Chapter 2: A Worthwhile Day Off

1

It was now two days later, the twenty-ninth of the black month.

We were taking the day off from the stalls, so we invited Mikel and Myme to visit the forest’s edge around when the sun hit its peak. Naturally, the objective was to learn how to properly smoke meat.

The location was the Sudra house, and the members participating included me, Toor Deen, Lem Dom, Li and Yun Sudra, Reina and Sheera Ruu, and Saris Ran Fou, for eight in total.

“Let me start by saying that I only know about smoking karon and kimyuus... I’ve never handled giba meat before, so don’t go blaming me no matter how poorly it comes out, all right?” Mikel started off with his usual sour look as he took on the role of lecturer. As the representative for the students, I went ahead and gave him a bow.

“Of course. I’m sorry for asking so much of you, but please, teach us what you can.”

“Hmph,” Mikel snorted, then looked up at the house beside him.

It was an abandoned home that had been offered for our use by the Sudra. The house hadn’t been used for seven or eight years, and sat in the middle of a round cleared-out plot of land. We had chosen this one for the smokehouse just on the off chance of a fire, since it had the most open space around it.

“We blocked the existing windows like Asuta instructed and also made a new small one high up. Is that all right?” Li Sudra questioned with a gentle smile.

Mikel knocked on the boards over the windows with the back of his hand, then inspected the outside of the house. “It seems to be a pretty old house, so if the smoke leaks out from anywhere then you’ll need to repair it. When you do, you should squeeze clay into the gaps between the boards.”

“Just clay? Understood.”

“Is the meat ready?”

“Yes, this way.”

Under Li Sudra’s guidance, we all moved into the house.

Soon after passing through the entrance, we reached the main room, where a great deal of firewood and the necessary tools were prepared. There were three doors farther in, and there was an old stove alongside the right wall. In terms of scale, it looked to be just about the same size as the Fa house.

Li Sudra then led us to the rightmost room, and when she opened the door, we found a number of chunks of meat dangling from vines. That giba meat had come from the Sudra, Fa, Fou, Deen, and Ruu clans. Following Mikel’s instructions, we had already completed the preparations.

After first removing the moisture by pickling the meat in salt, we washed that salt off and then let it dry out. The steps weren’t much different from the method used to make jerky at the forest’s edge, but since we used pico leaves and herbs during the salting step, they had to be left to sit somewhat longer.

Since this was the initial test case, in addition to the usual thigh and rib meat, we also prepared shoulder and sirloin meat despite that not usually being used for jerky, and even a full hind leg. To top it all off, there was even a bunch of sausages dangling there, which I had finally found time to make this morning.

“Hmph... So you even prepared something like this, eh?” Mikel said in a grumpy voice as he looked up at the sausages.

“Yes. It took a lot of effort, but I’d say it came out about right.”

A few days prior, I had learned how to produce sausages from a traveler Nail introduced me to who had been born in Sym.

Ultimately, it was just packing thoroughly ground meat into intestines, but that was easier said than done. Since the ratio of meat to fat was four to one, the texture got softer the more that you kneaded it, but you just had to be careful to not ruin the meat with the warmth of your hands.

In Sym, the process supposedly involved adding a variety of herbs at this stage, but since I didn’t know anything about how to do that, I just went with salt and pico leaves. Then, once I was done kneading the minced meat, it was finally time to stuff the sausages. That involved opening a hole in a large cloth and then pushing the tip of a funnel through. The inside of the cloth was coated with giba fat so that the minced meat wouldn’t stick to it when you started squeezing.

Next, I set the intestines meant to be the casings for the sausages at the tip of the funnel. I used a giba’s small intestine, cutting them to a length of around one meter in advance. There was a bit of a trick required at this point too. That was to have the intestines rolled up compactly rather than stretched out.

After a gentle squeeze of the cloth to force out a bit of minced meat and any air trapped inside, I tugged on the far end of the intestine a bit and then tied it off. At that point, the preparations were finally complete.

As I squeezed the cloth, the intestine wriggled out and extended as they were packed with minced meat. Once the rolled up bit had all stretched out, I tied off the other end, and it was finished.

After that, I twisted the intestine and separated it off at fifteen-centimeter intervals, making the sort of sausage chain I was familiar with. To be honest, seeing it all come together kind of moved me a bit.

There were fifteen of those sausages I had so painstakingly made dangling here in this smokehouse. At around three centimeters thick, they were pretty big. They measured about fifteen meters altogether, and that was just the length of a single giba’s small intestine.

“Well then, time to get smoking. Do you have the firewood and herbs ready?”

“Yes. We have grigee wood, lilo leaves, fresh pico leaves, and charcoal.”

The boards had been removed from the room’s floor, so that the ground was exposed.

The fuel for the fire and the materials for smoking were arranged in a circle and then lit. White smoke started rising up, compounded with the refreshing and stimulating smell of lilo and pico filling the room.

“Seems like you’ve got a good bit of live grigee wood... The more you dry grigee out, the less extra smell it’ll add,” Mikel commented, his intense gaze checking the strength of the flames. “This flame is too strong. You’ll lose the aroma of the herbs at this rate, so remove a bit of firewood.”

“Got it,” I replied, following Mikel’s instructions using a long piece of wood in place of a fire iron.

“Keep the flames at this level for three hours. Every half hour, you should add the same amount of herbs. And with the level of charcoal you’ve got there, adding firewood every half hour too should be fine.”

“Understood. We should keep the door shut except for when we’re doing that, right?”

“Yeah,” Mikel nodded, swiftly exiting the room.

After drilling how to regulate the flame into everyone there, I went ahead and exited the room too. I had ended up dripping with sweat at some point, so I sighed as I wiped my forehead.

“Thank you. I look forward to seeing how it turns out in three hours.”

I placed a sundial in a nice sunny spot and adjusted it so it was pointing toward around noon. That would be plenty to tell how much time had passed.

“So, what do you all plan to do till then...? I can’t imagine you’re living such easygoing lives that you can let that time go to waste,” Mikel asked.

“Right. The plan is to split into two groups which will each handle their own work. One group will man the flames while tanning pelts, while the other will get in cooking practice.”

“Cooking practice...?”

“That’s right. That’s why I asked you to bring Myme along with you.”

Instantly, Myme’s eyes started sparkling as she stood there beside her father.

“So you’re planning on working with other dishes besides just making the smoked meat? I’m so excited!”

“I’m glad to hear it. Actually, I wanted to hear your opinions on the ingredients I brought back for the post town too, Mikel...”

“Hmph. I figured it would be something like that,” Mikel replied, shooting me a glare. “So, what ingredients did you pick up this time? Herbs from Sym? Vegetables from Jagar?”

“I’ve been checking the tastes and scents of the herbs and seasonings on my own, but I would like to ask your opinions on some vegetables and dried goods this time around. I’ve got some packed up in the wagon over there, so could you start by giving them a look?”

The two members of the Sudra clan would be working together with Saris Ran Fou and Lem Dom on tanning the pelts, so everyone else exited the house along with me.

