.

“That doesn’t matter since you can just wash it off again anyway. Back in my home country, hot baths were the norm.”

“Huh,” Ludo Ruu pondered, tilting his head, before he went ahead and crossed over into the bath I was using. But less than ten seconds later, he muttered, “Yeah, this just isn’t working,” and retreated. “It makes my back or rear or whatever feel all itchy. I’m amazed you can stand it, Asuta.”

“It just feels pleasant to me. But I guess it is pretty much the opposite of bathing in cool water.”

And so, we thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality of the bathhouse without needing to trouble the young page. Then we put our clothing back on and returned to the antechamber, where I was met with a glare from Ai Fa and a remark of, “You certainly took your time.”

The women unsurprisingly selected the youngest maid before they disappeared into the bathhouse. They obviously weren’t going to choose a member of the opposite sex, and they likely felt awkward about having an older woman accompany them. They then spent around the same amount of time in the bathhouse as we did, meaning it took around thirty to forty minutes for all of us to finish up there.

“You certainly took your time,” I teased against my better judgment when they returned, and sure enough, that earned me a kick to the leg. Ai Fa was very fond of bathing, which was probably why they had spent so long in there.

At any rate, it would soon be the lower sixth hour. Having finished cleansing ourselves, we were finally invited to the banquet hall.

We were led up a wide staircase to the second floor. On the way there, I spied paintings, statues, and flowers arranged in vases, but the banquet hall proved to be even more extravagant.

It was a rather wide, oblong room. There were candlesticks placed here and there along the wall and a familiar sort of chandelier hung overhead, illuminating the hall. A rug with beautiful geometric patterns stretched out across the floor, while there were foreign-looking tapestries on the walls, and mysterious statues in the four corners of the room. It looked similar to the dining room from the Turan manor, but everything was even more elaborate and refined, just like you’d expect of a noble manor.

The house of Turan had undoubtedly been more wealthy, at least in the past. However, the Saturas manor felt more ornate. More effort had been put into adorning the room, and its aesthetics were evidence of a much greater degree of thought and care. As lavish as the place was, it didn’t feel ostentatious or gaudy at all. Even for someone like me who had no idea what any of the decorations represented, it felt quite pleasant and maybe even a little stylish.

“Welcome, dear guests from the forest’s edge. Please, have a seat.”

The attendees from the nobility had already gathered. Melfried and Polarth were here as witnesses, and the former had brought his wife, Eulifia, and daughter, Odifia. Aside from Leeheim, they were the only familiar faces.

There were fewer people from the house of Saturas present than I had expected. The one who had called out to us from the head of the table must have been Count Saturas himself. His oily hair had been combed down just like Leeheim’s, he had an over-the-top mustache, and he looked to be around forty. His medium-sized frame was clad in a long, loose robe, and a single piece of silver jewelry was hanging around his neck.

There was an unfamiliar youth sitting beside Leeheim who looked even younger than the noble heir. Probably around my age. While he wasn’t wearing any armor, the white dress suit he had on made him look like some kind of officer. He was staring at us with an intense gaze.

Just like the head of the house and Leeheim, his hair and eyes were both brown, he had tanned skin, and his face was deadly serious. Though their hair and skin colors differed, he kinda reminded me of Welhide from Banarm.

“I am the head of the house of Saturas, Luidross, and this is Leiriss of the knights of Saturas... He is the son of my foolish younger brother, Geimalos, who caused you fine people from the forest’s edge such trouble. Geimalos is still not in any state to attend such an event, so please allow us to offer our apologies on behalf of our family member.”

His speech flowed without the slightest hesitation. It seemed really fitting that the master of this elegant and refined manor would be a man like this. Out of all the nobles I had met, he was probably the one who best matched the image that term evoked.

Jiza Ruu then introduced everyone from the forest’s edge. After that, the hunters handed their cloaks to the pages, and we all sat down grouped by clan in the order of Ruu, Fa, Deen, and Zaza. From Luidross’s spot at the head of the table, the nobles were sitting on his right and the people of the forest’s edge on his left.

“Oh, and we made sure to provide knight’s chairs for all of you. If you wouldn’t mind, please holster your blades in the scabbards along their backs.”

Looking closely, I saw that there were tubes attached to the left side of the chair backs. Both the chairs themselves and the tubes were made of wood and had been delicately engraved. The hunters silently removed their blades from their sheaths and placed them in the receptacles. It did seem to be a good setup for enjoying a meal while keeping a blade close at hand.

