Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 813 - 445: Delightful to Eat, Yet Discarded Without Regret

Chapter 813: Chapter 445: Delightful to Eat, Yet Discarded Without Regret

"Your... Your Highness, charging at the enemy atop a bison’s back?"

Upon hearing the question from His Highness, Mohe could barely articulate a response. He had witnessed the ferocity of bison charging wildly, fierce as the spring thunder, their hoofs drumming against the earth, capable of knocking down trees as thick as a person’s arm. Even in his wildest dreams, he had never imagined charging into battle while mounted on a bison.

Mohe was stunned for a while before he reacted. He shook his head repeatedly and hurriedly explained.

"It’s impossible, Your Highness, that would be a death sentence! Not to mention, how to sit steadily on the wildly fluctuating back of a bison without being thrown off by the frenzied giant beast... Even if there were a way to mount a person, it would be meaningless because there is no way to control the direction the bison runs!"

"Really, no way to control it?"

Upon hearing this, Xiulote furrowed his brows. Mounted on a riding beast, one can control it and thus form cavalry; otherwise, it is just a wild beast.

"Your Highness, truly no way! Even pastoral slaves who raised bison from young cannot drive a fully grown, independent bison... If you want the bison to head in a particular direction, it can only be lured with food or driven with noise and fire, cautiously guiding them to run."

Mohe paused at this point, his eyes twinkling as if he had thought of something.

"Of course, with the Chief Divine’s blessing! Sometimes there are one or two bison, raised by pastoral slaves from a young age, developing special trust towards familiar pastoral slaves... During non-mating seasons, they may be willing to follow the familiar pastoral slaves leisurely."

"Oh? That means..."

Upon hearing this, Xiulote’s spirit lifted, eyes showing anticipation. Mohe quickly shook his head and further explained.

"However, these slightly more docile bison act only according to daily habits, not accepting commands... Once on the battlefield, faced with gathering formations, howling crowds, chaotic arrows, and even glaring firelight... Bison will inevitably get frightened, fall into frenzy, and charge wildly without distinguishing friend from foe!"

"No distinguishing friend from foe, charging wildly..."

Xiulote’s face darkened with disappointment. In war, uncontrollable troops should be minimized because war is the cruelest game. Both sides will exhaust their minds to find the other’s weakness and launch targeted attacks. If uncontrollable bison are in one’s formation and frightened by the enemy...

"Southern troops with elephant formations profess strength... Uncontrollable giant beasts used for formations often become dead weight."

Xiulote shook his head, recalling failed historical battles using war elephants, and quelled the thought of using bison in combat. Now is the era of firearms, frightening giant beasts is the easiest... He pondered for a while, looked at the particularly massive bison, remembered the transportation capacity of elephants, and asked concernedly.

"If bison cannot be used in formations, can they be used for transporting goods? Such as transporting ores from mines, timber from mountains, or food supplies with the army?"

"Uh... Transport cargo?"

Mohe tugged at his short hair, feeling uncertain for a moment.

"Your Highness means between fixed locations? If long-term trained, a few docile bison might carry loads back and forth, provided they’re not in mating season or disturbed... But field transportation with the army is impossible, they would lose direction while walking."

"Long-term training, fixed back and forth..."

Xiulote furrowed his brows, feeling it was quite impractical. Bison’s wild nature is untamed, cannot be driven, limited in actual use. They cannot act as riding beasts to form cavalry; also difficult to use for transportation to form caravans; as for taming bison for plowing fields, it cannot be done in a generation or even twenty generations.

"Mohe, given this, why does the Alliance spend such great costs to raise many bison? What is their use?"

Xiulote thought for a moment, looked at Mohe with a solemn expression. He wanted to hear the ranch manager’s explanation and possibly gain some insight.

"Ah, ah indeed! Your Highness... Bison are useful!"

Upon hearing the question, Mohe trembled with anxiousness. He had painstakingly obtained the position of ranch manager, overseeing a squad of Samurai, tens of pastoral slaves, and responsible for the Royal Family’s precious "giant beasts," having both prestige and security. Thinking this, Mohe hastily defended.

