Ai Fa’s home was at least 10 minutes from the place where we walked.
Just like other houses, at a cleared s.p.a.ce with little shrubs, a single wooden house was built there.
There was some houses built near each other along the way here, but the surroundings of Ai Fa’s house are especially deserted. It was too quiet to the point of being creepy.
But, from Ai Fa’s wild clothes and the name “Morihen”, I thought it would be a more primitive dwelling. When i saw it, it was actually a splendid wooden house.
(TL: Morihen translates as the people of the forest. But i think i will just leave it as it is. Since somehow using people of the forest….seems too generic)
“Hee...You actually live in a good place.”
Although it was not big enough to be called a log house, the combination of the material of the board and the flat cut log gave out a good feeling. At any rate, this house was also quite big. It might not lose to “Tsurumi-ya” in size.
(TL: I don’t know much about log house so maybe there is a mistake in the description since there is no log house in my country. At least at where i live. ED xD i need your help)
I couldn’t see most of the details since it was dark though. Anyway, from the way that the roof was slightly inclined from right to the left, it seemed that the wooden timber-framed structure didn’t use any nails or screws.
Around the house, there were trenches that were about 50 cm width and deep. The entrance to the house was a bundled log bounded up to the pa.s.sage. I tried to guess how they avoided animals and rainwater like this.
“....What are you doing. Quickly get in.”
“Ah, sorry.”
The entrance, reminded me of j.a.panese sliding door. (TL: sliding door made from logs? wow!”)
I walked timidly to the center of the house.
“Excuse me…”
Inside, it was even darker.
But, It’s s.p.a.cious as expected.
There was a dark brown deer fur laid out on one side of the floor. Because Ai Fa started to take off her leather sandals, I also took off my shoes quickly.
Although I didn’t know what to do with my socks, I also took if off since it looked okay.
Barefooted, the fur felt stiff and slightly ticklish.
A really heavy sound sounded in the back.
Ai Fa strapped the entrance door with a huge bolt.
(With this, help won’t come even if I shout, huh)
While praying that such kind of situation wouldn’t come, I turned my eyes to the interior once again.
The size...was about 12 mats. (TL : j.a.panese people usually use tatami mats to calculate room size)
There were big cuts which looked like a window on the right and left side of the wall. As expected, there was no gla.s.s but there were thin woods that intersected to look like a lattice with 20 cm length interval.
At the back area which was separated by the wall, there were 3 doors.
The ceiling’s height was moderate. The beam was exposed and inclined towards the left side of the outside. It’s a design that could handle wind and rain. I didn’t know about it very well though.
But...to be honest , rather than looking at these things, I was more interested about the source of the smell that stimulated my sense of smell.
The complex smell that this girl had. It’s 3 times stronger in here.
That was, the smell of meat, the smell of herbs and the smell of spices.
“....Does your foot still hurt?”
“Eh? No, it only hurts a little but it feels a bit hot. It isn’t swollen. It will recover tomorrow even if nothing is done.”
“ … I see.”
Ai Fa walked to the center of the room while having a face that looked like she’s thinking.
“Though i want to hear your story immediately, I am also hungry. So, for now I will prepare the meal.”
“Please, don’t mind me. Well...although i don’t have anything to give, can I also partake the meal?”
(TL : Asuta is using a very polite speech here)
“....Can your stomach that is making noises be the one that asks?”
No way, do I need to pull my teeth so that she won’t be angry anymore…. Although if I could get treated free of charge with some of the meat, I would be thankful. But if it ended up with her eating the meal with a wonderful smell alone, I would faint.
The preparation of the meal had started. After I set foot in this house, I saw some furniture arranged on the right side of the window.
There was no deer fur rug there, instead there were white stones spread out in the s.p.a.ce for about 2 meters like a square and there were beautiful yellow stones arranged like a trapezoid.
In the center of it, was a pedestal that reach my waist and a large shiny black metallic pot stood on the black hole at the center.
It’s a bit primitive, but that was probably a kitchen range. (TL: Stove with stovetops)
On its side, there were a bunch of firewoods stacked.
Why was this hall also served as kitchen?
Maybe because there was a custom, that everyone had to make and eat the food together.
However….the only residences of this wide house, for now, were only me and Ai Fa.
“Come to think of it, where are your other family members?”
“....I already said that my father died sometimes ago. My mother has been dead long time ago.”
With one knee in front of the kitchen range, Ai Fa bluntly said it.
Because I didn’t know about this world’s common sense, there was no choice but to say: “I see.”
In the meantime, fire had been started at the kitchen range.
I wonder how it was ignited. I should have seen it.
Anyway, the room was now bright.
“Why are you daydreaming while standing? Sit quickly because it’s annoying.”
“Ah, yeah, umm, where can I sit? Sorry, but I really don’t know anything about culture and customs of this land. I don’t understand anything.”
Ai Fa was standing in front of the range while looking suspiciously at me.
I noticed a small fire was lit on her hand. I was a little interested.
It’s a small dish shaped candlestick with a handle.
This was the third metal product I have seen after sword and pot.
The contents...must be oily. The room’s smell was becoming stronger and it increased my appet.i.te.
After going back and forth setting the candlestick on the right and left of the window, Ai Fa looked back at me.
“You don’t even know the custom to sit down? You really are a man that don’t know anything.”
While saying that with her charming eyes, she slowly removed her cloak from her shoulder.
With increasing brightness, Ai Fa’s bodyline could be seen clearly, I unconsciously looked away.
After all, this person, only wore a necklace and cloths that covered only her breast and legs. The exposure was hardly any different from a swimsuit or underwear.
