Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 4 - Chapter 3.2

2

We headed towards the Ruu settlement, aiming for a time before the sun hit its peak, when Donda Ruu would be awake. We were in a group of four including the newlyweds, and were carrying our new pot.

Ama Min Rutim had asked to come along with us because she said she wanted to see Kota Ruu.

“Didn’t you come to the Ruu settlement just yesterday, though?”

“That was to study cooking. I didn’t get a chance to see Kota Ruu.”

“After this, don’t you having cooking lessons today, too?”

“That’s right. If the other women all come for them and I don’t, then I’ll end up the worst cook among all the Rutim women. Or would you be just fine with that, Gazraan?”

“But...”

“And besides, if I don’t go with you now, then I won’t even see your face till dinner. If you don’t mind that either, though, then I can head right on back to the Rutim house.”

“I’m not especially telling you to head back or anything.”

That sort of newlywed talk went on for 30 minutes as we walked.

All I could think was, Thanks for all that.

At any rate, after that we arrived at the Ruu settlement.

It had only been three days since the banquet, but somehow it felt like it had been quite a while longer.

The women of the branch families were busy with all sorts of work, but when they noticed us, they all waved and bowed. I mean, I had spent six days here, so the place sort of felt like a second home to me.

“Oh, my, what’re all of you doing here?! And you’re carrying a pot, too! You know the banquet ended a while ago, don’t you?” Mia Lea Ruu greeted us in front of the main Ruu house.

She looked surprised, or perhaps I should say taken off-guard, but afterwards she broke out in a joyful grin. That smile somehow felt really nostalgic to me.

“We came to discuss something. Is Donda Ruu up?”

“Yeah. He’s chewing on dried meat in the main hall. Jiza and Ludo should be with him, too... Well then, allow me to take charge of your steel. Do you mind just leaving your pot there?”

“Right.”

Ai Fa and Gazraan Rutim handed over their blades, and I passed my knife to Mia Lea Ruu.

“Now then, welcome to the Ruu house! Clan head, you’ve got visitors!”

We stepped through the door and found Donda Ruu and his sons there in the middle of the hall.

“Huh? Oh, it’s Asuta! What are you doing here?!” Ludo Ruu asked, hopping to his feet when he noticed us.

Meanwhile, the clan head and his heir also slowly turned our way. They... didn’t look to be in an especially good mood.

“What’s this, another gathering of good-for-nothings? This smells like nothing but trouble to me,” Donda Ruu said, a surly look on his face that called to mind a wild beast.

Gazraan Rutim, meanwhile, gave a single bow.

“My apologies. Could we have just a bit of your time, Ruu clan head Donda Ruu?”

“Hmph...” Donda Ruu grumbled, seating himself to be at the head of the group.

Jiza and Ludo Ruu also sat down so that they were facing us.

“Mia Lea Ruu, I came to visit Sati Lea and Kota Ruu. Are they around?”

“They’re in their room. Yes, let’s leave this bothersome talk to the men.”

After laying our blades down next to the clan head, Mia Lea Ruu led Ama Min Rutim down the right hallway and disappeared.

“It’s almost time to head into the forest, so please allow me to go ahead and explain... The truth is, the Fa clan made a request of the Rutim for aid on a job, but we were unable to help out, so we’ve come to ask your Ruu clan.”

“A job...?”

“That’s right. Asuta, could you explain?”

“Right. The thing is, I was thinking of opening up a shop in the post town.”

“Huh?!” Ludo Ruu loudly questioned. “What do you mean?! Hey, Asuta! Are you planning on leaving the forest’s edge?!”

“No, the idea is ultimately to open a booth for selling giba meat dishes as a member of the forest’s edge... It may sound completely absurd, but that’s the plan. And I’d like to have a woman helping me out with the work, so... We came to ask if you had anyone we could borrow.”

Donda Ruu looked displeased to start with, so I didn’t spy much of a change.

Even if that wasn’t the case for Jiza Ruu, I just plain couldn’t read his expression.

As for Ludo Ruu... he cradled his stomach and broke out laughing.

“What the heck is that? You’re saying you’re gonna have townsfolk eat giba? Those guys who call us ‘giba eaters’? You’re funny, man! Seriously, how’d you come up with such a crazy idea?”

“It’d take way too long to explain... What do you say, Donda Ruu?”

“...Are you the one who thought up this idea?” Donda Ruu asked, suddenly cutting to the core of the matter.

I naturally sat up straight.

“I’m not the one who came up with it. The one to recommend it was Kamyua Yoshu, that man from the city of stone.”

