Chapter 13: The Land Ends Here

The fleet set sail on the calm Mediterranean Sea.

Over the next few weeks, Isaac's fleet sailed along the western coast of the Mediterranean, passing the coasts of the Kingdom of France and the Kingdom of Aragon, heading toward the end of the Mediterranean Sea.

As they passed the southern coast of Granada, pirates began to appear in greater numbers. The Emirate of North Africa and the Kingdom of Granada in southern Iberia controlled this stretch of sea, raiding merchant ships along the way.

However, the infidels' shipbuilding technology was still primitive, and they lacked the ability to construct large warships.

Isaac drove away several small pirate ships that came to harass them without much delay.

On June 20, 1445, Isaac led the fleet across the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Atlantic Ocean.

As soon as they entered the Atlantic, the fleet, accustomed to sailing in the Mediterranean, immediately felt uncomfortable.

The rough waves and changeable weather of the Atlantic made the Genoese crossbowmen and French knights, who had gradually adapted to life at sea, begin to suffer from seasickness again.

The fleet had no choice but to sail slowly along the coast and gradually adjust.

On June 28, 1445, Isaac finally arrived at his destination, the westernmost point of the European continent—

Lisbon.

This city was the capital of the Kingdom of Portugal and Algarve, located on the eastern coast of the Atlantic Ocean, with the Tagus River flowing south of the city and the Sintra Mountains forming a barrier to the north.

Isaac anchored the fleet nearby and took William, Fidel, and Conti to the city, instructing the remaining knights to intensify their training of the refugees.

Lisbon was still a medium-sized city at the time, far inferior to large cities such as Genoa and Rome, but it exuded an atmosphere of optimism and progress from top to bottom.

Over the past decade, several kings had continuously waged war against Morocco, successfully occupying the port of Ceuta, establishing fortresses, and withstanding the counterattacks of the infidels.

Slaves, livestock, and gold from North Africa greatly enriched Portugal's treasury, and the people lived in peace and prosperity.

The previous kings, João I and Duarte I, were both ambitious and talented rulers who reformed the land nobility, vigorously developed the navy, and established a provincial governor system.

Although most of the governors were from the aristocracy, this was still a remarkable step forward.

They also basically established a national policy suitable for Portugal.

The Northern League allied with England to resist Castile and expanded its trade territory by invading North Africa.

At the same time, it strongly supported ocean exploration, encouraged ship innovation, and sponsored the exploration of the West African coast in an official capacity.

At this time, Portuguese shipbuilders had already mastered the rudimentary principles of Bernoulli's principle and realized that by changing the shape of the sails, it was possible to sail against the wind.

During decades of exploration, Portugal discovered Madeira and the Azores and gradually extended its reach to the coast of West Africa.

In 1434, a fleet sponsored by Prince Henry crossed Cape Bojador for the first time and arrived at the legendary "green land."

In 1440, Portugal launched its first caravel, a type of sailing ship that combined wind resistance and ocean-going capabilities. This ship would appear in all the oceans over the next few centuries, discovering new continents.

In 1444, Prince Henry captured hundreds of black people and sold them in Italy, which was the first time in a long time that he saw a return on his investment.

Prince Henry, the legendary navigator, was the last person on Isaac's list.

At that time, Prince Henry had not yet been able to tap into the vast population and gold trade of West Africa, and his voyages were often unprofitable, which was criticized by many noble merchants in his country.

It wasn't until 1448 that Prince Henry overruled the opposition and established the first fort on the Algin Islands off the Cape of Brown, officially beginning the plunder of West Africa.

The abundant slaves and gold turned Portugal, a small country on the edge of Europe, into a wealthy and powerful nation.

Prince Henry also went from being widely criticized to widely praised.

Now, Isaac wants to take advantage of this vacuum to get a piece of Prince Henry's pie.

West Africa is vast, with countless black tribes, enough to divide and conquer for many years.

In fact, until the Berlin Conference in later generations, many parts of Africa had never been set foot on by colonizers.

The abundant gold would greatly improve Isaac's meager finances, allowing him to build a large fleet and hire a powerful army.

