Chapter 183: Filling the pit with all your strength and digging like crazy (5.1k)
In the palace hall, King Pentheus looked down at the arrested pagan youth in front of him and snorted with disdain.
"The Apostle of Bacchus?"
In the "Dict" and "Theogony", Dionysus, Bacchus, Phanes... these are all incarnations and aliases of the god of wine.
"We meet again, Your Majesty."
Lorne smiled and nodded, then took the initiative to ask with a warm look.
"I have come here at your invitation. So, what are you going to do with me?"
"Want to know?"
Looking at the fearless young pagan in front of him, Pentheus raised his eyebrows, with a sinister look in his eyes.
"Come here, put him in heavy shackles, lock him in the cave near the stable, and seal the entrance!"
Upon hearing the king's order, the God-Blood Guards on the side looked embarrassed and some stopped to move forward.
They were the ones who had witnessed the miracle with their own eyes, and it was inevitable that they felt some awe for the deity in their hearts.
Moreover, they also admired the apostle's willingness to step forward to prevent believers from suffering.
"Don't you have ears? Arrest this bold pagan!"
At Pentheus's angry rebuke, the God-Blood Guards picked up the shackles and stepped forward hesitantly.
"It's fine……"
Loen smiled and appeased them, stretched out his hand cooperatively, and was willing to let everyone put the shackles on him.
After all, these people are just following orders, there is no need to make things difficult for them.
Seeing that this honorable apostle did not forget to comfort the perpetrators at this moment, the Divine Blood Guards who were carrying out the order felt relieved and burst into tears of gratitude.
They were well aware of the other party's mysterious strength and elusive speed. If he wanted to escape, no one on the scene would be able to stop him.
Seeing with his own eyes that his former enemy had fallen into his hands so easily, Pentheus could not help but feel completely relieved. A flash of jealousy flashed in his eyes, and he stepped forward and sneered at the prisoner in front of him.
"Bacchus? A spirit born in wine? How can a lowly creature of unknown origin be so arrogant in my land and share the glory with the gods of Olympus?"
In fact, the young king was so against Dionysus simply because of his pitiful vanity and his anger at not being taken seriously by the people.
There is no two suns in the sky, and no two masters on earth.
Thebes needed someone to be worshipped, just one.
As he spoke, Pentheus looked at the prisoner in front of him, puffed out his chest proudly, and declared his victory.
"Only I, the blood relative of Poseidon, the god of the sea, the descendant of Ares, the god of war, a true descendant of God, am qualified to be a hero admired by all the people of this land, just like my grandfather Cadmus, to redeem those fools and lead them to prosperity!"
"You seem to have made a mistake."
Lorne shook his head, interrupted Pentheus's boasting, and spoke earnestly.
"Your grandfather Cadmus was remembered by this land and crowned king because he killed the poisonous dragon and built the high city of Thebes, which saved the people from the invasion of monsters and enabled them to live and work in peace. You have not been respected and praised by the people because you have not yet accomplished the same great deeds and saved the same lives."
Then, the young apostle on the field paused, raised his head, looked at the young king meaningfully, and spoke slowly.
"So, it's not the [hero] who has accomplished great deeds and saved the people; it's the one who has accomplished great deeds and saved the people who deserves to be called a [hero]!"
Such a sentence is deafening.
Upon hearing this, the Divine Blood Guards on the field remained calm on the surface, but they all nodded in agreement in their hearts.
That's right! The reason they were willing to follow the old King Cadmus was because of his bravery and great deeds.
If it were not for the influence of his ancestors and the lack of a suitable heir to Thebes, how could this irritable and conceited descendant of God have the qualifications to ascend the throne and boss them around.
Sensing that the gaze on him had undergone some slight changes, Pentheus's face suddenly turned red and he became even more furious.
"Shut up! You and your gods are just liars, you only know how to deceive people! I will definitely uproot you from the land of Thebes!"
However, in response to this murderous threat, Loen sneered and shook his head.
