Chapter 6: Blessed Night

1

The aura these four men of the Ruu family were giving off was seriously fierce.

The one standing in the lead must have been the head of the clan, Donda Ruu. I had little doubt about that, thanks to both his age and his personality. I’d guess his height at over 180 centimeters, and his weight at no less than 90 kilos.

He had on a giba fur cloak, a sleeveless vest, a cloth around his waist, a necklace made with a crazy number of fangs and tusks, footwear held on by leather straps, and a positively massive blade and knife. The other three were all dressed in the same manner. They didn’t hold a candle to the overpowering presence of Donda Ruu, though.

He was a mountain of muscles from his arms to his shoulders to his thighs to his calves, his chest was incredibly bulky, and his waist was thick like a massive old tree. And his face was overpowering too, with blackish-brown hair reminiscent of a giba’s stiff fur, a beard on the lower half, a big mouth, nose, and eyes, and deep wrinkles on his skin that reminded me of the cracks you would see on a rock face.

The man should have been decently along in years, but it was hard to remember that when looking at the piercing glare from his blue eyes, his massive boulder-like frame, or the almost physical pressure coming off of him. This was clearly a man full of vitality, whose mind also remained sharp.

To sum it all up, this brawny, huge man was like a giba given human form.

Compared to that, well...

The men standing behind him at least looked like actual human beings. The one on Donda Ruu’s right in particular looked rather gentle and good-natured. He may not have been as big as his father, but he was still awfully big. His arms looked to be about as thick as my lower legs, and they were currently easily carrying a young giba that must have weighed around 50 kilos. His face also had the same sort of deep, rocky wrinkles as his father, but his dark brown hair was cut short, and perhaps because of his thin eyes, he looked like he was grinning about something. On top of that, his mouth had a very calm expression about it, too. But though he seemed gentle and good-natured, he looked like his large frame held even more power than his father’s, making me clearly feel that he was someone I would never want to piss off.

He seemed to have a number of years under his belt too, but the other two were definitely still young. One looked to be a bit older than me and was both slender and tall, with a taut face that reminded me of a young wolf. He had a bit of a long face with a high nose, and a rigidly tight mouth. Honestly, he may have just been a pretty handsome man. He had black hair, which was rare for the village, and he grew it out long and tied it up behind his neck. However, his wide, slitted eyes beneath his thin eyebrows were just like his father’s, glaring like some sort of wild animal. In terms of the impression he gave off, he may have actually been a lot like his old man.

The last of the brothers was clearly younger than me. Back in my world, he probably would have been in middle school. He was a bit shorter than I was, which made him look strikingly small compared to the other men. Of course, despite that, there wasn’t even a hint of weakness about him, and together he and the previous man were carrying a giba that looked to weigh around 100 kilos on a grigee pole. His yellowish-brown hair was neither long nor short, his eyes were a bit of a pale color, and if it weren’t for the rebellious, bratty look on his face, he would actually probably be pretty cute. His face honestly reminded me a lot of that Lala girl who unhappily took Ai Fa’s cloak. By the way, on his opposite shoulder from the grigee pole he had the first bow and arrows I had seen in this world.

At any rate, those were the men of the Ruu family; the head of the clan, Donda Ruu, and his three sons.

“Ooh, this is a nice way to greet me, Rimee!” the girl’s father said, his rough fingers snatching the container of fruit wine from his daughter’s arms.

“Ah, you can’t! We need that for cooking!”

“Ha! ‘Cooking’... that’s a pretentious little word you used there.”

He pulled the lid off of the container with his tough white teeth that looked like a giba’s tusks, and then poured the red liquid inside down his thick throat. The fruit wine wouldn’t have as much alcohol as your average wine but it should still definitely have some, and yet he drank it dry in one go and then threw the empty container on the ground.

“Hey there, little Fa hunter girl. We haven’t met since your father passed away, so I guess that means it’s been about two years now, huh? This is our first time seeing each other in a good while, but I don’t believe I heard a greeting out of you...”

His fiercely shining eyes were fixed clearly on Ai Fa. My benefactor, meanwhile, practically pushed me aside and stood face to face with the large man.

“It has indeed been a while, Donda Ruu, leader of the Ruu clan. I am visiting here today as per a request from Rimee Ruu, accompanying the member of my house known as Asuta as he mans your stove.”

“Hmph. I see you’re just as much an uncute brat as always. Even though if it weren’t for that sharp glare of yours, you’d be every bit the looker your mom was.”

His massive face that was like a mix between a giba and a lion got so close to Ai Fa’s that it was almost touching her nose.

“I see you’re still pretending to be a man, hanging giba horns around your neck. So you still don’t understand that no matter how much you may polish your skills, you’re still just a weak little woman, Ai Fa of the Fa clan?”

“I protect my house, as the head of the Fa clan. And I’ve achieved that for two years, now.”

Surprisingly, Ai Fa didn’t back down even an inch despite being faced with such a terrifying man.

I couldn’t see her expression from where I was standing, but the fire burning in her eyes surely wasn’t losing out to Donda Ruu in the least.

It was almost as if a wildcat were facing off with a herd of giba.

“Ha! What do you think of that, Darmu? Maybe we should have you marry into the Fa clan instead, huh? Then their clan wouldn’t have to die out. You’d have to handle the stove and raising the kids, though!”

The large man’s thunder-like laughter boomed through the air.

The second young son, the one with the same eyes as his father, responded. Those violent-looking eyes were glaring at Ai Fa with clear scorn.

