Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 29 - Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2: The New Path

1

It was now the day after the study session in the post town and my reunion with Kukuluel—the eighteenth of the yellow month. Just as he had declared yesterday, Kukuluel and his group would be coming to inspect the new path. A message officially informing us about their visit had arrived at the forest’s edge around sunset yesterday, and thanks to the leading clan head Dari Sauti going out of his way to pass the news along to the Fa house, Ai Fa and I were able to head over there to observe.

“We sure are starting early today. You know there’s no real need for you to be there when Shumiral and that other man meet each other, don’t you?” Ai Fa said while handling Gilulu’s reins.

“Yeah, but I’m interested in Kukuluel myself. And honestly, I’d sort of like to hear what he has to say to Shumiral too.”

“You get interested in the oddest things sometimes. Since you finally have a day off, shouldn’t you use it to rest?”

“I’ll be fine. These last five days have been busy, but I really enjoyed them.”

I would generally take a day off after five days of working the stalls. But during this cycle, on my second day of work we’d had the Ruu clan wedding, then yesterday had been the dessert study session, so things had definitely been rather hectic. On top of that, the Ruu clan had taken the day off for both the wedding and the day that followed it, so we had been even busier than usual because of all the additional food we had needed to prepare for the stalls.

Even so, I wasn’t just acting tough. My energy levels were still perfectly fine. Sheera and Darmu Ruu’s wedding had been an incredibly happy occasion for me, and had wiped away any tiredness I might have been feeling. Even now, four days later, the joy of the occasion was still lingering within me.

“Are you doing okay yourself, Ai Fa? Lately you’ve been hunting two or three giba a day like it’s nothing.”

“That is thanks to Brave’s contributions, so I would say I’ve actually had an easier time than usual. Especially since I have been spending less time in the forest than I was before.”

In the past, Ai Fa had typically stayed out in the forest from when the sun hit its peak to when it set in the evening. But she had decided that doing that on a daily basis would wear Brave down, so every few days she took half a day off. On those half days, she would just check that everything looked all right with the traps she had set and then head back home. Then she and her hunting dog would rest and do some light training that wouldn’t strain their bodies.

“Ever since we welcomed Brave into the clan, I haven’t used giba summoning fruit even once, and yet our hunts have still been seeing some incredible results. He really has been a massive help.”

“Yeah. Hunting dogs sure are amazing. I really can’t thank Shumiral enough for bringing them here.”

If she wasn’t using giba summoning fruit anymore, that meant Ai Fa was in less danger out in the forest, which made me feel happy and grateful as I petted Brave’s head. The two of us were sitting together in the back of the swaying wagon—naturally, leaving him home alone had never been an option for my clan head.

“Hey there, Asuta, Ai Fa. You sure got here early!” Ludo Ruu said with a yawn as we arrived at the Ruu settlement.

Rimee Ruu was there beside him, and she energetically smiled and called out, “Good morning!” The two siblings were super curious about what was going on, so they would be accompanying us today.

“There’re gonna be six of us in total, so one wagon should be plenty. I’m going to go get Jiza, so just hold on a bit, okay?” Ludo Ruu continued.

“Sure. Who else is coming along?” I asked.

“Darmu! I’ll go get him!” Rimee Ruu chimed in.

“Oh. I’ll come too, then, so I can say hello.”

Ai Fa didn’t seem especially interested, so it was just Rimee Ruu and I who went over to the house where the newlyweds were now living together. It was the dwelling built beside Shin Ruu’s house, where Mida Ruu had previously lived. Shortly after the young Ruu chef knocked on the door, we heard Sheera Ruu say, “Coming!” as if she had been awaiting us. When the door opened a moment later, she greeted us looking the same as she had yesterday.

Darmu Ruu was also coming toward us from farther within the house, already clad in his hunter’s cloak. “It’s time, huh? I’ll be off, then.”

“Of course. Take care, Darmu,” Sheera Ruu replied with a gentle smile.

“I will,” her husband replied succinctly. Though their exchange wasn’t really any different from how they had interacted in the past, it still made me feel all warm inside.

“Hee hee, I’m glad you’re coming along, Darmu,” Rimee Ruu said with a beaming grin, quickly hugging Darmu Ruu’s arm. Today was the fourth day since they had started living apart, and since she was quite fond of her older brother, this was a precious opportunity for her to spend time with him.

