Chapter 33 Unexpected Changes
The Canaanites saw that it was their leader who had returned.
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He was immediately thrilled.
They all dropped their machetes, ran forward, and embraced Yara.
The elder and the pockmarked man were overjoyed at the sight and rushed forward... but when they saw the people following Yara, they froze on the spot.
Seeing this, Yara smiled, assuming they were just shy, and introduced them:
"Pan and old Tyr, two warriors from Argos, are sworn brothers, practically brothers."
"These are children adopted by a kind old man. I felt sorry for them, so I took them back to Canaan to help increase our population..."
The clan elder and Ma Zi still looked rather strange, and the men who had come forward to greet them also realized something was amiss, their expressions turning awkward as well.
Yara's expression darkened, and he asked, "What's wrong?"
The elder and the pockmarked man exchanged a glance, and finally the elder spoke:
"Didn't Sarah come back with you?"
Sarah is the name of Yara's wife.
Upon hearing this, Yara's pupils contracted instantly, and the hairs on his body stood on end.
He gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down.
His voice was deliberate and forceful, each word carrying an undeniable air of authority:
"Explain yourself! What exactly happened?!"
The elder and the pockmarked man were so frightened by Yara's expression that they took a few steps back.
However, they knew that Yara's anger was not directed at them.
The pockmarked man's Adam's apple bobbed as he spoke:
"It is King Argos..."
"About a month and a half after you left, he sent a group of men who broke into the village..."
"Those people said they were going to take Sarah to Argos..."
"They also said that if all goes well, Sarah will come back with you."
"..."
Yara's fists cracked, and the muscles in his forearms trembled slightly.
He was almost losing his temper, and his tone was somewhat agitated:
"So you're just going to stand there and watch?"
The clan elder shook his head and explained:
"Of course we went up to help."
"But...they are professional soldiers, they have armor, weapons, chariots, and horses..."
"Several men rushed forward, but their leg bones were crushed by the tank!"
Yara realized the tone of her voice, though she was angry.
But you shouldn't take your anger out on your fellow villagers...
"It was my oversight... Elder."
"This is none of your business..."
"I overestimated the character of the King of Argos..."
The children didn't know what was happening; they were having a great time, running and playing on the grassland. Some of the more active ones had even teamed up with the local children.
"Protect these children..."
"I'm going to settle accounts with King Argos!"
Yara turned around and headed toward the city of Argos.
Pan and Old Tyr looked at each other in bewilderment.
I eventually followed them...
Yara couldn't imagine his wife falling into the hands of a cruel madman like King Argos...
What kind of treatment will they receive...?
All he knew was that if that happened...
He's about to unleash a massacre!
Perhaps, true salvation can never be achieved through acts of kindness or pity alone...
It's going to involve fighting!
Yara didn't turn around. Listening to the hurried footsteps of Pan and old Tyr behind him, he posed a question that pierced the soul:
"If I were to clash with King Argos, whose side would you be on?"
Pan and Old Tyr were taken aback and remained silent for a long time.
Pan spoke first, and his logic was quite crude:
"I'm on your side! You are the strongest warrior, you are a hero, stronger than the young King of Argos!"
Old Tyr first let out a long sigh, as if recalling some past events.
He then burst into laughter, as if he had become ten years younger, and said:
Didn't you already say that?
"I am already a believer in God..."
"Then, as believers..."
"How can I not support God's Messiah?"
Sunset.
Like a blood-red human head falling.
Three shadows, from west to east.
From here onโ
Argos!
...
Before Yara and the others set off.
The down-on-his-luck prince, Dicttis, has arrived at the gates of Argos.
They traveled day and night, and because they were so worried about their son, they hardly slept at all.
Not to mention ensuring cleanliness and decency.
He was covered in mud, his clothes were soaked with sweat that had turned into salt, and his hair was a mess with large clumps of it clumped together. He smelled of dirt and sweat.
From a distance, if it weren't for the longbow he carried on his back, he would look no different from a beggar or a vagrant.
Merchants and citizens avoided Dick as if he were a plague god.
Just as Dick was about to enter the city, intending to visit his 'friend's' shanty to find young Perseus...
Inevitably, the city gate guards stopped Dick, holding a bronze spear in front of him, preventing him from entering the city of Argos. The guards rebuked him in a stern tone:
Who are you?
"It looks highly suspicious..."
"Like a damn, filthy, stinking beggar!"
"I cannot tolerate such a worthless filthy thing."
"Enter the city of Argos..."
"You need to prove your worth."
The guard then extended his hand toward Dick.
Dick knew what the guard meant; it was a common tactic these people used.
They dared not humiliate the noble gentlemen, nor did they dare to demand anything from well-connected merchants.
Therefore, they can only extract meager profits from these already impoverished people...
Especially for refugees or displaced people.
These people came from afar in order to make a living in the prosperous city of Argos.
The sunk costs they incurred during the migration were too great.
So, in order to recoup their investment, gain a foothold in Argos, and prevent everything they had from going down the drain.
Most people would obediently hand over a donation to these guards.
But Dick is different.
Firstly, he is a local.
Secondly, the situation is urgent, and he doesn't have time to discuss business with these greedy guards.
Then Dick shoved aside the spear the guard was holding in front of him and roared:
"Get out of my way!"
You'd better not know who I am!
The guards were a little angry at Dick's arrogant attitude.
How dare a beggar treat him like this?
But Dick's next sentence stunned the guard.
The guard looked at Dick's clothes and disheveled appearance; he didn't look like someone of importance at all.
So he stopped Dick again and said:
"So what if you are?"
"That's the rule!"
"Who the hell is this rule?"
"It's my rule... Ah!"
Dick punched the guard in the face.
The guard cried out in pain, covered his face, and took a few steps back.
Seeing this, the other guards stepped forward and raised their spears, aiming them at Dick.
Dick, however, completely ignored the guards' posture and walked straight ahead.
He shouted as he walked:
"I am one of the warriors who conquered the Nemean Lion!"
"Believers of God, followers of the Messiah!"
"The prince of the city-state of Serifos!"
"You dare to stop me?!"
Upon hearing these titles, the guards realized that each one had an impressive background.
He was so frightened that he dropped the spear in his hand to the ground.
The guards didn't know what God or Messiah were... but just from the name, they knew it was a powerful and formidable deity...
Moreover, he knows about the Nemean Lion!
King Argos had once proclaimed his plan to conquer the Nemean Lion to all his people in the kingdom's square...
No one dared to impersonate the king's warrior.
Those madmen who masquerade as warriors have long been wiped out by King Argos's sword.
Not to mention he even claims to be a prince, and no matter which city-state's prince he is... he can't afford to offend him.
"My lord...please forgive me..."
The guard's face turned pale, and he lowered his head.
Dick strode into the city without even glancing at him.
Watching Dick walk away, the guard's armor was soaked with cold sweat...
It seems... he's offended someone remarkable?
The guard's fear lingered...
So much so that after returning from his shift, he couldn't sleep all night, his mind preoccupied with the matter. And that fear and anxiety deepened and intensified over time... to the point that he suffered mental instability for the next few months...
Until he made a mistake at work and was angrily reprimanded and expelled from the army by his superior...
He finally felt relieved, convinced that it was the big shot's revenge.
...