Plundering West Africa was the most important part of Isaac's plan to revive Rome.

In fact, with the widespread use of the compass and the development of astronomy, the technical problems of exploring West Africa had already been solved.

A fleet of caravels and carracks would be sufficient to carry ample supplies.

The reason for the slow progress of exploration and discovery was simple: there was no immediate profit to be seen.

Enrique and his supporters might hesitate, or they might be greatly disappointed upon seeing the ignorant black people of West Africa.

But no one knew better than Isaac that this land held unimaginable wealth.

After Henry's death, the gold hidden in his home was enough to shock Lisbon for an entire year.

Isaac entered Lisbon, found an inn to stay in, and commissioned William to deliver the letter to Regent Pedro.

The former king, Duarte I, died early, leaving Alfonso V to succeed him, with his younger brother, Prince Pedro, as regent.

At this time, he oversaw the country's affairs.

Isaac strolled through the streets of Lisbon, looking at the thriving city and the crowds of people coming and going.

"Have you heard? Prince Henry was questioned by the merchants' council again."

"Absolute nonsense! If the ocean expeditions succeed, the profits will be beyond imagination."

"After all these years, he's only brought back a few hundred black slaves. My cousin bought a black slave in the south, and they can't do anything—they're just wasting food..."

"Hah! Your cousin is as dumb as a wild boar in the mountains, and you expect him to find clever slaves?"

"You!"

...

Along the way, Isaac saw hope and prosperity.

He did not see the panic and confusion in Constantinople and Athens.

This country, which had fought its way back from the reconquest, was now on the right track under several generations of wise rulers.

The power of the nobility was restricted, and the middle class and merchants rose, gradually developing the oceans.

The discovery of several archipelagos expanded the country's territory and alleviated the conflict between people and land.

The people's confidence in navigation grew, and technology continued to innovate.

At this time, all Christian countries on the European continent were in a period of decline, with only Portugal emerging as a force to be reckoned with.

The next day, Isaac was received by Prince Pedro.

Isaac stepped forward and paid his respect according to etiquette.

"Greetings, Your Highness,"

Isaac said in Latin.

"No need for formalities, young man,"

Pedro put down the letter in his hand and spoke fluent Greek.

Isaac was a little surprised.

"Don't be surprised, dear child. When I was a prince, I loved to travel just like you, and I traveled all over Europe's major cities and met your father and the Sultan of the Ottomans."

"My father often spoke of you, a nobleman of great learning and high moral character."

Isa blurted out.

"When I met him, he was only eight years old and still had a runny nose."

Isa felt a bit embarrassed, and William couldn't help but laugh.

"Speak, you have come from afar. What do you want?"

Prince Pedro stared at Isaac.

"Your Highness, I am very interested in Prince Henry's expedition and would like to join his adventure, so I have come here to ask for your permission." "Oh? How do you plan to join?"

"I have a fleet, a printing press in Rome, and a trading company, so I have a steady income every month."

"I hope to join Prince Henry's cause by providing funds and a fleet."

Isaac took out the papal document and Genoa's approval.

After looking at them, Pedro was silent for a moment.

"Child, you have already achieved so much. Why risk it all for something so uncertain?"

"Henry is currently requesting assistance. If you want to join him, I will certainly support you, but you must be prepared to lose everything."

Pedro approached Isaac and patted him gently on the shoulder.

"In the past, there were some merchants who responded to Henry's call and set out on an expedition."

"Some of them never returned, some went mad, and some returned successfully but came back with nothing."

"In any case, I wish you success."

Pedro walked to the table and signed a license.

It bore the seals of the Pope and the King of Portugal, guaranteeing that the fleet could dock at Portuguese ports for supplies and that they would have full control over the spoils of the expedition.

Isaac tucked the license into his chest as if it were a treasure.

"Thank you for your help!"

Pedro waved his hand, dismissing Isaac.

That evening, Isaac gathered the military and political officials to arrange the matters at hand.

Isaac set sail with the Moriah and the Saint Nicholas as his expedition ships, joining Prince Henry's fleet.

