Chapter 3: The Rutim Banquet

1

After that, two days passed, and the twenty-sixth of the black month arrived. The day of Dan Rutim’s birthday celebration.

Entrusting the basic prep work to the Rutim women, we went to the post town to sell food, just like always. Doing that and returning to the settlement would leave us four hours until sunset, so it wouldn’t be any issue.

There was still time left till the sun would hit its peak, but Li and Yun Sudra had already shown up. From what I’d been told, now that they could purchase ingredients for the Sudra clan before they headed home, that gave them a bit of extra leeway in terms of work around the house.

Well, it made sense that it would take a good bit of effort, buying ingredients for a family of nine without a wagon. The folks in the main Ruu house used to visit the post town once every three days, so it must have been similar for the Sudra clan. That was also why Donda Ruu went and bought a new totos and a wagon for those under him.

I’d really like to come up with some sort of excuse to buy a totos-pulled wagon for the Fou, the Ran, and everyone else in our part of the forest to use, honestly.

At any rate, business seemed to be going smoothly again today.

However...

“Seems like you’re getting pretty used to the job, Yun Sudra,” I called out.

When Yun Sudra froze up in response, the baked poitan she was holding fell to the ground.

“Ah! I’m so sorry!” she replied, going pale as a sheet.

“It’s fine. We always have extra, after all. I should be the one saying sorry for calling out to you so suddenly.”

“No, this is all because I was careless!” Yun Sudra lamented as she scooped up the fallen poitan, looking at me with teary eyes. “I’ll take this poitan back with me and pay you for it! I’m... I’m so sorry...”

“No, really, it’s all right. You’ve been doing well enough that it’s no problem at all writing off a mistake like that. Right, Li Sudra?”

“Yes, I agree. Still, you do seem to get careless an awful lot when Asuta is nearby, don’t you, Yun...? I won’t feel comfortable stepping down until you overcome whatever the issue is, so please try to keep that in mind.”

“Right...” Yun Sudra replied, her face now beet red. She really was an unusual sort of girl for a woman of the forest’s edge.

Meanwhile, Lala Ruu glared from the neighboring stall, perhaps acting as a representative for Ai Fa and Reina Ruu. Even without that look, I had been trying to maintain a respectful distance from Yun Sudra. After all, even a blockhead like me could notice her longing gazes and how quickly she started blushing. And perhaps thanks to that, things with her hadn’t become as awkward as they were with Ai Fa and Lem Dom yet.

As I was considering that line of thought, Mikel stopped by with Myme for the first time in several days.

“Ah, welcome. It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Myme...?”

“Yes. Thank you again for everything you did.”

Though I had seen Mikel on several occasions, it had been five days or so for Myme, since back when they visited the forest’s edge.

“I’ve been practicing all this time in the house. And, well...if it’s all right, there’s something I’d like to have you taste-test...” Once again, Myme had brought a large woven basket with her.

I could feel the anticipation welling up in my chest. “I can’t wait. I’m assuming you used giba meat?”

“I did. And I tried it with lots of ingredients my dad bought as well,” Myme responded with a bright and sunny smile. She must have been awfully confident in the dish.

“All right, let’s head over to the wagon again. Ah, sorry, Toor Deen, but could I ask you to take charge of the stall for a moment?”

“Of course. But...” Toor Deen muttered, hanging her head a bit but then looking back up resolutely. And her gaze wasn’t fixed on me, but rather Myme. “Um... Could I give that dish a taste test as well? Just a single bite would be plenty...”

“Yes, of course! The more opinions I can get, the better!” Myme replied, her eyes shining.

“Got it,” I agreed, pulling out the sample plates that hadn’t seen much use lately. “We’ll prepare a plate for each of the stalls, so we don’t go against the customs of the forest’s edge. And then we’ll give it a taste test in turns.”

I started by borrowing Sheera Ruu from the giba burger stall, and we went over to the wagon together with Myme. As the young chef placed her woven basket atop the wagon, Gilulu and Jidura stared down at her as they chewed on leaves from the tree they were tied to.

“I’m still practicing, but I think it turned out at least a bit tastier than what I made when I visited the settlement at the forest’s edge. It’s not just giba meat...tau oil and mamaria vinegar are ingredients like wild totos too.”

At that, the two massive birds stared down at her.

“Ah ha ha, I wasn’t talking about you two,” Myme chuckled, smiling up at the totos as she unwrapped the cloth and removed the lid from a container. Instantly, a fragrant aroma filled the air.

“Oh yeah, that looks really tasty.”

Inside the deep clay dish lay grilled meat and vegetables covered in a reddish sauce. The vegetables included aria, nenon, and pula, while the cut of meat was likely sirloin. This would be my first time having a grilled meat dish Myme prepared, which only raised my expectations higher.

“Please, dig in.”

Sheera Ruu and I each transferred a bite’s worth of the dish to the wooden plates I brought along.

The sweet smell from the tau oil and sugar blended with the scent of the mamaria vinegar. It undoubtedly seemed tasty, but I was also getting a sense of déjà vu somehow.

Hmm... Seems like it may be similar to the dishes I make. But, well, I guess that’s natural when we’re using the same ingredients, I thought to myself as I brought the dish to my mouth, and then I was struck by an even more shocking sense of déjà vu.

Without thinking, I turned and locked eyes with Sheera Ruu. She hadn’t been able to hide her surprise either.

“Asuta, this dish...”

“Yeah, I had the same thought.”

Simultaneously, Sheera Ruu and I turned to face Myme.

“What’s the matter? Is there some sort of issue with it?” the young chef asked, her eyes opening wide in surprise.

“No, no issues. It’s just, this dish...”

“Yes?”

“This dish tastes identical to one that I make.”

At that, Myme’s eyes opened even wider. “Really? It tastes like one of your dishes?”

“Yeah. I’ve been experimenting with a dish to sell to the inns that uses mamaria vinegar, and this tastes exactly like it.”

This was the giba in tarapa-flavored sweet and sour sauce I had prepared the first day that Lem Dom visited the Fa house... If you just decreased the amount of tarapa used, then you would have something identical.

The sweetness from the sugar and tau oil had been adjusted so that the sourness wouldn’t be too prominent. And the texture of the sauce clinging thickly to the meat and vegetables... It really was just like the second version of the sweet and sour sauce I made using tarapa, in my efforts to introduce the unfamiliar taste of vinegar to the people of the forest’s edge and the folks in the post town.

“Still, it seems to have a slightly different texture than your dish, Asuta...” Sheera Ruu stated, furrowing her brow and looking troubled. “The taste really is similar. If you told me you had made it, I would probably believe you. But the texture from this sauce seems different, don’t you think...?”

“Yeah. I’m guessing she must have used poitan to add thickness. Am I right, Myme?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Do you not use poitan, Asuta? I tried using gigo as well, but that added a bit too much stickiness, which is how I settled on poitan.”

“I see. As for me, I dry out boiled chatchi and use the starch you can extract from it. It behaves pretty similarly to fuwano.”

“Chatchi? You can make a powder like fuwano from chatchi? I’ve never heard of such a cooking technique before!”

Myme excitedly turned to face Mikel, but her father was just silently shaking his head. It honestly was no big surprise he wouldn’t know about that, since it was essentially the method used to make potato starch.

“I really can’t compete with you, Asuta!”

“Nah, it’s just a bit of knowledge from my home country. It’s no surprise folks living in Genos have never heard of it. Besides, I’m sure you’ve learned heaps of stuff I don’t know from Mikel,” I replied, setting down my plate and looking at Myme.

Once again, I felt a chill run down my spine. It was like my eyes had been opened. “Myme, you really are incredible. For you to be able to get this skilled at handling giba meat and mamaria vinegar after just five days... You really are my equal, if not better.”

“You’re overexaggerating. I’m still just...”

“Yeah, you’re still only ten years old, so I’m sure you’ll keep on improving by leaps and bounds. Still, I’m only just seventeen myself.” Before I got too worked up and lost my composure, I went on, “For as long as I can remember, all the way up to this year, I worked hard, studying how to cook under my old man. And I’m sure you’ll keep on learning all sorts of stuff from Mikel too. Our dishes may be real similar, but ultimately you’re not me, and Mikel isn’t my old man.”

“Right...”

“That’s what I figure will end up separating us. Our cooking techniques are a lot alike, and I’m sure we’ll end up aiming toward similar goals too, but even so, we’ll each use techniques and make dishes that the other couldn’t. That’s why I want to know what sorts of dishes you’ll create, and to show you what I make too.”

“Of course.”

“Taste isn’t a contest when it comes to cooking. There isn’t any need to determine a winner and a loser. But even if it’s not to see who’s better, I still want to compete with you, Myme,” I explained, and then scratched my head. “Ah, I think I got a little too passionate there, but that’s how I honestly feel. To sum it all up, let’s both give it our all to become full-fledged chefs.”

“Right, thank you.” Myme didn’t look bashful or doubtful at all. However, there was a bit of pride shining away in her eyes. “I can’t say that I fully understand your words just yet, but still...I want to have you eat my cooking and to try your dishes too.”

“Yup, and that’s plenty. Thanks, Myme.”

“That’s my line, Asuta,” the young chef replied with a bright smile.

