"Respected High Priest Miki, there are now more than six hundred tribes in South Port, most of them converted Kus people. Kus people are mild-mannered and are good fishern. Once educated, they also beco quite good farrs. They are very patient and can handle delicate tasks."
"Oh! As for the fields, we've cultivated over a thousand mu, with various crops like corn, beans, as well as pumpkins and potatoes. The yield might be about three to four mu to support one person? Half of the camp's food cos from farming, the other half from fishing and gathering seafood. Hunting is also done, but it's not consistent, sotis fruitful, other tis not..."
"Witnessed by the Chief Divine! Here, it's actually warr than initially estimated, especially since winters aren't as cold. Perhaps it's because mountains surround us, with only the west side near the sea?... You're right, there are many mountains around, without any large tribes. Only southeast, dozens of miles away, occupying the river valley, is a thousand-strong Kus Great Tribe, but they're friendly and kind."
The bay is wide, and three long rivers from the south, north, and the East converge here into the sea. The rushing river carries upstream sedint, slowing here and depositing, forming a sandbar at the estuary. Many irrigated lands have been developed near the river.
Late August is the busy farming season, and the Kus people in the camp bare their feet, bustling between corn and potato fields. Large expanses of corn have grown taller than a person and have begun to tassel. Both potatoes and pumpkins have already been harvested once. Although the Kingdom's potato variety is cold-resistant, its growing period is quite long. With one harvest now, another is estimated at the end of the year or next spring.
"Praise the Chief Divine! Priest Keshu, you've done well, cultivating so many fields! As I sailed here, only your farming is the best. Haha! Seeing this tall corn makes very happy!... By the way! Do you have cornal? Bake so pancakes! I've gone more than a year without eating corn from the Highland, eating potatoes and fish every day..."
"Yes! I'll arrange it now! There's dried old corn stored in the cellar at the port... but it needs to be ground first, so it'll take a while... Um, there's more rain in spring, so the milled flour tends to get damp, unlike dry corn which stores well..."
"Good! Make more corn pancakes... The warriors from the Kingdom aboard also miss the taste of corn pancakes!..."
"Yes! Yes! Since you're at our South Port, corn pancakes will definitely be plentiful!..."
Wisps of cooking smoke rise from the camp at the port. A gentle sea breeze carries the scent of grains. Scholar Mikki swallows as he looks around. A couple of hundred pointed-topped Kus huts stretch along the port coast, continuing with the fields along the Long River. And the only large wooden house, painted with the emblem of the Chief Divine using mountain dyes, is undoubtedly the sacrificial altar at South Port.
"Huh? Is that... a pattern made of stones?..."
Scholar Mikki takes a closer look. In front of the wooden house of the Chief Divine's sacrificial altar, a pile of beautiful pebbles and shells lies. So Kus tribespeople kneel with foreheads to the ground, praying devoutly, before leaving several bright stones, arranged in a sun-like circle. This seems to be an ancient Kus tribal tradition, incorporated into their new belief in the Chief Divine through conversion.
"Ah! High Priest Miki, the corn pancakes are ready! Along with seaweed fish soup, acorn pancakes, and fresh blueberries from the mountains!"
"Good! Call all the crew to co and eat pancakes together!"
The fire pit cooks fish soup, and berries are placed in a clay pot. The Kingdom's warriors hold corn pancakes, chewing them with big bites, almost chewing their tongues off. So warriors even eat while crying and praying to the Chief Divine, displaying a zeal that is quite terrifying.
"Uh... Watanabe, why are these Jiao People Warriors crying while eating? These pancakes are quite coarse, not as tasty as potato rice cakes, right?"
"Shh! Otani, don't shout... they seem to be saying, praise the Chief Divine, thank the Divine... embody 'Tlakatell', feeding everyone with flesh?... uh! What is this? Are these pancakes made of human flesh?"
