Chapter 2208 - 1590: Evil Demons Arrive, Darkness Descends!
The Holy War veteran Garcia shrugged off the reprimand from the new Company Captain indifferently. His Company Captain was never Knight Alonso in the first place. But during the crossing of the endless Atlantic Ocean, the Caravel Reedship carrying the Captain was swallowed by the "Demon’s Storm," along with half the company and forty seasoned veterans of ten years in the Holy War. Concurrently, another light sailing ship carrying another half company of veterans sank, along with their Captain. Eventually, two companies, reduced by half, were combined to make up this new third company, and a new Company Captain, Knight Alonso, was parachuted in.
Just having arrived in Eastern India, one of the four Holy War companies was lost, and two Company Captains had died. Everyone harbored a savage aggression akin to a red-eyed Spanish bull. It was indeed a damn Sea of Devils, a damn storm, and damn light sailing ships!
"Gilipollas! The Holy Mother protects us! With the Queen’s blessing and Father Ramon here, what do we have to fear from the plague? We’re not like those frail bumpkins!"
Knight Alonso cursed twice and then fell silent, observing the indifferent Holy War veterans. These seasoned veterans were notorious for their callousness, being murderers desensitized to life and death. They wouldn’t fear a cavalry charge, let alone some reprimands. Alonso dared not truly punish them physically, as in this distant, devil-infested land from the Catholic World, so-called officer’s authority was just that, and one could only rely on the blade in one’s hand. And the blade of the veterans was naturally good and strong!
"Garcia, where are the rest of your company?"
"Knight Alonso, why do you ask?"
"I’m your Company Captain, your officer, your leader! I must know where my veterans are!"
"Alright, boss, they’re all at the end there, in that round-domed, largest big house! But I advise you not to disturb them at this time."
"...?"
"Never mind. Almighty bless! It’s up to you; if you want to join them, feel free!..."
Knight Alonso frowned and, holding his Knight’s Cross Sword, walked through the Coral Sand Square in the center of the Taino Village. The humanoid and idol wooden carvings of these heathens looked full of evil aura, and surely needed to be burnt to ashes. Those Ancestor Spirit Pillars carved with strange symbols were likely spells calling demons and must be smashed completely!
No, smashing them by hand was too risky, and I might end up attracting the demon’s attention. Better to hold a knife and force the natives to smash them themselves! Damn, the natives have been slaughtered by this landing bastards, with not many left alive. Even though the order given was to collect the grain, somehow it turned into a village massacre? All thanks to these East India natives, being too weak and easily robbed...
"Almighty bless! Is this some evil blood sacrificial rite? The natives’ blood summons the demons from the depths... Damn it, only with the Lord’s Cross erected quickly and the sacred church built can this newly occupied Kingdom Port turn into a land blessed by the Almighty, bathed in merciful light!"
Knight Alonso vigorously shook his head, expelling the chaotic thoughts from his mind. As an aftermath of his first distant ocean voyage, cognitive disorder and paranoid delusions were quite common. More common, of course, was the suppression of beast-like impulse and mania resulting from prolonged confinement and high-pressure environments. All of this needed venting, and for the Castilian Expeditionary Army’s scum, venting wasn’t actually difficult...
"Hijo de puta! These dog-reared bastards! Months without seeing a woman and they’ve turned into beasts in heat indistinguishable from animals!"...
Knight Alonso walked outside the round-domed large thatch house, hearing voices rising and falling from far away, hearing men’s raucous laughter and women’s lamentations. His brow immediately twitched, and his hand rested upon the Knight’s Cross Sword. Among the faint voices sometimes emerged lowland German with a Castilian accent, seemingly mimicking lowland curses.
Wondering when the veterans of this company began mixing with those Shenluo mercenaries? Likely the Columbus brothers were involved, especially Bartolomeo Columbus, who was much more sociable than his brother, and had tried to recruit him...
"Merda! I’ve been drifting on the sea for over two months without seeing a woman at all. These bastards caught native women and didn’t even notify me? Evidently, they don’t regard me as their Company Captain at all! This won’t do!..."
With such thoughts, Knight Alonso glanced at the dozen Taino elder corpses at the door, kicked open the half-branch gate, and strode into the natives’ round-domed big house. The house was several times larger than the other thatch houses, its purpose unknown. Entering, he saw the Taino sacrificial hide drums and bamboo flutes were crushed and slashed, rows of Zemi God Cards either broken or entirely kicked into corners, forming small heaps. Upon these piles were bloodstains, even with infant corpses...
"? Again with the evil things worshipped by the heathens!"
Frowning, Knight Alonso averted his gaze from the "evil things," and then his eyes brightened, spotting something not evil. He saw dozens of young Taino women, eyes filled with numb despair, reduced to stripped "sheep." True cruelty descended upon them, even with the sun shining brightly outside, the room inside was steeped in unyielding darkness, filled with beasts’ brutal acts.
"Joder? Who’s there?"
At the sudden sound, the ferocious faces turned to look and saw a somber visage. The nearest veterans hesitated, stood up, kicked away the women, slightly lowered their heads.
"Almighty bless! Knight Alonso de Ojeda, is that you?"
"Company Captain?"
"Why’s the Company Captain here? Here to apprehend us?"
"This doesn’t violate military discipline, right? At worst, it’s cleaning the battlefield without promptly reporting back..."
"Shh! Who knows what this knight thinks? Maybe he’s a deranged fellow..."
Dozens of eyes intently watching, some showing confusion, some showing unease, some showing dissatisfaction, others feral agitation. Among these fierce eyes, among those who supposedly feared him, Alonso saw no awe, no goodwill. He was silent a moment, viciously glaring at these veterans, rebuking vehemently.
"Merda! Hijo de puta! You dog-reared bastards! How dare you secretly revel here with native women? I am your Company Captain, your leader!"...
Upon hearing such cursing, many eyes changed expression. Some veterans reached for their empty waists but touched nothing, only a handful of fur.
"You idiots! No matter how weak, how cowardly the natives, how could you leave weapons aside? Encounter unexpected cavalry at the Holy War Battlefield, you’d die ten times, ten times!"...
Again rebuking, Alonso saw the veterans’ eyes had completely changed. Some with explosive tempers already reached for the knives in the corner. Witnessing this, Alonso’s heart tremored, estimating the timing was right, then proudly lifted his head, more fiercely bellowing.
"Joder! I am your Company Captain, your leader, holding each of your wallets, your lives!"...
"I’ve been bottled up on the ship for so long without enjoying myself, yet you’ve been enjoying yourselves for who knows how long!"...
"Get over here now! Give me the best-looking women! Let this knight show you with my Knight’s Lance, what a true Castilian Knight, what a true bull-like man really is!"...
"...!!"
Inside the house, the Holy War veterans looked at one another, somewhat surprised, but also with an excitement of encountering the same kind. Soon, the house erupted with beastly roars and laughter. Two veterans laughed heartily, grabbing tattooed Taino women over. And Knight Alonso, in full view, tossed aside the Knight’s Cross Sword, undoing the half-body chest armor...
The dark long night never ceased, instead continued more fiercely. Within the sacred longhouse dedicated to Ancestors, flowed the blood of Taino elders and the tears of Taino women. And such blood and tears only drove the perpetrators further into frenzy. After all, in this era, no matter the atrocities inflicted on these differently colored heathens, the perpetrators received no punishment. Even according to the Holy War Church, such acts amassed merit for ascending to Heaven!...
Thus, the white-skinned Evil Demon descended. On the island of Puerto Rico, in the Eastern Sea of the Caribbean, night blanketed the East.