Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 24 - Chapter 1.7

7

The next two days passed without incident...at least, on the surface. Thankfully, there weren’t any serious commotions or accidents during that time. Myme was able to operate her business without issue and Mikel was recovering at a steady rate. The other leading clan heads and the nobles hadn’t raised any objections about their stay with the Ruu clan either.

However, the law did not treat residents of the Turan lands, such as Mikel and Myme, the same as outsiders like Bartha and Jeeda. Apparently, there were procedures to follow when someone moved from one region of Genos to another. Furthermore, the settlement at the forest’s edge was a pretty unconventional part of the Genos domain. Things worked differently there in a lot of ways, the biggest probably being the lack of any taxes.

For example, if someone were to move from the Turan lands to the Daleim lands, the person in charge of their taxes would change. There was a whole process involved in that, similar to transferring your family register when moving to a new address in my old world, which was necessary in order to properly keep track of which houses would become empty and which would gain new residents. It made a lot of sense as a way to manage taxation. The ruling lord would take possession of any empty houses, and no one would be allowed to live in them without permission.

But then there was our settlement. Until very recently, it would have been unthinkable for anyone who wasn’t a person of the forest’s edge to live there. There had never been a need to hammer out the legal details involved in situations like this one.

Officially, Bartha, Jeeda, and I were being treated as guests. Our staying at the settlement was considered to be the same thing as travelers spending the night at an inn, despite the fact that, unlike Bartha and Jeeda, the people of the forest’s edge had accepted me as one of their own. Of course, the nobles of Genos still had some serious concerns about all this, since I was a mysterious foreigner who came from overseas, but they had ultimately given me permission to live freely. I was still formally considered to be a guest, but I wasn’t forbidden from calling myself a person of the forest’s edge.

So, with that background information in mind, we now had Mikel and Myme to deal with. In order to keep things from getting any more complicated, we took the stance that they should also be treated as guests, just like Bartha. They were still residents of the Turan lands, but they had a good reason for staying with us at the forest’s edge, and from our perspective there was no problem with them still paying taxes to the house of Turan like they always had. Since that was the position we took, they were permitted to stay at the forest’s edge without any issues.

Anyway, it all worked out, no problem. However, that still left the question of when exactly Shumiral would return to Genos weighing on my mind. He had asked to marry Vina Ruu, and if she accepted his proposal, there would be a ton of issues we’d need to work out with the nobles of Genos once again. They had gradually come to accept my presence over the course of the chaos surrounding Cyclaeus playing out, but Shumiral didn’t have any of that working in his favor. He simply wished to become a person of the forest’s edge.

If an outsider wanted to take up permanent residence at the forest’s edge, how would the law handle that, and what would the nobles decide to do? A lot of questions had been glossed over in my case, but the nobles of Genos would have to make an official determination this time. It was no longer an issue they could avoid tackling. But honestly, it was kinda strange that outsiders weren’t already allowed to marry into the forest’s edge.

The people of the forest’s edge were all citizens of Genos, but they were treated differently than everyone else. Even if the distinction had arisen as a result of the hunters’ fearsome nature, it wasn’t as if none of us ever left the forest, so Genos’s laws and customs would definitely need to be revised in the future.

That also included the taxes the people of the forest’s edge were currently exempt from, which they would almost certainly need to start paying eventually. One of my aims was to make sure they all became wealthy enough that the added burden wouldn’t lead to any of them starving. But of course, both the taxation issue and Shumiral’s return were problems that hadn’t quite cropped up yet, so it was no use worrying about them too much.

It would be fair to say that there had been no major disturbances over the past two days, but if I had to come up with something to complain about, it should be no surprise that the training at the Ravitz settlement would be it.

“This is the third day of our agreement. It’s been a bit hectic, but I think I’ve managed to cover everything I wanted to,” I said, standing in the kitchen of the main Ravitz house.

This was the last day Dei Ravitz had granted me for teaching. We had once again spent an hour or so after wrapping up work in the post town on cooking lessons, which we had just concluded. Our six students were the same group of women we had taught on the first day.

