Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1760 - 1260: Sorry, I Really Want to Be a Good Person!
"Boom!... Boom!..."
The dull sound of cannon fire echoed across the vast sea, reaching all parts of the waters outside Lisbon. The cannon fire was intermittent, occurring every quarter of an hour, with only one shot each time. It seemed less like a battle and more like some kind of maritime signal and communication.
"Boom!..."
Following the sound of the cannon in the wind, if you find the source of the "battle," you'd see that's exactly the case. A battered Clark Galleon with no flag was desperately fleeing into the deep sea with its triangular auxiliary sail, while a Light Caravel, flying the Portuguese Royal Family's flag, chased closely behind the Large Ship, occasionally firing shots into the air.
But the gap between the two ships was at least 8 or 9 nautical miles, far exceeding the range of any cannon. It was obvious that the Portuguese Caravel was using the sound of cannons to notify other nearby ships to come and support in surrounding this "suspicious Large Ship."
"Boom!..."
The deafening cannon fire rang out once more from the stern, making Bruno's ears buzz at the bow. He didn't cover his ears, just squinted his eyes, staring intently at the fleeing Large Ship ahead, calculating the time to catch up.
"May the Almighty bless us! We discovered this Large Ship around noon... At that time, there was a distance of 18-20 nautical miles. The opponent's mast was higher, surely they spotted us first, then turned the bow towards the southwesterly wind to speed up and avoid us..."
"This unflagged Large Ship seems to be somewhat damaged? Today's wind force was average, their tailwind speed was estimated at only 7 knots, while we had at least 10 knots and could catch up 3-4 nautical miles per hour! But after a while, the other party realized something was amiss and immediately shifted their course to a half-upwind direction, escaping towards the deep sea... Both ship speeds were reduced by more than half, only closing the gap by 1-2 nautical miles per hour..."
"Judging by the sun, it's already 6 pm now, and it will be dark soon... No matter what, we won't make it in time... These cunning Castilians are determined to drag it out until nightfall, taking advantage of the darkness to escape?... Ha! Foda-se, what an ugly thought for a pretty outcome!..."
Staring at the Large Ship escaping ahead, Bruno cursed disdainfully. This Clark Sailing Ship was clearly a proper Castilian Navy vessel. If it were fully crewed, it could host fifty or sixty men and a dozen cannons, with firepower two to three times that of his Caravel, and with a much higher deck, it would be impossible to take it on single-handedly.
Thus, when he first encountered it at noon, it gave him quite a scare; he hesitated whether to charge directly or wait for nearby reinforcements. But the opponent turned tail upon seeing his Light Sailing Ship, clearly guilty of something, though it was unclear what. So he no longer hesitated, immediately closed in with full sail, and pursued relentlessly!
"It's so strange! How did the Castilian Large Ship silently sneak here? Did it come around from the north, from Galicia, or from the south, from Seville, past Lisbon? But there were no reports from patrol fleets in those areas before..."
"No flag, silently slipped into this area, and fled upon seeing us... Could it really be a spy vessel peeking at the Southern Continent?... But why would those foolish Castilians use a slow Clark Galleon to spy, rather than a faster, more agile Light Sailing Ship?..."
Bruno's thoughts were meticulous, the more he thought, the stranger he found the Large Ship ahead. He gazed far into the distance, seeing the tattered stern sail that seemed to have weathered a storm, and many speculations formed in his mind. However, he could not imagine that the Castilians could sail westward for months across the endless Atlantic Ocean, reach the Eastern Cipangu, and then return with news of a new route that could change the world during stormy seasons!
"Faster! Faster!... Let me see, let me see... What kind of big fish is on this strange Large Ship?..."
The sea breeze roared. Bruno at the bow reached out, feeling the wind passing over his hand, as if he was holding the sail ahead, holding some mysterious, unknown treasure, or perhaps a step to change fate!
However, the chase on the sea was so long and futile. The speed difference between both ships was not that obvious, and both crews were skilled sailors who would not make mistakes. As long as one side gave up fighting and focused solely on escaping, it could not be caught in a short time. Such chases often lasted several days, even ten or fifteen days, because once night fell, both vessels lost sight of each other; the fleeing side gained a chance to catch their breath and quietly escape in some direction overnight. The next day, a new search and chase would begin again. Until one side ran out of supplies, or got surrounded by the other...
"Foda-se! It's getting dark!... Damn it! You sly, weak Castilian goats, let you catch your breath for another night! The Kingdom Navy has already set a big net, and more sailboats will come. Your slow Large Ships will eventually have nowhere to run!"
The night was a gentle veil over the sea, silently enveloping everything. The cannon fire from Bruno's ship had long ceased, and the Portuguese Sea Ship chasing the Large Ship had now turned into three. The three Light Sailing Ships gradually came to a halt, watching the struggling Santa Maria escape into the dark depths of the Western Ocean. Then, under the guidance of night lamps, the three Portuguese Sea Ships carefully approached each other, with each captain gathering together to discuss tomorrow's search direction.
