When Drybet turned around, he saw the familiar face of Amyntas.
He quickly responded with a smile: "Your Majesty already knew it."
"But……"
"Your Majesty is so smart, he would understand. Your Majesty can control our thoughts, but it is difficult for Your Majesty to control what the people in the empire think. The concept of Thracians and Scythians as barbarians has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the Greeks. It is impossible to change them without decades. Even if Lord Sitalses is right beside me, I can only say this."
What Druberti said was indeed true.
Sitalces did not refute.
"Indeed."
Ramachos looked back at Amyntas, who was once a centurion but now a key figure in the empire.
He could only helplessly say: "It's the same in Byzantium. Greeks from all over the country are proud to have their own people in senior positions. This is even more true in the Athens Mansion. I became the head of the legion, and the Athens Mansion held a banquet to celebrate on the same day, and asked me to help my fellow countrymen in the future. The Ephesus Mansion was even more outrageous. They elected a provincial governor and three financial officers. Two days after the banquet at the Athens Mansion, they held a new banquet with lights and decorations all over Byzantium."
"Um……"
Amyntas frowned.
He hadn't been back to Byzantium for some time, and he didn't expect that Byzantium would be like this now.
"This is not good news."
"Indeed... everyone is not on the same page."
At this time, Sitalses suddenly spoke.
"I think our relationship is like that of the Thracians."
"What do you think, Lord Sitalses?"
"The Thracians are the same. They are all from different tribes and sometimes attack each other. They just speak a similar language. But then a Thracian king appeared and united the Thracians with his tribe and established the Thracian Kingdom. However, the fact that the Thracians are made up of different tribes has not changed. People care more about which tribe they are from than whether they are from the Thracian Kingdom. In my opinion, the Greek Empire is the same now. Most people care more about whether they are Athenians or Byzantines than citizens of the Greek Empire... So, I am a little worried."
"worry about what?"
Chapter 10, Chapter 8: The Nemean Lion Appears
"If one day, Your Majesty leaves us, will the Greek Empire immediately collapse?"
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
Drybet slapped Sitalses on the back.
"How could His Majesty leave us?"
"Yes, yes."
"Yeah, too."
Having been reminded, Sitalses chose to remain silent.
But it must be said that Sitalses's idea was correct.
Unlike the Byzantine Empire, which was a country of a single nation, although it conquered many places, everyone was a Byzantine. The label of Byzantine wiped out other labels. But after Hilde established the Greek Empire, the concept that replaced it became Greek. Although everyone agrees that they are Greeks, in this case, the differentiation labels of the Greeks have revived. Ephesians, Milesians, Samians, Byzantines, Athenians, Hanakanassians... These glorious cities and historic Greek groups have come together again for their pride.
Now, everyone has gathered under one big banner.
In Hilde's glory.
Everyone is working towards one goal.
And if Hilde really disappeared one day, what would become of the Greek Empire? Would those people who worked hard to become officials and generals "for the honor of their hometown" become "for the benefit of their hometown" and directly dismember the empire? No one can say for sure about these things. Sitalses only expressed his own understanding, but after realizing that there was no point in discussing this topic, everyone chose to stop and continue watching the next game.
After the first game.
The slaves rushed up and cleaned up the battlefield.
The dead wolf was dragged away from the battlefield, leaving behind only a dark bloodstain.
"Now, let's welcome——!"
"A princess from Scythia, a wolf princess from the prairie, a legendary warrior favored by Artemis and Hades! The great general of the Greek Empire - Lord Tomyris!!!"
"It's the Wolf Princess again..."
Hilde didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
I wonder if Tomyris hates this name.
The audience was also surprised. They had never heard that Tomylis was going to participate in the competition. Especially for the people of Akxing, Tomylis's name was actually a little unfamiliar. They knew that this was a person of noble status, but they had never met him. Soon, everyone's eyes were all focused on the direction of the iron gate. When they looked over, they saw a petite girl slowly walking out of the iron gate.
The triangular animal ears on her head were the most eye-catching, and the wolf tail behind her was also stretched out, fluffy and soft, looking well-maintained. Her right hand held a double-pronged fork, and her left hand was on the hilt of the knife at her waist. She also had no armor on her body, not even leather armor to protect key parts. For Tomyris, who made a living by hunting, all armor was useless and would only become a burden when she was hunting.
Tomyris came here.
I just wanted to satisfy my addiction.
She hadn't hunted for a long time.
Fighting wild animals is different from fighting humans.
The feeling of fighting with wild beasts can awaken the most fundamental desire in the human body, and Tomyris enjoys this feeling. Although Tomyris is usually a very calm person, when facing wild beasts, Tomyris can feel a strong pleasure. Moreover, she can also take this opportunity to dedicate the victory and the fruits of hunting to Hilde, which is the most important thing.
Tomyris walked to the center of the arena.
Then he raised the double-pronged fork in his hand.
“Tomyris——!!!”
"Tomyris!!!"
People have never rejected the existence of female gladiators.
What's more, it was a gladiator who was both legendary and beautiful.
As soon as Tomyris arrived, the host couldn't wait to announce, "This time! General Tomyris will challenge a mythical beast from the legend, a beast that was once defeated by Hercules, and that committed evil in Traitus, Apissus, and Nemea, and ate countless people - the Nemean lion!"
"What!?"
"The Lion of Nemea?"
Hearing this name, everyone exclaimed in surprise.
That's a big title.
