Chapter 1: Back to Business
Chapter 1: Back to Business
1
Two days after the clan head conference, on the 12th day of the blue month, we managed to safely resume business in the post town.
“Long time no see, Milano Mas!” I heartily called out after circling around to the back of The Kimyuus’s Tail, only for the man to shoot me back his usual sour look.
“You certainly are loud for so early in the morning. And I sure wouldn’t call two days a ‘long time.’”
“Man, it feels a lot longer than that to me. Anyway, here’s to working with you again today.”
“Wouldn’t really call this ‘working together,’ either. Anyway, if you feel like working, then hurry up and take your carts already.”
“Right!” I replied as I stared straight back at Milano Mas’s annoyed face.
“What, you got some sort of problem with me?”
“Ah, no, of course not!”
The Suun clan may have been behind the death of Milano Mas’s friend, and they had fallen... But at least for now, there was no way I could reveal that to him. And even if I did, it couldn’t possibly clear away all his regrets. It wasn’t like the members of the Suun were judged for their crimes against the townsfolk, after all.
I really would like to clear that matter up, too... But seeing if the new leaders of the forest’s edge can form a proper relationship with the lord of Genos comes first.
As I walked along the stone path, I forced down the various emotions swirling around inside of me. Accompanying me was the usual group of Sheera, Vina, and Lala Ruu.
The wooden houses in a row, travelers and merchants walking the streets, huge totos birds pulling heavy loads... The stuffy heat coming from so many people being gathered together... Every last bit of it felt nostalgic to me. It really did feel longer than just two days.
“You look like you’re having fun, Asuta,” Lala Ruu teased as she helped push the cart. She looked like she was enjoying herself too, though, and both Sheera and Vina Ruu also seemed cheerful.
It was probably some sort of reaction to how serious things had been at the Suun settlement. Normally the post town would feel like enemy territory to the people of the forest’s edge, yet they weren’t showing that in the least. Their smiles alone were enough to seriously pick up my spirits.
And as we walked down the stone-paved path, a familiar voice suddenly called out, “Ah! Asuta!” It had come from the dark-brown haired, adorable, young Tara.
Her father Dora was also under his stall’s roof, smiling our way.
“Hey there, Asuta. I’m glad to see you looking well. Did you come by to buy something?”
“Ah, it’s been a while. I’ll take two tarapa, four tino, and 20 aria, please.”
“Got it. That’ll be eight red coins.”
It was a familiar, nostalgic exchange. Somehow, I felt like a powerful homesickness was melting away in my heart.
I guess doing business in town really does suit me well.
Of course, I was still a person of the forest’s edge, albeit a newcomer. For me, the most precious place in this world and the one I called home was the Fa house. Plus, even now a good portion of the townsfolk looked at the people of the forest’s edge with fear or scorn, not even trying to hide it.
Still, this post town had become like a second home, and the people I met here were incredibly important to me.
“Whoa, today’s looking pretty crazy too, huh?”
After getting today’s vegetables from Dora and continuing on, we found every bit as big of a crowd waiting at the northernmost reaches of the stalls as what we saw on our busiest day of business yet, which had been four days ago.
But as the days passed, things had started to look less and less complex. The number of customers from the south and east had certainly increased, but on the other hand, there were fewer onlookers from the west hanging around.
It had already been half a month since we started this business. And so, seeing lines like this was no longer a rarity, and fortunately the customers from the east and south had stopped fighting with one another. Thanks to all that, there was no real value left for onlookers. And by now, there was just one guard left overseeing things, who was currently standing off to the edge of the road looking bored.
“Thanks for waiting! We’ll be starting to prepare shortly, so hold on just a bit longer!”
As we approached, the customers cleared a path for us. And without anyone giving a signal, they then formed neat lines of five in front of each of the carts.
“So, you’re finally here! I was getting sick of waiting!”
The front of the line for the myamuu giba stall was filled by the usual construction group, including Pops and Aldas. Pops was even shorter than me, while Aldas was tall enough to match up with folks from the east. They both had stern-looking faces, but I personally felt rather calmed seeing the odd pair again.
“Thank you for coming to our shop again today. And I’m glad to find you both looking well.”
“Oh, we’re doing alright, but Pops here has been awful noisy these past two days. He just kept saying how he wanted to eat giba meat, and it was a real pain getting him to calm himself.”
“This kid’s at fault for closing his shop for two whole days! Hey, you better not take a single day more off in the blue month, alright?”
“Yes, I intend to try my best in that regard.”
As we were having that conversation, I hurriedly heated up my metal tray. It was a new tool in my arsenal that I had purchased six days ago, and it was made with iron from Jagar. Since I formed my new contract on the eighth day of the blue month, I had been using it to prepare myamuu giba.
I dropped in some fat, fried up sliced aria, added loin and rib meat that had been marinating, heated it all up again, then poured more marinade over top. When I did, the aroma of fruit wine and the garlic-esque myamuu burst forth, and in turn got the waiting customers all worked up.
“Hey, is it still not ready?! I’m so hungry I feel like my guts are twisting themselves into a knot!”
“Just a little bit longer.”
Rather than moving the cooked meat to a wooden plate, I instead moved it to the edge of the tray. This method wasn’t something I could do with a metal pot. By moving the meat to the edge and only hitting the center with the fire, I could keep it warm without burning anything.
Then I placed some shredded tino atop the crepe-like poitan, and finally added the piping-hot aria to complete the dish.
“Here you are. That will be two red coins.”
After Lala Ruu accepted his payment and handed him the myamuu giba, Aldas shot me a smile.
“Hey, you start doing business with the inn tomorrow, right?”
“Ah, yes. That’s the plan.”
“That means we’ll be able to enjoy your cooking both day and night. That certainly has the folks staying at the inn excited.”
Thanks to the praise my cooking had received from Aldas and other customers from the south, the owner of The Great Southern Tree, Naudis, made the bold decision to offer my cooking for dinner.
I kept my hands moving and preparing myamuu giba all the while, but I also gave Aldas a bow.
“I really am grateful to all of you. I never imagined my business spreading in that way.”
“Hey, it’s not like we went and did it for you. We just wanted to get to eat tasty dinners, too.”
“That’s right! So if you go and prepare something that’s anything less than delicious, you won’t be getting off lightly.”
His words were certainly tough, but Pops was positively beaming as he held the myamuu giba with both hands. I broke out in a smile of my own without thinking, bowed and said, “I’ll strive my hardest to live up to your expectations.”
For a while after that, our stalls were a battlefield. There wasn’t much difference in how many I could prepare at once with the metal pot and the tray, so I went double and prepared 15 in each of them at once, but that still wasn’t enough. And so, after one more round to take care of the extra, we finally made it through the intense morning rush.
We then went on rotation for taking a break and snacking, at which point the members of the Silver Vase appeared. It made for yet another familiar, nostalgic occurrence.
“Asuta, it has been, some time.”
“Ah, welcome. Thanks for your continued business,” I said as usual to Shumiral, the leader of the group. And as always, the youth from Sym with his long silver hair put down his leather hood and gave a single, expressionless bow.
Unfortunately, thanks to the rotation, it wasn’t currently Vina Ruu by my side, but rather Sheera Ruu. Shumiral bowed to her as well, and she politely returned the gesture.
“So is it myamuu giba for you today?”
“No. We had that, before your time off. Today, is giba burgers.”
Though his speaking style marked him clearly as a foreigner, his pronunciation itself was absolutely flawless. The people of the forest’s edge still stumbled on words like “giba burger,” but maybe that was down to the difference in how aware they were of other cultures.
“Asuta, how is, the kitchen knife?”
“Ah, I’ve gotten really accustomed to using it. How should I put it? I feel like it’s sturdier than the ones I used back in my old home. I’m certainly grateful that a rookie like me was able to get ahold of something like this.”
“Asuta, you are, a rookie?”
“I am. That goes for my cooking skills of course, but this is also my first time having my own shop, too,” I replied while preparing the myamuu giba for the five members of the group ordering from this stall.
With that, Shumiral’s eyes opened wide for just an instant.
“Asuta, you are very skilled, at cooking. I believe, your dishes, are very tasty.”
“Thank you. I really am grateful to hear you say that.”
“Once you are, a full-fledged chef, just what will you make then...? I look forward, to it, so much it is, frightening,” Shumiral added, his eyes narrowing a bit this time. People from the east didn’t let their expressions shift, so to me, that looked like an incredibly gentle smile.
