The Athenians certainly hope to gain enough benefits, but Hilde has no requirements and just wants to join.
Agreement on the smooth progress of the eighth section of the eighth
So, even if Athens had any demands, Hilde would just agree to them, it didn't matter.
Anyway, it’s a promise.
It's rare for Hield to be able to do this.
As long as it was not an agreement concerning the fundamental interests of the country, Hilde did not feel that she needed to abide by it very well. It was not an alliance, and the alliance with Athens was just a loose alliance. Moreover, if a war really broke out with the Spartans, Hilde could only provide some reinforcements with supplies. As for the army, of course, it was busy with reasons such as "resisting the Persians" and "dealing with the Scythians", and there was no way for it to cross the ocean to Athens.
So, at the negotiation meeting.
Hilde sat on the left, looking at Pericles in front of her with a smile.
Pericles calmly put the papyrus aside.
The note-taker next to him will use a pen to record this agreement. The Byzantine Kingdom and Athens each have several note-takers, and they mainly record in Greek. However, what is different is that Hilde's note-taker also has to record in Thracian. After all, the official language of the Byzantine Kingdom, in addition to the Greek-Ionian dialect, is Thracian. So Hilde said directly: "Since our country has joined the Delian League, then our country is willing to assume all the obligations required of the members of the Delian League. Our country will provide funds and resources to the Delian League according to the specific situation, and will also send troops to fight against the Spartans."
"Are you sure?"
Pericles frowned and asked:
"As a member of the Delian League, the Kingdom of Byzantium will need to hand over one-tenth of its national income as funds for the Delian League, which will be stored on the island of Delos. In addition, the Kingdom of Byzantium is also obliged to deploy troops when members of the Delian League are attacked. This is something that all members of the Delian League must abide by. If you find all of this acceptable, then there will be no problem." When Pericles said this, he looked at Hilde in front of him very calmly.
And Hilde was also decisive.
"of course can."
"Then please sign a specific agreement."
"However, I have a few things to add." Hilde raised her hand and smiled at Pericles in front of her. "We can agree to all the alliance's requests. However, within the Delian League, our national strength is the strongest. I think you should be very clear about this. Although the Kingdom of Byzantium is located in the east, far away from the chaos in Greece, our joining will completely change the balance for the Delian League."
"really."
Pericles did not object.
Although it is indeed unclear what the national strength of the Byzantine Empire is now.
However, the mere presence of Hilde, the Oracle, on the side of the Delian League is enough.
"So, what do you want?"
"First of all, it is the freedom of trade. We have many high-quality goods in the Byzantine Kingdom, and these goods need a place to sell. Athens is the trade center of the Greek world, so we believe that our country's goods will be sold well after being shipped to the Port of Piraeus in Athens. Moreover, these high-quality goods can naturally meet the needs of the people of Athens. Isn't it killing two birds with one stone? Therefore, we need Athens to treat us as an ally, lower tariffs and barriers, and allow the free flow of our goods."
"…What do you think?"
Pericles looked at the people around him.
They all nodded.
Hilde's request is still very reasonable.
“We think it’s OK.”
"That's fine..." Hilde nodded with a smile, and then continued, "Then, our country's current situation is more complicated. Since we have the Persians to the east, you should know how terrible the Persians are. We have the ability to fight the Persians, but we can only maintain a defensive posture. Therefore, what we can do in the early stage may be to find opportunities under pressure and send troops to eliminate all the Spartan allies in the east. There may be no way to send troops directly to Attica. Of course, I think Athens already has Rhodes, so it should not need our national reinforcements for the time being, right?"
"The current situation is not that bad yet."
Pericles couldn't help but sneer.
"The Spartan offensive has begun to show signs of decline."
"If you can understand that, that would be great."
"So, besides these two, are there any more?"
"No, I hope we can work together to defeat the Spartans."
Together they defeated the Spartans.
This slogan does sound nice.