The two wagons were parked there next to Gilulu and Jidura, who were getting along just fine as they munched on leaves. Since Reina Ruu’s group had gone to pick up Myme and Mikel, this was their first time seeing the ingredients loaded into the Fa clan’s wagon.

“I expect that I’ll be able to handle the banquet in the castle town pretty well with my own skills, but I did also want to hear your opinion on the ingredients that might end up selling in the post town,” I explained as I invited Mikel and Myme into the wagon. “What do you think? All of these came from the pantry in the Turan manor,” I asked, bringing out a bit of each of the ingredients.

The dried goods included some sort of seaweed that reminded me of kombu, plus others that resembled shrimp, shellfish, and octopus.

Then there were the varieties of mushrooms. One was like an orange shiitake, then there was what looked like a yellow cloud ear mushroom, and one that made me think of a pure red sea anemone, all of which were dried out. And planted in some compost, we had the ones that were like raw common mushrooms and brown beech mushrooms too.

Finally, there were five types of vegetables, the names of which I had at least asked about while in the castle town.

The green spinach-like one was ro’hyoi.

Next, the one that looked like a purple sponge gourd was sheema.

Following that was what seemed to be a great burdock in the shape of a mosquito coil, called ma gigo.

The bright red one shaped like a ginkgo leaf was ma pula.

Then finally there was chan, which looked like a pitch-black ping pong ball.

That was all of them.

After giving a rough glance over those ingredients, Mikel gave a deep sigh. “I never had any dried goods like these in my shop. Can you really eat such a bizarre-looking dried-out creature?”

“Supposedly it was ordered from the capital of Selva, Algrad. It looks a lot like a creature called an octopus back in my home country...though it smells closer to dried squid.”

“I was invited to that extravagant pantry just the once. But I turned down the job, so obviously I had no way of trying any ingredients that didn’t make it to market. The only ones I know about are the vegetables and some of the mushrooms.” As he spoke, Mikel’s expression was growing more and more displeased. “So you’re saying all of these could become available in the post town?”

“Yeah. At least as long as Yang or I can figure out how to show people they’re tasty.”

“You just keep on increasing the number of ingredients again and again. It’s like there’s no end to it...” Mikel grumbled, but Myme was looking more and more excited.

“What’s wrong with that?! The more ingredients you have, the more different dishes you can make! I’d love to handle more and more kinds of ingredients too.”

“Like I’ve said, learn to handle tau oil, sugar, and mamaria vinegar properly first. You can bring in more vegetables after that.”

“Hmph!” Myme childishly sulked, but then she realized I was looking and her face went red. “Ah, I’m sorry! That was really improper of me... This vegetable looks just like nanaar, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, but supposedly it comes from the western portion of Selva.”

Nanaar looked and tasted just like spinach, but what sort of ingredient would this ro’hyoi turn out to be?

“Out of what you’ve got here, you can eat the ro’hyoi and sheema without cooking them.”

“Ooh,” Myme exclaimed, her eyes opening wide as she listened to her father’s words. “You can’t eat nanaar raw since it’s so bitter... I guess this really is something different even though they look the same, huh?”

“Yeah. Okay, how about we give it a taste test?”

After roughly washing off the ro’hyoi in some water from a container, I tore off a bit and handed it to Myme. As I was chewing my own portion, I went to hand some out to the rest of the women in the group...only for a powerful spiciness and bitterness to spread through my mouth before I could do so.

“That’s hot! And bitter too!”

“Y-Yeah. Seems like it’s closer to an herb than a vegetable, doesn’t it?”

Both Myme and I turned to look at Mikel, who shrugged his shoulders with a frown and the look of an ill-tempered instructor.

“When you heat it through, that spice and bitterness disappear. It’s not that you can’t eat it raw, but normally you boil it first in a pot.”

“Then say that from the start!”

Both Myme and I seemed to feel the same way, but there was something else that surprised me. In addition to the spiciness and bitterness, I also got a flavor like sesame seeds drifting up through my nose. And if the spiciness and bitterness vanished when you heated it up, then perhaps it was a vegetable that was closer to arugula than spinach.

“How interesting. So, you can eat this sheema vegetable raw too? I’ve heard it’s used a lot in stews, though.”

“It’s a vegetable from Jagar, so it’s generally boiled with tau oil. Still, plenty of folks out there eat it raw.”

In that case, it made sense to give it a taste test.

However, the sheema had the appearance of a purple sponge gourd, and seemed to have rather tough, bumpy skin.

“Whether you’re eating it raw or boiling it, you generally have to peel the skin.”

“I see. Got it.”

After retrieving my vegetable knife and cutting board from farther inside the wagon, I cut the sheema into slices five centimeters thick or so. Surprisingly, the inside was pure white and juicy. And it didn’t seem to have seeds inside either.

Then, I sliced off the tail end and started making a spiral cut so I could remove the bumpy skin in a single strip...and suddenly, a voice exclaimed, “Wow! What wonderful handling of your knife, Asuta. How do you get so good at that?”

That comment had come from Reina Ruu. However, Sheera Ruu and Toor Deen were wearing the same looks of surprise and admiration.

It was then that I had a realization: Every last one of the vegetables I had encountered in this world could be eaten along with the skin. The only exceptions were the aria and chatchi, but the skin could be easily peeled off by hand for those rather than needing a knife. So at least when it came to the forest’s edge, the very notion of using a knife to skin vegetables simply didn’t exist.

“Oh, that’s right. That was a real blind spot on my part. In my home country, you needed to skin vegetables like chatchi and nenon with a knife too.”

“How amazing. It’s almost like magic,” Reina Ruu exclaimed. It had been a while since I’d seen her like this, with a look in her eyes like a lovestruck maiden.

“With a bit of practice, you should be able to do it too. The skin you have to peel off this sheema isn’t too terribly thick.”

“I’d definitely like to learn, then!”

After nodding to her, I sliced the pure-white peeled sheema further into slices about a centimeter thick.

“Well then, how about we all give it a try?”

Everyone present aside from Mikel grabbed a thin slice of sheema from atop the cutting board.

When I bit into it, it tasted a bit sweet, and was super moist. There was no striking spiciness to it like with the ro’hyoi. Instead, it had a very refreshing, crisp flavor.

“Ah, this may be something similar to a vegetable I know called a daikon. It seems like it would go well in boiled dishes.”

Cubed giba meat stew and giba soup prepared with tau oil seemed like good candidates to start with. I figured that made sense for a vegetable from Jagar. If it ended up circulating in the post town, then that was sure to make Naudis happy.

“So that leaves the ma gigo, ma pula, and chan. Apparently ma gigo is a subspecies of gigo, and the same is true for ma pula and pula. So these are all suitable for boiled dishes?”

“That’s right. Actually, grilling vegetables isn’t all that popular in Genos to begin with... Normally you either boil them, steam them, or smoke them.”

“Then how about we try boiling all of them?”

