Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 8 - Chapter 1.2

2

“Welcome home, clan head.”

After safely finishing up work at the post town and returning to the Fa house, I quickly set about my preparations, at which point Ai Fa showed up carrying a 60 kilo-class giba.

Just yesterday, she had finally resumed her hunting work. It had been around 20 days now since she had dislocated her left elbow. Ai Fa of course had the same sour look on her face as always, but a light had clearly returned to her eyes that I hadn’t seen in some time.

My clan head just answered my greeting with a, “Right,” and a nod of her head, then her eyes narrowed and looked full of doubt.

I was standing in front of the stove behind the house, frying up aria to use in the stalls, and women from nearby houses were observing as I worked. That shouldn’t have been so unusual of a sight, but Ai Fa’s sharp eyes immediately noticed the two unusual intruders in the mix. In other words, Rimee Ruu and young Leito.

“Whoa, that’s amazing! You took that down all on your own, Ai Fa? That’s crazy! I mean, you only just healed from your injury!” Rimee Ruu said with a bright smile, and Ai Fa didn’t seem too concerned by her presence. After all, if it weren’t for her work around the house, the young girl would come here to play each and every day.

However, the real issue was the boy standing beside her and wearing a calm, gentle grin. It wasn’t exactly forbidden for westerners to step foot in the settlement at the forest’s edge, but it was still seen as quite an unusual occurrence.

“You’re that child who calls himself Kamyua Yoshu’s apprentice, aren’t you? What are you doing in a place like this?”

“Yes, that’s correct. I came here to offer instruction on how to ride a totos.”

Ai Fa held her tongue, hung the massive giba from a tree branch a bit removed from the stove, then shot me a dangerous glare.

“Explain just what’s going on here, Asuta.”

“Yes, I’ll do so now.” After moving the mass of sautéed aria to a wooden plate, I reported on the whole of the exchange I had with Kamyua Yoshu. “So, could I hear your opinion on the matter, clan head?”

“Why exactly did you go and invite a westerner to the forest’s edge before consulting with me?”

“Ah, I wanted to get your permission to start with, but...”

“My apologies. Kamyua pushed me onto Asuta. He’s rather busy at the moment, so he sent me to teach you how to ride totos in his place.”

The man who killed his father, Zattsu Suun, was now dead, but I couldn’t spy any changes in Leito. Or at least, nothing that showed on the surface.

He had flaxen hair and light brown eyes, and looked to be around ten years old. After staring at his cheerful face for a moment, Ai Fa’s glare pointed back my way.

“That aloof man seems to have even reconciled with the leading clan heads, at least for the time being. However, this is another matter entirely. Did Donda Ruu not say to use that totos for its meat?”

The bird in question was positioned even further away than the giba, and was nonchalantly pecking leaves off of tree branches.

“I figured if there was a more efficient way to use it than just treating it as meat, then we should propose that to the leading clan heads. And if Donda Ruu won’t bend even then, then I’ll simply follow what he says. But... Donda Ruu went and shoved this hassle onto our Fa clan without even asking, so there shouldn’t be any need to follow what he half-heartedly mumbled down to the letter.”

With that, Ai Fa went silent. Just last night, she herself had been frustrated with how crudely Donda Ruu had treated the matter. She even said, “Are we seriously supposed to eat such an unappetizing animal?”

It was then that Rimee Ruu stopped just silently watching our exchange, and instead walked over and tugged at Ai Fa’s clothing.

“Ai Fa, you’re gonna eat that totos...?”

And so, Ai Fa also fell.

I didn’t know if there was a saying like “A single tear is worth a hundred words,” but at any rate, my beloved clan head couldn’t possibly offer up any further objections once she was faced with that teary-eyed child.

“So what exactly is it that you intend to do...?” Ai Fa asked, shooting me a hellish glare once Rimee Ruu’s tears subsided.

“For the time being, I figured we could at least see how much trouble it takes to learn to ride a totos. After all, no matter how convenient they may be, the people of the forest’s edge aren’t fond of wasting time.”

“So who is going to ride it, exactly?”

“I’ll be going first,” I replied.

“No.”

“Me, then!” Rimee Ruu chimed in.

“No.”

Ai Fa’s razor sharp replies cut down even Rimee Ruu.

With a deep sigh, my beloved clan head started ruffling her blonde hair.

“Alright, I’ll ride it,” Ai Fa stated, looking even more displeased than before. However, young Leito just smiled on back at her.

“That totos seems to have an especially calm nature even for its species, so I don’t believe it’s very likely at all to try to shake you off. As long as you don’t act violently towards it, you shouldn’t be in any danger.”

And so, we halted our work for the time being to instead tackle test driving the totos.

With Leito holding the massive bird’s reins, we moved around to the front of the house. The six women hanging about also accompanied us, sharing cheerful looks as they gathered around. They included Li Sudra, Jas Din, Toor Din, and three other women whose names I hadn’t remembered yet from the Fou and Ran clans.

