The SuaChie Calendar, Year 11, First Month. Link City, Cape Verde.
Two days after the English delegation's arrival, Link City awoke to the constant pounding of drums, the joyous sound of flutes, and other instruments. Chewa, in his office at the city hall, could feel the rhythmic vibration of the festival through the polished wooden floor.
It was the first day of Year 11 of the SuaChie calendar. In the distant Central City, the festival honoring Young Chuta for his eleventh birthday was the Kingdom's most significant social and religious event. The tradition, which began as an exclusive affair in the capital, had, over the past six years, spread to almost every city along the Great Quyca and the Federal Regions.
Chewa, with his customary efficiency, had replicated the celebration here in Link. The sailors of the Suaza Navy, the new residents, and, crucially, the new liberated citizens (slaves purchased and emancipated in recent voyages), were euphoric. They understood the deep significance of the date, while others were drawn by the special foods and exotic beverages Chewa had ordered released for the occasion.
Since morning, ritual chants and drums had resonated through the main streets. The atmosphere was one of public celebration, a notable contrast to sober Catholic devotion. The commercial avenues were saturated with Suaza inhabitants and merchants from other nations who were taking advantage of the festivity.
However, in the anteroom of his office, the atmosphere was one of discomfort. Thomas Cecil, the noble ally of England's House of Tudor, and his retinue looked visibly out of place. Cecil, a man of austere manners and fine woolen attire, watched the coming and going of the Suaza attendees with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. After a few minutes, Chewa ushered them in.
"Gentlemen, my apologies for the uproar," Chewa said, gesturing toward the window where shouts of jubilation could be heard.
Cecil was the first to speak. "Mister Chewa, it is difficult to ignore. Your people appear to be in a state of profound celebration. Is this a harvest festival or perhaps some patron saint's day?"
Chewa smiled, a controlled expression that denoted national pride. "Mister Cecil, it is a commemoration. We celebrate the birth of one of our greatest leaders, the SuaChie Chuta. It is a relatively new tradition, but one deeply cherished in the Kingdom."
The Englishmen seemed to understand; European monarchies celebrated their anniversaries, albeit far more discreetly and limited to the nobility. On Cecil's face, Chewa noted the correct inference: this leader, Chuta, must be immensely important for an entire kingdom, from the nobles to the humblest laborer, to celebrate him with such fervor.
Walter Cromwell, the English merchant, a man of numbers and pragmatism, was quick to steer the conversation to the purpose of their visit.
"Mister Chewa," Cromwell asked, bypassing the formalities, "our meetings over these two days have been productive, and we are aware of the products you have available. We have but one query… will you accept only gold and silver as payment?"
Chewa held firm, replicating the same discourse he had given the Iberians. "You may trade for all the products you have seen: our jewels, our emeralds, our liquors, and our paper. But you must adhere strictly to the articles of exchange the Kingdom requires: seeds, animals, books of science and technology from your realm, and healthy slaves."
Thomas Wolsey, the London chaplain, who had been instructed to accompany the mission with one eye on potential conversion and the other on the enterprise's moral standing, looked visibly perturbed by the Suazan's insistence.
"Mister Chewa," Wolsey said, in a voice more mellifluous than that of his companions, "those terms are… unusual. Gold is the universal measure. And the purchase of men, though regrettably necessary for Portuguese commerce, seems an extreme measure for a kingdom as advanced as yours."
Chewa did not bother to explain Chuta's policy of liberation; that was a strategy that must remain hidden. "We stand by our entreaties, Friar Wolsey. Value for the Suaza Kingdom is not measured in yellow metal, but in knowledge, food security, and agricultural capacity."
The Englishmen did not understand the logic of the request, for it was too affordable. The price the Suazas demanded was low, but their stubbornness regarding the articles of exchange was absolute. They were unaccustomed to a trade partner rejecting gold and demanding grain.
Walter Cromwell, however, began making frantic calculations. His strength lay in England's textile and luxury industries. Above all, he desired the Suaza dyes and intricate jewels to adorn the garments of the Tudor nobility. The exchange requirements—wool, seeds, a few animals—were resources England could easily mobilize. Furthermore, the surplus of jewels and dyes could be resold to the Scandinavian countries and Hanseatic cities for an enormous profit.