Everyone in Greece knows this legend. It is said that when Hercules was being tested, one of the tests was to kill the Nemean lion. This lion was raised by Hera to deal with Hercules. It was huge, had thick fur, was invulnerable to swords and guns, and had a ferocious character. It ate many people in Nemea. Eurysius, who was annoyed by it, invited Hercules to eradicate this beast that killed people.
Later, Hercules strangled the lion to death and skinned it. From then on, he used lion skin as armor and lion head as helmet. It looked very powerful to outsiders, and Eurysius was so scared that he hid in a copper pot and dared not face Hercules directly. After that, the lion skin and olive wood stick became important symbols to identify Hercules.
Unexpectedly, there is also the Nemean lion.
Accompanied by people's exclamations.
The iron gate opposite Tomyris was also slowly opened.
"Roar……"
A dull roar came from the gate, and the air around it trembled. When everyone looked over, they saw a sturdy lion walking out leisurely. Its claws were as big as a round shield, and its shoulders were nearly three meters tall, taller than two people. Its huge lion head seemed to be able to tear a person into pieces with one bite. It was not as excited as the wolves just now. Its bell-like eyes looked at the people around it leisurely, and the audience began to tremble with fear.
The height of the Colosseum is four meters.
But people felt that this lion could jump into the audience seats at any time and anywhere.
Tomyris just stood there.
This lion is indeed a Nemean lion, but it is quite different from the Nemean Lion in the legend. This lion was found in the Nemean region when Hilde led her army to conquer Arcadia. Although it is not clear where this lion came from, its huge size made Hilde catch it herself. Originally, everyone thought that Hilde wanted to keep a lion as a pet, but they didn't expect that it would be used as a wild beast in the arena for everyone to enjoy.
Chapter 9 of the 10th tune: The innocent and kind girl
"The Lion of Nemea..."
Tomyris kept repeating the name.
Tomyris had heard the name of this beast long ago from epic stories.
When Tomyris followed Hilde into the Arcadia region, she discovered this lion. At that time, Tomyris was just surprised that there was such a creature in the world. After all, lions did not exist in the grasslands of Scythia and were an extremely unfamiliar species. This was also the first time Tomyris saw a lion. At that time, it brought her a great shock, thinking that lions were so big. Later, she learned that this was a creature called the Nemean lion, a beast that only existed in legends.
Hilde didn't find it strange.
When I went to Byzantium before, I encountered the Siren.
I have long been used to it.
However, for Tomyris, she was looking forward to hunting down the Nemean lion herself, which was hunted by Hercules in the legend. If she could defeat it, wouldn't she have accomplished the same feat as Hercules? Moreover, such a mighty beast aroused Tomyris's strong desire to fight.
At this time, the Nemean lion was walking leisurely with its head held high. It didn't seem to take Tomyris seriously. After all, a little girl who was just meters tall was just an appetizer in its eyes. Its indifference was like a humiliation to Tomyris, but for the hunter, the more the prey relaxed its vigilance, the better it was for itself.
In the arena, you cannot use divine powers.
So Tomyris had to rely purely on her own physical strength.
Go and deal with this lion.
Then, Tomyris turned the double-pronged fork in her hand and prepared to attack.
On one side was the mighty lion, and on the other side was the petite but dangerous wolf princess. This contest was more eye-catching than Golgopas's match. Sophia, who was standing in the stands, couldn't help but ask worriedly, "This... Speaking of which, wasn't Tomyris a temporary replacement? Who was supposed to deal with the lion before?"
"Dione."
"You..."
Sophia reached out and grabbed Hilde's ear.
"Don't let Dione do something so dangerous!"
"It's okay! Dione is a demigod!"
Looking at the two of them flirting with each other.
Dioni, who was standing on the other side, was too embarrassed to explain anything.
However, Dione was somewhat reluctant to give up the opportunity to hunt the Nemean Lion to Tomyris, but Hilde promised to give Dione a better gift later, and the matter was over.
"She's still a child!"
"The child... he's almost twenty years old, and he's still a child."
"Really."
Sophia put her hands on her hips and said to Dioni helplessly, "You can't do such a dangerous thing."
"Sister Sophia, it's okay, I'm very strong!"
Dioni patted the Golden Bow of the Sun on her body.
He indicated that he was a demigod who could control divine weapons.
"That won't work."
In Sofia's eyes, Dione is just a child.
And Dione had no choice but to agree.
"Yes, I understand."
"Really...when you're not paying attention, you have to do these things."
"Okay..." Hilde also dissuaded, "I won't do that next time."
"Sissi, you too, Dione is such a gentle child, and you are planning to let her fight with the lion."
"Well……"
I was scolded and really got angry.
Sophia seemed to be serious.
Hilde wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and could only smile and comfort Sophia.
At this time, Sophia was like a mother, criticizing the bold "daughter" and the indulgent "father". Dione would not be disgusted by such discipline, nor would Hilde. In Sophia's heart, she really regarded Dione as her daughter. Moreover, as the mother of a country, Sophia hoped that her "daughter" could become a well-mannered and polite woman, instead of taking weapons to the field to be a gladiator.
Hilde certainly understood.
Fortunately, everyone's attention was attracted by Tomyris.
So he didn't notice Hilde being scolded.
Dione is really strong now. Although her combat experience is not as good as Tomyris, her overall strength is already the first echelon under Hilde. Hilde knows the strength of this Nemean lion. Let alone a demigod, even if the oracle Golgopas goes up to fight, he can kill the lion in a wonderful battle. After all, this is not the real lion raised by Hera, but some kind of strange and large lion left in the Nemean region.
But why does this mutation occur?
Or is this indeed the remnant of a mythical species?
