The Greece Antagonist

"What?"

Upon hearing those words, Pentheus couldn't help but rise angrily from his throne, lashing out at the commander of the Imperial Guard.

"What are you all doing? Can't you even watch over a mere hundred or so prisoners? They're all sick and weak, old and frail!"

Listening to the king's rebuke, the returning commander of the Imperial Guard also wore an expression of grievance.

"Your Majesty, this really isn't our fault. By the time we got to the dungeon, the prison doors were already open, and the jailers were lying around as if they were drunk and unconscious. Then, in a blink of an eye, those prisoners vanished before our very eyes, leaving only a pile of handcuffs and shackles that had fallen off by themselves in their cells."

"If they've escaped, then go find them! Go catch them! The families of many heretics are still in the city; they can't have gone far!"

At this moment, after receiving that mysterious inspiration, Pentheus seemed to have realized how to deal with the heretics and gnashed his teeth as he dropped his order.

"If you can't capture them, bring back their families to suffer on behalf of these criminals!"
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Upon hearing these words, the commander of the Imperial Guard instantly felt an onrush of complaints within his heart.

Such widespread and indiscriminate punishment was sure to stir up trouble.

And as for the Imperial Guards who were tasked with carrying out these orders, they were bound to be condemned vehemently.

But royal commands are difficult to disobey, and seeing that King Pentheus was determined to strike hard against the Dionysian Sect and its associates, he had no choice but to take the token, gather the Divine Blood Guard, and head to the army barracks of the city defense forces, ready to launch a joint operation.

He had no choice; the burden was too heavy for one person to bear.

It was better to have his comrades-in-arms help to shoulder some of the weight.

Moreover, he didn't want to be drowned in spit, so he first sought to chase down and apprehend the escaped heretics. If they really couldn't present any suspects, there would still be time to round up the relatives of the involved parties.

Nevertheless, this night was destined to be sleepless.

~~

Meanwhile, outside the city.

After a dizzying whirl, the members of the Dionysian Sect who had disappeared from the dungeon blinked open their eyes, only to find themselves miraculously freed from the dark and damp cages, now in the thick forest of Mount Cyllene.

Under the hazy moonlight, the blond young man who had performed miracles in the royal palace the night before stood before them with a staff in hand, smiling at them.

"Saintly Sir! It's the Saintly Sir!"

"Thank you for rescuing us!"

"By the God of Wine, we've finally escaped."

The believers regained their senses and swarmed forward, babbling excitedly about their feelings.

When the Divine Blood Guard had arrived, they had learned from the noisy chatter that King Pentheus had decided to execute them, and many had been terrified at the thought of dying on the gallows.

Little did they expect that the God of Wine would command His saint to rescue them from their life-or-death crisis.

Surely, this was a benevolent and just god!

Having just been through a life-threatening ordeal, the believers' emotions of gratitude and admiration were overwhelmingly strong.

Their intense faith turned into invisible points of light, flowing into the heart of a certain [Saint] at the scene, and as if transformed into golden Divine Liquid, it rained down, causing a vine nurtured within the golden wheel to grow several inches taller in the blink of an eye, and from which several tender branches sprouted.

Such good people!

Luo En looked at these believers before him, his eyes shining as if he had spotted a crop of freshly growing chives.

In this unseen mutual adoration between deities and their followers, both sides felt they were the ones who benefited the most.

"Grumble~~"

Just as the atmosphere grew increasingly warm, a rumbling sound of hunger broke the silence of the forest.

A dozen believers awkwardly rubbed their bellies, and the others couldn't help but show embarrassment.

They hadn't eaten since being locked up in the dungeon almost a day ago.

Luo En gave a slight smile, reached out, and handed the staff in his hand to a woman in the crowd who seemed somewhat familiar.

"Use this."

The woman accepted the staff with astonishment, following the saint's instructions to strike the rock wall, causing a stream of clear water and fine wine to flow from the crevices of the stone; milk ran in the stream, and honey dripped from the hollow tree trunks.

