Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1744 - 1247: The Most Whale Meat, the "Hardest" Zuwaro

The surging Great River rushes into the estuary, stirring up the sediment where clear and turbid waters meet. The loud whale song echoes from afar, resonating on the horizon of the cloud sea. Further north from North Port, the vibrating sea waves chase after the songs of the whale pods, traversing seven or eight hundred miles, suddenly arriving at the world's end on the far northern edge of the Western Sea Coast, the largest producer of meat oil in the world, preserving the whale totem poles of Whale Harbor in the Maca Tribe!

"Chief Divine bless! Hi·dawʔaƛwa·d, pu·pu·q̓adʔi, dudu·k̓aƛx̌a·š!…"

"Chief Divine bless! I have heard the sound, I have found it! It's whistling, it's singing a song!…"

"It's it! It's a nearby whale, it's our prey! Prepare for whaling!…"

On the kingdom's longship, the Maca Chieftain Whale Sea listens attentively, shouting in sharp high-pitched Maca tribal language.

Whale Sea is the most experienced whaling veteran, possessing extraordinary hearing, almost never making mistakes. Although the Warriors of the Kingdom heard nothing, all the guards and hunters on the three longships prepared javelins and fishing nets, ready for the tense whaling operation. Along the coastal rocks, the urgent beating of the "whale luring" Ancestral Spirit Wooden Drum and the floating wooden beast mimicking a "beautiful whale" tempted its "fellow", seemingly distant but swimming fast.

Within less than a quarter of an hour, a massive gray whale over thirty tons surfaces at the entrance of the Strait from the west. Harrow Strait, where Whale Harbor lies, is a crucial sea route in the eastern North Pacific. Any whale group migrating south from the North Pacific will inevitably skirt the edges of this strait. Once they are lured into this elongate strait, most are destined to "bless the tribe".

This enormous gray whale, habitually migrating south in the spring, perhaps drawn closer by the rich coastline, accidentally hears the strange and distant "whale song", then excitedly swims into the strait, seeking its "fellows" rolling in the water for courtship. Until it impatiently closes in, a shout in Mexica Language and Maca Language suddenly bursts forth!

"Chief Divine bless! Cast the nets, throw the javelins, strike it!…"

"How ah!... Ah woo!...."

"Chief Divine guidance! Strike it, pursue! Continue the bleeding! Ah! It's trying to escape!"

"How ah!... Ah woo!...."

"Quick! Open the eastern passage, drive it deeper into the strait!... Good! It's fleeing eastward!…"

"How ah!... Ah woo!...."

"Keep pursuing! Follow the blood trail! It's badly wounded, it won't get far! Just wait for the tide to fall, and it might easily beach itself!…"

"How ah!... Ah woo!...."

Crossbows shoot sea fish, long whales loom. Fierce warriors hurled javelins to stab, seasoned hunters laid nets and ropes. The fierce whaling continued from day to night, and from night to day, wrapping up only after an entire day of struggle on the blood-soaked beach. The gray whale that crashed onto the beach and beached let out a final unwilling whale call, resonating throughout the rugged strait.

"Ah!... Woo ah ah! How…"

"Praise the Chief Divine! Such a big whale, so much meat!!"

"Haha! This is the first whale of the new year, a blessing granted by the Chief Divine, an auspicious sign for the tribe!…"

The giant whale falls, its body topples, dying with a great crash. The kingdom's fleet of longships immediately surrounds, skillfully cutting meat and extracting oil. A canoe swiftly paddles westward, to guide the route, calling more tribal boats to come.

This single over thirty-ton giant whale is enough for the tribe to harvest for three to four days, producing twenty tons of reddish whale meat, two to three tons of slippery whale oil, and several tons of white whale bone. The harvested whale meat requires the fleet to transport back and forth, with hundreds busy with curing, finally drying across the entire Whale Harbor!

In fact, the whaling fleet usually captures only one big whale a month, at most two. Any more, and there's no time to smoke and cure the whale meat, wasting the precious catch. There are also seven months from March to October each year, which are suitable for whaling!

From late October each year until early March the following year, is the common period of ice coverage in the Far North Sea regions; whales will stay away from the coast, less frequent in Whale Harbor. Due to the environmental impact, even if the port isn't frozen outside, only small fish can be caught, making it difficult to hunt the big whales again…

So, at this moment in March, it is the first whaling of this spring! And this enormous giant beast-like gray whale is the first whale caught by Whale Harbor this year! After a long winter's wait, with the continuous supply of lake salt from the South, the highly profitable whaling activities of Whale Harbor will become increasingly prosperous. The whale meat, which is resistant to hunger and abundant, along with the shiny bright whale oil, has also become the specialty of Whale Harbor... This is the unique Western Sea specialty of this era, enhanced by special geography and ancient skills!

"Praise the Chief Divine! The bountiful spring has arrived once more! Accompanied by the whale song is the whale meat and whale oil production that stands supreme over the Northern Continent and even the whole world... In the next seven months, the whale meat we produce each month will be at least twenty tons!... Whether it's the Western Sea Coast or the Far North Coast, which kingdom's port can compare to our Whale Harbor!..."

