Chapter 60 Mission
When the guard heard this...
He was stunned for a moment, then noticed the royal token...
Confirmed.
The last vestige of doubt in his heart vanished.
"What... Messiah?"
"The Messiah has arrived..."
"The hero Messiah has returned!!"
The guard was so shocked that he couldn't speak.
Overwhelmed with excitement, the two guards knelt down on one knee without thinking.
He bowed to the Messiah with the same salutation as a king.
Tears welled in their eyes as they praised:
"Praise be to the great hero, Ara Messiah..."
Yara was puzzled by this.
Even though his name is known to everyone.
It's not like everyone has to worship and bow to you when they see you...
really.
The two guards continued:
"Oh, the great hero who slew the lion..."
"Only you can save Argos now..."
...
Argos has fallen on hard times.
This was Yara's first impression upon entering the city.
The once-prosperous capital city fell into ruin after just one winter...
The once bustling crowds on the streets have largely disappeared...
Even the number of drunkards in the tavern has decreased significantly; everyone is poor, yet the price of drinks has gone up.
Even prostitutes have started to treat their customers perfunctorily.
Because the prostitutes knew that with the economic climate worsening, they couldn't squeeze anything out of these poor people...
However, it's not entirely without its good points...
The areas once specifically used for the slave trade have now been completely abolished. That once-thriving slave business has become, like prostitution, a low-class, gray industry, with profits far less than before...
The newly cleared area was then expanded into the Lower City area.
In addition, there was the reform of the slave system.
Those respectable young men in the lower districts also experienced less pressure.
As long as they don't seduce women, gamble, smoke Nepant, or become addicted to alcohol.
Then you'll have the opportunity to earn some money by fishing and selling fish.
Rent a nice house in the new district.
However, it becomes difficult to climb any higher.
Argos is now as silent as a stagnant pool.
For almost two quarters now, apart from a few small boats coming from the sea, there have been almost no merchant fleets coming or going...
News of Ara's arrival in Argos quickly reached the court.
When Yara arrived at the palace gates, Dicttis and Pan, along with a group of guards, were already there to greet him...
Overjoyed to see their dearest friends, the group immediately rushed forward, with Yara, Dick, and Pan embracing each other.
Then, Dick led Yara into the palace.
He drove away all the ministers in the main hall who were discussing the future development of Argos.
Only Yara was left behind.
Inside the palace.
Ignoring his image, Dicttis strode forward, grasped Yara's hand, and was extremely excited...
He doesn't look like a king, but more like a lower-class person reuniting with a long-lost friend:
"Brother, you've finally arrived..."
"I've been waiting for so long."
Yara smiled and nodded.
However, Yara quickly got straight to the point, expressing his concern:
"No need for pleasantries..."
"I already noticed it on the way..."
"Argos is in a worse situation than I imagined..."
Dick quickly became serious as well.
He is now more of a king, as a king.
He needs to shoulder the crown bestowed upon him by the Messiah...
He sighed. Dick looked much older lately, as if his hair had turned quite a bit whiter... He told Yara about the latest development:
"Yes..."
"What I wrote in my last letter to you wasn't clear enough..."
"Actually, I've been wondering the same thing: even if those city-states don't recognize Argos's suzerainty..."
"But how can we possibly stop doing business altogether?"
"Later, I heard reports from citizens and merchants that strange wild beasts had appeared in the surrounding trade routes and even in slightly suburban areas... These beasts were incredibly strong, bloodthirsty, and ferocious..."
"And especially in the eastern forests, where there are particularly many wild beasts..."
"There is a key road there."
Dick looked distressed. He reached out and removed the heavy crown. Only in front of the Messiah could he relax like this. He rubbed his temples and complained:
"Those wild beasts are driving me crazy..."
"Originally, if maritime trade hadn't been disrupted... we could have traded with Athens and Memphis in the South by sea and land... and then used the returning money to gradually rebuild the army, sending them to clear out the wild beasts from these forests..."
"However, it's clear... after rebuilding the temple and the slave reforms, we have absolutely no money left..."
"The army is now just an empty shell."
"Even maintaining the daily benefits for those warriors is already a loss-making endeavor..."
"Brother...do you know...?"
"A bronze warrior, doing absolutely nothing, receives a full 100 gold coins as a salary every month!"
"But I can't completely cut this expense..."
"Sparta absorbed many of the old Argos forces..."
"Even a large majority of the honored warriors..."
"They've always had their eyes on Argos..."
"Argos will either be worn down or invaded by foreign powers..."
After listening to Dick's words, Yara sorted out her thoughts.
It seems the situation is roughly as I suspected; the trade actually ceased due to wild animals, not the city-states...
This time the problem isn't so serious...
For Yara, fighting wars was much easier than doing business or diplomacy.
After a moment's thought, Yara replied:
"friend..."
"Sparta poses little threat."
"As long as I'm alive."
"No one dares to lay a hand on Argos and Canaan..."
"Unless they bring the gods down..."
"Otherwise, in the mortal realm, no one is my match."
"And even the gods..."
"They don't have the guts to lay a hand on me."
Dicttis was taken aback.
Like waking from a dream!
He has been caught in a misconception: since assuming the throne, he has always viewed issues from the perspective of a rational and shrewd politician.
Because he didn't want to disappoint the Messiah, he longed to be a good king.
As a result, he was constrained in everything he did...
But today he realized that Messiah was his brother and could protect him.
He didn't need to be so cautious at all...
His royal power did not originate from the army, nor from his bloodline...
His power derives from the Messiah...
It comes from the Lord!
While Dick was still in a daze
Yara seemed to remember something and poured out all the magic crystals contained in the Nemea lion skin.
The tinkling sounds, like countless jewels, covered the ground...
Dick looked at the jewels scattered on the ground and asked, puzzled:
"What's this?"
Yara tossed the lion skin around his neck, then used it again as a cloak, tying it behind him, and explained:
"This was discovered by old Tyr..."
"Those strange beasts have magic crystals inside their bodies..."
"I have to tell you, you might find it useful..."
Dick paused, and as he pondered...
Suddenly a guard rushed in from outside and reported:
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Messiah..."
"Two groups of people have arrived at the beach!"
"He claims to be—"
"The missions of Athens and Memphis".
....