Taking the five varieties of vegetables and a pot to boil them along with a single sheet of dried seaweed with us as we went, we returned to the smokehouse. The group of women who had remained behind had already gotten to tanning pelts.

“We’ll be borrowing the stove for a bit.”

We had prepared a water jug, in case of fire. And borrowing a bit of that water, I started by adding the dried seaweed to the pot. I had already given that a try last night, and found it was good for making a high-quality stock.

The taste really was similar to kombu. On top of that, it had plenty of salt, so I could really sense the nourishment provided by the ocean in it. Just adding it to an ordinary giba stew was enough to give it abundant flavor.

“This has to steep in the water for half an hour first, so we’ll have to wait around for a bit.”

Still, it was definitely easier than stewing giba meat for an hour while taking care not to let it boil in order to extract a stock.

I had no idea just how much would be delivered from Algrad from here on out, but in terms of price, it would be completely reasonable to distribute it throughout the post town. Actually, if it got out that you could use it to so easily make a high-quality stock, it was possible that the castle town would buy it all up first.

“By the way Asuta, what was that Varkas chef from the castle town like?” Myme innocently asked during our break time. “My dad rarely ever praises anyone, but he said so much about that man that he must be an amazing chef, right?”

“Yeah. I don’t really have a firm grasp on his personality, but I’d say he was amazingly skilled at cooking.”

That was no lie.

I had difficulty comprehending the taste, but just thinking about how much experience he must have built up to create that flavor got me a little excited. I really couldn’t help but feel like he was some sort of magician, with how he so casually put together such finely tuned and complex flavoring, which seemed like it could so easily fall apart if the balance was even slightly off.

It seemed that Reina Ruu and Toor Deen felt the same way, as their expressions stiffened up a bit when Varkas’s name was mentioned.

I definitely couldn’t say it was a dish I had felt was truly delicious. And I didn’t want to share that flavor with my family or customers either. Yet in spite of that, Varkas was still someone I couldn’t turn a blind eye toward.

“How should I put it...? He makes really perplexing dishes. I could never copy his flavoring...and I wouldn’t want to either, but I have to admit, I felt like my confidence took a hit on that front,” I replied to Myme, and then I glanced over at Mikel. “Well, I’ve already got an idea, but there’s a question I wanted to ask... Mikel, for people in the castle town, is the food Varkas makes considered the ideal of proper cuisine?”

“Why are you asking me something like that...?”

“Well, I found it to be a perplexing dish, but I also sensed that at its core it resembled the cooking I was familiar with from other chefs in the castle town. Using a great variety of ingredients to aim for an incredibly complex flavor... That was what Roy had once told me it meant to be a first-rate chef.”

“Hmph, and...?”

“Well, if I had to say, I was taught that the basics of cooking were to bring out the flavor of each ingredient as much as possible, so in a way, my thinking on the matter is the complete opposite. It feels a little strange to me that folks from the castle town still appreciate my cooking in spite of that.”

On top of that, I believed that Mikel’s cooking methods were similar to my own. The initial source of the doubt I was having now was the fact that both Mikel and Varkas had been similarly praised around the same time.

His eyes narrowing suspiciously, Mikel grumbled, “Asuta, you seem to be under some sort of misconception.”

“A misconception?”

“That’s right. Only a hundred years or so at most have passed since this town of Genos gained its current level of prosperity. Up until then, it was just like any other poor town where folks were just fending off starvation with aria and kimyuus eggs. Only folks in the castle town ever ate tarapa or tino, and naturally nobody had the funds needed to purchase ingredients from Jagar or Sym.” Mikel leaned forward as he talked while sitting there cross-legged. “On top of that, greedily buying up different ingredients from other countries wasn’t a thing until the previous head of the house of Turan obtained as much power and wealth as he did. Do you really think it’s possible to talk about cooking being ideal or proper cuisine with such a short history?”

“I see... In other words, the cuisine in Genos has undergone rapid changes in recent years, huh?”

“Yeah, that’s right. So even in the castle town, the chefs are just pretending to have the skills needed to handle the majority of those ingredients pouring into the region. There’s only a handful of exceptions like Varkas.”

I figured Mikel had to be included in that handful too.

With that thought in mind, I nodded back. “Right. I think I get the reason why the nobles’ tastes haven’t clearly solidified, more or less. By the way, is the neighboring town of Banarm the same way too?”

“The history of Banarm is a bit longer than Genos’s. But as far as I know they don’t have much interaction with Sym or Genos at all, and the soil is poor, so they can only grow a very limited variety of vegetables there,” Mikel bluntly replied. “Banarm is famous for its fuwano and mamaria. They grow a bit of aria and reten there too, and they have ranches for raising karon. Because of that, I’ve heard their cooking primarily uses karon milk fat and dried milk. Karon dried milk hat bake was a local specialty of Banarm, originally.”

“Karon milk fat and dried milk, right? Thank you. That’s a real help to know.”

“Hmph,” Mikel snorted back. His tone and expression remained just as blunt as always, but he had figured out what I wanted to ask and jumped ahead to tell me. And I really did feel incredibly grateful for that consideration.

“Varkas said that you were his greatest rival. I’m sure that even though you were aiming for completely different goals, you must have had a great relationship.”

“We didn’t have any sort of relationship at all. Heck, I don’t even know what the guy’s face looks like.”

“Huh? But Varkas said...”

“We visited one another’s restaurants and tried the other’s cooking. But that’s as far as our relationship went.”

Before I realized it, I had let a strained chuckle slip out.

“But you still acknowledged one another’s skills. So I think that was a good relationship, even if that’s all it amounted to.”

Mikel stayed silent as he scratched his head of hair, which definitely had some gray coming in. And there was a very warm light in Myme’s eyes as she stared proudly up at her father.

2

Around a half hour had passed while I chatted with Mikel and everyone, so after adding herbs and firewood to the flame in the smoking room, I started heating up the pot with the seaweed.

Just before it reached a boil, I removed the seaweed and tossed in three different types of vegetable. Following Mikel’s guidance, I took the skin off the sheema and ma gigo, while I added the chan, skin and all. When I peeled back the brown skin of the ma gigo, I found slimy cream-colored flesh inside that really resembled gigo.

Fifteen minutes or so later, the vegetables had all gotten soft enough that I could stab a wooden skewer through them, so I doused the flame. For seasoning, I only used some salt I had brought along from the Fa house.

“Yeah, sheema really seems to be a lot like daikon.”

Once I lifted everything up onto a wooden plate, I started by splitting the sheema and ma gigo into enough portions for everyone. When I tasted it, I found the sheema’s flavor reminded me pretty strongly of daikon. The seaweed stock had seeped into it ever so slightly, making for a simple yet wonderful flavor.

“I’ve never tasted anything like this before. I definitely get the feeling that it would pair well with tau oil,” Reina Ruu commented, and Sheera Ruu nodded along.

If I let it boil for longer, it would surely become softer and draw out even more of that sweetness. I definitely wanted to try using it to positive effect at The Great Southern Tree.

