"Where are Mr. Majima and Ms. Atachi..." Yashili, who was sitting cross-legged in the hunting lodge, looked outside the hunting lodge from time to time.
When she went out hunting with Ayizan just now, although it suddenly snowed heavily halfway, overall, they still had a good harvest. According to statistics, they hunted two fat rabbits and a squirrel.
However, after the two of them excitedly returned to the hunting lodge with their prey, they were surprised to find that the hunting lodge was empty. Neither Ogata nor Atachi were anywhere to be seen.
Ayi Zan initially thought that Ogata and Ating might have gone out to fetch water, so he asked Yashili to follow him and wait in the hunting lodge for Ogata and the others to return.
But the two of them waited and waited, and the sky was only covered with a thin layer of black gauze. It was not until the sky was almost dark that they could not see anything on the ground without torches, and Ogata and Atachi did not come back.
This made Ayezan and Yashili worried.
"Mr. Aizen." Yashili withdrew his gaze from outside the hunting lodge and suggested to Aizen, "Why don't we go out and look for them?"
Ai Zan pursed his lips and remained silent while looking outside the hunting lodge.
After a moment of silence, Ayizan said slowly:
"... Let's wait a little longer. If Mr. Majima and Ms. Atachi haven't come back yet, we'll... Ah! I see them! They're back!"
Ayizan had only said half of his words when the second half of his sentence turned into a shout of joy.
Because he saw - outside the hunting lodge, a figure was slowly emerging from the wind and snow.
Although it was dark and obscured by the wind and snow, Ayizan could still recognize it - it was Ogata's figure.
Ayizan came out of the hunting lodge and went to greet Ogata who had finally returned.
"Mashima-san! You're finally back... huh? Mashima-san, your face...?"
Ayizan looked at Ogata in front of him with a shocked expression.
The body shape is still the same.
The sword is still the same sword.
But Ogata's face was completely different from what Ayizan remembered.
Why did Majima Goro's appearance change? ——This question filled Aizen's mind.
But soon, two new questions emerged from Ayizan's mind - "What happened to Ms. A-Machi?" and "Who is the person behind Mr. Majima?"
After discovering that "Mashima Goro"'s face had changed, Ayizan then discovered that Ogata was carrying someone on his back.
After a closer look, Ayizan was surprised to find that this person was none other than Ating!
Ating's current appearance looks terrible no matter how you look at it.
The left collarbone seemed to be seriously injured, and the clothes on the left half of the body were almost all stained red with blood.
A man whom Ai Zan did not know was following closely behind Ogata.
This man was wearing mighty armor, with his head lowered, his body trembling slightly, and his face full of fear.
While Ayizan was still immersed in the emotion , Ogata spoke at this time:
"Ayi Zan, what happened? I will explain it to you slowly later."
"Now could you please prepare some clean water? The more water the better."
…
…
First Army Camp——
The snow keeps falling.
After dealing with a bunch of trivial military affairs in the commander-in-chief's tent, Sheng Tianmu held the sword at his waist, lifted the curtain at the entrance of the tent, and went outside the tent to breathe the cool and fresh air.
There are almost no entertainment activities in the military camp, no wine, no women, no singing and dancing. The only way for Sheng Tianmu to relax now is to look at the snow scenery around him and breathe the fresh air.
The weather tonight is not very good. It has been snowing and windy since the evening, and it has not stopped until now.
Sheng Tianmu did not hold an umbrella or wear a hat, but just exposed his body to the wind and snow, letting the snowflakes fall on his armor and his bald scalp due to his topknot.
Sheng Tianmu was standing outside the tent, gazing at the mountains in the distance.
The mountains in the distance were pitch black under the cover of night, like a dormant giant beast.
"This snow is so annoying..." Sheng Tianmu muttered as he raised his right palm and caught several snowflakes.
What Sheng Tianmu hates most now is snowy days. Once it snows, it will have a great impact on various military operations.
After praying secretly in his heart that the weather would be clearer in the future, Sheng Tianmu turned around and prepared to return to his tent.
But at this moment - a general ran towards Sheng Tianmu with an anxious look on his face.
Seeing this, Sheng Tianmu knew that there must be something important to report, so he frowned slightly, stood where he was, and waited for the general to come over.
"Sheng...ha...Sheng Tianmu...ha...Sir." After the attendant general ran to Sheng Tianmu, his breathing became extremely disordered and he was out of breath because he ran too fast and too hard.