However, it is not clear whether it was to defeat the Spartans.
Hilde knew that he would not go back to defeat the Spartans, and if the opportunity was right, he would cooperate with them. Although these brothers were strong in combat, they were not stupid, they were just dull. They also liked trade and good things, especially exquisite and easy-to-use weapons. Although they were not as rich as the Athenians, Hilde did not mind making friends with the Spartans in the future.
What money is not money.
If you have no money, just make money from the Athenians.
After the final agreement was signed.
Pericles glanced at Hilde.
He knew that Hilde would never be as simple as she said. How could she really fight side by side with the Athenians? The Spartans were just a cover. Pericles knew all this. But... Pericles had no way to refute Hilde, nor could he stop this matter from going forward. So, he really wanted to know what Hilde was thinking. What did she want to get from Hilde?
And Hilde held a piece of paper.
So I returned to the mansion first.
Hilde did not fail to notice the look in Pericles' eyes just now.
That was really, really interesting.
At least Hilde thought it was quite interesting.
The most important thing in Athens has been completed, so the next thing to do is to meet Rhodes. Of course, Hilde didn't know what Pericles would say to Rhodes. She could imagine that Pericles tried his best to tell Rhodes that Hilde was not a trustworthy person in order to prevent Hilde from saying something that would affect Rhodes. Therefore, Hilde was very interested in the next meeting with Rhodes.
And at night, when Hilde told Sophia about this.
as predicted.
Sophia was jealous again.
Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Getting ready to meet Rod
Although Sophia knew that Hilde was going to meet Rhode, she had not expressed her opinion. However, when she saw that Hilde seemed very happy and even excited about meeting Rhode, she showed some anger. Of course, Sophia was very experienced now, and this kind of anger was almost fleeting and disappeared in an instant. Hilde noticed it, but she did not point it out directly, and she was not surprised.
Sophia is so cute.
Hilde was very worried.
I couldn't help but savor Sophia's fragrance again in the evening.
The next day, Hilde left the mansion happily after having a good meal, while Sophia lay weakly on the bed, and Dione took care of her. Hilde tidied herself up a little, making herself look less majestic than before. She took off her purple robe and put on a red robe that she often wore in Byzantium. At the same time, she also took off the jewelry and decorations. After all, for a fisherman's daughter who makes a living by fishing, these things would only surprise her.
What Hilde wants is the feeling of a big sister next door.
Although just looking at Hilde's appearance.
Not the big sister next door at all.
After packing up, Hilde traveled light, taking only a few guards with him, and headed to Pericles's residence.
In Pericles' mansion, Rhode was sitting on a chair in the house, feeling a little nervous and a little scared. Pericles was standing in front of Rhode, saying earnestly: "My child, Rhode, you must be clear about one thing, that is... you have to be on guard against Hilde. She is definitely someone who appeared from hell, and she will eat you up. If you are not careful, she will seize your inner weakness and violently attack your reason."
"……Is it?"
Rhodes looked at Pericles timidly.
"Hearing you say that, I'm suddenly a little afraid to meet her."
"Child, don't be afraid. There is nothing wrong with meeting her. You are the oracle of Lord Poseidon, a hero trusted by everyone, and the hope of Athens. You should stand up straight and face any storms that may happen. She is just Hilde, the oracle of Athena, and we don't know whether she is true or false. You don't have to be afraid of her, but don't underestimate her either. Don't worry, I will be by your side to prevent her from eroding your rationality."
Pericles' words.
It's almost like describing Hilde as a demon.
Although, to some extent.
Hilde is indeed a demon.
But Pericles didn't know this. He could only describe Hilde's horror to the innocent Rhode, trying to achieve his goal and make Rhode be wary of Hilde. Of course, the final result was still unknown. Pericles could only hope that this matter could be resolved safely. Don't let anything go wrong... At least, Rhode wouldn't be affected by Hilde.
Just at this time.
A slave walked in quickly.
