Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 7 - Chapter 3.4

4

After that, we decided we would talk with Yamiru Lea and everyone else gathered here at the Ruu settlement before returning to the Fa house. Or to be more accurate, we jumped on board when Gazraan Rutim expressed an interest in doing so.

And so, we passed through the plaza illuminated by a bonfire and headed for the vacant house we had stayed at in the past. The place was being guarded by the young head of one of the branch families, Shin Ruu.

“We would like to share some words with those inside. Donda Ruu has already granted us his permission,” Gazraan Rutim stated, and Shin Ruu replied with a nod and then knocked on the door.

“It’s Shin Ruu. Members of the Rutim and Fa clans are requesting to meet with you. If you agree to that, then open up.”

After a moment of what seemed like hesitant silence, the door swung open from the inside. Yamiru Lea showed herself soon after, and in that instant, an overwhelming smell of herbs assaulted my nostrils.

“What business do you have with us? Have Tei Suun’s remains finally been located...?”

“No. We just wish to ask you some questions regarding the main Suun house.”

Yamiru Lea smoothly stepped back, giving a small sigh as she did so.

We stepped in one by one, while Shin Ruu remained outside and closed the door.

“Oh, so it’s you guys?” a familiar shrill voice questioned. Within the dwelling, the former members of the main Suun house had been gathered once again after having been sent to new clans.

In other words Yamiru Lea, Oura and Tsuvai who had been sent to the Rutim clan, and Mida, who had joined the Ruu.

“Sorry for stopping by so late at night. We just want to ask a few short questions, so I promise it won’t take long.”

As Gazraan Rutim and Ai Fa were removing their leather footwear, I looked over the group for the first time in several days.

Oura and Tsuvai were seated along the wall to the right, huddled close to one another. Having let us inside, Yamiru Lea walked over to the opposite wall and took a seat. And the small mountain of flesh known as Mida sat right there in the middle of the wall directly across from us.

“So what is it that you want? We’ve already told you anything and everything we know. And now that the previous clan head is dead, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about anymore, right?” Tsuvai asked in her usual shrill voice that reminded me of a chirping little bird. She was smaller than you would expect from her age, and her hair was pulled back into an onion-like shape. But at any rate, she seemed a lot more lively than the last time I saw her.

As for everyone else, Oura was placing her arms around her daughter’s slender shoulders while casting her gaze downwards, Yamiru Lea was somewhat slovenly leaning up against the wall, and Mida... he was the only one where I honestly couldn’t tell what he was thinking as his abnormally small eyes stared straight at me.

“It would seem that Zattsu Suun has indeed passed away, but Tei Suun’s whereabouts remain unknown. And so we would like to ask once again just what sort of man he is.”

Gazraan Rutim moved to a spot where he could equally look at all of them, then took a seat. Ai Fa and I, meanwhile, sat down a bit behind that reliable man’s back.

“We’ve already said everything there is to say about that, too! Grandpa Tei stayed by the previous clan head’s side way too much, and ended up as a fool who can’t even think for himself! He’ll do anything he’s ordered but he can’t do anything on his own! He’s just a clay doll of a man!” Tsuvai hysterically wailed.

But both Tei and Zattsu Suun were her grandfathers, tied to her by blood. They had fled the settlement at the forest’s edge and ended up as criminals. If she valued her blood ties at all, then her feelings on that matter should have been more complex than anyone else’s.

“It’s just as Tsuvai says... My father Tei served at the previous clan head’s side from a young age, so his soul must have been tainted more than anyone else’s. And so, as long as no one from the main house gives him an order, he shouldn’t be able to carry out any wrongdoing of his own will...” Tsuvai’s mother and Zuuro’s wife Oura added in a monotone voice. Her eyes, every bit as muddy as her father’s, were full of a powerful sadness as she stared down at the carpet.

“It’s not that we’re doubting what you’ve told us. But what if Zattsu Suun had left Tei Suun with some sort of order while he was alive? Would he still carry it out even now that Zattsu Suun is dead?”

“I’m not sure... If he’s learned of the former clan head’s passing, it’s possible he could ignore that order. But why worry about that...? My father Tei has already lost his life, hasn’t he?”

