Rod-dick had the skill of a wise politician. He was able to steer an unexpected event in the most advantageous direction. There was no script for this scene in advance, but if it was designed by a dramatist, the best effect could not be more than this. When he received the staff and heard the cheers of the crowd, the prestige of the gods also increased the prestige of the lord of the city. Amon, who was kneeling at the back of the guards, was supposed to be the most important person, but now he seemed to have become a minor character.
After thanking the god, Rod-Dick stood up and led the crowd to Amon. He lifted Amon up with one hand and asked, "Hero, where did you find the last words and relics of Lord Nero? Can you tell me in detail?"
Amon answered, "Deep in the mountains on the west bank of the Euphrate River. Only wild beasts roam there. I was chasing a wild beast when I lost my footing and fell off a cliff. That's how I saw it. There are some words in a cave under the cliff, along with a staff and a ring. "As he spoke, he took out the ring and handed it back to Rod-dick.
Rod Drick's hand sank slightly. This ring was not light at all. Clearly, it was a spatial artifact that could store items. Rod-dick was a sixth-level warrior and had learned elementary magic. However, he didn't have the ability to use a spatial artifact. He could feel the weight of the ring in his hand, but he didn't know what was inside.
Fayol Judah asked, "Amon, you're a hunter. How can you read?"
Amon didn't have a good impression of this clerk. He answered calmly, "I'm a hunter, but my grandfather wasn't. He was a clerk who was punished."
Fayol Judah frowned and asked again, "The mountains on the west bank of the Euphrate River should be in the territory of the Hittite Kingdom. You're a Hittite. Even if you can read, how can you read in Eygut?"
Amon explained naturally, "Master Nero's last words were written in two languages."
Of course, he couldn't tell the whole truth. It was actually the story of Medanzo's great-grandfather's last words that Crazy 'Ole saw in the mountains. Amon just borrowed it and changed it to Master Nero's last words. Bair's message in the mysterious cave was written in two languages. Facing Judas' question, Amon answered without hesitation.
As for Nero's last words, they were completely true. Amon didn't make up anything else. The Terroculus inlaid on the wand contained the message left by Nero. As long as Rod Drick asked someone to verify it, it would be clear that it couldn't be faked. However, he couldn't say that he had read the message, because that would expose his identity as a sorcerer.
There were different languages in different countries on the continent, but their languages were similar. Amon didn't hide his identity as a foreigner, because his accent still had traces of it. Rod-dick realized that it wasn't the right place to ask too many questions, and it wasn't the right time to talk in front of the crowd. He took Amon's arm and said, "You've come from afar. Let's not talk in the square. Let's talk in the temple."
Lord Dick didn't go home in the afternoon. He changed his mind and went back to the Temple of Horus. The crowd followed him up the long stone steps. The crowd was still cheering.
Fayol Judah walked behind them. He felt that Amon's accent was very familiar. It left a deep impression in his memory. He looked at Amon's back. Although he was standing beside Lord Rod-dick and surrounded by the nobles, the boy's steps were steady and his back was straight. He didn't look nervous at all. Fayol Judah suddenly remembered something.
Two years ago, in the remote and desolate town of Duc, one of Fayol Judah's proudest deeds was that he took the Gods' Tear away as soon as possible, which made Lord Rod-dick's plan to elect the Adoratrice a success. It didn't matter who the miner was. The parangon of Duc must have been found by a miner. It was just his luck.
But Fayol always remembered that when he walked into the low house, the boy with the sledgehammer didn't kneel at first. He stood straight in front of the anvil, just like that. But at that time, he hadn't grown up yet. Judah Judah could not forget the three sentences the young man had said to him at that time.
"Who are you? How can you come in like this?"
"When you mine a parangon, you have to stand to swing the hammer. Otherwise, how can you see it being taken out in one piece?"
"My name is Amon. People here call me Amon."
Yes, that's him. The name the boy told Aristotle was Amon. Fayol Judah shouted in his mind. He finally recognized Amon. He was the young miner who mined the Gods' Tear in Duc. He thought he would never see him again. Now, he was walking with Lord Drick holding his arm in the cheers of the people.
Should he tell Lord Drick? If he had said it out loud, Amon would have received even more gratitude. But Fayol Judah was worried about one thing. Lord Drick had given him thirty gold coins as a token of appreciation for the miner, but he had only given Amon thirty silver coins. This was a trivial matter. No one would blame a clerk for pocketing his own money. But now that this matter had been exposed, Fayol Judah would be too ashamed to face anyone.
Many so-called "trivial matters" were like this. They seemed insignificant, but when they were exposed, it was a stain on one's noble character. Listening to the cheers of the people, Fayol Judah would never be able to raise his head again if they talked about the past.