“Geimalos has caused you quite a bit of trouble, and with Duke Genos having directed us to mend our bridges with the people of the forest’s edge, it is all the more deplorable. As the head of the house of Saturas, allow me to offer you my most heartfelt apologies.”

If I had to say, I would have pegged Luidross as being a similar sort to Marstein. He was very polite and easygoing, but it was difficult to tell what he was really thinking. But he didn’t seem to have Marstein’s arrogance, for one thing. Instead, he felt more like an elegant and stylish middle-aged man who was still young in spirit.

“And you are Shin Ruu, correct? I hear that you are uninjured, but you truly have no complaints to offer?”

Shin Ruu just gave the count a silent little bow, clenching his jaw a bit. He must have found it difficult to know how to address a count. The people of the forest’s edge—and their hunters in particular—really didn’t make a habit of adjusting their speech based on who they were addressing.

“Still, to think that you defeated Geimalos with a single blow while wearing heavy cavalry armor... That armor is meant to be worn by totos riders who charge directly at their enemies. It’s built to be especially sturdy in order to provide protection against the massive axes of the northerners. Even standing up with one’s own strength is difficult after falling off a totos while wearing such a thing, so to defeat Geimalos despite how encumbered you were... I truly am impressed.”

Shin Ruu offered no response.

“Still, I suppose that is the strength of a hunter from the forest’s edge. Even here in Genos, many young people are not fully cognizant of just how formidable you are. That ignorance is the reason my fool of a son thought it a good idea to propose that contest of swordsmanship.”

Leeheim glanced away when his father’s eyes turned toward him. He was wearing the same sort of sulky look as always.

Regardless, Luidross maintained a soft smile as his gaze returned to Shin Ruu. “Still, perhaps there is no helping that. While the outstanding strength of the hunters of the forest’s edge is spoken of in rumors, people rarely draw their blades in town. And naturally, you people of the forest’s edge are no band of outlaws. This is what led to my son underestimating your strength as he did.”

No one said anything in response to that claim.

“However, those of us who have been around for a while, such as Geimalos and myself, at least have some inkling of your true might. Something happened back when we were still young, you see... Yes, I suppose it was thirty years ago now. That time when a hunter from the forest’s edge drew his blade in town for the sake of vengeance.”

Was he talking about the incident where the head of a clan under the Beim ignored his leaders and attacked a bunch of people in town? Jiza Ruu’s already narrow eyes narrowed further as he stared at Luidross’s relaxed smile.

“That single man from the forest’s edge took down five criminals and the ten guards who had been tasked with escorting them out of town. I cannot imagine any normal swordsman ever accomplishing such a feat, no matter how skilled. I remember Geimalos and I trembling in fear here in our home, wondering if the people of the forest’s edge were truly human.”

Again, there was silence in response as Luidross continued on.

“Geimalos’s fear of you is what caused him to make such an error. That fact does nothing to lighten his crime, but I wished to discuss it in order to give you a full view of what led him to do such a thing. I hope that you understand.”

“In that case, I believe he should have stepped down from the challenge... But his pride as a knight would not allow that, correct?” Jiza Ruu asked.

“That is indeed the case,” Luidross replied with a nod. “Geimalos was famed as one of the foremost swordsmen in all of Genos, but he is already past his prime. He acted out of desperation to hold on to his pride, only to end up losing everything. It pains me greatly to see my own younger brother stray so far.”

“I cannot say I understand his mindset, but I believe I at least comprehend the difficult position you find yourself in. A close relative of yours did something without your knowledge that caused a significant uproar, after all.”

“I am grateful,” Luidross said with yet another nod, remaining perfectly composed. “And the one who led Geimalos astray was none other than my own son, attempting to get revenge against you people of the forest’s edge. I am truly, utterly embarrassed. You are Reina Ruu, are you not?”

“Yes.”

“I see. You certainly are beautiful. I can see how this foolish boy became so taken with you.”

Reina Ruu remained expressionless under her translucent shawl. At the forest’s edge, it was considered poor manners for someone to praise the looks of a person they didn’t intend to marry.

Luidross then said, “I would like to clarify that one matter in particular before we begin this reconciliation banquet... Leeheim, what were your intentions in offering an expensive present to this woman from the forest’s edge?”

Leeheim turned back to face his father, looking extremely reluctant to do so.