The arugula-like ro’hyoi had a perfectly fine taste when fully cooked too. The spice and bitterness disappeared just fine, leaving just a bit of flavor reminiscent of sesame seeds, and it was a bit firmer than even nanaar, which already had a pleasant chewiness to it. It might have been an ingredient better suited to boiling in soy sauce or stir frying rather than just boiling it regularly.

Then, there was the ma gigo and ma pula.

When the skin was peeled from the ma gigo, it lost the sliminess of ordinary gigo, and the texture when you bit into it sort of reminded me of taro. It seemed like it would be good in stews and soups too.

Ma pula didn’t have the bitterness of pula; in exchange there was a very slight sweetness to it. Pula was akin to bell peppers, while the bright red ma pula seemed like it could serve as a substitute for paprika.

Then last up there was the one I had the hardest time picturing how it would taste considering its appearance: the chan. As I took the initiative and went to bite into it first, I wondered just what in the world this black ping pong ball-looking vegetable would taste like...only to find it had a texture that was somewhat soft and rather peculiar, and the inside was slightly sweet and very moist. It might have been a bit like an extra-chewy eggplant? No, I couldn’t say for certain since I didn’t have much experience with them, but it might have actually been closer to a zucchini.

With just the seaweed stock and salt for flavor, I didn’t feel it was all that tasty. Still, if it was a vegetable akin to an eggplant or zucchini, I could probably use it with more heavily flavored or grilled dishes.

“They’re all so bland. I can’t imagine coming to like any of them,” Lem Dom stated, then she shot me a glare. “I know, this is just a taste test, right? I’m not trying to complain about your cooking or anything.”

“I didn’t say you were,” I replied with a strained chuckle, then I turned toward Mikel. “Whether or not I can use them for the banquet in the castle town will come down to the menu I decide on, but it doesn’t seem like there will be any issue with making them available in the post town. Next, I guess we should give the mushrooms a try.”

“You can try them if you want, but if you don’t let those dried mushrooms soak in water overnight, they won’t go back to normal. If you just boil them as they are, they’ll be hard and lacking in flavor.”

That made sense, and I figured it was like returning dried shiitake mushrooms to normal in water. In that case, maybe it would be possible to get a stock from them through that process too.

“Ah, and I also got some wine from other countries too. So what about them?”

“Genos doesn’t have any cooking techniques for using wine to add flavor. However, I’ve heard that in Sym and Mahyudra they sometimes boil meat in wine to remove odors,” Mikel replied, stroking his chin as he gave the matter deep thought. “Kimyuus and karon don’t have much of a stink about them to begin with, so there was no need to do anything like that. I don’t know how it is in Mahyudra, but maybe that method of boiling meat in wine and using a mountain of herbs comes from the stench of gyama raised in the mountains.”

“I see. That’s really interesting... By the way, have you ever been to Sym or Jagar, Mikel?”

“Why should I have to go all the way to some other country? You have to have some seriously eccentric tastes to want to travel to another kingdom when you’re not even a merchant,” Mikel grumbled, then suddenly he shot me a firm glare. “Have you even set foot outside of the forest’s edge and the post town yourself? Can’t imagine you’ve managed to find time for something like that when you’re doing business every single day.”

“Yeah. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I’ve never even visited the Daleim or Turan lands. And I’ve only ever passed through the castle town in a totos carriage, so I haven’t walked around there either.”

Mikel gave an astounded sigh. “And you’ve been using nothing but giba meat too. Have you not even seen a kimyuus being prepared before?”

“That’s right. Actually, I still don’t even know what a live kimyuus looks like...”

When Mikel heard that, he went beyond astounded and landed somewhere around being at a loss for words.

“But you’ve cooked kimyuus and karon dishes before at one of the inns, haven’t you...?”

“Yes. I tried out all sorts of things with the inn owner in order to develop a new menu. He makes them himself now though.”

“So you cooked kimyuus without even knowing what one looks like, huh? If you worked in the same restaurant as me, I would’ve had some choice words to shout at you.”

“It is kinda embarrassing,” I said, scratching my head before turning his daughter’s way. “So then, you must have seen a kimyuus being prepared, right Myme? Was it in Daleim?”

“That’s right. My dad took me there two years ago. And we’re going to go to Dabagg to see a karon farm sometime too!”

“Ooh, I’m jealous,” I replied, at which Myme suddenly leaned forward.

“In that case, why not come with us? Dabagg is half a day away by totos, so we could be back by the following day.”

“I mean, it’s not like I’m planning to cook with karon or anything,” I immediately replied, but it was definitely a proposal that got me excited. Up until now, I hadn’t even dreamed of setting foot outside of Genos. As I gave the matter some thought, I turned toward Reina Ruu. “The people of the forest’s edge don’t go any farther than the post town, right? Is that because it’s against their customs?”

“It’s more like there just isn’t any reason to do so. You can take care of any shopping you have to do in the post town just fine... But not that long ago, we had those men from the branch houses go with Kamyua Yoshu outside of Genos, so I don’t think anyone would complain about it if you have a proper reason.”

In that case, a short trip to Dabagg could be possible depending on how things played out. It seemed like a matter that would be worth discussing with Ai Fa and Donda Ruu.

“I think I’d like to try heading to the Daleim lands first, then. I have acquaintances there, after all.”

It went without saying, but I was thinking of Dora and Tara. Dora’s family plowed fields there, and he sold his crops in the post town.

I had wanted to invite them to the forest’s edge sometime anyway, so it seemed like a decent idea to plan a visit to the Daleim lands as well. That was certain to make Rimee Ruu happy too, as she got along well with Tara.

“The only things in the Turan lands are fuwano and mamaria fields, and those belong to the lord of the land, so we can’t approach them. That made getting to see the aria and tarapa fields in the Daleim lands feel like a really important experience for me,” Myme reminisced.

“I see. I’d love to see them too, then. We’ve only ever seen vegetables being sold in the post town before, right?” I asked, seeking agreement. However, the looks Reina and Sheera Ruu were giving me seemed oddly full of mixed emotions.

“Umm... I’m sorry, but I’ve already seen the kimyuus and the fields in the Daleim lands. And I believe it’s the same for you too, right, Sheera Ruu?”

“It is. I was a bit surprised. I never imagined a kimyuus would look like that.”

“Huh?! You two have been to the Daleim lands?!”

“Yes... When you were kidnapped, we were tasked with searching the post town and the Daleim lands.”

Now I finally understood, and I also felt incredibly apologetic. “Right. I really am sorry for that. And I apologize for getting so worked up when I didn’t know how much you had to do...”

“Please don’t worry yourself about that. None of it was your fault, after all,” Reina Ruu replied with a smile to reassure me. “We didn’t have a chance to take our time and observe the fields back then, so if you head to the Daleim lands, we would love to accompany you.”

“I see. In that case, I’ll talk to Donda Ruu about it. Plus, I’d have to find out in advance if the people of the Daleim lands would welcome us to begin with.”

