Just after Aristotle left the city of Yalun, the envoys of the Pozi Empire also arrived. They put new pressure on the military and political officials of the city-state of Yalun, threatening: "If you unite with Macedonia and betray Pozi, then Pozi I will fully support Kibata and completely destroy Yalun! You are far away from Macedonia, but you are closer to Kibata! Please don’t forget that you made the decision to ask Bozi for help, why are you breaking your promise now? You will definitely be punished by the gods for this!"
It was already very reluctant for the Yalun city-state to agree to form an alliance with Macedonia. In fact, they would rather sell the interests of the Heaton Peninsula to Potts in the distance in exchange for the status of hegemony, and they were unwilling to surrender to Macedonia on the Heaton Peninsula. Under the threat of the Potts and the new promise, Yalun changed his mind and decided not to let the covenant take effect, and sent the high priest Merlin to lead the assassins to assassinate the mission.
This is a top-secret operation, no matter whether it succeeds or not, the identity of the assassin cannot be revealed. So Merlin took two great warriors, three priests, twenty-four elite fighters, and even dressed up like a Kibata. This lineup is more than enough to get rid of Aristotle's mission, and it is also very thoughtful. Unfortunately, they missed.
Not only did they miss, but they were all captured alive; not only were they captured alive, but they were recognized in a public parade with their hands tied; not only were they recognized, but they were also watched from thousands of miles away. The worst scenarios imaginable by using the imagination, all happened! Is this the punishment of the gods? Whatever you are most afraid of will be there.
A bound great magician, as an assassin who was captured by mistake, walked thousands of miles with other captives and endured indescribable humiliation. At the beginning, Merlin was ashamed and angry, and the resentment in his heart was indescribable, but along the way, he had been watched too many times, and he had to calm down, gradually realizing that this was what he deserved.
Yalun betrayed the covenant and went against his will to kill the Macedonian mission. Such a despicable act is contemptible, otherwise these assassins would not dare to reveal their identities. He is the commander of the assassination operation, and now the result is his own fault. What reason does the person assassinated by him have to cover up for him
Merlin was numb for a while, like a walking dead, but when Aristotle's convoy was assassinated for the second time, his mind churned and he thought of more. For the reinforcements sent from Yalun City, the primary assassination target was not Aristotle's mission, but the captives who had been captured by mistake. The great warrior Moilei scolded the commander of the second batch of assassins, and was scolded by Medan Zuo again, but Merlin heard it all but didn't say a word.
After entering the Macedonian city-state, the bound Merlin became calmer instead. He knew that it was impossible for him to return to Yalun to serve him. Even if he was redeemed as a captive, he did not intend to go back. From the perspective of personal glory and the reputation of the city-state, this experience was a shame.
When he was placed in a comfortable residence, and King Philip II of Macedonia came to "interrogate" himself, Merlin said everything very simply, and then asked calmly: "Your Majesty, what do you plan to do with it?" What about me? I want to take my head as a sacrifice to the flag and launch a large army to punish the people of Yalun?"
Philip II replied: "The city-state of Yalun is losing itself, and the entire Hidden Peninsula, including the Yalun people, needs to be rescued by the gods. The moment you are captured by mistake, your personal mission is over. , from the moment you were assassinated by the second batch of assassins, you yourself have been abandoned by Yalun. The gods have given you a chance to choose again. Are you willing to serve Macedonia? I will not kill you, if you refuse me request, I will let you go back."
Merlin only considered a few breaths, then got up and saluted, swearing allegiance to Macedonia. In addition to him, the great warrior Moilai and others also surrendered to Macedonia because of their own considerations. They have been humiliated along the way, as long as they are still alive and do not want to give up on themselves, they must wash away their shame through meritorious glory. Philip II gave them the best advice: "I don't need to ask you to attack Yalun. In the future, you can deal with the Bozi people on the battlefield!"
