Aspasia's face showed melancholy and sadness. Hilde knew that Aspasia still had Pericles in her heart. But, it was a pity that Pericles did something Aspasia could not forgive, so she had to leave Pericles... Hilde did not understand this hardship. After all, she did not love someone so deeply. Since she had chosen to leave him, she still missed him in her heart...
"His Majesty!"
At this time, the guard military officer came over.
"Shall we set sail?"
"hold on."
Hilde raised her hands and looked around.
She is still waiting for someone.
"Yes, Your Majesty, but it is already late. If we don't leave within the hour, we may not be able to leave the port today."
"I know. Just wait an hour."
"Yes!"
Hilde looked at the port of Piraeus.
She was not in a hurry, just waited quietly.
Chapter 10 of the ninth tune: Goodbye, My Hometown
Another half hour passed like this.
The crew was ready to set off at any time, but Hilde had not given the order yet, so they had not taken any action. Sophia knew that Hilde was waiting for someone, and that person was Alcibiades who had come to recommend himself yesterday. It was obvious that Hilde really cared about this young man. Otherwise, according to Hilde's temper, it would be a fantasy for her to wait here for so long.
But Hilde's wait was not in vain.
When the time is almost up.
From a distance, a young man was riding a horse and coming quickly.
It was very dangerous to ride a horse in the crowded Piraeus port, so the young man rode his horse while people around him were cursing and swearing, and he didn't care even if he bumped into some cargo. In this way, he rode his horse quickly to the port and arrived at the berth where Hilde's ship was.
"His Majesty!!!"
Alcibiades waved to Hilde who was sitting on the deck of the ship.
“I’m late!!!”
"It's okay. If you come any later we'll leave."
Hilde stood up and said, "Come on board. When you take your first step on this ship, it means that you have become a Byzantine. From now on, Athens will have nothing to do with you. You must be aware of this and understand the significance of this step you have taken, as well as the direction of your future life!"
"I see!!!"
Alcibiades jumped off his horse and picked up the baggage hanging beside it.
He did not hesitate or delay, but walked towards the ship where Hilde was. Hilde was looking at him at this moment, and Alcibiades could also feel the anxious gaze from Hilde. He knew what he was doing, and he knew it from the moment he saw Hilde.
Alcibiades was a man who loved to flirt with women. After all, he was so handsome and was loved by women, so he never lacked companions. As for women, Alcibiades always felt that women were the best playmates, and could make him, who was frustrated, forget the pain temporarily in the midst of sensual pleasures.
But the difference is that.
When he saw Hilde.
There is a feeling of inner purification.
He couldn't tell how strong this feeling was, but he could feel that he was attracted by a powerful force, and this force came from Hilde. Alcibiades could not feel any desire from Hilde. Just by looking at her, he felt that everything in his heart had calmed down. Facing such a beautiful woman, Alcibiades did not have any wild thoughts. He just felt that this might be a goddess, or a god from heaven, guiding them towards glory and victory.
Therefore, Alcibiades could not miss this opportunity. He had to firmly grasp this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and think clearly about what he was going to do next. Therefore, even if he gave up his identity as an Athenian, Alcibiades did not regret it at all. In fact, he concealed this matter from Socrates and his family.
But so what?
You are free.
As long as you insist on doing the right thing, just go for it.
Alcibiades walked to the side of the ship and put one foot on the deck. At this time, Hilde reached out, grabbed Alcibiades and pulled him onto the ship.
"Welcome to the Byzantine Kingdom."
"Your Majesty, I will give you everything I have."
Alcibiades threw his luggage aside, knelt on the deck, and bowed his head devoutly: "When I first saw you, I realized that if I couldn't follow you to explore the world in the coming years, my life would be bleak. Thank you, Your Majesty, for giving me this opportunity. As long as Your Majesty wishes, I will do my best to complete it."
"As long as you say this."
Hilde didn't know whether this was just Alcibiades' polite words or what he really thought, but no matter what, he did give up his Athenian identity and came here to become a citizen of the Byzantine Kingdom. So Hilde smiled and said, "Don't worry, the Byzantine Kingdom is a very broad stage, and there is a lot of room for advancement. As long as you are willing to contribute your talents and abilities to this country, you will definitely have more opportunities to show yourself, and even leave your name in history, so that everyone will remember you."
"I will definitely do it!"
Alcibiades looked up.
He gave Hilde an affirmative smile.
At this time, the guard officer saw Alcibiades and asked curiously: "Your Majesty, is this the person we are waiting for? Can we set off now?"
"Okay, let's go now."
Hilde nodded.
Goodbye, Athens.
