Aesop took the initiative to explain for his relatives! " They don't know if I have an heir or not. Besides, I can't prove my identity, and my background is also very suspicious. The manor and the estate are real property, and they already belong to them. Only the gods know if they are smart or stupid. "Amon shrugged his shoulders and said:" I don't know, I'm just a driver! " Medanzo said: "If you are rich enough, it's not difficult to buy the manor and the estate. If you do that, I think they will be happy to recognize you as a relative."
Aesop asked: "Medanzo, we live in this world, but have you ever considered a question? Who am I? You are Medanzo, but why are you Medanzo?
If I do that, I will lose the meaning of searching for my homeland. In fact, I don't mind giving them a lot of money, but why? Let's start by proving my identity. I am Aesop, and I will act as Aesop. "
Medanzo asked again: "Do you feel a little disappointed to meet such a relative?" Aesop said calmly: "Actually, I am not surprised at all, and I will not be disappointed. They were all nobodies among the masses. They might appear to be unscrupulous, selfish, suspicious, and ridiculous, but their thoughts and practices were very common in the world, and they were also very normal people. Even the dramatists in Ya Lun City often described the deities as such.
Since that's the case, why can't Aesop's relatives be such nobodies? Why can't my relatives be like that? Their reaction is understandable, and I don't resent them at all. On the contrary, I am grateful, grateful to the gods, and grateful to them. When I return to my hometown, I can still see my relatives in the Ackerman family, and the old manor where I grew up and my father's estate are still there. " Amon could not help but sigh: "Aesop, you may be the person closest to the gods in this city."
Old Ackerman's son, Aesop, had returned after disappearing for 60 years! This incident caused a small uproar in the city of Miduli, and it became a topic of conversation in people's leisure time. Some people said that Aesop had made a fortune outside, but he still wanted to take back the manor and house that his ancestors should have inherited. There were also people who said that the foreigner was not Aesop, but that he had heard about Old Ackerman's family and pretended to be Aesop who had just returned with a fortune in an attempt to swindle people.
Aesop lived in an inn with a coachman and a guard. Anyone who saw him would say that he looked like someone from the Ackerman family. Perhaps he really was Aesop Ackerman.
Some people began to discuss again. Since Aesop had made a fortune, why did he still want to take back the assets that his cousin's family had been operating for 60 years?
Raeder Ackerman could be considered to have done well to keep the assets. After so many years of war, if it was someone else, the manor and manor would have been long gone. Even if Aesop came back, who could he ask for it? The sages who liked to preach in the plaza also talked about this matter. From their point of view, if Aesop was Aesop, then the manor and manor were his. Whether Aesop was generous or stingy, it could not change this fact.
Even if Aesop was willing to give the house and the grange to his cousin, he had to prove that they were his before he could be generous and give them away.
Aesop's identity would be decided by the city's citizens' assembly. This was a request from Aesop himself, and the judges were the 50 standing representatives of the city's citizens' assembly. This was different from submitting the case to the court for a judge to decide. The court could only decide if Aesop filed a property dispute complaint, or if Raeder Ackerman filed a fraud complaint against Aesop. But the premise of all this was to determine Aesop's identity.
Raeder Ackerman did not file a complaint to the city's court. He only claimed that he could not determine the old man's identity.
On the day of the citizens' assembly, many interested people came to watch and listen. The hall of the city's citizens' assembly was full of people. The citizens' assembly appointed a representative to preside over the ruling. It was the famous Sage Thales of Medulla. After Thales accepted the commission, he first invited more than 10 elders over the age of 80 from the city. They were all people who had seen Aesop Ackerman in the past.
Longevity had always been seen as a blessing from the gods. After the chaotic era of war, people who had lived in the same city and enjoyed such a long life were respected elders as long as they were not criminals. There were not many such people to begin with, and it was even more difficult for them to remember things from 60 years ago. It took a lot of effort to invite ten of them.
It was indeed unrealistic to ask these elders to clearly remember a young man they knew 60 years ago but did not pay special attention to. After seeing Aesop, a few of the elders told Thales that his facial features did resemble Aesop Ackerman in their memories. But too much time had passed, and the impression of the past had long been blurred. Moreover, Aesop was now an old man, so it was impossible to confirm!
Thales did not expect these elders to be able to confirm it. If they could remember Aesop, it would prove that the ruling was meaningful and not a farce. Not just anyone could come to the city and claim to be someone from decades ago, and the city's citizens' assembly would make a ruling for him.
