Chapter 2: Day of Decision
1
The day after our meeting with Kamyua Yoshu found us visiting the Rutim settlement in the morning.
Frankly, Ai Fa and I just didn’t know how to handle that crazy old-timer on our own at this point.
After heading further south from the Ruu settlement, a settlement of just five fairly large houses came into view. It belonged to the Rutim, and I had already visited here numerous times before the banquet to ask their opinions.
We visited the largest of those houses, the one belonging to the main household, and fortunately found that Gazraan Rutim was already out of bed.
“My, if it isn’t Ai Fa and Asuta. What brings you here?” Gazraan Rutim asked with a smile.
The clan head Dan Rutim was apparently still sleeping, but that wasn’t an issue for us. After all, what we wanted was the opinion of Gazraan Rutim, who possessed the straightforward honesty fitting for a person of the forest’s edge, yet was also flexible in his thinking, like a reformist.
“Sorry for being so forward, just showing up at your house this early in the day.”
“It’s no problem. The Rutim custom is that a bride and groom can have three days of rest from work both before and after their wedding. I’m honestly glad that I can use the opportunity to welcome you as guests,” Gazraan Rutim said, a gentle smile on his face.
Still, I really did feel guilty about intruding on his second day as a newly married man.
But even so, our thoughts were so chaotic at the moment that we really did need a calm, logical third party to weigh in on the matter.
“The thing is, Kamyua Yoshu really did come to visit the Fa house yesterday, just as promised. And things ended up progressing in a really crazy direction...” I started while being led into a vast hall which was on par with the one in the main Ruu house.
And with that, I explained the crazy proposal that Kamyua Yoshu had offered last night.
◇
“Why in the world would I go and open a shop in the post town?!” I retorted without even thinking, having lost my composure, but Kamyua Yoshu’s aloof expression didn’t shift in the least.
“So that the people of the forest’s edge can gain greater strength and prosperity, of course.”
I sighed, then half-unconsciously scratched at my head.
“How exactly is that related to me opening a shop? I can’t see how they connect in the least.”
“How? You’re a proper member of this settlement despite being born in a foreign nation, aren’t you? So you gaining wealth is directly tied to the prosperity of the forest’s edge, isn’t it?”
“That’s not true at all. No matter how many copper coins I may earn, that wealth ultimately belongs to the Fa clan. And the Fa clan doesn’t have any relatives or subordinates, so that money won’t be making it to other clans.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
I explained that the people of the forest’s edge strengthened their bonds almost exclusively through blood ties. And on top of that, commerce was nonexistent at the forest’s edge, so it was essentially impossible for your wealth to ever pass to someone who wasn’t related to you.
In spite of that, the smile wasn’t wiped from Kamyua Yoshu’s face.
“So you’re a little hesitant to accept at the moment, are you? In that case, are you saying you don’t care in the least if someone outside of your clan is happy or not? Do you believe that anyone but your family is utterly worthless?”
“That’s an extreme argument. Of course we have friends and acquaintances. But even if we become wealthy, that shouldn’t have anything to do with their lives, right?”
“If you horde that fortune, like a certain leading clan.”
Now that it had come this far, Ai Fa’s eyes were completely burning with the look of a hunter.
Of course, I couldn’t blame her. I mean, I was about ready to burst with, not quite anger, but doubt and suspicion.
“Hmm... I was just drawing out our chat by throwing out a thought that popped into my head, but you seem to be quite emphatically rejecting the idea.”
“...I mean, it was just too crazy of an idea to be part of a mere ‘chat.’”
“Is that so? I thought it was a pretty ingenious idea for something I came up with on the spot. And it wouldn’t be all that difficult to open a shop there in the post town,” Kamyua Yoshu said while maintaining his usual carefree tone, then sat back down and stroked the stubble on his chin.
“Alright, let me explain things in order. My first thought was about the value of giba meat.”
“The value...?”
“You all make a living by selling giba horns, tusks, and furs. So why don’t you sell the meat, then?”
“Nobody in town would eat it, right? I mean, the people of the forest’s edge are feared there as ‘giba eaters.’”
“That only applies to the people of Genos, though. Travelers and folks who have moved there from other lands just go along with it.”
“No, but...”
“Then let me ask, is it proper for the people of the forest’s edge to be feared as ‘giba eaters’? Does it make you happy? Are you proud of the title? If that were the case, then I could certainly understand not wanting townsfolk to know how delicious giba meat is. You could just go ahead and forget I said anything... But if that isn’t the case, then I can’t understand why you won’t sell it.”
I was about to object that you could only say such a thing about giba meat as of this month, but I realized it would be pointless.
