Chapter 1340: Chapter 1340

The sun dips westward, the bay filled with dazzling golden light, while the villages bustle with people. Everything seems peaceful and harmonious, seemingly different from what the old hunter had described.

Exploration Captain Zuwaro squints his eyes, carefully observing the appearance of the tribal village, estimating the organization level of these tribes. However, the serene scene is quickly shattered by alert cries from the fence of the village.

"There’s a ship! On the Great Lake outside the village, there’s a large ship!"

"What tribe is this from?"

"Don’t know, but it’s never been seen before!"

"Never seen before? Then they are enemies! Quick, grab your weapons!..."

The tribes here seem quite vigilant, the peculiar longship had only appeared for a moment before catching the attention of the tribespeople. The village erupts with shouts and commotion, soon two hundred hunters and able-bodied men pour out, each holding javelins and hunting bows. Then, a dozen tribal canoes are dragged to the seaside, carrying the hunters, aggressively approaching.

"Uh, this situation... Zuwaro, should we make contact with them?"

"Forget it! Let’s leave immediately!"

Exploration Captain Zuwaro thinks briefly and then shakes his head in denial.

"Chief Divine witnessed! Since we’re not planning to establish a settlement here in this bay for now, contacting them doesn’t have much meaning. Moreover, seeing their manner, they probably don’t have good intentions..."

"Alright! Then let’s quickly leave! I feel they seem to regard us as some invading hostile tribe..."

The longship swiftly turns and rapidly accelerates, heading back to the bay’s entrance. The local tribe’s canoe flotilla pursues fervently for a quarter-hour! Until they chase out of the bay, the tribal huntsmen on the boat finally stop, shout something angrily, and then reluctantly turn the ship away. Everyone then slows down, exchanging bitter smiles.

"Ahem! The tribes here really are enthusiastic..."

"Haha! Chief Divine protect us!"

Exploration Captain Zuwaro sets down the boat paddle, turns around, panting. Covered in sweat, staring at the warm, vast Seattle bay, his face shows a touch of inexplicable excitement and resolve.

"This is the place foretold by Your Majesty, a warm fertile land, also home to tens of thousands of primitive tribes!... Chief Divine witnessed! We will definitely return!" Thıs text ıs hosted at novel·fiɾe·net

"Zuwaro... you truly are... full of spirit..."

Scholar Mikki pants, bitterly smiling and shaking his head. At the moment, his thoughts of this bountiful bay filled with myriad tribes have temporarily ceased. He already has a clear understanding that for the major tribes surfaced from the Northern Land competition, comparable strength is the basis for dialogue. And before accumulating enough power, carrying so many covetous items, rashly contacting major tribes, might not be wise.

Thinking of this, Mikki pauses, asking with a deep voice.

"Zuwaro, what’s the next plan? It’s already late October, the rumored rainy season storms are about to hit!... Also, our ship still has half a ton of gold given by Your Majesty..."

"Hmm... late October... rainy season storms... half a ton of gold..."

Exploration Captain Zuwaro muses for a while before conversing to speak.

"Mikki, let’s first return to Whale Harbor. That’s the northernmost port of the Kingdom and will also be the starting point for next year’s exploration. We’ll bury the half ton of gold in the cellar at Whale Harbor, since the Maca people aren’t interested in gold..."

"Then, I think, we can divide into two teams!..."

"Ah! Divide into two teams? You mean, stationed separately in the north and south?..."

Exploration Captain Zuwaro shows a sincere smile on his face.

"Mikki, once we reach Whale Harbor, we’ll have two longships. You take one southward, returning to West Mountain Port in the Golden Bay area... You have three main tasks, the most important first one is to dispatch personnel, pass the news from the Northern Land back layer by layer, and urgently seek the Kingdom’s support forces..."

"Our fleet, after arriving here, the ships and reliable personnel are already somewhat lacking. We need more support, more ships! And more people, including bronze craftsmen and shipwrights!... "

"Good! Chief Divine bears witness! As soon as I return to West Mountain Port, I will immediately dispatch ships southward!"

Scholar Mikki nodded firmly and then continued to ask.

"What are the other two matters?"

"The second thing, talk to that old fox, Cedar Shaman, let West Mountain Port recruit more local tribes, and absorb some local tribal shipwrights. This port will be the rear for our next exploration phase. It’s best to establish a shipyard first, store some large timber, and try to build some canoes first... When the kingdom’s shipwrights arrive, new longships need to be built!... "

Exploration Captain Zuwaro looked to the south, thinking about the blank shipbuilding industry at various ports, he couldn’t help but rub his brow. He took a long breath and then calmly and carefully instructed.

