The midsummer wind was warm, the sky bright. The Longship set sail once more, leaving the encamped Bozalos camp behind and rowing along the northern shore of Warrior Lake toward Red Crow City on the western bank of the great lake.
The water shimmered, the clear day just right. Divine Inspiration Priest Mekat stood aboard, watching Wasteland Priest Zudi waving from the shore, still feeling somewhat unreconciled.
"Huh! Mekat, where's your outer robe?"
The old Militia Chiwako widened his eyes, looking at Priest Mekat, who wore only short clothes, then at the "brown bear" priest on the lakeshore, and asked curiously, "Why are your clothes on that priest?"
"..."
Priest Mekat was silent for a while. He pointed to the wooden Main God talisman at his neck and answered briefly.
"I traded my clothes for this talisman."
"What! You got tricked by that fellow? Stop the boat! We're going back!..."
"Uh... Captain Chi, I did it willingly. He didn't trick me..."
Priest Mekat gripped the talisman and sighed softly.
"This talisman can help bear a son... oh, no! This talisman is the relic of a Mexica priest."
"Huh? You... really weren't tricked?..."
The old Militia widened his eyes, looking at the somewhat downcast Priest Mekat. After thinking for a moment, he consoled him.
"The priests on the wasteland look very honest and simple... but when they cheat people, they don't even blink... You'd never run into it before, so it's normal to be fooled. Don't be stubborn..."
"Maybe! But I feel this should be a relic..."
Priest Mekat lowered his head, stroked the precise carved marks on the talisman, and gently shook his head.
"That Wasteland Priest told me... he found this on a corpse that had been gnawed by wolves. And that corpse was near Copper Mine Mountain in