NOVPUB"Praise Your Highness!"
Lively cheers rose once again. The samurai’s faces showed longing, and the generals’ eyes sparkled. A victorious western expedition would allow them to soar, traversing paths that would have taken several generations to cross!
"The fourth toast, to Black Wolf Torc! He triumphed in the duel, held back the northern reinforcements, and even captured the King of Tarasco! Black Wolf has earned the highest merit in this battle!"
Xiulote stepped forward, personally pouring the drink and handing it to his beloved general, Torc. The young Black Wolf took the wine cup, looked proudly around, toasted to the gathered generals, and then drained it in one gulp. Monkey Kuluka’s eyes flickered, and without a sound, he too, along with the other generals, drank the remaining wine in his cup.
"Torc, you are my favorite Black Wolf, you have never failed my expectations!"
Xiulote smiled. He affectionately patted the Black Wolf on the shoulder, then grabbed his arm and raised it high, proclaiming to everyone.
"Torc has captured the King of Tarasco! From today on, he is the Alliance’s ’Chief Eagle Warrior’! He is the hunter of the white deer, a warrior renowned throughout the Divine Kingdom!"
"Chief Eagle Warrior!"
Low murmurs echoed in the tent. The generals displayed surprise, with expressions that couldn’t conceal their envy. Being an Eagle Warrior itself was a symbol of military nobility. The title of Falcon represented the strong among the Eagle Warriors, and the title of Chief signified exalted status and command authority in the military. From today on, Torc had broken the shackles of his common birth and become one of the top-ranking leaders among the military nobility!
"My Black Wolf, do you have anything to say?" 𝓃𝓸𝓿𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝓬ℴ𝓶
Xiulote looked at his beloved general, then glanced at Kuluka with an implied meaning.
Torc clenched his right fist and thumped his chest vigorously. His sword-like eyebrows raised, his words brimming with undeniable confidence.
"I, Torc, am Your Highness’s Black Wolf, brave and good at fighting, unstoppable! I’ve captured the enemy’s Marshal, captured the King of Tarasco, no one can block my path! With but a command from Your Highness, I will gallop for the Wolf King, capturing prey from amidst thousands of troops!"
At these words, the tent fell silent for a moment, and the generals remained speechless. Bertade coughed lightly and began with a smile.
"On the way back, Torc mentioned to me that he wanted to express his special thanks to several Great Generals and offer a toast to them!"
Hearing the Head Warrior’s words, Torc was momentarily stunned. He looked up to see Bertade nodding slightly, with a small movement of his hand.
"Oh? Excellent, refill Black Wolf’s cup! It was indeed not easy for the army to break through the enemy lines and force Su’angua to flee!"
Xiulote smiled, patting Torc on the shoulder once again.
The Black Wolf hesitated for a moment, then remembered the Head Warrior’s reminder. He turned around, facing towards Kuluka and Ezpan, bowed slightly, and raised his cup in salute.
"The central army’s Spear Legion fought stubbornly and courageously, being the first to break through the enemy lines! Both generals are also quite capable in battle. The merit of capturing the king should include half for the central army! Here, I, Torc, toast to the two Great Generals!"
After speaking, the Black Wolf downed two cups in succession and then bowed sincerely.
The monkey Kuluka and the miner Ezpan rose to their feet at the same time. They drank down the rice wine, returned a bow, the smiles on their faces now imbued with more sincerity.
Xiulote nodded, gesturing for Black Wolf to sit beside him. Then, he poured another cup of rice wine and said solemnly,
"The central army pushed forward fiercely, and both wings fought desperately to the death! The Samurai sacrificed bravely and went to the Divine Kingdom, and the sacrifice of the Religious Legion was particularly tragic. Come, General Etalik, General Natali, Teacher Olosh, let’s drink this cup to the blessing of the sacrificed warriors!"
"To the blessing of the sacrificed warriors!"
The generals drained their cups, and the atmosphere became slightly more somber. Xiulote once again poured the wine himself, handing the cup to Iskali beside him.