On the largest longship, the priest Zuyu of Whale Harbor was full of spirit, draped in the furs of the Northern Tribes, looking at the bustling whale cutting scene, as if seeing his continuously advancing future. Upon closer inspection, his priest's feather crown had already changed from the plain crown of a First Level Priest to the half-colored crown of a Second Level Priest, with two more bright blue feathers. And this promotion took only two or three years...

"Haha! Across the entire Western Sea Coast from south to north, North Bird Stone Village is Guano Rock Port, Three Hills Port is the salt port, West Mountain Port is the shipbuilding port, Lake Bay Port is the iron smelting port, South Port is the corn port, North Port is the Great River port... Only our Whale Harbor is the supply port for the entire Far North Coast!..."

"With the blessing of the Chief Divine, our Whale Harbor's whaling output is not only the source of oil and meat for the whole Northern Continent but also the supply source for the eight Far North ports! When the longships from the Far North ports arrive here, they must respectfully call me 'Big Daddy'!..."

Holding the massive whaling gains in his hands, priest Zuyu spoke with unyielding confidence. Under the ample food supply from whaling, the population of the Kingdom at Maca Whale Harbor has quickly grown to sixteen hundred, having a fleet size second only to West Mountain Port. And this key port that bridges the Far North Coast and the Western Sea Coast is the most vital blood supply point when the populations of each Far North port surge!

In fact, due to Whale Harbor's massive output and key supplies, its status stands quite independently on the entire Northern route, and it is far more important than a regular small port. Although it is located at the northernmost tip of the Western Sea Coast, at the beginning of the Far North Coast, it seems to be the core major port of the entire Far North Coast!

"Yes, blessed by the Ancestors! As long as I'm here, as long as I firmly control this Whale Harbor... my cousin Zuwaro there can receive endless support and won't fear that the Far North ports will develop other thoughts... My cousin arranged me here, surely with foresight and wisdom!"

Priest Zuyu lowered his eyes, pondering thoughts unknown to others. These thoughts may be dark but are related to the power balance of the Kingdom's naval system, which cannot be neglected.

The key core of feudal politics is personnel arrangements. Skillful personnel arrangements can not only provide immediate assistance to one's own situation but can also set up future developments in advance, preparing for the growth, balance, and restraint of power...

The Kingdom's entire Far North route essentially starts from Whale Harbor, passing through a series of Alaskan ports, until reaching Divine Twins Smoke Harbor on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

On this pivotal route communicating the Western Sea Continent, the westernmost end, which is the frontline of exploration and expansion, is overseen by Fourth Level Grand Priest and Exploration Captain Zuwaro. His position as Exploration Captain undoubtedly foreshadows that on the future Northern Continent, a pivotal Fifth Level Supreme High Priest, a substantial real power position envied by all Nautical Priests, would be his!

Holding such power also requires continuous support from the rear while stationed at the forefront far from various ports. To ensure support from the rear... Zuwaro, in the initial stage of expansion, arranged his cousin Zuyu at Whale Harbor, to manage the supply starting point of this Far North route!... This clever personnel arrangement, on closer inspection, indeed provides much food for thought.

"With the Chief Divine as witness! Whale Harbor supplies the entire Far North Coast, and the third batch of support fleets has already gone north last summer and fall. Before the freeze last October, nobody knows how many longships entered the island route? And how many longships filled with Samurai could break into the turbulent North Sea and successfully reach the ice-covered Peninsula?"

Priest Zuyu's gaze looked towards the vast, cold Far North Sea. Those faint reflective points were the floating ice drifting south from the North, not yet completely melted.

During the long winter freeze, the entire Far North Sea was sound-isolated, unable to receive any news from the sea route. The first reporting and supply longship probably won't arrive at Whale Harbor until late April or early May. As for the news from the westernmost end of the Aleutian Island route, it probably won't come until August or even September!...

The whole Far North Sea, frozen for half a year, can only allow news to pass from west to east once in the remaining half year. Such a difficult communication efficiency is truly absurd!

"Oh! Chief Divine bless, I offer the soul of the giant beast to you! Please bless the devoted and brave cousin Zuwaro, sincerely hoping he won't live too harshly on the cold Ice and Snow Peninsula!"

Priest Zuyu prayed devoutly, offering the captured whale's soul to the Supreme Main God. Meanwhile, on the far side, at the southernmost side of the Kamchatka Peninsula, snow like falling stars was spread across the sea, beautiful and cold beyond measure.

Exploration Captain Zuwaro also stood at the seaside, looking at the sea that was still frozen and observing the three longships frozen at the shore. Then, he suddenly raised his head, seemingly sensing something as he gazed eastward into the icebound horizon.

"Whew! A truly tough winter, truly tough days indeed! I, Zuwaro, sacrifice myself for the Chief Divine and for Your Majesty, it's truly not easy! Ah..."

Amidst the swirling snow, Exploration Captain Zuwaro let out a leisurely sigh, then transformed it into a satisfied thankfulness. He contentedly tightened his arms around the warm and soft Ezo girl in his embrace, with one hand quietly disappearing, his lips curling into a smile. The short-statured, yellow-haired Ezo girl shivered all over immediately, unable to hold back from opening her small mouth and letting out a weak cry in the Ainu Language.

"Zhu! Shaomo! No, no..."