Chapter 1: A New Encounter

1

The day after the Ruu festival of the hunt, on the 28th of the blue month, some new visitors showed up at our stalls.

It was my 31st day of doing business in the post town, making it also the first day of my fourth contract.

During the first round, for my initial ten days of business, it had all been trial and error. On the first day I had only prepared a mere ten giba burgers, which made it plenty clear just how nervous I had been about the whole affair.

But the earnings during those ten days far and away exceeded my expectations, so I brought on four helpers and opened a second stall, and by the end I was preparing and selling 170 meals in total. Of course, nearly 80% of my customer base came from the south and east, but those were still absolutely crazy results.

The second round was even crazier, though. The clan head meeting at the Suun settlement came midway through, and then after that there was the whole incident with Zattsu and Tei Suun, which built up distrust between us and the folks from the castle, and caused discord among the townsfolk too, adding a whole lot of trouble alongside my usual business. And to top it all off, things ultimately ended with bloodshed.

Though I felt timid about starting the third round, it actually turned out a lot more peaceful than I had expected. We surprisingly became the owners of several totos, and I ended up doing business with not just The Great Southern Tree but also The Sledgehammer, making for some real positive changes overall. And even though our relationship with the folks from the west remained unstable, it at least seemed to hold steady.

Our sales had returned to around the same level they had been before that incident, and we didn’t have folks throwing rocks at us or anything. Plus, we seemed to be getting more questioning stares than the usual ones full of fear or scorn, which I actually took as a positive change. After all, the townsfolk wondering just what sort of folks the people of the forest’s edge really were felt like the first step towards reaching a mutual understanding.

Those were the thoughts running through my head as we started our fourth contract, only for them to suddenly show up.

◇

“Huh?! A giba stall? Hey, is this seriously giba meat?”

That first statement wasn’t anything all that unusual. In fact, it was pretty much the standard reaction for people coming across the stalls for the first time. And so, rather than worrying about it, I just replied, “Yes, that’s correct.”

What did throw me for a loop, though, was the guy’s appearance.

It wasn’t as if he was wearing a particularly odd outfit. I had seen plenty of folks from the south in similar sleeveless vests, cylindrical-legged pants, and short, hooded cloaks.

His hair was cut short and was a sort of speckled dark brown, his eyes were a bright green, and his skin was light with a bit of red to it. The way that his hair color wasn’t quite uniform reminded me of a dog or a cat or something and seemed a bit unusual, but other than that, everything about him was pretty normal for southerners.

The first thing to throw me off, though, was his age. I really couldn’t tell what it was for certain, but he couldn’t have been older than me, at least. I’d say he was 15 or 16 at the absolute most.

Even if it wasn’t as far as the Eastern Kingdom of Sym, the Southern Kingdom of Jagar certainly wasn’t close enough to just come and go lightly. From what I heard, the northernmost town of Jagar and the closest one to Genos was Nellwea, where Balan of the construction group came from, and even that trip took around half a month.

And it wasn’t just a long trip, but a dangerous one, too. Most journeys in this world meant risking your life to some degree, thanks to things like attacks by wild beasts and bandits, as well as natural calamities. And so, you not only didn’t really see women, kids, or old folks from other nations in the melting pot of cultures that was the Genos post town, young folks in general were also rare.

Well, it was hard to tell how old folks from Sym were from their faces, and it wasn’t like I hadn’t seen people from Jagar around my age, but they certainly seemed to be pretty uncommon overall.

This boy in particular looked awful young. Oddly slender, too.

Those were the two main points that had drawn my attention.

He’s gotta be less than 160 centimeters tall. Well, I guess that’s not too small for a southerner, though...

That was to say, the standard for folks from Jagar was to be both short and well built. They gave off the complete opposite impression as the tall and lean people of Sym, instead having short limbs but a robust physique. And even when they were around my age, they would have an impressive brown beard, making them feel like the dwarves you often saw in movies and games.

But this youth didn’t have any beard, nor was he stout. Well, even if he did have a beard, it really wouldn’t fit him anyway. He had the big, wide eyes common to southerners, but his nose and cheeks were all slender and girlish, giving him a rather cute face overall. I was used to younger folks with androgynous looks from around the forest’s edge, but this youth seemed like he’d end up the kind of pretty boy to make all the ladies swoon in just a few years.

Fitting to that face, his body was incredibly slender, too. In particular, his white exposed arms and his waist with a sash around it were thin enough to be a match for most girls his age.

Honestly, I’d say boys with a face this pretty are rare no matter where they’re born.

As I thought that to myself, the boy lightly strode over towards the stall and glared at the hot myamuu giba atop the iron tray.

“Hmm, giba meat, huh? I’m surprised there are really people out there who would eat that stuff! I mean, it’s well known for being so tough and smelly that it’s pretty much inedible, right?”

Yup, those sorts of statements were pretty common from folks from the west and south. However, his voice was pretty high and feminine sounding, too. In fact, between that and his cute face, I’d definitely mistake him for a girl if you put him in a skirt or something.

What mattered right now, though, was business. And since Lala Ruu was maintaining a polite silence next to me, I went ahead and offered a friendly explanation of, “That’s certainly not the case. I’m sure that reputation comes from people who have eaten giba meat that wasn’t properly prepared. But when it’s cooked right, I believe it’s every bit as tasty as kimyuus and karon.”

“That’s no way that’s true! Hey, Labis, he says he cooks with giba meat! Isn’t that crazy?! I really can’t understand how anyone would want to eat that stuff!”

Realizing the youth had a companion, I went ahead and followed his gaze. And sure enough, there was an older, but still young man in similar clothing standing diagonally behind him.

This other man was firmly built like I expected for someone from Jagar, but he was actually pretty tall, too. He had more than half a head on the boy, so he must have been right around 175 centimeters tall.

He had dark brown hair, green eyes, and white skin. I pegged him as being around 20 years old. And he had a real tough chiseled face and firm chin, just like I was used to from folks from the south.

However, he didn’t have a beard, either. So apparently, there really wasn’t any custom for men from Jagar to all grow them.

“Hey, Labis, how about you give some of that giba meat cooking a try? It’ll make for a good story to tell the folks back home!” the boy called out with a teasing grin. As for the man named Labis, he shot back a sour look.

“Is that an order, Master Diel? If so, then I am not able to refuse that request,” the man replied in a deep voice.

He seemed pretty unexpressive for someone from the south, but I could still sense a touch of discomfort and contempt from him.

Master Diel, huh...?

It was definitely rare to hear people addressed that way in the post town. And now that I thought about it, looking closely, their clothing may have been mostly ordinary, but it seemed sort of high quality somehow. The designs were the sort you saw all around, yet stuff like the embroidery around the collars and cuffs, the beautiful colors of the dyed fabrics, and the splendid sheaths for their short swords made it clear what high class goods they were.

They... don’t quite seem like nobles, but they’d definitely be more in place inside the stone walls than out here in the post town.

At any rate, perhaps because he didn’t care for that Labis guy’s response, Diel furrowed his brow and retorted, “You’re so boring, ugh!” The boy may have been born wealthy, but he was completely lacking in terms of refinement and manners.

“Giba meat really is tasty, though. A lot of my customers from the south are quite fond of it, so would you care to give it a try?” I asked while holding out the plate of samples, which hadn’t seen much use lately.

What I got back, though, was a sneer and a, “Are you kidding? You really think I would eat something like that? I mean, the only good thing about the cooking here in the post town is that it’s cheap. And since we’re talking giba meat of all things, I wouldn’t eat the stuff even if you paid me!”

“I see. That’s unfortunate.”

I don’t know if he let that slip or what, but it seemed they really weren’t staying in the post town. Whether they were stopping in on their travels or were on their way to the castle town, they weren’t the type of people to have anything to do with folks like me.

In that case, I wanted to ask them to just leave, but for whatever reason they just kept on standing there.

“Hey, you’re a westerner, aren’t you? What’s somebody from the west doing going into business with people of the forest’s edge? Aren’t you all supposed to hate them?”

With his slender arms on his thin waist, the boy Diel shot me a haughty look, his eyes such a brilliant green that they almost looked like jade.

“Is it really that unusual...? The people of the forest’s edge are citizens of the west who offer up their souls to Selva, too.”

“That’s just how things are on paper! Besides, it’s not like they’re smart enough to properly worship a god anyway, right? Just hurry up and answer my question already.”

He really was a ridiculously rude kid.

However, apparently that level of badmouthing wasn’t enough to move the people of the forest’s edge, as Lala Ruu just kept looking aside and acting like all this had nothing to do with her. As for me, I just had to bury my revulsion deep down inside and keep on going.

“I don’t really know how to properly answer that. While it’s true that I wasn’t born a person of the forest’s edge, I was accepted into a clan and live there now. And while living there, I simply ended up starting this business.”

“Hmm, that’s weird! And can’t you cut it out with speaking all formally? I mean, you’re older than me, aren’t you?”

This again? I thought to myself with a mental sigh.

“I don’t believe that age has anything to do with it, considering the circumstances. I simply don’t feel right speaking in an impolite manner towards customers.”

“I’m no customer, though. You’ve got nothing to worry about, since there’s no way I’ll ever buy your giba cooking!” the boy stated with a big grin.

If I covered my ears, it’d probably make for a pretty darn adorable smile, but as things stood, I could feel the stress building up inside.

