"I didn't expect that we would have to leave Red Moon Fortress just after arriving..." Ating muttered, "How are we going to get to that Huxi Village? Should we find someone who knows where Huxi Village is to lead the way for us?"
Ogata and Omachi walked side by side on the way back to where they lived.
It was just past dinner time, so there weren't many people on the street, so the scene of many people gathering around Ogata and the others during the day did not appear.
"That's the only way we can do it," Ogata said. "When we get back, let's ask the villagers of Qina Village to see if anyone knows where Huxi Village is and is willing to take us there."
Compared to the residents of the Red Moon Fortress, with whom they were completely unfamiliar, Ogata naturally wanted to ask the villagers of Huxi Village, with whom they were familiar, to help them.
"We really put a lot of effort into finding Xuanzheng and Xuanzhen..." Ating's face was expressionless, but his tone was full of displeasure, "We chased them all the way from Kyoto to Ezo, and then ran around in Ezo..."
Ating changed his tone to a half-joking one.
"We've suffered so much. I'm really getting more and more tempted to punch those two guys in the face after I find them."
"I really want to go back to Japan soon..."
"Although Ainu food is delicious once you get used to it, I still prefer our Japanese food."
"Besides, I've never been able to get used to living in an Ainu house. I really miss the feeling of sleeping on tatami..."
"Just hold on a little longer." Ogata said softly.
While chatting and laughing with Atachi, Ogata suddenly noticed a familiar figure not far ahead.
Looking closely, they found that the figure standing not far from them was Aisuma, who had just parted with them not long ago.
Asuma sat on the ground, leaning against a big tree, with his head lowered, as if he was thinking about something.
Asuma was one of the few people that Ogata and his friends knew in the Red Moon Fortress.
When Ogata and his friends discovered Asuma, Asuma also discovered Ogata and Atachi.
"Mr. Majima, Ms. Atachi." Asuma looked at the two of them and asked, "Why are you here?"
Ogata: “That’s a long story…”
Ogata told Aisuma about Hayashi Shiping's matter in a concise manner.
"Huxi Village..." Aisuma said, "I know this village. It is not very far from Heyezhe. However, because Heyezhe is not very familiar with that village, I have never been to that village and I don't know where it is exactly."
"Now I just hope that someone in Qina Village knows where Nahuxi Village is." Ogata said with a smile.
Ogata looked around.
"By the way - why are you here alone? Where's your brother?"
"I'm here to get some fresh air." Asuma forced out an ugly smile. "The night breeze can help me calm down a little."
"I was really pissed off by my brother just now..."
"What happened to your brother?" asked Ating.
"He said a lot of nonsense. As for what he said, please allow me to keep it a secret."
Having said this, Asuma let out a long sigh.
"What a worrying brother..."
"How can he participate in the hunting festival in his current state..."
"Hunting Festival?" Ogata tilted his head, "What is this?"
"Don't you know about our Heyezhe Hunting Festival?"
Ogata and Omachi both shook their heads.
A-Ming: "Is it some kind of ritual?"
"Well... it can barely be considered a sacrificial activity." The ugly smile on Aisuma's face gradually softened. "This hunting festival should be considered a sacrificial activity unique to our Heye Zhe."
"Ten years ago, the climate in the north suddenly changed for unknown reasons."
"The weather became extremely cold and a large number of animals, led by deer, froze to death."
"The drastic reduction in the number of animals such as deer and rabbits has also led to animals such as bears and wolves starving to death because they cannot find food."
"The massive reduction in animals has put us, who rely on hunting for a living, into a food shortage dilemma."
"As living conditions became increasingly harsh, many people finally made up their minds to abandon their current homes and head south to find new ones."
"There are four tribes that have decided to move south to find a new home."
"And my father, Chanup, happened to be the village chief of one of these four tribes."
"The people of the four tribes united together and headed aimlessly southward."
"Although I was only a 5-year-old kid at that time and didn't remember much, I still remember the hardships I experienced while traveling south."
"Because we are unfamiliar with the place, finding clean water and enough food is a big problem."
"Almost every day, there are people who can no longer go with the group to find a new home for various reasons."
