Chapter 2: Whirling Intentions

1

Cyclaeus and Ciluel had been arrested as criminals, but that didn’t mean that everything had been settled.

The next few days steadily passed as I watched in a sort of quiet awe. By the end of the third day after, it finally started to sink in that the whole commotion was finally over. But in actuality, things wouldn’t really be done and dusted until those wicked nobles were properly judged at a trial.

However, the trial for their crimes couldn’t be carried out in just three days. From what I was told it would take quite a bit of preparation since they were handling nobles, and there was an additional urgent complication that required delays on top of that: Cyclaeus had collapsed from illness. And it had happened right in front of our eyes too.

On the day of the meeting, after Jeeda withdrew his blade, the ducal guards had moved to arrest Cyclaeus, but the man had already lost consciousness.

Doctors were immediately summoned from the castle, and their diagnosis was that Cyclaeus’s illness had reached a critical state. From what we were told, he had taken such a mental blow that he had lost the strength needed to fight back against it.

If he was moved carelessly, his life could be at risk. And if he died before the trial, it would become very difficult to properly prosecute Ciluel for his crimes. And so, it was decided that Cyclaeus would be nursed back to health at his own manor, where he would be kept under watch.

“Regardless, all his rights as Count Turan have been suspended, and the ducal guards are keeping him under heavy watch so he can’t have any outside contact. There’s no need to worry anymore,” Kamyua Yoshu informed us the day after the meeting, his words having come for Duke Genos. Apparently the plan was that the doctors would keep treating him, and then he would be moved to the castle once his illness stabilized.

And there was another matter that needed to be discussed too: how Bartha and Jeeda would be handled.

Bartha was a remnant of a bandit group, while Jeeda had set foot in the castle town without a pass, so sure enough they both were moved to Genos Castle. Of course Bartha was also an important witness, so part of the reason was to protect her. Bottom line, her trial would happen after Cyclaeus and Ciluel were judged. But Bartha had resolved herself from the start, so she looked perfectly calm as she followed the instructions from the ducal guards.

The real issue was Jeeda.

Even after Duke Marstein Genos appeared and declared an end to the whole commotion, Jeeda didn’t remove his blade from Cyclaeus’s throat.

“If I send these criminals’ heads flying here and now, there won’t be any need for a trial!” Jeeda had shouted.

And he must have thought he could run away with his mother in order to save her life too. I could see that tragic yet brave resolve in him, and I just couldn’t find the words to respond. As for Bartha, she just said, “Don’t go spouting foolhardy stuff like that,” as she stared sadly at her son’s back.

“I’m at a loss...” Marstein commented while stroking his mustache. Melfried had accepted a blade from a subordinate, and now his gray eyes had a chilly glare in them. It was starting to look like either Jeeda or Cyclaeus wouldn’t make it out of there alive, but then Donda Ruu’s solemn voice filled the room.

“Jeeda... That’s your name, right, hunter of Masara? Do you intend to trample all over your mother’s resolve?”

“Shut up! This has nothing to do with you people of the forest’s edge!”

“That’s not true. This female hunter of Masara, Bartha, had a firm will and resolve to strike down our shared enemy alongside us,” Donda Ruu declared as he looked down on the small figure with his blade pressed to Cyclaeus’s throat.

That leading clan head surely would have been able to take away the boy’s weapon by force, but instead he kept on talking.

“Cutting someone down, regardless of the law, just because it’s more convenient... You know that your own mother put her life on the line in order to expose shameless men like that, don’t you?”

“That’s...!”

“And you’re the one who put her in that predicament, Jeeda of Masara.” There wasn’t any expression showing on Donda Ruu’s face then, but there was an intense light shining in his blue eyes. “If you had not grown obsessed with revenge and left your mother’s side, Bartha of Masara would not have chosen this path. After all, she chose it so that you would not be a criminal, and to make up for having planted the seeds of revenge in her own son.”

Underneath his hunter’s cloak, Jeeda’s back had started fiercely trembling.

“By placing her life on the line to bear witness against these criminals, she could avoid your blade being soaked in blood. She risked her very life not for revenge, but for the sake of your future. And you intend to trample upon her resolve and stain your blade with bloody vengeance?”

At that, Jeeda finally dropped his weapon.

From that moment until the ducal guards arrested him and took him out of the room, he just kept on hanging his head, so right to the end I wasn’t able to see just what sort of expression he was wearing on his youthful face.

“Well, he sneaked into a noble’s manor and stuck a blade up against its owner’s throat, so normally he’d be executed for sure, but there’s the circumstances to keep in mind here. Fortunately Duke Genos isn’t as inflexible as his son, so I’d expect him to show mercy.”

I must have been making quite a pathetic face, as Kamyua Yoshu whispered that into my ear when Jeeda was led away.

And there was one other person who was arrested and taken into custody: Zuuro Suun.

Once Cyclaeus, Ciluel, Jeeda, and Bartha were all removed by the ducal guards, I figured that would settle things for the moment. But then, Zuuro Suun suddenly threw himself at Marstein’s feet.

“Oh lord of Genos... I am also a criminal who broke the laws of both Genos and the forest’s edge, so can I not also surrender myself to you...?”

The people of the forest’s edge present had all levelheadedly watched over things as Marstein took command, but this made them erupt in a commotion. In particular, Gulaf Zaza stepped forward, both of his eyes blazing bright with rage.

“What are you saying now, you bastard? It can’t be... Have you lost the guts to face our intended punishment for you?”

“I’m not afraid of having my soul returned to the forest at this point... But I believe if the laws of Genos seek to judge me as a criminal, then that’s how I should be handled...” Zuuro Suun listlessly replied as he groveled at Marstein’s feet. “The townsfolk know we people of the forest’s edge... No, we members of the Suun clan are protected by the nobles in the castle... Even so, from what I hear, their suspicions and anger were partially quieted when judgment was passed on Zattsu and Tei Suun... In that case, if I’m judged properly by the laws of Genos as the last great criminal left, then both the lord of this land and the people of the forest’s edge should both be able to regain their honor together. Isn’t that possible...?”

“But...”

“Also... If I am fairly judged for my crimes, then it will be known that those left behind...my former family members, are not criminals, and that they were justly pardoned according to Genos’s laws...”

“Hmm...” Marstein mumbled as he swept aside his long bangs. Then, his wise-looking brown eyes turned toward the old man sitting in the corner of the room.

“Legal Officer Zylus, according to the laws of Genos, what sort of punishment do you believe this man Zuuro Suun would face for his crimes? I am asking for your personal opinion rather than any sort of official ruling.”

“Yes, well... To begin with, the law that the fruits of Morga are not to be pillaged was made specifically for the people of the forest’s edge, and it has not ever been the subject of official adjudication. However... Considering it occurred over the course of more than ten years and involved dozens of relatives as well as a neglect of their hunting duty, the order to do so could be seen as a clear act of rebellion against Genos... In my humble opinion, it would merit a weightier sentence than death, ten years of penal servitude.”

“I see. Ten years of penal servitude, is it?” Marstein repeated with a big nod, and then he stared down at Zuuro Suun’s rounded back. “Penal servitude is the heaviest punishment that exists in Genos, and is far more intense than standard prison labor. Virtually no one survives more than five years, which is why it is reserved for criminals for whom even execution is too light a punishment. That is what you will be given. With that in mind, wouldn’t having your comrades from the forest’s edge take your head make for a much easier end?”

“Ten years... In just ten years, my crimes will be forgiven...?”

“Yes. Ten years of penal servitude, harsher and more hopeless than what even slaves face. From what I can recall, no one has lasted for a full ten years since Genos was founded.”

“Hope... I do have hope... If I can call myself a person of the forest’s edge again after ten years, then what greater hope could there be...?” Zuuro Suun replied in a trembling voice, and then he turned our way.

He seemed to lack the strength needed to shift his sagging face into a proper expression, but it looked like there were now tears welling up just a bit in his little eyes.

Yamiru Lea, Oura, Tsuvai, Diga, Doddo, and Mida... Those six former members of his family all just silently stared back at him.

“I do not know if I will be able to endure ten years of suffering to atone for ten years of leading my people down the wrong path... But if ten years from now I still live and return to the settlement... I would like to once more entrust my fate to my comrades at the forest’s edge...”

“When that time comes, I’ll judge your crimes with my own two eyes,” Gulaf Zaza replied in a firm tone.

Nobody raised an objection, and so Zuuro Suun was ultimately taken away by the ducal guards too.

With that, the commotion finally came to an end.

Duke Marstein Genos had given us a firm promise that Cyclaeus and Ciluel would be justly tried. No matter which of them was the principal offender, the weight of their crimes would be equally heavy. They would either be executed or face lifelong confinement, but either way, they would never again be free to act.

“I had put my trust in Count Turan’s abilities and granted him the role of mediating matters with the people of the forest’s edge. Now that it has been proven that command was a mistake, it’s my responsibility to pledge myself to wiping away that shame... Until a new mediator is determined, I intend to personally take on the role of forging bonds with the people of the forest’s edge,” Marstein stated, keeping a cheerful grin all throughout. “Even now, the people of the forest’s edge play an irreplaceable role in supporting the prosperity of Genos, and are our precious comrades. I swear that I’ll spare no effort in order to clear up any misunderstandings and discord between my people.”

This was our first time meeting Marstein, and it was hard to say just how much we could trust him. But if we couldn’t trust him, then the people of the forest’s edge wouldn’t have a place here in Genos any longer.

At any rate, the leading clan heads of the forest’s edge announced that until Cyclaeus’s illness stabilized and his trial began, they wished to keep living as they had been.

And then, there was us.

Even if we were told to keep living as we had been, there was a complication getting in the way. And that was the fact that Duke Genos had told us, “Please continue to keep your guard up.”

But what exactly were we supposed to be on guard against?

