Chapter 475 Ogata, who is very popular with bears [8200 words]
"Then again, His Majesty the Emperor will really find things for us to do..." Matsudaira Sadanobu said with a hint of dissatisfaction and displeasure in his tone, "Can't we just study in peace and quiet?"
Listening to Matsudaira Sadanobu's sudden complaint, the bitter smile originally hanging on Tachibana's face became a little helpless.
Tachibana didn't know what Matsudaira Sadanobu's feelings were for the Emperor, but he guessed that Matsudaira Sadanobu must have had some criticisms of the Emperor.
Two years ago, Matsudaira Sadanobu had an incident with the Emperor that might go down in history.
Two years ago, in the first year of Kansei (1789 AD), the emperor wanted to grant his father, Prince Norihito, the title of "Taijo Emperor", but was strongly opposed by Matsudaira Sadanobu.
The objection is that conferring the title of "Taijo Emperor" to a non-imperial successor is an act of privatizing one's reputation.
Matsudaira Sadanobu's direct opposition to conferring a title on his husband naturally angered the emperor.
Tachibana heard that when the emperor learned that Matsudaira Sadanobu was so disrespectful to him, he flew into a rage and was so angry that he was so angry. Whether it was true or not, Tachibana didn't know. The only thing he could be sure of was that the emperor was really angry at that time.
But it was useless for the emperor to be angry.
The emperor is only the head of state in name only. He has no power, no wealth, and no soldiers under his command. How can he defeat the shogunate? What about Matsudaira Sadanobu, who has the power to dominate the world?
In the end, under pressure from Matsudaira Sadanobu, the emperor had no choice but to give up the idea of conferring the title of "Taijo Emperor" on his husband.
Therefore, it can be said that Matsudaira Sadanobu once had a not-so-small feud with the Emperor.
Listening to the displeasure in Matsudaira Sadanobu's tone just now, Tachibana deduced that Mr. Laonaka must be somewhat displeased with the emperor's behavior, which was tantamount to directly dictating the power of the shogunate.
Matsudaira Sadanobu also told Tachibana more than once: The emperor only needs to focus on learning and should not interfere with political affairs. All political affairs should be handled by the shogunate.
"...Lao Naka-sama, should we try to form a team specifically responsible for pursuing Ogata's potential?" Tachibana pursed his lips and put forward his own suggestion, "Gather the best thieves in the country together.
Chasing Ogata Isushi everywhere."
"A team specifically responsible for chasing Ogata Isei..." Matsudaira Sadanobu murmured, "Then who do you think is more suitable to join this team?"
"I think Hasegawa Heizou-sama is very suitable!" Tachibana said without hesitation, "Although Hasegawa Heizou-sama has done some disgraceful things such as embezzling public funds, it is undeniable that his abilities are quite outstanding."
"Hasegawa Heizo..." After muttering Hasegawa's name, Matsudaira Sadanobu fell silent.
After being silent for a while, Matsudaira Sadanobu slowly said:
"As for the pursuit of Ogata Isushi, let's leave it to later."
"Now let's focus on the upcoming attack on Red Moon Fortress and the development of Ezo Land."
"Tachibana, go and see if the bath water is ready for me."
"I want to take a shower now."
Tachibana: "Yes!"
…
…
Ezochi, somewhere in the wild——
"Unkamuyi?" Ogata frowned slightly.
A certain memory began to emerge from Ogata's mind.
Ogata still remembers what Shisuke told him when he first heard the hunting story of "original hunter" Shisuke: Unkamui is an Ezo word, meaning evil god, and the Ezo people will eat him.
Bears made of human flesh are called "unkamuyi".
"You called the bear that escaped just now 'Unkamui'." Considering that the person in front of him is Ezo and may not be particularly proficient in Japanese, Ogata deliberately spoke a little slower, "Is it possible that just now
Did the bear that escaped also eat human flesh?"
"Oh?" Ezo cast a surprised look at Ogata, "Kazuto, you actually know what 'Unkamui' means?"
