Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

Chapter 1929 1400: The Portuguese People’s Lament, Return Voyage from the New Continent!

"Alas, sorrow indeed! The sea is calm, the tides whisper. Guided by the stars, we sail towards the deserted island. Comforted by the Almighty, smoothing all sorrows!…"The mournful dirge floated up from the shattered flagship of Portugal, like fallen leaves sinking into the azure abyss. The abyss is a silent graveyard, the sailing ship a wooden coffin in voyage, with no corpses, only the bloodstains before death. And the nine scarred sailors are the final tomb guardians on board, hanging their heads low around the mast, singing the ghostly song of death.

"Goodbye, death, oh death! Their journey has ended, the deep blue is their final resting place. Holy Mary, hear my prayer! May the deceased sink into the abyss, never to be lonely again!~~"

Upon hearing such a despondent ship's song, Captain Bruno opened his mouth, a trace of dissatisfaction flashing across his face. However, he could not wield the authority of a captain, unable to utter a word of chastisement or encouragement.

"The fleet is defeated, the hearts are dispersed!... To say more would be to doom myself... I might not even be able to keep my head…."

Now, five whole days have passed since that nightmare none wish to recall, since that night of the native boat's stealth attack. The initial exploration fleet of sixty crew members is now down to the last eight, nearly everyone wounded!…

Even though long sea voyages have always been death journeys with no return for sailors, the casualties in this situation are simply too tragic!

"Damn it! Those vile, barbaric, deceitful, ambushing devil natives! They've long colluded with the native kingdom of Cipangu, perhaps they're even part of it! The gold, pearls, and books they offered were only to deceive us, to make us stay so they could call in their navy!…"

"Cursed! Those devil natives need to be sent to the Hell of Fire! I swear to return with the Kingdom Navy and slaughter the entire native tribe!... On the Southern Continent, any native tribe that dares to offend us Portuguese people shall be annihilated!... Except for Sanghai and Congo!..."

"Oh Almighty! May the demons that deceived them be cast into the lake of brimstone where the beast and false prophet reside. They shall be tormented day and night, forever and ever!…"

The ship turned north, sailing into the tranquil seas, drifting away from the dangerous Haiti Island. The crippling fear Bruno felt during the attack also finally dissipated with the arrival of safety. Thus, the danger vanished, fear was replaced by anger, and the anger was full of a desire for slaughter! To know, in the southern Black African Continent, the Portuguese Navy is an overpowering force of violence, and there is no naval enemy!

However, this is ultimately not the Southern Continent, not a place where the Portuguese Navy can project all its power. This is thousands of miles away, a place that requires a two-month voyage with no supplies or stops. Even the mightiest navy cannot project significant power here… because the deep sea is an untamable, unpredictable, and dangerous violent abyss. Perhaps an unprecedented storm could erase Europe's most powerful navy… well, it is currently the most powerful navy…

"Phew! In the depths of the Atlantic Ocean lies Cipangu, and the native kingdom thousands of miles away… Alas! Holy Mother protect us! We're down to the last eight men…"

After a short burst of impotent rage, Bruno took a long sigh. He quietly closed his eyes, reminiscing on Portugal's maritime experiences, determining the strategy for upcoming actions.

"In the witness of Almighty! For all upcoming encounters with native tribes, we must maintain the utmost goodwill and respect! We must avoid the dangerous large tribes and avoid the barbarians with poison arrows… The safest approach is to interact only with small tribes of a few dozen people!… Then trick a few native strong men to board, replenishing the lack of sailors!"

In the current situation, the Portuguese exploration fleet is completely crippled, even the flagship has a big gap in its stern with no wood to patch it up. In such a dilapidated state, the flagship can no longer continue exploring. They must avoid all perilous native islands, make some light repairs, then return along the already charted route!