Then, as one of his comrades went and purchased the giba burgers, Shumiral slowly glanced over the surroundings.
“Is she, not around, today?”
“‘She’?” I said with a slight tilt of my head, then got his meaning, “Ah! If you mean my clan head, she’s busy with other work today. She actually doesn’t normally help with work at the stalls.”
“Clan head...?”
“The leader of my house. She is the clan head, and I’m a member of her clan.”
“I see,” Shumiral said with a nod. “Was your clan head, happy with, the stone?”
“Ah, right... Um, I think so, more or less,” I replied, obviously a bit shaken, and Shumiral narrowed his eyes again, looking like he was enjoying himself.
“I am glad. If anything else, comes up, please consult, with me.”
“Right, thank you.”
With that, the members of the Silver Vase departed, and in their place another familiar customer approached with a smile.
“Hey, there. Looks like business is booming again today!”
She had dark-brown hair and ivory-white skin. Her slender body was covered with just a small top and long skirt, giving her a rather coquettish appearance overall... It was Yumi, the daughter of the inn known as The Westerly Wind.
“Hello there. It’s been some time. Are you alone today?”
“Yeah. I had all sorts of work to help out with all morning. I’m starving, so I slipped out for a bit,” she said with a grin, then she sniffed the aroma of the meat still heating on the corner of the tray. “It smells so good! You can’t get a scent like that just by adding myamuu and fruit wine. It smells way better than kimyuus manju. Giba meat must have a pretty nice aroma of its own, too.”
“Yes. And I believe giba meat and myamuu likely go quite well together.”
“That’s true. It’s not rare at all to find dishes that use myamuu, after all... You thought of how to flavor it and everything on your own, right? You really are amazing to figure out all that!”
“Ah, no. Honestly, I’m still nothing but a rookie as a chef.”
I heard that chefs only existed within the walls of the castle town, so that must have been why I was able to earn such a reputation with my level of skill. It of course still made me happy to hear, but I wasn’t going to let it go to my head.
“Hey, the sun still hasn’t hit its peak, but how many have you sold so far today?”
“Huh? Right, let’s see... I believe each of the stalls have sold between 40 and 50 meals by now.”
“50, in this little time?! That really is some pace... Oh, I’ll take three for today. No matter what it takes, I’m going to get my dad to give it a try.”
“Ah, your father?”
“He’s not worth being referred to so politely. He’s just a stubborn, hard-headed old man,” Yumi said while crossing her arms and pouting. “He says there’s no way giba meat tastes good, and that me and my mom’s tongues have just gone funky from eating it. But today, I’ll smash that hard head of his to smithereens, no matter what!”
“I-I see. Still, the older crowd of folks born in Genos sure do have a strong resistance to giba meat, don’t they?”
“That’s not it at all. My mom’s a pureborn child of Genos, but my dad moved here when he was older. And it’s only my grandparents’ generation that’s afraid of giba rather than the people of the forest’s edge... My dad just says he can’t stand them for whatever reason.”
Being swept aside for “whatever reason” had to be rough. And I felt like Yumi was an invaluable ally to the people of the forest’s edge, considering she was striving to overturn that despite also being a westerner.
“Your work with The Great Southern Tree starts tomorrow, right...?”
“Huh? Ah, yes.”
“If I recall correctly, that’s an inn regularly used by folks from the south, but a lot of people from the west stay there too. When your food gets served there, I’m sure more and more westerners will start eating giba meat,” Yumi said, presenting a rather positive view of things. However, she kept on frowning as she did so. “But if it becomes perfectly normal to eat giba meat, then inns without giba cooking may be seen as behind the times, right? That’s why I figure I’ve got to bust through my dad’s hard head soon.”
“That may be so... But still, it will probably be a good number of years before we could get to that point, don’t you think?”
“Whether it’s in a year or ten, it would still be bad. And actually, there’s a danger of The Great Southern Tree stealing our customers here and now, so we can’t just go and blow it off.”
She certainly seemed to have a drive when it came to doing business. Apparently, Yumi had her act together as a daughter a lot more than I had been thinking. Perhaps even putting aside the question of giba, The Westerly Wind had a bright future ahead once she got married and took over the place.
“Well then, see you again tomorrow!” Yumi called out, then she strode off resolutely holding the three myamuu giba.
“Alright, looks like it’s about time to prepare some fresh meat! I’m counting on you, Sheera Ruu.”
“Right,” she replied with a nod, a serious expression on her face.
Tomorrow, for the back half of the work day I would be leaving the stall to go prepare food at the inn, and I would be putting Sheera Ruu here in charge of the myamuu giba.
The nervousness was clearly showing on Sheera Ruu’s face. She must have been thinking that because she was being paid more than the others for the job, she wasn’t permitted to mess up. When it came to work, she took things super seriously. But that was precisely why I felt fine leaving the task up to her.
“Well then, I’m getting started,” Sheera Ruu said, throwing some aria onto the tray.
Once that was all nice and soft, she added the giba meat, then used a wooden spatula to move everything around so it heated properly. She was preparing enough for ten people, and from what I could tell by looking, she seemed to have the right amount of aria and meat. She also appeared to be paying careful attention to the color and toughness, and she moved them to the edge of the tray as soon as they were done.
As Sheera Ruu intently watched, I grabbed one of the chunks of meat. She had cooked it... superbly.
“Perfect!” I said with a grin, and she replied with an even greater smile.
“I feel so truly blessed. I give my thanks to the forest for the fact that I met you, Asuta.”
“That’s a bit much. I mean, you were already this skilled to begin with, after all.”
“That’s not true. After all, it’s thanks to you that I’m now able to find even more joy and meaning in manning the stove. If you had never come to the forest’s edge, I would have kept on living feeling ashamed at my own powerlessness,” Sheera Ruu said, looking like she was gazing off far into the distance. “And from here on out, I’ll surely be able to live on with more and more pride. And so, I’m also grateful to Ai Fa for bringing you to us. I bless the fact that you two met above all else.”
“Thank you,” I earnestly replied.
While some like Jiza Ruu wished me and Ai Fa had never met, there were also people out there who felt like Sheera Ruu, too. And since I could become either a powerful poison or medicine, it was important that I showed both sides how I chose to live my life.
With those feelings freshly renewed, I went to grab a knife to cut the tino, when I spied another familiar face. It was the capricious Kamyua Yoshu’s apprentice, Leito.
“Hello, there. I’ll take two, please.”
He was a small-framed young lad with flaxen hair, and as always he had a smile on his face. As I looked back into his light-brown eyes, I replied, “Hello. Thanks for your continued business. Is Kamyua busy today too?”
“Yes. He got back in the morning, and it seems he plans to sleep till the sun hits its peak. His big job is drawing near, so he’s busy with all sorts of preparations.”
Was he really that busy getting ready to guard that merchant caravan? Well, there would be no point to asking that question, and besides, I had work to do.
“Sorry about this, but in that case, could you pass along a message to him? I’d like him to make a bit of time after I finish with the stalls.”
“Oh, my. How rare, for you to have business with Kamyua,” Leito replied with his usual innocent smile, his eyes going wide. “I’m sure he’ll be delighted. I’ll make sure to let him know as soon as he wakes up. He should be staying around The Kimyuus’s Tail, too.”
“Got it. Thanks.”
With that, the youth disappeared into the crowd, which had really started picking up. Once he was completely out of sight, Sheera Ruu shot me a worried look and said, “Asuta, make sure you stay on your guard, alright?”
“Right. He’s insisted he respects the people of the forest’s edge, though, so it shouldn’t be dangerous... probably.”
“That ‘probably’ is worrying. As things stand, the forest’s edge can’t afford to lose you, Asuta. And besides, think of how upset Ai Fa would be if anything would happen to you. Please don’t forget that, no matter what.”
“It’s alright. I’m just going to go talk to him.”
Nothing about that was dangerous... at least for now. However, I had no idea how things would play out in the near future.
Now that the Suun clan had been overthrown, just how would relations with the Genos castle shift? And just how would that change affect us, since we have been doing business in the post town? Any guesses I could make felt like nothing but fumbling in the dark.
Still, if anything happened to me now, it would definitely set things back here in the post town. With just a bit more time, I may be able to impart the know-how needed to do business on their own to the people of the forest’s edge. At the very least, I couldn’t afford to die or disappear till then.
My life doesn’t belong just to me alone anymore.