Even though she was not sociable, a woman was still a woman.
Besides she was also quite beautiful. She had a delicate but well-trained body that looked like a whip. Because her body line was feminine, it looked flexible and elegant...How could I say it - she was very beautiful and attractive.
When she took her cloak off, her destructive power doubled.
(*PIC pending*)
"....Oi!"
“Yes! What is it!”
“Don’t let out such a loud voice….That thing you have in your chest...Hand it over.”
While putting her cloak on the wall and leaning her sword under it, glaring Ai Fa came to me.
“Even if you have a sword, someone weak like you can’t hurt me. When you come to other people’s house, it’s a custom for the people of Morihen to entrust the sword to them.”
I lost my words.
Ai Fa squinted and approached me with dangerous eyes
On her waist, there was still the knife.
“Should I say it again? This is a custom within the people of Morihen, hand over the sword.”
“Wait a minute. It’s important to confirm each other’s trust with that custom right?”
Ai Fa remained silent and reached out her left hand.
I was troubled and decided it after 3 seconds.
“I understand. But please..that is a very important thing to me. It’s more delicate than a hunting knife. So, can you handle it with care as possible?”
“...Are you making a fool out of me? People of Morihen who are clumsy with swords...don’t exist.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. For example if it’s broken, it will be difficult to repair it. If you can understand that, then it’s fine.”
I removed the santoku knife from my chest pocket and held out the handle to Ai Fa.
While staring at the ebony handle, Ai Fa stopped moving.
“....This sword, is it something like a keepsake from your parents?”
“Ah, yes, it’s something like that.”
Though I was the one that died, I would not make a mistake like that though.
When Ai Fa received the santoku knife, she held it to her chest and went to the back.
“....Someone who treats family badly, doesn’t exist in Morihen.”
While saying that in a low voice, she opened the rightmost door and went inside.
After that there was no santoku knife on her hands, instead she held a pile of ingredients in its place.
Because it interested me, I moved to the front of the stove.
When I saw the surroundings, the size of the pot was quite big.
The pot had a round bottom, it’s diameter was around 60 cm, the depth was about 30 cm. It had a deep shaped bottom like a ball cut from the center.
“What is it? It takes time to prepare it. You, sit down.”
“No, I am interested in the food culture of this world. I have a work relationship with this field after all.”
Though Ai Fa seemed very doubtful, she didn’t seem like she would complain and set down the ingredients near her foot.
“Hee...You are quite a luxurious guy.”
There were 2 kinds of vegetable that I had never seen before.
One had a shape and size that’s similar to onion, but it had a very vivid green color.
The other one was...what was it. It’s as big as human fist and had a spherical shape. If I had to say, it’s similar to a potato. However the color was cream and I didn’t see anything that resembles a stem. I thought it’s called an underground stem.
And….As if to overwhelm them, a lump of meat was put down.
It’s possible that it’s that wild-boar alike, giba’s hind leg.
It had been cut from the hip joint. From the look of it, it could be called a thigh meat. It looked like it stupidly weight 5 kilos.
Only the meat was placed on a big leaf that was similar to a rubber fig’s, the vegetables were rolled directly on the floor. It Looked like quite a volume could be expected from this.
(TL : ゴムノキ : rubber fig, and yeah he did say ボリューム : volume if you think it’s weird)
“What’s luxurious? You really don’t know people of Morihen’s lifestyle don’t you…”
While muttering something interesting, Ai Fa turned back to the kitchen range.
There was a water jug containing seasoned water that was preserved there. Ai Fa took a wooden-like ladle and poured the seasoned water to the heated pot.
Since the fire had been quite hot, the pot was warm enough now. The water that filled half of the pot had already begun to boil.
After she checked the water, Ai Fa took the meat.
She took advantage of the ankle with hoof and gripped it using underhand grip. Then she held up the meat on the steaming pot.
(Don’t tell me she plans to throw all of it inside the pot.) While I was watching it, Ai Fa removed the knife from her waist and began stripping giba’s meat.
Uh, that way of doing it is similar to kebab stalls, the surface of the meat was being chipped.
The chipped meat fell into the boiling water.
Apparently chipping the part that had been spiced was the priority. Because of that, more of the remaining red meat inside was revealed.
Although it’s only a knife for hunting, it’s quite sharp.
The blade was about 20 cm. It had about 7-8 mm thickness. The back side of the knife was jagged. It really looked like it was a survival knife.
The handle looked like the same as the machete earlier. it didn’t have any guard.
With a hunting knife like that, the meat was noisily chipped. Quite a primitive cooking method.
But, well, I was a son of a public dining owner. I don’t have any interest towards luxurious meal. If there was no problem on the hygiene side, then I won’t mind any cooking method.
After all, food was about delicious or not.
Just by it’s look, It looked like it’s gonna be delicious after all.
On the hygiene side, I would eat it even if it’s harmful.
In short, this was what I wanted to say.
Just by seeing how Ai Fa chipped the meat, my hunger was rose.
“....Why are you making a face that looks like you’re having fun?”
“Eh? No, I was just impressed because it looks like a delicious dish.”
“....There is no food that is good or bad.”
While saying that bold remark again, Ai Fa closed the pot with a lid.
Even if I said it’s a lid, it was just an ordinary square board.
Furthermore, a big stone was added on top of it.
Giba’s foot that has been chipped became slim. The surface that was dusted with black powder was now clean.
But because there was enough lean...about 800 gr was chipped huh.
After Ai Fa returned it to the warehouse, she looked at the fire to ascertain it and then nodded with “Umu”.
After that, she looked back at me.
“It takes a while until the meat is cooked….I will listen to your story until then.”