Apparently the answer was the private army employed by Cyclaeus and Ciluel.

Both of them had been arrested, and in turn all their authority was suspended. The guard unit assigned to the house of Turan was temporarily dissolved and it was being looked into whether or not they were involved in the incidents that had occurred, while the militia was being reformed under a new commander. At this point, it would be impossible for those wicked nobles to use those soldiers as pawns.

But Cyclaeus and Ciluel also employed a private army of soldiers to carry out tasks secretly in the shadows. For example, tasks such as dressing up as people of the forest’s edge and raiding plantations.

Even if it was their lord’s order, it was certainly hard to imagine the militia or the retainers of house Turan staining their hands with such blatantly criminal acts. And so, the assumption was that they kept a secret group of leashed ruffians around to handle such tasks that went against the laws of Genos.

The one to come to that conclusion was none other than Kamyua Yoshu. When Zattsu Suun fell prey to illness ten years ago, Cyclaeus and Ciluel would have needed some fresh pawns to take his place... Kamyua Yoshu had delivered that incredibly disquieting report to both the leading clan heads of the forest’s edge and the lord of Genos.

“They must be better at hiding themselves than Zattsu Suun, though, since I just can’t seem to get a lead on them. Those ruffians may have lost their owners, but there’s no knowing what sort of oaths they might have taken, so everyone should make sure to stay on guard,” Kamyua Yoshu had apparently warned.

Thanks to that, neither the Fa nor Ruu clans were able to resume business. After all, since the Ruu and their related clans were no longer on break, we weren’t able to gather up the guards needed.

Apparently Marstein raised the proposal of dispatching members of the ducal guard to watch over us, but they were shorthanded from needing to keep an eye on Cyclaeus and guard Bartha on top of everything else they did, so they weren’t able to offer enough men to satisfy Donda Ruu.

“The militia has enough personnel to offer, but we don’t know just how far-reaching Ciluel’s corrupting influence really was,” Marstein had stated, which was an opinion also shared by Kamyua Yoshu. From what I was told, the leadership of the militia had strong ties to the house of Turan, which made reorganizing them quite difficult.

And so, we had no choice but to exercise some self-restraint.

Still, we were just barely able to resume our work with the inns, if nothing else.

We prepared the food early in the morning, then early risers like Ai Fa and Ludo Ruu acted as our bodyguards while we delivered it to the inns and made it back by the time the sun hit its peak. We resumed work in that fashion two days after the meeting, and by the third day we also increased the amount of fresh meat we were providing.

“Since they can’t eat it at your stalls during the day, I’ve had more customers wanting giba cooking for dinner,” explained Nail, the owner of the Sledgehammer.

As a result, The Sledgehammer ordered sixty meals and enough fresh meat for twenty more each day, while The Great Southern Tree went with seventy meals and fresh meat for an additional thirty. The Great Southern Tree was one thing since it was a large establishment, but it kinda amazed me that a small inn made by remodeling a home like The Sledgehammer ordered that much, and from what I was told, neither ever had any leftovers.

Nail continued. “Our rooms have all been filled every day, and there have been even more customers from other inns than before stopping by for dinner too. Thanks to your efforts, we’re hardly selling any karon or kimyuus meals at this point.”

“Ah... I don’t know what to say to that...”

“As long as you don’t start selling your giba cooking to a great many other inns, I can’t imagine this commotion dying down. Rather than shrieking with delight, I actually feel vaguely apprehensive at how much business our dining room is seeing... So much so that I can’t help but feel it would be good of you to hurry up and start offering your cooking at other inns.”

I certainly did have a desire to expand my business.

However, I couldn’t advance my talks with The Kimyuus’s Tail or The Westerly Wind at this point. Until Cyclaeus and Ciluel’s mysterious private army was detained and the danger subsided, for the time being I just had to maintain the status quo.

Thanks to that, the Ruu women and I just did our best to make the food in the morning, deliver it to the post town by wagon, then return to the forest’s edge with newly purchased fresh vegetables. We took turns taking care of other work and used our spare time experimenting with our cooking. It made for some really busy yet peaceful days.

It probably went without saying, but Ai Fa and I were both still staying at the Ruu settlement for the time being. The former members of the main Suun house returned to the Lea, Rutim, and Dom clans, but since things were still so unstable, it felt too dangerous to have us go back to the Fa house.

And at the Ruu settlement they were quite shorthanded during the day since the hunters had gone back to work. Even so, there were still boys under the age of thirteen and old men to help out, not to mention Ryada Ruu and Mida. So at the very least it was still safer than me and Ai Fa staying on our own, even if my clan head ended up biting her lip over the matter again.

At any rate, we were able to spend those days in peace thanks to everyone’s hard work and effort.

And so, three days passed as I remained vaguely on edge, only for there to be a big change on day four. It came to us from Kamyua Yoshu, who had been acting as Marstein’s messenger and visiting the Ruu settlement each day.

However, before I got to that, I was shocked by the redheaded boy standing by his side.

2

“Jeeda! You got released from the castle?!” I exclaimed when I saw them enter the main Ruu house’s kitchen.

It was currently early evening on the nineteenth of the white month. The sun was already sinking in the west, and the kitchen was full of the aroma of a freshly made dinner.

“I’m glad you’re okay. You didn’t get whipped or anything, right?”

Jeeda silently shook his head, with a yellow fire in his eyes. When I saw his expression like he was forcing down everything he was feeling inside, I pulled back my relieved smile.

Even if he was personally all right, he was probably in no state to feel happy over that. It left me at a loss for words, but Kamyua Yoshu then cheerfully chimed in as if trying to smooth things over.

“Though he was guilty of sneaking into the castle town, pointing his blade at a noble, and drawing his sword in the post town, none of that would have happened without Cyclaeus’s wrongdoing, so Duke Genos pardoned his crimes. And the wanted posters are being removed from the post town too, so he should be a free man.”

The two of them had already met back at Cyclaeus’s manor, but it still felt odd somehow, seeing them standing side by side like this.

And as he stroked his long and narrow stubbly chin, Kamyua Yoshu suddenly turned his gaze to my side.

“Hey there, Ai Fa. So you’re back too, huh? Did you make any catches today?”

“Yes,” Ai Fa nodded, a cautious look in her eyes. She had resumed her hunting by this point too.

There had been ten days between when Lefreya kidnapped me and the day of the meeting. Considering Ai Fa had taken that long off from hunting, it was no surprise that even she had been unable to stand it any longer.

Then there was the fact that Donda Ruu and the men under him had started working again too. No matter how much she might be worried about me, Donda Ruu and everyone else were entrusting their family’s safety to Ryada Ruu and the others, so she couldn’t be the only one without enough resolve to take this as good enough... Or at least, she could solve the problem of her worrying by throwing herself into her work hunting giba.

And amazingly enough, Ai Fa had hunted down a giba every day for the last four days, always returning to the Ruu settlement before everyone else. It was at the point where the number of giba around the Fa house would be on the decline, so those really were some incredible results.

However, Ai Fa’s hair also smelled sweeter than it had before. That meant she was once again performing sacrificial hunting and coating herself in the scent of giba summoning fruit.

“It’s only natural to do so, seeing how the number of giba in the area has decreased. I always use sacrificial hunting during such periods.”

Even if she said so, that wasn’t exactly enough to wipe away my concerns. But reflecting on what I had once told Darmu Ruu, I had no choice but to trust in Ai Fa’s readiness and skill as a hunter.

“So, is Donda Ruu back too? I hurried over here again today as Duke Genos’s proxy, after all.”

“Looking at how low the sun has sunk, I’d say he should be back. Did you not stop by the main building?”

“Not yet, because today I came with a message for both Asuta and Donda Ruu. I wanted to make sure you heard it directly, Asuta.”

“Did they decide how I’ll be handled?”

The question of what to do with the fact that I had come from overseas had been left on hold up till now.

Though Ai Fa shot him a piercing glare, Kamyua Yoshu just brushed that off with a smile.

“They’re still deliberating on that. Besides, Duke Genos figures it’d be unjust to discuss that matter before Cyclaeus is properly tried.”

“Then what in the world do you have to tell me?”

“I want the leading clan head to hear it too. Would it be possible to have a little of everyone’s time before dinner?”

“Of course. We’re already finished preparing the food.”

And so, I ended up heading over to the main building along with Ai Fa, Kamyua Yoshu, and Jeeda. After handing over our blades to Mia Lea Ruu we stepped inside, and perhaps because it was so close to dinner, there were already four men gathered in the main hall.

“Kamyua Yoshu, huh? Is there finally some movement from the castle?” Donda Ruu asked, a calm look in his blue eyes.

Jiza Ruu had his usual smile accompanied with an emotionless gaze, while Darmu Ruu’s eyes were burning bright with danger. And as for Ludo Ruu, he looked a bit concerned with his brow furrowed as he stared at Jeeda.

“I suppose I’d have to say there was, but it’s all pretty tricky. Cyclaeus is still laid up in his sickbed while Ciluel has firmly shut his mouth, so we have no way of searching out what their private troops are up to.”

“Hmph. So what exactly are you here for, then?”

“I have a message from Duke Marstein Genos. I’d imagine the contents aren’t much to the taste of you people of the forest’s edge, but I ask that you listen all the way to the end,” Kamyua Yoshu replied as he lightly seated himself at the foot of the group.

Jeeda sat down beside him, while Ai Fa and I chose a spot off to the side where we could see everyone.

“What I’ve come to discuss concerns Cyclaeus’s daughter, Lady Lefreya.”

“Lefreya? Why are we talking about Cyclaeus’s daughter at this point...? Isn’t that girl being held as a criminal?”

“Yes. The plan is for her to face half a year’s confinement as punishment. And, well... I’ve come to tell you Duke Genos was proposing lightening that sentence.”