Ogata said: "I heard it introduced by a friend."
"I see...yes, the bear that escaped just now was also a bear that had eaten human flesh."
"The dead bear at your feet and the bear that escaped just now are a couple."
Ogata, Omachi: "Husband and wife?"*2
The two said in unison, and then involuntarily glanced at the dead bear at their feet.
"Yes. That's right. They are a couple. The couple acted together, and they are both bears that have eaten people - this is the first time I have seen this."
Ezo let out a low sigh.
"According to our rules, any bear that has killed or eaten people must be hunted."
"We discovered this pair of man-eating bears half a month ago, and then several of our communities joined forces to search and kill the pair of man-eating bears."
"I am one of the hunters who came to hunt these man-eating bears."
"You two killed the female bear of these man-eating bears. I pay you my respect and gratitude."
Ezo bowed to both Ogata and others.
"Now only the male bear is left that has not been killed..."
"Just by listening to the roar, I could tell that the bear that ran away was the male of the pair of man-eating bears."
"I have encountered it twice, but it escaped each time."
"This male bear is very cunning, and is far more spiritual and intelligent than ordinary bears."
"The reason why he ran away suddenly and did not attack you just now is probably because he sensed that you two were not easy to deal with, and he smelled my scent and knew that I was approaching."
"I have encountered it twice, and it has probably remembered my scent."
After quietly listening to what Ezo said, Atachi seemed to suddenly realize something and hurriedly asked Ezo:
"The two of us killed its wife, so it won't seek revenge on us, right?"
"Well..." Ezo smiled bitterly and shook his head, "It's hard to say."
"That male bear is extremely smart, and it's hard for me to predict his actions."
"It may stop approaching you because it thinks you two are difficult to deal with."
"It is also possible... to follow you quietly, and then look for the opportunity to attack you when you are not prepared."
"...So far, I have made a lot of enemies." Ogata said in a joking tone, "I never thought I would one day make enemies with 'non-humans'."
"My life is really getting richer and richer."
Listening to Ogata's joke, Ezo's face showed a bit of surprise.
"You are really calm. It's obvious that the bear may have taken notice of you. Don't you feel scared?"
"There's nothing to be afraid of, right?" Ogata said in a calm tone, "If it comes to your door, just kill it."
Ezo raised his eyebrows, then smiled and said:
"What a courage. If you were an Ainu, you would be one of the bravest hunters in the community."
Having said that, Ezo moved his eyes, looked at Ogata and Atachi several times, and then said seriously:
"Boy, I have a heartfelt request."
"I just said that I was one of the hunters who came to hunt these man-eating bears."
"Once a bear eats a human, it will have to eat humans for the rest of its life."
"If the remaining male bear is not hunted down as soon as possible, there is no telling when it will break into our settlement and eat people."
"Since the male bear who is still on the run may be interested in you two, I hope you can help me."
"Please let me and you two act together."
"If that male bear comes to my door later and wants to avenge his wife, I will kill him in one go."
"This is not only good for me, but also good for you."
"Although it's a bit bragging to say this, I am actually one of the most skilled hunters in our settlement."
"With me by your side, you will be much safer if that male bear comes to your door."
After patiently listening to Ezo's broken Japanese, Ogata thought for a moment and then said:
"Hunting bears..."
"Well, if you want to cooperate with us, it's not impossible."
"But I have one more condition."
"What conditions?" Ezo asked.
"We are looking for two people now." Ogata said, "According to the existing investigation, the two of them went deep into the hinterland of Ezo Land before."
"So I hope you can take us to the settlement where you live in the future, so that we can ask the people in the settlement where you live if they have seen the two people I am looking for."
"When the time comes, I hope you can convince those who are unwilling to cooperate with us."
"By the way, help us translate. The two of us only speak a little bit of Ezo, and we still can't communicate fluently with Ezo."
"In addition, I hope you can take us to other settlements and help us find the two people we are looking for in other settlements. Help us translate and help us explain that we have no malicious intentions."
