Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

Hearing this, Captain De La Cosa also stepped forward. He first saluted the priest, then the two commanders, and spoke warmly with a smile.

"Holy Mother bless! His Excellency Bartolomeo is correct! Such small islands are the best places for us to establish a bridgehead in East India! On small islands far from the Great Island, the native oar-sail ship fleet I encountered before is absolutely incapable of defeating our great sailing cannon ships! Moreover, as long as we head east, temporarily away from this Cipangu Island guided by the Devil’s Apostle, those Cipangu Natives may not continue to pursue us..."

"Once the kingdom builds its foothold fortresses, and fleets come continuously bringing immigrants and soldiers, and when sufficient gunpowder is accumulated... then our fleet can rampage in East India, pillaging these native kingdoms and tribes, forcing them to kneel, beg for mercy, and hand over their wealth!..."

Their well-thought-out plan left Father Ramon silent, while Deputy Commander Antonio’s eyes flickered. He pondered for a moment before looking at the very quiet Commander Columbus and asking.

"Respected Commander Columbus, was this plan to explore the southeastern island chain your proposal? How many ships and men do you wish to take?"

"Hmm... Sir Antonio, it indeed was my proposal! There seem to be quite a few Caribbean barbarians with purple-dyed hair and small boats in the southeast, much more aggressive than the Taino Natives, but still nowhere near as barbaric as the Cipangu Devil Tribe..."

Columbus looked at Antonio’s expression and tried to maintain his composure, smiling as he spoke.

"I believe I should take the remaining five Caravels, fully manned, and I’ll bring seventy to eighty Shenluo Mercenaries out, that should be enough to handle those so-called Caribbean barbarians!..."

"Almighty witness! This indeed is a good proposal! However, your Excellency Columbus, before you find a truly suitable ’new island’ to establish a base, I must guard against the Cipangu Natives’ sneak attacks and cannot overly diminish the strength of this base!"

Deputy Commander Antonio thought for a moment, exchanged a glance with Pedro, and decided.

"I can give you four Caravels! Each equipped with 25 sailors and 10 Holy War veterans! Three days of preparation, and then you and Captain Dracos set sail together, taking 4 fast ships and 140 men, including half an elite loyal veteran company, to explore the southeast! As for those Shenluo Mercenaries, I need to keep them here... placing them on the front line, around the rising wooden walls, to fend off potential Cipangu Native attacks!"

"Only four ships, one hundred forty men?! Antonio... I!..."

Columbus opened his mouth at this, almost cursing out loud. But at the moment, the Holy War veterans were under the other’s control, holding overwhelming military support on the island. And as for the Shenluo Mercenaries, nearly half had already perished as cannon fodder... He was silent for a while, looked at the hand of his brother pressed on his shoulder, restrained his desire to curse, and finally nodded and said.

"Fine! Sir Antonio... then four ships, one hundred forty men! We shall depart tomorrow, to explore the southeastern island chain!..."

As the sun rises and sets, this day is not peaceful. The retreating red-haired barbarians left and then returned, using the same tactics, swaying heads with long spears. The sailors and soldiers in the stronghold cussed, chopping off the heads of several Taino Natives in front of the Cipangu Natives, and continued cutting the bodies of deceased Canine Descendants.

"Damn it! These white-skinned demons are cutting down the corpses of our tribe!"

"Forget it, let them chop! Corpses originally should return to the belly of the Earth Mother, breaking apart and reassembling into humans... come! Let’s play ball! Kick the demons’ heads as if they were rubber balls!"

"Alright! Kick the heads!"

The actions of the sailors indeed enraged the Canine Descendants, but didn’t yield the expected results. As those red-haired barbarians, from two or three Li away, kicked the heads of knights and chamberlains back and forth on the grass, laughing delightedly while doing so... even the most ruthless sailors and soldiers felt a chill down their spines.

