Chapter 5: The Rutim Banquet (Part 2)

1

Slowly but steadily, the sun started slanting to the west. The world was sure to be awash in twilight in less than two hours.

The plan was that around when the sun was touching the western forest, the bride and groom would arrive in the Ruu settlement and the banquet would begin.

Around now, they were supposedly going around to each house of their related families and gathering blessings from each of them. Once each family gave their blessing, they were to come here in order.

There were already nearly 30 people gathered at the plaza.

Apparently children under the age of five weren’t qualified to participate in the banquet though, so unfortunately, the infants and toddlers were gathered in one of the Ruu branch family homes, where the women took shifts watching them.

As for the men, I didn’t see any aside from a few old folks and youths under 13. The hunters were still out in the forest, even on a day such as this.

They were supposed to not push themselves and come back early so that nothing tragic occurred on the day of the banquet, but still, the men of the five families other than the Rutim and Min were out carrying out their duty as hunters.

It was said that bestowing giba horns and tusks you hunted that very day was the greatest of blessings.

That was the people of the forest’s edge for you: honest, yet fierce.

◇

“Alright. All the preparations are complete.”

Having finished 70% of the cooking, I wiped the sweat from my brow.

The poitan were baked.

The three-vegetable stir fry had been finished.

The stew and the soup were both complete.

The fruit wine sauce for the hamburgers had even been jammed back into the original fruit wine containers.

All that was left was cooking the meat.

A vast number of hamburgers and a portion of the steaks were all lined up in the main Ruu house’s kitchen. There were six stoves there, but since I needed to use both strong and weak flames, that meant only three sets could be cooked at a time. But the pots were large, so I could prepare five of them at once in each, or 15 in total at once.

It looked to be just about time...

“Well then, let’s start cooking the meat.”

With that signal from me, the hamburgers were added to the pots, and the smell of meat and fat utterly filled the kitchen.

The hamburgers were the trickiest dish to cook, so Reina and Mia Lea Ruu were in charge of that, along with me. The other women from the main house headed to the branch houses, where they were grilling steaks. As for the women from the branch families who had their hands free, they were to come here to help move pots.

And so, young Shin Ruu’s mother and elder sister were now standing next to me while holding a grigee pole.

“Alright, I’m counting on you.”

They passed the pole through both handles of the pot, then moved it to a stove with a low flame.

When the red meat juices came rising up I flipped the patties and moved them back to the stove with the strong flame, where I added in fruit wine and then closed the lid. The sweet scent that came spewing out before the lid was shut soon permeated the kitchen.

Things seemed to be going smoothly for Mia Lea Ruu behind me and Reina Ruu on the outdoor stoves, too.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to assist you, Asuta,” a reserved voice called out. It had come from Shin Ruu’s older sister, Sheera Ruu.

She was slender for a person of the forest’s edge, and had a sort of ephemeral air about her. She was probably just a bit older than I was.

“My father Ryada lost the strength needed to hunt, and my younger brother Shin became head of the house at the mere age of 16, so we were truly left at a loss... But then we tasted the cooking you taught us, and it brought everyone great joy, and imbued in them a strong desire to keep on living. I am truly grateful to you.”

“I’m grateful for your overly generous words. Still, your skill with a knife is no less than even Reina Ruu’s, which is amazing,” I said with a smile as I opened the lid and checked how they had cooked. “I hope you keep on cooking them delicious food and bringing them happiness. That’s something only you all can do... If you don’t mind, I think it’s about time to transfer it back to the weak flame.”

“Right.”

With that, she moved the pot again with her mother’s help.

Once these finished cooking, the first batch would be complete.

“You’re an unusual man, Asuta. It’s just like Shin said. You man the stove, and yet at times, you have the daring look of a hunter about you.”

“You really are exaggerating again. I’m no one all that great.”

“No, it’s true. Manipulating flames like this, and taking such hard, smelly giba meat and making it so delicious... It really is like you’re one of those sorcerers from the eastern kingdom.”

“That’s just what it means to be a chef. I’m sure you can find a whole ton of more skilled cooks in the capital, before you even go bringing sorcerers into it. Alright... it’s done.”

I took the hamburgers and lined them up atop a pseudo-rubber tree leaf on my work stand.

Then, I scraped off all the impurities stuck to the pot using a wooden spatula, returned it to the strong heat, dropped in fresh fat, and threw in five new patties. In the meantime, Ai Fa laid out another pseudo-rubber tree leaf atop the finished hamburgers, placed flat stones to the left and right as supports, and then placed a board on top. With that, we could steadily pile up the finished goods.

“Ah, Ai Fa, what’s that leaf called, now that I think of it? It’s been such a constant help to me, but I never learned its proper name.”

“Suurub.”

“Huh?”

“This is a suurub leaf.”

Ah, I see. I couldn’t help but give an awkward smile, figuring it was already just a pseudo-rubber leaf to me, and the name wasn’t that different anyway.

It was bigger than a person’s palm and had no smell, and the surface was smooth and shiny. And since we were cooking this much meat, it served as an indispensable supplement for the few plates we had.

The guests were only supposed to bring their own plates and skewers to use. And so, I was using planks in place of trays, and pseudo-rubber leaves as plates. I’m sure I must have put a great burden on the women, having them gather up these planks and several hundred pseudo-rubber leaves.

And yet, the women all wore bright expressions. Their faces were shining with excitement as they wondered how much the food they had prepared would surprise and overjoy their relatives and related families.

I may have been the head chef, but they were the ones who made all of these dishes.

It really would be nice if this deepened the bonds between everyone. If everyone shared in this happiness... And if Gazraan Rutim and Ama Min’s wedding went as well as one could imagine.

“Asuta! These hamburgers are done! I’m going to start on the steaks!”

“Right! I’m counting on you!”

“I’m back! Asuta, things are going smoothly in the other houses right now, too!”

“Thanks, Rimee Ruu. Could you tell them that it’s about time to start heating up the stew?”

“Got it!”

The work was progressing smoothly.

After that, though, I got a report that there was an issue with moving one of the pots, which ruined five steaks. But the women from the branch families practically took off flying, cutting off fresh meat and seasoning it with salt and pico leaves all on their own.

“Oh, it’s just awful! Now Vina knocked over a pot of aria soup!”

“What?! Did anyone get burned?!”

“That’s fine! But Vina looks like she’s about to cry! Or wait, she actually was crying!”

“There’s no reason for her to cry! We can remake anything but the stew! I mean, this banquet is going to be a marathon, so just tell her to take her time and make it again like we have up until now, without panicking! Ah... Is there anyone in that house who can make soup right now?”

“I don’t know! But if not, I’ll go help!”

“Alright, I’m counting on you, Rimee Ruu!”

I had already accounted for this much happening.

And as all this was occurring, all the meat in the main Ruu house got cooked. Afterwards, the plan was to fill a heated pot with water and stack up the dishes as tightly as possible. I wasn’t expecting it to do much, but it would hopefully at least help keep things warm.

