Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

Chapter 1892 1365: The Mercy of the Perfect Monarch, Scholar Martin's Funeral Among the Nobility

January 1494, Lisbon, the Sintra Palace."Your Majesty, the letter from Azores Governor Jose van Welter..."

"Hmm? A letter from Baron Jose? He rarely writes to me! Is something significant happening in the Azores Governor District this time?..."

In the marble and fresco-adorned court, King Joao set down the royal family's income and expenditure report, opened the seal mud envelope, and read the letter from the Azores Islands. Soon, his brow slightly furrowed, and his face revealed astonishment.

"My respected and exalted King, the monarch blessed by the Almighty and the Holy Mother, who has bestowed the Azores Islands upon my seigneur... Three months ago, the royal family's exploration fleet arrived at the capital Faial Island, replenishing supplies for several days. Afterwards, the royal family's exploration fleet ventured into the Western Sea..."

"And my son-in-law, Nuremberg Noble Scholar, a registered court advisor of the royal family, Sir Martin Behaim, under sudden and unforeseen circumstances, vanished from his home in the Fayal Islands, whether voluntarily or involuntarily..."

"After imposing martial law and searching Faial Island for a week, a sailor affiliated with the Kingdom Navy surrendered a letter under the just authority of the Almighty... Although this letter, matching Sir Martin's handwriting, expresses a voluntary intention to join the royal exploration fleet to explore the depths of the Western Sea and contribute to the Kingdom and the Almighty..."

"However, the sloppiness of the handwriting, the illogical appearance of the letter, and Sir Martin's strange disappearance... all make it difficult to verify authenticity! After a fair interrogation, the judge confirmed that the suspicious individual who handed over the letter was not Sir Martin himself but a boatswain under the command of Knight Captain Bruno Cao..."

"Merciful Almighty, witness the fair trial! Given that this matter involves the royal fleet and numerous nobility, all the truths in the incident deserve careful consideration and pondering to determine its potentially questionable authenticity! Therefore, as the Governor of the Azores Islands, Your Majesty's loyal seigneur... I, Baron Jose van Welter, implore Your Majesty for wise and decisive judgment, as well as a fair trial witnessed by the Almighty upon the unusually positioned miscreant!..."

"..."

Reading this lengthy and ceremonious yet implicitly accusatory governor's letter, King Joao truly found it hard to believe. After a while, he handed the letter to his confidant Nuno, speaking with a mix of self-deprecation and dissatisfaction.

"Almighty! I never thought that one day I would receive a letter from a kingdom's governor accusing the royal navy of abducting his Shenluo noble son-in-law! This kingdom's governor had once been loyal to the Duchess of Burgundy, and in the governor district of the kingdom, established a so-called 'New Flanders'!..."

"..."

Royal Chief Nuno took the letter, quickly skimmed through it, and anger instantly surged in his heart. It was his recommendation of Bruno! This inconspicuous little noble descendant boldly created such a mess at the start of the exploration, possibly abducting a royal noble scholar!

Yet, after a moment of fury, Chief Nuno promptly calmed down. Reflecting on King Joao's earlier words and the slightly sardonic tone within them, he was stirred.

"Hmm? The Shenluo noble son-in-law of Baron Jose van Welter... closely tied to the Duke of Burgundy's Azores Governor?... What is Your Majesty's stance?..."

"Indeed! After being missing for two or three months, only now does Baron Jose write to the king... Apprehensively, in Baron Jose's mind, not only does he doubt that Sir Martin willingly went out to sea, but he also doubts that a mere Knight Captain acted on his own... He likely blames this matter squarely on the royal family, on Your Majesty! Hence, the content of this letter is so implicitly suggestive, provoking Your Majesty's anger..."

"O Almighty! No matter what, Bruno is the person I recommended!... I cannot remain silent and let the fire reach my own head. I must express my stance!... Fortunately, Your Majesty's attitude clearly leans towards this side..."

In just the time it took to write a letter, Nuno, the chief steward, had sorted out his thoughts. When he looked up again, he met the scrutinizing eyes of Joao II, and a smile actually blossomed on his face.

"Under the blessing of the Almighty! This westward sea voyage to find a new route to the East was indeed a venture full of adventure and courage! And Sir Martin Behaim, always an outstanding Royal Family scholar advisor, had participated in the exploration fleet to the Southern Continent led by Royal Knight Diogo Cao and produced an excellent Southern Sea Map! Even last year, during his return to Nuremberg, he accepted a commission from the Nuremberg City Council to create an unprecedented globe, marking the details of the Southern Continent before the many Shenluo nobles and scholars, greatly spreading the Portuguese Royal Family's renown!..."

