Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 7 - Chapter 4.2

2

And so, though it came after a significant delay, we ended up going through with opening our stalls for business.

If it weren’t for the matter with Tei Suun, we surely would have turned right back around. After all, it seemed the people of Genos really did need some time for their raging emotions to calm.

Still, that just made it all the more important to catch Tei Suun as quickly as possible. In order to put both the people of the forest’s edge and the townsfolk at ease... and so that he could rest easy, too.

Tei Suun may well have wished for destruction. However, I didn’t wish that fate upon him. If he could at least avoid a death sentence, then maybe he could be granted the chance to turn his life around.

But if he just kept fleeing without taking time to heal such severe wounds, he’d end up dying out in the forest. If there was any chance left that he could start over, no matter how small it may be, then I didn’t want him to give up. Perhaps that sounded hypocritical, but that was how I truly felt.

“Man, westerners are just plain hopeless! I’ve had it with them! Even a newborn kimyuus wouldn’t be such complete and utter cowards!” Balan grumbled while stuffing his cheeks with myamuu giba.

Aldas was unusually eating a giba burger, and he somewhat listlessly said, “Cut it out, Pops. If the last incident proved anything, it’s that the more of a fuss we cause, the more problems it makes for Asuta. Looking back at it, we should’ve just left those ranting westerners be.”

“What?! Then who’d take responsibility if we couldn’t eat this delicious food anymore, eh?! Besides, at least when it comes to today, you clearly lost your cool more than I did, Aldas!”

“That’s what I’m regretting now. Why do we have to be so short-tempered?” Aldas said with a slump of his shoulders, seeming quite unlike his usual self. “We’re getting this delicious food in the end, after all, so what point was there to us making a fuss? Still, if someone from the castle had come out from the start, it wouldn’t have turned into such a big ordeal.”

“That’s for sure! The guys from the castle are even more cowardly and lazy than the townsfolk, but I’ve got to at least praise the ones who showed up today.”

That seemed to be his earnest perspective as a southerner.

Still, it honestly wasn’t all that different than when they were covering for the Suun clan. I didn’t know exactly what the people from the castle were thinking, allowing us to keep doing business, but the ruling today must have caused the townsfolk to think, “The people of the forest’s edge really do get favorable treatment.”

“Hey, you’re not going to skip work for tonight’s dinner, are you?” Pops asked with a glare my way.

“I’m not. Naudis actually requested that I not take time off, too,” I replied.

“Right. I’ve got no issues, then... But if anything else troubling pops up in the future, you better not hesitate to rely on us southerners, Asuta.”

“Yes, thank you.”

I couldn’t exactly go and do such a thing lightly, but I really appreciated the thought.

After Pops’s group left, the members of the Silver Vase showed up to fill the void.

“Asuta, I am glad, you are alright,” Shumiral stated, a pensive look in his eyes.

As Sheera Ruu handed him a completed myamuu giba, I accepted his coins and said, “Thank you. So you were there among all that commotion, too?”

“Yes. But we, were powerless.”

“Ah, but that’s a problem between the people of the forest’s edge and Genos, so it’s up to us to resolve it.”

“Asuta, I believe, the people of the forest’s edge, would fit well, in the eastern kingdom.”

“Huh?”

“The western kingdom, doesn’t value, the people of the forest’s edge. It is strange, to not value, one’s comrades.”

“But the people of the forest’s edge don’t see the citizens of Genos as comrades, either. I don’t believe it’s just one side that’s at fault, there.”

When I said that, Shumiral listlessly cast his gaze downwards.

“My thoughts, were lacking. I am embarrassed.”

“T-That’s not true at all! I’m glad to hear that you were worrying about me that much. I really mean that.”

However, there was no way it would be easy to pack up and move to the eastern kingdom. Just as Gazraan Rutim had hinted at, if they were to all abandon their giba hunting, they could very well end up as enemies of the western kingdom. Even someone from another world like me was painfully aware of just how dangerous that would be.

“The fell star, has vanished. Will there be peace, or decay? I am worried.”

“Right. But we’ll be using everything we have to try to twist fate in the proper direction.”

“If peace comes, then I will bring, the matter we discussed, to The Sledgehammer’s owner.”

With that, Shumiral also left, and our flow of customers came to an abrupt halt.

There was less than an hour left till the sun would hit its peak, and the flow of passersby was steadily increasing, but it was readily apparent that people were feeling hesitant to approach. Even the westerners who defended us may have been afraid to actually come up to the stalls. Afraid that if they were our customers, they could get wrapped up in an incident like what happened earlier.

“My apologies for the wait, Asuta,” Li Sudra stated as she approached.