“We don’t know. The simple fact is, his body still has yet to be found, so we must treat him as if he is still alive.”

Gazraan Rutim had to be suppressing his own emotions in order to question the surviving family like that. But at the very least, he seemed to have no intention of reprimanding them for using terms like “grandpa” and “father” when they had severed all ties.

Even if officially they were no longer connected, it didn’t change the fact that they were tied by blood. And seeing how Oura and Tsuvai seemed so feeble gave me a particularly heavy heart.

It was then that Mida suddenly let out a sluggish, “Ah...! You’re that man who made that yummy food. And you’re the woman who scolded me. Why are you here...?”

I felt so dejected that I almost collapsed on the spot.

However, my beloved clan head, seated with her one knee up in the air, just calmly stared back at Mida.

“You only just noticed now? You really do have a rather poor head on your shoulders... Still, it’s good to see you doing the same as always.”

“Yeah... Hey, why are you two here...? When I look at you, my stomach gets all rumbly...”

That last “you” probably referred to me. I can’t say I especially welcomed the conditioned reflex.

“We came to hear about Tei Suun, too. What did you think about him, Mida?”

“Tei Suun... I liked him... I liked him most after Yamiru and Oura and Tsuvai...”

“Shut up, you dummy!” Tsuvai wailed.

“I’m really happy to see Yamiru and Oura and Tsuvai again, but if Tei Suun is dead, then that’s sad... Where did he go...?”

“Hey, don’t cry,” Ai Fa sharply stated, and Mida’s trembling instantly stopped.

“I won’t cry... So don’t scold me, alright...?”

“If you don’t cry, then I’ll have no reason to,” Ai Fa replied with a surly look. Yamiru Lea had been silent till now, but she suddenly gave an artificial sounding laugh.

“I see you’re already capable of getting Mida to do as you say, head of the Fa clan. Are you capable of conversing with animals as well?”

“You treat your former brother like a beast? Really, you should rein in your abusive language... And why do you smell so strongly of herbs, anyway? It’s hurting my nose.”

“If you have an issue with it, then why not complain to the men next to you? That splendidly built eldest son of the Rutim, in particular,” Yamiru Lea answered with a slovenly shrug of her shoulders.

Naturally, Gazraan Rutim’s eyes opened wide in surprise as he asked, “What’s this about me?”

“It’s because that cheerful father of yours went and said something to the Lea clan head. I believe it was that no one would take me as a bride with the stench of giba blood clinging to me... Thanks to that, the Lea clan head ordered me to rub juice made of lilo leaves onto my skin whenever I bathe.” Then, while brushing up her elaborately styled dark brown hair, she shot me a chilly glare. “And when he heard Asuta there likely smelled that stench, that seriously spurred him on. I’m the one who has her nose going funny from the stuff, though... Did you really smell such an odor from me, Asuta?”

“Er, well, yeah... Thanks to my line of work, I have a very sensitive nose.”

“Hmm...” Yamiru Lea muttered, still glaring at my face as she combed her hair.

As I stared back into those haughty-looking eyes, though, an annoyed Ai Fa chimed in. “It seems you’re a surprisingly earnest woman, seeing how you’ve continued to keep your word even after being separated from the Lea clan head. Has your sullied soul been cleaned up a bit by being granted the Lea name and receiving assistance to one day be married?”

“You’re the ones who ordered us not to defy anyone, aren’t you? I can’t see any logic behind you complaining about me keeping my word. And I can’t imagine a female hunter like you being qualified to speak to me about marriage.”

A storm was starting to brew in the room. Fortunately, though, the ever-reliable Gazraan Rutim was there to mediate.

“More importantly, Yamiru Lea, what are your thoughts on Tei Suun? If he happens to still be alive, what sort of actions would he be most likely to take?”

“Only the man himself would know that... But if you go thinking of him as an ordinary man of the branch families, I’m sure you’ll suffer for it.”

“What does that mean?”

“Tei Suun spent more time together with the former clan head than even the members of the main house, and had his soul carefully corrupted... Do you know why he was always with me, Diga, and the rest?”