"Mister Chewa," Cromwell said, a gleam of pure avarice in his eyes. "We accept your terms. We shall focus on bringing the animals, grain, and the largest volumes of books we can obtain. The barter shall proceed under your conditions."
The negotiation itself lasted almost two hours, the slowness due not to the complexity of the clauses but to the language barrier. The English translators into Spanish were inexact, and the Suaza language analysts were still gathering information on the English tongue. Every sentence was translated, analyzed, and reviewed in an exhausting exercise in patience.
Finally, they reached an initial accord: England would send the first barter fleet in four months, laden with grain, animals, and books.
Chewa, satisfied with the result and the new pressure the English would exert upon Spain and Portugal, extended a courteous invitation. "We have reached a productive agreement. I now invite you to participate in the celebration of the Great Leader Chuta's birth, that you may better know our people."
The Englishmen exchanged uneasy glances.
"We thank you, Mister Chewa, but we shall consider it," Thomas Cecil replied, with the rigidity of a noble who had no desire to mingle with the popular fervor of a populace he deemed foreign.
Before withdrawing, Cecil paused, his expression returning to diplomatic seriousness. "King Henry VII and the House of Tudor extend a formal invitation for an envoy of the Suaza Kingdom to visit our court in London. We wish to strengthen ties at a higher and more direct level."
Chewa nodded. Portugal and Spain had extended similar invitations. "An envoy from our Kingdom shall visit your court to further strengthen our ties, Mister Cecil. You may be certain of it."
The Englishmen withdrew, and Chewa watched them depart with the satisfaction of one who has played his cards well. Now, three powerful European nations competed for Suaza's commercial favor.
Five minutes later, Apqua, one of Chuta's chief aides, entered the office, his cheerful face contrasting with the formality of the room.
"Mister Chewa, have you finally finished with the Englishmen?" Apqua asked, with a broad smile.
They exchanged a gesture of mutual respect and commented on the celebration outside with genuine excitement. Both were fervent supporters of Chuta, and regretted not being at the main festival in Central City.
"We have finished. It has been a productive few weeks," Chewa commented, pouring himself a glass of chilled chicha. "I have secured agreements with three kingdoms, and all have accepted barter in lieu of gold. Even Young Chuta had given me a higher margin for expenditure or exchange, but my commercial knowledge allowed me to profit from the European desperation for our products. It is a gain far surpassing expectation."
Apqua, who had been assisting Chewa with the translation and analysis, nodded proudly. "Young Chuta will be pleased, Mister Chewa. Especially with the volume of books they will bring, the seeds for diversification, and the quality of the animals we requested."
Chewa sipped the chicha, the joy of the birthday yielding to strategy. "Precisely, Apqua. With three invitations now, we must act quickly. We must intensify the learning of Portuguese and English. We need to send representatives to those kingdoms to coordinate better deals with them and analyze what other products we might trade."
Apqua nodded with renewed seriousness. "The aides from the Kingdom Academy I brought to Link City are already working on it. With the men who will remain here on the island, and the learning tools Young Chuta has provided us, we will be able to advance much faster. I estimate that, in a couple of weeks, we will have a grasp of Portuguese and English similar to that of Spanish."
Chewa smiled, feeling relieved. Chuta's anticipation was the Kingdom's true strength.
"Good, Apqua. Now, enough of politics. It is Young Chuta's birthday. Let us go eat and drink with our people. And may the sound of our drums reach distant Europe Quyca."
The SuaChie Calendar, Year 11, Fourth Month. Link City, Cape Verde.
Three months after the initial negotiations, Chewa was in the inner courtyard of his personal home in Link City, a sanctuary of calm compared to the frenzy of the port.
The city hall, by agreement with Chuta, had been ceded to Apqua, allowing Chewa to focus exclusively on the FISTC and the complexities of the final trade deals with Spain, Portugal, and England.
In recent months, the circulation of goods had been constant. Suazan products—foodstuffs, emeralds, dyes, paper, and liquors—flowed into Europe, while European ships returned laden with the articles of exchange.
