4
“Thanks for waiting. This is what I prepared for today.”
Around when the sun was setting out over the forest to the west, I presented the dinner I had made to the winner of the competition, illuminated by the torches set up around the plaza.
And naturally, that winner was Donda Ruu.
In the end I never saw even one of his matches, but from what I heard, in the semi-finals against Mida he took the physically larger youth’s charge straight on and tossed him, and even during the finals with Dan Rutim, he met the man head-on rather than trying to drag things out against his exhausted opponent.
And now, he was seated with one knee up as always, atop a small wooden stage. A grass crown presented by the elder Granny Jiba sat atop his unkempt blackish-brown hair.
Despite the fact that he had only just finished three matches in a row against such strong opponents as Gazraan Rutim, Mida, and Dan Rutim, he was still wearing his usual sour expression and giving off as much of an overwhelming presence as always. The only real difference I could spy as he looked down at the plate I presented was that his stern face was sweaty and I could see his chest and shoulders moving up and down a bit heavily.
My dish for the night was presented atop the largest wooden plate in the Ruu settlement. Plenty of piping hot aria and chatchi blanketed the plate, and enshrined in the center was a kilo chunk of roast giba.
“I was wondering how odd of a thing you’d present, but this looks surprisingly normal. On the outside, at least.”
“Right. I hope that it’s to your tastes, Donda Ruu.”
Roast giba was made by cutting the meat thicker than what I’d call “slices,” then pouring a special sauce over top. For that sauce, I took a tau oil and fruit wine base, added diced aria and myamuu, rock salt and pico leaves, and the amber-colored juices that came from the roast meat, creating the best sauce I could make at the moment.
“Please try it while it’s hot, if you don’t mind. It should still be plenty tasty even after it cools off, but the people of the forest’s edge prefer to eat food while it’s warm, right?”
“Hmph,” Donda Ruu snorted, and then he rose to his feet.
The 70 men and women under him surrounding the stage were all waiting for the banquet to begin.
“Well then, let’s get this banquet started! All of you under the Ruu, grant your thanks to the forest while making its blessings into your own flesh and blood!”
A hearty cheer sounded out in response, and folks started picking up their skewers and containers of fruit wine.
Seeing that, Donda Ruu thumped back down, then casually reached for the plate. He thrust a skewer into a chunk of roast giba and bit into it with his white teeth, which looked tough enough to crush stone.
The dish wasn’t as tough as steak. However, that didn’t mean it was overly soft, either. That was why I ultimately chose the thigh meat over the loin.
Unlike with roast beef, it was essential to heat the giba meat all the way through, but I was able to pull it out just before it became too dry, resulting in a juicy pink steamed meat bursting with delicious flavor. Then, the jiggly bit of fatty meat and golden-brown skin I had cooked just a bit extra added even further to the texture and taste of the dish.
And I went light on that sauce that I was so proud of, intending to really let the flavor of the main ingredients shine. Normally, just the undercurrents of flavor from burying it in salt and pico leaves and then adding myamuu here and there would have been plenty. Once it cooled down, the delicious flavors would seep in even further, but it shouldn’t taste any less wonderful fresh.
By now, it had been roughly 60 days since I had come to the forest’s edge. And this dish was made using techniques from all the way back when I first got here up to ones I only just learned recently. But how did it taste, though? Well, I couldn’t exactly expect Donda Ruu to go say something like “delicious,” but—
“Delicious...”
“Huh?” I questioned, looking up in utter amazement.
However, Donda Ruu was just roughly chewing away at his second bite of roast giba with the same look on his face, not so much as glancing my way. Instead, his eyes fell down by his feet. That was where giba soup filled with plenty of vegetables made by the Ruu women, the baked poitan, and the dish made with innards were lined up.
“Hey, what’s this meat here? There’s some stuff in a shape I’ve never seen before mixed in there. You didn’t use meat from something other than a giba, did you?”
“Ah, that’s made with giba innards. I only just learned to make it yesterday, but I’d say it has a pretty interesting taste to it.” I had grilled up the giba heart, liver, and kidneys, and chopped up the rest to make into fried offal. “Ai Fa seemed to be especially fond of the heart. It’s the least quirky in terms of taste, and has a texture that’s pretty much the same as regular meat.”
“A giba’s heart, huh...?”
