Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 555 - 271: Two Chief Priests

"Praise the Chief Divine, He is the supreme and the only!... Praise the King, He is the Divine Tree of the Alliance!... Praise Your Highness, He is the Winged Divine Eagle!..."

Bright sunlight bathed the land, and the vast breeze swept through the city. Led by the two Chief Priests, hundreds of ruling elites of the kingdom all bowed deeply before His Highness in salutation.

In the legal principles of the Alliance, the supreme deities awarded the world to the King of the Alliance, the Great Tlatoani Aweit. Aweit then bestowed the land amidst the lake to the Tlatoani of this place, Xiulote. Chief Divine, King, Your Highness, that was also the order of prayer and praise. No matter how they were addressed in private, it was necessary to follow the tradition of the Alliance on such formal occasions.

"Chief Priest Ugus, greetings to you! It has been quite some time since we last met."

"Your Highness, greetings to you, and cheers for your illustrious martial prowess!"

Dressed in his ornate feather crown and robes, Ugus chuckled, nodding his head and clenching his fist in greeting.

"Over the past year, tales of Your Highness’s valiant fights spread continuously throughout the Lake Capital City. The Priests say that Your Highness is the reincarnation of the martial Black Wolf, guardian of the supreme sun! The Samurai also believe that you are a true Divine Descendant, adept at war, a Marshal who achieves the greatest military exploits with the least casualties!..."

Hearing the familiar phrase "guardian of the sun," Xiulote’s expression shifted. Recalling his grandfather’s smile, he nodded. Then, looking toward the charming Ugus, he pondered in his heart.

"Ugus seems much more composed than two years ago..."

"Haha, Your Highness, the ignorant citizens of the Capital City worship you, saying you have a voice like thunder, eyes that emit Divine Light, and a mighty stature that could shatter a tree with a single blow... But it’s only I who remembers seeing you for the first time, with a face as refined as the tiger-striped wild iris... Hmm? Now, your demeanor is serene, your face like cold jade, with an overflowing elegance, still as beautiful as a flower, but now more like the stately dahlia!"

Ugus widened his eyes and looked over His Highness, clapping his hands in genuine admiration.

Xiulote’s smile faltered, and he nodded slightly, deciding to retract his earlier assessment.

"It seems there’s no change... But, as a Chief Priest of the Alliance, this is also quite good."

Then, the King turned toward the other Chief Priest, with a much more sincere smile.

"Chief Priest Mawilo, greetings to you! I have always kept the teachings you gave me in my youth in my heart."

"Your Highness, greetings to you! From a young age, you were naturally gifted with Divine Revelation, wisdom beyond your years. The Elder Priests of the Holy City regarded you as a blessing from the deities, the hope of the Alliance! Seeing you today, our expectations at that time were perhaps a bit modest."

Mawilo, in his fifties, dressed impeccably, with a lean face and extremely sharp eyes, now smiled warmly, earnestly bowing his head in a gesture reserved for divine beings.

"The gaze of the Chief Divine watches over the Alliance, and the deities of the City of the Gods have never left. They have merely concealed themselves, leaving their Divinity to flow in their descendants, just as Your Highness’s Divine Revelation!"

Hearing this, Xiulote’s face showed realization; these were probably his grandfather’s words.

Mawilo was a Chief Priest born into the Priesthood of the Holy City, who had taught Xiulote priestly knowledge since childhood, and whose ancestors were part of the honored Nobility of the Lake Capital City. His coming here with Ugus, the Priest of the city lines, clearly represented a kind of considered balance. Compared with Ugus, he was obviously closer and more trustworthy.

After exchanging formalities, Xiulote then asked with a smile.

"Chief Priests, how was your journey here?"

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"The Lerma River flows westward, while water birds rest on the banks, and the red hawks glide through the mountains and forests. Traveling southward on this road is like a painting penned by the prince of flowers, with life and wilderness filling the land!"

Ugus exclaimed in admiration. He then turned to look back at the magnificent Qinchongcan City, praising it from the bottom of his heart.

"The Earth Mother Goddess gathers Divine Power, Qinchongcan City is encircled by high walls, and the House of Wind lies coiled like sleeping Mountains, truly spectacular! Compared to the Lake Capital City, though this place is less populated and less flourishing, it is still a place where one could stay for a long duration. The states we passed, such as Akanbaro, were far less impressive. Although Prince Tepopolo tried hard to make us stay, as soon as the weather cleared, I could not bear to stay a day longer..."

Hearing this, Xiulote’s gaze flickered. He looked toward Mawilo.

"Is the High Priest in good health? I waited for the Priesthood for quite some time before setting out on an inspection tour in October before the autumn harvest. It seems you’ve had quite the hardships on your travels."

"Yes. Your Highness, the High Priest is in good health. Upon hearing Your Highness’s good news, he even drank with us on several occasions... The Priesthood originally planned to arrive before the autumn harvest, but the families of the Northern Army Samurai were journeying with us. Their gathering took time, and the journey was quite slow..."

"Excellent! The Mexica Samurai have been looking forward to it, waiting for a long time! How was the journey for the families? Have they all entered the city now?"

"There are nearly ten thousand family members of the Legion, and the food supply along the way was plentiful, with Samurai guards. The first half have all entered the city to rest. The other half are still in Huayamo Fortress up north and will take a few days to arrive."

Mawilo nodded, answering meticulously. He had always been in charge of the miscellaneous affairs accompanying the army, while Ugus had leisurely enjoyed the scenery, admired the landscapes, and appreciated the beauty of the women.