As far as I knew, it was true that there was no law that said you could sell tusks and horns, but not meat.
“So are you telling me to open a butcher’s shop? Do you really think that sort of business would work out?”
“If you just try to start selling it, it wouldn’t move. First, you need to let people know how wonderful this meat really is. That’s why I suggested you opening a shop... Not a butcher’s, but a restaurant.”
“...”
“If that’s successful, then giba meat could be sold as a product on its own. If the deliciousness of your cooking becomes known throughout the post town, that would override the false information that giba meat stinks and tastes bad, wouldn’t it? And if that meant that giba meat started getting treated as a good that could be exchanged for coins, then your success would wrap back around and aid the forest’s edge, right?”
Kamyua Yoshu sure looked like he was enjoying himself. It was almost like we really were just having a pleasant chat.
“You won’t get more than a single white coin at most for a giba’s worth of horns and tusks. And it should be about the same for a pelt. That’s far too unjust a reward for a hunt you all undertake at the risk of your lives... That’s something that’s bugged me for some time now.”
“But still... The people of the forest’s edge have continued to live on in that manner for 80 years now. To suddenly tear all that down—”
“Asuta. My apologies, but it hasn’t been all that long since you’ve been accepted as a member of the forest’s edge, has it? I asked my acquaintances from around the post town, but none of them had seen a foreigner clad in the garb of the forest’s edge.”
“...So what are you trying to say?”
“I’m just bringing up the possibility that you may be less informed about life at the forest’s edge than I am,” Kamyua Yoshu said with a grin. “Ai Fa has quite a few of the horns and tusks that hunters pride themselves on hanging from her neck. Also, the Ruu clan is a large group with quite a few subordinates. And furthermore, the Suun clan has been hoarding the reward money... Now then, Asuta, have you interacted with any clans beside those?”
I hadn’t.
But still, just how did this man know that?
“The answer is simple. If you knew about the normal lives of the people of the forest’s edge, you wouldn’t go denying any interest in such prosperity so lightly.”
“Normal... lives? But you’re not even a man of the forest’s edge, so how could you know—?”
“I can’t. And so, this is nothing but guesswork. If it happens to be wrong, then by all means say as such, Ai Fa.”
Ai Fa said nothing in response.
However, I sensed a passionate emotion other than just anger in her blazing eyes.
“The majority of the people of the forest’s edge only ever eat aria and poitan, which certainly doesn’t indicate any sort of riches. Only a small portion have savings like Ai Fa, while most struggle with poverty. And not honorable poverty, but true and proper poverty at that. And so, quite a few must die young, unable to afford even aria and poitan and having to subsist solely on giba meat... Or at least, that’s what I assume. That’s the conclusion that I reached by gathering information in the post town and then combining that with what I’ve seen with my own two eyes here at the forest’s edge. Is any of that wrong, Ai Fa?”
“...Clans with power live in abundance, while those without suffer in poverty. That much is only obvious.”
“Then I can interpret that as meaning that there are those here at the forest’s edge who die early from only eating meat, and even some among them who cannot even obtain meat and die of starvation?”
“...I was raised to be strong so that wouldn’t happen to me.”
“And you were raised that way because that was a real danger, yes?”
What was going on here?
I was even starting to almost think that he knew more about the forest’s edge than Ai Fa, who hadn’t had much interaction with other clans, but he wasn’t even a man of the forest’s edge.
“There are some things that are easier to see from the outside.”
Kamyua Yoshu was still smiling, but something about his expression had shifted.
His drooping eyes narrowed a bit, and his smile relaxed. His purple eyes had the transparent light of an old sage about them... He was such a sketchy guy, but now his gaze held no less wisdom than Granny Jiba’s.
“The people of the forest’s edge are honest and full of integrity... If the giba were to start starving, they would ransack the Genos fields. Therefore, the people of the forest’s edge were forbidden from gathering the blessings of the Morga forest so that wouldn’t happen, right? A coarse, lowly fellow like me can’t comprehend the idea that there are folks out there who would starve to death while holding to such a one-sided agreement. And furthermore, you risk your lives hunting giba, but only get a mere white coin or two in exchange. I can’t imagine something like that is right or proper. The people of the forest’s edge should live wealthier lives than that.”
“But... Too much fortune corrupts people. That is precisely what happened to the Suun clan...”
“But isn’t that because it was a fortune gained through means unrelated to their own strength and will to live? At the very least, I couldn’t see anyone like Ai Fa or Donda Ruu growing corrupted in that manner. If Ai Fa’s necklace suddenly had 100 more horns and tusks on it, would she neglect her duty as a hunter?”