"This cup is for Marshal Iskali! The Southern Route Vanguard Army spared no effort, marching day and night northward, forcing the Tarasco royal army to engage in a decisive battle and undertake a desperate charge! Thank you, respected Marshal of the Final Month, for securing a strategic advantage for our army!"
Facing Xiulote’s toast, Iskali was taken aback. A rigid and rare smile appeared on his usually stern face. The Southern Route Marshal drained the rice wine in one gulp and said seriously,
"The Northern Route Army cleared the thorns all the way, broke through fortresses, and crushed the enemy troops! The Mexica tigers leaped forward while the Tarasco deer scattered and fled, a truly admirable sight! The King has always valued Your Highness, seeing you as the future sun of the Alliance. I had my doubts about Your Highness... but today, I am utterly convinced and sincerely respectful!"
Then Iskali, of royal lineage, pondered for a moment before speaking sincerely again,
"After this battle, Your Highness will rise like the sun, with your fame spreading across the lakes to the east and west! How fortunate our tribe is to have received such divine grace. The elders of the Great Nobility are revered, the King is wise and decisive in commanding the tribes; Your Highness is intelligent and skilled in war, solely leading the legions... Heavenly Divine bless our tribe, thus promising the world! The King mentioned the plans after the western campaign, and Your Highness is already well aware. After conquering Tarasco, the fertile lands of the Lake Region will rely entirely on Your Highness to guard! Once all the traitorous subjects are slaughtered and the noble families of the nation are relocated, controlling this fertile land, the Alliance will have no enemies to contend with!!"
As he spoke, the Marshal of the Final Month’s words brimmed with a strong scent of blood, as did his eyes filled with murderous intent. Then Iskali paused, tempering the boiling killing intent, hesitated for a long time. He stared into Xiulote’s ever-clear eyes, looking at the increasingly heroic face of the youth, and finally spoke out loud once again,
"Respected Your Highness, as descendants of the royal family, many of the nobility, just like they support the great King, also support you. Your Highness, please be at ease, endure the hardships abroad for a few more years. The King and you, one inside and one outside, will operate the Lake Region together, conquering in all directions! Once we conquer the archenemies, the Tlaxcala people, and pacify the three unfaithful southern tribes, the world will belong to the great Alliance! And if in this life I can see all directions submitting, we can go to the Divine Kingdom with smiles to see our Predecessor Monarch Montezuma. And after Your Highness’s succession, you will become the first Eagle to rule over the world in Alliance history!!"
After listening to Iskali’s words, tasting the obedience and admonition within them, Xiulote remained silent for a moment, then nodded slowly and emphatically,
"Good! Very good!"
The seated Tepopolo clenched his wine cup, looking incredulously at his old friend. If the various royal lineages were united, the Great Nobility from all over... After a moment, he silently bowed his head and likewise drained his cup.
Xiulote pondered for a while, then smiled broadly. He raised the wine cup in his hand and said to the generals with a smile,
"The Marshal’s words ring true! My ambition is not only between the two lakes of the east and west, but also beyond the endless lakes! The known world to us is but a small island in Lake Texcoco. Beyond this world, there are the Maya Lands to the southeast, the Feathered Serpent islands in the lakes, the Endless Forest to the north, and distant southern lands... And even farther away, there is a vast world unimaginable! I shall follow in the footsteps of the elders, united in heart and mind with the King, until a new Era begins! Fellow generals seated here, follow me forth. I will promise you a future unimaginable at this moment!"
"This final cup, to the future I see!"
"To Your Highness’s celebration!!"
The waves of excitement rose again, like a Heavenly Divine anthem! Amidst the anthem of this new era, the Tarasco King came to his senses groggily. In his ears were the noisy, jubilant songs of celebration mixed with faint sobs of grief that left one lost and confused.
Su’angua let out a low groan and finally opened his eyes weakly, his gaze hazy as he looked at the bonfire before him. In that moment, the fire danced, he saw the raging flames rise from inside the tent, consuming the old cocoa, sweeping over the vast land, until the entire sky was ablaze!