Upon hearing this statement fraught with hidden meaning, Joao II's expression changed, becoming somewhat subtle. This noble scholar employed by the Portuguese Royal Family returned to his homeland of Shenluo, using Portugal's maritime exploration achievements to make a name for himself, effectively leaking the Kingdom of Portugal's hard-won exploration maps...

"Sir Martin has always been devoted to scholarship, sincerely serving the Almighty, and loyally working for the Kingdom! At Sintra Palace, I have met him several times and deeply understand the scholarly mind of the knight, his sincere heart... As a Shenluo noble, although he married the daughter of Governor Jose and holds the inheritance rights to the fief on Faial Island, the glory of the Chief Divine and the scholar's honor have always guided him, stopping him from indulging in ordinary and dissipating pleasures..."

Joao II's expression shifted again. The marriage between this Shenluo noble and the daughter of the Azores Governor was never reported to the Portuguese Royal Family in advance. And given the Burgundy background of the Azores Governor himself, even though he married the family tutor of the Duchess of Viseu, Portugal, Portugal's Royal Family has never truly felt at ease...

"Honorable Majesty! In my view, Governor Jose, out of love for his daughter, has misunderstood Sir Martin's scholarly beliefs, leading to some overly complex speculations and complaints far from the truth!... He misunderstood a journey of glorious and heroic devotion as complex human scheming, even treating it as a Byzantine-style weak conspiracy..."

"Witnessed by the Almighty! Undoubtedly, this letter left by the scholar voluntarily is from his heart, from his sincerity and belief! After all, aside from his own willingness, who else could allow him to leave from the island completely controlled by Governor Jose and board the Kingdom's exploration fleet sailing deep into the Atlantic, under heavy guard protection?..."

"Merciful Holy Mother! Sir Martin's great spirit of devotion deserves to be celebrated and sung by both the Church and the Kingdom! Even if, in this brave exploration, he unfortunately remained in the depths of the Atlantic, leaving Governor Jose unable to face him in person or know his valiant heart... the entire Sintra court, the entire Kingdom of Portugal, will still remember this noble from Nuremberg for his sincerity and greatness! And the Lisbon Bishop would also be very willing to conduct a grand church funeral for him!..."

After speaking, Chief Steward Nuno respectfully bowed his head and saluted King Joao. Hearing this arrangement, listening to this flawless disposition, although it concluded with the inevitable death of a noble scholar, it was enough to account for everything and reprimand some people who couldn't see themselves clearly...

The Perfect Monarch Joao pondered momentarily, finally nodding slowly.

"Nuno, you are right! Such a result is enough to satisfy both the Royal Family and the Church, leaving the nobles across regions with nothing to say! And Governor Jose also needs to seriously reflect on himself! If he cannot understand his son-in-law's devout bravery, is it possible that he himself is lacking in this kind of necessary devotion and loyalty?..."

"As you suggested, send a reply to Governor Jose! Stamp it with my seal and sternly inform him: there is no need to doubt this heroic act, nor to make excessive connections, seeking nonexistent Byzantine conspiracies. When the exploration fleet returns, the indisputable reality will prove everything!... Please, Governor Jose, remember very well that he is a vassal of the Kingdom of Portugal, and the Azores is also the Governor District of Portugal!..."

"As for Scholar Martin, he is indeed a rare talent!... The globe he made in Nuremberg sparked heated discussions among the nobility and the Church, which I have heard about, and I was quite surprised and delighted. Scholar Martin's death during the voyage is truly the Kingdom's greatest regret and misfortune!... Well, if he could have brought back the navigation map of the deep Atlantic before his unfortunate death, it would indeed have been grace bestowed by the Chief Divine!... Of course, in any case, the Lisbon Bishop will prepare in advance a funeral befitting his honor..."

"Finally, Nuno!... If Bruno returns alive, you must teach him well, like scolding a cat that doesn't follow rules!... Not every time one blindly crashes around, can one catch a rat with eyes closed instead of breaking expensive porcelain... if he cannot bring back enough achievements, then this time, the guilt... he will not have a good church funeral involving the bishop, only you personally to mourn for him!..."

Upon hearing this, Chief Nuno immediately knelt on one knee, respectfully saluting, his back already drenched with sweat.

"Yes! Yes!... Following your merciful command! Your Majesty!..."