“I simply wished to bring that girl here as a maid, father.”

“Oh, as a maid?”

“I tried to offer her a jeweled silver necklace in order to make a showing of the house of Saturas’s wealth. Did I break any laws?”

“Hmm. It isn’t very common for someone from outside the castle town to be employed as a maid, but it isn’t as if such a thing can’t be done. Even more so when the person in question is such a beautiful, skilled chef,” Luidross replied while twisting his mustache and contemplating a bit. Then he once again looked over at Jiza Ruu. “Proxy leading clan head, Sir Jiza Ruu... I believe Leeheim would have acted the same way toward a nameless girl from town. And if that girl suffered from poverty, she would have accepted without the slightest hesitation. After all, if one is given a job as a maid for the family of a count, they would never again face hardship.”

Jiza Ruu stared back at Luidross with a probing gaze. And as if to ease his concerns, the count smiled back.

“However, we can’t expect everyone to be that eager to serve a noble house. Taking such a position would mean being unable to go home to see your parents very often, and would require you to cut ties with any men from the post town or the farms. If you were not prepared to cast aside your old life and devote yourself to serving the count’s household, you could never accept such a proposal.”

“I see. That is precisely why my younger sister Reina does not wish to become so deeply involved with nobles.”

“That is certainly a valid choice. While nobles are free to offer employment to outsiders, we have no right to coerce anyone. According to the laws of Genos, only slaves from Mahyudra can be bought and sold. Your sister’s refusal should have ended the matter... Leeheim, your immature refusal to let go of your attachment is what led to this disaster, is it not?”

Leeheim offered no objection, looking as sullen as ever.

Luidross continued in a pretentious tone, “I would have permitted this girl to serve as a maid rather than rebuking you for your actions, considering how beautiful and skilled she is. In fact, it would have pleased me quite a bit, having this as proof of your honest feelings toward the people of the forest’s edge and lack of prejudice. But given how once those hopes were dashed you failed to let go of your lingering attachment and even threw a tantrum like a child, any good intentions you might have had all went up in smoke.”

Still Leeheim said nothing.

“I’ve heard that the former head of the house of Turan would cruelly retaliate against any chefs who refused to serve him. And the current head of the house, Lady Lefreya, abducted a man from the forest’s edge to the castle town. You might not have committed a crime on that level, but you did involve Geimalos in your childish actions and brought about a terrible outcome. I hope you truly regret what you’ve done.”

“I do regret my actions... Still, I never imagined in my wildest dreams that my uncle feared the hunters of the forest’s edge so much, nor did I expect him to sully his hands with such a cowardly trick as a result,” Leeheim emotionlessly stated, but then the young Leiriss suddenly stood up next to him. There was a strong light shining in his eyes as he looked over the room and gave a deep bow.

“It is the folly of my father Geimalos that has brought us to this point. My father broke his oath to Selva and sullied a contest between swordsmen, all of which is truly unforgivable. In order to atone for his crime, I shall accept any punishment you deem necessary along with him.”

“Geimalos is the only one who can pay for his crimes. There is no law in Genos that would allow you, his child, to be punished as well,” Melfried stated in a voice as cold as ice, causing Leiriss to bite down firmly on his lip. Luidross watched the young man for a few more moments, and then urged him to sit back down.

“At any rate, Geimalos has been stripped of his position as the head of the knights of Saturas and lost his knighthood as well. He will have to live out the rest of his life shouldering the shame of his perfidious deeds. Though you will have to suffer the shame of having a criminal as a father, you are nonetheless going to continue living as a knight. That should be sufficient to atone for your father’s crimes, correct?”

“Yes...”

“And you, Leeheim. Though you have not committed any crimes, how do you intend to act going forward after having caused such a misfortune to befall the house of Saturas and the people of the forest’s edge?”

“I swear to the western god that I shall restrain myself in the future, and take care to never again sully the name of my house,” Leeheim replied, his voice once again remaining emotionless. His eyes simply remained fixed on the empty plates lined up atop the table.

“Indeed. The house of Saturas is currently working with the house of Daleim in order to find a way to move on from the ruinous crimes of the house of Turan. That is why we must not make light of our bonds with the people of the forest’s edge. Isn’t that right, Sir Polarth?”

“Quite so. As we’ve discussed before, Sir Asuta and many others from the forest’s edge have been essential in helping expedite the flow of ingredients from the castle town to the post town. You are well aware of the results they have achieved, Sir Luidross.”