"Your Highness, we traveled west along the Lerma River and encountered torrential rains during the rainy season, causing us to stay in the western city-states for half a month. The homebound legions from the western city-states were very enthusiastic and full of praise for Your Highness... Afterward, we landed on the southern bank of the Lerma River, encountered heavy rains again in Akanbaro State. Prince Tepopolo was very hospitable, and the priesthood stayed there for several days before continuing southward,"

"The legions from the western city-states..."

Xiulote smiled, for these legions had once served in the Northern Army. Although the campaign to the west had ended, the influence of the Commander-in-Chief remained in people’s hearts, awaiting the day it would come into play. After pondering for a while, he directly asked,

"Hmm, did Prince Tepopolo say anything?"

"Prince Tepopolo mentioned the dispute over the territories on the North Coast of the Lerma River with the Otomi people. He sought the support of the Alliance, expressed his goodwill towards the priesthood, and was also concerned about the war situation between the eastern king and the Tlaxcala people. It’s likely he will contact the king as well," Mawilo recounted everything candidly. Xiulote observed Ugus beside him, catching the changes in his expression. The Chief Priest, not yet thirty, was leaning to the side, seemingly still admiring the grandeur of Qinchongcan City. It was only after a moment that he turned his head back and offered the king a "simple" smile.

"Your Highness, the House of Wind of the Prepetcha people had been passed down for a thousand years, primitive and magnificent, famous throughout the world! The Sacred Fire in front of the temple is filled with divinity, also a spectacular sight... To be able to drink the Holy Water in such an ancient temple and communicate with the noble deities is the lifelong wish of every priest! Please provide me with the support in manpower and resources to rebuild the Chief Divine’s Temple atop the pyramid..." Ugus laughed heartily, with a somewhat unruly and carefree attitude.

"Your Highness, life is short, and the Chief Divine promises us joy! The tediousness of worldly matters is far less interesting than Holy Water, Divine Smoke, fine clothes, and beautiful women... I’ve heard that the lake beauties of Prepetcha are very intriguing, with the agility of fish, skilled in underwater pleasures... Ah, the deities have blessed me with a curious spirit for exploration, so please do not blame me, Your Highness..."

"Building a temple and taking charge of it... not interfering with the affairs of the kingdom... asking for luxurious pleasures and women, while also proactively handing over the handle of indulgences..."

Xiulote’s expression turned serious, his gaze fixed intently on the old acquaintance before him, a faint sense of unfamiliarity arising. After a long pause, he responded with a gentle smile,

"May the Chief Divine bless us! Chief Priest Ugus, constructing a temple is indeed what should be done. The planting season is over, and I will assign people to start preparations. However, the Great Temple in Lake Capital City took decades of careful construction, and the Temple of Qinchongcan City is already founded on the Akatla Pyramids; the rest needs only to be built slowly..."

Constructing temples is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and Xiulote was not prepared to undertake massive building projects until the fief’s resources were plentiful. For now, minor repairs on Akatla would suffice, just completing the construction of the main shrine.

"As for exploring the mysteries of pleasure, it is naturally the grace promised by the Chief Divine! If it weren’t for the busyness of state affairs, I too would like to join the Chief Priest in appreciating the Holy Water and the Divine Smoke... Hm, Ugus, the Land of the Lake in the east also has the Royal Family’s mountain hot springs, a mere ten days’ journey back and forth. You may take the women there..."

Xiulote patted Ugus on the shoulder with a smile, and the latter also bowed his head with a laugh, expressing gratitude.

"Thank you for the King’s gracious gift!"

Mawilo had been quietly waiting until the two finished speaking before he spoke up again.

"Your Highness, the latest news from ten days ago indicates a breakthrough in the eastern war situation! During the autumn harvest in October, the Tlaxcala legions were unstable, with the conscripted militia clamoring to return home. The king then mobilized a large army, assembling thirty thousand samurai and thirty thousand militia, to besiege the besieged fortresses on the east of Xochipeople State.

The Alliance built more than a dozen trebuchets for the bombardment, dispatched three thousand Longbow Warriors for strong shots, and launched hundreds of exploding Divine Fires, ultimately recapturing the border fortresses! More than two thousand Tlaxcala samurai died in battle, and the number of captured enemy militia also ran into the thousands. The Tlaxcala’s main legions tried to rescue at one point, confronting the Royal Legion of the Alliance by a tributary of the Tarsas River upstream, but in the end, no decisive battle erupted.

After the fall of the fortresses, the Tlaxcala people retreated to the east, sending envoys to sue for peace. After two years of campaigning, even with continuous victories, the Alliance’s treasury was depleted, and the samurai suffered significant losses and were very weary. The king thus accepted the Tlaxcala’s agreement, led the legions back to the Capital City, and dismissed the conscripted militia.

May the Chief Divine bless the Alliance! This vast and prolonged war finally ended with our victory!..."

"May the Chief Divine bless us, the Alliance invincible in battle!"

Xiulote prayed aloud, invigorated. Both Chief Priests then echoed in a chanting tone,

"Praise be to You, the highest Chief Divine Huitzilopochtli! He who holds lightning in His hands, standing atop the holy Snake Mountain, with a voice like thunder, proclaims His will: ’Faithful Mexica, serve Me, and I shall bestow upon you the leadership of ten thousand, promising you the whole world!...’"

The prayer of praise rose high, the priests behind joining in the chant, their devout voices echoing in the sky and resounding in everyone’s hearts, causing Jatili to also bow his head. After a while, Xiulote ceased the prayer and asked in a deep voice,

"Now that the coronation war has ended, the sacrifice of gratitude to the Chief Divine will soon begin. When is the Great Sacrifice to the Chief Divine scheduled?"

"Next January, combined with the New Year’s Grand Sacrifice."

A smile appeared on Mawilo’s serious face.

"At that time, it will be an unprecedented Great Sacrifice!"