Donda Ruu casually pierced the grilled heart with a skewer and tossed it into his mouth. His brightly burning blue eyes were hidden behind his eyelids as he slowly and steadily chewed away.
After swallowing it down, Donda Ruu removed one of the necklaces he was wearing and held it out towards me.
“Good work. Here’s your payment.”
“Huh? Payment?”
Now that he mentioned it, we hadn’t discussed payment at all. But the Ruu clan had helped us out a ton with the clan head meeting and all the stuff that happened after, so I was just thinking of this as a way to repay that debt a bit.
“Thank you. But isn’t this a bit too much?”
There had to be around 20 horns and tusks dangling from the necklace in total. That was enough to equal five giba, or 60 red coins.
“You rate your skills as being worth that little...?” Donda Ruu questioned, thrusting the necklace at me and then returning to eating away at the roast giba.
However, it wasn’t long before he shot me an annoyed glare.
“How long do you intend to keep on staring at me as I eat, anyway? Your work’s done, so hurry up and fill your own stomach, already.”
“R-Right. Well then, excuse me...”
As I stepped down from the stage, I could sense a faint tinge of uplifting satisfaction welling up inside.
And near instantly, a figure came leaping out at me like a faithful hound and grabbed firmly ahold of my collar.
“Hey, Asuta, what in the world is this stuff?!”
“Y-You scared me there. What’s with that look on your face?”
The golden hair made me think it was Ai Fa for a split second, but I was actually talking to the young Lea clan head, Rau Lea. And his light blue eyes were fiercely ablaze as he stared at me from up super close.
“Do you even have to ask?! I just ate this food you made!”
“Ah, really? Then what are you looking so angry about? Did you not like it?”
“Of course I did! It was so delicious I was left feeling shocked! Were you holding back at the clan head meeting?!”
I had no idea what was going on.
But well, I’d seen people lose control of themselves due to how delicious something was plenty of times, which seemed like a reasonable enough explanation.
“That was bugging me, too. Asuta, were you still hiding away your true skill with the dinner for the clan head meeting? Or have you instead really come this far in a mere half a month?”
A large figure approached from the darkness, which would soon only be illuminated by the torches. He had a gentle face with square contours, and was clearly young but had a large, well-tempered build. Yes, this was my first time in a while seeing this member of the three leaders of the forest’s edge.
“Ah, Dari Sauti. I see your injuries seem to have all healed up.”
“Yep,” he replied with a firm nod.
Ai Fa had run into him during the incident with the totos, but for me, it had been since the day before Zattsu and Tei Suun caused all that commotion. And just as Ai Fa had said, he seemed to have completely recovered.
On top of that, back when I last saw him he had just finished meeting and talking to Kamyua Yoshu in the post town, leaving him rather irritated. But tonight he was back to his usual composed self, and was wearing a gentle grin.
“Ah, yes, I’m sorry for worrying you back then. And I’m glad to see you well, too. So... do you intend to answer the question the Lea clan head and I have raised? We have no reason to be angry with you for hiding your skills, but it will leave things feeling rather awkward if we don’t at least hear why.”
“Um, you’re saying I hid my skills...?”
Just the other day, the members of the main Ruu house had been saying my cooking ability had improved. However, from the flustered look on Rau Lea’s face, the nuance seemed to be a bit different this time around.
“What are you raising such a fuss about? Asuta only prepared so much food this time, so if you don’t hurry up, it’ll all get eaten,” Ludo Ruu chimed in, snacking on the thigh meat steak atop the plate he was holding all the while. It was made with the meat that still had skin attached, and was about three kilos worth in total. There looked to be only around a fourth of the steamed aria and chatchi left, too.
“Leave enough for me! I’m still really hungry! So, what’s going on here, Asuta...? You manned the stove at the clan head meeting in order to show everyone your cooking skills, didn’t you? Did you hold back in spite of that, though?”
“Hey, that hurts. I never hold back when it comes to cooking.”
“Then you really improved that much in just half a month? But I had your cooking back at Gazraan Rutim’s wedding, too! There were 20 days or so between that and the clan head meeting, but it didn’t seem like you had improved this much.”
Rau Lea seemed more confused than resentful, to be honest. And I was left even more befuddled than he was.
However, Ludo Ruu then swiftly butted in to clear away that confusion.