“Sorry, but I’ve got no interest in a woman with eyes like a beast. You know, rather than a man or a woman, she’s really just a good-for-nothing.”

Instinctually, I started to step forward. However, Ai Fa, who was standing diagonally in front of me, soon took control of the situation.

“We have to prepare dinner. We’ll see you again once we’re done.”

“That’s right! We still have a lot of cooking to do! Papa, you and my brothers better not get in the way!”

I suppose even this massive beast of a man was still just her father to his daughter. When Rimee Ruu picked up the empty container and started complaining, she didn’t show even the slightest hint of being intimidated.

On the other hand, Reina Ruu, who was holding a flat basket filled with aria, looked a little troubled by the face-off between Ai Fa and the men.

Donda Ruu looked at his daughters, gave another “Ha!” and then turned around. “How ridiculous. It’s still this bright out, but you’re putting off other work in order to prepare dinner? There’s no point to wasting time and effort when it comes to devouring the life of a giba!”

“I told you, it’s for Granny Jiba! The food Asuta makes is really soft and yummy!”

As his angry youngest daughter yelled that at his back, Donda Ruu changed his tone just a bit.

“When people of the forest’s edge become unable to eat giba meat, they simply die. Even if that’s a member of the Ruu family, and our great elder at that, we simply can’t go against the natural laws of the forest.”

With that, he started walking heavily off. And then, something unbelievable happened: Rimee Ruu landed a flying jump kick squarely in the middle of his back.

“Papa Donda, you dummy! Why do you say such awful things about Granny Jiba?! Don’t you care about her?!”

“That’s right! Granny Jiba is the oldest person not just in the Ruu family, but in our whole settlement, right?! Should the head of the Ruu clan really be looking down on her like that?!” Reina Ruu loudly added, her eyes tearing up a bit.

Donda Ruu simply let out a disinterested “Hmph,” and disappeared into the shadow of the building.

“Well then, shall we finish putting away the giba?” a deep voice asked as if nothing had happened. The mood had been incredibly tense, but that actually helped to calm things down a bit.

“Right. Now that I think of it, we actually haven’t given our names yet, have we? I’m the oldest son of the Ruu family, Jiza Ruu. Ai Fa and Asuta of the Fa house, you have my deepest gratitude for coming to help the elder of our clan, Jiba Ruu.”

Naturally, that had come from the large man with the good-natured look and narrow eyes.

“With that said, the Ruu family letting someone else man their stove is something that likely hasn’t occurred since we devoted our blades to the western god Selva. Please understand that our clan’s head, Donda Ruu, is not in a position where he can openly welcome that.”

“Heh! Pops has always been soft on little Rimee!” the yellowish-brown haired boy chimed in. With that, Rimee Ruu turned to face him.

“Oh, you want to go at it, little Ludo?!”

“Hey, a squirt like you has no right to call someone else little!”

The two were glaring at each other, reminding me of little puppies. Compared to what had just happened, it was a downright adorable sight.

“That little fellow is our youngest brother, Ludo Ruu. And this is the second son, Darmu Ruu. It pains us all to think of Jiba Ruu’s future. If you’re able to save her soul, then you’ll earn the true gratitude of all of us, as well as our deep respect.”

His mouth was making a relaxed smile, but perhaps because his eyes were so narrow, I couldn’t read how he was really feeling.

“...However, if you injure the members of our family while manning the Ruu family stove, we’ll have no choice but to take up our blades. Please make sure to keep that in mind. Well then, let’s get going, Darmu, Ludo.”

The three brothers disappeared into the dissection room, carrying the two giba along with them. Once they were fully out of sight, I gave a deep sigh.

“Man... They sure were something. This was actually my first time seeing any of the men of the forest’s edge up close and personal. Are they all like that?”

“The Ruu clan holds an especially great amount of power amongst the people of the forest’s edge. It’s only natural that the men who support that family would also be strong,” Ai Fa said, looking me in the face for the first time in a while. “Even if you’re getting cold feet now, there’s no turning back at this point, Asuta.”

“Nah, maybe it’s because I’m used to living with such a scary benefactor, but I’m not losing my nerve at all... Ow!” That was me being kicked in the leg. “But still, it’s certainly the case for the father too, but that oldest brother is seriously scary. This is honestly getting me all fired up!”

With that, the two close sisters suddenly turned toward me in perfect sync.

“Asuta, you’re amazing!”

“Huh?”

“The one who’s scariest when you get him mad is big bro Jiza. I still weep like a little kid whenever he scolds me.”

“H-huh...”

“And... he was actually the one who was most opposed to inviting you two here, not papa. He places rules above everything else, so apparently he really couldn’t accept the idea of letting someone else man our stove.”

“That’s important information, so thanks. Now I’m getting even more fired up!”

I wanted to scratch my head, but both my hands were occupied by aria, so I couldn’t.

“Anyway... Rimee Ruu, is there any fruit wine left in the pantry? To be honest, we’ll be in trouble if we don’t have any to work with.”

“It’s fine! We’ve got lots, because papa will sometimes drink three or four in a day! And it’s a bit of a trip to the post town to be doing that very often.”

Phew, that’s good. Looks like we’re still hanging in there, somehow.

At any rate, what I had to do still hadn’t changed. I just had to use everything available to me to make the best dish that I could.

I’m not just up against Granny Jiba. There’s also that father who’s like a giant giba, and the older brother who looks like he might be in charge behind the scenes. My life might really be in danger if I don’t satisfy all of them...

With such an intense clan head and heir, the future of the Ruu clan was certainly secure.

Ah, now that I think of it...

