Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1526 - 1068: The Voyage of 1492 AD, Columbus’s Ordeal

"Ha! Lift your head, let me take a good look at you! Hmm? This donkey-hoofed coarse-faced fellow seems neither like a Heide to be burned nor a Götzen idolater to be beheaded... Tsk, tsk! In this land full of heathen Moors, I unexpectedly encounter two Latins from the Southern City States?..."

"Heide? Götzen?… Are you Deutsch? Crusader mercenaries from Shenluo?!"

"Hehe! Bürgerschaft! Ignorant City-State people! We are knights from Bavaria, famous for our great Mercenary Group! When we crisscrossed and fought between the City-States of the Peninsula, as soon as the citizens of your City-State heard our horn, they would all kneel and beg for mercy in fear!..."

Beside the pine bridge by the Genil River, Christopher Columbus was riding a mule with his brother Giacomo Columbus, facing a whole squad of twelve Holy Roman Mercenaries. These fierce Bavarian mercenaries were all riding tall warhorses, wearing sturdy breastplates, and surrounded them from all sides with ill intent. The Mercenary Captain, who led them, was smiling, gazing at the well-dressed City-State men and resting his hand on the knight's longsword at his waist.

"Latin from the City-State! Open your blue eyes wide, take a good look at the writing on my breastplate!… Oh, you might not recognize the Highland language? Then drop your weapon, kneel with your head to the ground, and bow to me, Lord Reinhardt the Knight!..."

"Almighty! The words on your breastplate?… 'Gotes Feinde, haben keinerlei Barmherzigkeit und Erbarmen.', 'The enemies of God, having no mercy or compassion?'… Merda! How could this be?! Is this really the German Mercenary Group?..."

Columbus widened his eyes, looking at the line of text on Mercenary Captain Reinhardt's breastplate. That was the famous Maxim once used by the notorious "great Mercenary Group" on the Apennine Peninsula. The brutal and murderous great Mercenary Group, with a reputation among the citizens of the City-States, was almost enough to stop children crying at night...

"No! This isn't right! Though the great Mercenary Group on the Peninsula is famous, weren't they long defeated by Hakud's white Mercenary Group? That was all old stories from the countryside legends over a hundred years ago..."

Though Columbus was rough and stubborn, he wasn't foolish. He observed for a while the shabby armor on these mercenary knights, the heavy, worn scabbards at their waists, and the blood-dried sacks on their horsebacks, quickly understanding the situation.

"Haha! Merda! What so-called German Mercenary Group?! Just some bankrupt wandering knights, using a frightening name to loot everywhere during the Holy War in Castile!"

"Merda? Bah! You donkey-faced City-State man, do you dare insult me? Almighty as my witness! I suspect you of being a demon-worshipping heathen!… Kneel, kneel properly and open your bags for my inspection!"

The leading Bavarian Mercenary Captain Reinhardt drew out a more than one-meter-long knight's longsword with a clang, pointing it at Columbus's chest. The surrounding mercenary knights also drew their swords, their faces showing undisguised murderous intent.

"Captain! Let's just chop these two fat lambs down at once!… Haha! Judging by their attire, we could surely squeeze out dozens of gold coins!"

"Oh this… Almighty bless! It's all… a misunderstanding… misunderstanding! My bag… for you… for you to check!"

Seeing the scene unfold, Columbus broke out in a cold sweat instantly, his forehead and back wet, and his knees became weak uncontrollably.

In this desolate heathen land, with no one around for miles, killing two travelers was easier than killing two dogs. And in the Peninsula's countryside legends, he was all too familiar with the brutal nature of these mercenary knights, more ruthless than any local bandits...

"Almighty as my witness! I… am Christopher Columbus!… The Great Navigator employed by Queen Isabella… I… I have a letter personally signed by the Queen!"

"Bull! What Columbus or Giacomo?! What Great Navigator of the Queen? I am the Duke of Bavaria!… Kneel! I said kneel! Hand over your bags!"

Facing a row of sharp blades, facing mercenary knights who kill without blinking, Columbus stubbornly braced himself for three seconds of courage, then decisively chose to kneel. He shakily removed the bag from his back, gritted his teeth in reluctance for a few moments, then was kicked to the ground by two mercenaries who immediately seized the bag from his hands.

"Aha! Holy Mother bless! Let me see, how many jingling little lovelies you got inside… Hmm?!"

Mercenary Captain Reinhardt couldn't wait, hastily untying the heavy bag, and his brow furrowed immediately.

