Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 26 - Chapter 5.6

Group Performance: The Nature of a Leading Clan Head

1

The soul of Dogran Ruu, the former head of the Ruu clan, had returned to the forest roughly fifteen years ago.

At the time, Jiza Ruu had been only eight years old, but anyone over the age of five was recognized as a proper person of the forest’s edge, so he had been allowed to be present for Dogran Ruu’s final moments alongside his family and the heads of the branch houses.

Dogran Ruu had been laid down in the main hall, and was groaning in pain. It wasn’t from illness, however. No, Jiza Ruu’s grandfather had suffered a serious injury hunting giba, and it seemed his soul would soon return to the forest.

The man had not yet reached the age of fifty and was still strong enough to make it into the top eight in the contests of strength held between hunters. Yet now, Dogran Ruu was on his deathbed. His leg had been pierced by a giba’s horn, after which he had been slammed into a tree, resulting in broken ribs that had damaged his internal organs.

Apparently, he had told the hunters to leave him out in the forest, as there was no saving him. But the Ruu hunters had carried him back home even so. Since it would take some time for him to die, Jiza Ruu’s father Donda Ruu had declared that his family should come to say farewell.

“Hmph... I’ve shed so much blood, and even breathing is a struggle... It seems dying isn’t an easy thing to do...” Dogran Ruu eventually wheezed sluggishly, his voice slipping out between his gritted teeth. The blood that ran down from the corner of his mouth as he did so was wiped away by his wife Tito Min Ruu with a cloth.

There were fifteen people gathered in the main hall. They included six members of the main house: the eldest son who would inherit the post of clan head, Donda Ruu; his wife, Mia Lea Ruu; their children Jiza and Vina Ruu; Dogran Ruu’s mother and the elder of the clan, Jiba Ruu; and the man’s wife, Tito Min Ruu. The rest were all heads of the branch houses and subordinate clans. Jiza Ruu’s siblings who weren’t five years old yet were being watched by women from the branch houses in their bedrooms.

“Donda... As of today, you will be the head of the Ruu clan... In that role, you will guide our five subordinate clans...”

“Yes,” Donda Ruu replied in a low voice. He was currently twenty-seven years old, and not only was he skilled enough to make it into the top eight in contests of strength, he had even defeated his father many times in recent years. He was most certainly capable enough to inherit control of the Ruu.

Donda Ruu’s blue eyes blazed like an inferno as they remained fixed on his dying father.

With his eyes still firmly shut, Dogran Ruu continued, “I was going to turn fifty soon... That’s a fine enough age to meet my end out in the forest... But I’m certain you will be able to lead our people with greater strength than I have...”

“I shall.”

“My one regret is that I couldn’t strike down that accursed Zattsu Suun with my own hands... You’re more hot-blooded than I am, so I’m sure that must be even more vexing to you...”

“That’s not true. I believe that you led our clan better than anyone else could have, father.”

“Ha ha... So even you can be high-minded at a time like this, eh...?”

Despite how pale Dogran Ruu had become, he was still able to force himself to smile fearlessly. But as he did so, a large amount of fresh blood gushed forth from his mouth. Tito Min Ruu once again wiped it away, while Jiza Ruu held young Vina Ruu’s trembling hand. The girl had only turned five a few days ago.

“Tito Min... It seems this is as far as I go... The new clan head’s wife Mia Lea will take over leadership of the women... Please, continue to watch over everyone...”

“I understand. You have nothing to worry about.”

Tito Min Ruu gripped her husband’s hand tight. Though there were tears in her eyes, she maintained the same gentle smile she always wore.

“My mother and former clan head, Jiba... Please guide the young clan head with your strong spirit and exceptional wisdom...”

“Yes... I never imagined I would tend to you at your deathbed... But I promise, I shall continue to support the Ruu clan until my body gives out...”

Jiba Ruu was already over seventy years old, but her small frame was still as full of vitality as any woman. She stared at her son with kind eyes that were partially hidden behind drooping eyelids but still seemed like they could see through anything and anyone.

“And Jiza... Is Jiza here...?”

“I’m here. So is Vina.”

Jiza Ruu moved forward to look directly at Dogran Ruu’s face. His grandfather’s bright red hair curled like whirling flames. However, there was no life left in his stony visage, and his breathing was steadily getting weaker.

“As the oldest son, you will someday inherit the seat of clan head from Donda... Burn my death and Donda’s way of life into your eyes...so that you can guide the Ruu down the proper path...”

“It’s okay now, Dogran. Everyone understands,” Tito Min Ruu said quietly, running her fingers through her husband’s red hair.

A single tear fell from her eye and landed on her husband’s forehead...and then Dogran Ruu’s soul returned to the mother forest, a satisfied smile on his face.

