Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 29 - Chapter 1.3

3

A few minutes later, we found ourselves having a seat in The Ramuria Coil. We could have just stood around and talked, but since Jizeh had happened to be with us, she had extended an invitation.

The inn was located off a side path from the main road, and looked to be a large old building about the same size as The Kimyuus’s Tail.

As Jizeh led us into the dining hall, an aroma started tickling my nose. Rather than being an intentional bit of ambience, though, it seemed to be the scent of herbs from the kitchen, which was clinging to everything. A number of different smells were mingling together in a way I wasn’t exactly familiar with, but it wasn’t at all unpleasant.

Furthermore, there were tapestries with beautiful patterns on them hanging from the walls, strangely shaped jars, and even the bones of what was likely a gyama decorating the place. A small plate had been placed on the wooden table we were sitting at, upon which sat a number of dried flower petals, creating a rather unusual atmosphere.

“This is a wonderful inn. I had no idea there was a place such as this in the post town,” Kukuluel remarked while taking a seat, earning a joyful smile from Jizeh.

“It makes me happier than anything to hear an easterner like you say something like that. I’ll bring out some tea in celebration of making your acquaintance, so hold on for just a moment.”

“I thank both Sym and Selva for bringing us together.”

As Jizeh headed off into the kitchen, Kukuluel turned to face us once more. He had separated from his companions in front of the inn, which meant that it was only him and the four of us at the table.

“I heard that the people of the forest’s edge who ran stalls were on good terms with an inn known as The Kimyuus’s Tail, which is where I learned about that meeting you were just at. And as we were waiting for you, that woman came out and started talking to us.”

“Oh, is that how it went? So, what business do you have with us, exactly?”

I had a favorable impression of Kukuluel, certainly. He was calm but had a sharp gaze, which reminded me of Ryada Ruu, and that boosted my opinion of him a bit. But since I had previously been betrayed by Sanjura, who had reminded me of Shumiral when he’d been away, I was still remaining a bit cautious.

“As I said before, I would like to talk to you about the path cleared through the forest’s edge. Before talking to the nobles in the castle town, I wanted to hear from all of you, as you are the ones who know how things truly are.”

“Oh, then you still haven’t gone to the castle town yet?”

“Correct. We only just made it back to Genos.” That meant he had started looking for people of the forest’s edge before even dealing with his exhaustion from the long trip. What could he possibly need to discuss with us that urgently?

“The first thing I wish to ask is this... I heard that the work of clearing the path was carried out solely by people from Mahyudra. Is that true?”

“Yes. They handled the work during the rainy season.”

“It was only people of Mahyudra? No westerners?”

“That’s right. Of course, there were people from Genos giving orders, but the northerners did all the manual labor.”

Kukuluel gave a small sigh, though his expression remained unchanged. “Working in the forest of Morga where giba live must have been quite dangerous. Did they suffer any sort of harm?”

“A starving giba appeared at the worksite once and caused a serious incident. A large number of people were injured, but fortunately no one lost their life.”

Kukuluel fell silent.

“Oh, but the people who were seriously injured were all guards keeping watch. The folks from Mahyudra only got light injuries. And it was a man from Mahyudra who ultimately took the giba down,” I added, sensing that he was worried about the well-being of the northerners.

“I see. As the one who proposed clearing the path, I feel quite bad about that.”

“Well, that’s just how dangerous the forest of Morga is.”

“But it would have been better for people who were hired for a fair price to take on that risk. To hear that northerners who will never be rewarded for their efforts suffered so pains me greatly.” Since he was an easterner, Kukuluel’s expression didn’t budge in the least, but I could see the regret in his black eyes. “There is no need for you westerners to worry about such things. I simply ask that you allow me to speak of my feelings as an easterner.”

“To someone from the east, both the west and the north are friendly nations, aren’t they? It’s like how we’re friendly with easterners and southerners, so I think we can understand where you’re coming from.”

