Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 5 - Chapter 3.2

2

The eldest daughter of the main Suun house, Yamiru Suun.

While smiling like a viper, that woman cloaked in the ominous stench of blood glared at Ai Fa, me, and Sheera Ruu.

When Sheera Ruu stepped back from the sheer pressure coming off that glare, Vina Ruu called out from the neighboring stall, “Hey... Sheera Ruu, sorry, but could you switch with me for a bit...?”

While keeping her gaze fixed on Yamiru Suun, Sheera Ruu went ahead and slowly moved over that way.

After entrusting her with the wooden spatula for stirring the tarapa sauce, Vina Ruu then gracefully came over our way.

“Long time no see... Do you remember me, I wonder...?”

“...Of course, Vina Ruu, eldest daughter of the main Ruu house,” Yamiru Suun replied, the faint smile remaining on her face.

Vina Ruu’s sleepy-looking eyes narrowed, just like they had when she faced off with Mida Suun.

“Hmph, so the Ruu clan really was wrapped up in this after all. I had heard the Fa house’s foreigner was put in charge of the Rutim banquet’s stove too, so it seems the Ruu and Fa clans are rather close, doesn’t it?”

“That’s true... We’re getting along wonderfully, aren’t we? So, just what did you come to a place like this for...?”

“Hehehe. I just came to deliver a message from the clan head.”

With that, Yamiru Suun’s chilly, snakelike gaze turned my way.

“Foreigner from the Fa clan, may I ask your name?”

“...I’m Asuta,” I replied.

I wasn’t feeling especially afraid or anything. It was just that she felt plain eerie, more so than even Mida and Tei Suun.

Why did she have such a clear scent of blood lingering about her? Even if she had just finished dissecting a giba, the stench shouldn’t have been clinging to her this badly.

If this was a giba dissection room there would be nothing strange at all, but I couldn’t help but feel suspicious and disturbed by her giving off such an obvious smell just by standing there.

“Asuta of the Fa clan, is it? Now then, Asuta, the Suun clan actually has a bit of a problem at the moment.”

“Huh...?”

“Mida is crying... He says he wants to eat your cooking like he had at the post town once again.”

Mida Suun, huh?

So what exactly is she asking me to do about it?

“And so, I came here today to deliver the words of the Suun clan’s head, Zuuro Suun... Asuta of the Fa clan, just one night would be enough, but will you man the Suun clan stove?”

The crunch of gravel under foot sounded out.

Ai Fa had taken just half a step forward.

And naturally, there was a blue blaze burning fiercely in her eyes.

“You said you were the eldest daughter of the main Suun house, Yamiru Suun, didn’t you?”

“Yes, that’s correct, Fa clan head Ai Fa.”

“Asuta may be a foreigner, but he is still a member of the Fa clan. If you have business with my clan, then you should be coming to me with it, as I am the clan head.”

“Oh, is that so? Then what do you—”

“I refuse,” Ai Fa stated, cutting off Yamiru Suun’s shrill voice.

With that, the woman’s voice shifted to a metallic sounding snicker.

“You refuse...?”

“I do.”

“Well, that’s certainly an issue... I thought Mida would calm down once the night had passed, but yesterday and today have come, and not only has that not happened, but he has kept on wailing. Diga and Doddo have kicked and hit him out of anger, but it’s done no good. And as a result, he’s been eating even more than normal. He really is difficult to deal with.”

“That’s the Suun clan’s problem. The Fa clan has nothing to do with it.”

Ai Fa was clearly furious, and the light of a hunter was burning bright in her eyes.

But in spite of that, the faint smile remained fixed on Yamiru Suun’s face, while Tei Suun just stood there like her shadow.

“Why do you say that, though? You managed the Rutim banquet, so for what reason do you refuse to man the Suun clan’s stove?”

“What reason? You should ask yourself that. Consider how the Suun clan has acted towards the Fa up until now.”

“You mean when Diga crept into the Fa house? Or perhaps when Doddo pointed his blade towards you all in the post town and at the Rutim banquet? If that’s the case, then if my bungling younger brothers apologize to you, will you man the stove?”

