Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 24 - Chapter 3.5

5

I attempted to push my way through to Ai Fa while being extremely careful to not brush up against any of the noblewomen who were present.

“My apologies for interrupting your chat, but would you mind if I cut in to speak to my clan head for a bit?”

With that, the noblewomen started to clear a path. It looked like a giant flower was blooming open, with Ai Fa standing in the center, clad in a beautiful dress. My heart started pounding for no reason in particular, and I hurried over to her.

“Ah, you are Sir Asuta of the Fa clan, are you not? I believe this is the first time we have met,” one of the noblewomen who had been staring dreamily at Ai Fa said to me. Apparently, she was the daughter of a viscount. A number of other women also introduced themselves, and after taking the time to give them all appropriate responses, I finally made it to my clan head.

“Hey there, Ai Fa. Looks like you’ve been getting to know a whole bunch of people tonight, huh?”

Ai Fa silently stared back at me, suppressing her emotions so they didn’t show on her face. The fact that she didn’t even give me an “Indeed” meant that she must have been pretty tired.

“We were talking about splitting up into new groups and going around the hall a bit more. Would it be possible to ask you all to save the rest of your discussion for later?”

“Yes, of course.”

“We shall see you again soon, Lady Ai Fa.”

“Do not forget your promise to dance with me, all right?”

The noblewomen were clearly reluctant to part with Ai Fa, but they went ahead and dispersed. My clan head sighed deeply, then once again looked my way.

“You saved me, and you have my thanks for that.”

“You better not let those noblewomen hear that. By the way, what was that about promising to dance?”

“I have no idea. I don’t recall ever making such a promise,” Ai Fa quietly muttered, snatching one of the roll cakes out of my hands. She bit into it almost desperately and sighed. “It’s sweet.”

“But not too sweet, right? Toor Deen worked hard to make it.”

“Indeed. I can feel it soothing my nerves.”

She sounded so done that I couldn’t help but smile.

“Even dressed like that, ladies are still drawn to you. You’re just so gallant that men and women alike are always falling for your charms.”

“Don’t joke. I’m exhausted.”

Spending so much time surrounded by unfamiliar faces was really taxing for Ai Fa. That was true even when it came to her fellow people of the forest’s edge, so naturally it applied to these noblewomen from the castle town as well.

“Can we step outside to get some fresh air? I feel like I won’t be able to last until the end of the party at this rate.”

“Why don’t we go ask Polarth? But can I quickly say hello to Arishuna first?”

I could now spy Arishuna not far from Ai Fa. Her slender figure was seated in a large chair up against the wall, and she looked just as worn down as Ai Fa.

“Are you all right, Arishuna? You look pretty tired.”

Arishuna raised her face and stared up at me from within the shadow of her hood, which was pulled far up over her head.

“Asuta, I am sorry, for the late greeting.”

“Ah, no, you’re not able to move from this spot, so I’m the one who’s late greeting you. Are you not feeling well right now?”

“I am, fine. Star reading, is tiring. I did not have, any time to rest, until the women, from the forest’s edge, arrived, so I am simply, a little weary.”

I definitely felt bad for her, hearing that. It seemed the young women of the castle town really did have a strong interest in fortune-telling.

“We prepared a lot of special giba dishes for today, so please give it a try if you find the time. I asked Polarth to have some set aside for you.”

“Special giba dishes? I am, very much interested.”

“Yeah. We even came up with one that uses curry flavoring in a different way than normal. If we can borrow a steamer from the kitchen, we should be able to make it taste even better for you.”

Arishuna’s black eyes started sparkling with obvious joy. “Asuta, you have, my gratitude. I feel as if, new life has, been breathed into, the flames of, my life force.”

“Hearing stuff like that makes me feel kind of awkward... Um, it may be bad manners to pass something like this to you by hand, but would you like to try this?” I was holding another roll cake in my hand, of the kind where both the dough and the cream had been made with gigi leaves. Arishuna politely accepted it from me.

“The cooking from, your stalls, is always passed to me, by hand, so I do not, find it rude.”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true. I hope it’s to your tastes.”

“Thank you... Your consideration, touches me deeply,” Arishuna stated, bowing her head deeply. “Um, I am having, difficulty preventing, my expression from shifting. I would like, to talk more, with you, but could I, have a bit, of time?”

