Aside from the unusual color of her hair and skin, she looked just like any ordinary human being. But those big red eyes of hers were as pure and innocent as those of a newborn infant. Or maybe her eyes looked similar to those of a totos or a hunting dog. She spoke the same language as the rest of us and was undoubtedly human, but her gaze was like that of a wild animal.
In fact, it was the same sort of impression I’d had of the people of the forest’s edge at first. Though interacting with them felt completely normal to me now, their extreme earnestness and wild nature really set them apart from the townsfolk. This girl was very similar to them, but it was like that aspect of her nature had been refined into something even more distinctive. It truly shocked me that we had encountered another human being who had that kind of personality. If somebody had told me she was actually a wild beast changed into human form using magic, I probably would have accepted that without questioning it.
“Since they’re called savages, I suppose it’s only natural that they would differ from other humans,” Baadu Fou said. “But still, I don’t want to force her to suppress her feelings.”
“Is that why you’re saying you want me to let her stay here at the Fa house until tomorrow morning?” Ai Fa asked.
“If you are still worried about her, Ai Fa, the three of us will stay here and keep watch until morning without sleeping. Please, I beg you to give her your permission to stay.”
Ai Fa sighed once more, then sent a reproachful look in Baadu Fou’s direction. “I do not doubt her sincerity... You three can return to your own houses.”
“Are you really sure? We’re the ones who brought her back to the settlement, so there’s no need for you to worry about troubling us.”
“There is no point in keeping watch over someone who does not pose a threat. Go eat dinner with your families back at home.”
Apparently, Ai Fa had complete trust in Tia too. For her to so readily believe the words of someone who had harmed me like that, she and the other hunters must have been able to see her true nature even better than I could.
“Well then, as soon as we receive word from the Ruu, we will return and pass it along to you. I’m terribly sorry for forcing this burden on you.”
After that, the Fou hunters exited the Fa house, and Ai Fa stepped down into the dirt-floored entranceway to bolt the front door. As she did, our hunting dog Brave and guard dog Jirube padded over and nuzzled up against her legs. They must have been worried about Ai Fa, since she was giving off such a different vibe than usual. My clan head petted both of their heads, then she returned to the main hall.
“Ai Fa of the Fa clan, you will also not take my life?” Tia asked from where she was sitting up against the wall.
My clan head shot her a displeased glare. “You heard what was said, didn’t you? The leading clan heads of the forest’s edge and the nobles of Genos will be the ones to decide your fate.”
“You are a strange people... Though you belong to the outside world, it seems you do resemble us red people in some ways after all.”
Ai Fa took a seat on the carpet, then faced Tia once more. “What do you mean, ‘after all’? Did you know what the people of the forest’s edge were like before now?”
“Yes, of course. You are the people who hunt giba at the base of the mountain. From what I am told, you have done so since before our leader Hamura was born.”
I had been busy preparing dinner, but when I heard that, I turned around and said, “Huh? Hold on. Hamura is part of your name, isn’t it? Are you from the ruling bloodline of your people, then?”
“Tia Hamura Namukal. I am Tia, child of Hamura who leads the Namukal people. Hamura is the current leader of the Namukal.”
“So, you are the daughter of your people’s leader? But not the leader of all of the red people, correct?” Ai Fa interjected.
“Correct,” Tia answered with a nod. “Many live on Morga. The Namukal ally with the varb and fight the madarama. We get along poorly with the tribe that allies with the madarama and fights the varb. But when we eat madarama, that adds to the strength of Morga. The madarama, varb, and we red people are all children of Morga.”
“It is the same for us. Giba, giiz, and mundt are dangerous, but that does not change the fact that they are our fellow children of the forest.”
Tia deeply furrowed her brow and stared at Ai Fa, looking all the more confused.
“You people truly are strange. You are from the outside world, but you mimic the red people?”
“We cannot mimic those we do not know. We have hardly ever even seen your people since we came here eighty years ago,” Ai Fa replied, her eyes narrowing as she looked rather displeased. “In fact, this is surely the first time we have ever spoken with any of you. Up until recently, your people have stayed hidden deep within the territory of Morga. What changed that caused you to appear before us now?”
“People from the outside world came close to Morga,” Tia muttered, a disquieting look shining in her eyes. “Not long ago, a large group approached our mountain. Since then, Namukal hunters have been taking turns on lookout duty to see if they were going to come back. Today was my turn, so I was keeping watch on a valley near the base of the mountain while I was out hunting... But then, as I was chasing a peifei, I was attacked by a madarama and fell into the river.”
“What is a peifei?”
“Peifei are blessings from Morga. The red people, madarama, and varb all eat them. I am certain the madarama was trying to hunt it, the same as I was.”
Ai Fa was tilting her head in confusion, so I decided to speak up with my own guesses about what Tia had meant. “That’s probably a different animal that lives on Mount Morga. I think one of them was carried down the Lanto River with her.”
“Yes. Peifei meat grants great strength, and their claws and pelts have many uses. It was rare for one to appear in a place like that, but pursuing it led to me falling into the river.”
“So, your people only assigned guards to watch that area because the soldiers from the capital approached the border of the mountain,” Ai Fa said with a deep sigh. “At last, everything comes together. This is ultimately a lingering consequence of the trouble those observers from the capital caused.”
“From what I have heard, you giba hunters would never pillage Morga... However, there were a great many of those other people, and they seemed to be planning to set foot on the mountain. The red people would never forgive anyone who tried to break the taboo of Morga,” Tia said with an intense glare in her eyes.
Ai Fa gripped the hilt of her sword that was resting on the floor and said in a threatening tone, “Curb your bloodlust. Those people have already left Genos, and they will never again approach Mount Morga.”
“I see,” Tia replied, closing her eyes. “I still violated our taboos, though. I can’t return to Morga with my leg in this state, and I have to atone for my actions against Asuta. That is why I would very much like you to take my life.”
“As I said, we aren’t the ones who get to decide that. But do you mean to say that even if your crimes are forgiven, you still won’t be able to return to Morga?”
“Of course not. As things stand, I wouldn’t make it a hundred steps onto the mountain before a madarama ate me.”
“But your comrades are watching the border between the forest and the mountain, aren’t they? Couldn’t you seek their aid to return safely?”
“No. They would never save a hunter who has both lost her strength and broken taboos as well. If I were to return to Morga like this, I would likely fall to the blades of my people before the madarama got me, in fact.”
“This is getting more and more and more troublesome,” Ai Fa muttered, placing a hand on her forehead and sighing yet again. “Very well. The only thing we can do is wait until we hear what the leading clan heads and the nobles have to say. Asuta, I’m feeling hungry.”
“Oh, I just finished up. I’ll go grab the pot from the kitchen. This should only take a moment.”
“I shall accompany you, then,” Ai Fa said, and we left Tia there and headed to the kitchen together.
As I reached out and grabbed the pot with our dinner in it, I asked Ai Fa, “You and Baadu Fou really trust her, huh? Not that I think she’d lie or deliberately cause any trouble either.”
“Indeed. She is like a newborn infant, or a dog or totos. There’s no reason at all to doubt her words,” Ai Fa said, and then she gently brought a hand up to my throat. “If she hadn’t hurt you, I’m sure our conversation would have been much more relaxed. It truly is regrettable.”
“Y-Yeah, you’re probably right... Sorry, Ai Fa, but that tickles a bit.”