“I have no interest in hearing superficial apologies. If they wish to apologize, then they should offer up an arm or some such.”

Her voice didn’t grow louder in the slightest, but it was openly awash in profound anger. Had the Suun clan’s ridiculous request that I man their stove really angered her that badly?

“If you wish to eat Asuta’s cooking, then you can abide by the laws of the post town and pay coins. There is no other means by which a member of the Suun clan will be allowed to eat food that he has prepared.”

“Coins, is it...? But just how many coins would it require to fill Mida’s stomach, I wonder...?” Yamiru Suun questioned, as I spied a suspicious sparkle in her blackish eyes.

This poisonous snake looked like she had found her prey.

“Speaking of which, Asuta, were you paid a fitting price when you manned the Rutim stove?”

“Huh? What about it...?”

“Yes, well the Ruu clan has over 100 people under it. On top of that, you played a big role in the wedding banquet for the Rutim heir, so since the Fa clan are utterly unrelated, you must have been paid a price to accept, correct?”

Something felt dangerous about her approach.

This Yamiru Suun woman didn’t seem the sort to grow violently emotional and run wild like her younger brothers. But I was sure that instead, she was the type to use crafty plots to ensnare her foes.

“Just how much was that payment, I wonder? 10 giba worth of horns and tusks? 20? Or perhaps 30?”

“...I don’t believe we’re under any obligation to answer that.”

“Oh, I see. Very well... In that case, the Suun clan is prepared to pay you 40 giba worth of horns and tusks.”

I was frozen in place, completely and utterly dumbfounded.

40 giba worth of horns and tusks... That was the equivalent of 480 red coins. Even if they were monopolizing the reward money from Genos, could the Suun clan seriously afford to use up that great of a fortune on such a farce?

I looked left and right, in order to confirm the expressions on Ai Fa and Vina Ruu’s faces.

Ai Fa’s eyes were burning away with the same blaze as before, while behind Vina Ruu’s drooped eyelids, I could see a look of suspicion shining through.

“Y-You’re saying you would be willing to pay that much just for manning the stove for one night? In that case, why not just make a purchase from this stall?”

“We won’t pay that much for the cooking from your stall. Instead, we wish to entrust you with a similarly grand task as the Rutim banquet.”

I felt like I heard someone gasp. Considering the direction, it had probably been Vina Ruu.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the creepy smile on the face of the female ghoul standing in front of me to check, though.

“On the tenth day of the blue month, the yearly clan head meeting will be held. All clan heads will be gathered there, each bringing one man to accompany them. We would like to have you man the stove for that night in which roughly eighty people will gather, Asuta, and we will pay you 40 giba’s worth for it.”

“So that’s how it is... I thought you were being overly generous, but you’re intending to have each of the clan heads pay one giba’s worth, aren’t you...?”

“Yes. Asuta’s cooking is worth that much, isn’t it? After all, the people of the post town detest giba, yet he’s skilled enough to sell giba cooking here. Well then... What do you say, Asu—”

“We refuse,” Ai Fa bluntly repeated, cutting her off again. “It doesn’t matter how much you may pay. We have no reason to accept such a job.”

“Oh, my... Then you intend to keep your fortune and secrets all to yourselves?” Yamiru Suun questioned, her lips curling into a sneer again. “Just yesterday, over 100 people from the post town bought Asuta’s cooking, didn’t they? To do such a thing with giba meat, called hard, smelly, and disgusting, is nothing short of a miracle... So does the Fa clan intend to keep that secret all to themselves, so that only they can profit?”

I secretly gave a gulp.

This woman really did have some sort of hidden trump card. Otherwise, there was no way someone outside of our group would know about our sales numbers from yesterday.

“Are you saying that is some form of crime? We have nothing to be ashamed of. If you wish to know the truth, then bow your heads and beg to be told. But don’t try some roundabout method like asking that he man your stove.”