I needed to be more careful and cautious than ever before, just like I had discussed with Ai Fa last night.
Even though the Suun clan had fallen, it wasn’t as if everything had been resolved. We still needed to make sure we formed a proper relationship with the castle, as that was also an important step in atoning for the sins of the leading clan.
“Well then, the sun will hit its peak soon. Let’s give it our all in the back half, too,” I called out to Sheera Ruu, who still looked a bit worried. Then, I turned with a smile and greeted, “Welcome!” to a new customer.
2
Ultimately, we wrapped up business for the day around two hours after the sun hit its peak.
We had prepared 200 meals the last time we came back from a break too, but back then we used up all of our normal business hours before selling out. This time, we were out around an hour and a half quicker. That must have been because we took two whole days off in a row this time.
Regardless, it certainly made for a nice way to reopen for business. And so, I felt nice and satisfied as I headed on over towards The Kimyuus’s Tail.
“Good work today, Asuta. Kamyua is waiting for you in the back,” Leito greeted as I passed through the door to the inn after returning the stalls.
After saying hello to Milano Mas at the reception desk, Vina Ruu and I headed inside. I had asked Lala and Sheera Ruu to take care of the shopping for tomorrow, so that just left the two of us.
“Hey there, Asuta. Long time no see. Glad to find you looking well.”
As always, Kamyua Yoshu was waiting for us at a table for six in the back of the restaurant. However, there were two other people there with him, which left me rather troubled. Their backs were to me so I couldn’t tell what sort of folks they were, but regardless, what I had come to talk about couldn’t really be discussed in front of strangers.
“Same here. And thank you for your purchase earlier. Um... are these people your acquaintances, Kamyua?”
“Yeah, we were just making a few arrangements for the job. I figured you would be coming a bit later, after all,” Kamyua Yoshu replied with his usual complacent smile.
Well, there was in fact more than an hour left till our usual closing time, so Kamyua Yoshu wasn’t really at fault here. And I certainly didn’t miss the fact that he mentioned his job.
“Um, could you mean the guard work you’ve been talking about?”
“Yeah, that’s right. The big job where we’re passing through the settlement at the forest’s edge to the eastern highway. Well, it’s not like it has nothing to do with you, so I guess I should go ahead and introduce you.”
Hearing that, the other two men turned around, and I instantly gulped. That was just how shocking one of the two appeared. Though with that said, I couldn’t see his face at all, as he had even more bandage-like cloth wrapped around his face than Darmu Ruu once did.
“The one closer to you two is Haan of Dabagg, and he’s also in the bodyguard business. The guy further in Zasshuma, the leader of the merchant caravan heading for Sym. Ah, and this is Asuta of the forest’s edge, as well as one of the daughters of the powerful Ruu clan.”
The bandaged man was Haan of Dabagg. I had never heard of it before, but I assumed that Dabagg was the name of a place. He really had a strange air about him, and not just because his face was hidden behind bandages. No, it was the sharpness and coldness in his snake-like eyes that had me so on guard.
I had once compared Yamiru’s eyes to those of a snake, but his certainly didn’t have the same venom in them. They just looked frozen, as if they utterly lacked the warmth and emotion you would expect from a human being. Yes, his pale grey eyes had a merciless shine to them, like a guillotine’s blade.
He seemed pretty tall and well built, wearing the same sort of long leather cloak as Kamyua Yoshu, though he also had a hood up like folks from the east wore. From what I could see under the cloak, his outfit looked incredibly normal, but there was no way he was any ordinary man.
“Oh? You’re the owner of those stalls that sell giba dishes, aren’t you? I’ve only seen you from afar up till now, but you’re rather young, aren’t you?!” the other man, Zasshuma, chimed in.
He seemed plenty shady, too. Kamyua Yoshu had introduced him as being in charge of the merchant caravan, but he looked more like the boss of a band of thieves to me.
He had rather sunburnt olive skin, his hair and beard were both dark brown, and his eyes were a bright tawny color. His height was average, and he also looked to have a pretty darn sturdy physique. As for his attire, he wore a sandy-colored turban on his head, a sleeveless vest, and cylindrical-legged pants. Plus, he had a number of jingling accessories around his neck and arms, so he gave the impression of being rather well off.
“Sorry, but can we end it here for today? There shouldn’t be any problems with the arrangements we’ve made up till now, right?” Kamyua Yoshu asked, at which Zasshuma replied, “Right,” with a nod and slowly rose to his feet.
“Well, with Kamyua Yoshu the Northern Whirlwind and the Twin Fangs, Haan of Dabagg, on our side, we don’t have to fear any possible threats! And we’ve got all the annoying talking out of the way now, so make sure to get plenty of rest before the day we head out.”
With that urging from Zasshuma, the bandaged Haan also stood to his feet. As he did so he grabbed two blades leaning up against one of the log chairs, then hung both of them at his waist. Was that why he had that grandiose nickname of “the Twin Fangs”?
“Still, you sure are a pretty one! I know there are a lot of beauties among the young women of the forest’s edge, but you’re far beyond any I’ve seen up till now!” Zasshuma suddenly stated, leaning his face towards Vina Ruu. “How about coming back to my inn with me till tomorrow morning? Considering your looks, I could pay you ten white coins for that.”
“Do you really think you can buy a woman of the forest’s edge with money...?” Vina Ruu replied while glaring at the man with her incredibly seductive eyes.
Zasshuma didn’t seem to feel any shame in the least and just shot her back a big grin.
“As long as they agree to it, I’ll buy as many as I please. And if it’s a proper exchange for goods, then the hunters of the forest’s edge would have no reason to send my head flying over that, right?”
“Unfortunately for you, not a single woman at the forest’s edge would sell her body for coins...”
“I see. That is unfortunate! Well then, Northern Whirlwind, go ahead and contact me if anything else comes up!”
“Yeah, yeah, I got it.”
With that, the disquieting pair exited The Kimyuus’s Tail.
Kamyua Yoshu shrugged his shoulders, then gestured towards the open seats.
“Man, sorry about all that. He’s actually not as much of a scoundrel as he looks, but he’s just way too driven by his desires. He doesn’t have the guts to do anything untoward to a person of the forest’s edge, though, so feel free to just laugh him off.”
“Right...” I replied, feeling rather dissatisfied with that statement as I sat down where Zasshuma had been seated.
However, rather than sitting, Vina Ruu stood behind me. That was because the people of the forest’s edge had no custom of using chairs.
“Now then, what did you want to discuss? I couldn’t help but feel elated when I heard you were coming to meet me,” Kamyua Yoshu stated, his elbows on the table as he excitedly leaned forwards.
I stared straight back at his long, aloof face, then replied, “I’m afraid it’s nothing to feel elated about. Today, I’m here as a representative for the three new leaders of the forest’s edge, who have taken the place of the Suun. Will you listen to my message from the Ruu clan head Donda Ruu, Sauti clan head Dari Sauti, and Zaza clan head Gulaf Zaza, Kamyua Yoshu?”
“Well, I can’t exactly turn you down after hearing that introduction...” Kamyua Yoshu said with a cheerful grin, then he took a sip of the zozo tea that was sitting on the table. “So, the Suun clan was finally stripped of its status? That certainly does make for a serious situation.”
“Um, I’d just like to confirm up front, did you really not know of that?”
“Why would I? I’m not a person of the forest’s edge, so I’d have no way of getting ahold of that information.”
“But you spied on the wedding banquet without anyone noticing, didn’t you? So I figured it was also possible you did the same thing with the clan head conference of two days ago.”
“Hmm, I see. I’ll be honest with you, here. I was aware that the clan head conference occurs once a year, and that it was being held on the tenth of the blue month. But since it was such a tense event rather than a party where everyone was getting drunk, I had no confidence I could stay hidden all the way to the end, so I didn’t dare consider getting anywhere near it... I would never underestimate the people of the forest’s edge that greatly, Asuta,” Kamyua Yoshu stated, his expression still every bit as detached as always.
“I see,” I replied with a nod. “Well then, let me continue on. It was decided that the Suun clan was unfit to lead the forest’s edge, and they were stripped of that right. Now in their place, the Ruu, Sauti, and Zaza clans govern. There’s still a chance the Zaza will yield that right to another of their related clans, but for now, those three lead the forest’s edge, so please understand that fact.”
“Yup, got it. As I said before, I’ve had serious doubts about the behavior of the Suun clan, so hearing that the people of the forest’s edge have taken decisive action against them makes me want to stand up and applaud.”