When he heard that Ezo expressed his desire to cooperate, Ogata keenly realized that this was a good opportunity.
A good opportunity to get on the line with Ezo, so that the subsequent search for Xuanzheng and Xuanzhen can go much smoother.
After Ogata told Ezo the conditions he wanted in one breath, Ezo lowered his head and started thinking.
"Are you looking for someone..." Ezo thought for a while and then nodded, "Okay. There is no problem with such a small matter."
"But there are not many settlements that I can take you to. I can only take you to those settlements that have a good relationship with my settlement. I can't take you to other settlements."
"It doesn't matter." Ogata said, "Take me to a few settlements if you can."
"Then I wish us a happy cooperation." Ezo smiled and said, "My name is Aiyaka."
Ogata: "Mashima Goro."
A-Ting: "A-Ting."
Ogata and Atachi both reported their names.
…
…
"It's almost dark now." Aiyaka looked at the sky, "You two, hurry up and harvest your spoils."
Aiyaka nuzzled at the dead bear whose blood had dried up.
"According to our rules, whoever catches the prey will own it."
"So everything on this dead bear belongs to you."
"This bear is so big. Even though its skin is a little damaged, its skin and bile can still be sold for a lot of money in your market."
Ogata happened to plan to remove the bear's skin and bear bile so that he could use them to barter with the Ezo people later.
"Speaking of which..." Ogata raised his hand and scratched his hair, "Neither of us knows how to skin a bear, nor do we know which organ is the bear's gallbladder..."
"Oh." Aiyaka said softly, "That's it... Do you want me to help? When it comes to skinning, I am also one of the best in the settlement."
After saying that, Ayaka puffed up his chest with pride.
"Are you willing to help us peel the skin?" Ogata nodded, "Then I'll do it for you."
"You're welcome. It's just a small matter." Ayaka pulled out the short knife from his waist, then quickly walked to the dead bear and began to skin the bear.
Ayaka said just now that he was one of the best skinners in the settlement, and it didn't seem like he was bragging.
The peeling technique is so skillful that it creates a strange beauty.
While Aiyaka was concentrating on skinning the bear, in order to pass the time and also to learn more about his current partner, Ogata asked:
"You speak Japanese very well. Did you learn it specially?"
"Well, that's right." Aiyaka nodded, "Our settlement has always done business with your merchants."
"Thanks to those 'peaceful merchants', our settlement is relatively wealthy."
"So no one in our settlement hates Kazuto."
"We have been dealing with Heshang for a long time, so after going back and forth, many people in our settlement can speak Heyu."
"Ah, that's right. I almost forgot to remind you."
Aiyaka turned his head and looked at Ogata and Atachi.
"Although we know that 'Ezo' is a common name for us among you and others."
"But we still prefer you to call us 'Ainu'."
"'Ainu'?" Atachi asked doubtfully.
"'Ainu' means 'people' in our language." Ayaka smiled, "Some people actually mind the name 'Ezo'."
"So if you want to search for the two people you just mentioned among the various settlements in the future, it is best to minimize the use of the term 'Ezo'."
"So that's it...Thank you for the reminder." A-Machi nodded, "By the way, Aiyaka, don't you have a companion?"
A-Machi looked around and asked:
"Are you the only one hunting down these man-eating bears?"
"Well, that's right." Aiyaka has successfully skinned the bear. He now cuts open the bear's belly with a knife and starts to search for something in the bear's belly. "
But this is just my personal preference.”
"Among us Ainu, there are quite a few people like me who like to hunt alone."
"However, most people still bring 1 or 2 companions with them when hunting."
"Generally speaking, you will only take a maximum of 2 companions to hunt."
"You can't bring too many people with you when hunting. If you go hunting in groups, there will be a lot of noise and all the prey will be gone."
After finishing speaking, Ayaka happened to have cut something out of the belly of the dead bear, then held it and handed it to Ogata.
