On November 30, 1445, the fleet arrived at Cape St. Vincent, Portugal.
The days at sea were incredibly difficult, and every time Isaac tried to make the best of the situation aboard the ship, he couldn't help but long for the comforts of life on land.
It had only been six months, but it felt like countless years had passed.
When the sailors who were on their first adventure set foot on European soil again, they kneeled and cried. After a while, they began to laugh wildly as they fondled the gold Isaac had given them.
Portuguese sailors were in the same situation.
Soon, news of the fleet's enormous success spread throughout Portugal, reaching the rest of Europe.
This time, the Portuguese fleet had explored the mouth of the Senegal River, bringing back 700 slaves and gold worth 20,000 ducats. They also collected some tribal crafts and plant seeds.
In reality, the Senegal River basin didn't have many gold mines. The gold was likely accumulated from years of trading by the African tribes.
Isaac's haul was even larger—he had two large chests full of gold artifacts, along with some fine ivory.
Given the severe shortage of precious metals in Europe at the time, Isaac estimated that this gold could be exchanged for up to 80,000 ducats, but he only publicly declared that he had obtained 30,000.
That was just the tip of the iceberg—most of West Africa's gold was buried in what would later be known as the Ghana region. The gold reserves there could even rival two-thirds of the entire Chinese region.
Excluding deep underground mines and inland deposits, the coastal and riverine shallow layers of gold were more than enough for Isaac.
Next time, Isaac planned to bring a professional exploration team and more ships, focusing on finding Ghana, the land of gold.
Until then, plunder in West Africa would still be primarily based on "equal trade."
At Cape St. Vincent, Sagres.
"Recruiting skilled sailors! My master is preparing to explore West Africa and spread the word of God. We're only taking 30, experienced adventurers preferred!"
A man dressed as a servant set up a platform, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers.
"Captain Fernando's adventure was a complete success. The distant land is not cursed by demons but is a blessing given to us by God!"
"Crossing the Cape Verde Islands, gold, slaves, and glory await you!"
The crowd began to stir, and more and more people started signing up.
Isaac watched these sailors, who were willing to risk their lives for money, secretly pleased.
This was the effect he wanted.
Africa was rich beyond imagination, and its people were weak; in the short term, there would be no worry about insufficient shares.
First, he needed to expand the "cake," and only then would wealth flow into the pockets of the adventurers.
Gold would also encourage more greedy individuals to become new adventurers.
This way, Isaac could use his first-mover advantage to occupy trade routes and key islands, reaping the benefits.
Sailors with money needed to spend it, right?
Africa had nothing else; they couldn't spend money just to watch black people dance, could they?
This gave places like Bizerte and La Palma Island a huge opportunity.
Brothels, casinos, food and lodging, ship repairs, slaves… these were businesses with no capital investment and huge profits.
In the original timeline, European colonizers were slow to explore Africa systematically, not just because of malaria, but mainly because they had found better places—namely the New World.
Isaac strolled towards Prince Henrique's residence.
After notifying the servant, Isaac was led into the study.
Prince Henrique was intently studying a newly drawn map.
"Sit."
Henrique didn't look up.
Isaac said nothing and quietly waited for him to finish.
After a while, Henrique sighed in satisfaction and put down the map.
"This sense of success is truly intoxicating."
"Congratulations, Your Highness."
"I hear you lost your first ship?"
"Yes."
Prince Henrique was silent for a moment.
"Fernando is very sorry. He says Captain Henry was a kind and calm man."
"The ocean is a capricious widow. You may conquer her body, but her heart is forever a mystery."
Henrique laughed heartily.
"Well said! Boy, it's been a long time since I've heard such a good metaphor! No wonder you're a Byzantine, hahaha…"
Henrique poured more strong liquor for both Isaac and himself.
"To success!"
"To success."
Isaac drank it all in one gulp.
After putting down his glass, Henrique tapped on the navigation table.
"You're not here just to drink with this old man, are you?"
Isaac didn't answer but waved to the servant behind him.
The servant brought over a gift box.
Prince Henrique opened it, his eyes widening.
"This is... ivory?"
Inside the box lay a solid piece of ivory, as white as jade.
"Yes, I traded it with the locals and had a craftsman do a simple polish."
"High-quality ivory can be carved into jewelry, seals, and furniture. It may be more valuable than the same weight of gold."
"And this is just one of the precious trade goods from the African continent."
Henrique pondered for a moment.
"You're telling me all this and aren't afraid I'll steal your business?"
Isaac bowed.
"Your Highness, your kindness towards me is as great as a mountain. I, Isaac, have always admired heroes like you…"
"Alright, alright!" Henrique interrupted Isaac's flattery.
"What is it you want from me?"
"I heard the Regent granted you the trade rights south of the Cape Bojador. I'd like to jointly establish a trading company with you, focusing on the West African slave and ivory trade."
Henrique was a bit surprised.
"You should know the kingdom can't monopolize trade in the West African seas. You can freely establish your own company."
"From this experience, I've found that the Genoa and Venice ships built for Mediterranean trade don't handle the Atlantic's waves well. I'd like to purchase the kingdom's new caravels and hire instructors from the naval academy."
Henrique thought for a moment.
The technology for caravels was no longer a secret; other countries just hadn't started building them on a large scale.
These ships were great for exploration, but their combat capabilities left much to be desired. It wouldn't hurt to sell them.
Hiring instructors was also a good idea, as it would help Henrique understand Isaac's fleet composition and subtly draw Isaac closer to Portugal's side.