“I figured it was something like that. So, that aloof man appeared at the Fa house just as he declared, did he?”

“Yes. However, I’m by no means trying to conspire with him. I don’t know what he was thinking when he raised the idea, but after talking it out, I figured it sounded reasonable and decided I wanted to take on the challenge.”

Donda Ruu didn’t have as furious of a reaction as I had expected. In fact, if I had to say, I felt more of a restless air about Jiza Ruu as he sat there silently.

“I served him my cooking at the Fa house, you see. And then he said that it’d be a waste not to sell such delicious meat. Plus, if giba meat could be exchanged for coins, it would bring a whole lot more prosperity to the forest’s edge. So I would need to open a stall in order to teach the townsfolk how delicious giba meat really is, right? Then, we visited the post town and investigated whether or not this crazy idea really was possible after all. One thing led to another, and so here we are.”

And then, I earnestly told of what I had thought and felt on that second day, just as I’d done with Gazraan Rutim.

About how it seemed like we could do it without earning all that much opposition from the townsfolk.

How it seemed possible I could sell giba cooking if I did it well.

And about how we couldn’t tell what Kamyua Yoshu was really thinking, but that he appeared to hold an attachment or even fixation towards the people of the forest’s edge deep down, and that he didn’t seem to be trying to trick us.

“What a hard to understand old-timer... But still, it’s true that your cooking is crazy tasty! I’d love to see the faces of those townsfolk as they eat giba meat, too!”

“Shut up, Ludo,” Donda Ruu scolded, sounding displeased.

Well, he may have sounded that way, but his expression remained perfectly calm.

I was starting to think this may work out, when Jiza Ruu called out, “Asuta,” in a low voice. “It’s only natural for you to act as a merchant in town. No matter how I look at you, that’s where you belong... And yet, wouldn’t it be far simpler if you just went ahead and lived in that place instead?”

“Right. That may be how things seem to you, Jiza Ruu, but as I told you before, I like it here at the forest’s edge. If you told me I had to give up on either living here or opening a shop in the post town, I’d obviously give up on the shop in a heartbeat.”

I heard a “Hehe,” and turned to look where it came from, only to find Ludo Ruu staring off into the distance and laughing. He looked downright giddy, somehow.

“It doesn’t seem like anything but a farce to me...” Donda Ruu grumbled. “I can’t imagine folks from the city of stone happily chowing down on giba, or something as insane as being able to sell giba meat for coins ever coming to pass.”

“Yeah, I don’t know what kind of results I’ll get, either. But even so, I want to take on this challenge.”

I leaned forwards just a bit so that I was staring right into Donda Ruu’s daunting face.

“However, Ai Fa and I can’t take it on alone. I’d be short on hands just for running the shop itself, and I’d also have to deal with the danger of coming and going to the post town. Considering I have no idea when I might run across someone from the Suun clan, I thought it best to make this request of the Ruu clan... That’s the basis of our request, so won’t you please consider it?”

“Hmph...”

“I won’t go so far as to ask you to trust I’ll be successful. This much should be obvious, but I’ll pay up properly regardless of how things turn out. After discussing the matter with Gazraan Rutim, I decided I would pay six red coins per day, or the equivalent of both a horn and tusk from a large giba put together.”

I had been told that it took two women half a day to peel a pelt. For that, they would get the equivalent of two horns and tusks, or between eight and twelve red coins.

Kamyua Yoshu had said roughly 10 red coins, but after checking with Ai Fa and the others, I found out that the value really did change based on size.

And so, I had arrived at that number on the assumption that I would be borrowing one woman’s help for around half of the day.

“However, there’s discord between the Fa and Suun clans, so please keep that fact firmly in mind. Gazraan Rutim said that just having someone from the Ruu clan at my side would be enough to prevent any wrongdoing from them, but you never know what scum like Doddo Suun may do under the influence of alcohol.”

“We don’t need you to tell us that. Don’t go underestimating the women of the Ruu clan, you brat.”

“Clan head...” Jiza Ruu spoke up.

Donda Ruu held up a hand, commanding him to stop.

“A horn and tusk worth for loaning you a woman for half a day, huh? That’s not such a bad deal. And we Ruu do have an excess of women at the moment...”

“Right.”

“I’ve got one condition, though.”

“A condition...?”

“If it turns out you’re plotting something with that blond aloof fellow, then I’ll be taking that right arm of yours.”

A chill ran down my spine.

And even though I didn’t look her way, I could sense bloodlust from Ai Fa for a second there.

