The Greece Antagonist

But due to the influence of the Dionysian Sect spreading, the acts of worship and assembly in secret by the common folk continued unabated despite prohibition.

Therefore, in fury, Pentheus declared the Dionysian Sect a heretical cult that bewitched the masses, and he severely hunted down its followers, casting them all into prison.

Even his own mother, for participating in the Dionysian Sect's secret "Joyful Banquets" with a group of noblewomen, was also locked up.

Neither the warnings of Tiresias, the blind seer of the temple, nor the persuasion of the old king, Cadmus, could change Pentheus's firm stance against the Dionysian Sect.

Thus, as an ordinary person, the old farmer was well aware of his own helplessness, able only to grumble temporarily and do whatever good deeds were within his capability.

"Young man, you hide here for a few days. Once it's confirmed that there's no danger, you can leave. I will go home and get you something to eat."

After offering his humble shack in the fields to the rash stranger before him and giving a few simple instructions, the old farmer turned and walked toward his home in the village.

Gazing at the receding figure of the elderly man, and at the sinister silhouette of Thebes in the distance, Luo En, as the leader of the sect, narrowed his eyes slightly.

~~

Nightfall, within the resplendent golden palace of Thebes.

The king, Pentheus, burly in stature yet with a hint of youthful immaturity that made him appear impetuous, sat on a throne wrought of gold, scrutinizing the new batch of the God of Wine's followers brought before him.

Among them were the old and the young, including even members of the divine-blooded nobility.

Seeing this, Pentheus could not help but become infuriated and reproach sharply.

"What madness has possessed you to band together and follow a lowly false god? A bunch of weak fools and hysterical women! Have you forgotten the heroic blood that runs in your veins?

Thebes is the land of the brave! Our citadel is built upon the great deeds of slaying dragons and the bones of our enemies!

And this false god you wish to worship wears a crown of grapevines on his head, not a helmet; he wears cumbersome robes, not armor; he holds a ridiculous wine cup, not a sword or spear. Do you really expect to go into battle and drink your enemies to death?"

Hearing the relentless scolding, the gathered crowd remained indifferent.

"Your Majesty, if I recall correctly, slaying the dragon and building the city were the achievements of your grandfather, Cadmus, who advised you not to mistreat these innocent followers of the Dionysian Sect."

A deep voice came from the crowd, causing the young king on the throne to turn red with rage.

Pentheus searched for the source of the voice, ominously glaring at a certain blond-haired, blue-eyed young man among the crowd.

"Damn you, what is your name? Who are your parents, and where is your home? Why do you embrace this new cult?"

The young man shrugged his shoulders fearlessly and calmly replied,

"My name is Polydorus, my hometown is on Crete Island. My parents are ordinary folk, with neither cattle nor land. My father taught me only how to fish, for that skill was his wealth. Later I learned to sail, to know the stars, to observe the winds, and I knew where the best harbors were, so I became a navigator. Once, while sailing for Thilos Island in the Aegean Sea, I was captured by a band of barbaric pirates.

I thought I was surely doomed, but as it turned out, there was a Heavenly God on board as well.

The pirate captain must have thought the god's handsome appearance and soft skin meant he was some Prince, so he captured him too, awaiting a hefty ransom from the shore he was waiting by.

But when the young man was brought aboard, the pirates watched him with pointed knives, and they tied him up with the thickest ropes, yet somehow, they could not bind him, and the ropes simply slipped off.

To greater wonder, during the voyage, grapevines suddenly grew on the sail and spread out to both sides, bearing many grapes. And ivy climbed up around the mast, the ship's rails overgrown with ivy. The deck was flooded with spilled wine, fragrant in the air.

And that young man reverted to his Divine form, wearing a headband made of grape leaves and holding a rod entwined with grapevines, and around him lay tigers, lynxes, and panthers. The sweet scent of wine spread throughout the ship..."

Listening to the magnetic voice recounting the story, everyone began to yearn for the wondrous scene, their emotions fluctuating with the progress of the tale.