"Since you want to establish a company, bring in more people, and let's come up with some regulations."
"Take my seal and go to the shipyard manager. He won't make things difficult for you."
Prince Henrique tossed a ring at Isaac, the family crest of Henrique's house engraved on the ring.
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
...
A week later, Prince Henrique held a meeting and invited Isaac to attend.
During the meeting, Henrique formally introduced Isaac Barleone from Constantinople to the merchants, praising him as a "brave navigator" and a "devout believer."
Isaac felt a little embarrassed.
The merchants attending the meeting supported him.
It was clear that Isaac's successful voyage had significantly boosted Prince Henrique's influence.
The merchants who had previously doubted closed their mouths. The hesitant merchants opened their wallets, and the merchants who had already supported exploration were even more joyful.
The meeting was efficient and straightforward, with everyone focused on making money, leaving no time for small talk.
In a few hours, the specific framework for the trading company was finalized.
The Portuguese West African Trading Company was officially established, with the royal family holding 51%, Prince Henrique holding 20%, Isaac holding 10%, and the remaining shares distributed among the merchants.
The company had three subsidiaries: Prince Henrique's Senegal Slave Company, Isaac's Greek Guinea Company, and the West African Transport Company jointly formed by other merchants.
The meeting stipulated that exploration ships must be registered with one of the subsidiaries, pay regular taxes, and the company would have the first right to purchase exploration results.
In return, the company would recognize explorers' achievements in Africa and provide fleet protection.
Additionally, the trade ports and distribution centers of the subsidiaries would be open to registered ships, and any conflicts between subsidiaries would be resolved by the parent company, with no private use of force.
It was essentially the Latin merchant system with a few new colonial features.
The meeting minutes were kept by each subsidiary, and a copy was sent to the Pope in Rome.
It's worth noting that Isaac could only represent himself in signing the agreement with Portugal, not Constantinople.
They weren't interested.
After signing the agreement, Isaac sighed with relief.
Thanks to his efforts, exploration of the West African seas was finally on track.
Of course, the agreement was quite rough, with some issues remaining unclear. There would undoubtedly be conflicts if resources ran low in the future.
But that was something for centuries down the line. Isaac couldn't worry about that now.
At present, he was humming a tune, selecting ships he liked at the St. Vincent shipyard with the manager.
This was one of the perks of joining the company—Isaac had access to all civilian and commercial ships.
Isaac allocated 30,000 ducats for the purchase of ships.
Fidel followed behind, looking with joy at the rows of ships being built at the shipyard.
Eventually, Isaac, with Henrique's ring, purchased six caravels and ten transport ships at the best price.
These transport ships had been modified to handle the rough Atlantic seas.
Of course, Isaac would need to recruit his own sailors and prepare his own cannons.
This was another large sum of money.
The wallet, which had just been filled, was now shrinking at an alarming rate.
Isaac spent the entire month of December at St. Vincent, recruiting sailors and handling company affairs.
One afternoon, Isaac sipped wine, lying quietly in a rocking chair, enjoying the rare winter sunshine.
The servant beside him read aloud the latest business reports.
"The flagship of the Greek Guinea Trading Company, the La Palma, has completed its crew recruitment, and the cannons are nearly in place."
"Among the crew, the captain and first officer are former officers from the Moría Duke, and the ship's priest is from the Greek Orthodox Church. There are 9 Greeks, 3 Serbs, 14 Albanians, 6 Frenchmen, and 14 Portuguese in the crew, along with Latins…"
"The recruitment status of other ships varies, and it's expected to be completed by January next year."
Isaac nodded, signaling him to continue.
"Archbishop Pierre of Montpellier praised our charitable efforts and allowed us to continue recruiting refugees from southern France to live on La Palma and Bizerte."
"The Governor of La Palma, Lothair, reports that the latest batch of refugees and slaves has been recruited. Although they didn't force the French to convert, only Orthodox churches have been established on the island…"
"Bizerte Island has no news due to its distance, but Captain Fidel's fleet has already set sail from La Palma to transport the first 200 settlers to Bizerte."
"Among them, 100 are southern French, and 100 are freed Slavic slaves."
"Governor André reports that the second voyage of the Monferrato Trading Company has ended, and they are negotiating the purchase of new ships…"
"Knight Conti has recruited strong men among the refugees and has begun preliminary training of a 100-man cavalry unit."
"Under your command, Commander Maruna has gone to Northern Italy to recruit new mercenary groups, but there's no news yet."
"Vice Admiral William's fleet, commanded by Lord William, encountered the Granada Navy in the Gibraltar area, losing one modified kirk ship and one transport ship. The flagship, Marquis Gian, is currently being repaired at the Rhuda Harbor…"
"Alright, Anders."
Isaac stopped the servant and rubbed his hot forehead.
One thing after another, and none of them were small matters.
Once these trivial matters were resolved, Isaac would gather an army and head back to Athens.
This time, he would recruit more talents from Greece to help with some of the miscellaneous tasks.
"Christmas benefits need to be prepared in advance. Make sure all subordinates feel the prince's care, understood?"
"Yes, preparations are already underway," Anders quickly replied.
Isaac waved his hand, and Anders left.
In just over a year since arriving in this world, Isaac had accomplished so many great things. He had done his part for the Roman people.
But these were just side issues. The shadow of the Ottoman Empire still loomed over him, pressing down so heavily that it was hard to breathe.
The previous phase of his plan had mostly been accomplished, and now, Isaac was preparing for a direct confrontation with the Ottomans.