“What, you’re surprised because Asuta’s cooking is too delicious? That’s not exactly anything to feel shocked over, though, is it, Rau Lea?”
“Why do you say that? Do you know what’s going on here, Ludo Ruu?”
“Of course I do. After all, Asuta wasn’t the one to make the food presented at the clan head meeting, right? Though I was stuck chewing jerky with Shin Ruu, so I didn’t even get to eat any...”
At first I hadn’t understood what he was getting at, but with that, everything clicked into place.
“Ah, so that’s it, huh?”
“That’s right. The goal back then was teaching the Suun women how to cook, so you said you and our women intended to do as little as possible yourselves. And even if the method used was the same, there’s no way they’d ever be able to make anything as good as you can, Asuta.”
It still should have been an incredibly overwhelming flavor to folks who had only ever eaten grilled and boiled giba meat that hadn’t even been bloodlet. The same was true for the baked poitan, too.
Plus, I had gone with myamuu giba, which shouldn’t have changed that much based on who made it. Well, how the heat was handled and how much sauce was added would have an impact on the toughness and taste of the final dish. And as instructors, we had just been giving the Suun women simple instructions like “Don’t burn it,” and “Don’t undercook it.”
Still, the fact that rustic guys like Rau Lea and Dari Sauti were noticing differences on that level and feeling surprised by them seemed like something I should feel proud of.
“But I’ve had the cooking Asuta makes for his stalls in the post town, too. That didn’t seem as tasty as this, either,” Rau Lea added, still not satisfied.
“Back then, I couldn’t prepare enough patties, so I had everyone eat myamuu giba instead. And I’ve been making that dish with the seasoning a bit on the heavy side to match the tastes of the townsfolk. But I don’t think that’s how to best prepare it for the people of the forest’s edge,” I replied.
“That’s right. Plus, back at the Rutim banquet, the Ruu women helped out. It’s just that this is your first time eating something made solely by Asuta for us people of the forest’s edge,” Ludo Ruu added, tossing some chatchi into his mouth. “Ah, that’s so good! The meat’s tasty too, but this chatchi is the best! I seriously love it!”
With that, Ludo Ruu broke out in an adorable, almost girlish smile that seriously caught me off guard.
I figured that had brought things to a close and breathed a sigh of relief, but then someone suddenly grabbed Rau Lea’s arm from the side.
“Hey, are you acting rudely towards Asuta? If you don’t have a damn good reason, you’ll have to answer to me, clan head of the Lea.”
This time around, it really was Ai Fa.
Rau Lea’s expression said that he had a lot of thoughts about her intervention, but sure enough, he finally let go of my T-shirt.
“I wasn’t picking a fight or anything, so don’t go glaring at me like that. Or could it be that you want to have another go in a contest of strength against me, Ai Fa...?”
“No matter how many matches we have, the results won’t change,” Ai Fa replied in a chilly, angry tone as she pushed the man’s arm away.
With that, Rau Lea childishly rubbed the end of his nose.
“Something’s just not fair about you guys, Asuta and Ai Fa! You’re a clan of just two, but one’s a master at manning the stove, while the other’s a skilled enough hunter to push Dan Rutim that far! I just can’t accept it!”
“Your feelings have nothing to do with me,” Ai Fa stated while haughtily crossing her arms and glaring back at Rau Lea. And seeing that, Dari Sauti gave a light chuckle after remaining silent for so long.
“I hadn’t thought Donda Ruu was a relaxed enough man to go and hold a festival of the hunt during such a turbulent period, but this has proven a meaningful day for me, at least. Perhaps we should have had Gulaf Zaza attend as well, since we have those convenient totos around now.”
“Huh? What’s this about Gulaf Zaza?”
“The Ruu clan truly does excel in terms of strength. The power of the hunters is certainly amazing, but even more than that, I could sense great strength from all those who fall under the Ruu,” Dari Sauti stated, glancing around.
The folks all around wore bright smiles, illuminated by the flames of the torches and simple stoves. It really was a cheerful event, reminding me of the Rutim wedding banquet.
They were with their beloved family, chowing down on delicious food and drinking fruit wine. And they were overflowing with enough strength that it made someone from another world like me feel dizzy. But this wasn’t totally normal here at the forest’s edge...?
