Chapter 1352: Chapter 70: Out of Virgin Goddesses—Who Will Replenish the Stock?
A few days later, in Athens.
“Open the door! Demigod Council!”
The Divine Blood Nobles of the city were still in the midst of their beautiful dreams when they were dragged out of their beds by the heavy infantry and Divine Blood Guard who broke down the doors, and were successively invited to the barracks or to War God Mountain for tea.
The communication process was harmonious and friendly, and the nobles, who usually walked with a swagger, sat quietly in the room like quails startled by a scare.
Because, that special agent leader called “Cainis” really would kill people.
Moreover, she not only held the divine oracles from the gods but also possessed the tokens of the City Builders from Elysium, granting her almost limitless privileges.
After seeing a few of the biggest agitators turned into smoked meat and nailed to the wall by that ferocious woman, the remaining Divine Blood Nobles all became obedient, cooperating completely to confess the situation in the City of Athens and the misdeeds of the various great families behind the scenes.
After collecting the desired materials, Cainis did not overly trouble these trembling guests, letting them each sign and seal, and then releasing most down the mountain.
As for the small number of Divine Blood Nobles whose deeds were exceedingly vile, they were thrown into a small dark room to eat prison food.
After a swift and decisive investigation, the “withered branches and rotten leaves” and “vermin of democracy” parasitizing the prosperous tree of Athens were mostly eradicated.
The criticisms of the Radiant Goddess Aglaea’s autocracy were never raised again.
After the night had passed, the warm and gentle sunlight of the morning cleansed the remaining darkness of the night, leaving the sky clear and bright.
Athenians from all walks of life opened their doors and headed to the streets and markets.
Watching the Divine Blood Guard push the Divine Blood Nobles who had committed serious crimes onto the trial stand to face trial by the citizen’s assembly and be sentenced to death, the citizens could not help but cheer for the divine wisdom of the gods and the superiority of the Athenian system:
This is another great victory for democracy!
Then, they began their usual busy day.
Those who were supposed to eat, continued eating normally; those who provided for their families, continued to do so.
For most people, the passion for political engagement and the weight of democracy were still less enticing than the food on their plates.
However, news from the returning fleet dampened the collective mood.
Enemy ships appeared again in the nearby seas.
Moreover, it wasn’t just the Egyptians and West Africans who had showed up in the last divine war. Carthaginians, Persians, and Hittites were also joining in, and even pirates in need of hostages and slaves…
The entire nearby sea was in chaos, with a looming sense of impending storm.
It seemed as though a massive upheaval was about to arrive.
And the messengers from Delphi City confirmed this.
They brought a prophecy from the Delphi Temple:
The seeds of evil have been sown, and the enemy will seize all wealth and lives on the land of Greece and plunder the sacred city of Athens. However, the wise Athena will give the people of Athens a “wooden wall” as a shield to protect their descendants…
Opinions varied among the Athenians who heard the news as to what the wooden wall might be.
The priests and elders argued that the wooden wall referred to the wooden defensive structures on the Acropolis of Athens.
But this interpretation was quickly rejected by the public.
How could their Goddess of Wisdom offer such a straightforward and fragile answer to ensure the continuation of Greece’s legacy?
After an intense discussion, some wise man provided a reasonable interpretation of the prophecy:
The “wooden wall” that could guard the Greek city-states was the “Athens Fleet”!
Because Athens had a powerful navy dominating the Aegean Sea, and Athena was the goddess overseeing navigation and military.
Whoever controlled the sea controlled the fate of Greece.
Of course, the fleet consisted of inanimate ships that required people to command.
Therefore, their hope in facing this catastrophe lay in the “Athens Navy”!
What builds a city-state is not ornate houses, nor impenetrable walls, but the people willing to face challenges.
Once, Sparta City was without a grand temple or fortified walls, yet this did not hinder their glorious dominion over the Peloponnesian Peninsula.
Therefore, as long as Athens’ navy remained robust and its citizens unyielding, the glorious future would still belong to Athens!
This answer was met with unanimous agreement and even cheers from the Athenians.
However, to keep the Athens Navy strong, an excellent naval commander seemed necessary.
Thus, after a brief discussion, the Athenian citizens quickly recalled a former navy admiral, Timistocles, who was about to be exiled by the citizen’s assembly.
How could such treatment be just against a naval general who had just earned great merit for Athens?!
The citizens were incensed, immediately taking to the streets to request the initiation of a second citizen’s assembly.
The Demigod Council naturally obliged, initiating a review of Admiral Timistocles.
The result was unsurprising.
The Athenians unanimously decided to revoke the exile of the naval admiral, reinstating his position and allowing him to continue leading and strengthening the Athens Navy.
This is the will of Fate, all for a better Athens!
Roman Divine Era, Claudius’ Private Mansion.
Luo En glanced at the fire seal on the scroll and smiled as he tossed it to Aglaea beside him:
“Cainis has sent word.”
Aglaea opened the scroll, carefully reading its contents, and admiration for this teacher overflowed from her heart:
“My master, you resolved the issues troubling me so simply, with such divine wisdom, I am truly in awe of you!”