Donda Ruu’s glare instantly grew more intense.

“I don’t get the meaning of this at all. Could you give me a satisfactory explanation?”

“Yes, right. I figure this’ll be good for your people too, but you see... Duke Genos is thinking he wants to strip Cyclaeus of his rank. Which is to say, he wants to remove his title of count before the official trial begins. Of course, that’s perfectly normal considering how serious the crimes he’s suspected of are.”

“Stripping him of his rank... So regardless of the results of the trial, that man will never again be able to call himself Count Turan?”

“That’s right. It’s quite disreputable to have a count on trial, and there’s a risk the interrogators and legal officers could take that into account. So the thinking is that for all sorts of reasons, it’d be better to strip him of the rank beforehand.”

“That’s all well and good... But it’s not like we can just keep grinning about all of this, now can we?” Donda Ruu replied, ironically with a grin despite his words. In other words, his fighting instincts seemed to have fired up. “So when you said you wanted to discuss that girl... The intention’s to have her inherit the rank, eh?”

“Yes, but that’s also completely natural. Though Lady Lefreya is also a criminal, it was only a minor crime with a sentence of just half a year’s confinement. And since she is the legitimate child of the head of her house, that inheritance can’t be shifted.”

“You’re saying abducting Asuta was a minor crime?” Ai Fa sharply interjected, only for Kamyua Yoshu to shoot her back a smile as if to pacify her.

“That’s ultimately just in comparison to Cyclaeus’s crimes. An old trick nobles like to employ is throwing money around to help make crimes on the level of abducting commoners disappear... But, since it was obvious that wouldn’t work on you people of the forest’s edge, things ended up the way they did this time around.”

Nobody had anything to say to that.

“Ah, that was a misleading statement there, lumping all nobles together. Naturally I’m just referring to unscrupulous nobles like Cyclaeus. Duke Genos or Sir Polarth would never go dirtying their hands with lawbreaking in the first place, so no worries there.”

Ai Fa just sat there silently with a look of disgust, while Donda Ruu pressed, “And...? She’s still just a childish little brat, isn’t she? Here at the forest’s edge, you’re not qualified to be the head of your house till you’re at least fifteen.”

“In the western kingdom anyone can inherit a rank, regardless of age or gender. But having a guardian is essential, so there will be rather serious restrictions placed on her. She’ll be given a guardian without significant ties to Cyclaeus, who will serve as a firm foundation to make sure the name of house Turan isn’t sullied any further.”

“Hmph... I see.”

“Of course, since Lady Lefreya has the previous offense of having kidnapped Asuta, the restrictions on her will be even harsher than usual, and her every move will be carefully monitored. With that said, it’ll be the guardian really running the house of Turan from here on out, while Lady Lefreya will be the head of the house in name only until the next heir is born to take the guardian’s place,” Kamyua Yoshu said, shrugging his shoulders under his cloak. “Duke Genos doesn’t have the authority needed to eliminate the house of Turan itself. That’s because it was a direct command from the king of Selva that split these lands between the Genos, Turan, Saturas, and Daleim houses, and then placed Duke Genos in charge. In that case, the only option Duke Genos has for swiftly taking down Cyclaeus for the crimes he’s suspected of is to have his daughter inherit the rank.”

“If that’s what the laws of the kingdom state, then go ahead and do as you please. But what’s this about pardoning the girl’s crimes? Regardless of whether or not someone’s a noble or whatever, a crime’s still a crime, is it not?” Donda Ruu grumbled.

“Yup. But we can’t exactly have someone in prison inherit a rank. And on the other hand we can’t delay Cyclaeus’s trial an additional half a year either, which made this quite the distressing decision for Duke Genos, I’d say.”

“But what does he have to hesitate and agonize over? From what you’ve said, you make it sound like status is more important than the law.”

“You’re certainly right. The people of the city of stone definitely do value rank more highly. Stubborn folks like Melfried who think otherwise are a rarity,” Kamyua Yoshu replied, the ends of his eyebrows drooping a bit as he smiled. “If Cyclaeus’s trial begins while he’s still a count, that scandal will reach all the way to the capital. And if things go poorly, that could lead to the capital interfering with the governing of Genos. While Genos is a remote town far from the capital, it’s also exceptionally prosperous even for Selva, so folks from the capital surely see it as a dangerous element. And the lord of Genos has to make sure to keep such concerns in mind.”

“Hmph... This sure has gotten overblown,” Donda Ruu stated, his smile disappearing as he scratched his rugged mustache.

As he stared back at the clearly displeased clan head, Kamyua Yoshu continued on, “So... I know this probably won’t please you people of the forest’s edge to hear either, but I have a further statement from Duke Genos.”

“You don’t need to go prefacing everything. If you were tasked with playing the role of messenger, then hurry up and do your job already.”

“Yes, right away. Ahem... In addition to the pardon for Lady Lefreya, Duke Genos also wishes to pardon Bartha of Masara.”

Donda Ruu’s eyes suddenly narrowed, while I turned my gaze to Kamyua Yoshu’s side, at Jeeda.

The boy’s burning gaze was pointed downward, and he wasn’t saying a word.

“Considering she was a remnant of the Red Beard bandit group that went after the fortunes of nobles, she wouldn’t be able to avoid a death sentence. But seeing how she risked her life in order to protect the order in Genos, there’s room for taking extreme circumstances into account... Or at least, that’s the excuse.”

“In other words, we’re being told to accept the pardon of that Lefreya girl’s crimes in order to have the same done for Bartha of Masara, huh?” Donda Ruu asked, his eyes quietly blazing away. “I see... So that’s how nobles do things, is it?”

“Yes. But among nobles, I believe Duke Genos is pretty darn fair and down to earth,” Kamyua Yoshu replied, the ends of his eyebrows drooping again. “If we were dealing with a more run-of-the-mill noble, he would’ve thrust that condition at you in a real condescending manner. But Duke Genos is aware of how coercive his power is as the governing lord, so he made sure to ultimately bring it to you as just a proposal. In order to struggle his way to a solution, he has no choice but to have Lady Lefreya inherit her father’s rank. And so, he was thinking maybe he could bury the hatchet by offering a pardon for Bartha in exchange.”

“Hmph...”

“I figure making the choice to pardon a bandit who brought harm to nobles was a difficult one for Duke Genos. After all, he’ll definitely have to pull some strings in order to obtain the acceptance of those nobles who were robbed by the Red Beards ten-plus years back.”

“So to make up for twisting the law, he’s twisting it even further, and then burdening himself with having to clean up the mess? Can’t say I especially feel for him there.”

“Right. You people of the forest’s edge really value the law highly, so it’s only natural you’d feel that way. And even that bit of kindheartedness from Duke Genos probably just feels like trampling all over Bartha’s resolve, right?”

When Kamyua Yoshu said that, Jeeda suddenly looked up. His beastlike yellow eyes fixed straight ahead on Donda Ruu. “Leading clan head of the forest’s edge, Donda Ruu... I would like to say just a few words too.”

The leading clan head silently stared back at the boy.

Jeeda’s eyes blazed even brighter... and then his wild head of hair lowered all the way down to the floor. “Please, accept that noble’s proposal and save my mother... I’ll offer up my life in return if that’s what it takes.”

Donda Ruu remained silent.

“Just like you’ve said, I strayed from the proper path. Thanks to that, my own mother has been arrested as a criminal. If this all ends in her death, I’d never be able to face my father Goram.”

But still, no response was offered.

“I realize how unsightly what I’m saying really is. And I’m sure my mom wouldn’t be happy at being saved like this... But even so, I don’t want to let her die.”

From my position off to the side, hard as it was to see from here, I watched Jeeda rub his forehead against the floor. His eyes were blazing like flames, and his youthful face was twisted with anguish as he cried out in a muffled voice.

“I know I’ve already said it, but even if she obtains the rank of countess, Lady Lefreya won’t have any freedom or power. It may hurt to forgive her crime of kidnapping Asuta, but looking at it another way, that crime alone was enough to ruin the rest of her life. Rather than for just half a year, she’ll spend the remainder of her life like a prisoner, so could I ask that you hold back your rage and frustration over the matter?” Kamyua Yoshu suggested with a meek expression, only for Donda Ruu to slowly and steadily turn his way.

“You certainly are acting awfully modest today. It makes my skin crawl, somehow.”

“Is that so? Well, I can’t help but feel responsible for being the one to drag Bartha out here, you see,” Kamyua Yoshu replied, his drooping eyes narrowing a bit as he smiled, and then he dropped his gaze down to Jeeda’s small back. “And yet he hasn’t thrown so much as a single complaint my way. It really does make my heart ache.”

“No matter what you may have said to her, she was still the one to make her decision in the end. Ultimately, it just goes to show that Bartha of Masara possessed both a powerful resolve and pride. And it was also her own decision to live as a bandit and steal the fortunes of others...” Donda Ruu shot back, looking over Kamyua Yoshu and Jeeda with a firm gaze. “So... In the end, the lord of Genos already made up his mind no matter how we reply, didn’t he?”

“Yes, well, Duke Genos believes that this is both the best and only path possible to go forward with our plans.”

“In that case, do as you please. We intend to take our time from here on out judging if Duke Marstein Genos is a man worth offering up our blades in service to.”

At that, the tears started streaming down Jeeda’s face.

When he saw the boy’s face, wrinkles formed around Donda Ruu’s nose. “Hunters shouldn’t go crying in front of others lightly. How old are you exactly?”

“Fourteen...”

“Fourteen, huh? At the forest’s edge, you aren’t recognized as an adult until you turn fifteen,” Donda Ruu stated with a hearty snort. “Even if you’re a hunter, you’re still just a child. It was a mistake to separate from your mother at such a young age to begin with. And if you regret that, then be certain to never make that same mistake again.”

Jeeda hung his head once more, the tears still dripping down from his eyes.