Still looking like a Jizo statue, Lili Ravitz gave us a slight bow on behalf of the group. “Thank you for all of your help. We will start teaching our other women these techniques tomorrow.”

“Good. I hope you’ll all be able to learn about the joys of delicious food in the process.”

Even after three days had passed, they were still as stiffly polite as ever, and I couldn’t sense their true feelings at all. Even as they tried a bit of one dish after another, all they said was, “This seems tasty,” never getting worked up like the women from other clans.

It looked to me like they were intentionally suppressing their emotions. The youngest woman from the Vin in particular had been visibly holding herself back from showing her surprise each time she tried something. However, she couldn’t conceal the sparkle in her eyes.

“Now then, we have to get started on dinner soon. Please take care on your return trip.”

“Ah, if you don’t mind, would it be possible for us to watch you making dinner?”

Lili Ravitz tilted her head a bit in response to my request. “Why would you ask for such a thing? Members of other clans are not permitted to assist in making dinner.”

“We won’t get involved, and we’ll try to keep our talking to a minimum. Tomorrow’s a day off from work in the post town for us, so I thought maybe we could wait here a bit longer for Dei Ravitz to return. Would you mind if we observe you and see how much your skills have improved in the meantime?”

Lili Ravitz still looked puzzled, but she ultimately gave us permission to stay.

The Vin and Naham women needed to return to their own houses, so I had two members of our group accompany each of them. Toor Deen and the Ratsu woman went to visit the Vin clan, Yun Sudra and the Dagora woman did the same for the Naham, and Fei Beim and I remained at the Ravitz house.

Lili Ravitz and the other woman who had participated in the lessons set about making dinner. Apparently, they wouldn’t be bringing in any additional chefs for the task.

“By the way, what were you planning on making today?”

“Well, the clan head told us to show him the results of our training, so we were planning to prepare everything you’ve taught us how to make.”

That said, the only ingredients they had were aria, poitan, salt, pico leaves, and fruit wine. Really, the only reason I had been able to finish my cooking lessons in three days was because the ingredients they had available to them were so limited.

Lili Ravitz filled a pot with water and got to work on making some giba soup, while the other woman began preparing the poitan. It was still two hours or so until sunset, so there was plenty of time to cook them. It didn’t seem like there would be any need for me to step in again. They had taken their studies seriously, just like the women from the Dai and the other clans.

The others seem to be having some real trouble with the men, but there really haven’t been any issues on our end. Of course, it wasn’t like either the men or the women had been unwilling to learn from us. If they had refused, that would have been the end of it, obviously. But apparently, their men never brought down many giba, and since Ai Fa and the others weren’t being allowed to assist in the actual hunting, it seemed their lessons weren’t really progressing.

I have to wonder what kind of person Dei Ravitz actually is. That was the one thing weighing on my mind. The Ravitz were a parent clan, and he was the clan head. His opinions surely had a huge impact on the Vin and Naham, just like how it was with Donda Ruu in his role as leader of the Ruu clan. He must have been the one to decide that Lili Ravitz and the other women shouldn’t let their emotions show. However, it was also possible that they were simply following the custom that there should be a clear boundary between those who do not share blood ties.

Gulaf Zaza and his people helped us take down Cyclaeus, and we were able to bridge the gap between us and the Beim thanks to their neighbors, the Gaaz and Ratsu. I wouldn’t go as far as to say we’re friends yet, but at least we’ve all been able to share our thoughts now.

The people of the northern settlement were exceptionally dauntless and deeply valued old customs, so they were worried that increased interaction with outsiders would corrupt the people of the forest’s edge. The Beim, on the other hand, held a deep-seated resentment toward the townsfolk, stemming from the time when their clan head had been executed for taking revenge against a group of outlaws who had harmed one of their people.

Those were their reasons for being opposed to interacting and doing business with the townsfolk. But what was the Ravitz clan head’s viewpoint on the issue that led to him disagreeing with our actions? That was what I was wondering about at the moment.