It could be an issue if she ended up approaching at the same time as Tei Suun, so I asked her to arrive early today. And I added an extra red coin to her pay for the trouble, too.

The Sudra clan head accompanied his wife as always, and he cast his gloomy gaze out towards the road.

“The air feels more turbulent than usual, somehow. I can’t stand the look in the townsfolks’ eyes.”

“Well, we’re right on the heels of what happened yesterday, after all. I think it would be wise to do our best not to stir anyone up.”

“Hmph. I’d keep away from them even if you didn’t tell me to. They’re nothing but cowards, anyway.”

That statement caused me to feel just a bit discouraged. So even friendly clans that approved of the Fa clan’s business felt that way about the citizens of Genos...

By selling giba meat, they could live more prosperous lives. That was why they had promised to help us out, but it seemed they didn’t much sense how important it was for them to reach a mutual understanding with the people of Genos.

In all likelihood, the Ruu clan hadn’t hit that point yet, either. It seemed the basic stance for the people of the forest’s edge was, “Who gives a damn if they love us or hate us?”

Live with pride, not fearing what others think. Don’t care how others evaluate you. Have confidence in the path you’ve chosen... That was the unique way of thinking characteristic of the people of the forest’s edge, which was both a powerful strength and weakness for them.

I felt that honest and pure way of life they had was incredibly precious. However, the way that they kept away from people different than them and treated them as corrupt was exactly what invited the downfall of the Suun clan and the discord with Genos, wasn’t it?

That was precisely why Donda Ruu’s words were both unexpected and like a sign of a new era when he stated that rather than cut down the members of the Suun clan for their crimes, we should share in their atonement.

But this whole commotion had been waiting right after. If Zattsu Suun just hadn’t escaped... Well, I guess there’s no point complaining about that now, though, I thought to myself as the Sudra clan finished getting into formation.

Li Sudra and the youngest of the men remained at the stall, while the other three fell back to the thicket. They had done the exact same yesterday and the day before, but we had already discussed in advance how they should move to encircle Tei Suun should he appear.

With that, our preparations were complete. No matter when Tei Suun showed up, we could deal with him immediately.

The real concern was the townsfolk. The number of passersby was a little on the low side, but there were still a lot of them compared to in the morning. And up through yesterday there were usually five or six guards hanging around, but now I only saw two of them to the north.

It was probably for the best that there weren’t many guards, but what about the passersby? They would see Tei Suun, the great criminal of the forest’s edge, dressed as one of them as he approached, and then he would be captured by our hands.

Would it just result in more opposition from folks feeling like the people of the forest’s edge went and caused another incident? Would it incite fear in them, seeing hunters running wild?

I wasn’t confident in the least that we really had chosen the correct path.

“Asuta...” Ai Fa quietly whispered.

I turned and saw that she was staring north from her position between the two stalls. After following her gaze, I suddenly gulped. That group clad in white from this morning was now heading our way from up the road.

The north... that was the direction the castle was in.

What, so they didn’t just retreat back into their castle?

Just like this morning, there were ten of them. And sure enough, their leader Melfried was standing at the head. That group of soldiers in white armor was solemnly heading down the stone highway back into the post town.

After receiving a salute from the guards positioned to the north, they kept on moving towards the lively southern part of town, not paying our stalls so much as a glance. Melfried’s grey eyes just kept on looking straight ahead as they passed.

“Could they be on guard against an attack from Tei Suun, too?” Ai Fa whispered into my ear after giving her position to one of the young folks from the Sudra. “It’s rare for people from the castle to roam around town like that. This could prove a bit troublesome.”

“Yeah, it’d be a disaster if they ran into Tei Suun.”

That guy with the reptilian gaze would surely have no problem just cutting Tei Suun down in the middle of the road. After all, he himself had failed to finish off the criminal just yesterday.

“That man has the same air about him as the eldest Ruu son...”

“Hmm? You’re saying he’s like Jiza Ruu?”

“You don’t think so? He has an iron conviction that the law is all that matters.”

“Hmm... I’d say Jiza Ruu has a more human feel than him, though...”

But if Jiza Ruu ever opened his narrow eyes wide, maybe his pupils would look every bit as cold... The very thought sent a chill down my spine.

The captain of the ducal guard and the first son of the lord of Genos, Melfried... Also known as Haan of Dabagg, The Twin Fangs.

It sounded like a joke that such a nobleman would be hiding his face behind filthy bandages to play at being a bodyguard, but it was no laughing matter. And there didn’t seem to be any mistaking that, either. His firm build, two longswords, ivory-white skin... and on top of that, he had the same voice that Ai Fa and I had heard call Zattsu Suun scum.