This constant movement had necessitated a frantic expansion. New, reinforced warehouses and well-ventilated stables for the incoming livestock had been rapidly erected, and the port's capacity had been improved. Crucially, a medium-sized shipyard had been built to create smaller ships and transport boats, optimizing the island's internal logistics.
The city was growing at great speed: new liberated citizens, established merchants from across the sea, and temporary European visitors swelled the population.
Chewa took a sip of an excellent Spanish wine, part of Castile's indirect payment. As he did so, a recent concern surfaced in his mind. There were rumors of recent clashes in the territory of the Triple Alliance in Central Quyca, echoes of tensions that reached even this distant island.
Initially, he had worried that this news might reach European ears, but the intellectual apathy of the delegates was his best guard. The Europeans had not bothered to learn a single language of the Kingdom, remaining dependent on translators.
His mind drifted to a far more fascinating source of information: the informant in Spain.
That person had been sending crucial intelligence: documents, specialized books, economic data, opinions of their leaders, prices, and Spanish needs, with every delivery the Suaza ships made in Palos. Thanks to this unofficial intelligence, Chewa had been able to navigate the negotiations with an advantage that even shrewd merchants like Santángel did not possess.
Chewa had tried to investigate who this source was, but every tracing attempt ended at a different intermediary, adding an impenetrable veil of mystery to the network of Chuta's aides that he did not fully comprehend. He was merely thankful that this person existed; they were a commercial life insurance. Chewa, without knowing it, was benefiting from the shrewdness of Hycata, Zasaba's undercover agent on the Iberian Peninsula.
Chewa returned to his office, sat at his desk, and unfolded three parchments—the documents that sealed the first phase of Suaza diplomacy with Quyca Europe.
Agreement with Spain:
Castile had opted for a heavy exchange: grains (mainly wheat), a great quantity of animals (horses and breeding cattle), healthy slaves, and technology. Chewa recalled sending the final agreement to Dawn City, pointing out to Chuta his strangeness at Spain's apparent willingness to hand over technology without demanding an equivalent counter-payment in Suaza knowledge. Chewa, the merchant, smelled the trap, believing the technology delivered might be obsolete or have some strategic flaw.
Agreement with Portugal:
The Lusitanian delegation, led by Juan Cortizos, had focused their exchange on sugarcane, more animals and grains, a considerable quantity of slaves, and finally, books. Chewa had noted that Portugal, with its decades of trade with the kingdoms of Guanza Quyca (Africa), already possessed an immense source of gold and, sadly, of slaves. Their desire for Suaza gold was minimal, focusing on luxury products, food, and new spices, which the Suazas had in abundance.
Agreement with England:
The deal with Henry VII's House of Tudor had closed quickly, largely because their naval capacity was considerably smaller than the Iberian's, and their commercial ambition was more direct and less political. Chewa had managed it almost as a direct FISTC trade, accumulating their payments and articles of exchange without the heavy diplomatic burden. The only notable point was the permission obtained for Suaza merchants to dock and sell directly on English territory, an access that Spain and Portugal had not yet officially granted.
Chewa sighed deeply. Not everything was success; the problems came in the form of European conditions that, while seeming reasonable to them, Chewa knew conflicted directly with Chuta's directives.
The First Conflict: Sovereignty and Navigation.
The European kingdoms had insisted on the right to trade directly in all ports of the Suazan Kingdom, without being "guarded" or escorted by the Suazan navy. They wanted a clear path to and from their territory to the Great Quyca. Chewa had temporarily rejected this petition.
Young Chuta had been emphatic: naval security and route control were non-negotiable. Allowing European fleets to sail unchecked in Suazan waters was an open door to espionage and future invasion. This point had been reported to the Kingdom with maximum urgency.
The Second Conflict: The Expansion of the Faith.
The religious issue was even thornier. The Europeans' goal of expanding the word of their God clashed head-on with Suaza's policy of religious tolerance, as this religion treated all others as void or 'heresies.' The delegations sought not only to preach but had requested permission to erect churches or temples within Link City, as well as the right to convert Suazan merchants arriving at European ports.
