I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Considering that the name "Ju Qingdeng" was rather difficult to pronounce, Qingdeng thoughtfully provided him with another name.

Compared to "Tachibana no Todoroki" which has many syllables, "A Ki" which only has two syllables is undoubtedly easier to pronounce.

Mona Xi seemed a little reserved. After looking Qing Deng up and down, she said something in a low voice.

"She said her name was Monaxi and she was from Shikonkala."

After Ogata finished translating, she went on and on with a long, rambling monologue.

"She said your knife skills are superb, and bear bones are very hard, not something that can be cut easily. You are as skilled as Akonru."

Who is 'Akonru'?

“It is me. This is my Ainu name, which means ‘brave person’. When I was living in seclusion in Shikonkala, I killed a mad bear that attacked the village with a knife all by myself. Since then, everyone has called me ‘Akonru’.”

"Oh, it means 'Baturu'."

"You could say that."

The girl was an acquaintance of Ogata, and Aoto secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, when he saw Monaxi carrying a longbow, he remained calm but had already quietly prepared to fight.

Given the choice, he wouldn't want to resort to violence against such a young girl.

While Ogata and Mona were engaged in a lively conversation over their long-awaited reunion, Aoto moved to the bear carcass, carefully examining the enormous corpse, and couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement:

"This bear is really big."

Its blood hasn't all flowed out yet, which shows just how enormous its size is.

Ogata suddenly interrupted:

"The colder the place, the larger the animal will be."

At this moment, Monaxi chimed in.

Ogata diligently translated each part:

"She said the bear ate seven people and was a very wicked Uenkamyi."

"In order to destroy it, their tribe sent out all their hunters to search for its traces everywhere."

"Just now, she found the bear's footprints, tracked them all the way here, and then found us."

“She intended to provide support, but before she could even draw a poisoned arrow from her quiver, you had already killed the Unkamui.”

Since just now, Qingdeng has been hearing an unfamiliar word.

No sooner had Ogata finished speaking than he impatiently asked:

What is 'Uenkamyi'?

Ogata had anticipated Aoto's question, so he had prepared an explanation:

"'Kamui' means 'god' in Ainu."

"The Ainu people believe that all things have spirits, whether living or dead, all of them are inhabited by spirits, all of them are Kamui."

"When Kamui harms humans, it will fall into the form of 'Uen Kamui,' which is an evil god and must be destroyed."

After speaking, Ogata paused, a look of reminiscence appearing on his face.

After a moment, he adopted a tone of self-talk and said softly:

"How nostalgic... When I first landed on this land, I also suddenly encountered a 'Unkamu' that had eaten people. Ah, what a strange coincidence."

……

……

For Aoto and Ogata, the sudden appearance of this vicious bear was nothing more than a trivial incident.

From another perspective, this bear was quite sensible—it appeared right in front of Aoto and Ogata when they were both starving!

Since this bear is so sensible, it would be really unreasonable not to treat it to a proper meal!

Qingdeng had long heard the saying that "a bear is a treasure from head to toe".

He had never eaten bear meat before, so he was full of anticipation for the upcoming bear meat feast.

Ogata willingly took on the important task of preparing a bear meat feast.

"It's been a long time since I've cooked bear meat dishes. Let me show you my skills!"

He chuckled as he spoke.

The rare ingredients, which he hadn't tasted in a long time, seemed to make Ogata eager to try them out.

Since Ogata took on the cooking duties, Aoto was naturally happy to oblige.

Ogata deftly set up a campfire, then drew his Great Sword from his waist and cut off a delicious piece from the bear's carcass.

The first ingredient he took out was a bear heart that was bigger than Qingdeng's fist.

"Look, Tachibana-kun, this is the bear's heart. You killed this bear, so you have the privilege of enjoying the bear's heart all to yourself."

He stuck the bear heart into the fire and roasted it until it was about 70% cooked before handing it to Qingdeng.

Biting into a medium-rare bear heart... for Qingdeng, who is used to fine cuisine, this kind of food is a bit unusual...

While grilling the bear heart, Ogata was busy preparing another dish.

He removed the bear's small intestine, washed it with water, stuffed the soft blood clots that had accumulated in the bear's abdominal cavity into the intestine, tied it tightly, and cooked it in boiling water—blood sausage was born!

Holding a grilled heart in his left hand and a blood sausage between his right... it's wild, but I have to say, they all taste pretty good.

