Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1422 - 977: Masterpiece in the Epic, the Sun and the Fox-Wolf

"Under the witness of the Chief Divine! In the Kingdom of the Lake, the compilation of the Kingdom Epic is overseen by the Chief Minister, the Kingdom High Priest, the Fifth Level Supreme High Priest, Sage Jatili..."

The night was deep, with dawn quietly hiding. The moonlit conversation continued on the small hill. Xiulote lowered his head slightly, his thoughts floating, pondering silently.

The position of Fifth Level Supreme High Priest held by Sage Jatili is an internal position within the Kingdom, stemming from his appointment without the approval of the Capital City’s High Priesthood. By promoting Sage Jatili to Fifth Level Supreme High Priest, he essentially established another center of divine authority within the Kingdom, subtly opposing the High Priesthood of the Capital City.

"Papu, since you reside in the Seaside Lands, presiding over the Olmec Holy City, compiling the Ancestor Epic... then your position should be only a rank below Sage Jatili’s, as a Fourth Level Grand Priest!... Meaning, Papu, in the Seaside Lands, your priestly rank is only below the Fourth Level Coastal Grand Priest and the head of the Inquisition, Priest Yitai!..."

After a moment of thought, Xiulote smiled warmly. He heavily patted Papu’s shoulder, generously promising.

"Fourth Level Grand Priest, the second in command in the Coastal Priesthood, master of the epic compilation, overseeing the Olmec Ancient Holy City! How does that sound, Papu, have I not treated you well?... As long as you diligently compile the ancestor epic of the united tribes, you can leave an immortal shining name in the Kingdom’s history! As for your aides... amongst the surrendered priests and sages of the seaside tribes, I can let you choose thirty people first to become part of your team!..."

"Ah! Fourth Level Grand Priest, second in command in the Coastal Priesthood?!"

Upon hearing such an esteemed position, the surrendered general Papu immediately widened his eyes, and his breathing became much heavy. But soon, he realized that this nominal Fourth Level Grand Priest was actually just a noble yet empty title.

He governed the Olmec Holy City district, which currently was just an ancient ruin with hardly any tribal population. He also didn’t possess Temple Guards, nor any reliable samurai. Moreover, within the Kingdom’s priestly system, he had no foundation as a new defector... In other words, this so-called high rank was only enough to stir envy!...

"Your Highness... praise the Chief Divine! Thank you for the generous reward, I Papu will certainly compile the Olmec Ancestor Epic for you!"

The surrendered general Papu bowed his head quietly, pondering for a long time before respectfully kowtowing twice to the ground. Then, he looked up, eyes filled with pleading, along with a rare clarity.

"However, your humble servant Papu has a small request..."

"Hmm, a request? Papu, whatever else you want, just say it? As someone I value, I will never be stingy with wealth, slaves, and beauties!"...

"Uh... Your Highness, I only ask for a little wealth, a few slaves will do, beauties can be a couple more, but too many would be overwhelming... As for my small request..."

The surrendered general Papu bit his lip and glanced at the serene expression on His Highness’s face, then spoke softly.

"Under the witness of the Chief Divine! Please demote me by one level... With my qualifications, I am certainly not suited to serve as a Fourth Level Grand Priest... I ask you to let me be a Third-level Main Priest instead!..."

"Furthermore... before I compile the epic for you, please allow me to lead the tribal warriors to Hidden Serpent City... I have long been in contact with the Divine Descendants within Hidden Serpent City, promising to transport their families and belongings out of the city... Your Highness, please give me ten days, and before the peak of the rainy season arrives, I will present you with a fortified Hidden Serpent City!"

Upon hearing these two so-called "requests," Xiulote raised his eyebrows. He squinted his eyes, scrutinizing the surrendered general Papu for a moment before asking in a deep voice.

"Papu, don’t beat around the bush!... Under the witness of the Chief Divine! You wish to lower your rank and yet establish meritorious service, what exactly do you wish for? Speak freely!"

"Under the witness of the Chief Divine! Your Highness, I..."

The surrendered general Papu hesitated for a moment yet eventually steeled himself. He lay on the muddy ground, his back towards the burning campfire, not daring to see the expression on Xiulote’s face. He merely gritted his teeth, candidly requesting.

"Your Highness! I desire genuine power, power I can grasp in my hands to protect myself!... I understand, with my fleeing identity, it is difficult to be truly accepted by the generals and priests in this Totonac Seaside Land, and very hard to genuinely gain footing!"...

"O wise King! I am willing to exhaust my intellect for you, to compile the ancestor epic... and after the compilation is finished, I am willing to join the Kingdom’s army to conquer the Maya Coast in the East for you... And when everything is complete, I only wish to have a reliable foothold in the Maya Coast of the East, a place with true protection and security, that is my small desire!"...

"Genuine power? A reliable foothold, true protection and security?... Papu, you do not wish to be my close official... but desire to command an army, govern a region, even aspire to have a City-State as a fief?!"

"Your, Your Highness! I... I do not dare to covet a City-State fief, nor wish to become a Prince of the Kingdom... But to campaign the frontier and guard a region truly is my foolish wish..."

Hearing this, Xiulote lowered his eyes, remaining silent for a long time. In this era, the future sought by heroes of every tribe is never about fame and riches, promotion and wealth, nor writing books and being remembered throughout history, but to hold military power and to truly govern a region! For the King, to drive the heroes of the world, to expand the territories as much as possible...

On the small hill, there was a dead silence. Papu lay prostrate, burying his forehead deeply into the ground, not daring to make a sound. After a while, until the bright moon descended into the West Mountain, and the eastern horizon lit with dawn, Xiulote finally sighed softly, gently nodding.

"Under the witness of the Chief Divine! Go, Papu! Before the peak of the rainy season arrives, I want to see the banner of the Chief Divine flying atop the towers of Hidden Serpent City!..."

"And as long as you establish enough meritorious service for the Kingdom, expanding enough territory!... then the vast Maya Lands will inevitably have a place for you to settle... This is not only my promise to you but also a promise to the generals... a King’s promise!"...

"Ah! Praise the Chief Divine! Praise You! Wise, merciful, and majestic God of Death, Your Highness!..." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Gradually, the rising sun emerged, dawn arriving from the east. The shadow of the mountain cast towards the west, while the Black Wolf’s royal banner faced the dawn. Beneath the shining royal banner stood a monarch. His shadow stretched long, and his face was bathed in dawn light, reminiscent of the golden sun. At the feet of the monarch knelt a surrendered general. He clung to the ground tightly, his head sunk into his own gray-black shadow. The crouching posture resembled a gray fox, or a black wolf~