Chapter 2307 - 1634: Commander, Please Board the Ship!

"Santos, chief! Captain Alvaro and Captain Bernardo have agreed. What about the other two captains, Baltasar and Lorres? I have an old friend on Captain Lorres's ship serving as the boatswain..."

"Paulo! You rascal, stop thinking about things that don't matter! The other two captains are close associates of the Deputy Commander, fought side by side on the battlefield in Granada. Especially Captain Lorres, who controls the ship with the strongest firepower—the Deputy Commander's flagship, Holy Light. He is a staunch supporter of Antonio Deputy Commander!"

At this point, Adjutant Santos squinted, paused, assessed Boatswain Paulo, and with a smile laced with threat, said.

"Paulo, I know you are close with the boatswain of Holy Light. Perhaps you're also close with Captain Lorres! But you've seen the current situation, the Deputy Commander Antonio is hard pressed to protect himself, and we must first ensure our own safety in order to better serve the Queen and Kingdom! It's not worth risking your life for a little bribery money and empty promises! After all, we are brothers on the same ship... don't you agree?"

"Ah! Yes, yes! I am loyal to Captain Alvaro, I don't know who Captain Lorres is at all! Santos, chief, I will follow your orders! I'll go steer the ship now!"

Boatswain Paulo broke into a sweat, quickly ran to the ship's stern, and began steering the slowly accelerating galleon. Adjutant Santos sniggered, swung his short whip in the air, and there was another loud "snap"!

"Boom, boom, boom, boom!"

With the sound of this whip crack, the slaughter calls at the west of the stronghold, after a quarter-hour, erupted again with ear-splitting "thunderbolts"! Undoubtedly, it was another round of matchlock gunfire shooting! The chilling screams drifted on the wind, mingling Spanish with incomprehensible Taino dialect. But louder were the fervent cries of the devil natives, chanting "Huitzilopo" repeatedly!

"Almighty! It's truly the natives' matchlock guns! They've fired again! How many Holy War veterans will fall with this round of shooting?"

Santos's hand trembled, nearly dropping his whip into the sea. He widened his eyes towards the west but saw only vague shadows and what seemed to be the veteran regiments initializing a desperate charge. Santos clenched his teeth and cursed angrily.

"Damn it! Why charge into the forest? These veterans likely won't come back! It's strange how these barbarians learned to use firearms? Could it be the mean and deceitful, despicable Portuguese people?"

"Almighty! If there is involvement of Portuguese people, then a sea ambush is likely! We need to leave quickly and rendezvous with the priest's fleet, Commander Columbus's fleet! As for Deputy Commander Antonio, we can only rely on the benevolence of the Almighty!"

"May the Almighty let you survive, Deputy Commander who participated in the Holy War!"

Santos lowered his head, solemnly prayed twice. When he raised his head, whatever remnants of conscience had entirely vanished, leaving behind the best choice for survival and future by any means necessary! Captain Alvaro stayed hidden in the captain's cabin throughout the entire act without showing his face, clearly unwilling to bear any potential risk and responsibility, but wanting to leave grounds for meeting Deputy Commander Antonio later. Under Santos's command, this Clark Galleon, capable of carrying nearly a hundred, finally set sail!

"Almighty protect us! Set off! Sail north out of the harbor first, then head southeast into the deep sea!"

"Full sail, set off!"

The sailors habitually prayed and shouted, in sharp contrast to the intensifying slaughter ashore. The galleon surged through the night waves, the mast towering like a tower, the bow sharp like a spear, cleaving the night sea's waves! The splashed waves shone under moonlight like flying broken silver. The side sails were raised too, making the whole ship resemble a ghostly trade wind raptor, carrying scorched anxiety and fatigue, its unfulfilled colonial target, quietly departing from the hell of San Juan Island's colony!

"Almighty protect us! Alvaro has already fled! Let's set off and follow him!"

On another Clark galleon, fifty-year-old old Captain Bernardo, with a hoarse voice and humbler origins but more responsible than Alvaro, stood at the bow, fiercely and crudely shouted.

"Those wilderness spirits have laid eyes on us! A moment's delay and the whole island will be ablaze! We're leaving! To safer southeast, escaping this land of slaughter and death!"

"That's my order! I will bear all responsibilities with you together!"

"Swish! Swish!"

Sails flapped, flags fluttered, the second Clark galleon sped up too, closely following the first ship to escape. The rear coastline was a sea of fire, the barbarian fights seemed fiercer, with the sound of weapons and armor clashing audible. The sea breeze before dawn sent this escaping ship on a new course into the unknown. The course might lead to punishment, might lead to continuation, but at least it wasn't today's death! As for all the blame, naturally, it would be carried by the dead, including the Divine Son who embodies mercy and forgiveness, bearing everything!

"?! Damn it! Damn it! Without my order, how come two galleons directly fled?!"

When Deputy Commander Antonio, surrounded by over fifty Shenluo mercenaries, hurriedly ran to the portside, he saw the two galleons already on their journey, not looking back. He widened his eyes, looked briefly, then furiously cursed.

"It's that noble child Avallro! And that old mongrel Bernardo! They dared abandon me, abandon the old soldiers ashore..."

"Quickly! Aproach! Call the other two ships! Baltasar and Lorres are old friends of mine, they surely won't betray me!"

Deputy Commander Antonio, both anxious and angry, ran to the remaining two ships at the portside, shouting loudly upward from aboard! Mercenary Captain Reinhardt raised the torch, trying to illuminate Deputy Commander Antonio, showing both embarrassing desperation, involvement's ferocity, and underlying fear on his complex face.

"I am Commander Antonio! Quickly, lower the small boat, aboard our people!"

"Have Baltasar and Lorres come to see me personally!"

The sailors aboard glanced at each other, hurried to summon the two captains. Baltasar, seasoned and stern, was a soldier from the vanguard regiment. He stood by the helm, hand gripping the iron hilted sword with eyes like a statue, staring at the junction of port and sea, staring at the deputy commander who came alone with a bunch of mercenaries.

"Honorable Antonio, Sir! What's the situation ashore?"

"Almighty! The Cuba barbarians have launched a massive attack, at least four to five hundred strong, with half of them in heavy armor! This San Juan Island cannot be defended! We must evacuate immediately, vacate immediately now!"

"Ah?! Antonio Sir, what about the Holy War veterans on the island? Why is this group of mercenaries accompanying you?"

"..."

Antonio was silent for several seconds, then shouted loudly.

"The veterans ashore willingly stayed behind for the kingdom's fleet to fight the demon, while the mercenaries cover my retreat... Baltasar! The situation is urgent, let us aboard swiftly!"

"...This? Abandoning the veterans, allowing mercenaries on board?"

Baltasar widened his eyes, his face showing an incredible misunderstanding, and an underlying suspicion. While Reinhardt tightened his grip on the great sword, against this maritime behemoth, he was helpless. If it wasn't for the deputy commander's shouting, the possibility of seizing the ship tonight might not even be half...

"No more words! Baltasar! Commander, Sir, please aboard! Aboard our"

He didn't speak,

And with this Baltasar widened his eyes, his face showing an incredible misunderstanding, and an underlying suspicion. While Reinhardt tightened his grip on the great sword, against this maritime behemoth, he was helpless. If it wasn't for the deputy commander's shouting, the possibility of seizing the ship tonight might not even be half...

"No more words! Baltasar! Commander, Sir, please aboard! Aboard our"

He didn't speak,

And with this