“I’m grateful to hear that... So, the new leaders of the forest’s edge will have to discuss things with the lord of Genos, but before that, we have to quickly deal with the matter of your job three days from now.”
“Yup, yup. We had arranged to have the Suun clan lead us through the settlement at the forest’s edge, after all. So what will happen with that?”
“Yes, well, to begin with, I’d like to confirm whether or not it would be possible to cancel it at this point.”
“That’d be tough,” Kamyua Yoshu replied, spreading his arms out in an exaggerated manner. “This is a large-scale plan involving both the Western Kingdom of Selva and the Eastern Kingdom of Sym. The lord of Genos himself is paying close attention to how it goes, so it’s not exactly something we can just stop at this point.”
I couldn’t help but mentally sigh at how ambitious that scale was, but it ultimately wasn’t all that complex. The thrust of it was that currently to come and go between Selva and Sym, the only option was to take a big detour around Mount Morga on the highway. But by passing through the settlement at the forest’s edge, it would be possible to greatly cut down on the distance.
“And let me add that there’s a barren desert stretching to the south of Morga, while the north is packed with bandits who attack travelers. Either of those makes for a harsh journey, and as such, this is a matter of critical importance to both nations.”
“Right...”
“If this experiment succeeds, it could well lead to the establishment of a new route. But as I said, last time anyone tried this it was a huge failure. All 30 members of the large merchant caravan made it safely through the settlement at the forest’s edge, but as they were passing through the forest towards the highway they were attacked by giba and all lost their lives.”
Had I heard that before? I felt like I had, but I didn’t remember the details. It must have been a good while ago.
“Back then the people of the forest’s edge weren’t friendly enough to offer to guide them, and the merchants certainly weren’t properly prepared. And so this plan has been carefully constructed while reflecting on what went wrong last time. Those preparations took two whole months, so we can’t exactly go changing things now.”
“Understood...” I replied with a sigh. “In that case, I suppose there’s no helping it. And the leaders of the forest’s edge did say they didn’t especially wish to change the agreement, too. However, they also wanted to consider the option if there wouldn’t be any significant obstacles.”
“I see. I’m glad to hear that,” Kamyua Yoshu responded with a smile, then took another sip of his zozo tea. “To be honest, the fact that the Suun clan was set to guide us had me more than a little concerned. So I’d actually feel real grateful to have another clan take up the task in their place.”
“Yes, about that... Your plan is to enter the forest from the south of the settlement, then push through to the highway, right? I heard that from Donda Ruu after he got it out of someone from the Suun clan.”
“Yeah. That’s because if we went north we’d pop out in the middle of the bandits’ territory. But by going from the south, it should be possible to make it to the highway while skipping past the desert region. I was personally thinking it would be a good route, too.”
“I see... To be honest, it’s possible that the Suun clan was planning to just halfheartedly suggest a route rather than putting in any effort. The ones living at the south of the forest’s edge are the Sauti and the clans under them, while the Suun live to the north and wouldn’t actually know the area.”
“Aah. So the Suun clan didn’t tell anything to those Sauti fellows, all so they could keep the reward money to themselves, huh? It’s sounding more and more like we got real lucky the Suun fell when they did,” Kamyua Yoshu stated, rubbing his stubbly chin. “By the way, are things stable at the forest’s edge? Even if the Suun clan’s crimes were made public, I can’t imagine them being the sort to just obediently accept their fate.”
“There aren’t any issues on that front. The new leaders of the forest’s edge have taken responsibility for keeping them in line.”
The men of the main Suun house were set to be sent north this afternoon. Zuuro Suun would be placed with the Zaza clan, Zattsu Suun would go to the Jeen, while Diga, Doddo, and Tei would join the Dom.
There shouldn’t have been any need to transport the previous clan head, Zattsu Suun, as he was so ill he couldn’t even stand on his own. However, the members of the Suun branch houses feared him even more than they did Zuuro Suun, so he was to be placed on a sliding door and forcefully carried there.
“If he dies on the way, then so be it,” Donda Ruu had mercilessly stated. Unlike Diga and the rest, Zuuro and Zattsu Suun retained their clan names as they awaited their day of judgment.
The reason they weren’t being punished immediately was to allow time to look into their other crimes, especially the detail of whether or not they harmed any townsfolk. But they most certainly weren’t being forgiven. It was already a given that they would need to pay for the crime of pillaging the bounty of the forest with their lives.
The thought of it all cast a gloom over me, but Kamyua Yoshu just said, “I see, got it,” with a relaxed smile. “In that case, I’ll need to make fresh arrangements with the Sauti, right? I’d like to take care of that tomorrow if at all possible.”
“Of course. If you could designate a time and place, I could pass that along.”
“Hmm... How about in front of your stall, when the sun hits its peak tomorrow? That way you can vouch for my identity, and the folks from the Sauti would feel more at ease too, right? Then we can move here to The Kimyuus’s Tail afterwards to work out the details.” Then he swept back his blond bangs and added, “By the way, when were you guys planning on discussing all of this with Duke Marstein Genos? I’m certainly grateful that you’re giving my work such priority, but shouldn’t that come first?”
“Ah, yes, that’s up to the leading clans, but I believe they’re planning to head to the castle first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Gotcha... Of course, you already know how the Suun clan had their exchanges with the Genos castle, don’t you? You won’t mistakenly walk up to the main gate, will you?”
I only just happened to overhear this, but apparently even the Suun clan weren’t permitted to enter the castle town. Instead they stated their business to the guards at the rear gate, and that was then conveyed inside the stone walls.
“So ultimately, the Suun clan never met the lord face to face, either. That sure sounds fitting to how the folks behind those stone walls do things,” Ludo Ruu had groused at dinner last night.
“And it may not be necessary, but there’s one more thing I wanted to warn you about... The man the lord appointed to negotiate with the people of the forest’s edge is named Cyclaeus. He doesn’t have so much as a mote of respect for hunters, so everyone should try to mind their tempers around him, alright?”
“Understood. I’ll let them know.”
For natural-born hunters like Donda Ruu and Gulaf Zaza, this could prove to be a far harsher trial than even dealing with the Suun clan. Officially, the lord of Genos also ruled over the people of the forest’s edge, so they wouldn’t be permitted to defy his proxy, Cyclaeus, either.
“So, does that about cover it for today? I’ll admit I’m real curious just what the Suun clan did that led to their downfall, but I get that someone from about town like me doesn’t exactly have the right to pry. And so, I’ll just try to sneakily get it out of the duke instead.”
“I don’t think ‘someone from about town’ could approach the lord of the land like that, though...”
“I’m telling you, that all just sort of happened. I mean, you can never predict how bonds will form between folks... Though to be fair, me and Cyclaeus are probably the only two people in this whole world with direct ties to both Duke Marstein Genos and the people of the forest’s edge,” Kamyua Yoshu said, breaking out in a grin like a Cheshire cat. Somehow, I got the impression that he was hinting we should ask him for help if things happened to go sour with Cyclaeus.
“Kamyua... Could I ask you one more question?”
“Yeah, what is it? And you don’t have to limit yourself to just one. Ask as many as you please.”
“I’ve now finished my role as a messenger. From here on, I’m talking to you on a personal level, as Asuta of the Fa clan. We may not be close enough to call each other friends yet, but there’s still one thing I’d like you to confirm for me.”
“I think of you as a fine friend, though. But what is it...?”
“Did you give Ai Fa your help on the night before last?”
“Hmm?” Kamyua Yoshu questioned, raising one of his eyebrows. “That would have been the night of the clan head meeting, right? Like I said before, I didn’t go anywhere near the forest’s edge on that day.”
“Is that so? I get that it may well have been impossible to peer in on the meeting itself with all the clan heads gathered there, but I would think you could manage to hide yourself out in the dark.”
In actuality, Ludo and Shin Ruu, and even Tsuvai had been watching us that night, so it surely wouldn’t have been hard for someone as elusive as Kamyua Yoshu to do so. However, he just shook his head, still wearing the same expression on his face.
“Like I’ve told you before, I want to build a friendly relationship with the people of the forest’s edge. That Donda Ruu fellow warned me that if I wasn’t careful with my actions he would send my head flying, and at the time you told me you didn’t need my help, too. And considering I wouldn’t stand to gain anything by going where the clan head meeting was being held, I went ahead and held back my overwhelming curiosity and just slept here at the inn.”