"You want to be worshipped by the people, but instead of building great achievements and governing the country, you blame the gods for taking away your glory. Isn't this putting the cart before the horse, Your Majesty?"
After all this time, he's just a naughty kid who's going to flip the table out of anger because he's not getting love and praise.
With this character, it’s no wonder that your grandfather Cadmus and your mother are unwilling to stand by you.
How sad...
Loen looked up at his cousin, with a hint of playful pity in his eyes.
Suddenly, Pentheus was deeply hurt by that look and roared in rage.
"Someone! Throw this liar into the cave, now! Immediately!"
Faced with the king's stern order, the God-Blood Guards looked away as if they hadn't heard it.
Seeing that none of his men were willing to take action, the commander of the Royal Guards had no choice but to step forward himself under Pentheus's increasingly loud rebukes, pull up the chains that were tightly bound around Lorne, and force a smile on his face that was uglier than crying.
"I'm sorry..."
Loen smiled and nodded, not making things difficult for the commander, and followed obediently.
Seeing that the old man behind him was so easy to talk to, the commander of the Royal Guards was deeply moved and even more glad for his previous choice.
But things had come to this point, and he was powerless under the king's order, and could only give the particular person behind him a little respect and convenience.
Therefore, the commander of the Royal Guards did not walk fast and even loosened the chains intentionally.
However, this action angered Pentheus who followed.
The impatient king could no longer tolerate it, so he grabbed the chain and roughly pushed the pagan who had humiliated him into the cave next to the stable.
"Build a wall! Quick, seal all the exits!"
Under Pentheus's order, even though the God's Blood Guards were dissatisfied, they had no choice but to seal the cave entrance because of their mission and their families left in Thebes.
After the work was finished, Pentheus, who was still worried, checked every wall carefully. After confirming that there was no cutting of corners, he nodded with satisfaction.
Such an act of distrust made the God-Blood Guards even more angry, and their evaluation and attitude towards the young king reached a freezing point.
At this time, Pentheus, who was completely unaware, looked at the completely closed cage in front of him with satisfaction. A grim smile appeared on his face, and he reached out and picked up a burning torch.
"You're quite talkative, aren't you? I wonder how long you can keep yelling!"
As the irritable king said this, he was about to raise his hand and throw the torch into the cave.
The soldiers around all changed their expressions. The cave not only contained the apostle who was thrown in, but also a large amount of horse fodder stored there.
If a fire breaks out, it will be a huge loss for the kingdom.
Is Pentheus crazy?
Everyone wanted to stop it, but it was too late.
A burning torch was thrown high from Pentheus's hand and flew into the only remaining air hole above the cave.
“Boom!”
At the same time, a roar that shook the earth came from the cave.
Along with the diffuse smoke and dust, the surrounding brick walls collapsed at the same time, and the pagan apostle walked out safely with a torch in his hand.
In the light of the fire, the figure appeared taller and more handsome than before.
Amid the crowd's relieved or astonished gazes, Lorne walked forward, put the burning torch back into Pentheus's hand, smiled slightly, and spoke in a low voice.
"The second time..."
As a burning sensation came over his hands, Pentheus screamed, hurriedly threw away the burnt-out torch, and looked at the person in front of him with a hint of fear.
Everything seemed to have returned to that frightening night in the palace.
"Catch him! Catch this believer of false god!"
Pentheus felt guilty and instinctively hid behind the God-Blood Guards, shouting loudly.
"Your Majesty! I think you have misunderstood. Bacchus is a true god!"
Finally, a member of the Divine Blood Guard who could no longer bear it spoke out in rebuttal.
Immediately afterwards, several more people echoed.
"Yes, we have heard of his divine name in Thrace, Athens, Crete...!"
"Yes, he is the spirit of wine, the embodiment of joy, and also the most important attendant of the goddess of the hearth, Hestia!"
"Even Olympus where the gods live has a place for him. There is no reason for Thebes to expel such a god who brings peace and joy!"