Chewa had been inflexible. He had flatly refused the construction of temples to avoid the imposition of conversions, even insisting that all diplomatic trade be conducted exclusively in Link City and not in Palos or Lisbon, if they continued with such forceful demands. Finally, both sides desisted from the demand for forced conversion or the immediate construction of churches, maintaining the peace at a high cost to cultural sovereignty.
Chewa raised his cup, contemplating a success that offset the problems. Thanks to Apqua, who now served as Link City's mayor, direct trade ties had been established with the kingdoms of northwest Guanza Quyca (Africa). Chewa, with his commercial vision, immediately thought of using this treaty as a lever to pressure the Europeans.
"No, Mister Chewa," Apqua had told him in a private meeting. "It is better kept secret. If the Europeans learn that the Suaza Kingdom controls the commercial ties of Guanza Quyca, their ambition will turn to desperation, and their strategy will turn to immediate aggression."
Chewa, despite his commercial acuity, did not fully understand the politics of fear that governed the Europeans, nor why Apqua, his subordinate, suggested keeping such a valuable trade deal in anonymity. But he knew he must trust him. Apqua, as Chuta's chief aide, had been taught directly by Young Chuta; his political vision surpassed his own.
Just as Chewa was about to drink the Spanish wine, his office door burst open. A Suaza Navy sailor, his uniform soaked with sweat, entered with a haste that shattered all protocol.
Chewa, unbothered by the intrusion that signaled an emergency, asked calmly: "What is the matter, sailor? Speak clearly."
The man bowed, barely catching his breath. "Mister Chewa, urgent orders from Central City. A ciphered communication from the Navy. All ships must undergo an immediate review. Only recently built, smaller tonnage vessels may continue commercial routes. Furthermore, the shipyards must halt the construction of medium and large ships."
Chewa felt a chill that iced his blood. The wine dropped from his lips. "Halt construction? Why?"
"The report indicates a deficient manufacturing process has been found in the hulls we use for large ships. New techniques are being studied to correct this. It appears to be a flaw in the material or the method of construction."
Chewa's world stopped. The veil was torn.
The technology! The supposed 'good will' of the Spanish in handing over technology in exchange for fruits and jewels.
Chewa realized: the Europeans had avoided delivering this technology to maintain their superior position in this domain. He knew the Suazan Kingdom could build its own ships, but apparently, they had realized those ships were structurally inferior to theirs.
A shrewd Spanish noble or merchant, observing the shipyard or the ships, had noted the weakness in the Suaza construction process and, instead of alerting them, had taken advantage by avoiding handing over this crucial technology.
Chewa rose to his feet, his expression now a mask of contained fury. The game of politics was not merely one of words and gold; it was one of deadly deceit in the very foundations of infrastructure.
"Aide!" he shouted, calling for his personal assistant waiting at the door. "Drop everything you are doing. I want an immediate investigation. Find out which Europeans from the delegations of Spain, Portugal, or England were in direct contact with our ships, or approached them or the shipyard."
The assistant, frightened by Chewa's tone, nodded and hurried out.
The Suaza Kingdom had won the commercial pulse, but it had just discovered that the price of that success might be the security of its Navy.
The war, or at least the sabotage, had already begun.
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[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED
Hello everyone.
We're continuing with Chewa's perspective.
And you might be wondering: Why is the author doing these reports when he said he wouldn't do them so often?
Well, this is because I wanted to make it clear that for each conflict zone, there will be people from the kingdom dealing with it directly, not Chuta, at least not for the time being.
This is also because I'll continue with Chuta's perspective and some time jumps, since I noticed I have a lot of chapters for just one year.
Keep in mind that Columbus arrived in the 7th month of year 10, and we're only in the 4th month of year 11. Crazy.
UFD: The Kingdom of Portugal established trading posts along the coast of West Africa, obtaining gold (Guinea) and slaves (from 1441 onwards), which became a crucial source of income in the 15th century.
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Read my other novels.
#The Walking Dead: Vision of the Future (Chapter 88)
#The Walking Dead: Emily's Metamorphosis (Chapter 33) (INTERMITTENT)
#The Walking Dead: Patient 0 - Lyra File (Chapter 13) (INTERMITTENT)
You can find them on my profile.]