"We need to establish settlements and ports segment by segment, each section must leave behind personnel and ships. Mikki, after you return to West Mountain Port, first build or trade some canoes to leave for port use. Then after spring arrives next year, try to bring several longships over..."

"This winter, I will stay at Whale Harbor and join the Maka people in the whale hunt, storing more meat. In addition, if there is still an opportunity before the storm arrives, I also want to visit the Great Island in the northwest to see if there are warm and suitable ports, and if there are friendly tribes available for conversion... Then, have a chat with the locals, learn some polar living skills, and by the way, learn their language. Yes, learning the language is crucial! Not only do I have to learn, you have to learn, all priests have to learn!... Overall, there is a lot we can do. And the more we do now, the smoother the exploration will be later!... "

"The last thing is, when you head south from Whale Harbor, you have to pass through North Port of the Krasop people, South Port of the Kus people, and Lake Bay Port of the Wiyot people, to reach the West Mountain Port in Golden Bay... Let me see how the kingdom priests along the way are doing, and then record the number of tribes absorbed by each settlement... Our subsequent sailors may need to be drawn from the converted tribespeople!..."

"Oh! When passing through the battling Leaf Grass Tribe and Redwood Tribe, you must be careful. They are very large tribes, capable of mobilizing hundreds or thousands of able-bodied men. Seeing you with only one ship, they might have other thoughts... So, Mikki, you can move by day and rest by night, pass through quietly!..."

Exploration Captain Zuwaro carefully explained for a long time, only then did he finish speaking all the arrangements he had thought about along the way in his mind. Then, the two stood on the longship in the sunset, looking at the sky and lake filled with red clouds, and devoutly prayed together.

"Praise you, Supreme Main God! I pray for your protection, protect us, as we traverse the waves thousands of miles!..."

The solemn prayer ended, and the longship began its return westward. Scholar Mikki gazed at the falling sun over the sea, dazed in thought for a long time. After a while, he suddenly reached out his hand and grabbed the equally dazed Zuwaro.

"Zuwaro, I remembered! We have another major task we haven’t done!"

"Huh? What? What else is there?"

"Prophecy! Your Majesty’s prophecy! The second half of the prophecy!"

Scholar Mikki went down to the cabin, searched carefully for a while, and only then took out the two carefully preserved charts and prophecy from a chest full of gold.

"Uh? Mikki, didn’t you say you would wait until we crossed the ocean west before looking at the second half of the prophecy?"

"Ahaha! Uh... I was really too curious, secretly peeked earlier... In fact, the second half of Your Majesty’s prophecy not only speaks of after heading north in Golden Bay, before crossing the ocean, a gold mine must be found, a gold mine unprecedented, beyond imagination..."

Speaking, Scholar Mikki moved his finger and traced to the fourth segment of the spiritual sea chart, latitude 50 to 60 degrees north. Then, he heavily pointed between latitudes 55 to 60 degrees.

"Your Majesty said, within these 5 degrees, in a bay of two thousand miles, there will be a flowing Gold River, a bay full of gold mines, countless shining gold stones, at least hundreds of tons, millions of pounds of gold..."

"Chief Divine bears witness! Your Majesty even gave this place a name, called it... Oh! The Juneau Major Gold Mining District!... "

"Huh? What? Major Gold Mining District in the far north?... Jewel?... Uh, what use is there for so much gold? We already have half a ton on the ship... In this poor northern land, gold can’t even buy a mouthful of food..."

"Your Majesty said, these things can drive the tribes across the sea mad! As long as they know... By then, they will come rowing to find us, regardless of all dangers!..."

The sea wind blew across the long-sailed oar-sail ship, blowing the legend of gold and disdain into the boundless ocean. And the roaring sea wind, following the same latitude, went to the other side of the ocean, to the equally vast, yet colder North Asian coast.

The desolate North Asian coast, everywhere are towering mountains and deep forests. And between the coastal forests and rivermouths, there is a campsite of a hunting tribe. In this simple yet warm camp, there are many strong and fierce hunters, tame rough-horned reindeer, and dogs barking at the seaside. And what marks these tribespeople’s identity are the uniquely styled, even somewhat adorable deer head hats, or "roebuck head hats."

"Woof! Woof! Woof woof!..."

Looking in the direction of the barking dogs, a 200-ton Ocean Shielding Ship is docked by the tribe’s camp by the sea. And at this moment, on the deck of this Ocean Shielding Ship, a Samurai with a month period head frowned, looking at the vast northern sea, heaved a deep sigh.

"Ah! Busy for half a year, braving the waves heading north... The Family Head’s task, only this last one remains... What a pity! Where can there be sand gold that can be exchanged?... Even a few grams would be good..."