“The Zaza up in the north are the next strongest after the Ruu. Then after that comes us down in the south. However, we never have such joyous smiles all around at a meager festival of the hunt like this, that isn’t even the main one for the year. For us, giba meat and the vegetables we buy from town are just tools to keep on living, like air and water, not something to grant us happiness.”
“Right...”
“Eating brings forth the joy of living. And as that joy grows, so does the strength to keep on going. You said something like that before, didn’t you, Asuta? At least, that’s what Donda Ruu told me.”
“D-Donda Ruu told you that?”
“Yes. This day alone has been enough to teach me of the strength of the Ruu clan. And it also taught me the power of the Fa as well,” Dari Sauti stated, his square face breaking out in a wild grin. “The meeting with the folks from the castle is three days from now. Going up against them, the people of the forest’s edge need to gain even more power, and join our strengths together. I firmly hope that both of you will keep giving your all for our comrades, Asuta and Ai Fa.”
“R-Right.”
“That’s only natural, as people of the forest’s edge.”
Dari Sauti answered our responses with a nod, then turned around.
“I’ll go accept the women of the Ruu clan’s kindness and fill my stomach, too. Take care.”
With that, Dari Sauti left, only for someone else to approach in his place. Multiple someones, in fact: Lala and Shin Ruu, as well as Mida.
“We finally found you! Don’t just go walking off with Asuta’s cooking like that, Ludo! We’ve been running all around looking for you!” Lala Ruu complained as she approached her brother and gave his left ear a serious twist. And despite being a skilled warrior, Ludo Ruu was utterly unable to avoid her assault while carrying that large plate of food.
“Ow, that hurts, dummy! And if I just left it there, that big belly would’ve eaten it all in no time flat!”
“You’re every bit as gluttonous as Mida, though! Anyway, just hand it over already!”
As the two siblings argued away, Mida just watched on with his little piglet-esque eyes.
“I won’t eat all of it, but I’d like to have some of Asuta’s cooking too...”
Not only did Mida not run wild like usual, he even looked almost a bit dejected as he said that.
“Alright. But this is all that’s left, so savor it, alright?”
“Yeah, I will...”
“Tch. Hey Mida, next time we fight, I’m definitely gonna win! So you better not lose to anyone but me, alright?”
“Hmm...?”
There was such a gentle feel in the air.
Back during the Rutim wedding banquet, I had stuck thoroughly to working behind the scenes, so I didn’t really get much of a chance to just enjoy the party with everybody like this. That one plate contained all the food I made this time around, but folks were happily eating away at the stuff cooked by Mia Lea and Reina Ruu and everybody. Normally the people of the forest’s edge acted so reserved, but these banquets that occurred every few months were chances for them to finally cut loose.
A little bit further away, Granny Jiba sat atop a fur rug, surrounded by a big crowd. Meanwhile, the large figure holding ribs in both hands while laughing away like a fool had to be Dan Rutim. And was that Rimee Ruu by his feet in the same pose? Then even further away were two tall folks talking away about something while holding containers of fruit wine. My guess was they were Jiza Ruu and Gazraan Rutim.
Every last one of them seemed to be seriously enjoying the banquet. The men, women, and though there were fewer of them, the old folks and kids too... 70 clan members under the Ruu were gathering around with their faces illuminated by the flames, eating meat, getting drunk on wine, and just generally rejoicing in their lives here at the forest’s edge.
Just as Dari Sauti had said, the discussion with the folks from the castle was just three days from now. I felt it was precisely because of those circumstances that Donda Ruu had decided to go through with this festival banquet, in order to reaffirm the lives and happiness they sought to protect.
“Asuta, have you eaten anything yet?” Ai Fa asked, shooting me a glare with half-opened eyes.
“No. Though I did take a few bites here and there while cooking.”
“I knew it! I see you still haven’t grown any on that point. I mean, you—” Ai Fa complained, only for Ludo Ruu to cheerfully butt in and cut her off.
“Ah, you’re finally up, Darmu! Look, here’s Asuta’s cooking.”
Ai Fa and I shared a quick glance, then we both turned around back towards Ludo Ruu. And sure enough, we saw Darmu Ruu lightly brushing aside his younger brother and advancing our way.
“I’ve got something I want to discuss with you, chef of the Fa clan.”
The strongly blazing eyes he got from his father were practically piercing right through me.