After staring that way with a troubled grin for a bit, Kamyua Yoshu cheerfully called out, “Now then, if we’ve reached an understanding, I’d like to move on to the next topic.”

“So you don’t intend on shutting that mouth of yours just yet, eh? Even though I’m starving by this point.”

“This will be the last message. In order to form new bonds with the leading clan heads of the forest’s edge, Duke Marstein Genos wishes to hold a dinner party.”

“A dinner party...?”

Donda Ruu seriously furrowed his brows, while my eyes went wide.

With his usual aloof grin once more back in place, Kamyua Yoshu turned my way. “Therefore, he apparently wants you to serve your giba cooking, Asuta. He wants to show all of you his honest intentions as lord of this land by gathering in the same place as you and eating the same meat. So, what do you say?”

“The lord of Genos said he’d eat giba meat...?” The one to ask that question hadn’t been Donda Ruu, but rather his son Jiza Ruu. His already narrow eyes narrowed further still as he stared at Kamyua Yoshu.

“Yes. He said that what Genos needs now is to see their lord and the people of the forest’s edge openly forming proper bonds.”

“The lord of Genos, eating giba meat...” Jiza Ruu repeated, his expression not shifting in the least. Apparently that had made for quite a shock.

“What Duke Genos fears most of all is the people of the forest’s edge leaving this land. For twenty years he had entrusted the reins to Cyclaeus to form bonds with you and make sure that didn’t happen, so now he’s left fumbling. Despite his smile, I think on the inside his mind is desperately racing to find a way to settle things smoothly.”

“In that case, why did he not make a move before things got this bad? You and Melfried must have had plenty to tell him about how Cyclaeus was suspected of serious crimes, right?” Donda Ruu asked, but Kamyua Yoshu shook his head.

“No matter how much we suspected him, we didn’t have any proof. He decided that if both Cyclaeus and the people of the forest’s edge insisted they were right, then he would wait till the very last moment possible to make a move, hoping that one side would manage to prevail before it came to that. I tried telling him that just leaving things be meant allowing the fangs of Cyclaeus’s ambitions to close in on your throats, but he just laughed and said in that case, you would have to fight with everything you had.”

“Hmph... He certainly sounds like a big talker.”

“Yeah. Even I don’t have a good grasp on just how capable that man really is. So I’d say your decision to take your time judging that for yourselves is definitely the right one, Donda Ruu,” Kamyua Yoshu said with a grin. “By the time I managed to finally drag him out, my work was mostly done. Now all I have to do is run this way and that for the shorthanded Duke Genos and Melfried while keeping a careful eye on where things are heading. I really do hope you people of the forest’s edge can form proper ties with Genos... Anyway, I’ll come visit again in the future to hear your official reply, so let the other leading clan heads know, all right?”

3

After that, another five days passed, and we reached the twenty-fourth of the white month.

On that day we once again loaded plenty of meals into our wagon and headed for the post town. Our group was made up of me and Reina Ruu, plus Ai Fa, Ludo and Shin Ruu, and three other hunters as our guards.

Since we were ultimately just delivering the meals and fresh meat to the inns and then purchasing fresh vegetables, there was no real need for me and Reina Ruu to come along. But I wanted to see the state of the post town with my own two eyes, and Gazraan Rutim also recommended that we keep on forging bonds with the townsfolk as we had been.

We wanted to know just what everyone from the post town thought in regards to Marstein’s commands, and also tell them what the people of the forest’s edge were thinking. And so the conclusion was that sure enough, I was the one best suited to act as that information pipeline.

At any rate, though, we ended up carrying out our work in the post town again on that day.

After delivering sixty meals of giba sauté arrabbiata and enough fresh meat for another twenty meals to The Sledgehammer, and seventy meals of meat and chatchi stew plus meat for thirty to The Great Southern Tree, we headed to Dora’s shop.

There was still some time left until the sun would hit its peak, so Yang’s stall wasn’t yet open. However, the number of stalls serving colorful poitan seemed to be creeping upward day by day. And I could smell the sweet aroma of milk fat wafting through the air here and there as we walked along too.

It sure seems like Kamyua and Polarth’s plan is progressing smoothly.

At this point, Cyclaeus and Ciluel were awaiting an inescapable judgment. But Kamyua Yoshu explained that this plot to scale up the demand for poitan was still essential to prevent other nobles from interfering.

“Ultimately, the ones who rule over a land are the local nobles. And since Cyclaeus’s fortune and authority were swelling to the point of equaling that of Duke Genos, it’s important to remove any potential obstacles that could get in our way,” Kamyua Yoshu had said on the day after the meeting. “For example, even though we successfully arrested Cyclaeus and Ciluel, if the Daleim and Saturas houses were bribed, we may not be able to expect a fair trial. After all, the legal officers and interrogators all come from noble houses. If things went poorly, it could even end in a confrontation between the ducal house of Genos and the houses of the three counts.”

But if everything kept on going according to plan and poitan became a staple food in Genos, the profitability of fuwano would drop drastically and the house of Turan would lose a great deal of power in the not-so-distant future. And if that happened, no one with connections to the Daleim or Saturas houses would have to hesitate over fear of reprisal.

Then, Lefreya would inherit the house at the age of just ten, complete with declining finances and the previous head having been convicted as a criminal. On top of that, it would be an inheritance in name only, with her guardian holding all the actual authority.

I couldn’t help but think of the old saying that the sins of a parent will be visited upon their children. Both the house of Turan and the Suun clan had lost their prosperity due to the actions of the men who once led them. It would certainly be nice if that chain of negativity could be severed here and now, but all I could do was pray for things to go that well.

“Hey there, Asuta! Glad to see you looking well again today!”

After we finished heading around to the inns, we stopped by Dora’s vegetable stall, where he greeted us with a wide grin. For these past few days, he’d looked truly, overwhelmingly joyful.

When I mentioned it to him, he said, “That’s true. Those wicked nobles have been arrested, and now it looks like the people of the forest’s edge have a peaceful future ahead of them, right? I can’t imagine any news that would make me happier!”

Cyclaeus and Ciluel’s trials hadn’t even started yet, and we still had no clue as to the whereabouts of the scoundrels serving under them. While for the moment everything was peaceful, the people of the forest’s edge couldn’t exactly go taking it easy just yet.

Even so, Dora just kept happily smiling.

“I’d certainly like to be able to eat giba burgers again as soon as possible. But just seeing you all looking well is plenty enough for me,” he said with a bashful grin, scratching his head through the turban-like white cloth wrapped around his head. “When you do reopen for business, though, make sure to let me know as soon as possible. Lately my poitan are getting bought up as soon as they’re ready, so it’s real difficult keeping up my stock. Just like the notice from Lord Daleim told us to do, though, we’ve been steadily increasing the amount of land used for them. It’ll still be some time before we can harvest the new crops, though.”

“I see. That sounds like it could make you both hopeful and frustrated.”

At any rate, Dora’s smile certainly gave me strength.

But then I noticed his daughter wearing an uncharacteristically gloomy expression, so I went, “Huh?” with a tilt of my head. “What the matter, Tara? Does your stomach hurt or something?”

Her dark brown hair swayed when she shook her head in response. Looking closer, she actually seemed more cranky than gloomy.

“Ah, I scolded her a bit, so she’s angry at me. It’s nothing for you to worry about, Asuta.”

“Ooh, that’s unusual. What in the world happened?”

“Well, you see... Apparently yesterday she ran into that Leito boy at the roadside. And then, well...”

I had no idea what he was getting at.

But then, Tara stared up at me with her big eyes the same shade as her hair.

“Leito and Mister Kamyua are always making trips to the settlement at the forest’s edge, right? And he said you let them eat your cooking too.”

“Ah, right, I had them do a bit of taste testing before when I was doing some cooking experiments. And...?”

“I wanted to eat your cooking too, and I wanted to come play at your house,” Tara replied, her eyes starting to tear up.

I was left bewildered, while Dora sighed and said, “You’re asking for a lot, you know. Asuta will be starting up his stalls again soon enough, so just hold on till then.”

“You’ve got it nice, Papa... You get to stay in the post town every day and eat Asuta’s cooking.”

“You’re being silly, I—” her father started, and then he awkwardly held his tongue.

Despite the fact that Dora lived on the Daleim plantations not far from the post town, he was apparently visiting dining halls each night in a campaign designed to wipe away the bad reputation surrounding the people of the forest’s edge.

With that in mind, he must have been heading to inns other than The Sledgehammer and The Great Southern Tree, because neither of them had many western customers, which meant he wouldn’t have been eating my cooking. But he must not have explained things to Tara in that much detail.

At any rate, though, I couldn’t stand the thought that I had been the cause of a rift forming between this incredibly close father-daughter pair. And so, I racked my brain to try to find the words needed to calm the young girl down.

“Umm, Tara, you see... I’m actually staying at the Ruu settlement right now, and I haven’t been home in over ten days.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yeah. Those bad nobles have been arrested, but their buddies are still out there. We even have some soldiers from Genos Castle protecting the Ruu settlement during the day. Leito’s only able to come visit the forest’s edge because Kamyua is with him.”

“I see...” Tara murmured, her expression filled with concern. And so, I shot her a smile.

“But eventually, all those bad people will be caught. And if the people of the forest’s edge and townsfolk start getting along, I’m sure you’ll be able to come play at the settlement. So do you think you can wait till then?”

“You’ll let me eat your food too?”

“Yeah. When that day comes, I’ll pull out all the stops and make you a really delicious meal.”

That was finally enough to earn a happy smile from Tara.

“Before that though, we’ve got to reopen the stalls for business. If I manage to develop a new dish, could I count on you for taste testing?”

“Yeah!”

Tara looked like a puppy happily wagging her tail, and as Dora watched her he gave a strained smile.

