The colonial camp was filled with the sounds of logging, pounding, and sailors’ clamor. Only in front of the wooden church could one find rare tranquility. In this era, faith in the Almighty dominated the hearts of all Europeans without question. Even the most ruthless, lawless sailors from the continent feared the judgement of the Hell of Fire, dreaded a death that offered no redemption.

Therefore, this bond of Catholic faith deeply connected the nations of Europe, forming the "Catholic World" in the hearts of people. Within the Catholic World, the pursuit of religious virtue, the reverence for the "Lord," and the order brought by this faith starkly contrasted their cruelty towards "heathens" and "barbarians" outside the Catholic World.

So, could a "barbarian" converted to the Lord be incorporated into the "Catholic World," recognized by the countries of Europe? This question is hard to answer, spanning a long era from the emergence of the Divine Son to the Renaissance. Yet in the current age of great voyages, taking the example of West African tribes converted to the Lord may provide a clear answer.

The answer is that among the colonial indigenous people, the upper nobility, chieftains, and leaders, by the wealth and power they possess, can attain "human registration" in the Catholic World after converting to the Lord, and are slightly accepted by the upper echelons of the suzerain nation, becoming "first-class people" equivalent to whites in the colony!

But as for the vast majority of ordinary tribespeople, even if they convert to the Lord, they remain "third-class people" on their ancestors’ lands, bearing all harsh labor and exploitation. The "second-class people," undoubtedly, are reserved for the mixed descendants of whites, the only colonial group trusted and armed by the colonizers.

The European colonization of Africa and the New Continent indeed brought progress in productivity and an increase in total wealth. However, the distribution of wealth in the colonies further polarized, not only cruelly exploiting the indigenous bottom layer but also continuously plundering the entire colony. Regardless of faith and impartiality, the suzerain nation relentlessly transports the riches produced in the colonies back to the homeland while forever leaving the poverty and labor of producing wealth to the colonial tribes, especially the bottom layer of indigenous people.

"The Almighty bless! So, can this converted barbarian from the New Continent be considered as the Almighty’s citizen?"

When Bruno carried the fish soup to the side of the wooden church, this question suddenly surfaced in his mind. But for him, as well as for the vast majority of sailor soldiers, the answer to this question was simple, very simple, not even needing contemplation.

"Father Faria is a powerful figure. He is willing to protect these harmless ’yellow-skinned monkeys,’ then the ’monkeys’ are the Almighty’s citizens! If one day, Father Faria is gone, or unwilling to protect them, these ’yellow-skinned monkeys’ still remain this helpless... haha!..."

Bruno’s lips curled into a kind smile as he looked inside the wooden church. He saw Father Faria with a gentle expression, holding a parchment, sitting opposite Hunter Ah Mo wearing a wooden cross amulet. From time to time, he would pick up something, gesturing and conversing seriously, showing such seriousness that Bruno didn’t dare to disturb.

"What is this in your pouch, how is it called?... Hmm? ’Cajú’ (Cajú)? ’Okaru, Tembi’u’ (Okaru Tembi’u)?"

"This, a cashew! ’Cajú,’ cashew! ’Okaru,’ food. ’Tembi’u,’ food... Cashew, edible food! Delicious!..."

Hunter Ah Mo kept gesturing, even placing the Brazilian cashew near his mouth, mimicking an ’eating’ action. After watching for a moment, Father Faria gradually understood. He picked up the feather pen and wrote down three new terms in Tupi language on parchment, annotating them in Portuguese, then took out a bundle of white powder from Ah Mo’s pouch to inquire further.

"This, Okaru, Tembi’u? Yuca (yuca)?"

Upon hearing the Taino word "Yuca" for cassava, Hunter Ah Mo was momentarily taken aback, feeling somewhat familiar yet entirely unable to recall.

The Taino are a branch of the Alawakan tribes, who indeed, hundreds to thousands of years ago, brought cassava crops from the South American Continent northward to the Caribbean islands. Moreover, tribes that speak the Alawakan language family are widely distributed from the North coast of South America to the Andes Mountains through the Amazon Basin. However, the travel difficulties of the Brazil Plateau divided the Eastern Tupi tribes from the Western Alawakan tribes, whose contact certainly existed but was like the distant, untraceable shadows in ancestral legends.

Aside from the Andes Mountains and Pampa Grassland, the entire South American continent’s rainforest and highlands are in extremely fragmented and dispersed tribal states. Can such dispersed indigenous tribes resist colonization from Europe? The answer seems obvious, as the current colonial situation on the West Africa coast seems to be the future for the various tribes in South America.

However, reality is always more brutal than expected! When the mosquitoes and rats of the African continent arrived in the tropical rainforest of South America, this natural "plague fertile soil," hundreds to tens of millions of indigenous people would be thoroughly decimated... Even the Europeans themselves are unable to develop colonies in the undeveloped "plague rainforest!"

The final choice, without a doubt, was one ship after another going from east to west, carrying slaves from West Africa to South America... As for the present, it’s the last short-lived gentleness before death in the rich South American rainforest~~

"Ah, it’s edible food. But it’s not ’Yuca,’ it’s ’Matioca’ (mandioca), ’Cassava’!"

