NOVPUBThe Samurai graciously accepted, bowed her head, and then hurried away. On the swaying deck, she moved swiftly and soon found her target.
The Head Warrior lay stiffly on a cotton blanket, his robust upper body partially exposed, with a white cloth wrapped around his back that had been struck by an arrow. The white cloth bore slight bloodstains, indicating that the wound had been treated, and the bleeding had been stopped.
Annatri carefully examined the location of the wound before changing her expression to one of pride and loudly asked,
"Eagle Warrior Head, His Highness sent me to visit you. Are you severely injured?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Bertade slowly raised his head and looked solemnly at the female warrior.
"Annatri, I am not severely hurt. The Priest with the army has already checked it. The arrow went deep into the flesh, but the damage to the tendons and bones is minor. I have not coughed blood, nor have my organs been damaged, do not worry... Anna, you are Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces, quickly go command the naval forces to fight and pursue the remaining enemies!"
Hearing about the damage to the tendons, Annatri stepped forward to examine Bertade’s back more closely. The Head Warrior grimaced with pain, gritted his teeth, and slight sweat appeared on his forehead.
After a while, the female warrior stood up resolutely and spoke loudly.
"I have herbs passed down in my clan, I’ll have someone bring them to you later. You are one of the few warriors who can match me, and your wound needs to heal completely so that you won’t lack strength in future battles!"
Then, with a slight smile and narrowed eyes, Annatri left an illusion-like cheerful face for Bertade and turned away without hesitation.
"Once your injury heals, I will come and assess your martial arts skills!"
As the wind howled and boats raced swiftly until dusk fell, hundreds of Mexica boats headed south, still chasing the enemy and lighting torches in the distance. And on the dark Lake Yuriria, there were still boats burning on the water surface. The flickering torches and burning boats, in conjunction with the stars above, reflected the most resplendent night scene of the Middle Ancient Times.
Xiulote sat cross-legged on a high platform, watching the night’s fireworks. Warriors continuously came to report, bowing respectfully, as enemy nobles of various ranks were brought in and subsequently imprisoned en masse. As Commander-in-Chief, all military intelligence convened here, and all decisions were made from this location.
The Young Commander smiled and nodded graciously as he praised the valiant efforts of his generals, calmly decided the fate of the prisoners, and openly accepted the respectful gazes of the warriors.
Only by the next day’s dawn were the final results of the battle tallied. In this battle, the Mexica Naval Forces captured nearly a hundred damaged ships of Tarasco, while the other more than two hundred large ships became torches burning all night. The Naval Forces themselves lost about forty to fifty large ships, now counting a total of three hundred and fifty ships, half of which needed to return for repairs. The smaller boats were relatively well-preserved, capturing several hundreds, now totaling twelve hundred.
As the morning light faintly gleamed, Lake Yuriria was tinged with a pale red, with bodies in Leather Armor or cloth floating on the water surface, numerous carnivorous large fish drawn by the scent of blood, and crocodile-like creatures tearing at sinking bodies in the water. The casualties of the enemy in this great battle was indeed hard to calculate.
Xiulote could only estimate from the escaping enemy forces. The Tarasco army, along with the Naval Forces, totaled about twenty-five thousand people. The escaping Chapala fleet consisted of eighty large ships, several hundred small boats, approximately five thousand people, half warriors and half Militia. Those who escaped south were only several hundred small boats, estimated to be over three thousand Militia. The captives taken included about five hundred warriors and two to three thousand Militia. Thus, the enemy had lost a total of fourteen thousand warriors, militia, and sailors—essentially the entire army was annihilated!
In the naval battle, apart from the Commander-in-Chief who was sacrificially protected by many, ordinary warriors had virtually no way out. Once ships engaged in combat, it always ended with one side completely perishing, hence the extreme cruelty. The Mexica Naval Forces also suffered significant casualties, mainly concentrated in the desperate assault of a hundred large ships. The Naval Forces lost nearly a thousand Longbow Militia, over a thousand sailors, and more than two thousand Royal Warriors directly. Additionally, several thousands were injured and needed significant recovery.
After learning the casualty numbers, Xiulote was silent for a moment. He spent half a day, according to Mexica traditions, conducting a grand water-based sacrificial rite.
Amid the ethereal singing of accompanying Priests, dozens of Tarasco nobles were sacrificed to the highest Chief Divine, and dozens of freshly caught crocodiles were sacrificed to the water’s Rain Divine. Thousands of Mexica warriors knelt on the deck, loudly praising the victory given by the Chief Divine and praying for the gates of the Divine Kingdom to open. In the young Priest’s main prayer, the Chief Divine would guide the souls of the fallen soldiers to the peaceful and beautiful Red Kingdom!
After soothing the soldiers’ spirits, Xiulote did not pause. He left the severely injured warriors and Militia in the nearby Otomi Village, leaving a detachment of Naval Forces to assist with the plundering Otomi Legion. Immediately, the army marched day and night, returning to the Wooden Fort on the North Coast.
On the ramparts of the main fort, the flags of the Holy City still flew high. Xiulote and his father held a private meeting, making firm decisions. He left his war-weary direct-command warriors in the Wooden Fort to recover, asking his father to handle the follow-up rewards and reorganization, and to expedite the repair of the damaged large ships. Afterward, he requested that Annatri, undaunted by hardship, lead a portion of the intact Naval Forces to transport the next batch of food eastward and then meet the reinforcements promised by the northern general.
Soon after, Xiulote mobilized ten thousand rested Samurai and eight thousand Longbow Militia, along with five thousand Otomi laborers, to launch another attack. The main army was strictly organized, carrying Longbows, Powerful Crossbows, War Clubs, and Copper Spears. The laborers worked diligently, dragging small catapults and straightforward shield carts. The Craftsmen were tense, carrying new weapons sealed for freshness and un-embarked Gunpowder materials. The Young Commander wasted no time, concentrating all his forces, giving the Tarasco no time to gather their forces!
In just a few days, over twenty thousand Mexica troops crossed the river southward, besieging the fortress at the Rivermouth, causing a full-scale disturbance on the northern front!