I wasn’t able to speak to Dei Ravitz yesterday since he got back late, so today I’m going to stick around as long as I can and wait for him to return. If I let this chance slip by, I might not be able to talk with him again until the clan head meeting.

Honestly, it seemed pretty obvious what the result of the meeting would be if we were to go by majority rule. As long as the neutral Sauti clan didn’t switch to opposing us, the majority of the people of the forest’s edge were already in agreement with the Fa clan’s actions. Still, even if it was a majority, it wasn’t an overwhelming one. Out of thirty-seven clans, the Zaza led seven of them, the Beim two, and the Ravitz three, meaning twelve clans opposed us. The number of people in each clan varied, so I didn’t have an exact count of those for or against us, but twelve clans out of thirty-seven was practically a third.

If at all possible, I wanted everyone to come together in deciding the path forward for us. If we chose a new path to walk, there would surely still be new hardships awaiting us. Whatever difficulties arose to replace the threat of starvation, I wanted to overcome them as a community. That was something I felt very strongly about.

“You are an unusual man,” Lili Ravitz suddenly muttered. “Why are you so concerned about us people of the forest’s edge, even though you were born in a foreign land?”

“Because your people deeply charmed me. I was raised in a town, but I really want to be recognized as a fellow person of the forest’s edge.”

“But you are already a member of the Fa clan, and the leading clan heads have accepted that. And yet, you’re always acting like a townsperson and trying to change our way of living. That means you think our ways are mistaken, does it not?” Lili Ravitz questioned, her face remaining as calm as ever.

“Maybe, in a way. I believe the Suun clan ended up as they did because of their involvement with the townsfolk and nobles. But that’s all the more reason to form proper bonds with the people of Genos, I’d say. Ai Fa, Donda Ruu, and so many others feel the same way, which is why they’ve allowed me to do what I’ve been doing. If I had been a townsperson instead, I might have still tried to reach out to you from the other side instead. What I want most of all is for everyone to get along well.”

Lili Ravitz didn’t respond. She just silently kept on chopping aria. The other woman and Fei Beim didn’t say a word either.

After a while, when the women were almost done with the prep work, I sensed a group approaching. The hunters had returned from the forest. The door to the kitchen swung open, and a familiar bald head peered inside.

“So you really are still here. I figured, since I saw your totos out there.”

“Hey there. How was it today?”

“Hmph. I think we probably succeeded at that bloodletting stuff. The others carried the giba off to a branch house, and they’re skinning it now.” Dei Ravitz barged into the kitchen and stared down at the workstation the women were using. “Hmm. Looks like you’re making all sorts of stuff.”

“Yes. As you asked, we are preparing every dish that we have learned from Asuta of the Fa clan.”

The giba soup, baked poitan, and stew made with fruit wine were nearly finished. They were also nearly ready to start cooking the giba steak, meatballs, and boneless rib and aria stir-fry. That was everything I had taught the Ravitz women over the past three days.

“Good work, there. That’ll be the end of these cooking lessons, then. We’ve got business to take care of around here, so you should hurry up and leave.”

After saying that, Dei Ravitz quickly left. After telling Fei Beim to keep an eye on things in the kitchen, I followed after him.

“Hold on, Dei Ravitz... Oh, Ai Fa, good work today.” Ai Fa was standing right in front of the Ravitz clan head. Baadu Fou must have been watching over the butchering process at the branch house. “I’ll be leaving soon, Dei Ravitz. But before I go, could we talk for a bit?”

“Talk? What in the world is there to discuss?”

“I’d like to know why the Ravitz oppose the Fa clan’s actions.”

Dei Ravitz’s nearly browless eyes narrowed as he looked at me questioningly. “Is there any point in telling you?”

“Yes. I more or less know the Zaza and Beim clan heads’ thoughts about all this, so I would like to hear your feelings as well.”

