Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

Almost forty thousand people gathered at this location, consuming tens of thousands of catties of food daily, piled up like mountains. Even if a fleet brought in a batch of new food, it could only sustain them for two to three months. It was increasingly difficult to maintain the supply line, and he could no longer afford to wait. These legions were also the largest forces he could muster. The Holy City had emptied its coffers, investing everything here.

The northern general had promised reinforcements, but they had yet to arrive. According to the Envoy's recent report, Osellor had crushed the Chichimeca Canine Descendants on the northern frontier, annihilating more than ten southern migrating tribes. He had constructed pyramids one after another along the northern border, deterring all passing tribes and transporting a large number of captives to the Capital City. He had also recruited many surrendered weaker tribes, promising the Envoy to send support as much as possible.

"Now everything is ready, just waiting for the battle to commence!"

Xiulote's gaze crossed the riverbank, looking at the wide Lerma River, then toward the distant south.

In the following days, the returning Mexica Naval Forces quickly engaged in combat, fighting continuous battles with the Tarasco Naval Forces at the rivermouth fortress.

The Tarasco Naval Forces, in small units, repeatedly launched attacks, harassing the Mexica's food transport ships. The Alliance's Naval Forces also dispersed in small squads, patrolling and escorting. On the long Lerma River, one could often see a dozen small boats, flying different flags, entangled with each other, fighting exhausting battles on the water. Spears stabbed, War Clubs swung, arrows shot powerfully, Daggers pierced. Every day, both sides suffered dozens of casualties, dots of red blossoming across the river.

Facing the enemy's harassment, Xiulote was somewhat troubled. He was reluctant to let his elite Samurai be consumed in these skirmishes, so he had elite Militia of Longbow and Spear board the ships, leading the enemy forces in attrition under the Samurai's leadership, also allowing the Longbow Militia to hone their shooting skills on the water.

The Hunter tribes showcased their precise close-range archery on the water. Leveraging the advantage of bows and arrows, the Alliance's engagements gradually began winning more than losing. The Tarasco people learned from the combat, also gradually becoming familiar with the Mexica's archery tactics, and began equipping a large number of rattan wood shields in the Naval Forces.

As the skies cleared gradually, new gunpowder weapons were released from the stores, distributed to Longbow Warriors and Militia. In a secret mountain camp, they familiarized themselves with the shooting of gunpowder arrows, waiting for the great battle to arrive.

On clear days, Xiulote gathered the Naval Forces multiple times, challenging the southern rivermouth fortress to combat. But the enemy's fleet, like scattered packs of wolves, continued to harass the rear and did not engage in direct battle.

Facing this situation, Xiulote unfolded the map and pointed several times to the west. Three thousand Ottopan Warriors were then transported by a naval force to the downstream west. Jiowar contacted the Otomi Tribe along both banks of the great river, forming over a dozen small squads that plundered all the way west from Saka, gradually nearing the edges of the Chapala Lake Region.

This fleet and Ottopan Warriors were merely pawns to lure the enemy. The real main strength of the fleet, under the guidance of the Otomi Tribe on the North Coast, came to a downstream bend less than a hundred miles northwest of the rivermouth fortress, at Lake Yuriria.

Xiulote personally led the fleet to survey the area. Here, downstream of the rivermouth fortress, it took only a day or two to arrive with the current, and three to four days to return upstream. The north bank of the river and lake, located between Guamare and Ottopan, was a rare flat woodland, with several Otomi villages where troops could be stationed and rested. The southern bank was the Saka being plundered. The area had a broad river surface and smooth water flow, providing ample space for movement, perfect for a major battle.

Looking at the reed-thick north bank of the river and lake, the Young Commander finally nodded in satisfaction. The main fleet silently moved, transporting large numbers of troops and supplies here several times. The Samurai then disembarked, settling in the Otomi villages, blocking the surrounding passages, and sternly forbidding pedestrians to pass. The main strength of the fleet then lay quietly in ambush here.

The Otomi village on the North Coast was in silence, while the Tarasco Territory on the south bank was ablaze with war. Guided by the local Otomi people, the Ottopan Warriors precisely attacked the nobles' manors across the region. The local nobility resisted with all their might, but the regional Samurai had been conscripted by the Kingdom, and many of the Militia had also been mobilized. The nobility had to hurriedly gather peasants, only to be swiftly scattered by the attacking Otomi Warriors.

In just a few days, the western sky was marked with trails of black smoke—burning villages, scorched fields, and nobles' manors reduced to ashes. Outside the manors, the Otomi people hung the ruthlessly executed Tarasco nobility as if in protest.

The defeated local nobility fled southward, carrying the news of the Otomi invasion to the kingdom's heartland. Messengers rapidly relayed the news, and a continuous stream of alarms reached the ears of the Northern Marshal and the Naval Commander, Ospey.

"Crocodile" nobility's eyes bulged, quite shocked.

"The Otomi people have joined the war, and in alliance with the Mexica fleet, relying on the Otomi Tribes along both banks, they plundered the residences of various nobility!"

Hearing this news, Ospey hesitated, sensing a scent of conspiracy.

According to the Scout's report, the North Coast had noticeably received new Mexica reinforcements, numbering around ten thousand. Considering this, the experienced commander hesitated for a long time, still opting to keep a defensive stance.

However, upon hearing the alarm, the five thousand Chapala Warriors in the rivermouth fortress clamored to go to battle. Worrying about the Otomi people raiding their homeland further downstream and underestimating the Otomi's combat strength, they wanted to go west to aid the situation.