When Pentheus heard this, he became so angry that his face turned pale and then blue.
"Shut up! Shut up! Have you all been bewitched by this liar?"
Then, he glanced around and saw the commander of the Royal Guards walking towards him. His face suddenly lit up and he shouted loudly.
"Portis, you are still not taking care of your people! Arrest that heretic who is misleading people!"
However, the commander of the Royal Guards remained unmoved and spoke calmly.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I can't obey your order, because I think so too."
"you!"
This sudden stab in the back made Pentheus tremble with anger.
"Crazy! You are all crazy!"
"I'm not sure if I'm crazy or not, but I saw with my own eyes that group of women who escaped from prison. With the blessing of the god of wine, they turned water into milk and made branches produce honey so that they could fill their stomachs. And your mother and sisters were the leaders of this group of women."
The commander of the Royal Guards paused and added earnestly.
"Your Majesty, if you were there and saw the miracles with your own eyes, you would certainly kneel down before them."
In the commander's narration, Loen could even feel a trace of power of faith flowing from his body into his own mental world.
The spirit in wine, the embodiment of joy, the being that brings joy to the world...
It seems that my unremitting image marketing and persistent promotion through writing short essays have paid off.
Look, this is the benefit of fame, winning without fighting.
Looking at the nearly half of the God-Blood Guards on the field who were on his side and the helpless and furious Pentheus, Loen felt extremely pleased.
"Traitor! All of you are traitors! You actually let those pagan lackeys go and even made excuses for them!"
At this time, Pentheus was even more furious. He immediately pulled off the epaulettes of the commander of the Guards and shouted orders.
"Call all infantry and cavalry, prepare weapons and armor, leave the city, blockade Mount Kitalon, and arrest all pagans immediately! Those who disobey will be killed without mercy!"
"No need to go through so much trouble..."
As Pentheus was angrily issuing orders, Lorne came up to the young king and spoke with a smile.
"I can take you to meet those followers of the Dionysian Church and make them give up resistance under your majesty and surrender to be punished."
"good!"
Seeing that the God-Blood Guards around him were already difficult to command, Pentheus, who was angry and annoyed, agreed immediately after hearing this.
If I can't deal with you, how can I deal with them?
The young king sneered to himself, a trace of longing rising in his heart.
As long as you rely on your personal ability to catch all these criminals and bring them back to prison and expose the false gods, you will have created a commendable feat.
By then, let’s see who dares to disobey my succession to the throne!
Seeing Pentheus not even thinking about it, Lorne sighed and changed the subject.
"But if you want to go, I suggest you put on this dress before leaving."
"Women's clothes?"
When Pentheus saw the pink skirt handed to him by the pagan apostle, his face turned dark and he felt humiliated.
Lorne nodded, put on a helpless expression, and explained sincerely.
"They have just been stimulated and drunk a little, so they may not be in a stable mental state. If a man approaches them, and they are not yet converted to Christianity, those poor women and children will inevitably be scared."
"What nonsense!"
King Pentheus knocked the little skirt out of Loen's hand, angrily drew out the bronze sword he was carrying, put it against the other's lower back, and threatened him coldly.
"Hurry up and leave!"
"Okay, okay, I'll show you the way."
Loen raised his hands in surrender, then obediently mounted the horse with Pentheus and took the lead.
The galloping war horses rushed out of the palace and headed towards the outside of the city of Thebes.
But during the bumpy ride, Pentheus felt a blur in front of his eyes for some reason, and he seemed to feel that the world had undergone strange changes.
There were two suns hanging in the sky, a city of Thebes that was twice as big as before, and each city gate was twice as high as the original one. The man sitting in front of him looked like a bull with a pair of huge horns on his head. Wherever he passed, there were delicious grapes, and the rich aroma of wine filled his nostrils, bringing a hint of intoxication.
"Don't play tricks!"
Pentheus frowned, put his front against the sharp sword tip, and threatened coldly.
