We returned to the village around sunset.
When the people saw the enormous stretcher we had brought back, they were shocked.
The bear's hide and meat were loaded onto a stretcher made by weaving two pieces of wood together. It was tied firmly with thick vines, and the wood creaked under the weight of the load.
Even with four people barely managing to carry it, the stretcher swayed.
Every time we took a step, the center of gravity shifted, so the four of us walked slowly, matching our breathing at the same time.
The bloodstains on the black fur hide were dyed by the red sunset and looked even more vivid. Dried blood was clotted in the fur, and with the setting sun shining over it, it looked as if it were burning.
"Th-That is...!"
A woman at the village entrance screamed. She dropped the water jar she had been holding.
"It's a bear! A Great Bear!"
"Heavens, look at the size of it!"
"Is that... the bear from the legends?"
"Look at its claws! They're as big as my forearm!"
"The Chieftain killed it!"
A man shouted. He stopped working and ran over.
"Are you saying the Chieftain truly brought down that monster?"
"I can't believe it!"
Another man shouted.
"With something that size, even ten men attacking together would have trouble winning!"
The village was thrown into an uproar.
People poured out of the pit houses, and children crowded around the bear. The children looked up at it with their eyes wide.
"Mom, is that a bear?"
A child asked, clutching his mother's skirt.
"Is it a really, really big bear?"
"Yes, it is a big bear."
When the child kept asking, his mother answered.
"This is the first time in my life I have seen a bear that big."
"Mom, aren't you scared?"
"Not anymore."
The child's mother smiled.
"Because the Chieftain brought it down."
"Waaah!"
The children cheered. They ran around the bear, marveling at it.
"Long live Lord Black Panther!"
"Long live the Peregrine Tribe!"
"Long live our Chieftain!"
Cheers filled the village.
The people clenched their fists and shouted, and someone raised a spear high.
I raised a hand to calm them.
"Tonight, we feast."
I shouted loudly.
"Let's share the bear meat."
"Ooooooh!"
The cheers pierced the sky.
They surged above the roofs, and the sound seemed to echo beyond the mountains.
"Meat! It's real meat!"
"This is the first time I've seen meat this big! The children will be able to eat their fill!"
The women embraced one another in joy.
Tears welled in their eyes. It was probably the first proper meat they had eaten in a long time.
"Son."
Then Mother approached.
Tears welled around her eyes, her hands were trembling, and her lips quivered.
"Mother, what is wrong?"
"Your father also tried to kill that bear, but failed."
Mother's voice cracked.
"But you did it."
Mother grabbed my arm.
Strength entered her grip.
"Father did?"
"Yes, it was five years ago."
Mother nodded.
"Because of that bastard, your father came back with a terrible wound on his leg. I can never forget that time."
Mother's voice trembled.
"When your father came back covered in blood, I truly...."
Mother could not continue.
She wiped away her tears with her hand.
"Did he pass away from the aftereffects...?"
"Yes. The wound festered, a fever took him, and after suffering for half a year, in the end...."
Mother trailed off. Her shoulders trembled. It seemed as though the sorrow she had suppressed for so many years was bursting out.
"Now Father's grudge has been laid to rest."
"Yes, your father will be watching from the heavens. He is surely smiling now."
Mother wiped her tears as she continued.
"Saying, 'My son did it.'"
"Yes, I am sure he is happy."
"Well done, son. You truly did well."
Mother held my hand tightly.
It was a rough and wrinkled hand.
A hand that had suffered all its life.
Her palm was full of calluses, and the joints of her fingers were bent. The pain she had endured while working for decades was carved into her hand in its entirety.
"Mother, please rest easy now."
I spoke while holding Mother's hand tightly.
"I will protect the tribe."
"Yes, I believe in you."
That night, a grand feast was held in the central clearing of the village. The campfire blazed, and bear meat was roasted.
Flames surged into the night sky and mingled with the stars. They swayed as if dancing, staining the sky by turns with red and yellow light.
The crackle of burning firewood mingled with the sizzling sound of dripping fat.
Whenever the firewood popped, sparks flew, and each time oil from the meat touched the flames, it hissed.
A savory smell spread through the entire village, and the hungry children's eyes sparkled.
The children smacked their lips, swallowed their saliva, and waited eagerly for the meat to cook.
"Mom, can I eat now?"
"Wait just a little longer."
The child's mother answered.
"If it isn't cooked, your stomach will hurt."
"But it smells so good!"
"It does. It is hard for me to bear too."
The women turned the meat while paying attention to controlling the fire.
