CHAPTER 1169: CHAPTER 730: THE SECOND KINGDOM EXPEDITION—LAND AND GLASS BEADS

"What? Longboat Tribe, you want to stay?"

The wooden house was low, with a faint tobacco scent lingering at the tip of the nose, along with a fresh earthy smell of Crocodile. Hearing the words of Priest Tomate, the Water Chief widened his eyes in surprise, his mouth gaping in disbelief.

Priest Tomate, calm and composed, wore a faint smile, ready for negotiation. The Water Chief’s shock was within his expectations. However, the subsequent conversation from the other party was entirely different from what he had anticipated!

"Ah! Priest Tomate, you want to bring the Longboat Tribe to join our Mayali Tribe?"

The Water Chief scratched his head, feeling a bit troubled, but then showed a sincere smile.

"Hmm, with a few hundred able-bodied men joining in, the tribe’s food and houses might be a bit tight. But it’s okay! With so many able-bodied men, we can divide the stalks and open up a new cassava field! Once the new cassava is planted, it should take only about eight months to grow and harvest, then we can keep harvesting for many years..."

"Oh, and you have long longships that can go to deeper seas for fishing. I know a few northern bays where there are plenty of fish, and they are very plump!... Oh, and your huts, once the rainy season is over, in September and October, you can cut grass to build the houses. The ground for building houses on the south side near the small mountain is ready. I’ll call everyone to help with that..."

The Water Chief, counting on his fingers, thought of one thing after another, speaking faster and faster. Priest Tomate, new to the Taino Language, had limited ability, and by the end, he was already bewildered. He stared blankly at the Water Chief, whose face indeed showed sincerity, without the slightest intention to insult the Kingdom.

"...Let the elite and valiant Kingdom’s Warriors join the Mayali Tribe, and then farm, fish, and build huts? Water Chief, are you really serious?..."

Priest Tomate’s face twitched, with countless thoughts flashing through his mind, but they turned into simple, straightforward Taino Language at the tip of his tongue.

"Ah! Water Chief, you’ve misunderstood! We’re staying not to join the Mayali Tribe, but to... to establish a new tribe by a river in the bay north of the Divine Mountain!"

"Oh! Establish a new tribe? So that’s it... The bay north of the ’Divine Mountain’, by the river? Hmm, I know that place. If you walk quickly, it’s just a day’s journey. Right?"

Seeing Priest Tomate nod solemnly, the Water Chief paused. He carefully considered the terrain and then smiled again.

"I remember that place, went there once when hunting. It’s indeed very nice! You can plant cassava by the river, and the northern bay is enclosed by a lagoon, making it very suitable for fishing!... Mm, it’s a good place to establish a tribe!"

Hearing the Water Chief confirm the location of Iron Bay Town, Priest Tomate’s expression became serious. He straightened up, ready for negotiation once more, and spoke calmly.

"Respected Water Chief, the tribe we are establishing is to protect the entire Divine Mountain and also that bay... Therefore, from the Divine Mountain to the bay, we need a fifty-mile radius of land!"

"Oh!"

Upon hearing this, the Water Chief paused slightly, nodded, and said nothing. Then he and Priest Tomate stared at each other, large eyes gazing into small eyes, and neither spoke for a long time.

After a moment, Priest Tomate couldn’t help but take the initiative to ask in a deep voice.

"And then?"

"Huh? What then?"

"That piece of land should belong to the Mayali Tribe, right? What price do we need to pay to buy that land?"

"Ah? Price? Buy land?"

Upon hearing this, the Water Chief’s face instantly showed confusion. Priest Tomate scratched his chin and patiently explained a few more words. The Water Chief listened for a while and then shook his head with a laugh. He confessed frankly, his gaze as clear as the streams flowing down Cuba Mountain.

"Haha! Priest Tomate, your tribe of origin is really interesting... How can the land protected by All Gods and Ancestors have an owner? The land is a gift from the Heavenly Divine, not like the tobacco and pottery produced by villages, so how can it be traded and purchased?..."