Naturally none of us present knew what she was getting at, so Ai Fa, Gazraan Rutim, and I could only respond with silence.

Yamiru Lea’s face broke out in a grin that appeared far from amused as she regained just a bit of her former cold-hearted aura.

“It was by order of the former clan head. That man saw through Zuuro’s lazy nature, and so he had Tei Suun observe our actions in order to determine who should be the next clan head... Tei Suun was ordered to never disobey our demands, but he was in actuality acting as the former clan head’s eyes all the while.”

“Then you’re saying a woman like you was considered as a possible clan head...?”

“It was more than just possible. At the rate things were going, I was sure to be the next one to take on the role. Though officially, the idea would be for me to marry and my groom to take the title... At any rate, Diga and Doddo weren’t even the slightest bit capable of leading our people, so I’m certain Zattsu Suun intended to leave the task to me and my spouse.”

That information was a shock to me, too.

Just what would have become of the Suun clan if that future had come to pass? If Zattsu Suun, who tried to control the Suun from his sickbed, gave the clan head seat to Yamiru Lea, who had secretly hoped for her clan’s destruction...

With a shake of my head, I swiftly cleared away that pointless train of thought.

At any rate, I was certain it wouldn’t have been a bright future no matter how things went. Maybe that wouldn’t have been the case had Zattsu Suun at least died, but until then, the burden Yamiru Lea would have had to bear would have been overwhelmingly heavy.

“That was just how obedient of a servant Tei Suun was to Zattsu Suun. Even when Zattsu Suun fell ill and became unable to move, that man acted as his hands and feet... And so, if Tei Suun happens to still be alive, make sure not to let him anywhere near me. If Zattsu Suun happened to leave an order that the Suun bloodline must be carried on, he would surely come after me rather than my father or brothers.”

“This is my first time hearing that Tei Suun was that thoroughly tied to Zattsu Suun... And about the matter of you being the next clan head, too.”

Gazraan Rutim’s words caused Yamiru Lea’s grin to grow deeper.

“I didn’t think it was necessary to mention, so I simply didn’t say anything. If you don’t like that, then go ahead and punish me as you wish. How about sending me to the Jeen or Dom as they burn with rage at the shame they faced, rather than leaving me with the Lea?”

“Ah, hold on, Gazraan Rutim...” I hurriedly interjected.

I couldn’t imagine Yamiru Lea did that for her own protection. No, instead she must have held her tongue for Tei Suun’s sake. So that once Zattsu Suun was properly punished, Tei Suun’s soul would finally be freed.

However, before I could say anything else, Gazraan Rutim shot me a look that said I should hold back.

“I have no intention of condemning you. Nobody would have expected such an ill man to escape on his own, regardless of whether or not they had heard that information, and so it would have done nothing to change what happened. And even if Zattsu Suun did see you as his successor, that was purely down to his intentions, and wouldn’t make your crimes any greater.” Yamiru Lea’s cold grin vanished, and in turn Gazraam Rutim now gave a gentle smile. “Besides, you are already a member of the Lea clan. I’m certain Rau Lea wouldn’t simply accept the idea of you being given to the Dom or Jeen... Yamiru Lea, Zattsu Suun is now gone from this world, so you should also be free of his wicked spell.”

“It would certainly be nice if it were that easy to forget that man...” Yamiru Lea muttered, bowing her head deeply enough that her long hair hid her expression. “Tei Suun and I should be the same, there... But if Zattsu Suun really did die without leaving behind any orders, then Tei Suun would finally be able to sacrifice himself, obeying his own will.”

“His own will...?”

“His will to have someone bring his life to an end as soon as possible.”

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Oura just sadly stared at the floor, while Tsuvai clung tight to her mother as if to offer her support. Mida looked around with the same absentminded expression as always, while Ai Fa remained silent with a sour look fixed on her face.

After a bit more staring at the listless Yamiru Lea, Gazraan Rutim suddenly rose to his feet.

“My apologies for imposing for so long... I’d imagine you all will surely be allowed to return to your proper clans in the near future. I know you’ll be forced to put up with these constraints until then, but I hope you all continue to strive to live as proper people of the forest’s edge.”