"Navigator Pedro! What is the current latitude?…"

"Captain, we are currently at a latitude of 21 to 22 degrees north, approximately in the sea around the Bahamas Islands! I was here two years ago. Even the two small islands we encountered earlier look very familiar… Captain, the natives here are very friendly, allowing us to take a proper rest and resupply!"

"No! In the witness of Almighty! Pedro, we cannot stay here! We are too close to the southern Haiti Island and those ferocious natives! Be aware, those natives also have the same swift light sailing ships! If they catch up, the consequences would be unimaginable…"

"Just like yesterday, the small tribes we saw scattered away in fear upon seeing us… It's very likely they have contacts with the native kingdom of Cipangu, within the influence range of those barbaric people!"

Captain Bruno shook his head, dismissing Pedro's suggestion. As a seasoned navy man of ten years, once free from the lure of gold, his mind was fully alert.

Even if the native tribes in the Bahamas Islands are very small, posing no threat to the flagship, their display of fear and fleeing is a dangerous sign, indicating a risky connection with the native kingdom and possible collusion. Hence, they cannot stop, they must keep moving! Movement is the safest option…

"In the witness of Almighty! Keep searching, find a smaller island where the native tribe numbers no more than a hundred! Then, land to resupply, cut down a few trees, bring them on board for processing, and enroll a few natives onto the ship… In just a day or two, we'll continue heading east!"

"Huh? Captain, heading east? Are you planning to follow the return route in Columbus's navigation log, directly heading northeast?"

"Foda-se! Damn it! Don't mention that damned liar Columbus! His navigation logs are full of lies, filled with deadly traps! The natives we've encountered are nothing like what he recorded!… I will no longer believe any of the nonsense in those logs! I'll only trust what I see with my own eyes!"

At the mention of the "liar" Columbus, Bruno erupted with anger, fiercely drawing the scimitar from his waist, slashing twice with force. His Noble Sword was lost during that night's raid and explosion, and he could only pick up a scimitar left behind after a sailor's death to serve as a temporary weapon. Due to the previous "gold trading," all the spare weapons and armor in the cabin were sold off completely, with none left as replacements…

"In the witness of Holy Mother! For the upcoming return journey, to ensure stability and safety, we will try to follow the chain of islands we came by! Avoid all dyed barbarians, never stop by land until we reach the southern Jungle Continent, then turn east!"

"Huh? Continuously follow the Jungle Continent eastwards? Wouldn't that take us to 4-5 degrees north latitude, or even further south?"

"Precisely! Follow the southern Jungle Continent coastline eastwards to the end! I want to record properly how vast this new continent in the Atlantic Ocean's deep sea is, to report back to Lord Joao!"

"Besides, navigating east from that latitude will bring us closer to the southern part of Europe's Black African Continent… With some luck, we might reduce half the deep-sea journey, heading directly to the Kingdom's key stronghold on the Southern Continent, Sierra Leone Port!"

"At latitude 8-9 degrees north, Sierra Leone Port? Oh wow! Boss, their fried fish and fried plantains are delicious! Just thinking about it makes me drool… Of course, what's even more enticing are the soft and hairless native women there, they feel as smooth as silk. That place is familiar Kingdom territory, the surrounding native tribes have long been repeatedly conquered, very docile huh!… Hehehe!"

"Haloduo? Have you touched expensive silk before? Here you are bragging, laughing so lasciviously! With that energy, why not help me cut a blindfold, to cover this blind eye of mine!"

As the conversation went on, Boatswain Haloduo and Quartermaster Matim came over. Haloduo was missing a piece of scalp in the center of his forehead, looking somewhat comical. Matim, having gone blind in one eye, appeared more menacing. Agitatedly shaking his head, he glanced in the direction of the old carpenter Ivo and that native Shushu, speaking gruffly.

"Captain! No matter how I think about it, I feel there was an inside mole during that night's ambush on our ship! Chances are, it's that guide 'Rat'!… Damn it! Let me interrogate him! If he dares not tell the truth, I'll gouge out his eyes and use them myself!…"