Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 1008 - 608: The End of the Year 1488, Changing Situations in Europe, Seeking New Allies

Chapter 1008: Chapter 608: The End of the Year 1488, Changing Situations in Europe, Seeking New Allies

The candlelight flickered, igniting the scent of whale oil, which lingered in the grand hall. In this era, the Portuguese colony of the Azores Islands had been established for over thirty years. Whaling activities also began to rely on the islands, becoming active in the surrounding seas. A steady stream of whale oil flowed from the sea into the court of Sintra.

"The spices of the East have a similar aroma, only stronger!... "

Joao II closed his eyes, taking in the rich amber fragrance. Even with the wealth of a Portuguese King, it was impossible to burn the tremendously expensive spices of the Catholic World as divine smoke, like the Mexica Alliance of the New Continent did. Just the thought of such a spectacle was quite distressing.

"The East... the East!..."

Dias looked towards the East, his eyes filled with intense desire.

For a moment, the palace was silent, and the two remained in quiet reflection for a long time. After a while, Joao II opened his eyes and said with a smile.

"Dias, India and Seris are still far away. But right in front of us now are the disputes of the Vatican and the Granada War of the Dual Kings!"

"Disputes of the Vatican?"

Hearing this, Dias was slightly taken aback. He had been away from the Kingdom of Portugal for two years and truly knew nothing about the current state of affairs at the Vatican.

"Yes. The current Pope, Innocent VIII, is showing his weakness quite clearly. The King of Naples, Ferdinand I, has already twice pressured Rome and intimidated the Pope..."

Saying this, Joao II’s eyes shimmered, as if pondered something.

"Ah! King Ferdinand has twice pressured the Pope?"

Upon hearing this, Dias exclaimed in surprise. The King of Naples, Ferdinand I, and the King of Aragon, Ferdinand II, were both kings of the Aragon-Trastamara Dynasty. They shared the same name and were very close in bloodline, being cousins.

Ferdinand I was the King of Aragon-Naples, the legitimized illegitimate son of Afonso V. Upon Afonso V’s death, the Kingdom of Aragon was inherited by his brother Juan II, while the Kingdom of Naples was inherited by his illegitimate son Ferdinand I. Then, ten years ago, Juan II passed away, and the Aragonian throne was passed on to his son Ferdinand II, who is Queen Isabella’s husband, one of Spain’s Dual Kings.

Simply put, King Ferdinand II of Aragon and King Ferdinand I of Naples both have weak claims to each other’s throne. If the Kingdom of Naples falls into the hands of his rival Ferdinand II, it would be a true disaster for the Kingdom of Portugal!

"Indeed. Pope Innocent VIII, to maintain influence on the Apennine Peninsula and obtain more revenue, sought to forcibly levy taxes on the Kingdom of Naples. After the King of Naples refused, the Pope allied with King Charles VIII of France to send troops against Naples."

At this point, Joao II curled the corners of his mouth into a mischievous smile.

"However, just as the war between the Pope and Naples began, King Charles VIII of France became embroiled in the ’Mad War.’ King Charles attacked the rebellious Duke of Brittany. Subsequently, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I joined the war, supporting the rebels. King Henry VII of England also joined, supporting the rebels. Of course, Maximilian I did much, while Henry VII only deployed the navy, waving flags and cheering."

"This ’Mad War’ lasted four full years and only ended two months ago. Duke Francis II of Brittany surrendered, signing an agreement to become a vassal to King Charles. This old fellow, afraid of Charles’ annexation, wanted to marry his daughter to Maximilian I and even wrote to find me..."

Joao II paused, shaking his head. Then, with a complex expression, he sighed deeply.

"The Duchy of Brittany, with a population of over a million, is a grand duchy! With the northern countries of the Catholic world in turmoil, no one could respond to the Pope... Pope Innocent VIII was caught off guard. Thousands of troops from Naples approached Rome, and the Pope had no choice but to sue for peace and rescind the orders. After this incident, the prestige of the Vatican was severely diminished!..."

"After all, the Catholic World has long since changed. It is no longer the era four hundred years ago when Pope Urban II could command the kings of various countries at his will, and thousands of knights would swear to crusade!..."

Upon hearing this, Dias pursed his lips, feeling a mix of emotions. As a devout member of the Lord’s people, he naturally had an inherent inclination towards the Vatican, which influenced all nations. After a long silence, he spoke softly.

"The current Pope lives lavishly and corruptly, has had many children, and there are even rumors of secret dealings with the Ottoman Sultan... His integrity and reputation are indeed inferior to his predecessor! Perhaps, the next Pope will be much better..."

"Haha!"

Hearing this, Joao II laughed heartily. He looked at his trusted Royal Steward and said with a smile.

"Dias, the next Pope, it’s either going to be Bishop Julius II or Bishop Alexander VI. Both of them have numerous illegitimate children... How much better can they control the Holy See?..."