"Scheiße! What is this junk? Two books? 'Wonders of the East', 'Geocentrism'?… And what are these thick sheepskin scrolls? 'Toscanelli's Map'? 'Spice Islands', 'India', 'Seris', 'Cipangu'? What a mess! A navigator's compass? A ruler?… Huh? Are you really a navigator?..."

Reinhardt rummaged through Columbus's bag impatiently and dumped everything on the ground. Following the sound of clinking coins, he finally found a small shriveled pouch. He opened it and was instantly filled with rage.

"Verdammt! Damn! This guy dresses all nice like a wealthy lamb, yet there are only 11 Grosso Silver Coins in the pouch? Not even a single Ducat Gold Coin!"

"Captain! This other guy is even poorer, only 6 silver coins and 11 copper coins!..."

"Verfluchte Scheiße! You two paupers from the City-State made me waste my time coming all this way!"

Reinhardt's fury surged as he drew his great sword horizontally and held it against Columbus's neck, spitting in his face. Columbus was both terrified and furious, trembling violently all over, yet completely unable to move. In the presence of these mercenary knights clad in armor, with bloodstained hands, no matter how strong he seemed, he was just a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

"Arme Sau! Damned pauper! Looks like something, but there's nothing in the pouch! So old, so many years, and haven't saved a penny? Paupers without money should huddle in the city lugging heavy bags, not wandering in this Moorish place. I followed you all the way, thinking you were a plump merchant from the City-State..."

"Fool, lazy bum! Not hardworking at all! If you have no money, can't you go rob? If you have no money, can't you go kill the heathen? I've worked hard, robbing and killing from dawn till dusk!..."

Reinhardt's face was hideous as he cursed fiercely for a long while. Just as he was about to turn the hilt of his sword to slit this pauper from the City-State's throat, he heard a shout of surprise from his subordinate.

"Boss! Look, look! What is this, it looks like the sheepskin of a nobleman, and there's a big seal on it, seems like... seems like the Queen's seal!"

"Hmm?..."

Reinhardt furrowed his brow, took the exquisite sheepskin scroll and read it, his eyes changing in an instant.

"In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to Navigator Christopher Columbus. We have read the letter you wrote to us and noted your mention of the plan to sail west... Please bring detailed sea charts and present your specific plan and requirements before the Royal Family's navigational committee to the esteemed King and Queen... In accordance with the orders of the King and Queen, this letter is sent by Hernando de Talavera..."

After a moment, Reinhardt finished reading the letter, pondered for a while, then lowered the long sword from Columbus's neck. He squinted his sharp green eyes at the Latin man before him and asked in a deep voice.

"Almighty bears witness! Are you truly the Navigator appointed by the Queen?"

"I... I am..."

Thinking of the failed demonstration not long ago, and the rejected proposal by the committee, Columbus pursed his lips, remained silent for a moment, and then swore half-truthfully in the name of the Almighty.

"Almighty bears witness! I am indeed the Navigator of the Queen! The Queen has been supporting me, allowing me to study the route across the ocean westward to reach the wealthy lands of Khitan and India!"

"Ha?! By sailing west, you can reach Khitan and India? The legendary rich countries full of gold, silver, spices, milk, and honey?" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Upon hearing this, Reinhardt was stunned, greedily licked his lips, and his eyes revealed a desire for plunder. After a while, he shook his head, squinted his dangerous green eyes again, and questioned Columbus.

"Strange... You, this guy, if you're the Queen's Navigator, why don't you have any money?... Hmm? Where's your money? Where have you hidden it?!... Speak! Hand it over! Then I'll let you leave alive..."

"I... my money?... Almighty bears witness! I have no money... I'm in debt to the Venetian merchants with usurious loans..."

Seeing the hidden murderous intent in the Mercenary Captain's eyes, feeling the imminent threat of death, Columbus remained silent for a long while, then cautiously pointed to the corner of the pouch with his hand. There lay a crumpled but not discarded exquisite piece of paper. When unfolded, it was a copy of a loan contract.

"Mercy and Majesty of the Almighty, witness the contract of integrity and fairness... Christopher Columbus borrowing from ethical merchant Eliyahu, 2212 Ducat Gold Coins, 9 Grosso Silver Coins, 21.8 Denarius Copper Coins. Annual interest rate 60%, interest compounded into principal... Contract date, year 1489 after Almighty's descent..."

Reinhardt, suspicious, read just two lines before his voice shook in shock, almost roaring.

"Ah? Ah!... Two thousand ducats at an annual interest rate of 60%? My Holy Mother! You... you! You actually owe such an enormous debt! So Verdammt much!!..."