“Totos don’t squat down much aside from when they’re sleeping or laying an egg. You can upset them by trying to force them to do so, so normally you climb on while they’re standing,” Leito explained while walking all the way out to the path in front of the house. “You should ride them somewhere between the middle and rear of their back. Please take care so that if you need to suddenly stop and lose your balance, you won’t slide down past its neck. That could shock the totos and cause it to run wild. Um... is there anything around that can be used as a stool?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Ai Fa muttered, then placed her hands on the totos’s back and nimbly hopped atop.

The bird was around three meters tall in total, but half of that came from its neck, so its torso reached up to around 150 centimeters. That was about as high as she was tall, so I couldn’t help but marvel once again at her physical capabilities as a hunter of the forest’s edge.

“Whoa!” Rimee Ruu shouted in amazement, and the other women started murmuring a bit among themselves. And honestly, Ai Fa looked so cool sitting up straight atop the totos that I couldn’t help but feel jealous.

“Now could you squeeze the totos’s torso with both knees, but not enough to hurt it?”

Ai Fa’s slender legs moved ever so slightly, but the huge bird didn’t budge in the least.

“Alright, it’s stayed in place because I’ve been holding the reins up till now, but now it’s holding still because you’re squeezing its torso. I’m going to loosen up my hold now, so please maintain that same strength in your legs.”

With that, Leito did as he said and loosened his grip.

Sure enough, the totos and Ai Fa didn’t move even slightly.

“Okay, now can you take these reins and pull them tight, making sure you’re holding evenly on both sides?”

As Ai Fa sat horseback... er, birdback, Leito handed her the reins.

My clan head silently followed the boy’s directions, then Leito checked her grip from both sides.

“That looks good. Don’t overly tense your arms, and let your elbows relax just a bit... Well, those would be the normal notes I’d give, but even that seems unnecessary. Um, I realize it’s a little late to ask this, but is this your first time riding a totos?”

“Of course. The people of the forest’s edge don’t ride such beasts.”

“Your posture is absolutely perfect. Keep on sitting up straight, even when the totos starts moving. Ah... and that current position is the sign for it to stop. We’ll have it walk shortly, but if you want it to stop, then pull the reins back towards you and squeeze its torso. It’s dangerous to stop suddenly though, so please do it gently so as not to startle the totos.”

“Right.”

“Well then, let’s try walking. Start by loosening up on the reins and your legs. Then pull the reins downwards, and it should walk.”

“Whoa!” Rimee Ruu exclaimed again.

Sure enough, the totos started trotting along at a relaxed pace. However, thanks to its long legs, that was certainly quicker than when a human being walked. We all quickly jogged after, but after going about five meters, the totos suddenly halted.

“Hmm, it really did stop.”

“Yes. How about next, we try directing it? If you leave it be, the totos will simply follow the path, but if you want it to move to either side instead, then pull the reins that way to move its head in the direction you wish. You don’t need to use too much strength, so to start off take care to be gentle so as not to frighten the totos.”

Once again, the massive bird started moving.

I didn’t have much of a view of Ai Fa’s arm movements from down on the ground, but after going around three meters, the totos started zigzagging at roughly 50 degree angles down the path.

“Ooh, totos sure do listen to directions obediently, don’t they?” I admired.

Leito chimed in, “That’s true. Things are almost going too smoothly,” with a rather strained smile. “If you manipulate the reins skillfully enough, you can also make it face the opposite direction. Do you want to give it a try?”

Almost as soon as Leito said that, the totos made a big U-turn. After that it zigzagged on back to the starting line in front of the house, at which point it came to a precise stop. The movements were so precise and lacking in hesitation that it looked almost machine-like.

“That’s so amazing! I wanna ride it too!”

“Still... This isn’t all that different from just walking on your own. What’s fun enough about this to make it worth all of this training? In fact, I can’t recall ever seeing any townsfolk riding totos, now that I think about it.”

“It’s dangerous when a totos suddenly breaks out running, so it’s forbidden to ride them in town. However, everyone uses them when traveling between towns. And so... how about letting it run just a bit?”

Apparently, you just gave it a little kick with your heel to get the huge bird running.

“Rather than suddenly breaking out in a sprint, please get it walking first and then give it a slight kick. Then you can steadily increase the speed by putting more strength behind it, bit by bit.”

“Hmph,” Ai Fa uninterestedly snorted, then started the totos walking again.

Rather than following after again, this time we first moved over to the side of the road. After all, the trail in the forest’s edge was only about half the width of the stone highway, or about five meters wide.

As the backs of Ai Fa and the totos steadily moved away, their speed also increased bit by bit. Eventually they were going so fast that I couldn’t help but feel a little worried, and then they turned around a curve in the path and disappeared from view.

However, less than ten seconds later they reappeared from behind the trees, coming back our way seriously fast. They had to be going around 50 kilometers per hour, at least. That put them at around the same speed as a scooter flooring it down the street.

