Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1435 - 989: The Layout of the Cloud Serpent Fortress, the Weight on the Scales
"Witnessed by the Chief Divine! According to the decree of Your Majesty, Vanguard Warrior Quetz killed the Cloud Snake City Lord Tepetic, rising two levels in rank and promoted to Second Level Hereditary Noble, Camp Commander of a Thousand Warriors! Additionally, he is granted eight hundred acres of land, forty agricultural slaves, twenty chests of gold and silver, gemstones, feathered garments, cotton cloth, ironware, and farming tools!..."
The blazing sun rose to the zenith, illuminating the peak of the Cloud Serpent Mountain City. The dark red bloodstains had already coagulated, and the dead bodies were thrown into the valley. Three days had passed since that blood-soaked night of slaughter. In the highest Mountain City Temple, the stone statue of the God of the Hunt was smashed by the warriors, its visage unrecognizable. The gold statue of the Cloud Serpent was also toppled and broken into pieces, awaiting recasting as the statue of the Chief Divine. A brand-new emblem of the Chief Divine had already been erected in the center of the temple, symbolizing the Mexica’s conquest, the conquest of the Chief Divine’s faith!
"Blessings of the Chief Divine! The undefeated Cloud Serpent Mountain City is finally in the hands of the kingdom!" 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞
At this moment, Head Warrior Bertade stood solemnly under the emblem of the Chief Divine. Before him was a row of kneeling kingdom warriors, receiving their rewards for the night assault and vanquishing their old enemies. Under the witness of the Chief Divine, Bertade raised the Marshal’s Scepter in his hands, and solemnly declared with pious conviction.
"All five hundred Imperial Guards involved in the night raid are promoted one warrior level! Five Warrior Captains are promoted to First Level Military Merit Nobility, granted lands and slaves according to merit! Praise the Chief Divine! Praise Your Majesty!"
"Praise the Chief Divine! Praise Your Majesty!"
The warriors on the ground showed excitement, shouting fervently. With this announcement, hundreds of Imperial Guards outside the temple also raised their weapons and shouted in unison.
"Praise the Chief Divine! Praise Your Majesty! Praise the Marshal!"
Hearing the cheers outside the temple, Head Warrior Bertade smiled calmly, nodding slightly.
This exhilarating night raid saw the warriors conquer the impregnable fortress without suffering serious casualties. With the help of insiders, the enemy lost their advantageous terrain and fell victim to a surprise attack by the kingdom’s warriors. These Cloud Serpent Divine Descendants and nobles, besieged for three and a half years, were like weak coyotes after a long starvation, easily torn apart by the fierce Jaguars!
With the fall of the Mountain City’s ancestral land, the remaining Cloud Serpent Divine Descendants were annihilated. The Four States of the Tlaxcalans also lost their final resistance! The spiritual sanctuary of the Tlaxcalan tribes was completely destroyed, leaving them no choice but to submit to the alliance, to submit to the kingdom’s rule.
"Blessings of the Chief Divine! The fall of Cloud Serpent Mountain City and the extinction of the Cloud Serpent Divine Descendants! Such a triumphant report, I have already dispatched envoys to spread the news to the Lake Capital City, King Qinchongcan’s Royal City, and the seaside Golden Bay City! Once this news spreads, the more than two hundred thousand Tlaxcalan tribes migrating westward to the Kingdom of the Lake will have no hope but to fully integrate into the kingdom!"
"And this long Tlaxcalan Eastern Campaign hereby concludes! The kingdom has successively relocated over two hundred thousand Tlaxcalan tribes, fifty to sixty thousand Mistec tribes, and more than one hundred thousand Totonac tribes... The population of the Kingdom of the Lake has rapidly increased by more than four hundred thousand, primarily consisting of young and strong men and women. The two southern counties, the main settlement areas for immigrants, have more than doubled in population, far exceeding the peak period of the Tarasco Kingdom..."
Head Warrior Bertade pondered calmly. He had long been overseeing the garrison and population transfer in Water Valley City, fully aware of the benefits this long plundering war brought to the kingdom!
"The Southern Army, without experiencing particularly difficult battles, plundered a large population and wealth! The shortage of agricultural slaves needed for the kingdom’s military merit ennoblement has not only been entirely filled but more than thirty tribal flag teams were organized. These tribal flag teams effectively developed the Apa Plain, the Talas River banks, and the Talas estuary!"
"With such ample manpower, His Highness’s large-scale infrastructure plan could unfold! With the support of these tens of thousands of resettled tribes, the kingdom also formed a Long Snake Warrior Corps, drafting thousands of tribal archers..."
Contemplating all this, witnessing firsthand the rapid development of the kingdom, Head Warrior Bertade was filled with boiling excitement. He looked up at the sun in the sky, praying wholeheartedly to become one with the sun for His Highness, before turning his gaze back to the cheering Warrior Captains before him.
"Praise the Supreme Chief Divine! Praise the Supreme Sun! Praise the Supreme Highness! ... After a siege of three and a half years, what do you think of the terrain of this Cloud Serpent Mountain City?"
"Blessings of the Chief Divine! This terrain is rarely seen in the world, absolutely perilous as if forged by a god!"