Those who worked in the Daleim fields feared giba, so it was possible they would be more afraid of the people of the forest’s edge than folks in the post town were. In fact, that did seem to be the case for Dora and Granny Mishil when we first met.

But ever since we exposed Cyclaeus and Ciluel’s crimes, the discrimination toward the people of the forest’s edge had lightened up quite a bit. Still, it wasn’t like we were accepted unconditionally. There were definitely still some out there who saw the people of the forest’s edge as heretics for holding different moral values than the townsfolk, and for being such stolid hunters. Not to mention the fact that the forest alone was seen as the mother of the people who lived there, rather than any of the four great gods. That was just one more reason the townsfolk saw them as incomprehensible.

Even so, there’s a lot less thoughtless scorn and fear flying around. If they can see us as more like slightly strange neighbors rather than heretics, it should be possible for everyone to get along.

As I thought to myself, I popped the leftover chan on the plate into my mouth.

Two hours and some change later, the smoked meat was finally ready.

The meat had already shrunk a bit beforehand, but now that we were laying it out atop a cloth, it was clear that it had gotten even smaller and toughened up. The sausages, for example, were now around half as thick as they had been. The intestines had contracted and become wrinkly, while the meat inside had turned a dark reddish brown.

“It doesn’t seem as tough as normal jerky. Though I’d say it’s become a lot denser.”

As I spoke, I picked up a knife. It was the one that I had been borrowing from Ai Fa, which was a memento from her father. The sausages were one thing, but if I didn’t use this one for the jerky, a cooking knife might be damaged.

“For now, why don’t we go ahead and give this stuff a taste test?”

We had six varieties of meat: thigh, rib, shoulder, and sirloin, the hind leg that had been smoked whole, and the sausages.

I started with the safe choice, the thigh meat, shaving some off and moving it to a plate. Jerky tended to get harder over the course of a few days, but at the moment it seemed like even I could chew through it just fine.

“The taste really does seem to have improved a lot,” Reina Ruu remarked in surprise. “It has a much more abundant flavor just from adding a few herbs and putting more effort into smoking it. I’m sure the men will be quite happy with this too.”

“Yeah. It’d probably be nice and tasty if you threw it into a stew as well.”

The flavor was actually pretty similar to the jerky I knew from back home. In the past, the people of the forest’s edge got pretty much all the salt in their diet from jerky, which meant it had to be so salty it would sting your throat. However, the taste of the meat had grown denser, and then there was the aroma from the herbs on top of that, which gave it a very deep flavor.

After that, we went ahead and tried the rib, shoulder, and sirloin meats in turn.

Personally, I thought the ribs and sirloin had a bit of a dicey taste. The accent provided by their fat content seemed underdeveloped. It wasn’t being brought out to its fullest potential, and the chewy texture wasn’t especially pleasant either.

Still, even though the shoulder meat had the least fat of these cuts, I didn’t feel that it had come out as the best one either. And it sure seemed like as the days passed, it would end up every bit as tough as bonito flakes.

As for the smoked hind leg, it got pretty tender as you went further in. With this much volume, it seemed it needed to be pickled in salt for longer in order to more thoroughly remove the moisture. It wasn’t as if the taste itself was bad, but making sure it would last was important too.

Anyway, I got the feeling that the block of thigh meat was the most suited to being made into jerky for portable rations in the end.

“Delicious! I don’t eat much jerky, but this should be at least as good as stuff made with karon and kimyuus, if not better, right?” Myme exclaimed.

“That’s true. But it needs to sell at one and a half times the price of karon. That means it might be out of reach for most travelers.”

The young girl’s eyes opened wide. “Then why did you want to improve the quality of the jerky? Ah, so it could be tastier for you guys...?”

“That’s of course part of it. But beyond that, I figure jerky can be sold in other towns,” I replied as I thought back. “A merchant group from Sym that we met in the post town bought a whole lot of jerky from us in the past with the intention of selling it. Wealthy folks and merchants in other towns could end up buying it for the novelty even if it’s a bit expensive, right?”

I was definitely concerned that the way things were going, giba meat might end up having its price raised to the same level as karon torso meat. I figured I should search out new ways to sell it, in case that ended up happening.

After I offered that explanation, Myme got a bit of a pained look on her face.

“If giba meat becomes that expensive, it won’t be available in the post town anymore, will it? Karon torso costs around double what leg meat does, right?”

“That’s true. But the folks in the post town may be wealthier than they are now when that time comes. Actually, this noble I know named Polarth said that should be the case.”

Still, we were talking about the far off future. I wanted to try to do everything I could before anything beyond our ability to predict happened.

“Well then, I predicted these sausages should work better than the other types of meat, but let’s see how they turned out.”

The sausages had shrunk down to around one and a half centimeters thick and ten centimeters long. I sliced the links in half, and since there were ten of us here, used up five links in the process.

When I took a bite of those smoked sausages, I found it had a firm texture that reminded me of salami. Still, the fat kneaded into it gave it an appropriate level of tenderness, and it didn’t take much chewing to break it down in my mouth.

The taste from the salt and pico leaves really was striking. And the lilo and other herbs added to its abundant flavor too. It had just as much flavor condensed into it as normal smoked meat, if not more, and just this small amount was enough to seriously satisfy me.

“It sure is tasty! Though I feel really thirsty now.”

After nodding at Myme, I turned toward Reina Ruu and the other women.

“What do you all think? It’s got a wonderful flavor to it, right?”

“Yes. I’d say it’s tastier than the jerky. However, wouldn’t my father and those like him object to how easy it is to eat...?”

“Yeah. If there are more opportunities to eat soft meat at dinner and the jerky gets softer too, I figure a lot of hunters will feel uneasy about that. Naturally, I feel the same way too. So I wanted to try it out as something to be sold and also used as an ingredient in meals.”

“An ingredient in meals?”

“That’s right. If it doesn’t need to last for several months, then there’s no need to dry it out and toughen it up as thoroughly. There are plenty of ways to use it, whether by decreasing the smoking time, or even just grilling it or boiling it instead.” I then pointed toward the smoked rib meat. “And with this stuff, if you dry it out this much, you lose the deliciousness from the fat, but by adjusting the smoking time we can make something different known as bacon. I tried to make some for Shumiral and Balan a while ago with that jerky I gave them, but it came out sort of half-baked. Still, I’m sure I can get it to come out well if I can figure out from scratch how to make bacon the right way.”

“You already had things planned out that far when you decided to start experimenting with jerky, didn’t you?” Reina Ruu questioned with a small sigh, then she stared at me with a firm look in her eyes. “Lately, I feel like I’m seeing the gap between our skill levels more and more clearly. I feel like I’m clinging to the back of a totos running wild...but I’d like to try even harder to make certain it doesn’t throw me off.”

Sheera Ruu and Toor Deen had equally serious expressions on their faces too. Li Sudra watched over the proceedings with a smile, Lem Dom appeared indifferent, and Saris Ran Fou seemed fidgety because she didn’t get what was going on at all... And then there was Yun Sudra, who was staring at me with an oddly passionate look in her eyes. After shooting a glance her way, Reina Ruu leaned toward me.