“Got it. I have something to take care of myself, so I’ll see you later.”

I stepped away, back toward Ai Fa, but I found that she was looking off in a totally different direction. Following her gaze, I spotted Geol Zaza looking bewildered, with noble ladies laughing elegantly all around him.

“Wh-What in the world is going on over there?”

“I am not completely certain, but it seems that some women who heard the stories about that swordsmanship tournament have taken an interest in him. Just like with contests of strength at the forest’s edge, those who have achieved success there are rewarded with great acclaim.”

Right. Taking fourth place in that tournament was definitely worthy of praise. And Geol Zaza didn’t have a blue flower, so anyone could feel free to talk with him without the slightest hesitation.

Wondering what his sister was up to, I glanced around and found that she was chatting with Leiriss, and both of them were holding roll cakes. Leiriss was smiling casually, while Sufira Zaza was as expressionless as always.

“That noble doesn’t appear to be wearing a flower,” Ai Fa whispered to me. It was true; the only thing he had on his chest was the crest of the house of Saturas.

“So he doesn’t have a woman with him either. Still, after all the problems Leeheim and Geimalos caused, I can’t imagine him being dumb enough to repeat their mistakes,” I said.

“Hmm.”

Something seemed to be worrying Ai Fa, but I hadn’t seen anything that suggested to me that Leiriss might be dangerous. At least, not according to my admittedly terrible judgment about such things. Just like when we were talking a little while ago, he was simply smiling tactfully at his conversation partner, as a young nobleman would be expected to do.

On the opposite side of the table from the two of them, Dari Sauti was talking with another group: Polarth’s family. Apparently, the leading clan head had called out to them as they were passing by.

Aside from that, I noticed that young men and women had finally begun dancing in the center of the hall, and the musical performance had grown a bit louder. It wasn’t loud enough to interfere with those who wanted to keep chatting, though, so the event hall was only growing livelier as a result.

Then the doors leading into the room were once again opened.

“The chefs who catered for this event have arrived to offer their greetings,” a page called out, and I saw some very familiar faces step into the hall. “Announcing Sir Yang, the head chef for the house of Daleim; Sir Bozl and Lady Shilly Rou of the Silver Star; and Lady Reina Ruu, Lady Rimee Ruu, and Lady Toor Deen, the chefs of the forest’s edge.”

The chefs from the castle town were clad in their usual white attire. No surprises there. What was a surprise, though, was what the chefs from the forest’s edge were wearing. Reina Ruu seemed to be dressed in a chef’s outfit for men similar to the kind Shilly Rou wore, while Rimee Ruu and Toor Deen were in the same sort of maid-uniform-like clothes they had been given for the tea party.

The crowd gave a modest round of applause, taking care not to drown out the musical performance. A number of the noblewomen seemed to be really enjoying how cute Rimee Ruu and Toor Deen were. Once the clapping subsided, several people left the crowd and walked over to briefly talk with the chefs. They must have been praising the chefs for their amazing skills.

“Ai Fa, why don’t we go say hi too before we take our break?”

“Very well,” my clan head agreed, and so the two of us headed in that direction. I figured it was best to start by thanking our fellow people of the forest’s edge.

“Good work, you three. I was a little surprised to see you dressed like that, Reina Ruu.”

“Yeah. I was told to get changed for the greeting. And then Ludo laughed at me.” Reina Ruu’s cheeks were turning red from embarrassment, but I didn’t see anything to laugh at. Her dark skin contrasted nicely with the white outfit, which was very similar to the familiar chef’s attire from my old world. It suited her almost surprisingly well.

Of course, since it was made for men, the bottom half was composed of pants with cylindrical legs, but it didn’t look strange on her at all. In fact, the only problem with it that I could see was how tight it seemed to be around her chest.

Meanwhile, Rimee Ruu and Toor Deen were wearing dresses with aprons that made them look absolutely adorable. I started to call out to them too, only for a frilly figure to appear by my feet.

“Your sweets were really tasty, Toor Deen.” Naturally, it was none other than Odifia.

Looking incredibly flustered, Toor Deen bowed to the six-year-old noble. “Th-Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed them.”