“Alright, looks like we’re okay here, now. I’m going to go around checking on the other houses, alright?”

“Got it! Well then, Reina, you all should go get changed. We’ll take care of things here,” Mia Lea Ruu replied.

The younger women, Reina and Sheera Ruu included, responded “Right!” and exited the kitchen.

Noticing the expression on my face, the older woman broke out in a grin.

“It’s a banquet, after all. That makes it a big moment for the unmarried women to show off. A lot of new marriages are set up at events like this.”

“Oh... Is that so?”

In that case, it would be safest to avoid Vina and Reina Ruu outside of work.

Ai Fa stood there imposingly, the only unmarried woman left in the kitchen, and said, “I am a member of the Fa clan,” while shooting me back a frightening glare.

I didn’t quite get it, but apparently Ai Fa wouldn’t be dressing up.

I was awash in complex feelings over that, both relieved and yet at the same time disappointed.

“Well then, I’m off. I’ll be back soon if there aren’t any problems.”

With that, I left the kitchen alongside Ai Fa. The sun was already on the verge of touching the western forest, so we really were pushing things right up against the limit.

“Guess I’m about halfway done now, huh?”

While shooting a sidelong glance over the rather full plaza, I headed towards the closest house amongst the branch families.

“Half? But isn’t all the cooking finished?”

“The cooking is finished. But I’m still on the job until the food makes it to the guests. I guess maybe I’ll be done when the last steak and hamburger make it to the mouths of the bride and groom.”

Everything seemed to be in order with the branch families.

One house had a mountain of stir fried vegetables, another a heaping helping of baked poitan, yet another a ton of steaks, and one was heating up the stew that had been moved there from the main house.

When I arrived at the last of the houses, I found Rimee Ruu giving her all to strain the scum from the soup all on her own.

“Good work, Rimee Ruu. I see, so this is the culprit behind Vina Ruu’s tears, huh?”

The neighboring stove was all damp, and aria and chunks of meat were scattered all over.

“So, where did everyone else go?”

“They all went to change. I mean, they’re all unmarried.”

“Ah, I see. What about you, Rimee Ruu? Aren’t you going to change?”

“Yeah! I’ll go once this is done!”

Huh. I certainly would like to see Rimee Ruu all dressed up.

“I’ll take your place, then. The bride and groom should be here soon, so hurry up and get changed. Ah, but could you go help Mia Lea and them at the main house afterwards?”

“Got it! Thanks! Huh...? Ai Fa, are you not going to change?”

“I’m a member of the Fa clan. I have no ties to the Rutim clan, so it would make no sense for me to dress up for this banquet.”

“I see. I wanted to see you in your banquet clothes, Ai Fa. Well anyway, I’ll see you later!” Rimee Ruu said, then she went dashing out of the kitchen.

As soon as she was gone, Shin Ruu appeared in her place. Now that I thought of it, this was his house.

“Hey, welcome back, Shin Ruu. I’m glad to see you’re alright.”

“Yeah... You haven’t had any problems on your end, either?”

“It’s been fine. Your older sister and mom have been working really hard, too.”

That wasn’t mere flattery. I really meant it.

Those two were a serious boon to our forces, so I had them help make hamburgers at the main house rather than remain here. And that didn’t just apply to moving pots, as they also showed their skills when it came to mincing the meat and making the patties.

And also... I had become rather fond of this quiet, unsociable, awkward young man, too. He was like the polar opposite of Ludo Ruu, and seeing the two of them together was actually really soothing.

“Are you Ai Fa of the Fa clan...?” Shin Ruu asked, looking at Ai Fa with slightly narrowed eyes.

Now that I thought of it, this was actually the first time these two were meeting.

“I am the head of this house, Shin Ruu. I realize I’m being impolite in doing so, but there is one matter I’d like to discuss with you.”

Huh? I thought as I looked back and forth between the two.

Both of them were expressionless, so I couldn’t discern any information just from looking at them. Still, despite the silence, my unease wasn’t exactly flaring up.

“Ai Fa, you—” Shin Ruu started to continue.

“Shin, you’re back?” Sheera Ruu asked, cutting him off. “Oh, my...” she stated, freezing in place after entering the kitchen. “You all are here too? Welcome, Ai Fa and Asuta.”

I had only just parted with her a short while ago, but Sheera Ruu had already changed into her outfit for the banquet.

I couldn’t help but be a bit impressed. She had given off a fairly weak, fleeting impression visually, but now she was so beautiful she was like an entirely different person. Her long blackish brown hair, the same color as her younger brother’s, was now loose and flowing down her back. And her hair had countless little flowers and berries in it, plus it had a transparent veil on top. Awash in the light orange of twilight, that veil gave off an iridescent sparkle. The fact that such fibers existed in this world was enough to make my eyes open wide.

The fabrics around her chests and hips may have been different, too. I couldn’t quite recall the details, but I got the feeling that the swirling patterns had gotten more elaborate and vibrant. Plus, she had a slightly purple flowing transparent fabric running from her hips to her ankles, and on top of that, she also had wooden and metal accessories around her wrists and ankles rather than the usual grigee fruits used to ward off insects.

In short, Sheera Ruu looked beautiful.

“Ah, is this the remade soup? If it’s alright, I can take care of the rest.”

“Really? Then I’m counting on you. Um... take care that your clothes don’t get burned, alright?”

“Yes, I understand,” she answered with a smile and a real gentle charm.

I turned back around towards Shin Ruu, and the calm-faced youth shook his head.

“I can tell that you are still working. My apologies. I’ll come again when you’re free.”

“I see. Farewell,” Ai Fa replied, seemingly completely unconcerned, as she exited the kitchen. All I could think to do was give a bow to the two siblings and follow after her.

“Hey, what business did Shin Ruu have with you?”

“Who knows?” Ai Fa bluntly answered.

“He’s a member of a Ruu branch family, right? I can’t remember you ever talking to anyone like that before.”

“I see.”

Well, as long as it was just Shin Ruu, I was sure he wasn’t plotting anything. There was still something bothering me a bit about the whole thing, but right now, I was in the middle of a job.

And so, I stepped out into the plaza, and...

Suddenly, the whole place erupted in cheers.

The bride and groom had arrived.

A group of around thirty were slowly making their way forward through the plaza. To be specific, they were the members of the Rutim and Min clans.

There was an old man I didn’t recognize standing at the head of the group. Was he the Rutim clan elder or something? He was bald, but his white beard stretched down to his chest, and he looked quite old. At any rate, his back was straight and his steps were firm, plus he was clad in the outfit of a hunter.

There were two small children off to the left and right. One was a boy, and the other was a girl. And both of them looked smaller than even Rimee Ruu.

The boy was so little, yet he was dressed like a hunter, and he was proudly puffing out his chest.

