As soon as the sun rose, the city of Matruh was awakened by waves of commotion.
In other words, it was surrounded by screams and surprises.
"It stinks, what's that smell... What is this?!"
"Outside the city! Thousands and thousands of fish are piled up outside the city!"
"What the hell just happened!?"
Residents near the coastline were the first to notice the anomaly.
Thousands of dead fish washed up on the beach, piled up in layers, creating a horrifying sight.
In some places, the fish piles were as high as knees and stretched for dozens of meters, like a foul-smelling barrier.
Even a fishmonger who has been setting up a stall on the beach for many years was stunned by the scene: "I have never seen so many dead fish in my life!"
Soon, the news spread throughout the city of Matruh, and countless citizens flocked to the coastline, wanting to see this rare spectacle.
Some came out of curiosity, while others brought baskets and bags, ready to pick up these "god-given" foods.
However, the actual situation is far worse than imagined.
Under the scorching sun, the piles of fish carcasses emitted a strong stench that was disgusting.
There were even swarms of flies buzzing around, greedily enjoying the feast.
Some fish have begun to swell and deform, with white foam appearing on their bodies and their eyes becoming cloudy.
Crabs and shellfish were scattered around, some dead, some still twitching in pain.
"This is simply blasphemy against the gods!"
"My ancestors have been fishermen for three generations, and I have never seen the ocean punish people like this."
"Someone must have done something evil!"
Various speculations began to spread among the crowd. Some said it was the anger of the sea god, some said it was a sign of plague, and some claimed it was a trick of foreign merchants who deliberately destroyed the reputation of the city of Matruh.
At this moment, the guards of the City Lord's Mansion pushed aside the crowd and built a temporary platform on the beach.
The steward, dressed in a gorgeous silk robe, stepped onto the platform accompanied by eight guards.
“Dear citizens of Matruh!”
"Please be quiet! I have important news to tell everyone!"
The noisy crowd gradually quieted down, and many eyes turned to the steward.
"First of all, I want to ask everyone not to panic."
"These fish are not some evil omen, but a gift from the gods!"
A puzzled murmur arose from the crowd: "A gift?"
The steward nodded and continued.
"Late last night, I witnessed a miracle."
"Shoals of fish are spontaneously swimming towards our shores, as if summoned by some kind of force. After discussing this with the City Lord, I believe this is a sign of the gods' mercy on us, sending us food!"
At this time, a voice came from the crowd: "Sir, why are all the fish dead?"
The steward only uttered a solemn voice at this time.
“This is a sacrifice!”
"They voluntarily gave their lives to save us from starvation. We must accept this gift with awe!"
Someone in the crowd asked, "Why is there so much? We can't even finish it!"
The steward showed a sad expression.
"This is because there are too many fish. Many fish have died before they can be caught. But we are doing our best and organizing people to fish around the clock."
He paused, his voice deepening. "Last night, we collected thousands of baskets of fresh fish and shellfish, but there were so many that we couldn't salvage them all. Most of them are still in the sea."
"The generous city lord has also decided to distribute all of these gifts to everyone! They will no longer be sold by vendors!"
The crowd began to stir when they heard this, and some people couldn't wait to squeeze forward.
After all, it's free stuff, and it's food!
As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers who had been prepared pushed carts of cleaned fish and lined up in a long queue on the beach.
The people were ecstatic and rushed to get the free food.
"Thank you for your generosity, Lord City Lord!"
"Thank you, Lord City Lord!"
The sound of praise is endless.
People took the fish with gratitude, and some even knelt down to express their respect to the city lord.
At this time, several young men in simple clothes walked up to the steward and saluted respectfully.
"Your Excellency, we are a poor family in the city and it is difficult for us to eat meat!"
"We are so grateful for all this delicious fish today! How can we thank the City Lord for this gift?"
The steward's expression began to become sad.
"No need to thank me, this is a gift from the Lord City Lord, praying to the gods."
"You know, the city lord requested food aid from Cairo, but was rejected by Cairo."
"But we must use our food sparingly, otherwise Matruh will not be able to survive for long."
"It was the city lord who prayed to the gods late at night, so the gods bestowed their blessings!"
When the people heard this, they first protested angrily: "How can this be possible!"
"They don't care about our lives!"
"Is it just because we are a border city of Holy Egypt that this is the case?"
“It’s really chilling!”
The steward then raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.
"Yes, that's why the city lord was very sad when he heard the news."
"He decided that since he couldn't get food aid, he would solve the problem himself!"
"So, he ordered his men to go out to sea all night long to salvage and collect these gifts from the ocean. Each of these fish embodies the city lord's love and care for us!"
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