Nobody replied.

Following Gazraan Rutim’s example, Ai Fa and I also stood.

“You’re leaving already...? Hey, I don’t even know your names, though...” Mida abruptly called out, only for Ai Fa to turn around and shoot him a dubious look.

“If you can’t even remember someone’s face, will you really be able to recall their names when told them?”

“If I don’t know someone’s name, then I’ll forget their face... I’m Mida, of the Ruu clan.”

“Yes, I certainly haven’t forgotten you... I’m the head of the Fa clan, Ai Fa.”

“And I’m Asuta of the Fa clan.”

“Thanks... I’ll see you again, won’t I, Ai Fa and Asuta...?”

“If we share a bond, then it’s certainly possible,” Ai Fa stated, swishing her cloak as she turned her back to Mida.

Then, Mida called out timidly one last time, “Ai Fa... Asuta... If you find Tei Suun, please don’t kill him... Tei Suun is actually really nice...”

◇

After saying farewell to Gazraan Rutim, as he was spending the night at the Ruu settlement, we took off down the dark trail at the forest’s edge.

We had each borrowed a candlestick at least, but it was still my first time traveling the path during the night. I had been taught soon after first arriving at the Fa house that giiz and mundt prowled at this hour, but that didn’t mean that I knew what to be looking out for.

“Don’t leave my side, Asuta. As long as you keep that in mind, you won’t be in any danger,” Ai Fa stated, her voice sounding a bit tense.

If I didn’t let my guard down, I wouldn’t be in danger... But putting it another way, I would be if I wasn’t careful. Mia Lea Ruu had insisted we stay at the Ruu settlement up to the bitter end, but Ai Fa kept stating that wouldn’t work if we couldn’t use the vacant house.

Fortunately my fear of the dark wasn’t as bad as my acrophobia, so I didn’t end up looking as pathetic as when I first had to cross that rope bridge. Still, that didn’t stop things from feeling pretty darn eerie.

Naturally there weren’t any streetlights to be seen, and on top of that, hardly any moonlight made it through the forest on either side of us. And so if the candles went out, we would be surrounded by darkness bad enough that we wouldn’t be able to see right in front of our faces. If Ai Fa weren’t by my side, I doubt I would be able to keep on striding forwards like we were.

“Today certainly has been an unbelievable day...” Ai Fa muttered as we walked. “Zattsu Suun was captured, then he died... In a manner of speaking, that’s all that happened, but the circumstances are every bit as dangerous as they were on the night of the clan head meeting.”

“Yeah. For better or worse, he was once the leader of the forest’s edge, after all. Was he as fierce of a warrior as Donda Ruu until his illness weakened him?”

In the end, that man had wrung out every last ounce of his power in order to curse the world. He wanted anything and everything to crumble.

And we would surely need to use all our strength to resist the black hole left behind by that fell star.

“Just how will your business go from tomorrow on...?”

“Hmm... I guess we won’t know till we head back into town. If we screw up now, it could ruin everything. So honestly, I’d prefer to take time regardless of what those folks from the castle say...”

“That is the trial we face,” Ai Fa stated while staring straight ahead into the darkness. “It is a test we must pass, as we have failed up till now to form a proper bond with the townsfolk and overlooked the corruption of the Suun clan...”

“Yeah. I think so too.”

As we chatted away, the fear and unease I felt from the darkness of night started to lighten up.

However, Ai Fa still remained firmly vigilant. When we were around half an hour out from the Fa house, she suddenly stopped in place and handed me her candlestick. Then, she grabbed the handle of her sword and faced to the left.

“Who’s there? Step into sight.”

So it wasn’t a giiz or mundt, but a person?

Feeling instantly nervous, I thrust out a candle in that direction.

There weren’t that many people who could be waiting for us like this. And sure enough, it was a familiar grey-haired man who soon came swaying out of the darkness, looking like a ghost.

“Tei Suun...”

The powerful smell of blood and giba summoning fruit filled my nostrils.

Tei Suun was standing there in the midst of a grove of trees.

