"Yes! The Almighty bears witness! My na is Christopher Columbus, destined to discover Khitan and India, and to find new sea routes as a great navigator!..."
"Ahaha! Alright! Great navigator, I am Reinhardt von Litter, sowhat of a na within the Holy War Army. Hmm, under my command, there are over a hundred brothers, all capable of riding horses into battle, killing, and beheading!..."
Reinhardt stroked his chin, looking down at the impoverished "great navigator" Columbus, and casually offered a suggestion.
"Holy Mother bless! It's impossible for you to pay off the high-interest loans from Jewish rchants! Such interest rolling over, even to death, you would pass the debt to your sons. That's the hateful aspect of Jewish moneylenders, like leeches sucking you dry. I've seen plenty of them back in my hotown!..."
"But! If soday you manage to gather two hundred gold ducats, and find ... I might just lead my brothers to act once and erase your debt for you!..."
"What? You ask how to erase it? Isn't it simple! For us Bavarian knights, no matter how much you owe, if you can't pay, just kill the lender's entire family and the debt is gone! It's just a Jewish rchant, do it discreetly, take care of the bodies, what's so troubleso? The dead can't talk... Ahaha!..."
Reinhardt laughed heartily, leaving Columbus with a uniquely German way of debt elimination. Then he wanted to curse the Jews further but heard an exclamation from a nearby rcenary.
"Ah, Captain! Look east! People are coming from the east! Look at that flag, it seems like so royal cavalry!..."
"Hmm? Really, royal cavalry? Strange, they don't usually co this way? Let's go! We won't deal with these troubleso folks!..."
Reinhardt turned his head and indeed saw a rising dust cloud in the distance, faintly showing a royal flag of Castile. He frowned, glanced at the "Queen's great navigator" Columbus, and prepared to ride away. But Columbus suddenly gritted his teeth, straightened his chest, and shouted courageously.
"Reinhardt!"
"Hmm?"
Reinhardt squinted his eyes, looking at Columbus, silently placing his hand on the hilt of his great sword.
"May the Almighty bless! If... I'm saying if! If one day I discover a new route to Khitan, beco the Queen's Admiral and Governor of India!... Would you co and join ?!..."
"What?! What on earth?..."
Upon hearing this, Reinhardt's eyes widened in disbelief, almost thinking he was hearing things. He looked at Columbus, so ordinary yet so confident, and after several monts of astonishnt, burst into loud laughter.
"Ahaha! Ahahaha! You expect ? Expect , the captain of a great rcenary group, to follow a pauper like you?... Ahaha! It's killing with laughter!..."
"Reinhardt! Marco Polo said, Khitan and India are filled with gold and spices, flowing with milk and honey, a rich land promised by the Almighty!... And if I discover Khitan and India, you follow there to get rich, you'll surely earn much more than by raiding these Moors!..."
"Ahaha! Khitan and India? Follow you there to get rich?... Ahaha! It's so funny! Killing with laughter!..."
"Captain! We must go now; those royal cavalry aren't far away!..."
"Reinhardt! Do you dare answer ? Do you dare to make a bet with ?!... Do you dare to agree with , claiming to be a brave Bavarian knight!..."
"Hmm?..."
Reinhardt was about to leave on his warhorse when he heard Columbus' final provocative shout. His eyes sharpened, and he gave Columbus a cold look, causing Columbus to shrink his neck. After a few monts, Reinhardt's mouth curled into a smile, he squeezed the horse's belly and rode away, leaving only a aningful remark.
"The Almighty bears witness! If you truly discover Khitan, and co back alive, becoming so damn Admiral... then send soone to the tavern in Barcelona to contact us! Rember, bring enough money!..."
"Dada-dada!... "
Hoofbeats crossed the pine bridge, gradually fading to the west. The bloodthirsty rcenaries soon turned into little dots on the western horizon. anwhile, several royal knights from the East turned from small dots to figures, gradually approaching until they reached Columbus' side.
"Halt, halt!... Hmm? It seems like those Shenluo rcenaries?"
"Many in number, moving fast, all competent... these snarling hyenas!"
"Indeed! After the Holy War, it's ti to drive these hyenas away... What they took are our wealth!..."
Three armored knights stopped their horses' hooves, gazed for a while at the departing dust in the west, and then looked at the two disheveled n with scattered bundles in front of them.
"The Almighty bless! I am the Royal Knight of the Queen, Alvaro de Salamanca. You are... Christopher Columbus?..."
Royal Knight Alvaro dismounted, observed Columbus' appearance for a while, and quickly confird his identity. As one of the Queen's loyal guards, he certainly rembered Columbus.
This stubborn so-called "great navigator" persistently clung to his westward exploration plan, year after year, repeatedly seeking an audience with the Queen. Even though Columbus and his absurd nautical proposal were always a joke among the royal knights, it gradually gained so notoriety.
After all, having a na is better than none. Even if it's a reputation for foolishness, stubbornness, and absurdity, being rembered offers the possibility of being considered by others.
"Yes! Almighty bless! I am Christopher Columbus... Esteed royal knight, are you looking for ?..."
Columbus pressed his lips, looking at the royal knight in front of him, a bit uneasy. In the presence of a royal knight, he dared not claim the title of "Queen's great navigator." Though he was a chatterbox and loved to curse "foolish fools," he always managed to adjust and be humble when facing true authority.
"Oh! Esteed great navigator... I'm not the one looking for you, it's the esteed Queen seeking you!..."
Upon ntioning "great navigator," Royal Knight Alvaro's mouth curled up. However, being professionally trained, he quickly suppressed his smile, speaking in an official tone.
"On behalf of Queen of Castile and King of Aragon, you are summoned once again, great navigator Columbus, to discuss the westward mariti proposal!"
"Ah! Oh, this! They're... They're reconsidering... my proposal?!"
On hearing this, Columbus stood dumbfounded, montarily at a loss, stamring. He wanted to laugh with joy, but recalling the humiliating rejection of his proposal not long ago, he genuinely found it hard to laugh.
"Bu... but? Before... when the proposal was rejected... wasn't it by...?..."
"Oh! Esteed great navigator, this ti your proposal is being reconsidered due to the joint efforts of the King's financial advisor Luis de Santangel, and the Queen's chief auditor Alonso de Quintanilla!..."
Royal Knight Alvaro blinked and smiled at Columbus. At this mont, in Columbus' eyes, he seed like a long-awaited, yet charming angel, speaking the most enchanting divine lody.
"Oh! rciful Almighty bless! What?!... The King's financial advisor and the Queen's chief auditor's joint efforts?!... Doesn't this an...? Almighty! Ah!!..."
"Yes! rciful Almighty bless! Congratulations, esteed great navigator!..."
Royal Knight Alvaro smiled again, but this ti, there was more sincerity in his smile.
"Praise the Almighty! With the endorsent of these two esteed financial officers, your proposal to explore the western ocean has already been... approved in principle!..."
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