“Like I said, this all began with Mida. I have no personal interest in your fortune or secrets, Ai Fa of the Fa clan,” Yamiru Suun said, her slender tongue licking her lips. “40 giba worth of horns and tusks. That’s nothing to feel dissatisfied with, is it? As long as you feed Mida in addition to providing for the clan head meeting, you will satisfy our clan head’s request... But if you refuse even so, I’ll just have to give up on everything.”

“Give up on everything...?” I repeated.

Her voice and expression felt way too ominous.

“Yes... Mida is my cute little brother, but my power alone can’t protect him. So I suppose I’ll simply have to leave his fate to the heavens.”

“I don’t understand what you mean...”

“I mean just what I said. As is, he may well get beaten to death by Diga and Doddo, so I’ll have to free him from his chains.”

“Chains...?”

“Yes. I’ll remove his chains, and tell him to go wherever he pleases... As a result, he may get stabbed to death on the spears of the post town’s guards, but that’s a far easier end than getting beaten to death by family, wouldn’t you say?”

Was this woman serious?

In all likelihood, it was just a bluff. She was surely just threatening me, saying she would set Mida Suun loose on me if I didn’t give her the answer she wanted.

In the first place, the very idea of chaining up a family member sounded suspicious. I couldn’t believe anyone would do such a thing, and I didn’t want to hear differently.

Yes, in all likelihood it was a bluff.

I was 99% sure that was all it was.

And yet, this woman felt ominous enough to make me believe in that 1% that it may really be true.

“...As if that has anything to do with us,” Ai Fa stated, her tone utterly unchanged. “If the youngest son of the main Suun house harms a member of my house, I will abide by the laws of the forest’s edge and cut him down. There won’t be any time for the guards to get involved.”

“Hmph, you certainly are a stubborn one.”

Yamiru Suun sent a bewitching smile back at Ai Fa, showing no signs of flinching in the least.

“Well, so be it. I simply stated my own thoughts just now, so I’ll return home and discuss this matter with our clan head. I’ll come again tomorrow at the same time to hear your reply. Decide on your answer by then.”

“Today or tomorrow, our answer won’t change. And if you don’t like that, you can act however you please.”

“I understand your feelings full well, Ai Fa. But after this, talk with the Ruu, Rutim, and Asuta. Well then, I will see you again tomorrow...” Yamiru Suun stated, nodding to Tei Suun at her side.

Finally, Tei Suun, who hadn’t said a single word this entire time, gave us a nod with his utterly emotionless eyes and then followed after his mistress.

After that, the remnants of the nightmare they brought dispersed, leaving behind only silence.

“We’ll have to discuss this with my father...” Vina Ruu finally muttered along with a sigh. “Just what is that woman plotting...? It just looked like she was nitpicking faults and sowing confusion, but...”

“Yeah, what was with her? I felt like I was getting seriously swindled or something.”

I couldn’t imagine that all of her words and actions had been thought up on the spot. She had seen through everything far too well for that. She even seemed to have a firm grasp on things that Mida and Tei Suun shouldn’t have known from the day before last.

There was no doubt that woman was plotting something, simply using Mida Suun’s fixation on my cooking as an excuse.

“What are you thinking about, Asuta...?” Ai Fa called out in a low voice.

When I turned, I found her staring straight at me, the embers of her fierce emotions still smoldering in her eyes.

“There’s nothing for you to worry yourself over. Just carry out your own work, and ignore the Suun clan’s nonsense.”

“Yeah, but...”

“No buts. I will never allow you to man the Suun clan’s stove,” Ai Fa stated with some anger in her voice, then returned to the shadow of the trees, where she had been before.

When I glanced over at the giba burger stall, I saw Sheera and Lala Ruu staring our way with seriously concerned looks. And so, I gave them a nod to say everything was alright before turning towards Vina Ruu.

“Vina Ruu, what was with that smell just now?”

“Smell...? What about the smell...?”

“Huh? Wasn’t there a strange scent floating in the air that whole time?”

Vina Ruu shook her head.

“The myamuu smell was too strong, so I didn’t notice anything...”

Really?