◇

The sun hit its peak not long after, and with that, Sheera Ruu and I hurried on over to The Kimyuus’s Tail. The dish of the day was tino rolls, and after preparing them as per our contract, I went ahead and also made the giba in tarapa-flavored sweet and sour sauce I was experimenting with.

“Hmm, this is definitely easier to eat than the dish from before,” Milano Mas said with a serious look on his face. “Still, maybe it’s because it’s fried in oil, but this sweet and sour giba stuff has a pretty unique flavor to it. It’s a little difficult to figure out which one my customers would prefer.”

“That’s true. And it’s not good to go changing the menu around all the time, so how about starting out by offering it as a test dish and seeing how it’s received. I’ll take on the ingredient costs, of course.”

“Hmm...”

“And actually, I’d like to have you give this dish a try too,” I said, pointing toward a small pan atop the work station. At that, the look on Milano Mas’s face grew all the more troubled.

“You want to have me eat that one too? It’s got a real strange smell to it, so I figured you were gonna take it to The Sledgehammer.”

“Well, the plan is to have it taste tested not just there, but at The Great Southern Tree and The Westerly Wind too.”

Contained within was the giba curry I had been experimenting with.

It was still ultimately a work in progress, but it was tasting a lot closer to my ideal, so I wanted to get the opinions of folks from around the post town at this stage.

“I used a lot of herbs from Sym in this dish. Do you not like herbs, Milano Mas?”

“I can’t say I use them that often. Heck, I’ve never even tried any from Sym in the first place.”

“Well, I wanted to see if this dish would work for folks like you. So if you don’t mind, could I have you give it a try?”

“I mean, if you tell me to eat it then I will, but...”

Despite the uncertain look on his face, he had still agreed, so I placed the pan on the stove to heat it up. And in no time at all, that aroma I adored filled the kitchen.

“That’s one heck of a smell. I could see folks from Sym crying tears of joy if they sniffed it.”

If that actually happened, then all of my efforts would be worth it. Plus, as my experiments continued, the impressions I got from the women of the forest’s edge were also steadily improving. Since my initial attempt, I had started including two additional herbs. That hadn’t made for much of a change to the overall aroma, but I felt it brought the taste dramatically closer to proper curry.

The flavor had strayed a bit from what you’d expect of Japanese curry, but that got me thinking. There wasn’t anything equivalent to rice in Genos, so I had to accompany my recipe with baked poitan in place of naan instead. That being the case, why not go all-in and make it Indian-style curry?

In terms of ingredients, I added tarapa, myamuu, and ramam fruit. I used a pretty good amount of tarapa in place of tomato, and instead of garlic I had myamuu, which I only needed a pinch of. When I hit on the thought that some folks put tomato or garlic in their curry, I had decided to try them out.

Ramam was a type of fruit like an apple that Nail used to make chitt-pickles. The idea was to add a bit of mellowness to the wild flavor of the giba curry. I figured panam honey could be worth trying too, but that seemed like it would really throw off the cost-price ratio, so I shut that idea down.

At that point I did repeated trial and error with the ratio of the herbs, adjusted the amount of fuwano and milk fat used when making the roux, and so on. The taste had improved remarkably since that first day I tried making it.

“What do you think? It shouldn’t be all that spicy.” I had aimed for what I perceived to be somewhere between mild and medium spiciness.

After dipping one of the baked poitan I brought along into the freshly-heated giba curry and taking a bite, Milano Mas muttered “Hmm...” in a muffled voice. “It’s a real odd taste. Not bad, but...I just can’t seem to find the words,” he mumbled, and then he shouted toward the kitchen’s door, “Hey!”

At that, a slender girl with dark brown hair timidly peeked inside.

“Wh-What is it? Do you need something?”

“You come give this a taste too. You’re better with words than I am.”

With a shrug of her shoulders, the girl stepped in the kitchen. This was Milano Mas’s daughter, Telia Mas, and she had been manning the reception desk after cleaning the guest rooms.

Though she still hadn’t fully overcome her fear of the hunters of the forest’s edge, after several months of seeing each other face-to-face, she was now able to interact with me and the women normally. And though she was still a bit timid, that just seemed to be her nature to begin with.

“Oh, my... The smell really is overwhelming, but it’s quite tasty, isn’t it?” Telia Mas said with a faint smile. “Both the meat and the vegetables are delicious. And also...eating it is somehow making me feel hungrier.”

“Hrmm, you’re right, there. It’s like my stomach’s grumbling and demanding I hurry up and feed it.”

“That may just be the herbs from Sym at work.”

At any rate, Milano and Telia Mas didn’t seem to have outright rejected my giba curry.

What would it make me feel, if this curry aroma started drifting throughout the forest’s edge or the post town around sunset? Just the thought of it somehow got me excited.

“This is still a work in progress so it’ll be some time yet till it can be sold, but if I get it to a satisfactory level, would you consider offering it at your place?”

“Hmm, how would that work out with the other dishes? Offer three of them and alternate each day?”

“No, if at all possible, I was thinking I’d like to just prepare the base for the dish so you could cook up the meat and vegetables on your own.”

I could sauté the various spices and aria in milk fat, then knead it together with water and fuwano flour. If I could take the result, dry it out, and solidify it, it should be possible to sell it as a curry base. Or at least, that was the plan.

“You may be able to make this dish tasty with kimyuus or karon meat, but I feel it’s best suited to giba meat. Or at the very least, you can make a stronger stock that way than with skinless kimyuus or karon leg meat.”

Plus, just on a personal level, I felt like pork ribs were best suited to curry. Naturally, some folks out there preferred beef or chicken, but that all just came down to personal tastes.

“Back in my home country, this dish was an absolute staple. I’m honestly sort of looking forward to seeing just how well it’ll be accepted in the post town.”

“Hmm... Well, for now, let’s just wait until you’ve perfected it.”

Feeling heartened by that not at all negative response, I went ahead and departed from The Kimyuus’s Tail.

And so, as I held the lidded pan, I walked down the street alongside Sheera Ruu. Since the pan was on the small side, it wasn’t difficult to carry like that, but I didn’t want to bump into anyone and give them a burn, so I still needed to be careful.

“So are we going to go around to the other inns now?”

“Yeah. I’m sure Nail will be happy with it, but I’m not so sure about Naudis. After all, southerners have a strong aversion to the culture of Sym. And I’m really looking forward to seeing how The Westerly Wind’s owner will react...”

“Every time I try it, I grow more and more fond of the taste. So I think even among westerners and southerners, plenty will find it tasty,” Sheera Ruu replied with a gentle smile. “I really believe this dish is characteristic of you, Asuta. I can’t even imagine someone like that Myme girl creating it.”

“Right. As long as there isn’t something similar in Sym or the castle town already, I’d be really surprised if someone else stumbled on this combination of herbs by coincidence.”

“And that girl will use knowledge and techniques you’re unaware of to make dishes that are characteristic of her, right?” She paused. “Asuta, I honestly can’t help but feel a little vexed...”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“The people of the forest’s edge don’t possess any techniques of our own for making delicious meals. Everything that we’ve learned has come from you. I’m sure Reina Ruu and I will never be able to stand side by side with you or that girl...”

As we walked along, I turned and faced Sheera Ruu. Her expression was perfectly calm, but there was a pained look in her eyes.

I shook my head and said, “That’s not true. The people of the forest’s edge have their own unique tastes and preferences too. So you can form your own knowledge and techniques by trying the dishes Myme and I make and adjusting them to be just right for you. I have my home country’s techniques that were formed over a very long period of time and Myme learned from Mikel’s experience from the castle town, but right now is the time for the people of the forest’s edge to create your own style, right?”

“The time to create our own?”

“That’s right. Don’t you think you could create your own new sort of cuisine using what you learn from me and Myme? If you pass that knowledge to your children and your children’s children and so on, you’ll create dishes that are unique to the forest’s edge along the way.”

“That’s so grandiose it’s dizzying...” Sheera Ruu replied, placing her hands over her chest and giving a deep sigh. “I definitely need to offer my gratitude to the forest that I was on duty at the stalls today. I’ll of course tell her of everything you said, but I’m certain Reina Ruu will lament the fact that she wasn’t able to be here for this...”

“You’re seriously exaggerating there... Still, it definitely makes me glad to hear it.”

I couldn’t help but feel that today was somehow special. The twenty-sixth of the black month... I decided to make a firm note of that date. When you added the fact that it was Dan Rutim’s birthday, it really felt like an occasion to celebrate.

2

After that, the plan was to circle around to the other inns in order of distance. And that meant first up was The Great Southern Tree, which was along the main highway.

“Hrmm, so you say you made this dish with herbs from Sym?” As someone with mixed blood from the south, it was no real surprise that Naudis’s reaction to that news wasn’t especially positive.

It went without saying that Jagar and Sym were enemy nations. But as folks from Sym tended to be rather aloof by nature, they had neither a strong interest in nor aversion to the culture of Jagar, which meant they readily accepted dishes using ingredients like tau oil and sugar. But folks from Jagar tended to turn a cold shoulder toward easterners. As a richly expressive people, they absolutely couldn’t stand how aloof the people of Sym were.

And so, there was a definite tendency among southerners to shirk Sym culture in general. Even though he was officially a citizen of the west, Naudis’s father was from Jagar, and so it seemed he wouldn’t accept the idea of a dish using herbs from Sym quite so easily.

“Asuta, I really don’t think I need to remind you at this point, but...”

