I Became a Slave to a Mythical Shepherd

Episode 59. hometown (1)

“Do you think the Achaeans will send an envoy in the next year?”

“That’s right. This time, it seems that the Ithacans will be the center of the visit…”

“Take care of entertainment.”

Dunjan Priamos, who spoke so briefly, added a word as if he had suddenly remembered it.

“However, the smugglers who will come in through them are to be arrested and cut their necks. There is no way to watch.”

“Are you okay? You must be very dissatisfied.”

“I can’t help it.”

Bad times overlap.

Soon, the season for the Hittite envoy to visit Troy is approaching.

If the merchants of Achaia, who promised an embargo when the Hittite envoy enters, are in and out of the territory of Troy, there is nothing to say to the Hittites.

The purpose of the envoys that the Achaeans send like an annual event is to resolve the embargo ordered by the Hittites.

In reality, it was to join the envoys and give traders who arrived “legally” an opportunity for smuggling trade… but anyway, there is nothing better than stimulating the Hittites more.

After taking care of one more task, Priam leans his tired body on the backrest.

From nob le mt l. co m

Look at the sky in the courtyard with an open ceiling.

A few dots moved in a group in the sky over the palace, then lowered their altitude and landed somewhere over the fence.

Considering the direction in which the birds flew, perhaps…

“… It must be Hector again. What else happened?”

“Dear cousin, you worry too much. Take it easy. Anyway, by now we should have reached Antandros. It must have been a letter sent to convey the news.”

Anchises smiles softly and bows his head, but Priam cannot straighten his frown.

“How? I never thought they would come out so aggressively.”

Priam closes his eyes and covers his face with both hands. Then, inside the eyelids, the contents of the last letter sent by Hector come to mind.

“I have always suspected that they might try to kidnap Paris.”

It was more of a natural inference than a suspicion.

For Hittite loyalists, Paris is an opportunity.

First of all, it is a golden opportunity to finally become their representative and save a new royal family to face Priam.

If that’s difficult, you have to somehow make Paris into Priam’s weakness and bite it.

Either way, contact with Paris guarantees them unconditional benefit.

If you look at the bigger picture by moving away from the immediate political strife…

Priam watches the sky to the south, the sky the citizens of Antandros are looking up at.

Through Faris, they can connect with the iron industry of Antandros, which is said to be comparable to Hattusha.

And the Hittites…

Hittite, Lycian, Mysian, Phrygian, Thracian, Amazon.

And maybe even Achaia, where the ambitious Agamemnon started to rise.

It is an issue that all forces in this area can move.

“They must be desperate. But mermaids?”

Priam gritted his teeth involuntarily.

“You mean that was possible? How do you move the mermaids to harm Paris? Besides, we always made ample sacrifices to the Hittite gods…”

“My lord, the will of the gods is something we do not know. And can’t we say that the importance of this work is small? It’s something even the most worshipable gods can intervene in.”

Thousands or tens of thousands of people risk their lives just for one city to survive and perish.

However, the rise and fall of a huge empire depended on the securing of one person, Paris.

Then how much blood would they be prepared to pay?

Every time people and birds intermittently asked Priam for news, he always looked over Hector’s handwriting with anxiety.

As anxious as he was, he had to convince himself that this was better than leaving Paris alone in the capital.

“Do not worry. Isn’t it about time Paris and Hector arrived at Antandros?

Again to my lord, I was against sending Paris to Antandros.

However, as far as I can see, Prince Paris is absolutely safe the moment he arrives in Antandros.”

“Thank you for comforting me. Yes, there were many good helpers around Paris, so I was able to accomplish such a great job in Antandros…”

“no. I’m not talking about helpers.

I’m not just talking about having a few friendly adult guardians attached.”

Priam turned his head at the sudden change in Anchises’ tone.

When was the last time you saw Anchises’ serious face?

…was Anchises ever serious?

“My lord, the citizens of Antandros are not just friendly to Paris. Likewise, Paris is not just an influential figure in Antandros.