It was then that a group came from the north as if to soothe that frustration. Naturally, it was the Silver Vase, led by Shumiral.

“Welcome! I’ve been waiting for you, Shumiral!”

“You have...?” the youth questioned, tilting his head a bit as he removed his hood and revealed his silver hair.

With that I entrusted preparing the myamuu giba to Lala Ruu as I moved a massive bag from near my feet to the side of the stall.

“Here’s the jerky I promised you. And you have my deepest apologies for cutting it so close to the appointed date.”

It was the 40 kilos of jerky that Shumiral had ordered from me. Originally I had planned to hand it over to him a bit earlier, but the jerky prepared by the Sudra hadn’t come out quite right... Or to be more accurate, they used a good bit more herbs than the other clans, which left a strong flavor that wasn’t all that pleasant and so we had to remake it in a hurry.

It really did make sense for the flavor to vary from clan to clan. And so, that was my screwup for not realizing such an obvious fact. Thanks to that, I ended up teaching Li Sudra the proper herb balance as she cried tears of gratitude, and we fortunately managed to somehow finish in time.

After checking the contents of the bag, Shumiral’s eyes happily narrowed.

“Thank you. Here are, the coins.”

With that, he paid me 60 white coins.

As was the convention when doing business, I counted them in front of Shumiral.

Diel was still standing there, and let out a disinterested sounding, “Huh... You sure are doing well for yourself. For a merchant from Sym, that is. You approached from the north, so do you do business in the castle town, then?”

Shumiral turned to face the lad, still looking perfectly calm.

“Yes. I am, Shumiral Zi Sadumtino, of the Silver Vase.”

“You don’t have to give me your name. I’d never give mine to someone from Sym, after all,” the boy replied while sticking out his tongue obnoxiously. Even I couldn’t help but feel annoyed upon seeing that.

“Um, this man is both a customer of mine and a precious friend. Could I please ask you not to act so rudely towards him?”

“What, so you side with guys from Sym? Well, I guess they’re pretty much the only ones who would eat something as smelly as giba meat.”

I drew in closer to him without even thinking, only for Shumiral to gently stop me. Then, he turned to face the youth with the rebellious look burning bright in his green eyes.

“Let us, not fight. Easterners and southerners, fighting in the western kingdom, is forbidden.”

“Hmph! Then you guys should turn tail and head on back to the eastern land already! Jagar’s had a longer relationship with Selva than you! And when you go around looking all high and mighty like that, it really pisses me off!”

Ever since I started running the stalls in the post town, there was a dangerous feel in the air between Aldas’s group and the Silver Vase. However, they were able to keep the peace through the unspoken agreement that neither side wanted to interfere with my business. But verbal arguments between citizens from the enemy nations of Sym and Jagar certainly weren’t rare in general.

I could definitely understand all that in my head, but that didn’t mean I felt okay with it. And that went even more so when it came to seeing someone one-sidedly attack Shumiral.

“My apologies... We, will leave,” Shumiral said with a small bow my way.

I hurriedly bowed deeply back in a fluster.

“There’s nothing at all for you to apologize about, Shumiral. I mean, on top of not being a customer, that person seems to be pretty darn rude, too,” I said, naturally whispering the back half.

As he glared our way, the boy impatiently stamped his feet.

“It is fine. Thank you, for the jerky.” After handing the bag of dried meats to one of his comrades, Shumiral then accepted his myamuu giba from Lala Ruu and went to turn around. However, he somewhat awkwardly stopped in the middle of that motion. “Asuta... Is Vina Ruu, not present?”

“Ah, that’s right! I really went and forgot something important there! You see, Vina Ruu hurt her foot while working around the house, and so she can’t come to the post town right now. From what I heard, she should be able to walk again in two or three days, though...”

Apparently, when cleaning up after the banquet yesterday, one of the branch house women disassembling the makeshift stoves accidentally almost dropped a large stone on Rimee Ruu’s feet. Vina Ruu had been standing next to the girl and managed to swiftly scoop her up in time. However, the momentum proved too much and she fell, twisting her ankle in the process.

I was a little late in mentioning it, but Reina Ruu was currently standing in the giba burger stall in her sister’s place as a pinch hitter. Even if they were blood-related sisters, there was still no mixing them up for one another even at a distance.

With that, Shumiral returned to the stall and leaned in over the iron tray.

“Are Vina Ruu’s, injuries serious...?”

“Ah, no, there’s apparently no problems with the bone or anything. And even now, she can manage to walk by leaning against a wall. So I’m sure she’ll be back to work within three days or so...”

But today was the 28th day of the blue month. That meant three days from now was the 31st... the final day Shumiral’s group would be spending in Genos. They were apparently already scheduled to head out for another town the day after, so if he missed her on the 31st, Shumiral would end up not getting to see Vina Ruu again.

The young man closed his mouth and cast his gaze downwards. His expression hadn’t shifted in the least, but he somehow looked quite sad regardless.

“I understand... Thank you.”

With that, Shumiral really did leave.

I gave a deep sigh, and then noticed Lala Ruu opening her mouth as if she wanted to say something. But before she could, that boy from before butted in.

“Geez, everyone from Sym is just so tedious! I wouldn’t want anything to do with them even if our nations weren’t enemies! What in the world do you find enjoyable about dealing with guys like that, anyway?”

“...Shut up. You’re being way too rude, hassling my customers while I’m working,” I finally snapped back.

Actually, this was a pretty clear case of him obstructing my business, wasn’t it? And Milano Mas was always warning me that for the sake of keeping peace in the post town, I should report anything that happened to the guards rather than trying to cover it up.

But for some reason, the boy was now shooting me a really satisfied smile.

“Ah, you’re finally showing your true colors! It’s way better when you just do that instead of trying to act all weirdly polite, isn’t it? At the very least, I like it better that way.”

“I don’t exactly care about what you like. Could you just get out of here already, or am I going to have to report you to the guards for obstructing my business?”

“Hey, Asuta, calm down,” Lala Ruu chimed in, an annoyed look on her face as she tugged at my sleeve. “There’s no point to interacting with people like that. And fighting can’t lead to anything productive, either.”

I was fully aware of that too, of course. It was important not to get into fights with customers, so as not to give ammunition to those who’d say that the people of the forest’s edge are nothing but a group of ruffians.

However, I couldn’t help but wonder if this boy was here to deliberately try to pick a fight.

The fact that he had ties to the castle town was really bugging me. After all, that man Cyclaeus who was the representative for the lord of Genos was still a complete mystery. But there was no shortage of nasty rumors about him, so there was a definite possibility that my business was an eyesore for him, since he seemed to see the people of the forest’s edge as a group for him to rule over and little else. If that was the case, I felt the need to deal with this all right and proper, using the laws of the post town.

“The guards, huh? The guards in the post town are all nothing but underlings though, right? I can’t imagine any of them being able to do anything to me.”

“Oh? Are you a noble or something, and they can’t go against you? If so, then I can’t see what business you’d have with such piddly little stalls.”

“Of course I’m not a noble. I’m just a child of a merchant myself. But it’s not like I’m low enough to go and eat something like giba meat, though,” the boy said with a grin. It was a cute smile like I’d expect from a girl, but it had a real nasty feel to it.

“What’s going on here? Are you in some sort of fight or something, Asuta?” a voice chimed in, signaling the arrival of some more customers.

It was the construction group from Jagar, led by Balan and Aldas.

“Ah, welcome. And no, this is nothing. Thanks for your continued business, as always.”

“You’re not making a face like it’s nothing, but whatever... At any rate, hurry up and get them made already. I’m starving to death, here.”

Had they just finished their work for the morning? At any rate, they were wiping off their sweat while standing in line, seven in front of the myamuu giba stall and five by the giba burger stall.

And of course, Diel didn’t just stand there quietly after seeing them arrive.

“Hey! You’re eating giba even though you’re from Jagar? What in the world are you thinking?!”

“Huh? What’s with you? You sure are dressed up neat and tidy, aren’t ya? You know if you go walking around the post town like that, you’re making yourself a target for no good punks, right?” Pops said while turning towards the boy and lifting one eyebrow.

As for Diel, he turned and pointed his thumb at the guy standing behind him.

“I’m not scared of any punks. Despite appearances, Labis here is a master swordsman. He even captured three bandits all on his own just a little while ago!”

Ah, now that he mentioned it, that guy did have a long sword in addition to a short one. But maybe because I was so used to dealing with folks like the people of the forest’s edge, Kamyua Yoshu, and Melfried, I wasn’t exactly feeling overwhelmed by him.

Pops looked Labis over, then gave a, “Hmph. I don’t really care all that much, but you’re pretty darn haughty for someone so young. Are you from the capital or something?”

“No, I was born in Jeland.”

“I see. I’m from Nellwea, myself. Jeland... That’s a town of ironsmiths with a mine, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. My family sells ironware, and we’ve been doing business in the Genos castle town,” Diel replied. There was a peaceful air now, completely different from how things were before. However, he apparently didn’t intend on leaving things like that. “Hey, Mr. Nellwea, what are you thinking, eating giba meat? You don’t look like you’re especially short on funds or anything...”

“What does that have to do with wanting to eat giba? I mean, it costs the same as karon cooking anyway. In fact, it costs even more when it comes to eating dinner at the inn.”

