Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1571 - 1111: Dialogue on Great Whale Island, The Rise of the Maritime Faction

"The glory of the Chief Divine, shines upon us like the sun, shining even more upon you! Esteemed High Priest Miki, you have not only brought back news from the Divine Revelation Continent, but also craftsmen, seeds, and riding beasts from the Western Tribe... Chief Divine bear witness! With such dazzling exploration achievements, you surely deserve a seat in the Council of Twelve Elder Priests in the Capital City of Qinchongcan!..."

"Haha! Priest Shibou, the exploration of the Divine Revelation Continent is the Chief Divine's revelation, as well as His Majesty's prophecy and will! The current far northern route barely fulfills the prophecy and connects with the tribes of the Western Sea... All this praise to the Chief Divine and to His Majesty!..."

The clear and winding stream flows silently from the mountains dozens of miles away, traversing the narrow mountain valley and the potato fields opened outside the camp, finally merging into the sea at the port.

Scholar Mikki looked up, gazing into the southwest at the white snow mountain in the center of the island, which is also the source of this stream. Beside Miki stood a young Kingdom Priest, with a respectful smile on his face. He was the person in charge of Great Whale Port, a First Level Preaching Priest, Shibou Epazote. In Navajo, "Epazote" is the name of a commonly used spice in Mexican cuisine, also known as Mexican oregano or "stone mint," a fragrant herb from stone and mountains.

Compared to Italian oregano from the Mediterranean coast, Mexican oregano has a strong lemon, floral, and spicy flavor, making it a distinctly different spice. In fact, Italian oregano belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae, whereas Mexican oregano or stone mint belongs to the verbena family, Verbenaceae. In the fish soup that Translator Watanabe and Blacksmith Otani drank, the spicy seasoning added was precisely the "stone mint" produced abundantly in the Kingdom of the Lake.

"Priest Shibou, you are a graduate of the third class of the Divine Power University and are familiar with the teachings of the Kingdom Priesthood. The selection of Elder Priests requires both His Majesty's will and the inclination of many Elder Priests..."

"The guidance of the Chief Divine will be high above the heavens. The winds of fate are always unpredictable, like an unforeseen storm at sea!... Except for His Majesty, a Divine Revelator by nature, how can ordinary mortals control their destiny?... Even the seemingly revered Elder Priests are just like birds soaring high with the winds of fate, only to fall like autumn leaves..."

At this point, Scholar Mikki looked up at the sky, his eyes flickering with aspiration, patience, and wisdom. With a faint smile, he affectionately patted Shibou on the shoulder, speaking with deep meaning.

"Shibou, we are both from the same hometown and are alumni of the Divine Power University... The things I just said are best kept private. Bringing it up in public with noble priests from the Kingdom would not benefit either of us..."

"Yes! Yes! High Priest Miki, you are right! I was just too close, too excited, seeing you, and couldn't control my tongue... Chief Divine bear witness! Among our class of priests from the Divine Power University, you and the esteemed High Priest Zuwaro not only are exemplary of the first graduating class, with legendary exploratory experiences... but also have gained His Majesty's trust, rising through maritime achievements and leading the naval exploration of the Northern Land!... Many priests from our class have been inspired by the two of you, thus daring to face the waves!"

"Haha! You speak so well... It seems Divine Power University truly is a place that nurtures talent!... Shibou, this year, Divine Power University has already enrolled the seventh class of priest apprentices, right?"

"Yes, High Priest Miki, since its establishment in the year of five stone knives (1485), the Divine Power University in the capital has already enrolled seven classes of priest apprentices. After three years of study, the fourth class of priests graduated at the beginning of the year..."

Speaking of the Divine Power University in the capital, First Level Preaching Priest Shibou's face showed some sentiment and reminiscence.

"However, High Priest Miki, to be honest... Each year, the Divine Power University graduates as many as one or two hundred priests. Most of the priest positions in the Kingdom are already filled. Even new openings are often taken by the children of noble priests... There have even been private complaints from some noble Elder Priests that the Divine Power University of the Kingdom has spread the divinity too widely, admitting too many commoners' children... The number of new priests trained each year is somewhat excessive..."

"Therefore, in recent years, newly graduated Kingdom Priests of ordinary backgrounds often choose to venture into the development of the Northern Continent or to the newly conquered Seaside Lands of the Eastern Sea... The opportunities for development in the Northern Continent rely on the exploration by you and High Priest Zuwaro!... Sincere praise to the Chief Divine! And sincere praise to you!..."

Born to commoner families, Priest Shibou could change his social class and destiny to become a respected Kingdom Priest only because he was selected and admitted by the Divine Power University. There, he learned a lot and worked hard, becoming one of the outstanding priests in the third graduating class. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

However, due to his humble origins, it was impossible for him to secure a place as a head in the prosperous Kingdom of the Lake, such as a village or parish. At most, he could be a First Level Assistant Priest beside a High Priest, assisting in holding ritual ceremonies. The only place where he could fully utilize his talents would be the desolate and remote Northern Coast, and it was only in the challenging and arduous, yet risk- and opportunity-filled exploration and development that he could thrive!