"Indeed! The two forts in front and behind control the two mountain peaks, located at an altitude of several hundred to over a thousand meters. When attacking from below, the mountain path can only accommodate one person! No matter how many brave warriors we have, it’s impossible to conquer from below!"
"Yes! There are even mountain fields up there that can yield crops! Without the insiders’ surrender... they could have probably held out for another year, or even longer!"
Mentioning the terrain of Cloud Serpent Mountain City, the generals spoke up, all showing some apprehension and dread on their faces. Despite the long siege, they had never considered storming the city. Because such a natural fortress, in this era, could not be taken by force. Hearing the generals’ evaluations, Head Warrior Bertade nodded in affirmation, then said to them.
"Exactly! Such an impregnable fortress is impossible to breach by force... The Cloud Snake Fortress must be in the hands of the kingdom! The kingdom will rebuild a new Main God Temple here, station the Chief God Priests, Temple Guards, and Kingdom Warriors!"
"Ah? Building a temple and garrisoning troops in such a critical place? What about the alliance’s attitude..."
Upon hearing the words, the expressions of the generals changed, each showing a hint of contemplation. Seeing the changing expressions, Head Warrior Bertade scrutinized for a moment before pointing to the fearless and eager Vanguard Warrior Quetz.
"By the witness of the Chief Divine! Quetz! You climbed the perilous heights and were the first to break into the forward camp, slaying the Cloud Snake City Lord... In courage, will, and fortune, you are excellent! The Kingdom intends to station a thousand warriors and two thousand militia here... Are you willing to serve as the military officer of Cloud Serpent Fortress, guarding this place for the Kingdom?"
"May the Chief Divine protect! I, Quetz, am willing! I will definitely hold this place for the Kingdom!"
Vanguard Warrior Quetz rose to his full height, patting his chest generously. As an Imperial Guard Warrior of Prepetchan descent, he had eyes only for the Majesty of his Kingdom, not for any alliance’s king. Thus, he raised his head, looked at Head Warrior Bertade, and asked solemnly.
"Respected Holy Eagle Head Warrior! If the alliance members attempt to come up and take control of this fortress... may I lead the Kingdom’s warriors to drive them away, or even shoot them?"
"By the witness of the Chief Divine!"
Hearing this loyal inquiry, Head Warrior Bertade showed satisfaction and smiled calmly.
"Of course! This is an impregnable fortress and also a temple of the Kingdom! Quetz, I chose you to ensure this place is in your grasp! Regardless of who from the Alliance comes, unless they shed their last drop of blood, they should not dream of taking it!..."
"Good! Praise the Chief Divine! Just give me three thousand warriors to guard this mountain city... even if the Alliance launches an army of a hundred thousand in siege, after three and a half years of attacks, they still won’t take it!..."
"Good! Good! Quetz, the role of Warrior Camp Chief of this Cloud Serpent Fortress, is entrusted to you! I will fill the mountain city with enough provisions, bags of salt, and deliver sufficient arrows, javelins, and rolling stones to you!..."
Head Warrior Bertade stroked his chin, nodded approvingly, then pondered for a moment, summoning Firebird Flower, a Second Level Kingdom Priest of Prepetchan descent, handsome and dignified.
"Firebird Flower Priest!"
"Respected Holy Eagle Head Warrior, Marshal Bertade!..."
"By the witness of the Chief Divine! Named after the vivid Firebird Flower, your demeanor is like a soaring firebird, vivid as splendid fireworks! You excel at dealing with priests and nobles... This strategically crucial Cloud Snake Temple, I entrust to you to master! And you will also be the Third Level Main Priest stationed in the Kingdom’s fortress!"
"Ah! Praise the Chief Divine! Praise His Highness! And praise you, Holy Eagle Marshal!"
Upon hearing this, Firebird Flower, the Second Level Priest, showed excitement. He knelt to the ground, respectfully saluted, and responded in a loud voice.
"By the witness of the Chief Divine! I am a Kingdom Priest, a follower of the Majesty! Here will be a fortress of the Kingdom, and a temple of the Kingdom also!"
"Good! By the witness of the Chief Divine! Firebird Flower, guard this place for the Kingdom!... I will leave enough gemstones, gold, and silver, and feathered garb for you to deal with the nobles of the Alliance!... Remember, money is not an issue, better not to move armies if possible!"
"Following your command, Holy Eagle Marshal!..."
"Very good! May the Chief Divine protect! Everything is arranged... Cloud Serpent Fortress, this impregnable mountain city fortress, is a pin left by the Kingdom in the heart of the Alliance!... "
Head Warrior Bertade gazed distantly, standing in the highest point of Cloud Snake Temple, looking at the clouds in the sky as if amidst the cloud layers. Then he gazed westward over the plains, his sight extending over the far mountain ranges. And the Alliance’s Lake Capital City, the core Texcoco Lake District, was beyond the mountains, not actually far.
"The long Eastern Expedition is over!... Soon, His Majesty will lead the army back to the Lake Capital City, to participate in the grand sacrificial rite!... Although His Majesty is confident and decisive, there are risks in all this, the attitude of King Aweit..."
"May the Chief Divine protect! May this impregnable Cloud Serpent Fortress in the Kingdom’s hands... weigh slightly on the scales between the Alliance and the Kingdom in the heart of God King Aweit!..."
"May the Divine bless the Kingdom! May the Divine bless my King!..."
