Chapter 2213 - 1592: Negotiating with the Natives? Hand Over the Tribute or Die!
Only a small portion of the people escaped, heading south to the "Ara Earth Tribe." But would the chief of the Earth Tribe send Hunters and strong men to save them from the cruel white-skinned Demons?
"Snap! What are you staring at? Start smashing, hurry up and smash!"
The relentless hilt came down, along with whips the Taino People had never seen or heard of. They knew not what cruelty was, believing the Carib people’s thievery was the most evil presence in the world.
However, when the Evil Demons arrived and slaughtered most of the tribespeople, the second thing they did was to force them to destroy their ancestral heritage, tribal altars, and Zemi God Cards! This was akin to compelling them to desecrate the souls of their ancestors with their own hands and destroying the roots of their tribe!
"Quick! Smash all the heathen stone statues here, smash this strange shell altar, gather all these wooden plaques worshiping the Demons, and burn them with fire!..."
"Do you want to die?! Hurry up and smash! Snap! Snap!!..."
The whips of the colonizers swung down, driving the naked Taino People, leaving an endless trail of blood and tears. More Scouts had already set out to explore the surrounding villages to find more Wealth and capture more strong men for labor. After destroying the heritage of the Taino Tribe, they planned to build a real stone church and establish the first rudimentary Isabella Wooden Castle.
Then, larger ports, stone forts, towns, and churches, along with the most coveted mines, would gradually be built upon the bones and flesh of the Natives, more and more. Everything would unfold just as it had in history. The prosperous flower of the Crossed civilization bloomed upon the corpses of the deceased Natives. The pale Plague would also bring endless despair and death. The conquerors’ Heaven was the conquered’s Hell...
As for now, the force capable of stopping them was still far off, over two thousand miles to the west. From Puerto Rico westward, across the Great Island of Haiti, in Iron Bay Town at the Cuban Snake Head. The power of the Kingdom of the Lake had yet to receive news of the Demons’ arrival.
The vast ocean and land formed a battle fog that enveloped the eyes of every side. At the moment, only the Taino Tribe in Puerto Rico was attempting with all their might to offer a mantis-like resistance against a cart!
"Woo! Woo!"
Ten days later, in the southern mountain forest, hundreds and thousands of Taino Hunters and strong men, led by a robust Taino Chief, appeared in the eyes of the colonizers’ vigilant sentries. The sentries blew the horn, and hundreds of armed soldiers poured out of the village to confront the thousand Taino strong men.
"Hmm? The Natives on the island want to negotiate with us? They sent a thousand troops?... What, not troops? Militia?... Not even militia? Then what are they?..."
Deputy Commander Antonio stared in astonishment. Commander Columbus seemed uneasy, as if recalling some unpleasant memory. Once the two walked out of the village and to the open field, seeing the appearance of the "thousand Native militia," they exchanged incredulous glances. Columbus, too, felt relieved, his lips curling high up. Moments later, the two Fleet Commanders, despite their mutual resentment, burst into laughter together, their faces full of scorn and contempt!
"Oh, Almighty, this is killing me! Is this the army of the Eastern Natives? Wooden Long Spears, Slings, extremely short Bows and Arrows... Not a single person has Armor, all wearing grass-made clothes, or simply bare-chested... The tribe has no formation, gathering in threes and twos. Their faces show no intent to kill, only sheep-like trepidation, despite being so towering..."
"What? Looking for the Fleet Commander, wanting to negotiate, what is there to negotiate? Tell them to hand over all their Wealth, or else die!"
"Haha, witnessed by the Almighty! Just one charge from a Holy War Veterans Corps could scatter them, cutting them down one by one!"
Antonio smiled cruelly, and Columbus’s face also showed ferocity. Following the orders of the two commanders, the Castile army in the village exited one after another. Shenluo Mercenaries, Holy War Veterans, Church Knights, all donned solid Armor, picked up steel spears, and lined up in attack formation.
Afterward, Antonio did not rush forward. He let the eager Columbus take that Queen’s Sheepskin Scroll contract and head to the tall chief of the Natives standing upfront. Under the watchful eye of Earth Tribe Chief Alamana, Columbus, dressed in foreign attire, full of greed, commanding, issued a proclaimed ultimatum.
"Almighty bless! This is the Queen’s overseas territory, the San Juan Island of the Kingdom of Castile! You live on the Queen’s land, under the protection of the Queen and the Almighty, while I am the colony’s highest official appointed by the Queen, in charge of all tax matters..."
"Now, on behalf of the Queen, I issue a tax collection order to you! Hand over the Wealth in your village! Hand over all the Gold! Each strong man must pay at least ten pounds of cotton spools or the equivalent in Pearls!..."
"Witnessed by the Almighty! Surrender the taxes and Wealth you owe! All of it! Otherwise, it would be disrespect to the Queen, an offense to the Almighty’s majesty! As punishment, I will cut off your arms and let you watch your body feed the dogs!"