"Alas!"

Dias gritted his teeth and said no more. As the Royal Chamberlain, he knew many inside stories and also sensed the decay of the Vatican. The senior priests were habitually greedy, and all the bishops had wives and children, almost disregarding the Lord’s commandments entirely!

"Perhaps the Catholic Church has reached a point where it needs to change!"

A bold idea flashed in Dias’s mind. Moments later, he was startled by his own irreverence and repeatedly bowed his head in repentance.

Joao II did not repent. He pondered for a moment, looking southeast, his expression becoming grave.

"Dias, do you know? At this very moment, the Dual Kings of Spain are leading an army of sixty thousand in a Holy War in the South! They have made up their minds to completely conquer the Moors’ Kingdom of Granada!"

"What! Sixty thousand troops?!"

Hearing this number, Dias was truly taken aback. If the Dual Kings of Spain could easily deploy an army of sixty thousand, then they could turn westward and flatten the Kingdom of Portugal...

"Yes, sixty thousand troops. Among them, 20,000 are knights and chamberlains from England, France, the Holy Roman Empire, and even various Scandinavian countries, participating in the southern Holy War. The remaining 40,000 soldiers come from Castile and Aragon. About 10,000 are cavalry, and 30,000 are infantry, all of them regular troops or elite militia."

"Oh, the Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon have also organized a musketeer and artillery regiment with over a thousand people. In Seville and Cordova, there are kingdom arsenal factories producing gunpowder. Last summer, when Ferdinand II attacked Malaga City, he mobilized dozens of large-caliber cannons to bombard the Moors’ castle clusters. And Malaga City, with its five thousand soldiers and fifteen thousand inhabitants, was forced to surrender after only holding out for just over three months!"

"What! Under the bombardment of cannons, the rugged Malaga City only held out for three months?!"

Upon hearing this, Dias’s expression was shaken. He knew the fortitude of Malaga City, a Moorish stronghold that had been difficult to conquer in the Reconquista over the past few centuries. And now, under the bombardment of heavy cannons... The Royal Chamberlain keenly sensed that the nature of warfare in Europe had undergone a tremendous transformation, and the Dual Kings of Spain were leading all Catholic Kingdoms!

"Your Majesty, with the fall of Malaga City, the connection between the Moors and the Southern Continent has been completely severed. And without the support of the Moorish nobility of the Southern Continent, the Moors besieged in Granada won’t be able to hold out for much longer!"

Hearing this, Joao II lowered his eyes and clenched his hands silently. He naturally knew the Moors’ inevitable defeat, and Granada would fall into the hands of the Dual Kings. However, as a Catholic king, he did not have the appropriate pretext to participate in this devout Holy War.

"Ah! The failure in the Castilian throne succession struggle is the biggest mistake the Kingdom of Portugal has made in the past two centuries!"

Joao II gritted his teeth, a vague pain in his heart. Unwillingness and desire burned within him, difficult to extinguish.

In this era, the population of the Kingdom of Portugal was around two million. The population of the Kingdom of Castile was about twice that, between four and five million. As for the Kingdom of Aragon, it also had a population of around two million.

All along, although the Kingdom of Castile had a large population, it also had many powerful duchies, so the degree of centralization was weaker than that of the Kingdom of Portugal. The kingdom’s army mobilized by the Kingdom of Castile did not have an absolute advantage. Therefore, the three Catholic kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula maintained a certain balance of power.

But at this moment, the unification of the Dual Kings of Spain now possessed a population of six to seven million! With mutual support, the royal power was greatly strengthened, suppressing the great nobility of both countries, obtaining more taxes and conscription. The Holy War in the Kingdom of Granada proceeded smoothly, and the Dual Kings’ prestige continued to rise! If they managed to consume the one million plus Moors of Granada, exploit them heavily with taxes and conscription...

"Your Majesty! The proximate Dual Kings of Spain are the greatest threat to our kingdom!"

Dias contemplated for a moment and spoke with resolute determination. He stepped forward, knelt on one knee in salute, his eyes showing urgency.

"With the Moors’ downfall imminent, the Dual Kings will set their sights back on our kingdom, plotting the unification of the Iberian Peninsula! The Vatican’s prestige is waning and may no longer support our kingdom. And the English are utterly unreliable! We must divert the Dual Kings’ attention and find new allies..."

At this, Dias’s face showed a struggle, biting his lip. Loyalty and piety wrestled within his heart, unable to settle the conflict. After a pause, he spoke softly.

"No matter if these new allies are heathens..."

Joao II’s eyes instantly flashed with brilliance. He lowered his eyes, saying nothing, merely bowing his head in prayer. The rich amber fragrance spread through the great hall of the Royal Palace, like elusive divine smoke drifting into the distance.