Chuta's Mansion, meeting hall.
"Forgive me for interrupting, young Chuta, but you forgot to mention the navy", the Chieftain of Lake Mountain City commented.
"That's true, Chieftain Xiua", I replied with a slight blush. "The navy will follow a similar hierarchical system, including three subdivisions: Flow, Sand, and Blue. Each will have generals, and then the structure will follow the same pattern as the land army. However, the divisions will be organized according to the location of the regions… We can't have a Blue subdivision regiment in inland areas that don't have direct access to the ocean… Hahaha", I added, trying to lighten the mood and hide my embarrassment.
"Thank you for clarifying that, young Chuta", the Chieftain said with a smile.
"No, many thanks to you, Chieftain Xiua", I replied politely. "Now let's return to the topic of exploration", I suggested, resuming the conversation we had left off. "The Explorer Division, under my command and with the support of the Navy, has identified a series of territories along the coast, heading southeast from the Lake Mountain District. Not only that, but we've also discovered several islands inhabited by different peoples", I commented, excited by the information he was sharing.
"Island territories? What are those?", asked the Chieftain of Mountain Pass City.
"They're portions of land completely surrounded by the ocean", I explained simply.
"But land doesn't float, does it?", he asked again, visibly confused.
"Hmm… It's not like it's floating", I replied, searching for a clear way to explain. "It's a bit like what happens in some parts of the river, where a piece of land is covered by water, leaving small islands. Only in this case, instead of fresh water, it's the sea", I tried to clarify.
"I understand", he said, although his expression indicated he was still processing my explanation.
"Back to the topic", I continued without pointing out his confusion. "On our travels, we have also sighted coastal villages. They seem to be friendly, and in the coming months we plan to establish contact with them to discuss trade and a possible union with our kingdom. They also have boats, although these are much less advanced than the ones we are building", I explained to everyone enthusiastically.
"My plan for the coming years is to venture even further into the ocean, conquer new territories, and help the gods find new devotees", I said determinedly, looking at each person present.
Clap, clap… Clap, clap, clap.
"Thank you all very much. I hope we can share even better news at the next meeting", I concluded, signing off with a smile.
Everyone began to leave the hall, discussing among themselves the instructions they had received, and some even commented on the feast that would be held later. The priests stayed, and a few people, who didn't appear to be leaders or their assistants, entered the hall. However, among them was a familiar face.
"Whoosh! ... I missed you", exclaimed an excited girl.
"Umza, you're here as a special guest", I replied in a serious tone. "This isn't a casual meeting", I chided her.
"But I really missed you", Umza retorted with a disgruntled expression, pouting adorably.
"We saw each other yesterday", I replied ironically. "But this isn't the time for these conversations. Sit over there", I instructed, pointing to a seat.
"Okay, but we'll play games later", she suggested. "We won't be playing, but if you want, you can have dinner with us at my parents' house", I offered.
"Okay! Then I'll go find Nyia and we'll all have dinner together", she agreed excitedly.
"Now that everyone is here, we'll begin the meeting", I announced once I'd waited for everyone to sit down.
"You have been summoned because I need your help for the next step of our kingdom", I began to explain. "In recent months, we have expanded our borders and begun communicating with peoples we've never met before. However, since this is the first time we've met them and we don't know their languages, we didn't get off to a great start. Fortunately, that problem has now been resolved, but our borders will continue to expand, and we don't want to face the same difficulties. Therefore, we will form an exploration group, led by the army, to explore new territories, their people, and their culture", I informed everyone.
"Son of Heaven, if the army will lead the mission, how can we help?", a priest respectfully asked.
"Good question", I replied, pleased by their interest. "This scouting group has no orders to attack the other ethnic groups; its sole mission is to protect you", I clarified with an enigmatic smile.
"Us?", a member of the group asked, confused.
"Yes, you will form the exploration group. Your task will be to learn and decipher the languages of these people, as well as research their culture, particularly their religion", I replied as I looked around at everyone.
"That's why we're here, isn't it, Chuta?", Umza asked familiarly, without the same respect as the others. I had noticed that the rest of the people who entered with her were her classmates from the academy, who studied language.
"That's right, Umza", I confirmed, giving her an accusatory look, to which she only responded with a sweet smile.
