Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 29 - Chapter 2.2

2

Half an hour later, Melfried and company had completed their explanation and quietly left. The members of the Black Flight Feathers followed after them, leaving only Kukuluel behind.

“The other members of my group have business to take care of and left ahead of me. I, however, wish to talk with you, Shumiral. Would that be acceptable?”

“Yes. If the leading, Ruu clan, permits it, then I would like, to do so.”

After Shumiral glanced in his direction, Jiza Ruu nodded and said, “Of course. The leading clan head Donda Ruu has already given his permission. But we would like to be present as well. Do you have any objections?”

“Of course not. If it allows me to form a bond with all of you from the forest’s edge, then I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity.” Even when surrounded by hunters from the forest’s edge, Kukuluel remained perfectly calm.

From where he was standing off to one side, Dari Sauti called out to Jiza Ruu, “I would like to head back to our settlement. Would that be all right? I need to speak with the heads of our subordinate clans before we head out into the forest to hunt.”

“Naturally. If there is an empty house nearby, though, we would appreciate being allowed to borrow it for a short while. I would be even more grateful if there were one without other houses around it.”

“Ah, there is an old empty house at the edge of the Tamur settlement. I can guide you there if you would like.”

And so, we ended up heading north up the path. Dari Sauti and Kukuluel each had their own separate wagons, so we had a total of three wagons and the totos Shumiral was riding on with us as we proceeded to the Tamur settlement.

The Tamur were a subordinate clan of the Sauti, and they were located at the southernmost extreme of the forest’s edge. After greeting the clan head at the main house, he lent us the use of the vacant home, which looked rather run-down and must have been left to sit for quite a while. Once we parted ways with Dari Sauti, the four from the Ruu clan, Ai Fa and I, and Shumiral and Kukuluel stepped into the damp-smelling abode.

“First off, I would like to confirm something,” Jiza Ruu said, sitting at the head of the group. “What exactly is it you wish to discuss with Shumiral, Kukuluel? And do you feel any anger toward Shumiral for casting aside Sym? I would like to once again hear what you have to say about that.”

“Of course. All people are free to choose which god they serve. I cannot see any reason for me to feel anger or sadness at Shumiral changing gods when we are not even related.”

“I see. Up until pretty recently, folks from Jagar called us traitors, though,” Ludo Ruu remarked.

Kukuluel nodded lightly in return. “That is likely because the people of Jagar are so direct and impulsive by nature. But regardless of what others might think, I at least have no intention of criticizing Shumiral. Our connection is quite weak, since we come from different domains to begin with.”

“What’s a domain?”

“Domains refer to the territories the tribes of Sym rule over. There are seven tribes, and seven domains in turn. I am from the Gi tribe, while I have heard that Shumiral once belonged to the Zi. Those tribes are allies who both live in the grasslands, so we will often join forces to do business.”

“Well then, what do you have to discuss with Shumiral, considering he is no relative of yours? Asuta of the Fa clan said it was pure curiosity,” Jiza Ruu inquired.

“Correct,” Kukuluel replied with another nod. “I was already interested in Silver Vase, and when I heard that their former leader had changed gods and become a person of the forest’s edge, that interest grew even stronger. In the history of the four great kingdoms, not many have changed from Sym to Selva, after all,” Kukuluel said, narrowing his eyes rather than smiling. “Still, I believe I have some understanding of his reasons. I no longer find Shumiral’s actions quite so strange.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Because the people of the forest’s edge are unlike other westerners. Though you are citizens of this kingdom, you live with a freedom that reminds me of independent settlers. To go further, you seem to be somewhat similar in nature to easterners.”

“That’s for sure. There are tons of guys at the forest’s edge who feel a lot like you and Shumiral. Of course, they aren’t so expressionless, though,” Ludo Ruu said with a shrug. “There’s a legend that the people of the forest’s edge might have originally been a mix of folks from Sym and Jagar. I’ve got no clue if it’s true or not, but here at the forest’s edge, we’ve got both really silent guys like people from Sym and really noisy folks like southerners.”

