Aztec Eternals

"Tat-tat-tat"

The clatter of horseshoes sounded on the long bluestone road, drifting to the north. Dias was riding a horse, stepping on the shallow winter snow of the Iberian Peninsula, with the bright sunshine on the coastline behind him. Under him, the well-bred Lusitano war horse is more than 1.6 meters tall, making him look extraordinarily tall. Beside him, the royal cavalry was silent and well-trained, maintaining a fixed formation even while they were running.

Fifty miles of good roads, riding a horse, only takes an hour or two. After a few quarters of an hour, the surrounding villages gradually thinned out, and the noble manors were faintly visible, and the ancient Sintra Palace was just a few miles away.

Only then did Dias recover from his contemplation. He sped up his horse a little and stood side by side with the two court knights leading the way.

"Praise the Lord! Honorable court knight Herminio, I have just returned from a voyage. Has something great happened in the kingdom?"

Hearing this, the court knight Herminio's expression changed. He looked at the royal steward, who had lost a lot of weight, and thought about his majesty's joy when he received the steward's letter yesterday, before answering with a smile.

"Holy Mother Blessing! Dear Royal Steward, Knight Dias. Your Majesty has been in a good mood these past few months. Prince Alfonso of the Kingdom has been officially engaged to Princess Isabella. This event witnessed by the Pope The wedding is scheduled for more than a year later, next spring!"

"Oh? Prince Alfonso and Princess Isabella have already agreed on their wedding date? It's really blessed by the Holy Mother!"

Hearing the good news, Dias also smiled. Prince Alfonso, His Majesty João's favorite only son and heir. Princess Isabella is the eldest daughter of Queen Isabella of Castile.

This political marriage established ten years ago was considered the only gain worth mentioning for the Kingdom of Portugal apart from maritime hegemony in the battle for the throne of Castile. At this moment, Princess Isabella lives on the land of the Kingdom of Portugal and is "guarded" by the royal knights. And her marriage to the prince will continue to give their descendants the claim to the throne of the Kingdom of Castile.

In fact, the relationship between His Majesty Joao II and Queen Isabella is very complicated. The two are rivals and respect each other. In the mouth of Queen Isabella, another word is often used to refer to His Majesty Joao, that is "o homem", "that man"!

Dias pondered for a while, returned from the gossip, and said to the two with a smile.

"Holy Mother Blessing! Two Royal Knights, I have brought some ancient cultural relics with me from the Southern Continent this time, which may be left over from the country of Elder John. If you two are free, you might as well come to watch one or two on weekends, Explore the enlightenment of our Lord together!"

Hearing this, the court knight Herminio was slightly taken aback. Afterwards, he looked at the beckoning eyes of his teammates, and thought of the richness of the southern continent, he immediately understood it. He replied with a smile.

"It is the duty of every devout believer to observe the holy objects and seek the enlightenment of the Lord! Dear Royal Chief, I am happy to come and visit. Praise the Lord! Praise the blessed you!"

"Ha ha! Praise be to the merciful Lord!"

Soon, the riding team moved forward in silence again. The crisp sound of horseshoes went all the way north until outside the Sintra Palace. More than a dozen royal guards held halberds and stood guard outside the palace gate. On the high palace wall, there are heavy crossbows and new-style matchlock guns for defense.

Everyone dismounted here. Dias took off his gloves and hat, unloaded his weapon, and strode into the court of Cintra.

This colorful palace initially built by the Moors 700 years ago has become a gorgeous model of Western European courts after being added by successive kings. In the palace, there are uniquely shaped domes, sacred and bright spires, and exquisitely decorated square tops. The blending of different styles shows the relatively tolerant religious atmosphere of the Kingdom of Portugal at this time.

Without squinting, Dias was led by the guards all the way to the main hall. After a short look, he knelt down on one knee, excitedly shouting back to the king in the hall.

"Great Your Majesty Joao! Your loyal royal steward, Dias, has returned from the voyage of the southern continent! Under the protection of the Lord and you, we have finally circumvented the edge of the southern continent and found the way to the east. Route!"

"Okay! The merciful Lord, bless the pious people! Dias, the Lord protects you, protects me, and protects the iris family in the cape!"

João II is thirty-four years old, in his prime. His face is slightly longer, with slender eyebrows, and his facial features are very sharp, especially his nose is the most straight. Of course, the most impressive thing is his shining eyes. Vigorous ambition, strong fighting spirit, almost undisguised, projected from those eyes, like burning flames.

Seeing His Majesty's eyes, Dias lowered his head, his expression full of admiration. He couldn't help but admire in his heart.

