Chapter 3: Night of Ruin
Chapter 3: Night of Ruin
1
“Yamiru, we’ve brought your husband-to-be,” Diga Suun stated in a low voice while knocking on the house’s door.
The house was rather far on the outskirts of the Suun settlement. I couldn’t tell the precise location as I only had the light from Diga Suun’s candle to go on, but considering the path we took from the ritual hall, it was at the northern extreme and to the west.
I was getting further and further from the far south where Donda Ruu was sleeping, but my body still hadn’t recovered. A good bit of strength had returned to my arms and legs, but my sense of balance remained shaky. I didn’t feel like I could even run in a straight line like this, and besides, Doddo Suun had a firm grip on the nape of my neck and my right arm.
I felt like my heart was collapsing in on itself when I thought of Ai Fa, but I absolutely couldn’t afford to be impatient. If I screwed up now, I could easily end up leading us down the path to ruin.
“Yeah... Yeah, that’s right... It’s fine. It went well...” Diga Suun whispered through the shut door.
Soon enough, his eyes turned back our way.
“Alright, time to meet your fiancée... Go ahead and let her dote on you plenty, you brat.”
I was dragged by Doddo Suun and made to stand in front of the door.
Were they intending on leaving me alone with Yamiru Suun? In that case, maybe I would have a chance.
Yamiru Suun kept a slender dagger hanging from her waist, so if I could steal that and take her hostage... It was a rather violent plan for me, but I had to try to see it through.
As I firmed up my resolve, Diga Suun pulled open the door, and Doddo Suun mercilessly thrust me on through.
When I tumbled into the room, the door shut behind me.
And in that moment, I almost screamed.
“I’ve been awaiting you, Asuta... My apologies for being so rough about all this...” Yamiru Suun’s voice sounded out through the darkness.
However, I remained pressed against the cold wooden floor, unable to respond.
Blood... The smell of blood permeated the whole house.
That repulsive stench was almost physically overpowering as it pierced my nose.
Smell came from particles. And so, those little bits floating in the air were stabbing at the mucus membrane of my nose, which I perceived as this stench.
The smell was so dense that it felt like there was putrid blood pouring down the back of my nose. Absolutely disgusting.
I could feel a gag clearly rising in my throat.
“What’s the matter...? Are you angry because you were dragged away from that woman you care so much about?”
Those words drove a wedge into my consciousness, which had been on the verge of drifting away.
There was no time for me to be slumping against the floor. I still needed to rescue Ai Fa.
And so, I slowly lifted my gaze.
Bloody legs came into view...
Then a bloody waist...
Bloody stomach...
Bloody arms...
Bloody chest...
Bloody neck...
Bloody face.
Yamiru Suun was standing there without so much as a single thread of clothing on her body, completely soaked in blood.
“Wha...” I let slip in a hoarse voice. “What in the world were you doing...?”
“Hehehe... What do you mean? I was just partaking in the blessings of the forest...”
A smile shone from behind her long, blood-soaked hair.
Her face was coated in blood, but she was smiling.
Even her normally chilly dark blue eyes had a wet-looking shine to them.
“What we need is power. Giba meat alone isn’t even close to enough... And so, I was letting the strength of the forest wash over my entire body...”
“So that’s giba blood...?”
My eyes were steadily growing adjusted. The room was in fact lit by a candle, though only just barely. And thanks to that... I was able to see something that I really didn’t want to.
There was the black silhouette of an animal dangling behind Yamiru Suun.
It was a massive giba corpse, hung from a ceiling beam with chains. Was that the one Mida Suun had mentioned earlier today?
“Our ancestors welcomed the forest’s strength into their bodies in this way. That’s how they were able to gain the strength needed to hunt vicious giba...”
Yamiru Suun started walking towards me, and an eerie splishing sound filled the air. The floor was also drenched in giba blood.
In all likelihood, she had slit the giba’s throat and let the blood rain down over her.
The darkness was illuminated dimly by orange flame, and a naked woman stood in front of me, coated in dark red blood... The sight was like something out of a nightmare, causing me to tremble, and yet I still yelled out, “What do you think you’re doing?! Eating raw giba is forbidden here at the forest’s edge, right? But giba blood is every bit as dangerous! When it’s not properly heated first, it can be poison to human beings!”
“That doesn’t matter... This is an essential ritual...”
“I’ve never heard of such a thing! And even if it was done way in the past, I’m sure it was forbidden because of the danger! You need to hurry up and wash that off right away!”
Yamiru stared at me, her eyes looking like she was in a trance.
“Are you telling the Suun clan to fall to ruin? The Suun clan needs strength... And so, won’t you give us yours, too...?”
Yamiru Suun drew closer with a splish, splish.
My whole body quaked with an emotion somewhere between rage and terror, and yet I still stood up and faced Yamiru Suun.
“I just don’t get you! Why... Why is it just the Suun clan that’s like this? The rest of the people of the forest’s edge are so honest and proud... So how did the leading clan alone end up like this?!”
“I believe... That’s surely because the Suun clan took on all of the poison ourselves...” There was some strange shine in Yamiru Suun’s eyes, like she was just barely holding onto her sanity. “By the Suun clan falling deeper and deeper into darkness, the rest of our people who know nothing of that are able to live even more pure and brilliant lives... I’m certain that the Suun have protected the people of the forest’s edge in that way...”
“I don’t get it! Why can’t you all just live proudly and honestly like everyone else?!”
“That’s just not possible...” Yamiru Suun replied, a different light now gleaming in her eyes. “We can no longer turn back... The day of ruin is drawing ever closer... It’s not possible to keep deceiving the clans under us...”
“Deceiving them...?”
“You’ve already realized, haven’t you? Or are you dim-witted enough to not have noticed, even after manning the Suun clan stove...?”
Suddenly, I was at a loss for words.
In that case... That was it after all, huh? I guess my suspicions had hit the mark.
“I’ve had enough... If we’re already facing ruin, then I figured I may as well cling to one final hope... If you’re with us, the Suun clan can be saved. You can earn so many coins in a day that with you, the Suun clan wouldn’t have to be destroyed...”
“That... That doesn’t make any sense! You would be fine even without relying on me just by hunting giba like normal, right?! Then you could live ordinary lives! That’s how everyone else lives, so I don’t understand why you can’t!”
“If I were the head of the Suun clan, perhaps I would have chosen that path...” Yamiru Suun’s lips were raised in the shape of a half-moon. And yet, her face made it look as if she was crying, with dark red blood for tears. “But that doesn’t matter now... The previous clan head Zattsu was a fool, and the current clan head Zuuro is even more of one... My brother Diga is next in line, and he’s the greatest fool of all... There’s no hope of salvation left within the Suun clan...”
“But...!”
“You’re the only one left who can save us.”
Yamiru Suun came up right next to me. Between the unbearable stench of blood and the smile twisted through an almost palpable despair, I could feel my heart freeze over.
“Will you become my husband and save the Suun clan...? Or if you can’t stand the idea, fall to ruin alongside us...?”
Her bloody fingers slowly reached out.
Just before they touched my cheek, I replied, “I refuse,” with a shake of my head. “I won’t accept either of those options. If you all want to be saved, then I’ll lend you my power as a member of the Fa clan. But I can’t join the Suun.”
“I see...” Yamiru Suun’s fingers slipped past me and hit the door. “So you won’t save us...”
“No, I’m telling you, if you really are hoping to be saved, then there are better ways to—”
“How unfortunate.”
Yamiru Suun loudly wrenched the door open. In that same instant, the nape of my neck was grabbed from behind and I was pulled to the ground.
“How truly unfortunate...”
Yamiru Suun was now disappearing behind the door. The last thing I saw was her bloody face making an expression like that of a small, crying child.
“I’ve been waiting for this. So you chose to become mundt feed like I hoped, huh?” Doddo Suun questioned, his voice cracking with mad joy.
I hurriedly rose to my feet. However, I staggered and ended up having to place my hand against the door. Apparently, I was still feeling a bit of the effect of the melemele leaves.
“If that’s the path you’ve chosen, then that hunter woman will be sharing your fate. Once Diga’s done with her, we’ll throw you down into the valley together.”
My gaze raced about in shock.
It wasn’t Diga Suun standing next to Doddo Suun and holding a candle, but rather Tei Suun.
“Where did Diga Suun go...?!” I yelled, my rage unconsciously boiling up.
Doddo Suun’s face twisted into a smile that reminded me of a lion-dog statue.
“He should be right in the middle of having some fun by now. I don’t know what’s so good about a woman with beastly eyes like her, though.”
“You bastards...” My vision was going deep red with rage. My body felt like it was about to explode. “Just how completely rotten can you be...?” Those words slipped out of my mouth without me even thinking.
The smile disappeared from Doddo Suun’s face and he reached for the blade at his hip.
“What’s with those eyes...? Do you want me to cut you down here and now?”
“Go ahead and do it already if you’ve got the guts!”
I removed my hand from the door.
My heart was pounding in my chest like an alarm.
The veins across my head felt like they were about to burst.
This... This was the first time I felt this strong of a hatred for someone.
If Diga Suun really had laid a hand on Ai Fa... I had no idea how far I may go.
“Move... Get out of my way!”
Doddo Suun shrunk away.
Then, his hand gripped his sword’s handle, and he drew it from its leather sheath. But not a heartbeat later, a shadow came bolting out of the darkness.
I had no idea what was going on.
However, I did see Doddo Suun fly several meters through the air and then tumble across the ground, and Tei Suun grab hold of his still-sheathed blade.
“Stop right there. If I’m up against you, then I won’t be able to hold back.”
It was the familiar voice of a young man.
He was smaller than me, and gripping a long pole as he faced off with Tei Suun.
“I’d prefer it if nobody ended up dead. My dad gave me a pretty strict warning about that.”
“L-Ludo Ruu?!”
Even only seeing him from behind, there was no mistaking him.
The yellowish-brown haired youth shrugged his shoulders a bit while still holding the grigee pole at the ready.
“Sorry, Asuta. I was told I couldn’t lend a hand no matter what until the Suun clan broke a big enough taboo that they couldn’t just talk their way out of it. I was finally able to come out of hiding thanks to that idiot drawing his blade.”
“Why... Why are you here, Ludo Ruu?”
“It was my dad’s orders. He told me to stay up through the night and keep an eye on the Suun settlement. I probably would’ve died of boredom if they hadn’t done anything.”
“Ludo Ruu, you should save the idle chatter for later,” another shadow chimed in, appearing from behind Tei Suun.
He was about as small and skinny as Ludo Ruu, but had blackish-brown hair... It was Shin Ruu, the young head of one of the branch families.
“Man of the Suun, stop it with the pointless resistance. You won’t be able to drive the two of us away on your own,” Shin Ruu stated, also brandishing a long pole. It was probably grigee, too. They both had blades hanging from their hips, but they made no signs of drawing them.
“W-What are you doing, Tei Suun?! Hurry up and slaughter them!” Doddo Suun wailed in confusion from down on the ground.
Tei Suun’s emotionless eyes glanced over that way.
“Is that an order as a member of the main house, Doddo Suun?”
“Just shut up and do it!”
Tei Suun gently placed the candlestick at his feet.
When he grabbed his blade’s sheath, Ludo Ruu raised his voice and said, “Hey! Cut it out. You seem like you’re crazy strong, so I’m not confident we could make it through without killing you, even with the two of us.”
“Then go ahead and kill me...”
With his gaze still looking muddy, Tei Suun pointed his drawn blade towards their eyes.
“Tch. My dad’s going to be so mad about this,” Ludo Ruu muttered, not sounding worried in the least.
The boy tossed aside his grigee pole and grabbed the hatchet hanging from his waist. It was that tough-looking one that he had bought in the post town.
However, he left it in its leather sheath as it dangled in his right hand.