This actually wasn’t my first time being face to face with one of the men of the forest’s edge. The night after I was dropped into this other world, I met a perfectly fine example of a man. One who planned to use Ai Fa’s despair over losing her father as part of a wicked plot, had the tables turned on him, and was tossed into the river. Yes, a splendid person indeed.

That guy’s the heir to the Suun clan, right...?

Didn’t that go to show that if there was a war between the Suun and the Ruu, it was already clear who would come out on top?

As such silly thoughts floated through my head, I returned to the kitchen alongside my benefactor and the rest of the women.

2

“Oh, my... Are the preparations for tonight’s dinner already complete...?”

By the time this new person arrived, we really were just about to hit the climax of our preparations. The aria and giba soup was complete, and we had already baked up a good number of the watery poitan, so all that was left was cooking the hamburger patties and aria.

“Oh, how strange, Vina. It’s rare for you to come here to the kitchen when you’re not on duty,” Granny Tito Min said, turning to the girl.

The one standing in the doorway looking us all over was Vina Ruu, the oldest daughter of the house. She was listlessly playing with her long, chestnut-colored hair and giving a seductive smile.

“I wasn’t busy, so I figured I’d come take a look... but by all appearances there isn’t anything left for me to help with, though.”

Just as she had guessed, we had already finished the preparations for dinner, even though there was still a good bit of time till sunset. What led us to this result was the fact that Rimee Ruu, Reina Ruu, and Tito Min were all far more skilled than I had expected.

But, well, that was a happy miscalculation, I suppose.

“All that’s left is to cook the giba meat, so it’s fine! Big sis Vina, if you help out all the cooking will end up as a charred lump, so could you leave us be?”

“Cut it out, Rimee. Not in front of the guests...” Vina Ruu said, her overly elegant limbs wriggling in embarrassment.

That girl seriously was like a bundle of sex appeal.

“Still, I’m just a bit worried... I mean, Papa Donda certainly seems like he’s been in a bad mood since yesterday, right?”

“Oh, just don’t pay him any mind! Asuta and Ai Fa came here and took on this big job all for Granny Jiba’s sake,” yelled out Rimee Ruu from her place at Ai Fa’s side, and then she puffed up her cheeks.

Just an aside, the person standing next to me right then was Reina Ruu. Vina Ruu’s pale eyes gently moved back and forth between me and her little sister.

“You may say that, but if Papa Donda or Jiza get angry, it’ll be a real problem, right? What do you think, Reina?”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. Asuta really is amazing at cooking, after all! I’m sure Granny Jiba will happily eat this meal!” Reina Ruu said, with such overwhelming trust in me shining in her eyes that I couldn’t help but feel a little grateful.

After looking into her sister’s eyes, Vina Ruu gave a “Hmm...” and broke out in a smile that told me she was enjoying herself. “Your specialty is manning the stove, Reina, so if you’re willing to say all that, then I feel a bit relieved myself... By the way, what is all that stuff piled up there?”

“Ah, this is poitan. When you heat up poitan, dry it out, rehydrate it, and then bake it, it ends up like this,” I replied, only for Vina Ruu’s slightly droopy eyes to shoot open wide in surprise.

“This is poitan...? And that meat is in a sort of strange shape, too...”

“Ah, with that we chopped giba meat down into fine bits and then reformed it. Doing so makes the sort of tough giba meat a whole lot softer,” I replied, causing Vina Ruu to give another “Hmm...” as she thought the matter over.

“I’ve never seen such strange cooking even in the Genos post town. You really did come from a far off country, didn’t you?”

“That’s right. This stuff isn’t considered strange in the least back where I come from, though,” I replied, then I looked back toward Reina Ruu at my side. “Still, it’s probably pretty hard to memorize this cooking method after only seeing it once, right? It may be good for you to try putting meat chopped up like this in broth from tomorrow on...”

“Put it in broth, you say?”

“Yeah. If it’s chopped up this finely, you can pretty much drink it down without any real chewing. And don’t you think that if you put it over a little heat after chopping it, it’ll strengthen the flavor and make it taste even better?”

“Chop up the meat, heat it a bit, and then add it to the soup, right? In that case, should I use a low heat and cook it slowly like we’re doing today?”

“That’s right. You’d probably be fine adding the sliced meat and aria together at the end, but I really do think it’s best to add the finely chopped meat at the start and then cook it over a low flame. It’ll act as more of a stock that way, and make the whole soup more delicious.”

“I understand. Thank you so much... You really do know all sorts of surprising things, don’t you, Asuta?”

“No, well, it’s just that my family made a living by cooking, so I guess I’ve picked up a few tricks.”

When faced with such a look of earnest respect, it was frankly a bit painfully embarrassing. I mean, I was still just a half-baked chef in training, after all.

But even so, Jiba Ruu was someone precious to Ai Fa and she had grown so weak, so I wanted to do anything I could to help her reclaim the joy of eating.

Ai Fa had said that eating was a means of continuing to live. Even if they were a people who didn’t pay any heed to the matter of taste, as long as they still placed such importance on eating, then I should be able to draw forth that joy.

Both Ai Fa and Rimee Ruu had called my cooking delicious.

I’ve sought out meaning, and value, and happiness in delicious food. In that case, I should still be able to be of use, even in this completely different environment with its own sense of values.

I have no idea what sort of prank threw me into this world, but I’d still live my life in a way that was true to myself. My one and only redeeming feature was my cooking skill, but if I could use that to help even a little to heal the hearts of the people Ai Fa cared about, then what more could I wish for?