At any rate, we went ahead and boarded the wagon, and Ludo and Jiza Ruu soon joined us. With Jiza, Darmu, Ludo, and Rimee Ruu all present, we had quite a lineup. After waiting for us to all sit down, Ai Fa used her whip to signal Gilulu to start moving.

“This sure is quite a crowd. I didn’t expect you to come along too, Darmu Ruu,” I remarked, earning me a glare out of the corner of the hunter’s eye.

“I see you’re as easygoing as always. Whose fault do you think it is that I had to get up this early?”

“Huh? Wait, are you saying it was my fault?”

“If you didn’t go and run your mouth about wanting to bring that suspicious easterner to the Ririn settlement, I wouldn’t need to be here.”

When he heard that, Ludo Ruu chimed in with a laugh. “Ha ha. It wasn’t like you were forced. You volunteered, didn’t you? There’s nothing to worry about with me and Jiza here.”

“What worry would there be? Are you concerned about Kukuluel?” I asked.

“We aren’t, but Vina is. She spent all of last night worrying about whether that Kukuluel guy would try to do something to Shumiral for casting aside Sym.”

Hearing that made me feel bad for her. And for Darmu Ruu too, since he’d had to get up this early for his sister’s sake.

“I’ve met that Kukuluel guy myself, of course, and I never got the feeling that he’d do something like that, so I tried to tell her there was nothing to worry about, but she wouldn’t listen,” Ludo Ruu continued.

“That’s because easterners use poison. We cannot let our guards down,” Jiza Ruu calmly stated. He was observing today as a stand-in for his father, the leading clan head. “From what I am told, Shumiral also had a large amount of poisonous plant material hidden on his person when he joined us. The Ririn clan locked them all away, but Giran Ririn said that they could be used to take down ten enemies surrounding you all at once.”

“Oh, that thing about travelers from Sym being able to take down ten outlaws single-handedly, right? Well, it’s not like we can’t do that too,” Ludo Ruu noted.

“But looking at it another way, you could say that easterners are able to match the strength of hunters of the forest’s edge when using poison. We need to be certain to keep that in mind.”

Among our group, only Ludo Ruu, Rimee Ruu, and I had actually met Kukuluel, which had led to our conversation taking a strangely violent turn. Of course, it wasn’t like we knew all of the man’s thoughts just because we had met him, so it did make sense to be a little wary of him.

“Hey, it seems Shumiral has been waiting for us,” Ai Fa called out as she brought the wagon to a stop.

A moment later, I saw Shumiral peering into the wagon through the space beside the driver’s seat. “I have been, waiting for you, Jiza Ruu. May I, accompany you?”

“Why are you here? Isn’t the plan to bring our visitors from Sym to the Ririn settlement after they complete the inspection?” Jiza Ruu asked.

“Yes,” Shumiral replied with a nod. “But I felt, I should go, to them instead. I was, a bit uneasy, about inviting someone unfamiliar, to the Ririn settlement.”

“Hmm, but this wagon is already full.”

“That is, no issue. I borrowed, a totos, from the Lea clan.”

Over Shumiral’s head, I spotted a totos with a piercing gaze staring into the wagon. It was the young totos that Rau Lea had personally purchased.

“So we really should be cautious of easterners?” Jiza Ruu questioned.

“No,” Shumiral replied with a shake of his head. “The Black Flight Feathers, are a famous, merchant group. Though I am, unfamiliar with, their leader, I believe he, can be trusted. But if my judgment, happens to be mistaken, it would mean, disaster for the Ririn clan. So I wish, to observe him, personally first.”

“I see. In that case, you may accompany us.”

“Thank you.”

And so, Shumiral ended up riding the totos alongside our wagon. Rimee Ruu, Ludo Ruu, and I lifted the flap in the back and stuck our heads out around the side to watch him with some difficulty. When he noticed what we were doing, the hunter slowed his pace briefly to make things easier for us, earning an excited giggle from Rimee Ruu.

“That looks fun! I wanna ride Ruuruu later!” she said.

“Hmm. Seems like folks from Sym really are skilled at handling totos,” Ludo Ruu noted.

He was right, Shumiral really looked like he was in his element, riding on the totos’s back. The way he leaned forward to grip the bird’s reins looked totally natural, and the totos seemed to be running in a particularly animated way. The people of the forest’s edge were definitely skilled when it came to riding totos, but Shumiral was on a whole other level, as if he and his mount were one.

