Listening to Matim’s description, a shiver ran through everyone simultaneously. The round-faced chief cook Haroldo, with a shrinking nod, spoke up for the first time.
"Indeed, if we do nothing and let the captain continue eastward, that will be our end!"
Upon hearing this, the carpenter Ivo’s expression fluctuated for a long time before he finally gave a silent nod.
Bruno slightly lowered his eyes. At this moment, everyone’s stance was clear. Quartermaster Matim, Sailor Chief Diego, and Chief Cook Haroldo had already joined forces. With the carpenter Ivo tacitly approving their actions, now only...
The gaze of the four men once again fell upon Brulo.
"Second Mate Brulo, we all consider you one of us, involving you in our affairs solely because you married the sister of the former Sailor Chief Paulo!"
Sailor Chief Diego, with a ferocious look, stepped forward again. He waved the curved dagger in his hand, threatening the newly noble in front of him.
"If you don’t wise up, I’ll slaughter you right here and throw you into the great river to feed the fish! When we return to Lisbon, I’ll take care of Paulo’s beautiful sister, making sure she’s happy every single day!"
Hearing this, Bruno’s eyes flashed coldly. With an equally fierce look, he stared intently at Diego’s neck, slowly raising his dagger.
"Brulo, we’ve gathered here only to survive. You know as well as we do that without finding that damned Kingdom of John, the captain is definitely not turning back. And if we keep going forward, all that awaits us is a dead end! Can the Lord’s citizens stay in such a demonic land?"
Quartermaster Matim stepped forward as well. He wore a sincere smile, yet he held a short sword in his hand.
"Don’t you want to return safely to Lisbon to see your beautiful wife? Over a year of sailing has passed, your child must have been born by now, whether a boy or a girl, who knows? Ah, what a lovely little angel that must be!... Do you really want to die here and leave your wife and child at the mercy of some fat noble swine?"
At this, Quartermaster Matim paused. He looked at the struggling expression on Brulo’s face and smiled confidently.
"Besides, Noble Knight Brulo, you’re not like us. You have a good father, noble blood, seen as a real person by the nobility! You have such a bright future ahead, how can you die here? Why not join us in acting, we’ll leave the captain with a skiff to go find the Kingdom of John on his own. Then, we’ll all elect you as captain to return to Lisbon!"
In the hellish tropical Rainforest, to leave a cursed captain with only a skiff? How was that any different from directly plotting the captain’s demise?
Brulo’s face went through a range of emotions, his mind whirling like a vortex. He hesitated for a long time, until all his thoughts were swallowed by the vortex. In the end, what remained in his mind was only his pregnant wife and the smile on her face, serene as the Holy Mother.
Brulo lowered his gaze, and with it, his weapon. The power of the Demon, along with the potion he had drunk, had seeped into his heart.
"Matim, I can take part in your scheme. But, I have one condition."
Matim’s brows lifted, his smile radiant.
"Brulo, rest assured, once the captain is expelled, you will be our captain!"
The Noble Knight Brulo firmly refused.
"The respected captain has been kind to me, and he is also an elder in my family! We can band together to force the captain to turn back, but we must not harm his life!"
"Yes! That’s the most appropriate!"
The carpenter Ivo nodded in agreement. Captain Diogo Cao was a royal knight pardonned directly by the King! With so many people on the ship, if they really plotted against him and the news leaked out, his family in Lisbon would be utterly ruined.
"I think Brulo and Ivo are right! As long as we turn back, we don’t have to kill the captain, that would be for the best!"
Chief Cook Haroldo also voiced his agreement.
The decision was made by a vote of three against two, to force the captain to turn back, but to spare his life. Matim looked at these faint-hearted fellows and felt somewhat irritated.
What sort of man was the captain? A lion-like leader! Even if he was cursed, he was still a weakening old lion. A pack of wolves scheming against a lion, yet thinking of showing mercy, was simply courting death!... However, as long as he persuaded everyone to act, when the time came...
After mulling it over for a moment, Quartermaster Matim’s face broke into a smile. He nodded in agreement, then patted the shoulder of Sailor Chief Diego, who after some cursing and grumbling, also reluctantly agreed.
Quartermaster, Sailor Chief, Chief Cook, Carpenter, Second Mate. The five influential people on the ship finally reached a consensus to "persuade" the captain to turn back.
Then, Matim was the first to sheathe his short sword. He prayed in a low voice.
"Praise the Holy Mother! Protect us on our return home!"
"May the Holy Mother protect us!"
Everyone echoed in unison and sheathed their weapons. The atmosphere in the cabin truly relaxed, and soon, whispers began to spread throughout the ship.
"Brulo, how’s the captain’s health?"
"Matim, the revered captain is blessed by the Holy Mother, his curse is not as severe. Every time I see him, his demeanor is very calm. His thoughts are sharp, his speech is clear, and there is no sign of being troubled by the curse."
Hearing that the captain was all right, everyone became a bit apprehensive, and the resolve they had just set seemed to waver again.
"Impossible! I have followed the captain for over a decade, I know him better than anyone."
Quartermaster Matim looked deeply at Brulo, scoffing as he shook his head.