Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 14 - Chapter 4.3

3

The members of the Gamley Troupe were gathered before the ritual fire. I had never seen all of them together like this. None of us had.

There was Gamley the fire wielder, a one-armed and one-eyed middle-aged man who wore a red turban and a long coat, plus some jangling accessories.

And then we had Pino the acrobat, who only looked to be twelve or thirteen, judging from her appearance, with her black hair braided and flowing down her back, clad in a vermilion outfit similar to a furisode.

Next up was the minstrel Neeya, who was rather slender and seemed like a pretty dashing fellow when he wasn’t talking. He was wearing something like a flat cap and had a guitar-like instrument on his back.

Then there was Shantu the beast tamer, an old man in a patched-together gray robe who looked like some sort of mountain hermit, with a white beard that dangled down to his chest.

Following that was Rolo the knight king, a strange scrawny girl dressed like a man, with eyes that were always nervously darting about, and whose performance was something like a pantomime.

Doga the strongman was easily over two meters tall and burly like a northerner, with a shiny shaved head and calm blue eyes.

Zan the knife thrower was a little guy with a body like a child’s and arms like some sort of ape’s, who wore a strange mask.

Nachara the flute player was an enchanting woman with slightly dark skin clad in a robe with Sym-style embroidering.

Dilo the jar man was tall, lean, and as expressionless as an easterner. He was wearing a gray turban and a long black cloak.

The young twins Arun and Amin, who looked as adorable as a pair of little angels with their pale hair and eyes, were currently clinging to one another loosely.

As for Railanos the star reader, he was a blind old man whose wrinkled face with the strange swirling patterns all over it was hidden under a hooded cloak.

Finally, Zetta the beastman’s fiery golden eyes were gleaming in the light of the fire, his figure completely hidden under a hooded cloak as well.

Those were the thirteen members of the group.

There were also the four beasts behind Shantu as well.

Huey was an algura silver lion with light-gray fur. Next to him was Sara, a gaaje leopard. She was slightly smaller than the lion, and sleeker too, with two sharp fangs sticking out of her mouth. Then you had their young cub, Druey, who had the characteristics of both a lion and a leopard. And the last one was the black vamda ape, which was shorter than Doga due to its undersized legs despite being even larger in terms of overall build, and had black fur and red eyes.

The animals were here with everyone else because the three adults among them had apparently played a major role in saving those men from the branch houses, along with Rolo. I didn’t know all the details, but from what I had heard, the black ape had managed to pin the massive giba that had been attacking them, and Rolo had finished it off with a wooden sword. Shantu had asked for the animals to be allowed to attend as well for their actions.

“Today, this group of people gathered before us accomplished their goal of capturing a young giba. And tomorrow morning, they will be leaving the Ruu settlement and departing Genos,” Donda Ruu declared in a rumbling voice as he stood beside Granny Jiba. “I wished to show them our gratitude tomorrow for saving two of our people, but they insisted that wouldn’t be necessary, so we decided that we would show them our thanks with tonight’s banquet. I would like to thank our other guests for permitting them to participate as well.”

The rest of the guests were scattered here and there around the plaza, listening to Donda Ruu’s words. Ai Fa and I were still currently sticking close to Roy and Shilly Rou.

“They also protected our comrades from danger in the post town during the revival festival. People from outside of Genos have few ties with us people of the forest’s edge, and that makes it difficult for us to know how to interact with them, but as the Ruu clan head, I wish to repay the debt we owe them. I hope that we can all treat each other fairly and equitably without any discord... This is the troupe’s leader, Gamley.”

“Yes, yes, I’m Gamley.”

“You were all admitted into the forest under the orders of the ruler of this land, Duke Genos. You paid for the right to be here, so there would normally be no need for either of us to feel indebted to the other. However, you risked yourselves in order to save our comrades. That undoubtedly does put us in your debt, and I would like to repay it.”

“I’m just glad those folks who were injured escaped with their lives.”

