"Oh Lord! The French King is leading forty thousand troops to invade Northern Italy?!..."

"Correct! The French King claims to have fifty thousand troops, but the scouts estimate it's forty thousand. As for the exact number, it's still unclear... but in the previous large mobilization, the French King indeed gathered over a thousand knights! Adding the chamberlains that follow these knights, they can assemble three thousand elite cavalry... As for the infantry, there are roughly ten to twenty thousand conscripts, along with another ten to twenty thousand hired mercenaries..."

"So effortlessly, they gathered an army of thirty to forty thousand. The mighty Kingdom of France is truly enviable!..."

Speaking about the already commenced Italian war and the strength demonstrated by the Kingdom of France, Nuno, the trusted confidant of King Joao and the Court Chief, was genuinely envious!

Just like the Kingdom of Portugal, the Kingdom of France has a strong central power. However, relying on its powerful national strength, the French King's confidants and court nobles clearly have more power and wealth compared to the Portuguese Court Nobles...

"Bruno, in the world of the Lord, it ultimately comes down to the force and courage of knights to determine the ownership of land and wealth! Those commercial City States of Northern Italy, with their so-called 'humanistic arts' and 'Renaissance', have been finding ways to flaunt their amassed wealth in recent years..."

"But now, facing real knights and armies, the wealth of these Italian City States can't be protected at all! These so-called arts are useless against the Banner Lance of the knights and the long spears of mercenaries. The armies wielding spears will never hesitate in their plundering, surely teaching the weak Italians a lesson!..."

At this moment, Nuno Chief gazed at the mural of the Alawi Knight Order of his ancestors, extending his wrinkled hand to touch the painted knight's lance, with heartfelt emotion.

"Bruno, my godson, you must remember! ... In the world of the Lord, without noble status, there is no force. Without sufficient force, there's no stable power! Without power and status, you can't hold onto your wealth!"

"Just like that Jewish merchant jumping around Lisbon in his four-wheeled horse carriage... what is his status to dare to ride the same carriage as me and the Great Nobility? Over the years, how many navy captains has he contacted at Lisbon Port, how many clandestine trades, how much usury has he lent, and how much wealth has he amassed?... Does he really think the Sintra court doesn't know? Does he really think our Kingdom of Portugal doesn't have a Heretic Court?!"

"King Joao turns a blind eye, only considering the face of the Republic of Venice, avoiding any trade disputes. The court nobles turn a blind eye, patiently waiting for the King's tacit green light to act. As for the bishops of the Church, they turn a blind eye, raising sheep fat enough for slaughter! Over so many years, has any Jewish merchant ever continued strutting on stage? They are merely sheep fattened for the slaughter!"

"And now, this sheep is fat enough! The French invade Italy, the Venetians are preoccupied and have to seek our help, they dare not turn against us at this moment...Thus, it's time to slaughter this fat sheep!..."

"Ah! This?!... The King's been aware of the Jewish merchant's clandestine trade all along? ... He is just a fattened lamb for the slaughter?"

"Indeed! The timing is set for next month! The king has given tacit approval, with the court nobles joining the confiscation, and the Church's Heretic Court arresting people! This time, even though we show some leniency due to the Republic of Venice, not branding this merchant as a heretic and burning him into a torch...we must still strip him of his wealth, demanding he disgorges all his amassed wealth to the Kingdom and the Church!"

"The King's tacit approval, nobles and the Church united?! Gasp!..."

Bruno shivered at this cold, cruel secret, and his heart pounded with fear. It's known that the Venetian Jewish merchant is always generous, paying forty percent more for spices and ivory than domestic Portuguese merchants! Every time he returns from the sea, he brings a large batch of private goods, conducting clandestine trade! And if the King really pursues this matter and exposes him, the consequences would be...

"Ha! Bruno, look at you so frightened! You're the captain with the most clandestine goods; where is your usual courage to boldly defy the kingdom's laws? I chose you because of your relentless drive for wealth and power!..."

"Rest assured! As long as the captain's clandestine trade isn't excessive, it's with the King's tacit approval, and won't be pursued afterward... As for your large amount of clandestine trade... I'll be involved in this matter, others will naturally give me face, letting you off lightly!..."

"Ah!... Thank...thank you... Nuno Chief..."

"What did you call me?"

"Yes! Godfather!"

"Ha!..."

Nuno Chief chuckled, extending his aged hand to gently pat Bruno's sturdy face. Bruno, with a respectful look and head bowed, felt no offense, only closeness.

At this moment, an unarmed, frail old man, who has never personally killed, faced a healthy middle-aged man armed with a dagger and with blood on his hands, yet he held the overwhelming psychological advantage, as a lion would over a rabbit! This is the twisted power of authority, its true terror!