“You idiots... You will all be mundt food!” Doddo Suun loudly wailed, charging toward Ludo Ruu with his sword.
Tei Suun brandished his blade at the same time.
This looked bad, and I half-subconsciously took a step forward. Then, with all my might, I rammed into Doddo Suun’s back with a shoulder tackle.
It probably wouldn’t have even wobbled a normal man in the least. However, Doddo Suun was drunk. Plus, it seemed like he may have taken a good bit of damage from Ludo Ruu’s blow.
At any rate, my tackle managed to throw off Doddo Suun’s balance and send the two of us tumbling to the ground in a tangle.
“Damn it!” Doddo Suun cursed as he tried to get back up.
Seeing that, I bit into the back of the hand holding Doddo Suun’s sword as hard as I could.
“Gyagh!” he yelped, kicking me in the stomach. That blow landed hard and made me tumble backwards. “Dammit! I’ll kill you! You’re dead, you damn foreigner!”
Doddo Suun leapt to his feet, cradling his bleeding right hand.
And suddenly, a towering shadow rose up behind him.
“What do you think you’re doing...?” a deep voice questioned, trembling with rage.
Doddo Suun turned around, looking aghast.
In that instant, a massive palm smashed into his face and sent him flying.
That put an end to things.
Doddo Suun flew multiple times further through the air than before, rolled along the ground, and then finally came to a stop upon crashing into the wall of Yamiru Suun’s house.
“Asuta! Are you alright?!”
That shadow rushed over and grabbed me far more nimbly than you would expect from its massive size.
The candle giving off light was far away, but there was no mistaking such a unique silhouette. That man who picked me up gently and had such a panicked look on his face that it seemed like he was about to cry was, of course, Dan Rutim.
“Dan Rutim... Why are you here, too...?” I squeezed out while cradling my aching stomach. Well, at least Dan Rutim looked relieved.
“That’s my line! I heard some sort of commotion going on and came to check it out, and then... Seriously, don’t worry me like that, Asuta! What in the world are you doing in a place like this?”
“Ah, no... Help Ludo and Shin Ruu first...”
“Hmm?” Dan Rutim questioned and looked around. His face shifted back to that of a raging genie. “So there was one more idiot left, huh?! Man of the Suun clan, if you’re going to point your blade towards members of the Ruu clan, then I’ll take you on!”
It had only been a short while, but who knows how much fierce fighting had occurred in the meantime. Ludo Ruu and Tei Suun were both bleeding from their heads, while Shin Ruu’s grigee pole had been broken and he was now down on his knees and clutching his chest.
“Clan head of the Rutim... I received no order to kill you,” Tei Suun stated, lowering his sword. Then, his eyes like rotten fish listlessly turned towards Ludo Ruu. “However, you should not come any closer. If you do, I’ll have to cut you down.”
“What the heck? I just don’t get you, old-timer.” Ludo Ruu wiped away the blood dripping down onto his face with the back of his hand, and then stepped back just a bit. “Dan Rutim! You do something about this, then! At this rate, I’ll end up having to draw my blade, too!”
“Hrmm?” Dan Rutim replied, then practically pulled me along as he approached Ludo Ruu. After entrusting me to the youth, he stood to face Tei Suun. “Just what are you going to do, then? If you feel like sheathing your blade, then hurry up and do it.”
“I am unable to do such a thing of my own will. I was ordered to cut down these two youths.”
“I see,” Dan Rutim answered, then he kicked Tei Suun in the stomach.
Tei Suun dropped his sword, and silently collapsed to the ground.
“I really don’t get you. Aren’t there any normal folks in the Suun clan?” Dan Rutim muttered with a sour expression.
After shooting a glance his way, I turned and grabbed Ludo Ruu.
“Ludo Ruu! What about Ai Fa?! Was there someone else who went after her?!”
“Huh? No, it was just me and Shin Ruu on watch. There wasn’t anyone left to handle Ai Fa.”
“What?! Why?!”
“I mean, you seemed like you were in more danger. And we couldn’t draw our blades, so it’d be pretty rough taking on the two of them alone,” Ludo Ruu responded with a pout.
“I see. Sorry. I really am grateful that you saved me... But now, could you help me look for Ai Fa?!”
“What’s all this fuss about? Did something happen to Ai Fa?” Dan Rutim chimed in.
“Ai Fa got taken to Diga Suun’s house! If we don’t find her quickly, then...!”
The pain in my heart was far greater than that of my kicked stomach. I felt so shaken that it was almost like I was about to stop breathing.
Ludo Ruu stared at my panicked face from the side.
“Ai Fa will be just fine, right? Even if she was kind of sleepy, there’s no way that eldest son of the Suun could get the better of her.”
“No, but those Suun bastards burned some sort of strange herb and put everyone in the ritual hall deep asleep. As long as that’s still acting on her, she’s in danger!”
Even the time I was using to explain that was precious. However, Ludo Ruu still looked confused.
“Ah, it looked like they were doing something while creeping around with their candlestick. So that was it, huh? But you and Dan Rutim are doing just fine, right? So Ai Fa should be alright, too.”
“Hmm... I noticed a strange smell while I was asleep and crawled out of the ritual hall in a hurry. I must have crushed a good number of folks along the way, but nobody seemed to wake up.”
So Dan Rutim escaped thanks to his excellent sense of smell too, huh?
That certainly was lucky, but still... For now, Ai Fa came first.
“Please, help me out! She must be somewhere here in the settlement!”
“Hmm. In that case, I guess we should just go around smashing down each and every door...” Dan Rutim started to say, but then his eyes suddenly caught sight of something. “Who’s there?!”
A far off voice feebly yelped out an “Eek!”
“Stop! You’re not getting away!”
Dan Rutim suddenly disappeared. With a grunt, he took off running in the opposite direction of Yamiru Suun’s house. He really was shockingly quick. He had to weigh over 100 kilos considering his build, yet his form was beautiful enough to be fitting of a first-rate sprinter.
That reliable yet humorous sight disappeared into the darkness, and before long, a shriek of “Gyah!” rang out. “Let me go! I didn’t do anything! I just thought it was noisy, so I came to look!”
It was a shrill, hysterical voice from a young girl. In other words, it had come from the youngest daughter of the main Suun house, Tsuvai Suun.
Her tiny body soon came into view, held under Dan Rutim’s massive arm.
“Tsuvai Suun! Where is Diga Suun’s house?!”
Tsuvai Suun shot me an annoyed-looking glare. Then, she glanced over at the motionless Doddo and Tei Suun.
“I don’t really get what’s going on... But the Suun clan may just be done for, huh?”
“Hey, Tsuvai Suun...!”
“Don’t glare at me with those scary eyes. I really had nothing to do with it,” Tsuvai Suun replied, breaking out in a pout. “Diga’s house is on the other side of the main house, right nearby.”
“Alright! Let’s get going, Asuta!”
Dan Rutim took off running, still holding onto Tsuvai Suun. After picking up the candle by my feet, I followed after him as quick as I could.
“Shin Ruu! You tie these guys up! And don’t let the woman in that house escape, alright?” Ludo Ruu called out, then came up beside us. “It’ll be alright, Asuta. Ai Fa is a hunter. Those fools of the Suun clan have forgotten their pride as hunters, so there’s no way any of them could get the better of her.”
Just how much happier would I feel if I could truly believe his words?
Ai Fa... I’m begging you, please be okay...!
This was probably the first time in my life I had ever faced such deep, overwhelming despair. It wasn’t this bad even back when I leapt into the flames back in my old world.
My heart was aching.
My knees felt like they would give out on me.
Ai Fa...
I don’t care if it’s a god or a devil who does it, but please protect Ai Fa.
That was a once-in-a-lifetime request.
It doesn’t matter one bit how I end up. Without Ai Fa, I couldn’t go on.
If something really bad happens to her, I don’t know what I’m gonna do.
“That’s the house.”
A wooden house identical to the others around it came into view out of the darkness.
Dan Rutim was at the lead, running straight to the door and kicking it, giving off a dull thud.
“Hmph! That’s a tough one!”
Dan Rutim thrust his leg out again, and this time both the door and bolt went flying.
“Ai Fa!”
I slipped past Dan Rutim’s large frame and flew inside. There wasn’t anyone in the main hall. However, one of the doors along the inner wall was half open, and a bit of light was leaking out.
“Hey! Don’t go recklessly rushing ahead!” Ludo Ruu yelled out from behind, but I took off running even so.
I threw open the door, stepped inside... and tumbled.
“Wah!”
There was something lying limply sideways right inside the room. I had caught my foot on it and taken a fall.
The candle I was holding also hit the floor and started to scorch the fur rug.
“Ai Fa...!”
Ai Fa was there. Both her arms and legs were bound, and her body was curled up like a fetus.
She was atop bedding spread out farther into the room, lying listlessly on her side.
“Ai Fa...”
I reached out for her shoulder.
Suddenly, her hands lashed out and hit my chest with an incredible amount of force, despite being bound by a leather strap. An inferno full of rage was blazing in her blue eyes, but it instantly subsided.
“Asuta... You’re okay...?”
“Wah!”
She pulled incredibly hard at my chest, causing me to fall on top of her. Her smooth cheek rubbed up against mine.
“I was so worried... I’m just glad you’re alright...”
“That’s my line...”
I breathed a sigh of relief that I felt with all my heart.
In the end, I had been saved. I didn’t lose Ai Fa, didn’t come to hate this world, and didn’t have to curse myself for being so careless.
I didn’t end up losing my heart and soul.
While sending my thanks to every last deity that may exist in this world, I hugged Ai Fa tight.
“See, she’s totally fine, right?” Ludo Ruu proudly gloated as he approached. “This is the eldest son of the Suun, yeah? He sure looks good and knocked out.”
I turned and looked that way while lowering Ai Fa back onto the bedding.
Sure enough, it was Diga Suun that I had tripped over. That despicable eldest Suun son was sprawled out on his back by the entrance to the room.
“You did that, right, Ai Fa? It sure is impressive that you fought back with your arms and legs bound, though.”
“As if the Suun clan would ever get the better of me, regardless of what disadvantages I may have... I slammed my elbow into his face and then kicked him till he went down...” Ai Fa muttered, still seeming half out of it. This time, she pressed her forehead up against my cheek.
Just as I started to feel a bit embarrassed, I caught a whiff of a very familiar sweet smell.
It was the aroma of fruit wine. And it was quite clearly hanging around Ai Fa.
“Don’t move, alright, Ai Fa?” Ludo Ruu said, drawing the knife from his waist and then slicing through Ai Fa’s bindings.
The instant her arms were free, she flung them around my neck.
“Thank goodness... I’m so very, very glad you’re alright, Asuta...”
“R-Right, me too... Are you alright, though, Ai Fa? You still seem a bit out of it.”
Ludo Ruu and Dan Rutim, who was still standing in the door to the room, stared at us with clear confusion on their faces. Ai Fa didn’t notice at all, but she soon finally brought her face away from mine and asked, “What do you mean?” with a tilt of her head.
Her eyes were droopy enough at the moment to remind me of Vina Ruu. And her slightly pouting pink lips looked incredibly sexy. On top of that, I noticed her cheeks looked ever so slightly flushed.
“Were you forced to drink wine or something...?”
“Hmm? Now that you mention it, I get the feeling something was poured into my mouth while I was sleeping... And then, I woke up...”
“I see. And then as soon as you were up, you beat down Diga Suun.”
It must have been that Ai Fa was still asleep, so he had her drink some wine to rouse her. But fittingly for what a fool he was, that resulted in his defeat.
Or at least that’s what I thought, but Ai Fa replied, “No...” with a shake of her head. “It was later that the eldest son of the Suun arrived... That fool showed up as I was in a daze after having been given something to drink and awakening... wondering what I was doing in such a place with my limbs bound...” Ai Fa clung to my neck again. “At any rate, I’m just glad you’re alright... I told you never to leave my side, didn’t I...?”
