Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

The songs of the Taino people, ancient and joyful, accompanied by the beat of drums, echoed inside and outside the leader's hut. The old militia, Chiwaco, listened patiently, his face full of a peaceful smile. Until the singing ceased, the ritual informing the spirit and ancestors also came to an end.

The hut returned to silence, and the old village chief, Yucama, reached into his arms, once again taking out a handful of Cohiba tobacco "Long Spears," handing them to Chiwaco. Soon, the two were puffing away, smoking the most primitive cigars, and began an honest conversation through the translator, Kuba.

"Respected Village Chief Yucama, our fleet needs food and water. I am willing to offer the goods of our fleet in exchange with you!"

The old militia, Chiwaco, spoke sincerely, revealing the purpose of his journey. Hearing this, the old village chief, Yucama, was startled for a moment and then replied with a smile.

"Tribes of the Lake, friends from afar! The All Gods and ancestors watch over the village, and you are our guests. You can directly share our food and replenish what you need."

"Uh..."

Upon hearing this, Chiwaco scratched his head. He thought for a moment but still shook his head and said.

"Praise the Divine and thank you for your generosity! However, our fleet has many people, and the amount of food needed is also substantial. We cannot take your food for free. We have sufficient goods for exchange, whatever you prefer."

Saying this, Chiwaco waved and called to Shan Bird, who carried a bamboo basket.

"Shan Bird, bring the goods up!"

Soon, in front of the old village chief Yucama, appeared a small bag of cocoa, a handful of cotton cloth, a small bag of Lake Gem, a small bag of gold and silver, and several bright feathers. These were the most common trade items from various tribes that the fleet had collected along the way.

The old village chief, Yucama, pondered for a while, first pointing at the gold, silver, and feathers, shaking his head. The Taino tribes did not produce gold and silver, nor did they find any use for these stones which neither feed nor clothe them.

As for the feathers, while the Taino tribes needed them for headdresses or interior decorations, the Yucama tribe itself produced many bird feathers. They would use domesticated birds to emit crisp chirping to lure bright wild parrots, and they also set traps with bait to catch coastal seabirds.

Then, the old village chief, Yucama, gazed at the cocoa, a bit puzzled, as if recalling something, and slightly shook his head, pointing at the cocoa and shaking his hand again.

The crops on Cuba Island included cassava, tobacco, corn, beans, pumpkins, cotton, chili peppers, peanuts, pineapples, gourds, and also palm fruits, guava, and Zemi fruit. Cocoa, revered by the highland and Maya tribes, was not part of the daily diet of the Taino tribes. It was only because of multiple visits by Mayan merchant caravans that the old village chief recognized it.

Not far away, the Naυtical Priest, MeKate, watched the scene with thoughtfulness.

"Cocoa is the sacrificial drink shared by the Nauа religions and Maya religions. Since the Taino did not consume cocoa, their polytheistic beliefs might have entirely different origins compared to the highland and rainforest tribes!"

Subsequently, the old village chief, Yucama, felt the soft cotton cloth, smiled, and nodded. The Taino tribes also grew cotton and wove fabric, but both the quality of the cotton produced and the textile materials' quality were much lesser than that of the Nava and Mayan peoples. In fact, throughout Central America, the centers of various tribal civilizations lay in the highland Mexican Valley and the lowland Maya basin.

Finally, the village chief Yucama opened the little bag of gemstones, the brilliant light reflecting in his eyes. He was visibly stunned for a moment, then suddenly a bright smile spread across his face as he grabbed a white Lake Gem.

"This one! It's good! It can be strung into a necklace, worn around the neck, or offered to the Ancestors!"

Seeing the flashing white bead in the chief's hand, the Taino elders inside the hut were momentarily surprised but then broke into smiles. The necklaces around their necks served as a medium of communication with the Divine and ancestors, and were also their soul's safeguard in reincarnation. According to ancient legend, the more pristine and translucent the beads, the more attention they would receive from the Ancestors and the God of Death, guiding their souls.

"Good, Chief Divine witness! Respected Village Chief Yucama, we will trade your food with Lake Gems and cotton cloth!"

Chiwaco let out a sigh of relief, his face also revealing a relaxed smile. There were still many gemstones on the ship, especially the white ones.

"The tribes of the Wilderness prefer green and blue, the Maya tribes prefer green and red. Unexpectedly, the Taino people like white and semi-transparent. The Lake Gems produced by Your Majesty, surprisingly, can be universally accepted, which is truly strange!..."

"Good! This bead is good!"

Village Chief Yucama laughed heartily, nodding in agreement. Holding the flashing white bead, he instructed nearby villagers. Quickly, someone came with a basket of food and placed it before Chiwaco.

"This, cassava cake, for the road, can last four to five days. This, dried cassava chunks, soaked and peeled, then dried. Don't get them wet, and they can last ten to twenty days. This, dried corn, lasts very long. This, cassava leaf powder, can be added to water for drinking, or mixed in with the food..."