“The majority of your customers at The Great Southern Tree are from Jagar, right? So would serving a dish using herbs from Sym make them angry?”

“That’s right. Or more than that, I’d imagine I hardly have any customers who would order a dish from Sym in the first place. It’s just like how northern cuisine wouldn’t really be welcomed here in the west.”

“Right. But Polarth of the house of Daleim said he wants Genos to be known as a town renowned for its delicious cuisine, didn’t he? I don’t know how realistic that plan actually is, but for now, you can at least easily get ahold of ingredients that used to be only available in the castle town. And I think that’s a wonderful thing.”

It wasn’t as if I was trying to lecture Naudis or anything. I just figured I would try pointing out a different way of looking at things.

“Besides, from what I hear, they’ve been making use of tau oil and sugar over at The Sledgehammer. There aren’t many towns out there where you can find ingredients from both Sym and Jagar, so you could make even more customers happy by using that fact to create dishes unique to Genos...or at least, that’s what the owner Nail said.”

“Hrmm...”

“I’d imagine other inns frequented by easterners are probably thinking the same way too. Tau oil and sugar are easy to use to begin with, so they seem to get a lot more buyers than reten oil or mamaria vinegar.”

“That’s for sure. Tau oil and sugar are both wonderful ingredients, after all,” Naudis replied with a puff of his chest. It seemed he really did have a strong pride in his father’s homeland.

“I’m certain the quality of cooking on offer at those inns is going to improve by leaps and bounds. But that’s only natural when they have access to ingredients from Sym, Jagar, and Selva. And the owners of those inns with ties to easterners can learn from their customers how to use any unfamiliar herbs from Sym.”

“Hrmm...”

“That’s why it feels like a waste to me for someone in a position like yours to avoid ingredients from Sym. You’ve been one step ahead of other inn owners when it comes to learning how to skillfully handle ingredients from Jagar, so normally that would give you at least the same level of advantage as Nail, who’s knowledgeable when it comes to herbs.”

“Hrmm!” Naudis muttered as he pondered the matter.

Of the countless innkeepers out there, Naudis was the very first one to approach me about handling my giba cooking at his place. In addition to the foresight he possessed, I also figured he was just as dedicated a businessman as Diel’s father.

Having only been in this world for a few months now, I didn’t exactly have a firm grasp on the state of affairs in each nation or the sentiments of their citizens. But I did at least think that Naudis here could arrive at a proper path forward if he weighed his animosity toward Sym against the potential profits to be earned.

“It’s true... If the inns serving customers from Sym ended up with the best cooking in Genos, that would really get my blood boiling.”

“Yeah, I can certainly see that.”

“Sym and Jagar have been enemy nations for a long, long time. I really loved and respected my late father, so I’m not exactly fond of those easterners he saw as hated enemies. But in Selva territory, folks from Jagar and Sym are forbidden from feuding. And out of all the domains in Selva, Genos has more interaction between easterners and southerners than anywhere else, so I could certainly see it being an ideal place for inventing new sorts of dishes,” Naudis stated, nodding several times along the way. “Your words have definitely left a deep impression on me. But it’s not an issue I can give you an easy answer on... For now, though, could I try that dish using those herbs from Sym?”

“Thanks, of course I’d love for you to have some.”

And so for the second time, I heated up the pan. I had just heated it a little while ago at The Kimyuus’s Tail, so it didn’t take long for it to get hot.

The powerful aroma that soon arose caused Naudis’s face to wrinkle up even more than Milano Mas’s...but when he took a bite, his eyes lit up.

“This is delicious...”

“Really? The owner of The Kimyuus’s Tail called it an odd taste.”

“It’s incredibly good. I can’t help but acknowledge that fact.”

“Thank you. Still, it feels like it’s lacking something or other, so I was thinking I’d try adding tau oil and sugar.”

“I see. Then it would be a dish that openly embraced ingredients from the west, south, and east all at once.” At that, Naudis crossed his arms and thought. “Hmm...! Asuta, I predict that this dish will end up as something incredible. And if you intend to sell it to other inns, that’s not something I can just overlook.”

“I’m honored to hear you say that.”

“Jagar has more ingredients to its name than just tau oil, sugar, and panam honey. There are vegetables you don’t see often in Selva, and all sorts of rare ingredients as well. I’ve been hoping so much that they would start flowing into the post town too...and I’m certain there’s one in particular that would go well with this dish.” At that, Naudis gave a hearty, resolute nod. “Once you finish this dish, I would like to be able to have some as a sample for my shop. I’d need to have my customers from the south try it before I could figure out if they’d actually accept it, after all.”

◇

Next in line was The Sledgehammer. And at that inn, my curry received open praise.

“This is delicious. I’m sure every last one of my customers from the east will enjoy it. If you don’t mind, I would love to start offering it immediately.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but I still haven’t perfected it just yet, so I ask that you hold off for a little while longer.”

“Of course. If you’ll offer up a dish even tastier than this, then I’m prepared to wait as long as it takes.”

As per the customs of the east, Nail tried not to let his emotions show, but I could see the expectation shining bright in his eyes.

“I’m sure the other inn owners won’t take this lying down. There are a number of inns out there that are frequented by easterners, and they’re all eager to offer your cooking, Asuta.”

“Really? I haven’t had any inns come to me with new job offers yet, though.”

“For now, everyone must be focusing on the idea that with all those ingredients flowing in from the castle town, they can make high-class dishes without relying on you or giba meat. But before long, they’ll realize that isn’t enough to compete.”

That was certainly some excessive praise.

But really, I had no choice but to stay competitive with all the other options out there, despite how expensive my giba cooking had become, so I needed to keep on striving my hardest without ever letting myself grow conceited.

“Ah, by the way, thanks for introducing me to that customer of yours the other day. It looks like I’ll be able to get ahold of the tools I need to make sausages.”

“I see. So you got a funnel?”

“Yeah. They use wooden ones in the post town, which is why I wasn’t able to find any from the metalworkers.”

The edges of Nail’s lips trembled, so it seemed he was holding back a smile. “I purchase my fruit wine in barrels, so I use a wooden funnel every day. But I mistakenly thought you needed a metal one, which is why I didn’t say anything.”

“I’m pretty embarrassed about the miscommunication. Wooden funnels can be made in a way that they’re real easy to use, so I definitely appreciate having one.”

“So now you’ll be able to make giba sausages, correct?” Nail asked calmly, but he was unable to hide his excitement as he leaned forward. “When I journeyed to Sym in the past, I had the chance to eat gyama sausages. They tasted so good that I’m certain they would be a fine addition to a proper meal rather than just something made for traveling. I’ll be very interested to see just what sort of sausages can be made with giba meat rather than gyama.”

“Right. If I can get them to work, I’d love to have you do a taste test.”

Mikel had already told us what preparations we needed to make for smoking meat. That included the amount of salt to use when pickling it and for how long, as well as what herbs to use in addition, and how to desalt and air-dry the meat. Now we were just waiting for him to visit the forest’s edge to give it a try for real.

“Well then, sorry for hurrying things, but we’ll be off. We’re trying to stop by The Westerly Wind too before work wraps up at the stalls, after all.”

“Right. I’ll look forward to working with you again tomorrow.”

And so, we exited The Sledgehammer with our pan.

We still had Dan Rutim’s birthday banquet waiting after all this, so it really was a hectic day. But, well, I’m the one who made the schedule myself, and besides, it was a good sort of hectic.

“The giba curry has earned a favorable reception at all the inns so far, hasn’t it? But there’s still a chance it could be most poorly suited to the tastes of westerners, I suppose.” Sheera Ruu meekly thought aloud.

“I doubt it,” I responded, tilting my head. “Considering the reaction it got from Milano Mas’s daughter, that shouldn’t be the case, but it’s really hard to make a judgment call at the moment.”

“I see. Well, if you just give it time, I’m certain everyone will recognize how delicious it is,” Sheera Ruu said with a smile. “Everyone back home has fallen in love with the taste in just a couple days, so I know it will work out. And it’s also a fact that it’s been getting tastier day by day too... I’m sure this dish will be greatly welcomed at the Rutim banquet too.”

“Right. I’ll be really happy if that’s the case.”

Around then, we arrived at our final destination for the day: The Westerly Wind, which was located along a somewhat lawless backstreet.

“Welcome. We’ve been waiting for you, Asuta,” Yumi called out with a bright smile from behind the reception desk. I had let her know in the morning that we would be stopping by. “Mom! Asuta’s here, so could you take over for me?”

“Yes, yes. You know, you don’t need to shout like that for me to hear you... Welcome, Asuta. My husband’s waiting for you.”

Yumi’s mother was a small woman, but one with a firm physique.

Her name was Sill, and just like Yumi she had dark brown hair. Her skin was a bit on the darker side, while Yumi’s was ivory white, so she must have gotten that from her father.

“Well then, pardon us.”

Still holding the pan, whose contents had grown quite a bit lighter, I stepped into the kitchen behind the reception desk. Yumi’s mom must have been cooking up till now, as there was a large pot atop a flame on one of the two stoves inside.

“Huh? Where’d dad get to? Hey, Asuta’s here!”

“Quiet, you. It’s not like I summoned him or anything, you know.”

