Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

"Hmm?! These are the Evil Demon’s veterans? They really do have some skill!"

Warrior Captain Kepili stood still, watching those Holy War Veterans rapidly shoot out Arrows and brandish their Knight’s Swords a few times in a show of intimidation. Then, carrying their broken Crosses, they withdrew without the slightest hesitation. Kepili watched their mutually covering, orderly marching formation, pondering for a long time. Only after these veterans had retreated behind the low wall did he pick up two Iron Arrows and examine the arrowheads.

"Tsk tsk! They’re all Fine Iron Arrows! These Evil Demons are covered in good gear!"

Warrior Captain Kepili shook his head and started back with his trusted men. As he had gone a few dozen paces, two or three dozen Dog Descendant Shooters suddenly popped up from the ruined villages on both sides, along with an equal number of Kingdom’s Warriors.

"Boss! We’re not going to keep luring them into an ambush?"

"No. These Evil Demons are very wary. Even after we wrecked their Temple, they could still hold back. Taunting them is useless now, and I don’t know how to draw them out... Hmm, wait. You all hide again. I’ll try using Gold!"

As he spoke, Warrior Captain Kepili thought for a bit, then prepared several one jin Gold Talismans, tying them to Long Spears to make them glitter brilliantly. Then, swinging the glittering Long Spears, he went again to the Evil Demons’ low wall and showed himself from several hundred paces away. This time, the low wall was quiet at first, but soon became restless. Those Divine Spirit mercenaries stared wide-eyed, almost unable to restrain themselves from leaping out to give chase!

"Idiots! Calm down! This is obviously a Barbarian’s lure!"

"Boss! We know it’s a trap... but... but that’s Gold!"

"Yeah! That much Gold! If we could shoot that guy dead, grab the Gold and bring it back... shhh!"

"Captain! Let a few of us who are good at shooting chase him down and give him one shot!"

"Damn it! Shut up, all of you!!"

Mercenary Captain Reinhardt roared angrily, forcing down the commotion among the mercenaries. And in the rear the Holy War Veterans came rushing up again, drawing their Sword in unison. They shouted and cursed at the mercenaries to "be quiet!", like a battlefield blocking detachment. Then several veterans skillfully loaded a 4‑pound cannon, and fired two shots in Kepili’s direction!

"Boom! Boom!"

Two Stone shot howled in, bringing death’s Thunderbolt! Kepili dove to the ground with agility and saw the two Stones slam into the soil, barely ten paces from him.

"Two hundred paces, and an error of only ten?"

Kepili was quite astonished; for the first time he gained an intuitive sense of the power and accuracy of these Evil Demon Firearms. If it came to a straight frontal battle formation on formation, even with the Kingdom’s Warriors’ numerical advantage, they might win in the end... but the casualties would be horrific!

"Hmm... still couldn’t lure them out. Those mercenaries that are easy to bait seem to be under those veterans’ supervision? Forget it. At least we tested their Firearms; that’s some harvest."

With the Firearms booming, the Barbarians to the south "fell to their knees in terror," then scrambled up and left without looking back. But the other side also took away the glittering Gold, and every mercenary’s face showed irrepressible disappointment. Disappointment turned into resentment, resentment built into rage. When the Holy War Veterans returned to their positions again, a trusted man stepped up and quietly spoke to Reinhardt.

"Boss! These damned Holy War Veterans are camped right behind us! That dogshit Deputy Commander Antonino obviously doesn’t trust us, treating us like rags to be used!"

"Yeah, Boss, this can’t go on! No pay, and we still have to risk our lives, with no idea when we’ll get to go home! I can’t stand being one of these dogshit Castilian mercenaries for another day!"

"Why don’t we find a chance, seize their ships, and flee east back to the mainland?"

"Easy for you to say! Never mind how we’d snatch the Large Ship under the eyes of more than 120 Holy War Veterans. Even if we took a ship, can you sail it? Do you know the routes?"

"We can put our Sword to the Sailors’ necks and force them to sail!"