"Even if you run away, they can't escape!"
Loen glanced at the barren mountain outside the city gate and muttered helplessly in his heart.
You saw it too.
I'm working hard here to fill the hole, but I can't stop someone from shoveling the dirt like crazy.
so……
Loen swung the whip and hit the horse's belly hard, shaking off the Divine Blood Guards behind him, and headed towards Mount Kitalon with his cousin behind him.
At this moment, the pair of eyes with their backs turned had lost all warmth, and their lips and teeth moved silently.
"The third time..."
~~
Soon, they came to a deep valley surrounded by pine trees.
"The Apostle is back!"
"Thank God, sir, he's okay!"
"Bacchus, thank you for your mercy..."
Hearing the noise, believers gathered together, sang hymns to their god, and gave fresh grapes and fruits and vegetables to quench their thirst for the saint who warded off disasters for them.
"What's that noise? Where are the people? Where are they?!"
Pentheus looked at the "pine trees" in front of him, raised his sword angrily and questioned.
Under the influence of "madness", his eyes were blind and he turned a blind eye to the women and old people who gathered around him fanatically.
“Don’t be impatient…”
Lorne spoke softly, with a hint of hospice kindness in his eyes, and stretched out one hand and pressed forward.
Suddenly, a huge pine tree drooped its crown like a willow branch being plucked.
But Pentheus saw a broad road, and at the end of the valley, sinners were huddled together and trembling.
“Found it!”
Pentheus was so excited that he jumped off his horse and onto the "road", and the treetops bounced back into the air.
With a shake under his feet and a strange feeling of his body hanging in the air, the young king was suddenly awakened and immediately found that he was about to be thrown out by the branch.
In a panic, he instinctively threw away the sword in his hand, hugged the tree trunk tightly, and finally managed to stabilize his body.
However, at this moment, a low voice sounded in the valley.
"Look, this is the beast that wants to kill you. I have brought it with me."
There was not a single leaf trembling in the forest, and no sound of any living creature. The followers of Dionysus looked up. They heard the apostle's call and immediately ran as fast as they could, as if they were sent by the gods.
Drunk and reveling, they crossed a turbulent river and dense jungle, gathered together under a huge pine tree, and saw the harmful animal sitting on the treetop.
——A lion dressed in gorgeous clothes and wearing a golden crown on his head.
——Blinded by power and driven by violence.
The believers could not help but think of the torture they had suffered in the past and of some of their compatriots who had died in violent arrests. They felt their blood boiling and were extremely angry.
"Kill him! Kill him!"
People first threw stones, broken branches and sacred rods, but none of these could reach the treetop where the king was.
Then, feeling the alcohol in their bodies, they seemed to have gained infinite strength, and used hard oak sticks to dig the soil around the pine tree and dug out the roots.
The tree fell with a loud crash, and Pentheus fell to the ground with it.
The crowd swarmed forward, their eyes glowing red with hatred.
"Damn it, what are you going to do? I am your king!"
Pentheus, covered in mud, shouted loudly in an attempt to awaken the fear of these untouchables.
However, in the eyes of believers, it was just a seriously injured lion roaring impotently.
Outside the field, Agave, the mother of Pentheus, who had received grace and been hailed as a priest, waved her staff and gave orders fanatically.
"Quick, kill this evil beast! Don't let him get away!"
For a moment, the peasant woman grabbed stones, the old man leaned on a wooden stick, and the young man scooped up soil, and together they punished the ferocious wild lion.
Some nobles who possessed divine blood grabbed the lion's shoulders and violently broke his limbs.
Soon, the frenzied women and old men began to retaliate, each tearing a piece of flesh from him.
Finally, there was only a head left on the bloody pile of earth, with eyes staring with endless fear, and it died with its eyes open.
At this time, dozens of dense horse hoof sounds echoed from outside the dense forest, and the reflection of the armor plates brought a chill.
Thebes' Blood Guards are here!
(End of this chapter)
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