So, he was alive after all... However, I couldn’t confirm the wound he had supposedly received from a blade. That was because for some reason he had on a long cloak of the sort worn by townsfolk rather than the attire of a hunter of the forest’s edge, and it was hiding his body. Perhaps he had stolen it from Haan of Dabagg. Apparently he had grabbed onto that bandaged man before falling from a cliff, according to what Gazraan Rutim had said.

At any rate, Tei Suun really was standing there in that cloak. With his grey hair, beard, dark blue dead-fish eyes, and his wrinkled face without a shred of emotion... and a short sword held in his right hand, peeking out from under the cloak.

“Hmm... So the former clan head Zattsu Suun requested the heads of our Fa clan rather than the Ruu, did he? Well, I suppose it’s a lot less of a pain compared to having you show up in town,” Ai Fa said, the flames burning bright in her eyes as she glared at him. And yet, her expression remained calm and composed. “Still, if you’re a hunter, then you must understand. Currently, you lack the strength needed to do me any harm. If you have even a sliver of pride left as a man of the forest’s edge, then toss aside your blades and yield to me.”

“I’ll do that... But not right now.”

His voice sounded just as emotionless as it had the last time that I heard it.

Had this man really taken a fatal slash and fallen off a cliff? I mean, he honestly looked no different than when I last saw him.

However... I couldn’t spy any bloodstains on the cloak Tei Suun was wearing. And yet, a strong stench of blood was hanging about him. The inside of his cloak may well have been drenched in blood.

“Fa clan head Ai Fa, and clan member Asuta... I did not appear in front of you now in order to do you harm. Instead, I wish to make a request of you.”

“A request?”

“Yes. That is why I waited for you here. Well, in truth, I only saw Dom men hanging around the Fa house, so I was on my way to the Ruu settlement. But it would be difficult to approach you there, so I’m glad to have been fortunate enough to encounter you here instead.”

“Were you always so quick with your words? You certainly have more energy left than I had expected, it seems.”

“That’s not true at all. My life will be used up soon enough. But before that, I wish to see one more matter through.”

“Hold on. Before that, allow me to ask you one thing. Are you already aware of the former clan head Zattsu Suun’s passing?”

Tei Suun looked like a marionette as he gave a brief nod.

“I am. The Dom men were talking loudly about that matter. That was why I felt it even more important to meet with you.”

“Hmph, very well. Then let’s hear that request of yours.”

What Tei Suun said next, however, caught me completely off guard.

“I would like to be able to eat your cooking, Asuta,” Tei Suun stated in a flat, almost robotic voice.

“My cooking? W-Why do you want to eat it...?”

“You’re bringing prosperity to the forest’s edge with it, and I hear that you’re trying to use it to bring about a more proper bond with Genos. I strongly wish to confirm myself if such things are truly possible.”

“But, that’s...”

“If you can grant that wish, I will discard my blade and do as you say. And I will swear to use what little time I have left for the sake of our comrades.”

What he was saying may well have been fitting for a man of the forest’s edge. However... I just couldn’t sense any human emotion in his words in the least.

His dark blue eyes looked gloomy and muddied, and there was no expression on his pale face. The members of the Suun branch families had looked frail, but over time they seemed to regain more human gazes and emotions. Yet Tei Suun had remained exactly the same.

“On the night of the clan head meeting, I was granted a chance to taste your cooking. But I was distracted that night, and was unable to sufficiently sample your strength. I wish to know it before I die, and learn full well if all of my actions up until now were mistaken.”

“Then we should head back towards the Ruu settlement... I believe it would be easier to talk this over with them than the Dom, after all,” Ai Fa calmly stated, but Tei Suun shook his head.

“No. The Ruu clan head will never forgive me. And if you force him to accept this, it could destroy the bond between the Fa and the Ruu... Besides, I have decided that the town of Genos is where I shall die.”

“What?” Ai Fa questioned, her eyes narrowing as her gaze grew more intense.

Tei Suun continued on in the same tone as before, “Tomorrow when the sun hits its peak, I will visit your shop. Please allow me to eat your cooking then, Asuta of the Fa clan.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Do you really think you’ll make it into the post town, with such heavy wounds?! You’ll be captured either by men of the forest’s edge or the guards before you ever make it to Asuta!”

