The port of A Coruña is one of the most important ports in the Kingdom of Castil, Spain. ∧ pine∏ ∏ Xiao ∧ said

Due to its strategic location, merchant ships from all over the world dock here every day for round-trip trade. Ottoman caravans from Britain, France, and even as far away as Egypt would stop or target here - but due to recent tensions between the Ottoman and Spanish Empires, their merchant ships had been looted by the Christians and would not be seen here.

In order to be able to accommodate these merchant ships, the Kingdom of Castille repaired this place very wide, hundreds of docks occupy all the coastline in the field of vision, but despite this, there are still some merchant ships in the embarrassing situation of having no place to stop, so they can only row small boats to transport goods to the dock for sale, and then buy local goods and row small boats to ship merchant ships to prepare for sale.

Of course, such an important dock in Castille has also put great efforts to protect, there are 5,000 permanent troops on land alone, a naval port has also been built on the dock, and there are eight brigs on standby in real time. On each ship there were more than a hundred Spanish navies. Recently, however, four additional warships have been stationed at the port. These warships were significantly larger than the warships stationed here, and most notably, they were all three-masted battleships.

When the huge ship was anchored in this military port, even the passing naval soldiers couldn't help but look twice, and then hurriedly left, for fear that they would be noticed by the soldiers on board.

Yet there was such a small group of men standing on the side of the huge Spanish warship. Ignoring the oppression of their size, they stared at the back of a Spanish officer standing on the dock.

"I knew there would be an admiral sent out... But I didn't expect you to come in person... Castill—" said the leader of the team with a somewhat complicated expression, and it seemed that he was feeling a little tricky.

"Long time no see, Mr. Shaniyat." The man turned around and looked at the black cloak of the man who had come.

The officer looked very young, and there was not a trace of rain and snow on his face. He wears a curly blonde wig and a triangular captain's hat with a logo. His skin looked a little sickly pale, and his whole person was not like a navy that had been facing wind and rain all year round.

But in fact, he has been in the Navy for five years, and only five years, and the accumulated military exploits have been directly exchanged for the current status of admiral. Of course, there may also be reasons for his status as the crown prince.

"Just call me Gerald." Gerald sighed, "Didn't you just fight at the Cape of Good Hope, how could I be willing to send you back." ”

"I can't fight in a short time... Neither side could move. Your request is a bit peculiar, so my father thinks that this needs someone who is good enough to leave the battlefield and not affect the overall situation to help you, I think there is no one in the Navy who is more suitable than me at the moment, so I came here... It just so happens that there are only four ships left in my fleet now, all of them ocean-going vessels. ”

Gerald frowned.

"How can you lose so much?" he said abruptly. These are technically his secrets, and they shouldn't have been asked.

The young man didn't seem to mind, though, and he shrugged: "I've been fooled. Alone with my fleet, I ran after a lone ship for a month, and then fell into their encirclement. ”

The crown prince of the Kingdom of Castile in front of him is named Costaya Castill. If he remembered correctly, the young man's original fleet should have had thirteen ships. Nine ships were knocked out in one battle ...

He no longer thinks about anything, but goes straight to the point: "I won't say anything superfluous... It was a voyage, and I would send my men to follow each ship. They have a chart on them, and what you have to do is very simple, set off along the chart route, drive into the depths of the sea, and keep moving forward without looking back. After a year, it's good to go back the way you came. If anything, you can do it at your discretion, but if my men find anything, you must do what they ask! When you return, I will give you 200,000 gold coins for each ship. ”

Kostya glanced at him a little bored: "You don't need to give you money, these gold coins are not as much as I can earn in a battle." I'm going to add an additional condition. ”

"You say." Rejected by Gerald did not show any embarrassment.

"If you come across an "illegal" merchant ship on the road, I would like your men to help you when we are going about our daily work. ”

"No, I can't promise you that. We can't..."

"The attack on the Church is not a secret among the nobility, Mr. Gerald," said Costaya slowly, "Coincidentally, I know that there is a secret that most people don't know, and this secret, I think you need it." The caravan secretly purchased a batch of gunpowder and cannons from the Ottoman navy, and then transported them to the ports of France by sea under the guise of pottery, and secretly transported them from land to Prussia. I later learned the approximate quantity of the shipment... That's enough to siege a city. He looked Gerald in the eye, "I've been involved in a lot of battles, I've taken a lot of prisoners. Two of the hapless Dutchmen were sailors who transported that shipment, and they were involved in the process of sea transport and land transactions. I'll trade these two people for the opportunity for your men to help.

"Mr. Gerald, I need your strength to help me plunder new ships to replenish my fleet, and you need the mouths of these two men to find the ones who are doing it to you. You see, wouldn't it be nice for each of us to take what we need? ”

Gerald thought for a long time, and said slowly, "What if I refuse." ”

"That's okay too." The young man put away all his expressions, and only showed the basic respect from the juniors, "I will continue to complete the task assigned to me by my father." ”

It's just that I'm going to lose this clue. Gerald thought so.

"Tell me the name of that caravan." Gerald said.

But Costaya just looked at Gerald in silence and didn't say a word.

After a long time, Gerald sighed, "It's still the same as before, and I won't eat at all." ”

Costaya smiled.

"Don't be like a fox, it's very unlikeable." Gerald continued.

Kostya's smile narrowed a little from laughter, and she slowly opened.

The smile suddenly turned into a sneer.

"Alright, you don't have to look at me like that. I agreed to your request, but your revenge or whatever, wait until my mission is over. You can't take my men straight to the Ottoman fleet, and if you dare to do so, I'll dig you out if you die. ”

"I'm measured, Mr. Gerald." Kostya gave Gerald a noble salute, "If you agree to my request, I can guarantee that I will be able to plunder and expand four ships within two months of setting sail, and you will have eight ships at your disposal by then." I think the increase in the number of battleships will definitely help you. It's a mutually beneficial thing. His smile changed to the standard aristocratic smile, "You can deploy as many fleets as we can plunder, and I don't just don't need you to pay, I can also pay you a share." You can also send a few more people to participate in this mission. ”

"I have more important things to do, and my men have more important things to do. Remember, this mission is more important to me than your fleet. Gerald looked into his emerald green eyes, "I want you to be able to prioritize and not do anything impulsive." ”

“... Do what you want. Kostya bowed slightly, and said no more.

"I'll expect a good manpower." Gerald nodded, "When can we go?" ”

"Tomorrow will do. My ship still has some parts to repair, and I need to bring some supplies, and if I am in a hurry, I can finish it tonight, and I can leave in the evening. ”

"What about the two men?"

"They have been sent to the prison in the city of A Coruña, and I have a team of guards watching them."

You're so prepared, Kostya. Gerald thought to himself.

"The time of departure will be tomorrow. I'll bring my men over tomorrow morning. Gerald turned and left, "And those two captives, I'm going to take them." ”

"As you wish, Mr. Gerald, I will send someone to inform the other side, I still have something to do here that I can't leave, so I won't be far away." Kostya said. Just looked at Gerald with some regret in his eyes.

Gerald walked for a moment before stopping. Turning back and looking at him deeply: "Kostya, you have grown up. A lot, a lot. "Leave without looking back.

Kostya was stunned for a moment. Then he smiled faintly.

"Because hatred changes a lot of people... Mr. Gerald. He whispered.