After about an hour of traveling down the path, we finally arrived at the Sauti settlement. The plan was to meet up with Dari Sauti at the new path, however, so we just passed straight on through and continued south. After the Sauti settlement, we also passed by the settlements of the Fei and Tamur—clans subordinate to the Sauti—along the way.

As we approached our destination, Ai Fa loosened up on the reins and said, “Hmm... I see. So they built this too, did they?”

My clan head slowed the wagon to a walking pace as we advanced, and I managed to see what Ai Fa had been referring to from out the back. A large gate had been constructed a short distance away from where the three-way intersection was, which must have been meant to restrict travel along the path toward our settlement. At present, though, the gate was open wide. The posts seemed finely made, and the doors looked rather sturdy too. It was over two meters tall, so it would be difficult to even see what was on the other side of it if it were closed.

However, there was forest off to either side of the path. If you went through it, you could easily get around the imposing gate. Still, the gate worked as a marker to indicate where travelers were not supposed to go. It was only meant to prevent them from carelessly wandering into the settlement at the forest’s edge.

“It seems the nobles are already here,” Ai Fa said, bringing the wagon to a stop soon after passing through the open gate. We all got out and circled around to the front, where we found the familiar sight of soldiers standing guard. They were members of the ducal guard, who fell directly under Melfried’s command. Their official task was to guard the castle, but they would accompany their leader whenever he left the castle town.

“Hello there, members of the Ruu and Fa clans. Thank you so much for coming out. We arrived a touch early, but since Sir Dari Sauti was already present, we went ahead and got started,” Polarth said, greeting us with a wave and a smile. He was also being guarded by the soldiers. If I recalled correctly, I hadn’t seen him since Geol Zaza and Leiriss had competed at the forest’s edge, which would have been over a month ago.

Beyond him, I spied Melfried clad in the elegant attire of an officer rather than in armor. Kukuluel was also there speaking with him, and there were four other easterners around them.

“Melfried, it has been some time. We of the Ruu and Fa clan would also like to observe,” Jiza Ruu said.

“Ah, Jiza Ruu. I am glad to see you are in good health. This is the leader of the Black Flight Feathers, Kukuluel.”

Among the easterners, Kukuluel alone had his hood down. He gave a single bow, then looked toward me and Ludo Ruu.

“I am Kukuluel Gi Adumuftan. It has been some time since I last saw you, Ludo Ruu.”

“Oh yeah, I remember you. You’re looking well.”

Rimee Ruu had seen him just yesterday, and she also gave a smile and a bow.

After waiting for us to finish with that, Melfried once again held out an arm toward us. “I have heard that you are already well acquainted with Ludo Ruu, Rimee Ruu, and Asuta. This is Jiza Ruu, who is acting on behalf of one the leading clan heads of the forest’s edge, his younger brother Darmu Ruu, and the Fa clan head Ai Fa.” At this point, Melfried knew all of our names, which I was very happy about. “Furthermore, that hunter is Shumiral of the Ririn clan, correct? I am aware that Kukuluel made a request to meet with you, but you went out of your way to travel here?”

Shumiral had also met both Melfried and Polarth while he had been pushing to be allowed to become a person of the forest’s edge.

After tying his totos’s reins to the wagon, Shumiral replied, “Yes,” and stepped forward.

“So you are Shumiral? I am honored to meet you,” Kukuluel said with a bow, which Shumiral returned.

“I am, also honored. I have heard many stories, about the prowess of, the Black Flight Feathers.”

Though their ages and hair colors differed, you could definitely tell that they both came from Sym. In fact, seeing them face-to-face like this, they had a shockingly similar feel about them. The biggest difference I could pick out was that Kukuluel had a somewhat sharper look in his eyes—they were calm and yet vigorous, similar to Ryada Ruu’s, so I didn’t dislike them in the least.

Melfried was also watching the two of them carefully. When they were done speaking, he said in a slightly raised voice, “Now then, we have already done what we need to here, so I believe it is about time for a detailed briefing about the new path.”

With that, Melfried proceeded to give us a rundown of the key points regarding the path, positioning himself so that everyone, including all of us, could hear. The first half essentially covered what I had discussed with Kukuluel yesterday. He wouldn’t ever try to deceive the merchant under the circumstances, and he didn’t have any reason to in the first place.

“Giba rarely ever approach humans, so there should be no serious danger. However, we have prepared a countermeasure against them, which I would like all of you from the forest’s edge to share your opinions on.”