“Oh? Then why not just eat karon instead?”

“Karon’s good and all, but giba’s tasty too. And you can only eat it here in Genos, so I decided to keep on having it,” Pops bluntly responded as he gave a heavy sniff of the meat I was heating up.

“I don’t believe it! There’s no way giba’s tasty! You must have had some nasty sorcery cast on you or something, right?” the boy shot back, furrowing his brows.

Aldas had remained silent up till now, but he gave a hearty chuckle and chimed in, “Only folks from the east use sorcery. And if that stuff could make you feel this happy, then I’d be all for it. If you don’t believe us, though, then give it a try yourself.”

“No way, I don’t wanna eat giba meat,” the boy retorted, looking away. However, when Pops started chewing away on the piping hot myamuu giba, his gaze wandered back on over. “Is that really tasty...?”

“Yup, it is.”

“Hmm...”

“If you want to eat some, then buy your own.”

“I don’t want to eat any stinking giba meat!” Diel shouted, only for his stomach to audibly gurgle. When he held his belly and his face turned red, the construction workers broke out in amused grins. This was giving me some serious deja vu. “N-No, this is just... It’s the scent! The myamuu scent’s just making it smell tasty!”

“Right, giba meat goes real well with myamuu,” Aldas replied with a smile, only for another of the group to chime in with a grin too.

“The cooking here really is the best. But I think I like the stuff from the inn even better.”

“That’s because that dish uses tau oil! Ah, but I’d really like to try some grilled meat with tau oil, too.”

“And if you used myamuu that’d be amazing, don’t you think, Asuta?”

Myamuu was an herb that greatly resembled garlic, while tau oil was a condiment akin to soy sauce. And naturally, they both paired great with giba meat. Oh, and the giba dish using tau oil they were discussing was the cubed giba meat stew that I sold to The Great Southern Tree.

“Well, I’ve prepared grilled meat using myamuu and tau oil back home. And I’d say they still go real well with the giba meat, even using both at once.”

“Ah, no fair! If you have a dish like that, then you should sell it, too!”

“I still haven’t quite locked down how to best prepare the dish, though. It doesn’t feel like enough to just grill it. Plus, using tau oil increases the costs quite a bit.”

“Ah, right, that stuff costs a lot here in the west, even though it’s cheap back in Jagar... It really makes me want to cry, thinking how we’ve just got three more days to eat your cooking.”

“I really appreciate the sentiment. I’ll certainly feel sad to see you all leave, too.”

This construction group was also scheduled to return back home to Jagar at the end of the blue month. In some weird twist of fate, their schedule was synched right up with the Silver Vase. And so, the thought of having to say goodbye to both groups on the exact same day seriously made me want to cry.

“Well then, we’re off! I’ll be looking forward to dinner too, alright?”

“Of course. And thank you again for your continued business.”

With that, Pops and company headed back to work, leaving behind just the two beardless young folks from Jagar. Seeing Diel standing there with a frown caused me to give another sigh.

“So, how long do you intend to keep on standing there like that...? If you don’t like the food in the post town, then why not head back to the castle town already?”

“Shut up! Don’t go giving me orders!” the boy yelled, only for his stomach to give another grumble. His face went bright red and he glared at me. “Hey, is giba meat seriously tasty...?”

“I certainly think it is. More so than karon legs or kimyuus, at least.”

“Karon leg meat is cheap stuff.”

“That’s what I hear. But here in the post town, that’s the only karon meat available.”

Diel seemed to be thinking too hard to respond.

“Hey, you—” I started, intending to finish with, “these stalls will be crowded soon, so could I ask you to please leave already?” only for a loud shout of “Alright!” to cut me off.

“Hey, make a bet with me!”

“A bet?”

“If that giba meat really is tasty, then you win. But if it’s gross, then I win. And then the loser has to hand over a white coin!”

“Why?! You shouldn’t be wasting money on stuff like bets!”

“Oh, shut up already and grill the meat,” the boy snapped back, grinning away and looking quite pleased with himself.

If we could see eye to eye just a little better, then I’d probably be able to see him as a charming yet mischievous kid like Ludo Ruu or Rau Lea, but perhaps thanks to how he was born and raised, I just couldn’t stand him. Still, I may have been overthinking things in suspecting the boy was a spy sent by Cyclaeus. After all, if he just wanted to interfere with my business, there had to be plenty of simpler methods to choose from.

Still, I remained on guard as I nodded and said, “Alright. I’ll go ahead and prepare it. However, I can’t go using these coins solely based on my own discretion, so I would want to make the bet something different.”

“Hmm? Then what were you thinking?”

“Let’s see... How about if I win, you stop talking so rudely towards my customers? I’d prefer it if you saved your badmouthing of the people of the forest’s edge and folks from Sym for when I’m not around.”

The boy narrowed his mischievous eyes and replied, “Hmm... Sounds interesting. Then if I win, you’ll call me Master Diel. But keep talking to me casually, though.”

That was certainly a childish idea. But well, it was hard to say I was being all that calm and logical myself. At any rate, it was just about time to make more anyway, so I lifted up the bag full of meat and answered, “Alright.”

“This is stupid. You’re seriously wasting your cooking on something like that?” Lala Ruu asked in an exasperated tone. “How can you win a bet against someone who’s free to just say they don’t like it?”

“Well if I’m really up against someone that shameless, then I guess I’ll just have to sound extra sarcastic when I’m saying ‘Master Diel.’ And besides, we usually have ten or so extra myamuu giba left each day anyway. It’s still not something to go wasting frivolously, but that doesn’t feel like what I’m doing here.”

Just how would my giba cooking come across to a rich guy with a refined enough palate to hate food from the post town in general? I really couldn’t help but feel curious.

And at any rate, it didn’t seem like he would stop interfering with business until I let him eat some anyway, and if he didn’t like it, that may just lead to him losing all interest in the stalls in general. At the very least, this way seemed far preferable compared to just arguing with him forever.

And so, I cooked the meat and aria that had been steeped in a marinade of myamuu and fruit wine over a medium flame, then sandwiched it between baked poitan alongside some diced aria. And as I prepared the myamuu giba, the boy kept on staring at me with a look of great satisfaction. As for the young man waiting behind him, though, he just stood there silently with a sour look on his face.

“Thanks for waiting. Now go ahead and eat up.”

“Hmm... Well, it really does smell good, at least,” the boy said in a snotty tone as he grabbed the finished myamuu giba. Then, without showing any of the hesitation from before, his healthy-looking white teeth bit down into the poitan.

As I braced myself for the first abuse I’d hear towards my cooking in a while, the boy’s gaze dropped downwards as he chewed. With his face now hidden, he silently took a few more bites and finished eating the myamuu giba.

“So, how was it? Did you not like it after all?”

The boy didn’t respond.

“Hmm?”

“It was delicious...”

I was seriously glad to hear that, but his voice was trembling quite a bit when he said that.

“Master Diel?” the young man behind him called out, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. However, Diel brushed that hand off and hurriedly stepped forwards, not stopping until he was around the stall and standing right next to me.

“W-What is it?”

The boy was even smaller and more slender than I was, but he had a short sword hanging from his waist to protect himself. I started to backpedal, worried that he may have flown into a rage and been moving to cut me... but then his slender white fingers firmly grabbed a hold of my collar.

“That was incredibly delicious,” Diel stated, slowly lifting his head and revealing a broad grin full of admiration. “I’m sorry. I was in the wrong. It was so good that it left me at a loss for words... Your name was Asuta, wasn’t it?”

“Y-Yeah, that’s right.”

“It was so delicious... You really are amazingly talented, Asuta,” he said, twisting the fabric of my t-shirt even tighter. “Asuta, will you forgive me? I never imagined giba meat could possibly be this tasty. You must have thought I was a real fool for saying such delicious meat was hard and smelly.”

“No, that’s not true, but... Um, could you possibly remove your hands?”

“Ah, sorry! I got worked up, there!” Diel shouted out, letting go of my collar and jumping a step back. Plus, his face was turning red as he stood there looking all bashful.

This sure is one heck of an about-face...

Well, that was a good thing in and of itself. People from the south tended to be really frank, so maybe it wasn’t all that odd for him to be letting out his feelings directly enough to throw me for a loop.

However, it still felt strange somehow.

As he stared up at me with his face red from embarrassment, he looked unbelievably adorable. In fact, it was enough that I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.

Ah, hold on! I don’t swing that way, right?!

This had to just be some sort of backlash from how much he was insulting me at first. And besides, with a face like that looking up at me while appearing a bit embarrassed, of course I’d find him cute even if we were the same sex... or at least, that was what I was telling myself.

“Um... So will you forgive me?”

“Huh? F-Forgive you...?”

“I said rude things to people who are important to you, didn’t I? That was because I don’t care about the people of the forest’s edge, and Sym is an enemy of my nation, but... For you, that must have been incredibly annoying, right?”

“Y-Yeah, yeah, I forgive you. Just try to refrain from doing that in the future, alright?”

“Really? I’m so glad,” Diel replied with a cheerful smile.

The sun was approaching its peak, and it was causing his unusually colored hair to shine. His eyes were a clear sparkling green like jade, and his lips, unusually small and soft looking for someone from the south, were giving a happy grin. It was a pure, adorable smile that made him look like an angel.