“I will be fine. With this attire, I will at the very least be able to walk around town without arousing the suspicion of the guards,” Tei Suun stated, pulling up the leather cloak’s hood.

Well, it was true that most wouldn’t imagine a proud man of the forest’s edge pretending to be one of the townsfolk.

That wasn’t the issue here, though.

“What exactly are you plotting? We couldn’t possibly fulfill such a suspicious request,” Ai Fa questioned, gripping her blade’s handle tighter and lowering her hips.

However, Tei Suun didn’t so much as budge in the slightest.

“In that case, please cut me down here and now. I shall struggle in an unsightly manner, sacrificing myself in the only fitting end to the life granted to me by Zattsu Suun as a member of the Suun clan.”

“Why is there a need for you to come to the post town?! The Ruu men will be there too, so what difference would it make over just heading to the Ruu settlement?!”

“It’s because I wish to fall to you all in the Genos post town, while the townsfolk watch. I want them to see me being judged by people of the forest’s edge. That is the only way I can atone for my crimes.”

“That’s nonsense... I have no idea what you’re even saying.”

“The townsfolk hate the people of the forest’s edge. That is because of the countless crimes perpetrated by members of the Suun clan. And now that Zattsu Suun has died, I’m the only one left who can atone for that... I’m the only man left who did Genos harm, following his orders,” Tei Suun emotionlessly stated. “After I eat your cooking and cast aside my blade, you can do with me as you like. You may cut me down then and there, or hand me over to the guards. Either way, it will be a case of people of the forest’s edge judging one of their own for his crimes in front of the townsfolk. That’s what is most important... Now that I have been cut by the blade of a man from the city, I can not afford to be aimless in how I approach my death.”

“Have you seriously gone insane? You can’t possibly expect me to believe your words.”

“I suppose that’s true. But it’s precisely because of my desire to regain my sanity that I brought this request to you.”

The sharp look in Ai Fa’s eyes clashed in the darkness with Tei Suun’s nihilistic gaze.

Worrying that my clan head may move to cut him down at any moment, I interjected, “Um... It would be incredibly difficult to accept your request. I don’t even know if I’ll be able to properly open the stalls tomorrow to begin with, and even if I can, the Ruu men will be there guarding us. And since we value our bonds with their clan, we can’t exactly go about deceiving them. Plus even if we tried, there’s no way they would fail to recognize you.”

“I don’t mind if it’s the Ruu men who cut me down. It would just be a great boon if it is done by people of the forest’s edge where the townsfolk can see... However, until I observe your strength firsthand, I will have no choice but to keep thrashing in my death throes till the bitter end as a member of the Suun.”

“But, I mean, no matter what your intentions may be, if you cause a commotion like that in front of my customers, it’ll just incite more fear in the hearts of the townsfolk.”

“Yes. That’s why I believe it would be ideal if I could be captured by people of the forest’s edge and handed over to the guards. Something like that should instead help to ease the concerns of the townsfolk.”

Something about all this just felt way too affected. I’d imagine anyone, not just Ai Fa, would find it hard to believe.

“I’ve told you everything that I needed to... I’ll leave the final decision up to the two of you.”

“I see... In that case, I have no choice but to capture you here and now.”

Ai Fa’s hips lowered further. Tei Suun gave an emotionless nod in response.

“Then I will shamefully struggle in response... However, I don’t believe I could defeat you, so I will flee instead.”

“Do you really believe you can escape me in such a powerless state?”

“It may well be impossible. If you were to leave your clan member alone here in order to chase me, that is.”

With that, Tei Suun started swaying away.

“Hold on! Don’t you dare move!”

“No, I’ll flee. And after that, I’ll come to the post town tomorrow when the sun hits its peak. Please, cut me down there.”

Tei Suun was now far enough away that the light from the candles no longer reached him.

I could hear the sound of feet trampling on dirt, then Ai Fa moved to chase him, only to turn around and stare back at me with regret burning brightly in her eyes.

“Damn! What in the world is that man thinking?!”

In the end Ai Fa was unable to leave the spot, and Tei Suun once more completely disappeared into the darkness.