Ai Fa would never do that. And I didn’t think Donda Ruu would, either.
Even the people of the Ruu clan showed no signs of using up their fortune aside from buying some small amount of vegetables and accessories for their daughters, despite hunting so many giba each and every day. And there was no sign of them neglecting their duty as hunters. They just kept on hunting giba, holding their heads high with pride.
And I also remembered Shin Ruu. That boy had to support his family of five all on his own.
Of course, if he asked his comrades from the settlement for help, he could avoid starving to death. However, he went so far as to consider dangerous sacrificial hunting in trying to protect his family.
And if he hadn’t been a part of the Ruu, but had instead been born to a family with weak bonds like the Fa... He wouldn’t be able to obtain enough aria and poitan to support his family of five without hunting a giba every other day.
“Well, what do you say? Is the idea that the people of the forest’s edge should have more wealth completely unreasonable to you?”
“...Still, even so, to me the people of the forest’s edge don’t look like they’re living unfortunate lives.”
The women whose names I didn’t even know that I saw when washing dishes, and the gallant men who headed forth into the forest with just a small group... Even if I didn’t interact with them, I’d had plenty of opportunities to see such folks walking about. It may not have been to the degree of the Ruu clan for all of them, but there was a bright, strong, tranquil light shining in their eyes.
No matter how poor they may be, and no matter how much discrimination they may face in town, I simply couldn’t think of them as unfortunate.
“I’m of the same opinion on that point. I believe that the people of the forest’s edge are a truly proud people... And that’s precisely why I want them to be able to live more affluent lives,” as he said that, Kamyua Yoshu hid his mysterious gaze behind his eyelids.
When he reopened his eyes, he was completely back to his original aloof expression.
“But well, I’m just saying what came to mind here and now. It’s up to you all to decide what to do. It’s you folks living here at the forest’s edge who should determine its future. Go ahead and plunge ahead on the path that you believe is proper.”
“...Are you really going to insist that you just came up with that idea here and now?”
I glared at Kamyua Yoshu’s easygoing face, spurred on by some impetus I couldn’t identify.
“Maybe you learned that I was a chef with that banquet yesterday... And your goal from the start was to confirm my skill and set up this dinner, right?”
“You’re giving me too much credit, there. I’m nowhere near that clever... But well, I can’t deny that the idea hit me that it’d be good to sell such delicious meat alongside the horns and tusks when I saw everyone happily eating away at the banquet,” Kamyua Yoshu replied without even a hint of hesitation.
I was seriously thrown for a loop. And in all likelihood, Ai Fa probably was too.
Just who was this man?
“And it’s also a fact that after tasting your cooking, I’m confident that this taste is plenty good enough to compete in the post town. My feelings aren’t what matters at this point, though, right? What matters is what’s the proper path forward for the people of the forest’s edge, yeah?”
Kamyua Yoshu slowly stood, his long cloak fluttering.
“At any rate, it’s up to you what path you choose. And if you ever feel like hearing more details, feel free to come visit me whenever. I’m settled down at an inn called ‘The Kimyuus’s Tail’ till the 15th of next month. And I hope to visit you again next time I come to the forest’s edge while making preparations, too... If you’ll have me, that is.”
◇
Gazraan Rutim’s expression remained calm from beginning to end, and he quietly listened to our entire tale without interjecting with unnecessary comments or questions. Then, once it was over, he said, “That certainly is a surprising story. I’m sure no townsperson has ever interacted in such a way with the forest’s edge before. Yes, it truly is surprising...”
Ama Min Rutim was away at the moment, so it was just the three of us in the hall.
I bent forward without even thinking and asked, “What do you think? Just how should we react to that Kamyua Yoshu guy’s words?”
“How you react is up to you. However, if you wish to ask what I would do in that situation...”
It may have made things a lot easier for Ai Fa and I if he said it was an absurd idea that just wouldn’t work. Sadly, though, reality just wasn’t that kind.
“...It seems logical to me,” Gazraan Rutim flatly stated.
“Is that so...?”
“Yes. It’s true that there’s no law that giba meat cannot be exchanged for coins, and there would surely be a need to teach the people of the post town of its taste in order to bring that about. And as for the idea that the people of the forest’s edge should be living lives of greater abundance... I’m in complete agreement.”
There was no hesitation in Gazraan Rutim’s gaze.
If Kamyua Yoshu had that sort of look in his eyes, then maybe I would’ve leapt onboard with his proposal without even stopping to think about it.
Still, there was no point in saying such things. After all, it wasn’t just down to their personal natures, as Gazraan Rutim was a person of the forest’s edge, while Kamyua Yoshu was from the city of stone.
