Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 694 - 364: Northern Shipyard, The Solo Canoe of the Wind and the Viking Longship!_2

Chapter 694: Chapter 364: Northern Shipyard, The Solo Canoe of the Wind and the Viking Longship!_2

"All in all, this is a nimble and sturdy small craft, similar to the Polynesian twin-hulled boat, mainly for river and lake use, but it can also attempt coastal sailing. Archers can be stationed on deck for naval combat."

After observing for a moment, Xiulote nodded with satisfaction.

"Pucuta, you’ve done very well! This type of boat is low-cost and can be mass-produced to replenish the Naval Forces of the Kingdom. I will reward all the craftsmen!"

Then, he looked eagerly towards the other side of the shipyard.

"Is that large longship the newly launched paddle sailboat?"

"Exactly!"

Pucuta nodded proudly. He first waved the command flag, signaling the canoe of the wind to return. Then, he personally led the King to the brand-new paddle sailboat.

"Your Highness, this is the fruit of a year’s hard work by the Shipyard, a powerful warship the likes of which the Kingdom has never seen, the Crocodile God Paddle Sailboat!"

"...Crocodile God Paddle Sailboat?"

"Yes! Its shape is as graceful as the crocodiles of the Lerma River, and as strong and courageous as them! And its speed far surpasses any crocodile!"

Xiulote stopped in his tracks, squinted his eyes, and sized up the "colossal" ship before him. This paddle sailboat was much larger than he had estimated. Its form was long and slender with a shallow draft, resembling an enlarged giant canoe. In the middle of the ship was a long mast with a sail hanging from it.

"...Isn’t this just a Viking longship? The wave-piercing ’Skei’..."

"The Prince is wise! The wave-piercing Crocodile God longship!"

Standing beside him, Pucuta, after hearing only half the comment, proudly raised his head. He extended his hand to introduce the ship to the monarch.

"Your Majesty, this paddle sailboat is approximately 20 meters long, with a beam of 5.5 meters. The sides of the hull can accommodate 40 rowers. In the center, it can carry 40 soldiers or a cargo of 30 tons! Its top speed even exceeds that of the canoe of the wind, with an average speed between 10-16 kilometers per hour!"

"A warship that can carry 80 people, with a load capacity of up to 30 tons, and an average speed of 5-9 knots!"

Upon hearing this, Xiulote became somewhat moved. He immediately went forward to inspect the ship’s structure carefully. Pucuta followed suit, proudly explaining each part.

"Your Majesty, following your guidance, we first selected a 20-meter long oak log from the Shipyard’s stock to serve as the main keel running from bow to stern. Just treating this oak log took us several months! Then, the craftsmen spent several more months relying on the main keel to join the rib frames on either side, constructing symmetrical bows and securing them with copper nails. Only after all this could the craftsmen attach the deck with rivets and add support ribs..."

"Moving on, I personally erected the central mast and the sails of the paddle sailboat, which are as high as 10 meters! At the stern, I installed two fixed rudders following the steering philosophy you spoke of to facilitate turning. Then, after continuous testing and adjustments, I finally completed this ’mighty warship’ never seen before and named it the Crocodile God Paddle Sailboat!"

As Pucuta described his masterpiece, his presence was as formidable as a crocodile.

Xiulote listened attentively, saying nothing, but nodding continuously. Although longships were widely used by the Vikings more than a thousand years ago to sail across the waves of the North Sea, in this era, in the land of Central America, it was indeed a mighty "warship" the likes of which had never been seen, capable of crushing the naval forces of every faction!

Only after Pucuta had finished speaking did the King pass his water bottle to him, then said with a smile.

"Pucuta, do have someone demonstrate it now!"

"Right away! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Pucuta unscrewed the water bottle and took several gulps. Inside was hibiscus tea sweetened with honey, which was refreshingly sour and sweet. After drinking, the old shipwright waved his hand grandly.

"You, you, and you...get on the boat and row, show His Majesty a demonstration!"

Forty apprentices boarded the ship. They sat facing the stern on wooden stumps along both sides of the ship, hands gripping long wooden oars, legs slightly extended, pushing against the edges of the stumps for leverage. Special racks on the sides of the hull held the oars in place. With the command flag waved, the apprentices all pulled on the oars in unison, propelling the ship forward. The oars lifted from the water, swept in a half-arc under propulsion, and plunged back into the water for another stroke. In this repeating cycle, the longship cut through the water like an arrow, rushing forward with a whoosh!