Philip II was willing to subdue these captives patiently. On the one hand, it was to show the ambition and generosity of a monarch. On the other hand, it was of course related to the oracle of Zeus. The oracle did not say who the person who was very important to the Macedonian Kingdom was, so Philip II had to be careful.
After disposing of the captives, Philip II carefully questioned Essen, the captain of the mission's guard, about the journey. He was very interested in the matter of Amon and Medanzo, and asked his staff to investigate. The result shocked him deeply. .
Of course, what the intelligence system of a kingdom can understand is far beyond what a person usually sees and hears. Philip II already knew who Amon was after seeing all the materials mentioned by his staff, but he couldn't believe it—Aristotle actually brought back a god from a foreign country!
Amon's identity is both special and embarrassing. He is not a god believed by the Hidonians, but came to Macedonia as a friend and entourage of Aristotle. This determined that Philip II could not visit him like a god, nor could he listen to him like an oracle. But Philip II is a king, and he has never seen a god with his own eyes. He is very looking forward to and eager to see Amon, but he doesn't know how to meet him.
Philip II hesitated for several days, and finally called Aristotle into the palace to ask for advice in private. Aristotle asked with a smile: "Your Majesty, you can't receive him like a god, but you are afraid of being blamed by the gods for being rude, is that so?"
Philip II nodded and said, "Yes, he is not the god I believe in, but he is a god after all."
Aristotle asked again: "Your Majesty, do you know how we should get along with the gods and how we should treat the gods?"
Philip II moved his butt forward from the chair, leaned forward and said, "Please advise, sir!"
Aristotle replied: "For people's beliefs, God is the happy and perfect self-realization in pure thought. The real God is beyond the existence of this world. The world we can perceive is not perfect. , with all kinds of life and desires, imperfect thoughts and desires, all living beings can feel God more or less."
Philip II shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't understand."
Aristotle smiled: "Then let's talk about Amon, he is a friend I knew in the early years, a child who grew up in the town of Duk, the resigned General Ecu, and now he has traveled to Macedonia. The person you will meet is him, and he is not perfect in this world. How he exists depends on his purpose for coming to this world. Your Majesty wants to see him, it depends on your majesty's purpose. You can use Do it your own way, as long as it makes sense."
Philip II nodded and said, "Oh, I see, thank you sir!"
The next day, Philip II ordered to reward Aristotle, and held a private banquet in the palace. He also invited the two heroes who had helped the mission on the road to attend. grateful. Amon and Medanzo followed Assyria to the palace, and Philip II finally saw the gods.
If Philip II didn't know the identity of Amon, as a king, he would just sit there and wait for the servant's notification, but at this moment he personally greeted the door of the banquet hall. Aristotle came with Amon and Medanzo, and introduced the two "heroes" to the king, and Amon naturally bowed to Philip II.
Philip II hurried forward to stop him and said, "You two heroes, there is no need to be too polite. Today is a special banquet to thank you."
After taking the seat, the king took the initiative to toast, and Amon also raised his glass frankly. Philip II had many questions in his mind, but the first thing he said was: "Mr. Amon, you have been to many places, why did you come to Macedonia?"
Amon replied: "I came to the Heaton Peninsula to travel and wanted to visit Mr. Aristotle, so I came here."
Philip II asked again: "When you came to the Heaton Peninsula, how do you view the situation here, and how do you view the future of the Macedonian Kingdom?"
Amon smiled, looked at Philip II and said, "It depends on you, not on me. I would like to ask, what kind of vision does Your Majesty have for the future of the Kingdom of Macedonia?"
Philip II replied: "My idea is to form a unified alliance for the entire Heaton Peninsula. It was because of this that we were able to repel the attack of the Botts. Now because of the civil strife in Heaton, the Botts will make a comeback. .”
Amon smiled again: "Actually, both Yalun and Kibada have this idea, but they used the wrong means, and they are doomed to fail. You have hope to realize your vow, but the enemies on this road are not At least, if the day comes to fulfill your vow, you will find that it is not the end of your desire.”
