Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

"The wind of the Ancestor God gently brushes the water’s surface. Children of the sunrise, walk bravely upon this land. The heartbeat of the Earth Mother echoes between the tides. Northern bay, we drink from you like we drink from mother’s milk~~"

The songs of the Taino, recording the past of Puerto Rico’s North Bay, are sung by the sea over and over until silence abruptly falls. And now, this Taino bay has been given a new name by the arriving colonizers, called ’San Juan Bay’.

"The Almighty’s blessings! We are building Queen Isabella’s Castle in the sacred San Juan Bay! This fortress cluster under construction is a testament to our loyalty to the Queen!"

The sound of prayers drifts from the ship by the sea, where Castilla Navy captain Vicente stands at the bow of the Caravel. He squints his eyes, observing the bustling San Juan Bay coastline, watching the outlines of the small wooden and stone forts take shape, a satisfied smile on his face. Through the brutal enslavement of local natives, this port is rapidly transforming, already resembling a small European town.

The planned Queen Isabella’s Castle, like most coastal fort-towns in Europe, will be roughly divided into three parts.

Firstly, naturally, are the military fortresses along the coast, starting from small wooden forts and developing into small stone forts. Then, from a single fort to multiple interconnected small forts. This will serve the most important military defense function and will also be where the nobility takes residence.

Secondly, there is the commercial port where the fleet will dock. Berths for the fleet must be built, along with wharves along the port and established cannon positions. San Juan Bay is a naturally excellent harbor, and with no merchant ships coming and going, there’s no rush for the port; it can be built in two years. However, if a military camp were established in the port area for soldiers to reside, it would effectively change the unruly discipline of the troops.

Currently, these soldiers, when idle, seek out captive native women, acting like a herd of lust-crazed bulls. Many native women are noticeably pregnant, on the verge of giving birth to the first batch of mixed-race offspring, without even knowing who the father is... How to settle and handle these mixed-race children? Do they count as Castilians or local natives?...

Lastly, there is the small town behind the fort, which will be an expansion of the native village. After nearly four months of operations, many Iberian wooden houses have been constructed in this native village. At the center of the village, the foundation of a stone church has been laid, with more than a hundred Taino tribespeople converted to the Almighty, busy at work. These tribespeople, wearing wooden crosses, converted to the Almighty and, under Father Ramon’s shelter, became distinct from those natives who could be killed wantonly.

"Ha! Allowing those converted natives to hold property and not be used at will... Father Ramon is excessively devout and tolerant!"

Captain Vicente smirked slightly, showing clear dissatisfaction with the Father’s protection.

The expeditionary army has yet to obtain sufficient spoils of war, and the bravery of soldiers and sailors has yet to be rewarded. What right do the natives have to retain property? If not for the fear of the Almighty and the Queen, if not for Father Ramon’s restraint, only sheltering a hundred or so... long ago, there would have been soldiers clashing with the Father, even taking action secretly!

"Get to work! Crack! Build the fort! Work! Crack!..."

The crisp sound of whips resounded by the sea, hundreds of Taino tribes were being forced by Castilian soldiers to cut down trees, transport stones, their hands and feet stained with blood. There were obvious differences among the natives, those with numb expressions and emaciated bodies had been captured long ago, enslaved for several months. Those with looks of despair, crying while being beaten, had just been newly captured.

Not far off, just about a mile away, was an open-air burning graveyard. The systematically incinerated bodies were buried on site, it was unknown how many Taino tribespeople were buried here. During the brief moment of Vicente’s observation, yet another half-naked native was sent over.

"Dammit! These frail natives always mysteriously break out in devil-infested pox sores! They catch pox sores more easily than those rustic and strong men!..."

Squinting his eyes, Vicente could clearly see the native covered in festering devil pox sores on his face and body. His body was swollen, his limbs weak, moaning in pain. The transporting soldiers threw him onto a pile of grass, igniting it with a torch. Soon, hot flames rose, the shrill screams suddenly emerged and quickly faded away. Only the distant smell of charred flesh remained, furrowing brows, nauseating the senses.

And in this era, cremation was far from hot enough to burn a body completely. Once burned, ashes needed to be buried, yet it remained uncertain whether the ’devil’s corruption’ could be entirely eradicated by burning.

"Holy Mother! These local natives truly cannot withstand enslavement! In such a short time, out of two thousand natives caught to work, one-third have already perished... seems like we need more excursions, to tax, to requisition grain, to recruit from the coastal natives!..."

Under the united discussion of Expedition Commander Columbus and Deputy Commander Antonio, along with the suggestions of Captain De La Cosa and Bartolomeo, a more systematic plan of conquest for ’San Juan Island’ was devised by the expeditionary army.

The strategy involved first conquering all coastal villages, then gradually advancing inland. Forcing native villages to submit, surrender grain, pay taxes, provide men, and convert to the Almighty. Should any village dare resist, the main fleet would be dispatched, carrying hundreds of soldiers and mercenaries, to completely destroy the village, to intimidate other native villages! Just two hundred miles to the west, the West Bay Tribe was destroyed in this manner.