"You have the important task of establishing contact with villages, tribes, peoples, and even other kingdoms. Your mission will be to decipher their languages and create a phonetic dictionary that will make these languages easier for a greater number of people to understand, which in turn will allow us to develop stronger relationships with these foreigners", I explained to everyone. "On the other hand, the priests, with your support, must prepare a text that compiles the culture and religion of these people", I added, turning my gaze to the priests.
"Young Chuta... May I ask you a question?", one of the men present asked.
"Of course, there's no problem", I replied with a friendly smile.
"Is it mandatory?", the man asked, embarrassed and a little afraid at the same time. "I'm asking because my family is living in the city thanks to the support of the kingdom. They've really enjoyed life here, and I wouldn't want us to have to go elsewhere and take away their hope of staying in a city as beautiful as this", he explained after seeing the accusing looks of some of those present, although there were also some who were waiting expectantly for my answer.
"It's not mandatory", I replied in a calm tone, while some in the room sighed in relief. "Before I clarify, I want to say that the exploration office will be in charge of these missions. This office needs two types of workers: field workers and permanent workers. The field workers will go with the exploration missions to different locations by land and water, and the permanent workers will be based in offices in different cities to compile information or do other work", I explained to everyone.
"However, the field workers will earn much more than the rest", I clarified before they could ask any questions. "Is that understood?", I asked, seeing no reaction.
"Yes, young Chuta", "Yes, Son of Heaven", everyone replied.
"By the way, if there's anyone who doesn't want either option, that's also possible", I clarified just in case, although judging by their expressions, it didn't seem like they were going to choose not to support the missions.
"Well, that's all for the meeting. You will be notified about these missions in the future, and you will complete them as assessments at the academy or pursue whatever you choose once you finish your studies. You may go", I said goodbye to everyone when I saw there were no questions.
Everyone began to leave the room, discussing their options, or some thanking the man who had asked earlier about the mandatory nature of the missions. The only people left were Simte and Umza.
"Hello Simte, I hadn't seen you", Umza said with a smile as she hugged the High Priest.
"Hello, little Umza, you look as energetic as ever", he replied, patting her on the back.
"You should call him High Priest Umza", I corrected Umza.
"But you call him Simte, and he doesn't mind, right, Simte?", she said, waiting expectantly for Simte's response. "That's right, little Umza, no problem. After all, you are the fiancée of the Son of Heaven", he replied affectionately.
"Friend", I corrected myself in a wry tone.
"Fiancée", they both corrected me back.
"God save me", I thought, as this recurring situation gave me another headache.
"Shoot, I was told I'd be at another meeting. Is that true?", Umza asked.
"Yes, that's right… in fact, it's about to start", I said as other people began to enter the room.
"Good afternoon, everyone. We'll begin the meeting immediately", I greeted everyone who entered.
"I'll get straight to the point. You will be part of the first group of experts who will guide our kingdom. With your wisdom and my guidance, we will make ever-increasing progress. There will be no more people suffering, and we will be able to bring greatness to the gods. Unfortunately, you won't be able to refuse, at least not yet", I said seriously. "How can we help, young Chuta?", asked one of the people present.
"Next year, ministries will be formed, which are an expanded version of some of the offices you already have. These ministries will be in charge of specific areas and dedicated to guiding this aspect of the kingdom", I began to explain. "For example, the Ministry of Construction will promote construction projects in the different districts, regulate and inspect existing buildings, and also establish research and innovation offices", I continued. "Do you have any questions?", I asked, seeing that they were still thinking about my explanation.
"Young Chuta, who will be in charge of each ministry?", one of them asked.
"The prime minister will be appointed by me, but in the future, he or she will be chosen from among the most capable in their fields, which will be vital to the progress of our kingdom in the coming years", I stated solemnly.
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[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED
Hello everyone.
Chuta (the main character) talks about exploration and concludes meetings with potential ministers of the kingdom.
Unnecessary fact of the day: the Muiscas (Chuta's birthplace) remained settled in their territory, with little desire for expansion, but that doesn't mean they weren't good at fighting. While their weapons weren't the same as those used in Europe, they weren't lacking in brave warriors.
Soon, we'll see the more warlike side of the Suaza kingdom.
Read my other novel, The Walking Dead: Vision of the Future.
You can find it on my profile.]