Also, I had formed bonds with northerners like Chiffon and Eleo Chel, but I decided not to bring anything up that would only make our conversation more complicated.

“I had heard that people from Mahyudra would be assigned this task, certainly. But I’m more than a little surprised to hear that the nobles had them complete the entire job without hiring any westerners to assist with the work.”

“Yeah. They happened to be free during the rainy season, so apparently it was just convenient to have them do it all. And they ultimately did finish the job all on their own.”

“I don’t think it was all bad for them, though. The people from Mahyudra are able to eat tasty food now,” Rimee Ruu chimed in.

Kukuluel turned toward her questioningly. “Tasty food? What do you mean, exactly? Did the people of the forest’s edge give them giba meat?”

“No. We worked to improve the dishes they eat using the ingredients that they’re given,” I explained. “The nobles of Genos gave their approval because we explained that eating good food would allow them to work harder. This isn’t something we’re supposed to discuss publicly, though, so could you please keep it a secret?”

“I see,” Kukuluel replied with another sigh. “So you don’t hate northerners, then? I’m grateful to hear that.”

“I’d say that pretty much nobody here in Genos hates northerners. After all, this place is pretty far from the border with Mahyudra.”

“Ah, like how we people of the grasslands do not hate the citizens of Jagar. But even if you do not hate them, you still must treat them as people from an enemy nation. I can relate to that feeling,” Kukuluel said with an intense look in his eyes. “The people of Jagar whom I have seen in Selva have all been impulsive and blunt. Those are not traits possessed by the people of Sym...but our allies from Mahyudra are similar in nature, so I personally find it charming.”

“Folks from Mahyudra and Jagar are similar?”

“Yes. They may be closely related to each other. Their heights differ greatly, but their pale skin and robust builds are quite similar. Perhaps they were a single people before the four great kingdoms were established,” Kukuluel replied, narrowing his eyes as if staring off at something in the distance. “There is a legend that the present territory of Jagar originally belonged to Sym. It may simply be a lie invented to justify Sym stealing land from Jagar, and yet...from what I am told, the people of Jagar rub panam sap on their skin in order to protect it from the strong sunlight. Taking that into consideration, one could easily imagine that they were originally from the north, where the sunlight is weaker.”

“Oh, so easterners have a legend like that? I’ve never heard anything about it before.”

“At any rate, the four great kingdoms were established hundreds of years ago, so there is no way of knowing the truth of the matter. And after so much time has passed, the territory of Jagar has become the beloved homeland of the people who live there now regardless.” Kukuluel shook his head, then turned to face directly toward me. “I have gotten off topic. The new path through the forest’s edge was safely completed, correct?”

“Yes. Though travelers and merchant groups haven’t been given permission to use it yet.”

“Because we were tasked with being the first. They told us that before we departed from Genos.” Kukuluel didn’t seem to have any objections to that. Perhaps, as such an experienced traveler, there was no reason for him to be concerned.

Jizeh then returned holding a tray. “Sorry for the wait. I’d feel like a bad host if I only brought you tea, so you can snack on these as well if you would like.”

“O-Oh, thank you. We really appreciate it,” I told her.

“Think nothing of it. Consider it thanks for everything you people of the forest’s edge taught me today,” Jizeh said with a gentle smile, and then she started placing the food and drinks down on the table. Sheera Ruu and Toor Deen then leaned forward after staying silent since we had arrived.

“What a mysterious aroma. Is this Sym cooking?” Sheera Ruu asked.

“Cooking is probably giving it too much credit. It’s just a bit of a snack to go with the tea,” Jizeh replied.

The large plate left in the center of the table held a stir-fry made with herbs and beans, while the smaller plate had what looked to be a dish boiled in sweetened tau oil.

“Go right ahead. This is gigi tea, and this is nafua tea. Please, drink whichever you’d like.”