“Excessive wealth can corrupt people... Was that thought of mine insulting to the people of the forest’s edge?”
“No. It’s only natural to think of that first when you know of the Suun clan. But it’s the same as with the hamburgers, isn’t it?”
“H-Hamburgers?”
“Yes. If one doesn’t exercise self restraint, they could indulge so greatly in that flavor that it could lead to their teeth and jaw weakening. Too much of a medicine will act as a poison. And both hamburgers and excess wealth feel similar to me in that way.”
Gazraan Rutim gave a gentle smile.
“As an example, 80 years back when our people first moved here, a great many of them must have suffered from poverty. They lacked any proper weapons, didn’t know of the giba’s nature, and were forbidden from gathering from the forest... From what Jiba Ruu has told me, a great many died from fighting the giba, as well as from starvation.”
“...Right.”
“However, our ancestors lived here at the forest’s edge with pride, and eventually learned how to hunt the giba. Then with those horns and tusks they bought steel, pots, food, and cloth, and they established our current way of living. The Ruu and Rutim clan have gained enough fortune so that we will never run out of everyday goods like aria and poitan, and have been able to buy various other foods and accessories for our women. If there are those like Jiba Ruu who know of the suffering of the old days, and think of our present lives as blessed... Then I don’t believe I would call prosperity inherently the path to corruption.”
All I could think to reply was, “Right.”
Thanks to Gazraan Rutim’s words, my thoughts were steadily growing clearer.
But what about Ai Fa, who was just sitting there quietly next to me and listening?
“This is just a hypothetical, but...” Gazraan Rutim started in a speculative tone. “If you find success in the post town, and giba meat becomes such that it can be exchanged for coins... The only ones who will be able to do so will be the clans who have learned to bloodlet and dissect from you.”
“Yeah.”
“In that case, if the wealth accumulated through that process overtakes that of the Suun clan, won’t it be showing that hunting giba really is the proper path to prosperity?”
I was astounded, but Gazraan Rutim just smiled back at me.
“I don’t know what that Kamyua Yoshu man is thinking. I’m just talking about if he happens to be plotting to cause the Suun clan’s power to fall. If I were him, how would I think...? I just tried thinking that over, and what selling meat would mean for the Suun. However, arriving at that conclusion required knowing in advance that only the Ruu and their subordinates have learned bloodletting and dissection.”
That man really might have already figured out that much.
But more importantly than that, I was seriously surprised to see that Gazraan Rutim had thought it all through that thoroughly and arrived at that conclusion.
“You’re... You’re seriously amazing, Gazraan Rutim. I wasn’t able to think things through like that at all.”
“Not at all. All I can do is think and hunt giba.”
Gazraan Rutim looked back at me with a pure, fixed gaze.
“However, I don’t personally know that Kamyua Yoshu man. I cannot trust someone who I’ve never even met. You two are the only ones I can trust, Asuta and Ai Fa... How do you intend to react to this?”
The one to respond to that was Ai Fa, as she stared at Gazraan Rutim’s honest face with a strong, intense flame burning in her eyes.
“I cannot speak of such grand ideals as you, Gazraan Rutim. No matter what future may come, I cannot imagine the Suun clan’s intentions shifting so easily.”
“Right.”
“However... If, thanks to this decision by Asuta and myself, the forest’s edge becomes even a little better of a place to live... I believe I would be proud of that fact.”
“...Is that so?” Gazraan Rutim said with a smile.
Then, he turned towards me.
“I think the same, but there really is just way too much that we don’t know about Kamyua Yoshu. I don’t think that we should just go carelessly accepting before thoroughly confirming that there aren’t any traps waiting for us.” I agreed.
“I see. That certainly makes sense,” Gazraan Rutim said with a firm nod.
“Ai Fa, Asuta... Once you find your path forwards, if you have need of the Rutim’s strength, please come visit at any time. You may not be part of our clan, but you are trusted friends, so the doors to this home are always open to you.”
“Right, thank you. I... I really appreciate it.”
I held out my right hand nearly without thinking, and then hurriedly pulled it back.
“Sorry. Back in my country we had a custom of gripping each other’s hands to display friendship, but I’m sure that doesn’t exist here at the forest’s edge, right?”
“Gripping each other’s hands, is it?”
Despite tilting his head and looking puzzled, Gazraan Rutim held out his right hand.
I gripped that large, strong hunter’s hand with all my might, and got just as firm of a squeeze back.
“Asuta, your strength may be something far greater than I had thought. But even so, I would like to believe that your presence shall act as a medicine.”
With those final words, we left the Rutim home.
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