Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

Chapter 1888 1361: Cuba, Divine Kingdom of Humanity

"Captain of Kepili Warriors! We have arrived at Cuba Snake Island, right ahead is the westernmost part of the island, the snake tail, where the West Mountain Tribe has converted to the Chief Divine!"..."May the Chief Divine protect us! We've been rocked for five days across these five or six hundred leagues of waves! Quick! Quickly dock and let the warriors disembark for a good rest!"...

Six oar-sailed longships charged towards the shore, almost without pausa, rushing into the shallow waters. The 300 Warriors of the Kingdom on board eagerly jumped onto the beach, many dry-retching as they scattered across the sand. As the leader of the 300 warriors, Kepili also leaped off the ship and forcefully drove a large flag, symbolizing the unit, into the sand!

"Phew! All team leaders, count your members! Once confirmed, report to me!"

Kepili ordered loudly, and the disembarked warriors quickly assembled into twenty-man teams, aligning with their respective captains. According to the military system of the Kingdom, the most basic combat unit is the "twenty-man team". This is also a traditional method in Central America amongst various tribes for capturing and hunting, as fingers and toes together make counting twenty convenient.

The leader of a twenty-man warrior team is often called the "team leader". Furthermore, one palm, which is five twenty-man teams, forms a "hundred-man team". The hundred-man team has a flag representing the unit, so the captain of a hundred-man team is usually referred to as the "banner leader". And two palms together make up a two-hundred-man group, where the leader is referred to as the "big banner leader".

The "big banner leader" does not necessarily command only two hundred-man teams. For example, Kepili, the trusted Totonac warrior under Black Wolf, leads three full hundred-man teams, totaling 300 warriors of the Kingdom. After capturing Ekab Port, he immediately followed Black Wolf's orders and navigated east along the opened route to support Cuba by crossing the sea!

A similar military division also appears in the tribal flag teams that are conscripted into the formal Kingdom Legion. A small flag team of about four hundred usually has forty warriors conscripted, with the leader called the "small banner captain". A large flag team of four thousand often conscripts four hundred, led by a "big banner captain". This means the conscripted tribal flag teams only have three levels: "tribal warriors-small banner captain-big banner captain", making it more simplified and crude.

In regular combat expeditions, twenty-man teams are responsible for scouting, hundred-man teams for capturing a village. Several hundred-man teams control a battlefield node, while thousand-man camps are the units overseeing the battlefield. Beyond that, brigades composed of these thousand-man camps can besiege and capture territories for large-scale battles.

The resulting military system of the Kingdom is precisely "warrior-team leader-banner leader-big banner leader-thousand-man commander-legion commander", amounting to six levels. This six-level military system, similar to the tribal military on the northern nomadic grasslands of the Celestial Empire, fits the current cultural and traditional capacities.

Thus, this simple and crude military system, deeply tied to real-world conditions, is dictated by the cultural level of the officers and leaders. It's not that the Kingdom doesn't wish for a more meticulous military division—Xiulote has long drafted many complex systems, some even surpassing their time...

However, practice proved everything: tribal warriors recruited from all parts of the world severely lacked the ability for fine organizational structure! If the military system was designed too complexly, it would be difficult for the tribal warriors to adapt, leading to a decrease in combat effectiveness! Similarly, the current military organization suffices against tribal enemies encountered during the Kingdom's expansion, without urgent need for further development or refinement...

"Big banner leader! Three hundred-man teams are all accounted for except four or five lost to the sea! Additionally, the tribal militia from the West Mountain Tribe welcoming us is already here, just on the eastern hillside!"...

"Oh! They've found us so quickly? This West Mountain Tribe isn't bad at all! Let me have a closer look... Hiss! These Taino militia are so tall and clearly make excellent warriors!"...

"..."

The generally tall Taino militia often leaves Kingdom's Warriors with a fleeting impression of their battle readiness upon first meeting. However, upon closer contact, one can read on the faces of these towering militia, who seem to carry long spears like they're carrying bundles, an overwhelming sense of simplicity and honesty. According to Black Wolf Commander, they have no hint of wolf, all with the silly meekness of a turkey...

The Western Mountain Great Tribe, with thousands of Taino people, is located in the southwestern corner of Cuba Snake Tail. It has a supporting chain of islands with long feathers to prevent straying during sea crossings, making it an ideal landing site. As the first stop for the Kingdom's reinforcements crossing the sea to Cuba, it serves as the Kingdom's core of rule in Western Cuba, backed by the reliable strength of the Kingdom's main force!

Currently, the Cuba Western Mountain Tribe is overseen by Yao Yun, the brother of Priest Yao Yu from the Cuba Spider Cave Tribe, also of Mexica descent and a Second Level Priest. He is also trusted by the newly appointed Chief Priest, responsible for the missionary work in Western Cuba.