When people of the forest’s edge lost their lives, their bodies were returned to the forest along with their souls. Whether man or woman, the tribe’s custom was to bury their remains among the trees.

No one knew where their souls went after returning to the forest. Did they dissolve into the forest and grant their people new strength, or were they reborn as another person or a beast? That all came down to the will of the forest, so there was no point in thinking about it, according to their traditions.

Dogran Ruu’s body was returned to the forest as custom dictated that very night. In order to ensure that mundt and giiz wouldn’t dig up the hole, it had to be dug deep into the earth. Sometimes a hunter’s cloak and blade would be handed down to his children, but in this instance, they were buried with him.

A large number of torches were lit so that giba wouldn’t approach, and the men worked together to dig the hole. As they did, the women and children made short statements collectively eulogizing the departed, celebrating his forty-nine years of life.

And then, the following day arrived. The morning sun rose as if nothing had occurred, blanketing the Ruu settlement in dazzling light.

No matter how much sadness and grief they felt, people of the forest’s edge were not permitted to neglect their daily tasks. It was only natural to be sad after losing family, but there was no point in making a show of it. Seeing such a thing would surely not bring peace to the soul of the departed either. And so, those who were left behind hid their grief for the loss of their loved one deep inside themselves and kept on earnestly striving to live their own lives. That was the way of things for the people of the forest’s edge.

That was why Jiza Ruu was now carrying out his morning work rather than spending time with his family. That meant drying out the pico leaves the women had picked on sheets in front of the house. Without pico leaves, meat couldn’t be preserved, so this was a very important task. Jiza Ruu felt pride at having been given the job as he laid out the small leaves atop the sheets.

It was then that a man approached: Ryada Ruu, the head of a branch house.

“Jiza Ruu, is Donda still sleeping?”

“Oh, Ryada Ruu... Yes, there’s still time until the sun hits its peak, so I believe he should be resting in his bedroom.”

“I see,” Ryada Ruu responded, his composed gaze fixed on Jiza Ruu.

Ryada Ruu was Donda Ruu’s youngest brother, but they didn’t look alike at all. He was still only twenty years old and had a slender build with long blackish-brown hair. Despite the sharp look in his eyes, his expression was always calm and composed, and Jiza Ruu had never seen the man get worked up.

“Do you have some business with my father? If you do, I’ll wake him up.”

“No, that won’t be necessary,” he said before going quiet. In addition to being a composed man, he was also not particularly talkative.

Ryada Ruu had taken a wife at the age of seventeen, and had left the main house when Jiza Ruu was five. He’d had a child soon after that, with his oldest daughter soon turning five and his next child on the verge of turning one. The main house had more children than that, though, so the branch houses worked together to help raise them all.

“Is your youngest brother Ludo Ruu doing well? I heard he was quite a small baby.”

“Yes. Jiba and Tito Min are always smiling about him and saying he’s little but full of energy, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“I see,” Ryada Ruu replied before going silent again. Jiza Ruu had always appreciated how quiet of a man he was, but today, it was a bit concerning.

“What’s the matter, Ryada Ruu? From the look on your face, something seems to be worrying you.”

“No, not exactly... There’s just something that’s weighing on my mind a bit,” Ryada Ruu replied. Then he nodded and said, “Yes, I believe I would like to speak to Donda before heading into the forest after all. My apologies, but could you wake him?”

“Yes,” Jiza Ruu said, standing up and running off toward the main house. When he opened the door at the entrance, a baby instantly started crying out. It was Ludo Ruu, who his mother was holding. The two-year-old Reina Ruu was asleep in a woven basket, while the five-year-old Vina Ruu and four-year-old Darmu Ruu were staring at her as she slept. Jiba and Tito Min Ruu seemed to have gone outside to handle some work.

“Oh my, what are you doing here? There’s always a chance that it might start raining out of nowhere, so you mustn’t step away from the pico leaves, Jiza.”

“Ryada Ruu is watching them, so it’s fine. He asked me to wake Papa Donda.”

“I see. Donda is in the bedroom, but he should already be awake. Vina, could you go fetch him?”

“Yeah,” Vina Ruu replied before taking off toward the bedroom. It seemed Donda Ruu really was awake, as it didn’t take him very long to show up.

Donda Ruu was even taller than Ryada Ruu, and his build was a fair bit more robust. The two brothers had been born seven years apart, with another brother and a sister separating them. That meant the gap between them was about as big as the one between Jiza Ruu and his youngest brother Ludo Ruu, so the young boy couldn’t help but wonder if he and his brother would eventually have a relationship similar to that of his father and uncle.

“Ryada Ruu is calling for you. He says he wants to talk before heading into the forest.”