“So you do. But I feel that in spirit you are closer to us from the east than you are to southerners. Like you, we easterners see the grasslands, mountains, and seas as our mother,” Kukuluel stated calmly. “For example, to our Gi tribe, the eastern god Sym is our father, while the grasslands are our mother. In Selva and Jagar, only independent settlers value the place they were born as greatly as they do the four great gods, so wouldn’t it make sense to say the people of the forest’s edge are similar to those independent settlers, or even the citizens of Sym?”

“So did that clear up most of your curiosity about Shumiral, then?”

“No. That question might have been answered, but my curiosity remains. He has cast aside Sym and the grasslands in order to become a child of Selva and the forest. It must have taken unimaginable determination to do so. And I would like to ask what gave him such a strong resolve.”

Shumiral had remained silent up until this point, but now he started squirming uncomfortably. “I understand, how you feel, Kukuluel. But it is, rather embarrassing, to discuss, that matter.”

“Embarrassing?”

“Yes. I simply wished, to marry, Vina Ruu. Jiza, Darmu, Ludo, and Rimee Ruu, are all, her family...so it is embarrassing, to speak about, my feelings.”

Rimee Ruu giggled at that, while Ludo Ruu outright laughed and said, “Yeah, you’ve been going on and on about all this high-minded stuff for a while now, but Shumiral just fell for Vina. There isn’t much he can say now except to talk about what a great woman she is.”

“Ludo Ruu, you are, embarrassing me.”

“Then at least let it show on your face a bit. Shin Ruu may be pretty expressionless, but he still turns bright red when people tease him.”

I had heard that Shumiral was trying to learn to let his emotions show as best he could, but that mostly seemed to apply to his feelings of joy. Aside from furrowing his brow ever so slightly, he really didn’t look embarrassed in the least. Meanwhile, Kukuluel just kept on carefully observing my friend.

“I see. So your feelings for a woman were the source of your resolve, Shumiral?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Personally, I think that’s a wonderful thing.”

That almost sent me reeling over. “U-Um, so is that enough to satisfy you?”

“It is. Marrying the person you love is more important than anything. And it is no surprise that he would go so far as to change his very god and home after finding his partner in a foreign land.”

Ludo Ruu laughed in amusement again when he heard that and said, “You sure are a funny guy, Kukuluel! Your face still looks totally serious, even when you say something like that!”

“I was speaking seriously, though.”

“That’s what makes it so hilarious!”

“I see. To me, love is as weighty a topic as discussing the gods.”

Personally, I felt embarrassed rather than wanting to laugh. Jiza Ruu, Darmu Ruu, and Ai Fa, meanwhile, were just listening to Kukuluel speak without so much as twitching an eyebrow.

“Fortunately, I found my beloved wife within the Gi tribe. She and six of my children are back in Sym awaiting my return,” he continued.

“Wow, you have six kids? Well, I guess my parents had seven, so that’s not too crazy,” Ludo Ruu noted.

“No. My eldest and second eldest sons work alongside me, while my eldest daughter married into another house. If you include the child my wife was pregnant with when I left, I have ten children in total.”

“That’s amazing! It must be fun, having that many siblings!” Rimee Ruu said.

“Yes. I have been granted a very joyous life.”

I couldn’t help but feel that the conversation was drifting more and more off topic. Perhaps thinking the same thing, Jiza Ruu cut in to get things back on track. “Now then, is there anything else you wished to discuss with Shumiral?”

“All of my questions have been cleared up. And now, my curiosity about Shumiral feels the same as my curiosity about the people of the forest’s edge in general.”

“Meaning?”

“I’m terribly interested in the people of the forest’s edge, seeing as how you’ve captured Shumiral’s heart so completely. It isn’t just this Vina Ruu woman. All of you have a certain appeal that led him to cast aside his god and his homeland. You truly are a wonderful people.”

“You say that when we have hardly spoken at all so far?” Jiza Ruu asked.

“I do. I’ve sensed it ever since I saw how you spoke with the nobles. The respect they showed you despite their position proves how strong you are.” Kukuluel’s eyes then gently narrowed once again. “The people of the forest’s edge moved from Jagar to Selva. If you had traveled to Sym instead, you surely would have been warmly welcomed as comrades.”

