The Andes Dream

After finishing the treatment, Ludwig handed Francisco a small folded paper."You should drink this," he said. "It's good for muscle pain."

Then he turned to Catalina. "I see you have some experience in medicine. Honestly, I can barely keep up with two thousand soldiers—much less the new recruits Johann is bringing in. I'm in desperate need of an apprentice. Would you like to join me?"

Catalina's eyes lit up, but she hesitated, glancing at Francisco as if seeking permission.

Francisco gave her a gentle nod. "If you want to, I'd be happy for you. I know you were a little down after hearing you wouldn't be allowed into the library, so what better way to make up for that than learning from Ludwig? And you can teach him about the herbs and remedies from New Granada. Considering he's coming with us, he should know them."

Ludwig nodded along, but at Francisco's words he slapped his forehead."That's right! I need to learn the American herbs. How could I forget?" He looked at Catalina, hope brightening his face. "It seems you wouldn't only be my apprentice—but I'd be yours as well."

Seeing both men trying to convince her, Catalina's lips curled into an excited smile. She nodded. "Of course, I'd gladly accept. But considering your age, it would feel disrespectful to call you my apprentice. And my knowledge is limited. Once you meet my grandmother, you'll learn far more. I can only give you an introduction."

Ludwig nodded with relief. Johann paid well, but if his medical skills proved useless in America, he knew Johann wouldn't hesitate to fire him—or worse, given what he knew about Johann and the soldiers."We'll start tomorrow," he said. "Come at six, when Francisco and the soldiers begin drills. That's when I have the most wounded men to see."

Catalina gave a small nod. After Ludwig stepped out, Francisco turned to her.

"You need to be careful," he warned. "If any soldier dares to try something with you, you have my permission to kick or punch him. Worst case, we pay a pension."

Catalina chuckled. "Don't worry—if they dare, I know a few herbs that can heal you while causing a great deal of pain."

Seeing her smile, Francisco felt a chill run down his spine. He suddenly remembered his father's old warning: "Never mess with a woman—least of all an intelligent one." The solemn way he used to say it had always rattled him, but now Francisco was beginning to understand.

Shaking his head, he said, "We should walk around Göttingen for a bit. You might be busy starting tomorrow."

Catalina followed him happily.

While they wandered through the streets of Göttingen, Johann was speaking with his aide.

"It seems we'll need a new training plan," Johann said.

His aide frowned. "Why, sir? Don't you think your training is hard enough already?"

"It's something the boy mentioned today—something we didn't consider," Johann replied. "his young wife has ancestry from a tribe of warriors, and she told me their men train by marching long distances across mountains and through something she called selvas."

The aide raised a hand. "Wait—selvas? I've heard the word, but I don't really know what it means."

Johann shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure either, but it seems to be a place full of trees and vegetation, covering everything. Like a virgin forest—only with no space to walk."

The aide's frown deepened. "If that's true, then we may have a problem. Our men are trained for fighting on plains. We have zero experience in these so-called selvas."

Johann nodded, watching his soldiers march in formation. "That's exactly what worries me. We didn't account for the terrain differences when we trained our men. That has to change—otherwise we may end up losing to the Spanish."

His aide sighed. "So what kind of training do you have in mind?"

Johann's expression grew solemn. "Their warriors trained by walking long distances carrying weight—usually supplies. Sometimes even without breakfast."

The aide stared. "And they survived that? That's brutal. You've seen how exhausted our men are after each drill."

Johann looked thoughtful and nodded. "I know. But it's necessary. You understand what awaits us—and our men—if we fail in New Granada."

The aide's face grew equally serious. "I know… but if you want to put them through that kind of regimen, we'll need more food. They won't survive on a handful of cereal a day and meat once a month."

Johann frowned. "Then how could their tribes survive that kind of training? I mean… aren't the American tribes weak? They lost to the Spanish."

His aide smacked his own forehead. "Is that really what you think? Ever since you reached your position, you've stopped reading history, haven't you?"

Johann shrugged. "Are you joking? Those weak Spaniards weren't worth my time."

The aide answered in a sharp, serious tone. "You need to study those wars. We're going to fight them in the colonies. If you don't understand what happened during the Spanish Conquista,or we might lose before the war even begins."

Johann nodded reluctantly. "All right, I will. Though I may as well ask my grandson directly. That way I get to spend more time with him. I'll invite them to dinner tonight so we can start shaping a training plan."