“I see... Sorry for asking you the same question over and over.”
“Hmm... I’ll admit it makes me sad to think you see me as such a huge liar, but what were you asking for, anyway? Was Ai Fa in danger, somehow?”
“Yes. And so if you were the one who saved her, I wanted to make sure I thanked you properly. I figured it wasn’t very likely, though.”
So in that case, was it really Tei Suun... er, Tei, who had Ai Fa drink that fruit wine so she would wake up? That pitiable man who gave his own daughter to be the clan head Zuuro Suun’s wife, then on top of that got used like a servant by the members of the main house?
“I see,” Kamyua Yoshu muttered. At the same time, his purple eyes narrowed a bit and took on a strange, knowing shine. “Unfortunately, I’m not the one you’re looking for. I’ve got no clue who it may be, but I hope you get the chance to thank them directly.”
“Right, got it...” His gaze somehow reminded me of Jiba Ruu’s and made me feel uneasy, so I decided to make a hasty retreat. “Well then, we’ll be excusing ourselves now. I’ll see you again tomorrow, when the sun hits its peak.”
“Yup. I’ll be secretly raising a toast tonight for the people of the forest’s edge and the new life they’re starting. And make sure you give my regards to Ai Fa too, alright?”
3
We finally made it back to the Fa house midway between when the sun hit its peak and when it set. I felt like I spent a good deal of time talking to Kamyua Yoshu, and yet we ultimately made it back an hour early.
“It’s been a while since I last came to the Fa house...” Vina Ruu stated as she placed the bag of vegetables she had been carrying down by the door. I put my luggage down too, then was about to thank her and say goodbye, only for her to question, “Oh...? Hey, isn’t it a little noisy around the back of the house...?”
“Ah, right. From today on, we’ll be showing the men who live nearby how to bloodlet and dissect a giba properly.”
It was still important for us to check it out, though, so Vina Ruu and I circled around back. And sure enough, Ai Fa and six men were waiting there. There was also a giba, around 80 kilos or so, dangling from the big tree next to the stove.
“Ah, you’re back already, Asuta?”
“Yeah, we just got here... You sure were able to catch a giba quickly.”
“Yes, the Fou and Ran men hunted it down. We won’t know if they were successful in bloodletting it or not till we taste it, though.”
Ai Fa’s left arm still hadn’t fully healed, so she wasn’t able to carry out her work as a hunter. However, the day before yesterday we had promised to teach the nearby clans how to properly prepare a giba.
The Fou and Ran clans, huh? If I recall correctly, the Ran fall under the Fou... I thought to myself only for the smallest of the six men to suddenly turn my way. He wasn’t just little, but also pretty darn slender, and seemed a bit on the older side. His blackish hair was rough and disheveled, and his black eyes looked somewhat gloomy. There were deep wrinkles to his dark skin, and his cheeks were heavily sunken with age.
“Asuta of the Fa clan, you’re here rather early. Is it already time for you to start preparing dinner?”
“No, I’ve got to prepare the meals to sell tomorrow before I can get to that.”
“I see. Still, it will be good experience for the women to watch you work, won’t it?”
Despite his overall gloomy appearance, it seemed he actually had a pretty active personality. Fortunately, I got along just fine with folks like that.
However, there was one thing that bugged me just a bit: The slender man had just two tusks and horns dangling in front of his chest. It was rare for anyone from such small families to match the number Ai Fa wore, but just having two was certainly unusual. Even women generally wore three to ward off any disasters that may befall them.
At any rate, as those thoughts ran through my head I replied with a big nod, “That’s true. I have to prepare a whole lot of food for work, so they may be able to gain plenty just by watching.”
Then, the man turned towards Ai Fa.
“Clan head of the Fa, do you mind if I call for the women from my house before learning how to dissect? Despite appearances, I tend to move quite quickly. And so, I promise you that it won’t take long.”
“I don’t mind. In that case, we’ll skin the pelt before removing the innards.”
“I’m very grateful,” the small man said, then took off running. He wasn’t quite as quick as Dan Rutim, but he was indeed rather fast.
“What a restless man... Was he always that way?” the Fou clan head asked. He was also rather thin, but he was tall, too.
“That man wasn’t a member of the Fou?” I asked, only to get back, “No, he’s the clan head of the Sudra.”
With that, I finally remembered. The Sudra was one of the clans that approved of the business the Fa clan was undertaking, alongside the Fou, Gaaz, and Ratsu. I hadn’t been able to make out his face in the darkness of the ritual hall, but now that it came up I did recall spying someone that small.
“Still, how to prepare dinner, is it? You would go so far as to teach that, Asuta of the Fa clan?”
“Yes. But I have my work, so I can’t properly teach them by working them through the process. Still, just learning how to bake poitan should make quite a difference, wouldn’t you say?”
The Fou clan head’s expression shifted when he heard that.
“Poitan...? But it must take quite a bit of time to make poitan take that shape...”
“Well, compared to just boiling it in a pot it does, but if you used it as you have up till now it would wreck the dish no matter how successful you may be at getting rid of the stench of the meat.” Myamuu giba and hamburgers were dishes that took practice to make. But if they could just start by learning how to prepare baked poitan, then they could use that alongside the bloodlet giba meat to make a delicious dinner. “Preparing it doesn’t use the stove that much, so as long as you have the poitan and a pot, you could even do it here. It takes some time, but it really isn’t all that difficult.”
“The Fou clan wishes to learn how to prepare giba meat in order to change its taste and live more prosperously. That’s just to sell it for coins, though, not to use for our own dinner,” the Fou clan head replied, his eyebrows drooping as he did so. “However... If it’s not too much of a burden on you, could you teach the Fou and Ran women as well?”
“Of course. If I explain it to everyone at once, it wouldn’t be any trouble at all.”
“Hey,” the clan head signaled to one of the men, who went off running.
As he left, Ai Fa tilted her head and asked, “Are you about ready to get started? My left arm is still not fully healed, so I would like to leave skinning the pelt up to you.”
“Of course. My apologies. We’ll get right to it,” the Fou clan head answered, then he and the other men drew their knives and gathered around the giba.
It really made for a moving sight, seeing various clan members gathered here at the Fa house and working together. They weren’t related to the Fa clan in the least, but there were only 500 people of the forest’s edge in total, so I really did feel it was best for them to join their strength together as much as possible.
Dan Rutim and Mia Lea Ruu had called me and Ai Fa friends. And Gazraan Rutim had stated that the people of the forest’s edge needed to reconstruct their bonds. If we could form bonds with the Fou, Ran, and Sudra like this and someday come to call each other friends, too, that would be fantastic. Despite the uncomfortable look on Ai Fa’s face, that was how I truly felt.
“I’m so glad the Suun clan fell...” Vina Ruu suddenly muttered, catching me off guard.
“Ah, you still haven’t left yet, have you? Good work today, Vina Ruu.”
“Hey, that’s kind of mean...” Vina Ruu said, hanging her head a bit and shooting me a reproachful glare.
“S-Sorry. I was a bit lost in my thoughts there... Anyway, Ai Fa, I’m going to go handle preparations in the house. When the Fou and Sudra women arrive, could you let them in?”
“Right.”
I shot one last backwards glance at the giba as its white, naked flesh was steadily being exposed, then headed to the house alongside Vina Ruu.
“Let me just say once more, good work today. I’ll be counting on you again tomorrow.”
“Why are you trying to drive me away like that...? You’re just awful, Asuta...”
“Eh? B-But you have work to do too, right?”
We wrapped up our business for today an hour early, so I had figured Vina Ruu would use that time to gather firewood. However, she was instead standing here fiddling with her chestnut-colored hair with both hands and seductively wriggling her body.
“I don’t want to go back home... That youngest son of the Suun is waiting there...”
“Mida isn’t the youngest, or even part of the Suun clan anymore. You may technically understand that, but I still think it would be a good idea to really keep it in mind...”
“I know that. I really do... But I just can’t make myself feel that way...”
Vina Ruu was completely overcome with dread. Despite appearances, she was quite tough inside and really had her act together, but she seriously looked to be at a loss. But since the one who decided Mida would be welcomed by the Ruu was her clan head, Donda Ruu, there was no hope of escape. But as I racked my brain on what to do about the matter, an unexpected group appeared from down the path.
“Long time no see, Asuta. So you’re back from the post town already?”