Village Chief Yucama picked up the food one by one and explained. Chiwaco listened attentively, nodding continuously.

The main food for the Taino tribes is the highly productive cassava. Cassava can be planted on mountains or plains, ideally suited for a warm, year-round climate with average rainfall. However, this crop is not picky about soil, drought-resistant, and heat-tolerant. Even with insufficient rainfall and high summer temperatures, it can still yield reasonable harvests. Its strong vitality allows it to withstand weed competition, requiring minimal field management. Later, it became the staple food of the African continent, and the raw material for pearls in pearl milk tea is cassava.

"Respected Captain Chiwaco, this is the Taino cassava. It's more filling than squash and almost like corn!"

Seeing the food brought by the village chief, the Maya merchant Tikalo raised his eyebrows and added with a smile.

"Of course, the texture of cassava is not as good as corn. Even cassava cakes are just a little better than cassava chunks, barely edible. It is toxic in its raw form and requires peeling and soaking in water for a day before it can be cooked for consumption. In the Lowland Maya, ordinary commoners on the mountains would plant cassava to make a living, but the nobility usually don't eat it. However, the leaves of the cassava, once cleaned and soaked properly, make a really good vegetable!"

"What? This cassava, like sweet potatoes, can be planted on mountains?"

Upon hearing this, the old militia Chiwaco's eyes lit up, and he asked further.

"How much yield can an acre of land produce in the Alliance?"

"Oh! Once the cassava grows, it resembles a short tree. The edible parts are the tubers buried underground, not fruit produced. As for the yield..."

Tikalo reached out and touched his divine-like head. He pondered for a moment but had never focused on such a crop's yield. The old militia then turned to the old village chief and asked Kuba to translate.

"Cassava is a gift from the white god Yucahu in the southern rainforest to our ancestors! Cassava has nurtured the Taino people. Whether in storms or floods, it provides us with precious food! A single cassava tree can produce five or six tubers, each at least the size of a fist. Look, what grows on the soil mounds in the nearby fields are cassava plants, and what's buried within are the tubers!"

"Ah? A single cassava can produce five or six tubers?"

Chiwaco extended his hand, hefting the cassava tubers in the basket, each weighing about a pound or two. He glanced outside the thatch hut, estimating the density of the cassava mounds, and his expression turned to shock.

"You can plant a cassava every 2-3 paces, with 240 paces per acre. With each producing 5-6 tubers, even if each tuber weighs just over a pound, the yield per acre... that's... that's..."

"At least 500 pounds per acre. If peeled and washed, some weight would be lost. Moreover, harvested cassava spoils easily and doesn't store as long as corn or squash. However, I remember this crop can grow for many years in the ground and can be harvested whenever needed..."

Seeing the old militia calculating with his fingers, the Maya merchant Tikalo smiled secretly and replied casually. Then, he stroked his chin and, upon seeing the wide-eyed, incredulous expression on the old militia's face, asked curiously.

"Respected Captain Chiwaco, what's the matter? Is this yield very high?"

"Ah, praise the Chief Divine! Damn it! That blind someone finally did something right!"

Chiwaco gritted his teeth hard, nearly biting his tongue. His eyes turned red as he replied through gritted teeth.

"High, very high! This yield surpasses even the Chief Divine! It's higher than sweet potatoes and squash! We must take these cassavas back, to be planted in the Alliance!"

"If there's a barren year, this crop, like squash and sweet potatoes, could be life-saving..."

The Yucama old village chief looked curious. He doesn't quite understand what these Lake Central Tribe people mean while pointing to the most common cassava. This ordinary crop has been domesticated by the ancestors of the Taino people, the Awa ancestors from the southern Amazon Jungle, for thousands or tens of thousands of years. It's the most common food on the Southern Continent.

"Cassava is a gift from the white god Yucahu bestowed to our ancestors in the southern rainforest, nurturing the Taino people!..."

Thinking of this, the Yucama old village chief held the shiny white bead and looked at the divine rune wood carving, quietly praising it for a while until Chiwaco solemnly saluted him and requested again.

"Respected Village Chief Yucama, thank you! I have another request... Our fleet has three longships lost along this coastal area. I hope you can send messengers to inquire with the surrounding villages and villagers..."

"Additionally, we will bring the damaged longships into the village for nearby repairs. With the villagers' help, the work should go faster... Of course, we will offer you the white Lake Gem as a gift."

"May All Gods and ancestors bless you, bless us! No problem, my friend. We are willing to help you, just like helping our kin. We also like your shiny white beads, the best gift for the All Gods and ancestors!"

The Yucama old village chief smiled kindly. He nodded without hesitation.

"Come, friends! Please stay in our village for a while. The women in the nearby villages welcome your arrival. We've been a long time without new blood to sustain the tribe's vitality..."

"Flowers welcome butterflies, and the butterflies will make them bear fruit. Cassava welcomes the sparrows, and the sparrows will spread the seeds. We welcome you to our village, take the cassava blessed by the white god, leave behind the Lake Tribes' gem, and continue our brothers' bloodlines!"