Chapter 2250 - 1606: Ah, the Demon’s Altar!
Xiu Maoying thought to himself while ordering the other accompanying War Priests to register all these armors. These sharp and sturdy equipment will later be used to reward the warriors who achieve combat meritorious deeds, along with spices, tobacco, gemstones, lands, fiefs, and titles!
As for those Kingdom’s Warriors who have already been equipped with new armor, there will be no retrieval, but rather it is considered an advance exchange for rewards through military exploits. After all, they fight at the frontline against the Evil Demons, most eligible to take the best share of the spoils of war! This is the Kingdom’s military reward system, also the key to maintaining the warriors’ morale, besides faith!
As for the many matchlock guns seized this time, they must also be armed. They will equip the elite Taino Militia or more experienced Canine Warriors, dispatched to Brave Island for support. To break through the heavy armor of these Evil Demons, it seems that bows and arrows are insufficient, and matchlock guns must be used...
"Chief Divine bless! May your brave souls eternally enjoy peace in the red realm! Also may your devout flesh return to the embrace of the earth!..."
With the moon rising and falling, two days pass swiftly like this. In the recesses of woods and hills, several miles away from the battlefield, the Kingdom Fleet has built a concealed burial mound, burying more than a hundred fallen warriors. And Xiu Maoying Chief Priest prayed devotedly, sang the Sacrificial Song guiding the spirit before the burial mound, then boarded the flagship of the Light Sailing Ship.
Came four to five hundred warriors, returning only more than three hundred, with dozens of wounded, almost half had fallen. The victory of this battle did not come easily.
And came the fleet of ten ships, which turned into thirteen upon returning. Among them, the three extra medium Caravels were noticeably larger! The previously exploratory small Caravels had a load of only around 60 tons. Whereas now these three large ones can barely go over 100 tons!
"May Chief Divine bless, bless the Divine War Vanguard on Brave Island! In this expeditionary army of the Castle Tribe, there are also twelve large ships, especially six giant vessels loaded with firearms! They still have nearly four hundred Armored People left, twenty Knights, more than four hundred strong men sailor craftsmen, even built a small fortress..."
"These people nestled in Brave Island are hard to defeat! The first batch of Divine War Vanguards dispatched might not be that easy..."
Xiu Maoying boarded the longship, murmuring prayers. He had already gotten detailed intelligence of the Castilian Expeditionary Army from Boatswain Qia Chu and Bartomele.
It is said that when the captured captain Vicente saw that it was indeed Castilian sailors, rather than Portuguese sailors interrogating him, he was shock beyond expression! He first cursed fiercely, "Shameless traitors of the Catholic World, Devil Worshippers destined for the Hell of Fire, despicable sailors doomed to a bad end!"...
Then after a round of harsh beating, with the whip soaked in seawater lashing, Captain Vicente turned into a crying plea, "Begging for the forgiveness of Castilian brothers!", "Willing to surrender, asking brothers to pull him," "I am a Kingdom’s Viscount, the family is bound to have a generous return."
Originally Xiu Maoying was prepared to confine the Evil Demon noble after extracting information. Yet now, seeing him in such a spineless state, Xiu Maoying began to have some hesitations.
"Witness Chief Divine! Should we keep this Evil Demon noble captain? This guy’s faith and will are weak, easily controlled...perhaps, he is a worthwhile Evil Demon captain to teach them navigation experience?"
As for another captive, the veteran captain Turnadilla was indeed more firm. His eye was blinded by lime, glaring with one large singular eye, he opens with "Almighty burn you all!", "Devils should be fed to dogs!", "Kill me if you can!"...
Taking into account the turtle shell formation the opponent last demonstrated, along with the expertise in commanding elite Evil Demons, Xiu Maoying genuinely considers the idea of keeping this Evil Demon infantry captain.
He did not indulge this guy, directly gave him the Cuban Blue Scorpion poison, numbing him until he could not move, only able to stare with that single eye. Then, he used the Obsidian Dagger on his head, engraving the Divine Emblem of the Hummingbird, then on both front arms and chest, engraving four Hummingbirds swiftly!
"No! No! It’s the Demon! The Demon’s desecration!... Boohoo Almighty! I’m not willing, my soul remains pure!... Begging for your mercy, don’t abandon me!..."
Struck by the bizarre "Curse of Control," adorned with a body of "Demon’s Totem." Veteran captain Turnadilla broke down quickly after paralysis faded. He cried and shouted, transitioning from a veteran captain of the Holy War to a desperate Tribe member of the Castle Tribe. Then, he was gagged, confined in the ship cabin, starved for several days first.
"Chief Divine bless! Please let us, and all Taino Tribes of the Eastern Sea, be spared from the plague rampage!"
Xiu Maoying continued his devoted prayers. He also learned an unwelcome answer from the captured captain Vicente. That is, this massive Castilian Expeditionary Army did indeed bring the "Devil’s invasion," brought forth the blood-poxed "Smallpox Plague"!
Although, according to Vicente, the sailors and soldiers on their three ships had long contracted smallpox, would not catch it again. Only "weak countryside bumpkins would fall ill"...but Xiu Maoying dared not be careless, full of anxiety.
This time, the thirteen ships that returned victoriously would not dock in Cuba. They will isolate and rest for over half a month in the West Haiti tribes, only allowed to return to Cuba’s core Iron Bay Town once confirmed no plague contracted.