Standing at the head of the group was Gazraan Rutim. I couldn’t help but smile back at him when I saw that familiar, dependable face.
“Yeah, it’s been a while. I really wasn’t expecting to meet you here.”
I had been told someone would be sent to hear how my conversation with Kamyua Yoshu went, but I never figured it would be Gazraan Rutim.
I couldn’t exactly ignore the people standing behind him, either. After all, they were the Lea clan head Rau Lea and Yamiru.
“I had intended to wait for you at the Fa house, so I was surprised to find you back so early, myself. Did you manage to meet with Kamyua Yoshu?”
“Yes,” I replied to Gazraan Rutim while also paying attention to Yamiru, who kept looking downwards instead of my way. “It seems there really is no choice but to go forward with the job. And so, he wants to discuss arrangements tomorrow if the Sauti clan is up for guiding them.”
I then went ahead and explained everything Kamyua Yoshu had said as accurately as I could manage.
After listening to all that, Gazraan Rutim replied, “I see,” with a nod of his head. “In that case, we should head to the castle in the morning, then after that meet with this Kamyua Yoshu fellow. That’s more or less what I had expected... I’ll be accompanying the three leaders of our people to that discussion, too.”
“Really? That’s seriously relieving to hear!” I earnestly stated.
However, Gazraan Rutim shook his head and replied, “That’s an overstatement. I’m still honored to hear you say it, but I’m nothing but a simple boorish man of the forest’s edge. I’m full of concerns about how to talk properly with people from the city of stone.”
Still, if it was just folks like Donda Ruu and Gulaf Zaza there, I’d be super concerned it really could end up as a bloodbath.
Plus, with this, Kamyua Yoshu and Gazraan Rutim would finally be meeting for the first time. Just how would that aloof guy appear to such a wise and earnest man of the forest’s edge? I could feel my heart beating faster just thinking about it.
“If I may ask, was it decided that you of the Lea clan should be selected to take in Yamiru?” I asked.
“Yeah,” the young Lea clan head responded with a firm nod. “However, that’s ultimately up to you... And be more careful with your words, Asuta.”
Ah, right. He forbid me from talking politely to him, didn’t he?
The first part of what he said was what caught my attention, though.
“Up to me? You’re not saying Yamiru should join the Fa clan, are you?”
“No, the opposite. The Lea settlement’s closer to the Fa house than the Suun. And so the other clan heads all rattled on about if it was alright or not to let someone who came after you guys once to live so close.”
I didn’t know where the Lea settlement was, but I had heard the clan’s women were learning how to cook from Ama Min Rutim, so it had to be close to where the Rutim clan lived. And so, even if it was “close,” it would still be over an hour away.
Plus, it was hard to imagine Yamiru trying to do us harm again now that the main Suun house had fallen.
“I don’t mind at all. Plus, I don’t see this woman as being all that dangerous.”
Yamiru finally looked up, appearing a bit taken aback. Her blackish eyes were now staring intently at my face.
“I see... That’s just like Gazraan Rutim predicted,” Rau Lea said while ruffling his long blond hair and turning towards Yamiru. “In that case, the Lea will take charge of this wicked woman after all. So hey, if you do anything you shouldn’t, I’ll send your head flying on the spot, alright? I’m not the sort that’s soft on women.”
“H-Hold on... What’s going on here, Gazraan Rutim?” I asked.
In response Gazraan Rutim bowed his head and told me, “My apologies. The truth of the matter is, if you hadn’t given your permission for Yamiru to be taken in by the Lea, she would have had to go to the Zaza or Sauti... But rather than as a member of their clan, it would have been as a prisoner.”
“A prisoner?”
“Yes. It was agreed that Yamiru should be sent either to the far off north or south to keep her far from the Fa house, but neither the Zaza nor the Sauti wanted anything to do with her, and said if they were forced to take her they would have to bind her limbs and treat her as a prisoner.”
“What?! But that’s completely against the spirit of what Donda Ruu proposed, isn’t it?”
“They also said that if she acted obediently then they would grant her more freedom bit by bit... It was also proposed that the Ruu or Rutim could take her in, but many said she shouldn’t be in the same settlement as Mida or Oura...”
“And so the Lea were chosen, since we’re the next strongest after those two,” Rau Lea chimed in, his androgynous face breaking out in a daring grin. “I didn’t mind in the least, but the folks from the north and south got real noisy about it. And so we ended up leaving the decision up to you, since you’re the one who was actually harmed in all this. When we were walking here Gazraan Rutim said you’d definitely be fine with it, and that turned out to be just what happened.”
“But deciding someone’s fate on a single statement from me is a bit...”
“It’s fine, isn’t it? After all, a single thought from this wicked woman almost twisted your fate, right?” Rau Lea said, then he shot Yamiru a piercing glare. “Hey, you, let me ask you one last time... Do you swear to live according to the laws of the forest’s edge? Can you live properly, treating not just the Fa and Lea, but all of our people, as your comrades?”
Yamiru cast her gaze down for a moment, and then she looked my way. The smell of blood still drifted off of her, and so I just couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
“Asuta... I tried to destroy the Fa clan. The ones who actually acted were Diga and Doddo, but I gave them the melemele leaves and told them what they should do. If you feel a hatred for my brothers, then it should also be pointed my way, shouldn’t it?”
“I... wouldn’t call it ‘hatred.’ I honestly did feel that way back then, but in the end Ai Fa and I came out of it just fine, so if you swear to never do such a thing again, then I’ll have no reason to hold a grudge against you anymore.”
Yamiru’s dark pupils wavered, as if she was holding back some powerful emotion.
Her face remained as expressionless as always, but she no longer had the air of a poisonous snake about her in the least. Apparently, she only really looked that way when she was grinning.
“Hey, you’ve had enough time to think it over, right? If you don’t intend on following our laws, then say so clearly here and now. My blade will go ahead and lay you to rest,” Rau Lea stated, sounding rather impatient.
However, Yamiru’s eyes remained fixed on me as she said, “I will obey what you all have said... though I don’t believe I’m worthy of being saved.”
“Hmph. I see you’ve still got as harsh of a tongue as always.” Then, Rau Lea grabbed Yamiru’s slender jaw and forcefully turned her beautiful face his way. “Well then, from today on you’re Yamiru Lea. If you commit any crimes, as your clan head I’ll cut you down. Take that to heart and live an earnest life.”
“You’re granting her your clan name already, Rau Lea?” Gazraan Rutim said, sounding shocked.
Rau Lea just snorted, “Hmph,” and pushed Yamiru’s face away. “Being so particular is a pain and I hate it. The punishment’s going to be the same either way if she commits a crime, so I can’t see any difference in if I give her the clan name or not. And I’d feel awkward having someone as a member of my clan without it.”
Did that wild nature of his come from his youth? Still, what Yamiru needed now was probably someone like this to give her a forceful push on the back or drag her along. And so, I earnestly said, “You have my thanks, Rau Lea.”
With that, an incredibly swift blow hit me square in the middle of my forehead. Considering it had the strength of a hunter of the forest’s edge behind it, I seemed to lose consciousness for a moment, as before I realized it I found myself collapsed on my back.
“I told you I’d hit you if you talked all polite, right? I’m not the sort of guy who can just ignore such rudeness twice in one day.”
“Stop that, Rau Lea. What will you do if the Fa clan head sees...? Are you alright, Asuta?” Gazraan Rutim asked as he pulled me up. All the while, my field of view was swaying.
“Oww. I’m alright, I think... Hey! Even if you were gonna hit me, you could’ve at least held back, right? That felt like my skull was gonna shatter!”
“Yeah, that’s it. Just talk normal like that,” Rau Lea said, turning away and sticking out his tongue.
I had at first thought he was a bit more mature than Ludo Ruu, but I had to revise that. This guy was definitely more childish.
“Hey, why is it that Gazraan Rutim’s allowed to act all politely even though he’s clearly older, but I have to go through all this trouble? It should be okay for me to be at least a bit polite with you since you’re a clan head, right?”
“Gazraan Rutim’s the sort to talk like that even with a ten-year-old kid. He’s an oddball that can’t even act familiar with the girl he loves.”
“Please stop that. Even I can feel embarrassed, Rau Lea,” Gazraan Rutim stated with a frown, looking unusually troubled.
Suddenly, a “Pfft,” sounded out from somewhere.
When the three of us turned to look, we found Yamiru looking at the ground. It was impossible to tell what sort of expression she wore, as she was covering her mouth with her right hand.
