2
“Carry the stew out to the plaza, please! And it’s hot, so don’t rush!”
It was a real chaotic, topsy-turvy mess after that.
The two stars of the night were led to the stage erected in front of the main house, and Dan Rutim announced the banquet kicking off, but I no longer had enough leeway to stop and listen. After all, the food needed to be set up for people to eat as soon as his speech ended.
First up was the stew.
We placed four pots spaced as evenly as possible atop the ten simple stoves set up in a circle, then lit weak flames in them. Then we placed pots full of water atop the other six stoves for the sake of keeping things warm, and stoked the flames just enough so they wouldn’t be overly strong. Finally, we placed the steaks and stir-fried vegetables atop large planks that were being set up in place of tables. For the steaks, I decided we should start with the safer options of roast and thigh meat.
There were Ruu women manning each stove, and at first I had them focus on getting everything set up. I felt bad about it, but I had no choice but to have them take turns eating and enjoying themselves. But if any of the women were displeased about it, they at least didn’t let it show where I could see.
The women who manned the stands with the steaks held up heaping helpings of baked poitan, and handed them over to people who were coming for the meat. Then, they would add, “This is poitan.”
Naturally, the women manning the stoves with the stew were in charge of pouring it out. They added, “This soup is meant to be one bowl per person.”
People could eat whatever they pleased and as much as they wanted of the grilled goods or the stuff heated up in pots. After all, it was a banquet, so maybe this way of doing things was too regimented...
But still, I thought it wouldn’t be enough to just cook up and grill meat without a stench to it. No, I wanted to bring them an even greater happiness. And so, I just had to hope that the deliciousness of the food would blow away any feelings of being overly exact about things.
I was already flying around from home to home giving instructions, so I didn’t really have any proper idea of where each woman was. Even Ai Fa, the only one who had been constantly sticking by my side, disappeared somewhere when Granny Tito Min called for her.
“Well then, let us begin the banquet!” Dan Rutim called out in a stupidly loud voice, which I heard coming from the stage. “Let’s bless Gazraan Rutim of the Rutim clan and Ama Min of the Min clan!”
“Bless them!” 100 voices cheered out in unison, and the ceremonial fire was lit using the tower of firewood piled up in the center of the plaza.
Something akin to torches were also set up on pedestals surrounding the plaza, dispersing the darkness.
Illuminated by that grand orange light, the people present grabbed hold of bowls and skewers.
“Eat and drink up! And give your thanks to the women of the Ruu clan, who worked hard for this day!” Dan Rutim yelled out, his voice getting raspy. He must have been yelling too much.
As if guided by that voice, the people claimed containers of fruit wine, as well as the meat placed atop pseudo-rubber leaves.
White, healthy teeth bit down into the meat.
The stew that had been poured into wooden bowls was slurped down.
Baked poitan were timidly brought up to mouths.
I didn’t even have time to confirm the expressions on their faces, though, as I had to keep on running from house to house.
“Next up is this house’s ribs! Are they ready?”
“Everything’s fine. They’re really eating up the first bit of meat in no time at all though, aren’t they?” said a middle-aged woman whose name I hadn’t memorized yet from one of the branch families, giving a hearty laugh. “It seems like I should get going. The girls from the first group must be real impatient to dig into that stew, after all.”
With that, the woman’s arms which were thicker than mine picked up three planks at once, each of them holding seven plates of spare ribs.
“I’ll go replace them... That stew of yours really is a masterpiece, isn’t it?”
“Ah, did you already have some?”
“I mean, it would be really serious if it ran out before I got any. I started off by having just that, then hurried back here in a big rush. The other women will be back soon, so you should get a bit in you too, right?”
“I’m fine eating later. At any rate, I’m counting on you.”
“Right!” the woman responded, and then she left.
Soon afterwards, I heard a loud voice proclaiming, “Heeey, these are giba ribs! Anyone with guts, go ahead and give ‘em a bite!”