“Y-Yeah, sorry. But yeah, it’s just good that we’re both fine.”
As I experienced this unusual sort of closeness with Ai Fa, I swiftly glanced around my surroundings.
Sure enough, there wasn’t a fruit wine container lying anywhere. That meant some third party other than Diga Suun had saved Ai Fa from danger.
Could it have been Kamyua Yoshu?
That guy’s aloof face was the first thing that came to mind.
However, that didn’t feel quite right, somehow. I mean, would he seriously do such a halfhearted job? No, I got the feeling that if he was saving her he would go all the way and at least unbind her limbs. But fortunately, Ai Fa’s hands were bound in front of her, allowing her to properly defend herself. Still, considering whoever had done it hadn’t even waited to make sure Ai Fa was awake, they had pretty much left it up to fate... yet they hadn’t just stayed as a mere spectator.
Then could it have been...
Tei Suun...?
He was the one who was supposed to have bound Ai Fa. So if someone bound her hands in front and granted her more movement, it would have to be him.
He had said he couldn’t defy the main house, and yet that man with his listless eyes dropped his blade in no time at all when faced with Dan Rutim...
Did he leave Ai Fa with a chance of resisting...?
“Well then, shall we get going, Asuta?” Dan Rutim called out while stroking his dark brown beard.
“Get going...? Where to?”
“To Donda Ruu, of course. And then after that, I’d assume to the leader of our people,” he replied with a big grin. “Look at how many taboos they’ve gone and broken in just a single night. No matter how much our dear leader bows his head, he won’t be able to wipe away these fools’ crimes. This may even be the final day for the Suun clan.”
“That may be so...”
The Suun clan had taken a big risk, fighting with their backs against the wall, and they had lost.
However... why had they gone with such a foolish gamble, and on this day of all the ones they could have chosen? Why had they been so reckless in trying to capture me and Ai Fa? It had just taken a bit of an open seam to peck at to bring the whole thing down, so why go with such a rash plan?
And in the first place, just whose idea had it been to begin with?
Had Zuuro Suun ordered it? Or was it just Diga and Doddo Suun running wild on their own?
There was way too much that I didn’t know.
But at any rate, things absolutely needed to be settled.
“...Let’s go,” I stated, and moved to stand. However, Ai Fa wasn’t letting go of me. “Hey, Ai Fa, we’re going. Can you walk on your own?”
“Hmm? No, don’t leave my side...” she replied, her smooth arms hugging me even tighter.
Ludo Ruu and Dan Rutim’s eyes went wide.
“No, um, you’ve got it all wrong. I think she’s just a bit drunk because she was made to drink fruit wine after also inhaling the smoke from that strange herb,” I hurriedly tried to explain, but their expressions didn’t shift in the least.
Then, Dan Rutim turned towards Ludo Ruu.
“Ludo Ruu, I have a proposal...”
“Hmm? What is it, all of a sudden?”
“The Fa clan doesn’t fall under the Ruu, but they are friends to the Rutim. When Asuta and Ai Fa get married, can we borrow the Ruu’s plaza for the banquet and all come celebrate?”
“Yeah, I don’t see why not. Just make it so that only those who want to celebrate have to come.”
“No, seriously, you’ve got it all wrong!” I yelled out, despite getting the feeling that it wasn’t convincing in the least.
As I wailed, the thought of, But will we really be able to bring this all to a close? vaguely came to mind.
It all just felt way too sudden.
Would all of our planning and brainstorming from before turn out to be for nothing, as the Suun cut off the path to mutual understanding and destroyed themselves?
A number of ominous statements swirled through my head.
“Or if you can’t stand the idea, fall to ruin alongside us...?” Yamiru Suun had said.
“Then go ahead and kill me...” Tei Suun had stated.
Could it be... Did a portion of those within the Suun clan wish for its destruction more strongly than anyone?
2
“Hey, wake up, my comrades!” Dan Rutim loudly proclaimed while splashing the contents of a water jug around the ritual hall.
Several of the men came to and shot to their feet, yelling out.
“What do you think you’re doing?! Have you gone mad?!” one particularly furious man shouted as he rose. However, he then staggered and fell back to his knees. “Hmm? What’s going on...? My limbs have no strength in them...”
“Right? That’s why I dashed the water over you all,” Dan Rutim chimed in with a hearty laugh.
All the while, astonishment and angry bellows kept sounding throughout the ritual hall. Donda Ruu and the women were standing in the four entrances to the hall, carrying out the same cruel act as Dan Rutim.
It had been some time since me and Ai Fa were kidnapped, so the smoke from the melemele leaves had surely thinned out a good bit. The men actually came to their senses and crept out of the hall a lot quicker than I had expected.
“If you’re awake, then get out of the ritual hall! There’s smoke from a poisonous foreign herb hanging around in there! And those of you who have the strength, lend a hand to anyone who’s still asleep!”
Ai Fa and I watched as Dan Rutim worked away, looking like he was truly enjoying himself.
Ai Fa seemed to be about 80% back to normal, but she was still shaky on her feet, so I was lending her my shoulder.
“Clan head of the Rutim! What in the world are you up to?!” questioned the Zaza clan head as he came out of the ritual hall and grabbed Dan Rutim.
“Don’t ask me! Ask your beloved Suun clan!” Dan Rutim replied with a dauntless smile, pointing down by our feet. Diga Suun was seated there sulking, his hands tied behind his back with a leather strap. “These bastards used a strange foreign herb to put us to sleep, plotting to do the members of the Fa clan harm! All you who fall under the Suun should share in their shame!”
“What? Is that true, eldest son of the Suun...?!” the Zaza clan head asked, his eyes like those of a wild beast as he glared at Diga Suun.
Diga Suun’s shoulders quaked a bit, and he silently looked away.
“We’re going to go force Zuuro Suun to explain whether or not the whole of the Suun clan was behind their vile deeds! All of you clan heads should accompany us and hear what is said!”
The Zaza clan head’s shoulders were trembling.
It was then that Rau Lea showed up, his golden-brown hair all dripping wet.
“Dan Rutim! What in the world is all this commotion about?! What did the Suun clan do?”
“Ah, clan head of the Lea, the Suun clan has finally gone and shown their true nature! Depending on how things go we may end up swinging our blades, so you better get good and awake!” Dan Rutim said, then offered a long sword by his feet to Rau Lea. It had come from Diga Suun, as all the men’s blades were still entrusted to the Suun clan.
“This is insane! Do you seriously intend to take up arms against our leading clan?!” the Zaza clan head suddenly shouted out, his voice full of rage.
Dan Rutim turned to face him, not looking worried in the least.
“Even if they belong to the leading clan, if they broke our laws they must be punished. Otherwise, the order of the forest’s edge would collapse... You should open your eyes already too, clan head of the Zaza.”
“But... But why should the Suun clan need to do harm to the Fa?! There’s no reason for them to do such a thing!”
“Like I said, we’re going to go ask about that. So save your anger for after we hear what our dear leader has to say, alright?”
While all that was going on, it seemed most everyone sleeping in the ritual hall had been evacuated. Around half of them were in a sleepy haze, but the other half had listened to Dan Rutim’s words and now had the burning glare of hunters in their eyes.
“Looks like this is everyone...” Donda Ruu’s voice called out, drawing closer through the darkness. His eyes were blazing like a wild beast, too.
“Ooh, Donda Ruu. What happened with the second son and the rest of them?”
“I left Ludo and a number of them in charge of that. We’ll meet up in front of the main house.”
“I see. Well then, shall we get going too?”
Dan Rutim’s thick fingers grabbed hold of the nape of Diga Suun’s neck.
“Damn it! Let go of me! You really think you’ll get away with doing something like this to the clan that leads our people?! And hey, Zaza and Jeen, what are you just standing around spacing out for?! Do something about these insolent fools already!”
“Don’t make such a fuss, eldest son of the Suun. Just who here do you think is the angriest of all?” Dan Rutim stated, half chuckling and half sounding simply astounded. “If you can’t even understand that much, then you’ll end up getting strangled to death by your allies before anyone else, you know.”
“Gah...!” Diga Suun cowered, curling up.
Had he finally noticed the looks on the faces of the Zaza and Jeen clan heads? I mean, it was pretty darn clear to me that they were the most worked up of anyone here.
Donda Ruu, Dan Rutim, and their group were all fired up and excited to finally be getting their showdown. But for the clans under the Suun, they had their respect for the leading clan tarnished and must have felt a horrible burning anger in their guts.
“Alright... Rise up, leaders of our numerous clans! As the clan head of the Ruu, I, Donda Ruu, will demand the Suun clan head explain the truth behind this trampling upon the bonds and trust of all of us here at the forest’s edge! Let us determine with our eyes and ears if the Suun clan is truly qualified to lead our people!” Donda Ruu roared, his voice sounding out through the darkness.
Hearing that, even the men who had been lying on the ground staggered to their feet.
Now, the eyes of hunters shone all around.
“Can you walk, Ai Fa...?” I asked, only for her to give a really dissatisfied pout.
“I can manage... But you and Dan Rutim are completely back to normal, so why am I the only one left in such a state?”
Apparently she could walk on her own, but she still clung firmly to my shoulder.
“I’m sure that’s because you were made to drink fruit wine or whatever. It may have been effective at waking you up, but normally sleeping medicine and alcohol are about the worst combination imaginable.”
“Ugh, how unsightly...” Ai Fa muttered angrily while rubbing her head up against me.
It was then that the tall silhouette of Darmu Ruu approached. He must not have fully recovered yet either, as he was leaning on the shoulder of the second son of the Rutim.
“What is it? Did you come to laugh at me again for how pathetic I look? You’re not much different than me today, though...” Ai Fa must have been in quite a poor mood to be the one to suddenly go and pick a fight.
Darmu Ruu, meanwhile, just had a dangerous glare shining in his eyes. And maybe I was just imagining things, but the scar on his right cheek looked redder than usual, as if to show his anger or regret or something.
“It seems that those who drank a great deal of fruit wine are recovering slower. I didn’t have a drop to drink, so perhaps that’s why I shot right up as soon as the water hit me,” the second son of the Rutim chimed in. His face reminded me a lot of Gazraan Rutim’s, but he was just a bit plumper, like his father. “Well then, let’s get going. I don’t know how things will end up, but I’d have to imagine this night will have a huge effect on the fate of the Suun clan.”
And so, we ended up walking to the main Suun house as one big group.
Donda Ruu was in the lead, followed by Dan Rutim dragging along Diga Suun, while Rau Lea and the others who fell under the Ruu firmly clustered around to the left and the right. A step behind them were the clan heads of the Dom and Zaza. The rest of the group surrounding them must have all fallen under the Suun also. And the Sauti and other smaller clans of course accompanied us, too.
Anger and distrust burned brightly in everyone’s eyes.
Had the Suun clan really gone and trampled their bonds into the dirt? Why would they do something so barbaric? Or was this all a farce made up by the Fa and the Ruu?
Surely, everyone had different such thoughts swirling around inside.
But at the very least, every last one of them was furious.
There was no way such hunters could accept the humiliation of having been forced to fall asleep due to some strange foreign herb. And above even that was the fact that they had gone and threatened the very lives of those who had done nothing wrong.
“Hey there. You’re pretty late, Dad.”
Ludo Ruu’s group had been standing there waiting for us in front of the main house.
That included Ludo and Shin Ruu, as well as Doddo and Tei Suun, whose limbs were bound with leather straps. And also, Yamiru Suun. She was clothed in the same outfit she wore earlier in the day, but her hair was now sopping wet. She must have washed off, but even at this distance I could still smell a faint metallic scent hanging about her.