“You’re an unusual man, Asuta... I just saw people of the forest’s edge doing business alongside all the westerners and thought I’d come tease you a bit, but I never expected something this surprising to happen. Hey, where are you from, Asuta...? Do you have some blood from the east, perhaps? Folks from Sym are usually the ones with black hair and eyes, right?”

“U-Um, I actually wasn’t born on this continent. I come from an island nation called Japan, so—”

“Huh?! You came here from overseas?!” Diel questioned, his eyes opening wide in surprise as he pressed in close again. He looked serious now, but that didn’t do anything to play down how cute he was. In fact, when that strange, cynically defiant side of his retreated, he just had a youthful adorableness left to him. “Now that I look closer, your skin color’s just like a westerner’s, but your face looks different. In fact, your eyes look almost a bit girlish.”

“Y-You’re one to talk! You look way more like a girl than I do!” I retorted without thinking, only for Diel to look taken aback.

“I look like a girl...? That’s a strange thing to say, Asuta.”

“Ah, sorry. That was just a slip of the tongue. But still, we were both being rude, right?”

I just couldn’t seem to get my thoughts back in order.

But as I tried to explain myself in a panic, probably looking like a total fool, he just said, “Pff... Bwahaha! You really are a weirdo!”

“You think?” I asked back.

Then in the next instant, sparks seemed to fly in the back of my eyes and nose, and I fell over without even knowing what had happened. However, I was soon pulled right back up by Diel gripping my collar tight again.

“Huh...?”

Diel’s face was beet red, but it looked to be from anger rather than embarrassment this time around. He had just been smiling like an angel, but now his eyebrows were raised and there were wrinkles around the top of his nose, making his wrath readily apparent.

“Listen here! I know I’m not the most girly around, but I’m still a woman!”

With that, Diel launched another relentless right hook into my left cheek.

My first meeting with the wealthy merchant’s daughter from Jagar, Diel, turned out to be a truly unforgettable one.

2

“You really didn’t realize she was a girl, Asuta?” Lala Ruu questioned, looking completely and utterly astounded. “I really don’t see how you could see her as anything but a woman! Right, Reina?”

“Yes, truly.”

“What about you, Sheera Ruu? You knew, didn’t you?”

“Yes. She certainly didn’t look like a man to me.”

“And Li Sudra... Ah, you weren’t here yet.”

“That’s right. But just when I arrived, an angry southerner came out from behind the stall. If that’s who we’re talking about, well... I’m sorry, Asuta, but she didn’t look like anything other than a young girl to me.”

Li Sudra didn’t especially need to apologize there. The only thing here worthy of embarrassment was my own ignorance.

All of our work was done for the day, and we had just returned the stalls to The Kimyuus’s Tail. That happened to leave us with a bit of time to kill, and so we were having that conversation while hanging out in the alley between two inns.

Actually, it honestly felt more like an attack than a conversation at this point. But I had needed to head for The Sledgehammer not long after the girl I had mistaken for a boy had left, so it was little surprise that I was getting it now.

I would’ve been good if we just skipped this step, but unfortunately Lala Ruu’s sharp tongue showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.

“I seriously can’t believe you! It really is no wonder she slugged you! And I feel like a real fool for worrying about you, too!”

“Hey, you can at least worry a little. I mean, wasn’t I already punished for my crime back there?”

A few hours had passed since then, but my left cheek was still throbbing away. I probably had some cuts in my mouth too, so I made a mental note to skip using any spicy chitt seeds in tonight’s dinner.

“At the very least, she was older than I am. Man, just imagining being treated like that is enough to get me mad. That was a real insult, saying something like that to a woman.”

“I’m telling you, I was just caught up in the preconception that there weren’t ever any foreign women in the post town. I mean, have you even seen girls from Jagar or Sym before, Lala Ruu?”

“That’s got nothing to do with it. A boy would never have a face that pretty.”

“You think so? I mean, I’d say Shin Ruu’s got a pretty nice face, for example. Don’t you think so too, Lala Ruu?”

With that, the young girl’s face went red and she hit me with a liver blow to hide how embarrassed she was feeling.

I really was getting beaten an awful lot today. And it was extra sad too, as I definitely brought it all on myself.

“Hmph! I thought for sure you knew she was a girl, and you were just trying to use the chance to ogle her! I mean, you got your face up all close to her, after all. And I’m sure it made you feel good to hear her go on and on about how good your cooking was, right?”

“Come on, that’s ridiculous. I thought she was a man back then, so of course I wasn’t ogling her.”

“Ah, so you would’ve if you knew she was a girl? Hmm, should I let Ai Fa know about—”

As she was saying that, I worried that my clan head herself would show up with the worst possible timing. And so, I hurriedly tried to cover Lala Ruu’s mouth only for a husky voice to call out from behind me, “What were you saying about me?”

I turned around as a cold sweat ran down my back, and sure enough found Ai Fa standing commandingly there, holding Gilulu’s reins.

“Sorry for the wait. I didn’t catch any giba today, and ended up having to head a bit further out to set up traps.”

“A-Ah, that’s fine! Sorry for making you come all this way after you worked so hard on the hunt.”

“It’s nothing... So, what was all this about ogling?”

“E-Er, I was just ogling some nice ingredients earlier, thinking I might want to buy them!”

“Sounds interesting,” Ai Fa replied, a very clear look of doubt in her eyes.

Before Lala Ruu could go and say anything unnecessary, I hurriedly bowed my head and said, “Well then, good work today, everyone. Since Ai Fa’s here now, we’re going to go buy a wagon. And Reina Ruu, you really saved us today. Thanks so much for that.”

“Ah, no, the Ruu and the Fa clans have an agreement for us to lend you help, so it’s only natural. And besides... I think that I gained a lot from today, too.”

I had also asked Reina Ruu to assist me with the work at the inns rather than Lala Ruu or Li Sudra. Even though they had more experience manning the stalls, Reina Ruu was more skilled when it came to cooking techniques. That impression of mine turned out to be absolutely correct, as she worked even harder than Vina Ruu even though it was her first day on the job.

“I’ll be helping out until Vina’s injury is healed, so I look forward to working with you from tomorrow on, too,” Reina Ruu added, breaking out in a truly brilliant smile.

With her strong desire to learn new techniques, she really seemed to have leveled up quite a bit over the course of the day. I simply couldn’t keep myself from trembling with excitement at the thought that I’d have to keep on improving too if I didn’t want her to overtake me.

“Hmm...? Do you have some sort of business with me?” Ai Fa suddenly asked in a questioning tone. And when someone suddenly stepped forward from beside her, I was even more shocked.

“Shumiral? What in the world are you doing here?”

“Asuta... I have a request, to ask, of you all.”

That caused me to feel a bit uneasy for some reason, and so I hurried over his way.

The reason for that concern had been Shumiral’s voice. Normally it was calm and composed, but now he was panting and close to out of breath. And when I got close enough, I even spied a bit of sweat clinging to his brow.

“I am, sorry... I am tired, from running. I am glad, to have found you.”

“What is it? Do you have some sort of urgent business with us?”

“Yes... Would it, be possible, for me to go, to the forest’s edge?” I was completely taken aback. Meanwhile, Shumiral’s dark eyes glanced over both me and the women. “I am worried, about Vina Ruu... Could I meet, with her?”

“So you’re saying you want to come see her because of her injury? You’d come all the way to the forest’s edge?”

“Yes.”

Completely at a loss for words, I turned around and looked at the women standing behind me.

Lala Ruu was whispering into her elder sister’s ear, looking a bit tense.

As for Reina Ruu, she was clearly deep in thought as she walked up beside me.

“Man of the east, I am the second daughter of the main Ruu house, Reina Ruu. Vina Ruu is my elder sister, related to me by blood.”

“Of course. I am the leader, of the merchant group, the Silver Vase, Shumiral Zi Sadumtino.”

“Shumiral, is it? Understood. Well then... Why exactly is it that you’re worried about Vina Ruu? What is she to you?”

“We have, no special bond. I am, simply concerned.”

“So you’re not claiming to be her friend, then?”

“Yes. She sells food, at the stall, and I buy it. That is all. We are, not friends.”

“I see...” Reina Ruu said, her gaze drifting downwards. “As long as they don’t have any wicked thoughts in mind, no one is forbidden from entering the settlement at the forest’s edge. You’re free to come to the Ruu house if you please. However, our clan head is the one who will determine whether or not we’ll welcome you inside as a guest.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Well then, I’ll pass your request along to our clan head and Vina Ruu. Do you mind waiting until tomorrow to hear their response? Then if the clan head gives his permission, we can escort you to the Ruu settlement.”

“Yes, thank you. I am, in your debt,” Shumiral said, joining his fingers together as he expressed his gratitude toward Reina Ruu.

As for the second Ruu daughter, she just gently, calmly smiled back.

“I can’t say I understand why a foreigner like you is so concerned about my sister, but as a member of her family, I definitely wish to offer you my thanks for those feelings. Well then, I’ll see you again tomorrow... Asuta, it looks like we’ll be heading back ahead of you.”

“Right. Take care, everyone.”

Reina Ruu had a more childish feel about her than Sheera Ruu or Ama Min Rutim, but she seriously impressed me with how politely and properly she acted there.