"This is the courage of a bear."
"Get something to put it in."
"It's cold now, so this bear bile should be preserved for a long time."
This was the first time Ogata saw bear bile.
It is round and as big as an adult's fist.
Ogata took out the bamboo box he carried with him and packed the bear bile.
This bamboo box is Ogata's lunch box.
Ogata has a total of 2 lunch boxes, so even if you use one to hold bear bile, there is still another lunch box that can be used for eating.
Bear skin and bear gallbladder - Ogata had heard from the "original hunter" Shisuke before that these are the two most valuable parts of a bear.
If possible, Ogata would like to take away all the valuable parts of this bear.
But this would be too much and too heavy.
Therefore, Ogata only planned to take away the bear skins and bear bile, which were easier to carry and were the most valuable.
Although the bear skin is very wide and large, it can be folded, rolled up, and carried on the back.
The bear bile is only as big as an adult's fist, and Ogata's lunch box can just fit inside it.
After helping Ogata and the others skin the bear and collect the bile, Ayaka raised his head and looked at the current sky.
"It's getting dark now." Aiyaka said, "Come with me. There happens to be a hunting lodge nearby. I will take you to spend the night in that hunting lodge."
"Ah, the so-called hunting lodge is a temporary resting place built by us Ainu in the mountains and forests."
Ayaka knew that Ogata and Atachi might not know what a hunting lodge was, so he hurriedly explained.
"It's common to go hunting and spend several days and nights in the wild."
"So it is convenient to have a place where you can stay overnight while hunting. We Ainu have a habit of building temporary rest houses in the mountains and forests. We call this temporary rest house a 'hunting cabin.'"
"Follow me. There is a relatively intact and brand-new hunting lodge not far away, which can accommodate five people to spend the night in it. Let's spend the night in that hunting lodge tonight."
In such ice and snow, no one would be willing to spend the night in a roofed place.
So Ogata and Amachi followed Eyaka, and under Eyaka's guidance, headed for the hunting cabin he mentioned.
While following Aiyaka, Ogata was not idle either.
He asked Aiyaka a question that he was destined to ask many times in the coming period:
"Aiyaka, have you seen these two people?"
Ogata reported the physical features of Xuanzheng and Xuanzhen.
After Ogata finished speaking, Ayaka turned around and asked:
"Is this the person you just said you were looking for?"
"Yeah." Ogata nodded.
"One old and one young are two Japanese..."
Ayaka muttered, remembering.
"...I don't think I've ever seen such a person." After recalling, Ayaka said softly, "In my memory, there are people who have been to our village in the past two years, except for those who were involved in business transactions.
Outside, there’s just one weirdo.”
"Weird?" Ogata raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." Ayaka nodded, "He is a very strange old man. He can speak our Ainu language fluently."
"After entering our village, they only asked us where the nearest river was and then left directly."
"He did say his name. It seemed to be Lin So-ping... I don't remember the name."
Ogata had no interest at all in the strange man Aiyaka said had visited their settlement.
Seeing that Aiyaka had not met Xuanzheng and Xuanzhen, Ogata did not feel disappointed or frustrated. He had already been mentally prepared to ask 100 people and get nothing.
Like the last time, it is very difficult to have the great luck of immediately asking the old man Tangshen who runs the pet stall for relevant clues.
"When I successfully hunt the last male bear, I will keep my promise and take you to the settlement where I live and other settlements that have good relations with our settlement."
Aiyaka smiled.
"Maybe there will be someone out hunting who happens to have seen the two people you are looking for."
"Those settlements that have good relations with your settlement shouldn't allow us to enter just because we are Japanese, right?" Ogata said this in a half-joking tone.
"They won't do that." Aiyaka shook his head, "Those settlements that have good relations with us, like the settlement where I live, have always done business with Heshang."
"So they don't hate Kazuto either."
"So you can rest assured that as long as you don't make trouble, they won't do anything to you."
"Do you Ainu have any taboos that you absolutely cannot do?" Ogata asked.
