Destiny is always intertwined, mysterious, unpredictable. From the country to the individual, from nobility to commoners, who is the web, who is the fire? Who is the moth, and who is struggling?

The ultimate question of all destinies can only be answered by time. And right now, two thousand meters away from the meeting between Bruno and Nuno, in the underground of the Lisbon Prison, in a dark cell crawling with webs and insects, two moths born of commoners, struggling desperately, intertwine once more, one in light, one in darkness...

"Columbus, it's mealtime!"

"Dear sir! ...What is this?... Is this...?..."

Seeing a ragged Columbus, gaunt and dull, who suddenly shivered all over, his face once again showing deep fear at the sight of a plate of roast meat, a plate of soft white bread, a jug of milk, and a bottle of red wine brought by a jailer.

In the first half-year of being imprisoned by the Portuguese people, he was still very defiant, frequently cursing others, then getting punished and beaten. By the second half-year, his whole body became limp, and even his hardest mouth could no longer scream, only murmuring "Save me, Queen," "I am the Great Navigator who discovered new routes." And now, in this third half-year, even when a jailer stands in front of him, saying nothing... he trembled nervously, respectfully nodding and bowing!

This long imprisonment can best erode a man's spirit. Without true spiritual belief, one can only be worn down of all edges. And obviously, the current Columbus, who has transformed from the toughest Duck into a scared Rat. But can his truly innately stubborn edges be completely worn down?...

"Almighty! No! I won't eat! I am the nobility of Castile, the Great Navigator trusted by the Queen! You can't kill me, you can't kill me!..."

"..."

The jailer silently opened his eyes, watching Columbus's fear show for a moment, then sneered.

"Columbus, this isn't your last meal before death! It's a certain Great Merchant who took care of you, specifically asked us to give you this meal as an extra!..."

"If you won't eat, then I'll eat it! Later on, you can continue gnawing moldy stale bread and drinking sour water!..."

"Holy Mother! Wait! What did you say? An honorable person gave me an extra meal?..."

Columbus paused for a moment, suddenly stepped forward, snatching the plate of roast meat into his arms. Then, without eating, he also grabbed the plate of white bread into his arms, holding it tightly. Then, he nervously raised his head again, looking at the jailer's mocking expression, and asked.

"These... were indeed given to me by an honorable person? After eating these, tomorrow, you won't hang me?..."

"It was given by an honorable person. You won't be hanged!"

"The day after tomorrow, you also won't hang me?..."

"No!..."

"The day after the day after tomorrow, you also won't hang me?..."

"..."

The jailer was again speechless. He showed contempt on his face, glanced at this life-loving, fearful Castilian noble, really wanting to spat twice, overturned his food bowl and wine jug, and left immediately!

However, an order had already been issued from above, relieving Columbus's isolation. In just one more week, this annoying guy would be let go. And now that a Great Merchant is greasing the palms inside and outside the prison, and he has received a large gift, there was no need to be thorough in this matter.

Moreover, once this wretched fellow gets out of prison, he might suddenly metamorphose into whatever he daily chants about, some "nobility of Castile," "Admiral," "Queen's most valued Great Navigator." Even if it's laughably false, hearing this guy chant dozens of times a day, this past year and a half, even he became somewhat believing...

"Columbus, these are all yours, take your time to eat, no one will bother you! After eating today, there will be more tomorrow, you won't be hanged!..."

"To say it again, this is a meal added by a certain Great Merchant for you! He also asked me to convey to you... That is, your debt to him stops at the last meeting, 2000 Gold Coins, it won't accrue more interest! Next time you meet, he won't chase you for debts. Later, after your maritime successes, you could slowly repay..."

"What? Debt? 2000 Gold Coins? You mean... that Jew from the Hell of Fire... Eliyahu?..."

Hearing this, Columbus's eyes widened in shock, even forgetting to chew the roast meat and white bread he had stuffed into his mouth. In disbelief, he pinched his own face, painfully confirming he wasn't dreaming. At this moment, even with his innate confidence, hearing such a ridiculous thing as "a Jewish creditor treating him to dinner," he still thought he was hallucinating.

