Chapter 2305 - 1633: Good! Commander Antonio, we’ll escort you to the ship right away!

This is precisely the swordsmanship of the Castilian Knights of this era—sharp thrusts take precedence, with a low center of gravity and agile footwork, emphasizing rhythm and distance to create fluid strikes! Knight Pedro practiced this family-taught battlefield swordsmanship from a young age and honed his skills through ten years of fierce battles on the holy war battlefield, reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship during the Middle Ages! If he were to truly duel Kepili one-on-one, who would win or lose would be hard to say...

"Kill! Kill this Evil Demon Leader!"

However, as the numerically superior kingdom's warriors surged forward, both sides ended up packed like sardines, leaving no more room for such exquisite swordplay! In the next clash, Kepili had already swung his battle axe, aiming at Pedro's helmeted head!

"Clang! Clang!"

Pedro valiantly raised his longsword to block the powerful axe blow, followed by another parry! Had there been enough room to maneuver, he could have agilely sidestepped. But on a battlefield crowded with people and weapons, he could only block left and right, losing the chance to strike back. Until a fierce, bone-ornamented barbarian suddenly thrust a short spear diagonally, piercing the back of his neck from the side, leaving no room to escape!

"Puff!"

"Ah..."

Pedro felt a chill on his neck, and the knight's longsword he had held for twenty years dropped with a "bang." He didn't even get the chance to utter a final word before Kepili's battle axe came down once more, chopping off his still head!

"Swoosh!"

The blood sprayed, the world quickly spinning and overturning until it settled in a sea of red. In the last moments of his life, this decorated veteran captain's head was still filled with Almighty and battle. And his final gaze saw, behind the battle line of clashing sides, those few fleeing figures. Among them was one particularly familiar, appearing to be the Commander of the Expeditionary Army?

"Antonio..."

Deputy Commander Antonio couldn't hear this silent death call. With negotiations breaking down, and hundreds of barbarians surging forward, he decisively and disgracefully chose to "retreat."

If it were ten years ago, he certainly would have been among the warriors charging forward and dying alongside Pedro! But after ten years as a noble officer, becoming embroiled in so many kingdom political machinations, courage and passion gradually faded like his declining physical strength taken away by time. His usual toughness and cruelty towards the natives were merely acts of brutality against the weak, not true courage to face life and death. And the words he had just said to the barbarian leader were indeed his true thoughts!

In Deputy Commander's view, this relentless battle indeed had "lost its meaning"! The leader of the Castilian Expeditionary Army had already agreed to abandon this island. He had even spread plague everywhere. The time for retreat was imminent; why risk life with the barbarians at such a time? As long as he returned alive to the Kingdom of Castile, he could blame all the losses and responsibilities on Columbus, that foreigner... The Queen surely wouldn't trust a foreign commoner with no roots over a noble officer loyal for twenty years, would she?

"Almighty protect! Go! Quickly go! Never mind the situation in the west, the south can still hold for a while... Let's head straight to the northern shore, and board the royal navy's Clark Ship!"

Deputy Commander Antonio hurriedly fled towards the north with two confidants, ignoring everything else. When halfway through his escape, he unexpectedly encountered a sudden crowd, his pace abruptly halted, and his face turned instantly grim.

"How could the barbarians invade here?! No, not barbarians, it's those Shenluo Mercenaries! Hmm? They're carrying their packs, have they long been prepared to escape? This damnable group can't be relied upon at all! They completely disregard orders, facing a significant barbarian threat, they flee north to the ship at the first moment without even firing a shot..."

"No! This isn't right! Did they fight the barbarians? Where does this smell of blood on them come from? Did they kill those pioneers' strong men?"

"?! Who is it?! Another old soldier seeking death has appeared?!"

Mercenary Captain Reinhardt's face hardened as he looked around like an enraged lion. He was covered in blood, and many of his mercenaries were injured too, the numbers dwindling from 65 to 52! They were the first to flee and should have been faster than anyone, much faster than Antonio! But when he went to meet brothers at the East Gate, he was stopped by a stubborn group of holy war veterans! These veterans demanded they return to the front line to resist the invading barbarians, even threatening with drawn swords!

In desperation, he had no choice but to feign agreement and blended with twenty veterans to head south. Then, just after running for a moment, he suddenly went on the offensive, his mercenaries also mutually understanding, simultaneously launching a sneak attack on the veterans!

The East Gate's holy war veteran squad was somewhat cautious. But team leader Paulo had no clue that, at the critical moment of barbarian invasion, these "retreating" Shenluo Mercenaries truly engaged in fatal internal conflict! Within just a quarter hour, the twenty Shenluo Veterans were all cunningly slain by these mercenaries, but at a cost of 13 dead and injured mercenaries!

"Damn holy war veterans! Damn fool Paulo! If you didn't seek death yourselves, we wouldn't have laid hands on you! Damn it! Cost my brothers!"

Reinhardt was full of resentment, continuing to lead the mercenaries northward. He feared the captains on those four Clark Galleons would oil their heels and flee upon perceiving danger! Unexpectedly, upon spotting the ship's silhouette, he stumbled across three people. He was startled, then focused again, surprisingly seeing Deputy Commander Antonio!

"Damn it! Antonio, how come you're here? Cuba... cough, the barbarians have invaded! You're not with the veterans resisting, why are you running over here? Ah! Could it be?..."

"...Reinhardt! Why did you defy the Kingdom of Castile's orders, avoiding battle and fleeing?! If it were on the battlefield of the holy war, you would be publicly hanged! Hurry to support the southern fight! Hmm?!"

Deputy Commander Antonio's expression shifted, first giving a habitual superior's reprimand. Then, upon seeing the gloomy look of the Shenluo Mercenary Leader and the dense crowd of over fifty, he softened his tone to placate.

"Witness Almighty! The scale of the barbarian invasion this time is immense. San Juan Port's stronghold cannot be held. It's Almighty! Now you've reached here and encountered me, so I command you in the name of the kingdom's nobility, Deputy Commander of the Expeditionary Army!"

"Retreat with me! The ships at the port have long been prepared; we'll soon leave this island! And as long as you escort me away, the previously promised three-month salary still holds! From spoils or gold coins, I'll take care to provide you in full!"

"Don't forget! To return to Europe, you must rely on the kingdom's navy! When you return to the Kingdom of Castile, you must report to the kingdom's noble officers, and the representatives of the royal family! Only I can protect you in this defeat! Columbus has already run off, he's a faithless scoundrel!"

At this moment, Deputy Commander Antonio balanced persuasion and pressure, numerous future schemes flashing in his mind. The loss of San Juan Island could be seen as voluntary abandonment. The dead holy war veterans could be blamed on the returning storm or pushed onto Columbus. The most crucial now was to preserve himself and control this mercenary force, at least to continue exerting influence at that "Barbados" island!

"Hmm? Escort you onto the ship? Paying our full salary and taking us back to the Kingdom of Castile, speaking on our behalf?"

Mercenary Captain Reinhardt showed surprise. He scrutinized this commander, always looking down on them, treating them as cannon fodder. Now, Antonio's face was incredibly gentle, revealing a warmth Reinhardt had never seen.

"Boss! What's the plan? With Antonio, we can directly take gold back home to Bavaria!"

Upon hearing the confidant's low utterance, Reinhardt hesitated. He carefully considered for a while, not even sure what he hesitated about. Until Antonio looked anxious, asking again; then this lion-like Shenluo Mercenary Captain laughed heartily.

"Alright! Commander Antonio, we'll escort you onto the ship immediately!"

"Looking at this chaos, those captains might flee! We can't delay a moment!"