"Then tell me this: how many ships can we seize? What if the Castilians’ other ships come chasing with the veterans aboard? Even if we escape, sail into the deep sea, and reach the mainland... where do we make landfall? Portugal or Castile?"

"Ask ask ask! All you know is asking! There aren’t that many questions! I only know one thing: if this keeps up, we’re all going to die here, just like the hundred-plus comrades who already did! For all we know, the next Barbarian attack will be our death date!"

"..."

At those words, the Shenluo Mercenaries fell silent. Under the real threat of death, no one could laugh, nor had the heart to keep arguing. And counting the Barbarians’ attack intervals, the next assault could well be just around the corner!

"Enough! Shut up, all of you!"

Mercenary Captain Reinhardt’s face was dark as he swept his gaze over the surviving mercenaries and gave a low, hard order.

"Keep a tight watch tonight. Light big piles of campfires! Keep your dog ears up; don’t miss the slightest rustle in the grass! This concerns our lives. Did you hear me?"

"Yes, Boss!..."

The night over San Juan Bay was deep, yet full of song. Under the curtain of night the sea churned and surged, white spray slapping the reefs in rhythmic impacts. Sea birds circled and cried high above in distinctly different melodies. The birds on these Caribbean tropical islands, even after nearly half a year, were still unfamiliar to the Shenluo Mercenaries. Until a familiar birdsong suddenly sounded.

"Zilp-zalp! Zilp-zalp!"

"Hmm? What’s this?"

The clear, melodious notes rose in the southern darkness, making the night-watch squad leader Albert’s expression shift. Standing in the low wall’s shadow with his mercenary crossbow in hand, he peered further out by the light of the empty campfire beyond the wall. He seemed to see some movement in the grass, but what struck him even more was that nightingale’s call.

"Zilp-zalp! Zilp-zalp!"

Night-watch squad leader Albert pricked up his ears and listened twice more. The other mercenaries nearby also noticed the sound, astonishment appearing on their faces.

"Isn’t that... from our Mercenary Group..."

"Shh!"

Squad leader Albert signaled them to keep quiet and continued to listen patiently. Only when the nightingale called a third time did he draw a deep breath and purse his lips to answer, giving a high-frequency nightingale trill.

"Zirp-zirp! Zirp-zirp!"

The nightingale to the south abruptly fell silent. A few heartbeats after hearing this reply, a string of trills came from the south, clearly full of excitement.

"Tirili-tirili! Tirili-tirili!"

"Damn! It really is someone from our Mercenary Group! How is that possible?!"

"Shh! You go watch the north, keep an eye on that Holy War Veteran squad... I’ll go outside the low wall and take a look!"

Squad leader Albert frowned, gave his men a few quick instructions, then agilely vaulted the man-high low wall, crouching and carefully moving south, continuing to call under his breath.

"Zirp-zirp!"

"Tirili-tirili!"

"It’s you, Fritz! This is unreal—you’re not dead?!"

"It’s me, Albert! It’s me! I came back alive!"

A few heartbeats later, squad leader Albert’s eyes went wide as he stared at Fritz in front of him, looking like he’d seen a dead man rise. Fritz was dressed head to toe in Barbarian garb, with an extra Demon wooden Amulet hanging at his neck. If he’d shown himself by the campfire like this, before he could open his mouth he’d probably have been shot dead by the mercenaries as a Native raider!

"How... how did you come back? Didn’t the Barbarians capture you? They didn’t kill you, and they even let you escape?"

"No, no, I didn’t escape. It was the Barbarians’ Leader—no! The Cuba Warriors’ Lord and bishop who released me! They brought out Gold to recruit us, want our Mercenary Group to switch sides! And as guarantor, they have a Nnobility from Bavaria Nuremberg, the eldest son of the Behaim family!"

"What?! What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!"

Squad leader Albert was dumbfounded, his face full of shock. Fritz turned excitedly and exposed the basket on his back. Inside, a Golden Light flickered—it was the same Gold Talismans they had seen in broad daylight!