Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1584 - 1123: The Fragmentation of the Seafaring Factions and the Emergence of the North-South Rivalry

"Chimere, regarding the situation of the Western Sea Tribes, this is all I know... Some of this information comes from letters brought back by the Chief Divine Zuwaro, and from returning Kingdom's Warriors... Another part is gathered from tribespeople on the sea ship, from the Wa Tribe and Korean Tribes..."

"Oh, yes! It's quite surprising that the Priest Chiefs from the Wa Tribe and Korean Tribes can also write the square character of Divine Revelation. Although there are many differences from the Alliance's Divine Revelation script, they can indeed be used for communication through writing!... It seems the glory of the Chief Divine also shines upon the Western Sea!"

"Indeed! The glory of the Chief Divine surely illuminates the Western Sea! Those Western Sea Tribes might be our long-lost Jiao People brothers, waiting for a day to return... Miki, I've been following Your Majesty for many years, and some of the complex square characters were either simplified or not taught at Divine Power University... If we could acquire the Heritage Tablet from the Western Sea Tribes, we would surely learn more!..."

The sun sets beneath the Western Sea, and the moon rises over the Eastern Sea Bay. The enormous beached giant whale had its flesh stripped away, revealing its white bones. Of the twelve longships carrying whale meat, seven were fully loaded and had sailed south, leaving only five behind. Three hundred samurai and sailors landed on the shore, roasting and cooking fresh whale meat, enjoying a hearty meal after a day's hard work. The kingdom's hymn praising the Chief Divine occasionally echoed on the beach. The singing from the Highland Kingdom blended with the northern ballads celebrating the mountains and rivers, rising and falling across the vast and cold mountain seas.

Thick nightfall covered the seaside, with flickering campfires burning along the shore. The salty sea breeze mixed with the smell of whale blood, combined with the enticing aroma of meat. This is the wilderness of the Northern Land, a place of raw survival and harsh realities, accustomed to death and killing, yet celebrating every successful hunt!

As the night deepens, the tide predictably rises. The enticing blood spreads over the dark sea, with dozens of stealthy shadows slipping through the water. From time to time, they surfaced from the depths, tearing off the remaining meat from the whale bones before quickly retreating to devour it, like vultures submerged in water. In such a night, the "wolf pack" guarding the prey could do little against these water thieves. Fortunately, most of the whale meat had already been loaded onto the longships and sent to the Rokube Tribe for salting...

"The Mountain Part, Rokube, and Tent Part of the Far North Snow Plains, the Horse Part herding horse groups, and the Island Part near the snow plains... These tribes are not mentioned in Your Majesty's prophecy, perhaps due to their small scale..."

"However, the Three Islands and Tribal Alliance, and the Korean tribal alliance exist just as in Your Majesty's prophecy!... And the alliances of the Jurchen Tribes, Northern Yuan Great Tribe Alliance, Great Ming Han tribe coalition mentioned in the prophecy... surely they exist too!..."

"Indeed, Chimere, among the captives is a literate chieftain from the Wa Tribe. He is aware of the Great Ming Han tribe coalition, reportedly spread over thousands of miles, with tens of millions of tribes, making it a giant alliance akin to a giant whale!..."

"Hiss! Thousands of miles, tens of millions of tribes? Just as Your Majesty prophesied!… I thought it was due to Your Majesty not remembering clearly..."

The Priest Chimere shook his head and took another cup of rice wine. This Western Sea wine had a gentle entry, but its aftereffects turned his face red and tongue heavy.

"Ah! Your Majesty!… Before heading to the Capital City, Your Majesty gave me twenty thousand pounds of gold! This gold was painstakingly scavenged from the Totonac clans along the seaside!... It's said that among the Western Sea tribes, this gold is believed to have divine properties, which is why the tribes are so obsessed, willing to exchange anything for it… And hearing what you said, these Western Sea tribes have so many craftsmen and skills, they must all be bought with gold!..."

"Haha! Chimere, the Western Sea tribes' worship of gold is indeed true! I even took these captives to the Gold Mountain at Jinxi Port, you should have seen their expressions, deliriously ecstatic as if enchanted by witchcraft... However, for this gold to truly serve its purpose, we must connect with the great tribes of the Western Sea!..."

"Yes, in Zuwaro's letter, he repeatedly urged me… to quickly send warriors and sailors from the kingdom's supporting sea ship... His main force is sparse, leaving him perpetually uneasy among the Western Sea tribes and unable to send ships further south..."

