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“However, Hades didn’t kidnap randomly. With Persephone inheriting her mother, Demeter’s earth attribute, it would help improve Hades’ control of the underground more. Moreover, the beauty and kindness of Persephone can calm the restless souls in hell…and in the end, Hades and his wife, Persephone, loved each other deeply, which is much more than Zeus and Hera, Poseidon and his queen. They ruled hell justly and seriously, rewarding good and punishing evil. And due to the fear of getting punished after death, the Theonians do not dare to indulge themselves, resulting in the city-state union becoming more peaceful! Therefore, Hades is the one who helps the humans the most among the gods!” Cariades said with reverence.

Cariades’ words completely subverted Lycasis’ understanding of the gods. He wanted to refute it but felt that Cariades’ words were reasonable. After a while, he murmured, “Are you a priest of Hades?”

“That’s what I wish, but unfortunately, I am not!” Said Cariades with regret.

“I am a merchant. A year ago, I was doing my business in Thurii, but suddenly, I became seriously ill and was about to lose consciousness, yet my despicable slave even stole my purse. I thought that I would silently go to the underworld in a foreign land like this…” Cariades was immersed in his past memories, “…but when I woke up, I found myself in a warm bed in the side hall of the Temple of Hades. The priestess in white robes served me food and medicine, while the kind priest often came to visit and comfort me from to time. And after some time passed, I soon recovered. However, the priest of Hades had not only not ask me for payment, but he even gave me travelling expenses for my return trip…the great Hades was the one who saved my life!” Cariades choked, and his eyes moisten, “Later, I learned that I am not the only one that the Temple of Hades treated, but also every Greek who are in distress! Now tell me, which other gods and goddesses had temples that treated the people, as well as the Temple of Hades, did?”

“…none.” After listening to Cariades, Lycasis could not help yearned for the Temple of Hades in Thurii.

“That is why this time, I decided to go to Thurii and serve Hades!” Cariades said with determination, “In the future, I will return to Scylletium and build a Temple of Hades!”

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

At dusk, Nicostratos and his party arrived at the south bank of the river near Krimisa. Then they entered the city through the wooden bridge.

“I have inquired about all the inns on my side, but they are already full. What’s the situation on your side?” Nicostratos saw Strasippus coming with a dejected expression, but he still asked with hope.

Strasippus shook his head, “It’s the same with the inns in the northern part. There are no vacant rooms. I heard that it is because Theonia’s Day of Marriage is coming, and many engaged men and women in the city of Aprustum rushed to the Temple of Hera in Thurii to attend the wedding ceremony, which is why all the rooms of the inns are fully booked…”

They became anxious as it was almost dark, but they could not do anything.

‘Are we going to sleep on the street tonight?!’ When Nicostratos thought of this, he unconsciously hugged his thin body.

“I thought of a way.” At this moment, a voice came from behind them. Seeing that the one who had spoken was the Scylletian that he didn’t like very much, however, he no longer hesitated and asked, “What is it?”

“Follow me.” With a mysterious smile, Cariades took them to a place.

“Is this a temple?” Nicostratos looked at the building in front of them with suspicion. Its shape was somewhat similar but also somewhat different from the temples that Nicostratos had seen, as it does not have any walls.

“This is the Temple of Hades.” Strasippus had, after all, saw one in Thurii.

“What are we doing here?” Nicostratos became suddenly nervous because the grim and terrifying Hades was the master of the night.

“Accommodation.” Said Cariades, then he went straight in.

And Lycasis followed with excitement and curiosity.

After knowing the situation, the temple priest readily agreed to let them rest in the temple, but because the spare rooms in the side halls were already full.

Fearing that they would disturb Hades, Nicostratos was still a bit scared.

The priest then said with a smile, “Hades is kind and willing to help the people in need, so you do not have anything to worry about as long as you don’t defile the environment of the temple.”

In fact, there were already people resting on the ground in the main hall, making Nicostratos and the others relieved. The priest even asked the believers to provide them with blankets and hot water so that Greeks like Nicostratos, who had never had contact with the Temple of Hades before, even praised the kindness of “Hades”.