Melfried signaled to one of the soldiers, who then presented a rather strange object to us. It was made of three long, thin metal rectangles, and was unlike any tool I had ever seen. Each rectangle had a hole at the top, and a leather strap passed through them to bundle them all together. But there was some slack to it, so when Melfried accepted it and gave a light shake of his hand, the pieces of metal bumped into one another and made a loud, piercing sound.

“I am told that giba dislike noise, so attaching a tool such as this to a wagon should be effective at keeping them away, correct?”

“Yes. This looks just like the tools we Sauti use to drive them away,” Dari Sauti commented.

“Indeed,” Melfried replied with a nod. “We used the information you provided us when we created it. So, you believe they should prove useful?”

“Yeah. If you add the sound this makes to the noise from the wagon rolling along, even a starving giba won’t come anywhere near you. Giba have a particular hatred of shrill, metallic noises.”

“In that case, we shall have travelers utilizing this path in the future equip their wagons with something similar. Fortunately, we have metalworkers from Jagar staying in the castle town at present.”

Was he talking about Diel’s group? I hadn’t expected her to pop up and have a role to play here.

“There is also something I wish to ask you, Kukuluel,” Melfried continued. “How skilled are easterners at reading the characters of the west?”

“The characters? That varies from person to person, naturally. It is likely that most younger folks would hardly be able to read them at all.”

“I see. In that case, we shall need to use eastern characters as well to express the same meaning. Could you please step over this way?”

With that, Melfried guided us over to the gate we had passed through a short while ago. He then ordered the soldiers to close the gates, revealing writing that had been carved into them. And it seemed that black dye had been applied to those engraved characters as well. Since it was written in the western language, the text resembled hieroglyphs, and I couldn’t read it at all.

“The laws of Genos regarding the forest’s edge are written here. We intend to erect a sign with the same information at the end of the path.”

Melfried gave another signal, and one of the soldiers began slowly and carefully reciting what was written there.

First, the sign explained the laws regarding the forest of Morga. Gathering the fruits that grew within was a serious crime, and those who did so would be whipped, branded as criminals, and exiled from Genos. Then it was stated that the forest contained giba, mundt, giiz, and various poisonous insects, so it was not to be entered carelessly. There was also a declaration that it was strictly forbidden to use poisons brought from the outside on the creatures living there. Anyone who did so would suffer the same punishments mentioned above.

I couldn’t help but tilt my head when I heard that last part. So using poison to hunt giba is against the laws of Genos, not just the laws of the forest’s edge? And the punishment is pretty hefty too, if it’s the same as what you’d get for harvesting the fruits of the forest. Sure, it was a lighter punishment than the one the forest’s edge would administer, which was being scalped, but that still really caught my attention. Still, it wasn’t exactly a good time for me to speak up, so I held my tongue and simply kept listening attentively.

Following that was a part outlining the settlement at the forest’s edge. Firstly, all the laws of Genos also applied there. Unauthorized entry into a home, violence toward a resident, or acts of theft were all forbidden, as you’d expect.

There were also two other points that were specifically noted. The first was that people were not permitted to enter the settlement without a specific purpose. And second, the people of the forest’s edge were given autonomy when it came to protecting the peace in our settlement. If someone who wasn’t one of us entered our territory, we had the right to question their reason for being there. And if our people didn’t find their reason to be good enough, we could force them to leave.

Furthermore, anyone who committed crimes at the forest’s edge would be judged according to our laws. The people of the forest’s edge punished crimes more harshly than the laws of Genos, and we had the right to carry out those punishments.

“As an example, let us say a thief forced their way into a house at the forest’s edge. According to the laws of Genos, that person would be whipped and branded as a criminal, but what would the punishment be according to the laws of the forest’s edge?”

“If you enter the home of another without permission, you are to have a toe cut off,” Jiza Ruu replied.

“I see,” Melfried said with a nod.

Beside him, Polarth gave a strained laugh. “When that criminal is apprehended, the people of the forest’s edge are permitted to exercise their own laws. Or they can decline to do so and hand the offender over to the guards. We would like you to determine which punishment would be more suitable on a case by case basis.”

“Hmm... Personally, I believe townsfolk should be judged according to the laws of town. Still, I’m grateful to hear that we are given the choice to do as we deem proper,” Jiza Ruu said.

