"Angel, have the kingdom navy that recently went south brought any news from the Kingdom?…"

"News? What do you mean?…"

"Ah! Like the situation in the Kingdom, any changes among the governors… for instance, has the Governor of the Azores reported anything?…"

"The situation in the Kingdom? The Governor of the Azores?… No, I haven't heard of any changes! Bruno, I heard you've gotten close to Nuno Chief, do you know any insider news about the nobility and the court?"

"Ah… not really. It's just… just trade routes. It seems the Azores Islands have started producing sugar, and they might need… hm… yes, might need a batch of plantation slaves! Also, Nuno Chief mentioned to me that the ivory products from Sierra Leone are stunningly perfect artworks! Especially the ivory horn that can be blown!…"

"Haha! So that's it! Bruno, don't worry! Since it's Nuno Chief's request, I will definitely send a set of exquisite ivory utensils! The best ivory horn, ivory salt bottle, ivory spoon, and comb… Well, there's a share for you too!…"

Noble Mayor Miguel laughed heartily, appearing extremely generous. However, the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth still revealed his inner distress.

In this Sierra Leone port connecting to the Great River Interior, the most valuable goods undoubtedly come from the ivory traded with the Black-skinned Tribe. Early on, there might have been a small amount of sand gold, but after over twenty years of trade and plunder, the Black-skinned Tribe within several hundred miles have been squeezed out of gold. And the ivory output from Sierra Leone also has a fixed amount annually. The trading post takes a third of the profit, and the local stationed Knight troop also takes a third. There's not much left for the Sintra Family.

At this moment, he promised a set of exquisite ivory utensils for Nuno Chief, plus a set of ordinary ivory utensils for Bruno. If these could be transported to the Lisbon Port and sold to merchants from the Italian City-States, they could easily earn back a dozen gold coins! This simple promise cost him a dozen gold coins!

However, Miguel and the Sintra Family backing him, although firmly holding the position of Noble Mayor of the port, effectively have inherited management rights over this colony port in the Southern Continent… But this is, after all, the Kingdom's colony, not the Sintra Family's noble fief. So, they don't have the legal hereditary control of this port like a fief in the Catholic World.

This means he must manage the Kingdom's court inside and out well, to maintain the current inheritance situation unchanged. At least, he cannot let the King become dissatisfied, and even be willing to pay the price of colonial unrest to replace him…

On the other hand, the colony itself has a very limited population and military force. To subsist and rule among the numerous and hostile Black-skinned Tribes, they must establish a close relationship with the Kingdom of Portugal's navy. This way, in the event of a large-scale native revolt or attack, they can receive navy support in the fastest time!

"May the Almighty bless! Bruno, my brother! You must pass my respects and gifts to the honorable Nuno Chief! The Sintra Family is one of the most loyal navigator families to the King, and if the Kingdom plans to explore new continents, we are also very willing to offer experienced personnel to participate!…"

"Besides, Brother Bruno, your exploration of the Atlantic New Route this time has made great contributions to the Kingdom, and with the support of the Nobles, you will surely bloom like the iris flower! If in the future, you could lead a fleet of the Kingdom Navy… then I have a proposal and a target, which I've observed for a long time!…"

"Upstream along the Rokel River, about eight hundred miles away, there is a wealthy town of the Kingdom of Mali! It is said to contain hundreds of pounds of gold, and bags of spices, ivory, and gemstones! That is truly a staggering wealth!…"

"If the Sierra Leone Colony fully deploys, it can send out a thousand troops! Only, we don't have enough ships, and there are relatively few reliable white men in the troops… As long as we add ten light sailing ships with cannons, two to three hundred navy soldiers, we can definitely break that Mali town and make a fortune! At that time, we'll split fifty-fifty, sixty for me and forty for you!…"

"!… A town in Mali eight hundred miles away, with hundreds of pounds of gold, bags of spices, ivory, and gemstones?…"

Upon hearing such a rich bounty, Bruno's eyes flickered, and an uncontrollable greed welled up in his mind, even a murderous intent arose.

He certainly knows the once prosperous and divided native empire of Mali deep inland. In fact, the Kingdom of Portugal's plundering and slave-catching teams have often engaged in battles with various Mali tribes on the upper reaches of the northern Gambia River. He didn't expect to encounter a wealthy Mali town in the south at the Sierra Leone Colony, upstream along the Rokel River. It seems this inland native empire was once very powerful from south to north…

"Angel, the Sierra Leone Port only has a bit over a thousand people, with a hundred-man white troop stationed… how can you pull out a thousand troops?"

"Haha! That's easy! Bruno, did you see those patrolling mixed-blood soldiers? Over the years, we have bred quite a few mixed-blood tribes… They are also believers of the Lord and citizens of the Kingdom, loyal and reliable Kingdom soldiers!"