That night, they slept quite peacefully. Naturally, the hall they slept in was the one where Elysium was depicted as no one dared to sleep on the hall on the other side of the temple.

The following day, after thanking the priests, the group then left the Temple of Hades.

As Nicostratos was still suffering from back pain, Strasippus suggested for them to take a wagon. Thus their group came to the wagon stop.

But what they did not expect was that the business here was very successful as there were no empty wagons until one wagon from Aprustum drop four people that they were able to get in.

Inside the wagon was a couple. The woman intimately held the man’s arm, and even when she saw strangers getting in, she still didn’t let go.

The conservative Nicostratos was greatly alerted by this and secretly swore at the Theonians savages who do not even know the traditional Greek etiquette.

Cariades, who often travels in Theonian territory, was already used to seeing the Theonian women in public, so he had taken the initiative to talk to them. After greeting each other, they found that the man was named Appian, who had become an official citizen of Theonia only last year and was living in Aprustum, while the woman is a native of Aprustum. When Theonia signed the peace agreement with Crotone, her family was one of the few who chose to stay, and now it seems that her family was living a good life.

This has made the Crotonians in the wagon slightly uncomfortable.

Just after a short distance, the wagon stopped again and heard a lot of noise outside.

Strasippus lifted the cover in front of the wagon and asked the driver what happened.

“In front is the square, and those damned wealthy men and nobles gathered some people to make trouble, thus blocking the road!” said the coachman angrily, then continued, “We have to take a detour!”

After Strasippus sat down, he told them the situation, and Nicostratos became interested, “Why are the Krimisians causing a commotion?”

“I know a bit regarding it.” Cariades pondered then said, “Since last autumn, a small number of Krimisians begun protesting outside the city hall near the square demanding for the convening of the ecclesia and giving the citizens the right to participate in politics…however, I did not expect that there would be so many people protesting outside the square this year!”

“The citizens of Theonia should have done that a long time ago! Now which of the Greek city-states does not hold an ecclesia, except Theonia?!” Nicostratos said with relief.

Lycasis mischievously interjected, “Neither does Syracuse.”

“Shut up!” Nicostratos glared at him, then spoke loudly, “A city-state without an ecclesia and the people having no rights to participate in politics is just dictatorship! The rule of a dictator will not last long because the citizens would rise up and even overthrow it…”

Strasippus pulled him with his hand to stop him from continuing. After all, they only came to participate in the medical symposium, so they should not talk unnecessarily and get involved in the internal strife of Theonia.

Appian, who had already turned red from anger, retorted loudly, “Only the stupid Krimisians would do such a stupid thing! Such troubles had not happened in Aprustum, Amendolara, Thurii, and even in Grumentum! And it is precisely because of the rule of lord Davos that we could even become a citizen, own land and have peace! The priests of Hades is right about us knowing how to be grateful! It’s the same with your Crotone. I heard that the war in Greece had been going on for over a year already, and the people’s life there has become more difficult, while our Magna Graecia has enjoyed such a long peace, tell me the reason for why?! Is it not due to our great commander, the descendant of Hades, Davos?!”

Appian spoke ardently. Although Nicostratos spoke harshly, he is only a physician and not an orator. Thus he is not good at arguing with others and could only glare at the young man opposite of him. On the contrary, he could only snort, “…another Dionysius…”

At this point, the wagon became silent.

The wagon went around the square, exit through the south gate and back to the road.

The wagon they were riding in was a four-wheeled wagon drawn over by two horses and could take up to six passengers. The wagon had a canopy and have small windows on the left and right sides, providing plenty of light, and the wooden seats are padded with soft cloth and fur, which could slightly alleviate the continuous vibration. However, even though the roads built by the Theonians are far better than those of other Greek city-states, the bumping on the wagon is still unavoidable. But the most troubling thing for the passengers was the noises because, in order to prevent the wooden wheel from cracking due to wear and tear, an iron ring was clamped on the other side of the wheel because of this, when the wheel rotates, the iron ring would come in contact with the stones on the roads and makes a lot of noise.

However, in the eyes of the engineers who made the wagons, only Davos had too high of requirements for the wagons to the point that he was a bit picky. For the public, the emergence and popularity of public wagons have greatly facilitated their travel.

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