“Clan head, isn’t that bad manners?”
“Quiet, you,” Ai Fa shot back as she chewed the meat. A moment later, her eyes shot open wide in surprise. “You only used salt and pico leaves on this meat, correct?”
“Yeah. But it’s still got a really rich flavor, doesn’t it?”
“I can see why the three great beasts of Morga would fight over the meat of these creatures.” It had such a mysterious flavor that even someone as stubborn as Ai Fa couldn’t help but praise it. However, she still looked just as displeased as she had before. “I’ve never seen such a creature in the forest before, though. It must not leave the mountain, like the three great beasts. That makes them irrelevant to us.”
“Yeah. But I’m glad that Tia’s gift turned out to be so delicious.”
“Hmph,” Ai Fa snorted, then she quickly slurped down some soup.
I breathed a sigh as I placed the empty plate on the floor. “You’re worried about Tia, aren’t you? I feel the same way.”
Ai Fa didn’t respond. She couldn’t, because it was a crime to lie, but I was sure that I hadn’t misjudged her feelings on the matter. She was definitely worried about what would become of Tia too.
The most efficient thing to do would be to leave Tia at the border between the forest and the mountain. That would abide by Marstein’s orders and satisfy Tia as well.
But that was the same as deliberately sending Tia’s soul back to Morga. Like she had said, with her body in that state, she wouldn’t be able to survive if she encountered something like a giant madarama snake. Even I was able to see that.
What would the leading clan heads decide that her fate should be? Both of us were thinking about that question as we quickly ate the rest of our meal. And right after we finished, Jirube barked once. There was a knock on the door at pretty much the exact same moment. Ai Fa rushed over to the entrance, and I hurried along after her. As soon as she opened the door, the person on the other side let out a hearty chuckle.
“Sorry for stopping by so late! Glad to see you looking well, Ai Fa, Asuta!”
“Dan Rutim. What are you doing here?” Ai Fa asked.
“Well, I was part of the discussions between the leading clan heads! And I felt like coming to see the two of you, so I decided to volunteer to be their messenger! Gazraan was worried about Ama Min, so he went straight back home, but he said to give you his regards!”
“I was going to come here anyway, so I don’t see why they needed a messenger,” Baadu Fou said as he stepped inside as well. And then, Tia’s small figure entered behind him. She was hanging her head deeply, and her long bangs were completely hiding her expression.
“So, what decision did the leading clan heads reach?” I hurriedly asked, and Dan Rutim gave another big chuckle.
“Naturally, we’re going to return the girl to Mount Morga! What other option is there? That’s the law of Genos, and it’s what she wants too!”
“Th-Then...we’re leaving her at the boundary between the forest and the mountain?”
“That’s right! We can’t go any farther than that, so she’ll have to return the rest of the way herself!”
I felt like all the strength was draining from my legs. Ai Fa bit down firmly on her lip. But all the while, Dan Rutim kept on cheerfully smiling.
“But we won’t return her to Morga until she’s regained her strength!” he said.
“Huh? What do you—?”
“In her current condition, she’d die to a madarama or her own people, so we’re going to shelter her here at the forest’s edge until her leg has healed enough!”
That came as a huge surprise to me. Ai Fa seemed shocked too as she stared at Dan Rutim.
“But...Duke Genos said that she should be disposed of, didn’t he?” my clan head asked.
“All the lord of Genos said was that we should treat her like a wild animal! And he forbade us from bringing her to town or accepting her as one of our people. But it shouldn’t be any issue to keep her in our care until she’s healed and then return her to Morga afterward, right?” Dan Rutim said, giving Tia’s hair a rough tousling. “Say, for example, that we saw a seriously injured varb wolf or madarama snake washing down the Lanto River! As long as it didn’t bare its fangs at us, we wouldn’t draw our blades on it either! So, since we’ve judged her to have a just heart, it makes sense to treat her the same way before we return her to Mount Morga, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Did you use that argument to persuade the leading clan heads, Dan Rutim?” Ai Fa asked.
“Oh, I wouldn’t call what I did ‘persuasion’! I just told them what I would do in that situation, and asked if they’d do the same! After all, I’ve had my life saved by a varb wolf twice now, so I know full well that the three great beasts of Morga aren’t monsters!”
“Exactly,” Baadu Fou added with a nod of his own. “It’s clear to anyone and everyone that this girl has a noble spirit, so the leading clan heads didn’t have much difficulty making their decision. Of course, the Beim and Rutim clan heads felt the same way, as did I.”
“Indeed! I’ve heard that you two have fought a madarama before, but that was because it threatened your lives, right? I know she attacked you too, Asuta, but she deeply regrets what she did, so there’s no need for us to respond with violence! You two do agree with that, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course!” I replied, feeling relieved. Then I knelt down beside Tia. “I’m so glad, Tia. Are you satisfied with this too?”
“I’m incredibly grateful for the kindness the people of the forest’s edge have shown me,” Tia said in a muffled voice. Her head was still lowered, but I could tell that she was sobbing. She cried and cried, and her tears rolled over those strange patterns on her cheeks. “I could not be happier at the thought of being able to live as a child of Morga once more... If all of you from the outside world forgive my sins and I regain the strength I need to be a hunter, I’m sure my people will welcome me back.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Now you just have to be patient until your leg heals up.”
“Yes... But before that happens, I need to make up for my other crime too,” Tia said, looking up at me with teary eyes. “I will atone for the sin of harming you before my leg is healed, Asuta. And then I’ll finally be fit to return to Morga.”
“Hold on. Are you saying you want to stay at the Fa house until then?” Ai Fa asked in a harsh tone, and Tia turned toward her with a look of confusion.
“If I’m not by Asuta’s side, I won’t be able to pay for my crime. But I won’t try to follow him to town. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! How long do you think it’s going to take for your leg to heal?! Do you really plan to live here for that long?!”
“When my father’s younger brother fractured his leg, he was able to return to full strength in less than a hundred days. I’m sure I’ll have my strength back by then too,” Tia said, smiling despite her tear-stained face. “Before those hundred days are over, I will repay Asuta. And if I lose my life to save his, it will simply be the will of Morga.”
“Yes, you are a truly fine person! That is why we’re choosing to help you get home!” Dan Rutim said with a hearty laugh, drowning out Ai Fa’s complaints.
And so, it was decided that the Fa clan would be welcoming in a most unusual guest.