"Haha, good, very good!"

Seeing the longship moving swiftly, Xiulote waved his arms excitedly, laughing heartily.

The appearance of this longship signified that the Kingdom had finally broken through the constraints of the Era, possessing the first type of ship capable of real navigation on the seas! The islands off the coast of Lower California, the Isthmus of Panama, and even the Caribbean archipelago, the Inca coastline... A grand maritime world, endless hopeful futures, at last opened its embrace to the King.

After a while, Xiulote turned around contently, looking at the equally excited Pucuta.

"Pucuta, I want to reward you richly! The Chief Divine witnesses! From today on, as the head of the Shipyard, you are now a Third Level Divine Revelation Priest, a Fire-Driller! Within the Kingdom, your status shall be equal to that of a Second Level hereditary nobility, and you are granted 2,400 mu of land!"

"Ah! Praise the Chief Divine! Tha-thank Your Majesty for your generous reward!"

Pucuta was momentarily stunned, overwhelmed with joy. He suddenly knelt to the ground, paying deep respects to the King. From then on, his family would skyrocket in status, stepping firmly into the ranks of the upper nobility, sharing the Kingdom’s rest.

Hearing such a reward, the craftsmen behind were all seeing red. Xiulote glanced over them and generously promised.

"The Shipyard has done meritorious work in developing new ships, all craftsmen shall receive rewards! The Kingdom will bestow upon you gold, silver, gemstones, cotton, and cocoa! And according to the merits, the top three performers will be promoted to Second Level Fire-Drillers, and the following seven to First Level Explorers!"

Low exclamations arose among the craftsmen. The King’s rewards were magnanimously generous! Once they obtained the position of Priest, the craftsmen could change their identities and become part of the Kingdom’s rulers. It was a straightforward path to changing their fates!

Xiulote watched everyone with a smile, hope flowing in his heart. Then, he asked again with anticipation.

"Pucuta, the Sand Ship Scroll I entrusted to you, how goes the research?"

"Your Majesty..."

Pucuta hesitated for a moment before speaking frankly.

"Your second scroll of ship designs, the Shipyard can’t make it."

"Hmm?"

Xiulote raised an eyebrow, looking calmly at Pucuta.

A heavy pressure came rushing in, making one’s knees go weak. Pucuta bit his lip, still standing straight, shaking his head affirmatively.

"Your Majesty, the flat dragon keel you described, the Shipyard can’t figure it out, we can only slowly grope our way through trial and error. Shipbuilding is a trade of experience and technique, without those, if we can’t make it, we just can’t. Unless a more skilled Master Shipwright joins us."

At this point, Pucuta spoke with confidence. In his view, the only shipbuilding technology that might surpass that of the Kingdom of the Lake is that of the distant Maya. And among the people of the Lake, there certainly was no one who could surpass his shipbuilding skills.

"The only way is to keep making new ships to try, then after trial and error, to improve and rebuild. I have carefully studied the ship types you described, and to have a rough prototype, it would take at least ten years to start!"

After that, Pucuta paused, looking cautiously at the King’s expression as he cautiously said.

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, there is much room for improvement with our current Crocodile God paddle sailboats. The Shipyard is confident to keep improving them, to make them bigger, faster, and more robust! As long as you can continue to provide sufficient manpower, wood, and copper materials..."

Xiulote was silent for a moment then let out a long breath. He knew that shipbuilding was an industry that most needed accumulation and was difficult to outpace on a shortcut. And now, relying on the Kingdom of the Lake’s copper materials and craftsmen, to be able to build catamarans and Viking longships, was already an enormous progress, even considered the pinnacle of the world’s shipbuilding!

The King showed a gentle smile, extending his hand to rest on Pucuta’s shoulder.

"Pucuta, work well, think carefully! A professional should manage a professional department. Since the Shipyard is in your hands, you need to practice shipbuilding more, accumulate more wood, and don’t worry about the material consumption. As long as I am here, the Kingdom will always support you! I will say it again, shipbuilding is of great importance, the vast future of the Kingdom, lies in your hardworking hands!..."

"Your Majesty, you are the true Sun!"

At this, Pucuta’s aged face showed rare admiration. He knelt down, bowed deeply, performing a loyalty ritual, surrendering his hair to the King.

Xiulote wore a solemn expression, reaching out to grasp the old Shipwright’s graying hair. The young and the old facing each other, yet it was like a great compelling connection, a King and his loyal subject. And the Era of maritime exploration for the people of America awaited their inauguration!