The girl had on the same sort of transparent veil that Sheera Ruu had been wearing, and she was giving an energetic smile.

Their small hands were holding flat baskets with flowers and berries weaved into them, which were overflowing with giba horns and tusks. Those must have been the blessings they had received from the families related to them. The men had still not given their blessings, so they silently approached, greeted the elder, and added a horn or a tusk to the pile.

And then, the men in their hunter’s garb and the women in their lightweight outfits seemed to part. With that, today’s stars finally made their appearance: Gazraan Rutim and Ama Min.

Naturally, Gazraan Rutim was dressed as a hunter. The key difference, though, was in the giba pelt cloak wrapped around his robust frame. It was undoubtedly a giba pelt. As to how I could be so certain, the cloak still had a head to it. The giba’s head was draped over Gazraan Rutim’s burly right shoulder, covering it. And it still had its imposing horns and tusks, making it almost look like it was still alive.

The cloak covered his right half but his left side remained exposed, and I could see a small and a large blade peeking out from underneath. They were surely special for this banquet, too. The leather sheaths on both had been embroidered and branded, and on top of that, there were beautifully colored stones embedded here and there throughout.

The only other notable difference was the emerald green grass crown atop his dark brown hair. But even so, the Rutim heir looked even more manly and gallant than usual.

As expected, the bride walking silently alongside him was wearing an iridescent veil. But unlike Sheera Ruu and the other women, hers had three layers to it, and she also had a grass crown on like the one her husband-to-be was wearing. The hem of the veil reached down over her face, its iridescent shine clouding her expression. But even so, I could at least tell that the bride had a joyous smile on her face.

And she also had transparent shawls dangling from her shoulders and hips, such that the entirety of her dark brown skin was wrapped up in a gentle light.

The cloth wrapped around her chest and waist underneath were covered in brilliant whirling patterns, and the accessories around her neck and wrists were certainly gorgeous, but that iridescent shine alone was beautiful enough to mark her as more special than anyone else present.

The cheers of those blessing the pair reverberated through plaza and showed no sign of abating, with one stupidly loud laugh overwhelming them all. That had come from the father of the groom, Dan Rutim.

The large bald-headed man was walking at the head of the other men, and was laughing for some reason. I didn’t quite know why, but... he certainly seemed to be having fun. I figured he must be overjoyed. I mean, he had to be over the moon, with his son having grown into such a splendid man, and for him to be marrying such a beautiful bride.

His potbelly was seriously swaying, as was the fat on his cheeks. And seeing that, the children around him started laughing too. In turn, Dan Rutim started laughing even harder.

I couldn’t quite tell from this distance, but I felt like I saw something lightly sparkling in the corners of those big eyes of his.

“Asuta,” a voice said, and I felt a light tug on my arm. When I turned to look, I saw Ai Fa quietly staring back at me.

I gave a single nod, then clenched my fists.

“Yeah. We’re finally in the second half.”

The banquet had begun.

2

“Carry the stew out to the plaza, please! And it’s hot, so don’t rush!”

It was a real chaotic, topsy-turvy mess after that.

The two stars of the night were led to the stage erected in front of the main house, and Dan Rutim announced the banquet kicking off, but I no longer had enough leeway to stop and listen. After all, the food needed to be set up for people to eat as soon as his speech ended.

First up was the stew.

We placed four pots spaced as evenly as possible atop the ten simple stoves set up in a circle, then lit weak flames in them. Then we placed pots full of water atop the other six stoves for the sake of keeping things warm, and stoked the flames just enough so they wouldn’t be overly strong. Finally, we placed the steaks and stir-fried vegetables atop large planks that were being set up in place of tables. For the steaks, I decided we should start with the safer options of roast and thigh meat.

There were Ruu women manning each stove, and at first I had them focus on getting everything set up. I felt bad about it, but I had no choice but to have them take turns eating and enjoying themselves. But if any of the women were displeased about it, they at least didn’t let it show where I could see.

The women who manned the stands with the steaks held up heaping helpings of baked poitan, and handed them over to people who were coming for the meat. Then, they would add, “This is poitan.”

Naturally, the women manning the stoves with the stew were in charge of pouring it out. They added, “This soup is meant to be one bowl per person.”

People could eat whatever they pleased and as much as they wanted of the grilled goods or the stuff heated up in pots. After all, it was a banquet, so maybe this way of doing things was too regimented...

But still, I thought it wouldn’t be enough to just cook up and grill meat without a stench to it. No, I wanted to bring them an even greater happiness. And so, I just had to hope that the deliciousness of the food would blow away any feelings of being overly exact about things.

I was already flying around from home to home giving instructions, so I didn’t really have any proper idea of where each woman was. Even Ai Fa, the only one who had been constantly sticking by my side, disappeared somewhere when Granny Tito Min called for her.

“Well then, let us begin the banquet!” Dan Rutim called out in a stupidly loud voice, which I heard coming from the stage. “Let’s bless Gazraan Rutim of the Rutim clan and Ama Min of the Min clan!”

“Bless them!” 100 voices cheered out in unison, and the ceremonial fire was lit using the tower of firewood piled up in the center of the plaza.

Something akin to torches were also set up on pedestals surrounding the plaza, dispersing the darkness.

Illuminated by that grand orange light, the people present grabbed hold of bowls and skewers.

“Eat and drink up! And give your thanks to the women of the Ruu clan, who worked hard for this day!” Dan Rutim yelled out, his voice getting raspy. He must have been yelling too much.

As if guided by that voice, the people claimed containers of fruit wine, as well as the meat placed atop pseudo-rubber leaves.

White, healthy teeth bit down into the meat.

The stew that had been poured into wooden bowls was slurped down.

Baked poitan were timidly brought up to mouths.

I didn’t even have time to confirm the expressions on their faces, though, as I had to keep on running from house to house.

“Next up is this house’s ribs! Are they ready?”

“Everything’s fine. They’re really eating up the first bit of meat in no time at all though, aren’t they?” said a middle-aged woman whose name I hadn’t memorized yet from one of the branch families, giving a hearty laugh. “It seems like I should get going. The girls from the first group must be real impatient to dig into that stew, after all.”

With that, the woman’s arms which were thicker than mine picked up three planks at once, each of them holding seven plates of spare ribs.

“I’ll go replace them... That stew of yours really is a masterpiece, isn’t it?”

“Ah, did you already have some?”

“I mean, it would be really serious if it ran out before I got any. I started off by having just that, then hurried back here in a big rush. The other women will be back soon, so you should get a bit in you too, right?”

“I’m fine eating later. At any rate, I’m counting on you.”

“Right!” the woman responded, and then she left.

Soon afterwards, I heard a loud voice proclaiming, “Heeey, these are giba ribs! Anyone with guts, go ahead and give ‘em a bite!”

It seemed I really had made the right call, devoting myself to working behind the scenes. After all, an outsider like me showing my face wouldn’t exactly make the food taste any better.