“We are where we are today thanks to the young people in the tribe.”
"In order to obtain sufficient food and water, the young people from the four tribes worked very hard every day to search for prey in the mountains and forests that they were not familiar with."
"Many people died in the mouths of bears and wolves because they were unfamiliar with the conditions in the mountains, or simply got lost and never returned."
"After hunting, these young people would first give the food to the weaker elderly, women and children, and they would eat last."
"Thanks to the sacrifices of those young people, we were able to make it all the way and finally successfully found this fortress left by the white people, settled here, and built a new home."
"In order to commemorate these young people who died on the way south for the tribe, after building a new home here, my father Chanup and Retannoe jointly proposed to organize a new event to commemorate those young people."
Having said this, Asuma paused, and then added:
"Ah, you probably don't know who Retannoy is."
"Retannoy's position in our Heye Zhe... in your words, he should be the second in command."
"He is like my father - the village chief of one of the four tribes that moved south."
"Although he has a bad temper, he is also a very capable person. On the way to the south to find a new home, the role he played and the contribution he made were no less than my father's."
"His status and influence in the Heye Zhe is second only to my father Chanup."
"Ah, that Puccina whom you just saw was the son of Retannoy."
"Under the call of my father and Retannoy, the 'Great Hunting Festival' was born."
"The young people of Heyezhe gathered together to compete in archery - this is the 'Hunting Festival'."
"By letting the young people compete in archery, we can let those heroes who died on the way south and went to the 'other world' know that their sacrifices were worth it. We have successfully found a new home. The young people in the tribe are thriving. The archery skill has not been abandoned. Everyone is an excellent hunter."
"The 'Hunting Festival' was quite crude at the beginning, but now it is gradually taking shape and becoming more and more grand."
"The current 'Hunting Festival' is held twice a year."
"The 'Hunting Festival' has now become a festival that many of us in Heye Zhe attach great importance to."
"Many young people are eager to show their talents in the 'Hunting Festival'."
"The first 'hunting festival' of the year will begin in 6 days."
"My brother will be participating in the 'Hunting Festival' for the first time this year."
"But his current level of archery skills..."
The smile on Asuma's face suddenly turned bitter.
"To put it bluntly... if he plays at his current level, I'm afraid he will bring shame to my father and me..."
"My brother has always been very introverted."
“Not good at interacting with people.”
"Until now, he has no friends. He is only close to his father and me. He can't even find a companion to practice archery with him."
"It's inefficient to practice a skill like archery by yourself, because when you're alone, you often don't notice when you make mistakes."
"I really hope that child can be more motivated..."
"Given his current state... I'm really worried that he will make a fool of himself in the 'hunting festival' that is about to begin..."
Having said that, Asuma sighed again.
"It's really not easy for you as a sister," said Ogata.
Ogata is an only child both in his previous life and in this life, and has no brothers or sisters, so he feels unfamiliar with this kind of sibling love.
"He is my brother after all." Asuma smiled bitterly, "Not long after he was born, his mother died of illness."
"At least I felt a little bit of maternal love in my childhood, but he doesn't even have the slightest memory of his biological mother."
"I am playing the role of 'sister' while trying to play the role of 'mother'."
Having said this, Asuma paused as if she remembered something.
"...Now that I think about it carefully... the reason why the child is so interested in things related to people may be due to the influence of his mother's early death..."
"Not long after my mother gave birth to Otunpuyi, she got a very strange disease."
"I had a high fever and couldn't eat anything. I vomited immediately after eating."
"We have found all the doctors we could find and tried all the possible treatments, but nothing worked..."
"Otunpuyi often told me: If our doctors were more skilled, if our medical skills were better, my mother might not have died..."
"That's probably why the child became interested in Kazuto... He thought that if he could live an advanced life like Kazuto, his mother might be cured and not die of illness..."
After saying this, Asuma pursed her lips.
After a moment, she took a deep breath, then raised her hands and patted her cheeks hard.
"I'm sorry..." Asuma apologized to Ogata and Atachi in front of him, "I think I talked about some very heavy things."
Ogata shook his head. "It's okay. Don't mind us. We are the ones who should be sorry for bringing back some not-so-nice memories for you."
