Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 1009 - 609: The Starting Point of the Year 1489, Despair, Columbus! An Extra - for the Alliance Leader "Stray Cat on the Windowsill

Chapter 1009: Chapter 609: The Starting Point of the Year 1489, Despair, Columbus! An Extra Chapter for the Alliance Leader "Stray Cat on the Windowsill

In January 1489, in the outskirts of Lisbon. The noisy celebration sounds gradually fade away from this commoner community. In the morning and evening cooking smoke, the aroma of roasted whale meat can no longer be smelled. Although whale meat in this era is cheaper than lamb, it is still not something ordinary commoners can consume for long. The Christmas Day celebration, along with the New Year, has moved away, and the suburb commoners’ busyness has started once again.

Thanks to the expansion of the Southern Continent, the Kingdom of Portugal is becoming increasingly prosperous. The wealth brought by the great voyages, although mostly flowed into the hands of nobility and merchants, the small amount that trickled out still made it easier for the commoners in the Capital City to find a job and not struggle on the brink of poverty.

Life in the Middle Ages was tough, especially for farmers controlled by their Lords. Poor smallholder farmers and tenant farmers not only had to pay land rent but also head tax, family tax, mill tax, and undertake heavy labor. Oh, and there’s also the essential church tithe related to the soul’s salvation.

In the Catholic World, apart from the highly autonomous and martial Swiss mountain folk, most Western European farmers have struggled for hundreds of years under the dual oppression of the Lords and the Church. However, no matter how difficult life was, all farmer revolts were obliterated under the martial suppression of the knights. The bright Middle Ages belonged to Priests, nobility, and knights, and now it also starts to belong to merchants, though it has nothing to do with the farmers who make up ninety percent of the population.

Of course, the life of the Portuguese commoners, although worse than Italian City-State citizens, is still better than the destitution of French and English farmers. Among all farmers, the German farmers, who were particularly attended to by the Priests, were placed at the very bottom of Purgatory.

Thirteen years ago, the previous Pope Sixtus IV formally conveyed the newest will of the Almighty to the Catholic World: the living must seek absolution from Priests for their deceased friends and relatives still in Purgatory, to ascend to Heaven sooner. The way to seek absolution is by purchasing an Absolution Coupon. The promulgation of this church decree not only put German farmers in Purgatory but also caused their deceased relatives, who struggled hard to be freed, to fall back into Purgatory.

Under the pretense of buying Absolution Coupons, taxes from the German Lords immediately increased. The demands of Church Priests became increasingly greedy, making it unbearable even for citizens of the free City-State of Shenluo.

At this moment, the German literary scholar Johann Tetzel has abandoned his studies to follow the Lord, joining the Dominicans and becoming an honorable monk of the Lord. The theological monk Tetzel is about to start his journey of promotion, selling Absolution Coupons from Shenluo to Poland, and back to his hometown Shenluo, collecting funds for the Church. Ultimately, he will utter the famous line that has been passed down for thousands of years, completely overturning the foundation of Catholic doctrine salvation and preparing the most abundant fuel for the religious reform blaze!

"When you donate Silver Coin for a soul in Purgatory, and it goes ’ding’ in the donation box, it emerges from Purgatory!"

Likewise, at this time, in an elementary school in Mansfeld, Saxony in Shenluo, a six-year-old child is for the first time flipping through a Latin Bible. He widens his clear eyes and reads it with difficulty.

"1.in principio creavit Deus caelum et terram. (1. In the beginning, God created Heaven and Earth) 2. terra autem erat inanis et vacua et tenebrae super faciem abyssi et spiritus Dei ferebatur super aquas. (2. The Earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters)..."

The child reads while pondering. His young mind cannot comprehend these sentences. He is merely reciting the enlightenment of the Almighty instinctively with his young, pure heart. His name is simply Martin Luther.

Evening descends with the sea breeze, and fishermen return from the sea. Low prayers resonate in the wooden stone church, spreading across the outskirts of Lisbon. A simple house stands in the commoner community. Inside, the space is modest, with a wick grass candle burning on an old wooden table, bringing precious light.

A faint light flickered in the room. A middle-aged man in his thirties bowed his head, holding a quill at the wooden table, writing briskly. His eagle nose and long face, prominent cheekbones, and blue eyes gleamed as if about to emit light. To his left lay Marco Polo’s "The Travels of the East," and to his right was Ptolemy’s "Geocentrism."

