PREVIOUSLY:
"Zasaba," I called softly, my gaze never wavering from the map. "Ensure the physicians analyze every seed and every shipment that leaves the hold of those ships. And have the Shadows watch—not only the words of the Europeans but what our own men have come to believe of them. Growth must not be accompanied by plague, neither of the body nor of the mind."
Zasaba nodded, his face a mask of cold efficiency, while the rest of the hall continued to celebrate a future that only I viewed with caution.]
----
Year 13 of the SuaChie Calendar, Third Month (May 1495).
Dawn City (Cuba), Federal Region of Floating Islands (FRFI).
Meeting Hall, House of the Council.
The air in the meeting hall still held the lingering scent of brine and aged leather brought in by the officers. Sitting behind my place, feeling the smooth polish of the wooden table, I allowed the silence to settle for a moment before fixing my gaze upon the men who had seconded the expedition toward the Ocean of the Setting Sun (the Pacific). I felt the grain and slight ridges of the wood beneath my hands—a sharp contrast to the heat emanating from those weather-beaten bodies.
"Quihicha, and each of you..." I began, my voice resonating with a maturity that always managed to unnerve those who did not know me intimately. "The Suaza Kingdom owes a debt of gratitude to your valor. You have navigated waters that, for others, are naught but legends of terror."
The officers, their faces etched by the Pacific sun and their garments still stiff with the salt and humidity of the voyage, straightened at my words. I noticed a slight tremor of exhaustion in the hands of one of the navigators—a veteran who refused to look away—and I softened my expression.
"I require every detail, from the currents detected to the behavior of the winds in the reaches you visited, to be recorded," I continued, gesturing toward Umzye, who stood like a watchful shadow at my side. "Prepare an exhaustive technical report. Not only what you saw, but what you felt failed within the vessels; every creak of the hull counts. Include your personal opinions as well. Deliver it directly to General Umzye."
Umzye nodded with martial brevity, his imposing presence flanking the desk. The officers responded with a "So shall it be!" almost in unison—a shout that made the maps on the table vibrate. But I was not finished. I knew my next words would be bitter for men who desired nothing but rest.
"I know your families await you and that firm ground feels like a miracle," I said, my tone laden with genuine compassion, almost unbecoming of a leader in my position. "But the world does not stop. It is likely you will not enjoy a rest as long as you deserve. The kingdom needs you to lead the next expeditions almost immediately."
A murmur of resignation, though tempered with pride, rippled through the group. I allowed myself a small smile to soften the blow.
"As a consolation, the return journey to those waters will be different this time. We will no longer be leaping into the void. The establishment of the waystation on the island of Niʻihau will make the crossing far more favorable. There shall be no more hunger in the midst of the infinite blue."
As the officers began to withdraw, I sank into my thoughts for a moment. My mind traveled seven months back, to that office flooded with sunset light when Colonel Bachaga brought the news that shifted the board.
"Bachaga did it," I thought, with a mixture of relief and ambition.
By my orders, a separate expedition had departed shortly after the joint venture with the Europeans, with Colonel Bachaga in command. On his voyage, fulfilling the objective of his mission, he had established a permanent settlement in Niʻihau, in the heart of what my former life would call Hawaii. Furthermore, as dictated by the protocols of cultural engagement, he had fostered a harmonious relationship with the locals, based on exchange rather than conquest.
That island was now the 'Golden Bridge' of the Suaza Kingdom.
While the Europeans would struggle with tortuous voyages and uncertain routes, I had placed a key piece in the center of the board. That logistical advantage was not merely an aid; it was the guarantee that the Sunset belonged to us—for now.
When the door closed behind the officers, the atmosphere in the room shifted. Protocol became denser, more private. Only Umzye and Zasaba remained. I stood and walked toward the great map dominating the side wall, where the limits of the known world expanded under my command.
"Umzye, Zasaba... I want no more 'round-trip' expeditions only," I said, tracing a firm line with my finger across the blue of the ocean. "It is time to begin the recruitment of extraterritorial settlers. We need families, artisans, and farmers to settle permanently in the outposts we have marked on the other side. Just as we have done with the rest of the kingdom's distant settlements."
I looked at Zasaba, whose cold, analytical gaze always seemed to be calculating the cost of every soul and every coin.
"Shall we use freed slaves from Guanza Quyca?" Umzye inquired with a hint of doubt.