“Sorry we’re late! We’ll carry out the rest right away!”

With that, several girls whose names I also didn’t remember, all clad in beautiful outfits, came flying into the kitchen.

“All of the first round of steaks are gone already. There’s only a little stew left, too!”

“In that case, the soup should be next. Alright, thanks!”

Shin Ruu’s house and the one next to it were in charge of soup.

I started off by running on over to Shin Ruu’s house, where I found Sheera Ruu manning the kitchen all by herself.

“Huh? You’re all on your own? Wasn’t your mom supposed to be here, too?”

“She left to eat some stew. I already had some ahead of her,” Sheera Ruu said with a fleeting smile. “That stew food is truly delicious. I felt like I was about to start crying as I ate it, somehow...”

“Is that so? Then I hope you’ll have it made for your wedding banquet, too.”

With that, Sheera Ruu made a bit of a sad face and shook her head.

“I have a weak constitution, ever since I was born. That’s why I’m still unmarried at this age. A woman who can’t even carry a single water jug is nothing but a burden for her family...”

“That’s not true at all! Even if you can’t manage water jugs, you can still carry pots, right? And that much arm strength should be plenty for manning the stove.”

I may have been in a bit of a manic state right now, since I even added a wink there at the end.

“Besides, you’re really good at cooking, Sheera Ruu. I’m sure you’ll become a bride who can cook a delicious meal. And once the men know the value of tasty food, they won’t be able to leave you alone, for sure.”

“Oh, my...” Sheera Ruu muttered, her cheeks flushing red.

It was then that her mother returned.

“Looks like the stew is pretty much all gone. Now then, Sheera, it’s our turn.”

“Right.”

The gentle mother and her daughter with a fleeting presence used a grigee pole to carry off a pot.

Meanwhile, I headed to the neighboring home, glancing over at them as I went.

All of the remaining pots of soup were at this house. That thought was on my mind as I entered the kitchen, but the three pots of soup had long since been carried out, and the dirtied pots from the stew were now sitting atop the stoves.

And in that fairly large kitchen, there was a single woman standing there all on her own: Vina Ruu.

“Asuta...?”

Her sensual eyes had been drooping down just a bit, and now they were opened wide in surprise.

Sure enough, she was dressed in banquet attire, too. She had a transparent veil on her head, and a similar lightweight fabric around her waist, and though her hair and limbs were always more magnificently decorated than women from other houses, she had on even more accessories than usual.

Her long chestnut-colored hair was usually bundled up and draped over her right shoulder, but now it was flowing loose, which only made her all the more sensual.

But at least for today, I couldn’t exactly play along with her advances.

“Everything’s already been carried out here, right? In that case, I have work to do...” I said and turned around.

But then, Vina Ruu yelled out “Wait!” from behind.

That was the first time I had ever heard Vina Ruu shout. I couldn’t help but stop and turn back around.

Vina Ruu was shrugging her shoulders in a childish manner and hanging her head.

“Asuta... Are you mad...?”

“Huh? Why?”

“I... I spilled the aria soup...”

“Ah, that? It’s fine. The fresh soup made it in time. And I’m just glad that you didn’t get burnt.”

“You’re not mad...?”

She was looking straight at me with upturned eyes.

I had no idea how much was acting and how much was real, which made dealing with her seriously tricky.

“I’m not mad. More importantly, please enjoy the banquet. You were in the group that set up the stew, right? In that case, you shouldn’t have any work for a while longer, yeah?”

“I hate the banquet... All sorts of men ask me to be their bride, after all...”

I wanted to ask, “What’s so wrong with that?” but it seemed like that would just complicate matters, so I refrained.

“Well then, I have to get going.”

“Wait!” she yelled out once again.

Vina Ruu was wriggling her body back and forth while cradling it with both arms.

“Um... I may be a woman who tried to abandon her family... But it really isn’t like I hate them, of course...”

“What?”

Just what was she talking about? I seriously just wanted to get moving to the next house already.

“Actually, I love my family more than anyone. I don’t hate any of them. I want each and every one of them to be happy...”

“Um, just what are you talking about, here?”

“I don’t want to have to hate family...”

And then, she went and shocked me yet again.

Vina Ruu fell to her knees, still cradling herself in her arms, and looked up at me like she was pleading.

“Ai Fa would be fine. I could hate her... If you were tied together with Ai Fa, I could seduce you away and do whatever I please...”

“No seriously, what are you talking about?!”

“I don’t want to hate Reina, though,” Vina Ruu stated in an unusually blunt tone. “Just don’t tie yourself together with Reina... I don’t want to hate family...”

I seriously had no clue what was going on.

Of course I had sensed something from how Reina Ruu had been acting, but there was no way her family would accept her saying she wanted to marry me or something.

But Vina Ruu had such a terribly sad look on her face that I couldn’t help but doubt if it was really her.

After a good bit of worrying, I approached Vina Ruu and put a hand on her soft shoulder.

“It’s alright. I don’t know what you’re so worried about, but that sort of wild future will never come to pass.”

Fortunately, I was able to say all that without having to lie to myself.

Vina Ruu looked at me with her lightly teary eyes.

“I won’t be marrying Reina Ruu, so there’s no reason for you to have to hate her. I can promise you that much.”

I gripped Vina Ruu’s shoulder, and then ended with one last firm nod. At least for now, that was the best I could manage.

“Sorry, I know you’re in the middle of work...”

“Don’t worry about it. Just stick to the plan as we push towards the end, alright? Well then, excuse me...”

I went flying out of the kitchen, as if trying to escape Vina Ruu’s gaze.

A sort of murky sense of guilt filled me up inside.

Even so, I didn’t have any more time to spend consoling Vina Ruu. I had to hurry onto the next place as soon as possible.

Was this guilt part of the price I was paying? In that case, I had no choice but to swallow it down.

As those thoughts ran through my head, I ran along the outer circumference of the plaza. At this distance, the people just looked like black silhouettes. I couldn’t see their expressions at all.

Even so, there was a tremendous enthusiasm in the air. The heat of their passion and their life forces wouldn’t lose out even to the roaring flames of the ceremonial fire.

What a truly dazzling, lively world...

I just kept on running, and it was like that tremendous life force of theirs was giving me a push from behind.

My next destination was the far off main Ruu house.

The bride and groom were silently seated atop the stage constructed in front of it, while Dan Rutim was laughing like a fool while holding spare ribs in both hands.

There was no way I could ever mistake him, even as a silhouette.

“Are you all not going to eat any? If you won’t, then I’ll eat it all up, y’know?!”

While praying that he would at least let the people who wanted to eat some do so, I jogged towards the kitchen.

At last, the next dish would be the hamburgers.

“Ah, it’s Asuta! You’re finally here!”

There were nearly ten women there in the kitchen.

They had their fill of the banquet up until now, but now they were my rear guard for the work yet to come.