It didn’t take long for Ai Fa to move to say something, but Darmu Ruu then spoke up again instead, as if trying to beat her to the punch.
“I’ve settled things with the clan head of the Fa. So that just leaves you, chef... No, Asuta of the Fa clan. There’s something I wish to discuss with you alone, without anyone else around.”
“Will you swear that you won’t do Asuta any harm, second son of the Ruu?” Ai Fa sharply interjected.
“I so swear,” Darmu Ruu quietly replied. “If I break that oath, you can take my arm or leg or whatever you please. I swear on my position as second son of the main Ruu house and my pride as a hunter of the forest’s edge that I won’t do any harm to Asuta of the Fa clan. Everyone here can serve as a witness to those words.”
“Hold on! What are you saying all of the sudden, Darmu?!” Lala Ruu questioned in a clearly angry tone.
Meanwhile, Ludo Ruu was furrowing his brows in confusion, while Shin Ruu remained expressionless. Mida looked just the same as always, and Rau Lea... Rau Lea was shooting Darmu Ruu a gaze like a hunting dog.
“Is there some discord between you two or something? Well, whatever. At any rate, I did indeed hear that oath with my own two ears. And if you happen to break it, then I’ll chop off both your arms, Darmu Ruu.”
“Whatever,” Darmu Ruu muttered back.
Ai Fa looked my way, firmly biting her lip as she did so. And so, I nodded back at her, then looked up at Darmu Ruu.
“Alright. Where do you want to talk?”
“Anywhere is fine, as long as nobody’ll go butting in.”
As we left the plaza together, Darmu Ruu remained utterly expressionless. And before too long, we arrived at a dimly lit area between two houses.
The hustle and bustle of the crowd and the light of the torches now seemed rather distant. Darmu Ruu glanced out into the darkness to make sure nobody was hiding there, and then turned back to face me.
“Asuta of the Fa clan... You heard the promise I exchanged with Ai Fa before the contest of strength, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did.”
“After saying all that, I lost. I’m no longer qualified to stop her. From here on out... you’re the only one capable of doing that.”
“Stop Ai Fa...?”
Darmu Ruu remained expressionless, but there was a fire burning bright in his blue eyes. If Rau Lea’s eyes were those of a hunting dog, then these were the eyes of a wild wolf.
“I’m not capable of dressing up my words, so I’ll just say exactly what I’m thinking. Don’t you have any interest in stopping Ai Fa...? Or would you be just fine going on as is even if she dies out in the forest, Asuta?”
“That’s... You’re asking me to make her stop being a hunter?”
“Of course. What else could I mean?”
I honestly hadn’t been expecting this in the least.
“H-Hold on! You put yourself in danger as a hunter too, don’t you, Darmu Ruu? So you shouldn’t have any problem with the job itself, right?”
“She’s a woman. It’s not like with us men, who are born to be hunters. Don’t make me go saying such obvious things.”
“But Ai Fa takes pride in living as a hunter. She may have happened to be born as a woman, but she has the same hunter’s soul as—”
“Never mind all that. What I’m asking about are your feelings on the matter, Asuta.”
Darmu Ruu took a step forward, the dirt under his foot crunching as he went.
There wouldn’t be any point to trying to back away. After all, if he meant me harm, I never would have been able to escape to begin with.
“Could you really accept such a fate? She could die out in the forest at any time, even tomorrow. But you can still accept that because she says she’s a hunter?”
“That’s... But... It’s not as if all hunters die young, right? And even though she’s a woman, Ai Fa is incredibly strong and—”
“You sound more like you’re trying to convince yourself. No matter how much a hunter may excel, that alone is not enough to keep on living. And in actuality, she was heavily injured not too long ago, wasn’t she? If she had run into a giba on her way back at that time, she would have died.” The intense glare in his eyes was seriously pressing down on me. And from what I could sense, the flames burning brightly there were fueled by anger and regret. “She’s used dangerous sacrificial hunting techniques, too. Do you really think she’s going to keep on doing just fine like that? Answer me, Asuta. Do you truly not care if Ai Fa dies out in the forest tomorrow? Is that all she means to you in the end?”
“Ai Fa’s more precious to me than anyone else in this world! But... I don’t want to deny her way of life!”
