Everything that Inamori said makes sense.
If the conquest of the Red Moon Fortress was affected because of Ogata Ittosai, it would be a huge loss and not worth the gain.
Therefore, all the generals in the camp nodded their heads to show their agreement. Only a few young generals who were still young and did not understand the overall situation and whose minds were only filled with "honor" showed resentment.
But these young generals did not dare to say anything more at this time. After all, they were not unable to read the air. They had already seen that most of the generals in the camp agreed with Inamori's strategy of "giving top priority to Red Moon Fortress."
Even the senior councilor Matsudaira Sadanobu just spoke out in person to express his approval of Inamori's strategy.
Faced with the current situation, these young generals who hoped to pursue Ogata Ittosai and restore their reputation did not dare to say anything more.
"Commander-in-chief." An old general with half white hair and beard standing very close to Inamori said in a deep voice, "Lord Sheng Tianmu has unfortunately died in battle, so it is necessary to replace him with a new general to lead the 1st Army."
"Commander-in-chief, who do you think would be the most suitable person to be the new commander-in-chief of the 1st Army?"
Dao Sen was silent for a while: "...This matter is not urgent, I will consider it slowly after tomorrow."
After saying that, Inamori looked at Kuroda:
"Kuroda-kun. For now, you will continue to be in charge of the 1st Army."
As soon as Inamori finished speaking, Kuroda immediately bowed to Inamori and responded loudly:
"yes!"
…
…
Nearly half an hour later——
"This is really troublesome..." Kuroda, who was walking with Akizuki on the way out of the commander-in-chief's camp, rubbed the back of his neck with a distressed expression, "I really hope that the command of the 1st Army can be handed over to someone else as soon as possible..."
The military meeting has just ended.
After confirming the strategy of "giving top priority to Red Moon Fortress" to all the generals, Inamori gave some simple instructions on the rest and recuperation of the 1st Army and the subsequent advance plan, and then disbanded the military meeting.
After the military meeting, the generals filed out of the commander's tent. Akizuki and Kuroda, who had a good relationship, walked together as usual.
"You really don't know how lucky you are." Qiuyue, who was walking beside him, said half-jokingly, "Do you know how many people who are eager to make achievements want to sit in your current position?"
"I'm not that eager to achieve great things..." The distress on Kuroda's face turned into helplessness, "and my current ability is not enough to command 3,000 troops."
"You've seen how busy I have been these past few days, right?"
"I just want to hand over the important task of 'temporarily commanding the 1st Army' to someone else as soon as possible."
Having said that, Kuroda let out a sigh of relief.
"Whatever. It won't be long before Lord Inamori sends a new general to take over the command of the 1st Army."
"Oh, sorry. I think I was walking a little too fast."
After saying this, Kuroda slowed down his pace to match Akizuki, who couldn't even walk fast due to his injuries.
"You've become a lot more adaptable now." Qiuyue smiled, "I was just thinking about whether I should remind you: I can't keep up with you any more."
Because of the injuries on his body, Qiuyue did not wear armor, but only cloth clothes.
Qiuyue was injured in the collarbone area, so the skin from her neck to the exposed outside the collar was wrapped in thick linen.
Looking at the linen exposed outside Qiuyue's collar, Kuroda sighed:
"How are you feeling today? Are you feeling better?"
"It would be nice if my wound healed so quickly." Qiuyue raised her hand and touched her upper chest which was wrapped in linen. "But my body does feel better today... The pain from the wound is less than yesterday... How about you? How is your palm now?"
Kuroda raised his hands, which were still wrapped in sackcloth, and waved them in front of Qiuyue's eyes:
"It was just the skin on my palm and some flesh that was torn off. It's not a serious injury. The wound doesn't hurt anymore. It should be fully healed in a few days."
Akizuki and Kuroda were "exchanging" information about each other's injuries, but at this moment, they both heard a voice with a hint of fear coming from not far in front of them:
"That 'Executioner Ittosai' is simply a monster..."
For Akizuki and Kuroda now, "Executioner Ittosai" is an extremely sensitive word that cannot be ignored.