But at any rate, the three women exited to the main road, leaving just me, Ai Fa, and Shumiral standing there.

“Shumiral, you must’ve really worked up some serious resolve to say you want to come visit Vina Ruu.”

“Yes. I was, worried about, doing so. But I would hate, to end up, not seeing her, again.”

Honestly, I was surprised to find out that he had been brooding over the matter this much. I obviously noticed that he had feelings toward her, but just as he had said, they were nothing more than a customer and saleswoman, and had hardly even gotten to talk to one another. And on top of that, Shumiral wasn’t a westerner and would even be leaving Genos in three days, so I really hadn’t been expecting their relationship to suddenly develop further.

But in that case, maybe even now Shumiral wasn’t aiming to get closer to her. It was certainly possible that he really was just worried about her and wanted to see her, and was acting on that.

As those thoughts ran through my head, Shumiral just gently stared back at me.

“I will not, cause you, any trouble. You do not, need to worry.”

“Ah, I wasn’t concerned about that in the least. It’s just... The Ruu clan head is one of the leaders of the forest’s edge, and he’s also a seriously intense guy. There are probably a lot of differences in the way folks from the forest’s edge and easterners think, so just take care and keep that in mind, alright?”

“Right. You have, my thanks.”

Ai Fa had remained silent up till then, but she suddenly called out to Shumiral, “This may be the first time in the 80 years our people have lived there that an easterner has stepped foot in the forest’s edge. You were the one who asked me to protect Asuta during that whole commotion with the Suun clan, weren’t you? I remember that silver hair of yours.”

“Yes. My name, is Shumiral Zi Sadumtino. You are, Asuta’s clan head, Ai Fa, are you not?”

“That’s right. I’m Ai Fa, clan head of the Fa. As long as you don’t break the laws of the forest’s edge, I can’t imagine any of our people will try to do you harm. But just remember, if you do break them, you’ll be punished even more harshly than had you committed a crime in Genos.”

“I understand.”

Shumiral was going to visit the settlement at the forest’s edge... I had never even imagined such a day would come. Honestly, it made me feel both glad and uneasy at the same time.

“Shumiral, if you get permission from the Ruu clan head, then let me accompany you too, alright? I know you better than anyone else at the forest’s edge, so that should help things go smoother in a variety of ways.”

“Is that not, a hassle for you, Asuta...?”

“Not at all. In fact, I was concerned about how Vina Ruu was doing too, so this works out perfectly,” I answered with a smile, and Shumiral happily narrowed his eyes. “Well then, I guess this is goodbye for today. After all, we’ve got to go stop by a craftsman’s shop and pick up the wagon we ordered.”

“Right. Thank you. I will come, to your stalls again, tomorrow.”

“Got it. And thanks for your continued business, too. Are you ready to get going then, Ai Fa?”

“Hold on. There’s something I still need to ask about before that.”

“Huh?” I questioned, wondering if she still had something further to discuss with Shumiral as I turned to face her.

In the next instant, though, she firmly grabbed hold of my jaw and drew her face in close.

“Where did this injury come from, Asuta...?”

“I-Injury? I’m not injured, though...”

“You can’t fool me. The corner of your mouth is cut, and your left cheek is red. That’s from someone hitting you, isn’t it?” Ai Fa questioned, her eyes burning bright as my jaw creaked. “How did you end up suffering such injuries? Did you go acting recklessly again where I couldn’t watch over you, Asuta?”

“Ow! You’re gonna shatter my jaw! And I wasn’t reckless at all! I just got into a bit of an argument, and got a little shove at the end of it!”

My jaw hurt and Ai Fa’s face was way too close to mine. This distance was just too much for me today.

Last night, as all sorts of emotions ran through my head, I had hugged Ai Fa tight. And with so little time passing since then, naturally the warmth and disorienting sensations I felt were still quite vivid in my memory.

Ai Fa gave a serious frown, then let go of my jaw and kicked me in the leg. I thought I saw her face turn a bit red as she faced away as usual, but I didn’t have the strength left in me to confirm. Actually, more than that, it felt like if I did see it, then I’d end up beet red too. And since it was still the early afternoon there was plenty of traffic in the area, which meant I’d really prefer to avoid that sort of embarrassment.

“Anyway, we’ll be going. See you again tomorrow, Shumiral!”

“Yes,” Shumiral replied with a nod, his gaze somehow looking even gentler than usual. And he looked really happy about something, too... It was a really affectionate gaze, like he was also giving something his blessing.

Thanks to that, I only ended up feeling all the more bashful, with the blood seriously rushing to my cheeks.

◇

The craftsman’s workshop was located in the southern portion of the post town.

The one-story building with its tall roof had all sorts of lumber lying about in piles, and really did feel a lot more like a workshop than a store. And as I stood there awash in the smell of wood shavings, I couldn’t help but let out an impressed, “Ooh, this sure is something!”

I was staring at a huge wagon that had been pulled out from the back of the building. And man, it certainly was worthy of admiration.

“Well, it is the toughest and biggest one-totos wagon that we make, after all. As long as you don’t go and do anything too crazy, it should last for five or even ten years.”

The owner of the workshop was a middle-aged man with a real hearty craftsmanlike feel about him. He looked to be around 40 years old and was around the same height as me, but he had a pretty robust build. His eyes and hair were dark brown, while his skin was a golden shade. He had some cloth around his waist and was wearing leather sandals, but didn’t have anything else on.

There were a number of similarly dressed westerners about sawing away at lumber, putting pieces together, and pounding metal into it. Apparently this workshop didn’t just make wagons, but also other wooden goods like cabinets, desks, and chairs.

“Come back once a month so we can inspect the wheels, though. Well, unless you don’t mind getting stuck in the middle of the road, that is.”

“Once a month? Alright, got it. Thank you very much.”

“You’ve got no reason to thank me. I was just telling you how to properly handle it so you don’t come back to me with complaints in the future,” the owner bluntly responded while tugging on his scraggly dark brown beard.

He didn’t seem all that fond of the people of the forest’s edge, but at the same time he seemed to be able to separate himself from that when it came to business. And so, he reminded me of how Milano Mas was not so long ago, which actually helped me warm up to him.

But at any rate, the wagon was in front of us now. It was shaped like one of those old covered wagons, with a rectangular bed, four wheels, and a large cloth canopy stretched overtop. As for the measurements, I’d say it looked to be about 4 meters long, 2 meters wide, and 2.5 meters tall to the top of the roof.

There was a simple driver’s seat installed at the front, as well as two long rods for attaching the totos. The cloth roof arched overtop, and peering inside, I saw it was supported by what looked like eight wooden ribs.

It was primarily constructed out of wood, but metal was also used here and there throughout. For example, there was a v-shaped bit of metal between the wheel axles and the body, so perhaps that made for some sort of suspension. The overall construction of the vehicle was simple, but it had a sort of functional beauty to it that really spoke to the skill of the craftsmen.

I had certainly seen this sort of wagon a lot around the post town. However, it was my first time staring at one up close and personal, plus it was all new and shiny, so I was feeling seriously impressed. And Ai Fa’s eyes had gone wide too, showing that she couldn’t fully restrain the curiosity and admiration she was feeling.

“It certainly looks big, seeing it up all close and personal like this. What’s the maximum number of people that can ride in it?”

“Including whoever’s in the driver seat, it would be six or seven. Don’t go too fast when you’ve got over three folks in it, though. After all, you could easily end up hurting your totos by pushing it too hard.”

If that was the case, then I could carry along the tools we needed for the stalls as well as all five workers. Add that to the wagon itself, which had to be easily over 200 kilos, and all told, it really was impressive just how strong totos were.

“And this here’s the harness. Pay careful attention to how it goes on, so you can adjust it yourselves. The leather will stretch bit by bit as you use it, so you’re sure to need to readjust it in the future,” the oldtimer stated as he started wrapping the leather band around Gilulu’s round torso. And as that was going on, Gilulu was shooting him a bit of a questioning look. “Hmm... No matter how agreeable a totos may be, they always look to hate it the first time you put a harness on them... Has this totos pulled a wagon before?”

“Ah, I’d have to check to be certain, but I believe so.”

If he really had been one of the totos that Kamyua Yoshu’s fake merchant group let loose, then he definitely would have pulled a wagon back then. Did he not have a harness on back when they found him because it came loose as he was wandering about the forest...? Or maybe Kamyua Yoshu’s group cut them free before the giba could get them by slicing those bands.

The man then attached the metallic fittings on the left and right of the harness to the two poles coming from the front of the wagon, completing the familiar totos-drawn wagon look I was used to seeing around the post town.

Gilulu had the same blank expression on his face as always, but he still looked pretty darn majestic in spite of that. And I didn’t miss the pride that crept across Ai Fa’s face, either.

“Then, there’s the leather crop. Your legs won’t reach the totos from the driver’s seat, so you have to hit it with this instead of kicking it,” the owner stated while holding out the item in question.

It was cylindrical like the riding crops used in horse races, and looked to be made by stretching the leather atop grigee wood or something. And it was about two centimeters thick and a meter long, with a small sort of spatula-like shape affixed at the one end.

“What is that...? You couldn’t possibly be thinking of hitting Gilulu with that, right, Asuta?” Ai Fa questioned, giving me kind of a scary look.