“Asuta, I ask that you continue instructing me. I’ll give every last bit of strength I’ve got in order not to prove a hindrance.”

“Thanks. It’s very reassuring to hear you say so, Reina Ruu.”

Making bacon and sausage, improving the taste of the giba curry, developing a menu for the welcome banquet, taste testing new ingredients... Plus, mixing fuwano and poitan seemed like it would produce some interesting results soon. Thanks to everyone who assisted me, I had been able to expand my research in so many ways.

“But Asuta, these sausages take quite a bit of effort to prepare, don’t they? We had a lot of women from the Fou and Sudra gathered today, so we managed to finish it in the morning, but what about in the future?” Saris Ran Fou asked in a reserved tone.

I turned to face her with a smile. “I’ve been thinking about that. If we work together to smoke enough meat for everyone like we did today, we can minimize the number of folks needed to make jerky. On top of that, I think we should be able to get the necessary number of people if the Liddo, Gaaz, and Ratsu join in.”

“Ah, that’s true... If just one or two people can smoke this much meat, that should free up quite a few hands.”

“Right. And if they don’t need to head to the post town to make purchases, that would free up even more.”

My words had Saris Ran Fou tilting her head with a confused expression, so I explained. “The truth is, I was thinking of purchasing a new totos and wagon to use for shopping. If we share it with everyone, that should save a lot of time, right? Maybe I can talk to the clan heads and see if that time could be spent helping me out with this.”

“Huh...? You’d buy a totos and wagon for the sake of other clans? But aren’t wagons shockingly expensive?”

“It’s a cheap price to pay for getting help with my work. Making such a large amount of sausage will take an incredible amount of effort. I would never be capable of it on my own.”

The various clan heads surely wouldn’t accept my charity if I were to just buy them a wagon and totos. But I figured if the Fa clan stood to benefit too, I might be able to get them to consider it.

“That’s part of the ‘prosperous lives’ you talk about, right?” Lem Dom chimed in with a shrug of her shoulders. “I’m amazed. You could never think of buying a wagon for another clan if you’re just hunting giba. And if you sell those sausages or whatever they’re called, then an even bigger fortune will come rolling in. It certainly is an outrageous thought.”

“Yeah. We had the price of giba meat unexpectedly go up on us, so it’s become necessary to widen our scope.”

Still, no matter how much we expanded our business dealings, giba meat was essential. Without it, I would have no business at all.

No matter how much of a fortune the people of the forest’s edge amassed, they still couldn’t neglect their hunting duties. As I saw it, my fundamental business principles were built around the question of whether or not they could live prosperous lives without being corrupted.

“It really is something else. The lives of us people of the forest’s edge have changed so completely thanks to a single foreigner,” Lem Dom commented, and then she broke out in a daring grin. “I can’t help but enjoy watching to see if you’ll trip up somewhere, or if you’ll keep on breaking through like a rutting giba.”

“Right. I intend to keep on plunging straight ahead while also making sure I have firm footing.”

And so, our taste testing of the smoked meats came to a close, with a number of topics still left up in the air.

3

Night had fallen.

The day’s dinner at the Fa house also served as a taste test for the new ingredients, so it ended up as quite the luxurious lineup.

First was a specially prepared giba soup, and considering the resemblance between the ingredients I used and the ingredients from back home, it would actually be fitting to call this my first Japanese giba soup recipe. For the stock, I used seaweed and smoked fish, then for ingredients I had aria, chatchi, nenon, and newcomers in the form of sheema, ma gigo, and the brown beech-looking fungus. Or put in terms of ingredients from back home, onion, potato, carrot, daikon, taro, and mushrooms.

I flavored it with tau oil, and chose rib and thigh for my cuts of meat. To match my tastes, I added spicy chitt seeds, which were like chili peppers. With all the new dried goods in the broth, it really did feel a lot closer to the soups I remembered from back home.

Next up, I tried to reuse my grounds from making the stock. I finely chopped up the kombu-like seaweed that I had gotten broth from twice, then paired it with thinly sliced sheema and dried kiki, like a kombu and daikon salad. An extremely simple dish, but the crisp texture that the sheema shared with raw daikon was quite pleasant.

I then added the smoked fish that was like bonito flakes to the vegetable salad, as well as some homemade mayonnaise. It ended up like tuna salad, and seemed like a decent enough way to reuse my leftovers from the stock.

For the meat dish, I kept things simple and made some myamuu giba for the first time in a while. I went with sirloin for the cut, and garnished it with a bit of grilled chan. Though chan looked like a black ping pong ball, when cooked, it still tasted similar to eggplant or zucchini, so it wasn’t difficult to handle. After splitting it in two and grilling it atop a wire rack, I simply poured the myamuu sauce over the top in order to make a sufficient side dish.

“You’ve gained so many new ingredients, but none of these dishes feel especially original...” Ai Fa commented while heartily chewing away. “I had prepared myself to be fed all sorts of wild dishes for the time being, but it seems my expectations were pleasantly betrayed.”

“I see. Well, as long as you like it, I’m glad.”

“Indeed. It’s good,” Ai Fa replied, and then she expressionlessly slurped down some Japanese giba soup. Perhaps because Lem Dom was also present, my clan head had a more serious look on her face than usual, acting like a real domineering husband.

“What about you, Lem Dom? Are you more satisfied now than at the taste testing earlier in the day?”

“These dishes are delicious... This soup in particular is good enough to get on my nerves a bit.” Setting her plate down, Lem Dom shot me an intense look. “I didn’t especially find these sheema and ma gigo vegetables tasty, and yet I can feel a great strength filling me up inside from this soup. Why is that? Is it from the seaweed and fish that you boiled at the start, perhaps?”

“Yeah. And by using this many vegetables, you can get a really good stock from that alone.”

“So the taste gets better if you use lots of vegetables? But if you added sour tarapa or bitter pula to it, it’d ruin the flavor, right?”

“That’s true. You’re quick on the uptake, Lem Dom.”

“Stop talking to me as if you’re flattering a child.”

This was the fourth time that Lem Dom had stayed at the Fa house, which was happening every other day. Each time, I had talked with her longer, but in exchange, Ai Fa had grown more uncommunicative. It was less that she was ignoring Lem Dom, and more that she didn’t like talking so lightly and openly to me when others were watching.

At the same time, Lem Dom kept on doggedly shooting Ai Fa flirtatious glances.

“You know, I really do admire your strength as a hunter, Ai Fa. How are you able to keep on hunting down giba day after day without anyone assisting you?”

Ai Fa had served as a bodyguard while she took a few days off hunting due to her injured back tooth, but until then she had been hunting down giba at the high pace of one per day.

“I believe I already explained that it is the result of me using giba summoning fruit...”

“But it’s not as if just any hunter could see such results from using it, right? Otherwise, everyone would. Wait, you haven’t been doing sacrificial hunting every day, have you...?”

