Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1674 - 1193: The End of 1492 AD—We Are Partners Blessed by the Almighty!
"You... you dare come closer?! I am the Admiral appointed personally by the Queen, Fleet Commander!... If you kill me here, once we return to the Kingdom, it will not end well for you!... No! Don't come any closer..."
"Heh heh!..."
De La Cosa sneered, staring coldly at the half-curled Columbus, but did not take a step closer, nor did he appear smug. He simply maintained a grim expression, scanning Columbus's half-bent, tense left leg, and the right hand hidden in the thatch, and said coldly.
"Enough! Stop pretending!... Columbus, you are a stubborn mule who loves kicking people, a wild dog who can't hold its tongue. But you are never a treacherous snake, much less can you disguise yourself successfully in front of me!... Take out your right hand! Do you want to suddenly ambush and kill me? You don't have that ability!..."
"... Diamine! You damned, treacherous snake!..."
Looking at De La Cosa, who stood motionless with the rapier slowly raised, Columbus shouted in anger and despair. As the rapier approached, he could do nothing but sit up from the grass bed, revealing his right hand holding a Stone Dagger.
"De La Cosa, you!..."
"Esteemed Admiral, please throw over the native's dagger in your hand... This is for protecting you, to prevent you from acting rashly and causing me to harm you, or cut off your remaining ear!"
"Vaffanculo! You dare threaten..."
"Drop it!!..."
"Bang..."
"Good! Now, this is much better!..."
Lowering the rapier, De La Cosa's cold expression vanished, replaced by a warm and friendly smile. He then took a step closer, looking down at the disarmed and sickly Columbus sitting on the grass bed, smiling as he spoke softly.
"Commander, I told you before... Your biggest flaw is being too quick to anger!... Ah! Why don't you believe me? I said I wouldn't harm you, even in the worst-case scenario, I would spare your life... But you never believed, instead thinking of harming me!..."
"Tsk tsk! Look at your face, turning red with anger, and sweating so much... You've barely recovered, can't even hold a knife steadily, yet you're eager to act! But, Commander, you're the son of a merchant, not a knight... You've never learned the rapier, nor the scimitar!... If it comes to a fight, you can't beat me alone!"
"Ah! If Alana were here, having received training as a knight's retainer, though he's not the brightest, he's quite nimble, truly a troublesome threat... But alas! You abandoned him! Tsk tsk! To save your life, you even left behind your loyal, sailor-commanding brother-in-law!..."
"Minchia! De La Cosa, what the hell are you trying to say?!"
Hearing Alana's name, Columbus's eyes instantly reddened, his only ear trembling with rage, even his face twisted with anger.
This intense reaction wasn't because his bond with his brother-in-law had reached a life-and-death level, but because Alana's unexpected fall into the water was the turning point that allowed De La Cosa to overturn the situation! In an instant, he went from being the Commander deciding life and death aboard the ship, to being a captive at the mercy of the opponent...
"Hmm? What was I trying to say?... Ah... actually, I just wanted to see you, and also witness the magical healing effects of the natives!..."
Blinking, De La Cosa still smiled, yet his rapier remained poised, faintly pointed at Columbus's vital areas.
"Almighty bless! Now I see! You have indeed recovered well... Ready to rest in the cabin!..."
"Diamine! De La Cosa, are you going to imprison me in the cabin again?!" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
"Imprison? No, no, no! Commander, don't misunderstand... How could I dare imprison you?..."
De La Cosa shook his head with a smile, explaining sincerely, like a caretaker soothing a Spanish fighting bull.
"How could that be?... I just thought that a quiet, locked cabin without sunlight would be more suitable for you to calm down, rest properly, and prepare documentation to report back to the Queen... After all, you were hit by the natives' poison arrow, your wounds haven't fully healed, and they could flare up at any time... If you suddenly fell ill and died, how sad the sailors would be! I would truly grieve for you too..."
"You sheep-born bastard..."
"I think you also want to return alive to proudly report to the great and sacred Queen, to earn the honor of discovering a new trade route, and to trample all the maritime scholars and royal nobles who looked down on you underfoot, don't you?!..."
"I..."
"Let's not forget that after discovering the new trade route to the East, the Queen will bestow upon you a generous reward! Nobles from all over will flock to you, praising your discovery that shocked the Catholic World, pleading for you to take them on voyages! Especially the Portuguese maritime nobles who once rejected and mocked you many times, and King Joao II, who never heeded your proposals over the decades and never valued you! Imagine that scene! How wonderful it would be!..."
"..."
Hearing these words that hit the mark, Columbus's face twitched, his expression changed. He stayed silent for a quarter hour, his eyebrows gradually twisted into a knot. When he finally spoke again, for the first time, he didn't curse.
"... De La Cosa, are you really not planning to kill me? Are you going to let me return to Castile alive, to meet the Queen alive?..."
"Of course! Almighty as my witness! From the beginning, that was my intention, and that's what I've been doing... Otherwise, if I hadn't saved you, hadn't handed you over to the natives... you would've died on the ship long ago!..."