“She really does get stubborn when it comes to your cooking, Asuta... Sorry for the trouble.”

“Ah, it was nothing.”

After all, you two have already done so much for me... I thought as I smiled back at Dora.

At that point Ai Fa urged, “Time is passing, you know,” and so I finished up my shopping in a hurry.

As we started heading back down the road afterward, passersby kept calling out to us here and there. The majority of them were definitely southerners, but about twenty percent or so were westerners. As for what they were saying, it was a mix of simple greetings and questions like, “When are you going to reopen the stalls?” Since easterners weren’t very talkative, they just gave silent bows or shot us urgent looks.

Regarding the incident involving Cyclaeus, the majority of the details had already been delivered throughout the post town by command of Duke Marstein Genos.

The house of Turan’s head, Cyclaeus, and the militia leader, Ciluel, had conspired with the former leading clan head of the forest’s edge, Zattsu Suun, and were alleged to have committed countless crimes. And now, they were being held awaiting a trial. Additionally, Zattsu Suun’s successor Zuuro Suun had ordered dozens of his relatives to plunder the fruits of Morga, and was being held in Genos Castle for his crimes. The spread of that news had done quite a bit to clear away the disquieting air lingering about the post town.

It was now clear that Count Turan had been the one to protect any people of the forest’s edge—or rather any members of the Suun clan—who had committed wrongdoing around town. But in the future, if a person of the forest’s edge committed a crime, that fact wouldn’t be unjustly swept under the rug. The last of the criminals, Zuuro Suun, would also soon be judged. And since that news was delivered under the name of Duke Genos, it must have made for quite a shock for the townsfolk. Then perhaps if news of the conciliatory dinner party between Duke Genos and the leading clan heads of the forest’s edge also got out, in addition to being even more of a shock, it could show the fact that both sides were trying to put aside past grudges and form fresh bonds with one another.

“I can’t help but be more than a little displeased at you getting dragged out again as a result, though...” Ai Fa whispered into my ears as she held Gilulu’s reins while we walked down the road.

The leading clan heads had given their approval to Marstein’s general proposal for the dinner party and Lefreya’s accession to her father’s rank.

Currently the date and who all would attend was still being hashed out, but it had already been decided that it would be held in the castle town and that I would act as a chef. In the near future, news of those arrangements would likely be spread all throughout the land of Genos, along with the decision that Lefreya would inherit Cyclaeus’s rank.

So in all likelihood, Duke Genos is probably also trying to use the dinner party to divert the populace’s attention.

Lefreya’s accession was the one point discussed that would earn him antagonism from his people.

Cyclaeus’s daughter had once kidnapped Asuta of the forest’s edge, but now her crimes were being pardoned and she was being granted her father’s rank. Even with the explanation that it was being done to take the rank of count away from Cyclaeus, who had committed far worse crimes, it still seemed like an order that was sure to strengthen animosity toward nobles.

But the sensational news that Duke Genos would eat giba meat could help stifle that bad impression.

I couldn’t help but think that way, and Gazraan Rutim had apparently arrived separately at the same conclusion. Thanks to that, we brought it up with the leading clan heads, and they decided to accept Marstein’s proposal.

The three leading clan heads seemed like they were pretty much thinking, “Let’s see what you’ve got.” Just how would the lord of their land, Duke Marstein Genos, bring the situation under control? Perhaps they were using this as a test, silently keeping an eye out to see whether the people of the forest’s edge should continue offering up their swords in service of that graceful yet jovial noble.

“Well, it’s not like Duke Genos would go stabbing us in the back at this point. If he did, he’d be declaring to all of Genos that he’s even worse than Cyclaeus,” I replied, but the displeased expression didn’t vanish from Ai Fa’s face.

“Hmm... But I don’t like how the dinner is being held in the castle town. If he sincerely wishes to eat giba meat, then shouldn’t he bring himself here to the settlement at the forest’s edge?”

“Yeah, but, well, we’re talking about a noble here, so there’s no helping that.”

It seemed downright impossible to imagine the lord of such a large town venturing out to a dangerous place like the settlement at the forest’s edge, where giba prowled about. Plus, I had also heard that the Genos side would be preparing a chef for the dinner party too.

It was a chance for the nobles of Genos and the people of the forest’s edge to share their cuisine and open up to one another, deepening their friendships. That was the crux of Marstein’s proposal. And we couldn’t exactly go summoning a chef from the castle town out here and make them cook on nothing but a stone stove. There was no way they’d be able to show their full skill like that.

“At any rate, it’s a point of pride to be invited to man the stove for such an important dinner party, right?” I threw out there, only for Ai Fa to lean in close with a scary face.

“It is, but I still don’t like it.”

Honestly, I was feeling much the same.

However, this was a critical turning point for forging a bond between Genos and the people of the forest’s edge. And I really did feel unabashedly proud to have been chosen to cook for the event. Thanks to that, I intended to give the task my absolute all.

“Now then, what should we go with?”

In the early afternoon on the same day, the hunters had headed out to the forest while I was getting in my cooking practice.

Currently Reina, Sheera, and Rimee Ruu were all gathered in the kitchen.

At the Ruu settlement, three women were assigned to the work in the post town while the others stayed behind to take care of their daily chores. But with us taking a break from working the stalls, it was decided that the three of them could use the free time they now had in the afternoon for cooking practice.

As they would continue working in the post town from here on out, Reina and Sheera Ruu were the fixed members of this group, while the other sisters of the main house took turns in the remaining spot depending on the day.

And starting today, we were to begin specifically preparing for the dinner party.

“You have to prepare a lot of different dishes for a dinner party, don’t you?” Reina Ruu said, tilting her head adorably as she mulled it over.

Apparently when nobles had a dinner party, the custom was for there to always be a multi-course meal served. You started with the appetizer and soup, followed by a fuwano dish, vegetable dish, and meat dish, and then ended with a dessert. And so, we would need to prepare six dishes in total.

“Well, there’s no need to stick to the customs of the castle town. Just make sure to use giba for the meat dish. Everything else, you can do as you please,” Kamyua Yoshu had instructed us, but there was also no reason to go against those customs either. Marstein had proposed the idea in order to deepen the friendship between our groups, and I wanted to make a sincere effort to respond to his request.

“At any rate, what’s key here is the meat dish using giba. I was thinking of locking that down first and then deciding on the rest of the lineup,” I said, my gaze falling to the wooden plate atop the work station.

There was a white powder piled high atop the plate, and it wasn’t either fuwano or poitan. No, it was a new ingredient that I had developed over these past several days.

“And if possible I’d like to use this too, but what do you think? The people of the forest’s edge have had a favorable reception of the giba cutlets, and the nobles seemed to like my fried kimyuus, so if I can make something comparable with this new ingredient, how about making that the main dish?”

“A dish comparable to giba cutlets?” Reina Ruu stated, her eyes narrowing as she looked spellbound. “If you can create a dish like that so easily, I think I’ll be feeling the gulf between your skill and mine quite keenly.” Despite her words, Reina Ruu had broken out in an incredibly joyful smile.

And next to her, Rimee Ruu was poking at the powder atop the plate. “So this powder’s made from chatchi, right? How in the world did you get it like this?”

“Well, this is what you end up with when you dry out a broth made from chatchi.”

First I had to finely dice up the potato-like chatchi, then wrap it in a thin cloth and submerge it in a pot filled with water. Next, I carefully rubbed it to extract a chatchi broth. After leaving the broth to sit for a while, a starch-like substance settled at the bottom. Once that was done, I separated it into several portions and removed the clear layer of liquid that rose to the top, and finally I took the remaining residue and let it dry out.

If chatchi really were built the same as potatoes, the ingredient I had made would be akin to potato starch. Now that I had encountered fuwano flour, which was closer to wheat flour than poitan was, I really did want a suitable substitute for potato starch too.

“I figure if I use this I can make a fried dish that’s lighter on the oil than giba cutlets. So how about we try that out first?”

I had gone through the effort of figuring out how to prepare this chatchi starch for the sole purpose of trying to make something like tatsuta age, where you deep-fried meat that was breaded with potato starch rather than wheat flour.

Of course, there were a multitude of other uses for potato starch besides fried foods. But since the people of the forest’s edge were even fonder of fried dishes than I had ever expected, I wanted to expand the number of variations I could offer on the idea.

Tatsuta age didn’t need any egg and could be made with the coating somewhat on the thin side, so I figured it would be at least a bit healthier than the giba cutlets. Plus, it would be pretty difficult for clans that weren’t quite as well off as the Ruu to get a hold of new ingredients like fuwano or eggs. And so I figured this dish would be easy to introduce for folks in that situation.

“For the time being, let’s try making a sample to test out. Reina Ruu, could I have you heat up some giba lard?”

“Right, understood.”

“I already let the meat marinate while we were chopping wood. The marinade was made with myamuu, fruit wine, and tau oil, and I let it sit for around the same amount of time as the myamuu giba. I also rubbed salt and pico leaves into it before letting it soak, so now I just have to sprinkle chatchi starch over it and fry it up the same as the giba cutlets.”

“I see. In that case, you can adjust the flavor by changing the ingredients in the marinade and how long you let it soak, right?”

“Right. It’s the same as the myamuu giba on that front,” I replied, stealing a peek over at Sheera Ruu’s expression.

Ever since Darmu Ruu had returned, Sheera Ruu had started looking depressed an awful lot of the time, but unsurprisingly her expression remained resolute while practicing cooking.

“Hey Asuta, can I still not help with frying?” Rimee Ruu asked as Reina Ruu heated up the lard. I just couldn’t bring myself to let an eight-year-old child like her help with something as dangerous as cooking fried foods.

“Well, to be honest I’d probably feel a lot more comfortable trusting you with it than Vina or Lala Ruu, but still... When you heat it up, oil gets really dangerous. If any splashes up and lands on you, it could leave behind a scar that will never go away.”

