CHAPTER 1186: CHAPTER 747: THE THREADS OF THE PENINSULA HOLY WAR IN THE AUTUMN OF 1489 AD

In the desolate village, the seasoned cavalrymen were each busy, working in an orderly fashion. Meanwhile, an older and a younger knight stood in the corner, discussing the secret plots and plans of the Southern Holy War, known only to the elite of the Holy War Army.

"Actually, talking about this uncle King, he fought quite well, relying on the mountainous fortresses to resist firmly. The Castilians had been attacking with full force for two years and found it quite tricky. At that time, they remembered the captured nephew King..."

Upon hearing this, Giovanni widened his eyes in confusion and asked.

"Huh? Lorenzo, hasn’t this nephew King died yet after being captured for so long?"

"Haha! Not only is he not dead, but he has also been treated quite well!"

The old knight Lorenzo stroked his beard and said with a smile.

"Rumor has it that Queen Isabella often talks privately with this captured nephew King and, with irresistible charm, successfully brings him under her wing... Ahem! Don’t look at me like that. Of course, this is just a rumor, a rumor! The actual situation is likely based on mutual trust or perhaps coercion and bribery..."

"Anyway, in the end, the nephew King Abu reached a deal with the Dual Kings of Iberia. The Dual Kings promised to return him to the Granada Kingdom and support him in ascending to the throne. In return, he agreed that, while retaining its original territory, the Granada Kingdom would become a vassal of Castile and pay tribute on time!"

"What? The Granada Kingdom retains its territory but becomes a vassal of Castile?"

Hearing this, Giovanni frowned in confusion.

"Then wouldn’t this Holy War have ended long ago? But Castile’s attacks have never stopped, and there’s no sign of sparing the Moors!"

"Haha! Giovanni, you’re still too young! How can promises to heathens be taken seriously?"

The old knight Lorenzo shook his head with a smile, repeating what he said before. Then, he spoke with a meaningful tone.

"The ambition of the Dual Kings is to unify the Iberian Peninsula! This agreement was never intended to be executed from the start! The Dual Kings released the captured nephew King to create two Kings within the Granada Kingdom, causing division. The nephew King released may well be aware of this reasoning, but he coveted the Moorish throne and did not want to remain a captive who could be executed at any moment..."

"... Ha! What a cowardly and greedy heathen king!"

Upon hearing this, the young knight Giovanni showed undisguised disdain on his face. He then stroked his chin, curiously inquiring further.

"So, in that case, did the plotting of the Dual Kings of Iberia succeed? Have the Moors fallen into internal strife?"

"That’s right. Almighty be praised! With the support of the Dual Kings, the nephew King unexpectedly and secretly returned to the capital of Granada and gained control over the central capital area. Meanwhile, the army of the uncle King, initially resisting at the two border areas, was suddenly split in two!"

"As a result, the once united and resistant Granada Kingdom quickly divided into opposing factions centered around the uncle and nephew Kings. The nephew King controlled the central valley of Granada, while the uncle King controlled the eastern Baza fortress area and the western Malaga port area."

The old knight Lorenzo sighed deeply, seemingly with some regret. It was unclear for whom he lamented.

"The power of the Moors was thus divided, each independent. And the army of the Dual Kings could focus on attacking the uncle King who resisted to the end! Two years ago, King Fernando personally led his army to attack the western Malaga port. The nephew King of Granada surprisingly did not dispatch any reinforcements in accordance with the agreement with the Dual Kings! You must know that this is the key channel through which the Granada Kingdom receives military and material support from the countries of the Southern Continent Moors!"

"The Malaga port was besieged for five months, ultimately falling under the bombardment of dozens of heavy guns and the siege of Aragon’s navy! Tens of thousands of Moors in the city, regardless of gender or age, were captured and sold into slavery, openly traded on the market to fill the financial debts of the Kingdom of Castile... Yes, many were sold to our Republic of Venice. Your father also bought quite a few, including several beautiful Moorish noble ladies..."

"Henceforth, the western part of Granada fell entirely, and the support from the Moors’ countries of the Southern Continent was completely cut off. Faced with the continuously advancing Holy War Army, the tragic fate of the Moors on the peninsula was thus sealed! And what remains is only a matter of time..."

Hearing the old knight’s narrative, the young knight Giovanni widened his eyes, lost in thought. The ongoing peninsula Holy War never became so clear in his mind, like the leaves in the hand of Divine Son Jesus.

In the desolate village, the war passed like drifting smoke. The young knight pondered for a long time, and the old knight patiently waited until the other spoke in a deep voice.

"Lorenzo, so, this nephew King of the capital refuses to send even a single soldier to aid Baza fortress because it pledged allegiance to his uncle?"

"Yes, that should be the main reason. Another reason might be that the number of Crusaders besieging the city is over twenty thousand infantry and cavalry. While there are only a few thousand troops in the capital of Granada, unable to dispatch many reinforcements. Moreover, there is a neutrality agreement between the nephew King and the Dual Kings..."

"How foolish! Absurd!... The Baza fortress is the last barrier northeast of the capital of Granada! If Baza fortress falls, Granada would be completely exposed before the Holy War Army..."

As he spoke, Giovanni became somewhat agitated. Perhaps he himself did not realize that under the old knight’s subtle guidance, his stance quietly shifted from that of the Holy War Army to neutrality.

"By then, this nephew King will be trapped in an isolated city! Could he really count on the Dual Kings to honor the agreement, sparing the magnificent city of Granada and the splendid Alhambra Palace, and merely make him a vassal?!"

"Haha! Who knows what goes on in the mind of the Moorish nephew King? Perhaps he clings to a final hope! After all, after the fall of Malaga port, whatever he does only prolongs the inevitable. Rather, adhere to the agreement with the Dual Kings and beg for their mercy. Sometimes, you can never wake up a person pretending to be asleep..."

Reaching this point, the old knight Lorenzo felt a bit emotional. He extended his hand, gently patted Giovanni’s shoulder, and said with a smile.

"Giovanni, regardless. Bringing this captive messenger back to the camp and handing him over to King Fernando is a notable achievement! The neutral stance of the Granada King is quite evident. There are likely more than one messenger dispatched by Baza fortress for aid. Once the news brought back by this captive reaches Baza fortress, the defending army’s will to hold out will certainly be greatly shaken..."

"Hmm, praise the Almighty! Chamberlain Carlo has returned. He found a clean water source upstream. Let’s go water the horses, fill the water bags, and then head back!"

"... Praise the Almighty! Let’s go."

The young knight Giovanni pondered for a moment and nodded. Since the fall of Baza fortress seemed hopeful, returning to the camp might earn him some spoils of war, and possibly leave more laurels.

At this moment, after experiencing so much, the Crusade on the peninsula was no longer his goal but just a ladder to promotion. Perhaps this is a transformation every young knight must undergo, from idealism to the mundane...