Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1801 - 1292: Gold Divine Might! The Ainu People’s Inquiry to Heaven!

"May the Chief Divine protect us! Friend, you are unaware of the stories of our ancestors, so you cannot comprehend the inseparable blood ties and the eternal connection in heavenly origins among us Jiao brothers... Therefore, you cannot temporarily trust us, and we cannot incorporate you into the Jiao brothers' family... Nevertheless, we still harbor goodwill and see you as friends for trade and communication!"

The bright sunshine illuminates the Ainu Village by the seaside. Armored Kingdom's Warriors hold golden Bronze Spears. Tall Deer Clan Hunters carry sharp Horn Bows. Ainu villagers clutch chaotic Spear Sticks, both nervous and fearful.

Tribe Chief North Island Fishskin tries hard to maintain a smile while listening to the pleasant translation of Thousand Island Shell and what he hears from Zuwaro as "deceptive nonsense." For a moment, he almost believes the "fur-wearing Chieftain" in front of him is an evil "Fox Divine Might" transformed.

The "Divine Might" in the mouth of the Ainu people refers to the spirit of all things, the divinity of spirit. It can be a kind Guardian Spirit or an evil destructive spirit. The legendary "Fox Divine Might" is said to love lying, speaking pleasant but false words, to extort from other kind Divine Spirits, even to steal power from other Guardian Spirits... Yet, given the destitute state of the tribe, he finds it difficult to imagine... what could they have that's worth scheming for rather than taking directly?

"Friend... Ah? Is your name Fishskin? ... Fishskin Chieftain, this is our guardian Chief Divine, the emblem of the 'Ocean, Thunderstorm, Wind, and Sun Divine Might,' which can be prayed to and worshipped! ... He is the most powerful Guardian Spirit, the most powerful Divine Might, the embodiment of the creation Heavenly Divine Camui! He is supreme and mighty, omnipotent!..."

"Come! Wear this Golden Amulet! The powerful Guardian Divine Might will protect you!..."

With devout sincerity, like a tribe's Shaman, Zuwaro took off a golden Chief God's Amulet from around his neck. Then, amid North Island Fishskin's nervous trembling, he kindly smiled and generously placed the one jin heavy Gold Talisman around the other's neck.

"May the Chief Divine protect us! This is the mighty Chief Divine's Divine Might, presented as a gift through my hands!..."

"Haha! No need, we do not require your reciprocity, nor the food from your village, nor the fur you've accumulated! ... Yes, this is selflessly given, a gift from the Divine Might to you!..."

"May the Chief Divine's Divine Might protect you! Goodbye, my friend, Fishskin Chieftain!..."

In North Island Fishskin's astonished gaze, Zuwaro waved his hand, leading more than a hundred fully armed warriors to turn and retreat to the beach. Then, the Kingdom's party re-boarded the longship, turned its bow, gradually sailing westward until quickly vanishing from sight.

"Oh Guardian Spirit of the tribe, Orca Divine Might! What... what exactly is going on? These tribes, who looked extremely fierce, just left without taking anything?"

North Island Fishskin stood in place, face full of confusion. It was as if he had seen a sea squall suddenly appear, containing the thunderbolt force to destroy the tribe, directly approaching! But then, this storm instead gently grazed his cheek and suddenly disappeared. Ultimately, only a golden, uniquely bird-engraved Golden Amulet remained...

"So heavy... is it truly a Golden Amulet?... Is this the same gold for which the southern Wa People are willing to exchange alcohol, food, and ironware, buying endlessly from all tribes?!... Such a large piece of gold, how much food can it exchange for!..."

"This... this is not some kind of Ocean and Thunderstorm Divine Might?... This clearly is... something never seen before... a Golden Divine Might!!"

North Island Fishskin stood at the village's edge, watching the disappearance of the longship towards the west, silent for a very long time. Today's events were truly a rollercoaster, completely unexpected, leaving him at a loss for words. The Ainu are inclined to reticence and do not like loud shouting. He stood there in silence until tribe's Hunter Captain Fish Arrowhead approached hesitantly and spoke in a low voice.

"Clan Leader, they didn't take anything, they are not like the southern Wa People, nor like the Mountain Part in the rumors... they don't seem to be bad people!"

"Hmm..."

"So, should we stick to the original plan, to relocate and avoid?"

"...No relocation."

"Ah? Why?..." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"They don't seem to be bad people..."

After repeating the conversation, both fell into silence. In fact, the reason for non-relocation was already well understood by both. Though the Ainu Great Island is large, it is not like the simple tribal, land-sharing North American continent... every inch of land here has an owner!

Whether it be hunting grounds, fishing grounds, forest areas, or rare mineral grounds, they all have approximate tribal affiliations! Especially in recent decades, with the southern Wa People continuously pressing northward, forcing many southern island Ainu tribes gradually northward... the conflicts and disputes over tribal territories have become increasingly intense, leaving virtually no vacant land.

To find vacant land, one would have to migrate further north into the barren Thousand Islands, where it's possible to find new homelands to settle the tribe's elderly and young. But, this strong tribe, appearing out of nowhere on a large ship, happened to come from the northern Thousand Islands! To migrate north at this time would be like swimming upstream as salmon, heading straight into the fisherman's grass net...