Plus, there were those chilly, reptilian grey eyes. Others may feel differently, but I didn’t believe it would be possible to run into two folks with gazes like that in a single town.

Still, it’s hard to believe that the son of the lord is acting as Kamyua’s partner... Ah, maybe it’s the other way around? Did Melfried come up with the plan, and then got Kamyua to help out? At any rate, it’s just plain awful.

At the very least, this seemed to be proof that Kamyua Yoshu hadn’t concocted the whole plan with the caravan on his own, as he indeed had help from the castle.

What was Kamyua Yoshu doing now, and where? That damn professional liar...

The people of the forest’s edge are in a seriously precarious position. If we act poorly, the relationship with Genos could get even worse, to the point where it wouldn’t even be possible to fix it. Is that what Kamyua was intending? Or was all this unexpected for him, too?

Would I get another chance to talk to that aloof guy? I mean, it wasn’t like I seriously hated him or anything. It’s just that I honestly felt, in my bones, that I couldn’t trust him, so I had to keep a degree of distance from him.

But if it turned out everything Kamyua Yoshu had said about respecting the people of the forest’s edge was a big old lie... That would surely put us in opposition to him.

And yet... If they hadn’t gone and set that trap, Milano Mas and Leito’s frustrations and regrets may have never gotten cleared away...

That thought caused me to feel even more gloomy.

I wanted Kamyua Yoshu to be more of a man of the town than the castle. If that was the case, then even if we ended up on opposite sides, I could avoid having to hate him.

“Asuta, there are only three giba burgers left. What should I do...?” Vina Ruu asked in her usual tone.

“Just three, huh? That was surprisingly quick. Since the sun’ll be hitting its peak soon, we should go ahead and make some more now while we have the chance.”

With that, I left the myamuu giba stall to Sheera Ruu and Li Sudra, then headed over to the giba burger stall. In the same instant, Ludo Ruu approached from the thicket to the rear.

“Huh? What is it, Ludo—”

“He’s here.”

Those two words alone were enough, at least for everyone but me.

Vina and Lala Ruu silently left the stall and headed over to Sheera Ruu and Li Sudra. The four Sudra men then moved to surround them and the entire myamuu giba stall.

Ai Fa stepped out in front of the giba burger stall, while Ludo Ruu remained at my left. Then, Rau Lea and Shin Ruu also walked up to my left side.

There must have still been around a half hour or so till the sun would hit its peak. And yet, Tei Suun had arrived.

That’s him, huh...?

There was a well-built man in a hooded cloak of brown leather taking almost mechanical steps our way. He had pulled his hood down far enough that it was hard to make out his face, like how folks from Sym wore them. However, I could still see his lower jaw, and the skin color matched that of the people of the forest’s edge.

His steps were confident enough that it was hard to believe he was heavily wounded. That must have been how he was able to pass through the bustling southern road without arousing suspicion from the passersby as he headed towards the giba burger stall.

He was now less than two meters from Ai Fa. Rau Lea stood directly across from her, to Tei Suun’s right, while Shin Ruu circled around behind him. I took just two steps back, and then Ludo Ruu slipped into that space.

With that, Tei Suun was now surrounded on all four sides. Everyone had a hand on their knives, and were clearly prepared to cut him down at any moment.

Tei Suun’s lowered face then lifted and stared my way over Ludo Ruu’s shoulders. As always, his eyes were muddied and reminded me of a dead fish.

“I arrived a bit early, it seems. The number of guards around turned out to be less than I expected.”

“Yeah, but there are soldiers from the castle doing rounds about town in their place. And it wouldn’t be strange in the least for them to come back this way at any moment.”

“I see... I don’t have any coins on my person, but would it still be possible to eat your cooking?”

“We have conditions,” Ludo Ruu replied. “Hand over your blade. If you do that, we’ll let you eat Asuta’s cooking. As the youngest son of the main Ruu house, Ludo Ruu, you have my word.”

It was then that one of the guards to the north called out in a flustered tone, “Hey! What are you all up to over there?! Don’t go acting all suspicious!”

Without the slightest hesitation, Ai Fa shot Tei Suun a piercing glare and then responded, “This man is the wanted criminal from the Suun clan! We wish to hand him over to you, so please prepare yourselves!”

“T-The criminal?! Don’t be stupid! That man was slashed and left in a state where even if he was alive, he wouldn’t be able to move properly!”

“I don’t know anything of all that! But this man truly is here, standing in front of us! And we would like to hand him over to Genos alive if possible!”

“G-Go call for backup...! And you all better not let him escape, alright?!”

One of the guards then took off flying south down the road, while the other just stood there and stared, not taking a single step our way.

Meanwhile, a number of passersby stopped in place, their faces full of fear and bewilderment.