“You sure are an odd one. Still, if that weren’t the case, I couldn’t imagine you ever coming all the way out here for this in the first place.” Dei Ravitz crossed his arms and stared at me and Ai Fa. “Well, if you really want to know, then I’ll just come out and say it. I see no reason to hide my feelings or lie to you about them.”

“Okay, thank y—”

“I can’t stand you lot,” Dei Ravitz stated bluntly, cutting me off.

“Y-You can’t stand us?”

“That’s right. I hate you. What, did you assume I liked you guys or something?” In spite of what he was saying, I didn’t sense any animosity or malice from Dei Ravitz. Ai Fa also seemed calm as she listened to his words. “A woman hunter who won’t fulfill her role as a woman, and a man who cooks instead of carrying out a man’s work. Plus, you’re a foreigner to boot. I seriously can’t stand the thought of a foreigner calling himself a person of the forest’s edge, or of there being someone foolish enough to welcome a guy like that into her clan. That’s all there is to it.”

“I-I see. Well, if that’s really how you feel, I suppose that’s completely natural for a person of—”

“Of course I do. Personally, I can’t help but wonder if the Fou and Ruu have gone mad whenever I hear about how they’re handling things with you. Why are they accepting a foreigner’s way of thinking and turning their back on our traditions, eh?” Dei Ravitz muttered, despite not seeming worked up in the least. “That’s why I can’t stand to see you coming and going here at the Ravitz settlement. If your lessons are done after today, that’s a big relief. You should be getting ready to go right now too, shouldn’t you, Fa clan head?”

“I cannot do that. You still haven’t fully mastered the technique yet. There are still a few days left in our break period, so I would like you to allow us to continue coming to the Ravitz settlement until the end,” Ai Fa replied, her voice full of its usual weight. “Now that you have told us to our faces that you do not like us, I finally understand. I’m surprised you’ve been willing to follow my instructions so far without complaining, all things considered.”

“As if I could be rude when you were teaching us something. I kept my emotions contained for the sake of delicious food.”

“Your desire to eat well is quite strong, isn’t it?”

“Of course. As if I would invite you lot into my house otherwise. The Naham and Vin clan heads under me were really captivated by your delicious cooking too.”

Ai Fa’s eyes narrowed slightly. However, it didn’t look like she was in a bad mood. “I find you to be an amusing man. Even if you hate me, I am still fond of you. It’s almost a shame our houses are so far apart.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve got a wife already, and I love her.”

“You’re the one being ridiculous. I am a hunter, so I would never say I was fond of you in that way,” Ai Fa shot back with a little shrug. “At any rate, Asuta was the one who wanted to speak to you. Sunset is fast approaching, so we should leave soon.”

“Right. I’ll wrap things up as quickly as possible.” As the sky was steadily being dyed purple, I stared directly at the Ravitz clan head. “Dei Ravitz, could I ask you to send one of your women to work for me like the Beim clan does?”

Dei Ravitz glared back at me with his expression unchanged as he replied, “What? That’s quite a wild proposition. Were you not listening to what I said? Why should I entrust a precious member of my clan to a suspicious guy like you?”

“So we can deepen our understanding of one another. I want you to decide whether the Fa clan’s actions are mistaken based on information coming from as close to the center of things as possible.”

“There’s no need for that. I already know how I feel.” He was listening to my words, but his rejection was so firm that there didn’t seem to be much room for argument. However, I thought I could see a glimmer of hope in his detached nature.

“Dei Ravitz, it isn’t as if Donda Ruu and the other clan heads accepted me immediately without any reservations. Donda Ruu even called my presence a poison. It took a lot of work to earn his acknowledgment. When I asked for help so I could start my business in the post town, he even told me he would demand my right arm if I betrayed the trust of the people of the forest’s edge.”

“Hmph. That’s only natural for one of the leaders of our people.”

“Right. The Fa and Ruu clans have a relationship of trust now, but it took us a long time to get to that point. I want to build a relationship like that with the Ravitz as well.”

