July 1494, West Africa Coast, Rokel River Mouth, Sierra Leone Lion Mountain Port.

The coast of Sierra Leone boasts lush tropical jungle and towering peninsula mountains. The sandy beach along the coast is fine and white, dotted with tall coconut trees and palm trees. Near the shore, rushing freshwater rivers pour into the Atlantic Ocean like small waterfalls, the water being very clear and tinged with a hint of earthy red.

This is the warm and humid West Africa Coast, with its pristine wild beauty surrounding the Portuguese-style dock port, wooden trading posts, and stone fortresses. The Lion Mountain Port is set with the sea on three sides and mountains on one side. North and east of the port are encircling rivers that can be followed to trade with black-skinned tribes a thousand miles inland. To the west of the port is the sea, while the south is the treacherous Lion Mountain, forming a natural deep-water haven amidst the peninsula mountains.

Undoubtedly, this is an extremely safe, easily defendable, and very convenient port location by waterway. Its only flaw is the relatively small area, lacking potential for expansion.

Thirty-two years ago, the first Portuguese captain to explore this coast, Pedro de Sintra, immediately recognized the special location of this peninsula port and explicitly recommended this "good port" in his letters to former King Afonso.

However, the West Africa Coast discovered by Portugal was extremely wide. The Kingdom focused on the concurrently discovered Cape Verde Islands, the gold-rich Ghana Coast, and the more climate-suitable Gambia River for colonization.

As for the development of this Lion Mountain Port, it was entrusted through agreement signing to the great merchant Fernan Gomez. The trading group funded the employment of displaced farmers and impoverished citizens to develop land and seek trade goods; the Royal Family provided small-scale troops to establish camps and fortresses for point defense; then seafaring nobility sent descendants and manpower for administrative management. Merchants, Royal Family, and nobility shared through formal treaty agreements the costs of establishing colonies and the commercial and land benefits brought by colonization!

Like the current Lion Mountain Port, the port's manager comes from seafaring nobility descendants, the trading post is run by the chamber of commerce, and the fortress defense is handled by the Royal Family garrison. Whether from the "vibrant" civilian trading group or the "expanding fief" local nobility, all are deeply involved in the colonial activities led by the Portuguese Royal Family.

This European-style colonial development model is not only spread across the already expanded West Africa Coast but also will, bit by bit, through Portuguese exploration, advance towards India and the East. Even subsequent Castilians, Dutch, and English adopted this "public-private partnership" effectively to mobilize both official and civilian strength of the Kingdom, investing fully in the grand opening of overseas colonial enterprises...

"Almighty bless! Sierra Leone! It's Sierra Leone! It's the Lion Mountain!..."

"Holy Mother! We've really reached the West Africa Coast, arrived at the Kingdom's port!..."

"Praise be to the Holy Father! The brand new Jungle Continent is so close to the West Africa Coast? Just a month's semi-headwind journey, with a few days of calm belt...and we've sailed from the eastern end of the Jungle Continent to the Western Sea Coast of the Southern Continent?!..."

"Haha! It seems my guess was indeed right! The Jungle Continent is a vast New Continent, far closer to the Southern Continent than everyone imagined!...Praise the Almighty!..."

The long wind blowing from the sea pushed a dilapidated caravel ship towards the fairly small Lion Mountain Port. Captain Bruno stood on the weathered and worn bow, laughing joyfully upwards, even shedding tears of joy! And the surrounding sailors also cried tears of happiness, cheering loudly. This Atlantic exploration voyage was truly a perilous journey, not easy at all!

The Portuguese exploration fleet set out last September, after a series of attacks by Caribs, arriving at the dreamlike Haiti Island in February this year. The initial dream was shimmering gold, filled with Gold and Pearl, everyone was ecstatic with the prospect of fortune! Until that dangerous night when a fleet of native tribes attacked unexpectedly, bringing demon-like slaughter and fire...

After that nightmare ambush, of the two-ship, 50-person exploration fleet that set out, only one ship with 8 survivors remained! And Captain Bruno abandoned all illusions and decided directly to sail back.

They retraced their route, sailing for a week before fleeing to the edge of "Caribbean Islands". And when passing by a newly discovered "Brave Island" (Puerto Rico), they deceived, recruited, and captured six docile Taino natives onto the ship, boosting the crew to 14.

At this time, including the guide "Shushu", the native sailors on the ship had already accounted for half. Bruno now showed great friendliness, friendlier and more peaceful than ever. He personally came forward to patiently comfort these newly recruited native sailors, even converting all six and giving them wooden cross amulets.

Further on, the flagship sailed straight south, narrowly avoiding the dangerous "Caribbean Islands". By the time they reached the tree-filled Southern Jungle Continent, it was already early March.