Translator Watanabe carefully listens to the prayers in xica Language, shuddering, nearly dropping the pancake. But as he examines the yellowish pancake repeatedly, he can't identify anything bizarre as imagined. He then strains his ears to listen to the conversation between the two priests, sothing about "Tlakatell's farming," and only then does he realize.
"Chief Divine! Turns out, this tall grain among the Jiao People Tribe bears the sa na with 'man'! 'Tlakatell', the blood and flesh of the Divine, a grain like man."
Translator Watanabe widens his eyes, looking at the tall corn by the river. This is his first encounter with maize, the crop nearly feeding all of Arica, holding a sacred religious status. From ancient separation to today, they are the first group from the Old Continent to see corn!
"Blood and flesh of the Divine, nurturing tribes fed by the Divine... seems, this truly is an extraordinary grain, like the story of King Sapoda splitting flesh to feed the eagle... ah! Oh no!... how could this be?!..."
Translator Watanabe is pondering, yet hears the conclusion of the Jiao People Warriors' prayers. The scriptures they prayed have a starkly different direction than "The Birth of King Sapoda" in the "Six Paramitas Sutra"! Translator Watanabe trembles because clearly, the chant was...
"Praise the Chief Divine! Praise the nurturing of the Chief Divine's blood and flesh!... We will repay with flesh in kind, offering the most vital 'Tlakatell' in blood sacrifice to you!"
"Ah! This is... the rciful yet bloodthirsty Great Buddha Vizilobo!"
The sea ship from the ocean stays at South Port for two days, replenishing so corn pancakes and berries, then sets southward again. Passing through Kus people's territory leads to the coastal Tolowa tribes. The Leaf Grass Tribe and the Redwood Tribe of Tolowa people are still fighting over the salt marsh. However, when facing the Kingdom's sea ship, the fierce chieftains of each tribe act very amicably.
Clearly, the annually massive northward "Longboat Tribe" speaks with strength, shocking them greatly. They are also urgently craving the Kingdom's bronze weapons, although unable to offer any decent trade items...
"Bodhisattva! Chief Divine! Actually... just as Lord Priest said... there are indeed such tall giant trees! And so many!... So many towering giant trees, how many ships with two thousand capacity could be built? No! Even five thousand capacity boats, these giant trees are more than enough!... Tens of thousands of giant trees enough for shipbuilding!"
As the ship sails south, passing through the Tolowa tribes' territory, an endless redwood forest cos into view. In this mountain forest covering thousands of square kiloters stand millions of towering redwoods, like an infinite array of giant long spears!
These towering redwoods reaching into the clouds have traveled from the ancient eras, being the tallest trees in the world. Their usual height is over fifty ters! Their ultimate growth limit is...
"Ah ah!... That is... that is? ... A single tree?!..."
"Correct! That is the Giant God Tree, the totem revered by northern tribes, towering to a hundred steps, the Divine Tree!"
"A hundred steps of towering giant tree... a hundred steps... a hundred steps!!"
Shipwright Kim Sun-su widens his eyes, shivering, watching the towering top of the redwood forest, where a section of the Divine Tree erges. That height of over one hundred ters utterly exceeds his imagination's limits!
For an experienced shipwright, every giant tree possesses a tangible spirit, soaked in the river of ti, just like the annual rings. And facing such a sacred giant tree, this divine being in the eyes of shipwrights, he cannot muster any will for logging and shipbuilding. At this mont, he only has the urge to prostrate fully, kneeling on the deck, praying toward the direction of the Giant God Tree in the East, perhaps even more devoutly than praying to the Chief Divine!
"The Divine Tree has a spirit, I beseech the Great Spirit God of the Divine Tree to bless , to expel difficulties and avert calamities... I was born into a lowly family, drifting about, without a ho or children... I do not ask to return ho, only to build a large sea ship, fulfilling this life's humble wish... In my next life, I wish to beco a great tree, serving before the Great Spirit God, waiting to be felled... to be made into a ship, sailing the sea until decay... repaying the heavens and divine humans..."
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