"There are no taboos that you absolutely cannot do." Aiyaka shrugged, "As long as you are polite and don't make trouble or make trouble."
…
…
After briefly chatting for a few words, the three of them fell silent because they could not find a new topic.
However, he was not silent for too long.
After only a moment, Aiyaka suddenly raised his hand and pointed forward.
"Look, we're here, that's our hunting lodge."
What Ayaka just said was true, the hunting lodge was indeed not far from them.
After walking for just over 20 minutes, Xu Fang saw a triangular object in front of him.
"That's the hunting cabin." Aiyaka pointed to the triangular object in front, "It's made of fir wood. Although it looks like it will collapse when touched, it is actually very strong."
After getting a little closer, Ogata could clearly see the entirety of the hunting lodge.
If Ogata had to describe this hunting lodge in one word, it would be - a "pyramid" made of branches and leaves.
Use branches to piece together the skeleton of the "pyramid", and then use leaves to make the walls and top of the tower.
"As luck would have it, no one seems to be using the hunting lodge."
"We all share these hunting lodges."
"I hope the last person who lived in it didn't make you too dirty."
Ayaka took the lead and got into the "pyramid".
Ogata followed closely behind.
Although this hunting cabin is made of branches and leaves, it is surprisingly warm inside and has a large space. It is definitely more than enough for three people to rest inside.
Not long after the three people got into the hunting cabin, it became completely dark.
After dark, Ayaka lit a small bonfire in the middle of the hunting lodge.
It is used for lighting as well as heating.
After eating hastily the dry food that each other carried and filling their stomachs, Atachi looked at Aiyaka and asked him abruptly:
"There is a question that I have wanted to ask you from the beginning."
"Huh? What's the problem?" Aiyaka asked.
"Why do you call a bear that has eaten human flesh 'Unkamuyi'? Is there any meaning in it?"
"Oh, this." Aiyaka smiled, "Actually, there is no deep meaning in it."
"The reason is quite complicated. I will explain it to you as briefly as possible."
"First of all, let me explain to you what 'Unkamuyi' means. It is related to our Ainu beliefs."
"I know a little about your Shinto religion."
"Our Ainu beliefs are quite similar to your Shinto religion in some ways."
"'Kamui' means 'god' in our language."
"And 'Unkamuyi' means 'evil god'."
"We Ainu have always believed that the elements of fire, water, and wind; natural phenomena such as rain, avalanches, and cold waves; animals and plants; and all the utensils we use in daily life, all contain gods."
"So to put it simply, we believe that there is a god living inside every animal."
"If animals hurt people, it means that the gods residing in their bodies have degenerated into evil gods."
"So we call these animals that hurt people 'unkamuyi'."
"So 'unkamuyi' is not just used to refer to bears that hurt people."
"Any animal that causes harm to people, whether it is a wolf or a deer, we will call them 'unkamuyi'."
Because Ayaka's Japanese was barely enough to communicate with others, he couldn't use too fancy words to explain the origin of the word "Unkamuyi".
I can only explain it concisely and concisely using the most straightforward language.
However, this overly straightforward language also has its advantages. Both Ogata and Atachi quickly understood what he meant.
"It is indeed somewhat similar to our Shintoism." A-machi said, "Our Shintoism also believes that all things have animism."
"I actually have a question I've been wanting to ask you two." Aiyaka glanced at Ogata and Atachi, "Looking at you, are you a couple?"
"Yeah." Ogata nodded, "That's right."
"Why do you still have eyebrows and white teeth?" Eyaka cast a puzzled look at Omachi, "Don't Kazuto women always shave their eyebrows and dye their teeth black after they get married?
"
"That was in the past." Ating said helplessly, "In the past, all married women had to shave their eyebrows and dye their teeth black."
"This tradition is still very popular among officials and nobles, but it is no longer very popular among common people."
After saying that, A-Machi raised his hands and touched his beautiful eyebrows.