After hearing this voice, Qiuyue and Kuroda both looked in the direction of the voice - the person who spoke was a young general who was not much older.
The young general is now walking side by side with several generals of similar age beside him.
Qiuyue was unfamiliar with these generals, they should be generals of the Second Army.
Seeing that the people walking in front of them seemed to be discussing Ogata Ittosai, Akizuki and Kuroda both pricked up their ears at the same time, wanting to listen to what they were talking about.
The group didn't lower their volume, so Akizuki and Kuroda could hear their conversation clearly.
"That's right... It's really too terrifying... He attacked the camp of 3,000 soldiers as if he was in an empty space... This kind of swordsmanship has never been seen before, and there will probably be no one like him in the future..."
"There shouldn't be anyone who can beat Ogata Ittosai in a duel now... I think even the great swordsmen who are famous in history, such as Yagyu Ishifunesai and Miyamoto Musashi, are no match for Ogata Ittosai..."
"Thinking about it carefully, it's a pity that Ogata Ittosai was not born in the same era as Yagyu Ishifunesai and Miyamoto Musashi. If they were born in the same era, we would know who is stronger and who is weaker."
"Hmph! What's the use of Ogata Ittosai's swordsmanship? He has fallen into the Shura path and is destined to be despised by the world and future generations. "
"It's a pity that such a talented swordsman cannot be used by our shogunate..."
"I actually really want to compete with Ogata Ittosai..."
"You want to compete with Ogata Ittosai? Excuse me, but I'm afraid you can't even take a single move from Ogata Ittosai."
"I know. Although Ogata Ittosai has strayed from the right path, it is undeniable that his swordsmanship is extremely superb. It would be an honor to die under the sword of such a great swordsman in a fair fight."
…
Akizuki and Kuroda listened quietly to the "discussion" of Ogata by the group of young generals in front of them.
"...Before the military meeting started, I heard a lot of people talking about Ogata Ittosai." Kuroda smiled bitterly, "I didn't expect to hear people still talking about Ogata Ittosai after the military meeting ended..."
Just now, before the military meeting began, the generals who had arrived and sat in the commander-in-chief's tent in advance passed the time by chatting.
At that time, Kuroda noticed that most of the topics the generals talked about were related to Ogata.
Some people were puzzled as to why Ogata was in Ezo.
Some expressed their amazement at Ogata's amazing swordsmanship and courage.
Some were resentful that Ogata disregarded the dignity of the shogunate.
But no matter what they were discussing, those who talked about Ogata all revealed the same feeling between the lines - fear of Ogata.
A man broke into a military camp guarded by 3,000 soldiers and escaped unscathed - this sensational thing happened so vividly before their eyes, and everyone felt a certain degree of fear of Ogata.
The generals of the Second Army who had never been attacked by Ogata were less afraid of him.
The generals of the First Army who had personally experienced the incident of being attacked by Ogata Ittosai...the attitude of the generals of the First Army towards Ogata can be well described in one sentence - "fearing Ogata like a tiger."
Kuroda looked down at his palms and laughed at himself: "Now when I hear the name of Ogata Ittosai, I feel that the wound that finally stopped hurting is aching again... Hmm? Akizuki, what's wrong with you? Why do you have such an expression?"
Kuroda noticed from the corner of his eye that Akizuki beside him had a thoughtful look on his face as if he was thinking about something.
"Nothing..." Qiu Yue said slowly, "It's just... after the fight with Ogata Ittosai, there is one thing that has been bothering me..."
"I feel like... Ogata Ittosai's voice... sounds familiar... I seem to have heard it somewhere before..."
"Ah?" Kuroda's eyes widened slightly, "Sound familiar?"
Kuroda changed his tone to a half-joking one:
"Have you ever met Ogata Ittosai somewhere before?"
"Impossible." Qiuyue shook her head without hesitation.
"Maybe you've met someone whose voice is very similar to Ogata Ittosai's." Kuroda consoled him, "There are so many people in the world, and it's normal for two people to have similar voices."
"...Maybe." Qiuyue nodded gently.
…
…
"A-Ting, come on, drink this."