Yamiru Suun wasn’t bound, but she was thoroughly surrounded by Mia Lea Ruu and the other women. There wasn’t even the slightest hint of an emotion on her face.
“Listen up, clan heads!” Donda Ruu yelled out. “For this clan head meeting, the Suun clan head Zuuro Suun requested that the Fa house man the stove! That was suspicious enough that I felt the need to ask my son to keep an eye on the Suun settlement! The Suun clan really did go and do something truly vile, so I doubt any of you will speak ill of me for that! But if you still want to, that’s fine by me!” Donda Ruu’s eyes burned brighter than anyone else’s as he looked over his comrades. “I intend to determine tonight whether or not the Suun clan is fit to lead our people! You all should listen carefully to Zuuro Suun’s words, too! Listen, and help to determine our future!”
We had finally hit this point.
Zuuro Suun’s response could well thrust the Suun and Ruu into all out war. If the Zaza and Jeen and them abandoned the Suun, it at least wouldn’t become a large enough battle to split the forest’s edge in two, but still... Just what was going to happen?
Donda Ruu beckoned over Ludo Ruu, then took two swords from the boy. They must have come from Tei and Doddo Suun. One of them, he handed to Dan Rutim.
The clans under the Suun instantly started to grow alarmed, but Donda Ruu shot them a glare.
“I swear to you that as long as none of the Suun draw their blades, I won’t either! As long as they’re not thirsty for blood, none will be shed this night!”
Then, Donda Ruu pounded strongly on the door of the main house. It was almost startling how quickly the door opened from the inside.
“What is it, so late at night...?” an emotionless woman’s voice questioned.
I soon caught a glimpse of her, and she was truly beautiful. Yeah, she was stunning... but she had rotting fish eyes. Her hair was dark brown, and her eyes were blue. Although her face was lovely, it had no expression whatsoever, making her look like a clay doll.
As for her age, she probably fell somewhere in her late 20s. And proving that she was married, she had on a single piece dress and wore her hair short.
Standing at her feet was a very annoyed-looking Tsuvai Suun, who had previously disappeared at some point.
“Who the heck are you two?” Donda Ruu questioned, his eyes narrowing as he looked over the pair.
“I am the clan head Zuuro’s wife, Oura Suun... This is my youngest daughter, Tsuvai Suun... Um, just what exactly is going on...?”
“I’m the Ruu clan head, Donda Ruu. Could you go tell the Suun clan head I’m asking to speak with him?”
“Right... However, at this hour he is still asleep...”
“Oh?” Donda Ruu replied, grinning like a wild beast. “Sorry, but Zuuro Suun won’t be allowed a peaceful rest tonight. The main house’s eldest son, second son, and eldest daughter have broken the laws of the forest’s edge alongside a man from one of the branch families. The clan head has a responsibility to answer for his family’s crimes.”
“Right...”
The woman who called herself Oura Suun looked over us with her listless eyes, still not showing the slightest bit of emotion. When her muddy gaze finally caught sight of Tei Suun down on the ground, her eyes flickered ever so slightly.
Tei Suun’s grey hair was dyed red, and he lay powerlessly down in the dirt, but he stared back at Oura Suun with the same look in his eyes.
“Very well... Tsuvai, bring the clan head here...”
“Is that really alright, Mom?”
Tsuvai Suun stared up at her mother with her big eyes, the whites standing out clearly.
“It’s fine... We’ve done enough...”
“Alright,” Tsuvai Suun answered, then she took off back into the house.
Before long, Zuuro Suun appeared. His youngest son, Mida Suun, thumped out after him.
“What in the world is all this about, clan head of the Ruu? It’s incredibly rude to visit someone’s house so late at night, wouldn’t you say...?”
Zuuro Suun wore a thin smile on his face that called to mind a bloated toad.
Meanwhile, as Mida Suun sluggishly stepped outside, he went, “Huh...?” in his usual high pitched voice. “It’s Diga and Doddo... Hey, why are they all tied up...?”
“Hmm... I see you’ve been even more rude than I first thought...”
“Rude, you say? Didn’t your daughter there already give you the basic story of what has happened, Zuuro Suun?” Dan Rutim replied.
The daughter in question, Tsuvai Suun, gave Mida Suun’s legs a kick as they were blocking the door, then went running back to her mother.
The clan head, Zuuro Suun.
His wife, Oura Suun.
The youngest daughter, Tsuvai Suun.
The youngest son, Mida Suun.
The eldest son, Diga Suun, who sat there sulking.
The second son, Doddo Suun, who still seemed to be unconscious.
And Yamiru Suun, who was silently standing a bit removed.
Aside from the elderly former clan head, we seemed to have the full lineup of the main Suun house gathered.
As I continued to support Ai Fa with my shoulder, I gave a gulp.
“What happened...? Do you perhaps mean how Diga and Yamiru proposed to the Fa clan’s head and chef...?” Zuuro Suun replied, not sounding timid in the least despite all of the eyes fixed on him. “If that’s it, then I heard of that from them in advance... Still, I never imagined they would go and do it on the night of the clan head meeting...”
“Oh? Then you’re admitting that you gave your approval to their vile actions?” Donda Ruu asked, the grin on his face growing even bolder.
However, Zuuro Suun tilted his head and said, “‘Vile actions’...? What do you mean...? I don’t believe I’ve heard anything of the sort...”
“In that case, listen well. These fools went and put everyone in the ritual hall to sleep with a strange foreign herb, and on top of that forcefully kidnapped the Fa clan’s head and chef. Then, they drew a blade on the chef when he refused their marriage proposal, and bound the clan head’s limbs in order to have their way with her... That’s correct, isn’t it, members of the Fa clan?”
Ai Fa silently nodded, while I answered, “Yes.”
However, Zuuro Suun’s thin smile still didn’t vanish.
Was he feeling bold, or was he just slow...? Somehow, it felt like the latter to me.
“That’s certainly quite an accusation... Just who are you saying went and did something that foolish...?”
“The second son of the main house, and that man from the branch families lying beside him.”
“Hmm... Doddo’s always had a problem when it comes to alcohol...” Zuuro Suun said, the corners of his mouth rising up higher. “He must have lost his temper when his precious elder sister’s marriage proposal was turned down... You have my deepest apologies...”
“Do you really think apologies are going to be enough, Zuuro Suun? He may be a foreigner, but this chef is a member of the Fa clan. And as you can see, my son suffered these injuries when jumping in to stop them. They didn’t just draw their blades, but went so far as to threaten the lives of our fellow people of the forest’s edge!”
Ludo Ruu had cloth wrapped around his head in place of bandages, and he gave a bit of a dissatisfied sounding “Tch.”
“That second son of yours also drew his blade in the post town and at the Rutim banquet. And with this incident, he finally went and swung it at our people. There’s no way such an action can be forgiven simply by bowing your head.”
“Hmm... Then are you saying we should follow the law and have him offer up his right arm...?”
“You really think just his right arm would cut it?”
A raging fire was now burning away in Donda Ruu’s eyes as he fiercely grinned.
Then, a large figure pushed through the crowd and angrily shouted, “That’s right! They didn’t just draw their blades, but also used their poisonous herb on us as well! They harmed not only the Suun and Ruu, but all the clan heads of the forest’s edge! A single right arm won’t be anywhere near enough to pay for such a crime!”
That had come from the Sauti clan head, Dari Sauti. His earnest-looking face was red from the anger and humiliation.
Zuuro Suun’s eyebrows drooped ever so slightly.
“What’s this poisonous herb you’re talking about...? You said it put everyone in the ritual hall to sleep...?”
“Apparently it’s an herb called melemele that they bought from an eastern sorcerer. Your sons bragged that it cost them five white coins to buy enough,” I replied. I figured since I had heard that directly, I should be the one to answer.
“Hmm... So it’s an herb that puts people to sleep...?”
“Yes. They said if someone keeps smelling its smoke, they wouldn’t wake up even if their stomach was slit.”
“I see... But if it just puts people to sleep, it’s not exactly poisonous, now is it...?” Zuuro Suun said, his eyes firmly fixed on his sons for the first time.
With that, Diga Suun broke out in a triumphant grin.
“Melemele leaves are herbs for helping people who are suffering to sleep easily! I hear if you keep smelling it for half a day it’ll even put a person’s soul to sleep, but that small amount isn’t poison at all! Otherwise, we never would have had our brethren from the forest’s edge smell it!”
“Silence, you! That’s not what we’re discussing right now!” Dari Sauti raged. “The key point is that you all used such a vile method, isn’t it?! You played your trick on all of us, forcefully abducted the members of the Fa clan, tried to force them into marriage, and then decided to kill them when they refused... Do you truly believe such blatant defiance of our laws would ever be allowed here at the forest’s edge?!”
“Yes, such actions are of course unforgivable... Just what exactly were your intentions, Diga...?”
Dari Sauti’s furious expression had caused Diga Suun to turn pale, but he regained that repulsive grin upon hearing his father’s words.
“Naturally, we had no intention of actually taking any lives. Doddo and I were just drunk, so we said and did things we didn’t really mean.”
“Oh? But the second son and this old timer really did draw their blades. And they went and tried to kill all of us. So how do you intend on explaining all that away?”
Diga Suun grinned even deeper upon hearing what Ludo Ruu had to say.
“I don’t know anything about all that. I wasn’t there, after all. Doddo and Tei Suun both probably just let alcohol get the better of them and ended up doing it.”
“Right, and you bound Ai Fa’s limbs and tried to have your way with her, but that ended in failure,” Ludo Ruu said with a shrug of his shoulders, only for Dari Sauti to step forward again.
“That’s every bit as serious of a taboo as drawing your blade! You already broke it two years prior, and swore back then that you would never again make the same mistake, didn’t you?!”
“L-Like I said, this time it was a request to take her as my bride. I didn’t do anything that would justify you yapping at me like that.”
“That’s ridiculous... No method of proposing at the forest’s edge involves using an herb to put someone to sleep, binding their limbs, and trying to have your way with them!”
“Oh...? No matter how much a woman may hate you, if you just lay with her she’ll listen to you.”
Naturally, I took a step forward without even thinking, but Ai Fa held me back with a poke to the head.
“Don’t lose your cool. He won’t be able to talk his way out of this with such nonsense, anyway,” she whispered quietly into my ear.
But was that really the case? Then why did Zuuro and Diga Suun still look so calm and collected?
Diga Suun was one thing, since he didn’t seem to fully grasp everything, but it was creepy how Zuuro Suun had kept on smiling even though he seemed to value self-preservation above all else.
“Hey! Who goes there?!” Rau Lea suddenly yelled out in a harsh tone.
The other men around us all started muttering among themselves. But when I looked closer, I saw that there was another group surrounding them too. They looked to be around 30 in number.
With my eyesight, all I could make out in this darkness were black silhouettes. However, the only ones in this settlement other than us were the members of the Suun’s branch houses. And so, that was who they must have been. That seemed to fit with the numbers I had heard, too.
“Oh...? You wish to settle things by the blade, Zuuro Suun?” Donda Ruu asked, grabbing hold of his sword’s handle.
However, Zuuro Suun lost his cool a bit for the first time as he replied, “O-Of course not... It just seems the members of the branch families questioned why there was such a commotion so late at night and came to check... P-Please, restrain your temper, clan head of the Ruu...”
“Hmph, I’m not so sure about that,” Donda Ruu replied, breaking out in a rather nasty looking smile.
Of the 30 or so members of the Suun branch families, roughly half of them were men. In terms of numbers, the Ruu and the clans under them could more or less match that. However, only five of them had blades.
Plus, if it came down to a fight, there was no telling what the clans under the Suun would do, and the Ruu women were gathered here. There was just too much up in the air at the moment, so getting rough would definitely be a bad idea.