As I checked the flexibility in the crop, I turned and went, “Huh? Yeah, well I guess that’s the plan. You heard the explanation just now too, didn’t you? It’s in place of giving him a kick.”

“But if you hit him with that, won’t you hurt him?” Ai Fa asked, her eyebrows rising in a way that made her expression look all the more dangerous.

“Ah, but if it’s just in place of a kick, then it shouldn’t hurt any more than that... Isn’t that right?” I questioned in turn, and the oldtimer nodded back.

The sour look on his face hadn’t shifted in the least, but I couldn’t help but feel concerned that he might hold some resentment toward Ai Fa for being a person of the forest’s edge.

“If you were to hit the totos hard enough to hurt it, then it’d probably run wild. You should hit it in the same spot and with the same amount of strength as if you were kicking it. They’ve got these splendid feathers here, so that shouldn’t hurt them in the least,” the oldtimer explained, patting Gilulu on the rear. However, as he did so, his eyes narrowed with suspicion again. “Hey, this totos doesn’t have a brand on it, huh?”

“A brand...? Ah, no, it doesn’t.”

Now that I thought about it, Kamyua Yoshu had said that the custom was to brand totos in order to mark who they belong to.

“Without a brand, you won’t be able to prove this totos belongs to you if it’s stolen, y’know. Well... I guess nobody would go after something belonging to the people of the forest’s edge anyway, but you can take care of it for just five red coins at a place that handles totos, so you should just go ahead and do it.”

“What’s a brand...?” Ai Fa questioned, sounding confused.

“A-A brand is a symbol you burn onto skin with hot metal. If we give him one, then Gilulu won’t go getting mixed up with other totos,” I hurriedly explained, figuring it would be bad if Ai Fa’s anger was turned toward the owner.

Instantly, Ai Fa shouted out, “You can’t! I would never mistake Gilulu even without such a thing! I’ll never accept the idea of branding him!”

Perhaps because he had just heard his name so many times in a row, Gilulu was tilting his head from atop his long neck and bringing his face in close to Ai Fa’s. In no time at all, she cradled his head in her arms and shot me a look filled with both anger and sadness.

“You won’t accept it...?” I repeated while holding back a sigh, then looked over at the oldtimer. “Um, this totos’s previous owner didn’t brand it, so it’s not against the laws of Genos not to have one, right?”

“Yeah, that’s all up to the bird’s owner. After all, you’re the only one who will lose out if it runs away or gets stolen... However, it’s proper manners towards other totos riders to make sure your reins and harness at least have an easy to see symbol on them. After all, people tend to use those to tell totos apart rather than the brands.”

“Symbols, huh? I see,” I replied with a nod, then turned around only to find my beloved clan head digging around inside her leather cloak. What she pulled out was a familiar sort of necklace filled with giba horns and tusks.

Ever since I started my business with the stalls, there had been no need for Ai Fa to exchange the horns and tusks she earned for coins. It would get in the way far too much to put them all around her neck, and so she had been storing the excess in her cloak’s inner pockets.

Anyway, Ai Fa removed three horns and tusks and strung them along a fresh leather string, then wrapped that around Gilulu’s neck.

There was a custom among hunters of the forest’s edge to give women such necklaces as a wish for them to live happy and healthy lives. I actually wasn’t totally certain if Gilulu was a boy or a girl, but he was a member of the Fa clan regardless, and it felt like a rather tasteful gift.

Ai Fa gave a satisfied stroke of Gilulu’s long neck, and then puffed out her chest with pride.

“This should do, right? I certainly won’t accept branding him either way, though.”

“I got it, I got it. No complaints here. I had already vaguely felt that way, but you sure are overprotective of your family, huh?”

“Quiet, you,” Ai Fa replied, patting Gilulu on the neck and looking relieved to have avoided that danger.

“You sure are an odd pair...” the oldtimer grumbled. I was a bit surprised by the tone in his voice so I turned around to look, and found him ruffling his brown hair and giving an awkward grin. “I really don’t get you people of the forest’s edge. First I think you’re a group of intimidating ruffians, but then you go wailing like children... Hey, you all run some stalls here in the post town, don’t you? I’ve only heard rumors, since I spend pretty much all day here in the shop.”

“Huh? Rumors?”

“Yeah. There was some bloodshed just a little while ago that even the folks from the castle got mixed up in, right? It was something about the people of the forest’s edge cutting down one of their own criminals, wasn’t it?”

I was suddenly at a loss for words.

The oldtimer was shooting me a look that said he was trying to feel me out.

“Up till now, the folks from the castle overlooked crimes by the people of the forest’s edge. Whether it was causing a commotion in town or wrecking stalls... Heck, word was they could even get away with murder. And then that incident suddenly came out of nowhere. Did the folks from the castle abandon you all?”

“I wouldn’t quite put it that way. I’d say it’s more that the people of the forest’s edge are citizens of Genos too, and they’re now working hard to show that and make sure the western kingdom’s laws are properly followed.”

I really hadn’t expected that question in the least, and so my answer came out pretty awkward there.

“Hmm... So you all actually intend to follow the laws of the west, then?”

“We do! Actually, it was only a handful of people at the forest’s edge who broke those laws, and all of them have either been punished or are waiting to face judgment!” Zattsu and Tei Suun were gone now. Zuuro Suun, Diga, and Doddo were currently prisoners. And as for everyone else... “Ah, but what exactly will be done about the people who laid hands on the blessings of the forest still needs to be deliberated with the folks from the castle. They were only acting under orders from the previous leader of the forest’s edge, so we’re hoping things can end peacefully...”

“The blessings of the forest...? Ah, I guess there was a law about that. That was just made for the people of the forest’s edge, though. Us townsfolk would never go near that giba-filled forest in the first place, after all,” the owner replied while waving me off with his thick hand and sounding a bit annoyed. “Anyway, I don’t care about all that. What matters is your relationship with the folks from the castle. Us townsfolk can’t do anything to defy them. If one of them says black is white, then as far as we’re concerned, it’s white. But they pretty much never come out from behind the stone walls, so they don’t really have much impact on our day-to-day lives. The real issue is the idea that the people of the forest’s edge are strutting about town, free of any worry about getting judged for their crimes.”

I suddenly noticed that Ai Fa was standing right next to me. And currently, the oldtimer was looking her up and down with some serious wariness in his eyes.

“We’ve never had any people of the forest’s edge wander into this workshop up till now. So honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever had a chance to have a proper conversation with any of you. Seriously, just what sort of folks are you?”

“I honestly don’t know what to say to that except we’re simply the people of the forest’s edge. The lives granted to us involve little more than protecting the laws of the forest and hunting the giba of Morga.”

“Hmph, that’s a pretty formal introduction you gave, there. Nothing at all like how out of sorts you were earlier,” the oldtimer replied, causing Ai Fa to pout. And upon seeing that childish expression, the man just grinned all the more. “Well, I guess that doesn’t have much to do with someone who doesn’t get out often, like me. The people with shops out on the main street who see you folks all the time may have a completely different opinion on matters, but I’ll just have to hope for now that my new customers aren’t big fat liars.”

“Right. And we’ll just have to prove our integrity to you through our actions from here on out.”

“In that case, would you mind following the laws of the western kingdom and paying me for this thing? Taking off the 50 white coins you paid in advance, that leaves another 70, plus 7 for the leather crop and harness. So that’ll be 77 white coins in total, my customers from the forest’s edge,” the oldtimer said with a big smile that showed off the white of his teeth.

3

“What did you think of what that woodworker guy was saying, Ai Fa...?” I asked while walking down the road behind Ai Fa and holding Gilulu’s reins as he pulled the wagon.

We were currently traveling down the path from the post town back toward the settlement at the forest’s edge. Since the path was thin, sloped upwards, and had tall, dense vegetation to either side that hindered visibility, we were taking things slow and going on foot.

It was the same route that Kamyua Yoshu’s group pretending to be a merchant caravan once took, so it wasn’t like it was that poor of a road, but since I was still a beginner at riding a totos, I’d probably end up scraping the canvas roof with a ton of the branches jutting out here and there. And so, we were taking it incredibly slowly, just walking along as Ai Fa cleared those obstacles out of the way with her machete-like blade.

My clan head’s cloak fluttered as she turned and shot me a questioning look.

“What do you mean, what did I think? I didn’t notice anything strange in that westerner’s words.”

“Yeah, in fact, I’d actually say he had a pretty favorable attitude toward the people of the forest’s edge. Maybe he didn’t have much in the way of preconceptions because he didn’t really have much interaction at all with your people, like he said,” I replied while carefully holding onto Gilulu’s reins so that he didn’t pick up any speed. “But the folks who run the businesses on the main street have a harsher opinion of us, right? Even though the incident with Tei Suun helped a lot at bringing things out in the open, it’s not like the core issue’s been resolved.”

“And what is this ‘core issue’?”

“Huh? That’s—” I started to say, but then stumbled at having been asked so directly.

The townsfolk now knew that it wasn’t as if all the people of the forest’s edge were vicious criminals, and they had also learned of the harsh conditions they were forced to live under... And they had to be aware now that the unjust favorable treatment from the Genos elites had come to an end.

Of course, that information had come from the exchange between the people of the forest’s edge and Tei Suun rather than any sort of official report. I figured that was why everyone was now shooting us such probing gazes.

Are these really savages who don’t respect the law?