Does Amon still remember me? Fayol Judah thought to himself. He hoped that Amon had already forgotten. However, Judah's rationality told him that it was impossible. If he was in the miner's shoes, he would never forget that scene. Would Amon talk about the past later? He hoped that he wouldn't. Even if he did, there was no need to talk about the small details of the thirty silver coins.
Last time, Amon had received the Gods' Tear, Lord Drick had thanked Mayor Dusti. But this time, it would be Amon himself who would receive the reward. Returning the Chief Priest's staff in front of the people in the temple square was a perfect scene. Compared to the reward he would receive, thirty silver coins was not worth mentioning. This child must not know that Rod-dick had given him thirty gold coins. Fayol Judah kept comforting himself.
At the same time, Judas thought that this child was too lucky. He was the one who mined the Gods' Tear and made Rod-dick's plan succeed. Today, he was the one who returned Nero's lost staff in public, making Rod-dick's reputation reach a new peak. He was like a god who cared for Rod-dick. Why did all the good things happen to a lowly miner? This was too unfair.
Wasn't the town of Duc destroyed by the flood and no one survived? Why was he still alive?
No one knew how many thoughts were surging in Fayol Judah's mind. The long steps in front of the shrine seemed so long. The weather was not hot, but Judas's forehead was oozing sweat.
Not only did Fayol Judah recognize Amon, but Aristotle also recognized him. He was the one who saved the child in the square and sent him to the Adoratrice Maria as a servant for three days. But when Amon saw that Rod-dick did not mention the past, nor did he show any sign that he knew Aristotle, he obviously did not want to talk about it anymore. Moreover, Amon's appearance had indeed changed a lot. He was almost unrecognizable.
It was said that Duc had been destroyed by the flood, so this surviving child must have gone through too many hardships. It was normal that he did not want to talk about the past. Everyone had a secret that they did not want to talk about. As long as he did not talk about it, Aristotle would not point it out. After all, it was Amon's own business.
Aristotle also sighed with emotion. This young miner named Amon was really like a god who cared for Rod-dick. He not only mined the Gods' Tear at the right time, but also returned the Oracle's staff at the right time. As Rod Drick's most valued and trusted aide, Aristotle knew very well what the young castellan was worried about all this time.
The Empire of Eygut was powerful, but the Cape States on the northeast border were relatively weak. Once the neighboring Kingdom of Bablon and the Hittite Kingdom started a war, the Cape States would be in a passive position.
The Uruk City of Bablon was guarded by the great hero Gilgamesh and the greatest warrior on the continent, Enkidu. No one dared to attack them. But what if they attacked the Empire of Eygut in the west? How could the Cape States defend against them? The relationship between the Kingdom of Bablon and the Empire of Eygut was relatively peaceful. For the time being, there was not much danger of war. But on the other hand, the Hittite Kingdom might be in danger.
On the surface, the Hittite Kingdom had submitted to the Empire of Eygut for many years, but it was precisely because of their dissatisfaction with this fate that they had been accumulating strength to resist. A great flood cut off the land transportation and temporarily saved the Cape States, but the flood would not last forever. The soldiers of the city of Syah were well-equipped, and most importantly, they were united.
It was said that the chief priest, Goliath, led the people to protect the city and later became a ninth-level supreme mage. His reputation in Syah was unparalleled and he was even more powerful than the gods. This kind of unity was the most terrible weapon in the chaos of war. It could make people sacrifice their lives for a single goal.
In the battle of thousands of soldiers and horses, the personal strength of the top masters of the continent, such as Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and Goliath, might not be the decisive factor. Their real strength lay in their rallying power and unity among the people. In contrast, although Rod-dick was also a talented governor, he could not reach that level. That was why when Amon returned the staff in public, Rod-Dick was so excited that even the hands of the governor, who had always been calm, were trembling slightly.
The powerful Empire and the relatively weak city-states were strategically important and faced with the potential threat of war. This was what worried Rod-dick the most. One could not blame the governor for thinking so far ahead. Once something happened, he could not escape. Not only was he the governor, but his family's territory for generations was also in the Cape States.
On the other hand, the power of an individual was not the absolute factor in winning against thousands of soldiers and horses, but it was also a symbol and a guarantee of stability. After the death of Nero, there had been no supreme mage in the Cape States for more than thirty years. Compared to the Uruk of Bablon and the Syah of Hittite, the Cape States were at a clear disadvantage.
Since Maria became the Adoratrice, she had gradually mastered some of the important affairs of the Temple of Isis in Montefiore. Rod-dick had repeatedly applied to send a supreme mage to the Cape Shrine, but there had been no response. Not long ago, the Adoratrice finally sent a message that an eighth-level supreme mage would be sent to inspect the shrine in the border.