“So you’re fine with losing her as a result? I... I couldn’t stand that!” Darmu Ruu yelled, finally losing control of his voice. The scar on his right cheek seemed to turn an angry red. “I don’t want to lose Ai Fa! I couldn’t bear such a fate! That was why I wanted her to live as a woman! But I... I know that I can’t do anything to stop her anymore.”
“That’s...”
“I wasn’t able to protect her on the night of the clan head meeting, either. And today, I lost to her. I’m not qualified to say anything to her anymore... I lack the strength to protect her. I can’t do a thing!” Darmu Ruu shouted, grabbing me by the collar. His grasp was even firmer than Rau Lea’s... but his fingers were trembling with regret. “You don’t intend to do anything to stop Ai Fa? You’re the only member of her clan... the only one she has accepted as family, but you won’t protect her?”
“I do want to protect her! But—”
How could I go about putting what I felt into words?
I certainly didn’t want Ai Fa to die. That was so obvious that it went without saying.
But even so, despite all that, I didn’t want to deny her way of life.
“But I want to protect her in a way that respects her thoughts and feelings. If she wishes to live as a hunter, then I want to help her while still letting her do so.”
That wasn’t quite it. I was losing something important in putting it into words. And as a result, that statement wasn’t even enough to convince me.
Naturally, that meant it certainly wasn’t enough for Darmu Ruu, and so he gripped my collar even tighter.
“And if that resulted in losing Ai Fa, could you really bear that?”
“Maybe I couldn’t. That could even lead to me regretting it for my whole life. But I believe that if I want to prioritize Ai Fa’s feelings, I have to have enough resolve to accept the risk.”
Was that way of thinking a mistake?
It seemed to me that the Ruu women had far more resolve then I did as they saw the men off when they headed into the forest. Even believing their family is stronger than anyone, they accept the cruel fate that they could perish at any time, and so they just had to keep trusting in them and praying for their safety... Or at least, that’s how it looked to me.
It felt like what I was lacking was that level of resolve. And so, I concluded that I just had to keep on believing in my family like they did... Believing in Ai Fa. Was I mistaken, though?
“You possess definite strength... In such a short period of time, you’ve made that fact abundantly clear. Wouldn’t it be possible for Ai Fa to stop hunting with all the coins you’re earning in town?” Darmu Ruu questioned through firmly gritted teeth.
I was honestly overwhelmed at finding out that Darmu Ruu had been this fiercely worried about Ai Fa.
Was that why I was feeling so shaken? Maybe what she really needed was someone like this, to save her from her cruel fate...
I...
I just silently stared back at Darmu Ruu’s distorted expression.
Then, after who knows how long, he finally let go of my collar, gave an exasperated look, and then turned his back to me.
“If Ai Fa dies out in the forest, I’ll cut you down. No matter what happens to me as a result, I’ll do so without fail.”
With those final words, Darmu Ruu walked away.
However, I didn’t take a single step from the spot.
As Darmu Ruu left into the darkness, I felt like I saw someone slender come running over to him with a plate, but I may have been mistaken. After all, my senses felt numb at the moment.
There was a warm world overflowing with light just a few meters away from me. The orange flames, hustle and bustle of people moving about, and excitement at the banquet could all be strongly felt.
But was I qualified to return to that place...? I no longer could say.
Was I... just letting myself rely on Ai Fa’s strength?
Ai Fa was exceedingly skilled as a hunter. And on top of that, she was always insisting that she wouldn’t go dying in vain. That the proper path forward for a hunter was to live a long life and hunt as many giba as possible. Had my thinking been soft as a result of believing in those words?
Did I believe that Ai Fa couldn’t possibly die? That she would never meet with such an unreasonable fate?
I didn’t know. I really didn’t, but I—
“How long do you intend to keep standing there, Asuta?”
Still in shock, I turned around to look.
There was no way I would mistake who that voice belonged to, though. And sure enough I found that it was Ai Fa standing there resolutely, the orange-lit scenery of the banquet behind her.
“W-What’s wrong, Ai Fa?”
“Do you really even need to ask? The second Ruu son returned, but you weren’t following, so I came to check,” Ai Fa replied, a sulky look on her face as she stomped on over towards me.
I faltered backwards on reflex, only for her to grab hold of my arm.
“Why are you fleeing? And what’s with that pathetic look in your eyes? You should be perfectly capable of handling that second son complaining at you, right?”