Father Ramon, unable to bear it any longer, found veteran Camp Commander Pedro, and with an unusually stern expression, ordered the archers among the Holy War veterans to shoot those red-haired barbarians dead! Otherwise, he would write a letter informing the kingdom’s archbishops of Pedro’s inaction, allowing the knights to be insulted.

"...Yes! Father Ramon, I will give the order immediately!"

Veteran Camp Commander Pedro, also filled with rage, ordered a half-company of veteran archers out equipped with crossbows and breastplates to engage in archery combat with those red-haired barbarians!

"Swoosh swoosh swoosh!"

"Swoosh swoosh! Swoosh!"

At a distance of hundreds of steps, feathered arrows flew continuously and were shot far across towards the opposite side. The red-haired Canine Descendants shot while retreating, quickly disappearing into the forest. Seeing such terrain, the Holy War veterans dared not charge in and turned back just like that. Repeated three or four times, having wasted a large quantity of arrows, both sides only managed to wound a few but didn’t kill a single person.

"...These cunning red-haired barbarians! Wasting our arrows! If they have the guts, they’ll stop and engage in close-range combat..."

"...These damned thick-skinned demon archers! Engaging us in archery combat wearing iron armor? Forget it, daytime harassment isn’t very effective, we’ll rest for two days, and at night, hit them hard!"

Red-haired Mique contemplated thus, bringing the Canine Descendant archers back to headquarters. He intended to consult with Huitu Puapu about bringing out the remaining fifteen Kingdom’s Warriors for another night raid... but as soon as they reached the village, something seemed distinctly off about its atmosphere!

The Taino villagers showed fear, many hid back into their huts, peeking out from a distance. Only a dozen women from the Earth Department, with blood feuds against the demons, risked the plague to help care for the Kingdom’s Warriors, feeding them food and water. Taking a closer look, the fifteen Kingdom’s Warriors were all lying on grass beds, their complexions ashen, some moaning in pain, blood oozing from their bodies.

"Apu! What’s going on with you guys? Why are you all lying down?!"

Red-haired Mique widened his eyes, a foreboding feeling rising within. He immediately ordered his Canine Descendant shooters to stay outside the village, taking only two trusted men with him inside. From ten to twenty steps away, he cautiously observed Huitu Puapu, bloodless and itchy all over, and loudly asked.

"Chief Divine as witness! Apu... are you... are you? Ah?..."

"Mi... Mique... save... save me! Chief Divine, save... save me!..."

Huitu Puapu, terrified, struggled to stretch out his arm from the grass bed. The formerly robust warrior was now limp as a rag, unable to move a bit. His tanned arm was marked with numerous yellow boils and red bleeding poxes...

"Damn it! My god! Chief Divine Earth Mother!... you? You’re infected with the demons’ plague!... Damn it! How could this be?..."

Red-haired Mique widened his eyes, upon seeing the glaring pox scabs on Huitu Puapu’s arms, quickly backing a few steps away out of fear. Then, recalling the exhortations of the Cat Owl Chief Priest, he hurriedly pulled out a cloth, covering his nose and mouth.

"Chief Divine! What do we do now? We can’t use this supply point any longer!"

Meanwhile, upon the sickbed, Puapu’s expression was bleak, his voice hoarse. He prayed unwillingly, earnestly begging for the Chief Divine’s grace to deliver him from the plague brought by the demons!

"Exalted Huitzilopochtli Chief Divine!... Please... grant sacred, healing waters... let me live... live on!... I will offer you everything... my devout spirit and life!"

"Mique... save me! Find a way to save me!... for old brothers’ sake... save me..."

Red-haired Mique retreated thirty steps away, a plethora of expressions flickering across his face, his thoughts unknown. After a while, gritting his teeth, he shouted distantly to Huitu Puapu.

"Apu! You must hold on! The Owl Chief Priest said that as long as you eat well and drink well, there’s a chance you can survive!"

"I will immediately take my men for a night raid... and capture a few live captives unafraid of the plague from the demons’ stronghold! See if there’s any way to care and treat you all!..."

"May the Chief Divine bless! My half-brother Apu!..."