Upon hearing Columbus' fantastic imagination, De La Cosa was dumbfounded, even the hand holding the knife trembled in shock. This guy looks so ugly, how can his dreams be so beautiful? And King João begging him, with the Queen sending soone to fetch him personally? This is simply a daydream… wait! Wait!
At this mont, De La Cosa snapped back to reality, suddenly capturing sothing with keen insight, like seeing a beam of light amidst darkness in the ship cabin. Although the light was weak and flickering, it exuded a scent of vitality…
"Columbus! No, Commander Columbus!... Say it again! Say it again!... If you were in charge of the ship, what would you do?..."
"rda! De La Cosa, you fool, did you not hear what I just said?!..."
"I am listening, I am listening carefully… You just ntioned, how would you sail the ship?..."
"Bah! What do you an how? Is there even a need to think about it? De La Cosa, perhaps you've been a poisonous snake or rat in the gutter for too long, you dare not even venture out in broad daylight… keeping the flag down, hiding from the Portuguese Navy, like a criminal pirate. Acting so stealthily, if captured by the Portuguese at sea, you could silently be killed without anyone knowing! Dying like that, it's as ridiculous as a slug, like a worm in the gutter!"
Columbus raised his head, with one ear turned up, and disdainfully glanced at De La Cosa, then confidently shouted.
"If it were ! If it were the Commander in charge!… I would openly raise the flag of the Castilian Royal Family, heads held high, directly sail towards the harbor of Lisbon! No, I would set sail tonight, imdiately head towards Lisbon overnight!..."
"Early next morning, I want to appear in the thriving Tagus Bay outside Lisbon! I want to proudly announce the discovery of the new route to every Portuguese noble encountered, to every rchant ship passing by, to everyone in Lisbon!..."
"I want the pig-headed Portuguese scholars to all bow down before , to slap their own faces! I want King João who rejected to regret for life, hating himself for being blind!..."
"I will loudly proclaim to everyone: I! Don Christopher Columbus, am the first Great Navigator to reach the East, the first to discover the new route! I discovered the new route to the East, in the Western Atlantic!"
In the narrow ship cabin, the one-eared Columbus held his head high, looking sideways, sitting on the filthy ship deck, like a king amidst a cesspit! anwhile, beside him, De La Cosa showed an appalled expression, shaken by the aura of such dominance, trembling unable to grip the hilt, stepping back two paces, muttering.
"Ah! Yes! Yes!"
"Indeed, it's like this! Yes, yes! This is how it should be!..."
"Announce the news of the new route to everyone! Reveal everything hidden in the dark! This is the only way to survive! Ah! How co I never thought like this before?..."
"Commander Columbus is truly… he really is… a man favored by the Goddess of Destiny, a man with a hard fate! I am truly incomparable, truly incomparable! Indeed, keeping him is the right choice!… And the next matters can only rely on him, rely on his 'reputation' in Portugal…"
After a mont of shock, De La Cosa finally regained his composure. With a "clang," he dropped the scimitar in his hand and excitedly rushed to Columbus who was holding his head high. Without disdain, he held Columbus' hand, tears welling up, genuinely excited as he spoke.
"Commander! Respected Commander Columbus!... You will forever be my commander!"
"Your injury has finally healed under my care! It wasn't easy!... Ah! Starting tomorrow, you are our captain! Leading us to Lisbon's captain!..."
In the dim cabin, seeing the "ferocious" approaching De La Cosa, Columbus shivered, his solemn readiness to face death was instantly broken.
"De La Cosa! You… are finally going to make a move?! You cold-blooded serpent, you've been drawing your blade ever since entering the cabin, plotting to harm your respected Commander!... Co on! I've been ready all along, waiting for this day!... Ah ha! I was blind to bring you on a voyage! Even as a ghost, I wouldn't let you go… huh?! Wait! What… what did you say?!... Let … beco the captain again?…"
At this mont, Columbus opened his mouth wide, full of disbelief, utterly stupefied.
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