I had tried making gigi tea myself. It was a strange beverage, with an aroma similar to that of coffee. As for nafua, I’d definitely heard that name before too. If I remembered correctly, it was a very bitter, grassy herb from Sym.

“Are you going to have some too, Rimee Ruu? You can just give it a single sip.”

Rimee Ruu was still under the age of ten, so people from other houses were allowed to share beverages with her. She ended up taking a tiny taste of my nafua tea.

“This is fine! It’s not too bitter!”

I gave it a try too and found that it tasted like a strong green tea. Compared to chatchi and zozo tea, it wasn’t all that difficult to drink.

“You serve gigi and nafua tea here at this inn? That seems unusual for the post town,” Kukuluel chimed in.

“That may be so,” Jizeh replied with a smile. “Even though you can purchase all sorts of herbs here in the post town now, most other inns don’t know how to use them. But I learned a lot from my mother and my customers from the east often share their knowledge with me as well, which is a big help.”

“I see,” Kukuluel said, taking a sip of gigi tea. For him, these were all tastes from his homeland.

Meanwhile, Sheera Ruu and Toor Deen were focused solely on the snacks. The stir-fry made with dark red herbs and what looked like soybeans was giving off a seriously spicy smell.

“Are these tau beans, perhaps?”

“Yes. I felt they would pair best with these herbs, so I went ahead and gave it a try,” Jizeh said.

Tau beans were an ingredient similar to soybeans, and I didn’t think I ever would have considered stir-frying them with herbs. I grabbed a little for my personal plate and took a bite of it. Right away, a powerful spiciness filled my mouth, and went all the way up through my nose as well. However, it didn’t seem to be the sort of spiciness that lingered on the tongue. It hit you suddenly and then disappeared just as quickly, making for a rather intriguing flavor. As for the tau beans, they didn’t seem to have been boiled in water, so they were still nice and crisp. Honestly, it felt like a dish that would pair better with booze than tea.

“This is really good. Did you use ira leaves in this?”

“Ira leaves and all sorts of other things. I stir-fried the tau beans along with some herb scraps that I had been using to marinate meat.”

Now that she mentioned it, I was able to pick up on a bit of a meaty taste. The flavor really had a lot of depth to it.

“This one’s sort of salty, but it’s good too! What sort of meat is this?” Rimee Ruu asked while taking a bite of the other dish.

“That is maru,” was the reply. Maru were a type of crustacean similar to krill. There weren’t any edible fish here in Genos, so maru were the only kind of seafood that was locally available.

“I removed the salt from some salted maru, then steeped them in herbs, sugar, and tau oil. Sugar and tau oil are both ingredients from Jagar, but my customers from the east seem to enjoy them.”

“Yes. It’s very good. It wouldn’t be unexpected at all to encounter such a flavor in Sym,” Kukuluel commented while trying the same dish. “In Sym, we use honey in place of sugar and different kinds of beans than tau beans, some of which we ferment before eating. Those would be difficult to obtain in Genos, but you have done an admirable job of recreating dishes from the east using ingredients from Jagar.”

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say I re-created anything. I just wanted to make my eastern customers happy.” Jizeh clearly possessed an unusual amount of skill for someone from the post town.

Sheera Ruu and Toor Deen seemed to have something on their minds as they tried the second dish.

“You’re wonderfully skilled,” Kukuluel continued. “I never would have expected that I would be reminded of the flavors of my homeland like this here in the post town.”

“I’m glad to hear you like it. Please, take your time.” And with that, Jizeh disappeared back into the kitchen.

Sheera Ruu then brought her face close to mine. “Asuta, I can’t help but be reminded of Varkas. It’s not like these dishes are similar to the ones he makes, but still...”

“That must be because Varkas is also good at using herbs. There aren’t many people who can use herbs from Sym so skillfully.”

Now that she brought him up, I realized I hadn’t seen Varkas for several months now. Was he doing okay over in the castle town?