In front of him spreads out a huge "Toscanelli Map." The map marked a distinct red route, setting sail from Lisbon, Portugal, heading west around half the circumference of the Earth, leading to the enticing "Spice Islands," "India," and "Serica!"

"To the sacred, respected, pious, wise Goddess-like beautiful... Queen Isabella. The experienced, brave City-State navigator Columbus greets you!... According to my estimation, according to Marco Polo’s travel records, according to the calculations of the great scholar Toscanelli, the Earth’s circumference is..."

Pausing here, the experienced City-State navigator Columbus glanced at the "Toscanelli Map" on the table. This was the world map drawn by the late Florentine astronomer, Paulo dal Pozzo Toscanelli, emphasizing the location of "India" and "Serica," just to the west of Europe.

Fifteen years ago, Toscanelli had sent this map and a plan to sail west to reach the East to the Priest Fernao Martins of Lisbon Cathedral, who then forwarded it to the Portuguese King Afonso V. Afonso V handed the map to court scholars for review, but only to receive a reply from experienced maritime astronomers that said "completely wrong calculation."

Following this, the navigator Columbus, who also hailed from Italian City States, learned about this map and wrote to Toscanelli to request it. He received Toscanelli’s reply with immense joy, treating the map as a treasure and giving birth to a new navigation plan. And the son of the commercial city-state’s wool weaver was far more persistent than astronomer Toscanelli. He clung to this plan for ten years. Now...

"...The Earth’s circumference should be 12,000 kilometers! And the length of the Eurasia should be 8,000 kilometers..."

Columbus confidently and wisely wrote. He pursed his lips tightly, dipped cheap blue ink, and carefully wrote down the calculation formulas in the letter... After a section of perfect calculation, there was his groundbreaking conclusion.

"In that case, as long as we set sail from the port of Palos on the southwestern coast and head west for 4000 kilometers, we can reach the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, where lies the land of wealth flowing with abundance, the spice-laden India, and the silk-rich Seris!... India and Serica, just 4000 kilometers overseas!"

Columbus lowered his head, his eyes full of hopeful light. The flickering candle on his table glimmered like the brilliant stars outside the window, shining with limitless possibilities. However, just as he was full of hope, writing diligently...

"Bang!"

A violent crashing sound suddenly came from in front of the wooden door of the small cabin. In just two or three breaths, the wooden door was burst open, and even the simple wooden lock was broken with a single blow!

"Vaffanculo!"

Columbus cursed angrily. He looked up, and his heart trembled at once. Two Slavic brutes holding big axes stood like stone pillars by the small cabin’s door. A skinny Jewish merchant with a small hat on his head looked at him with a half-smile.

"It’s you! Eliyahu..."

Seeing the creditor, the anger on Columbus’ face was immediately replaced by unease. He reached out his right hand, feeling for the sailor’s dagger in the corner, and asked in a low voice.

"How... how did you find this place?"

"Hah! Columbus, with your big mouth, how difficult could it be to find you?"

Eliyahu’s expression was leisurely, and he smiled lightly. He squinted at Columbus’ outstretched right hand and unhesitatingly ordered.

"Go! Grab him!"

The two Slavic brutes immediately took action, striding forward. In the cramped cabin, there was no room to maneuver. Columbus had just reached for the dagger’s hilt when a heavy big axe came straight at him!

"Bang!"

The Slav henchman turned the axe handle, easily knocking Columbus to the ground. Blue ink spilled instantly, completely staining the letter intended for the Queen. In just three or four breaths, the seasoned and brave City-State captain was firmly pinned to the ground, his face pressed against the dirt, even his mouth in the mud.

"Merda! Mmm... mmm! Eliyahu, you demon who deserves to burn in the Hell of Fire!... Your soul is destined to struggle in the blazing flames..."

"Ha! Columbus, the fleet of the Kingdom of Portugal has already returned from the Southern Continent. This time, they have rounded the edge of Africa and truly found the route to India!"

Eliyahu spoke leisurely. His face carried a smile, but his light blue eyes were mercilessly cold.

"The Kingdom of Portugal has mastered the new trade routes! As for your navigation plan, heh heh..."

Saying this, Eliyahu squatted down, reached out his hand, and gently patted Columbus on the face.

"I think it’s time, once again to discuss your debt problem with you. As your old friend over these years, I’m quite interested in sending your soul... underground... ha ha!"