“Will you swear once more that the twelve people and four beasts who follow you shall do us no harm?”

“I’ll swear it as many times as you want. We have no reason to harm anybody in the first place. The only time we ever bare our fangs is when our safety is threatened.”

“Then I hope you will all enjoy this banquet, just like our other guests. Go ahead and avail yourselves of the meat and wine on offer here to your heart’s content.”

“We are truly grateful for your kindness, leading clan head Donda Ruu. Allow us to show our gratitude by performing for you with everything we have,” Gamley stated, raising his right arm. With that, Zan started banging on a drum, and Nachara began blowing into her flute. Arun and Amin had some metallic instruments that they were playing as well, and suddenly there was some kind of exotic musical accompaniment resounding throughout the plaza.

The people of the forest’s edge cheered in admiration, and Pino stepped forward, her vermilion furisode and long braided hair fluttering around as she began elegantly dancing. The fascinating and fantastical sight of her illuminated by the ritual flame was enough to leave one breathless.

With Pino dancing in a circle about the ritual flame, Shantu began clapping his hands in time with the instruments, and Huey, Sara, and Druey started walking behind her. The animals moved around the flames without showing even the slightest hint of fear. The people of the forest’s edge cheered even louder for them and started clapping along with Shantu.

Donda Ruu sat down next to Granny Jiba, stroking his bearded face. He must have decided there was no need to say anything more at this point. After all, things were now even more lively in the plaza than they had been before the troupe was invited.

A mysterious melody that felt both cheerful and nostalgic was filling the nighttime forest air. The troupe members who weren’t busy sat down on the ground and clapped along, drank fruit wine, or just silently hung their heads. The hooded pair of Zetta and Railanos in particular seemed like they were feeling out of place as they huddled together. Even so, the excitement surrounding the banquet was reaching its peak.

After several minutes, the music playing and parading wrapped up, and Gamley stood up to approach the ritual flame. Most of the instruments fell silent, leaving just the frail, extended sound of Nachara’s flute. And then, butterflies made of flame started fluttering out of the ritual fire, as if in response to that sound.

The red, blue, and green butterflies rose up into the sky, leaving behind sparks like how a moth would shed its scales, before vanishing after a few moments. The people of the forest’s edge let out a roaring cheer, and a thundering round of applause washed over the Gamley Troupe.

“They certainly are a remarkable group. They were even able to make the people of the forest’s edge accept them not through words, but through their performances,” Ai Fa commented while enthusiastically biting into some giba meat, though the show didn’t seem to have especially moved her. On her other side from where I was situated, Roy and Shilly Rou were sitting and staring absentmindedly. It seemed the Gamley Troupe’s performance had left them completely awestruck.

“Those were some impressive tricks. They could earn a lot of money in the castle town like that, don’t you think?” Roy said.

“Such a questionable group would never be permitted entrance, though.” Shilly Rou stated, even as she was sighing in admiration.

“Well then, let’s keep going. Things seem pretty lively over there too.”

We had still only sampled around half of what the Ruu clan had prepared, so we moved on to greedily seek out the next dish.

The mat where the Rutim clan was gathered turned out to be our next destination. Dan, Gazraan, Ama Min, Raa, and Morun Rutim—the entire main house—were all present. Dora’s family was still there too, with some thoughtful women bringing helpings of one dish after another over to them.

“Hey, Asuta! That performance just now was amazing! I can see why Tara’s so taken with them!” Dora said, looking as cheerful as always with his face red from drinking. His sons and the women of the household were smiling and eating food.

Tara and Rimee Ruu, meanwhile, were excitedly cuddling little Druey. Druey naturally hadn’t taken part in the giba hunt, but he had been brought along because he would have been lonely without Huey or Sara. The adorable little critter that looked like a stuffed animal seemed completely unafraid of the fire as it played with the two girls.

“Ooh, you’re those chefs from the castle town, aren’t you?! Now that you’re here visiting the forest’s edge, the first thing you should do is have some giba ribs!” Dan Rutim declared.