As that thought passed through my mind, Kukuluel spoke up once again. “If we take too long the sun will set, so let us continue our conversation. Regarding the path cleared through the forest’s edge...”

As it turned out, he didn’t have any particularly unusual questions. He asked how the path had been made, how long and wide it was, and how wary they would need to be of giba. It was all basic stuff.

“So, you’re saying that giba generally won’t attack if we are riding in wagons?”

“Right. Giba hate loud noises, so unless they’re really hungry or irritated, they won’t go near people. I’ve traveled along the paths through the forest’s edge plenty of times, and I haven’t come across a giba even once. But since it’s a new route, it may take a little while before the giba start to recognize it as human territory.”

“I see.”

“Giba also aren’t capable of jumping higher than their own heads. The workers lined up some of the excess lumber they produced along either side of the path, so that should help guard against giba a bit.” That said, a starving giba could still force its way through, so I needed to make sure to warn him about that possibility. “Oh, and there’s one more important thing I need to tell you. Giba sleep until the sun hits its peak. On rare occasions, you might see one that woke up earlier than that prowling around, but heading out before the sun is at its peak would be the safest way to make the trip.”

“Is it dangerous at night, then?”

“It is. Starving giba will often head toward human settlements at night and pillage fields. They probably wait until the humans are asleep before they approach the Daleim lands.” That all seemed readily apparent from my point of view.

Kukuluel brought his fingers together in a strange manner and bowed his head. “Thank you. This has been quite helpful. Now I can feel free to head to the castle town.”

“Oh yeah? But they probably could have told you everything I just said.”

“And yet, there is no guarantee that the nobles would convey it to us properly.”

“Sorry to ask, but do you not trust the folks from the castle town?”

“That’s not it,” Kukuluel replied with a shake of his head. “I cannot see any reason for the nobles to deceive us about this. But I believe it is quite dangerous to trust the words of nobles wholeheartedly.”

“Oh, right. Now that I think about it, you dealt with Cyclaeus for quite a while, didn’t you?”

“Yes. That man lied to us a great many times, causing us to suffer significant losses.” In that case, it was no real surprise that he’d become skeptical of nobles. “But Duke Genos cast judgment on that man, and he seems to act quite fairly. Torst and Polarth, who took charge of our business dealings, also seem trustworthy. Of course, I will need a little longer before I can truly trust them completely.”

“Yeah. That’s the sort of thing you have to confirm with your own two eyes,” I said with a smile, finally understanding Kukuluel’s reason for approaching us. “I’m looking forward to you all returning to Sym and proving that the route is safe. I’d love to see more customers from Sym myself.”

“Of course. If things go well, the number of people visiting Genos from Sym may as much as double. There are not many towns as prosperous as this one, so securing a safer route that leads here will be a great boon for many of my people.”

That seemed to bring the question and answer session to a close, just in time for us to finish off the tea and snacks.

“Well then, it’s about time for us to be heading back. We still have to prepare dinner, after all,” I said.

“Thank you so much for giving me your precious time. Take this as my thanks.”

“Oh, no, you don’t need to do that.”

“There is no need to be so proper. It’s just a small token of gratitude.”

The item in question was a strangely shaped stone. It didn’t look like a natural shape, though, so the stone must have been carved. The little round figure was about three centimeters in diameter, and it had some small protuberances that looked like a head and legs.

“Oh, that’s, um...a gyuroreekeh muuwa, isn’t it?!” Rimee Ruu suddenly exclaimed, leaving me to wonder what those crazy words were. But when she said it, Kukuluel’s eyes opened just a touch wider in surprise.

“You know of the gyuroreekeh muuwa? But they are animals that are only supposed to live in Sym.”

“Yeah! The traveling performers who came during the festival showed us one!”

That finally jogged my memory. The little handcrafted item had been made in the shape of one of the animals we had seen in the Gamley Troupe’s tent, which had looked a lot like an alligator snapping turtle.