It seemed I really had made the right call, devoting myself to working behind the scenes. After all, an outsider like me showing my face wouldn’t exactly make the food taste any better.
“Sorry we’re late! We’ll carry out the rest right away!”
With that, several girls whose names I also didn’t remember, all clad in beautiful outfits, came flying into the kitchen.
“All of the first round of steaks are gone already. There’s only a little stew left, too!”
“In that case, the soup should be next. Alright, thanks!”
Shin Ruu’s house and the one next to it were in charge of soup.
I started off by running on over to Shin Ruu’s house, where I found Sheera Ruu manning the kitchen all by herself.
“Huh? You’re all on your own? Wasn’t your mom supposed to be here, too?”
“She left to eat some stew. I already had some ahead of her,” Sheera Ruu said with a fleeting smile. “That stew food is truly delicious. I felt like I was about to start crying as I ate it, somehow...”
“Is that so? Then I hope you’ll have it made for your wedding banquet, too.”
With that, Sheera Ruu made a bit of a sad face and shook her head.
“I have a weak constitution, ever since I was born. That’s why I’m still unmarried at this age. A woman who can’t even carry a single water jug is nothing but a burden for her family...”
“That’s not true at all! Even if you can’t manage water jugs, you can still carry pots, right? And that much arm strength should be plenty for manning the stove.”
I may have been in a bit of a manic state right now, since I even added a wink there at the end.
“Besides, you’re really good at cooking, Sheera Ruu. I’m sure you’ll become a bride who can cook a delicious meal. And once the men know the value of tasty food, they won’t be able to leave you alone, for sure.”
“Oh, my...” Sheera Ruu muttered, her cheeks flushing red.
It was then that her mother returned.
“Looks like the stew is pretty much all gone. Now then, Sheera, it’s our turn.”
“Right.”
The gentle mother and her daughter with a fleeting presence used a grigee pole to carry off a pot.
Meanwhile, I headed to the neighboring home, glancing over at them as I went.
All of the remaining pots of soup were at this house. That thought was on my mind as I entered the kitchen, but the three pots of soup had long since been carried out, and the dirtied pots from the stew were now sitting atop the stoves.
And in that fairly large kitchen, there was a single woman standing there all on her own: Vina Ruu.
“Asuta...?”
Her sensual eyes had been drooping down just a bit, and now they were opened wide in surprise.
Sure enough, she was dressed in banquet attire, too. She had a transparent veil on her head, and a similar lightweight fabric around her waist, and though her hair and limbs were always more magnificently decorated than women from other houses, she had on even more accessories than usual.
Her long chestnut-colored hair was usually bundled up and draped over her right shoulder, but now it was flowing loose, which only made her all the more sensual.
But at least for today, I couldn’t exactly play along with her advances.
“Everything’s already been carried out here, right? In that case, I have work to do...” I said and turned around.
But then, Vina Ruu yelled out “Wait!” from behind.
That was the first time I had ever heard Vina Ruu shout. I couldn’t help but stop and turn back around.
Vina Ruu was shrugging her shoulders in a childish manner and hanging her head.
“Asuta... Are you mad...?”
“Huh? Why?”
“I... I spilled the aria soup...”
“Ah, that? It’s fine. The fresh soup made it in time. And I’m just glad that you didn’t get burnt.”
“You’re not mad...?”
She was looking straight at me with upturned eyes.
I had no idea how much was acting and how much was real, which made dealing with her seriously tricky.
“I’m not mad. More importantly, please enjoy the banquet. You were in the group that set up the stew, right? In that case, you shouldn’t have any work for a while longer, yeah?”
“I hate the banquet... All sorts of men ask me to be their bride, after all...”
I wanted to ask, “What’s so wrong with that?” but it seemed like that would just complicate matters, so I refrained.
“Well then, I have to get going.”
“Wait!” she yelled out once again.
Vina Ruu was wriggling her body back and forth while cradling it with both arms.
“Um... I may be a woman who tried to abandon her family... But it really isn’t like I hate them, of course...”