“So, now what? It shouldn’t be long till the guards come streaming our way. Make up your mind as to how you wish to use the time left to you,” Ludo Ruu stated, and Tei Suun slowly lifted both arms in response.

Ai Fa, Rau Lea, and Shin Ruu all had the eyes of hunters as they watched over the scene.

Tei Suun then removed the clasp at his neck, and the long cloak he was wearing fell to the ground.

And in that very instant, I gasped.

Tei Suun was clad in the familiar attire of the forest’s edge, with those beautiful swirling patterns. However, it was slashed all the way from his right shoulder to his left flank, with a horrifying wound unmistakably showing through the hole. The truly massive injury was held roughly shut using fibaha vines.

“How are you still able to stand...?”

“It’s because I’m still not permitted to die just yet,” Tei Suun emotionlessly replied as he reached for the knife at his hip.

As the gazes watching him grew even sharper, he dropped it at Ai Fa’s feet, still held in its leather sheath. Without a moment’s hesitation, Ai Fa kicked it over towards the Sudra men.

With that, Tei Suun was left completely unarmed.

Ai Fa, Rau Lea, and Shin Ruu all took another step towards the man. There was no need to get any closer than that, as they could now easily draw their blades and cut him down in a moment.

“So, can I now have some of your cooking?”

“Yeah...”

After looking Ludo Ruu in the eye to confirm, I stepped out in front of the stall.

There were now only meters between me and Tei Suun, with a big metal pot in the middle. However, he wasn’t making any questionable moves, so the four hunters didn’t swing their blades for the moment.

As I strongly prayed in my head that things wouldn’t come to that, I grabbed hold of a poitan. Then I added diced up aria and tino on top, scooped a patty out of the pot, poured on plenty of tarapa sauce, and finally placed another poitan on top.

“Sorry for the wait.”

I then passed the giba burger to Ludo Ruu, who handed it in turn to Tei Suun.

Showing no emotion whatsoever, Tei Suun quickly took a bite.

Would that really be enough to satisfy him?

Tei Suun mechanically chewed away, and the giba burger disappeared in no time at all. And as that was going on, the number of onlookers seemed to steadily grow. However, there was still no sign of the guards or soldiers.

“So are you satisfied now?” Ludo Ruu asked.

“I am,” Tei Suun replied, closing his eyes. “It was absolutely delicious. I can certainly understand how Mida Suun became so fixated, as well as how people of the west would go so far as to pay coins for such food.”

“In that case, place your hands behind your back. We’ll bind you before handing you over to the guards.”

“Very well. However, I also must apologize to you before that, Asuta of the Fa clan. You see, it was actually a lie when I said I wished to eat your cooking in order to confirm your strength.”

“Huh?”

In that moment, I felt my heart weirdly leap out of my chest.

However, Tei Suun’s eyes remained closed, and his intense face broke out in a gentle smile.

“The truth is, I simply wished to eat your cooking one more time before I died. The food I ate on the night of the clan head meeting... It filled me with awe... And so I apologize from the depths of my heart for deceiving you and making you go through all that trouble.”

“No, that’s—” I started to reply, but I didn’t make it through that sentence.

Just when I felt ready to breathe a sigh of relief, the world went dark.

I had no idea what was going on.

However, I heard Ai Fa angrily shout, “You bastard!” Something broke, someone screamed, there was a firm metallic clang... It was a whole lot of sounds all at once. I could clearly tell something had gone wrong, but I wasn’t able to move freely.

After that moment of darkness, my vision recovered, and things looked entirely different than they had mere seconds ago.

Now, rather than seeing Tei Suun with a gentle, satisfied smile, I was staring at Ai Fa brandishing a knife. Ludo Ruu, Rau Lea, and Shin Ruu were there too. And their eyes were all blazing with uncontrollable rage.

A pot had fallen near Ludo Ruu’s feet. Was that the one I had been using? There was tarapa sauce spilled all over the ground...

And behind the hunters, I could see the terrified faces of the townsfolk... They weren’t all westerners, either. There were folks from the south and east, too. I could even see some regulars. Out of the corner of my left eye, I could see Tara on the verge of tears, and Dora holding her little shoulders as his own face went completely pale.

I wanted to look at them closer, but I wasn’t able to move my face. That was because someone had their hand around my throat from behind.

The grip was strong enough that it felt like it could snap my neck at any moment, but restrained just enough not to strangle me.

Then, a voice dripping with hatred exploded right next to my ear.

“All of you are sickening traitors! I’ll give you one last bit of payback for destroying the Suun clan!”

The voice was cracking, and made him sound like a different person entirely, but that had undoubtedly come from Tei Suun.