"No," I replied immediately.
I understood the purpose of Umzye's question. We both knew that bringing such 'conspicuous' slaves to the lands of Southeast Asia could yield unwanted effects with the locals—especially those with a deeply marked racial pride, such as the peoples of East Asia.
"Accelerate production in the shipyards… I want more Tequendama I vessels in the water. We need a fleet that does not merely explore, but sustains the flow of supplies. Furthermore, I need you to construct new shipyards on the Sunset coast if necessary. We cannot depend solely on the first ports we built. We will leverage every settlement and friendly relationship along the western coast to create new naval construction hubs."
Umzye took a mental note, his face hardened by the magnitude of the logistics descending upon him.
"General," I added, turning to him with severity, "prepare the technical supplies, metal tools, and construction materials. I want those settlements to have the same solidity as those we raised on the coasts of Great Quyca (America) and in the west of Guanza Quyca (Africa). Let the colonists feel that the kingdom protects them, even thousands of leagues from home," I urged, never taking my eyes off the map.
"It shall be done according to your will, Young Chuta," Umzye replied with a bow before departing with a firm stride.
The heavy oak door closed with a dull echo, leaving the meeting hall in a silence that only Zasaba and I knew how to inhabit. I exhaled a long sigh, feeling the weight of centuries upon my thirteen-year-old shoulders. Only one shadow remained in the room.
I dropped into my high-backed chair, feeling the coolness of the polished wood under my hands. The midday sun, which had earlier illuminated the navigation maps with a promise of glory, now cast long shadows across the meeting table.
I slid my hand over the wooden surface until I reached a bundle of documents that, to any stranger, would have seemed like simple inventory records or ship logs. However, my index finger stopped at the top right corner, where a small, almost imperceptible mark—a stylized fret that only those initiated into the Shadows would recognize—indicated that this was the true pulse of the expedition.
"Zasaba," I called softly.
I looked up. Zasaba did not move, but his posture shifted. He ceased to be the impeccable official and became the leader of my espionage network. His eyes, dark and analytical, locked onto mine, awaiting permission to tear the veil of diplomatic courtesy. I knew he had already digested every word of those reports before they ever reached my desk.
"General Umzye has done his part, Zasaba," I said, breaking the silence. "But now I want the truth that is not spoken before the banners."
Zasaba leaned forward slightly, resting his fingertips on the table. His voice dropped an octave, becoming a precise murmur.
"The truth, Chuta, is that the Ocean of the Setting Sun tested not only the wooden hulls, but the moral fiber of our 'allies.'"
He paused, pointing to one of the paragraphs marked by the Shadows.
"The Portuguese have long fingers. My agents detected three attempts to pilfer barrels of Suaza-grade gunpowder during the night watches. They believe we are unaware of their obsession with our secrets. It seems they wish to determine if our cannons possess the same power as theirs without having to face us."
I nodded without surprise. Gunpowder was the secret everyone wished to unravel—or rather, whether its strength represented a danger in an eventual armed conflict.
"And the Spanish?" I asked, remembering Columbus's vehemence.
"Controlled chaos," Zasaba replied with a grimace. "Constant insubordination among their low-class sailors, mistreatment of the tools we lent them, and a negligent use of medical supplies… They view Suaza's abundance as something inexhaustible and, therefore, something that warrants no care."
I did not interrupt; it was not something worth a discussion.
"The English, on the other hand, are more dangerous," Zasaba continued. "They do not steal powder; they steal knowledge. They were found 'studying' the mechanisms of the sails and taking measurements of the internal structure of the Tequendama II. They are like sponges, Chuta."
"And our people?" I inquired, feeling a slight twinge of concern. "Were there leaks?"
"Minor disputes, nothing the General's discipline could not contain," Zasaba assured me. "The hunger for women and the tedium of the horizon caused some disorder, but nothing grave."
"Months of confinement in a wooden shell make men lose perspective," I concluded, rubbing my temples. "It is the effect of the Great Voyage. As long as structural loyalty remains unbroken, we can manage... We might even employ certain methods to reduce the mental burden on the mariners."
Zasaba turned the page, and his expression grew even more somber. We were entering the realm of the unknown: the cultures of the other side of the world. The air in the room seemed to thicken, heavy with the weight of the new empires appearing on our commercial horizon.
