The clan representative and other captains questioned Jonathan Brow’s proposal, who was the captain of the fleet’s flagship.

“Procure slaves?”

“Captain Brow. Are you suggesting we use slaves as crew?”

Facing a barrage of questions, Captain Jonathan Brow methodically explained his thinking.

• Even with bonuses, paid in advance no less, recruiting sailors remains difficult.
• If we can’t properly recruit skilled sailors, we’ll have to recruit those with limited or no experience.
• Therefore, purchasing slaves to use as crew is a viable option.
• If we promise the slaves freedom as a success bonus, they’ll work diligently even for minimal compensation.

The clan representative and other captains nodded at Brow’s explanation.

“It seems like a reasonable approach…”

“The issue is the cost of buying slaves. We might end up spending more than if we recruited sailors with bonuses.”

In response to the clan representative’s point, Captain Thomas, who had been listening, answered on Captain Brow’s behalf.

“There should be minimal additional cost. Rumor has it that Ceuta’s slave markets are currently flooded with slaves.”

“Ceuta’s overflowing with slaves? Why?”

“I hear the railway being built at Suez is nearing completion. As a result, slaves who are no longer needed are being returned to the market.”

“Hmm… But wouldn’t those be slaves incapable of proper work?”

Captain Brow addressed the representative’s concern.

“Not necessarily. According to rumors, people from the ‘Country of the Flower’ have managed them well, so they’re in good health and work efficiently. Those who couldn’t work were removed early in the construction. The people from the ‘Country of the Flower’ were thorough about that.”

“Hmm…”

At Captain Brow’s explanation, the clan representative stroked his beard and began calculating internally.

As Captain Brow mentioned, officials dispatched from the Empire had indeed been meticulous about slave management.

In the early stages of construction, slave management had been entrusted to people sent from Portugal and the Ottoman Empire.

However, their management was atrocious.

Slaves were forced to perform grueling labor while subsisting on poor meals. If they were injured during construction, proper treatment was out of the question, and it wasn’t uncommon for the disabled to be abandoned in the desert.

Witnessing this, railway construction staff dispatched from the Empire rose in protest.

“Damn! With management like that, even a manageable construction project will fail!”

Eventually, the railway construction staff took over slave management themselves. The alliance’s only role was to supply slaves.

The railway construction staff took charge of slave management for both practical reasons and superstition.

“Even an ox needs to be fed properly before it works! How can they work properly with that kind of feeding?”

“If they’re injured, treat them properly and use them again! Or at least supply new slaves in a timely manner!”

While ‘smooth construction progress’ was the practical reason, the superstition was fear of the vengeful spirits of dead slaves.

Just as sailors believed in all sorts of superstitions and jinxes, those involved in railway construction also held their own superstitions and jinxes.

Whether in the Empire’s mainland, northern territory, or new territories, laying railway tracks was a life-risking endeavor.

The construction sites were filled with all kinds of predators and bandits, not to mention heavy equipment and explosives.

Even slight carelessness could result in death or disability, making the construction workers highly sensitive to superstitions and jinxes.

Holding a ritual ceremony to pray for safe progress before starting construction was standard practice, and when encountering native religious facilities similar to wayside shrines, they would either reroute or hold a grand ceremony before dismantling them.

This was also the case at Suez.

First, the Empire held a ceremony praying for trouble-free construction, and priests and imams blessed the site.

In this context, it was only natural for the imperial people to be outraged when they saw slaves dying indiscriminately.

“I can understand if they died in bandit attacks! But even if they’re black slaves, they shouldn’t be killed so indiscriminately! How can we appease their vengeful spirits? What if the newly laid tracks become cursed?”

“It’s sad enough that they’re dying or getting injured, but dying like dogs will make their ghosts come back to haunt us!”

With these practical reasons and superstitions overlapping, the imperial people took full charge of slave management.

As the imperial people took over, the treatment of slaves changed dramatically.

Immediately, the quality and quantity of food for slaves improved. They also stopped work during the hottest hours and provided adequate rest and water.

Slaves injured in accidents or suffering from illness could receive sufficient treatment, and in case of death, they were respectfully buried with a collective memorial service.

With the imperial people taking the lead, the Suez railway construction picked up pace and progressed smoothly.

***

“It sounds reasonable, but what concerns me is that slaves only move when driven by the whip.”

Seeing the clan representative still half-doubtful, Brow added:

“We can select useful ones and give them a choice. Become a sailor or go to a sugar plantation.”

At Brow’s words, the clan representative nodded with a brightened expression.

“Ah! That’s a good approach!”

The biggest buyers at the slave market in Ceuta were the sugar plantations located in the Azores Islands and Portuguese colonies in Africa.

Sugar produced in these plantations was a major source of income for Portuguese nobles.

