Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 696 - 366: Canine Descendant Village, the Chieftain and the Priest

Chapter 696: Chapter 366: Canine Descendant Village, the Chieftain and the Priest

The rains of June drizzled, saturating the fields of the Lake Region. In the vast expanse of farmland, corn stalks sprouted, bean plants grew true leaves, and pumpkins put forth new shoots. Even the weeds peered out, gazing at the rainy season’s sky. The land by the lake was so fertile, filled with the power of life.

Axolotl, clad in his raincoat, wearing a cloak, carrying a bamboo basket on his back, stood by the field ridges like an old farmer. He gazed absentmindedly at the fertile fields, unable to help murmuring softly to himself.

"With so much rain, everything can grow. The soil of the Southern Tribes is incredibly rich, truly a blessing from the Earth Mother Goddess!"

By Axolotl’s side huddled over thirty strong men of the Guajili Tribe. Some were bare-chested, showing tattoos on their torsos; some had short daggers tied to their legs, others had hand axes slung at their waists; and some even carried bows and arrows, adorned with Bone ornaments... In any case, they looked nothing like docile farmers.

"Arno chieftain, today the brothers hunted two doves, three hares. We invite you to dine with us tonight!"

"Yes, chieftain, we also snagged a few turkeys, plump ones that will smell so good when roasted!"

"Roast? The Southern Tribes have a kind of large clay pot, perfect for stewing the whole bird to make soup. Add some cheap salt, maybe some Priest’s spices, and that is real deliciousness!"

A few leading strong men squeezed in front of Axolotl, offering their eagerness respectfully. Two of them even secretly dyed their hair red. But in reality, in the entire village of over a thousand people, there were only a very few true red-haired Hunters. Among them, the most capable, the most imposing, was none other than "Arno" standing before them.

"I’ve said it before, don’t call me chieftain!"

Axolotl glared fiercely at the strong men, causing them all to shrink their necks in unison. Then, he grabbed one by the chin and scolded fiercely.

"And you! Don’t think I don’t know how those turkeys came to be! Don’t cause trouble for me!"

This was a resettlement village of the Canine Descendants in the Red Fox Valley, located in the eastern part of Rivermouth County, near the border of the Kingdom’s mountain forests. Nearby there were six Canine banners, over a dozen village settlements, and more than twenty thousand people of the Guajili Tribe.

At that moment, most of the Canine Warriors had been conscripted by the Kingdom. The village was left with only ordinary tribal folks; nobody recognized his identity as Chieftain of the Red Salamander. But after all, he had been dominating one side, serving as Tribal Chief of the Great Tribe for many years. In the Eastern Canine Alliance, he was second only to the Great Chief Chichika himself.

From the full vessel, the tip is revealed. The villages of the Canine Descendants always revered the strong. The young men came from various Tribes and constantly collided with one another, establishing a hierarchy of strength. Even though Axolotl intended to hide his identity, his red hair could not be concealed. Once he struck down a row of challenging tribespeople, he naturally became the village’s "chieftain".

Thinking this, Axolotl sighed to himself. His identity was truly sensitive, and it was always best to keep as low a profile as possible.

"Oh Earth Mother Goddess, since You have blessed me to live through the attack of the heavenly fire, surely You won’t take my life again! And you, Hummingbird Chief Divine, this is Your territory, I am willing to offer sacrifices to You, with no intention of being Your enemy again! And to the three gods of the Divine Eagle Tribe, please bless me as well... may all the deities protect me, and let me live out my days in peace!"

Axolotl clasped the Sun Amulet around his neck, sincerely praying to all the gods for a while.

Not far off, the village’s aged Priest Teya watched with cold eyes. Seeing Arno’s prayers, he silently nodded. Making up his mind, he grasped the Divine Staff in his hand and walked slowly up to Axolotl.

"Praise the Chief Divine! Arno, as guided by the Chief Divine, when the corn has five leaves, it is time to weed."

Old Priest Teya was of the Prepetcha. After the campaign to the west ended, he was dismissed from his position as village Priest and drafted to the Capital City to learn the doctrines of the Chief Divine. By the time he had finished his studies, he was assigned to this ferocious Canine village, responsible for guiding the settled Guajili Tribe.

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the Guajili strong men turned sour, staring at the elderly Priest. This old Priest, all day long, did nothing but push them to the fields. Since the end of April, they had been toiling non-stop until the beginning of June, never before so exhausted. Buried in the fields, where was the joy of hunting and traveling!

"Yes, praise the Chief Divine! Respected Priest Teya, I will take everyone to the fields immediately."

Axolotl gave a respectful bow. Although the Priest before him was old and frail, he represented the powerful Cactus Tribe! Turning around, he roared fiercely at the people.

"Get to work, all of you! Strap on the baskets, grab the stone agricultural tools, and go weed in the fields! Damn it, make sure not to mistake the pumpkins for weeds! You’re planting crops, and if you bury the seeds in the ground, by autumn they will yield several times the fruit. Then, everyone will have enough to eat!"

Following that, Axolotl pulled out the short dagger from his waist and swung it fiercely a few times, creating a sharp gust of wind.