“I see...” Rimee Ruu replied, sadly staring at the ground. Just like with Tara, it made for a real heartrending expression.

“What’s the matter? Right now I can only have Reina and Sheera Ruu assist with fried foods, and maybe Mia Lea Ruu at most. I don’t think it’s anything for you to worry yourself over.”

“Yeah... But you still can’t bring me along, right...?”

“Huh? Do you mean to the dinner party in the castle town?”

“Yeah. Reina and Sheera Ruu are going to help you out, aren’t they?”

It still hadn’t been determined just how many people would be attending the dinner party. But the leading clan heads of the forest’s edge had decided their party would include six participants, and the noble side wouldn’t have less than that, so we would certainly have to prepare enough food for more than a dozen at the very least.

Since the noble side would also be preparing food, we would only need to prepare half as much for each person, but since we were talking six different courses it would still be quite a lot. Thanks to that, we decided Reina and Sheera Ruu would also come along as assistants, and depending on the circumstances we were also ready to bring on additional hands.

“Hmm, I’m not sure... They would be just about the best I could hope for in terms of cooking skills, but we’re talking about the castle town here...”

“The bad nobles were all arrested though, weren’t they? And Papa Donda and everyone are heading to the castle town to make up with the people there, aren’t they?”

“Rimee, dad will be the one to decide who’s going, so you shouldn’t bother Asuta like that,” Reina Ruu chimed in.

“Right...” Rimee Ruu answered, hanging her head again.

It was certainly true enough that this was no place for me to go carelessly interjecting. And so, I picked up the giba sirloin now coated in white chatchi starch and shot Rimee Ruu a smile.

“Why don’t you try talking to Donda Ruu when he gets back? You can wait till you hear what he has to say before getting all down, right?”

“Yeah,” Rimee Ruu said with a grin, seemingly trying to pick herself up too.

After seeing that innocent smile, I turned my attention to the pot.

“Now then, how is the lard looking?”

“I think it should be just about ready,” Reina Ruu replied, pointing toward the wooden skewer in the lard. Sure enough, the right size of bubbles were now springing up around the skewer’s tip.

Reina Ruu also went ahead and tossed just a pinch of chatchi starch into the lard. If it dropped to the bottom, that would mean the lard was at a medium temperature, while it would be at a high temperature instead if it floated. And with a crackle, the chatchi starch soon popped up to the top.

Since nothing unexpected had occurred as a result of using chatchi rather than potatoes, I went ahead and breathed a sigh of relief.

“All right, looks like I can leave this up to you. Make sure to be careful though, okay?”

“Of course,” Reina Ruu said with a nervous look as she accepted the giba meat. Since there weren’t that many opportunities to prepare fried food, I wanted to let Reina and Sheera Ruu have the experience whenever possible.

Reina Ruu gently added the giba meat into the pot, taking care so that the oil wouldn’t splatter up. Instantly there was a nice, lively crackling sound, and Rimee Ruu’s eyes sparkled as she went “Ooh!” from a short distance away, where she had retreated.

A few minutes later, the coating turned a golden brown, completing the dish. And as Reina Ruu lifted it up with grigee chopsticks, her eyes went wide. “Huh? The coating looks like it’s expanded a bit. Did I mess up somehow?”

“No, the chatchi starch just absorbed some oil and air. I believe that should give it a different texture than the giba cutlets.”

In actuality, I couldn’t really say whether cutlets or tatsuta age were healthier. On top of that, I had no way of knowing whether or not such oil intake was good or bad for the people of the forest’s edge.

However, way back when I made the hamburger steak, Gazraan Rutim said that they would be the ones to determine their own path. And if anyone indulged in the taste to the point of harming their health, then that was their own fault.

I didn’t want to lean too heavily on those words, but I also couldn’t hold back my desire to bring the people of the forest’s edge joy through all sorts of dishes. Was my cooking medicine or a poison? Though I would keep being cautious with that question in mind, I still wanted everyone to eat the food I made. And ever since I heard of how Cyclaeus made himself sick through his luxurious dining, those feelings had only grown stronger in me.

“Now then, the excess oil should have mostly dripped off by now, right?”

Using the chopsticks, I moved the fried meat over to my cutting board and chopped it into four equal parts.

There didn’t seem to be any issues with how it had been cooked through, as the meat was a beautiful ivory-white.

“All right, now how about we give it a taste test?”

“Yay!” Rimee Ruu excitedly proclaimed, snatching up a piece of tatsuta age before anyone else. Without delay, she tossed it into her mouth and chewed it a bit... And then her little face melted into a smile. Yup, she looked absolutely enraptured.

Reina and Sheera Ruu were both looking pretty happy too. Sheera Ruu in particular had placed a hand to one cheek and let out a childish “Mmm!” which was shockingly adorable.

“This is really delicious... I think I may like it even better than giba cutlets.”

“I would say they’re both equally tasty.”

“Umm, umm... I like them both the same too!”

Apparently all three of them approved of it at least as much as the giba cutlets.

And as I let the joy from their smiles wash over me, I also went ahead and brought my portion to my mouth.

Unlike the crunchiness of the cutlet coating, this one had a more crisp texture. And underneath that thin crust was the texture of the giba meat, filled with unbelievably delicious flavor.

The lard had only amplified the taste of the meat further, and it spread throughout my mouth alongside the flavor of the myamuu and fruit wine in perfect harmony. Despite the fact that they were both fried dishes, this really was a completely different taste than the giba cutlets.

Personally, I had no complaints about how it had turned out. Once I fine-tuned the seasonings and carefully examined the best cut of meat to use and how to shape it, I couldn’t see having any issues offering it up at any occasion.

“All right, I guess let’s settle on this as the main dish,” I declared, and everyone nodded back with a grin.

4

Several hours had passed now since our visitors had arrived at the Ruu settlement.

We had finished taste-testing the tatsuta age and briefly discussed what would be good for the other dishes, so we were about to get started preparing tonight’s dinner. But that was when we received some news in the kitchen.

“Hey Jeeda. What’s up?”

The first one to arrive was Jeeda. Shockingly, he had been staying in the Ruu settlement for five days now, and had been helping Ryada Ruu and everyone with guard duty.

“Kamyua Yoshu’s group is here again. He said they want to talk to you Asuta, but will you see them?”

“Kamyua? Of course. Actually, I’m surprised he didn’t just come barging on in...”

“Well, he’s brought some troublesome guests along with him. If you won’t see them, they’ll turn around and leave, but they want to hear your answer first,” Jeeda calmly and expressionlessly stated. However, his yellow eyes flickered with restless energy. “He’s accompanied by Cyclaeus’s daughter and her servant from Sym. Apparently Kamyua Yoshu got the lord of Genos’s permission to bring them here to this settlement. Will you see them?”

Naturally, I replied in utter shock, “H-He brought along Lefreya and Sanjura? Kamyua did? But why?”

“I’ve got no idea. If you want to know why, then ask the man himself.”

If he went so far as to get Marstein’s approval, then I really didn’t have any choice but to meet with them. Still, Kamyua Yoshu and Lefreya really made for a difficult pair to picture together.

“We can’t exactly go turning them away without hearing what they have to say. Reina Ruu, I’m stepping out for a bit, so take care of things here, all right?”

“Right. Take care, Asuta,” Reina Ruu replied with a nod and a concerned look, and then I exited the kitchen along with Jeeda.

“That guy from Sym doesn’t have a blade. So as long as Kamyua Yoshu doesn’t betray us, there’s nothing to worry about,” Jeeda said as we walked along.

Jeeda was still just fourteen, but he was ten centimeters shorter than I was. And his shoulder that had been fractured by Sanjura must not have healed completely just yet. But in spite of all that, he apparently had just as much strength as the hunters of the forest’s edge stored up in his small frame.

“Huh? Ai Fa?”

After we advanced a bit, I spied my clan head standing in front of the main building of the house. She had been tying Gilulu’s reins to a tree branch, and now she stared back at me with a steady light in her blue eyes.

“I finished up my giba hunting and returned a moment ago... And it seems I arrived just in time.”

“So you’re back too, huh? In that case, we’re even more secure than I thought,” Jeeda stated.

Ai Fa replied “Indeed,” with a firm nod.

And as we continued further on, we soon found a number of men already gathered at the far edge of the Ruu settlement’s plaza. Ryada Ruu and Mida were both there, as were a number of boys under the age of thirteen who weren’t yet qualified to be hunters.

Standing off against them was quite the imposing group. There were three soldiers clad in white armor, Kamyua Yoshu, and two figures hidden under hooded cloaks, one large and one small. They must have been Lefreya and Sanjura. And outside of the plaza, I could see the boxed carriage they had apparently ridden here in and the totos that pulled it.

“Hey there Asuta. Sorry for the surprise, but just like I had Jeeda tell you, I brought them here with Duke Genos’s approval. If you don’t mind, could you take a bit of time to hear what they have to say?” Kamyua Yoshu asked with a relaxed grin. That smile grew a bit strained in the face of Ai Fa and Jeeda keeping an extremely close watch on him, though. “Let me just say, I’m only here as a bodyguard at Duke Genos’s request. They’re standing here of their own will, and I had nothing to do with it whatsoever.”

I gave a nod, and then with Ai Fa’s permission I moved over toward them.

And then, the larger figure somewhat awkwardly pulled down his hood.

“It has been some time, Asuta. You have my thanks, for agreeing to talk, to us...”

This was my first time seeing Sanjura in roughly half a month.

His hair was long and a pale chestnut color, while his eyes were reddish brown. And though his skin was dark, he was ultimately a westerner with the appearance of an easterner. And that gentle smile of his hadn’t changed at all...