Yes, the plan to popularize baked poitan in the post town in order to apply financial pressure on the house of Turan was something the houses of Daleim and Saturas had been cooperating on. And later on, when we had been trying to promote the usage of a bunch of other ingredients, every action Polarth had taken had benefited from the full cooperation of the house of Saturas. Yang’s work in the post town was also a part of our efforts to help the flow of ingredients.

“Though we have left the negotiations up to Sir Polarth, in a way, we have been comrades with the people of the forest’s edge ever since we combined our efforts to bring down the previous Count Turan. The post town was also even busier than usual during the recent revival festival, and I have no doubt that your people had a great deal to do with that, which is why I wish to ensure that the bond between us remains cordial, Sir Jiza Ruu.”

“We also feel that we need to form proper bonds with the nobles of Genos, and that requires both sides to be sincere.” Jiza Ruu appeared to be in a genial mood at a glance, and had spoken in a calm tone. “With that in mind, I would like to hear your son’s true feelings. It is true that he didn’t break any laws, but my relative, Shin Ruu, was summoned to the castle town by Duke Marstein Genos. Marstein was apparently unable to turn down a request from the next head of the house of Saturas, and for our part, we decided to go along with it because it seemed to be an opportunity to correct the relationship between the house of Saturas and the people of the forest’s edge.”

Incidentally, Polarth was the one who had brought these points to our attention, but now even he was shrugging a bit at how direct Jiza Ruu was being.

“Has he truly cast aside his ill will toward us people of the forest’s edge? I would like to have him confirm that once more.”

Luidross gave a firm nod in response to Jiza Ruu’s words. “A reasonable request. You heard what Sir Jiza Ruu said, Leeheim. What are your thoughts on the matter?”

“I would like to form a proper bond with the people of the forest’s edge from here on out as well, and will strive to see that goal brought to fruition... I swear to the western god here and now that I will meddle with them no further.” He was saying the right words, but he still wore a sour expression and wasn’t looking anyone in the eyes.

“Hmm,” Jiza Ruu hummed, stirring on his chair. “You certainly swear to your god quite readily. Do you consider such vows to be as weighty as the ones we make to the mother forest?”

“Of course. Oaths to the western god are absolute for citizens of Selva, and I can’t imagine any of us ever daring to break them.”

“I see. However, I’m afraid I don’t get the sense that your words are expressing your true thoughts.” As he spoke, Jiza Ruu’s already large body seemed to grow a size bigger. He was giving off an invisible pressure, which I hadn’t sensed from him in quite some time. Ai Fa, Shin Ruu, and Ludo Ruu had also risen ever so slightly off of their seats.

“The same goes for you as well, Count Saturas. Perhaps you told no falsehoods, but you seem to be reciting words that you have prepared in advance. And not just you, but all three members of the house of Saturas who are here today.”

Polarth and Eulifia were staring with looks of amazement, while Melfried’s gray eyes had narrowed as he observed Jiza Ruu closely. Anyone who had a warrior’s spirit would definitely have been able to sense the fierce aura the eldest son of the Ruu was giving off quite vividly.

Jiza Ruu was staring straight at Luidross. The noble had gone a bit pale, and he quickly replied, “This is a misunderstanding, Sir Jiza Ruu.”

“Is that so? It seems to me that you decided on your words beforehand, and had these two follow your lead each time they spoke to us. Are you saying you did not plan out what would be said here today in advance, and did not instruct them to reply to your statements in a certain way?”

Leeheim was glancing at his father out of the corner of his eye, while Leiriss was sitting up perfectly straight with his eyes closed.

“It would be no matter if only you were doing it, but as for these two, I couldn’t sense their true feelings at all. If they are simply saying whatever you have ordered them to, then what purpose is there in having them accompany you here?”

“I am the head of the house of Saturas. Is it not to be expected that members of my house would follow my guidance?” Luidross said as if to smooth things over, but Jiza Ruu silently shook his head.

“We do not defy the will of our clan head or the leading clan heads either, but that doesn’t mean that we would ever speak untruths. Since our goal is to forge a proper bond between us, then ordering the members of your house around like this is unnecessary.”

“No, but...”

“How old is your son?”

The sudden question seemed to intensify Luidross’s panic as he wiped away cold sweat. “L-Leeheim turned twenty-two this silver month. Why exactly is that relevant?”