Bear heart is very chewy and has a unique texture; the more you eat, the more fragrant it becomes, while blood sausage is a classic delicacy with a long history.

After enjoying the appetizers of bear heart and blood sausage, Ogata's carefully prepared main course—slices of juicy bear meat—was presented with an enticing aroma that made one's mouth water.

As Qingdeng was enjoying his meal, he belatedly noticed that Monaxi had been sitting quietly to the side, not joining the bear meat feast.

"Mr. Ogata, please invite Mona to join us for dinner. There's plenty of bear meat; it would be a waste if we didn't eat it."

Ogata shook his head with a wry smile:

"She can't eat this bear's meat."

"Huh? Why?"

“This is the custom of the Ainu people; they would never eat the flesh of the Unkamui, nor would they take anything from its body. So whether it is the bear's flesh or anything else on its body, she can neither enjoy it nor take it back to the village.”

“I see…that’s a real shame. I was thinking of taking the bear’s pelt and gallbladder as a gift when I visit Shikongkara later.”

"Your intervention in resolving this troublesome Unkamui is already a wonderful gift to the Ainu people, and the villagers of Shikongkala will be truly grateful to you."

"Oh, I see. Then I'm relieved."

"Ju-kun, I almost forgot to tell you that bear blood can greatly enhance a person's energy, so you may feel hot all over later. Don't panic, this is a normal phenomenon."

"Ha, that's such a waste. It adds up energy for nothing, but there's nowhere to release it."

……

……

Ogata is right, bear blood does indeed have a strong effect on boosting energy.

After enjoying the bear meat feast, Qingdeng did not feel the drowsiness that is typical after a full stomach. On the contrary, he felt energetic and full of strength.

Since the Ainu people could not use Unkamui's flesh and blood, Qingdeng could only keep the bear's fur and gallbladder for his own use.

According to Ogata, the most valuable parts of a bear are its fur and gallbladder, especially the latter, which is a very precious medicinal material.

He wasn't after money; he simply didn't care about such a small amount.

Bear fur and bear bile are certainly valuable, but given Qingdeng's current status, these things are just simple items that he can easily obtain with a few words.

Having successfully hunted for the first time in his life, and having hunted such a large bear at that, he was eager to bring these spoils home to show his wife and children, especially to the commander-in-chief.

For some reason, Souji had an unusual longing for the life of a hunter, perhaps because the life of a hunter gave her a sense of freedom and excitement.

If Souji saw that he had hunted such a large bear, she would be very happy, and it might even help her get through the torment of the "power of immortality".

When he brings these spoils back to the mainland, it might just become another story of triumph: "Just as Kato Kiyomasa hunted tigers in ancient times, Tachibana Aoto slays a bear now."

After a short rest, the three set off for Shikonkala.

Murokara... the village where Ogata once lived in seclusion.

Qingdeng was filled with curiosity about this village; he had never seen an Ainu tribe before.

In recent days, to pass the time, Ogata has been explaining the culture and customs of the Ainu people to him quite often.

Through exposure to the culture of the Ainu people, he developed some interest in it.

The Ainu belief system that Ogata had just described was even more eye-opening for him.

All things in heaven and earth are inhabited by spirits... Whether it's a coincidence or there's a real connection, Qingdeng always felt that the Ainu people's belief in "animism" had something in common with "the realm of enlightenment."

Upon entering the "state of clarity," he indeed witnessed the wondrous sight of "animism in all things."

For no apparent reason, Qingdeng thought: learning more about the Ainu people's culture and beliefs might help him master the "Transparent Realm"!

Of course, besides curiosity, he also felt a faint sense of anticipation.

The thought of not having to camp in the wild tonight made him smile involuntarily.

Although sleeping in the simple hunting hut was not unbearable, the cool leaves against his back made him miss the warmth of his bedding more than ever before.

While we're happy, we still have serious business to get done.

Having finally met living Ainu people, he could finally begin his important task—gathering intelligence on the enemy!

There was an Ainu girl following him right now, and since he had nothing better to do, he might as well take this opportunity to inquire about some information.

Then, out of the blue, Aoto said to Ogata in a solemn tone:

"Mr. Ogata, could you please ask Monashi if she knows anything about the band of thieves who invaded Goryokaku?"

Ogata nodded and turned to look for Mona.

After exchanging a few words, Mona Xi's expression darkened, as if she were recalling something unpleasant.

After a moment, she let out a long sigh.

She said that the person who led the attack on Wulingguo was mostly Xilika.