Next, Thales asked Aesop in front of the crowd, "Old man who has returned from a foreign land, you insist that you are Aesop Ackerman. May I ask if you have any documents to prove your identity?" Aesop replied, "I have documents to prove my identity in Eygut and Sellenburg, but they can only prove my identity there. They are meaningless to this ruling. Such documents can only be signed by the citizens' assembly of Medulla, which means that I can only have them after this ruling is over. The documents from back then are long gone. Even if they are still in my hands, it is difficult to prove that I am the person in the documents. "
Next, the city's assembly carried out an important ceremony. Under the suggestion of most of the citizens' representatives, they requested for an oracle from the gods. If the oracle confirmed Aesop's identity, then there would be no need for a ruling. There was a statue of the city's patron god in the assembly hall. Under the leadership of two priests, Thales represented the people of the city and prayed to the gods for the arrival of the oracle.
The situation of the Olympian gods was very interesting. Its divine realm was similar to that of the Hellenic Union. Zeus was not the main god of every city. Almost every city believed in their patron god as the main god of the city. For example, the patron saint of the city of Yalon was Yalena, the patron saint of the city of Gebados was Ares, the god of war and blacksmithing, and the patron saint of the city of Miduli was Hermes, the messenger of the gods and the god of commerce.
Amon and Medanzo were also standing in the crowd. Medanzo's voice quietly sounded in Aesop's soul. "Don't worry, old man. If those two priests were bribed and deliberately lied to pretend to be the oracle, I will make sure that they will never be able to speak again!" Aesop was not worried about this. He just watched silently. Ordinary priests would not lie in this kind of situation. If they really believed in the gods, how much would it take for them to betray the gods in public? Amon was very interested in this. Would Hermes send an oracle to confirm Aesop's identity?
As expected, an oracle descended. It was really an oracle from Hermes on the altar. Amon could clearly sense it. The priests did not play any tricks. Thales, who presided over the ceremony, announced the content of the oracle truthfully. "People of Medulla, the old man in front of you has returned from a foreign land. He has not received the light of the gods there, so the gods will not prove his identity. He needs to prove himself."
Amon was slightly stunned. Hermes should be able to confirm Aesop's identity. For example, if Amon used tracing magic, he could also confirm that the current Aesop was the Aesop Ackerman of the past. But Hermes refused to provide a conclusion. Instead, he wanted Aesop to prove himself and handed the power of judgment to the council of the city.
But Hermes did not stop lying. The gods were telling the truth, and he did not deny Aesop's identity. Thales did not seem surprised by this result. After reading the oracle, he said to Aesop, "The gods have given an oracle for you to prove your identity." "Yes," Aesop replied.
Aesop replied, "I can prove myself. The fact that I'm standing here is proof. But what kind of proof do I have to provide for the Citizens' Assembly to make a decision?" Thales thought for a while and said, "This is a difficult problem. In reality, you are you, and there is no need for proof. But according to the laws of the city, there must be a basis for the ruling. There should be three such bases: the mark left by your previous identity, the memories awakened by your past experiences, and the traces of your homeland. " Aesop nodded and said, "That should be the case. Then I will go through them one by one. First, please look at this mark carefully." He stretched out an arm and rolled up his sleeve. On the inside of his upper arm near the elbow socket, there was a faint brown mark. It looked like a scar from a long time ago.
Aesop explained, "I was very naughty when I was a child. I heard that gold could not be burned and would not deteriorate in fire, so I used something to hold my father's ring and roast it over the fire. I accidentally dropped it on my arm and burned myself. The ring was engraved with the emblem of the Ackerman family. I was only eight years old at that time, and the scar looked like half of the emblem. The scar grew bigger as I grew up, but I can still see the outline of the emblem. "
Thales called Raeder Ackerman to him and took off his ring to examine the family emblem. The mark on Aesop's arm was indeed a blurry outline of half of the emblem. Obviously, it was not left recently. Thales then asked the other representatives of the council to take turns to examine it. Although the scar was already very vague, it was still recognizable.
Amidst the crowd, Medanzo grinned happily. He thought to himself that Aesop was really cunning. He had waited until such an occasion to roll up his sleeve.
After examining the scar, Aesop put down his sleeve and said, "How can I not remember my past experiences? Otherwise, how would I have found my way back here? Mister Thales, I need you to ask Raeder Ackerman a question. Although my old house has been renovated, the steps in front of the gate have not been touched for seventy years. Is that right? "
Thales turned to Raeder and asked. Raeder nodded in affirmation. Aesop continued, "There are five stone steps in front of the gate of the house. They are made of stone slabs stacked on top of each other. Take the top four slabs apart and turn over the biggest and heaviest one. I still remember the patterns carved on the back. We can draw it in front of everyone."
Thales asked, "How did you know?"
Aesop replied, "The steps were built when I was six years old. I saw it with my own eyes." Thales ordered someone to bring a pen and paper to Aesop. Aesop drew a scepter with two pythons wrapped around the top. This was the usual look of Hermes' scepter. It was engraved under the stone slabs of the steps to protect the house. Many buildings in Miduli had this custom when they were built. They would leave the symbol of the city's patron saint in an invisible position. As for where it was left, it was a secret of every family. It was said that if this secret was revealed to the devil, the person would lose the protection of the patron saint.