As the totos’s powerful legs kicked up dirt, Ai Fa was riding atop it in a pose that made me think of a jockey riding a racehorse, her cloak fluttering in the wind as she flew right past us. Then she slowed down bit by bit, smoothly turned around, and trotted back on over our way.

“Th-That was totally amazing! Ai Fa, you’re so cool!” Rimee Ruu shouted once more.

And that wasn’t all, as some other shrill shrieks of admiration also sounded out. Turning around in surprise, I found the four youngest of the six women cheering, their eyes sparkling just as brightly as Rimee Ruu’s.

By the way, the Sudra clan head’s wife Li Sudra was also a part of that younger group. She was normally so restrained and graceful, so her clinging together with the other women and looking like a lovestruck maiden made for something of a sight.

The remaining two women, Jas Din and a middle-aged lady from the Fou clan, also let out an impressed, “Ooh...”

“That was splendid. Everything was so perfect that I don’t even have any further advice to offer,” Leito chimed in with a clearly awkward chuckle. “There’s a saying that ‘You fall ten times before you learn to ride a totos,’ but you managed it without falling even once. Honestly, it’s rare to see someone so skilled at handling a totos even in town. To think that the hunters of the forest’s edge would prove so skilled...”

“Being able to do a trick like this is nothing worth bragging about,” Ai Fa stated while wearing the same sour expression as always, then she nimbly descended from the totos.

Leito yelled out, “Ah!” but since she retained a firm grip on the reins, the totos didn’t move. The boy gave another strained smile, then shrugged his shoulders, looking a good bit more mature than his age would imply. “So, what did you think? Can’t you see now how you could use this totos to shorten the time it takes to travel from one end of the forest’s edge to the other? And it seems clear that the hunters of the forest’s edge can learn to ride them without much trouble at all. I hope you can now understand Kamyua’s words, that there’s a more effective way to use it rather than just eating it.”

“Hmm...” Ai Fa muttered, still wearing a bit of a gloomy expression.

As I watched her out of the corner of my eye, I chimed in, “Can I try riding it too?”

Instantly, I got three responses of, “Don’t,” “You shouldn’t,” and, “It would be best if you didn’t.”

“It would be a problem if you got injured like that, wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’d be dangerous if you fell, right?”

“If you’re still interested even so, then I believe it would be wise to practice bit by bit each day.”

Their words slammed down upon me in a torrent.

“I see. I get full well what everyone thinks of my physical capabilities. Still, you really can’t see things going any way but me falling off the totos?” Now, I got nothing but silence back. And boy did that ever sting, considering the circumstances. “Alright, I get it... Then please let me practice bit by bit every day, like you said.”

“Why are you so fixated? There’s not any point to you being able to ride a totos, is there?”

“Ah, no, but I mean, you looked like you were enjoying yourself so much while riding it, so I couldn’t help but be interested.”

Ai Fa didn’t respond.

“It was fun, wasn’t it?”

Again, silence.

“Huh? Did it not feel good, then?”

“So annoying!” she yelled out, kicking me in the leg again for the first time in a while. “To start with, we still haven’t even gotten permission from the leading clan heads! We can’t go acting on our own without that!”

“Oww... What are you so angry about...? Anyway, if the leading clan heads still aren’t interested in totos, I think we should take this guy in at the Fa house. If they just told us to eat it to start with, they shouldn’t have any issue with us using it how we please, right?”

“What? What do you intend to do by adopting such a creature?”

“I mean, it’s obvious how convenient this guy is, even without needing Kamyua to tell me. Like if we buy a wagon to hitch to it, it’d be a lot easier to transport food and cooking tools, right? Even I should be able to get it to walk along and pull stuff, wouldn’t you say?”

With that, Ai Fa finally seemed to start thinking it over.

“I see... So you could use it like that, too.”

“Yeah. However, there’s that rope bridge on our usual path, so we’d have to take the long way around. Still, they should have wagons that can carry not just goods but also people in town, right, Leito?”

“Yes. It’s more common to have large wagons that are pulled by two totos, but you should be able to find smaller ones if you look, too. And you wouldn’t have to worry about being thrown off then, either.”

Ai Fa started seriously considering the matter.

It was then that I suddenly heard a loud, “Huh?!” from Rimee Ruu. She sounded oddly excited, so I turned around while feeling just a bit concerned, only to spy an utterly dumbfounding sight. There were two women of the forest’s edge walking our way from the south, and they were leading three totos along with them.

The ones holding the reins were Ama Min and Morun Rutim. Ama Min Rutim was in charge of two of the massive birds, and as she slowly approached with the pair of them behind her, she bowed her head and looked truly apologetic from the bottom of her heart.

“I’m so sorry. The Sauti men found even more totos out in the forest...”

Rimee Ruu of course yelled out, “Yay!” while I gave a deep sigh, and Ai Fa angrily furrowed her brows.

The totos, meanwhile, paid no attention to how we humans were feeling, and just nonchalantly started chewing away at nearby leaves.