"Your Majesty is like a majestic lion, standing on the top of Sintra. All the nobles of the kingdom surrender at his feet! What kind of blow can knock him down? Ah, I can't imagine."

The monarch and his subjects chatted for a few words, and then quickly got to the point. Joao II spoke decisively and carefully asked about the route to the east. Dias answered every question and told in detail the voyage of the southern continent until the unforgettable storm.

". The monstrous huge waves, more than ten to twenty meters high, hit continuously! The sky is dark, the wind, rain and thunder are like the end of the world. Our sailboat, time and time again, is pressed into the bottom of the sea by huge waves, and comes out again with difficulty. The surface of the water. It was not until thirteen days later that we sailed out of the storm. Then, the fleet turned to the east, and then went north again. After a few days, we saw the southern continent running from east to west again! Blessed Mother!"

Speaking of this, Dias's eyes were still full of palpitations that he was almost alive. He prayed silently, then bowed his head respectfully and saluted His Majesty.

".I then knew that this is a gift from the Lord, and I have mercy on his believers! He used my hands to inform the great you of the route to India and Siris!"

"Praise be to the Lord! A new sea route to India and Siris!"

Joao II suddenly stood up. Although yesterday afternoon, he already knew the news of the new route in advance from Dias's letter. But at this moment, when he really heard the royal steward's answer, he was still so excited that he couldn't help himself!

"A new shipping route, a new Silk Road! What a road of great wealth, and what a road of pious faith!. Merciful Lord! Praise you, bless the Kingdom of Portugal, bless the Kingdom of Iris family, grant such grace!."

Low voices of prayer echoed in the magnificent hall. After a while, Joao II calmed down his ups and downs. He sat back on the throne, thought for a moment, and asked.

"Dias, you said that you met local aborigines at the southernmost tip of the southern continent? Are they believers of the cross or believers of Xingyue? Are they a powerful kingdom or a loose tribe?"

"Exactly! Your Majesty, we landed on land and saw the villages of the indigenous tribes. We also captured a few captives, but their language was completely different from the tribes on the west side, and they couldn't communicate at all. In their villages, I I didn’t see the holy things of the cross, nor the evil things of the stars and the moon, only some dirty witchcraft totems, all of which were purified by the Lord’s flame!”

Dias thought for a moment and answered carefully. As to what the sailors did in the village, there is no need to say anything.

"The tribes there are very loose, and the population in the village is very small. Their weapons are very simple, and they live in thatched houses. They are all stone weapons, and there are very few iron weapons. According to my estimation, there should be no powerful ones. The native kingdom. As long as a hundred armored kingdom soldiers can establish a solid stronghold!"

Speaking of this, Dias held the silver cross on his chest and bowed his head again.

"Your Majesty, the Cape of Storms on the edge of the southern continent is really too violent. This time, the expedition fleet was able to pass smoothly, it is indeed the blessing of the Lord! To completely open up this route, the kingdom must be at both ends of the Cape of Storms. Establish a solid port base, be able to supply food and water, and repair damaged ships. Otherwise, this route will be a nightmare for the merchant fleet!"

"Well, Dias, I trust your judgment."

Joao II's eyes flickered and he nodded. Then, he smiled and said confidently.

"However, this cape is a blessing from the Lord! It should not be called the Cape of Storms, but the Cape of Good Hope!"

"The Cape of Good Hope? Praise the Lord! Your majesty, your pride is the precious wealth of the kingdom, and I am full of admiration, just as I admiration, King Alfonso the Conqueror!"

"Haha! Dias, my royal steward, only you understand my ambition!"

Hearing such praise, King Joao II laughed out loud and nodded in satisfaction. King Alfonso here is the founder of the Kingdom of Portugal, Alfonso I more than three hundred years ago. In Joao II's heart, the great ancestors were often used as examples.

The monarch and his subjects laughed heartily. After a while, Joao II regained his composure and asked seriously.

"Dias, what is the farthest point you have reached in the south latitude?"

Hearing this, Dias thought back a little, recalling the measurement that night, the Southern Cross spinning in the sky that day, and answered in the affirmative.

"Your Majesty, the last place I stopped at an extremely wide river mouth should be between 33 degrees and 34 degrees south latitude!"

"33 degrees to 34 degrees south latitude? It's so far away?!"

Hearing this, King Joao II rubbed the armrest of the throne, silent. After a while, he pulled out a wrinkled letter from the pile of books on the desk. The letter is worn, even slightly yellowed. What is even more surprising is that there are a few lines of Arabic written on the surface of the letter.

"Dias, come, read this letter! The exact location of Presbyterian John's country is inside!"