Ogata lifted up Ating who was lying on the blanket with one hand, and with the other hand he held the bowl of medicine and handed it to Ating's lips.
When the edge of the bowl of medicine touched Ating's lips, Ating immediately opened his mouth obediently and gulped down the bowl of medicine at just the right temperature in one breath.
After Ating finished drinking the bowl of medicine, Oofang let Ating lie down again, then raised his hand and touched Ating's forehead - it was still a little hot.
Anxiety and uneasiness emerged in the depths of Ogata's eyes - but as soon as these two emotions emerged in the depths of Ogata's eyes, Ogata forcibly hid them.
"You lie down here and rest for a while." Ogata said to A-Machi, "I'll go prepare lunch with Ayazan, Yashili and the others."
"Hmm..." Ating responded softly.
As Ogata was about to leave the hunting lodge with the empty bowl, he suddenly felt his sleeve being grabbed - A-machi raised her little hand and gently pulled Ogata.
"What's wrong?" Ogata asked.
"I've been thinking a lot these past two days... I think... after we return to Red Moon Fortress, you should not treat my injuries..." Ating said in a cautious tone, which made Oota look puzzled.
After returning to the Red Moon Fortress, he immediately found a doctor to give A-Ming professional treatment - there was no need to hide this matter from A-Ming, so Ogata told A-Ming about his plan long ago.
A-Ming had , but at this moment he suddenly said that he did not want to treat his injury anymore - this made Ogata frown.
"Think about it... originally... the reason why we wanted to return to the Red Moon Fortress was just to show our friendship and go back to inform the people in the Red Moon Fortress about the 'Shogunate Army's attack'..."
"But if you want to treat my injuries now... it will definitely take a lot of time in the Red Moon Fortress... If the shogunate army arrives at Heyezhe City while I am being treated... what should I do then?"
"Anyway, you've already treated my wound..." Ating forced a smile, "I think the treatment you gave my wound was pretty good... There's no need to find a doctor for professional treatment..."
As soon as Atachi finished speaking, Obe answered without hesitation:
"You are telling me this with a body that has been running a fever and can't even sit up without help. It's not convincing at all."
Ogata's words made Atachi smile awkwardly.
"Don't think too much." Ogata's tone softened, "You are in urgent need of treatment. If your treatment is delayed because of other things, it would be a case of losing the big picture for the small."
"Just rest now. I'll take care of everything."
After saying that, Ogata raised his hand to tidy up Atachi's messy hair, then walked out of the hunting lodge holding the empty bowl.
As soon as he left the hunting lodge, a faint aroma of meat wafted towards Ogata - not far away, Ayizan and Yashili were gathered around a bubbling pot, cooking today's lunch.
"I'm here to help." Ogata held the empty medicine bowl and leaned towards Ayizan and Yashili. "Yashili, you go and take care of the rabbit. I'll add some firewood."
After listening to Ai Zan's translation, Yashili happily put down the firewood in his hand, then pulled out his machete and strode towards the two fat rabbits placed on the ground next to him.
Ogata sat where Yashili had just sat, then casually grabbed two long branches at his feet, broke them into short strips, and put them one by one into the fire under the pot.
"Mr. Majima..." At this time, Ayizan suddenly glanced at the hunting lodge not far away, and then lowered his voice to whisper to Ogata, "Ms. A-Machi's health... is still not good?"
Just now, after Ogata came out of the hunting lodge, Ayizan keenly noticed that Ogata's expression was a little solemn.
Ayizan is not stupid either, so he naturally knows what would make Ogata look so solemn in the current situation.
"Hmm..." Ogata nodded gently, "Amaji's temperature hasn't dropped... To be honest... I'm a little worried... "
"Mister Majima, don't worry. It's normal to have a fever. Although I don't know why, people will have a fever after being seriously injured, and it will last for a while."
Ayizan comforted her.
"In the past, there was a young man in our village who failed in his bear hunting. The bear attacked him and scratched his chest until it was bloody."
"Fortunately, the bear was very timid and fled away after injuring the young man."
"The young man returned to the village with his own willpower and recovered quickly under the doctor's treatment."
"At that time, the young man also had a fever for a long time."
