Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 28 - Chapter 4.9

4

It was now night. Shumiral’s condition hadn’t worsened from being out in the rain, so the entire family ate dinner together like they had the previous evening.

“I never would’ve thought that Asuta could catch Amusehorn’s Breath. I can’t even begin to guess what’s going to happen now.” Even the always boisterous Giran Ririn had a serious expression on his face. “Still, I’m sure Asuta will be able to overcome this trial. For now, though, all we can do is pray to the forest.”

“Yes. Since the neighboring clans are doing everything they can to support the Fa, I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about,” Uru Lea Ririn added.

The two young children were just enjoying their food. They didn’t seem to understand what was going on. The family’s dinner consisted of seasoned grilled giba meat, a vegetable stew containing tau oil, and a soup that used karon milk.

“Hey, is that giba curry stuff gone already?” Uru Lea Ririn’s young son asked.

“We still have enough ingredients left for several days, but it would be a waste to eat it all right away, wouldn’t it? That’s why I’m only going to make it every other day,” his mother replied with a gentle expression, stroking the little boy’s hair. His two-year-old little sister wasn’t able to eat most kinds of food yet, so she was chewing on baked poitan dipped in soup.

“I’ll go check in on Asuta myself tomorrow morning. Are both wagons currently at the Ruu settlement?” Giran Ririn asked.

“Yes, though from what I’ve heard, the Rutim and Lea have bought new wagons for themselves recently, since they’ve had their own totos for a while.”

“I see. I’d like us to have a wagon of our own someday. Ah, but we should get more hunting dogs first.” The Ririn clan had caught a good number of giba earlier that day once again. Even though the rainy season made it harder to hunt, they were still having a lot of success thanks to the hunting dogs. “It’ll probably be a few more days before you’re good to ride in a wagon, Shumiral. And Asuta may be feeling better by then, since the fever you get from Amusehorn’s Breath only lasts for around three days.”

“Yes. I hope that, is the case.”

“Well then, do you want to come along tomorrow too, Vina Ruu? You didn’t go to the Fa house today, right?” Giran Ririn asked.

“No,” Vina Ruu replied with a shake of her head. “I will refrain. I intend to visit the Fa house after Shumiral’s wounds have healed and I’ve returned to the Ruu settlement.”

“I see,” the Ririn clan head said with a wide smile. “Well, it’s not like paying him a visit will make him get better any faster. There’s no need to force yourself to go. Just praying to the forest is plenty. No doubt almost all of our people will be doing the same, so I’m sure the mother forest will take notice.”

According to Uru Lea Ririn, the news about Asuta’s health had already spread throughout the forest’s edge, so Giran Ririn’s remark was probably correct. Surely even the clans who were opposed to the Fa’s actions wouldn’t wish for Asuta’s death.

“Hey, what sort of person is Asuta of the Fa clan?” the young son of the Ririn asked no one in particular.

Shumiral had been eating soup, but the question left him feeling rather surprised. “You don’t know, Asuta of the Fa clan?”

“No, not really. I’ve only seen him from really far away.”

“Children under the age of five need to remain inside even during banquets, so he hasn’t had many opportunities to interact with Asuta,” Uru Lea Ririn explained. “We did sneak him some banquet food, though.”

“Yeah! I love giba curry!”

“I see... Asuta is, a wonderful person. Even before, I became one of your people, I believed that, to be true.”

“I only really got to know him recently myself. But he’s definitely an amusing, charming guy,” Giran Ririn said with a fond smile before turning toward Vina Ruu. “You’re closer to Asuta than any of us, though. You were helping out with his business in the post town from the very first day, weren’t you?”

“Yes, but I’ve been taking turns with my younger sisters lately,” Vina Ruu replied, staring off into the distance. “Asuta is a strange man. He’s incredibly strong, but weak as well. And there’ve been times when I’ve thought he was cute, and others when I’ve found him obnoxious. It’s difficult to describe him briefly.”

“Well, I’d say that goes for everyone, not just Asuta.”

“True. I’ve come to understand that quite well lately,” Vina Ruu said with a composed expression.

Had the rain managed to wash away at least a little of her pain and hesitation? This was the most relaxed Shumiral had seen the girl since he had returned to Genos.

I have no doubt that Vina Ruu’s life also changed after she met Asuta, Shumiral thought to himself.

The fates of the people who got involved with Asuta always shifted. Some by a little, some by a lot. And the Ruu clan had a deeper connection with him than almost any other group in the forest’s edge, so his impact on them must have been considerable.

Vina Ruu had a desire to see the outside world. Meeting Asuta, who came from outside of this continent before becoming one of her people, must have shaken her to her core.

Shumiral’s first encounter with them at their stall had happened some time after that. Since the two of them had been running the place by themselves, he had initially mistaken them for a married couple.

But Asuta had a clan member by the name of Ai Fa.

It hadn’t been all that long before he met her as well, and when he did, he’d been absolutely convinced that the two of them were married. That assumption had also turned out to be wrong, but they did seem to have more trust in one another than many actual married couples did, and he still believed that they would be wed someday. After all, Ai Fa was clearly Asuta’s fated partner.

I suppose that is why Vina Ruu cast aside her feelings despite being drawn toward Asuta. That was simply an assumption on Shumiral’s part. He had no way of knowing what her feelings toward the chef had been. Actually, even Vina Ruu herself might not have understood them very clearly. Whenever she had looked at Asuta, her eyes had always wavered and she had seemed to be a little uneasy.

Still, there was one thing that he did know: When Vina Ruu looked at Asuta now, there was no wavering at all. When Shumiral had returned to Genos after half a year and reunited with Vina Ruu at the Ruu settlement, he had noticed that right away. Now, that wavering, uneasy gaze was pointed at Shumiral himself.

Back then, Asuta caused Vina Ruu’s heart to waver. And now, I am the one doing that to her. Is that how I should interpret this? He didn’t have enough information to reach a conclusion. That was just the impression he got. The only thing he could know with absolute certainty was how he felt about her. He loved Vina Ruu. That was the one and only truth for Shumiral. And so, he had to follow his feelings and walk the path he felt was right.

“What are you staring at now?” Vina Ruu grumbled. It seemed that Shumiral had once again gotten lost in his thoughts and ended up staring rudely at Vina Ruu.

“My apologies. I was, simply thinking.”

“It’s dinnertime, you know. You should put your wicked thoughts aside, give your thanks to the forest, and eat.”

“I am eating. This dish, boiled in tau oil, is very delicious.”

“That one was made by Uru Lea Ririn,” Vina Ruu said, pouting and turning away. Though Shumiral grew flustered at that, he couldn’t help but find her adorable even now.

“Looking at you now, it’s like you two are already married,” Giran Ririn chimed in, causing Vina Ruu’s face to turn red.

That was another joyful night for Shumiral. If Asuta could just overcome Amusehorn’s trial, everything would be fine. And so, Shumiral prayed to the forest with all his heart and soul for his precious friend to return to him.