The April wind blew in from the sea, carrying the briny reek of salt and seaweed. Tall masts stood before the natural harbor. And of the twelve great ships of the Castilian Expeditionary Force, only eight remained now.
Fleet commander Columbus had already led four Caravels away several days ago, taking an armed exploration party of 140 men to the island chain of the "Caribbean natives" in the southeast. And the prayer he had offered before his departure was still imprinted in the sailors' hearts, like a rare, different sort of hope for retreat.
"The Lord bears witness! I, fleet commander, the great navigator Columbus, will surely find new and bountiful islands for the Queen, occupy the lands there, conquer the tribes there... I will also build another safer Fort Queen Isabella for the Queen!..."
"The Holy Mother protects us! Set out! Set out with the great navigator!..."
In Commander Columbus's exploration fleet, the hundred-odd sailors on the four ships were all confidants he had already bought over. As for the remaining forty Crusader Veterans, in the eyes of Vice-commander Antonio and veteran battalion commander Pedro, they were all Castilian soldiers loyal to the Queen and loyal to them. They had handed these Crusader Veterans over to Columbus, rather than the Holy Roman Empire Mercenaries Columbus had requested, naturally with a certain wariness in mind. And the captain De La Cosa they had arranged was also another means of balancing Columbus.
However, once the exploration fleet left the harbor, Columbus became the highest leader, and he also held the "commander" post bestowed by the Queen, along with Bartolomeo's careful efforts to draw them in. Then who would these veterans loyal to the Queen ultimately side with? It was probably still unknown...
"Lord above! I hope tonight, those hateful Red-hair barbarians