“I told you, I already know how I feel, so—”

“But you hardly know anything about me or Ai Fa, do you?” I said, stealing his trademark move and cutting him off for once. Dei Ravitz’s expression shifted a bit as he glared at me. “And you said that you don’t know what Donda Ruu and Baadu Fou are thinking, right? Well, those two are important comrades to me, so I’d really like you to fully understand why they would accept a stranger like me.”

“Hmph. So you’re aware of how suspicious you are?”

“Of course. Nobody understands that fact better than I do.” That was how I truly felt, and it was also why I was so truly grateful to everyone who had accepted me nonetheless. “If you still hate me, fair enough, but I want you to understand my true nature. So, would you be willing to try to see past the surface and find out what sort of person I really am before hating me? I wouldn’t have any complaints then.”

“You sure are persistent. I will never acknowledge a man who, on top of being a foreigner, won’t even do his proper work as a hunter.”

“So you say, but the northern clans don’t acknowledge you as proper hunters, do they?” Ai Fa suddenly interjected. “You focus more on protecting your lives than they do. That’s why you hunt fewer giba than other clans. To the daring hunters of the north, such behavior makes you seem weak.”

“Hmph. As the head of the main house, it’s my job to decide what the Ravitz clan should do. Even the leading clans have no right to interfere.”

“I know. Personally, I do not think your approach is wrong either. A hunter should always try to live and keep working for as long as they can, even if it’s only for one more day.” Even though Ai Fa was maintaining a solemn demeanor, her eyes seemed to be smiling. “I myself used to act recklessly when I was on the hunt, back when I didn’t have any other clan members. I performed sacrificial hunting more frequently than I do now, and I wanted nothing more than to meet my end out in the forest. I believe that recklessness was born of having no one waiting for me to come home.”

“What foolishness. If you were planning to die at such an early age, why were you even born? The souls of so many young people who wanted to live have returned to the forest against their will. We all have a responsibility to survive as long as we can.”

“Indeed. I think I finally understand you now. That is why I cannot bring myself to hate you. But I never would’ve been able to come to this understanding if I hadn’t gone into the forest with you for the last several days.”

Dei Ravitz simply listened to her in silence.

“To be honest, at first I thought you were a disagreeable man. You appeared to have little interest in your work as a hunter, and you seemed stubborn and narrow-minded. It wasn’t until I spent a fair amount of time with you that I started to feel otherwise. Won’t you give Asuta the same opportunity? I would like to make that request as well, as the Fa clan head.”

Dei Ravitz sighed, rubbing his bald head. “What a hassle. If I had known this was how things were going to turn out, I never would have invited you to come here.”

“You lost your appetite. There’s no point in regretting it now. It seems to me that carelessness is a weakness of yours. That is why your work is so sloppy.”

“You sure do run your mouth, considering you’re a guest at someone else’s house.”

“We are both speaking our minds freely.”

Ai Fa seemed to be having an easier time speaking to him than she usually did with other people. It was like she had more trouble talking to people who regarded her with goodwill and kindness than those who acted otherwise.

“So, are you willing to at least consider it, Dei Ravitz?” I chimed in. “I understand that you place a lot of value in blood ties. But I believe that having a strong bond that connects all of us, even if we aren’t related to one another, is more important. That would make the people of the forest’s edge stronger than they’ve ever been, don’t you think?”

“You’re not even a child of the forest, so even if you try to act all clever—”

“Asuta is a person of the forest’s edge. I have accepted him as a clan member, and the leading clan heads have found no fault with that. That is one point I refuse to yield on,” Ai Fa said in an especially firm tone, but then her expression softened. “Dei Ravitz, it is a person’s soul that determines who they truly are, is it not? Even though he was born at the forest’s edge, the forest will surely never forgive Zattsu Suun for how he strayed from the proper path. But that is also why I believe it is possible to consider someone born in a foreign land a precious comrade if he values the future of our people above all else.”

“Hmph. So you’re saying this Asuta’s soul is that of a true person of the forest’s edge?”