“Geez, you sure are a fearless—” Rau Lea started to say, only to swiftly turn around. Gazraan Rutim did the same almost simultaneously.
There was a group of people of the forest’s edge gathered together roughly five meters away. Two of them were men, while there were four women carrying pots... The men were the Sudra clan head and the member of the Fou who ran to go get the women. And when I noticed they both had grabbed hold of the blades at their hips, I gulped.
“You’re the clan head of the Lea, aren’t you? So the Lea are to be the next enemies of the Fa after the Suun clan?” the Sudra clan head questioned in a gloomy tone.
I had no idea what he meant, but Rau Lea said, “Ah...” and slumped his shoulders. “You mean how I hit Asuta? Don’t go misunderstanding, you fools. That was just me doling out a fitting punishment, since Asuta went and broke an agreement we had. That’s not enough to even budge the bond between the Fa and the clans under the Ruu.” Then, Rau Lea suddenly put his right arm around my neck. “As you can see, Asuta knows that he was at fault, and he’s got no problem with me either. If you get all that, then stop glaring already.”
The men of the Sudra and Fou then shot a probing glance my way.
I didn’t have any recollection whatsoever of admitting fault, but I had no choice but to relent.
“Yes. Our relationship with the clans under the Ruu hasn’t shifted, so you don’t need to worry... Well then, shall we get started with the cooking lesson?”
With that, the men finally took their hands from their blades, and the women breathed a sigh of relief.
And with his arm still around my neck, Rau Lea asked, “What’s this about a cooking lesson?”
“I’m going to be showing the Sudra and Fou women how to bake poitan. Would you like to learn too, Rau Lea?”
I was still angry at him so I had meant to provoke him with that, but instead, his eyes sparked as he replied, “How to bake poitan?! That’s great! That’ll spare us the hassle of heading to the Rutim house to learn! Hey, Yamiru Lea, go learn that here and now! Then you can pass it on to the other Lea women!”
“Me...?” Yamiru questioned, furrowing her brow. I got the feeling that she was becoming a lot more expressive now than she used to be. “In the Suun clan, it was the job of the branch families to man the stove. I believe I’ll be no more useful than a ten-year-old child.”
“Then that’s all the more reason you should practice. You’re a member of the Lea clan, not the Suun, after all.” Rau Lea then finally took his arm from my neck and instead gave me a pat on the chest. “Well, I’m counting on you. And I’ll cut her down then and there if she does anything she shouldn’t, so don’t worry.”
“That’s all well and good, but you didn’t bring any poitan, so you won’t be able to manage for dinner, right? After all, everyone else was planning to bake their poitan here for tonight.”
“What?! That’s no good!” Then Rau Lea turned to the folks from the Sudra and Fou clans in a fluster. “Hey! Sorry, but let me buy some poitan off of you all in exchange for these horns and tusks! I can even give you back the same number tomorrow! No wait, even more than what you give me!”
“How many poitan do you need...?”
“There are 19 members of the Lea clan! I’d want at least two for each of them!”
In that case, he would need nearly 40.
The Sudra clan head gave a sullen shake of his head, while the member of the Fou clan whispered to the women behind him.
“The Fou and Ran will give you the poitan. And it would take time to go to the post town and buy more, so if at all possible, we would like you to give us back the same amount.”
“Alright! Then I’ll put aside the matter of the horns and tusks and just get you back your poitan tomorrow! I’m in your debt, Fou and Ran clans!”
The women then took off back down the path.
Rau Lea broke out in a satisfied smile, while Gazraan Rutim gave a slight strained chuckle.
Yamiru was still looking down, meanwhile, with her long hair hiding her expression.
“I sort of feel like the punishment for the Suun clan was too light...” a voice quietly muttered from behind me.
I turned to look, and my eyes went wide.
“Ah, right. You still haven’t left, Vina Ruu...”
With that, my upper arm got pinched so hard it hurt, while Yamiru started her life anew as Yamiru Lea.
4
“Today was exhausting,” Ai Fa grumbled as she flopped down atop the rug after finishing dinner.
It was certainly unusual to see her like that, considering she generally stayed alert until it was time to sleep. And so, I asked, “Why’s that?” as I started cleaning up the mess. “You spent all day teaching the Fou and Sudra men how to bloodlet and properly dissect giba, right? Was someone especially hard to deal with?”
“That’s not it. They were all earnestly interested in learning, and didn’t look down on me for being a young woman... That’s what made it so unnecessarily tiring.” As she lay slovenly on the floor, Ai Fa let her hair down and added, “Lately, we’ve been dealing with nothing but powerful men from clans like the Suun and Ruu. It’s like I’ve lost my bearings...”
“I don’t think it’s very kind to the Ruu clan to lump them in with the Suun... Still, I guess even with the Ruu, you’ve only really had any interaction with the main house.”
I had interacted with hunters from the branch families before the Rutim banquet, and I got the same sort of feel from the Fou and Sudra folks. They were all the same sort of men of the forest’s edge: quiet, honest, and seemingly more than a little stubborn, but also incredibly serious when it came to their work.
“Thinking about it, the men from the main houses of large clans really do feel sort of unique. I wouldn’t want to call them haughty, but I guess I’d say they seem like they’re brimming with pride...? At any rate, I definitely wouldn’t want to make an enemy of any of them.”
“Hmm... It may suit me to face off against such an opponent with our pride on the line. But at least for now, I’m exhausted.”
She just sounded so worn out that I couldn’t help but break out in a chuckle, which caused her to ask, “What’s so funny?” and shoot me a glare.
“Ah, sorry. I guess that’s what they mean about being out of your element. I mean, I could definitely understand if Donda Ruu was the type that only truly showed his strength when placed in danger, too.”
“Don’t go lumping me in with that ruffian,” Ai Fa said with a pout, then she turned away.
By that point I had finished cleaning up, so I sat down beside her. Since I got back home early today, I actually managed to finish my preparations for tomorrow before dinner.
“That’s not what I meant. I was just figuring you were probably getting antsy after not having a chance to hunt for so long... Plus I’m sure it’s awkward having people rely on you and want to work together again, right?”
Ai Fa remained facing away, but now she shot me another annoyed glare out of the corner of her eyes.
“You look like you’re really enjoying yourself. Is it truly that fun to see me so powerless?”
“Whoa, you really are in a bad mood. And of course not.”
I was just glad to see Ai Fa forming proper bonds again after two years of isolation.
It was true that the powerful Ruu and Zaza clans and their like were quite harsh towards Ai Fa. That was likely because they were truly opposed to the idea of a woman being a hunter. However, the members of the smaller clans seemed to properly treat Ai Fa as the Fa clan head.
Currently the Fa clan was amassing a significant fortune by doing business in the post town, but even before that Ai Fa worked hard and properly carried out her duty as a hunter. The shiny white horns and tusks always dangling in front of her chest were proof of that. And these folks who constantly lived under the threat of starvation must have been painfully aware of just how difficult it was for her to keep on hunting without anyone at all to help her.
Even when using giba summoning fruit, trying to hunt the beasts on your own without the incredible strength needed would simply result in your own death. And so, Ai Fa’s sheer skill as a hunter was undeniable. Thanks to that, the men of such small clans respected her strength rather than looking down on her.
“Well, you’ll get used to living like this soon enough, too. The way I see it, having to live in fear of the Suun clan’s gaze, that’s what was abnormal, and now your life is finally returning to its proper path, Ai Fa.”
“That’s not true... The Fa house only ever held weak bonds with other clans, so I would have never gotten involved with so many people if I wasn’t teaching them about bloodletting and dissecting. And so, you brought all of this about, Asuta.”
“What, so I just made more of a hassle for you?”
“That’s not what I meant! I was saying the Fa clan has been incredibly fortunate to have you here!” she stated in a grouchy tone, despite giving me a compliment. But well, it would be plain embarrassing to hear her say something like that all nicely, so that was just fine.
“By the way, are you alright with how things turned out with Yamiru? Er, I mean, Yamiru Lea? I feel kind of uneasy with how it was decided just based on my opinion...”
Hearing that, Ai Fa went, “Hmph,” and turned away again. She sure was moving a lot for someone who had supposedly lain down to sleep. “No matter what I may say now, it’s already been decided... Besides, that woman already accomplished her goal, so she shouldn’t prove dangerous anymore.”