The aide nodded and went on his way. Johann went to look for Francisco, and that night he arranged the meeting. Francisco and Catalina spent the day exploring the scholar city of Göttingen, and by evening the four of them gathered together.

"This is Ernst, my aide," Johann said. "He is a member of the nobility."

Ernst corrected him with a stiff seriousness. "I was part of the nobility." He shook Francisco's hand. "My family had the misfortune of supporting Maria Theresa during the War of Succession, so Frederick the Great stripped us of our title."

Francisco shook his hand, surprised. "That's incredible. I never thought someone with that past could still enter the army."

Ernst gave a bitter smile. "I was born long after my house had fallen, so I was never part of the main lineage. And Johann himself vouched for me when he served under Frederick the Great."

Francisco nodded in understanding. "So that's why you're leaving with my grandfather."

Ernst shrugged helplessly. "Exactly. Without Johann's support, the new king would likely throw me out sooner or later. Better to stay with him—maybe I can build a new legacy at his side."

Francisco nodded again. When the dishes arrived—perch seasoned with several spices—he frowned. "Honestly, this is the only bad thing I've found in this place."

Johann and Ernst stared at Francisco in surprise. Johann asked cautiously, "What do you mean?"

Francisco sighed as he lifted a spoonful to his mouth. "The food. It feels like there's no variety. Only fish or game from the forest—and cooked in a very basic way."

Johann frowned. "You do realize this is expensive food, right? Meals like this are only enjoyed by people with money."

Francisco blinked, startled. "Really? Isn't this too simple? Even my servants in New Granada eat better than this. Wait… then what are my servants eating right now?"

He called over one of the servants waiting outside the door. Switching into Spanish, Francisco asked him about the meals they'd been given the past few days.

The servant, Alejandro, replied—in Spanish—that they'd been eating bread, sometimes potatoes, and something called gachas, a thick porridge.

Francisco frowned. "Only that? Aren't the servants upset about it?"

Alejandro nodded helplessly, explaining that they were, but they understood it wasn't Francisco's fault. After asking around, they'd learned that this was simply the most common food among Germans.

Francisco dismissed him with a wave and leaned back in his chair, a deep frown forming as he thought over the situation.

Johann and Ernst, noticing the sudden silence at the table, exchanged a look before Johann asked,"What were you two talking about?"

Francisco sighed. "Grandpa, you really need to learn at least basic Spanish if you're planning to go to New Granada. Imagine getting lost in the jungle and not even being able to ask for directions."

Johann let out an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.

Francisco smiled at his reaction and decided to explain. "I was just surprised by the food here. It's… very simple. I thought this was a cheap meal, but apparently it's considered fine dining."

Ernst's eyes lit up, interest sharpening his gaze."Wait—let me make sure I understand. From the way you're speaking… the food in New Granada is abundant? So most people there don't struggle to fill their stomachs?"

Francisco nodded, now realizing the misunderstanding."Yes. Now I understand why everything here tastes so plain. It's not that the cooks are bad—it's that ingredients are limited. Back home, the variety is much greater."

Ernst leaned forward, suddenly excited."That explains it! That tribe of warriors you mentioned… they could endure such brutal training because they probably had their stomachs full all the time."

He turned toward Catalina with a questioning look.

Catalina nodded calmly."That's right. They ate constantly. Even in the jungle, they can hunt, fish, or simply pick fruit from the trees. There is always something."

Ernst's expression darkened immediately."That's going to be a problem… Here we don't have enough food to train soldiers like that."

Johann let out a long breath."Exactly. And if we start buying huge amounts of food, the Electorate will panic. They already distrust us for camping in Göttingen—if we start stockpiling supplies, they'll think we're preparing a rebellion."

Ernst nodded solemnly. "So what do we do? Our current training isn't as effective as we believed."

Francisco thought for a moment."You don't need to train like that every day. Maybe once a month—or every fifteen days—just to introduce them to it. Once you are in New Granada, with enough food, you can increase it to once a week or even every three days. The men will adapt faster with a full stomach."

Ernst gave a helpless nod and glanced at Johann."He's right. It might be our only option—otherwise we'll lose half the troops before we even board a ship."

Johann could only sigh in agreement, fully aware of how delicate the situation was.

After that, the tension eased. They continued eating while Johann and Ernst reminisced about their past campaigns. Francisco and Catalina listened, fascinated by the stories of old battles and distant provinces.

Outside, as the night deepened, heavy rain began to fall over Hanover.