Anyway, one of the members, Rimee Ruu, was standing near the entrance holding spare ribs in both hands.

“Hehehe. Look, I’m Dan Rutim!”

“Come on, now. If both you and that old-timer eat a whole ton, then there won’t be enough left for everyone else to have their share, right? It really should be one per person.”

“But I chose small ones! Is it still not okay...?”

She looked at me like a dejected puppy, and I patted her on the head.

“You’re adorable, so I’ll allow it. And that outfit’s really cute, too.”

“Really? I’m so happy!”

She may have been a young child, but she still had on a special outfit for the banquet. With her iridescent veil and numerous accessories for her hair and arms, I had no problem saying that Rimee Ruu looked super cute. In particular, the red flowers she had tucked in by her temples on either side were truly striking, and also really went well with her reddish hair.

“By the way, have you seen Ai Fa? I haven’t seen her once since the banquet began.”

“Ai Fa? Didn’t Granny Tito Min call for her?”

“The elder was calling for her, so I just told her that. I haven’t seen her since then.”

Granny Tito Min was a member of our hamburger unit, too.

So, had my confidant and the one and only member of my raiding party, Ai Fa, gone into hiding?

“Um, if you’re talking about the Fa clan’s female hunter, I saw her carrying a steak before,” said a woman who I believe was the wife of the son of Donda Ruu’s second younger brother.

“Really? Thank you.”

If she was carrying out her raid without my orders, then that was just fine.

I had just been starting to think that it would be easiest for me to just keep on running around like this on my own.

“Now then, it seems the time for the hamburgers to make their debut is fast approaching. Actually, over half of the food has already been used up... Isn’t it pretty early to be hitting this point?”

“Your food is just so tasty that things keep disappearing one after another!”

“Well, half of that food may have been eaten by the head of the Rutim too, right?”

The older woman shot me a pleasant grin.

I wanted to smile too, but unfortunately I couldn’t right now.

“After these hamburgers, we have one more round of steaks with one per person, yeah? Could we actually need to add on more?”

“It’s certainly possible. Actually, it seems like we really will come up way short. The men and women sure are eating a lot. I’ve even seen folks struggling over meat here and there.”

Did this call for a shriek of delight?

We had prepared to grill up additional meat if worse came to worst, but not for adding more vegetables or poitan. The best we could do is try to garnish it with whatever aria and tino was left lying around.

“Got it. Then once we get the hamburgers out, I’ll set about cutting up meat. Let’s go with thin slices, and grill them over a strong flame.”

“Alright. Well then, shall we get going?”

With that quiet command from Granny Tito Min, the women started carrying out the roughly 200 hamburgers and containers full of fruit wine sauce.

“Ah, Rimee Ruu. If you happen to be free, would you mind checking on how Vina Ruu is doing? I think she’s in the kitchen of the house where we had three pots of soup.”

“Vina? Ah, she always drinks nothing but wine when it’s time for a banquet... Got it! I’ll bring her a hamburger!”

“Thanks. I’m counting on you.”

With that, my rear guard carried out the hamburgers, leaving the kitchen temporarily empty. All that was left was a portion of the steaks meant to be presented last.

After setting them up on top of covers on the stoves to keep them warm, I gulped down some water from a ladle.

My body was getting pretty darn tired. And yet, my heart was feeling uplifted.

I was a bit worried about Vina Ruu, but aside from that, everything was going extremely smooth.

I didn’t know what sort of faces everyone made while eating, but judging from the expressions the women wore, I figured there was no need to worry.

No serious accidents had occurred.

My job was just one push away from being finished.

I gave a nice big stretch, then headed towards the pantry to carry out the additional meat.

I wonder if Ludo and Shin Ruu are enjoying themselves, too? And I hope Ai Fa didn’t miss out on the stew...

I grabbed the candlestick by the entrance, then stepped into the pantry.

The room where the meat was stored was even further in.

This vegetable storage space was used to temporarily store completed dishes, so the shelves were all pushed up against the walls. And there were also hardly any vegetables left on them, either.

There were just a few extra vegetables remaining that had been prepared in case anything got screwed up, and some that weren’t part of the menu this time around.

Apparently the Ruu and the Rutim were splitting the cost of all the ingredients used.

Would this strengthen their bonds, or instead cause a rift to form? There was still a lot I didn’t know about Donda and Jiza Ruu’s natures, so I couldn’t say for certain.

But still, I was just carrying out my work.

As that thought ran through my head, I headed towards the room where the meat was stored. And then...

The door I had left open closed shut with a slam.

I turned around with a “Huh?” only for a small, soft body to come flying into my chest.

It may have been incredibly little and soft, but it was also very strong.

And so, I ended up getting toppled over backwards.

It was awful lucky that I didn’t end up dropping the candlestick in the process.

What the light from that candle illuminated was Reina Ruu’s brooding face.

3

“R-Reina Ruu? What in the world are you doing?”

Reina Ruu was currently on top of me, still clad in her banquet attire. She was practically clinging to my chest, and was staring at my face with a terribly brooding look in her eyes.

“Asuta...” she started, forcing the words a bit out through her small yet sensual lips. “Asuta, I want to make a request of you...”

“A-A request?”

“Please, become a member of the Ruu clan.”

The look in her blue eyes was completely serious as she stared at me from up close and personal.

“Leave the Fa house, and join the Ruu... Become part of our family, please.”

“W-What are you saying, all of the sudden? There’s no way Donda and Jiza Ruu would ever accept that, right?”

“I’ll convince my father. As for Jiza... If I just talk to him, I’m sure he’ll understand.”

I most certainly did not think that was the case.

Actually, I didn’t even want that to start with.

“What brought this on? I have no idea what you’re thinking, Reina Ruu.”

“I want to be with you, Asuta! I want to welcome you as one of us! That’s not strange at all, for members of a clan that has lost strength to join another. We people of the forest’s edge have survived by coming together in that way.”

With that, Reina Ruu gripped my t-shirt tight.

“I’m sure my father has already acknowledged your strength. And if the clan head decides it, then even Jiza won’t be able to oppose. So I just need to take the time to convince him!”

“I can’t do that. Leaving Ai Fa all on her own and joining the Ruu clan... There’s no way I could do something like that, right?”

What sort of face was I making then, I wonder?

Reina Ruu knitted her brows, looking pained.

“I’ve also told Ai Fa how I felt. It doesn’t have to be Darmu. There are plenty of unmarried men in the branch families. If she just set aside her blade, and firmed up her resolve to marry... I mean, father clearly saw quite a lot in Ai Fa, to have offered to have her marry into the main family. Normally it would be unthinkable to make such an offer to a family like the Fa, without so much as any relatives left...”

“But Ai Fa refused, didn’t she?”

Had she been discussing something like that with Ai Fa right in the middle of the banquet?

Since the door was closed, the clamor of the banquet sounded distant.

And... my heart filled with something akin to sadness.