The entire Western Mountain Tribe has always stationed three small teams of Samurai, totaling sixty warriors of the Kingdom. They not only respond to Maya reinforcements crossing the sea but constantly prepare for demonic invasions! They have already trained over four hundred Taino militia, armed with Bronze long spears, able to command and form defensive spear arrays. Of course, since these Taino militia haven't seen blood, how they'll actually perform when facing the enemy is hard to say...

"Priest Yao Yun! With such good foundations in these militia, just a few more battles, with a bit of blood on their hands, they should become useful wolf cubs! Are there tribes around here yet to follow the Chief Divine? Let's go conquer them directly! Black Wolf Commander often says, kill one monkey, and make all the monkeys afraid..."

Hearing Kepili's Great Banner Head suggestion, Priest Yao Yun from the Western Mountain Tribe smiled silently. The opponent is new here and still uses the slaughter methods from the Maya Jungle, completely unaware of the "peaceful tranquility" of Cuba's Taino divisions, and the Kingdom's unhindered, rapidly expanding missionary work in Cuba!

"Chief Divine blesses! Kepili Warrior Captain, upon this peaceful Cuba hot land, you and the Kingdom's warriors can slightly loosen your battle bowstring... At least, before the white-skinned demons appear again, banners following the Chief Divine are everywhere on this peaceful island, leaving nearly nowhere for the Kingdom to wage war!…"

Priest Yao Yun, smiling, took a fragrant cassava wine from the respectful Taino Apprentice, handing it to the armored spear-holding Kepili. Then, he pointed towards the Chief Divine's sacrificial altar at the center of the village, as well as a row of new wooden houses and further to the Snake Tail West Mountain, speaking with a smile.

"Chief Divine witnesses! Cuba's Taino divisions are excellent believers! Especially post-prophecy validation of the white-skinned demon, their conversions have exceeded all priests' imaginations! These Taino believers excel at farming and fishing, mostly kind-hearted, gentle, yet diligent! This sacrificial altar of the Chief Divine was spontaneously built by the believers to thank the Chief Divine's protection, the compost and pottery techniques we brought, without even a need for Kingdom conscription…"

"Of course, besides the Chief Divine's faith and Highland technology, we have also guided the local tribes from communal living and marriage to defined marital family units! Look at that row of newly built wooden houses; they symbolize the families formed by Kingdom's Warriors and local Taino women! Many now have newborns. And tribespeople in the village are starting to define one-on-one marital relationships, hosted by priests and priest apprentices in weddings witnessed by the Chief Divine!…"

"Chief Divine blesses! Food here is plentiful, inter-tribe conflicts are rare. And with the Kingdom's arbitration, disputes between tribes have almost vanished on the Great Island! Her Highness once referred to a beautiful Human Divine Country in Divine Might University… I think it's right here on this abundant, peaceful Cuba hot land, with no lack of food, no cold winters!…"

"Kepili Warrior Captain, look at that distant West Mountain! Starting from the West Mountain, from the western tip of Cuba Snake Island, heading east five hundred miles! Whether it's the Western Mountain Tribe, Forest Ridge Tribe, Maned Lizard Tribe, Lake Bird Tribe, or Forest Tribe, they all house a portion of warriors stationed and have converted to the Chief Divine, thousands of people strong Taino Tribe!…"

Having said so, Priest Yao Yun paused, his face displaying sincere joy, and there's a rare kindness and benevolence in those Highland priests wielding battle axes. Life among Cuba and Taino believers, albeit just two years, has visibly changed him considerably. So much so, that the sharp battle axe in his hand became a pottery jar for wine, and the sacrificial obsidian dagger hasn't shown red for a long time...

"Chief Divine witnesses! Five hundred miles away from the West Mountain Tribe, the only yet hesitant and unaffiliated with the Chief Divine's embrace are the numerous Havana tribes, possibly nearing ten thousand people!… But with the tobacco-producing Havana tribes, we don't need to wield force. Because there are Chief God Priests already commencing missionary work, which is progressing swiftly. With a bit more soft preaching time, maximum a year!… We could turn Havana's central wealth into the Chief Divine's bright hot land!…"

"Haha! Merciful Chief Divine, enlightens the whole Great Island! Three thousand miles of Cuba hot land, out of the estimated six hundred thousand Taino tribespeople of the Kingdom, it seems half might now be embraced by the Chief Divine!… Though, due to a shortage of missionary personnel, many tribes have only nominally converted, lacking organization and prayer… But I never doubted, this is the gem kingdom for spreading the Chief Divine's faith! It is the Human Divine Country blessed by the Chief Divine with pure white cassava!…"