At that, the door further into the kitchen opened and a large figure stepped inside. This was Yumi’s father and the owner of The Westerly Wind, Sams. The man had come here from another town at a young age. His hair was black and his skin pale, he had dark brown eyes and a brawny build, and he looked to be somewhere around forty. Apparently, he used to do some rather violent work for a living, as he had old white scars running along his neck and arms. He really was remarkably well built for a westerner, with an especially broad chest.

“My nose is feeling all itchy somehow. So that weird smelling thing is the dish you want us to try out?”

“That’s right. I hope it’s to your tastes.”

Keeping in mind how Sams wasn’t exactly fond of small talk, I hurriedly went ahead and borrowed a stove. And since there was so little of the giba curry left by this point, it soon started bubbling and giving off steam.

“This dish uses herbs from Sym, so I believe it should offer plenty of nourishment.”

“Never mind that. What really matters is first, the taste, and second, how well it pairs with wine. If it can’t pass those tests, then none of our customers will order it no matter how much you talk it up.”

“As you can probably tell from the smell, it’s a spicy dish, so I’m sure it would go well with alcohol.”

“Hmph, that isn’t exactly convincing coming from a guy who doesn’t drink.”

“Jeez! Why do you always have to be so mean to Asuta, dad?” Yumi said with a strained grin, giving her father’s large shoulders a shove.

“Hmph,” Sams once again snorted. Even for a westerner, he had been especially scornful toward the people of the forest’s edge. When Yumi asked around to find out exactly why that was, when he wasn’t even born in Genos, she found out that, apparently, when he was young, his friend got into a fight with someone from the forest. That friend had gotten drunk and started badmouthing the people of the forest’s edge, only to be one-sidedly beaten to a pulp.

Naturally, the friend was at fault there, but thanks to having both arms broken he lost his job and ultimately ended up dying by the roadside, so Sams started hating the people of the forest’s edge. And since that incident had happened back when Cyclaeus was acting as representative for Genos, the man from the forest’s edge faced no punishment for the use of excessive violence, which only fanned the flames of Sams’s anger further.

And yet, Yumi had worked hard to convince him to offer my cooking at The Westerly Wind. And thanks to his daughter’s influence, Sams was now working together with the people of the forest’s edge despite having such a bad impression of them. My encounter with Yumi really was an irreplaceable event in my life.

“All right, it looks good and heated. Please go ahead and dip this baked poitan in and give it a try.”

“Wow, that sure is one heck of a smell! It definitely has the feel of Sym cooking, that’s for sure.” Naturally, Yumi was the first one to go for it. And when she dipped the baked poitan into the giba curry and timidly gave it a bite, she excitedly proclaimed, “Wow! It’s not as spicy as I was expecting. Considering the smell, I figured it would leave my tongue all numb.”

“Right. I prepared the portion for The Sledgehammer to be spicier, but I figured it was best to keep it around this level for everyone else.”

“Hmm? I figure it could stand to have more spice. I’ve honestly come to really like spicy food thanks to eating those dishes with chitt in them at The Sledgehammer.” As she had just reminded me, Yumi had experience eating my giba dishes from all the various inns.

And when he similarly took a bite of giba curry, Sams made a strange “Hrngg...” sound.

“Well? It’s not bad, right? I rather like it, myself.”

“That’s because you’re used to eating dishes from Sym.”

“That’s true, but still, doesn’t this smell make you feel all hungry?”

After scratching his head for a bit, Sams gave his daughter a rough slap on the back.

“Go trade places with Sill. Your impressions aren’t exactly helping.”

“Hey, if something’s tasty, then what’s wrong with coming out and saying so?” Yumi retorted with a slump of her shoulders, before leaving the kitchen. In her place, her mother soon appeared.

“Ha ha, this certainly has an incredible smell. I caught a whiff of it even from outside the room,” Sill chuckled, fearlessly snatching a baked poitan. Then when she dipped it in the giba curry and took a bite, her eyes opened wide in surprise. “Oh, my... It’s not half bad. Hmm, so this is a Sym-style dish, is it?”

“Yes. Or to be more precise, it’s a dish from my home country made using herbs from Sym.”

“I see. To be honest, we get plenty of customers from Sym here too. We don’t get many from Jagar, but, I mean, folks from Sym use some strange powers, so they don’t fear the ruffians around these parts. Thanks to that, a lot of solo travelers from Sym use cheap inns like ours.” At that, she crossed her plump arms and tilted her head, deep in thought. “Still, herbs from Sym are more expensive than myamuu and the like, aren’t they? Is this dish really going to be cheap enough for us to sell in the first place?”

“Well, it’s true that it may end up a bit more expensive compared to other dishes, but if you make it like a soup, I believe that should keep the cost down.”

“Like a soup? You mean cut this with hot water?”

“That’s right. If you portion out the giba stock and add a bit of seasoning, I don’t believe the taste would be affected. Once I perfect the baseline flavor, I was figuring I’d start experimenting with that. And as you can tell, it’s a dish with a strong flavor to it, so you could also go with a smaller amount for a cheaper price, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, you may be right. Still, you really think we can make an odd dish like this on our own?”

The Westerly Wind had been purchasing fresh giba meat rather than my dishes. Still, when it came to this giba curry, I was telling all of the inns the same thing.

“That won’t be an issue. I should be able to make the base for the flavor on my end, and then you would just need to pair it with boiled vegetables and meat. It wouldn’t be tricky in the least.”

“I see. In that case, it could be worth giving a try,” Sill replied.

“Hey,” Sams interjected, looking displeased. “Should you really go saying something like that so lightly? It’s possible none of our customers will even try ordering something with such a stench to begin with.”

“If that happens, we can just stop buying it, right? But we’ll never know without giving it a shot.” Sill herself was the proper heir to The Westerly Wind, while Sams had married into the family. And as a dyed-in-wool businesswoman, Sill gave a dauntless grin and continued, “There’s value to trying it out, I’d say. After all, I’ve never eaten anything like it before. Now, because of that, I can’t say for certain if it’s good or not, but a dish as unusual as this one is sure to get folks talking. And all the dishes Asuta taught us up till now have made our customers happy, so I can’t see any reason to just reject the idea without even trying.”

With a frown, Sams once again scratched his head. “But when I ate it, my head started feeling weirdly itchy. Are you sure these herbs from Sym aren’t poison or anything?”

“Ah, that’s probably down to some sweating. But sweating is good for your body and lowers your body temperature, so I think a dish like this is well suited to a land as warm as Genos.”

“You’re not just knowledgeable, but a real good businessman too, Asuta,” Sill said with a grin, and then she leaned in close to whisper in my ear. “Honestly, I’d love to have you marry Yumi. Then our inn would have a nice peaceful future ahead of it.”

“Hey, don’t go cutting your husband out of the conversation like that.”

“Aw, don’t be so petty. Anyway, you can take what I just said as a joke, but I’m still really looking forward to seeing how this dish turns out, Asuta.”

“Right, thank you.”

With that, we went to exit The Westerly Wind. According to my internal clock, I figured we were getting pretty close to our time limit. After leaving the kitchen, we found a rather bored-looking Yumi resting her chin in her hands at the reception desk, only for her to break out into a smile when she saw us.

“Ah, you’re leaving already? I’d like to really take some time and chat with you eventually, Asuta!”

“Right. See you again tomorrow. And thanks for everything today.”

When we made it back out to the uncrowded main road, I gave a sigh. At least for now, our mission in the post town was complete.

“Work’s been really packed lately, hasn’t it?” Sheera Ruu asked after being silent for all that time we were at The Westerly Wind. “You’ve been experimenting not just on the curry, but on a dish using the giba’s head as well, right? And then on top of that, there’s the sausages and jerky, and preparing for the banquet in the castle town... And you’re even trying to make that new dish that mixes poitan and fuwano, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. I’ve been putting most of my efforts toward the giba curry lately, but I intend to go back to that soon.”

“That’s amazing. I can’t imagine ever handling that much work at once.”

“Really? It’s not any real burden, I’d say.”

Still, I may have been getting a little ahead of myself by having the giba curry taste tested before it was finished. Between the meeting with Myme and the whole thing with Varkas, who I still hadn’t met, I was definitely getting worked up.

The leading clan heads had already given their approval for the banquet in the castle town. And tomorrow, we were scheduled to visit the Turan manor in order to check out ingredients. Plus, from what I was told by a messenger, it seemed that Varkas would be stopping in as well.

In other words, I would finally be coming face to face with that chef whose skills even Mikel acknowledged. When you added the fact that I would eventually be manning the stove on the same day as him, I couldn’t help but get excited. My encounter with Myme had granted me strength. So just what would I get out of meeting Varkas?

In addition to all that, I was looking forward to Mikel teaching us how to smoke meat too. So no matter how hectic the days lately had become, it was a fact that I was really enjoying them too.

“Still, first up is Dan Rutim’s celebration. The stalls should be wrapping up business shortly, so we should all hurry back together, Sheera Ruu.”

“Right.” She nodded to me, and we set off walking.

After all, this long, long day was still only about halfway done.

3

After wrapping up work in the post town, our first task when we returned to the Ruu settlement was handling the prep work for business tomorrow. After speeding through that in around thirty minutes, we headed over to the Rutim settlement.

Accompanying me were the Rutim clan members Tsuvai and Ama Min Rutim, Reina and Sheera Ruu from the Ruu clan, and finally Toor Deen and Lem Dom, making for six women in total. Yun Sudra wanted to accompany us so badly it looked like she would break down crying, but Li Sudra said, “We have work back home to handle,” with a smile, and they headed back to their own house.