"Yes, Shibou, you are right! The reason why the priests from the Divine Power University can unite together... is because, unlike those noble priests in high positions, we have no family background to rely on, so we must stick together by our academic cohort..."

Scholar Mikki smiled, showing marks of weathering on his face, along with a sense of nostalgia and lament. Even as a priest graduated from Divine Power University, without a good background, forging a path of advancement was extremely difficult! The most likely opportunity was to venture into the perilous maritime exploration, just like the choice he once made!

"With the Chief Divine as our witness! Your Majesty's prophecy has come true; we have found the Divine Revelation Continent and established communication with the Western Sea Tribe... For the Nautical Priests of our Divine Power University, this is of utmost importance! The greatest significance is that the exploration and development of the Northern Coast have gained a tangible prospect and opportunity!..."

"Praise the Divine Revelation of Your Majesty! Those tribes across the great sea possess many technologies that are scarce in the Alliance! They have excellent craftsmen, as well as crops and domesticated animals we have never seen before. They can even build sea ships that can travel three hundred miles a day, producing all sorts of precious goods!..."

"However, these wise and powerful tribes have a special fondness and pursuit for gold! And what the Kingdom lacks least, what our ports along the route lack least, is that shining gold!..."

"Praise the Chief Divine! As long as we can establish a stable, continuous trade route with the Western Seas... not only the Kingdom of the Lake and the Mexica Alliance can derive tremendous benefits, even the Western Sea Coast, the Far North Coast, will gain lasting and substantial development!..."

"Ah! The Western Sea Tribes who worship gold? Are they the very sailors who just landed, those dozen or so dressed in worn-out robes, with the emblem of the Chief Divine engraved on their foreheads, and very short in stature?..."

Upon hearing this, Preaching Priest Shibou widened his eyes and glanced at the nearby port. That three-masted sea ship was moored at the mouth of a small river. A dozen Kingdom's Warriors and sailors were making a fire and seemed to be cooking fish soup.

And on the other side of the small river, three tall 'Four-legged Riding Beasts' were strolling leisurely in the riverside grass under the lead of a short tribesperson, occasionally lowering their heads to eat the green grass. Two of the Kingdom's Veteran Warriors followed them slowly behind, probably to ensure the safety of the 'Four-legged Riding Beasts.'

"Indeed! It's them! Although they are not fierce warriors, they are excellent craftsmen and farmers!..."

Scholar Miki nodded seriously, pointing at the Korean sailors and He Country craftsmen who had come ashore. Then, he very solemnly pointed at the three tall 'horses' and instructed with unusual gravity.

"Shibou, these three four-legged riding beasts are the 'horses' that Your Majesty specifically requested, capable of carrying people while running, covering a hundred to two hundred miles a day!... And these three horses have been at sea for too long, they can't go any further, they must remain on Great Whale Island!..."

"Therefore, the Great Whale Island under your management will become the first horse breeding ground in the entire Kingdom of the Lake, possibly the entire world! This is your opportunity!..."

"Ah! The riding beasts specifically requested by Your Majesty, the first horse breeding ground in the world? Handed over to me to manage?... But... but it's so cold here, is it suitable for breeding these... these 'horses'?... I... I've never bred domesticated animals either..."

Hearing High Priest Miki's instructions, Priest Shibou was clearly startled, and his expression became tense. Seeing his expression, Scholar Miki gave a mild smile and patiently reassured him.

"Shibou, rest assured! I've thoroughly consulted the horse breeders of the tribe, and the climate of Great Whale Island is very suitable for horse breeding! And these horses also like the long grass here, though you'll need to grow some cold-resistant soybeans... Hmm, you're asking what soybeans are? They are a kind of exceptionally plump, hard-grained bean. It is said humans can eat them too and they can be used to extract oil..."

"What? Where do horses sleep? In a warm stable, standing up... Ha ha, you don't need to ask everything in such detail! For the specifics of planting, how to breed horses, the horse breeder understands, leave it all to him! You just need to dispatch the tribespeople to support and listen to the horse breeder's instructions!… Behold, the short one leading the horses, that's the horse breeder. His name is Ichiro, and he's the first child in his family!…

"May the Chief Divine protect you! Shibou, arrange for three tribal wives for this horse breeder Ichiro, so he can settle here and focus on horse breeding… Hmm, also select a few clever and bright apprentices, as many as possible, to learn horse breeding with him!"

"With the Chief Divine as our witness! These three horses are incredibly precious, brought with great effort from the Western Sea Tribes seven thousand miles away! Care for these horses must be treated as the most important matter in Great Whale Port!..."

"Indeed! Once Great Whale Island is established as a horse breeding ground, there will certainly be more than just these few horses. More horses will come later, and more horse breeders will be needed, preparations must begin early! And once these horses adapt and their numbers grow, we will surely establish specialized horse breeding grounds in the Kingdom of the Lake as well..."

"Shibou, remember my words, and manage the horse breeding well!… In the not-too-distant future, this is your opportunity, the true path to ascend to the Divine Serpent's Mountain!"