“If you accept, then I’ll loan you a woman.”

“...I’m not personally plotting anything. However, I honestly have no idea if Kamyua Yoshu is.”

“If he’s up to something, then I’ll just take his head. Then if you were his accomplice, that’s when I’ll take your arm.”

A heavy silence hung in the air.

I audibly gulped down my saliva.

“I’ll swear on whatever you want that my thoughts and feelings on the matter don’t extend beyond what I already told you, personally. But... on the off chance that Kamyua Yoshu is plotting something, it’s possible that I may not be able to prove my own innocence clearly when that comes to light.”

“I’m not expecting all that. If you get tricked by him too, then I’ll just laugh at you for being a foolish kid... alongside Gazraan Rutim, as well as the Fa clan head.”

“Right,” Gazraan Rutim calmly responded, while Ai Fa just silently glared at Donda Ruu.

Sure enough, I could see a deep anger burning in her eyes.

“Do you two trust this brat’s words?”

“Of course. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here in this place.”

“What about you, head of the Fa clan?”

“...My response goes without saying. What sort of clan head couldn’t even believe in the people under her?”

Even her voice was quaking with anger.

Donda Ruu, on the other hand, looked calm and composed.

“In that case, we’ll just say if these two keep on believing in your innocence until the bitter end, that’ll be good enough. And if the time comes when both of them decide you’re a traitor, that’s when I’ll go ahead and take your right arm.”

“If that’ll satisfy you, then I’m willing to make that promise,” I replied, wiping the sweat from my brow. “I promise you that I will never betray the people of the forest’s edge.”

“You swear your right arm on it?”

“I do.”

In that instant, Ai Fa called out, “Hold on,” in a pointed voice. “This shouldn’t be down to Asuta personally, but the whole Fa clan. If such an unthinkable thing were to happen, the fault would lie with the clan head, yes?”

Ai Fa’s eyes had finally started blazing with the look of a wildcat again, while Donda Ruu just silently stared back at her.

“If such a shameful thing were to occur, you should take my right arm, not Asuta’s.”

“Hey, Ai Fa—”

“I have no use for your arm, head of the Fa clan,” Donda Ruu stated, cutting my words off with a serious tone of voice. “There’s no way that someone like you would ever plot something alongside a man from the city of stone. That brat was born in another country, though. What I want to know is his intentions and determination.”

“But...”

“You’ve already given your answer, haven’t you? All I’m asking is if this child is trying to deceive us here and now. If he’s not, then there’s no need for the brat and his arm to be separated.”

The light in Donda Ruu’s eyes grew just a bit stronger as he stared at Ai Fa’s angry face.

“Are you trying to trample all over the kid’s resolve? Or could it be that deep down, you doubt his intentions...?”

Ai Fa rose halfway to her feet, but I hurriedly grabbed her arm.

“Calm down, Ai Fa. I’m not betraying you all, so nothing’s going to happen.”

This was probably a necessary step. After all, the Ruu clan head had the future of the forest’s edge on his shoulders, so he probably couldn’t go trusting me so lightly.

And yet, Donda Ruu had entrusted things to Ai Fa’s and Gazraan Rutim’s judgment.

Even if he couldn’t trust me personally, if his brethren from the forest’s edge could... It was a decision that felt earnest and even pleasant to me.

However... It sure was a bad habit he had, voicing the idea using such harsh words.

Still, I was satisfied.

Ai Fa silently stared at my face for a bit, then before long she sat herself back down. She cast her eyes still swirling with anger downwards and bit firmly on her lip.

“...The agreement has been made,” Donda Ruu muttered in a low voice. “Well then, who should I be loaning you...?”

“Ah, the work will involve carrying ingredients and my pot, as well as helping to man the store. So the work would need someone with enough strength to walk a mountain path while carrying heavy luggage.”

“Hmm...”

“I don’t mind if they’re from the main or branch houses. I leave it up to you to pick out who will do it.”

As I said that, I could feel dark clouds starting to build up inside.

I hadn’t met Reina or Vina Ruu even once since the night of the banquet.

Vina Ruu wanted me to take her somewhere far, far away.

Reina Ruu, meanwhile, wanted me to leave the Fa house and become a member of the Ruu.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to grant either of their wishes.

Still, I didn’t want to keep avoiding them forever, and I wanted to try rebuilding a peaceful relationship with them. I just had no clue as to how I’d bring that about.

Just who would he choose?

I felt my heartbeat rising as I waited, until Donda Ruu finally muttered, “Vina, then.”