"After all, those major Western Sea tribes each consist of tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, or more tribes, with sharp weapons and sturdy armor... If the kingdom reveals the gold without adequate warrior protection, it would be a catastrophe!..."

At this point, Scholar Mikki put down the wine jar, looking at Priest Chimere with a slightly inebriated expression and asked seriously.

"Chimere, you said you headed north with the manpower of ten longships according to my arrangement... witnessed by the Chief Divine, is it true?"

"Haha! Truly it is!"

Priest Chimere laughed heartily, discarding the wine cup. He extended his left hand, drew the emblem of the Chief Divine, and vowed.

"Witnessed by the Chief Divine! I took twelve longships north, leaving two behind midway. One longship stayed at the Oak Tribe for an exiled Cloud Serpent Tribe... The other stayed at West Mountain Port on the invitation of High Priest Keyuan, strengthening that core port on the Western Sea Coast... As for the remaining ten ships, with over six hundred samurai and sailors, I entrust them to you to arrange!"

"Miki, with the Chief Divine watching, I won't lie, we are on the same northern ship! This northern exploration is dear to Your Majesty's heart and vital to our futures! As the northern sea routes open and each port prospers, we can have a shining future! And among the various factions of the Kingdom of the Lake's priests, there's long been no place for us..."

"In fact, this third batch of support fleet might also be the kingdom's last support fleet! And the entire development of the Far North Coast and the Western Sea Coast is arranged by you and Zuwaro... I can only entrust the ships and people to you to place in the most appropriate locations! We can't afford internal strife!"

Upon hearing this, Scholar Mikki widened his drunken eyes, almost jumping up in surprise.

"Chimere, what did you say? This third batch of longships is the last group of support ships? How can this be, the Northern Continent is so vast, spanning twenty to thirty thousand miles... What can thirty longships achieve?… Damn it! Who held back the kingdom's fourth batch of support longships?!"

"Witnessed by the Chief Divine! When I set sail, the Southern Shipbuilding Department's fourth batch of longships was already booked for the Southern Continent exploration, led by Priest Mekate and Captain Chiwaco… All personnel were prioritized for them first..."

Chimere swayed the wine jar, having already finished the jug of rice wine. He licked his lips, and picked up the kingdom's tequila, taking a few large gulps, then sighed contentedly.

"Hic! That Mekate fellow gained the promise of Your Majesty, and as long as he returns from the Southern expedition, he'll become the Fourth Level Grand Priest, overseeing the Nautical Academy of Divine Power University..."

"Ha! At the moment, he is vigorously vying for sea ships, using all his connections, competing resources with our northern faction!... When he returns from the Southern Continent and truly becomes the dean of that Nautical Academy… where will there be any ships left for us in the future?"

"Damn it! Just as the northern sea route is opened, and the western sea trade route has sprouted, Mekate pops up insisting on exploring the Southern Continent!"

"Miki, stop grumbling! Exploring the Southern Continent is an order from Your Majesty!... Mekate has seniority, having participated in the first and second ocean explorations, even discovering the Bird Guano Stone Islands off the northern coast… Seeing you and Zuwaro leveraging northern maritime missionary work to rapidly advance like a red falcon climbing mountains, he couldn't resist emerging, could he?"

With a smile, Chimere's drunken eyes were still clear. He reached out, patting Miki's shoulder, and earnestly said.

"Miki, you are the spokesperson of our northern Nautical Priests!... You must return to the Kingdom of the Lake once, to secure more ships and manpower for us!"

"Your Majesty has ventured to the Lake Capital City, and the kingdom's maritime investment is limited, making it hard to support development in two directions simultaneously... The allocation of the kingdom's resources between northern development and southern exploration depends entirely on you!"

"Hmm, I understand the priorities!"

Scholar Mikki's expression shifted, nodding slightly. He silently took a sip of rice wine but suddenly revealed a confident smile.

"Chimere, do not worry! I was already planning to return to the Kingdom of the Lake to report the good news from the Divine Revelation Continent to the Divine Revelation Place!… This time, I'm bringing back not only this Wind God-blessed sea ship, but also the shipwrights, sailmakers who built it, blacksmiths capable of forging, and even horses and seeds!"

"Witnessed by the Chief Divine! With Western Sea craftsmen in hand and such heavy bargaining chips, it will be enough to prove the significance of northern colonization! If the kingdom's shipyard desires these incredible skills... They must favor us in ship distribution!"

"As for High Priest Mekate... if he sees the Wind God Sea Ship, almost two or three times faster than longships, and effortless without paddles needed... he might voluntarily postpone exploration, waiting for a new batch of Wind God Sea Ships to be launched!"