“I see,” Donda Ruu replied, sitting down in the entranceway and putting on his leather footwear. He had the same strong light as always shining in his blue eyes, and his taut and strict-looking face was unchanged as well. However, he seemed to be extra untalkative, undoubtedly because he had lost his father Dogran Ruu just yesterday.

When Jiza Ruu exited the house alongside his father, they found Ryada Ruu standing in the same place, silently staring down at the pico leaves.

“What sort of business do you have with me so early in the morning, Ryada?”

“I just wanted to have a bit of a talk with you.” Ryada Ruu’s eyes turned to glance pointedly at Jiza Ruu. But rather than moving elsewhere, he seemed to decide it would be fine to continue with what he wanted to say. “Donda, what do you intend to do?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know perfectly well what I mean. I’m talking about the quarrel with the Suun,” Ryada Ruu said, his tone remaining perfectly calm. “I went to the Suun settlement for the clan head meeting last year, and saw Zattsu Suun with my own eyes. Honestly, it surprised me that he was such a formidable man.”

“Hmph, so seeing our infamous leading clan head in the flesh made you timid?”

“Of course it did. That man, he’s stronger than anyone in the Ruu. Stronger than our father Dogran, or even you. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen him myself.”

Those words shocked Jiza Ruu. The eight-year-old boy had earnestly believed nobody at the forest’s edge could be stronger than Dogran and Donda Ruu, or the other hunters under the Ruu who made it to the top eight.

“On top of that, the Suun have blood ties with the northern clans. Our subordinate clans, the Lea and Rutim in particular, have become much stronger over time...but they’re no match for the Zaza and Dom.”

Donda Ruu offered no response.

“I know full well that if the crime from five years ago truly occurred, we cannot simply leave the Suun be. I understand our father Dogran’s regrets painfully well. But I don’t believe brandishing our blades in a blind rage is the proper path forward. If we lose this fight, the women and children left behind will have no way to live on.”

“I’m fully aware of all that.”

“Are you really? The fate of six clans rests on your shoulders. The Ruu, Rutim, Lea, Min, Maam, and Muufa. Around eighty of our brethren belong to these clans, and your every action determines what will become of them all.”

“Do I really look like I’m that thirsty for blood, Ryada?” Donda Ruu asked with a dauntless grin. However, there was profound anger swirling about in his blue eyes. “Our father Dogran wished to bring stability to the forest’s edge, not destroy it. And if the Ruu took up blades, it wouldn’t just be our subordinates, but the whole of the settlement at the forest’s edge that would fall to ruin. The fight would never end until either every single hunter who follows the Suun draws his last breath, or every hunter who opposes them does.”

“Yes, and that is why our father Dogran sheathed his blade and turned a blind eye to the crimes of the Suun. But our current clan head isn’t our father. It’s you, Donda. Can you overlook the Suun’s crimes, just as he did?”

Donda Ruu suddenly grabbed Ryada Ruu by the chest and spat back, “As if I could do that! The Suun aren’t fit to lead our people! Zattsu Suun is a despicable bastard who cast aside his pride as a hunter! How could I ever accept such a man being the leading clan head!”

“But Donda...”

“But even so, what good would it do at this point to try to rehash something that happened five years ago? I’m certain that they abducted that Muufa woman, but there was no clear proof, so our clans laid down their blades. If we pick them up now, the clans who don’t fall under us will simply ignore us. And we have no hope of winning like that.” Donda Ruu then roughly pushed Ryada Ruu away with a “Hmph!”

Ryada Ruu stared at his brother, his emotions not shaken in the least. “So, what do you intend to do, Donda?”

“That should be obvious. We’ll continue to build our strength until they commit another unforgivable crime. We need to become strong enough to beat the Suun and the northern clans. Then we can finally wipe away the regrets of our father, whose soul returned to the forest with this travesty left unresolved.”

“Patience may be the word that suits you least of all, Donda,” Ryada Ruu said, prompting Donda Ruu to give him an angry shove on his chest.

“Is that any way to talk to your older brother?”

“Well, I have to say I’m impressed. We just lost our father last night, yet you’ve already found your resolve as our new clan head,” Ryada Ruu said with a smile. It might have been the first one that Jiza Ruu had ever seen on the man. “I’m sorry for underestimating you. I swear on my pride as a hunter that I shall abide by your words. As the head of the main Ruu house, show us the proper path forward, Donda.”

“Hmph,” Donda Ruu snorted, and then he glanced down at Jiza Ruu. “What’s with that blank expression, Jiza?”

“I’m burning my clan head’s way of life into my eyes, just as the previous clan head Dogran told me to do. That’s all.”

“Can you really see properly when you have your eyes narrowed like that?” Donda Ruu bluntly muttered, and then he rustled Jiza Ruu’s hair.

It was the first time in a while that he had felt his father’s hand, and it felt unbelievably large and full of strength.