“I only perform sacrificial hunting during periods when there are few giba around.”

“In that case, you really are impressively skilled. You’ve taken down so many day after day while using the tremendously dangerous giba summoning fruit, and yet you haven’t been seriously injured.”

“My father was skilled at using giba summoning fruit... I simply carry out my work as I learned from him.”

“Like I said, that’s just proof of how skilled you are. And your father must have been quite the excellent hunter too.”

With a small sigh, Ai Fa took a sip of fruit wine. She had taken up drinking a bit, but just on the nights when Lem Dom visited.

“You seem to earnestly mean that, Lem Dom, but my father died at a young age out in the forest. Not much older than thirty. Hunters are not called excellent here at the forest’s edge when they die young.”

“That’s not true at all. My father also died two years back at around the same age. But even so, he hunted down a whole lot of giba, and his strength was inherited by his son Deek. If anyone were to call my father a mediocre hunter, I’d beat them down no matter who they may be.”

Ai Fa listlessly shook her head. “I understand your feelings, but I don’t care for gossiping about my father. If at all possible, I would like you to refrain from speaking of him.”

“Of course. If it upsets you, then I won’t speak a single word more on the matter from here on out.”

Since Ai Fa tried to build a wall between herself and members of other clans, while Lem Dom was excessively familiar, the two just didn’t seem to mesh. Whether that was down to Ai Fa being overly stubborn or Lem Dom being too assertive, it was something I did find a bit of a concern.

If Lem Dom wasn’t so open about her affection, she might actually do better with Ai Fa, I thought to myself.

After taking another swig of fruit wine, my clan head then raised a topic herself.

“Lem Dom, it has been eight days now since you left your home. Have you formed ties with Bartha of Masara over at the Ruu settlement?”

“With Bartha? Why are you asking about that?”

“Bartha was also a female hunter, which is why I suggested that she could show you a proper path forward.”

“Ah, that’s what you meant. Yeah, I tried talking to Bartha since you said that, but it didn’t seem like there was much I could learn from her...”

“Why is that...?”

Ai Fa had a piercing light in her eyes, but Lem Dom just shrugged her shoulders as if she hadn’t noticed.

“I mean, Bartha’s lost the will of a hunter, hasn’t she? She even laughed and said she wouldn’t go giba hunting herself. Someone who goes into the forest to hunt birds while the giba are asleep isn’t the type of hunter I’m seeking.”

Ai Fa kept on silently staring.

“Ultimately, Bartha cast aside her life as a hunter and gained a husband and child. I don’t feel like I should look down on her for being a bandit or whatever, but I also don’t feel like she’s the type of person to capture my heart.”

“If that is all you can sense, then you really may not be qualified to be a hunter...” Ai Fa quietly remarked. “Well, it has nothing to do with me. You can just keep on chasing the glory you see in front of your eyes and live however you please.”

Ai Fa seemed to have soured on Lem Dom really badly. It had been a long time since I had heard her speak to a fellow person of the forest’s edge in such a chilly tone.

I worried that would earn some backlash from Lem Dom, but the younger girl just stared at my clan head with a puzzled look. Then, she set down the plate she had been holding and slumped over with her hands on the floor, looking heartbroken.

“I’ve angered you, haven’t I, Ai Fa...?”

Ai Fa turned around in annoyance, but then she suddenly drew back, looking taken off guard. Lem Dom was deeply hanging her head, as clear droplets fell onto the fur rug.

“Hey, Lem Dom...”

“I’m sorry... I have a tendency to just run my mouth about whatever I’m thinking... I guess I’m just a complete fool who doesn’t even recognize what she’s lacking...”

“I didn’t call you a fool. Please pull yourself together.”

“But please believe me... I had no intention of ignoring your advice, and I don’t want to deny Bartha’s way of life either... I just can’t overlap my own life with hers...”

Lem Dom’s voice was weak and trembling, and her tears were creating a wet spot on the rug.

“I get it, so try to calm down, at least a little. I really don’t understand you...” Ai Fa wildly rustled her own hair. “Someone who wishes to become a hunter should not cry so lightly in front of others. Even putting that aside, you’re fifteen, aren’t you?”

“Yes... I’m sorry...”

“Fifteen is the age that both men and women are seen as adults. To weep so freely at such an age...” Ai Fa started to say, but then she frowned. Was she remembering when she herself cried in front of me? At any rate, she shot me a glare before turning back toward Lem Dom. “Regardless, do not cry over something like this. It really looks quite ridiculous, considering how big you are.”

“I’m sorry... I haven’t cried since I lost my father and mother, but...when I think of having upset you, it feels so painful...”

“I understand. I spoke without thinking and I apologize, so please forgive me. Now then, there’s still dinner left to be had...”

“Right...”

Lem Dom wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, still hanging her head, and then she started pecking at the remaining food. She was acting like a despondent child, and it made her muscular body look a size smaller.

Just as I was worrying about what to do to fix things, there was a sudden knock at the door. I started to rise, only for Ai Fa to stop me and stand herself.

“Who is visiting at such an hour?”

“The head of the main Dom house, Deek Dom.”

Instantly, tension spread throughout the room.

Lem Dom had lifted her face, and though her eyes were still rather red, she wore an even more dauntless expression than usual.

As Ai Fa walked forward she gently stroked Gilulu’s head—the huge bird was balled up in the entryway—and then she reached for the bolt.

“My apologies for arriving so late at night. Is my clan member here? Or is she at the Ruu settlement?”

“She’s here. We’re in the middle of dinner, but if this is an urgent matter then I shall allow you inside.”

“You have my gratitude,” a low voice replied, and then a huge figure appeared suddenly in the entranceway. Sure enough, it was the Dom clan head and Lem Dom’s elder brother, Deek Dom.

He wore a giba skull atop his head, was even bigger than Donda Ruu, and was covered in old scars. The look of a wild beast gleamed in his black eyes. It was my first time seeing his gallant figure in roughly two and a half months.

The totos he was leading by hand entered after him and balled up beside Gilulu. The bird was the totos belonging to the northern settlement, and had slightly blackish plumage.

“So you finally showed yourself, my clan head. I figured you would come a bit sooner than this.”

Slowly, Lem Dom rose to her feet. As he shot her a glare, the look in Deek Dom’s eyes grew even more intense. Ai Fa stepped back so that she wouldn’t be in the way, and then solemnly crossed her arms.

“For now, come inside. We don’t have any dinner for you, but there’s fruit wine if you want it.”

“That won’t be necessary. I’ll leave as soon as this discussion is finished.”

Deek Dom just kept on standing in place, not even removing his leather footwear. Instead, Lem Dom briskly walked over his way.

“A discussion, you say? Okay, out with it already. I’m sure you’ve already heard about me from the Ruu clan, correct? So this really is a late appearance from you, considering.”

“I’m not exactly overflowing with spare time. I can’t simply cast aside my work for the sake of my foolish clan member.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Have things gone smoothly with your attempts to ward off giba?”

