abcnovels
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
[According to the mythology (Kamui Yukara) of the Ainu people, Upashikamui (God of Snow) came from the Country of Gods by riding an ice floe.
Upashikamui takes on the form of a huge bipedal gray wolf. His stature is taller than that of any large man, and though his fur is soft, it cannot be penetrated by any arrow. Since he speaks the language of the gods, he cannot speak Ainu words, but if you speak to him sincerely, then he will listen well.
Since Upashikamui is the God of Snow, he cannot live without ice and snow. During the warm seasons when ice and snow disappear, he is terribly weakened.
That is why when Upashikamui comes to an Ainu village (kotan), the whole village will work to create an ice house and will courteously invite him to live there.
When ice and snow piled up on the ground, theyd squeeze it into holes in ground, caves, and large warehouses built in the shade so that not all of the ice and snow would disappear in the summer.
By devoting their hearts to entertain him, Upashikamui will give gifts in return during the winter. Every day, even during blizzards, he would go out to hunt, and would without fail bring back some game to give to them. Villages where Upashikamui was would never starve in the winter.
Even so, when the Earth and gods grew angry, there were winters when not even Upashikamui could obtain any prey. During such helpless years, all the men from the villages (kotan) in the vicinity would gather, recite a spell that had been decided upon since ancient times, and challenge Upashikamui.
Upashikamuis fur could repel any sort of sword or arrow. All poisons were also ineffective against him. That is why, in order to win, they would all challenge him at once barehanded, as there was no other way to take him down head-on.
If there was a true hero amongst Upashikamuis challengers, then hed leave his own flesh behind upon losing, and his soul would return to the World of Gods.
Upashikamuis meat was the only food that the Ainu were allowed to eat from the Land of Gods, and those who ate it would be able to fill their bellies with ice and snow like Upashikamui.
That is why a village where Upashikamui stayed would never starve in the winter.
In addition, the elves could interpret Upashikamuis words as a special favour. If there was something that Upashikamui absolutely had to say to the Ainu, the elves would act as his mouthpiece. In this manner, the elves became those who could communicate with the gods (Kamui), so if they came across an elf in the forest the Ainu would have to bow politely, and when they entered elven towns, they had to take special care to act courteously.
By doing so, the elves would help them during epidemics or catastrophes in return.
Now then, over time the mortal Ainu children turned into old men, and eventually their grandchildren would also become old men. As the months and years passed, Upashikamui, who lived in the village, would start to miss his fellows.
Every night he would howl towards the moon, and gradually, he would become more bad-tempered.
When this happened, Upashikamui had to be sent to a suitable location before he became an evil god that kills people. The Ainu would guide Upashikamui to a snowy mountain (Kamui Mintara).
This was a prestigious journey called the Uosemante (Howling Send Off).
Upashikamui ate ice and snow, and showed respect to high mountains. The harpies were also there, so he wouldnt be bored. As such, the snowy mountains were suitable as a final destination for the journey.
After safely delivering Upashikamui to the snow-capped peak of the snowy mountain, completing the Uosemante, Upashikamui would share the claws from his body.
Upashikamuis claws were the only weapon from the Country of Gods that the Ainu were permitted to use. The claws were so sharp that even without being polished, they could easily split iron apart. If you struck them together, youd be able to call upon a chilly wave even in the midsummer.
Upashikamui, who can perform such miracles and bestow such weapons, can be said to be the closest Kamui that connects the gods and the Ainu.
Keichou Era Year 9 Andou Kanesue]
I see.
It was currently the Edo period. The Ainu had a castle of a feudal lord in the Matsumae Domain. Having given a large monetary donation in order to be permitted to utilize the library, the Depraved Monk (a clergyman who violated the rules of the religion he was a member of) Kuishinbou nodded once before closing an old book. The details of the memorandum regarding folklore between the Ainu and Kamui written by a military commander from that time had become immensely useful as a reference.
Recently, the Edo Shogunate had found their hands being burned by the warriors of the aborigines of the Matsumae Domain, the Ainu, when trying to reclaim the Ainu wastelands and develop it.
If it was just the elves, who could be found in any place that can be called a forest, being stingy about each and every tree being cut down, then there wasnt any change from what could be found in their home country. However, the Ainu were even more radical than the elves when displaying their opposition.
Upon realizing that they were being cheated in the business transactions and negotiations, they absolutely would not stand down until they had received a sufficient apology. Even if you tried to reconcile with them by giving a large amount of money and treasure, they would see it as an affront and would fly into a rage.
The hot-blooded samurai that had flowed into the Matsumae Domain during the Warring States Period often conflicted with the Ainu warriors, but they had a defeat for every conflict that occurred. The claws that the Ainu warriors used would break their katanas like toothpicks, and they easily sliced up armour that wouldnt even allow arrows to pass through.
But it was indeed understandable why the samurai were no match for them if the Ainus weapons were bestowed upon them by a god. Even if they were the brave samurai of the Matsumae Domain, as expected they hadnt received weapons from any gods or Buddha.
However, what caught the eye of the Depraved Monk Kuishinbou in the archives wasnt that.
Kuishinbous imagination was struck.
You could actually eat Upashikamui!!!
Kuishinbou had conquered all sorts of foods. He had entered priesthood in order to eat the vegetarian cuisines of monks, and had become a depraved monk after being excommunicated for eating meat despite it being prohibited. The priests garb was quite convenient, as it could be used to obtain trust wherever he travelled just by wearing it.
And the ultimate meal that Kuishinbou sought out in the northern lands was Upashikamuis meat. He had heard the idle gossip about the aborigines that said they ate the meat of a god, and could not resist making the long journey. As a result, there had been some worth in doing so.
Afterwards, the Depraved Monk whose name had become the origin of the word Kuishinbou (glutton), took the proof of the information he had obtained, and set forth on a trip even further north in high spirits.