Paris, heading to Antandros, will be perfectly safe in her territory.”

“What do you mean?”

“Lord.”

Anchises puts his hand to his chest.

“Aphrodite will vouch for the truth of what I say.

Paris was the ruler of Antandros. We have only returned Paris to its nest.”

Priam could not understand that.

ruler?

What authority did Paris have to rely on?

Didn’t Anchises himself say that Paris hid his identity from everyone except the governor?

If so, how the hell did you get to such a location…

– Knock. Knock. Knock.

At the right moment, the eunuch opens the door and delivers the letter to the courtyard bathed in warm sunlight.

Priam opens the small note and reads it. I read it carefully, frowning my eyebrows as my eyesight gradually deteriorated.

Neat handwriting, courteous but not wasteful writing style.

As expected, it was a note from Hector.

“They say Hector has arrived in Antandros…”

Priam’s voice trembled weakly as he spoke.

“and···”

***

During the forced march of about two months, Hector was convinced that he would be able to complete an epic poem simply by gathering all the complaints and complaints Paris had poured out about the ‘barbaric road conditions’.

-“Brother, doesn’t your back hurt when the cart rattles like this?”

Isn’t it ‘natural’ that the cart rattles?

– “It is painful. Since it’s raining, mud up to my ankles… Damn, damn, what kind of shoes are these? It has a blade built into it, but if it breaks…”

If it rains and it’s not muddy, what floor needs to be laid with stones?

-“Yes. You could call it a road.”

Where would you find the money and energy for that?

After all, if you have the money and the energy to do so, wouldn’t it be better for your safety to build the walls of the city higher? Anyway, Troia moves by water transport?

I thought it was odd.

Faris’ complaints were the words of someone who had enjoyed something better than this.

But how could Antandros and the surrounding countryside enjoy better traffic than Troy?

however···

“…the ‘road’ has been laid.”

Hector took a good shot.

“Yes, brother.”

“To stone.”

“Until I left, this place was still a dirt road, but it seems that it has been expanded. see Are you less rattled?”

“That’s right. Amazing.”

Hector smiled in amusing perplexity.

It’s fun and bold. Claiming to have led this major construction project himself, Paris could see how much he loved his city.

“That is wonderful. Have you made any profit from building these roads? Like collecting money for tolls.”

“no. In fact, no matter how much money you get, it’s like pouring water into a bottomless jar. Still, Antandros and the towns around it prosper because of it.”

Anticipation is already rising.

If Paris had done all this as a slave boy, and as the blacksmith’s slave and assistant, how great would Paris have done as a lord of Antandros?

Perhaps, as Paris and Anchises boasted, the day will come when wheat is cut with iron and the soil is dug with iron…

-sparkle.

“…what is that?”

“Are you farmers?”

“No, the ones the farmers are holding. I’m digging the ground with something.”

“hmm? Didn’t you know? That’s strange. I heard that Anchises-nim already reported everything.”

Paris turns her head with a proud expression.

“It is steel.”

***

…Anchises, son of Capis, lord of Dardanos.

He is a man with so many great things. Cheerful, optimistic, excels in martial arts, and has the right amount of humility to get along well with people.

He’s a little quirky, but he’s by no means a fool. There are times when the praise of beauty is a little too much, but isn’t that also a form of reverence for God?

However, people are a bit literary.

For example, let’s say other people write like this.

-‘Priam, we crossed some hills today. My feet were wet from crossing the creek halfway, but they dried in the sun. The exhausted party is taking shelter in the valley.’

Anchises writes:

-‘My lord whom I respect and love very much, today, as I walked among Gaia’s wrinkles, I realized with my own body the vastness of the land. One of Okeanos’ innumerable children chilled my feet, and Apollo warmed them up again as he crossed the sky. However, we now experience the exhaustion of mortal bodies that will one day die. Both legs and arms are heavy. Lest the warmth of my heart be robbed by some jealous wind, I lay down among the scars of the mountains close to Hades…’

Therefore, Hector and Priam have been accustomed to understanding Anchises’ speech and writing style for many years by replacing them with ‘normal’ ones.