"We are about to return to Heyezhe now. When we get back to Heyezhe, we will ask some doctors in Heyezhe to check on Miss A-Ting."
"Hmm..." Ogata nodded gently, "This is the only way now..."
Revenge for Atachi - that happened several days ago.
After avenging Atachi, Ogata and his companions continued on their way back to the Red Moon Fortress as originally planned.
After several days of trekking, we finally returned to the long-missed Red Moon Fortress.
It was estimated that - unless anything unexpected happened, they would be able to reach the Red Moon Fortress before this evening.
After Ayizan simply comforted Ogata, the two of them stopped talking.
Ogata silently added firewood to the bottom of the pot, while Ayizan also concentrated on adding seasonings into the pot.
It was not until half an hour later that Ayizan, who felt that the atmosphere was a bit too dull and wanted to liven it up, smiled and nodded his face.
"Mr. Majima, I've always been curious. Don't you feel uncomfortable wearing this human skin mask?"
"It's okay." Ogata smiled. "It was a little bit uncomfortable to wear it at first."
"But once you get used to it, you can hardly feel it."
A few days ago, after avenging A-Ming, Obara explained to Aizam and Ashiri why he had two faces.
Of course—Ogata wouldn’t be so foolish as to tell Ayzan and Yashili all the truth about them.
Ogata did not tell Ayzan and Yashili that he was "the most wanted criminal in Japanese society". He only told them that for some reasons, he had to wear this human skin mask to conceal his true appearance.
At the same time, Ogata did not tell the two his real name.
Ayezan and Yashili are both considerate...or rather, very smart people.
Seeing that Ogata was unwilling to explain why he hid his true face, the two of them did not ask any further questions.
Seeing that Ogata didn't say much, they didn't ask any more questions either - they continued to maintain their distance from each other and no one pointed out the problem.
Ogata was relieved by the cleverness of Ayizan and Yashili - if the two of them kept asking Ogata to reveal the reason why he hid his face, Ogata really didn't know how to get away with it.
After Ogata and Ayizan had a brief chat, Yashili returned to the pot with the rabbit meat that had finally been processed.
Because Atachi is still very weak, Ogata and the others specially cooked some porridge for her - using the rice that Ogata and Atachi always carried with them.
Before rushing to Ezo, Ogata and A-machi purchased various dry foods as well as some rice - specifically to change the taste when they vomited after eating the dry foods.
But the amount of rice is not much, and after consuming it for a period of time, the rice is almost gone.
After a simple lunch and a rest, Ogata and his party set out on the journey back to the Red Moon Fortress.
In Ating's current condition, of course, he is unable to ride a horse, so the way the four of them ride horses has to be changed in the past few days - Ogata and Ating ride on Radish, while Ayizan and Yashili ride on Grape.
The reason for this arrangement is to allow Ating to have a better rest.
Ogata sat at the back, and O-Machi sat in front of him, so that O-Machi could use Ogata as a chair back and rest against him.
It was convenient for Ating, but it was hard for Ayizan and Yashili...
Neither Ayzan nor Yashili knew how to ride a horse, so they had to learn how to ride a horse urgently...
Fortunately, Grape is a docile horse and Ayizan is also quite talented in riding.
After emergency special training, Ayizan was barely able to jog on Grape.
Fortunately, the weather was fine since Ogata and his party were back on the road, and they did not encounter any bears, wolves or any other accidents along the way.
After the sky was covered with a thin layer of black gauze, the majestic double walls of the Red Moon Fortress finally appeared at the end of Ogata and his companions' sight.
Ogata slightly increased the speed of his horse, and when he got close to the fortress, Ai Zan and Ya Xili shouted in Ainu to the people on the wall, "We are back", "We are from Qina Village"...
As Ogata and his companions got closer to the thick city wall, the figures on the wall began to sway rapidly.
"Um……?"
At this moment, Ogata suddenly frowned slightly because he noticed something strange.
Although Ogata's eyesight is far inferior to Atachi's, it is not bad either.
They were not far from the city wall, so Ogata could vaguely see the expressions on the faces of the guards on the wall - their faces were full of vigilance and... fear...