“Ludo, you go over with the women. And make sure you don’t make the first move, alright?”
“Got it,” Ludo Ruu replied, running over towards his family, his eyes gleaming with the soul of a hunter.
“Now then, could you tell me just how you intend on settling this, Zuuro Suun? You couldn’t possibly believe just bowing your head would be enough to have such great crimes pardoned, right?”
“Hmm... Then do you mean to say we should adhere strictly to our customs in having them pay for their crimes, clan head of the Ruu...?” Zuuro Suun questioned, his thin smile returning. “Doddo and Tei Suun injured our brethren with their blades. Diga tried to have his way with a woman. Normally, that would mean Doddo and Tei Suun should offer up their right arms, while Diga... What should we do with Diga? After all, he didn’t ultimately sully the Fa clan head’s purity, did he?”
“That is only because the Fa clan happened to prove more determined than that scum. According to the customs, he should lose his offending organ for that,” Donda Ruu stated, clearly annoyed. “And that’s not the full extent of their crimes. What about the fact that they tried to do our brethren harm with that poisonous herb?”
“I’d like to hear your thoughts on that. Considering it didn’t actually cause anyone harm, just how serious of a crime is it...? In fact, is such a thing even against our laws to begin with...?”
“Trying to use such a trick against our people clearly breaks our taboos!”
“But when did they actually try to fool anyone...? My sons simply gave everyone a peaceful sleep so that no one would interfere with the marriage proposals, didn’t they...?”
Dari Sauti silently started to approach Zuuro Suun. However, Donda Ruu raised an arm to hold him back.
“Then your intention is to offer up your second son and branch family member’s right arms, as well as your eldest son’s member to atone for these crimes, Zuuro Suun? I don’t think your sons have the guts for that, though.”
“If we’re following ancient customs, then that would be the proper path,” Zuuro Suun replied, then he broke out in a grin. “But if you value those old laws so highly... Then there’s something else you should do before questioning my sons’ crimes, isn’t there...?”
“What...?”
“I’m saying that the Ruu, Rutim, and Fa must also obey those same laws...” Then, Zuuro Suun’s greasy gaze fell on me. “Chef of the Fa clan... My daughter Yamiru offered to take you as her husband, did she not...?”
I silently glared back at his creepy smiling face.
Could it be... I thought to myself, an eerie doubt creeping in on me. Could that have been this crafty bastard’s trump card? But that’s an absolutely insane trick to pull, isn’t it?
“At that time, was Yamiru perhaps in the middle of performing an ancient ritual...? One for making the power of a giba’s blood your own...”
I was too shocked for words.
“If that was the case, then Yamiru must have been completely in the nude...”
“Zuuro Suun, you bastard...!” Donda Ruu bellowed.
“Also, clan head of the Ruu, you had your son and that other boy watch over the Fa clan’s chef from the shadows... In that case, did they perhaps spy Yamiru through a window...?” Then, Zuuro Suun’s gaze shifted over to Dan Rutim, who was standing by Donda Ruu’s side. “And clan head of the Rutim... You kicked down the door of Diga’s house and stepped inside without being invited, didn’t you...?”
“What of it?” Dan Rutim replied, the anger clearly showing on his face.
By this point, everyone was fully aware of what Zuuro Suun was trying to say.
“Entering another’s home without permission is also a taboo... In that case, those who saw Yamiru’s naked body should each offer up an eye, while those who entered Diga’s house must give up a toe, yes...?”
“That’s ridiculous! Then what about how that scum there broke into the Fa house two years ago?!”
“That incident was forgiven when Diga and I bowed our heads, wasn’t it...? Of course, I don’t wish to give such weight to old customs and shed the blood of my brethren...”
“So that’s how it is...” Donda Ruu muttered. The smile he wore was that of a fierce raging god. “So what you’re trying to say is that if we want their arms, we’ve got to offer up our eyes and toes, eh, Zuuro Suun?”
“Naturally, I truly hope to avoid shedding blood over such trivial matters...”
“How dare you spin such a tale, Zuuro Suun?!” Dari Sauti shouted. “The Suun clan are the ones who went and acted so atrociously! The Ruu, Rutim, and Fa simply fought back against that! So why must they offer up their eyes and toes?!”
“Those are simply the laws of the forest’s edge... However, they are old traditions decided by our ancestors... I don’t believe sticking firmly to them is the one and only correct path for our people...”
“And I’m saying that’s not the issue here! My point is that the shameful actions of these members of the Suun clan are unforgivable!”
“Shameful actions, you say...? But in actuality, Doddo didn’t take a single life, nor did Diga sully anyone’s purity...”
“As Donda Ruu stated, that was solely due to the determination of the Fa and Ruu! If they had not been strong enough, your kin would have carried out their truly vile deeds!”
“If they had been successful, they would have had to give their lives to pay for their crimes...”
There was no end to this argument.
Dari Sauti, meanwhile, seemed to have surpassed mere anger and ended up outright dumbfounded.
“Have you gone mad, Zuuro Suun...? If that is how you truly feel, then we can no longer see you as the leader of our people.”
“Oh? And why is that, clan head of the Sauti? It’s true that Diga and Doddo are still too immature to properly rein in their emotions, but no one was killed, and no woman was sullied. In fact, none can even say if my sons truly intended on committing those crimes, can they...?” Zuuro Suun’s muddy gaze then turned towards Donda Ruu. “Just look. Can you not see the hatred in the Ruu clan head’s eyes as he glares at me...? He may even be thinking of threatening my life... However, until he actually swings the blade he holds my way, he has committed no crime at all... That’s the point I’m trying to stress...”
“That just sounds like you trying to talk your way out of this! The leading clan should act as a model for the people of the forest’s edge, shouldn’t they?!”
“Hmm... Then I suppose there’s no option left but for both sides to shed blood. How truly regrettable...” Zuuro Suun stated, but he didn’t look the least bit regretful.
But... maybe this man was stating his true thoughts. Perhaps he honestly thought that if he couldn’t eloquently talk his way out of this, his only option left was to offer up his family. Did he intend to maintain the peace for the Suun clan through the sacrifice of Diga, Doddo, Tei, and Yamiru Suun? The smile on Zuuro Suun’s face looked so relaxed that no other possibilities seemed to fit.
As I held back the nausea building inside of me, I stole a glance at the man’s family in question.
Diga Suun foolishly laughed to himself like he had no clue what was happening, while Doddo Suun was still unconscious. Tei Suun’s muddy gaze stared blankly into the sky as he lay on his side like a corpse. And Yamiru Suun was just as expressionless as always.
From my point of view, they were all unforgivable criminals. Well, I did have a few thoughts in regards to Tei and Yamiru Suun, but their crimes still stood.
But to Zuuro Suun, they were his precious family, weren’t they? Even if this was a case of them acting recklessly all on their own, shouldn’t he have been more desperately trying to cover for them? Or did he value his own peace and tranquility over even the lives of his family?
Just what exactly did the world look like through this man’s muddy eyes?
“So that’s your response, Zuuro Suun...?” Donda Ruu questioned, firming up his stance.
Mida Suun had been just standing there in a daze up till now, but he muttered, “This is no good... People of the forest’s edge shouldn’t hurt each other, right...?” As he said that, he reached for the club at his hip.
Donda Ruu also grabbed hold of his sword’s handle.
And Zuuro Suun’s smile stiffened a good bit as he attempted to slowly back away.
“No matter what, don’t leave my side, Asuta,” Ai Fa whispered while taking her right arm off my neck and bending her knees just a bit.
All of the men in my field of vision were preparing for battle.
There had clearly been a breakdown in negotiations.
It seemed that Zuuro Suun absolutely refused to admit fault, no matter what. Even if he had to cast aside his family to do it, he would make sure he alone was saved.
There was no way Donda Ruu could ever accept that nature of his. Even if he had to break his promise not to draw his blade first and get branded a traitor, he would surely cut Zuuro Suun down here and now. That was what the determination burning bright in his eyes told me.
We had finally reached the tipping point.
For a split second I agonized over the decision, but then I yelled out, “Please, hold on! If we’re following ancient laws, then there’s something the Suun clan needs to atone for before all else!”
Donda Ruu had been on the verge of drawing his blade, only for his shoulders to flinch ever so slightly.
“Asuta...?” Ai Fa questioned in a doubtful tone.
I gave her a nod back, then continued on, “If I recall correctly, it’s a serious enough crime to warrant having one’s scalp peeled. Do you really have the right to question the crimes of others before you atone for that?”
“What... What in the world are you saying...?”
The toadlike smile had completely vanished from Zuuro Suun’s bloated face. The terror that took its place gave me confidence that my thinking was correct.
My words may well lead to even further bloodshed, but even as my spine trembled at the thought, I still threw out my accusation.
“If you deny my statement, then show us the main Suun house’s pantry... That’s my only request.”
In that instant, Yamiru Suun erupted in a mad burst of laughter. Though she was surrounded by the Ruu and Rutim women, it was like she couldn’t stop herself from leaning her head back and howling away. “What are you saying? Why should we need to be scalped? This is slander against the leading clan!”
“R-Right, it’s slander! You’re just spouting nonsense and trying to save your own skin...” Zuuro Suun uttered, temporarily regaining his calm expression only for it to be shattered by astonishment and despair a moment later.
“Yes, it’s truly unforgivable slander! We have done nothing to warrant such abuse! And if you think I’m lying, then why not confirm this with your own eyes?”
“What are you saying?! Have you gone mad, Yamiru?!” That last bit of wailing actually came from Diga Suun rather than his father. And both of them had equally pale faces at the moment.
“What’s the matter? Why have you all gone so pale? We’re perfectly innocent, aren’t we?” Then, Yamiru Suun’s glittering eyes turned towards Oura Suun, who was standing there like a statue. “Now then, Oura! And Tsuvai, too! Open up the pantry! Then our innocence will be made clear!”
Tsuvai Suun looked up at her mother, clearly at a loss. As for Oura Suun, her muddy pupils were hidden behind her eyelids.
“Right... That is what we should do, isn’t it, Yamiru...?”
“Yes! Go ahead and do it!”
Oura Suun moved to turn towards the pantry. However, Zuuro Suun grabbed tight onto her slender shoulder.
“Stop! What... What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Let go of me...”
“Never! As clan head... I’ll never permit you to do that!”
Zuuro Suun’s fat fingers dug into his wife’s shoulder.
Oura Suun shrieked out, “Ah...” in pain, causing Tsuvai Suun to wail, “What are you doing?!”
Donda Ruu took a step forward. Before he could make a move, though, Mida Suun’s thick fingers grabbed hold of his father’s arm.
“That’s not good... It’s bad to hurt family, isn’t it...?”
His bones audibly creaked, and Zuuro Suun let out a girlish screech.
Released from his grasp, Oura Suun collapsed powerlessly to the ground, then looked up at Tsuvai Suun’s face. There was just a bit of a shine, as her eyes were full of tears.
“Tsuvai... The bolt to the pantry...”
“...Got it,” Tsuvai Suun replied, then disappeared through a door.
At the same time, Yamiru Suun laughed like a devil as she proclaimed, “Now, see with your own eyes! If it’s proven that your words are nothing but a groundless accusation, you won’t get off with just losing an eye or a toe, Asuta of the Fa clan!”
“What’s with that woman? Has she actually gone mad?” Dan Rutim turned and asked me, his thick eyebrows deeply furrowed. “I don’t get what you’ve been saying, either. Did she trick you with some sort of plot?”
“No, I don’t think that’s it... If that were the case, I couldn’t imagine Zuuro Suun looking that flustered.” I then turned my gaze towards Donda Ruu. “Let’s head to the pantry. And I think it’d be a good idea to keep an eye on the members of the Suun branch families.”
Donda Ruu silently stared back at me for a bit, then turned without saying a word.