It was then that a third “Hmm...” escaped from Vina Ruu’s sensual lips. “You’re a mysterious man, Asuta. I had heard that people who made a living as chefs only existed within the stone walls of the city...”

“I wasn’t born in any place as impressive as the capital. I guess we can just chalk it up to having different cultures, though.”

Just what was Vina Ruu’s attention fixated on? She didn’t have the open animosity about her that Donda Ruu and the other men had shown, and she didn’t seem all that wary of me, either. However, I also couldn’t wipe away the impression that I was being calmly, carefully inspected.

“Well, I’m not all that well versed in cooking anyway. But if you can cause Granny Jiba to find at least a little happiness in life, then I would really appreciate it. So give the rest your all, I guess.”

With that comment, Vina Ruu exited the kitchen.

Once that supply of excess pheremones was gone, I silently breathed a sigh of relief.

“That Vina Ruu certainly is unusual.”

“That’s certainly true. Vina may just be the most different one out of all seven siblings,” Granny Tito Min replied in a rather informal tone, looking rather pleased. “She’s certainly not a bad person, but there are times where I just plain have no idea what she’s thinking. I mean, she’s already 20, but she hasn’t seriously considered any talks of marriage.”

“Huh... That’s certainly unusual, considering how lovely of a woman she is.”

The instant I said that, stares suddenly shot my way from all directions. Well, maybe that wasn’t the right way to put it, since there were only five people here in the kitchen, myself included.

“So you like women like big sis Vina, Asuta?” Reina Ruu asked, staring intently at my face with a strangely pained look.

“Hmm? No, I meant more in a general sense rather than my own point of view, you know?”

“...Right. Even I think of her that way, despite being family.”

So then why were you looking at me like that?

“But big sis Vina is 20. You’re 17 just like Ai Fa, right, Asuta?” Rimee Ruu asked. She had a bit of a puzzled look on her face.

“W-what does my age have to do with this? And wait, why is everyone paying so much attention to what I said in the first place?”

“...When you so openly praise a woman, it’s only natural to think that you may wish to take her as a wife,” Ai Fa chimed in, despite having been silent for quite a while now. Her chilly tone and gaze had me at a loss for words, but I soon pulled myself back together.

“Oh, is that so? I suppose I acted pretty ill-mannered there. I’m still pretty inexperienced with the customs of the forest’s edge, so I beg your forgiveness. But I most certainly didn’t mean it in that way.”

“You don’t need to be so formal about it. There isn’t anybody around who would feel bad about having a family member praised, after all,” Granny Tito Min said, but Reina Ruu still looked depressed, Rimee Ruu kept looking at me with a puzzled expression, and Ai Fa... Well, with the way she was turning her face away, I certainly couldn’t say that she was in a good mood.

I really didn’t mean it that way, though...

I mean, I wasn’t exactly in any position to go falling head over heels for anyone right now, anyway. But this was a whole other world. Their views on love and marriage were probably totally different then they were back in my world, so I’d have to be more careful about how I treated such matters in the future.

But still, at any rate...

At least for now, Ai Fa had a monopoly on my heart.

What exactly was this feeling, anyway? Was it gratitude and a desire to repay my savior? The natural affinity felt for someone I was living together with? A feeling of respect for her and her character? Even I didn’t really get it.

But I definitely thought that it was only because I had someone like Ai Fa around that I was able to live confidently in this other world. That much was for certain.

“Well then, should we get started on finishing up?”

When I said that, everyone’s varied expressions gained a bright, lively hopefulness once again.

We may have been from different houses and walks of life, but right now we were all able to strive for the same goal: To bring peace of heart to Jiba Ruu, the oldest of the people of the forest’s edge.

3

The time to settle things had come at last.

It was twilight, the time when day blended into night.

We were in the banquet hall, which was lit by candles placed here and there throughout.

Reina Ruu was accompanying the grand elder of the Ruu family, Jiba Ruu, who was staggering into the room. With that, everyone had gathered at last.

The room sprawled out over twice the area of Ai Fa’s, at around 30 square meters. There wasn’t much difference in the room itself, but the walls were imposingly decorated with the men’s swords, bows, fur cloaks, and short spear-looking weapons suspended from what seemed to be hooks made out of giba bones. And on the wall behind the head of the household was a monstrously huge giba’s pelt and ominous skull. Just how much must that beast have weighed when it was alive?

Given my occupation, I shouldn’t have had any real interest in pelts or animal skeletons, but even I couldn’t help but feel a little in awe at the size of the thing.

“Hmph. Looks like we’re all finally here,” Donda Ruu contemptuously muttered as he heartily chugged down fruit wine.

Jiba Ruu sat down quietly by his side. It was hard to tell if she was incredibly small, or if the man was just far too big, making her look that way.

She wore not only the normal single-piece attire of a married woman, but also a cloth jacket that looked like a shawl, and something that seemed like some sort of magical tool jangling around her neck. She was so small that she almost looked like some sort of shriveled up fruit.

It was hard to tell because her back was bent, but she was definitely at least shorter than Reina Ruu, and her silver-haired head didn’t look like it would come up much higher than Rimee Ruu’s.

That hair that was utterly lacking in color was done up in twin braids like her granddaughter standing by her side, and her face made me think of a wrinkly monkey. In fact, she was so wrinkled that I couldn’t even tell where her eyes were.

The fingers peeking out of her shawl were like withered branches, looking quite thin and weak. It was as if her very existence was a dying flame flickering out, and when Reina Ruu sat down beside her and let go of her hand, the old woman practically seemed to collapse from exhaustion.

