Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1527 - 1069: The Voyage of 1492, Pursuit Under the Pine Bridge, Exploring the Atlantic Ocean!

"What? You originally borrowed only 20 Ducats?! What? They've been chasing you for the debt, not paying means death?... You fled to this heathen land to seek the Queen's support and protection from the debt collectors? Hmm... You could ask the Queen to order them to simply forgive the debt, just with one word from the Queen..."

"Ah? Isn't he one of those lowly money lenders? He's collecting debts for the Church and nobility, with a lot of Slavic guards?... What?! He's actually a Jew who betrayed Jesus?!"

Sparse pine trees stand along the riverbank like the Lord's long spears piercing the sky. The long river bridge sways with the shadows of trees, shadows that include the shapes of people. Looking closely upwards, one would find three hanging skeletons on the pine trees. Those three skeletons, two large and one small, were clearly killed by the Cross Inquisition, a Moorish heretic family.

From 1482 to today, this cruel Holy War has lasted a full ten years! One or two million Moors in Andalusia either died in this bloody fiery decade at the hands of the locust-like Holy War Army or would be completely buried in the dungeons of the Inquisition in the decades to come. In the Kingdom of Castile established on devout faith and fervent holy wars, even the merciful promises of Queen Isabella could only protect a small number of Moors, sheltering them for only twenty years.

Of course, such scenes of judgment by the river would not evoke any feelings or emotions among the people. The mercenaries of Shenluo, who kill Christians and rob merchants of the City-State, would hardly care about the life or death of heathens. As for Columbus's moral baseline, it's probably not even comparable to the Shenluo mercenaries...

"Holy Mother! What a damnable Jewish merchant of Venice! Verdammt!..."

"Vaffanculo! The Venetian merchant deserves death! The Jewish merchant even more so!..."

Beside the pine bridge by the river, the shadows of the skeletons fell. Mercenary Captain Reinhardt and Columbus together cursed from their hearts at the "Jews who deserved the Hell of Fire". Reinhardt, in a fit of rage, swung his longsword wildly at the air.

In this era, the regions of Shenluo are all heavily exploited by the Church, filled with Church fiefs, and everywhere there are tax-collecting priests and Church merchants. Germany is even the "Pope's cow", the most cruelly exploited region.

The numerous mercenary groups and knights in the Holy Roman Empire arise precisely due to the widespread poverty across the regions, unable to sustain these sword-bearing classes. And the sword-bearing class, unlike the farmers of Germany who stay in villages to starve, naturally take up weapons and seek ways out.

But for these mercenaries from Shenluo, although they hate the Catholic Church, they fear the Lord's majesty and their posthumous fate, so they dare only harbor hatred in their hearts. And the Jewish merchants, who serve as the Catholic Church's gloves, lending and collecting debts, bearing the people's hatred, are precisely their outlets for their anger.

According to the German Mercenary Group's customs, any captured Jew from breached City-State villages is to be tortured and killed entirely. And the Church doesn't mind, after all, Jews aren't considered Christians, holding wealth without any status. When the old gloves are killed, just replace them with a new batch...

"Verfluchte Scheiße!"

"Vaffanculo!"

Mercenary Captain Reinhardt and Columbus cursed the Jewish merchants together, unexpectedly feeling a sort of sympathy for each other. After cursing for a while, Reinhardt lowered his longsword, somewhat reluctantly, and reached to pat Columbus on the left cheek.

"Hey! You crooked-mouthed donkey-faced City-Stater, now when I look at you, you seem more pleasing! Well, I was originally planning to wait for you to bring out the money, then slit your throat, smash your face, strip your clothes, and dump your body in the river..."

Hearing Reinhardt's straightforward words, Columbus trembled violently, filled with fear. His face turned pale instantly, and he was about to kneel down, begging Reinhardt for mercy.

"Lord protect! Honorable knight, I beg you!..."

"Don't kneel! Kneeling is useless! I don't fall for that, never spared anyone who begged..."

Reinhardt, smiling, casually pulled Columbus up from his trembling state. He sheathed his heavy great sword, curled his lips, and patted Columbus's right cheek again.

"Ahaha! You cowardly poor City-State fool! But well, the Holy Mother does care for you... I see you can't really squeeze out any money. For these bunch of ragged silver coins, killing Queen Isabella's recognized navigator, comparing the risks and rewards, not really worth it..."

"Tsk tsk! The Queen's Great Navigator, off to the Western Sea of endless storms to find the Khitan and India to the west! Ahaha! Makes me laugh to death!... Well, today I'll let you go, just think of it as my fun!"

"Ah! Praise the Holy Mother! Honorable knight, thank you..."

"Haha! Quite amusing, I robbed you and nearly killed you, and you thank me?... Indeed, my great sword is much stronger than your bones!..."

Reinhardt shook his head with a smile, mounting his horse. Then, from the high vantage point, he looked down at the grateful Columbus, pondered for a moment, and spoke again.

"Hey! You guy called Columbus?..."