“Sorry, looks like in the end I had to ask you all to help out,” I called out while driving the wagon.

“It’s what we wanted to do,” Reina Ruu replied with a smile. It seemed she had completely recovered from the emotional damage caused by Leeheim a few days back.

Adding the Rutim women to this group would make it an even more impressive lineup. As for cooking time, we had roughly three hours. I intended to use that time to its fullest to prepare something that would bring Dan Rutim joy.

“Welcome, Asuta of the Fa clan,” the elder Raa Rutim greeted me as we arrived at the Rutim settlement.

There was a bit of white hair on his otherwise bald head, his build was slim and tall, and he had piercing eyes like a hawk. Aside from his height and baldness, this former head of the main Rutim house really didn’t resemble his son at all.

“The men are still out in the forest, but the women are waiting for you in the kitchen. I have difficulty with the fact that we are leaving the stove to the Fa clan when we lack blood ties to you, but as it’s the clan head’s decision, it’s not my place to interject.”

“Ah, the Rutim are precious friends to our clan, so I’m glad to take on the task.”

“Yes, I have no intention of objecting to the clan head declaring friendship between our clans,” Raa Rutim nodded, a stern look on his face all the while. “At any rate, you have our thanks. Ama Min, Tsuvai, show Asuta to the kitchen.”

“Understood.”

And so as I led Gilulu by the reins, we headed for the kitchen. Raa Rutim stayed behind, apparently giving a young group of children some form of swordsmanship training.

“After he retired from hunting five years ago, training the children has become our elder Raa’s primary job,” Ama Min Rutim told me with a gentle expression.

“I see. That’s wonderful, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s only been a few months now since I married into the Rutim, but I love and respect everyone here just as much as I do my family in the Min clan.”

“Ah, Asuta, and everyone else too. Welcome to the Rutim settlement,” Morun Rutim greeted with a beaming grin as we entered the kitchen. “We cut up the meat just as you instructed, and the poitan have all been baked. And we’ve gathered the necessary vegetables and seasonings here as well.”

“Thanks. In that case, could I have you two handle the branch house stoves as planned, Reina and Sheera Ruu?”

We were preparing food for nearly fifty people, so we had planned to split up into groups right from the start.

There were thirteen Rutim women in total, and I split things up so that Reina and Sheera Ruu were assigned five each, while I got the other three along with Toor Deen and Lem Dom. Reina Ruu’s group was to assist Ama Min Rutim with the soup dish, Sheera Ruu was helping Morun Rutim with the meat and vegetable stir-fry, and Toor Deen and I were taking care of the special dishes for the night. I was secretly proud of how perfectly I got it all laid out.

“It’s been some time, Asuta,” one of the women in my group said to me, gracefully stepping forward.

“Yeah, it has,” I smiled back.

It was Tsuvai’s mother, Oura. I hadn’t seen her since the interrogation in the castle town, so it had been over two months since we last met.

She then turned to face someone else. “You too, Lem Dom. I believe it has been nearly a year now since I last saw you.”

“Ah, you were the wife of the Suun clan’s head, weren’t you? Sorry, but I don’t recall your name.”

“My name is Oura. I’ve already heard how you feel about us from Tsuvai, but I hope that we can still carry out our work together.”

“Yes, agreed,” Lem Dom curtly replied, with a shrug of her robust shoulders.

Tsuvai had a look about her like she wanted to say something, but since she was in Sheera Ruu’s group she wasn’t able to stay here. Though she and Oura were both living in the Rutim settlement, their familial bonds had been severed.

At some point Dan Rutim had whispered to me that Tsuvai was secretly suffering quite a bit because she was forbidden from calling Oura her mother any longer. And he had also said that if someday she could overcome that sadness and start to consider the Rutim to be just as precious to her as her previous family, she would finally be given the Rutim name.

“Now that I think about it, I still haven’t seen Dan Rutim. Is he running around somewhere on his totos again?”

“That’s right. He said that since he would keep snatching bites if he was hanging around the settlement, he would stay away until sunset,” Oura replied with a relaxed smile.

Though she was a very delicate and gentle woman, she seemed the least shaken up by the fall of the Suun out of all its former members, except Yamiru Lea. And so I figured she had the same sort of quiet strength about her that I also sensed in Ama Min Rutim and Li Sudra.

Plus, she’s Tei Suun’s daughter.

Tei Suun had been the final great criminal from his clan. When he tried to do me harm, Raielfam Sudra struck him down. That normally would have been impossible for the former members of the Suun clan to bear, even if it was what he wished for... In fact, that might have made it even worse. And yet Oura had shaken all that off and was now smiling at me like this.

With that thought firmly in mind, I told Oura, “I look forward to working with you,” with a bow. “Well then, let’s get to cooking. First up is the giba curry.”

Thanks to Dan Rutim’s positive impression back on the first day I made it, I decided to make this a special dish on offer tonight despite the fact that it was still a work in progress. Though it would just be a small serving per person, we had enough folks attending that we had to fill a pot up with a hefty batch of the dish.

“How amazing... To think that you would need this much food to celebrate the clan head’s birthday. Such a thing would be unimaginable in the Deen clan,” Toor Deen mused as she cut up the rib meat prepared earlier by Morun Rutim and the other Rutim women into the appropriate size.

As I instructed Lem Dom on how to cut the chatchi and nenon, I replied, “Right. There are twenty-seven members of this clan alone, aren’t there? Actually, is that even more than the Zaza?”

“Yes. There are only twenty people in the Zaza clan, I believe. But the northern settlement of the Zaza, Dom, and Jeen are all joined together.”

“The entirety of the northern settlement all together should total over forty. And there are a lot of young folks too, so we wouldn’t fall short in terms of hunters.” Lem Dom joined in with a cynical grin. “Now that I think about it, there are quite a few older folks in the Ruu and Rutim, aren’t there? Have you noticed that, Toor Deen?”

“Well, I don’t really know much about those things in general, but that man from before was probably the oldest I’ve ever seen.”

“That’s proof of the strength of their subordinate clans. It was a real surprise to learn that the clan head of the Ruu from two generations back was still alive.”

“The clan head from two generations back? But the current one is the leading clan head Donda Ruu, right...? Isn’t he around the same age as Gulaf Zaza?”

“Yes, so the clan head from two generations ago is over eighty. But, well, she’s a woman rather than a man.”

“Eighty... I’ve never seen anyone that old, not even a woman,” Toor Deen replied, her eyes widening in shock.

Despite Lem Dom’s fierce look, Toor Deen had completely opened up to her. The older girl had a surprisingly friendly side too, and both fell under the Zaza and shared ties of blood, so perhaps both sides felt comfortable opening up their hearts to one another.

“Lem Dom, have you not met Jiba Ruu?” I asked.

“Of course I’ve seen her. I’m staying at the Ruu settlement, so do you really think I could have avoided introducing myself to the elder? Still, Jiba Ruu is over eighty?”

“Yeah. From what I recall, I believe she’s eighty-five.”

“Eighty-five! That’s certainly a shock,” Lem Dom remarked, breaking out in a grin as she poured the freshly-cut chatchi into a pot. “Someone who has lived that long can’t do any work and is just a waste of food... At least, that’s what plenty of the rougher men from up north probably think.”

“Hmph. I hope you don’t think that way too.”

“I don’t. I mean, people should live nice long lives, right? Considering he had to become clan head at the age of just fifteen, I’m certain Deek feels the same way.”

Now that she mentioned it, the main Dom house she belonged to only had two members. Considering she was only fifteen now, Lem Dom obviously lost her parents far too soon.

“That’s true,” I agreed, “I lost my mother when I was little, so I definitely understand that feeling. By the way, how old is your clan head Deek Dom now anyway?”

“He’s the same age as you.”

“Huh?” I quickly glanced all around, wondering just who that “you” referred to. But the Rutim women were all diligently working, so nobody else seemed to be participating in the conversation.

“What are you looking around for? You said you were seventeen, didn’t you, Asuta?”

“S-Seventeen?”

My hands came to a stop without thinking. And in turn, Lem Dom started pouting at me.

“You seem just as surprised as Ludo Ruu. Does my clan head really look that old?”

“No, but, well... It’d be rude to say anything else, so let’s just drop it.”

“Those words alone are already plenty rude, you know. They’ll make for a nice souvenir to bring back for Deek.”

“Gah, don’t even joke about that! If I make him upset with me, then I won’t even know how to behave around him.”

Lem Dom gave an amused chuckle. And the resulting smile was rather cute, especially considering she had a nice face to begin with.

“It’s true that my clan head is similar in strength to Gulaf Zaza despite his young age. In the contests of strength held during festivals of the hunt, the last one standing is always either Deek or Gulaf Zaza, after all... I’m quite proud of my brother.”

“Yeah, Deek Dom sounds like a really fantastic hunter.”

“That’s why I can’t help but admire Ai Fa, who possesses similar strength. She’s everything I aspire to,” Lem Dom stated, her eyes ecstatically narrowing.

If Ai Fa were here, I’m sure we would have had another commotion on our hands, but personally I found even that expression of Lem Dom’s quite likable. Though she tended to go a bit heavy on the physical contact, I could never hate someone who was so open about praising my clan head.

