Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 844 - 467 The Starting Point of the Year 1488, the Celebration of Epiphany_2

Chapter 844: Chapter 467 The Starting Point of the Year 1488, the Celebration of Epiphany_2

"Ah! Praise you, my captain! Your generosity and kindness are like the brilliance of the Almighty."

Sailing Master Pero saluted respectfully. With this prayer and celebration, the crew’s morale should be slightly restored.

"Hmm. With the Almighty’s blessing! We certainly can reach the East!"

"...With the Almighty’s blessing!"

The next morning, Captain Dias gathered the crew and announced the good news of celebrating Epiphany. The sailors cheered and then rushed to the nearby beach like wild horses freed from reins.

"Bang! Bang!..."

Bullets flew, flesh splattered, and a massive body fell with a thunderous crash. The elite sailors brandished their matchlock guns, hunting the strong elephant seals mercilessly.

These elephant seals were scattered all over the surrounding beaches. As the dominant species of the local coastlines, they had not faced any threats from predators for tens of thousands of years and did not know to avoid humans.

The sailors then dismembered the seals’ corpses, skinned them for meat, and extracted fat. Bonfires soon rose, the smell of roasting meat spreading immediately, while the previously clear seawater turned crimson with blood.

"Praise the Almighty! He has bestowed upon us meat and fine wine."

Dias sat on a dry rock, leisurely sipping light wine and tasting the roasted seal meat offered by Bruno.

"Hmm... It tastes like venison, with a strong blood flavor... Not bad, Bruno, you’ve put in effort!"

Bruno stood respectfully to the side, his head lowered. Right after the crew hunted a seal, he quickly roasted two pieces of meat and rushed over to present them to the esteemed Royal Knight and expedition leader Dias.

"The only thing missing is the lack of spices... If there were a bit of pepper or a few leaves of thyme, the flavor would be marvelous!"

"Uh..."

Hearing this, Bruno lowered his head with an embarrassed look. These spices were worth their weight in gold in the Kingdom; there was no way a mere Noble Knight like him could afford them. The only time he had ever tasted spices was in the palace of the King of Congo, the land of the Demon...

"Ha ha ha!"

Seeing Bruno’s embarrassment, Dias laughed heartily. He reached out and patted Bruno’s shoulder.

"Bruno, as long as this voyage is successful, and we discover the route to the East and find Elder John’s kingdom, each captain will be richly rewarded upon our return to the Kingdom! You would not only be promoted by First Level in nobility but also receive a gift of up to 1,000 Ducats! Then, you can have spices every day, no problem at all!"

"1,000 Ducats!"

At this number, Bruno held his breath, his face filled with intense greed and longing.

It should be known that one Ducat is equivalent to one Kingdom Coin, weighing about 3-4 grams. One thousand Ducats would be 3-4 kilograms of gold, plus the premium of minted currency! This large sum of money would be enough for him to buy a large house in Lisbon City and finally qualify to participate in the nobility’s banquets...

"Honored Royal Knight, I will follow your orders throughout this voyage!"

"Hmm."

Seeing Bruno’s expression, Dias nodded approvingly. Then, he asked solemnly.

"Bruno, how is the situation on your ship now?"

"Honored Royal Knight, everything is stable on my ship. On the way south, only a few captured convict sailors have perished from exhaustion. There is no Demon’s curse, and the official sailors’ morale is quite good!"

"Hmm, very well!"

Dias’s expression remained unchanged. In long voyages, convict sailors were usually captured poor people, fishermen, or natives, forbidden from having weapons, doing the hardest work, and were not considered as people. Only official sailors, who were frequently in contact with weapons and capable of mutiny, were regarded as meeting the minimum standard of being human...

"Let’s go, the Priest’s prayer is about to begin!"

After a few exchanges, Dias got up and set off towards the Priest in the distance, escorted by his guards.

The onboard Priest erected two wooden sticks, setting up a simple cross. Quickly, the sailors gathered around the cross, and led by the Priest, clasped their hands and lowered their heads.

The Priest was the first to speak, praising devoutly.

"Almighty, open my lips!"

"My lips will praise you!"

Everyone responded in unison.

"On this day, our Lord Christ was born for us... Come, let us adore Him!"

Declared the Priest loudly, Dias took the lead in kneeling down and worshiping the cross before them.

"Almighty, glory be to You! As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever!... "

Then, more than a hundred sailors knelt down, worshipping along.

"Almighty, glory be to You!... Forever!... "

"From sunrise to sunset, let us sing to Christ... You existed before all time yet were born for us in time..."

The Priest lifted his head, looked at the Sun amidst the Clouds, and sang hymns and chants. Trained by the Church, his expression was solemn, his voice deep and steady, rising suddenly at the final praise.

"...Praise You, merciful Almighty! May Your name be honored, Your Kingdom come, and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!... May Your glorious true light shine in the hearts of Your believers, redeeming our sins!... I pray to the Almighty, may the Almighty bless us, protect us from disaster, and lead us to new paths, Amen!... "

"I pray to the Almighty, may the Almighty bless us, protect us from disaster, and lead us to new paths, Amen!"

Everyone repeated in unison, their faces showing anticipation. Bruno glanced stealthily, only to see a pious tear streaming down Captain Dias’s face. He shuddered and quickly lowered his head, sneakily wetting his eyes with some saliva.

After the prayer, the solemn atmosphere relaxed. Dias wiped his tears, stood tall, and looked around at everyone. His gaze paused slightly on Bruno’s face, nodding almost imperceptibly, then loudly announced.

"Praise the Almighty! Today we rest for a day, no need to embark. Play the wooden flute, blow the harmonica, distribute food and light wine... Tonight, sing to your heart’s content!"

"Praise the Almighty! Praise the Captain!"

The sailors cheered thunderously, their faces beaming with joy. Soon, the sweet sound of the harmonica echoed among the crowd, and the crisp sound of wooden flutes wafted along the coast. After just two or three cups of rice wine, the sailors were flushed, bellowing songs of their homeland.

"Dawn sleeps, embracing the harbor and fondness,

The moonlight gently caresses the dancing waves,

Just as the Sun leaves its realm,

Just as we leave our distant homeland..."

Bruno sang and danced, enjoying a moment of indulgence with Quartermaster Matim. Only at this moment, singing with the sailors, could he feel truly relaxed and free.

Dias still sat on the high rock, cross-legged, watching the sailors sing and dance. His lips curled slightly in a smile, his face showing a fleeting look of longing, which was soon suppressed by his hardened heart. He then stopped watching, turning his head to gaze at the sky toward the South, seeking unknown hope. In the distant horizon, thick clouds gathered, like a shroud pressing on the horizon, lingering for a long time.

"That is..."

Dias suddenly rose. He stared at the southern sea and sky, lost in deep thought.