"Master, Miss... His Majesty is here."
"Well, I see."
The slave still habitually called Hilde "Miss" and didn't react for a while, but Pericles didn't blame him for this. He nodded and said to Rhodes behind him, "Remember what I said. I'll let her in now. After that, you have to think independently and stay calm. No matter what Hilde says, don't believe it easily. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
Rhodes nodded weakly.
Pericles turned around and walked towards the door.
As the owner of the mansion, Pericles had to personally welcome Hilde's arrival.
After all, Hilde is the king of the Byzantine Empire.
However, as Hilde said at the beginning, the current situation was caused by Pericles. He could not say that he regretted it now, but he felt a little helpless. He was really helpless when such a thing happened. When Pericles walked to the door, Hilde had already arrived here and was busy greeting the surrounding Athenians. The Athenians living around Pericles' mansion had often seen Hilde. This time when Hilde came back, they were also busy coming over to greet her.
"Your Majesty, I didn't expect you to be so beautiful now."
"Yes, it is my greatest luck to be able to see your beauty up close now."
"Lord Pericles sent you to Byzantium. I never thought you would create a powerful country. You are worthy of being Pericles' daughter."
People around him kept flattering him.
Hilde wasn't upset either.
Just smile and deal with it.
However, Hilde was a little unhappy when she attributed her credit for establishing the Byzantine Kingdom to Pericles. But now it was just a small talk, and Hilde was too lazy to refute what they said, so she just smiled and nodded in agreement. At this time, as the eyes of the people around her shifted, Hilde knew that Pericles must have come out of the mansion.
"Your Majesty, welcome."
Pericles had a smile on his face, like a modern salesperson.
Walked quickly to the door.
"I kept you waiting."
"It's okay. I just arrived not long ago." Hilde looked at Pericles and asked curiously, "So, where is Rhodes now?"
"The Oracle is still resting in the house and cannot come out to greet you for the time being."
"Oh, that's okay."
Hilde is also very casual.
He turned around and waved his hand, and after speaking to those people, he followed Pericles into the mansion.
Walking in the place where Hilde had lived for fifteen years, she looked around curiously. At the same time, Hilde was also very curious about Pericles' reaction. It happened that Hilde and Pericles were the only two people there, so Hilde smiled and asked, "After so many years, I am visiting my hometown again with my daughter. I wonder how you feel?"
"I don't feel anything."
Pericles answered bluntly.
"I just feel a little lost."
"Oh? I didn't expect that Lord Pericles would also have a day of confusion."
"I thought about the prophecy you told me last time for a long time. For a moment, I thought that this prophecy must be false and not true at all... But the fact is, this prophecy may be true. I tried to kill you before, but you were always safe and sound. Even when I arranged an assassin to send you to Byzantium, you were able to return like this."
Chapter 8, Section 10: The Rapid Fall of Rod
“This is cause and effect.”
Hilde said with a wry smile.
"You think you can reverse the prophecy, but you can't."
“But what if I do nothing?”
"If you had done nothing, there might not have been this prophecy, right? Moreover, even now, the prophecy has not come true. I am the daughter who brought disaster to Athens, but is the disaster in Athens really because of me? You expelled me and also expelled the protection of Lady Athena, which almost led to the fall of Athens. Instead of saying that I brought the disaster, why not say that it was your decision that led to today's situation? Don't you have any responsibility?"
Hilde also refuted bluntly.
After listening to this, Pericles shook his head helplessly.
"I won't argue with you."
"Because I can't explain it?"
"Humph, because there is no point in saying this now. Is there any point? Whether you say it or not, you have left Athens and are no longer an Athenian. It is even more impossible for you to abandon your Byzantine Kingdom and return to Athens. The soldiers who died in the war cannot be resurrected now. No matter who is responsible, the final result cannot be reversed. The most important thing is that Lord Poseidon is willing to protect Athens, so there is no need for me to please you for the past."