“Twenty-two, you say? I will soon turn twenty-four myself. I am the eldest son of the leading clan head Donda Ruu, whereas he is the eldest son of the house of Saturas. If we both inherit our fathers’ posts, then we will be the leaders of the next generation who will have to maintain the ties between the forest’s edge and your noble house. That is even more of a reason for me not to treat his true intentions as secondary.” Jiza Ruu’s narrowed eyes moved slowly from the count to his son, and Leeheim went as pale as a corpse. “Allow me to ask again. Leeheim, eldest son of the house of Saturas, what are your true feelings on this matter?”

“I-I meant what I said! I have no intention of defying the orders of the head of my house, my father!”

“Then, if not for those orders, would you still wish to employ Reina even now?”

Leeheim looked as if he was about to keel over, chair and all. But it seemed that Polarth was feeling bad for him and had decided to lend the young heir a helping hand. “What’s the matter, Sir Leeheim? There’s no need to get flustered; not when you can simply tell them the truth. It is not as if you were thinking of abducting a person of the forest’s edge the way Lady Lefreya once did, correct?”

“O-Of course not! I would never commit a crime like that!”

“Then why have you been acting so hesitant here?”

From an outsider’s point of view, it had probably looked like Jiza Ruu had just been smiling affably this whole time. Polarth and Eulifia seemed like they found the sudden shift in attitude from Leeheim and the others to be more confusing than anything else.

With everyone’s eyes on him, Leeheim’s hands gripped the tablecloth, his shoulders trembling. Jiza Ruu’s intensity had even reduced Ludo Ruu to a frightened child in the past. Under the circumstances, I really couldn’t help but sympathize with Leeheim.

“I-I...”

“Hmm?”

“I cannot simply forget my desire to hire that girl. But even so, there’s no way I can disobey my father and Duke Genos... Nor can I hide the misery I feel...”

“Your attachment to Reina is that strong?” Jiza Ruu asked, a bit of admiration audible in his voice.

Then Reina Ruu chimed in from beside him, “It’s an honor to receive such a request from one of the nobles who governs Genos. However, we people of the forest’s edge cannot abandon our home. I hope that you can understand.”

“I do... Even I understand that much...” Leeheim affirmed, hanging his head. His face was still pale.

Next, Jiza Ruu turned toward Leiriss. “What about you? What are your thoughts on the crime your father committed?”

“The head of our house didn’t need to compel me to apologize. My father allowed his weakness to tempt him into committing a crime and made himself unworthy of being a knight. There is no excuse for what he did, so I wanted to apologize from the depths of my heart in his place.” Leiriss then opened his eyes wide and looked at Shin Ruu with a piercing gaze. “However, I cannot help but wonder how strong a swordsman you must be, to terrify my father so badly and then defeat him in one blow. I feel a need I cannot ignore to discover the answer personally.”

“I see. That explains why you’ve been giving off such a ferocious aura all this time. But now that I have heard your reason, I see that it is nothing to be concerned about,” Jiza Ruu said with a satisfied nod. “We have no custom of competing against each other with blades, so we will not be able to grant that request immediately, but as long as you acknowledge your father’s guilt, it shouldn’t be a problem. And it’s not as if you would simply attack Shin Ruu out of nowhere, correct?”

“Of course not. I wish for a true contest of swordsmanship with only our pride on the line.”

“Then allow us to set that matter aside for later.” With that, the invisible pressure Jiza Ruu had been giving off from his huge frame seemed to fade away, and his gaze then turned back toward Luidross. “I finally feel satisfied now that I have heard their true feelings on the matter. I came here as an acting leading clan head, so you’ll have to forgive me for talking on and on.”

“O-Of course... Well then, have you accepted our apologies...?”

“I, Jiza Ruu, eldest son of the leading clan head Donda Ruu, hereby accept the apologies that the house of Saturas has offered us. Though it may prove difficult to understand one another completely due to the differences in our customs and ways of life, I still wish to make an effort to forge a better relationship between our two groups.”

“I see...” Luidross replied with a deep sigh. His stylish and youthful appearance suddenly seemed to have grown a good bit older. No surprise, really, considering that he had been facing down someone who had the resolve to take up arms against the lord of the land himself if the lord proved to be unsatisfactory.

“Well then, isn’t it about time to bring out the food, Sir Luidross? How about we start with a toast to a brighter future together?” Polarth casually chimed in, and with that, the peace banquet finally kicked off.