Picking up on her father-in-law’s signal, Ama Min Rutim held out a plate that had several spare ribs on it, giving off a heavy herbal aroma.

“Finally, a dish that uses herbs as one of its main aspects,” Shilly Rou remarked, seemingly having pulled herself back together as she reached out toward the plate. It must have been herb grilled, which was a specialty of Reina and Sheera Ruu’s. Shilly Rou very politely bit the meat off the bone, then after slowly chewing, leaned in close to Roy. “What do you think?”

“Well, they seem to have used three types of herbs. I’m sure Varkas would be able to identify them, but all I can say is that I find it fantastic.”

“I have to agree... The tau oil and sugar were put to good use. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a dish of this quality sold at pretty much any restaurant, other than The Silver Star.”

“What are you whispering about? Giba ribs are tasty, aren’t they?” Dan Rutim asked with a blank stare.

“Yeah.” Roy nodded at him. “Though rib meat is highly fatty, these herbs pair with it quite well. It’s very delicious.”

“Right?! Rib meat marinated in fruit wine and myamuu is great too, but this dish is just fantastic! I feel like if I don’t hold myself back, I’ll end up eating nothing but ribs!”

Having someone so massive talk to her was enough to cause Shilly Rou to shrink back a bit, but Dan Rutim wasn’t the sort to change his behavior depending on who he was talking to, so with a hearty laugh, he took a swig of his fruit wine.

Since they had lots of different kinds of food here, we went ahead and had a seat too. Ai Fa’s appetite had been on the rise lately, and it seemed she had decided now was the time to satisfy it. We had only eaten a little at each of our stops as we went around with Roy and Shilly Rou, so she must have been feeling rather irritated.

“Ah, Ama Min Rutim, how are you feeling?” I whispered, since her pregnancy wasn’t common knowledge yet.

She smiled at me and replied, “I haven’t had any issues. I don’t think it’ll be much longer before I decide to tell everyone else the good news. But when that time comes, I’ll have to step back from my work in the post town.”

“Right. You should always put your health first.”

“Thank you. When the time comes, Morun should be able to start going to town in my place.”

After she finished handing out food to the guests, Morun Rutim walked over to join us.

“It’s been a while, Ai Fa and Asuta. Um, will the contest of strength with Lem Dom be held soon?”

“Hmm? Yes, I expect that will be happening not more than ten days from now,” Ai Fa replied.

“I see...” Morun Rutim said, casting her gaze downward. Her plump figure was kind of similar to her father’s. She also had his personality, boldness aside, so she must have been awfully upset about something to be acting this way.

“What’s the matter? Do you have some sort of connection to Lem Dom?”

“No, not to Lem Dom... She was away from home the whole time I was at the northern settlement, after all...”

Now that she mentioned it, she had spent quite a long while there providing cooking lessons.

“Ai Fa, is it even possible that you could lose to Lem Dom in a contest of strength between hunters?”

Ai Fa’s mouth was stuffed with giba meat and baked poitan, but after a moment she held her arms up, swallowed it all down, and answered, “If we fought a hundred times, Lem Dom wouldn’t get the better of me even once. But if we fought more than a hundred times, it’s possible that I could end up being the one on the ground at least once.”

“I see. Then in the end, Lem Dom will have to go back to living as a woman,” Morun Rutim stated, sounding relieved. However, Ai Fa tilted her head questioningly in response.

“We can’t say that for sure until it actually happens. If she does try more than a hundred times, she may well beat me at some point.”

“Huh? But doesn’t she only have a single chance?”

“No, it’s not just one bout. It’s one whole day,” Ai Fa plainly stated. “After I have regained my strength as a hunter, I shall devote one full day to Lem Dom. If she can beat me during that time, then she will be qualified to live as a hunter.”

“Huh?! Why did you offer her terms like that?!”