As we were having that exchange, a mountain of sliced meat and vegetables had piled up atop the work station. “All right, I figure that should take care of the meat and vegetables. Toor Deen, could I ask you to start boiling everything?”

“Of course.”

While she was handling that, I went about making the roux. I had already taken care of mixing and dry roasting the herbs back home, so all I needed to add was milk fat, aria, and fuwano. Taking pity on everyone’s noses, I had Lem Dom help me move the whole pot to the outdoor stove. And that was when I spotted a group of Rutim hunters approaching with several dead giba.

“Ah, Asuta. Thank you so much for helping out today.”

“Long time no see, Gazraan Rutim!” It had been roughly a month or so now since we last met.

With a soft smile on his masculine face, Gazraan Rutim came over and stopped in front of me.

“I want to talk with Asuta for a bit, so could you handle the skinning?”

“Understood.” The one to respond was the head of a branch house, Gazraan Rutim’s younger brother. With a smile as gentle as his big brother’s, he gave me a bow, then departed along with the other hunters.

There was one large giba that needed two hunters to carry it, as well as two smaller ones. It seemed that they had cleared the day’s quota for their clan of twenty-seven.

“I believe we were successful at bloodletting the two small ones. You mentioned you would like to use the neck and head in today’s banquet, didn’t you, Asuta?”

“Yes. I don’t think there will be enough for everyone, but I would love to try it, if that’s all right.”

It was time for a revenge match when it came to cooking brains and eyeballs. For the past five days, I had borrowed the assistance of the nearby clans in order to experiment.

“I’m definitely interested to see what sort of dish you will prepare. Our clan head Dan’s carefree decision to entrust you with this important task has brought great joy to the members of our clan.”

Even after more than a month, Gazraan Rutim hadn’t changed a bit. If anything, his relaxed nature—like that of a great, dignified tree—felt as if it had only been polished further.

A moment later, that gentle gaze of his suddenly turned toward Lem Dom. “You’re Lem Dom of the main Dom house, are you not? I’m the eldest son of the main Rutim house, Gazraan Rutim.”

“Yes, I’ve heard plenty about you around the Ruu settlement, Gazraan Rutim,” Lem Dom replied, a somewhat challenging look in her eyes. Gazraan Rutim, however, simply met it with his familiar gentle smile.

“You’re helping prepare for the banquet, aren’t you? It makes me very happy to think that the bonds between the clans under the Ruu and those of you from the north are growing stronger.”

“That’s true. The former leading Suun clan treated the Ruu and their related clans as enemies without just cause, so I believe we should do what we can to correct the relationship we share.”

“Please enjoy the coming banquet as our guest. I have my own work to carry out as well, so I’ll be taking my leave now, Asuta. I’ll have the giba heads delivered to the main house’s kitchen later.”

“Right, thank you.”

With yet another gentle smile, Gazraan Rutim departed. Lem Dom watched his back grow distant with a formidable light gleaming in her eyes.

“He certainly was quite composed. Personally, I prefer more earnestly open men like Dan Rutim.”

“I see. Both of them are very important people in my life.”

“Hmph. That eldest Ruu son is a mysterious person too... It seems there are quite a few strange men under the Ruu,” Lem Dom observed with a shrug of her shoulders. “Ah, was that perhaps disrespectful toward the Ruu and Rutim heirs? Still, I can’t help who I don’t like.”

“I suppose that’s true. But just like with food, if you spend enough time with people, your impression of them can change. Just like Dan Rutim said, you’re free to like and dislike whomever you want, but you also need to be ready to look at the long term,” I stated as I sautéed a large helping of aria in milk fat.

As she picked up the plate loaded with spices, Lem Dom’s lips twisted into a grin as she replied, “Hmm? Then you’re saying I may come to appreciate not only Jiza Ruu and Gazraan Rutim, but also that sweet boiled dish you make?”

“It’s possible, at least. At any rate, it’d be a shame to not even consider the possibility on account of your first impression.”

“And have you ever had one of your so-called ‘first impressions’ overturned?”

“Yeah, plenty of times. In particular, Donda Ruu treated me like a boil or something at the start, and, well, I’d say we both had just about the worst possible first impression of one another.”

And though things were as chilly as ever with Jiza Ruu, I didn’t feel as negatively as I used to about Darmu Ruu, and I felt like I had gotten rather close to the members of the Fou and Ran. When I thought about how far I had come, it moved me deeply.

“Now that I think about it, back when I first met Dan Rutim, he shouted at me and got super angry, asking what I was thinking serving giba torso meat for a celebration.”

“Ah, you mean how eating such smelly meat was seen as a sign of a clan’s weakness? Up north, we ate whatever cut we pleased, regardless of smell.”

“Really? Still, I am seriously glad that I’ve built up such a good relationship with him. Now he’ll even eat eyeballs and brains I’ve prepared without any concern,” I replied, only for Lem Dom to give a doubtful look as she brought her face in closer. There was almost a ten centimeter height difference between us, though, so she ended up bending forward a bit. “What is it? And do you mind handing over that plate, by the way?”

“Ah, here. It’s just...I know it’s silly to be saying so at this point, but you really were born in another country, weren’t you, Asuta?”

“Yeah, that really is late to be asking. As you can see, I wasn’t born here at the forest’s edge.”

“Right. Black hair and eyes aren’t especially rare at the northern settlement, but there aren’t any people of the forest’s edge with skin so pale. Honestly, though, you never seemed all that much like a foreigner to me... Even though the first time I heard about you, I thought the idea of taking an outsider into one’s house was ridiculous.”

“Hmm? So you’re saying I’m fitting in naturally as a person of the forest’s edge?”

“Yes. Perhaps I’ve been caught up in the way that the people around you all treat your presence as entirely natural,” Lem Dom suggested, brushing aside the bangs dangling over her cheek. “Well, whatever. There’s no point in trying to treat someone as suspicious when they’re not. But if you were, then I wouldn’t be able to stand the fact that you were staying by Ai Fa’s side.”

“Ah ha ha, you really are devoted to Ai Fa, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am. If you ever do anything to sadden her, I’ll never forgive you,” she growled with a scary look in her eyes, bringing her face in even closer. Still, even that action made me feel glad.

“I’m really happy to hear that there are more people out there now who will say stuff like that on Ai Fa’s behalf, Lem Dom. I’m in no position to talk about the whole hunter thing, but I hope that you’ll keep on thinking kindly of her.”

“I don’t need you to tell me that. Still, if only I didn’t have to return to the Ruu settlement today... I wish that I had just asked my clan head to stay with the Fa the whole time from the start,” Lem Dom lamented, sadly wrapping her arms around her own muscular body.

At any rate, the start of Dan Rutim’s birthday celebration was drawing steadily nearer.

4

And so the sun set, and with that came the solemn start of the birthday banquet.

“Our clan head Dan Rutim has lived for forty-one whole years as of today. It is a great joy to those of us who are part of his family that he has been able to live vigorously for so long,” Dan Rutim’s son Gazraan Rutim stated in a clear voice while being illuminated by the bonfire. “May our clan head’s great strength continue to carry us into the future. Tonight, we grant our thanks to our mother forest that he has been able to pass another year in good health. Happy birthday to our clan head, Dan Rutim.”

“Happy birthday!” a chorus shouted in response as bottles of fruit wine were lifted into the air.

The man of the evening was right there beside his son grinning away, raising his own bottle as well.

“My thanks to our related clan members from the Ruu, Lea, Min, Maam, and Ririn for coming all this way to celebrate today! And to the Rutim and Ruu women, as well as our friend Asuta of the Fa clan, the Deen woman who assisted him, and the Ruu’s guest Lem Dom for preparing tonight’s meal! Everything they’ve made tonight looks delicious, so go ahead and dig in!”

Though it wasn’t on the scale of the one at the Ruu settlement, the Rutim had something of a plaza in between their houses. Naturally, they didn’t have the time needed to construct stoves there, so instead there were cloths laid out here and there to place the dishes on top of.

For the previous banquet, we had used suurub leaves in place of plates, but the Ruu had since prepared a large number of wooden plates to use for such occasions. Borrowing those, Sheera Ruu’s group served up the steak and the meat and vegetable stir-fry they had prepared, along with a big helping of baked poitan. Then Reina Ruu’s group carried out the teriyaki meat soup they had made in a branch house kitchen and hurriedly passed it around.

There were only about half as many people present as there were for the banquet at Gazraan and Ama Min Rutim’s wedding, but it was still every bit as lively. Only a few minutes had passed since the event kicked off, but there was already a tremendous amount of noise and enthusiasm filling the space.

“Dan Rutim, I’ve brought the first special dish of the night.”

Toor Deen and I carried a pan over to Dan Rutim, who was seated right in front of the brilliantly blazing ritual flame.

“Ooh, well done, Asuta!” Dan Rutim exclaimed with a joyous grin, surrounded all around by colorful flowers picked by the women. “Hmm, it sure smells spicy! Is this the same dish I tasted a few days ago at the Ruu settlement?”

“Yes. It’s called giba curry. The taste is a lot closer to being perfected now, so please, give it a try,” I said as I removed the lid, and the smell of heated curry instantly burst forth. Everyone nearby crowded in a bit, wondering just what sort of dish it was. “It has a powerful flavor, so the way you eat it is by scooping some up with a baked poitan.”

“I see, I see. It’s no surprise, but this smell sure is making me hungry!”