Has the way they’ve been treated honestly been that unjust? And if so, do they hate us for that?

Do the folks from the castle truly intend to judge them properly for their crimes from here on out?

Their gazes were all filled with such questions.

“I think that up till now, the townsfolk were stubborn about how they perceived things. Like, they saw the people of the forest’s edge as villains that were best avoided, especially since the folks from the castle were in cahoots with them anyway.”

“Hmph, with all the evils committed by the Suun clan, it’s only natural that they think that way.”

“Yeah. But that whole incident from before brought a lot of stuff out in the open, so I figure that’s probably changed how people think a bit. It’s sort of like a firmly shut door has now opened a little, and someone’s peering through the crack.”

“You’re making me think of Rimee Ruu...”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the image. However, this was still a serious matter.

“Still, I guess the people of the forest’s edge should just keep acting the same as always. I mean, if you all just keep doing so, eventually that’ll prove your innocence... But isn’t there anything else to be done?”

“I cannot say. Are you implying we should go parading about town shouting out that we won’t go around doing bad things like the members of the Suun clan?”

“Hmm... Yeah, that probably wouldn’t prove very persuasive... If the post town at least had a mayor, we could try setting up a meeting between him and the leading clan heads...”

However, Milano Mas already told me that no such official existed. It was the Genos castle that was ultimately in charge of the post town, and the closest thing to what I was looking for were the nobles who lived in the castle town.

“Asuta, aren’t you overthinking the matter? Donda Ruu and the other clan heads are the ones who should be worrying about such things. Your job is to make delicious food and improve relations with the townsfolk, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but Donda Ruu and them are pretty indifferent about the post town to begin with... And don’t you think that sort of indifference is another type of rejection? Even if it’s not as bad as the wrongdoings perpetrated by the Suun clan, I’d say it’s still one of the causes of the gap between the people of the forest’s edge and the townsfolk...”

“There’s no point to trying to tell someone to have an interest in something. And don’t you think people like Donda Ruu and Gulaf Zaza visiting town would just cause more terror?”

That was true, naturally.

To start with, it was generally the women who visited the post town for shopping, so men were rarely ever seen there. And so, the townsfolk hadn’t built up much of a resistance to seeing the brawny hunters of the forest’s edge, who were like wild beasts. Even setting aside Donda Ruu and focusing on gentler-looking hunters like Ai Fa and Ludo Ruu, they still had a totally different aura about them than the townsfolk. And so, it was no surprise that folks would feel overwhelmed seeing them walking about while carrying blades and wearing giba pelts.

“But Dora and Tara were able to deal with not just the women, but also guys like Ludo and Shin Ruu without being terrified. So I think as long as they interact, there will at least be a chance for them to open up. I mean, I wasn’t even born at the forest’s edge, but look how much I’ve been accepted.”

“That’s because you’re far too incapable of sensing when you’re in danger. I can’t imagine the townsfolk are anywhere near as carefree as you are.”

“But the people of the forest’s edge have a real strong desire to follow the laws, don’t they? So even someone as gruff as Donda Ruu wouldn’t ever do any of the townsfolk harm. That means that if we give it time, it should work out somehow, right?”

“Wouldn’t you say we’re in the middle of taking that time right now?” Ai Fa questioned, slowing her pace till I was walking beside her. Then, she shot me a serious glare. “Asuta, have you forgotten Kamyua Yoshu’s words? You’re surely the one who will serve as a bridge between the post town and the forest’s edge. You and the women of the Ruu clan... By coming to the post town day after day, you’ve been proving that the people of the forest’s edge aren’t all frightening villains. If it weren’t for that, we would never have reached the point that we have, even if the commotion with Tei Suun still played out the same. In fact, it likely would have caused them to fear us even more.”

“Yeah, I understand all that. But I mean, you were casually talking to that woodworker before too, right? At first he seemed pretty on edge, but he ended up opening up quite a bit, and I’d say that’s probably down to your personal charm.”

Ai Fa just glared at me rather than saying a word.

“Ah, wait, hear me out before you kick me! I swear that I’m not making fun of you! It’s just that I was thinking that the townsfolk weren’t exactly opposed to the nature of the people of the forest’s edge per se. For example, I’d imagine Gazraan Rutim or Dari Sauti would find it pretty easy to get someone to open up to them. And I certainly could see Dan Rutim happily drinking away with somebody.”

“Even so, I can’t ever imagine the men coming to town without any business they need to take care of.”

“Yeah, but doesn’t it seem like at this rate the townsfolk will never hear about important stuff like what sort of presence the Suun clan was at the forest’s edge, and how people felt about them, and how they reacted to their crimes? That thought sort of irritates me, to be honest.”

Even as I was saying that, I could clearly see that my words were rooted in my own personal doubts.

“At any rate, even when we’re talking about Genos, the post town and castle town are whole different matters. So for the people of the forest’s edge to form proper bonds, it’s necessary to have a good relationship with both of them.”

After listening silently to all that, Ai Fa finally gave a small sigh.

“Asuta, I’m sure what you’re saying is valid, but I still think that you’re worrying too much. The leading clan heads will soon be meeting with the folks from the castle. Until that’s dealt with, I don’t see a point to being concerned about such other matters.”

“Hmm? Yeah, I guess I’m overstepping my bounds by worrying about all that...”

“More than that, it feels... like you’re rushing ahead, somehow,” Ai Fa stated, bringing her face in close as we kept on walking. And once again, she was close enough that I could feel my heart pounding faster. “The people of the forest’s edge have been avoiding the townsfolk for 80 whole years now. In these past however many years, Zattsu Suun and his ilk only served to poison that relationship further. Even now that they’ve fallen, I certainly can’t imagine that would serve to solve everything.”

“Yeah, but I got the feeling that the explosive way that they fell made it a good chance to really turn things around with the townsfolk.”

“That’s what I meant about it feeling like you’re rushing ahead,” Ai Fa retorted, suddenly breaking out in a pout. That sudden surprise attack only caused my heart to pound all the faster. “Normally you seem more relaxed than anyone, but now and again you feel like you’re in a real hurry for some reason. I have to say, I’m not fond of that.”

“Y-You’re not?”

“Not in the least. It makes me think you’re trying to hurriedly clear up all the trouble before you disappear...” Ai Fa said in a sulky tone, tightly grabbing a hold of the fabric of my clothing. “Asuta, the Fa clan’s goal is supposed to be making it so that giba meat can be sold in the post town, bringing greater prosperity to the forest’s edge.”

“Y-Yeah, of course.”

“For that to happen, we’ll need a lot more townsfolk seeking out giba meat. Otherwise, that newfound prosperity won’t be able to spread throughout the whole of the forest’s edge.”

“Right, that’s definitely true.”

“It’s also important that a friendly relationship is forged between the people of the forest’s edge and the townsfolk of Genos. And so, it certainly isn’t improper for you to think hard on that matter. However... It will surely take quite some time before that can truly be accomplished,” Ai Fa stated, bringing her face in closer while still wearing a pout. “And so, you’ll have to remain as a member of the Fa clan working away in the post town until that long time passes. Don’t go thinking you can wrap up your work so quickly, you fool.”

“Ah, but if I could wrap things up quickly, that’d be a good thing, wouldn’t it?” I replied, only for Ai Fa to shoot me a displeased silent look.

For a second she reached out towards my shoulder, but her hand soon lowered.

Then, she glared up at me.

“Do you really think that’s what I wanted to hear from you...?”

“Ah, no, but—”

“Why must you keep trying to make me feel uneasy?”

Apparently despite my intentions, my words had gone and thrown Ai Fa out of sorts. And so, I hurriedly shook my head and replied, “That wasn’t what I was trying to do.”

It wasn’t like I was going and thinking something crazy like believing I could solve all of Genos and the forest’s edge’s problems before I disappeared. But it seemed like I was subconsciously rushing, thinking I at least wanted to see this matter in particular through before some ridiculous circumstances ripped me away from this world.

“Sorry. I was just hoping everything would play out in the best way possible. And so, I was straining the piddly bit of intelligence I’ve got to try to figure out what I should do to make that happen.”

Ai Fa didn’t say a word.

“It’s not like I think things with Genos can be settled that easily, and I know deep down that taking things slowly and carefully is the way to go. Right... It’s dangerous thinking, to believe everything could improve all at once, huh? I really didn’t think things through enough, and I’m sorry for that.”

She still was keeping silent.

“I told you how I felt last night, didn’t I...?”

That I want to stay by her side...

I had hugged Ai Fa tight as I said those words.

My heart was finally beating so fast that I thought for sure Ai Fa would notice it even without touching me... only for her to finally let go of my clothing and briskly walk back ahead.

“As long as you understand, then that’s fine...” Ai Fa whispered, her voice just barely making it to my ears.

I racked my brain to come up with a decent response, but unfortunately we ended up arriving at the settlement at the forest’s edge before I could think of anything clever. Though with that said, it wasn’t as if the scenery around us had changed all that much. It was just that the dirt trail had grown flat and gotten a bit wider.

The path we were traveling ended in a t-junction stretching far to the north and south. It would take just five minutes traveling south to reach the Ruu settlement from here, and an hour heading north to make it to the Fa house.

“Alright, let’s go ahead and finally give riding in the wagon a shot!” I exclaimed in the most cheerful tone I could manage, only to get back the usual “Right,” from Ai Fa.