“That was what seemed fair. And looking at it another way, even if she did manage to beat me once in a contest of strength, that wouldn’t necessarily mean she’s strong enough to be a hunter. After all, a hunter needs to have enough endurance to keep moving around in the forest for hours on end,” Ai Fa said, slurping some soup. “She will challenge me to contests of strength all day, and if she can steal a victory before running out stamina, then it will be proof that she has what it takes to live as a hunter. There aren’t even many men at the forest’s edge who could achieve such a victory, after all.”

“Then...there’s a chance that Lem Dom could win?” Morun Rutim asked, sadly hanging her head.

Looking more and more perplexed, Ai Fa said, “Perhaps, but her odds of victory are quite low. And if she does happen to win, it will prove she is as strong as a man. Why are you so sad about that?”

“Well, I’m just worried about Deek Dom... He truly wishes for her to live as a woman.”

I was still wondering why that meant she had to look so down, but Ai Fa continued by taking things in an entirely different direction.

“My mother truly wished for me to live as a woman as well. Her soul returned to the forest before she could see me become a hunter...but had she lived on, I have no idea how she would have felt about it.”

Morun Rutim stared at Ai Fa, sadness still in her eyes.

However, Ai Fa answered her expression with a terribly serious gaze.

“It is impossible to know how Deek Dom will truly feel about this until it actually comes to pass. But I would hope that he will feel blessed as the one and only family member she has if she manages to find a path through life that makes her happy... That is all I have to say.”

“Right.” Morun Rutim nodded, bringing her hands together in front of her chest and bowing deeply to Ai Fa. “I ask that you take good care of Lem Dom. And I will pray to the forest for those two from the Dom clan to find their way to happiness.”

“Indeed,” Ai Fa replied with a hearty nod.

At around the same time, there seemed to be a bit of a commotion brewing in the center of the plaza. Looking in that direction, I saw Rolo getting dragged over to the ritual flame by an unfamiliar man. She seemed to be shouting something, but I couldn’t make it out from here. However, it appeared to me that she was being challenged to a contest of strength.

“Ah, that girl’s supposedly quite strong! Not just anyone can finish off a giba with a wooden sword!” Dan Rutim remarked with a hearty chuckle. Rolo was so incredibly timid that I was worried about whether it was okay to allow this to go on, but it seemed she was able to stiffen her resolve as well after a word from Gamley.

As the crowd around them cheered, the contest of strength kicked off...and in a single instant, the man was down on the ground. He had tried to reach out toward her, but she had grabbed him by the arm and swept his legs out from underneath him for an easy takedown.

Rolo bowed repeatedly to the man lying on the ground, but then another challenger stepped forward in front of her. However, he was defeated just as easily, this time by a move that reminded me of the aikido technique known as kotegaeshi. And yet again, Rolo started bowing profusely in apology.

“Hmm. She seems quite skilled at redirecting force! That’s an impressive technique. She hardly has to use any of her own strength!” Dan Rutim commented, his eyes sparkling as his huge frame leaned forward. “How interesting! Perhaps I should challenge her as well!”

“Hold on. It would be rather tactless for someone strong enough to be in our top eight to suddenly throw himself into something that’s just supposed to be a performance, don’t you think?” Gazraan Rutim said, gently chiding his father.

In the meantime, Doga had also been recruited to engage in a contest of strength. Though it was a close match, the giant managed to force his opponent to the ground in the end. The hunters cheered his victory, and a sizable crowd gathered around the two of them.

“Hmm. So there really are townsfolk like that after all. Even if our men have been drinking, it’s pretty amazing that those two have the skill to defeat hunters of the forest’s edge in a contest of strength,” a low voice belonging to a young man suddenly said next to me. It hadn’t come from any of the people who had been sitting on the mat, but rather from a tall man who was passing by... The second son of the main Ruu house, Darmu Ruu.

Beside him was Sheera Ruu, who I hadn’t seen all evening. She gave us a slight bow, while Darmu Ruu was glaring at Ai Fa.