"Holy Mother bless us! We've caught the goat's tail! We must present it to the King!..."
"Indeed! The large ship opposite is very suspicious. Not only does it lack a flag, but it also shows obvious signs of damage. It might have been separated from its fleet, and it seems they don't have enough crew, as the deck isn't fully manned. This ship seems to have experienced a deep-sea storm, or perhaps it's been in battle..."
"As the Lord is my witness! Once we capture them, everything will become clear! The wind isn't strong tonight, at most they can escape 60 nautical miles west or 40 nautical miles north or south in one night. The sea offers no cover, and if tomorrow is clear, we can detect their traces from 20 nautical miles away... We'll split into three directions, pursue them for half a day, then turn 45 degrees to search, using cannon fire as a signal..."
"Yes! That's the plan! Tomorrow more fast ships will arrive, they won't escape!... However, we must capture them quickly! The more ships that come, the less merit we get, and the fewer goods we'll divide from the ship..."
"Ahahaha! Holy Mother bless us! Whether merit or wealth, we'll split everything according to the old tradition of the South!..."
"Holy Mother bless! Good!..."
The tide surged with a roar through the long night, and the captains whispered in low tones. They were all old sea dogs, all noticing the strange situation with this large Castilian galleon. Nonetheless, even without these suspicions, a Clark galleon represents wealth several times over a Caravel!
Even though their ships were only a few dozen nautical miles from Lisbon, they had already moved from the orderly Catholic World into unknown deep seas. In such places far from the constraints of rules, even raising the Castilian Royal Banner couldn't stop the captains' cannons and scimitars!
After all, they were all veteran captains returned from the Southern Continent, their hands stained with blood, their hearts dyed with ink, marks that could never be washed clean...
"Boom! Boom!"
The sun rose over the eastern sea, and darkness fell into the western depths. The experienced Portuguese captains were unparalleled by the Xipangu Natives with no deep-sea experience. In just half a day, faint cannon fire came from the north. Then, three ships turned towards the news, tightening the net around their prey.
"Almighty! We've evaded them for another day, and night has finally fallen again... Damn those Portuguese are increasing in number! Tomorrow, tomorrow..."
On the bobbing bow of the Clark, Captain De La Cosa stood with a bent waist, his feet firm but his heart adrift. His face was as still as water, watching as five Portuguese sailing ships gradually vanished into the night from three directions. These past few days, he had circled the outer seas of Lisbon with the Portuguese, unable to shake them off, only attracting more and more Portuguese sea ships, like flies drawn to excrement.
"Pah pah! What a metaphor! Damn it! What exactly went wrong? Could someone have leaked the information?..."
He wondered if it was during the last time they landed that a sailor may have revealed something. Otherwise, why would a low-profile large ship, never offending on the Portuguese coast, attract so much attention from the royal navy? He had no idea he was wrongfully accused of spying on Portugal's new route due to a knight's eagerness to succeed and extort him. But he knew, if one more Portuguese sea ship appeared in the last direction, he would be completely done for, unable to escape...
"Joder! Supplies are running low, and the Portuguese are closing in... If caught by the Portuguese, how on earth could they hide the incredible secret of discovering a new route?... Over ten crew members, two surviving natives, and one noisy stubborn mule... So many mouths, how to unify their claims, how could they possibly keep it sealed tightly?..."
"Not to mention the wealth on the ship, the gold and silver, tobacco, and cotton threads obtained from Cipangu... all of which are money!... In this vast ocean, far from any shore, if caught by the Portuguese, then the outcome..."
The late spring sea breeze carried with it the scent of a distant homeland. The Iberian Peninsula was so near, and the Lisbon they had been avoiding was just a few dozen nautical miles away. Captain De La Cosa felt a wave of sadness, which gradually turned to heroism, then quietly into the cunning of a viper!
"Damn it! Before being cruelly caught by the Portuguese... those two natives must be thrown into the sea, and the goods from Cipangu discarded... And there's that loudmouth Columbus, known far and wide for his insistence on sailing west, recognizable at a glance!..."
De La Cosa was resolute, gripping the dagger at his waist tightly. Columbus had begged outside the Portuguese Court for so long; he was abrasive and could never keep quiet. Once caught by the Portuguese, he wouldn't be able to hide anything. Given the Portuguese's historical obsession with secrecy and monopoly over new routes, if they learned about the new western route, hiss!...
"Merda! If that's the case, then that risk must be preemptively dealt with! Sorry, esteemed Commander Columbus, I truly wish to be a good man!"...
De La Cosa squinted his eyes, wetting his dry gums with his tongue. Then, he silently straightened his back, his expression cold as he took his scimitar and headed towards the hold where the Commander was confined. His steps were soundless, unnoticed by anyone, like a snake silently slithering toward its prey entangled in a web...