"It turns out that..." Aiyaka smiled awkwardly, "It turns out that not all married women shave their eyebrows and dye their teeth."
…
…
The sky outside has turned completely dark.
Fortunately, it is a sunny day tonight, and there is a crescent moon hanging in the sky, bringing some light to the dark earth.
"Let's take turns to rest." Aiyaka suggested, "That male bear might attack us while we are sleeping."
"So you have to be vigilant."
"When one of them sleeps, the other two keep vigil."
"What do you think?"
Ogata and Atachi nodded, indicating that they had no objections.
"When sleeping, remember not to sleep to death." Aiyaka continued, "The male bear may attack in the middle of the night. At that time, you have to get up quickly and pick up weapons to fight."
"That male bear is very smart. He attacked us while we were sleeping - it is really possible for him to do such a thing." Aiyaka said with a bitter smile, "He is the smartest I have ever seen.
Bear."
"Hunters from several of our communities joined forces and have been chasing it for half a month. We have been unable to catch it."
"Because of it, I have been living in the open for half a month."
"I really hope I can hunt it down quickly. That way I can return to the settlement quickly."
"What if the male bear never shows up and comes to seek revenge on me and my wife?" Ogata asked.
"At that time, we will have to start from scratch and find another way to find the male bear."
After saying that, Ayaka sighed.
"Don't be so pessimistic, Ayaka." Ogata smiled and reassured him, "Although the bear may never come."
"But it is also possible that tonight, while roaring, they will attack."
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch -!!"
As soon as Ogata finished speaking, as if in response to what Ogata had just said, a roar suddenly exploded.
The expressions of the three Ogata people changed one after another.
"It's the sound of that male bear!" Aiyaka said urgently, grabbing the bow and arrow placed next to him. "This roar is so close! It is near us!"
Ogata's expression now is very complicated.
At the side, Amachi also cast a complicated look at Ogata.
Because both of them vaguely remembered that during the day today, Ogata said, "Man-eating bears don't appear that easily."
Then the man-eating bears came.
And now it was Ogata who said, "That male bear may roar and attack tonight."
Then the male bear came.
"Ayi." A-Ting took out her Suzaku and whispered to Ogata, "Are you the kind of person that bears are especially attracted to?"
“Can you try saying ‘a bear covered in gold is coming soon’ next time? I want to see if a ‘golden bear’ will appear immediately.”
"...If I have a chance in the future, I will try it..."
The three Ogatas picked up their weapons and rushed out of the hunting lodge.
The three people ran in the direction of the roar just now.
The sky is beautiful and there is moonlight illuminating it.
Even without lighting the torch, the three of them could see the road ahead clearly.
The roar was very close. According to Ogata's estimation, the male bear was less than 400 meters away from them.
Sure enough - after running nearly 400 meters in the direction of the roar just now, Ogata saw a bear.
It was the giant bear that suddenly escaped during the day today.
Besides this bear, there are two other people.
2 Ezo people wearing Ezo costumes.
One person was lying not far away while holding his arms and moaning.
Another man was being crushed by the bear, covered in blood - he was struggling to get out from under the bear.
However - how can a mere human being be better than a bear in terms of strength?
No matter how hard he struggled, the man couldn't get out from under the bear.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch—!!”
After the bear roared several times at the Ezo who was pinned beneath it, it opened its mouth full of sharp teeth and bit the head of the Ezo beneath it.
Seeing this, Ogata no longer hesitated. He quickly took out Kasumi Nagi from his arms, pointed it at the bear, and fired all the bullets in the gun chamber in one go.
The bear's flank happened to be facing Ogata.
All four of Kasumi Nagi's bullets were buried in its flanks.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch—!!”
It let out a shrill cry of pain.
Then he turned to look at Ogata.
I wonder if it was Ogata's misunderstanding - he always felt that the bear's eyes instantly turned vicious after discovering it.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch -!!"
After letting out a series of roars, the giant bear let go of Ezo under him and rushed towards Ogata.