“Indeed. I have full faith that the people of the forest’s edge would not needlessly harm others without any proof.”

Was Melfried saying that because we had worked so hard to take down Cyclaeus together? Back then, no matter how furious the people of the forest’s edge became, they never took up arms until they had solid proof. And Melfried had been able to observe that forbearance the whole time, up close and personal.

“The people of the forest’s edge displayed great strength in the recent swordsmanship tournament. I cannot imagine outlaws deciding to enter your settlement now, especially if they are informed of the autonomy you have been granted,” Melfried said.

“I very much hope that is the case. The women and children of the settlement must not be exposed to danger,” Jiza Ruu stated.

“I was thinking that I would like to construct a guard station here in the future. That would serve to protect both the travelers and the settlement alike.”

As Melfried and Jiza Ruu talked, Kukuluel and his people were silently watching and listening off to the side. Our hunters were keeping an eye on them in turn, making for a rather unusual state of affairs.

“There is one last point to discuss. This is an especially crucial matter, so we made certain to write it separately.”

Melfried then directed the soldier to read the final line. In striking characters, it stated, “Setting foot on Mount Morga in the center of the forest is punishable by death.”

“This is common knowledge to the people of the forest’s edge and the citizens of Genos, but setting foot on Mount Morga is the greatest of taboos. Whether they are from Sym or Jagar, we wish for everyone to know that none who break that law shall be spared the death sentence, regardless of their reason for doing so.”

Kukuluel’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he looked at Melfried. “I can think of no reason for someone to want to traverse the forest where giba roam in order to approach the mountain in any case, but why is that act seen as such a serious crime?”

“The forest of Morga is ruled by three types of beasts: the varb wolves, the giant madarama snakes, and the red savages. If those beasts are angered, Genos will be led to ruin. To the independent settlers who once lived in this area, Mount Morga was their god.”

“Ah, so Mount Morga is a holy land? I understand,” Kukuluel readily stated, bringing his fingers together in a complex manner. “I shall make certain that my brethren back in our homeland are informed as well. Easterners should understand even better than westerners how serious of a crime violating a sacred land is, so you have nothing to worry about.”

“I certainly hope that is the case. I would also like you to inform them of the law regarding poison mentioned before.”

“The law that states the beasts of Morga are not to be harmed using poison, correct? Is that also related to your reverence for Morga?”

“Indeed. If travelers are assaulted by giba along this path that has been forged by human hands, they can feel free to use poison. But there is a strong taboo against entering the forest of their own volition and poisoning the beasts within. That is why the hunters of the forest’s edge have always hunted giba without using such methods.”

“Oh, so that’s part of the agreement with the lord of Genos? I thought it was taboo because using poison is cowardly,” Ludo Ruu casually interjected.

Jiza Ruu’s narrowed eyes turned toward his younger brother. “I believe our leading clan head Donda has informed you of the origin of all of our laws at least once, Ludo.”

“As if I could remember the story behind every single one. It’s not like I’d ever use poison in the first place anyway. Ah, hey, I get it, you don’t have to get angry with me!”

Ludo Ruu seemed to have gotten better at knowing when to retreat before he earned a scolding lately. At any rate, after observing that interaction between the two brothers, Melfried turned toward Kukuluel once more.

“No one is to set foot on Mount Morga, and the animals of the land are not to be harmed using poison. Those were the conditions laid down for allowing people to live at the foot of the mountain. And that agreement was carried forward from the independent settlers to the house of Genos. It is imperative that none commit such taboo acts, in order to maintain the friendship between the west and east.”

I couldn’t help but feel a chill run down my spine as I looked toward Mount Morga to the east. The mountain was covered in the same sort of lush greenery as the wider forest at its base, and it looked as grand and as divine as the terrifying legend about it suggested.

Two hundred years ago, when the house of Genos came to this land, that mountain was seen as a god... And the ones who revered it were the ancestors of folks like Milano Mas, Shilly Rou, and Lema Geit.

Nowadays, the people of the forest’s edge treated the forest at its base as their mother. That mysterious sacred land stood there right in the center of our mother forest.

So even though Melfried and the other nobles don’t see Morga as a god, they still treat it as a holy land that absolutely must not be entered, huh? That’s a little strange to hear.

As that thought passed through my head, Melfried’s explanation turned back toward the path itself.

All the while, Mount Morga just stood there imposingly, caring nothing for the thoughts and actions of us petty humans.