Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

At the end of July, Golden Bay is both warm and pleasant like spring and dry and clear like autumn. The surrounding poppies blossom brilliantly, spreading fields of orange-yellow or golden-red flowers, like clusters of plumes dropped by the sunbird, their beauty mesmerizing.

In the hearts of the tribes along the Western Sea Coast, these splendid flowers possess a special divinity, used in all aspects of tribal life!

The priests, warriors, and tribespeople alike enjoy chewing these fragrant flowers, relishing the rare sweetness. The pollen of the poppy can be used as tattoo ink, and it helps wounds to heal more easily. Its stems serve as a soothing herb that can relieve pain and offer some antibacterial effects. As for its stronger roots and seeds, they are an essential sedative in sacrificial rites...

In later generations, the poppy is known by another, more resonant name, "California Poppy."

Ten longships of the Kingdom, carrying fully armed warriors and sailors, slowly set out from the harbor. The large oar-sail ships, packed with armored warriors, rows of shields and greatbows, fell into the eyes of the onlooking Mivok tribespeople, transforming into an unstoppable reverence!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The Tiger Squat Cannon on the longships thunderously resounded towards the sky, announcing the fleet's departure. And beneath this clear day's thunder, the Mivok chieftains with feather crowns on the shore visibly trembled, some among them even kneeling to the ground, loudly praying towards the fleet, in awe of the unknown yet mighty southern God of Thunder!

"Praise the Chief Divine! He shelters us!"

On the leading flagship, Exploration Captain Zuwaro and Scholar Mikki stood side by side at the prow. Both stood straight, clad in thick leather armor, gazing at the astonished, prostrated crowd on shore and the not-too-distant newly built, humble village, smiles spreading across their faces.

"Zuwaro, your idea was a good one! Under the pretense of gifting gemstones and trading weapons, we've gathered here the Mivok chieftains and priests from one to two hundred li around, so they can personally witness the power of our fleet! Surely now, they must have a clear understanding of the Kingdom's force! After we leave, the garrison villages of West Mountain Port should ensure relative stability for quite a long time..."

"Haha! Mikki, this is also thanks to you! If not for you persuading Cedar Chieftain, the respected leader within the North Bay Miwock Tribe, Puiatti...him sending out envoys to invite leaders of various tribes...it might not have been so easy for these tribal leaders to show up!..."

Exploration Captain Zuwaro, in high spirits, replied while chewing poppies in his mouth. Though he had not been long in the land of Golden Bay, he had already learned of this "good tradition" from the local tribes. And in a way, the sensation of chewing poppies felt much like chewing tobacco leaves.

"It's all under the Chief Divine's protection!"

Scholar Mikki uttered a prayer, watching the blue smoke from the Tiger Squat Cannon drift southeastward in the wind. He raised an eyebrow and gently shook his head.

"It's already the end of July, yet the wind direction is still slanted south!… It seems that for the upcoming journey north, we'll still be without wind assistance..."

"Mikki, without wind assistance, we'll just have to rely on rowing hard! All the way north it has been wretched headwinds and headwaters for the past six months. The whole fleet has gotten used to it!... However, within this bay, the coastal current suddenly changed direction, from consistently southward to northward... What could be the reason?..."

"Haha! It couldn't possibly be, as the Mivok priest said, a hidden underwater spirit of the water or some ocean goddess causing the undercurrents..."

"Hmm... Undercurrent..."

Hearing this, Scholar Mikki pondered for a while, having a vague inspiration but unable to grasp it. After a moment, he let go of this hard-to-solve mystery and said with a smile.

"Zuwaro, regardless, this time according to Your Majesty's prophecy heading north to find another bay area... At least we might catch a current, and it will surely be much faster!"

"Indeed! The first place, Golden Bay, appeared as Your Majesty's prophecy stated, between 35-40 North Latitude! So the next warm bay area should be between 45-50 North Latitude! As long as we find it before winter arrives, this year's voyage can be considered a near completion. We can also truly experience what the terrible northern winter in the prophecy is all about!"

At this Juncture, Exploration Captain Zuwaro stroked his chin, looking up towards the north.

The north is the intersection of the coast and mountains; the endless sea extends northwest, and the towering mountains enclose this narrow bay area, blocking the southern-bound cold fronts from farther north. And if what Your Majesty said isn't wrong, this narrow bay area will be the most agreeable fertile place along the entire northern voyage, and where the fleet needs to focus its attention!

"Mikki, you're good at math, calculate for me... exactly how many acres of farmland have the garrison villages at West Mountain Port opened up?"

"Chief Divine be witness! I calculated before. Five hundred of us have cultivated for a month, with both warriors and sailors participating. Slashed and burned, cleared the fields, planted... hmm, each person probably cultivated about two acres... altogether, five hundred acres of potatoes, three hundred acres of mixed corn, squash, and beans, and three hundred acres of sweet potatoes..."

"Oh! By the way! According to the local Mivok people, the output of corn and beans here isn't very high. And sweet potatoes aren't very cold-resistant, so yields might also drop... The only thing we can rely on for the autumn harvest is the potatoes Your Majesty specifically instructed us to bring... But with such small sizes, it's uncertain whether they're truly frost-resistant..."

In this era, potatoes had already traveled from their origin in the Andes Mountain across the narrow Isthmus of Panama to Central America. In fact, hundreds of years earlier, Mayan ships had already brought potatoes back from Chibcha.

However, in Central America's warm and rainy tropical climate, potatoes did not exhibit sufficient crop advantages, and they had never managed to cross the Mexican Plateau to reach the truly suitable North American continent. But the potatoes planted by the exploration fleet this time were these cold-adapted crops finding a root in the vast northern continent for the first time to nourish many more tribes!

"Ha! Mikki, all the way north, in each settlement we've established... The parched first half lets us grow only sweet potatoes. In the cooler latter half, potatoes are the main crop... Seems like our future staple food must be chosen from these two!..."

"No. Chosen from three... Mivok people say that pumpkins yield decently in this bay area. Additionally, they grow bitter gourds, gather almonds, and pine nuts..."

"Oh! So, it's sweet potatoes, potatoes, and pumpkins... This surely is..."

Exploration Captain Zuwaro curved his mouth into a helpless smile. Then he came to realize.

"Chief Divine? Did you just say each person only cultivated two acres? Two acres in a month?"

Upon saying this, Zuwaro was stunned for a moment, pulling his hair hard, cursing under breath.

"Damn it! The warriors must have been slacking!..."

"Uh... Zuwaro, opening new fields in forest and grassland areas is inherently difficult! We've only been here a month and a half, needing to fell trees, also build wooden houses, and excavate warming pits, leaving not much time..."

Scholar Mikki blinked, defending the fleet's warriors.

"Moreover! Even after five thousand li of northward challenging navigation for six months, the Kingdom's Prepetcha warriors are able to pick up farming tools in this faraway land... Their faith and loyalty are rare in the world!... Were they other warriors, even the Mexica warriors of the Alliance, they likely wouldn't have tilled the land..."

"Phew! You're right! The Prepetcha warriors on exploration voyages sincerely worship the Chief Divine, and are also Your Majesty's most loyal warriors!"

Exploration Captain Zuwaro nodded, calming his emotions once again. He reflected on the northward exploration so far, unable to help but feel a sense of wonder.

"Chief Divine's protection! Northward five thousand li, sailing for six months!… This journey, we've been like sea lions climbing a cliff by the sea, inching forward, yet never taking a break for a moment!"

```