“Yes. We should be able to finish the job before the end of the break period.”

Currently, the northern settlement was in the process of setting things up to drive giba away from the area around their houses so that they could welcome women from the Ruu and Rutim clans.

“Lem, what in the world are you thinking?”

“You should have already heard all about it, right?”

“I want to hear it from you. As a member of the Dom house, speaking to her clan head.”

Deek Dom glared down at his sister. In the meantime, I had stood up too and slipped over next to Ai Fa.

“I want to become a hunter. I asked to come to the Ruu settlement with the goal of meeting Ai Fa, the one and only female hunter at the forest’s edge. Naturally, though, I haven’t neglected my work in manning the stove.”

“Why would you wish to be a hunter? You are a woman, Lem.”

“I feel that living as a hunter suits me better than protecting the home as a woman. You must have at least vaguely sensed that much, right?”

“Of course I sensed it. However, I thought you would cast aside that foolish idea.”

“Unfortunately for you, as the years have gone by, my feelings on the matter have only grown stronger.”

Deek Dom looked down expressionlessly at Lem Dom. But despite his lack of expression, his scarred face was so intense that it was hard to believe it belonged to a man who was only seventeen years old. I figured even Donda Ruu’s face had to look a bit gentler than this back at that age.

“You seem to be under some sort of misconception, Lem.”

“A misconception? What do you mean?”

“Ai Fa of the Fa clan is a special case. Despite having the body of a woman, she possesses strength that is generally unimaginable. Not just anyone can become as fine of a hunter as her.”

I was shocked, but Ai Fa’s complexion remained completely unchanged.

At that, Lem Dom snorted, “Hmph! I certainly realize that fact much better than you do. After all, I’ve been permitted to spend quite a bit of time close to her.”

“Then give up on this foolish idea already. The forest’s edge will not accept a woman without the talent for it aiming to become a hunter.”

“How do you know whether or not I have the talent for it, clan head?”

There was now a fire blazing bright in Lem Dom’s black eyes. It was such an intense gaze that it was hard to imagine this was the same dejected girl from before.

“I’m still only fifteen. And I’ve already gained greater strength than most other women. If I could just polish my soul and my techniques, wouldn’t I be capable of living as a hunter?”

“Not possible. And I won’t permit you to neglect your work as a woman for the sake of this foolish plot. Women must protect the home.”

“I refuse. If I have to cast aside my will, then I would be happier dying out in the forest as an inexperienced hunter.”

Deek Dom’s eyes were now blazing away too. Those lights from their black eyes collided, and it felt as if I could see them crackling and giving off sparks.

“Are you saying you would neglect your duties despite being born a person of the forest’s edge, Lem?”

“I’m not. I simply wish to live properly as a person of the forest’s edge in the way that’s right for me.”

“This is going nowhere. The mother forest will never permit your foolishness,” Deek Dom grumbled, and then he turned toward Ai Fa. “Fa clan head Ai Fa. I ask that the agreement to have the Ruu and Fa clans take in Lem Dom to train her in manning the stove come to an end as of this very moment. You needn’t look after this fool any longer.”

All Ai Fa replied with was “Oh?”

Deek Dom paid her no heed. “I will be talking to Donda Ruu after this as well. You have my thanks as the Dom clan head for the past eight days,” he continued, finishing with a slight bow of his head.

As she glared his way, Lem Dom broke out in a sneer. “Clan head, I don’t have any intention of returning to the Dom house just yet.”

“And I have no intention of accepting you back either. Until you cast aside this foolishness about wanting to be a hunter, don’t come anywhere near the northern settlement, Lem.” As he spoke, Deek Dom turned around. Despite his large build, it really was a graceful maneuver. “Until that time comes, I will not acknowledge you as a member of my clan. You can ask yourself and the forest about what your sins are.”

“So that’s how it is? Then so be it. This may be our final farewell, but take care, Dom clan head Deek Dom.”

Taking his black-feathered totos with him, Deek Dom disappeared into the darkness.

Ai Fa closed the door and re-bolted it, then turned toward Lem Dom. “As a clan head of the north, I suppose that was the obvious decision. What do you intend to do from here on out, Lem Dom?”

“Well, I suppose my only option is to find an open house somewhere to spend the night. Fortunately, the Sudra seem to have a number of houses to spare, and they’re near the Fa house, so that should work out just fine,” Lem Dom replied with a daring grin. “Deek’s stubborn, so I already expected this much. Actually, it came later than I expected.”

“But now that your clan head Deek Dom has said all that, neither Donda Ruu nor I can shelter you any further. Even if you find an open house where you can spend the night, what do you intend to do for food? Do you have coins?”

“Of course not. And I can’t hunt giba as I am now either, so I guess I’ll have to head into the post town and look for work.”

“In the post town? Are there any businesses that would employ a person of the forest’s edge?” I asked in surprise, but Lem Dom just shrugged her shoulders the same as always.

“If not, then I’ll scrounge for scraps. I’ll find a way to live on without breaking the laws of either Genos or the forest’s edge.”

Despite the sarcastic-looking grin she wore, there was the same flame as always burning away in her eyes. Ai Fa glared at her a moment longer, before turning her gaze toward me.

“Asuta, you asked the Fou and Ran women to help you out in the morning, correct? How many coins are you paying them?”

“Huh? Ah, two red coins per hour, and the job is two hours per day.”

“Then that would mean four red coins per day, correct? That should be enough to buy not only aria and poitan, but giba meat as well.”

Lem Dom wore a dubious look in response to Ai Fa’s words.

“What are you talking about? Didn’t you just say you can’t shelter me any longer?”

“It would not be sheltering you or granting you charity. It’s only natural that anyone can receive payment for doing a job.”

“But...”

“It was the Dom clan head Deek Dom’s decision not to acknowledge you as a member of his clan. No one can object to that, but just because you wish to be a hunter despite being a woman, it doesn’t mean you are no longer qualified to be a person of the forest’s edge. If it did, I would have long since lost that qualification myself.”

Lem Dom just silently stared back at my clan head.

“Ask your own feelings and the forest whether or not you have committed any wrong. And once you find the answer, then you should speak with Deek Dom once more,” Ai Fa stated before turning away.

Lem Dom firmly shut her eyes, and she slowly approached Ai Fa. Then, her robust arms flew out and embraced Ai Fa around the neck for the first time in a while.

“Thank you, Ai Fa... I am truly, truly glad to have met you...”

“Hmph,” my clan head snorted, but she didn’t brush away the younger girl’s arms.

I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. “Well then, how about we continue dinner? And it should be fine to at least let her stay in the Fa house for tonight, right? I’d like to make arrangements for work tomorrow too.”

“Right...” Lem Dom replied in a childish manner, rubbing her cheek up against Ai Fa’s hair.

After around ten seconds of that, my clan head exploded, “How long do you intend to keep clinging to me?!”

And so, that turbulent yet truly worthwhile day off finally came to a close.