"Tell me of what they found beyond the known waters," I began, feeling my mind—especially those memories of studies from my previous life—attempting to connect the dots of history with the reality Zasaba was about to describe.
"The first great center of power we investigated was the Brunei Empire," Zasaba said, pointing to an area on the tactical map. "They control the routes of what the locals call the Western Sea, more specifically the southern sea of the Great Ming State. They speak Malay. Our linguistic experts and the agents we sent under merchant cover have managed to decipher the basic grammar. It is a language of trade: fluid, yet complex."
"Their strength?" I asked, leaning forward.
"It is difficult to say with certainty… Interaction was minimal and conducted through intermediaries in the ports. They are cautious with newcomers, but my agents assure me that by the next expedition, we will have sufficient intelligence on their coastal defenses."
Zasaba moved to the next objectives.
"Further north, we found the kingdoms of Ryukyu and Cipango. Their languages, Ryukyuan and Nihongo, present a different structure, but our agents have already established the first glossaries. Their technical advancement in metallurgy is notable, though distinct from ours."
"Cipango…" I murmured, thinking of the Japan of the samurai. "And the main course?"
Zasaba exhaled a held breath, as if the name itself possessed physical weight.
"The Great Ming State… A giant under the command of the Hongzhi Emperor. They speak a tongue they call Guanhua. Chuta, the arrogance of the Europeans pales before the pride of the Ming. They see themselves as the center of the universe, and they have the means to back that belief."
Zasaba paused to emphasize that the following information was vital.
"The Shadows' reports describe ships that make our Tequendama I look like weak, average-sized boats. Their vessels are like floating cities, with decks that could house an entire village. They are reinforced and, according to analysis, serve as shells that prevent boarding."
I felt a shiver. I knew of the treasure fleets of the Ming Dynasty, but hearing of them as a real threat in this period was another matter entirely.
"They have Juracán (cannons), do they not? What is their power? And are their ships swift?" I asked in rapid succession.
"We lack sufficient information, but our agents saw a sample cannon in Ryukyu," Zasaba noted, then continued, "it was robust, but it seems to lack sufficient power and range… As for speed, they are slower than our Tequendama I."
"Did we have direct contact with the Emperor or his court?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
"No, and that is the concerning part," Zasaba replied, crossing his arms. "Everything we know comes from the Ryukyu merchants we managed to parley with. The Ming Empire is profoundly isolationist. They do not seek the world; they expect the world to come to them to pay homage. They are a wall, both on land and at sea. If we wish to enter there, it will not be through treaties signed on a beach, but through a diplomacy we have never had to use."
I stared at the map, visualizing the commercial axis I intended to build. The Suaza Kingdom was caught between two giants: a hungry, predatory Europe to the East, and ambitious cultures or the proud, closed Ming Empire to the West.
"The world is much larger than Columbus imagines, isn't it, Zasaba?" I said with a bitter smile.
"And much more dangerous, my lord," he replied, closing the report with a sharp thud. "But that is what the Shadows are for. To see what the sun hides."
I nodded slowly, accepting the unspoken comfort in his words. Zasaba always knew when to be a subordinate and when to be an anchor for my young, yet weary mind.
"You are right," I said, straightening my back. "But the Shadows need light to see. We cannot afford blind spots in the west. Zasaba, I want the next expedition to be different. We will not seek only gold or spices; we will seek the soul of those kingdoms."
Zasaba watched me with an arched eyebrow, waiting for the details.
"Summon the foreign women who arrived on the ships—the ones who married our men during the voyage," I ordered. "I want them to be the foundation of our language school. Our linguists must speak Malay and Guanhua before the next Suaza ship touches port in Asia… Furthermore, prepare a corps of permanent agents. I do not want travelers; I want residents. Request whatever gold, gems, or silks you need; the friendship of foreign nobles usually has a price, and the Suaza Kingdom can pay it."
A spark of cunning flashed in Zasaba's eyes.
"Speaking of payments, my lord... the Europeans are eager to lease our ships for their own shipments. I propose we infiltrate agents into each of them, disguised as simple translators. The Europeans will not suspect an interpreter who appears to be there only to facilitate their dealings."