“The large gyuroreekeh muuwa turtle is an animal that presides over longevity and health. This stone contains wishes for such things within it, so please, take it with you.”

He even had enough of them on him to give one to all of us, causing Rimee Ruu to let out an excited, “Yay!” Sheera Ruu’s eyes also narrowed nostalgically as she stroked the shiny black shell. She was probably remembering the time when she had gone through the Gamleys’ tent paired up with Darmu Ruu.

“Normally, we would give you a gift of some of the ingredients we brought here, but there is now a rule that requires us to bring them to the castle town first.”

“Oh, yeah, we’ve heard about that too. Were you able to get ahold of some unusual stuff in the capital, then?”

“We purchased what we normally do in the capital. Aside from that, we stopped by a region known as Barud along the way to purchase some goods that are not often seen elsewhere. Our stop there was what delayed our return to Genos.”

“Barud, huh? I haven’t heard that name before.”

“It is a region in the center of the western kingdom next to a massive inland sea. The town there is very prosperous, similar to Genos and the capital city, Algrad.” Kukuluel then narrowed his eyes more gently than any other time I had seen him do so today. “Do you remember when we talked in front of your stall before my company left? We spoke of a merchant group known as the Silver Vase.”

“Oh yeah, we did. What about them?”

“I couldn’t forget the tale of them traveling all around the continent to places like Genos, Aboof, Mahyudra, and Algrad with a small group of only ten people, and it made me wish to travel farther than usual. That is why we stopped in the town of Barud.”

“Really? I’ll be looking forward to seeing what sort of ingredients you brought, then.”

“Good. I shall pray for some of our inventory to make it to you. By the way, did the Silver Vase manage to return to Genos safely? Unfortunately, we did not encounter each other on the road.”

“They did. It was half a month later than scheduled, but they made it here just fine. Oh, and the man who used to lead the group stayed behind at the forest’s edge.”

“At the forest’s edge?” Kukuluel repeated with a questioning gaze. It wasn’t really a secret or anything, so I went ahead and told him.

“Yeah. He changed gods from Sym to Selva and became a person of the forest’s edge. He’s a really good friend of mine.”

Kukuluel bent ever so slightly backward when he heard that. Though his face remained expressionless, he must have been seriously surprised. “An easterner became a person of the forest’s edge...? What do you mean? Why would he do such a thing?”

“He wants to marry into the forest’s edge. But he’s still planning to work with his merchant group like he used to.”

The look in Kukuluel’s eyes grew serious. I was getting a little worried that he might not like the fact that Shumiral had cast aside his homeland of Sym, but then he slowly leaned toward me and said, “How interesting. Would it be possible to speak with that man?”

“Huh? But why?”

“Pure curiosity. I cannot help but be interested in one with such a free spirit.”

“I-I see. You aren’t upset about him changing gods, are you?”

“I am not. Easterners are my brethren, but westerners are my allies. If he were a part of my family, I’m sure I would have attempted to convince him to reconsider, but I cannot think of any reason a stranger changing gods should bother me,” Kukuluel said, a hint of enthusiasm shining through his calm tone. “In all likelihood, we will be visiting the forest’s edge in order to perform a preliminary inspection of the new path. Could you introduce me to him then?”

“Well, he’s got work to do as a hunter, but if you would be able to meet with him before the sun hits its peak, it might be possible.”

“That man also works as a hunter? Then I’m all the more interested to meet him.”

Was this intense curiosity what led the people of the eastern grasslands to travel about the continent in spite of the dangers? I was really starting to want to see Shumiral and Kukuluel talk to one another.

“In that case, I’ll go ahead and ask the leading clan heads about your request today. If you’re planning to carry out the inspection tomorrow, that happens to be a day off from work for me, so I’ll be able to accompany you.”

“I would be glad to have you with us.”

I nodded, accepting Kukuluel’s proposal.

And so, our long discussion finally came to an end.