Rau Lea and the other men who fell under the Ruu lifted up Diga and Doddo Suun.
Diga Suun’s expression slumped, and he looked utterly dumbfounded. Doddo Suun, meanwhile, was still unconscious.
And as for Tei Suun... He had firmly shut his eyes, like Oura Suun had done just a bit ago.
“Mida Suun, could I ask you to bring Zuuro Suun and follow along?”
“Yeah...” Mida Suun replied to my question, the fat of his cheeks shaking as he did so. “But what are you saying about the pantry? We can’t eat anything else till morning, right...?”
“That’s true. But we’re just checking what’s inside.”
With that, we moved around to the back of the house.
Our group included the men who participated in the clan head meeting, the women who manned the stove, the members of the Suun main house, and everyone from the branch families... It was a big enough crowd to total over 100 people.
The majority of them still didn’t understand what was going on and were just silently looking around at everyone else.
And then, as all of us watched, the door to the pantry swung open from the inside.
Tsuvai Suun came running back over towards her mother, looking unbelievably upset.
Then, Rau Lea held up a candle to illuminate the inside of the pantry.
“That’s...!” someone gasped in astonishment.
What we saw there was exactly what I had expected: All manners of fruits and vegetables. Some I was familiar with, but others I had never seen before.
Yes, the shelves were positively packed... with the bounty of the Morga forest, which they were forbidden to gather by decree of the western capital.
“So that was it...” Donda Ruu muttered in a low voice.
And then... a sound of “Aaaah...” with an almost singing tone resounded through the night air.
“What? What’s going on?!” Dan Rutim questioned, his gaze darting around.
Everyone making that sound seemed to belong to the Suun branch families. That included men and women, children and the elderly... Every last one of them were down on their knees, their sad voices echoing forth.
“Please forgive us...”
“We broke the taboo...”
“We gathered the blessings of the forest, knowing it was forbidden...”
Then, before our very eyes, Oura Suun fell powerlessly to her knees.
“This is the Suun clan’s crime... But please, take mercy on the members of the branch families... They only followed the wicked decrees of the main house...”
Oura Suun’s beautiful face was stained with tears. The members of the branch families were no different. One fell prostrate to the ground, while another tore at his scalp, and yet another clung to someone nearby... And every last one of them was weeping with heartrending grief.
“H-Hey! Come on, pull yourselves together!” Lala Ruu suddenly yelled out, sounding all flustered.
There was an even more slender girl clinging to her own thin body, wailing away. She just kept saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry...” over and over. From what I could tell, it was Toor Suun of the branch families.
“This is insane... The whole of the Suun clan was breaking such an important taboo...?” the Zaza clan head muttered in a powerless voice, his massive frame trembling as if he was terrified of the wailing coming from all around.
Eating the blessings of the forest was one of the greatest taboos for the people of the forest’s edge. Doing so meant that starving giba would attack the fields around town even more fiercely. That’s why it was considered a serious enough crime to warrant being scalped for it.
And so, the people of the forest’s edge would never lay a hand on them no matter how much they may be starving, to the point that they would die lamenting their own weakness. Kamyua Yoshu had once said he couldn’t believe such an earnest, pure tribe could truly exist.
That was down to their pride as hunters.
“We sullied our pride as hunters... Trampled on the honor of the forest’s edge... We’re unforgivable sinners...”
A flood of tears kept on streaming down the faces of Oura Suun and the branch family members. There was an unquestionable sadness dwelling in their tear-soaked eyes. Feelings of regret surely swirled through their heads. And it was readily apparent the shame that they felt.
Those were all clearly negative emotions... But now, not a one of them wore the expressionless face of a clay doll.
Their unforgivable crime was revealed, but at the same time, they had been set free. The intense pressure of needing to protect the Suun clan’s secret no longer crushed them.
On the other hand, Zuuro and Diga Suun’s faces now looked like corpses as they trembled away.
Doddo Suun was still lying unconscious, even now.
Mida Suun looked down on his father and brothers, his eyes full of confusion.
Tsuvai Suun nuzzled up close to her weeping mother and was firmly biting down on her lip.
And as for Yamiru Suun... she walked up to us, sandwiched between Ludo and Mia Lea Ruu. Ai Fa still had her guard up, though, not relaxing in the least.
Then, she stopped in front of us and quietly whispered, “Now it’s finally over...”
Yamiru Suun’s expression was now so calm that it was hard to believe she had been acting so madly just a bit ago, and she had a complex expression about her eyes that couldn’t be described as just sadness, anger, or joy alone.
“Asuta... There’s just one thing I wish to say to you.”
“What is it?”
I still couldn’t tell at all which emotions were driving her, but the corners of Yamiru Suun’s mouth lifted up into a grin, and she said, “Thank you for destroying the Suun clan.”
3
The dawn had broken at last on the chaotic night.
After crawling out of the ritual hall, I gave both my arms a big stretch while squinting my eyes from the brightness of the morning sun.
“That really was an unbelievable night...” Ai Fa muttered with a frown, coming up beside me.
“That’s for sure. It was so insane that it’s hard to believe it really happened. What in the world’s going to become of the forest’s edge now?”
“Who knows? But, well... I can’t imagine it getting worse than it’s been. We’ll be striving our hardest to make sure that it doesn’t,” Ai Fa stated as she put up her hair, her face brimming with strength now that she was completely free of the effects of the melemele leaves.
The other clan heads came on out in the meantime, so we made way for them to stagger by.
The emergency clan head meeting that had been running all night had come to a close.
◇
Thanks to the questioning carried out by the clan heads, the Suun clan’s crimes were thoroughly brought to light.
First off, the Suun clan had been gathering the blessings of the forest for over a decade. Apparently, Zuuro Suun became clan head ten years back, so the deed went back to the time of the previous head, Zattsu Suun.
They hunted giba just for the meat, and got all of their vegetables from the forest. They used the reward money along with what they got from horns and tusks to buy everyday goods, fruit wine, and salt. And the members of the main house splurged on their own amusement, too.
The members of the branch families, meanwhile, were coerced into keeping the secret. If it got out, all of the Suun would have to offer up their scalps. They were forced into being accomplices, and for over a decade had to suppress their pride and dignity as people of the forest’s edge.
Perhaps as a result of that, many in the Suun settlement lived short lives. They were supposed to be living lives of far more plenty and tranquility than any other clan, and yet there was no end to folks dying mysteriously of emaciation.
“That may have been because they couldn’t find meaning in living such overly peaceful lives...” Oura Suun had suggested.
Apparently, that trend was especially strong among those who married into the clan. Except for Oura Suun, all of Zuuro Suun’s wives had come from subordinate clans like the Zaza and Jeen.
Even when that wasn’t the case, those who weren’t well suited to such alien circumstances tended to die young. And thanks to that happening so often, they were chronically shorthanded, which caused them to firmly refuse sending any brides or grooms to the clans under them.
Of course, that made perfect sense. After all, throughout the Suun settlement everyone was under pressure to protect the secret. They could hardly let anyone who knew of what they had done go off on their own.
Still, that all just felt far too unnatural. At the forest’s edge, blood ties were valued above all else, after all. The clans under the Suun must have felt a great deal of resentment over the fact that they hadn’t been offered any brides or grooms for over a decade. That must have been one of the big reasons that Yamiru Suun had said, “It’s not possible to keep deceiving the clans under us.”
So why did the Suun clan try to take in the two of us from the Fa? It seemed the goal was to use the money we earned to buy aria and poitan, so they could stop laying hands on the blessings of the forest. If they could pull that off, then they could forever wipe away their unpleasant secret.
“What the heck?! That’s so stupid! In that case, all they needed to do was go out and properly hunt giba, right?!” Dan Rutim had stated, foremost among the great many enraged clan heads.
But having tasted depravity, the folks of the main house... or I should say the clan head Zuuro Suun, couldn’t even envision such a thing.
Plus, even if they wanted to hunt giba, the beasts hardly ever came anywhere near the Suun settlement. That was only logical, though. The giba lived off the fruits of the forest, so they naturally wouldn’t settle down where such things were lacking.
In other words, that was the cause of the increase in giba in recent years.
Thanks to the Suun clan shirking their duties as hunters the number of giba had grown, and by gathering food from the forest they had caused them to move elsewhere. As a result, a significantly greater burden was placed on the other clans.
At any rate, the situation had just been continually worsening. Even if someone from the branch families decided to ignore the main house and carry out their work as a hunter, they wouldn’t be able to get anything done without any giba around. On top of that, in the Suun settlement they were hunting the bare minimum of giba, to the point that they had more of a shortage of meat than vegetables.
On the other hand, while the number of giba was decreasing, small animals like lizards and snakes were thriving, so a good number of folks were apparently using meat from those to fend off starvation. But the members of the main house instead bought kimyuus and karon meat for the same purpose.
“Still, why go out of their way to intentionally go after the Fa on the day of the clan head meeting? Actually, if they were planning on a forceful kidnapping to start with, why not attack the Fa house directly rather than inviting anyone to the Suun settlement?”
The one to voice that question had been Dari Sauti.
Such a barbaric act surely would have been possible with a secret weapon like the melemele leaves. They would have been able to carry out their goal quite smoothly by just putting me and Ai Fa to sleep, then cutting through a window lattice using a saw or whatever.
The answer to that came from Yamiru Suun. According to her, with a building set half-underground like the ritual hall that also has completely sealable entrances, just lighting the melemele leaves with a candle and leaving it there is enough. But a normal house has windows with latices, which makes it rather difficult to get the smoke to settle inside.
Sure enough, I couldn’t imagine Ai Fa failing to notice if I was grilling a fish or something and fanning the smoke right outside the window.
“Still, I just can’t see it as anything but idiotic. Did you really think you would get away with wrongdoing when all the clan heads were gathered together in one place? I’m embarrassed to say I was fully asleep, but I still can’t imagine anyone sane coming up with such a plan.”
“That’s true... However, it still seemed wiser than attacking the Fa house directly. Considering how strong the Fa clan head supposedly is, Diga and Doddo couldn’t possibly defeat her,” Yamiru Suun replied in a detached tone.
Dari Sauti’s rage-filled gaze fixed on the woman.
“Let me confirm once again. Zuuro Suun came up with the idea of forcing the members of the Fa to join the Suun clan, while you, the eldest son, and the second son planned out the details, correct?”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“The ones who actually committed crimes were your two brothers and Tei Suun, but you are no less at fault.”
“You don’t need to go and emphasize that point now.”
Yamiru Suun’s expression was so calm that it actually felt bizarre.
“Hold on, please,” I tried to interject.
However, Ai Fa grabbed my arm when I went to do so.
“Don’t do it. This isn’t the time or place for us to speak up.”
“No, but...”
The Suun clan’s way of doing things had been far too crude. And so, I couldn’t help but think that Yamiru Suun had wished for failure rather than success, and destruction for her clan rather than prosperity.
Thinking back on it, Yamiru Suun had been the one to invite us to the clan head meeting. Apparently, she had only gotten the clan head Zuuro Suun’s permission afterwards.
And no matter what she had to say on the matter, the downsides to attempting their scheme at such an event were far too great.
Plus, the greatest of their taboos lay in their pantry, so no matter how well bolted it may have been, it just seemed insane to let anyone from another clan get anywhere near it. Plus, Yamiru Suun had actually gone and said, “Or are you dim-witted enough to not have noticed, even after manning the Suun clan stove...?”
She may well have also wished to keep on living with her family. However, had she wanted to put an end to the corrupt history of the Suun clan even more than that?
“I’m at least capable of imagining what’s running through your head. But even so, don’t do it. In all likelihood, no matter what you say, you won’t be able to erase the eldest daughter’s crime. In fact, it might just result in even greater anger,” Ai Fa whispered in a low voice.
“Why?” I asked back just as quietly.