But even so, the general still held back his disordered breathing and tried to say something that made Sheng Tianmu's eyes widen:
"Mogami-sama...haha...is back...he's...badly injured...haha...his chest...was hit by a cannon...!"
As soon as the attendant general finished speaking, Sheng Tianmu felt as if his head was hit hard by a sledgehammer.
But he was a general who had seen many storms after all. He quickly calmed down and asked in a deep voice:
"Where is Mogami now?"
The general, whose breathing had become a little smoother, could finish a whole sentence relatively smoothly: "Master Mogami is now... ha... receiving treatment from the military doctor. The treatment should have started by now."
"Take me there."
"yes!"
General Shi led Sheng Tianmu straight to a corner of the camp and brought him to an ordinary tent. After lifting the curtain at the entrance of the tent, Sheng Tianmu saw his nephew lying on a wooden board.
The clothes on the top of his body have now been completely stripped off, revealing his muscular and bloody upper body.
There was a conspicuous bloody hole on the chest, and blood kept oozing out from the hole, dyeing most of the upper body red, which made Sheng Tianmu feel horrified.
Several people dressed as military doctors surrounded Zui Shang and treated him.
"How is he?" Sheng Tianmu asked the oldest military doctor.
Despite trying hard to conceal it, a hint of anxiety still emerged in the depths of Shengtianmu's eyes.
"Lord Mogami was hit in the chest by a cannon and is now in a coma," the military doctor said. "His armor blocked the bullet, so the wound was not very deep and did not damage his internal organs."
"But - even if the wound is not deep, there is still a possibility of lead poisoning."
"So whether or not Master Mogami can survive... depends on his luck..."
Sheng Tianmu's already ugly face became even uglier now, and his face was so dark that it was not illuminated even by candlelight.
The projectiles for muskets of this era were all lead bullets made of lead.
Many people who were hit by lead bullets were not killed, but died of "lead poisoning".
However, the medical technology level of that era was far from being able to treat "lead poisoning".
Therefore, if you get "lead poisoning", you are basically doomed to die.
Looking at Mogami who was now in a coma and whose life or death was still uncertain, Shengtian Mokuren took a few deep breaths, and after barely controlling his emotions, he turned his head and cast a sharp gaze at the general beside him who had been responsible for leading him.
"How many soldiers followed Mogami back to the camp?"
"There are seven people in total." replied the general.
"Take them all to the commander-in-chief's camp." Sheng Tianmu said in an unquestionable tone.
"yes!"
…
…
The hunting lodge where Ogata and his companions stayed——
Ever since Ogata carried Ating back, Ayizan's feet and hands have never stopped moving.
He went back and forth between the hunting lodge and the river from which Ah-ting had drawn water, fetched clean water, and boiled it over a fire.
Ayizan was responsible for fetching water, while Yashili was responsible for helping Ogata, providing lighting, and helping to wipe the sweat off Ogata's face and the blood off Ating's body.
As for Ogata, he was treating Atachi with the assistance of Yashiri.
Since traveling to the Edo period until now, Ogata has suffered countless injuries of varying degrees. The frequent injuries and treatments have allowed Ogata to unknowingly master some simple wound treatment methods, as well as knowledge of medicines. He knows which medicines are specifically used for anti-inflammatory purposes and which medicines are specifically used to treat sword wounds.
Ating was injured in two places, both of which were concentrated on her left clavicle.
One wound was a cut, and the other was a stab wound caused by General Mogami pushing Atachi against a tree trunk.
It was a blessing in disguise - neither of the two wounds hit the vital parts, and the wounds were not particularly deep. Even someone like Ogata, who only had some knowledge of medical skills, could treat such injuries.
Last year, when they left Edo and headed north to Ezo, Ogata and A-machi spent a lot of money to purchase a large number of practical medicines, and they carried them with them all the time.
At this moment, these medicines purchased just in case finally came in handy.
The treatment for Ating lasted from around 6 o'clock in the evening until nearly 8 o'clock.
After wrapping Atachi's wound with hemp cloth and tying a beautiful knot, Yashili, who had been standing beside Ogata to help him, said to him anxiously and impatiently:
“Is the treatment over? (Ainu)”
In this environment, even if he couldn't understand Ainu, Ogata could guess what Yashiri was saying.
"Yes." Ogata nodded, "The treatment is over."
After saying that, Ogata raised his right hand and touched Atachi's forehead - it was slightly hot.