“...Even so, I want to be with you, Asuta.”

Reina Ruu buried her face in my chest.

“Ai Fa is strong. So strong that it’s scary. I was unable to move Ai Fa’s heart. But... I’m sure that Ai Fa could live on her own. She’s strong enough for that.”

“That may be so.”

In actuality, Ai Fa had lived for two years all on her own. And if she hadn’t run into me, she surely would have kept on living like that.

But...

The two of us did meet.

“Ai Fa is a hunter. Rather than birthing children, she chose to hunt giba and eventually perish in the forest. But in that case... There was no point in her welcoming a man like you into her family, right? The Fa bloodline will end with Ai Fa. In that case, you should join the Ruu and—”

“Reina Ruu,” I said, grabbing hold of her smooth shoulders. “I understand full well how you feel. Thank you for worrying so much about my future. But... I can’t.”

Reina Ruu looked taken aback.

While watching large tears well up in her blue eyes, I said, “I have no intention of leaving the Fa clan. Even if Ai Fa would be fine with it, I wouldn’t be. So... I’m sorry.”

“But... why? Even the obstinate men of the branch families have recognized your strength. If I can just have time to convince Jiza, then the whole Ruu clan will—”

“I’m very fond of everyone here, too. But even so, I want to stay together with Ai Fa.”

I pushed Reina Ruu off of me as gently as I could, and then sat up.

Reina Ruu was left crouching down near my knees, and soon the tears started to flow.

“I’m really sorry... And thank you.”

Reina Ruu stood up, still sobbing.

But then, with a strong light in her teary eyes, she looked straight at me one last time.

“...I’m not giving up.”

With those words, she ran out the door.

The door was left wide open, so the excited clamor of the banquet came streaming in once again.

My body felt heavy like it was coated in mud, but even so I picked myself up off the ground.

Was that... the right way to deal with Reina Ruu?

Welcoming an outsider like me into the family, and living together with me...

If I had been picked up by Reina Ruu instead of Ai Fa, just how joyful might my life have been?

But still, even so... The one I met back then was Ai Fa.

I could no longer even imagine a future where Ai Fa and I lived separate lives.

After hitting myself in the temple two or three times, I walked towards the meat storage.

However, I suddenly stopped in place once again.

From the other side of the door, I heard a shrill woman’s shriek.

Was it Reina Ruu?

No wait, it was actually several women.

Had some sort of accident occurred?

Maybe one of the men finally grew enraged by the constant strange dishes, like the spare ribs and hamburgers?

As my thoughts raced, I went flying out of the pantry.

I ran past the side of the house and the stage, finally stepping foot in the plaza.

There was a strange clamor in the air.

Now, a strange negativity had blanketed the banquet, so smothering that it made the joyous uproar from before seem like a lie.

Everyone was looking the opposite direction of the stage, towards the entrance of the plaza.

Had the Lea clan or someone gotten angry and left?

I weaved my way through the crowd, taking as much care as I could to not bump into others, and eventually popped out next to the ceremonial fire in the plaza’s center.

What I saw there was hard to believe.

What’s going on...?

For the moment, I couldn’t even comprehend what I was looking at. Just what had occurred to result in this scene? It boggled my mind just trying to figure that out.

The stove closest to the exit had collapsed. The hamburgers and vegetable stir-fry that had been sat atop it were now scattered all over the ground. And...

There was a massive, dead giba with its head thrust into that collapsed stove.

It sure was a big one. Probably around 100 kilos.

Still, it looked to be a rather old giba, didn’t it? Its coat was in poor shape, and one of its horns was broken.

Not to mention the several wooden spears that had been stabbed into its thick torso.

Its blackish-brown pelt had been stained with a great deal of blood, and the smell was tremendous.

To top it all off, the flames from the stove hadn’t completely gone out, so they were now smoldering the fur from the giba’s head.

The smells of a wild giba, its blood, and the burning fur... It was as if an evil presence had started filling the plaza, sullying the blessings of this night.

Did the giba charge into the stove, and then the men finished it off?

But wait, I had heard that regardless of how ferocious or cowardly a giba may be, they would run away when they saw people as long as they weren’t already up super close.

I simply couldn’t imagine that this giba had approached the plaza when more than 100 people were there, and then charged head first into the brightly burning stove of its own volition.

Even though I was mostly just standing there stupefied, I soon learned that my thinking was correct.

There was a flat plank underneath the giba’s corpse. And that plank had handholds made with vines attached to it, too. In other words, it was a pulling board, meant for carrying things like metal pots and water jugs.

The giba hadn’t died here. It was transported here as a corpse, and thrown into the stove.

In a deliberate, malicious act perpetrated by...

“What’s all this? It’s a joyous occasion, but everyone’s gone all quiet, huh?”

It was a man’s voice, dripping with ill intent. An ever so slightly high pitched one, from a young man.

The voice was deep yet sluggish and slightly lisping, and I sort of felt like I recognized it from somewhere.

I slowly lifted my gaze, and found three men standing on the other side of the smoldering black smoke.

One was a large young man. His blackish-brown hair was cut short, his eyes were blue, and despite his large build, he was actually surprisingly lacking in unique traits.

The second was another young man, smaller than the first. He may have been short but he had a firmly muscled body and a square face, calling to mind a lion dog statue. His hair was loose and disheveled, and his eyes that shone like those of a stray mutt were the same color as those of the man beside him.

And then the last man was even more massive than Donda Ruu and Dan Rutim, looking like a blimp made of flesh. His height looked to be around two meters tall, but how much must he have weighed? I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear it was 200 kilos. His face, arms, hips, and legs all swelled out, to a degree that he looked like he would move quicker by rolling around than walking.

His forehead retracted heavily, and his dark, shaggy hair curled up around his ears. That caused him to look rather old, but then there was something oddly babyish about his bulging face, which I couldn’t help but find eerie.

It was definitely my first time meeting this flesh balloon, but I recognized the other two.

Diga Suun, the heir to the main Suun house who I met only once nearly a month ago.

And Doddo Suun, the second son of the main Suun house, whose bad side I got on just seven days ago.

They were most assuredly men of the Suun clan, who led the people of the forest’s edge.

“Where are the clan heads...? Are Dan of the Rutim and Donda of the Ruu hiding somewhere? We men of the main Suun house came out of our way to visit this celebration, but the clan heads aren’t even going to greet us?”

Diga Suun’s raised voice carried an offensive odor throughout the plaza. In all likelihood, they were drunk. At the very least, the pair I was familiar with were holding fruit wine containers.

“What, did you not like our blessing? You can’t have some sort of issue with a giba this big, right? And it even has three tusks and horns, all told. It’s a gift from the Suun main house’s oldest son Diga Suun, second son Doddo Suun, and youngest son Mida Suun. Now gratefully accept it, Rutim.”

Youngest... Did he just say youngest? So he meant that fleshy blimp was the youngest out of the group? Even though the eldest, Diga Suun, didn’t look like he had even hit 20?