After I served up some giba curry onto a plate and handed it to him, Dan Rutim dunked a baked poitan right on in. Then, he showed no trepidation whatsoever as he took a hearty bite.

“Ooh! This really has changed a lot! It’s absolutely delicious, Asuta!”

“Thank you. So would you say it met your expectations at least somewhat?”

“It certainly has! It’s definitely a bit of an unusual flavor, but it’s also undoubtedly tasty! And this spiciness is making me drink down my fruit wine even quicker!” he replied with a hearty chuckle, and then he looked around at his relatives. “You should all give it a try too! It’s got a powerful smell, but it’s incredibly good!”

I handed out plate after plate as one of the Rutim women present portioned out the giba curry. And after taking note of the shock on everyone’s faces, I headed back into the kitchen.

“All right, let’s carry that one out too.”

“Right, understood.”

With Toor Deen’s help, I carried a pot that had been waiting on a stove outside. The young girl really was stronger than she looked, but I could see a bit of exhaustion on her face. She had helped with the preparations for work at the Fa house in the morning, worked the stalls during the day, and then in the evening she did prep work for this banquet. It really had been a more busy day for her than usual.

“Sorry about this. Once we carry this one out and the one other dish, you can go ahead and enjoy the banquet, Toor Deen.”

“Ah, no, I’m just here to help man the stove... Besides, I don’t know many people here, so I wouldn’t even know what to do if I left your side.”

Now that she mentioned it, everyone Toor Deen knew was busy helping set things out. And so, I shot the young girl a smile as we carefully slipped through the crowd.

“Well then, how about we enjoy things together after we finish working? I don’t know many people here either, outside of the main Rutim house, so I was having some trouble trying to figure out what to do with myself too.”

“Right,” Toor Deen replied with a gentle smile.

Ai Fa had arrived around sunset, and she must have been enjoying herself somewhere alongside Lem Dom, who had finished up her work manning the stove. If we just met up with them, that would likely be just fine for Toor Deen.

At any rate, when we made it back to Dan Rutim, I found a pair of familiar young men also waiting there: Ludo Ruu and Rau Lea.

“Oh, so you two came? Hey there.”

“Hey, long time no see, Asuta! That spicy yellow dish was pretty tasty! And that one you’ve got there smells good too!” Rau Lea greeted.

I had just seen Ludo Ruu the other day, but with Rau Lea, it had definitely been a while. And yet he seemed just the same as always, a carefree smile on his slim, androgynous-yet-gallant face.

“I’m not certain if it will be to your tastes, as this is even more of a work in progress than the giba curry.”

The giba curry pot had already been emptied out, so I went ahead and placed this new one down in front of the Rutim clan head.

“Dan Rutim, this is the dish I mentioned to you before.”

“Ooh, the one that uses giba brains and eyeballs?! You sure did make an outlandish dish!” Dan Rutim said, his eyes shining brightly with curiosity. “So the eyes and brain are sunk down in there? I can’t really see through the red from the tarapa!”

“I’ll portion it out onto some plates, so please go ahead and dig in.”

The broth had a tarapa base. In addition to myamuu and pico leaves, I had also employed plenty of herbs from Sym, so there wasn’t any issue in terms of smell.

I had revised how I handled the crucial brains and eyeballs in the dish a bit too. Rather than just boiling them, I first roasted the surface over a flame while they were still in the skull before I added them to the pot. Brains and eyeballs both had extremely distinctive textures to them. And so, roasting the surface helped with that at least a little, and then I just needed to heat them through by boiling them in the pot. That was the conclusion I had arrived at over the course of the past few days.

“Hmm, now where did they get to?”

I had used the skull with the organs still inside to make the stock, and when that was done I discarded the bone after removing the eyes and brain to return them to the soup. Once I found them in the tarapa sauce, I sliced off around a fourth of the brain and added it to a plate alongside a whole eyeball.

“Go right ahead. Though keep in mind these are considered something of a delicacy rather than being just plain tasty.”

“A delicacy, is it?! Well, I won’t go complaining before I’ve even taken a bite!” Dan Rutim said with a chuckle, and then with an unsurprising lack of hesitation he started off by taking a bite of the brains.

As he munched on his food with a “Hrmm...” Dan Rutim’s eyes opened wide. “It certainly is an unusual taste. But, well, I suppose it sort of reminds me of cooking using innards.”

Chiming in with, “Let us see too,” Rau Lea and Ludo Ruu both reached out. And they had a similar reaction.

“Ah, it’s not bad... In fact, the broth is seriously delicious!”

“Yeah, this is tasty. The brain has a weird stickiness to it though.”

What about the eyeballs? Since there were two giba, I was only able to prepare four of them, and in no time at all three of them ended up in the mouths of these guys who were absolutely brimming with curiosity.

“Hmm, it’s not really tasty enough to earn special praise... I guess I’d call it average?”

“That’s true. It’s not exactly any more delicious than ordinary meat.”

“It’s not bad, though! But more importantly, this broth is great!”

It seemed that was the best evaluation I could earn at the moment. But, well, I figured it was okay since they at least weren’t calling it bad.

Around then, Morun Rutim approached, holding a large wooden plate.

“Asuta, it’s finished grilling too. Dad, this is giba tongue.”

“Tongue? You can even eat the tongue?”

That was Rau Lea acting shocked, as Dan Rutim had already been informed in advance.

Today’s giba tongue used other seasonings in addition to the sheel juice that provided a base. It was a salty sauce that combined diced sautéed aria, salt, sugar, pico leaves, and fruit wine all together. And fortunately, this dish earned pure straightforward praise.

“This is delicious! It’s just like normal meat!”

“No, it’s even tastier than ordinary meat, isn’t it?”

“Hmm, it certainly is tasty! It’s got plenty of fat, and a fantastic chewiness too!”

It seemed the people of the forest’s edge unsurprisingly preferred more meaty cuts to brains and eyeballs. But, well, I didn’t have any objection to that fact. I wasn’t exactly used to handling brains and eyeballs, so I just had to keep on experimenting with them whenever I got the chance.

“Dan Rutim, please have some of this too,” Reina Ruu said as her group carried over some soup and steak.

As he sampled those dishes, Dan Rutim looked truly blissful. “All of these dishes are so good that I can’t find the words! Thank you so much, everyone!”

“It was an honor to be entrusted with the stove on such an important day,” I replied.

“Yes, this has been a splendid birthday! Still, these aren’t all the dishes you’ve prepared, are they?” Dan Rutim asked, looking my way as he ate.

I went ahead and shot him back a smile.

“Of course not. There’s still one final special dish left, so make sure you leave enough space for it.”

“My stomach’s still got a third or so left to fill! If you don’t mind, I’d love to try that dish out as soon as possible!”

“Hold on for just a moment, then.”

With that, I headed back to the kitchen along with Toor Deen.

The experimental giba curry and the brain, eyeballs, and tongue dishes were all what I’d call appetizers. But this final special dish was something I had prepared specifically with Dan Rutim in mind. With Toor Deen’s help, I lifted up the pot that had been sitting atop a lit stove to stay warm. And as we exited the kitchen, we ran right into Ai Fa.

“Huh? Weren’t you with Lem Dom?”

“I left that fool behind somewhere. She was getting out of control after chugging down all that fruit wine.”

Had she fallen prey to excess clinginess again? Despite the fact that it was a banquet, Ai Fa looked seriously fed up.

“Did you get a proper chance to eat, Ai Fa? It doesn’t look like you went anywhere near these pots, though.”

“My mouth still stings too much for that curry or other dishes with herbs. You didn’t use anything spicy in that dish, did you?”

“I didn’t. The most that’s in here is a bit for scent.”

“In that case, give me some of that. After Dan Rutim, of course.”

And so, we ended up heading over to the Rutim clan head as a group of three.

The crowd really seemed to be enjoying the banquet. Oura and Tsuvai were huddling close together as they had some of Reina Ruu’s soup. And everyone must have finished setting things out, as I also spied Morun Rutim chatting with some young women.

Gazraan and Ama Min Rutim were together. And that especially large figure standing in front of them must have been Ji Maam. He was also here at the banquet as a guest, and I couldn’t help but wonder what they were talking about. If nothing else, the husband and wife pair wore bright smiles as they talked with the big guy.

I couldn’t help but be reminded of the festival of the hunt at the Ruu settlement. But there was probably no helping that since the festival and Gazraan and Ama Min Rutim’s wedding were the only banquets I had participated in. Back on that night, Darmu Ruu’s words had seriously shaken me. But today, I could feel calm and at ease as I enjoyed the banquet.

As I stole a glance over at Ai Fa next to me, we hurried on over to Dan Rutim.

“Ooh, I was getting tired of waiting, Asuta!”

There was someone new there next to the smiling Rutim clan head now. The man had just as robust of a build as Dan Rutim, and sat there with his legs crossed. It was the Ruu clan head, Donda Ruu.

I guess it made sense that for the Rutim head’s birthday celebration, the head of their parent clan would make a personal appearance. And as always, it really was quite a sight, having the two of them side by side.

After giving a bow, I went ahead and sat the pot in front of Dan Rutim.

“Sorry for the wait. Here’s your giba ribs.”

“Perfect! Can’t get the party started without these!” he replied with a wide grin as he stared into the pot.