Rod-dick was ready to take this opportunity to invite the supreme mage to stay and serve as the chief priest of the Cape States. But how should he bring this up? Who would want to leave the prosperous and comfortable Montefiore to live in Cape? An eighth-level supreme mage could live comfortably anywhere. Coincidentally, the day before the supreme mage's arrival, the staff of the chief priest was miraculously returned, giving Rod-dick a good excuse and opportunity to make a request.
Naturally, Amon did not know that he had come to the Cape under such a complicated background. In fact, he had always had a good impression of Rod-dick. It was precisely because of the governor's arrival that Amon had the opportunity to meet Eco. Therefore, there was always an inexplicable sense of gratitude in his heart. It was this governor who had once sent Eco to his side.
The shrines in the Cape States were much more magnificent than the Temple of Horus in Duc. Upon entering the main hall, the first thing Amon did was to pay his respects to the statue of Horus in the center. For the first time, Amon carefully looked at this legendary god. Although there was also a Temple of Horus in Duc, it was only a symbol of submission to the Empire of Eygut. Usually, no one would voluntarily offer sacrifices to it.
The statue of Horus here was more than fifty feet tall. Its arms were folded in front of its chest, and behind its shoulders hung a pair of huge wings. The human body was carved with the head of an eagle, and its eyes were even sharper than the beak of an eagle. According to legend, the incarnation of Horus was a divine eagle that roamed the heavens, so the craftsmen created such a statue. The huge statue exuded an indescribable sense of oppression. Everyone involuntarily bowed as soon as they entered the shrine.
After paying his respects to the god, Amon was invited to sit down in a side hall. Sitting among a group of noble lords, Amon did not seem too flattered. He had talked face to face with the princess of the kingdom, and he had even walked on the grassland with a goddess in his arms. This kind of scene was nothing to him.
Rod-dick was a little surprised. He smiled and said, "Our righteous Amon, you have an unusual temperament. You are firm and calm. Even when sitting beside the noble lords, you do not panic at all. This is very rare for a young man."
Amon bowed and explained, "I have been hunting ferocious beasts in the dangerous mountains. I have experienced countless life and death situations. I rarely feel panic now."
Rod-dick said, "Oh, I see. It is fate that has shaped you. You discovered Master Nero's last words while hunting. Can you tell me the details?"
Amon then changed the time and characters of Crazy 'Ole's story, and retold Nero's last words and the course of events. Finally, he explained, "I read the words on the cave. Master Nero hoped that someone could find his relics and return them to Cape States. The staff should be returned to the shrine, and the ring should be returned to his family according to his will."
He did not repeat the words of the Terroculus, but he did not hide what he had obtained either. He told Rod-Dick about the three scrolls. After all, Rod-dick only needed to check the message and he would know. Rod Drick was very interested and asked, "May I ask if you have brought the three scrolls? I don't mean anything else. It is a reward from Master Nero, so it is yours. I am just curious. "
Amon could not take out the three scrolls, and he did not want to take them out, not to mention that two of them had already been used up. He replied regretfully, "I only found out about Lord Nero's last words when I fell off the cliff. The mountain road was very dangerous. When I got out of the difficult situation, I accidentally cut my bag by the thorns and lost the three scrolls. Fortunately, I still have the staff and the ring."
Rod-dick sighed and said, "What a blessing in misfortune. Don't be sad, I will thank you greatly. Please wait a moment, we are going to check the message left in the staff. "
It was not difficult to check the message left in the staff, as long as one had mastered advanced message magic. They did not do it in front of Amon. Nero's message was very important, and it might involve some secrets. It was not suitable for a foreigner to know. In a small meditation room in the shrine, Rod-dick handed the staff to the oldest priest. There were not only the governors of the city, the three high priests of the shrine, but also the heirs of the Ramose family.
Nero was just a name. As a full-time priest who dedicated himself to the gods, he used the name registered in the shrine's directory. People no longer called him by his family name. Nero was born in the Ramose family, a great noble family in the Cape States. Nero himself had no children, but there were nine adult nephews in the family. They should also be present. Rod-dick was very thoughtful and sent horses to pick up all the people who could be picked up.
When the priest raised the staff, Nero's voice from more than 30 years ago echoed in the meditation room again. "Whoever is lucky enough to come here and pick up my staff, please listen to my last words. I am Nero, the chief priest of the Cape States of the Empire of Eygut, a seventh-level supreme mage. When you return the staff to the shrine of Cape, please find Lord Drick and ask him to invite a supreme mage who is proficient in advanced spatial magic to take out the will from the ring and read it in public. Lord Drick is trustworthy. "
After listening to the last words, everyone's expression changed. Nero's last words involved some secrets, including his doubts and hesitations about the gods when he was facing death. These were not suitable to be made public. The Eygut government had already made a conclusion about Bair's past 30 years ago, and the details were not allowed to be spread to the outside world. Although Nero claimed in his last words that he did not betray the gods, it was detrimental to his reputation after his death and the impact on the hearts of the people of the city.
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