“What?”
Just what was she talking about? I seriously just wanted to get moving to the next house already.
“Actually, I love my family more than anyone. I don’t hate any of them. I want each and every one of them to be happy...”
“Um, just what are you talking about, here?”
“I don’t want to have to hate family...”
And then, she went and shocked me yet again.
Vina Ruu fell to her knees, still cradling herself in her arms, and looked up at me like she was pleading.
“Ai Fa would be fine. I could hate her... If you were tied together with Ai Fa, I could seduce you away and do whatever I please...”
“No seriously, what are you talking about?!”
“I don’t want to hate Reina, though,” Vina Ruu stated in an unusually blunt tone. “Just don’t tie yourself together with Reina... I don’t want to hate family...”
I seriously had no clue what was going on.
Of course I had sensed something from how Reina Ruu had been acting, but there was no way her family would accept her saying she wanted to marry me or something.
But Vina Ruu had such a terribly sad look on her face that I couldn’t help but doubt if it was really her.
After a good bit of worrying, I approached Vina Ruu and put a hand on her soft shoulder.
“It’s alright. I don’t know what you’re so worried about, but that sort of wild future will never come to pass.”
Fortunately, I was able to say all that without having to lie to myself.
Vina Ruu looked at me with her lightly teary eyes.
“I won’t be marrying Reina Ruu, so there’s no reason for you to have to hate her. I can promise you that much.”
I gripped Vina Ruu’s shoulder, and then ended with one last firm nod. At least for now, that was the best I could manage.
“Sorry, I know you’re in the middle of work...”
“Don’t worry about it. Just stick to the plan as we push towards the end, alright? Well then, excuse me...”
I went flying out of the kitchen, as if trying to escape Vina Ruu’s gaze.
A sort of murky sense of guilt filled me up inside.
Even so, I didn’t have any more time to spend consoling Vina Ruu. I had to hurry onto the next place as soon as possible.
Was this guilt part of the price I was paying? In that case, I had no choice but to swallow it down.
As those thoughts ran through my head, I ran along the outer circumference of the plaza. At this distance, the people just looked like black silhouettes. I couldn’t see their expressions at all.
Even so, there was a tremendous enthusiasm in the air. The heat of their passion and their life forces wouldn’t lose out even to the roaring flames of the ceremonial fire.
What a truly dazzling, lively world...
I just kept on running, and it was like that tremendous life force of theirs was giving me a push from behind.
My next destination was the far off main Ruu house.
The bride and groom were silently seated atop the stage constructed in front of it, while Dan Rutim was laughing like a fool while holding spare ribs in both hands.
There was no way I could ever mistake him, even as a silhouette.
“Are you all not going to eat any? If you won’t, then I’ll eat it all up, y’know?!”
While praying that he would at least let the people who wanted to eat some do so, I jogged towards the kitchen.
At last, the next dish would be the hamburgers.
“Ah, it’s Asuta! You’re finally here!”
There were nearly ten women there in the kitchen.
They had their fill of the banquet up until now, but now they were my rear guard for the work yet to come.
Anyway, one of the members, Rimee Ruu, was standing near the entrance holding spare ribs in both hands.
“Hehehe. Look, I’m Dan Rutim!”
“Come on, now. If both you and that old-timer eat a whole ton, then there won’t be enough left for everyone else to have their share, right? It really should be one per person.”
“But I chose small ones! Is it still not okay...?”
She looked at me like a dejected puppy, and I patted her on the head.
“You’re adorable, so I’ll allow it. And that outfit’s really cute, too.”
“Really? I’m so happy!”
She may have been a young child, but she still had on a special outfit for the banquet. With her iridescent veil and numerous accessories for her hair and arms, I had no problem saying that Rimee Ruu looked super cute. In particular, the red flowers she had tucked in by her temples on either side were truly striking, and also really went well with her reddish hair.
“By the way, have you seen Ai Fa? I haven’t seen her once since the banquet began.”