Well... At least she still has the energy about her to get up and walk.

The idea of having an old woman like this primarily subsist off of meat was ridiculous to start with. Still, the die had already been cast. The only thing left was to watch how it played out.

There were two stoves installed at the sides of the dining hall, and on top of each was an iron pot making a cute little boiling sound. They weren’t for cooking, though. Rather, they were little stoves meant for keeping in the warmth.

They didn’t cook here in the dining hall, and the pantry was in a separate building entirely, so the smell of fat hadn’t seeped into the room that strongly. As a result, the only scent filling the air was that of our cooking.

There were fourteen of us seated in an elliptical shape, almost as if we were being sandwiched between the stoves. And at the peak of the ellipse were the head of the clan, Donda, and the clan elder, Jiba. Ai Fa and I were down one step lower, facing each other. Off to my right were the three brothers, Jiza, Darmu, and Ludo. A little further away were the sisters Lala and Rimee. On the left were the next oldest person, Granny Tito Min, the clan head’s wife Mia Lea, the oldest son’s wife Sati Lea, and the eldest daughter Vina. To the left of Vina Ruu was a bowl meant for Reina Ruu.

As the representative of those who manned the stove today, Reina Ruu was set to help Jiba Ruu eat, after which she would begin her own meal. Apparently that wasn’t something special for today, and was a role that someone needed to take up every day. After all, in her old age, Jiba Ruu now had difficulty eating on her own.

By the way, Sati Lea Ruu’s infant Kota Ruu was slumbering away in a cradle behind his mother.

“We give thanks for the blessings of the forest...” Donda Ruu declared in a tone far more solemn than I would have expected from that beast of a man. He held up a finger on his left hand — so thick it looked like he was wearing gloves — to his bearded mouth.

“We offer our gratitude to Tito Min, Reina, Rimee, Ai Fa, and Asuta, who manned the flame and gave us our life for this night...”

Everyone repeated those words and gently moved their fingertips across their lips. It was the exact same ritual Ai Fa performed each night before dinner. She had only ever muttered the words in her mouth, so I had never been able to pick up what she was saying. So it was a prayer like this, then? It was sort of a strange feeling, realizing that Ai Fa was quietly chanting my name every night.

And after that prayer was done, dinner kicked off very suddenly.

They didn’t seem to especially be waiting for Ai Fa or me to pick up our spoons or anything. In other words, if we had poisoned the food, we could have wiped them all out while being just fine ourselves. I guess trusting the other person wouldn’t do such a thing was what it meant to let them man your stove.

That’s precisely why we weren’t allowed to fail. Or perhaps I should say why I wasn’t allowed to fail.

It may have been true that all five of us made the meal together, but I was the one giving the instructions. If something were to go wrong tonight, it would all be my responsibility. Anyone who said otherwise would simply be trying to take the load off my shoulders.

I wouldn’t let them lay even so much as a finger on Rimee Ruu, Reina Ruu, Tito Min Ruu, or Ai Fa, naturally.

So I’m counting on you, Reina Ruu. Please do a good job of supporting Granny Jiba, I yelled out in my mind as I finally picked up my bowl, but my attention was on Reina Ruu drawing close to Granny Jiba just a few meters away.

As per Rimee Ruu’s request, tonight’s menu was the same as last night’s: Hamburgers made with giba meat topped with fruit wine sauce and roasted aria. For tonight, though, that was accompanied not just by baked poitan, but also by giba soup.

The soup wasn’t the main dish, though. It was ultimately just a side, using a moderate amount of meat and aria. That was what was being heated up in the pots at the moment.

After the prayer had finished, Granny Tito Min stood up, and then started pouring soup into the bowls of the folks silently eating away. All the while, Reina Ruu didn’t move an inch after drawing close to Granny Jiba.

Everything was going according to plan.

As that was going on, I checked how tonight’s dinner had turned out while also looking around at everyone else. And honestly, they were all just silently shoveling food into their mouths.

When we brought out the dishes before dinner, they were all saying stuff like, “What’s that?” “Is this really giba meat?” and “What’s this weird flat thing?” like Rimee Ruu had done last night. But once I offered a simple explanation and told them how to eat it, they were so silent that you would almost think you were at a wake. They all still reacted differently though, with some looking clearly displeased, some with eyes sparkling with curiosity, and some who sat there quietly with a blank expression on their face from start to finish. At any rate, they all kept their mouths shut and waited intently for Jiba Ruu to get seated.

And now, there was a sort of impatient, bated-breath feeling in the air as everyone single-mindedly moved their spoons.

Hamburgers made with giba meat. Giba and aria soup. Baked poitan. These three items combined to a single set meal.

Women ate less than men so I used around 300 grams for their hamburgers, while the men got about 700 grams, and Ai Fa and I got our usual 500 grams. I went especially light on Granny Jiba’s, though, using only around 200 grams.

Oh, and as a special point of note, I was able to make full sized burgers rather than mini ones this time around. The Ruu household was equipped with several stoves, so I could just use the standard method of cooking the surface over a high flame and then following up by steadily cooking it through over a low flame. The women got one patty while the 700 grams for the men were split in two, but at any rate everyone got nice, thick, bulky patties.

And naturally, to pack in plenty of flavor, I baked them with fruit wine at the end. But at any rate, I figured the change in size alone would have a great effect on the final product. I mean, with this, I had cleared away my one point of dissatisfaction, that the mini-burgers had felt a little lacking.