“They were really tasty,” the expressionless girl repeated. Then she grabbed ahold of Toor Deen’s hands. “Make more for me sometime, okay?”

“O-Of course, whenever another chance to do so comes up.”

I shot a smile at the girls over Odifia’s head, and then moved to the right, to where Yang, Bozl, and Shilly Rou were standing. The head chef of the house of Daleim was wearing his usual calm smile.

“Your outfits suit you well, Sir Asuta and Lady Ai Fa.”

“Thank you. The food you all prepared turned out amazingly well.”

“I would appreciate hearing which dishes you enjoyed later. I am sure the other chefs made most of them, though.”

“No, no, you’re exceptionally skilled too, Sir Yang! That kimyuus skin dish was sublime!” Bozl chimed in with a loud laugh. He was an incredibly large man, of rare stature for someone from Jagar, and he had a deeply amused smile on his bearded face. “I’m also interested to hear your evaluation, Sir Asuta! Even just telling us which dish left the strongest impression on you would be plenty.”

“Let’s see... I still haven’t tried everything yet. But for now, I’d say the baked, skewered one that used thin slices of karon meat wrapped in fuwano really stood out to me.”

“Ooh! That’s one that I came up with! What an honor!”

So that dish was Bozl’s? Now that I thought about it, I had heard that he was the apprentice who had been assigned to work with meat. Was that why he was able to bring out such wonderful flavor from karon meat?

“Is that the only dish that caught your attention?” Shilly Rou interjected, standing beside Bozl. Her pale hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and her expression was full of competitive spirit. The white chef’s uniform also looked quite good on her.

“No, there were a lot of other ones too. There was the baked one with finely chopped karon meat, and the one that layered small bits of fish with gigo. Oh, and there was that karon meat dish that seemed to almost melt in my mouth.”

“That first one was Sir Yang’s dish, and Bozl made the other two,” Shilly Rou stated, glaring at me with an irritated look. “What about the desserts? That was what I was in charge of.”

“Ah, I see. Sorry, I still haven’t touched the desserts.”

“Are you saying you decided that the desserts I prepared weren’t even fit to taste?”

“Uh, no, I make a habit of eating desserts last, after I’ve had my fill of everything else, so I’ve been putting those off for later.”

Displeasure was swirling about in Shilly Rou’s eyes. It had been a fairly long time since we had last seen one another, so things between us felt a little tense. However, Rimee Ruu then came springing in from the side.

“Hey, Shilly Rou’s sweets are really good too! They’re yummy and have a mysterious taste, like all sorts of fruit flavors and smells exploding in your mouth!”

“I see. Then I look forward to trying them. Um, I’ll be sure to give them a shot later, I swear.”

Shilly Rou frowned childishly, while Bozl let out another hearty laugh.

“Shilly Rou and Sir Roy racked their brains in order to come up with sweets that would delight the people of the forest’s edge. They came out wonderfully, so I would certainly like for you to taste them!”

“Yeah, sure thing. I promise, I really am interested in seeing what you all made. By the way, did Roy not come along with you?”

“That’s right. He is only an assistant, not a true employee of the Silver Star, so unfortunately, he could not come along to be introduced as a chef,” Bozl explained, though his narrowed eyes looked even more amused than before. “However, I am certain that it will only be a few short years before he has a restaurant of his own, which would be no small feat for someone as young as he is. We certainly can’t afford to dawdle!”

“Hmph. You make it sound like we’re letting a business rival steal our techniques.” Shilly Rou’s mood wasn’t improving. Actually, I didn’t think I had ever seen her in a good mood. But regardless, I absolutely wanted to sample the desserts she had prepared for the people of the forest’s edge.

Other guests were coming to greet the chefs, so we had to yield our spots to them. Dari Sauti and the others had also split up into pairs of men and women and had come to thank Reina Ruu and the others. Toor Deen had the two Zaza siblings coming at her from both sides, which was making her look troubled and yet truly happy as she smiled at them.

“All right, let’s move on to the next few dishes,” I said, turning toward Ai Fa, only to find her looking back at me miserably. Now that I thought about it, we had been just about to take a short break before. I hurriedly nodded at my clan head, and then I called out to Polarth. “Um, would it be all right if we got a bit of fresh air?”

