Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 760 - Four Hundred and Fourteen I’m Here!

Chapter 760: Chapter Four Hundred and Fourteen I’m Here!

Mid-March, the gentle spring breeze headed south, traveling hundreds of miles along the Long River, to the edge of the infinite Great Lake. The blue Pacific Ocean was boundless, its waves sparkling with a glint, the tides rising and falling day and night, instilling awe in all who saw it.

"Such a vast ocean! Truly the romance of men!"

Xiuote, riding in a canoe, paused at the edge of the sea, lost in a reverie of longing. There was a part of him that yearned to explore the azure depths, but he knew it was an unattainable dream in this lifetime.

Hundreds of canoes were docked at the mouth of the Tarsas River. Two thousand elite members of the Imperial Guard Legion disembarked and spread out to secure a defense perimeter over ten miles. The King ascended the western bank of the Tarsas and immediately spotted Huitu Puap, the slightly chubby-faced noble clad in Leather Armor.

The Scouts had already arrived first at the Rivermouth, where Huitu Puap had been guarding and waiting for some time. Upon meeting, he excitedly prostrated himself, offering his respects to the King.

"Chief Divine’s protection! Your Majesty, your faithful general, Huitu Puap, presents his greetings! Even at the edge of the vast lake, I am always ready to dedicate my life to the Kingdom!"

Xiuote smiled faintly, observing the exiled noble without a word.

"Your Highness, the general has rendered great service by discovering the Divine Stone. He is devout in faith and fearless of the Evil God. Although his Martial Arts and battle skills are average, he possesses a rare tenacity and courage!"

Black Wolf Toltec stepped forward to speak highly of Huitu.

Only then did Xiuote slightly nod and wave his hand.

"Puap, rise! You have merely guarded our borders for a few months and already achieved commendable deeds, indeed worthy of utilization!"

At the phrase "worthy of utilization," Huitu Puap was moved to tears. For four months he had endured the ocean winds by the sea, his days spent with naught but sand and trees, no sight of any prosperous scenery. His days consisted of creatively savoring sea flavors, and commanding villagers in their tasks, growing hopelessly portly. He respectfully prostrated himself once more.

"Your Majesty, witnessed by the Chief Divine, I am willing to live and die for your will!"

Next, the King surveyed the Kingdom’s encampment by the sea. The camp was taking shape, accumulating some lumber. Under the watch of the Prepetcha Warriors, over a hundred villagers from Tekos wielded the distributed Bronze Axes, felling the nearby woods.

Xiuote nodded in satisfaction. After enjoying a tasty seafood feast in Trout Fish Village, he couldn’t wait to lead the Imperial Guard Warriors westward. They trekked across the green grass of spring, inhaling the fragrant wildflowers, arriving ten miles west of Trout Fish Village at the Tekos Divine Mountain.

To the north of the Divine Mountain lay the tail end of the Sierra Madre mountain range. Compared to other peaks, the Divine Mountain wasn’t towering; rather, it was sparsely forested with few birds or animals.

Xiuote inspected the Divine Mountain carefully. Seeing the scorch marks left by numerous lightning strikes, his face lit up with joy. He circled the entire summit from the base, spiraling upward. Whenever he spotted exposed reddish-brown rock or vast expanses of dark blue stone, he would take out a magnet and feel for the magnetic force upon it.

"Leave five men here, armed with the prepared Bronze Pickaxes, to dig into the mountain! Dig through the soil, and stop upon hitting hard rock. Collect a rock sample, note the distance, and report back to me!"

"By your command, Your Majesty!"

For every ten meters ascended, Xiuote left five Imperial Guards to excavate the surface soil of the mountain and to extract rock samples. The more he inspected, the more intense the joy on his face grew. When he reached the summit of the Divine Mountain, he could confirm that beneath this modest peak lay a small magnetite mine—a mine he had long sought after, one that could change the era: Iron Mine Mountain!

"Chief Divine’s protection! Divine blessing upon the Kingdom!"

Standing atop Divine Mountain, Xiuote’s expression was solemn as he prayed toward the midday sun in the sky.

Although he did not know the quality or the exact reserves of the iron ore, the presence of iron ore was significant in itself. Even the smallest iron mines have reserves in the millions of tons, sufficient for the Kingdom’s initial extraction and use. The exploration of Iron Smelting Technology could finally set off on the right track!

At that moment, the call of the Iron Age was as real as the sound of the Pacific Ocean’s tides, already clearly echoing in his ears.

In fact, in the Mexico of later times, this iron mine would be known as Mina las Truchas. Only a small amount of ore was exposed on the surface of the Divine Mountain. Its true strata lay twenty to a hundred meters below the surface, with a surface reserve of roughly eleven million tons at an average grade of 37%, which was just on the edge of being economically mineable.

This ore vein was of hydrothermal origin, formed by the compressing Pacific and American plates, containing a large amount of irregularly shaped magnetite. The main vein underground ran for about seven kilometers in length and was roughly two kilometers wide. There were deeper veins as well, but the extraction costs were prohibitively high, clearly surpassing the mining capabilities of the era.

"Chief Divine’s protection! Divine blessings upon Your Majesty!"

Seeing the King in prayer, Huitu Puap cautiously approached, loudly exclaiming his praise. Hearing his shouts, the Imperial Guard Warriors also prayed loudly, bestowing blessings upon the King.

After a moment, Xiuote finished praying. He looked at Puap with a smile, his stern gaze softening.

"Huitu, you have indeed earned considerable merit!"

The King said with a beaming smile.

"What reward do you desire?"

"Ah?! Your Majesty, I wish to return to the Jingji Legion and lead your Samurai into battle once more!"

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Xiuote chuckled and shook his head.