“I had heard the servants of Count Turan’s house were all moved elsewhere, so how is it that you are able to openly remain at your mistress’s side?” Ai Fa harshly questioned, but Sanjura kept the same gentle grin as he turned her way.

“I am not a servant, of Count Turan’s house. Cyclaeus may have hired me with coins, but I am a wanderer, with no home. I have paid for my crimes, and am now a free man.”

“That may be so, but after your treachery I cannot accept the idea of someone like you staying near your mistress.”

Ultimately, it was Kamyua Yoshu who replied to Ai Fa’s doubts.

“Duke Genos had also weighed in on that matter and decided to permit it. Actually, his thinking was that since he was already a free man, it felt safer to keep him under watch rather than releasing him to the winds, so he was given special permission to stay with Lady Lefreya.”

“But that’s...”

“Well, it seems like this man is quite skilled with a blade, so we’re looking into the various places he traveled to under Cyclaeus’s command. As part of that, Melfried dug deep into his background, but there wasn’t any proof that Sanjura here was a criminal. And so we didn’t have any reason to hold him longer, which actually makes the opportunity to keep him around where we can see him real convenient.”

Had Duke Genos also heard that Cyclaeus’s blood might also flow through Sanjura’s veins?

At any rate, I could see the logic behind wanting to keep him under watch instead of setting him loose. So, though Ai Fa was looking real displeased as she held her tongue, I decided to start talking with Sanjura.

“It really has been a while, hasn’t it? Still, what business could you have with us at this point?”

“I am nothing but, an escort. Lefreya is the one, who wants to talk.”

With that, the smaller figure’s slender fingers reached up and pulled back her hood.

She had chestnut-brown hair just like Sanjura’s which reached down to around her chest, reddish-brown eyes with a firm light in them, and a dainty figure. Yup, that was the only official child of Count Cyclaeus Turan, Lefreya.

Her skin was an ivory color that looked untouched by the sun, her facial features were all distinct, and she wore the same tough expression and haughty gaze that I remembered. She didn’t have on any accessories, and the white dress she wore under her cloak wasn’t especially showy, but it still felt incredibly out of place to see this young girl who was so clearly a noble standing here in the settlement at the forest’s edge.

“Asuta of the Fa clan, I have come all the way to a place such as this because I have a request I wish to make of you,” Lefreya stated in a high-pitched tone with a slight lisp.

Instantly, Ai Fa interjected, “Hey,” with a light glaring in her eyes. “You certainly are acting high and mighty, considering you haven’t even apologized yet. You did some truly despicable things when you had Asuta kidnapped, young noble girl.”

“You are the woman from the forest’s edge who came to retrieve Asuta, claiming to be the daughter of a merchant group’s leader, aren’t you? I believe your name was Ai Fa of the Fa clan, correct?” Lefreya asked, shooting Ai Fa a look like she found this all quite bothersome. “I have already been judged for my crimes. The fact that my six months of confinement were shortened to just a few days was not by my will. And yet you still seek an apology despite the fact that I have already atoned?”

“You didn’t utter even a single word of apology to Asuta on that night. How crass of you, to come here as if you don’t feel regret for your actions.”

“Hmm? If you say we cannot talk until I have apologized for my rudeness, then I shall do so as many times as it takes,” Lefreya stated, bringing together her hands in front of her chest and bowing her head to me. “Asuta of the Fa clan, I failed to listen to your wishes to return home, and robbed you of your freedom for my own callous reasons. I beg your forgiveness for the countless discourtesies I have shown you. Now, was that enough to satisfy you?”

With an even more dangerous glare in her eyes, Ai Fa frowned.

And then, letting out a little “Hmph,” Lefreya brushed away her long hair that had fallen in front of her face.

Her one and only family member, her father, had been arrested for his crimes and was awaiting trial. Just what must she be feeling over that harsh reality? At the very least, I certainly couldn’t tell at all from her actions.

“We must return by the fifth hour. There is no time to spare, so allow me to get to the matter at hand... Asuta of the Fa clan, you were invited to act as a chef for the dinner party proposed by Duke Genos, correct?”

“Yup, that’s right,” I replied, wondering all the while if it was okay to be speaking so casually to someone who would soon be a countess.

Being more than a head shorter than me, Lefreya glared up at my face.

“I have also been invited to that dinner party. Actually, I should say that it is to be held at my manor.”

“Huh? Is that true, Kamyua?” I asked.

The aloof bodyguard replied, “Yeah,” with a nod. “Duke Genos’s goal is to patch things up with the people of the forest’s edge. With that in mind, he believes it best to have Lady Lefreya also attend, as you have a troubled past with her.”

“I mean, maybe we do, but still... It’s being held at the Turan manor?”

“Right. It requires all sorts of complex preparations and formalities to invite anyone who isn’t a noble to the castle of Genos, so apparently that led to the current decision. His thinking seems to be that if the house of Turan twisted the bonds between you, then their home is the perfect place for reconciliation. Perhaps fortunately, from what I’m told, the Turan manor’s kitchens are every bit as fine as the ones in the castle.”

Well, if the guards working for the house of Turan were all cleaned out and members of the ducal guard kept watch instead, then the location didn’t really matter. And if that was what Marstein decided, then we had no choice but to go along with it.

“When I heard about this event, a single thought came to me... Asuta of the Fa clan, would it be possible to allow my father to also partake in that food?”

“Huh?!” I shouted in shock, unable to restrain my voice.

Ai Fa, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes in astonishment.

“Wh-What are you talking about? You couldn’t possibly be asking to have your father attend the dinner party, are you?”

“Of course not. Unlike myself, my father is awaiting trial. There is no way such a man could ever be invited to an event of this kind.”

“Th-Then what are you...?”

“My father has sought to consume every dish imaginable in this world. That was precisely why he purchased so many ingredients from Sym and Jagar and summoned a great many chefs to serve him,” Lefreya stated, not showing the slightest hint of guilt or shame. “But I do not believe he has ever eaten cooking from overseas. His trial is sure to result in a sentence of either death or confinement for life, so this is the final chance for him to eat your cooking. As his daughter, it is only natural that I wish to grant him this final parting gift, is it not...?”

“You can wish for whatever you please, but I cannot see a single reason for us to fulfill that request,” Ai Fa replied in a low voice.

With an irritated look, Lefreya turned her way.

“I’m talking to Asuta of the Fa clan, you know. Or do I need to obtain your permission first as his clan head in order to make a request of him?”

“That’s right. And I would say you need the permission of the leading clan heads of the forest’s edge before you talk to me,” Ai Fa replied in an unsparing tone. “Cyclaeus, his younger brother Ciluel, and the former leading clan head Zattsu Suun had committed countless crimes over the course of many years. In order to amass power and fortune, they took the lives of a great many innocents. I cannot imagine it proper to show mercy to such criminals.”

“But his trial has yet to begin, correct? He may be a criminal, but the weight of his crimes has not been measured. That is why I believe this to be his final chance,” Lefreya responded, her voice starting to sound unusually calm. “Once he is judged, even if he manages to avoid death, he will spend the rest of his life imprisoned and eating nothing but crude meals. To someone who had no interest in anything but gourmet cooking such as my father, that would be no different than a death sentence. So before it is firmly established that my father is in fact a criminal, I wish to give him something akin to a final meal.”

None of us had any response to that.

“Of course, in the current state of affairs, I am not free to handle so much as a single coin as I please. As such, I cannot offer you fitting payment. However...” Lefreya paused, her gaze turning toward the member of the ducal guard standing at her side. “Could I ask to borrow that dagger at your hip?”

The armored man’s expression didn’t so much as twitch.

Scratching his blond head, Kamyua Yoshu approached from the other side.

“If you just want a dagger, then I can loan you one. But I can’t let you go and commit suicide, so if you make any strange moves, I may have to get a little rough in holding you down, all right?”

“That is acceptable. I have no intention of doing anything so foolish, after all.”

Kamyua Yoshu nodded, and then pulled a knife out of the inside of his cloak like magic. Then, as he held the blade in his hand he turned toward Sanjura.

“Sorry, but could I have you move a bit further away?”

“I am powerless. There is no strength left in me, to do anything...”

“Well, the fact that you can move naturally only a few days after a whipping is enough by itself to make you look plenty threatening to me. Your ally who got the same punishment is writhing around atop a bed, unable to so much as sleep, right?” Kamyua Yoshu said with a wicked grin, dangling the knife. “Nothing’s more frightening than an injured beast. I may not be a hunter, but even I know that much. And I don’t want to stain the settlement at the forest’s edge with a criminal’s blood, so please move just a little bit away from your mistress.”

Still wearing the same faint smile, Sanjura stared at Lefreya.

She gave a small nod, and it was only then that he finally retreated. Without a moment’s delay, two of the soldiers grabbed hold of his arms.

“Yup, that’s about the level of caution that feels necessary. Well then, Lady Lefreya, here’s the dagger.”

With that, Lefreya silently accepted the blade, handing just the leather sheath back to Kamyua Yoshu.

“That certainly took a while... At any rate, since I cannot offer payment, I instead offer this up in its place.”

Lefreya held the knife in an underhand grip, and then before anyone could stop her...she roughly chopped off her long chestnut-colored hair that had come down to her chest, leaving it only neck-length.

That long hair that had been so tenderly cared for gave off a golden shine in the sunlight as it scattered throughout the settlement at the forest’s edge.

“I no longer have any power whatsoever. As Duke Genos ordered, I have no choice but to live out my life as a mere wooden puppet. Well, I idly accepted the life given to me by my father, so it is only natural that everything would be taken from me alongside his fall,” Lefreya dauntlessly stated, her now loose and disheveled hair in plain view. “If I am told to be a nun then a nun I shall be, and if I am told to marry some noble and have an heir, then I shall obey. I can also swear to never again bring harm to you people of the forest’s edge, but it is not as if I have the power left to do so to begin with. With all that being true, can you grant me this one final request?”