“I am. If my words are false, then may the mother forest take my soul back here and now.”

Dei Ravitz sighed once more, then stared up at the twilit sky. “What an absolute hassle.”

“Don’t grumble. Instead, you should simply decide what the correct way to go is as the leader of dozens of our people.”

Dei Ravitz shook his head, then looked at us in a bit of a sulk. “I cannot decide something this important all on my own. I’ll discuss it tomorrow with the Naham and Vin clan heads, so for now, you two should hurry up and go home.”

“Really? Thank you!” I said.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. We’ll discuss whether we should lend you a woman, but no matter how much you keep talking at me, I’ll never accept the idea of a woman hunter and a male cook.” And with that, Dei Ravitz turned around and left without even saying goodbye.

Ai Fa gave a bit of a strained smile as she watched him leave. “What a truly strange man. I think this might be the first time I’ve ever had such a hard time understanding another person of the forest’s edge.”

“That’s for sure. Still, I can’t bring myself to hate him either. That’s why I really want him to understand the Fa clan’s actions better,” I replied. Then I stared at Ai Fa’s face from the side. “Err, thanks, Ai Fa.”

“Hmm? What are you talking about?”

“I mean, you swore to the forest that I was a true person of the forest’s edge.”

Ai Fa shot me a displeased glare. “Is that truly something you need to thank me for? I simply spoke naturally.”

“I get that, but it makes me glad to hear someone say it again. Please don’t get so angry about it.”

“I’m not angry.”

“Then don’t sulk about it.”

“I’m not sulking either! Stop trying to find fault with me!” Ai Fa started to frown, but her thoughts seemed to shift midway through. “At any rate, the fact that Dei Ravitz is opposed to our actions remains unchanged. We should continue pushing forward in every way we can until we gain the approval of all of the clans.”

“Yeah. I agree.”

It seemed Ai Fa didn’t want to win by a simple majority vote either. How bright of a future could we show our fellow people of the forest’s edge in the half a year we had left? We both had to keep doing our best to meet that goal.

That goes for Shumiral too. In order to attain his own desires, Shumiral would need to be accepted as a person of the forest’s edge as well, and this experience had reminded me just how difficult that would be for him. Still, I’m sure Shumiral will be fine. He has his act together a whole lot better than I do, and he has a much firmer grasp on the logic of this world. That was why I wanted him to return alive and well as quickly as possible. But while I was thinking about that, Ai Fa brought her face close to mine.

“Asuta, what has you looking so worried?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing serious. It’s just...I can’t help but feel concerned about Shumiral not being back yet.”

“Shumiral is that easterner, is he not? Unlike Mikel and Myme, he is more than strong enough to protect himself, so there is no need for you to worry,” Ai Fa replied with a peevish look in her eyes. “I wish you wouldn’t make that face, like you’re a lost child. You’re going to make me worry too.”

“Ah, sorry... You’re kinda overprotective sometimes, aren’t you, Ai Fa?” That earned me a kick to the leg. “Actually, I was going to call you kind, but then I got embarrassed and switched to something else at the last second.”

And there came a second kick.

As all that was going on, Toor Deen and company returned from the plaza. But before they reached us, I hurriedly whispered to Ai Fa, “You guys are going to take tomorrow off from giving lessons too, right?”

“Indeed. We only have a few more days to teach them, but it’s important to get as much rest as you can when the time to do so comes.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “We’re also taking tomorrow off from doing business in the post town, so we should be able to spend the whole day actually relaxing for once. Well, I suppose in the evening I’ll still need to help out a bit so we’ll be ready for the day after tomorrow.”

“Right.”

“But I’m glad that I’ll finally be able to take some time to unwind with you again.”

I figured that might earn me yet another kick, but I still had to tell her what I was feeling. However, the look Ai Fa gave me was gentler than I expected it to be. Then she nodded and said, “Indeed.”

And then the sun finally set. There were only a few days left until our break period would be over.