Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 27 - Chapter 4.7

7

“So, do you think Sheera Ruu really didn’t know how Donda and Mia Lea Ruu got together?” I asked.

“I suppose not,” Ai Fa calmly replied. “Dan Rutim said that he’s only ever told the story to Jiza Ruu and his siblings. And even supposing Sheera Ruu managed to overhear the tale, I can’t imagine her trying to emulate it.”

“Yeah, I suppose not.”

We were still sitting in the same place, talking quietly. Sheera and Darmu Ruu had departed, the former having dragged the latter by the arm back over to the plaza.

There were still a lot of people cheerfully dancing around the ritual fire. I could spy Yumi, Telia Mas, Rimee Ruu, Tara, Ludo Ruu, Rau Lea, and even Mida Ruu. They all looked incredibly happy, and the air was full of the joy of being alive.

“It looks like the festival isn’t going to be ending anytime soon.”

“Indeed.”

“On top of being a festival of the hunt, this is also a celebration of Granny Jiba’s birthday and Mida Ruu and the others being granted their new clan names. It’s hard to imagine a party exciting enough to live up to all that.”

“I agree.”

There was no reason for us to keep sitting there, but neither of us were getting up. I was fine with taking a bit more of a break, though, since I knew Ai Fa didn’t like crowds.

“When Rimee Ruu’s birthday arrives, do you think they’ll want to keep her party small, like Lala Ruu’s was, with just the members of the main house? And I know you said that we’re going to stop coming to Ruu festivals of the hunt after today, but I’d really like to keep attending their other big events, like wedding banquets, if they invite us.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Even if we’re joining in on festivals of the hunt with the clans in our area now, I really love going to the Ruu clan’s banquets too.”

“Naturally. We have quite a few very close friends here,” Ai Fa replied. Then she started tugging on my sleeve.

I turned my head to look directly at her, and immediately noticed a change in her appearance. “Oh... Ai Fa, where in the world were you hiding that?”

“I wasn’t hiding it. I’ve just been keeping it in my hip pocket since it was returned to me along with my blade after the contest of strength.” Ai Fa was wearing the hair accessory I had given her as a birthday present by her right temple. It was a translucent, sparkling flower, like a rose in full bloom, made of glass-like stones of seven different colors, and it was shining beautifully in the light from the bonfire. “I can only ever wear it on days like this, after all,” Ai Fa said, glaring at me out of the corner of her eye. The corners of her lips were turned downward in an adorable frown, and her cheeks had gone a little red.

“You look beautiful. It really suits you.”

“Hmph,” Ai Fa snorted, elbowing me in the arm.

“No, I really mean it. I’d love for you to wear it at our festivals of the hunt too.”

“A hunter such as myself wearing accessories would just look ridiculous.”

“That’s not true at all. I mean, you could always change into banquet attire after the contests of strength end.”

“But if I were to become the victor of a contest of strength again, I would have to sit in a seat of honor for some time afterward to receive congratulations, in which case, I wouldn’t have time to change.”

“Then what about at the wedding banquet for the Fou and Sudra? Didn’t they mention that they’re planning to invite some of their neighbors to attend?”

My clan head blinked in surprise. “But I don’t own any banquet attire in the first place,” she said.

“You can just buy some in town, can’t you? Isn’t it customary to wear it to wedding celebrations at the forest’s edge?”

“But I am a hunter,” Ai Fa quietly replied.

I felt a wave of emotion that brought a great big smile to my face. “You’re a hunter, sure, but you’re also a woman, aren’t you? An amazing hunter like you should be able to find happiness not only in her job, but as a woman as well.”

Ai Fa offered no response.

“And if you happen to get more marriage proposals than usual because you’re wearing banquet attire, I’ll help you turn them down.”

“What?”

“I can’t let some other guy marry you, so I’ll do my best to try to talk them down too. And then—” I cut myself off before I could finish my thought, as something started tugging at my hair with incredible force. Ai Fa was tussling it roughly, her face now beet red.

“Did you already forget the night when the Fou and Sudra clan heads visited our house?! I never want to feel that way ever again!”

“Y-Yeah, but...”

“If anyone tries to propose to me, I’ll be the one to refuse them! There’s no need for you to get involved! Besides, clan heads are the ones who are supposed to sort out marriage requests regardless!”

After one last firm shove to my head, Ai Fa wrapped her arms around her knees. With the contents of my skull still rattling around a little, I shot Ai Fa a smile while doing my best to ride out the dizziness I was feeling.

“Got it. Well, after that whole thing with Jou Ran, I can’t imagine anyone from the neighboring clans will be trying that again anytime soon.”

“Just how long do you intend to stay on this topic, Asuta?”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t expect it to throw you so out of sorts.”

A moment later, I heard a loud cheer arise from the plaza. Apparently, the time for dancing had come to an end, and Donda Ruu was saying something up on the stage. We were sitting about as far away as we could, so I couldn’t make out what he was saying. However, Shin Ruu was also there on top of the stage beside him.

Like Ai Fa had said, weddings at the forest’s edge required the permission of the heads of both houses, so if Donda and Shin Ruu were consulting with one another, it must have had something to do with that. In all likelihood, they were giving an announcement about a marriage proposal to all of their relatives gathered here.

I stood up and held out a hand to Ai Fa. “Let’s go. We’ve got to give Sheera and Darmu Ruu our blessings.”

My clan head’s face was still a bit red, but she silently accepted my hand.

Today’s banquet would be over soon, but there was sure to be another before the Ruu clan’s current break period came to an end. I hoped that when the time came, we would be invited. After all, Sheera Ruu was a very important person to me.

At any rate, Ai Fa and I returned to the middle of the plaza, where everyone’s hope and joy were filling the air.