“Ai Fa? Didn’t Granny Tito Min call for her?”
“The elder was calling for her, so I just told her that. I haven’t seen her since then.”
Granny Tito Min was a member of our hamburger unit, too.
So, had my confidant and the one and only member of my raiding party, Ai Fa, gone into hiding?
“Um, if you’re talking about the Fa clan’s female hunter, I saw her carrying a steak before,” said a woman who I believe was the wife of the son of Donda Ruu’s second younger brother.
“Really? Thank you.”
If she was carrying out her raid without my orders, then that was just fine.
I had just been starting to think that it would be easiest for me to just keep on running around like this on my own.
“Now then, it seems the time for the hamburgers to make their debut is fast approaching. Actually, over half of the food has already been used up... Isn’t it pretty early to be hitting this point?”
“Your food is just so tasty that things keep disappearing one after another!”
“Well, half of that food may have been eaten by the head of the Rutim too, right?”
The older woman shot me a pleasant grin.
I wanted to smile too, but unfortunately I couldn’t right now.
“After these hamburgers, we have one more round of steaks with one per person, yeah? Could we actually need to add on more?”
“It’s certainly possible. Actually, it seems like we really will come up way short. The men and women sure are eating a lot. I’ve even seen folks struggling over meat here and there.”
Did this call for a shriek of delight?
We had prepared to grill up additional meat if worse came to worst, but not for adding more vegetables or poitan. The best we could do is try to garnish it with whatever aria and tino was left lying around.
“Got it. Then once we get the hamburgers out, I’ll set about cutting up meat. Let’s go with thin slices, and grill them over a strong flame.”
“Alright. Well then, shall we get going?”
With that quiet command from Granny Tito Min, the women started carrying out the roughly 200 hamburgers and containers full of fruit wine sauce.
“Ah, Rimee Ruu. If you happen to be free, would you mind checking on how Vina Ruu is doing? I think she’s in the kitchen of the house where we had three pots of soup.”
“Vina? Ah, she always drinks nothing but wine when it’s time for a banquet... Got it! I’ll bring her a hamburger!”
“Thanks. I’m counting on you.”
With that, my rear guard carried out the hamburgers, leaving the kitchen temporarily empty. All that was left was a portion of the steaks meant to be presented last.
After setting them up on top of covers on the stoves to keep them warm, I gulped down some water from a ladle.
My body was getting pretty darn tired. And yet, my heart was feeling uplifted.
I was a bit worried about Vina Ruu, but aside from that, everything was going extremely smooth.
I didn’t know what sort of faces everyone made while eating, but judging from the expressions the women wore, I figured there was no need to worry.
No serious accidents had occurred.
My job was just one push away from being finished.
I gave a nice big stretch, then headed towards the pantry to carry out the additional meat.
I wonder if Ludo and Shin Ruu are enjoying themselves, too? And I hope Ai Fa didn’t miss out on the stew...
I grabbed the candlestick by the entrance, then stepped into the pantry.
The room where the meat was stored was even further in.
This vegetable storage space was used to temporarily store completed dishes, so the shelves were all pushed up against the walls. And there were also hardly any vegetables left on them, either.
There were just a few extra vegetables remaining that had been prepared in case anything got screwed up, and some that weren’t part of the menu this time around.
Apparently the Ruu and the Rutim were splitting the cost of all the ingredients used.
Would this strengthen their bonds, or instead cause a rift to form? There was still a lot I didn’t know about Donda and Jiza Ruu’s natures, so I couldn’t say for certain.
But still, I was just carrying out my work.
As that thought ran through my head, I headed towards the room where the meat was stored. And then...
The door I had left open closed shut with a slam.
I turned around with a “Huh?” only for a small, soft body to come flying into my chest.
It may have been incredibly little and soft, but it was also very strong.
And so, I ended up getting toppled over backwards.
It was awful lucky that I didn’t end up dropping the candlestick in the process.
What the light from that candle illuminated was Reina Ruu’s brooding face.
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