"Do it," I agreed immediately. It was a masterstroke. "And one more thing… I need you to send an urgent message to South Link Island (Santo Antão, Cape Verde). Chewa and Apqua must be alert. The Portuguese will not sit still with what they know; they will seek routes further south, skirting Guanza Quyca (Africa). I want the kingdom to participate in any voyage they plan toward the south. We will not leave them alone in those waters."
"It shall be done as you command, Young Chuta," he said as we both rose from the table.
I dismissed Zasaba with a gesture and left the room, feeling the cooler air of the hallways. As I stepped out of the administrative building, the bustle of the city hit me with a comforting warmth. I paused for a second to observe the flow of people.
Our people from the mainland—Muiscas and Taironas carrying blueprints; former slaves—Aztecs, Mayas, and Africans sharing laughs while transporting supplies; and inhabitants of the Floating Islands (Caribs and Tainos) in their light garments.
Seeing that blend of features—the skin tones, the shape of the eyes, the variety of their clothing—filled me with a silent pride. They had not only regained their health; they had regained their dignity. The streets of Dawn City no longer showed the harshness, conflicts, or people subjugating others as might have happened in the original course of history; now there were vibrant fabrics, solid footwear, and faces that reflected the security of belonging to something greater.
I walked toward the Stone Manor under the Caribbean sun. Upon entering, the head steward approached me with an impeccable bow.
"Lord De Vere and Bishop Tachiua await you in the guest lounge, my lord," he informed me.
As I opened the lounge doors, the sound of fluid conversation in English surprised me pleasantly. Edward and Tachiua spoke with a naturalness that demonstrated how much cultural ground we had gained. Both stood upon seeing me.
"Gentlemen," I greeted with measured courtesy as we settled into the carved wooden chairs.
"First of all, Leader Chuta," Edward began with a diplomatic smile, "I must congratulate you on your marriage. Three wives... a union that has left many in Europe murmuring, but which here seems the final seal of your kingdom's unity. I regret I could not stay after your birthday, but the reports for King Henry could not wait."
"Your congratulations are well received, Edward," I replied sincerely. "I know your duties to your crown are priority. There is no fault to forgive."
Edward, relieved, raised a fine crystal glass containing one of our best reserves of local liquor.
"Then, I drink to it. And to the success of our joint expedition. This achievement is but the beginning; our kingdoms are now closer than ever, united by the same horizon."
Tachiua, in his bishop's robes and with that wise gaze that always seemed to see beyond, nodded enthusiastically.
"A kingdom that unites in marriage and discovery is a blessed kingdom, Son of Heaven," he added. "The prosperity we see today is but a reflection of your will and that of the gods."
I nodded, but before I could respond, Edward seized the festive atmosphere to deliver his political thrust. He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice.
"And since we speak of unions and prosperity... King Henry has asked me to mention the proposal once more. Leader Chuta, your kingdom is a giant. A formal union with His Majesty's daughter, the Princess Margaret, would not only be an honor; it would be the most solid treaty of peace and commerce the world has ever seen. Do you not think it is time to consider a fourth bond?"
His gaze was expectant. I knew that behind this 'friendship,' England wanted to secure a permanent seat on the throne of the Suaza Kingdom.
.
----
.
[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED
Hello everyone.
In this chapter, the meeting is finally over, haha.
I hadn't realized how many chapters I spent just explaining the results of the expedition and the kingdom's new objectives for the west.
By the way, the chapter is quite explanatory overall; I just want to clarify something I intentionally left out.
In previous chapters, I talked about other Southeast Asian cultures, as well as the Koreans and their Joseon dynasty.
I've left them out here for two reasons.
First, because I had already mentioned that in the following chapters, I would only discuss other cultures in general terms—African, Asian, and Middle Eastern—to focus solely on Europe and America. However, I also made it clear that they would be mentioned indirectly.
Second, because it's possible that one of the novels in the saga will deal with one of these cultures, and I don't want to reveal information that will surely be addressed in the other novel.
Author's comments.
I'm not going to say much, to be honest.
Only that I'm trying to get back to posting every two days, but I'm not going to promise anything because it always goes wrong.
----
Read my other novels.
#The Walking Dead: Vision of the Future (Chapter 91) (ON HOLD)
#The Walking Dead: Emily's Metamorphosis (Chapter 34) (ON HOLD)
#The Walking Dead: Patient 0 - Lyra File (Chapter 14) (ON HOLD)
You can find them on my profile.]