“Even if your thinking is correct, that doesn’t change the fact that she betrayed the people of the forest’s edge, and she may just be seen as guilty of tricking her blood relatives in addition... At the forest’s edge, betraying and attempting to harm one’s family is the greatest of taboos, Asuta.”
I had no response to that.
I mean, had Yamiru Suun really brought all of these outside powers in to lower the blade of judgment down on all the Suun clan’s necks, her own included?
As I agonized over the matter, the clan head meeting solemnly continued on.
At any rate, there was a topic that had to be settled as soon as possible. Naturally, that was how the Suun clan would be handled.
“The Suun clan is no longer worthy to lead our people!” Dari Sauti proclaimed.
Not a single person voiced an objection to his words.
But just how should they have to atone for their crimes, then?
Fortunately, at the very least no one seemed interested in punishing the branch families for their complicity. That included even clans like the Zaza and Jeen who valued the law especially highly.
But then, whose crimes should be judged?
That was where things got complicated.
“We should follow the law, so every last member of the main house should have their scalps peeled.”
“No, but then it doesn’t make sense to forgive the branch families.”
“Then what about just the clan head, Zuuro Suun...?”
“But he carried on that wicked policy from the previous clan head.”
“The former clan head Zattsu Suun is elderly and ill, though, so he can’t have long left...”
“No, but still—”
“Ugh, this is obnoxious! Is there never going to be an end to this?!” Dan Rutim exploded. Then, his goggle-eyes shifted my way. “Asuta, what do you think?”
“Huh? Me?”
“Yeah. You’re the one who exposed the Suun clan’s wrongdoing, so it makes sense for you to run things now, doesn’t it?”
That was completely insane moon logic.
But still, I was glad to get the chance to make a statement. After all, I did have a few thoughts on the matter.
“I think... What’s most important is what happens from here on out.”
“Here on out?”
“Yes. Rather than giving in to anger and focusing on how to punish the Suun clan, instead figure out the correct path forward for the forest’s edge, and handle them according to that.”
“You’re getting all tricky with your words like Gazraan again. Can’t you make things a little easier to understand?”
“Ah, my apologies. To sum it up, I think before deciding on the Suun clan’s punishment, we should determine what sort of relationship the forest’s edge should have with Genos now that it’s lost its leading clan.”
Dan Rutim and the rest of the clan heads all looked clearly confused. Perhaps they had never expected to hear the name “Genos” come up in this place.
“I still don’t get it. Who cares about the city of stone? It’s not like we want the reward money or anything. In fact, it’d feel refreshing to use this chance to go ahead and sever our ties with the castle.”
“You can’t just do that though, can you? After all, the law that the blessings of the Morga forest must not be touched was something Genos decreed. In fact, wasn’t this act like trampling upon the bond and trust shared with the city of stone? And even more importantly, isn’t the rule that the people of the forest’s edge wouldn’t lay a hand on such things one of the terms of the agreement that allows your people to live here?”
With that, the clan heads started muttering amongst themselves.
“Of course, Genos needs the people of the forest’s edge, too. You were able to carve out an important role for yourselves over the course of these past 80 years. If you were to leave this land, Genos’s prosperity would take a significant hit. That’s why I think you should strive to form a better, more proper relationship with them from here on out.”
“Hmm... Well, now that you mention it, that may be so...”
Despite his words, Dan Rutim’s face made it appear that he still didn’t quite get it. Perhaps that just went to show how distant and unrelated the Genos castle had felt to everyone but the Suun clan.
I felt then that the worries growing inside me should be known, and so I threw out the bomb that I had been saving.
“I’m including my own speculation here, but I think... There’s a chance that the folks from the Genos castle were aware the Suun clan was breaking laws, and they simply turned a blind eye to it.”
“What?! What do you mean?!”
“Ai Fa and I have become acquainted with someone with ties to the lord of Genos. That man was troubled by the Suun clan’s corruption, and said he had offered advice to the lord on the matter more than once. Putting aside the issue of them plundering the blessings of the forest, the Genos lord must have already heard of the fact that the Suun clan was shirking their duty as hunters and living so lazily.”
The murmuring spread even further.
It felt like I was speaking ill of the dead or something, but even so, I still had to say it.
“Plus, I’ve seen with my very eyes a member of the Suun clan committing a crime in the post town only to have it overlooked. Thanks to that, it’s led to rumors that no matter what crimes the people of the forest’s edge commit, they won’t be punished. What led to the Suun clan’s corruption wasn’t just the reward money, but that unjustly favorable treatment by Genos, wouldn’t you say?”
With that, I glanced over the members of the main Suun house, who had been forced to sit the farthest from the head of the room. Aside from the former clan head Zattsu Suun, the full group of seven was gathered there.
Zuuro Suun had lost all his strength and looked like a corpse at this point.
Diga Suun’s body was constantly quaking with terror.
Doddo Suun had finally regained consciousness, and he hung his head in a way that made him look like a stray dog on the verge of death.
Mida Suun was nodding off, clearly not understanding what was going on in the least.
Yamiru Suun wore no expression whatsoever as she stared down at her feet.
Oura Suun was sitting up straight and staring vacantly at the ceiling with tears in her eyes.
Tsuvai Suun was sulking while clinging to her mother’s arm.
And the sole criminal of the branch families, Tei Suun, was seated lowest of them all and had firmly shut his eyes.
“I have no intention of covering for the Suun clan. But I believe the majority of the cause of their corruption comes from their ties to the lord of Genos, including the reward money. In other words, having the wrong sort of relationship with Genos can lead to the downfall of even the people of the forest’s edge.”
“Asuta, I can’t help but take that as an insult to our people,” Dari Sauti chimed in, his voice rather tense despite not sounding especially angry.
I turned his way and replied, “Really? But originally, the Suun clan must have been strong enough to lead the forest’s edge, right? Doesn’t it make sense that they took in that poison bit by bit over the course of 80 years, losing their way as they went? If that was because they took on a bond with the people of the castle on their own... Then as someone forming ties to the townsfolk while earning excess fortune, I can’t just treat that as someone else’s problem.”
“Hmm...”
“Excess fortune can be both poison and medicine. That’s just like we discussed at dinner. Who will lead the people of the forest’s edge in place of the Suun? What should be done with the reward money? What should the relationship with Genos be like from here on out? Aren’t those questions every bit as important as how the Suun clan should be punished?”
“That’s true, of course. But the only clan as strong as the Suun are the Ruu, and if even the Suun fell to corruption as such... Just what should be done, then?” Dari Sauti questioned, looking at Donda Ruu with a probing gaze.
Donda Ruu, meanwhile, shot back a bold grin.
“Do you all intend to keep on talking in circles forever, not sleeping a wink even though it’s this late at night? The strongest lead the forest’s edge, while weak clans don’t have the right to do so. You all understand that without having to think about it, don’t you?”
“Then you’re announcing the Ruu as the new leading clan after all?”
“Ha! I could clearly see that the Suun clan would fall someday. And so sooner or later, we were fated to end up heading down this path.” Donda Ruu slowly stood to his feet, then glanced around at all of the hunters present. “As the clan head of the Ruu, I offer this statement to all the clan heads of the forest’s edge. The Ruu have six clans to our name, and over 100 people. No other clan at the forest’s edge possesses such power... None of you have any objection to that claim, do you?”
Sure enough, nobody objected.
Donda Ruu’s grin grew even bolder.
“Meanwhile, the Suun had seven clans under them, and similarly around 100 people. But removing the Suun clan for their criminal acts, that leaves around 70... Will it be the Zaza who leads them? The Dom?”
“Such a matter won’t be decided here and now. For the time being, the Zaza, Jeen, and Dom will simply have to work together to guide our people,” the Zaza clan head replied in a low voice, a regretful light burning in his eyes.
“I see,” Donda Ruu answered, then he turned his gaze towards Dari Sauti. “The next strongest clan would be the Sauti, right? How great are your bonds of blood?”
“The Sauti leads five clans, and we number less than 60. We are far from reaching the strength of the Ruu.”
“Hmm. That number puts you around equal to the clans of the north now that they’ve lost the Suun,” Donda Ruu said in a satisfied tone, the light in his eyes burning even brighter. “In that case, I’ve got a proposal. Now that the forest’s edge has lost its leading clan, the ones to lead our people should be the Ruu, Sauti, and the folks from the north.”
“What?!” the Zaza clan head exclaimed. “The Ruu, Sauti, and us? What do you mean by that, clan head of the Ruu?!”
“I’d figure that should be obvious. No matter how big the Ruu clan may be, we don’t have a long enough reach to cover the ridiculously vast forest’s edge from end to end. And since there are already big clans in the north and south, why not put that strength to use?”
“But that’s...”
“Three clans leading the forest’s edge. By all three of them having bonds with Genos and accepting the reward money, we’ll make it medicine rather than a poison. If anyone has a better plan, then speak it. And I’m not just talking to clans like the Zaza and the Sauti. That applies to every last clan head here.”
Donda Ruu’s piercing gaze once more glanced around over the clan heads.
“If someday another clan rivaling the Ruu and Sauti appears, then they’ll also be acknowledged as being qualified to lead. After all, one leader isn’t enough for the forest’s edge. With just one, a single man’s corruption could sever the future of our people. The Suun clan showed us that through their actions.”
Zuuro Suun didn’t react in the least. The former leader of his people who had accepted this negative inheritance from the previous clan head and lived a life of laziness now wore the face of a dead man.
“Those of you who agree with my words, rise to your feet! Those of you who object, stay seated and speak your opinion!”
All the clans under the Ruu swiftly stood. The smaller clan heads also started rising one by one, including me and Ai Fa.
The ones who agonized over it till the end were unsurprisingly the clans of the north and south. Just how great must their surprise and bewilderment have been, having the responsibility of leading their people suddenly thrust upon them?
Even so, Dari Sauti eventually stood... and finally, the clan heads of the north joined him.
It was a unanimous decision.
Donda Ruu nodded, a serious expression on his face.
“Here and now, as clan head of the Ruu, I, Donda Ruu, swear to join together with the Sauti, the Zaza, and their groups, to lead our people down the proper path without ever losing our pride as people of the forest’s edge.”
“As clan head of the Sauti, I, Dari Sauti, also pledge my assistance to the forest’s edge.”
The clan heads formerly under the Suun stood there indignantly for a bit, but before long the Zaza clan head muttered in a low voice, “From here on out, we’ll decide who will lead our clans. But we swear that no matter who it is, they won’t bring shame to the people of the forest’s edge.”
“How sloppy. You all need to hurry up and do your work by deciding on a leader,” Donda Ruu said with a wicked grin, to which the Zaza Clan head just said, “Oh, shut it!”
“Well then, aside from the Sauti and let’s say the Zaza clan head for now, the rest of you can relax. But there are still some matters that need to be decided...”
We did as we were told and took a seat.
This was entirely Donda Ruu’s field now.
“So, how should we handle the members of the main Suun house? I think we should all decide on a path first, and then ask the other clan heads,” Donda Ruu stated, causing a tension to fill the air.
“I think... The ones who actually committed crimes that night should be punished, as well as the clan head Zuuro Suun,” Dari Sauti soon replied. “The eldest son Diga Suun, the second son Doddo Suun, the eldest daughter Yamiru Suun, and Tei Suun from the branch families. Adding in the clan head Zuuro Suun, I would say the crimes of these five are readily apparent.”
“Hmm. Then you’re saying the crime of pillaging the bounty of the forest should fall on Zuuro Suun alone? But the eldest daughter didn’t draw any blade, so how should she be punished?”
“That’s... a bit of a difficult question, but since she shared her knowledge with her brothers, I believe she should share in their punishment.”
Did that mean she would have her right arm cut off like Doddo and Tei Suun?
