I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Ogata involuntarily raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

The Ainu Alliance's vetting process was even cruder than he had imagined.

He thought they would ask each person their name, background, and age, and observe each person's appearance to ensure that no spies had infiltrated them.

Unexpectedly, Iraqa merely chatted with Yaikon for a bit, gave them a cursory glance, and then let them in.

A strange light flashed in Aykon's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure, strode confidently through the city gate, and Ogata and the others followed closely behind.

We cannot let our guard down yet. Ogata thought to himself.

It might be a trap. There might be a group of musketeers waiting for them inside, ready to close the gates and trap them once they enter the fortress.

Therefore, Ogata did not let his guard down. Beneath his loose robes, his muscles were slightly tense, ready to launch a sudden attack at any moment.

He promised the village chief that he would ensure Ya Yikong and the others returned to the village safely.

Since he made a promise, he will naturally keep it!

Putting aside his agreement with the village chief, based solely on his deep friendship with Shikongkala, he would do everything in his power to protect Yaikong and the others.

If there were squads of musketeers and archers waiting for them behind the city gates, he would step forward and block all the bullets and arrows.

As long as you protect your head and heart, that's enough. You won't have any problems no matter how many bullets or arrows hit other parts of your body.

However, Ogata was overthinking it.

The scene he imagined, with "teams of musketeers and archers aiming at them," did not materialize.

Upon entering the fortress, nothing happened; there were no musketeers, no archers, no traps—it was all quiet and peaceful.

Ogata subtly scanned his surroundings, observing everything within his sight and listening to everything he heard.

Inside the fortress, Ainu people dressed in various colors bustled about.

"Hurry up! Don't dawdle!"

"Bring a few more sandbags over here!"

"Chests out! Heads up! March in step!"

Whether it was moving supplies, cleaning weapons, training diligently, or patrolling back and forth.

At first glance, it appears to be a scene of great activity, with everyone preparing for the upcoming war.

However, upon closer inspection, many problems can be found.

A significant number of people were either slacking off or just chatting idly in groups.

"See this hunting bow of mine? It's the best bow in our village; one arrow is enough to pierce a bear's skull! I'm going to use this bow to pierce the head of every single person!"

"I've heard that the He people are currently in internal strife, splitting into two factions, east and west, and fighting endlessly! Now is the perfect time to wage war against the He people and reclaim our ancestral lands in one fell swoop!"

"As expected of Sharpcard! Taking advantage of the enemy's weakness to launch an attack! And taking over such a large territory in one fell swoop!"

"Idiot! This isn't a home, it's a 'fortress'!"

They're either bragging about their own abilities or belittling others while praising Xilika.

In short, they were all full of confidence in the war they were about to face.

Judging from their relaxed demeanor, it seemed as if they were there for tourism and leisure, rather than for fighting.

Perhaps in their minds, war is just like hunting—finding prey, drawing the bow and arrow, striking to decide the outcome, carrying the prey back to the village, and reaping cheers and honor.

Based on their words, it's easy to tell that they all greatly respect Cialis.

It seems that Xilika's capture of Wulingguo has indeed greatly boosted the morale of the Ainu people and established his lofty prestige in one fell swoop.

At that moment, Ogata noticed a scene that could not be ignored.

Just to his side, a group of Ainu people were practicing with firearms.

They were lined up in neat rows, heads held high, chests puffed out, holding muskets in their arms.

Both their formations and movements were very professional, clearly indicating that they had been trained for some time.

Ogata already knew that the "Ainu Alliance" had guns and cannons and that their training level was not low.

What truly surprised him was that the instructor in charge of training them was a blond, blue-eyed, tall, deep-set Westerner!

When the Western instructor opened his mouth, ready to give a new instruction, Ogata immediately perked up his ears and listened attentively.

Although he didn't understand foreign languages ​​very well, he instantly recognized the language the other person was speaking, after all, it was a very well-known language with a wide range of uses—it was French!

He had two translators beside him, one responsible for translating French into Japanese and the other for translating Japanese into Ainu.

"The Ainu Alliance has French instructors..." Without a doubt, this was extremely important and information-rich intelligence. Ogata lowered his eyelids, his expression turning serious.

He suddenly recalled Qing Deng's earlier instructions: if you find a blond, blue-eyed middle-aged French man named Mael de Orléans, be sure to pay close attention to him.