"...Thank you." Aisuma smiled, "Thank you for chatting with me. After chatting with you for a while, I feel much better."
Asuma stood up.
"I've been out long enough. It's almost time for me to go home."
"Just now... because of the excitement, I said some... a little too much to my brother..."
"I have to go and apologize to him..."
Asuma scratched her hair.
"Mr. Majima, Ms. A-Machi, see you later. I wish you a smooth journey to that Huxi Village and get what you want. "
"Thank you." Ogata smiled. "I appreciate your good wishes. I also wish you good luck in training your brother in archery and hope that he will have a brilliant performance in the upcoming hunting festival."
Ogata and Atachi bowed to Aizuma.
And after Aisuma returned an awkward Japanese bow to Ogata and the others, she strode aside.
Looking at Asuma's departing back, Atachi whispered in a voice that only she and Ogata could hear clearly:
"I didn't expect that the reason why Aotongpui cared so much about our culture was because of this hidden secret..."
A-Ming also lost her mother at a very young age, so she can understand very well the feeling of being without a mother's company since childhood.
Although she has her elder sister Aisuma, who takes on some of the mother's responsibilities, a sister is still a sister after all, and it is difficult for her to fully take on the role of "mother".
Ogata nodded slightly in agreement.
He originally thought that the reason why the child Otunpui liked the Japanese culture so much was just because of his natural personality.
Now I know that the reason why the child has become what he is now is probably because he was greatly affected by the early death of his mother.
"I feel that this kind of sister-brother relationship of supporting each other is really beautiful." At this time, Ating continued with emotion, "I really want to experience what it feels like to have a younger brother."
Like Ogata, A-machi is also an only child in the family and has never experienced what it is like to have brothers and sisters.
"If you don't mind, I can pretend to be your younger brother and play brother and sister with you for a day." Ogata said suddenly.
"Then call me 'sister' and let me hear it."
Ogata: “Sister.”
A-Ting: “Hey!”
Ogata: "Give me some pocket money."
A-Ming: "Oh, after a closer look, it seems that you are not my brother. Sorry, you got the wrong person, I am not your sister."
"Where is the brother-sister relationship we promised to pursue, where is the brother-sister relationship of 'supporting each other'..."
Just then - Ogata suddenly heard footsteps behind him.
The footsteps were approaching him from behind at a very fast speed!
Ogata quickly turned his head and looked behind him.
But when his gaze shifted behind him, Ogata was so shocked by the scene behind him that his pupils shrank slightly.
Someone was indeed approaching him from behind.
But this person's height should not exceed his knees.
It's a little girl.
Although the light was dim tonight, Ogata could still barely see clearly - the little girl was probably only 6 years old.
She raised her right hand high, holding a stone tightly in her right palm, and rushed straight towards Ogata.
"#￥%&*Aqia%￥#@! (Ainu language)"
The little girl rushed towards Ogata, shouting something in Ainu language that Ogata could not understand in the unclear tone unique to young girls.
Although Ogata didn't understand what the little girl said, he heard the word "Acha" from her words.
Ogata knew what "Acha" meant.
"Acha" in the Ainu language means "father".
After rushing to Ogata, the little girl threw the stone in her right hand hard at Ogata.
Even if Ogata had a high fever of 41 degrees and was drunk, there was no way he could be beaten by this little girl.
By just moving half a step to the side, Ogata easily avoided the little girl's attack.
Just as the little girl was about to launch a second attack on Ogata, Ogata took the lead and grabbed the girl's right hand holding the stone and controlled it.
Unable to hit Ogata with stones anymore, the little girl tried to kick Ogata with her short legs and spit at him.
But all her efforts were in vain. Her short legs couldn't even kick Ogata. And because of her lack of strength, her saliva couldn't spit far and couldn't hit Ogata either.
Aisuma, who had not walked far, heard the noise made by the little girl and hurried back.
"What happened?" Asuma asked.
"This little girl suddenly appeared and tried to hit Majima with a stone." Amaji frowned slightly.
Asuma stared at the little girl, and then her pupils shrank slightly.
"I remember this child... This child seems to be from Kapasi Village..."