I could feel an incredibly bitter taste spreading through my mouth.
However, what the Zaza clan head said next was even harsher.
“I think all the members of the main house deserve to be punished. The crime of not only laying hands on the bounty of the forest but also compelling the branch houses to do the same is a heavy one. They should all have their scalps peeled.”
“Oh? But the women of the main house wouldn’t have the power to compel the members of the branch families, would they? Wouldn’t it be rather inconsistent to forgive the branch families but force the women of the main house to pay with their lives?”
“Hmm... I have of course thought on the matter, but still... Normally, the members of the branch houses would be punished equally. And so, there’s no choice but to have the members of the main house make up for that by shedding their blood.”
So he was saying to give even a girl as young as Tsuvai Suun the death penalty? Even if that was what occurred from earnestly following the harsh laws of the forest’s edge, I couldn’t accept that at all.
“May I say just one thing...?” Yamiru Suun suddenly chimed in. A number of glares full of bloodlust shot her way. “Since you all don’t seem to know, allow me to inform you... The corruption of the Suun clan came from the previous clan head, Zattsu Suun.” The raw bloodlust from the clan heads grew even thicker. However, the same frozen, hostile expression remained fixed on Yamiru Suun’s face as she indifferently continued on. “Zattsu Suun was a man who was like a bundle of poison. Anyone who spent a long period of time with him steadily had their soul rotted away. That man was the clan head until he collapsed with illness ten years ago, and he ate away at the souls of the main house all the while.”
“Ha! I was wondering what you were going to say, but I see you’re scheming to place all the responsibility on Zattsu Suun, who can’t even stand! You truly are despicable!” the Zaza clan head howled with anger.
Yamiru Suun’s expression still didn’t shift as she looked his way.
“I didn’t say that all responsibility falls on him. I simply wished to state that there are those who weren’t tainted by that man’s poison... Oura Suun married in 12 years back, Tsuvai Suun was born around that time, and Mida Suun was not yet fully aware... Those three did not have their souls rotted by Zattsu Suun, and did not commit any more crimes than the members of the branch families.”
Then, while remaining seated, Yamiru Suun bowed so deeply that her forehead touched the floor.
“And so, if you forgive the branch families, then please do the same for those three... We are the only ones who have had our souls rotted away.”
“What are you saying?! That doesn’t make any sense!” Tsuvai Suun wailed, leaping to her feet like a clockwork doll. She hadn’t been bound because she was so young.
Ludo Ruu had been assigned to watch her, and he hurriedly grabbed her by the nape of her neck.
“Hey, don’t be stupid! Stop moving, you runt!”
“Shut up! You were the one who worried most of all about the Suun clan’s future, right, Yamiru?! So why should you have to die?!”
“Because I was unable to think of any other path for us to find salvation,” Yamiru Suun replied, looking up and smiling ever so slightly. “I was born before Diga and Doddo. And in turn, I took in even more of Zattsu Suun’s poison. My soul has long since rotted beyond any hope of salvation.”
“When you were born doesn’t matter! I mean... We’re family, aren’t we?!” The tears steadily started falling from Tsuvai Suun’s big eyes. Then, still being held by the neck by Ludo Ruu, she glared at her father and brothers. “You’re the ones always doing such awful stuff! It’s because you’re such cowards that Yamiru ended up like this! What’s so scary about a bed-ridden old man?! When we got money, why didn’t you use it properly?!”
None of them responded. They just silently hung their heads, as if they still couldn’t process the disastrous circumstances they found themselves in.
The clan heads were all looking around at each other, clearly more than a little thrown out of sorts by the proceedings.
The one to finally speak up first was the Zaza clan head.
“It really is difficult to vary punishments based on the size of their crimes, isn’t it? In that case, I believe it best we follow the law and punish both the main house and the branch families, every last one of them.”
“That’s far too hasty. We shouldn’t treat the lives of 40 so lightly... What are your thoughts, Donda Ruu?” Dari Sauti asked, only for Donda Ruu to keep silent for a bit.
Then, after glancing over the members of the Suun, he rather slowly opened his mouth.
“For ten years now, I’ve continued to call into question the crimes of the Suun clan. Stretching back even further, my father has done the same since 20 years prior. The ones who failed to listen to that and kept protecting them were the clans under them, you Zaza and Jeen and the like... If you all hadn’t gotten in his way, I’m certain my father would have beheaded Zattsu Suun 20 years ago.”
The Zaza clan head bit his lip with regret.
“At this point, I have no response to that... But still, what does that matter?”
“The members of the Suun clan are a rather irredeemable bunch. That eldest and second son in particular are truly despicable scum. But who is it that let our leading clan grow corrupted? Those of you who protected the Suun clan, those of us who failed to bring them to justice, and those small clans who lacked the power to do anything... Would you not say we all share significant blame for that?” There was an unusually calm shine in Donda Ruu’s eyes. “I believe it would be alright to give all of the Suun but the previous and current clan heads, Zattsu and Zuuro Suun, one single chance.”
“A single chance?”
“Yeah. A final opportunity to live and die as people of the forest’s edge... Of course, that’s if the members of the main house have the resolve to accept it.”
◇
As we sat and watched the ritual hall from a distance, we sleepily talked to one another.
“I think I may have misjudged Donda Ruu. I thought he was a lot more hardheaded, like the Zaza clan head or something.”
The conclusion Donda Ruu had voiced was that clans with strength like the Ruu and Zaza would each take in members of the main Suun house. Of course, they weren’t simply having them marry in, though. No, they would have to abandon the Suun name, sever ties with their other family, and help around the house in the lowest position of all.
If they showed they had properly reformed in the process, they could be accepted as part of that clan. If not, they wouldn’t be given a chance to pass on their blood and would simply die off.
It was incredibly harsh, but also a path to salvation that was utterly unprecedented in the history of the forest’s edge.
It wasn’t just the Zaza and Sauti who were unable to hide their bewilderment at the idea, but all the clan heads. And yet, Donda Ruu’s proposal was still ultimately accepted.
“Donda Ruu isn’t the sort of man to value laws and customs so highly. In fact, if I had to say, he’s the sort who thinks a great deal on whether or not such things should take priority over his own thoughts and feelings,” Ai Fa replied, her eyes narrowing either because it was so bright, or perhaps because she was simply sleepy. “Still, in a way it certainly is a surprise that such a great commotion didn’t result in any blood being shed.”
“Yeah, that really was a relief.”
It still wasn’t determined where everyone would be sent, but as they were seen as dangerous, Diga and Doddo Suun were to enter the Dom clan. Apparently, the Dom were considered to be especially savage, courageous, and prideful even among the clans of the north, and they would be forced to work hard as hunters there.
“That may as well be a death sentence for those fools, though,” Ludo Ruu had quietly whispered to me, and I had nothing to say to that. Still, it had to be a lot better of a deal for them than getting their scalps peeled or having their right arms cut off. I may have been furious enough to kill them last night, but now that I knew Ai Fa was safe, I didn’t actually wish death on them.
However, I absolutely felt that I never wanted to see them again in my life.
“I wonder which clans will get Mida and Yamiru Suun? They’d need to really have their acts together to handle them.”
“Who knows? Perhaps they’ll enter into the Ruu clan?”
Hearing that I gave a dissatisfied, “Huh?” and turned to look, finding Ai Fa’s narrowed eyes shooting me an icy glare.
“Asuta... Just how many women must you see in the nude before you’ll be satisfied?”
“Eh? That’s what you were thinking?! Who would have an interest in that sort of horrifyingly blood-coated nude body?”
“So you would have enjoyed it if there was no blood?”
“That’s not what I meant! And hey, there’s a limit to how much scandalous stuff you can say about a guy! Plus, the only nude woman I’ve laid eyes on in this world is you, Ai Fa!”
An elbow came slamming into my temple. And at that very moment, a large figure approached.
“What are you two up to? I believe I heard something about nude women...?”
“Oww... Ah, no, it’s nothing. Did something happen, Dari Sauti?”
“No, I just wanted to get a bit of rest, too. There’s a whole mountain of issues that must be settled before I can return to the Sauti settlement, after all.”
Selecting where the members of the main house would end up. Determining what would happen with the branch families. How the blessings of the forest from the pantry would be dealt with. An investigation of the forest that had been pillaged. And also... what punishment Zattsu and Zuuro Suun would face.
“At any rate, we won’t be punishing them immediately. We need to question Zuuro Suun on what sort of exchanges he made with Genos, and as for Zattsu Suun... Well, it seems he won’t be living many more months regardless of how things play out.”
“I see...”
The Suun clan had their authority to lead stripped from them, to be handed over to three other clans in their place. Just how would Genos react to that fact? Unlike the Suun clan, would these prideful clan heads of the forest’s edge be able to forge proper bonds with those who held power?
They certainly had plenty of new trials laid out before them.
“I’ll be counting on you to do your best on that matter, if nothing else.”
“Yeah. The idea that the folks from the castle were bending the laws to cover for the people of the forest’s edge is utterly ridiculous. I’m repulsed by the thought that the townsfolk looked at us like that up until now.” With that, Dari Sauti punched his fist into his other palm. “Attacking travelers, kidnapping women, stealing crops... Did the Suun clan really commit such awful crimes?”
“I don’t know. But the members of the branch families lack the energy for such deeds. And so, now that the folks from the main house are no longer able to act freely, if we stop hearing about such things then I suppose that means it was them.”
“If that turns out to be true, then I feel we were too light in our punishment of the eldest and second sons... Though, I shouldn’t call joining the Dom an especially light punishment.”
Was the Dom clan seriously that stern? Well, they didn’t talk as much as the Zaza and Jeen, and they wore those giba skulls too, so they certainly were the most frightening of the group.
“Ah, and about that Tei Suun man from the branch families. I intend to propose he also be entrusted to the Dom.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Yeah. Apparently, he had been living with the main house because his family members had died out. In that case, it seems fitting to treat him the same as them... Also, apparently he’s the father of the clan head’s wife, Oura Suun.”
I was at a loss for words.
That meant he was Zuuro Suun’s father-in-law and Tsuvai Suun’s grandfather, didn’t it? The members of the main house were seriously treating someone like that as a servant? There really was an unbelievable darkness to that clan, all the way to the bitter end.
“Still... I believe it would be a blessing for him to live out the last days of his life as a hunter. Unlike those older sons of the main house, who lacked any pride as hunters since birth, Tei Suun must have had a time when he hunted properly.”
I see. If he was in his fifties, then he must have strove to hunt giba like everyone else back when he was young. And then, he had his pride as a hunter snatched away from him... How cruel.
Just how must he have felt while following the orders of someone like Diga Suun? What sort of man lurked behind those rotting fish eyes?
As such thoughts raced through my head, I felt a sort of numb pain run through my chest.
“That may have been part of why Donda Ruu brought up the idea of giving them a final chance. It’s frustrating to admit, but it seems that the Zaza clan head and I don’t yet have the same strength as leaders that he possesses,” Dari Sauti stated, and then he turned his back to us. “We must lead our people down the proper path, so that such mistakes and tragedies are never repeated... Well then, I will see you again sometime, Asuta and Ai Fa of the Fa clan.”
“Yeah, see you later,” I replied, while Ai Fa remained silent.
Now that I thought about it, she had been quiet for a while now, and when I turned to look... her head flopped down on my right shoulder. Apparently she had fallen asleep while I was talking to Dari Sauti.
Well, we only got two or three hours of sleep last night at most, so that was no surprise. Then there was that whole commotion on top of things, so everyone was feeling exhausted.
Still... I guess we saw our task through, somehow...
Tomorrow, we would be open for business in the post town once again. And so today, after all this, I would have to make preparations.
If I didn’t let myself rest at least a little, I would never last. Thinking as such, I leaned up against Ai Fa too, and let my heavy eyelids close shut.