No wait, that all didn’t matter right now.

I took a look around, tightly clenching my fists.

The women were frightened, and the men were angry.

All of the men had the look of hunters in their eyes, and seemed ready to draw their blades from their hips as soon as the excuse presented itself.

That only made sense, though. Their family’s banquet was being defiled, after all.

There was no way that such proud hunters would forgive such scum barging into the banquet like this just because their clan ruled their people.

But with that said, nobody was making a move.

The men there were just silently raging, grinding their teeth so much it was almost audible and clenching their fists so tight it seemed like they were about to start bleeding.

I had heard that pointing a blade against the Suun clan would mean causing a conflict that would split the forest’s edge in two, and perhaps even lead to the destruction of all those living there.

And so, they wouldn’t make a move?

Were Donda Ruu and Dan Rutim just silently raging somewhere in this plaza, too?

I couldn’t just stay silent, though.

Plus, I strongly felt it made sense for me to be the one to stand up, as I didn’t belong to the Ruu or Rutim.

I detoured around the giba corpse and now faced the men head on, rather than through the flames.

Instantly, two of the three turned my way with flames in their eyes. Those flames were tepid, though.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?!” I angrily yelled.

The flames in their eyes raged even more viciously.

“I didn’t hear anything about even more guests showing up! I only prepared enough food for the 100 people of the Ruu, Rutim, and their family! Nobody told me I would need to deal with such sudden arrivals!”

“Damn outsider... You foreigner from the Fa house!”

Diga Suun took one step forward.

He naturally had a blade dangling from his hip, but he was still far enough that he wouldn’t reach me even with a leap... probably.

“What’s the meaning of this, inviting this outsider to your banquet but not even so much as asking our Suun clan to attend?! The Min clan was under the Suun 80 years ago, to begin with! You can’t tell me we’re not qualified to be here when this outsider is standing here! Ruu! Rutim!”

“Please discuss that matter with the heads of the Ruu and Rutim clans! I’m here because I was paid a fee by the Rutim clan to man the stove for this banquet! And I don’t care who you are, I won’t let anyone interfere with my work!”

I handed the initiative over to Dan Rutim and them.

These scum had gone astray, but I hoped that by hitting them with sound reasoning, I could shift things in my favor. That was what I was calculating in the back of my mind... But to be honest, I just threw out what I was really feeling. The anger in the depths of my stomach had risen up and come out my mouth in the form of words.

I thrust a finger towards the unfortunate giba corpse laying there.

“Clean this giba up right away, please! We’ll talk after that! Do you really think you can eat giba while staring at one’s corpse? Can you eat giba stew while smelling the stench of its blood? As the one charged with this banquet’s stove, I cannot accept that! Please, remove that giba from this plaza right away!”

“You brat...!”

“After that, if the clan heads allow it, I’ll prepare food for you all, too! But the food that you wrecked can’t be remade tonight! If you intend to interfere with my work even further, then I’ll have to demand reimbursement from the Suun clan!”

Diga Suun kept on trembling.

Behind him, Doddo Suun drew his blade.

Several of the women started shrieking.

“You would draw your blade at a banquet, you fool?!” a voice like steel shouted, bringing the women’s shrieking to a sudden halt.

The voice was full of anger and pride, and had several times more force behind it than those of myself or those fools from the Suun clan.

It was Ai Fa’s voice, and it reverberated through the air.

“My clan member Asuta and myself are here at this banquet as the result of a deal with the eldest son of the main Rutim house, Gazraan Rutim! There’s no reason for anyone to find fault with that! I have to leave it up to the head of the Rutim to decide how to deal with you... But if you point your blade at a member of the Fa clan, I will show you no mercy!”

Ai Fa firmly stepped forward out of the dim shadows.

She resolutely stared at the intruders with eyes ablaze, her head held high... and she was dressed in beautiful banquet attire.

4

Ai Fa...

Her long golden hair flowed down her back all the way to her hips. Atop it was an iridescent veil, and there were small flowers and berries in it here and there throughout.

She had accessories made from berries and metalwork around her neck, arms, and ankles, as well as a thin, slightly purple cloth trailing from her hips.

It was the same sort of banquet outfit the other women were wearing. Yes, it was the same... But none were as beautiful as Ai Fa. Or at the very least, it looked that way to me.

And unlike the other women, she held a blade in a leather sheath in her hand and had the daring expression of a hunter on her face.

“Ai Fa... It’s been a while, hasn’t it...?” Diga Suun said, turning her way while gesturing to halt his younger brother with the drawn blade. “Why, you’re dressed like a woman... Have you finally made up your mind to get married...?”

There was an unpleasant glint in Diga Suun’s sluggish eyes, and a disgusting, vulgar smile crossed his slack face. He looked like he was about to lick his lips, and it made me so mad I was ready to go leaping forward without even thinking about the danger.

Don’t... Don’t you look at Ai Fa with those eyes like muddy water!

Did this man intend to not just trample upon my work, but also the person most precious to me?

However, unlike me, the one faced with that repulsive gaze remained perfectly calm.

“Hmph. It would ruin the atmosphere of this party for an unmarried woman to not be dressed in banquet attire, so I figured there was no helping it and put on such an insubstantial outfit. I believe I taught you full well that I need no husband when you experienced the cold depths of the river bottom two years ago, eldest son of the main Suun house.”

“You...!”

“Hurry and sheathe your blade! You have come to this banquet uninvited, mislead others, and caused harm to our people. Is that how the leading clan should behave?! If you say you lead our people, then you should serve as an example for us!”

Diga and Doddo Suun stared at Ai Fa, rage burning in their eyes.

It was then that the fleshy blimp of a youngest brother, who was looking off elsewhere, abruptly stated, “Hey... Something smells really good... And I’m real hungry...”

His voice was small and high-pitched, like that of a young child. Normally you would figure your voice became deeper the bigger you were, but if you got too fat, did it put pressure on your windpipe?

He really was like a symbol of the depths of the Suun clan’s depravity.

“Shut up! Be quiet, you half-wit!” his older brother angrily rebuked, causing a disappointed look to cross his face as he stopped talking.

I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to butt in.

“If you intend to keep on insisting that you really are here to celebrate the wedding, then first sheath your blades, and clean up that giba. If the Rutim clan head decides to forgive you, then I’ll cook up some—”

“Who’d forgive those bastards?!” a voice other than the Suun men yelled out in response.

I could feel a bundle of bloodlust approaching from behind me. When I turned around to look, I found Dan Rutim and Donda Ruu.

Dan Rutim was still holding large spare ribs in each of his hands, but there were thick veins bulging across his bald head.

Donda Ruu had a container of fruit wine dangling from his hand and a grin like that of a wild beast on his face.

And both of their eyes had raging flames burning in them. These two clan heads were more furious than anyone else.

