Chapter 9 Fishermen and Farmers
After a two-week trek.
Yara and his party arrived near the city of Argos.
The distant wind and the seagulls gliding across the sky bring the scent of the ocean.
"That is the city of Argos."
"The location of the royal capital."
The centurion pointed into the distance.
Enveloped in the morning mist, the enormous, majestic shadow was not clearly visible to Yara.
He was extremely surprised, if it weren't for what the centurion said.
He must have thought it was a mountain.
The closer Yara got to that magnificent city, which he had only heard of in legends, the more awe he felt—
The massive city walls seemed less like defenses against human armies and more like barriers against a mythical being...
The capital city boasts towering castles that reach into the clouds, but the most striking feature is a massive, rusted bronze tower that stands at the heart of the city, overlooking the entire capital like a king.
"What is that?" Yara asked, pointing to the bronze tower.
The centurion looked in that direction, and almost blurted out the court rumors, but he stopped himself immediately. He answered somewhat awkwardly, "That's the bronze tower, built by the king... a wonder, you know, a wonder."
Yara did not understand.
But in this era, it's always safe to attribute anything that can't be explained to mythology.
"As expected of Argos City..."
Yara couldn't help but sigh.
At the same time, he couldn't help but ponder deeply.
On what foundation was such a magnificent capital city built?
Just then, he saw a series of carriages covered in white cloth speeding towards him from afar, raising clouds of dust.
Even the centurion's troops had to avoid their advance and make way for the carriages to pass first.
A man jumped down from the carriage and spoke briefly with the city gate guards.
Then, the guard walked to the carriage, drew his bronze sword, and lifted the white cloth, revealing what lay beneath—
People, living people.
They were naked, men and women, and even children.
They looked at everything outside with terrified eyes, huddled together, roughly tied with ropes, piled up like merchandise, and casually poked, prodded, and examined by the guards with their swords.
They bled from being stabbed by the sword tips, but dared not utter a sound.
Upon witnessing this, Yara felt a chill run down his spine and his throat began to dry.
A strange emotion welled up in his heart.
It made him very upset.
He asked the centurion, "What is that?"
The centurion glanced up, but there was nothing unusual in his expression; it was as if he were talking about some trivial matter.
"Those are slaves, they are enemy soldiers."
"Do you think your enemies would send three-year-old children and pregnant women to the battlefield?!"
Yara questioned loudly, his eyes fixed on the centurion.
The centurion fell into a long silence.
Until they entered the city.
There was no response.
...
The city itself was even more prosperous.
A main road paved with stone slabs extends from the city gate to the depths of the palace, branching out into countless smaller paths that divide the entire capital into different areas. The closer to the palace, the more prosperous the area, and the more valuable the land.
The common people's dwellings were mostly square houses built of stone bricks. Some of them who were a little richer would build an extra floor by turning the roof inwards. As a result, Arah could see that the houses on both sides were arranged neatly and in a staggered manner.
On the streets, vendors led their cattle and sheep, tethered in cowsheds and stables; fruit farmers carried crates of fruit onto horse-drawn carts; taverns stood in shade, offering free cold water for passersby to rest, while inside, alluring prostitutes, dressed only in thin gauze skirts, writhed in unseemly dances in the dim light; fishermen sold their nets full of live fish to fishmongers at bargain prices; and in the distance, large ships docked in the harbor unloaded crates upon crates of delicacies and spices transported from distant lands…
"Wait here at the tavern for a while. My soldiers and I will go to the palace to report to His Majesty the King and tell him about you... Your audience needs to be announced in advance."
"At the latest by the afternoon, I will send someone to fetch you to the palace."
After the centurion finished speaking, he led Yara into the tavern in a rude manner, held a bronze sword to the innkeeper's head, and made the innkeeper serve Yara a delicious glass of wine. After settling her in a decent spot, the centurion led his troops away.
As for paying...
What kind of money?
The boss didn't ask him for it!
...
Amidst the strange looks from those drunkards.
Yara took a small sip of the wine in her glass.
The rich, mellow aroma immediately filled Yara's nostrils, invigorating him completely. He smacked his lips, savoring the lingering fragrance.