“Yes, of course. Look on the other side of that partitioning screen, and you will find a way out. There should be no danger, so please, take as long as you would like.”

“Thank you.”

After mentioning our intentions to Dari Sauti, we went ahead and stepped away.

The partitioning screen that Polarth had mentioned was set up along the left wall. We walked along the outer perimeter of the room so as to not interrupt the dancing until we reached the screen, on the other side of which we found a patio of sorts. It was paved with stone, and a number of chairs were scattered around. There were numerous flames illuminating the outer wall, so as long as we didn’t stray too far from the building, we had no need to worry about having limited visibility. The space in front of us was probably the inner garden, and beyond it I could see lit torches slowly moving back and forth. They were undoubtedly being carried by the guards who protected the manor. And since it was impossible for outlaws to get into the castle town anyway, it was clear that we were completely safe here, with security being this tight.

“I’m feeling a bit tired myself. Why don’t we take a seat?” I said, sitting down at a small round table, with Ai Fa taking the seat across from me. The sky above us was filled with stars, and the cool air and nighttime breeze felt really pleasant on my flushed skin. “The sun’s finally set, but the banquet is going to continue for a while.”

Ai Fa cast her gaze downward and gave a little sigh. As I had repeatedly thought to myself many times by now, she was wearing a dress. Her neatly combed blonde hair shined in the light from the outer wall, making her look all the more beautiful.

“Everyone seems to have done a fair bit of mingling, so coming here was definitely worth our while. I’m sorry you ended up getting dragged along with me, though, Ai Fa.”

“Don’t say that. This was my decision. If Polarth wishes to deepen ties with you, then as your clan head, I naturally wouldn’t want to get in the way of that,” Ai Fa replied, suddenly looking up at me. “This is a necessary step toward forming proper bonds with the nobles of Genos, correct? No matter how much trying this may be, I still feel proud of you for what you’re doing.”

“P-Proud?”

“Indeed. We never would have been able to connect with the nobles without you.” There was an incredibly serious look in her eyes, and it was making my pulse speed up even more. She was still Ai Fa, no matter what she was wearing, but seeing her in a dress really stirred up my emotions in a totally different way than usual. “I feel proud of the fact that you are a member of the Fa clan. Those feelings have never changed.”

“Thanks. It makes me incredibly happy to hear you say that. Still, I’m sorry that I can never seem to follow the common sense rules of the forest’s edge.”

When she heard me say that, Ai Fa smiled softly. “You’re still worried about that? It’s not a serious issue. You can act as you see fit.”

“Yeah, but...the Fa clan name is precious to you, and there’s only the two of us in our family, right? So I feel bad about how I’ve been ignoring your customs whenever they become any kind of problem for me.” Naturally, I was talking about how I referred to Ai Fa.

However, my clan head’s smile just softened even more as she reached out to me. And then, her ring-clad fingers gently wrapped around my hand.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s true that the custom at the forest’s edge is to refer to family without their clan name, and to give your clan name to those you acknowledge as being part of your clan as well. But the way we’ve been doing things isn’t hurting anyone, so I don’t think you need to pay that much mind.”

“R-Really?”

“Yes, really. What matters most to me is having you by my side. Terms of address are trivial in comparison.” Ai Fa’s grip grew ever so slightly stronger, and that sensation, along with her warmth, was making me even more flustered. “Besides...I find it quite pleasant, hearing you call me Ai Fa, so I also feel no need to force you to change.”

“If you really feel that way, then that’s a huge relief. My biggest worry was thinking that this might have been something that had been bothering you this entire time.”

“If it had been bothering me, I would have forced you to change it, even if I had to wring your neck to do it,” Ai Fa said with a chuckle. It was super rare to hear her laugh out loud like that. She must have been feeling really at ease, now that we were finally free of prying eyes. “I know that you call me Ai Fa with great affection. Indeed, I’m certain enough about that fact that this matter doesn’t concern me at all. You can keep acting as you always have, Asuta.”

“Yeah...”

“Still, I let the chance to give you a clan name slip by me. But as long as you aren’t going to get married, that shouldn’t be a problem. Perhaps I should plan to give it to you when the time comes for you to take a bride.”

