Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1797 - 1290: The Expedition Fleet, From Alaska to Kamchatka

"律! 律!"

In early June, the Alaskan coast was brimming with a vibrant life. Light red shallow trees and yellow-white grass flowers were blooming in unison along the azure seaside. Brightly feathered finches leaped among the sparse trees, occasionally spreading their wings to fly.

A majestic Jurchen stallion was leisurely resting by the sea, accompanied by two gentle Yakut mares and two lively white foals. The especially majestic stallion gazed with spirited eyes, raising its head toward the golden-red sunset as if it could soar to the sky and transform into a heavenly steed that strides the ocean and skies.

"Chief Divine, what such spirited horses! This gesture of looking up at the sea, reflecting the sunset, is truly radiant and extremely beautiful!..."

Chimere High Priest exclaimed in surprise, much like a child weighing one or two hundred pounds. Holding a charcoal pencil, he watched the islands, sunset, and horses while swiftly drawing on a large wooden board. Naturally, he wasn't drawing a sketch but outlining with charcoal. Next, he would carve patterns on the board based on the outlines and finally apply colors meticulously. This is the most traditional painting technique of the Highland Tribes, where carved board paintings and murals possess an abstract simplicity and unique highland charm… 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Hmm... the Priest's painting..."

Two steps away, horse breeder Sukeichiro, wearing a Gold Talisman, peeked at the board with a complex expression. He had visited the temple and seen lifelike statues and murals, especially the terrifying Eighteen Levels of Hell, which haunted his dreams for days. Compared to the paintings of Buddhist monks, the Chief God Priest's art was somewhat hard to comprehend…

"Ahem… Chief Divine! When will the large ship filled with whale meat arrive from the East?…"

Sukeichiro was not interested in art; he only desired meat. Thinking of the delicious and filling whale meat made him lick his lips. He looked eastward, staring at the boundless sea with eager anticipation.

Praising Chief Divine is great! He rewards with Gold Talismans, wives, houses, fields, and even whale meat! Praise the Chief Divine!

There remains a significant disparity between the frozen northern coast and the year-round navigable western coast. The various ports in the far north struggle continuously, contemplating food, fuel, and winter survival annually. The outputs they produce are minimal, reliant on material support from the rear to expand settlements and attract more northern tribes.

Thus, each spring after thawing, transport fleets would set off from Whale Harbor, heading towards various ports along the far north coast. The fleets would be laden with pickled whale meat and salt, stored with abundant coal stones and a few metal tools, accompanied by some tribal people for replenishment or exchange.

The transport fleet would then depart in April or May, following the labor-saving Alaskan warm currents, stopping at consecutive locations including Divine Shell Fish Harbor, Divine Eagle Wing Harbor, Divine Jinxi Harbor, Divine Blood Bay Harbor, until finally reaching Divine Great Whale Harbor. At each port, a batch of supplies would be left, especially whale meat and salt. When finally reaching Divine Great Whale Harbor, it was nearly July. Due to the restriction of ship speed, the fleet had no time to travel further west to the chain's starting Divine Land Port, leaving its oar-sail ships to fetch supplies from Great Whale Island to supplement the more challenging Aleutian Divine Enlightenment Island Chain.

As for the transport fleet, it must start its return journey in July immediately to rush back to the departure point Whale Harbor before the south's later freezing in November… Afterwards, from November to April, there are over five months available for repairing ships, also exploring the northern and southern ports on the west coast's north. Whether at the larger northern port accommodating two thousand people or the southern port with one thousand, they fare far better than the ports on the far north coast. Those expanses of potato fields appear invigorating!

Regarding the far north coast, the largest Divine Eagle Wing Harbor houses merely six to seven hundred people. All ports engage in semi-agricultural, semi-hunting activities, with the further north one goes, the agricultural yield decreases, harboring limited potential. Not to mention the cornered Divine Jinxi Harbor, sitting atop the Grand Whale Island's Juneau Gold Mountain, where nothing grows...

"Chief Divine's protection! Though this place's winter is as cold as Ezo land... it has meat, fish, potatoes, women, and apprentices helping with work... it is much better than before! I wonder how others fare, are they as comfortable as I am?…"

Thinking about his current life, horse breeder Sukeichiro's face naturally broke into a joyful smile. Last month, after the two mares successfully birthed foals, Chimere High Priest Sir was greatly pleased, appointing him as some "Master Horse Breeder!"

Reportedly, this position surpasses an ordinary Samurai, as a "noble of the Martial Family." He also received a noble's outfit, wearing a tall Feather Crown and a slightly oversized Feathered Garment, appearing quite grand! This delighted him so much that he now sleeps holding the garment instead of his wife...

"Father! Your son is unfilial, unable to return. I can't assist with Erro's marriage... All I can do is bow a few times here on this faraway eastern island, leaving a lineage for the family so that the incense won't die out... Rest assured! Your daughter-in-law is fruitful! Her strong build can carry me running around on her shoulders..."

Horse breeder Sukeichiro stood stationary, somehow reminiscing his tirelessly laborious parents and the brother aspiring to marry a Samurai's daughter. The main family of the Kaozaki Clan indeed made many promises to these ship crewmen venturing to sea, including having his brother marry a Samurai's daughter, thus becoming a knife-wielding Samurai…

Yet, due to the Eastern Sea Tribe's sudden appearance, this ship's crew, horses, and assets were intercepted without returning to Ezo land. Kaozaki Clan's hard-scraped resources were all thrown into the sea, entirely gone with the waves... Would those former promises still count?

"Alas… what might be the current situation back home in Ezo land? I can no longer return..."

Horse breeder Sukeichiro tilted his head, watching the sunset from the west sea slowly descend into the ocean. Layer upon layer of night unfolded softly from the eastern sky, gently enveloping everything. The sky darkened, horses needed to return to the barn for rest, and he needed to catch some sleep, for he had to get up at night to feed the horses!...

The sun sets across ten thousand miles, from the horse breeding Divine Grand Whale Island to the island chain of Divine Revelation. Divine Land Port stands as the chain's starting point, with two snowy peaks outside Divine Peak Mountain Port, and three islands circle Divine Snow Mother Port, while the ultimate Divine Grandmother Island showcases vast stretches of green grass. These port islands along the chain mark the Kingdom's remotest northern outposts. Spring snow, summer fog, autumn snow, winter's raging icestorms, it is the most suitable "extremely harsh land" for exile, surpassing places like Lingnan and Ningguta...

Westward further towards Kamchatka Great Island, and approaching the Hot Spring Mountain Part's Divine Twins Smoke Harbor and Kamchatka's southernmost Divine Shinnan Mountain Port, situations improve significantly! Thousands of Kingdom reindeer herds, under the Koryak Deer Division's tribespeople who converted to the Chief Divine, regularly migrate between the two ports.

"Howl! Howl!"

The running deer herd halted, and Samoyeds and Alaskan dogs howled, driving the lead deer to a fenced-in deer enclosure. Then, the following deer herd surged into it. Finally, the tribespeople from the Deer Division, who were driving the deer, breathed a sigh of relief, gazing towards the port under the sunset where three previously anchored oar-sailed longships had disappeared. The previously bustling camp had abruptly lost half of the able-bodied men...

"Great Divine Spirit of the Sea and Thunderbolt! The Great Chief Priest took one hundred fifty strong men to set out for the Southern Island Part's Great Island!..."

"May the Divine protect us! These warriors constitute nearly half the camp's fighting force... Great Chief Priest must return safely!..."

"Ancestor and Mountain God, along with the green sky, please protect the tribes!"