It really had turned out to be the right answer, as when I bit emphatically into my three-centimeter thick hamburger, even more juices flowed forth than last night, filling my mouth with a tremendous intensity of flavor. The chewy texture that had already been there was only enhanced, and on top of that the inside hadn’t been cooked on a high flame this time around, making it even juicier and softer.

At least to me, this was a first-rate dish that I was highly satisfied with.

As for the Ruu family’s reactions... Well, they were still silent.

Some were making the same bitter faces as they did before eating, some looked to be relaxed and enjoying themselves, and some didn’t have an expression on their faces whatsoever. I couldn’t really especially read their impressions. Maybe it really was a custom to stay silent during the meal, the same way that Ai Fa did.

By the way, a representative of those showing dissatisfaction was the chief, Donda Ruu, one of the pleased ones was the seductive older daughter, Vina Ruu, and Darmu Ruu was part of the expressionless group. They all seemed to fall somewhere in those patterns, though.

Rimee Ruu was naturally chewing away with a big smile on her face, but her big blue eyes occasionally looked over at Granny Jiba with clear concern.

“Here, it’s dinner time, Granny Jiba. It was specially made to be extra tasty today. Our visitors put in the effort to make something especially delicious for you,” Reina Ruu told her grandmother, bringing the wooden spoon up to the old woman’s mouth. On top of the utensil was giba soup and torn up bits of baked poitan. Looked like my plan was moving along smoothly.

“Granny Jiba should be able to eat meat this soft, too!” Rimee Ruu had happily declared. But as someone from a different world, I couldn’t wipe away the impression that a hamburger was too heavy a dish for a woman over the age of eighty.

And so, I felt it was best to do things in order.

First up was baked poitan soaked in soup. Next up was aria from the soup. And if she made it through all that, then we would go with the giburger. However, the burger would be soaked in soup too at first. That way, even someone without teeth could have the ground meat practically melt in their mouth.

If she was able to eat all that and seemed to be up for eating the burger as is, then she could go ahead and give it a try.

I didn’t even know how many teeth Granny Jiba had left to start with, after all. And I figured that even if she didn’t make it all the way to the burger, it should still be fine. That was why I had prepared the giba soup. Essentially, I had made it just for Granny Jiba’s sake. It was just that it turned out well enough that I’d have no problem adding it to the regular menu, so I figured it was good to let the others have their fill, too.

But even so, this menu was ultimately meant for Granny Jiba. And so, I cut down the aria thinner than was my personal preference, then cooked them so thoroughly that they hardly had any crunch left to them. Plus, I had already used plenty of giba meat in the burgers, so I didn’t think of the amount used for the soup as anything but a means of providing the stock.

That was the core of what made this a menu especially prepared for Granny Jiba.

“Ah...” Rimee Ruu let out in a quiet whisper. Naturally, I had noticed the change, too.

Even when Reina Ruu had called out to her, Granny Jiba had just slowly shook her head, but now she looked like she had given up on everything, and was finally slurping down the contents of her spoon.

“See, isn’t it good? And we’ve got a whole lot left,” Reina Ruu happily declared, then dropped some more torn up poitan into the bowl.

However, Granny Jiba didn’t move. It wasn’t proper to think this way, but it was almost like she had passed away after that single bite. She wasn’t even trembling at the moment.

“What’s wrong? It’s delicious, right? Rimee, Granny Tito Min, and I helped to make it, too.”

Reina Ruu thrust the wooden spoon towards her mouth, seeming to be rushing things a bit. There was no need to get impatient, though. It was fine to let her eat at her own rate. As I thought that, however, Granny Jiba’s mouth opened slightly. With a look of clear relief, Reina Ruu slipped the spoon in through that crack.

“Well then, shall we try some aria next? It should be nice and soft and yummy, too.”

When we were cooking, I had Reina Ruu give everything a taste test. After all, I figured if she was going to be suggesting food to Granny Jiba, who had been avoiding meals, it was best that she was also familiar with how everything tasted.

“You’re putting so much thought into this for Granny Jiba, who you’ve never even met...” Reina Ruu had said with teary eyes, but it was only natural to think all that through, considering my position. After all, it was also for Ai Fa and Rimee Ruu’s sake, as they cared deeply about Granny Jiba. Plus, I was a chef. Just how delicious would she find my cooking? Any chef who didn’t consider such a thing was hardly qualified to be a chef at all.

“It’s good, isn’t it? Well then, do you want to try a little meat? The meat is also really soft.”

Reina Ruu spooned up some giburger at last, about half of a mouthful, which she then dipped in the soup.

How would this go?

I had chopped up the diced aria mixed in with the burgers even more finely than usual, but still, I made them in the usual manner, more or less.

I instructed Reina Ruu that at first, she should avoid the harder surface as much as possible and stick to the softer inside. If all of her molars were missing, then it was possible the ground meat and aria could get stuck in her throat, so I made sure Reina Ruu was thoroughly warned of that risk.

At any rate, the chunk of meat and soup slid into Granny Jiba’s mouth. Her wrinkled mouth started to chew away. And then...

Clear tears started to flow forth from where I figured her eyes must be.

“What delicious meat... Is this really, truly giba meat...?”

That withered voice clearly resounded throughout the silent banquet hall.

4

“Yes, it’s giba meat. It’s delicious, right? How about some more?” Reina Ruu asked, clearly tearing up a bit herself. While still holding her bowl, Rimee Ruu started openly sobbing. And Ai Fa... Ai Fa stopped eating, looked down a bit, and tightly closed her eyes.

“Then how about trying the meat on its own? This red stuff is made with fruit wine, so it’s really sweet and tasty.”