After hearing the word "Kapashi Village", both Ogata and Atachi's expressions changed.
They had just heard Aisuma introduce the people of this village not long ago.
Kapasi Village participated in the Battle of Kunasilimenasi three years ago, which ended in the disastrous defeat of the Ainu people. After a long period of wandering, the surviving villagers were taken in by Chanup and became part of Heyezhe...
All of Ogata and Atachi's original confusion as to why the little girl attacked them disappeared at this moment.
The two looked at the little girl with complicated eyes, not knowing how to deal with her now.
"#￥%&*Aqia%￥#@! (Ainu language)" The little girl shouted out the same words he had just shouted at Ogata with red eyes.
Hearing the little girl's words, Asuma's expression changed slightly.
At this time, a young woman who was not very old suddenly appeared in the field of vision of Ogata and others.
A young woman appeared from the end of the path not far away, and then ran towards Ogata and the others in a panic.
Seeing that Aisuma was also present, the young woman immediately said something to Aisuma in Ainu.
"This woman is the mother of this little girl." Aisuma told Ogata and the others, "I wasn't paying attention and let my daughter run away."
"She said it was her daughter who was ignorant and disturbed us. She apologized to us on behalf of her daughter. She hoped that we could let her ignorant daughter go."
Ogata and Omachi looked at each other and nodded.
Ogata returned the little girl who tried to stab him with a small stone to the young woman.
The young woman hugged her daughter and left in a hurry.
Ogata noticed that the little girl in the young woman's arms did not forget to look at Ogata with vicious eyes before leaving.
"...Please forgive that child." After the mother and daughter left, Asuma sighed, "That child is still immature..."
"I'm not going to get angry at a child who hasn't done anything wrong..." Ogata said softly, "Just now the child kept saying the same thing to me, but I couldn't understand what it meant. What was the child saying?"
Aisuma pursed her lips, hesitated for a while, and said softly:
"…the child said; 'Give me back my daddy'."
"Many fathers, sons, and husbands of Kapasi Village...died in the battle of Kunasilimenasi three years ago..."
This time it was Ogata and Atachi who pursed their lips.
Ogata turned his head and looked in the direction where the mother and daughter had just left. The expression on his face and the look in his eyes were very complicated.
"I will report this to my father and ask him to warn the people of Kapasi Village," said Aisuma. "Please don't take what happened just now too seriously."
"Don't worry." Ogata forced out a not-so-pretty smile, "Like I just said, I wouldn't get angry at a kid who didn't do anything wrong..."
…
…
Ogata and the other said goodbye to Asuma again.
Asuma continued to her home.
After experiencing this "attack", Ogata and his companions no longer had any mood to stay and chat, so they returned to where they lived with the villagers of China Village.
On the way back to their residence, A-Machi suddenly said to Ogata beside him:
"...We really need to be careful during our stay in Red Moon Fortress."
"Although the people of Kapasi village told us that they respected Chanup and would not do anything excessive to us as guests of Heyezhe."
"But there might be more people like that little girl who would come and attack us without thinking..."
Ogata didn't respond, just nodded slightly.
After returning to their residence, the two happened to run into Chepke, the village chief of Qina Village.
"Oh! Majima Goro, Atachi." Chepke greeted the two, "You're back. I couldn't find you just now. I was wondering where you two went."
"We went to take care of some things." Ogata said, "Village Chief Chepke, you showed up just in time. I have something to ask of you."
Ogata briefly told Chepke about Hayashi Shiping's matter.
"Huxi Village..." Chepke frowned slightly.
"Yes." Ogata nodded, "Is there anyone in your village who knows where this Huxi Village is?"
"Huxi Village... I have an impression of it..." Chepke said slowly, "Oh! Now I remember, there is indeed a family in our village who should know where that Huxi Village is."
"If I remember correctly, that family seemed to care about a relative in Xi Village."
"Which family?" Ogata asked anxiously.
"You two should be familiar with that family." Chepke said, "It's Yashili's family."
"Ashili?" Ogata raised his eyebrows.
The image of a girl who loved to wear an orange headband on her head appeared in Ogata's mind.