“I have had, the same thought. But Jagar and Sym, are enemy nations, so it would not, have been possible, for them, to go east,” Shumiral said, chiming in for the first time in a while. “Furthermore, the people of the forest’s edge, resemble the people, of the grasslands, in nature. Not those of, the capital of Sym. If they had gone there, they would not, have been welcomed.”

“Ah, that might be true... If the people of the forest’s edge had shown up at Raorim, the capital of the eastern kingdom, rather than the Zigi grasslands, it could have ended in a battle rather than an opportunity to change gods.”

“Really? The capital and the grasslands are that different, even though they’re both part of Sym?” Ludo Ruu asked.

“Correct,” Kukuluel replied. “The Rao tribe are the ones who unified Sym. The capital of Raorim was built by the Rao and the Rim using stone. The people who live there... I would say that they resemble westerners in nature. There seems to be a tendency for most people who live in cities of stone to be somewhat similar.”

“Hmm. That sure sounds complicated. But now that you mention it, everyone who comes west is from those grasslands, right?” Ludo Ruu asked.

“Yes. The Rao and Rim tribes have planted their roots firmly in their own lands and do not move. They always instruct the people of the grasslands and the sea to come to them to make their grand business deals.”

“There are easterners who live in the mountains too, aren’t there?” I asked, digging up a piece of information from an old memory.

This time, Kukuluel narrowed his eyes in a way that didn’t look all that gentle. “Yes. The people of the mountains possess terrifying strength. And since they live in the mountains to the north, far removed from Jagar, they don’t know what to do with that strength. They are very dangerous, and will at times point their weapons at their fellow easterners and our allies from Selva and Mahyudra.”

If that legend Neeya of the Gamley Troupe had sung about was true, the ancestors of the people of the forest’s edge, the Gaaze tribe, had left Sym due to a conflict between them and the people who lived in the mountains. And those same mountain folk had also repeatedly attacked the Rao who governed the country in the present day, to the point that the Rao had been driven from their homes. The one to save them from that predicament had been the White Sage, Misha.

That legend was from hundreds of years ago, but the people of the mountains are still seen just as vicious ever, huh? It was a relief to know they didn’t live anywhere near us. A belligerent group who knew how to use poison sounded scarier than any other outlaws.

“I feel more affinity with the people of the forest’s edge than I do with those from the mountains or the capital. That is why I can understand Shumiral’s decision to live here,” Kukuluel said, returning to our original topic of discussion. “Genos is also a very important land to me, so it brings me great joy to find people such as yourselves here. If you do not mind, I would like it if we could form a bond of friendship.”

“You can’t just say you want to be friends and have it happen. I mean, there’s no point in being friends in name alone,” Ludo Ruu remarked with a big grin. “But personally, I think I like you. If we get the chance to talk more, I could definitely see us ending up as friends.”

“Yes. I would very much like to speak with you more.”

“You’re staying in the castle town though, aren’t you? The Ruu clans resumed our work as hunters again yesterday, so we don’t really have much time to go to town.”

“I see,” Kukuluel said, a look of disappointment in his eyes.

Seeing that, Jiza Ruu crossed his arms and said, “There’s no need to rush. You intend to visit Genos again many times in the future, don’t you?”

“Yes. At least once a year. Actually, our route takes us from Genos to Algrad and then back again, so it’s more like twice a year, I suppose.”

“Then we’ll get closer eventually, I’m sure. We know each other’s names now, so we’ve already taken the first step.”

Ludo Ruu blinked in amazement and turned to face his older brother.

“Whoa. Not that long ago, you wouldn’t have had any interest in easterners at all, Jiza!”

“We have already formed bonds with the townsfolk. If we are no longer going to disregard them, it makes sense to try to find the best way to interact with them, does it not?”

“That’s for sure. Still, it’s a real shock hearing you actually come out and say it,” Ludo Ruu said with a big grin, and Rimee Ruu smiled too. Ai Fa and Darmu Ruu remained impressively silent, simply watching what was going on. It felt like looking at a very well behaved wildcat and wolf.