After Jiba Ruu had eaten a number of mouthfuls, Reina Ruu sliced off a bit of giburger and offered it to her grandmother as is.

I figured the old woman’s front teeth must have been all gone. At any rate, Jiba Ruu opened her mouth wide and it looked like a cave, which the giburger was then enclosed within.

With a very clear chewing sound and a lot more obvious effort, Granny Jiba chomped down on the meat.

“It really is delicious... So very tasty... I can’t believe that giba can taste this good...”

“What’s so good about it? Meat that’s so flabby I’d think it’s gone bad isn’t fit for people to eat!” a voice like thunder roared. Naturally, that was the head of the clan, Donda Ruu.

Apparently he had finished his meal before everyone else, so he threw down his empty bowl and seemed to almost desperately gulp down fruit wine.

“Of course it was sweet when you went and poured fruit wine over it, but the aria are so mushy it’s practically like they’re rotten! And hey, you didn’t just use giba legs! There’s shoulder and back meat mixed in here too, isn’t there?!” Donda Ruu roared, his disheveled hair like a mane as dangerous-looking wrinkles formed on his face. “Only scavengers like the mundt eat the giba’s torso! I’m not some beast from the forest! I’m a human being! A proud hunter of the forest’s edge! Just what the hell were you thinking, making me eat the same thing as a mundt?!”

“You certainly are a yappy child. You really haven’t changed at all since becoming head of the clan, have you?”

Granny Jiba’s eyes, hidden within her wrinkles, slowly turned to face the head of the family.

Donda Ruu may have led the family, but at the same time, he was also this woman’s grandson.

And yet, the man glared back at this old lady who must have been less than half his size with a fire burning in his eyes.

“If this is what mundt eat, then I’d have to say they’re living better than us humans. Well, that may actually be the truth of the matter out there in the forest...” Maybe I was just imagining things, but the old woman’s voice sounded noticeably stronger than it did just moments ago. “But if that’s how you want to think, then that’s all well and good, clan chief Donda. It’s up to everyone to decide what they believe... And this old lady believes this meat is right and proper.”

“Amazing... Granny Jiba is all full of energy and talking like she used to...” Rimee Ruu muttered.

I still couldn’t quite tell where the old woman’s eyes were, but this time they turned steadily to face in that direction.

“You helped make this too, didn’t you, Rimee? It’s incredibly delicious. Thank you, Rimee.”

“Not at all!” Rimee said while shaking her head, then started shoving the rest of her hamburger in her mouth as tears streamed down her face. After watching over that sight for a short while, Granny Jiba muttered, “Ai Fa... Are you there?”

I looked over to my side, and saw Ai Fa’s shoulders suddenly twitch.

“I’m sorry, but this old lady’s eyes really have given out. I can’t see a thing in this light... If you’re there, could you come this way and let me see your face?”

Ai Fa wasn’t moving, so I said, “Hey,” and nudged her in the side with my elbow. She shot me back a seriously dangerous glare, but then she slowly stood up. And for some reason, she was firmly holding me by the wrist.

“Huh? Hey, hold on!” I yelled out and then hurriedly placed my soup bowl on the floor. Pulled along by strength that paid my intentions no heed whatsoever, I was dragged over alongside Ai Fa and ended up kneeling next to Granny Jiba. Donda Ruu, meanwhile, was glaring at me with a seriously overwhelming look in his eyes.

“Jiba Ruu... I am Ai Fa, of the Fa clan. This is Asuta, of my household.”

Naturally, Granny Jiba couldn’t see me either, but at any rate she reached her wrinkled fingers out towards Ai Fa’s face. Her dry, rough fingers that looked like little more than skin and bone touched Ai Fa’s silky smooth cheek.

“Ah, it’s been a while... How many years has it been, now? I’ve been wanting to see you for quite some time, Ai Fa.”

Now that I was seeing her up close, I could tell clearly that Granny Jiba was a proper human being, rather than some dried up old fruit. Both her face and fingers were wrinkled, her large nose and thin lips had what almost looked like fine fissures running through them, like her age had been carved into her, and perhaps because of her lack of front teeth, it was hard to understand what she was saying. But underneath her drooping eyelids, there were blue eyes shining with an inconceivable amount of wisdom, and her face like a dried fruit wore an expression that was overflowing with affection.

What a truly kind face. What a soft, gentle expression. It really may have been the first time in my life that I had ever seen an old lady wear such a joyful smile.

“Reina Ruu, you should partake in this delicious meal, too. Ai Fa, will you help this old woman to eat?”

“...If that’s what you wish for, Jiba Ruu.”

As Ai Fa gently took Jiba Ruu by the arm, Reina Ruu stood up while wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes.

“What do you want to eat? Meat? Or poitan?”

“Giba meat. This truly is delicious meat...”

Ai Fa remained expressionless as always as she somewhat clumsily brought the spoon to the old woman’s mouth.

“Ah, it’s so good. You made this, didn’t you, Ai Fa...?”

“No, I largely just watched. This meal was made by your family, as well as Asuta here.”

“Asuta...”

With that, her terribly thin eyes pointed my way. If I were this close to that eldest brother, Jiza Ruu, would I be able to tell how he was feeling, too? Because right now, a light of clear jubilation was shining forth from this old woman’s hardly visible eyes.

“Asuta of the Fa clan... You made this meal?”

“Yes, at Rimee Ruu’s request. My father was a chef in a far off nation. I was nothing but a trainee who assisted him, but if you like what I’ve made even so, then I greatly appreciate that.”

