Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

The old militia man glared fiercely at Tikalo again, thinking about the injured crew on the ship. The Maya merchant shrank his neck, just about to speak, when he saw the old militia man point a finger, and shadows moved on both sides. Then, a piece of yellowed cloth, full of spit and extremely sour, was once again stuffed into his mouth.

"Mm...mm...mm!"

The old militia man shifted his gaze, not looking at the struggling old fox. He thought for a while and confidently drew a conclusion.

"The real knowledge of the alliance's strength is known only by Tikalo and the remnants of Mayapan behind him. So, in the eyes of the different parts of the Lowland Maya, we are just red falcons flying from the West now. Though swift in flight, we may not even be able to defeat an ordinary native dog, let alone a jungle leopard!"

"Exactly! Without strength, there is no foundation for alliance. Even if allied, we would be oppressed, extorted for benefits, and even used as cannon fodder!"

Priest Tomate's lips raised, feeling a deep sense of camaraderie. Luckily, there's an old militia man in the fleet; if there were two Puaps, this exploration... Priest Tomate secretly shook his head, smiling as he made the decision.

"Since so, we won't stay here long! After a brief resupply, we shall head two hundred miles east to Sha Lake Town! Beyond Sha Lake Town is the last stop of the Lowland Maya, Ekab Port! Further ahead is Cuba Snake Island in the Eastern Sea! Chief Divine protect us!"

"Good! Chief Divine protect us!"

The two leaders of the fleet bowed their heads again, sincerely praying. Watching the two bow in prayer, Tikalo lowered his gaze, quieted down. He sighed softly, with both resignation and relief.

"Alas! If the Kingdom's gemstone served as capital, and the Kingdom's force as guarantee, using the Kokom family as a communication link, making alliance with the Canul Guardian Clan, Kapoor Clan, and Chel Divine Authority Tribe, together resisting the Xi Wu Family...with all forces balanced, Kokom family would not become a puppet of the Kingdom or any side!...But...forget it..."

Tikalo shook his head, no longer thinking much. He knew the Kingdom fleet would extricate from the vortex of Maya tribes, continuing to fulfill the exploration route. For the remnant of Mayapan, this meant a long wait and endurance.

The spring breeze warms, green all around. The Kingdom fleet continued its voyage, two hundred miles ahead, stopping at Sha Lake Town, trading gemstones, and spreading the prophecy of Divine Revelation.

Here is the territory of the Ekab Chiefdom Alliance, over ten scattered small and large city-states, loosely forming a defensive alliance under the leadership of Yan Island Holy Land. They lack expansion ambitions, their forces spread in the easternmost part of the peninsula, important cities along the coast. The inland territories of the chiefdom are mostly sparsely populated, lush and continuous jungles.

The Ekab Chiefdom is geographically isolated, transcending conflicts with various tribes, seldom involved in struggles. In Sha Lake Town, the fleet saw bustling trade activity, caravans coming and going endlessly, a scene of harmony. Here, the fleet also discovered a local Mayan oar-sail ship fleet, clearly transporting Divine Smoke from Cuba in the east, with sailors appearing Taino.

Yet, these Mayan fleets were cautious upon seeing the eastward Kingdom longship. They inquired about the Kingdom fleet's origins and destinations, trading tobacco for gemstones, but mentioned nothing about the tobacco source Cuba Snake Island.

After discussions between the old militia man and Priest Tomate, they also agreed to reveal nothing about the fleet's voyage aim, only claiming to trade tobacco. They completed the trade amidst mutual suspicion, after which local Mayan merchants watched with wary eyes as the fleet set sail again, heading to the northeastern port of the peninsula, Ekab Port.

Two days later, the Kingdom fleet preserved its strength, sailing over a hundred miles, arriving at the final resupply point, Ekab Port. A small coastal port, supplies relatively expensive but abundant. Sailors and Samurai of the fleet finally got a chance to disembark for a good rest.

Old militia man Chiwaco also found nearby Mayan villages, situating three to forty Kingdom fleet injured to recuperate in the village. Then, everyone held a dinner in Ekab Port, buying several large beasts hunted by locals, the Central American tapir.

"Oh? What kind of beast is this? Bigger than a deer, a lot of meat, not too bad...Hm, much better than a stink pig, probably similar to a crocodile. Wonder if we could take one back to breed?"

Huitu Puapu gobbled down meat, gulping fruit wine. He imagined bringing this beast home, wondering if His Majesty might like it.

"Locals say tapirs are like deer, vegetarian. Very clever, wild nature, quite strong resistance, can't be bred."

Old militia man Chiwaco chuckled, drinking a cup of murky fruit wine, said leisurely.

"Don't think too much! Fleet will rest well for a few days here, then cross eastward the sea. The vast sea, without any coastal reference, there could be storms at sea. These last few days, eat and sleep well! The rest of the journey, we'll wager our lives!"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent. Priest Tomate looked solemn, raising a cup of fruit wine before the night bonfire. He solemnly announced, leading everyone,