“Hey, I’m not planning on marrying anyone, so...” I was about to start arguing the point in a fluster, but I stopped myself when I saw the sincere look in Ai Fa’s eyes. There was only one person in this world I would ever want to marry, and I had already informed my clan head of that fact, so despite her comments...I knew there was no need for me to run my mouth about it again. “Got it. If that time ever comes, then please do grant me the Fa name.”

“Of course.”

“Still, even if it doesn’t, the person I want to have by my side for the rest of my life is you, Ai Fa.”

Still wearing that same gentle smile, Ai Fa nodded and repeated, “Of course.”

Things seemed to be getting even livelier on the other side of the partition, but it felt like the two of us were in our own calm quiet little world. A powerful sense of déjà vu struck me then, and before I knew it, I found myself laughing. “This reminds me of the night of the festival of the hunt. We separated from everyone to talk like this that time too, didn’t we?”

“Hmm? Yes, we certainly did,” Ai Fa said with a confused tilt of her head. Then she brought her face close to mine as if to make sure no one could possibly overhear. “Still, it’s no surprise that we keep doing this. I’m not good with banquets of any kind... Whenever I have that many unfamiliar faces surrounding me, I always find myself wanting to talk with you so badly I can hardly stand it.”

“You like to have your family pamper you, huh?” That comment earned me an angry headbutt from my clan head. However, her fingers were still gripping my hand all the while. “All right, why don’t we take just a bit more of a break before heading back in?”

Ai Fa frowned a bit, but she still looked happy as she nodded. “Sure.”

It was wonderful to have some time to relax together like this. The woman who was more important to me than anyone in the world was there by my side, and I had been reminded once again of how blessed I was to have her with me.

“So much has happened during the golden month,” I said, speaking first the words that came to mind as I felt the warmth of Ai Fa’s fingers. “First there was the festival of the hunt with the six clans, then we taught the Dai, Ravitz, and Suun bloodletting and cooking techniques. Our break period passed us by in a flash, Shumiral finally returned to Genos, and now we’ve got this dance party to top things off.”

“There are still a few days left in the month.”

“Right. Then, at the end of this month, the rainy season will begin. I’ll need to spend some time on research to figure out what we can do with the vegetables that’re going to be available to us, and the work on that path running through the forest’s edge will be starting... It seems like next month is gonna be really busy too.”

“Is that troubling?” Ai Fa asked with a smile.

“No, not in the least,” I replied with a grin of my own. “Each and every day I’ve spent here has been fun and exciting for me. And it’s all thanks to you finding me out there in the forest.”

“In that case, should I be grateful for the fact that you ended up in my pitfall trap?” Ai Fa stared straight at me as she brushed aside a bit of blonde hair dangling in front of her cheek. “If I had gone back home without stopping there...you could have been attacked or even killed by mundt or giiz. Just thinking about that...makes me feel as if I’m being swallowed whole by a pitch black abyss.”

“That’s probably not the sort of thing you should spend your time thinking about, then.”

“Indeed. I am grateful to the mother forest. The two of us finding each other must surely have been due to her grand will. That is what I believe.” Ai Fa then lifted my hand and gently pressed it against her cheek. “You are my fate, my destiny, Asuta. I was surely brought into this world in order to meet you.”

My breath caught in my throat. For half a moment, I hesitated. And then I got up. “Sorry, but would you mind indulging me a bit, Ai Fa?”

“Hmm?” Ai Fa questioned with a childlike tilt of her head, and then I hugged her as gently as I could. Her body, wrapped in that soft fabric, was as warm as I remembered, and was giving off the same sweet scent as always.

“It’s rather rare for you to be the one to embrace me,” Ai Fa whispered, hugging me back with the same amount of strength.

When I had said each day was fun and full of excitement, that was no exaggeration. It was very much how I truly felt about my life here. And yet, I couldn’t help but wish this moment could last forever.

The curtain was steadily closing on the twenty-sixth of the gold month. However, there were no signs that the party would be ending anytime soon. We would eventually have to return to that festive hall, but until then, we would enjoy our precious time together, just the two of us with our feelings perfectly in sync.