“You brats... How dare you sully my son’s wedding?!”

Putting aside Donda Ruu, I had never seen the head of the Rutim clan anywhere near this furious. His eyes were open so wide it looked like they were about to burst, his thick eyebrows were raised high, and the plentiful fat on his cheeks was trembling.

His thick lips were turned upwards exposing his sturdy-looking white teeth, and there were thick veins pulsing across his temple, too.

Compared to this, the anger he once pointed my way was like how you would react to a puppy piddling on the floor. He really did look like a furious genie.

I questioned if anyone could keep their wits about them when faced with such rage, and when I turned to look...

Diga Suun was frozen in place and had gone completely pale.

Doddo Suun, meanwhile, was holding onto his blade with trembling fingers.

As for Mida Suun, he was just standing there, looking like he didn’t know what was going on.

“Who would want to celebrate a wedding with scum like you?! And who would let you filth eat such delicious food?!”

As he roared, Dan Rutim bit into the spare ribs he was holding, then threw the remaining white bones to the ground by his feet.

Donda Ruu stepped straight forward, too.

“Suun clan brats... Do you really think punks like you are any match for us?! If you want to pick a fight with the Ruu and Rutim, then you’d better bring your clan head and all the men you’ve got!”

His roar was like lightning crashing down from the heavens.

I just barely heard Diga Suun squeak out a shrill, “Eek!”

“As if we could eat the meat of a giba this old! We won’t be accepting this ‘blessing,’ you bastards!”

With that, Dan Rutim strode firmly forward, then grabbed the fur of the giba with its head in the stove with both hands.

What happened next defied belief.

Somehow, Dan Rutim lifted that giba, which looked to be around 100 kilos, straight over his head with just his arms.

Dan Rutim probably weighed around the same amount himself, but still, that was some preposterous strength.

Diga Suun shrunk away with a “G-Gah!”

Doddo Suun also looked fully ready to flee.

Even Mida Suun let a “Wah!” slip.

“Begone!” Dan Rutim yelled, and threw the giba’s massive body.

With that, the Suun brothers took off running with a pathetic “Waaah!”

The poor giba corpse bounded two or three times, shattering the wooden spears stabbed into its back, before it finally settled near the entrance to the plaza.

Soon enough, the Suun sons disappeared from sight into the darkness.

“You damn fools!” Dan Rutim yelled, overlapping with a tremendous cheer. Everyone present had practically exploded with joy.

That cacophony was proof of just how detestable they found the Suun clan, as well as how much they were always holding back their fury.

“Dan Rutim... Sorry if I was too impertinent there.”

I took the towel off my head and bowed to Dan Rutim.

In an instant, that furious genie erupted with a laugh of “Gwahaha!”

“What are you saying?! I just wasn’t able to even move for a bit there, because I was so mad that I couldn’t breathe! And then you two went and said what I wanted to, and I finally came back to my senses!”

You... two?

With that, I noticed that Ai Fa was standing next to me. She had the same quiet expression on her face as always, but she was dressed completely differently.

“At any rate, those brats obviously just got drunk and decided to interrupt our banquet. If they’d been moving on their clan head’s orders, they would’ve brought along men from their branch families, after all,” Donda Ruu said with flames still burning in his eyes, and then he gulped down some more fruit wine.

“Hey! Return that old giba to the forest! The mundt will clean up after those brats’ carelessness!”

Several men nodded, then ran over to the poor giba’s corpse.

With that, Dan Rutim’s eyebrows drooped with pity.

“Ugh. That giba didn’t do anything wrong... Hey! If you’re reborn as a giba again, then I’ll make you into a delicious meal!” I yelled out without even thinking, causing Dan Rutim to turn my way.

“Asuta! My belly was full of rage, but now it’s all empty! Is the next dish not ready yet?” he asked, placing a thick hand on my shoulder, causing me to unwittingly jump back.

“Your hands! Please, go wash your hands! You just grabbed that giba’s fur! No matter what, don’t go eating ribs with those hands, alright?”

“The ribs are all gone. Aren’t there any more left, Asuta?” Dan Rutim questioned, his thick lips pouting. It was an expression like a sulking baby would make.

“If there are any left, then I’ll grill them up as extras. So please, just wash your hands as you wait... Well then, I’ve got work left, so excuse me.”

“Right! I’m counting on you, Asuta!”

I glanced over at Ai Fa. She nodded back at me, said, “I’ll deal with the broken stove,” then turned her back.

After staring for a few moments at her long, blonde hair covered by the veil rolling down her beautiful back, I took off running to the kitchen.

◇

Time kept on passing, and before long we hit the climax.

The bride and groom had watched over the banquet from atop the stage for the duration, but now the Rutim and Min elders lent them a hand, and they descended to the ground.

Then they were led to the stove constructed in front of the stage.

There, Jiba Ruu was waiting, with Vina Ruu holding her hand.

The pair got down on their knees before Jiba Ruu, and they bowed as the groom offered up his right shoulder while the bride offered her left for the old woman to grab onto.

With her trembling fingers, Jiba Ruu removed the grass crowns from their heads, then warmed them over the stove where herbs were burning. Then, she placed the crown that had been on the groom on the bride’s head, and the one the bride had worn on the groom.

Before long the two slowly stood, then Jiba Ruu removed a horn and tusk from her own necklace and held them out.

“I offer these blessings... Tonight, Ama Min of the Min clan becomes the wife of Gazraan Rutim of the Rutim clan, taking the name Ama Min Rutim. With this, the bonds between the Min and Rutim shall deepen, bringing about greater strength and prosperity for our forest’s edge...”

“I, Gazraan Rutim, bestow Ama Min Rutim upon the forest.”

“I, Ama Min Rutim, bestow Gazraan Rutim upon the forest.”

Cheers filled the air once again.

And as if pushing through those cheers, the women of the Ruu branch families approached the stove where the herbs had been burning, carrying a metal pot.

Inside the pot were a hamburger just waiting to be finished, and the best cut of steak, a fillet.

The women diligently added firewood, leading to a roaring flame that was more than just a little strong. Then, they took Jiba Ruu by the hands and fell back.

In their place, Vina Ruu stepped forward.

Apparently the custom was that after a bride gained her new name, the oldest unmarried woman of the parent clan was to offer her the first meat she would eat.

Vina Ruu stood in front of the stove, then grabbed the fruit wine container that had been dangling from her waist. Only the necessary amount of fruit wine was inside.

Vina Ruu gently poured out the contents of the container into the metal pot.

Suddenly, deep red flames flared up, but they soon died down.

The guests present all went, “Ooh...!”

Next, Vina Ruu withdrew, gracefully pointing to the pot as she did so.

The women then raked out about half of the burning firewood to regulate the flame.

Following that, the bride and groom walked up before the stove, and used a skewer they received from the women in order to split the hamburger in half.

When I saw that meat enter the bride’s mouth, my work was finally at an end.