"Holy Mother bless us! Your Majesty Joao has thoughts of abdication... Were it not for this, many things would not be so urgent. This fat sheep need not be slaughtered immediately... As for you, Bruno, you have encountered a good time and met me as well!..."

After a moment of revelation, Nuno Chief sighed, his face returning to an aged expression. He subtly mentioned King Joao's physical condition before looking at the awed Bruno and continued to guide him.

"Bruno, before you return from this voyage... you were nothing but a small fish without roots, caught and eaten by others, I wouldn't even bother to warn you... But now, since you've boarded my ship and called me Godfather... I must give you a few pointers!"

"Those goods brought back from the colony's new trade route... Even if it's private trade, you must sell most of it to domestic merchants! Although the domestic merchants offer thirty percent lower prices, letting them earn a profit is definitely no harm to you! You must realize that behind these merchants are the great nobility of Lisbon!..."

"Always remind yourself: earn the wealth that's befitting your position! No matter how greedy you are, or how much you earn... if you can't keep it, what's the use? It's merely earning for others, merely a sheep fattened by others!..."

"Yes! Yes! Godfather! I shall heed your advice, never forgetting!…"

"Haha! Bruno, don't be so tense, relax a little! I'm old, I can't consume you. Who knows, I may need to rely on you in the future… Sit down, have some spiced tea, to invigorate yourself… It's a pity, I don't have coffee, that expensive black bean that excites and awakens..."

"Yes! Godfather…"

Bruno cautiously sat down, secretly memorizing "coffee", an expensive drink he had never tasted and couldn't buy in the market. He glanced at Nuno Chief's somewhat weary face, sensing the timing was right, he asked the question that had been worrying him.

"Godfather… that… Martin volunteered to set sail, yet died outside… with the Governor of the Azores?…"

"Ha! Martin…"

Nuno Chief grinned, cold as an old dog. He glanced at Bruno and spoke softly.

"Bruno, you've caused a great disaster with this matter… The Governor of the Azores personally wrote a letter, reporting to His Majesty!…"

"Ah! Godfather! Please save me…"

"No worries! I've already suppressed it for you, His Majesty has nodded. Martin since he died of illness, let it be. The Governor of the Azores won't dare to openly trouble you again… But, he mentioned a name, seems to be Sailor Chief Haloduo… Has this person died?…"

Nuno Chief's sharp gaze fell upon Bruno, trembling his heart with chaos. He struggled to open his mouth, like a fish out of water, heart churning, stuttered his reply.

"He… he died…"

"Really dead?…"

"Really dead! This time, fifty people set out to sea, over forty died… Haloduo didn't survive, got killed by the natives…"

"Hmm…"

Nuno Chief nodded, indifferent to the life and death of such a minor character. He took a sip of spiced tea, moistening his throat, and continued to instruct.

"Bruno, your baron promotion ceremony will be in twenty days… I've made arrangements with the court nobles, it must be completed before the next voyage to avoid more trouble… Although given your qualifications, there will inevitably be talk about your promotion to Baron. Just while discussing that Jewish merchant with you, I've suddenly thought of a method to let you establish another merit, satisfying the court nobles, and pleasing the Lisbon Bishop!…"

"Ah? What method? Please instruct me, Godfather!…"

"Hmm… next month, the raid on that Venetian Jewish merchant will be under your command! You represent me, and clear off your own debts… As for the confiscated goods, Church Knights and Court Knights will oversee them, generally, Church gets forty percent, court thirty percent, and the king thirty percent… If you fancy anything, keep one or two for yourself!…"

"! Let me lead the raid?… Yes! Yes! At your command, Godfather!…"

Seeing Bruno's obedient reaction, Nuno Chief's lips curled up in satisfaction. He's aged, often prays at the church, hoping for a peaceful ascent into Heaven, truly reluctant to stain his hands with blood. Moreover, should the Republic of Venice react, having Bruno as a "knife" to buffer makes his position easy to maneuver.

"Bruno, my godson. Your primary mission on this voyage is to establish a New Continent outpost. As for contact with the dangerous Cipangu Tribal Kingdom, it's secondary, you can delay it…"

"Yes, Godfather!…"

"The kingdom kept Columbus locked up for a year and a half, now that you've brought back news of the New Continent, with the Italian war beginning… It's time to send Columbus back to Castile. If we don't release him, King Fernando's anger is trivial, but if Queen Isabella publicly condemns the Portuguese Royal Family and affects the kingdom's reputation... then it's trouble!…"

"In the Catholic World, the influence of the holy Queen Isabella dwarfs the scheming King Fernando by far… It's a pity! It's been a full twenty years since the Castilian succession war! Twenty years ago, the kingdom couldn't stop Isabella from ascending, couldn't place Princess Joanna on the throne… The king feels deeply hurt every time he mentions this, it's Portugal's greatest regret in two hundred years!…"

Nuno Chief's expression was fatigued, reminiscing twenty-year-old events, appearing increasingly senile. Bruno, fully respectful, listened to the uninteresting old stories before puzzledly asking.

"Godfather, Columbus holds the secret to the new routes, yet committed six severe crimes against the kingdom… and just like that, he's released?… Or why not, treat him like that Jewish merchant, and…"

"Ha! Bruno, you youngster, truly ruthless, with courage even greater than mine!… Although Columbus is annoying, he can't be killed. Because behind him genuinely stands the Dual Kings of Iberia, representing the interests and dignity of the Castile and Aragon united kingdom!"

Nuno Chief's expression turned solemn, he shook his head earnestly, patiently explaining.

"If Columbus were killed, the Dual Kings have a pretext to wage war against us! And the French King invading Italy, be it France or the Holy See, at present can't intervene in Castile, that poor yet fierce Holy War Kingdom!…"

"Until the Italian war fully embroils the Dual Kings, it's Castile's mad dog's most dangerous period… better redirect their focus to the New Route, to the perilous Cipangu Sea Area... Then, let them encounter the Cipangu Tribal Kingdom!… As for Columbus, with his babbling, arrogant nature, rootless foundation, inherent sinful bloodline, even if briefly honored in the Kingdom of Castile, he won't meet a good end!"

"Right! Bruno, while establishing a New Continent outpost, you might also observe the progress of the Castilians! Where necessary, you can think of ways to secretly inform the 'Holy War' tribal kingdom about the Castilians' details and position, even selling some weapons, like you've done before…"

"Ah? Smuggle weapons? Yes! Yes! At your command, Godfather!…"

Upon hearing "smuggle weapons", Bruno felt another tremor. He wasn't sure which sailor had let slip, or whether some navy officers covertly saw through it. But Nuno Chief didn't delve into it. He merely took another sip of spiced tea, slowly extending an aged hand, pointing at a bustling corner of the spider web, amusingly remarked.

"Haha! Look, two arrogant moths! One caught in the spider web, unaware itself. The other one, haha! flies into the fire!..."