—Is he Mael de Orléans?

Ogata subtly stole glances at the other man, firmly memorizing the French instructor's figure.

However, at that moment, he spotted a Western officer.

The other person stood on the wall not far away, speaking animatedly to the Ainu people in front of him, also in French.

Ogata was startled and quickly turned his gaze to scan the surroundings, looking for the Western instructor he had overlooked.

Sure enough, he spotted several more Westerners.

There were so many Western instructors in Wulingguo... Although it is unclear whether they were all French, the sheer number of them speaks volumes.

—Was it the French government that interfered? No, the French government had no reason to support the Ainu. The French government's Far East strategy was inevitably centered on containing Britain and Russia; they should have supported the Shogunate, not instigated an Ainu rebellion at this critical juncture, thus creating trouble for the Shogunate.

Just as Ogata was pondering to himself, his group had already entered the depths of Goryokaku.

After passing through the city gate, Iraqa led the way, guiding them to the barracks.

"I'll take you to your lodgings first. There are plenty of empty rooms in this fortress, and enough beds for everyone!"

Suddenly, a loud shout drew Ogata's attention... no, it drew the attention of everyone present!

"Look! It's a PowerCard!"

These words caused an uproar in the audience.

Everyone present—whether they were working diligently or slacking off, including Ogata—turned their heads to look in the same direction.

Respect, curiosity, envy... a variety of gazes focused on the same point, the same person.

A tall Ainu man appeared on a watchtower in the distance.

—Is he Cyrus...?

Ogata squinted, carefully examining the other person's entire body.

This person did not speak, but simply by appearing, he exuded an extraordinary aura.

Cialis is very young, looking to be only in his early thirties.

He had dark skin, an ordinary appearance, sharp eyes, and thin lips that were pressed tightly together, giving him a harsh and strict impression.

More than his appearance, Ogata was more concerned about the weapon he held in his hand—a red-scabbarded katana in his left hand.

Even among katanas, his katana is considered quite long, with a blade length exceeding 80cm, making it look like a clothesline pole when held in hand.

Ogata was not a renowned sword appraiser, but even if he hadn't eaten pork, he had seen pigs run. He had lived for nearly a hundred years and had seen countless precious and demonic swords in his life, thus developing an exceptional eye for them.

Although the blade itself is not visible, judging from the ornate and exquisite hilt and scabbard, this katana must be no ordinary weapon.

The leader of the "Ainu Alliance," who boasted of defeating the Yamato people and reclaiming their ancestral lands, was actually carrying Yamato weapons... This was truly unexpected for Ogata.

When Xilika appeared, he naturally became the focus of the entire event, just as when the moon appears, all the stars become dim.

"Power Card! Power Card! Power Card!"

Someone started it, and cheers suddenly erupted, one louder than the next, causing the atmosphere to heat up dramatically!

Xilika surveyed his surroundings with a cold expression... The shouts and cheers of his followers did not seem to bring him any enjoyment.

Suddenly, he raised his right fist, signaling everyone to quiet down.

Before long, the temperature at the scene cooled down, and the noise gradually subsided.

"Gentlemen! Look around you!"

Xilika's voice was loud and clear, full of energy, and clearly reached everyone's ears.

Look! We are not alone!

"Look! More and more allies are coming to help!"

"Look! We possess immense power! Powerful enough to overcome all difficulties!"

"Gentlemen, let's keep going! As long as we are united, we will surely defeat the Japanese and reclaim the land that rightfully belongs to us!"

It seems that Cialis was just passing by.

After delivering a brief speech, he hurriedly left, leaving behind a fleeting glimpse of his departing figure.

However, although it was just a few simple words, it ignited the emotions of everyone present!

The cheers that had just subsided erupted again.

"Power Card! Power Card! Power Card!"

"Defeat the enemy! Reclaim the lost territory!"

Those repeatedly shouting Sharpcard's name, those making boastful pronouncements... Ogata silently surveyed his surroundings, muttering in a voice only he could hear:

"This battle won't be so easy..."

……

……

Aomori, the main camp of the punitive expedition—

"The King of Benevolence has returned"—this news spread like wildfire throughout the expeditionary army camp.

Even though Qingdeng hadn't done anything and had simply returned safely, the morale of the expeditionary force soared.

This is the power of Niou!

After returning to camp, Qingdeng didn't even have time to change his clothes before heading straight to the main camp.