"By the ancestors’ witness! Whoever doesn’t work hard, and causes us to have nothing to eat by fall, I will send him to the other Tribes!"

Upon hearing this, the strong men shuddered. On the Wilderness, as the population of the Tribes grew, there would be shortages of food every few years. Sometimes the Tribes would fight each other, sometimes they would trade the weak among them directly. Being sent away by the Tribe, they knew full well what fate awaited them from a young age.

The men were silent as cicadas, obediently shouldering baskets, grasping stone hoes, and heading into the fields to work.

Seeing this, old Priest Teya was extremely pleased. He had no background in the Kingdom; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been assigned to a newly established Canine village, taking on the hardest, most dangerous, and unrewarding position as a Canine Priest.

Fortunately, within this village, there was a Canine chieftain who truly believed in the Chief Divine, understood the big picture, and could control the situation. It was entirely due to his management that the spring farming was completed on time. It should be noted that other nearby Guajili villages were acting slowly, some had only just finished sowing.

Thinking this, old Priest Teya looked at Axolotl with a kindly smile.

"Arno, come with me, I have something good for you!"

"Eh... Okay."

The strong Axolotl followed behind the gaunt Teya, heading towards the wooden hut of the village priest. It was the only building in the entire village that looked decent, apart from the granary, with all the others being mere straw huts and grass sheds.

Old Priest Teya approached the dim wooden hut and groped around for a while before pulling out a sturdy bronze hoe.

"Here! Arno, this hoe is for you! Its blade is very sharp, making it very convenient for weeding."

"Eh, is this... sharp and durable bronze?"

Axolotl took the hoe and examined it up and down, a look of surprise appearing on his face. The Cactus Tribe was so powerful that they used precious bronze for farming tools!

"Hm? Arno, you actually know about bronze?"

Old Priest Teya was equally surprised.

"Oh, venerable Priest Teya. After I was captured by the armies of the Great Chief, the God of Death, I was detained in the supply camp. Sometimes, the legion would have us transport some weapons and equipment, which I heard about from the mouths of the samurais guarding us."

Axolotl lied without a change in facial expression or heartbeat.

"Not bad! Arno, the fact that His Majesty’s Imperial Guard Legion let you transport equipment shows that you have been performing well."

Old Priest Teya nodded with a smile. After thinking for a moment, he gave some advice.

"In the future, you should call him ’His Majesty,’ not ’Great Chief, the God of Death.’ His Majesty has succeeded the Tarasco Kingdom and appointed the sage from the Lake Region as Chief Minister; he is the sun of our Prepetcha people. All levels of Prepetcha officials revere him, even more than many Mexica warriors. Mexica warriors call him ’Your Highness,’ so we call him ’His Majesty’... If you meet warriors coming to levy grain, saying ’His Majesty’ can make people feel closer."

"...Yes, praise His Majesty! Thank you for your teachings, Priest Teya."

Axolotl was somewhat speechless and could only lower his head in agreement.

"Good! I’ve noticed over the past few months that you are a bright and clever boy!"

Old Priest Teya nodded in satisfaction. Then, he groped around the hut for a while and pulled out a worn yellow paper book.

"Here, Arno!"

"Uh... what’s this?"

Axolotl looked at it for a long time, the pages of the book bearing three mysterious square symbols, like the divine script of priests.

"The fundamental scripture of the Alliance, the Book of Ama Colley. Arno, read it well, and your future will be bright!"

Old Priest Teya said with a gentle smile, and there seemed to be a glint in his eyes.

"Arno, the glory of the Chief Divine has not yet covered the hearts of the Guajili tribes. For the Kingdom, if a devoted priest from the Guajili Tribe appears, he will certainly be put to important use, perhaps even becoming a Third Level High Priest in charge of a diocese! You are a devout follower of the Chief Divine and also the head of the Guajili Tribe. You can make it through this path!"

"Ah, this?..."

Upon hearing this, Axolotl was utterly confused. He stared at the wise old priest in front of him, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"Keep it safe. Carry it with you."

Old Priest Teya said with a confident smile. He stuffed the scripture into Axolotl’s hands, offering a kind reminder.

"Starting this evening, I will teach you the Kingdom’s script every day! Within a month, try to learn as much as possible; it would be best if you could memorize the scripture!"

"Ah? Memorize within a month?"

Axolotl was puzzled. Learning the divine script of the Southern priests was undoubtedly a good thing. But why was it limited to one month, and why was there an emphasis on trying to memorize it? He looked at Old Priest Teya, who just smiled mysteriously.

"Do as I say, Arno. When the time comes, there will be great benefits for you! Tremendous benefits!"

Axolotl wanted to ask more questions, but Old Priest Teya simply waved his hand with a smile, signaling him to go and work in the fields. Axolotl, carrying the sharp bronze hoe, obediently headed to the fields.

Watching Arno’s strong back, Teya smiled again. He murmured expectantly to himself.

"One more month, just one more month. After a month, His Majesty will come here for inspection. If the village finishes the spring plowing on time, His Majesty’s mood will certainly not be bad. At that time, I’ll take the opportunity to introduce you to His Majesty! Arno, this is your only chance, and it’s also my only opportunity! I can’t live my whole life as nothing more than a down-and-out village priest..."