Hearing this, Father Faria mused for a moment before noting down the word for "Cassava" in Tupi language, "Matioca." Then, he pointed to Hunter Ah Mo’s toucan-feather headdress and asked once more.

"What is this?..."

"It is ’Pína Tukana Cocar’! ’Pína,’ feather. ’Tukana,’ toucan. ’Cocar,’ worn on the head! Toucan feather headdress..."

Saying this, Hunter Ah Mo lifted the vibrant toucan headpiece, making a ’wearing’ motion. Then, he touched this "Holy Forest Ornament," showing respect and joy as he explained to the close priest.

"Toucan Tukan is the envoy of the natural forest, bearing the divinity of natural divine spirits! Its feathers can bring good luck and protection, shelter hunters in the forest, and protect the village and tribes! The divine spirit of nature protects us like the forest itself!..."

Seeing the respectful expression of Hunter Ah Mo, Father Faria suddenly furrowed his brow, a cold glint appearing in his gentle eyes. Although he couldn’t understand the other’s words, this "idol worship" stance, if placed in the Catholic World, would undoubtedly be considered blasphemy!

Of course, this is the New Continent, a group of uncivilized barbarians awaiting missionary guidance. In the eyes of the Church, the natural worship of these barbarians is far less evil and stubborn than that of the "Star Moon Heretics." They are "lambs" that can be led, potential "believers" of the Lord. And for the merciful Almighty, converting the indigenous people of the New Continent is also the reason I left the Lisbon Church and came to this wilderness despite hardships...

"Lord protect! Honorable Baron Bruno, you have returned?..."

Father Faria was silent for a moment, suddenly turned his head, and looked at Bruno at the door. Bruno smiled and saluted the priest, glanced at Hunter Ah Mo, who had stopped talking and was nervously fearful, and then strode into the church.

"Yes! Lord protect, we have finally returned smoothly from our exploration of the Southern Coast!"

"Praise the Lord! How did the exploration of the Southern Coast progress this time?"

"Ah! We didn’t find the end of the Southern Coast. The vastness of the Southern Continent exceeds our wildest imaginations! Specifically speaking, it’s a long story..."

Bruno shook his head, handed the fish soup he was holding to Father Faria.

"Respected Father, you should drink the soup first! It’ll get cold soon..."

"Mm. Thank you! Baron Bruno."

Father Faria nodded slightly, took the fish soup, sipped it, then suddenly stopped. He then handed the fish soup to Hunter Ah Mo, and asked again.

"What is this?"

"?... This is ’Pira Tembi’u,’ it is ’food made from fish’!"

"Very good! ’Okaru,’ eat! Eat!"

"...?"

Hunter Ah Mo was startled, looked at the smiling Father Faria, then glanced at Bruno beside him, the "Tribal Warrior" with a scimitar whose identity was unclear. Then, he carefully took a sip of the fish soup, and his eyes instantly lit up!

"Ah! Salty? Salt? Such salty fish soup? How much good salt must be used?!..."

Hunter Ah Mo was surprised and pleased, having never tasted such salty fish soup. For the jungle tribes who rely on slash-and-burn farming and migratory hunting, "salt" is one of the most precious tribal riches, but its production in the jungle is very scarce. Unexpectedly, these coastal Karaí outsiders could add such an amount of salt to the soup? They have large ships and flashing axes, they must be extremely wealthy!...

"Haha! Ah Mo, is the fish soup delicious?..."

"Ah? This is very good food. Very good!..."

Seeing the joyful answer from Tupi Hunter Ah Mo, Father Faria nodded with satisfaction. Then, he stood up and forcefully drew a cross on Ah Mo’s forehead, speaking with uncommon seriousness.

"Ah Mo, you must remember! This is not ’Pira Tembi’u,’ not ’food made from fish’!"

"Ah?..."

"This is ’A dádiva do Senhor,’ this is ’the Lord’s gift!’ ’ΙΧΘΥΣ’ (Icthys), Iēsous Christos Theou Hyios Sōtēr! ’Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior!’ The ’fish’ is precisely the faith and fellowship of Christ, do you understand?!"

"This kind of ’fish’ gift is only bestowed upon ’the Lord’s citizens!’ And only if you convert to the Lord, only if your tribe converts to the Lord, can you possess such a gift, can you eat ’food made from fish!’ Otherwise..."

Father Faria, with a solemn and even stern expression, announced "the Lord’s gift and conversion" in Portuguese in front of Bruno! Then, he turned around, nodded faintly at the respectful Bruno, and walked out of the wooden church.

Inside the church, only the Tupi Hunter Ah Mo remained holding the fish soup. He stared blankly at the elongated figure of the priest, understanding nothing. Why had the once mild and approachable priest suddenly become stern and even frightening? He only felt an indescribable sensation—namely, that the figure of the priest was as distant and towering as a cross, swallowing him with shadows, and then swallowing his homeland further west~~