Well, I did have a better sense of smell than most, so maybe it was actually subtle enough that only I could pick up on it. But even so, that wasn’t enough to erase my suspicion.

I wanted to ask more about the Suun clan and Yamiru Suun in particular, but a customer from Jagar then popped up all of a sudden.

“Hey, are you alright? There’s a sort of dangerous feel in the air somehow, isn’t there?”

“Ah, sorry. It’s nothing all that serious.”

“Really? It sure didn’t look that way... Hey, don’t go causing any weird incidents and getting kicked out of town, alright? I can’t stand the thought of losing the chance to eat your cooking, since that’s always the bright spot of my day.”

“I’m incredibly honored to hear you say that... Will just one be fine for today?”

“Hmm? No, I’ll take three. Hey, it’s fine now!”

With that, another two men from Jagar shuffled over our way.

Had they been waiting for Yamiru and Tei Suun to leave? It looked like there were customers from Jagar and Sym approaching the giba burger stall now, too.

I guess it’s pretty hard to approach when there are people of the forest’s edge around giving off such a dangerous feeling...

In all likelihood, this was a critical moment.

With this, the Suun clan had finally started openly meddling in my affairs.

Even if Yamiru Suun’s sickening story from before was all a bluff, it was still inevitable that the very act of Mida Suun coming uninvited to the stall without a coin to his name would lead to a huge commotion. And if that led to some kind of big incident, I was going to get exiled from the post town for sure.

The very thought of manning the Suun stove was enough to make my hair stand on end, but that didn’t mean it was necessarily a good idea to just flat out reject them. If we didn’t think this over and deal with it properly, it could mean the end of this shop even though it was well on track.

With things as they are now, we can’t rely on Kamyua Yoshu... I guess we’ve just got to consult with Donda Ruu and Gazraan Rutim.

Plus, it would be essential to convince Ai Fa.

Sensing that may actually be the greatest hurdle here, I gave a little sigh.

And as I was sighing, I noticed for the first time that there was some sort of violent emotion swirling around in my gut.

I couldn’t help but feel shocked and wonder what this powerful feeling inside me was.

“I hate them...” I seemed to sense someone chanting inside.

But I naturally didn’t have some other personality hiding within, so that chant had to be coming from me.

“Who do I hate, though?” I asked myself.

“Anyone who gets in my way,” the other me responded.

Was I really that short-tempered of a person? I mean, this wasn’t the first time a member of the Suun clan had gone and done something awful, right?

So what was I so worked up about?

I mean... That was pretty much their way of doing things, right...?

Their?

By that I meant... Those guys who used such awful tactics to interfere with my old man’s business, maybe?

When my old man wouldn’t listen to them, they hit him with a truck, then finally were without a doubt the ones who set fire to the shop... Was I overlapping those cruel bastards with the Suun clan in my head?

I’ve got to calm down, here. They may think the same way, being scum who make a mess of someone else’s business, caring about nothing but themselves... But it’s not like the situations are all that close, right?

I gave a big sigh and swallowed down the powerful emotions that had been steadily creeping up.

I won’t just do what the Suun clan says, of course... But it’s easy to lose a winning fight when you let the blood rush to your head. So I’ve got to start by calming myself.

When I came back to my senses, I realized Vina Ruu was staring at me with a vacant gaze.

“What is it?” I asked, shaking my head.

“Asuta... So you can get that look in your eyes too, huh...? You almost looked like my father or Ai Fa there...”

“Huh? That’s a big problem! I can’t handle customers looking like that!”

With that, I gave myself a firm slap on the cheeks.

And man did it hurt.

“...Let’s focus on work. Could you switch with Sheera Ruu again? And make sure Lala Ruu properly understands how to put together the giba burgers, alright?”

“Yeah...” Vina Ruu replied, falling back despite looking reluctant to do so.

First off, we had to handle the job in front of us now. Worrying about stuff would have to wait till after that.

Now that I noticed, the sun was already just about at its peak, and we still had plenty of food left.

And so, I had no choice but to store away all my worries deep in my chest and work as hard as I could.