Feeling the warmth transmitted to his palm, Ogata's expression remained unchanged - only his left hand, which was naturally placed on his leg, slowly clenched.
After putting away his right hand that was testing Atachi's body temperature, Ogata lowered his eyes and looked at Atachi, who still had her eyes closed.
Her rosy cheeks, which were always full of life, were now extremely pale.
His upper body was covered with linen for stopping bleeding, and he looked very much like an ancient Egyptian mummy.
Through Ating, her skin exposed to the air was still oozing with sweat.
A-Ming, who had been smiling at him just a few hours ago, was now tied up in sackcloth and unconscious.
Ogata couldn't help but raise his hand and gently hold Atachi's slightly cold little hand.
The wind and snow outside the cottage were blowing "whoosh whoosh".
Looking at the unconscious Atachi in front of him, Ogata suddenly felt that the scene in front of him seemed to be changing.
The hunting lodge in front of me turned into the Sakakibara Sword Hall that night a year and a half ago...
The A-Ting in front of him turned into the corpses that he saw that night with their eyes wide open...
The sound of the wind and snow that reached Ogata's ears from outside the hunting lodge also became words that were hidden deep in Ogata's mind, but they are still ringing in his ears...
…
"After I get to the underworld... I don't know what expression I should use to face everyone..."
…
"Ogata-kun...are you there? I can't see anything anymore..."
…
"Ogata-kun...are you hugging me...? Thank you..."
…
"Mr. Majima! How is Miss Atachi?" At this time, Ayizan's voice suddenly came into Ogata's ears, and these words that sounded like hallucinations suddenly disappeared.
Ayizan knew that it was not convenient for him to enter the house at the moment, so he stayed outside the house and asked Ogata about A-Ming's current situation through the hunting lodge.
"The treatment is over." Ogata took off his haori and covered A-Machi with it. "The treatment went well. A-Machi is in a relatively stable condition now."
"Really... That's good... Then - Mr. Majima, what should we do with this man?" Aizan turned his head to look at Kazuto, who had been kneeling obediently near the hunting lodge and letting the wind and snow blow on him.
This Kazuto in armor is none other than Sakaguchi who was captured by Ogata.
When Ogata took A-Machi into the hunting lodge for treatment, he only gave Sakaguchi one order - "Sit still."
Sakaguchi, who already regarded Ogata as the incarnation of a devil, now obeyed Ogata's every word. He sat obediently on the ground not far from the hunting lodge, letting the wind and snow blow on him, not daring to move.
"I will deal with this person right away."
call--!
The sound of wind and snow outside the house intensified, as if countless ghosts were wailing and groaning.
After responding to Aizan's question in a calm tone, Ogata turned his gaze back to A-Machi's face.
Looking at Ating's pale face, Oo remained expressionless.
The only sounds in the hut were Ogata and the others' breathing, and the sound of the oil lamp burning the fish oil.
Yashili inside the house twisted his fingers nervously. Ayizan outside the house was the same as Yashili, not knowing what to do or say...
The two of them now have countless questions to ask Ogata.
What happened to the two of them? Why was Miss A-machi injured like this? Why did "Mr. Majima" suddenly change his appearance...
The silent and heavy atmosphere in the cabin made it impossible for the two of them to ask questions even though they had countless questions in their minds.
After a while, the torturous silence in the cabin was finally broken.
The person who broke this atmosphere was once again Ogata.
Ogata suddenly said:
"Hey, you said before that your camp is only 2 miles (about 7.848 kilometers in modern times) away from here, right?"
When Sakaguchi, who was outside the house, heard Ogata's words, his body shook violently a few times.
Knowing that Ogata was asking him, he nodded hurriedly:
“Yes, yes!”
Just now, when Ogata had captured Sakaguchi and carried Atachi back to the hunting lodge, he had asked Sakaguchi a lot of questions.
For example - the man who caused Atachi to become what she is now is called Mogami Yoshihisa, a member of the "Seven Guns of Senshu" who is no stranger to Ogata.
Another example - their camp is not far from here...
"...Mr. Ayizan. Please stay here and take good care of A-Ting."
Ogata grabbed the Daishakuten placed on the right side of his body.
"Eh? Mr. Majima, where are you going?"
"I'm going to get something." Ogata said calmly, "I'll be back by noon tomorrow at the latest."
"Get something?" Ayizan looked puzzled.
Ogata said nothing more.
He silently held the knife in his hand and went out of the hunting lodge.
But at this moment - Ogata suddenly felt something pulling his left sleeve.