The house was newly built by Aesop's father after he separated from Raeder. The symbol of the patron saint was left under the first stone step in front of the door. This was something that even Raeder Ackerman did not know, but Aesop said it in front of everyone.
This kind of thing could not be joked about. If it was really verified, then according to custom, the house had to be rebuilt because the hiding place of the patron saint had been exposed. Thales hurriedly asked a priest to bring a group of strong warriors to the house to dismantle the steps and lift up the stone slabs to check.
After a while, the people who checked came back, and the priest reported the results to the representatives of the Citizens' Assembly. The steps in front of the house had not been touched, and the information provided by Aesop was accurate.
The hall suddenly became very noisy, and people were whispering. At this point, no one doubted Aesop's identity anymore.
Thales waved his hand for silence and let Aesop continue to speak. Aesop was about to speak when Raeder Ackerman stepped forward and bowed to Thales. "My lords and respected representatives of the Citizens' Assembly, there is no need to ask any more questions. This old man is my cousin, Aesop Ackerman. I have no doubt about it!"
Raeder Ackerman was a noble and one of the representatives of the Citizens' Assembly. When he heard the discussion, he knew the result. Regardless of whether he recognized Aesop as his cousin or not, everyone had already recognized Aesop's identity in their hearts. If he waited until after the verdict to declare his position, he and his three sons would be despised and ridiculed in the future. Although Raeder was a profiteer, he was reasonable and took the initiative to stand up.
Thales smiled and looked at Raeder. "Now the topic of discussion in the Citizens' Assembly is to confirm whether the old man in front of me is Aesop Ackerman from 60 years ago. On this occasion, whether you recognize him or not doesn't mean the final result. Mr Aesop, Mr Raeder, shall we continue to ask questions, or shall we put it to the vote now? "
Aesop smiled. "Then please vote now. If the representatives of the Citizens' Assembly think it is necessary for me to continue to prove it, I will continue to prove it."
The vote began. The fifty representatives who participated in the vote thought that Aesop did not need to do any more proof and confirmed that he was Aesop Ackerman. The hall was filled with cheers and applause. Raeder Ackerman called his three sons over and asked them to greet their uncle, Aesop. The eldest son, Blake, blushed with shame. The second son, Hunter, looked embarrassed. The third son, Will, looked very happy.
Aesop opened his arms and gave his cousin a warm hug. Then he hugged his three nephews in turn. Then he took out three Flame Sprites and gave one to each of his three nephews. "My dear nephews, I have returned home alone. This is the gift I prepared for you. Since you have confirmed that you are my uncle, please accept it. This is my blessing for returning from afar. "
Many people in the hall were shocked. They looked at the Flame Sprites in the hands of the three brothers. They never thought that Aesop would be so generous and give such valuable gifts to his three nephews in public. In fact, as early as the first time Aesop met his relatives, he had planned to give them the Flame Sprites. Otherwise, Medanzo would not have taken them out. This was a gift he had prepared long ago.
Raeder Ackerman's forehead was sweating. He asked his three sons to kneel and thank him. He stepped forward and grabbed Aesop's arm. His lips were trembling with excitement. "My cousin, you are too generous! How can you give such valuable things to your children? Please forgive me … "
Aesop interrupted him and laughed. "I have never blamed you. I heard that you are going to buy a merchant ship to do business. I have no other use for the money. If I were your cousin, it would be natural for me to support them.
In fact, I am very grateful to you. After so many years, when I return home, I can still see my old house and the estate of my youth. It is you and your family who have preserved them. This is too precious to me! "
This scene was very touching. Thales cleared his throat and said, "The first topic for today's meeting has been voted on. I would like to congratulate the Ackerman family for reuniting with their family.
Next, we will vote on the second topic. It was proposed by Hunter Ackerman of the Ackerman family. The second topic will only take effect after the first topic is decided. "
Aesop turned around and asked without batting an eyelid, "Oh, dear sir. Is there a second topic for today?"
Thales replied helplessly, "Yes, the second topic is also related to you. The citizens' assembly of the city-state unanimously ruled that you are Aesop Ackerman, the son of Sines Ackerman. The house and estate left behind by Mr Sines Ackerman should belong to you. This was determined at the same time the ruling was made. Your nephew, Hunter Ackerman, has raised another issue and requested to make another decision based on this ruling … "
Before Thales could finish, Hunter Ackerman stood up with his face flushed. He opened his arms and said loudly, "Dear representatives of the Citizens' Assembly, please forgive me for my rudeness. I withdraw my proposal!"
Raeder Ackerman also said, "God, please forgive this foolish child! I also ask him to withdraw his proposal. "
Thales asked with a faint smile, "Mr Hunter Ackerman, do you really want to give up your proposal?"
Hunter nodded repeatedly. "Yes, I withdraw it!"
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