“Plus, that little one is a woman dressed like a man. As a fellow woman, are you really not going to challenge her, Ai Fa?”

“Hmm? That girl seems to be quite skilled, and I’ve only just started training to regain my strength, so I would need at least ten more days before I could beat her.”

“That’s rather timid of you. It seems even you’ve had some of the brashness knocked out of you after all the times you’ve been injured.”

Somehow, Darmu Ruu’s tone seemed different than usual. Perhaps thinking the same thing, Ai Fa raised a doubtful eyebrow and said, “Ah, so you’ve finally healed enough to be allowed to drink fruit wine again?”

“That’s right. As you can see, the skin’s grown back enough to cover the tendons,” Darmu Ruu said, switching his bottle of fruit wine over to his left hand and showing us his right palm. There was indeed a fresh layer of pinkish skin across it. The idea that the flesh underneath had been exposed until recently felt painful to even imagine. “Before much longer, I’ll be able to grip a sword again, and as soon as I can do that, I’ll be able to head back into the forest right away. After all, I kept training every part of my body other than this hand.”

“I see. That’s certainly good news.”

“Your wounds have healed too, haven’t they? But it takes a long time to get your strength back after fracturing a rib.”

It was rare for Darmu Ruu to be this talkative, and he kinda sounded like he was getting worked up over something. And seeing how the scar on his right cheek was flushed red, it seemed that he had been drinking quite a bit.

Is this gonna be a problem? I’m honestly a bit worried...

I had only seen Darmu Ruu look this animated once before, on the first night we stayed over at the Ruu settlement, when he confronted Ai Fa and started complaining about her life choices.

He really was at his worst that night. Honestly, my impression of him had hardly been any different from my impression of Diga. He had been rude and verbally abusive toward Ai Fa, insisting she should quit playing at being a hunter and marry him instead.

But knowing nothing of my concerns, Darmu Ruu kneeled down and peered at Ai Fa’s face. His eyes shone like a wild wolf’s as he glared at her up close and personal.

“Thinking back, we’ve both gotten injured at the same time a lot, Ai Fa. When I got this scar on my face, you hurt your right arm. And when my hand was wounded, you injured your ribs.”

“Yes, you are indeed correct about that.”

“Yet once again, it seems I’ll be making it back to the forest first. That must be pretty frustrating for you, considering how much you scorn me.”

Ai Fa tilted her head and looked perplexed, though her expression barely changed. “You said something similar before in the post town. But I have no quarrel with you, nor have I ever regarded you with scorn.”

“Don’t be ridiculous... No one has ever shunned me harder than you.”

“Why do you say that? You aren’t the only one who couldn’t accept me living as a hunter, and besides...you had a reason to feel angry. I was rather harsh when I rejected the Ruu clan’s offer to take me in as a bride.”

Darmu Ruu frowned heavily and continued glaring at Ai Fa’s face. However, it had no effect on her flawless composure.

“At any rate, I’m glad to see that you have been able to recover your strength as a hunter so quickly. Even more so, considering how severe Donda Ruu’s injuries were. As I have been permitted to call myself a friend of the Ruu clan, I would like to wish you well.”

“Hmph, wish me well?!” Darmu Ruu snapped back, suddenly getting up. The scar on his right cheek was turning even redder. “Whenever I let you talk, you always end up getting cheeky with me! If you’re frustrated that I’m ahead of you, then come out and say it!”

“I’m telling you, I hold no such feelings... You’re acting like a child, Darmu Ruu,” Ai Fa said, letting a strained chuckle escape her.

Darmu Ruu clawed at his head, but then Sheera Ruu finally decided to speak up, unable to stay silent any longer. “My apologies, Ai Fa... Darmu Ruu, you’ve had too much fruit wine to drink. It’s been some time since you last partook, so you need to have some restraint.”

“You’re the one who was so persistent about getting me to start drinking again in the first place, aren’t you?! So why are you lecturing me again now?!”