"Hey bro."
A very outgoing man sat down opposite Yara.
Yara felt a slight displeasure, but he didn't say anything.
This person is blocking his view of the dance.
"You don't seem like some noble young master to me."
"How did you get in touch with such a big shot as the centurion?"
The man was about the same age as Yara, but perhaps because of the long-term exposure to the damp sea breeze, he looked much older than Yara, and his skin was darker and rougher.
Seeing that Yara remained silent, the man knew that his intrusion had displeased her.
So he introduced himself: "Excuse me, brother, my name is Dickies, and I'm a fisherman. Friends usually call me Dick, so you can call me Dick too."
This is a good name.
Yara wasn't one to pretend. Since the other party had treated her with such enthusiasm, her repeated coldness would be extremely rude.
So he nodded and replied, "My name is Yara. I'm a farmer and I also raise some livestock."
Dick was a little curious, so he asked, "It seems you're not a local, brother?"
Then he suddenly remembered something, clapped his hands, looked at Yara with shining eyes, and said:
"Oh! I understand!"
"You're here in Argos to participate in the 'Warrior Selection,' right?"
Now it was Yara's turn to be confused. He asked, "What is the Warriors Selection?"
Dick was taken aback, but he quickly explained:
"Argos is a nation founded on military strength, and therefore needs countless brave warriors. His Majesty the King of Argos intends to recruit heroes from all over the world, so he has specially established a series of selection systems."
"Symbolized by bronze, silver, and gold, all the valiant warriors of the world are divided into three ranks. With each test passed, your honor will rise one rank, and you will receive a generous reward from the King of Argos..."
"I've heard that if one can become a [Golden Warrior] and swear allegiance to King Argos..."
"Then we will be able to obtain a personal promise from the King of Argos!"
"That was the promise of the King of Argos! The promise of the most powerful man in the world!"
Dick's longing was evident.
However, he immediately lowered his head, smiled, and sighed softly:
"However, this 'Warrior Selection' is extremely rigorous..."
"Even among [Bronze Warriors], you might not find one in a thousand..."
"Someone like me couldn't even pass the [Bronze Warrior] test..."
He gave a bitter smile.
"Not to mention [Golden Warrior]..."
Yara saw a story in Dick's eyes, and now he was curious.
He poured half of the bottle of wine that the centurion had "bought" for him into Dick's glass.
He asked, "Tell me your story."
Dick paused, then looked at Yara.
Yara raised his glass, nodded to him, and gestured for him to drink.
So he chuckled softly, and without refusing, raised his glass and drank with Yara.
"I am actually a prince... but my country has been destroyed."
Yara was astonished; the unassuming black man before her was actually a prince—it was simply unbelievable.
However, Yara chose to respect that decision.
Everyone has their own story.
Just as Dick could never have imagined that the peasant in front of him was the Messiah who had seen "God" in person.
"Yes, by the Kingdom of Argos..."
"However, of course, I harbor no resentment or hatred. The victor is king, the loser is villain; there's nothing to hate about it... The King of Argos defeated my country honorably..."
"However, after acquiring that territory, the King of Argos did not govern it properly. Instead, he drove the people to Argos City or the surrounding cities, leaving my former homeland a desolate ruin..."
"Actually, I have a really ridiculous dream..."
He seemed a little drunk, raising his glass and smiling as he said:
"I want to become a [Golden Warrior]!"
"Then I petitioned the King of Argos to reclaim that homeland for me..."
"I want to restore everything from my childhood memories, to repair the collapsed houses, build magnificent palaces, raise cattle and sheep, and plant flowers and fruits..."
"...to give my son a wonderful childhood, just like mine..."
"Instead of... battling the sea for a meager wage, barely able to eat or stay warm..."
Dick lowered his head, seemingly choked up, or perhaps the alcohol had made his throat dry.
As Yara listened to Dick's story, she was surprised to find that what Dick wanted was actually quite similar to what Yara wanted.
Authorization of a territory.
But what surprised Yara even more was: "You have a son?"
Upon hearing this, Dick smiled and said, "Yes, of course."
"He is the best gift the sea has given me."
His name is...
"—Perseus."
...