"What?! That Jew who splits a copper coin into two halves to spend, who squeezes the last drop of water from the sponge... actually arranging in prison, treating me such a sumptuous meal?!... Are you sure it's him? Not an envoy sent by the Queen, adding a meal for me?..."

"...An envoy of the Queen of Castile, in a prison in Lisbon, adding a meal for you? Haha! Ahaha! It really kills me with laughter!..."

Hearing this hellish joke that only Columbus could come up with, the jailer laughed heartily, almost unable to straighten up. After a while, he stopped laughing, compassionately looked at the prisoner's head, made a gesture of a fool, and turned to leave.

"Hey! Don't go! Wait! Make it clear!..."

Columbus grabbed the rusty iron fence, shouting a few more times, but there was no response. After a long while, he sat dumbly on the stinking straw bed, smelling the aroma of wine and milk, like a similarly rusted sculpture. But his clouded eyes kept glittering, even little by little, beaming with light.

"Holy Mother! Indeed Eliyahu, indeed that cunning and greedy guy, added a meal for me?… It seems the jailer had no reason to deceive me, nor did he disdain to deceive me!..."

"Almighty! He did indeed have such an all-pervasive ability... But why would he do this? He never gives away a copper coin unless this copper coin can bring him back a silver coin?… Right! He gave me this food wanting me to repay that damned 2000 Gold Coin debt, the 2000 debts spun from 20 Gold Coins!..."

"Wait, wait! I've been imprisoned by the Portuguese King for a year and a half without any outside contact… How can I repay in such circumstances? The bag of gold I brought from Cipangu, the cotton balls I brought from the Natives, were all taken by the Portuguese with the ship!... Unless..."

"Oh my Queen! Unless... this cunning Jewish merchant knows I'm about to be released! He knows something!… No, merely being released, he still wouldn't be this kind, certainly not stopping the interest, even treating me to a meal… unless… the Queen dispatched an envoy, to retrieve me from the Portuguese prison! The Queen is waiting for me, I will become the Queen's distinguished guest again, I will once again become the Fleet Commander for the Queen! Yes, it must be like this!..."

"Haha! I understand! I, the clever Columbus, finally figured it out!… After being cruelly and harshly imprisoned by the Portuguese for a year and a half… After I shouted about the new route, spreading throughout Lisbon Port for a year and a half… The Queen finally overpowered the Portuguese King, mounting that man, forcing the damn Portuguese to release me!..."

At this moment, in the dim dirty cell, Columbus suddenly raised his head, letting down long and chaotic grayish-brown hair, only exposing one intact ear. His blue eyes released once again a fanatical confident green light.

At this moment, the forty-four-year-old Columbus, shouting rampantly, resembling a four-year-old child. And the insane laughter, familiar curses, accompanied by hysterical shouts, once again echoed like a crowing crow, increasingly loud, repeatedly reverberating within the cell!

"Ahaha! Vaffanculo! Merda! Minchia! Diamine!..."

"Ahaha! I, Don Christopher Columbus, the glorified nobility of Castile, discovered the new route to the East, the greatest Great Navigator!..."

"Ahahahah! I am finally going to leave, I am finally going to be free! I will leave this stinking prison, and stand before my beloved Queen, reporting on my bravery and wisdom, my fearless spirit, my piety, and loyalty!"

"Ahahahahaha! Witnessed by the Almighty! I, the great, divinely blessed Commander Columbus, will surely lead once again the navy of the Kingdom of Castile, leading a real naval fleet, returning to Cipangu full of gold and jewels, full of wealth and glory! I will conquer the barbaric Cipangu Kingdom for the Queen, bringing back continuous gold wealth, becoming the highest Governor of prosperous Cipangu once more!..."

"Ahahahahaha! I, Columbus, am back again!..."