Philip II sighed: "Of course it is not easy to realize the vow, but no matter how many enemies there are, I will try my best to do it. If there is a day, let's talk about the rest. I am not a god, so I can't understand more. "
But Amon shook his head and said: "I used to think so too, thinking that the vows in the world are not simple, so it is not easy to realize. Later I discovered that the simplest vows are actually the most difficult, and there are always more desires driving Let people move forward... Your Majesty, I admire your courage and ambition, and I wish you good luck!"
Then at the banquet, there were many topics about military affairs, politics, and the situation of the countries in the mainland, none of which went beyond the scope of human affairs, but it was Mei Danzuo who talked the most. Amon did not embarrass Philip II, nor was he disrespectful to the king and the gods he believed in. He was very calm and true, whether he was a god or not, he was that Amon.
Perhaps because of this, Philip II felt uncomfortable, and the king was even vaguely uncomfortable. It wasn't that he was disrespectful to Amon in his heart, but subconsciously, he didn't want to get along with Amon face to face, because it didn't feel good. When Amon spoke, he always looked straight into his eyes calmly, and his eyes seemed to be able to see through the soul, which made a monarch quite uncomfortable.
Who would look at him like that? Who would talk to him like that? Philip II would rather sacrifice and kneel to the gods on the altar than drink with a "mortal" subconsciously. Amon didn't deliberately put on the airs of a god, let alone arrogant. He just said a few words in a bland manner, but it made Philip II, who was usually praised by all people, feel a little unsteady.
Offering sacrifices to the gods on behalf of the people also means having the supreme glory bestowed by the gods in the world; sitting at the same table with the gods and drinking, the atmosphere is careful not to breathe, and the whole body is uncomfortable, which is a completely different feeling.
After the banquet, Philip II personally sent the guests to the gate of the palace, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Amon didn't make any more requests, and Philip II couldn't make any special arrangements, so he still let Amon live in Aristotle's residence. He didn't want to see the god again, but he couldn't let it go, so he ordered his son Alexander to visit Aristotle's house to ask his teacher for advice.
Aristotle was Alexander's court teacher, teaching and imparting all kinds of knowledge to Alexander. Of course, the previous location was in the palace, and the time also depended on Alexander's convenience. But now the situation has changed. Philip II specially asked his son to go to Aristotle's residence to listen to the teachings every day, and secretly told him the identity of Amon.
It is not difficult to understand that Philip II would do this. After all, Amon is a god, possessing abilities that mortals do not possess, and mastering secrets that mortals do not know. Although Philip II did not believe in Amon, there was a god in Macedonia. How could he not want his son to gain some fame and benefits? As for what he can get from the gods, it depends on Alexander's own luck.
Of course, Aristotle was well aware of the king's narrow-mindedness, but he never pointed it out. From this day on, the location of teaching Alexander was changed to Aristotle's mansion. Alexander would come every day, sometimes to study, sometimes to greet the teacher. After Aristotle finished his lectures, he let the prince play in the mansion at will, and he could go to whomever he wanted.
In Amon's opinion, Aristotle may be Heaton's best teacher, and Philip II was indeed very discerning in being able to invite him. But Alexander, a student, doesn’t think so. He is the son of Philip II and the future heir of the Macedonian Kingdom. It can be said that he can have whatever he wants, and he can learn whatever he wants according to his own interests. He is not a boy in Duke Town. miner.
Alexander was active by nature, fond of martial arts and disliked learning literature. In his eyes, Aristotle was more or less a pedantic old pedant. Out of respect for his teacher, the prince would bite the bullet and learn all kinds of knowledge from time to time, but only In order to cope with the task, he only looked forward to finishing the course quickly so that he could go out for a horseback riding safari, or call the guards to practice the military formation.
But now Alexander has changed his temper under his father's secret instructions. He has never been so diligent and inquisitive. He goes to the teacher's house every day to ask for advice, and he behaves well when he reads and listens to lectures. Of course, the young prince's happiest time was after finishing his studies. Not only did he meet the legendary real gods here, but he also became acquainted with Metatron.