Yamiru’s goal... That was the destruction of the Suun clan after all, wasn’t it?
Perhaps she looked even more dangerous than Diga or Doddo to folks who couldn’t sense that, but personally I couldn’t imagine her having any reason for wrongdoing from here on out.
“However, I also can’t understand how you can act so friendly towards someone who once tried to catch you in such a trap.”
“I-I wasn’t being overly friendly. I was just treating her like I would any other woman.”
“Oh? But you seemed to always be standing right next to her during the lesson.”
“That was because her skills were the most questionable. Though I suppose that makes sense, considering she had always left manning the stove up to the branch families till now.”
Ai Fa was still facing away, but I could feel her glare. And for whatever reason, I felt real uneasy as we sat there silently.
“Hey, I already mentioned this, but Yamiru Lea reeks of giba blood. Even today, I couldn’t breathe through my nose and it was just awful. So I really wasn’t beside her because I wanted to be.”
“So that all would be resolved if she just didn’t smell of blood... And she should be forbidden from performing that ancient ritual using giba blood from here on out, right?”
“What do you mean ‘resolved’? I can’t see any reason for you to be angry with me...”
“I’m not angry at all!”
“That’s sure not what your face and tone are telling me!”
What a seriously fruitless argument.
I guess it was a bad idea to bring up Yamiru Lea around Ai Fa when she was this exhausted...
“Well, from here on out she’ll be learning cooking techniques from the Rutim, so we probably won’t be seeing Yamiru Lea for a while anyway. But more importantly, there’s something I wanted to ask you, Ai Fa.”
“What is it? My head’s already starting to hurt a bit, so if it’s complicated, then just leave it for tomorrow.”
“It’s not complicated at all. You see, I was thinking of paying a bit more to the women helping out with the stalls. Could I get your permission as clan head?”
With that Ai Fa rolled over so that her whole body was now facing my way.
“I’ll leave that decision up to you, but could I hear your reasoning first?”
“Right. It’s been less than half a month since we started doing business, but the Ruu women have caught on shockingly quickly. And it’s not just Sheera Ruu, as Vina and Lala Ruu are also absolutely indispensable. But now I’m going to have another woman come help, and it just wouldn’t feel fair to pay them all the same, so I figured I could raise their payment in accordance.”
“You’re asking another woman to help?”
“Ah, right, I still needed to tell you that. You see, I made a bit of a mistake, myself.”
That was in regards to the work I’d be starting with The Great Southern Tree tomorrow. My plan had been to have Sheera Ruu take over the stall while I went to the inn in the early afternoon, but everyone warned me I should avoid acting on my own.
Even without the threat of the Suun clan, there were still ruffians wandering about the post town. If I were a trueborn person of the forest’s edge they would be too afraid of retaliation to lay a hand on me, but there was a fear they wouldn’t stop to think about that due to my appearance. In fact, Gazraan Rutim had also warned as such when I started up my business.
“I need to bring one of the women along with me when I head to The Great Southern Tree, but that would leave only one person in each of the stalls. I just wouldn’t feel comfortable with that, so I was thinking of bringing on someone else to help.”
Ai Fa was still stretched out atop the carpet, tilting her head in a way that seemed to say, “And?”
“It would just be that short period in the early afternoon where I would need help, so I was thinking of offering half the pay for half the amount of time, so three red coins. But like I said, I wouldn’t feel right treating that newcomer the same as everyone else, plus I felt like I was paying all of them too little to begin with, so I wanted to use this chance to revise the deal we have.”
Back when I started doing business, those labor expenses were a serious concern. You really just couldn’t ever tell how things would play out.
“Vina and Lala Ruu were at six coins to begin with, so I was thinking of raising that to nine, and I was already planning on bringing Sheera Ruu up to 12, so I’ll go with 15 instead. What do you think?”
“I don’t mind. Do as you please. However... Who are you planning to ask to help out? Another of the Ruu women?”
“No, it’s a busy period for the Ruu as they’re now suddenly one of the leading clans, plus Mia Lea Ruu had said we should spread the wealth around fairly, so I was thinking of asking one of the smaller clans like the Fou and Sudra. Actually, if I brought it up, the Sudra clan head would jump on the opportunity right away, don’t you think? He’d probably say I should go ahead and have them help out starting tomorrow, even.”
That small, gloomy-looking clan head seemed to have an unusually strong desire to improve his situation. The drive to escape from poverty sure was something.
“The Sudra clan head...? Apparently, that clan has already lost two infants to starvation. And from what I hear, their related clans have died out, so their only option left would be to have a clan they at least have weak ties to take the lot of them in.”
“Really? Then I’d like to work with the Sudra even more, in that case. Of course, I’d like to work with other clans too, if I get the chance.”
Ai Fa went silent.
“Hmm? What is it?”
“We faced a good deal of danger along the way, but we really did gain a lot from the clan head meeting... Surely none would call you a poison to the forest’s edge now,” Ai Fa replied, her annoyed voice finally shifting into a gentler tone.
“I’m not so sure... I don’t think Jiza Ruu and Gulaf Zaza quite feel that way just yet, for example.”
“I see. Then perhaps I should instead say few would call you a poison.”
I’d certainly feel grateful if that was the case.
However, there were still plenty of troubles waiting ahead of us.
It had been around half a month since we first opened the stalls for business. Our sales themselves were fantastic, but our goal of making it so that giba meat itself could be sold still seemed far off in the distance.
“Well, I’ll keep on striving from here on out so that all of them will think better of me. First off, I have my new business deal starting tomorrow to deal with.”
“Right,” Ai Fa nodded, then sidled up next to me using her elbows. With that, she plopped back down and stared up at my face from up close and personal. “So... Donda Ruu and the others are heading to the castle town tomorrow?”
“Yeah. Here’s hoping things go smoothly for them, too. I’ll certainly be counting on Gazraan Rutim’s skills to help out there.”
“Right... But still, since the people from the castle have only interacted with the corrupt Suun clan, Donda Ruu and the others are sure to come across as threatening. It all just makes my head ache...” Ai Fa said while stretching her left arm out towards me. I couldn’t help but tilt my head as her slim fingers approached my nose, only for her to say, “Hand.”
“Yup, that sure is a hand.”
“No, I’m telling you to give me your hand.”
What did she want my hand for? I didn’t know, but I held out my right hand regardless, which Ai Fa then grabbed with a bit of impatience. Then, she brought it to her temple, where it came to rest under her blonde bangs.
“My head really has started to ache, so lend me your hand for now.”
I didn’t really feel my palm would be that effective at soothing her headache, but she soon closed her eyes and looked quite satisfied, so I could see no reason to oppose her.
Just when I thought she really must be tired and I should let her sleep like this for tonight, she quietly started talking again.
“It’s been some time since I last slept alongside you in the Fa house. It isn’t as if we were treated poorly at the Ruu settlement, but this really is my home...”
“Of course. You did spend 17 years of your life in this house, after all.”
“Right. And you are a member of this house too, Asuta. I can no longer even imagine living without you.” Ai Fa’s unexpected statement there caught me off guard, causing my heart to skip a beat. But even so, she quietly continued on, “However... my feelings about the thought of our clan growing further are... complicated... If that time comes, will I really be able to act properly as the clan head?”
“The clan growing...? What do you mean?” I asked, but then it hit me. “Is this about what Vina Ruu was saying yesterday? I’ve said it over and over again, but I really don’t have any intention of marrying anyone.”
Ai Fa didn’t respond.
I felt a powerful unease churning in my chest, and couldn’t help but continue on. “Plus, I mean... If you suddenly said you were taking a husband, I may just lose all hope then and there rather than giving you my blessing. So we’re the same, on that point.”
“I see...” Ai Fa muttered, her lips wriggling in a bit of a strange manner. “You really are an odd man.”
“Yeah, well right back at you,” I replied as I wondered if that was really the case. I was holding back my feelings for Ai Fa despite all the things constantly running through my head. And if I lost control for even a moment, I probably wouldn’t be able to rein in my emotions. That was why I ultimately chose the path of just being a part of her family.
But how did Ai Fa feel...? What sort of thoughts and feelings were running through her head when she said she didn’t want any more members for the clan?
Well, maybe it’s just that it’d be tough as clan head to have more people relying on her...
But still, I felt a whole lot better with things being like this than if she said to go ahead and take whoever I want as a wife, so I could accept it.
As that thought ran through my head, Ai Fa started soundly snoozing away.