"Wait, haven't we heard this before?"

"Yes, the 'Hymn to the God of Wine'!" Explore stories on empire

"Mmm-hmm, that's right, I remember now, the author is that blind poet, Homer!"

Some of the thoughtful followers in the crowd, after a moment of reflection, turned in shock to look at this slightly unfamiliar brother in faith, their faces showing envy.

Clearly, this man was likely the witness to that story, a living saint!

Being able to have an encounter with the great God of Wine and to sail with him was indeed a great honor.

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At this moment, upon hearing the buzzing rumors among the crowd, Pentheus was unable to contain his rage.

"Nonsense! Some charlatan that appeared out of nowhere dares to claim to be a god!"

In the face of the young king's reprimand, the golden-haired, blue-eyed narrator offered a faint smile.

"Your Majesty, what a coincidence, the group of sea pirates didn't believe it at first either, and then guess what happened?"

Then, he paused for a moment before continuing.

"The pirates first lunged forward with knives, only for the God of Wine to transform into a mighty lion standing at the bow of the ship, tearing the swords to shreds;

Yet the pirates remained undeterred and drew their bows and arrows. The God of Wine then turned into a massive bear, using its fur to deflect the arrows while protecting me;

Ultimately, with no strategy left, in a fit of rage, the pirates decided to sink the ship and leap into the sea to escape. But the moment they touched the water, the pirate captain, who had captured the God of Wine onto his ship, found his lips and nose fused together, turning into a fish's mouth.

Before the other pirates could even scream, they met with the same fate: they grew blue skin, their spines curved, their arms shrank into fins, and their legs had long since turned into tails.

I recognize that kind of fish—it's called a dolphin...

In this way, all the pirates that entered the water were stripped of their human form, transformed into this state.

There were a total of twenty people on the ship, leaving only me unharmed. Just as I was overtaken by fear, the God of Wine approached me.

He said, "Do not fear, my friend, for you have not sought to harm me, and you are a righteous man.

If you are willing, take me to Crete Island. Once we arrive there, you can become my disciple, spreading my teachings to the world:

Let he who is unjust continue to be unjust; let he who is filthy continue to be filthy; let he who is righteous continue to be righteous; let he who is holy continue to be holy... For the gods will punish the wicked and protect the good."

The Merciful One will even grant those wretched pirates three opportunities to repent."

In the silence that ensued, the "disciple" gazed up at the youthful and vigorous face of Pentheus, deep in thought.

"So, what is your choice, Your Majesty?"

"Enough, I have no patience for your drivel!"

"It's not too late to mend your ways..."

"How dare you, a lowly charlatan, presume to lecture me? Shut your mouth!"

Pentheus on the throne glared with ice-cold eyes, fury rising as he stood up from his seat, and with a big sweep of his hand.

"Guards, seize him, subject him to all manners of torture, then cast him into the dungeon!"

The soldiers in the great hall, upon hearing the command, immediately grabbed ropes and instruments of punishment, ready to tie up the presumptuous young man amidst the people.

However, a gust of wind blew through, leaving the soldiers entering the crowd dazed and confused.

By the time they regained their senses, the supposed criminal they were to arrest had vanished.

Meanwhile, a deep murmur resounded from the pitch-black night sky.

"The first time..."

Pentheus looked at the palace doors that had been blown open by the wind and the empty square beyond the windows, his expression fluctuating between dark and light, as he exploded in furious roars at the bewildered soldiers.

"Bring him back! Go catch that damned trickster and bring him back to me!"

The soldiers snapped to attention under the king's scolding, rushing out in a panic to search for the fugitive criminal.

Meanwhile, the believers who had witnessed the scene were beside themselves with excitement.

A saint! It must truly be the saint!

The God of Wine must have known that we were treated unjustly and sent someone to rescue us!

At this moment, the followers, who had begun to waver and fear under oppressive power, had their faith solidified once more. They brought their hands together in a prayerful gesture toward the kind and just deities, praying with fervor.

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