While feeling mentally relieved, I climbed up into the driver’s seat. Ai Fa also got into the wagon, then leaned forward with her hands on the back of my seat.

“That looks pretty unstable. Are you going to be alright?”

“If I don’t do this, then I won’t be able to watch how you handle the reins,” Ai Fa retorted, sounding like her mood had recovered quite a bit.

She was probably feeling excited riding in a wagon for the first time. When I looked up at that slightly childish gentle expression, I just didn’t feel like worrying about such details anymore.

“Apparently there’s not all that big of a difference compared to riding directly on the totos. The reins work exactly the same, and the only real change is that you use the crop instead of kicking. And since you won’t get thrown from the driver’s seat unless you’re suddenly going real fast and then abruptly stop, it’s supposedly a bit easier than riding on the totos’s back... Or at least, that’s what Leito said.”

“Hmm... In that case, maybe even someone like you will be able to handle it as well as an average rider,” my clan head, who had learned to manipulate Gilulu as if he were one of her own limbs in just five days, stated with a smile.

As for me, I was still at the point where I could just barely manage to slowly creep along on birdback. And so it was a real question just how skillfully I’d be able to handle this wagon, but I certainly wanted to give the challenge a shot.

“Alright, I’m going to get moving. It’ll probably sway a fair bit, so take care not to fall, okay?” I said, raising the crop.

Instantly, Ai Fa called out, “Asuta... Make certain you don’t hurt Gilulu.”

“Got it,” I replied, then gave Gilulu a slap on the leg.

Just like always, the large bird started slowly walking along.

While still holding onto the crop, I also grabbed the reins with my right hand.

The plan was to start with a normal walking speed. However, totos walked a lot faster than humans, so that was still around 10 kilometers per hour.

As expected, we were getting a good bit of vibration even at this speed. It seemed like it’d probably be a good idea to have something to act as a cushion on the driver’s seat, since it felt like this would really wear out the skin on my butt if it went on for too long.

“Still, this sure does feel nice.”

It was good that I didn’t feel like I was at any risk of falling, even moving at 10 kilometers per hour. And since the driver’s seat was at the same height as Gilulu’s back, I was getting just as nice of a view as if I was riding on him directly.

However, it was then that Ai Fa’s displeased voice called out from above, “This isn’t fast enough to truly feel nice, though. Aren’t you taking it a little too slowly, Asuta?”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true. Normally I would have long since made it back to the house and started on work by now. So should I pick up the speed a bit, then...?”

I kept the reins at the same level of tautness with just one hand, then hit Gilulu again with the crop. That was the signal to change gears from a normal walk to a fast one. And I must have properly regulated how hard I hit him, as he soon picked up his speed by around 50%. Despite the fact that he was pulling a wagon with two people in it, his legs still seemed plenty strong enough to handle it.

“Looks like it’s not shaking much harder. Are you alright, Ai Fa?”

“This is nothing,” she replied, sounding like she was a bit closer than before. “More importantly, you’re pulling too much with your right arm again, aren’t you? The way you’re holding the reins seems a bit distorted.”

“Huh? Really?”

Ai Fa had pointed that out a number of times by now. Gilulu ran straight anyway in spite of that, but she still said, “That’s because the path is straight, so he keeps heading forwards but feels a bit confused.”

And that confusion was probably mentally tiring the totos out bit by bit, so I needed to learn to hold the reins properly. I had known Gilulu for just as long as Ai Fa had, but for some reason her words felt strangely persuasive.

“Your right arm is stronger, isn’t it? In that case, it just makes sense that you need to hold back a bit on that side for them to be equal.”

“Ah, but I thought I was using equal strength.”

“Your arms aren’t level either, to start with. Lower your right elbow a bit more,” Ai Fa said from even closer than before, her fingers gently grabbing hold of my wrist. And her hair was lightly brushing up against my right ear, too, causing my heart to skip a beat. “About this much should do it. Now, try relaxing your arm a bit further.”

By this point, her voice was coming from right beside me. Even though her face wasn’t touching mine, she was close enough that I could feel her warmth on the right side of my neck and shoulder.

“A-Alright, I’ve got it. Like this, right? That seems good, doesn’t it?”

“What are you acting so bewildered about...?”

“Ah, no, it’s just... I mean, don’t go making me explain it, you dummy.”

“Who are you calling ‘dummy’?” she questioned, grinding her head up against my temple. “And this is a necessary step, you know. Do you hate me touching you even at times like this?” Ai Fa asked, sounding more and more displeased as she talked. “From what you’ve said, you dislike touching skin even with members of your own house. I’m well aware of that fact. And I’ve tried to avoid making you feel uncomfortable over such matters, too.” The way she was phrasing that was more than a little off. After all, who would dislike having physical contact with someone like Ai Fa? “However, you yourself embraced me just last night, didn’t you?” It felt like she was trying to make me die of embarrassment. “It’s not like I wish to make things unpleasant for you, of course. However, this is a necessary step in showing you how to handle the reins. If even that is too much... Well, I can’t help but feel hurt.”

Ai Fa’s tone had shifted ever so slightly. Plus she had pulled back her head and fingers, though her voice and warmth remained right on top of me.

And so, as I managed the reins to guide Gilulu along a slight curve in the road, I gave a small sigh.

“Alright, let me go ahead and clear up the key misunderstanding going on here. Um, you see... I’m not shaken up by having you touch me because it’s unpleasant, but rather, er... Because I feel bashful.”

What a seriously idiotic discussion...

But still, we were born and raised in completely different worlds. With that in mind, it seemed logical that our common sense would differ, and I just had to do what I could to correct that.

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘bashful.’”

“You don’t? I mean, we belong to the same house, but it’s not like we’re related by blood...”

“So that’s why you dislike me touching you...? I find it unpleasant for someone outside of my house to touch me, too.”

Ah, so that was why Ai Fa was taking my reactions as cold, huh?

I hurriedly racked my brains in a panic.

“Umm, but you don’t have a problem with Rimee Ruu or Granny Jiba touching you, right?”

“Of course not. They’re... They’re my precious friends,” she replied, quietly whispering that last bit. I seriously felt bad about making her say something so embarrassing.

“Then what about if you became friends with a man? You wouldn’t like them hugging you like Rimee Ruu does, would you?”

“Of course not. But that’s because Rimee Ruu is a young child. If a boy her age did the same, I wouldn’t find it especially unpleasant.”

“Yeah, but you wouldn’t be upset about Rimee Ruu hugging you even if she was a full grown adult, right?”

“I can’t imagine an adult ever doing something so childish.”

“You think? I could see it if we were talking about Rimee Ruu.”

Silence.

Undoubtedly, she had to be thinking something like, “I can see it.”

“Then let me ask you a question. If you became friends with a young boy like Shin Ruu’s little brother, and he still wanted to hug you at the age of 17, what would you think? It would feel more embarrassing than unpleasant, wouldn’t it?”

“That... that may be so... But you’re a member of my house, not a friend.”

“Yeah, but back in the world where I came from, even when people were raised together as family, they didn’t go about touching one another lightly,” I said, feeling a sort of deja vu for some reason. And it didn’t take long for the source of that feeling to be stated into my right ear.

“I heard that excuse before. I believe it was prior to you starting work in the post town... When we were staying at the main Rutim house. You said something similar at that time, Asuta.”

“Man, how nostalgic. Still, I do sorta remember that discussion.”

“Yes, we had that debate while lying down to sleep.”

It had been over a month since then, so I was surprised to find she remembered it so clearly.

Just as I was feeling impressed by that fact, though, my neck was suddenly grabbed from the side. And since I couldn’t move my gaze from pointing straight ahead, that meant I was probably in a headlock.

“And back then, I believe I already told you that this isn’t your old home, but rather the forest’s edge. Now that you are a man of the forest’s edge, I believe it only proper for you to follow the customs of our people, Asuta.”

“Th-That may be so, but even families at the forest’s edge aren’t all over one another, right? I’ve certainly never seen that before, at least.”

“I can’t speak for other clans, as each house ultimately decides their own customs.”

That didn’t really sound like a logical argument, but maybe it was just me. At any rate, my neck and right shoulder felt unusually warm. And Ai Fa’s sweet scent that had been drifting away on the wind was instead now tickling my nose.

“T-That’s dangerous! I almost ran us into that tree!”

“Gilulu isn’t foolish enough to do such a thing,” she stated, her words accompanied by a warm sensation on my cheek. It was bad for my heart just imagining it, but that was probably Ai Fa’s cheek up against mine.

“You weren’t having unpleasant thoughts, were you, Asuta...?”

“Huh? Wh-What? Um, I really did almost have an accident just there!”

“I still don’t understand what you mean by ‘bashful’ in the least, but if I’m not causing you to feel displeased, then I’m glad.”

Suddenly, the pressure on my neck was tighter as her cheek pressed more up against mine. And she grabbed hold of my right wrist again, too.

“The amount of strength you’re using is off again. Don’t go getting all out of sorts, you novice,” Ai Fa stated with a chuckle.

Could anyone keep composed under these sorts of circumstances?! I wailed in my head.

And all the while, Gilulu just kept on firmly and swiftly walking down the path at the forest’s edge, knowing nothing of what was going on back in the wagon.