The sugar produced on these plantations was a profitable commodity sold not only throughout Europe but also to the Empire.

Of course, there were those who suffered because of this sugar—the sugarcane farmers in Ming China.

Sugar produced using slave labor was cheaper than that produced by Ming farmers. As a result, the Empire and Japan’s sugar markets gradually saw increased market share for Portuguese sugar.

Taking it a step further, as Portuguese sugar began penetrating the Ming sugar market, Ming started considering countermeasures.

***

In the end, the clan representative accepted Brow’s proposal.

Fortunately, they had already secured the minimum number of sailors needed to operate the fleet’s ships.

“Then let’s depart! Where are we heading first? Ceuta, I presume?”

To the question from the clan representative who joined the voyage, Brow shook his head.

“No, sir. Calais is our priority.”

“Why Calais?”

“We need to join the merchant ships heading to Italy. To avoid pirates.”

During this period, Calais was English territory and England’s largest trading port. It was where English merchant ships bound for Italy, Alexandria, and various Mediterranean regions gathered.

Merchant ships gathered at Calais traveled through the Mediterranean in groups.

This was due to Barbary pirates based in North Africa, particularly in Morocco and Algeria.

The entrance to the Mediterranean had long been infested with pirates.

As time passed, Muslims and Jews who were pushed out during the Reconquista process of reclaiming the Iberian Peninsula joined the pirates, strengthening their forces.

To counter attacks from these powerful pirates, merchant ships opted to travel in large fleets.

Brow explained in more detail.

“Our fleet consists of five ships in total. That’s not many, and the bigger problem is that we’re severely understaffed. Joining a fleet departing from Calais is our best option.”

“Hmm… I see. Then let’s head to Calais first.”

Three days later, the fleet led by Brow departed from London’s port.

The fleet consisted of two carracks and three caravels and was the first expedition to set out in search of the “western route.”

Many Londoners gathered at the port to watch the departure of the expedition, dubbed the “Brow Fleet” after the surname of its leading captain.

“Wow~”

“God’s blessing!”

“Wishing you success!”

With the encouragement and blessings of London’s citizens, the fleet headed toward Calais.

Watching the departing fleet, members of other clans busily moved about.

“We may have lost the title of ‘first,’ but we must not lose the title of ‘successful’!”

“Go to the shipyard right now and check on the situation!”

***

Upon arriving in Calais, the captains of the “Brow Fleet” moved busily.

They gathered information about the departure time and size of fleets heading to the Mediterranean, while also searching for additional sailors to join their voyage.

As the captains bustled about, rumors naturally spread, and hearing these rumors, a group of scholars approached them.

“You mentioned participating in the voyage?”

“That’s right.”

“Why would scholarly gentlemen want to join?”

“If the existence of the ‘western route’ is proven, it will be a lasting achievement in academia. Therefore, please allow us to join.”

Hearing the scholars’ request, Captain Brow and the clan representative looked at them with suspicious eyes.

Seeing their expressions, the scholars hastily added:

“We are not Frenchmen!”

“We’ll provide funding too!”

The second answer seemed to please them, and five scholars were allowed to join the voyage.

***

After spending a fortnight in Calais, the “Brow Fleet” joined a fleet bound for Italy and departed.

As they slowly sailed south and passed through the “Pillars of Hercules,” Captain Brow noticed ships in the distance and pulled out his monocular.

“Portuguese bastards.”

After confirming the flags hanging from the distant ships’ masts, Brow ordered his crew:

“Raise our flag! Make sure they know we’re English ships!”

“Aye!”

At Captain Brow’s command, a flag with a red cross on a white background was raised to the top of the mast.

Brow explained the situation to the representative.

“In a way, the Portuguese and Spanish are similar to pirates. If they don’t know a ship’s nationality or if it looks vulnerable, they’ll attack without hesitation. No, they’ll attack even if they do know.”

“They’ll attack even if they know?”

“Trading ships traveling between Africa and the Mediterranean are profitable. That’s why we absolutely must not fall behind until we reach Ceuta.”

At Brow’s warning, the clan representative looked at the distant Portuguese ships with a worried expression.

***

Having safely passed through the entrance to the Mediterranean, the Brow Fleet separated from the merchant fleet near Ceuta.

“Stay sharp from now on! We’re truly on our own now!”

“Aye!”

Brow’s fleet maintained vigilance in all directions while heading toward Ceuta at maximum speed.

Having safely arrived at Ceuta, the Brow Fleet soon caught the attention of Ceuta’s merchants and Portuguese naval officers.

“Why are English ships here?”

“That’s quite a number of ships just for procuring slaves.”

“And they’re all brand new.”

Before long, rumors about the Brow Fleet’s purpose began to slowly spread, and the expressions of the Portuguese became curious.

“Western route?”