As she said that, she angrily looked me up and down. In all likelihood, she was making sure that he hadn’t roughed me up.
“You didn’t eavesdrop on our conversation, did you...?”
“I would never do anything so shameless. I’m not Kamyua Yoshu, you know. I’d recommend you stop making such rude statements if you don’t want to pay for them.”
“Yeah, you’re right... Sorry.”
“Really though, what happened? Are you harboring ill feelings not just toward that second son, but also toward me?” Ai Fa asked, looking down just a bit and giving her usual pout.
She must have been willing to so openly show her emotions because nobody else was watching at the moment. I found that incredibly adorable, but it also seriously caused my heart to ache.
“If that’s the case, then I’ll also earnestly apologize. Just please stop making such a sad face, Asuta.”
“Huh? You didn’t do anything you need to apologize for, though...”
“Really? But I took my anger out on you after losing to Dan Rutim, didn’t I?”
I hadn’t paid any attention to that in the least. I mean, that had been totally normal, right?
“Back then, I failed to restrain my frustration. But once I cooled my head, I realized... Dan Rutim is a match for even Donda Ruu, and even though it was a contest of strength with all sorts of restrictions, I was able to put up a good fight against him. That’s something I should be proud of.” Then, she broke out in a bit of a bashful smile. “My father Gil guided me properly. I’m now more confident than ever that I really am a proper, competent hunter. I know I caused you to worry needlessly as a result, but I truly do feel glad to have participated in that contest of strength.”
“I see...”
“What, do you not feel happy for me, Asuta?” Ai Fa asked, furrowing her brow again and bringing her face in close. “Something really is off with you. I’ve rarely seen such a pained look in your eyes before. You said before that you wouldn’t hide things from me any longer, didn’t you?”
“I did, but this isn’t exactly something that’s easy to talk about...” I replied, only for Ai Fa to shoot me an incredibly displeased look.
And then, she said, “No fair.” Not something like, “That’s not fair,” just, “No fair.” It was that sort of stuff that she did once in a blue moon that really showed her childish side. “I earned honor as a hunter. And as for you, your cooking skills were once more acknowledged by Dari Sauti, Rau Lea, and likely even Donda Ruu. So it’s no fair that you’re looking so sad on such a joyful day.”
“I mean, you say that, but...”
“I’m telling you, it’s just no fair.” With that, Ai Fa grabbed hold of my hand tightly. “You feel distant somehow, Asuta. No, it’s more like... you feel as if you’re going to go and disappear on me,” she stated with a sense of urgency on her face, drawing in even closer to me. “I believe I told you already, but I simply can’t accept the idea of you vanishing, Asuta.”
I was at a loss for words.
“You’re a precious member of my house. I... I couldn’t go on without you.”
I could feel Ai Fa’s breath on my cheek.
There was a sweet smell tickling my nose.
And I could feel her warmth on my fingers, too.
“If I made you feel unpleasant, then I’m sorry...” she muttered quietly, then let go of my hand and hugged me tight from head on. “Stay by my side forever. And I swear that I’ll do the same for you, too.”
Ai Fa’s arms were wrapped around me so tight that it felt like they could crush me.
And though I couldn’t ever possibly match her strength, I responded by gently hugging her back.
“I want to stay with you, too. If you’ll forgive me, that is.”
“What are you saying? I’m the one who said I wanted to stay together to start with.”
There was just one thing that I knew for certain: I really did love Ai Fa, exactly as she was here and now.
She prided herself on being a hunter and was willful, but also had a hidden stubborn, childish side, too... And I loved her for each and every one of those things.
I didn’t want to lose Ai Fa.
If it was possible, I wouldn’t want her to ever do anything dangerous in the least.
But even more than that... I didn’t want to see her change.
If she found some other work she could take pride in and would match with her convictions, then she would of course have my blessing, wholeheartedly. But if that wasn’t the case... If Ai Fa found her greatest joy in life as a hunter, then I wanted to support and protect that way of life for her, rather than trying to deny it.
As I was now, that was about all I could think to say on the matter. But those thoughts alone were enough for me to hug Ai Fa strongly back.
“That’s too tight,” Ai Fa finally complained around 15 seconds or so later.
And so, the night of the 27th day of the blue month, my 64th day since coming to this world, peacefully passed by in that manner, filled with all sorts of emotions from all sorts of people.
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