Ogata was slightly startled, then quickly turned around - the person who pulled his sleeve was none other than Ating.
A-Machi half-opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Ogata. Although she had no strength left in her body, she still stubbornly held on to Ogata's sleeve.
"A-Ming." Ogata leaned over and touched A-Ming's forehead. "How do you feel now? Are you feeling uncomfortable? Is the sackcloth too tight?"
"Well..." Ating forced a smile, "Not bad..."
"That's good..." Ogata raised his hand to hold the little hand of A-Ming that was pulling his sleeve, "You should have a good rest now. If you feel uncomfortable, tell Ayi Zan and Yashili. I'll go do something and will be back soon."
Ogata originally wanted to let Atachi release the little hand that was grabbing his sleeve.
But unexpectedly - Atachi seemed to be competing with Ogata. Every time Ogata put in a little effort, Atachi would put in a little more effort, and she was unwilling to let go of Ogata's sleeve.
"...It's amazing..." Ating said slowly in her weak voice, "Just now...when I heard you say you were going to get something...I quickly guessed what you were going to do..."
"Look... I'm still alive and well..."
Ah-Ming once again tried to force a smile.
"Anyway, that guy... didn't succeed in killing me or doing anything excessive to me... Let's just leave it at that..."
"…The reason why you were not killed or harmed was not because that guy showed mercy." Ogata said calmly, "It was because I arrived in time."
"If I hadn't arrived in time, you would have been taken to an unknown place by that guy."
"...Don't do anything stupid..." Hearing what Ogata said, Atachi pursed her lips and held Ogata's sleeve with her hand even tighter. "Their camp... has at least 3,000 people... Do you want to go into this dangerous place alone..."
"Do you think you are Yukimura Sanada... able to kill through the two large formations of the shogunate army and reach the main camp..."
"After all, Yukimura Sanada still has many subordinates...what do you have?"
"...I have thousands of troops." Ogata, who had been expressionless from the beginning, finally smiled when facing Atachi.
"Where did the huge army come from...?"
Ogata slammed the Great Shakyamuni in his hand to the ground, and then patted the Great Freedom on his left waist.
"Don't make such unfunny jokes..." A-Machi seemed to be amused by Ogata's nonsense, and a helpless look appeared on his face.
"Stop talking." Ogata used the other sleeve that was not grabbed by Ating to wipe the sweat off Ating's face. "You should be very tired now, right? Go to bed quickly."
Just as Ogata said, Atachi, who had just completed the treatment, was indeed very tired and could hardly open his eyes.
But even though she was very tired, Atachi still forced herself to stay awake and tried hard to hold on to Ogata's sleeve.
"Don't... put yourself in danger..." Although Ating's words were weak, his tone was firm.
After using up the last of her strength, Atachi's hand loosened, let go of Ogata's sleeve, and fell into sleep again.
Ogata gently put the hand that had just been holding him back under the haori covering her body, and said to Aiza outside the house in a neutral tone:
"Mr. Aizen, I'll leave A-Ting to you and Yashili for now."
After saying this, Ogata walked out of the hunting lodge, knife in hand.
Ogata walked straight to Radish, whose horse's reins were tied to a big tree next to the hunting lodge, and took his snow-proof hat from Radish's saddle.
Ogata had been using this hat since it was still in the Ou region, and since it had not been used for very long, it was still brand new.
After putting on the hat that was so wide that it covered half of his face, Ayizan asked Ogata cautiously:
"M-Mashima-san...will you...come back?"
Ayizan didn't know why he asked such a question.
After seeing Ogata holding his sword and wearing a hat with an expressionless face, he couldn't help but ask this question.
"Of course." Ogata turned his head and smiled at Ayizan, "Remember to cook my lunch tomorrow at noon."
"I'll be back before lunch."
After saying this, Ogata, who was wearing a conical hat, two swords on his waist, and only a thin kimono, untied the reins of Radish's horse.
"Come with me." Ogata looked at Sakaguchi who had been kneeling on the snow not far away.
Upon hearing Ogata's order, Sakaguchi immediately rolled over to Ogata's side as if by reflex.
Ogata turned over and sat on Luobo's horse, asked Sakaguchi to sit behind him, and then rode straight south.
Ayi Zan stared blankly at Ogata's departing back. After Ogata's figure disappeared into the night, he heard a sentence spoken in a very calm tone in the wind and snow:
"Sanada's spear is sharp, so my sword is not weak either."