Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1626 - 1157: So Much Iron—This Is No Ordinary Native Tribe!

"Holy Mother watch over us! Where are the natives' villages? Where are the tribes?... How many warriors do they have?..."

"In the west! We encountered several native fishing boats, they fled into the western lagoon... The natives' village is far away by the lakeside!..."

"Almighty! This lagoon's entrance is so narrow, only a few dozen meters wide, and incredibly twisted... Our sail large ship is difficult to enter, and once in, difficult to exit! If we encounter native fire-bearing boats again..."

"Saint Heir protect us, may the Queen bless us! Respected captain Pinzon has ordered: lower the fleet's armed skiffs, row them to the lake entrance, and scout the scale and attitude of the natives' village in this area... We must be cautious and careful! Remember to tell the encountered natives we mean no hostility, we're friendly friends!..."

"Yes, may the Almighty bless us!... Come, take these shiny glass beads as gifts for the natives!..."

Three Castile sailboats anchored at the lagoon's estuary. The sailors noisily bustled about, lowering three armed skiffs. The skiffs rowed four to five miles along the narrow river channel deeper in. Subsequently, this bright coastal lagoon unfolded at the end of the channel like an uncarved natural painting.

The lagoon is approximately a twenty-mile radius, shaped like a hug. The lake bay is a clear pale green, reflecting the surrounding woods. The beach is a stretch of grey-white, dotted occasionally with shore reefs. Fish gather at the rivermouth, turtles reside by the beach. The lake shines beautifully, everything looks like a painting; the west shore is broad with wisps of smoke visible from afar.

This beautiful bay, later known as Banes Bay (Bahía de Banes), was called "Little Water Bay" by the Taino people in this era. The Taino Tribe settled here as the "Fruit-growing Water-edge Tribe," the nine-hundred-strong You Shui Tribe. The reason it was called "Little Water Bay" was because traveling southeast for a day leads to a truly expansive "Great Water Bay" (Nipe Bay), spanning about sixty miles in radius. The tribe by the "Great Water Bay" is the three-thousand-strong Mayali Water Flower Tribe, which established the Kingdom's Iron Bay Town!

"Damn! The natives blew their conches again, rowed their boats and fled to the shore!... Almighty! What's going on? Why do they flee like they've seen a ghost upon first seeing us?..."

"Holy Mother! The natives' village is not small, there are at least several hundred people! They blow conches, beat leather drums... Ah! They are holding long spears, mobilizing the able-bodied men of the tribe... They are hostile to us, ready to fight us!..."

"Joder! All these natives have that troublesome bird pattern etched on their foreheads!... Damn! They even have two fierce chieftains in armor!..."

Second captain De La Cosa rowed the Holy Maria's armed skiff together with Pinzon Francisco's skiff, observed the situation by the shore. Their expressions were initially relaxed, but soon became serious.

Over a dozen native fishing boats, startled like flying fish, blared their conches, all the way fleeing to the village on the lagoon's west side. Following that, the native fishermen aboard shouted loudly, causing the entire tribe to erupt.

"Great Chief God of the Sun! It's an Evil Demon, an Evil Demon!... A white-skinned, long-bearded Evil Demon, really appears like what the 'long-legged' of the Spider Cave Tribe said, emerging from the sea!..."

Soon, the "di-di" of conches and "dong-dong" of drums sounded simultaneously. Under the command of dozens of leather armored natives, two hundred able-bodied men with etched bird patterns on their foreheads, carried long spears, forming an extremely crude spear formation. The two native chieftains, both dressed as if in Copper Armor of Ancient Greek City-State, called out directing the tribe warriors while cautiously observing the skiffs in the lake.

"Ssss! All etched with bird patterns, it's a troublesome tribe again!..."

Francisco Pinzon watched the shore for a while, then inhaled sharply. He frowned, looked towards De La Cosa on the other skiff, his voice tinged with tension.

"De La Cosa, look at their spearheads! Look at how their spearheads reflect the light!... So much iron! More than half of them are Iron Spears, more than the tribe at that fisher bay!..."

"Holy Mother! This is a native tribe with iron! The further east we go, the more iron there is in native tribes, and their hostility towards us increases!..."

De La Cosa frowned deeply, pondered for a while, then cautiously suggested.

"Francisco, this native tribe is very dangerous, should we still approach the shore?..."

"..."

Francisco Pinzon thought for a moment, reluctantly replied.

"Almighty protect us! We stay here, ready to leave at any moment... But let's first send a sailor to swim ashore, leave a gift and see what happens!... If we can trade with this Great Tribe for wealth and supplies..."

Explorers during Europe's Age of Discovery adhered with the brutal jungle Law, yet were extremely pragmatic and flexible. When they lacked Force, facing threatening local tribes, they'd immediately put away their lofty arrogance, hide their rampant massacre, and put on a more deceptive friendly face. But their goal remained unchanged, always to acquire Wealth, plundering more, and more, and more wealth!...

"Almighty! Brave little Gil swam ashore, left a bag of glass beads!... Natives threw Stones at him!... The armored native chieftain shot Arrows at him!... Ah! He was shot in the knee, he can't escape!... Holy Mother! A dozen natives with long spears rushed towards poor little Gil!..."

"Boss, what do we do? Little Gil is about to be captured! These natives are as fierce as the tribe in that fisher bay!... We can't get food and Water from here..."

"..."

Francisco Pinzon squinted his eyes, focused on the chaotic beach several hundred meters away. Sailor Gil fell on the beach, screaming for help, waving his sailor's curved knife! And a bag of colorful glass beads scattered on the beach, glinting in the sunlight.

"Holy Mother! Save me!... Come quickly! Get me back on the ship!..."

A dozen native spearmen cautiously approached with Iron Spears, like a dog pack testing a wild donkey. They jabbed a few times, terrifying sailor Gil into desperately rolling on the beach, his knee wound bleeding continuously.

"Uha! Enclose him, radishes!..."

Then, a leather armored native team leader shouted, piercing Gil's wrist, sending his sailor's curved knife flying. A few naked native spearmen swarmed over, took out coarse vine ropes...

"Hmm?..."

Francisco Pinzon frowned, with no intention of rescuing Gil. He carefully watched the natives' actions, saw a native spearman grin, lean down to take the scattered bag of glass beads. But the leading leather-armored commander shouted several phrases, brutally smacking this spearman twice! Then forcefully kicked the shining glass beads into the lake with two or three swift kicks!

"Ssss!..."

Seeing this, Francisco Pinzon inhaled sharply once more, his expression turning exceptionally serious. He hesitated no longer, decisively turned the skiff's bow, shouted to the second captain De La Cosa beside him.

"Go! De La Cosa, let's leave quickly!..."

"Almighty witness! Being able to resist the allure of glass beads, showing such discipline... This is no ordinary native tribe!..."

"We can't communicate with them nor defeat such a large Cipangu tribe to get the much-needed supplies... Leave! Row quickly, back to the ship!..."

"Holy Mother watch over us! Let's continue east! We'll definitely find a smaller native tribe!..."