"Haha! Bruno, my brother, as promised, this ivory gift is for Nuno Chief!... The other set, including palm leaf mats, is for you!"

"Ah! Praise the Almighty! I'm truly grateful for your generosity, Brother Angel!..."

The tropical sun shines on Lion Mountain Port, the light sailing ships flying the Portuguese Royal Banner. Bruno widens his eyes, carefully receiving two sets of elaborate ivory products from Angel, his eyes shimmering with excitement.

These ivory products, sourced from the surrounding "Sapi" tribes and forced to be laboriously carved by the black-skinned tribal craftsmen. It took a great effort to be intricately carved, just like that slender ivory horn, nearly two meters long, as thick as an arm, surely from a 40-50-year-old elephant.

The surface of the ivory horn is finely carved with various animals, flora, and abstract tribal symbols, painted with gold powder—extremely luxurious and exotic. At a glance, it exudes a wild and exotic charm!

"Woo... doo... woo... doo!..."

When Bruno gently blew, the heavy and desolate tune reverberated across the harbor and the sea, reminiscent of an elephant herd's call! This is a truly mysterious and expensive instrument, far more precious than the Church's ornate organ representing the Almighty!

Of course, in the homes of Europe's great nobility, such horns are never blown but hung as decorations, to showcase the family's wealth and refined aesthetics! 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"Praise the Almighty! Such a magnificent horn, the craftsmanship of these black-skinned artisans is truly incredible! Nuno Chief will certainly treasure it... Brother Angel, you are indeed generous!..."

"Haha!... Bruno, my brother. There's also a set for you, crafted with exquisite artisanship, just slightly smaller. Plus, these mats woven by black-skinned craftsmen are much more comfortable than animal hide to sit on and cooler... When you return to Lisbon, don't forget to speak well of me!"

"The Almighty witnesses! Absolutely, absolutely!"

The two highest-ranking Portuguese nobles exchanged pleasantries for a while at the port, praising each other highly. Afterward, Captain Bruno returned to the ship's bow, glanced at his old brothers with one less person, and those newly joined mixed-race and black-skinned sailors, with a solemn declaration.

"With the Almighty's blessing! Set sail, northward! Returning to Lisbon!"

The return route from West Africa was a mature sea voyage that the Kingdom of Portugal had explored and operated for half a century. Along this route, there are numerous supply port stations, flowing with golden wealth, on the blood and bones of the black-skinned tribes.

"Gosh! The Gambia Trading Station, with the Great River connecting to the upstream black-skinned tribes... Always bustling with Kingdom slave-catching teams, where you can buy truly usable plantation slaves, outstanding female slaves, and even noble ladies from the Kingdom of Mali!"

From Sierra Leone Port at 8 degrees north latitude, rich in ivory and palm, moving northward first arrives at 13 degrees north latitude, situated at the Gambia River mouth, producing slaves, ivory, and gold—the Gambia Trading Station fortress. Of course, the "production" here is actually the "plundering" by various official and civilian armed forces, extremely brutal and rampant.

Continuing further, turning to the northwest, at 15-16 degrees north latitude are the ports of the Cape Verde Islands, producing cotton, sugar cane, salt, and dried fish.

"Phew! Cape Verde's dried fish is the most durable food supply for sea voyages! You can also buy cheap rum here, made from sugarcane pulp left from extracting sugar, with enough liquor supply... Almighty! Indeed, this grand port is far more suited as a launch point for journeys towards the jungle New Continent than Sierra Leone..."

The scale of the Cape Verde port colony is arguably the largest among Portugal's West African colonies. This island cluster far from the continent lacks tropical jungle plagues, highly suitable for colonial settlers with thousands of white immigrants and countless black plantation slaves.

Undoubtedly, the Cape Verde port is the most valued West African outpost by the Kingdom of Portugal. On several islands, solid coastal fortresses are constructed. The main island on the southern side houses a small shipbuilding and repair yard, permanently stationing a Portuguese Navy fleet division.

"Respected Knight Captain Bruno! I will lead two light sailing ships, accompanying you northward!"

According to Portuguese Navy regulations, important exploration missions never dispatch a single ship but usually consist of two or three in a team. After Bruno returned with news of the new route to Cape Verde, he was promptly received by the fleet commander and two swift ships were dispatched to escort the return.

Continuing northward from Cape Verde, the next important Portuguese port is the colony of Aljin Island at 20 degrees north latitude, close to the arid region of Mauritania. The climate here is dry, with little rain, lacking agricultural foundation but thereby free from the terrible tropical malaria, allowing white colonial settlers to steadily propagate and displace the native black tribes.

As for the goods produced here, besides the common slaves and ivory in West Africa, the most famous are Arabic tree gum, regarded as a "spice" and widely popular as an exotic product! Hmm, in later days, it is also the most important flavoring thickener in cola.

"Praise the Almighty! The sugary water of Arabic tree gum is so memorable every time you drink it!"