"Clan Leader, if you say... a powerful tribe truly rises from the northern Thousand Islands and begins expanding southward... what would we do then?"

"What should we do?... Guardian Divine Might! It depends on how strong this tribe truly is! If they are as powerful as the North Excess Tribes, numbering in the thousands, then we must cautiously appease, swaying like Luwei between the Thousand Islands in the north and the South Island..."

North Island's Fishskin responded deeply, holding the Gold Talisman in hand, carefully examining the "Divine Might pattern" on it. Nearby, Fish Arrowhead scratched his head, uneasily asking again.

"But today, these people's weapons, the unseen armor, and those cold wolf-like eyes... I always feel it's very dangerous! It seems more perilous than the Southern Tribal Alliance! Their fine equipment, just like the fierce Wa People from the south... Chieftain, what if they are stronger than the Ishikari, East Yuan, West Yuan Tribes from the South Island? What should we do then?..."

"Hmm? Stronger than the Ishikari, East Yuan, West Yuan Tribes, totaling two hundred people?..."

Upon hearing this, North Island's Fishskin chuckled lightly, shaking his head in sigh.

"Arrowhead, if that's the case... do we have a choice? When the winter ice storm comes sweeping in, all the tall grass, Luwei, and small trees must bow down... At that time, we have no choice but to align ourselves, pleading to be accepted by the powerful Tribal Alliance, rather than becoming their target for expansion and plunder!..."

"...No choice..."

Fish Arrowhead tugged at his thick chest hair, hoping to feel the pain in his heart to keep himself awake. North Island's Fishskin didn't do the same. At this moment, his inner unease couldn't be relieved by pain; he could only seek help from the Guardian Spirit and enlightenment from the Heavenly Divine.

"Ancestor's Divine Might! Guardian's Divine Might! Fire's Divine Might!... And the wisdom of the Owl, the sharpness of the Mountain Eagle, the instincts of the Black Bear..."

North Island's Fishskin, solemn in expression, approached the crude altar and slowly raised a flame. He gazed at the fire, chanting softly, receiving various guardian objects from Fish Arrowhead's hand. Ancestor's hair, Orca's tooth, burnt grass ash, Black Bear's nose, Mountain Eagle's eyeball, Owl's skull... all laid out beside the altar.

"Mighty Spirit's Divine Might! I present you a story, praying for you to reveal its interpretation... Please send me a dream, or any omen..."

North Island's Fishskin chanted, opening his mouth wide, biting hard on the Gold Talisman, which was both firm and sweet. Then, with the talisman in his mouth, he opened his mouth wider, aiming directly at the noon sun, as if he wished to devour it!

"Ancestor said... the Sun rises from the world's peak, and the mightiest Evil Spirits aim to consume the Sun..."

North Island's Fishskin muttered indistinctly. But Fish Arrowhead heard clearly; this was a tribal inherited ballad and a story often used in divination, "Origin, Sunrise, Man, Crow, and Fox."

"Evil Spirits opened their huge mouth, swallowing half of the Sun Mother Goddess... But the courageous Ancestor Divine Might shoved the Crow and Fox into the Evil Spirit's mouth, rescuing the Sun Mother Goddess... Ultimately, the Sun rose high!"

"As a reward for saving the Sun Mother Goddess, people spread across the Great Island. The Crow and Fox gained spirit; there are no beings more numerous than them! ... People, Crows, and Foxes shared the earth's food, yet their Divine Might went different ways to the sea... Eventually, the ancestor of humans died, the Crow became the Guardian Spirit, and the Fox turned into the Destructive Spirit!..."

"I always remember this story; it's what father's father heard from grandfather's grandfather... Divine Might always changes, as do the tribes... An ancient mysterious story always has its present-world projection and correlation..."

"Mighty Spirit's Divine Might! If in the not-too-distant future, Evil Spirits again open their huge mouth, aiming to swallow the Sun from the sky..."

At this moment, North Island's Fishskin took a deep breath, spat the Gold Talisman onto the altar's center! Then, he swiftly drew the Stone Knife from his waist, sliced open his palm forcefully, and let blood drip onto the hummingbird on the Gold Talisman!

"Mighty Spirit's Divine Might! Golden's Divine Might! I offer my blood to you, please inspire my tribe's future!..."

North Island's Fishskin shouted, looking up again! He held the blood-patterned Gold Talisman in his mouth again. He kept his mouth wide, savoring his blood and the talisman's sweetness!

He posed in a bizarre stance, squinting with bleeding eyes, watching the southern noon sun, sending inquiries to the northern sky, asking the mighty Spirit's Divine Might of all things!

"So please tell me!... Who is the Evil Spirit? Who is the Sun? Who is human? Where are the Crow and Fox?!"

"Where are they?..."

Echoes reverberated between the sea and sky. This was the Ainu Chieftain's skyward inquiry, awaiting a response from the Ainu Divine Might to guide the Ainu people's future! It's unknown how long until this response comes, or what kind of omen a powerful Divine Might will descend with~~