Ai Fa and Darmu Ruu really are a lot alike. They can come across as unfriendly to outsiders, but they’re both really kind. Then there’s the fact that they’re usually very quiet, but they both have short tempers.

As that pointless thought passed through my head, Kukuluel spoke up again, “You hunters all seem quite busy. But do Asuta and the women have a bit more freedom?”

“Hmm? Why do you ask?” I said.

“If possible, I would like to eat dinner together. In the near future, Asuta should be receiving an invitation to a restaurant run by a chef who knows him.” There weren’t all that many chefs he could be referring to, but before I could figure out who he meant, Kukuluel went ahead and told us the answer. “I am speaking of Varkas of The Silver Star. He is the one who has been the most interested in the ingredients we brought with us. And so, that led to a special dinner invitation.”

“Varkas, huh? It’s true that we’ve interacted quite a few times, but where exactly did you hear about that?”

“That Polarth man told me. He seems to be quite fond of you as well.”

An invitation to Varkas’s restaurant was definitely something I would be thrilled to receive.

Rimee Ruu then turned toward Jiza Ruu with a smile. “Reina and Sheera Ruu will be so happy to get to eat more of Varkas’s cooking!”

“But we are unable to set foot in the castle town without permission from the nobles.”

“Huh? But why not? I wanna go!”

As he watched the young girl stomp her feet, Kukuluel tilted his head. “Polarth is the one who invited me to The Silver Star. If you are on friendly terms with him, could he not procure passes for you?”

“Hmm... Whether the nobles offer us passes is up to them. It is not something I can decide on my own,” Jiza Ruu said before turning my way. “Are you even interested in going to such a dinner, Asuta?”

“Of course! And I’m sure Reina and Sheera Ruu will feel the same way.”

“But—” two voices said simultaneously. They belonged to Ai Fa, and Darmu Ruu, who had finally broken their silence. My clan head was looking at the Ruu hunter probingly with one eyebrow raised.

“We both spoke at the same time. You can go first, Darmu Ruu.”

“No, I am in no rush to speak, so go ahead.”

“I see. In that case... When you head to the castle town as a chef, you require hunters to accompany you. It seems highly unlikely that the nobles would make any attempt to harm us at this point, but if you will be returning after the sun sets, you will need to bring guards.”

“Of course,” Jiza Ruu said with a nod, turning toward Darmu Ruu. “So, what is it that you wished to bring up?”

“I was going to say the same thing. Still, it’s not like the blessings of the forest have fully recovered just yet, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to have some Ruu hunters make time for it.”

Ludo Ruu couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course they’re going to bring guards. There was no need to be in such a rush to bring that up. You two sure get worked up when it comes to Asuta and Sheera Ruu.”

The two of them once again said, “Quiet, you,” at the exact same time. And then they both shot heated glares at each other.

“At any rate, the leading clan heads and Polarth will ultimately be the ones to decide. I shall speak with the leading clan heads first, so if they give their permission, can we bring the matter up with Polarth then?” Jiza Ruu asked.

“Yes, that should be fine,” Kukuluel replied with a bow. “If possible, could Shumiral attend as well? Varkas said that he wishes to hear the opinions of people born in Sym, so I am sure he would be pleased to have more of us attend.”

“Understood. I’ll convey that message.”

“Ugh, then Vina’s going to want to go too, isn’t she? It’s starting to feel like I’m gonna get left out this time,” Ludo Ruu groaned.

The conversation had certainly taken an unexpected turn, but it was a happy surprise on my end. I really wanted to bring Toor Deen and Myme along too if I could.

“By the way, when will that dinner be held?” Ai Fa asked in an oddly urgent tone.

Kukuluel calmly replied, “Not too far in the future, I believe. Most likely, it will occur in three to four days.”

“I see,” Ai Fa said with a sigh of relief. I was probably the only one present who understood why. Since today was the sixteenth of the yellow month, my birthday was now only six days away.

We decided that we’d spend that day with just the two of us, I thought, shooting Ai Fa a stealthy smile. When I did, her cheeks went a bit red and she gave me a sneaky poke in the arm in return.

And with that, our conversation with Kukuluel came to a close.