Continuing north from Aljin Island, along the coastline of the Sahara desert filled with yellow desolation and silence of death. Such a land of death and yellow sands can only make one think of mummy, scorpion, and beetle fearsome evil god legends, even the fearless Catholic missionaries loathe to venture deep into it, seeking those desert nomads who believe in the crescent moon.

And continuing northward for a full ten latitudes, crossing the only foothold occupied by the Castilians in West Africa, the Canary Dog Island, and the Las Palmas Port established by them… it is the final stepping stone towards Lisbon at 30° North, where fruit, port wine, timber, and cane sugar are produced—Madela Port!

"Tsk tsk! Madela's port wine is hardly inferior to Port wine from the Douro River Valley, perhaps even sweeter and more delicious!..."

In the port of Madela, Bruno refreshed himself for two days and caught up with the local naval officers, inquiring about the Kingdom's situation. The Kingdom's situation seemed unchanged, but the situation in Europe was evidently stirring.

The young King Charles VIII of France has officially proclaimed to the entire Catholic world, especially to the Italian States, the claim to the throne of Naples! Meanwhile, the military mobilization of the French kingdom has commenced in full. This also means that a war for France to seize the inheritance rights to the Kingdom of Naples, invading Italy, is imminent, ready to officially erupt at any moment!

"France invading Italy?... Hmm... It seems to have nothing to do with our Kingdom of Portugal... We just need to keep a close watch on the Castilians, on the movements of their navy!..."

Captain Bruno was insensitive to the changes in Europe's situation and had no particular thoughts about it. What truly changed his expression and made him a bit tense was...

"Huh! New ships coming into port? This ship's banner and direction... is an Azores ship, coming from the Azores Islands?..."

"Cough! Praise the Holy Mother, thank you for the hospitality! After two days of restoration, I must hurry back to Lisbon to report the results of the Atlantic exploration to the great revered King! When the opportunity arises in the future, we shall all go west together and make a fortune!..."

Bruno bid farewell hurriedly, avoided the ship of the Governor of the Azores, and sailed at full speed towards the northeast. Lisbon Port, about only a thousand kilometers from the Madela Archipelago, takes a mere five to six days of sailing with full sails under favorable wind. By early August, he finally reached the capital of the Kingdom of Portugal, the endpoint of the West African route, the thriving Lisbon Port!

"The King commands the summons of the Royal Knight, Bruno Cao! Yes, right now, this very moment! The King awaits in Sintra Palace!..."

"Yes! I shall take the sea chart and go to see His Majesty!..."

When Bruno's fleet reached Lisbon Port, merely two to three hours later, a mounted Royal Envoy hurried over for an urgent summons of Bruno. Bruno did not delay for a moment, directly riding the Andalusian warhorse brought by the Envoy, clutching the Atlantic exploration sea chart, and galloped swiftly towards the suburban Sintra Palace.

"Clop clop clop!..."

"Please enter!..."

"Royal Knight, Bruno Cao to be granted an audience!..."

"Enter!..."

"Praise the merciful, majestic, protective Almighty! Praise you, respected, wise, great Lord Joao! Your brave captain, fearless explorer, loyal royal knight, Bruno... bows and kneels before you!..."

Within Sintra Palace, Bruno, his face full of excitement, knelt before the increasingly aged throne of Joao II, loudly lauding the Almighty and the King. Then, with fervor, he unfolded a scroll filled with Portuguese and covered in sailing annotations, and handed over a book written in square characters, the Book of Ama Colley, with a face of "loyalty" and "ecstasy" as he reported.

"Your Majesty, your knight has not let you down...with great hardship and perilous storms, has finally reached the pivotal point of the Atlantic New Route opening, containing the Eastern Documents from the Cipangu Tribal Kingdom!..."

"Over there, though we were subject to a plotted attack by the Devil Tribesman Fleet... Sir Silvira sacrificed himself for the Lord...yet I still remembered Your Majesty's command, and from the native tribes managed to obtain this roll of Eastern Documents! The new route to the East indeed exists!..."

"And even more excitingly! I discovered a brand-new, enormous, undocumented new continent in the southern Cipangu Sea Area! This continent is at least five thousand kilometers long, with a giant river eighty kilometers wide! Along the coast of this wilderness jungle continent, no powerful native kingdom is found, only uncivilized Wild Men in desperate need of the Almighty's guidance... it is an endlessly vast Land without Master!..."

"Praise the Almighty! Since the great Prince Henry initiated the exploration...the greatest maritime achievement has finally been discovered under Your great guidance, through my hands and eyes! A land without a master, a new continent belonging to our Kingdom of Portugal, merely three to four thousand kilometers southwest of Sierra Leone Port!..."

"What!..."

Upon hearing such news, the aged King Joao II of Portugal stood up suddenly, unable to maintain the King's calm. At this moment, he grabbed the Atlantic sea chart, his eyes emitting a captivating light, like the fierce-eyed lion Mahes from Ancient Egyptian mythology!

"Land without Master? New Continent!!..."