“Today I rubbed a specially-made sauce over them, then grilled them over charcoal.”

I tried thinking up all sorts of ideas for the ribs, but plain grilled meat felt best suited to Dan Rutim, so this is what I ended up with. The sauce was practically identical to what I employed for the giba meat poitan wraps, just with the addition of mamaria vinegar. After making free use of the variety of seasonings I had at hand, this was the end result. To prepare the meat itself, I rubbed in salt and pico leaves, as well as a number of herbs. While it was all quite simple, this dish also utilized the results of the experimentation I had been doing lately.

“Well then, time to dig in!” Dan Rutim proclaimed as he grabbed one of the ribs portioned out atop a wooden plate. When he bit down, he tore off around eighty percent of the meat and broke out into an even bigger grin. Meanwhile, everyone else held back and waited till he finished that bite.

The Rutim clan head took so long chewing that it seemed like he thought it was a shame that he’d eventually have to swallow, but when he did he loudly declared, “Delicious! Asuta, these ribs are the best I’ve ever had!”

“I’m glad to hear that you like them,” I replied, feeling a great joy welling up inside of me.

“Right!” Dan Rutim nodded as he grabbed a fresh rib, then he glanced all around. “No need to hold back! Everyone, dig in! There’s enough here that there are no worries about needing to scramble for them! Please, eat alongside me and share in this joy!”

We had prepared enough ribs that it seemed like they would come spilling out of the pot. But I figured if we didn’t have that many at the ready, Dan Rutim wouldn’t be able to feel completely comfortable sharing with everyone else.

Ludo Ruu and Rau Lea had obviously been eagerly waiting as they instantly reached out, and it wasn’t long before people started gathering from all around. Ai Fa and Donda Ruu grabbed some ribs, and so did Toor Deen and I now that we had finished up our work.

These ribs had layers of fat and meat to them. Though a good bit of fat was removed when grilling them for a long period of time, they were still incredibly juicy. Thanks to the myamuu and herbs, they had a strong aroma, and they tasted salty-sweet. The tau oil, sugar, chitt seeds, mamaria vinegar, and finely chopped aria all came together to make an exquisite flavor. I really was satisfied with how they had turned out.

Still, I’ve got to keep on training my skills as hard as I can.

My intention was to continue working hard so that I wouldn’t lose out to my young rival...and so I could keep on seeing smiles from those around me.

As I had that thought, Dan Rutim suddenly shot to his feet. And as he stood there supported by his grigee cane, he spoke loudly to no one in particular. “Today truly has been a wonderful day! And on this joyous occasion, I have something I wish to tell you all!”

The crowd, all enjoying the various dishes, cheered in response.

With a satisfied nod, Dan Rutim continued on. “Where’s Gazraan? Come on over to me, son!”

“Yes? What is it, clan head?” a large figure questioned while approaching in the dim light.

Facing that way, Dan Rutim let out a hearty chuckle. “I’ve got something important to discuss! And since the head of our parent clan Donda Ruu is here too, this is the perfect chance! My comrades in the Rutim! And our fellows from the Ruu, Lea, Min, Maam, Muufa, and Ririn! Listen to these words from Dan Rutim, head of the main Rutim house!” he loudly proclaimed as he raised up his container of fruit wine. “I declare here and now that I’ll be yielding my seat as clan head to my eldest son, Gazraan Rutim!”

The cheers came to a sudden stop.

With a calm look on his face, Gazraan Rutim took several more steps forward. “What is this all about, father? I believe it’s still much too soon for you to be giving up your position as clan head.”

“That’s not true at all! I was figuring I’d quit right here and now!” Dan Rutim said with a hearty grin as he stared straight at his son. “Thanks to this leg injury, I’ve had to take more than a month off from hunting. Because of that, I was able to see just how much strength you had gained! And I’m convinced you can lead our people better than I can, Gazraan!”

“No, but...”

“It should take less than another month for my leg to heal back up. When that time comes, I’ll devote my strength to serving as a single hunter under the Rutim! My own father Raa yielded his position as clan head to me before he lost his strength as a hunter! But I suppose a young fellow like you wouldn’t yet understand the joy that I feel as both a clan head and a father to be able to do the same, Gazraan!” At that, Dan Rutim took a swig from his fruit wine, and then he thrust the bottle out toward his son. “Once my leg is healed, if we were to have a contest of strength as hunters, I still can’t imagine I would be the one to hit the ground! But what qualifies someone as a clan head isn’t the same as what makes someone a great hunter! And you’re already better suited to being clan head than I am!”

His son didn’t say a word.

“Take this wine with my blessing! Tonight, the Rutim clan head Dan Rutim yields his position to his eldest son, Gazraan Rutim!”

The young man silently closed his eyes. It felt so quiet that I could almost hear my heart pounding...and when Gazraan Rutim opened his eyes again, there was a stronger light blazing in them than ever before. His gaze was very calm and gentle, yet also filled with an awe-inspiring resolve, and somehow it reminded me of the piercing hawk-like glare of Raa Rutim.

“I humbly accept,” Gazraan Rutim declared, taking a sip of the fruit wine.

Seeming satisfied at the sight, Dan Rutim then looked down toward the ground. “Donda Ruu! As the head of our parent clan, do we have your blessing?”

“Hmph... You’re younger than I am, so I never figured you’d be stepping down as clan head first,” Donda Ruu grumbled as he slowly rose to his feet.

Despite the sour look on his leader’s face, Dan Rutim still responded with a hearty chuckle. “Aw, don’t go trying to act like my elder when there’s only a two-year difference between us! And actually, between today and your next birthday, it’s only a difference of one year.”

“Hmph!” Donda Ruu grumbled, accepting the fruit wine container. “I give my blessing to the new Rutim clan head, Gazraan Rutim,” he proclaimed, taking a sip.

At that, five hunters stepped up beside him. One of them was Rau Lea, and another was Ji Maam. They must have belonged to each of the clans under the Ruu. And every one of them then gave their blessing and took a sip of fruit wine.

“I became the Lea clan head at the age of sixteen. You’re already twenty and some years old, so you shouldn’t have any problems at all. I give my blessing to the new Rutim clan head, Gazraan Rutim!” Rau Lea declared as the final one in the group, and then a cheer erupted.

It seemed the Rutim clan members had finally gotten over their shock. And as those cheers filled the air, Ai Fa stepped forward in front of the eldest Rutim son.

“Gazraan Rutim, I have no blood ties to your clan, but even so, allow me to offer my blessing.”

“Thank you, Ai Fa. I hope that you and Asuta will both continue to be good friends to the Rutim.”

“Of course,” Ai Fa replied with a firm nod.

At that point, I hurried up next to her. After showing me an even gentler smile than usual, Gazraan Rutim turned to face his clan members.

“My fellow members of the Rutim! I swear here and now that I shall use all my strength to guide you and not bring shame to the post of clan head that my father Dan has yielded to me! Please, help me to lead our people down the proper path!”

The crowd now roared, giving their blessings to their new clan head.

As I felt their tremendous passion wash over me, I turned toward the now former Rutim clan head.

“Dan Rutim, I don’t really know what’s appropriate to say at a time like this, but...well, thanks for everything you’ve done.”

“Sure! I’m really glad I was able to have you two friends of the Rutim present for the announcement!” Dan Rutim replied, his face brimming with pure joy. And then, his big expressive eyes started to tear up a bit.

Despite the tight feeling in my chest, I still somehow managed to smile at him. “I’m sure someone as young as me could never imagine how you’re feeling, but you must be happy, right?”

“Of course! I must be the happiest man in the whole forest’s edge right now,” Dan Rutim said, then he lifted his arms up overhead. “Well then, let’s keep this party going! There’s still food left to be had, so everyone enjoy yourselves and keep on chowing down till there’s not so much as a single morsel left!”

A stirring cheer filled the air in response. As I listened to those voices, I could feel a deep exhaustion washing over my head.

Li Sudra is pregnant, and Dan Rutim yielded the position of clan head to Gazraan Rutim... The days really do keep on turning...

I thought to myself how today was a day that would never come again. Now matter how hard or joyful a day may be, it would eventually end and become a part of the past. I had lost that precious time in my home country, but I had gained this new home after that, and had overcome great challenges with my new comrades to arrive at a day like today. There was little doubt that more hardship and joy was still to come. But I keenly hoped that I would overcome those tough times with the people precious to me, and share the good times with them too.

“What are you making such a gloomy face for?! That’s no sort of look to be wearing on such a joyous day, Asuta!” Dan Rutim said with a grin and a slap on my back.

Gazraan Rutim smiled too.

Just what sort of expression had I been making? Maybe it was a sort of mix of joy and sorrow, like when you’re smiling through your tears.

As I wondered about that, Ai Fa came in close without making a sound. Her blue eyes just calmly stared straight at me.

“Your work manning the stove is finished, isn’t it? So you should come and enjoy the rest of the banquet with our friends in the Rutim clan.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Impulsively, I reached out and grabbed Ai Fa’s hand.

Though she responded with a bit of a suspicious look, she didn’t shake me off. Instead, she led me over to the pot and silently shoved a rib into my mouth.

When I took a bite, I murmured, “Delicious.”

At that, Ai Fa finally broke out in a smile, with a gleam in her eyes that reminded me of a small child.

The twenty-sixth of the black month had been an utterly unforgettable day for me, and it was now finally coming to a close.