The remaining ships temporarily anchored at the port of Ceuta under William's command, and were free to go out to sea from time to time to raid the transport ships of the infidels.

Conte and his knights, along with the refugees from southern France, temporarily settled in the port of Ceuta, where they trained diligently every day, waiting for news from Isaac.

After Isaac gave them another sum of money, the Genoese crossbowmen agreed to go to sea with the fleet, led by Maruna.

The next day, Isaac set sail with the Grand Duke of Moriah and the Saint Nicholas toward Cape St. Vincent in southwestern Portugal, which was the base camp and origin of Prince Henry's expedition.

With the northwest wind at their backs, Isaac hoisted the sails and arrived at Cape St. Vincent that evening.

Decades earlier, the area had been uninhabited, but since Prince Henry established it as the base for his maritime operations, it had gradually developed into a bustling trading town.

Henry was a devout believer, and there were many churches and monasteries near his residence.

Saligres, near Cape St. Vincent, was home to a famous maritime school and a naval arsenal.

Henry also recruited talent widely, regardless of origin. Moors from North Africa, Arabs from the Middle East, and Norman pirates from Northern Europe—anyone with nautical talent could become the prince's guest of honor.

The place was heavily guarded, with sentries every ten steps. Isaac entered the harbor with the help of a small boat.

The servants took Isaac to Prince Henry's reception room.

The reception room was not lavishly decorated, and the first thing that caught the eye was a map of Northwest Africa.

In Isaac's eyes, the map was full of errors and very rough. But in those days, every route had to be tested by generations of sailors risking their lives, so one could imagine how much effort the Portuguese had put into it.

Isaac stared at the map in a trance.

"It's a beautiful place, isn't it?"

Henry entered the room from a side door and looked at Isaac with a smile.

"Of course."

"I hear you're going to gamble with me?"

Henry sat down and poured wine for Isaac and himself.

He took a sip, and the spiciness shot straight down his throat.

"Cough!"

Isaac couldn't help but cough.

Henry laughed loudly.

"This is a strong liquor made from sugarcane. Sailors love it more than their own women."

Henry raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Then he smacked his lips with satisfaction.

"Your Highness, I am indeed very interested in your expedition."

"I saw the ship you brought. That Clark-rigged schooner is in good condition and can be used as is."

"The large oar-powered warship needs some modifications. Both Arab triangular sails and traditional square sails must be installed."

Henry poured another glass of wine for Isaac, who gritted his teeth and drank it in one gulp.

"Now that's more like it!"

Henry nodded and took out a contract.

"There have been bold merchants who have discussed cooperation with me before. These are the terms we agreed upon at that time. Take a look."

"If you have anything to add, you can discuss it with my advisors. Leave your ships here for modification first."

"How much?"

Prince Henry waved his hand.

"Since you've been drinking with this old man, I'll let you off the hook. It's not much money anyway."

Over the next few days, Isaac and Enrique's advisors engaged in heated debates, neither side willing to back down.

Finally, Isaac agreed to pay 5,000 ducats as compensation for the use of the Portuguese port.

At this point, Isaac had emptied his wallet and had no choice but to owe the money.

Isaac provided a Clark sailing ship and a modified St. Nicholas ship to join Enrique's fleet.

Enrique dispatched four caravels and several supply ships.

Isaac himself accompanied the fleet, and Enrique sent Captain Fernando as his representative.

The main purpose of the fleet was to explore the mouth of the river mentioned by the natives and find islands suitable for colonization.

On July 10, Isaac finally received the profits from the Roman printing press and the first dividend from the Montferrat Trading Company.

The trade fleet sailed smoothly, and the first trial voyage was a complete success.

Isaac finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He slammed five thousand ducats on Henry's accountant's desk, walked out the door, and looked at the fleet preparing in the distance, his heart trembling slightly.

The next day, the fleet set sail.

Isaac watched the land grow smaller and smaller, filled with endless emotions.

In this era, there was no Belem Tower, no Monument to the Great Voyages, but Isaac couldn't help but recite the famous line.

The land ends here, and the ocean begins.

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