"This vast land originally belongs to all Tribes, and no one is the master of the land. We only work on the land and receive the gifts of the earth!... The land around the Divine Mountain is very hard and barren, unable to yield food, so there shouldn’t be Tribes present. As for the surrounding areas of the bay, there might be some small tribes with a hundred people occupying a little bit of land..."

"So, whether it’s the ’Divine Mountain’ or the bay, as long as it’s undeveloped land by other Tribes, you can settle and develop, plow fields and build settlements... Once the village is established, the surrounding small tribes might also choose to join you. After all, you have many able-bodied men, good bows and arrows for hunting, and good boats for fishing..."

Saying this, the Water Chief hesitated but then added with a smile.

"Mm, if the young people in the village want to join you and build the new tribe with you, I won’t stop them. After all, establishing a new Tribe requires manpower. In the oral epic of the Tribe, the Mayali Tribe was separated in a similar way many years ago... Only you have too many men and lack women. But luckily, you have lots of things on your boat..."

"Once your village takes shape, I can send some Hunters to connect with the small tribes in the surrounding mountain forests and invite them to join you! Some small tribes in the mountains are not living well, have fewer men, and can just complement each other with you... A Tribe must have both men and women to continue for a long time..."

The Water Chief rambled on for a long time, even worrying about the gender ratio in the Kingdom’s settlement.

Priest Tomate stayed dazed, all the prepared negotiations were in vain, unable to speak for a long time. At this moment, he quietly regarded the face of the Water Chief, with a myriad of complex emotions surging in his heart.

He had sailed thousands of miles, been through countless battles, seen many highlands and the City-States and Tribes of Maya, and laughed and talked with many Great Chiefs! What kind of flashing knives and axes had he not seen? But at this moment, in front of an ordinary Taino Chief, he felt lost.

After a while, a sense of unprecedented calm surged in Priest Tomate’s heart, along with rarely felt trust and a low sigh.

"Witnessed by the Chief Divine! Simple Taino people, I will ensure you all convert and become the Citizens under the Chief Divine! Because without the Chief Divine’s protection, you would never survive the evil invasion of white skin..."

"Ah? Priest Tomate, what are you reciting?"

The Water Chief paused, curiously watching Priest Tomate’s prayer. The other party just smiled slightly and replied with a smile.

"Water Chief, I am praying for you to the Chief Divine! The Chief Divine replied to me, saying he is willing to protect you... What do you say, why don’t you convert to the Chief Divine?!"

"Uh..."

The Water Chief’s face once again showed embarrassment. Priest Tomate smiled broadly, patting the Chief on the shoulder. Then he straightened up, asking in a deep voice.

"Respected Water Chief, the Kingdom is preparing to settle by the river at the bay, to cultivate that piece of land. But since it’s within the former range of the Mayali Tribe’s activities, do you really not need any compensation?"

"Compensation?..."

The Water Chief scratched his head, thought carefully for a while. Shortly after, seeing the bird feathers hanging in the wooden house, he replied.

"There are quite a few birds and beasts on that land. The tribe’s Hunters often go there to hunt. If you settle there, the Hunters will have to find another place..."

"Hmm... Priest Tomate, if you really want to compensate, send some gifts to the Hunters!"

"Alright! What kind of gifts do you want? How much?"

Without hesitation, Priest Tomate agreed readily, preparing to be generous. Hunters have always held a high status in the Tribe, and he would not be stingy. Moreover, to him, this was some form of price for the land and a necessity to establish good relations with the Mayali Tribe.

However, for the Water Chief, this was truly just a gift for the Hunters. He counted on his fingers, trying hard to calculate the number of Hunters, and guessed an answer.

"For each Hunter, give two white gemstones, to offer to the Zemi God Card for hunting... So, just send a small bag of Lake Gem!"