In other words, if there are 10 lines, it means that I read the contents after summarizing them in 3 lines.

Perhaps the clear position of Paris or the detailed circumstances of Antandros were included in the truncated seven lines.

In the distance, through the fields, you can see a panoramic view of Antandros, gnarled like a misgrown tooth.

And as we got a little closer, we could see the figures of people standing in front of them.

“It’s Paris!!”

“Honourific titles… use honorific titles…!”

“Fa, it’s Paris-sama!”

From the one who seemed to be the governor of the city, the elders, wealthy citizens, blacksmiths and various artisans, all influential figures gathered.

Hector turned to Paris.

In the expression of Paris, who was delicately decaying, there was not even a hint of the conceit characteristic of those who had just risen to the top.

Instead, he just made an expression that seemed to be quite gritty, as if a piece of meat had been stuck between his teeth all day.

Faris maintains that uncomfortable expression and gestures lightly.

“…Nikis. Nikkis! Nikkis!!”

Suddenly, in the middle of the crowd, a middle-aged man hurriedly jumped up and bowed his head.

“Yes, Paris.”

“Well, when did you tell me my true identity?”

“It was the night after you left…”

“Yeah, I expected that. I won’t be awkward, will I?”

“Everyone expected a day like this, so don’t worry.”

Faris rubbed his temples and let out a light moan.

Paris continued while Hector stood dumbfounded.

“Are you going to go back to Troy now?”

“Perhaps. The Governor’s Palace is already ready for repairs. Or do you want to build a new palace…”

“Let’s not bother going. You did a good job.”

It’s twisted somewhere.

When the 15-year-old boy had just returned as a monarch, the scene Hector anticipated was the contrast between the proud Paris and the disapproving citizens of Antandros.

But now, the conversation between Paris and the governor… is not simply a matter of knowing who he is.

“This is Paris, appointed as the monarch of Antandros. This is Hector, son of my brother Priam!”

As Paris moved closer to the ranks and shouted, everyone quietly bowed their heads.

There was a distinct difference between when they came out one by one and recited their names to Hector, and when they greeted Paris.

Everything seemed familiar. The only thing that has changed is their external relationship.

“Oh… Skleos? How is the blacksmith facility expansion going?”

“Uh, um, keuhum, Mr. Paris, we are building another water wheel for now. I’m going to hook up a couple more hammers to it.”

“I think I’d be better off with the furnace, but I’ll see the site later.”

I feel like I’m repeating what I’ve done before.

“Paris-sama!!”

“Anoitos?”

“I really believed Paris was born with a lineage of heroes! How was Troia? Have you met my father?”

“I haven’t met you. Too busy… Here, Hector, the prince of Troy. Say hello.”

“Oh, Hector! I am familiar with the high reputation. How many times have we met when we were young?”

“…Are you the eldest son of Cassius?”

Hector is out of his mind.

Why is Paris so… good?

How can he be recognized by the citizens of Antandros so quickly?

So naturally, like flowing water? Hector imagined a fierce political struggle that would continue until Paris settled down…

“Brother, say hello. Uh… This is Skleos, who accepted me as an assistant.”

“It is an honor to meet you.”

“I have heard many stories.”

Indeed, as Anchises said, the peasants plow the land with plows that cost more than an equal weight of gold.

As Anchises had promised, a mere slave-boy had taken control of most of the upper levels of the city.

then···

Hector suppresses the desire to grab his messy hair and turns his gaze toward his younger brother, whom he thought had gotten a little closer.

“Paris?”

“Yes, brother.”

“Tell me without any exaggeration or rhetoric.”

“All right.”

“How many cities are connected to Antandros by road?”

“Hmm… if you ask like that, it’s ambiguous, but there are five or six places.”

“Then, which city uses steel for farming tools?”

“Everything.”

“···finally.”

Hector turned to Paris.

“How many cities can produce that steel?”

“There is only one place.”

point.

so here

As Paris said, she gestured at the gates of the city with a wink.

oh my god.