"Your Highness, bison are massive, run swiftly, roar loudly... They symbolize... symbolize the Royal Family’s prestige, can intimidate the masses! Even well-trained elite Samurai, when first encountering charging bison, would be terrified, trembling uncontrollably..."

"Hmm... makes sense."

Upon hearing this, Xiulote raised his head, gazed at the solemn and cautiously guarded Imperial Guard Warriors around the bison, and slowly nodded.

The first practical use of bison is to train warriors, making them familiar with charging giant beasts, mastering response techniques, thereby overcoming the fear of the unknown. Once warriors are accustomed to the presence of bison, they would not panic facing colonizer’s warhorses, nor would they deify warhorses and lose the will to resist.

Seeing His Highness’s approval, Mohe slightly exhaled with relief. He pursed his lips and swallowed, then cautiously spoke.

"Your Highness, as long as the terrain is suitable, cool mountain grasslands on the highland can raise a few bison. Though raising them is costly, it provides stable quality meat for the nobility and priests to feast on... Bison meat is tender and thick, much tastier than turkey meat!"

"Hmm? Raised for eating?"

Xiulote was slightly surprised, then nodded in understanding. Bison raising costs are high, but not as high as vanilla herbs consumed by the nobility. The Mexica Alliance lacks top-quality meat sources; adding bison meat to the noble’s menu creates demand for raising them.

"Good idea. Anything else?"

"Uh..."

Mohe twirled his hair, hastily pondering. Then he pointed to the pile of manure in the corner.

"Your Highness, according to village priests’ saying, manure carries the Chief Divine’s earthly vitality, usable for fertilizing fields! A bison eats 60 pounds of fodder a day and produces about 50 pounds of manure..."

"Eats 60 pounds of fodder a day?"

Upon hearing this number, Xiulote was somewhat astonished. He looked at the busy pastoral slaves and the vast mountain pasture. Less than 300 bison occupied large areas, needing dozens of people preparing fodder, indeed consuming a lot. After observing for a while, Xiulote slightly nodded.

"If bison produce ample fertilizer for fields, it does have some benefits."

"Your Highness, not just that."

Mohe smiled respectfully and pointed towards the distant warehouse.

"Besides meat, bison also produce a lot of hides and sinews. These offset part of the raising costs... Actually, raising bison isn’t that difficult, only some losses during the dangerous mating seasons..."

"Hides and sinews... Leather armor and horn bow..."

Xiulote fell into contemplation, ancient images flashed before him. Quality leather armor coated with great lacquer offers considerable defense, an essential for Spring and Autumn noble warriors. However, compared to inexpensive cloth-covered metal armor, quality leather armor’s cost is astronomically high, lengthy in production, and expensive in maintenance.

"Moreover, America has no lacquer trees... perhaps rubber could be used?"

Xiulote pondered silently, then considered horn bow manufacturing. With enough sinews and horns, composite horn bows could be tested. He vaguely remembered horn bow knowledge, previously shared with the Kingdom’s crossbow manager, bowyer Kundili.

"After Northern Expedition, Kundili’s bamboo-wood composite bow has made progress, unsure about horn bow research..."

"Your Highness..."

Seeing His Highness’s contemplative expression, Mohe waited for a while, then cautiously asked.

"It’s already evening, shall I have pastoral slaves prepare dinner? Recently, the ranch slaughtered an escaped bison, there’s prime bison eye meat, tender and juicy when roasted... Let me personally grill it for you!"

"Hmm? Grilled bison eye meat?... Good, excellent!"

Upon hearing this, Xiulote’s eyes brightened. He glanced at Nashu beside him, who nodded in understanding.

"Your Highness, we’ve brought chili powder, allspice, herb mix, and other spices..."

"Very good! Let’s stay here tonight and have a hearty meal. Haha, rare grilled bison meat!"

Xiulote laughed heartily with satisfaction, waved his hand, and everyone went to prepare. He stood atop a small hill, lifted his head, gazed at the magnificent western red sun, and gently smelled the faint grass scent in the wind. In the undulating mountain pastures, massive bison gathered in groups under the red sunset glow, like the cherished children of both sky and earth.

"North American Bison! Neither suitable as riding beasts nor practical as pack animals... You are North America’s free-running Thunderbolt beasts!... I relish eating you but discard you without regret..."