"Almighty bless! We are finally safe, escaped the chase of Cipangu Devil Tribe and Caribbean Barbarian Tribe! Encamp at the river mouth, repair the sails, and then head east!"

Bruno breathed a sigh of relief and anchored at the rivermouth of the Jungle Continent. The crew gathered food while repairing the ship, especially the large breach in the stern.

All crew members had to participate in logging and carpentry to repair the damaged ship. The clever Shushu worked especially hard, being reprimanded and taught by the old carpenter Ivo, absorbed a lot of ship repair carpentry skills, and directly became a shipwright apprentice…

They stayed for a full two months! It wasn't until early May that the damaged Portuguese Caravel was roughly repaired, and enough food was collected on board. Captain Bruno couldn't wait to sail the ship eastward, along the South American coast of the Jungle, in search of the eastern end of the continent...

Then, this route turned out to be another month! The vastness of the Jungle Continent exceeded everyone's initial expectations! The crew traveled from the Orinoco River Mouth at 8 degrees north latitude, all the way along the southeastern coastline. They journeyed an estimated 5,000 kilometers, passing the utterly magnificent Amazon River Mouth before reaching the eastern end of the Jungle Continent, at about 5 degrees south latitude, where the coastline turned southwest…

At this point, the towering and continuous Brazil Plateau appeared in the eyes of European explorers for the first time! Bruno and his small group, having been repeatedly attacked by the "Barbarian Tribes," had "unforgettable painful experiences." They proceeded cautiously, avoiding any communication with the "Amazon Tribes," "East Brazilian Tupi Tribes," or any native tribes along the way.

Finally, they reached the cape at the eastern end, where they anchored again for several days, erecting a wooden post symbolizing the explorers. The post was engraved with Portuguese script, symbolizing the Kingdom of Portugal's claim to this place.

"The Almighty bless! This vast land is an overseas territory dedicated to the great King Joao! And this eastern cape is named 'Cape São Roque' in honor of the kingdom's saint, Saint Rock!… In the name of the Holy Father and Holy Spirit, I pray to Him, praying for the triumphant return!"

After the final prayers, Captain Bruno, with more than a dozen crew members, including half the Taino sailors, sailed away from the Brazil coast, heading northeast across the ocean. The following month's journey was fraught with changing sea winds, including about half the time sailing half against the wind, and even several days of calm and light winds.

Fortunately, the entire caravel was equipped with triangular sails to sail half against the wind and had the most experienced sailors continuously adjusting the sails. Although the speed of the vessel could not be increased, they managed to maintain a stable course and did not encounter any terrible ocean storms...

After a month's northeast navigation, they returned from 5 degrees south latitude to 8 degrees north latitude, finally seeing the desolate coast of West Africa, along with herds of elephants, lions, and hyenas, emerge before them!

"Merciful Almighty! He is filled with compassion and blessing, bringing us from the yellow-skinned tribe's Jungle Continent to the black-skinned tribe's Southern Continent… The distance between these two continents is probably only three or four thousand kilometers! This is an unimaginable miracle! A vast New Continent is just three or four thousand kilometers southwest of the West Africa Coast?!"

After calculating the sailing distance for this month, although Bruno had anticipated it, he was still speechless with amazement. The discovery of a brand new continent, still so close by… The prospects of colonization it offers, the wealth in land it holds, would be enough to shock the entire Kingdom of Portugal! And as the discoverer, Bruno would inevitably gain unimaginable merits and rewards from the exploration and colonization of the New Continent, possibly even benefitting his family and descendants, just like those explorers before him!

"Hoo! Hoo!…"

The loud horn sounded from the fort on Lion Mountain, signaling some form of warning and communication. Lion Mountain Port was limited in size, accommodating only about three or four hundred Portuguese whites, plus a larger number of mixed descendants and converted blacks. Therefore, it was just a colonial town of about a thousand people, lacking the bell tower of large European towns. Soon, two coastal triangular sail ships, each carrying two 2-pound cannons, sailed out from the port, approaching the exploration ship flying the Portuguese flag.

"The Almighty bless! It's our own people!"

Upon approach and confirmation, both sail ships raised safe flags, escorting the "Royal Family's exploration ship" from both sides. As the flagship docked at the port jetty, Captain Bruno finally breathed a complete sigh of relief. He raised his arms, being the first to jump onto the jetty, and smiled as he shouted to the remaining Portuguese sailors!

"Praise the Holy Mother! Praise the Holy Father! Brothers, we are finally home! We have returned to the port of our Kingdom of Portugal, completely safe!"

"Everyone, you can let loose for two days! Black-skinned women, banana wine, and grilled food! Go enjoy yourselves to the fullest! All expenses over these two days are on me, Bruno!"

"Go! Have a good time! Don't worry about me… I must go to the city hall of the port, to meet the Noble Mayor here!"