Granny Jiba’s hands wandered through the air, trembling as they went. After silently looking over at Ai Fa, I nervously took hold of them. Her dry, wrinkled fingers felt even more withered than an old branch, but I could feel a clear warmth from them as they gripped my hands.

“Thank you... It had become tiresome for this old woman just to keep on living. I’m not able to walk properly, and I couldn’t even eat a proper meal... I’ve just been growing old while being nothing but a nuisance to my family. Every day, I did nothing but suffer, questioning why the gods hadn’t taken this ancient soul up into the skies.”

“You’re not a nuisance!” Rimee Ruu shouted out, only for her red-haired sister by her side to give her head a nudge to quiet her.

“You see, this old woman came here to this forest back when she was five years old. Yes, I was one of that initial thousand to renounce the Southern God Jagar and devote ourselves to the Western God Selva.”

“I see...”

“But I just couldn’t come to love this place. The southern forest was a bountiful place, and the only animals that would attack people were large monkeys and poisonous snakes. And we could pick fruit whenever we wanted... At times we would dig up bugs from the earth, and we would eat lizards that sparkled all the colors of the rainbow... The people from the city looked down on us as savages, but I was happy...”

Granny Jiba’s eyes no longer seemed like they were looking at me or Ai Fa. As she gazed at some far off place, tears started to well up in her now crystal clear eyes.

“But our forest was burned down by soldiers, and we fled to the west. Then, we moved in here to the western forest’s edge. The people of the western capital ordered us to hunt giba, and forbade us from laying a hand on the blessings of the forest. But even so, everyone still seemed happy at the start. There wasn’t any more need to eat lizard meat, or gather rotted fruits and mushrooms. We could eat as much giba meat as we wanted, and partake in the fruits of man’s fields, they said...”

“Right...”

It may not have even been necessary for me to chime in at all. After all, the old woman’s eyes were now staring at the sights of days long past.

“But this forest’s edge turned out to be a horrifying place. In the first year alone, one hundred men were killed by giba. And the following year, we lost another hundred. Men kept on dying one after another, and then a similar number of women and children would die of starvation. In those first few years, over half of my thousand brethren were wiped out.”

“Right.”

“The Gaaze clan fell to ruin. The Reema clan, too. After that the Suun and Ruu clans took charge of our people, and we somehow managed to establish our current way of life... Eating the meat of giba we hunt down, and selling their horns and tusks for the blessings of the fields, that is. With that, we had finally found a way to survive here at the forest’s edge, but... The whole time, I wanted to return to the forest where I was born.”

I noticed that nearly everyone had finished eating, and were all quietly listening to their elder’s words.

“But our forest burned to the ground long ago, and those who knew it died out one after another, until I was the only one left. I was sad, and lonely, and always thinking of a place that wasn’t here, despite being surrounded by so much family. And giba meat wasn’t even a little bit tasty. The fruits of people’s labors in the fields weren’t delicious in the least. And as I thought that, one tooth after another fell out, until finally I couldn’t even eat giba meat. Ah, I felt like I was experiencing the anger of the western god... But now, I finally feel like I’m back with everyone else. Why did I feel like that, only ever praying to return to the southern forest as soon as I could...?”

Her dry, cracked hands grabbed mine with a surprising amount of strength. At some point, her clear blue eyes had returned back to me.

“I only ever thought of my dead family and my burnt forest. But today, I was able to think of my living family and this forest’s edge. My soul is finally in service of the Western God Selva rather than the Southern God Jagar. I’m here with my family, eating giba meat and staying alive. I feel the need to keep on living. I finally went and remembered something so completely obvious...”

“I’m sure your feelings simply weakened because your teeth fell out and you weren’t able to eat anything delicious any longer,” I said, offering a rather foolish response. Ai Fa looked a touch surprised in response.

I mean, what did you expect? I’m nothing but a chef trainee. There’s no way I would have the skills needed to carry out a refined conversation with the elder of the forest’s edge, who had lived for over eighty harsh years.

“I’m sure you must have thought of those people as precious to you before you started growing so weak. Otherwise, Ai Fa and Rimee Ruu would have never been so desperate to help you. It was precisely because they wanted from the depths of their hearts to save you and make you remember the joy of living that I felt the need to muster up what little strength I had.”

Granny Jiba silently turned towards Ai Fa. My beloved benefactor bit down on her lip a bit and glared back at the old woman as if she was angry.

“If you’re going to thank anyone, then please thank them. I’m already plenty satisfied just by hearing you say my cooking was delicious.”

“It was... It truly, truly was. This old woman hated giba meat, and thought that poitan wasn’t meant to be eaten by man, but now I want to eat more. I want to keep on living here at the forest’s edge.” With a gentle smile on her face, Granny Jiba whispered, “Ai Fa, could you please remove my necklace?”

Ai Fa, still looking angry, did as she was told and removed the necklace, then placed it in the old woman’s small hands. With her trembling fingers that looked like twigs, she then removed the giba tusks and horns from their string.

“Ai Fa and Asuta of the Fa clan, Jiba Ruu of the Ruu clan offers you her gratitude. Please, accept it.”

There were only three horns and tusks in total, but she offered one each to both Ai Fa and myself.

“Hey, elder, that’s...!” Donda Ruu shouted out, only for Granny Jiba to start laughing, her back still facing him.

“It’s these giba tusks and horns that govern the lives of the people of the forest’s edge. It is my wish that they become the flesh and blood of you two, who I feel a great debt of gratitude towards. I, Jiba Ruu of the Ruu clan, offer your souls my blessing.”

That was the very first firm payment I had received for my work here in this other world.