The sweet aroma led the hungry believers to try scooping up the wine and milk, or sucking on the honey from the trees.

The fragrance of the food in their mouths, along with the real sense of fullness, invigorated their spirits, excited them beyond measure, as they constantly murmured the words "miracle" and worshiped the benevolent God of Wine with the utmost reverence.

As a result, Luo En's divine power and the grapevine in the center of the golden disc grew a little more, and his mood became even more joyful.

Looking at the feasting followers around him, this Patriarch's face was filled with genuine smiles, like a hardworking old farmer delighted by the robust growth of chives in his field.

Truly, such simple folks, so unpretentious.

Give them some real benefits, and they're ready to believe in you, and each does so more thoroughly than the last.

Of course, it might also be because the deities of Greece are usually up to no good, acting entirely on whims and moods, without any understanding of sustainable development and mutual benefits.

They either pluck the chives to the root or turn over the entire field.

So, farming still requires the mystical Eastern power.

Luo En reflected on this quietly while he surreptitiously traced the Hermes Script behind him, slicing through space.

Although he had become a deity, his authority was not yet strong enough to create something out of nothing.

Therefore, some of this food had been cultivated through the God of Hunting's Strength and the power of the pastoral gods associated with "Goat" and "Wild Boar," while the rest had been transported through space from the city.

Of course, Luo En also left behind some gold and silver as compensation.

As the former scribe of Crete Island, he still had plenty of precious metals; enough to feed a hundred and ten people for several months with ease.

As Luo En pondered whether to take the opportunity of the followers eating to rehearse a pre-meal prayer ritual, to strengthen their sense of faith and belonging, a cacophony of horse hooves came from outside the woods.

Soon, several hundred fully armed figures appeared amidst the trees.

"It's the Imperial Guard!"

Seeing the emblem of a poisonous dragon on their armor and weapons, the followers immediately panicked, grabbing sticks and stones and gathering in front of a certain holy figure, readying themselves for a desperate struggle.

"Stop!"

Luo En stopped the followers' irrational actions and stepped out from among the crowd, smiling at the leader of the Imperial Guard.

"I hear your King wants to see me? In that case, I am willing to be taken into custody, but please do not harm the people behind me."

The leader of the Imperial Guard thought carefully for a moment, glanced at the hundred or so people at the scene, and nodded slightly.

Many among them were notable figures from Thebes, and the initial command given to him by the King was just to lure out this "saint" by any means necessary.

It was just a job; there was no need for him to be utterly ruthless.

After all, they were all locals who would have to face each other sooner or later; it was always good to leave some room for maneuver.

Besides, it seemed the monarch in the palace was seriously ill.

Seeing a consensus had been reached, Luo En willingly put on shackles for himself.

"We cannot let them take away the holy figure!"

"Fight them!"

"..."

However, just as the Imperial Guard was about to place the prisoner on the prison wagon, the followers finally reached their limit and surged forward, trembling as they raised their sticks and stones.

The leader of the Imperial Guard sighed and reminded them reluctantly,

"King Pentheus has decreed that if you dare to resist or escape, your relatives and friends in the city will be imprisoned along with you. For the sake of your families, you'd better surrender,"

Hearing this, the locals among the followers turned ashen, but many believers still looked resolute, clearly prepared to die for their saint.

Luo En raised his hand to stop the followers' resistance once more and smiled as he spoke.

"Don't worry, wait here for me, I shall return shortly, this is the will of the God of Wine."

There seemed to be a convincing magic power in his words, and gradually, the followers calmed down, nodding obediently and choosing to continue their prayers and feasting.

If it was the God of Wine's will, then surely he would protect his followers.

And as the guards watched the followers conjure honey, wine, and milk out of thin air, using their staffs, they showed shock and took a more cautious and reverent stance towards Luo En, the heretic.

Soon, the Imperial Guard escorted the prisoner in the wagon towards Thebes, preparing to report back to the monarch who had issued the order.