They poked the meat with branches and checked how cooked it was.
The outside of the meat browned golden, and oil glistened on it.
The villagers sat in a circle around the campfire.
Before the abundant meat they had not seen in a long time, smiles spread across everyone's faces.
"I offer this to you, Chieftain!"
Solid Rock held out the best portion.
It was the bear's loin. It had been cooked just right over the fire, golden on the outside and faintly red within.
The surface was roasted crisp, and oil glistened on it. When it was cut with a knife, juices flowed out.
"This is perfect."
Solid Rock said proudly.
"It is the most tender part."
"Thanks."
I accepted the meat and took a bite.
A coarse but savory taste spread through my mouth.
It was a rich, wild aroma of meat completely different from modern beef or pork.
The more I chewed, the more the taste of the meat filled my mouth, the fat wrapped around my tongue, and I could sense a sweet flavor along with a slight saltiness.
"How is it?"
Solid Rock asked, his eyes full of expectation.
"It is delicious."
"Truly? What a relief!"
Solid Rock smiled brightly.
"I am happy as well, since you like it, Chieftain!"
Running Deer said with a laugh.
People sat around and shared the meat. Children ran about, women laughed, and men exchanged heroic tales.
They sat in a circle around the campfire, tearing into meat as they spoke.
Laughter never ceased, and a happy mood wrapped around the village.
"It has been so long since I ate until I was this full!"
"Right, I think this is the first time since last winter."
"Look at the children's faces."
A woman said.
"They look so happy they could die."
One child held meat in both hands and bit into it frantically.
Oil smeared around his mouth, but he did not care. His mother watched him with tears in her eyes.
"I don't know how long it has been since I last saw my child eat meat."
"It will be all right now."
Another woman comforted her.
"We have the Chieftain."
The women held one another's hands and comforted each other.
"The Chieftain thrust his spear, and it pierced straight through the heart!"
Solid Rock chattered excitedly.
He told the story of the bear hunt with gestures of his hands and feet. His voice trembled with excitement.
"You should've seen that moment!"
"The Chieftain moved like lightning, then stabbed straight into its heart in one blow!"
"They say he brought it down with a single strike!"
A man shouted.
"I saw it too!"
Fierce Eyes chimed in.
"The bear roared, then collapsed right there!"
"Amazing!"
"It must be the power of the ancestors!"
"Yes, how could an ordinary person bring down a monster like that?"
The people spoke as one.
The elders nodded and looked up at the heavens. They were giving thanks to the ancestors.
The young people listened to the story of the bear hunt again and again with excited expressions.
"Chieftain, what will you do tomorrow?"
Running Deer asked.
He took a bite of meat and looked at me with expectant eyes.
"I'll make bronze."
"With the stones we brought today?"
"Yes. I will mix them with red stone and make a new metal."
"You mean that wondrous metal you mentioned before?"
Solid Rock cut in.
"You said it was harder than stone and would not bend, did you not?"
"That's right."
Several people joined in.
Everyone was full of curiosity.
"Is that truly possible?"
An older man asked. He tilted his head.
"I have made tools only with stone and wood all my life. I find it hard to believe that mixing two kinds of stone can make something better."
"You will know when you see it tomorrow."
I spoke with confidence.
As a professor of materials engineering, making a bronze alloy was as easy as eating cold porridge.
I only needed to match the ratio of ninety percent copper and ten percent tin.
A temperature of around 1,100 degrees Celsius would be enough. The smelting time would be about two hours.
"I am looking forward to it!"
Running Deer's eyes sparkled.
"I am truly curious as well!"
"May I be sure to watch tomorrow?"
Solid Rock asked.
"Of course. Everyone should come and watch."
I nodded.
"It is something the entire tribe needs to know."
The people cheered.
The campfire continued to burn, and the meat continued to roast.
The people's laughter spread into the night sky. It was a peaceful night that had come after a long time.
But while the feast was in full swing, a warrior came running in urgently. His face, lit by the campfire, was pale. He was gasping for breath, and sweat poured like rain from his whole body.
"Chieftain! Chieftain!"
The warrior's voice trembled.
"Chieftain! It is an urgent report!"
The festive mood sank in an instant.
The laughter stopped, and the people looked at him with tense expressions.
"What happened?"
I rose from my seat.
"'Swift Wind' has returned from scouting."
The warrior spoke while panting for breath.
"He says he was observing the Tiger Tribe's movements."
"Where is he now?"
"He collapsed at the village entrance."
The warrior answered.
"They say Swift Wind ran for three days and nights without rest."
"Bring him."