“You really want to have your dad eat my cooking that badly?”

“Correct.”

With her gaze still fixed on me, she held out her right hand to the side, still gripping the knife. Kamyua Yoshu then took it from her and solemnly placed it back in its sheath.

“Duke Genos said that he leaves everything regarding this matter up to Asuta and the leading clan heads of the forest’s edge. But he also said there is no need to show kindness to Cyclaeus, who deceived your people over the course of a great many years, and Lady Lefreya, who abducted you, Asuta.”

I turned to face Kamyua Yoshu.

He didn’t look to be especially worked up, and was just shooting me his usual aloof grin.

“However, Cyclaeus is growing weaker day by day, and it’s all he can do to force down the medicine he needs to hold back his illness. From what I’m told, he hasn’t had the willpower to eat any proper food. At this rate it doesn’t seem he’ll last until the trial, so it would be fortunate if your cooking could grant him at least a little bit of nourishment... That’s the only real positive I can see here, but the choice is ultimately yours.”

“I see...”

Right now, there were all sorts of thoughts and feelings all jumbled together inside of me. No one word could sum up what I felt toward Lefreya or Cyclaeus.

Naturally, those emotions included anger and animosity. However, I found myself feeling just as much dreary, empty sadness over the question of why they chose the path they did, instead of living lives filled with hope and compassion.

Perhaps fortunately, though, this was no decision for me to be making on my own. And so as I pushed down those emotions whirling inside of me to the depths of my guts, I turned back toward Lefreya with my face schooled to be as calm as I could manage.

“I’ll discuss it with the leading clan heads of the forest’s edge, as well as my own clan head, Ai Fa. If none of them object, then I’ll go ahead and cook for your father... That’s all I can tell you for now.”

“I see...” Lefreya replied, closing her eyes and clasping her hands together in front of her chest again. “I shall pray that you hear my request... Thank you, Asuta of the Fa clan.”

◇

From there, the days continued rolling along.

Cyclaeus still hadn’t recovered from his illness, Ciluel was maintaining his silence, and we still had no clues as to the whereabouts of their hired goons. Time just kept slipping by, with no dramatic changes in sight. And during that period, the details of the dinner party were fleshed out.

The date would be the thirtieth of the white month.

The place, Count Turan’s manor.

And the number of participants would be thirteen. From the forest’s edge that included Donda Ruu, Gulaf Zaza, Dari Sauti, Gazraan Rutim, and the Fou and Beim clan heads. The castle town’s side included Marstein, Melfried, Lefreya, the Turan house’s guardian, and one representative each for the Saturas and Daleim houses, the latter of whom would apparently be the second son, Polarth. And then finally Welhide from the ducal house of Banarm as a witness.

I would be working the kitchen alongside Reina, Sheera, and Rimee Ruu, and then Ai Fa, Ludo and Darmu Ruu, and Rau Lea would accompany us as bodyguards. It went without saying that those results left Rimee Ruu shouting with joy, while Dan Rutim let loose an anguished roar. As far as the Rutim clan head went, since it wasn’t an emergency situation, customs stated either he or his heir would have to remain home, which led to Donda Ruu’s decision.

And in the aftermath I was set to present a modest dinner to Cyclaeus, in an unofficial event behind the scenes that had the approval of both Duke Marstein Genos and the leading clan heads of the forest’s edge. There was a good bit of confusion from the leading clan heads over the matter, but in the end they decided to accept it since it wouldn’t cause any harm.

What ultimately decided it was likely when Donda Ruu said, “We need Cyclaeus alive in order for that other criminal Ciluel to face proper judgment. And it’s just plain childish to say we won’t feed Cyclaeus or his daughter our people’s cooking because we don’t like them, isn’t it?”

Gulaf Zaza had remained firmly opposed throughout, but at that he held his tongue. And naturally, I had no objections to begin with. More importantly, Donda Ruu calling my food “our people’s cooking” had me secretly trembling with pride.

Once the leading clan heads delivered their reply to the castle town, the nobles sent back further details regarding the dinner party in return. And the one to act as the messenger was, unsurprisingly, Kamyua Yoshu.

“I heard that Asuta wants to work in the small kitchen in the Turan manor that he’s already thoroughly acquainted with, but we would like you to report in advance how much of any ingredients that spoil easily that you’ll need, like karon milk or kimyuus eggs.”

“Right, understood.”

“And the cook from the Genos side will apparently be the man who previously served as the assistant head chef at the Turan manor. Is he someone you have some sort of ties to, Asuta?”

“The assistant head chef...? Ah, he’s probably the one who was also preparing dinners in a separate kitchen while I was being confined in the manor. Lefreya served my cooking and his to her guests and had them compare the tastes.”

“I see! Apparently the man was passionately requesting that he be allowed to cook for the dinner party. If that’s what was happening, then I can certainly understand why.”

“He passionately requested it? Does he have some sort of hostility or something against me or the people of the forest’s edge?”

I didn’t really know the fine details, but from what I was told when they did the comparisons, everyone always decided my dishes were tastier. But even looking at it from his point of view, that didn’t seem like something to get so furious over.

“It’s probably more a pure sense of rivalry as a chef rather than hostility. Though the chefs working there did so in search of fame and fortune, it’s not as if they swore loyalty to Cyclaeus or anything, so I don’t really think you have anything to worry about. Even now that he’s vacated that job, he just returned to the previous restaurant he worked at.”

From what I was told, the house of Turan was already in the midst of a huge reformation thanks to the skills of Lefreya’s new guardian. I had no way of knowing their precise background, but apparently despite being from a branch of the Turan bloodline, they had been quietly living out their life in a corner of the Turan land after being ostracized by Cyclaeus.

At Marstein and the guardian’s command, the militia was naturally disbanded, the chefs and servants were all sent to work at different locations, and currently only people with no ties to Cyclaeus were working at the manor. The only ones permitted to approach Cyclaeus were members of the ducal guard and the doctors treating him, and Sanjura was the only person allowed to stay by Lefreya’s side.

What in the world happened to Roy and Chiffon Chel, I wonder?

I tried asking Kamyua Yoshu about the latter’s current whereabouts, but his reply was, “I have no clue. Actually, are you talking about someone from Mahyudra? Apparently, Cyclaeus was insisting I came up with my plot in order to save his northerner slaves. It would be a real issue if other nobles got such ridiculous thoughts in their heads, so I’ve been taking extra care to keep my distance from such matters.”

“Do you hate Mahyudra, Kamyua...?” I asked without thinking.

“Of course not,” the man chuckled back. “I’ve obviously got some anger toward the folks who persecuted my mother, but don’t go thinking that means I hate Mahyudra itself or everyone from there. And if you had to ask who’s responsible, then I guess I’d ultimately have to be upset with my parents for getting together with someone from an enemy nation despite knowing the treatment that would result.”

But Kamyua Yoshu decided to keep on living a carefree life without hating anybody in the end, huh?

Naturally, I had no way of reading the truth hiding behind his grin like a Cheshire cat’s.

At any rate, the days passed by, and all the while we continued solemnly experimenting on our cooking for the dinner party.

This would be the first time those nobles would eat any giba cooking, so there was no need to come up with novel new dishes. But all of the food wouldn’t be presented at once, but rather one dish at a time, which created a need to carefully plan out each of them.

And so those days were difficult yet joyful ones, spent adapting old dishes and trying out completely new ones. After all, I intended to work my hardest on creating a meal that both the leading clan heads of the forest’s edge and the nobles of Genos would find delicious.

Then in the midst of all that cooking experimentation, I had a private talk with my clan head.

“Hey Ai Fa, I was thinking of preparing some hamburger steak before dinner. What do you think?”

Ai Fa had also made it back early on that day, and as her eyebrows twitched she moved her mouth in close to my ear.

“Why? You’re making that tatsuta age dish for the dinner party, aren’t you? I cannot see any need for you to make hamburger steak as well.”

“Yeah, but it’s been over twenty days by this point since you’ve had it, right? Your endurance has got to be hitting its limits.”

Apparently even at that banquet that the former main Suun house attended, Ai Fa hadn’t eaten any hamburger steak. And the only reason I could see for that was because the dish had been prepared by Sheera Ruu’s group rather than me.

As far as the main Ruu house went, they weren’t especially fond of hamburger steak. As a result, it had been pushed off till when we eventually returned to the Fa house. But at this rate, if we kept waiting till the dinner party in the castle town was over, it would ultimately end up being nearly a month that Ai Fa was unable to have the dish.

No matter how you looked at it, that was just too much to ask her to bear. And so I had made that proposal, belated as it might have been, but Ai Fa just shook her head slowly in response.

“I am not so mentally weak. Rather than paying attention to such pointless concerns, focus on carrying out your work.”

“Huh? But we still don’t even know when we’ll be able to return to the Fa house.”

“I’m telling you it’s no concern. I’m no longer so fixated on hamburger steak by this point,” Ai Fa stated, saying something that was seriously unlike her.

I was starting to worry that she was just suppressing her seething anger with her nerves of steel or something, but she wore a perfectly composed look.

“Hmm, it’s just sorta hard to believe. You love hamburger steak so much, but now you don’t really care either way?”

“That isn’t the case at all,” Ai Fa retorted, bringing her face in close again. “I simply thought that now that you’ve made me wait so long, you’ll surely prepare a fantastic dinner for our return to the Fa house. And when I think of that day, I feel excited rather than worrying. So there’s no need for you to concern yourself,” Ai Fa stated, staring back at me calmly.

It was a look that seemed to show complete and utter trust in me.

She sure did set the bar awful high there...

Honestly, the trial she set before me would probably take every bit as much of my skill as the dinner party in the castle town.

But at any rate, we ultimately ended up making it to the thirtieth of the white month after that without any noteworthy incidents to trouble us.