Tears Behind Iron Bars 1/2
As the sun rose, the mist dissipated from the dazzling CD player, and the large group heading towards the dense forest rapidly drew closer across the wilderness.
Hearing the commotion, the Calydonians, who had gathered on both sides of the street, were fortunate enough to witness the birth of two joyous events.
First, the demonic boars, which had ravaged the land for over a decade, destroying countless fields and crops and killing hundreds of hunters, were finally eradicated.
In a solemn atmosphere, Prince Meleager led his entourage, consisting of hundreds of carriages carrying thousands of large and small demonic boar carcasses, into the city in a grand procession.
The many heroes who participated in the hunt leaned against the carcass of the Original Demon Boar, heads held high and chests puffed out.
Its teeth are sharper than chisels...
Its hide is harder than steel...
With such a large size, Jian Qi looks like a small mountain...
The monster, simply lying there quietly, made it difficult for humans to breathe and evoked intense fear.
Is this the divine punishment that has plagued the Kingdom of Calydon for over a decade?
Today, the gloom that had been weighing on their hearts has finally been torn away.
The incredulous people stepped forward and poked the corpse. Only after a long moment of stunned silence did they finally erupt into a hoarse shout and cheers.
A hero sent by heaven! A great hero!
We won! That bastard is finally in trouble!
Moments later, a wave of cheers resounded Calydon, making it almost impossible for the hunting party to move an inch.
People snapped up all the flowers and wine in the vicinity, flocking forward to shower the returning heroes with petals and offer them food and drink as a token of their gratitude.
The victims of the pilgrimage were transported back to the capital, and the atmosphere became even more somber.
But as the last two royal nobles appeared before people's eyes, after an eerie silence, cheers seemed to rise above the Demon Pig Arena for a moment.
So, the second piece of good news is something those who know, know.
As evening fell, a campfire was lit, and the burning spices released a captivating fragrance into the air.
The young and promising Prince of Calydon and his aged King led their people in a grand sacrifice to Artemis, Goddess of Hunting, with the remains of a demonic boar and fine cattle and sheep, to atone for their past mistakes.
As for the Queen of Calydon, she caught a cold and was unwell, so the banquet that was originally scheduled to be held in the palace had to be cancelled.
Afterwards, Prince Meleager, who took over the reins from his father, even distributed the harvested demon pork to the people so that they could relieve their suppressed emotions.
Thus, the Calydonians, having received two pieces of good news in succession, devoured the flesh of the monsters, drank wine, sang and danced, and held a feast that lasted all night long to celebrate this great victory.
The heroes who participated in the Calydonian Hunt were drawn into the seating area in small groups by beautiful girls and admiring young men.
The atmosphere at this grand banquet, which was a celebration for all, was even more enthusiastic and joyous because of the absence of the King and Queen.
Prince of Calydon, who was wandering around the hall offering toasts, turned around and found the face he was looking for, and shook his head helplessly.
It seems that the two heroes of the Calydonian Hunt left the venue early.
At this moment, below the edge of the city wall.
Sitting on the grass, leaning against a tree trunk, with a handful of gooseberries and a jar of wine in hand, he leisurely drinks and sips his wine, his posture exuding an indescribable laziness and ease.
Soon, a snow-white owl swooped in, folded its wings, and landed on its owner's shoulder, its sharp eyes gleaming in the darkness.
At the same time, cheerful laughter echoed in Samael's mind.
"Hehe, teacher, you seem to be even naughtier than before."
How dare you slander someone's innocence out of thin air!
"See, I haven't even told you what you've done yet, and you've already confessed, haven't you?"
"What can someone as kind and upright as me do?"
"Stop pretending. Meleager's two uncles were chopped into mincemeat by those heroes. Wasn't that your doing?"
"As the Goddess of Wisdom, you cannot speak carelessly; you must provide evidence!"
"Tch, I'm not your old flame Themis. The other side of wisdom, in a derogatory sense, is being good at scheming. Who says you have to follow the rules? Keep pretending, believe me, I'll send an oracle to Caenis and have her find Queen Calydon to expose you. Let's see how you play then."
On Mount of Ares, Athena threatens to overturn the table, exposing someone's ugly face.
Faced with his unpredictable adopted daughter, Samael rolled his eyes, nonchalantly admitted his crime, and maintained his usual indifferent expression.
Everyone saw it. The other side came to rob the prey first, and even resorted to violence and murder. How can we tolerate this?
Besides, it was a dark and stormy night, and there were many people and things were complicated. Every single one of the heroes present was an accomplice, and they acted in self-defense.
The deceased was a descendant of the Demigod Family and the queen's younger brother. The Calydon royal family wanted to get to the bottom of this.
Haha, what are the King's brothers-in-law compared to this? These Greek Heroes who dare to come and fight the demon boar, aren't they all of divine blood?
To name a few examples, Theseus was the prince of Troizen and Athens, Atalanta was the lord of Arcadia, the Twin Swordsmen and the beautiful Helen were the children of the Spartan King, Circe was the sister of King Colchis, and even Jason was a prince of Thessayoa...
Those who attended were either connected to the royal families of various large and small states, or were descendants of the Demigod Family.
If the That King wanted to pursue the matter relentlessly, it would be tantamount to upsetting half of Greece.
Moreover, this also requires another group of hunters who did not participate to remain neutral.
The problem is that heroes often band together.
Moreover, after receiving Calydon's plea for help, they rushed over to assist in the battle against the monster. Not only did the other side not thank them, but they also sent two idiots into the fray, humiliating so many of their relatives and friends.
What? Do you really think these heroes who fight and kill every day, and who would slaughter your whole family at the slightest disagreement, are pushovers?
At worst, offending Artemis will only cause Calydon to suffer.
Offending so many heroes could lead to the downfall of Calydon!
Unless the prince and King are fools, they should know how to handle the situation.
Haven't you seen the royal family of Calydon, who haven't said a word yet?
Therefore, Her Majesty the Queen's two younger brothers died in vain.
"Tsk, to destroy someone, you must first drive them mad. Isn't it better to live? Why do you have to seek death?"
Samael glanced at the brightly lit meeting hall, lightly shook the wine jar in his hand, and gave a mocking sneer.
"I heard from Caenis that you seem to have sold those two unfortunate guys out again?"
Inside the temple, Athena stroked her smooth chin, asking with a playful expression, a slight smile playing on her lips.
In short, it suggested that Prince Meleager list his two uncles as martyrs who died fighting the Boar, thus preserving the dignity of the Demigod Family.
In exchange, the royal family of Calydon turned a blind eye to the crime that had enraged the public and reimbursed the service fee as agreed.
"So you see, isn't it great that everyone's happy?"
Samael shrugged, a pleased smile on his face.
Thanks to the sacrifices of those two, he was able to develop a good relationship with another group of heroes.
Sharing a window together is one of the four ironclad bonds of human relationships.
The iron bars on the prison windows are also windows, and they have an extremely high iron content.
Just as Samael was once again indulging in the pleasure of manipulating order, Athena in the temple whispered a mocking murmur.
"Oh, I've finished asking. Aunt Themis, what's the sentence for instigating a crime?"