This was definitely the alcohol talking. As Ai Fa had said, his words and actions were growing more and more childish. Sheera Ruu was smiling at the young hunter, but she looked an awful lot like the mother of a troublemaking kid.

“If you’re going to be drinking, then you should eat something too. The whole roast giba is just about ready, you know.”

“Hmph!” Darmu Ruu snorted, his gaze turning toward Ai Fa once more. “Ai Fa! There are two types of hunter who frequently get injured! Those who aren’t strong enough, and those who keep fighting giba head-on with no fear!”

“Indeed.”

“You were strong enough to make it into the top eight in one of the Ruu clan’s contests of strength, so you definitely aren’t weak! Still, when you’re injured, you make the members of your clan worry for you! And even if that guy’s a sketchy outsider, you still see him as an important member of your family, don’t you?! If you don’t want to make him sad, then don’t be so arrogant when you’re out there doing your duty as a hunter from now on!”

“Hmm. While I’d like to repeat those exact same words back at you, I cannot say you’re completely wrong. I always intended to continue doing the best I can in the future, but I will also be sure to keep your words in mind.”

Darmu Ruu glared at my perfectly calm clan head for a while longer, and then he turned and staggered off. Sheera Ruu bowed to us, still smiling in exactly the same way, before following after him.

“Hmm... He seems to have gotten quite drunk from his first taste of wine in so long. I had to abstain from it for a while too when my leg was injured, and after that I was only able to drink half as much as I could before,” Dan Rutim remarked, taking a swig of fruit wine with a hearty chuckle. “And Darmu Ruu wasn’t all that strong of a drinker to begin with. He didn’t mean anything bad by it, though, so pay him no mind, Ai Fa.”

“I’m not bothered. If anything, I’m happy.”

“Oh, is that so? Then I guess I didn’t need to say anything.” And with that, Dan Rutim returned to his friendly chat with Dora’s family.

I brought my mouth close to Ai Fa’s ear. “You were happy? I was breaking out in a cold sweat, myself. Haven’t had that happen in a while...”

“I didn’t need Dan Rutim to tell me that there was no ill intent behind Darmu Ruu’s words. He was concerned for me, in his own way. There has been some bad blood between us in the past, though, so it makes me happy to know that our relationship is finally improving,” she said, chuckling a bit again. “Besides, even if it was because of the alcohol, he was acting just like a little kid. Who would have guessed that he had that kind of a cute side to him.”

“Cute? Who, Darmu Ruu?”

“Indeed. He is a fine hunter with enough courage to even let himself be injured for the sake of his family. And he’s fierce like Donda Ruu as well. I think it’s very cute when a man of his character acts like such a child.”

I was left at a loss for words.

Ai Fa had been wearing a real, honest smile, but now she was raising a questioning eyebrow at me. “What is it? You’re making a pretty strange face there, Asuta.”

“Ah, no, you see... Er, I think you’ll probably understand my feelings if you imagine me calling another girl around our age cute?” I said, but then I started waving my hands in a fluster. “No, wait, that sounded way too pathetic! Just forget I said anything!”

“I cannot simply forget the things I hear,” Ai Fa replied, her lovely lips shifting into a frown. “I most certainly didn’t mean anything like what you’re implying when I said he was cute. Shouldn’t you have realized that much yourself, Asuta?”

“Hey, that’s why I’m saying I was wrong.”

“Even if Darmu Ruu were a woman, he isn’t someone I would want for a bride.”

“I-I get it, okay? It was just such an unexpected comment that it caught me completely off guard. Please, forgive me.”

Ai Fa continued staring at my face suspiciously, but then she seemed to make up her mind and brought her mouth close to my ear.

“You’re the one I find cutest of all, Asuta.”

I had been slain by a surprise attack, but at least nobody could see the way my face was changing color, thanks to the bonfire being the only source of illumination in the plaza.

All around us, the Ruu, their related clans, and their guests partied on, showing no signs whatsoever that they were getting tired or slowing down.