This time, Hilde returned with a full load, bringing back everything she wanted. She now held in her hands the agreement for the Byzantine Kingdom to be accepted as a member of the Delian League, the terms of commercial trade with Athens, and her own proposals and ideas for building a national chamber of commerce. These things were all made in just a few days in Athens. Moreover, she also brought something that might bring her a surprise, or it might just be a waste of her time, that is, Alcibiades.
As for Alcibiades, Hild only knew that he was indeed very powerful in history, and he also knew that in reality, he was also a rare young talent. As for what the future would be like, Hild felt that this needed to be left in suspense. He hoped that he would not grow up to be the kind of waste that Hild hated the most, but a talent that could really contribute to himself and the Byzantine Kingdom.
But now, in Hilde's mind.
There is still a question.
Where did Rod go?
Pericles said that he couldn't find Rhodes, which meant that Rhodes must have slipped away when Pericles wasn't paying attention. However, he did plant a seed in Rhodes' mind to make her think for herself and reflect on the problem. But it didn't mean that the seed would sprout within a day or two and make Rhodes, who had always been obedient and sensible, do such a thing.
So Hilde was very puzzled.
What exactly happened?
However, this question can only be answered when I come to Athens again in the future. By that time, I guess Pericles may not answer it even if I ask him. Of course, what will the relationship between Rhodes and Athens be like in the future is actually a question, and no one knows the answer. And Hilde also knows that the grievances between Rhodes and the city-state of Athens will definitely not be so simple, and there are still many things to happen in the future.
“Let’s set sail!!!”
Accompanied by the captain's roar.
The ship that Hilde was on had its sails unfurled, and the slaves inside began to paddle their oars. They would slowly sail out of the largest port in the Greek world, the Port of Piraeus, and then assemble outside the port to form a very large fleet and set sail back to the Byzantine Empire. Hilde looked at Athens, which was gradually going away, and felt a little reluctant.
People do feel homesick.
Although I have never liked it here.
But after all, I grew up here.
"Sissi, when will we come back next time?" Sophia walked to Hilde's side and asked curiously, "Ah, it shouldn't be said to come back, but when will we be here next time?"
"Who knows? It could be when our relationship with Athens is better, or when a war breaks out between us and our army arrives in Athens. All of these are possible. Who can guess what will happen in the future?" Hilde smiled and reached out to gently hold Sophia's hand. "But don't worry, next time I come to Athens, I will definitely bring you with me. To be precise, there is nothing I can do if I don't bring you with me. After all, you will die without me."
"Xixi, what you said is too strange..."
Sophia blushed and looked around.
"It would be embarrassing if others heard it."
"What's the matter? Do you still care about this?"
"Of course you need to care..."
Seeing Sophia so shy, Hilde thought it would be better for her not to tease her anymore. At this time, Hilde saw Alcibiades walking on the deck from the corner of her eye. She seemed to be a little excited now, walking back and forth on the deck, and chatting with some soldiers on the ship to introduce herself. The soldiers also saw with their own eyes that Alcibiades was the person Hilde personally waited for and greeted, so they naturally looked up to her.
"Didn't you see this person with your own eyes now?"
“She’s really good-looking.”
Sophia said in surprise.
"Just good-looking?"
"Xixi, please don't make things difficult for me. You know I don't mean that. If you continue to bully me like this, I will ignore you."
Sophia knew that Hilde was going to use yesterday's incident to bully her, so she warned her in advance. When Hilde heard this, she couldn't help laughing. The two of them were so happy that they naturally attracted Alcibiades' attention. However, when he saw Hilde and Sophia holding hands tightly, he understood something in his heart. As expected, a great woman like Hilde would never look for a man who could conquer her, and the woman with dark red hair beside her might be the lover who could tolerate all of Hilde's glory.
For Alcibiades.
Love between two women.
Not surprising.
He felt normal.
The ship continued sailing on the sea for two days, and soon Hilde would once again see Cape Sounion, one of the most important landmarks of Attica.
The last time Hilde sailed past here, she was in exile, but this time she returned with a full load. In just three years, things have changed so much. Both the entire Greek world and Hilde personally are no longer the same as before.
However, when Hilde arrived here, she felt something strange. She couldn't help but look towards the Temple of Poseidon standing on Cape Sounion. The familiar and strong feeling made Hilde know one thing.
"Rod is here?"
Hilde was a little surprised.
"what?"
Sophia was also a little puzzled when she heard this.
At this time, Hilde saw with his sharp eyesight that there was a person standing on the cliff of Cape Sounion. Due to the distance, Hilde could not see clearly who that person was, but Hilde could feel that the person must be Rhodes. Hilde could sense the fluctuations of divine power coming from the oracle.
At this time, Rhodes seemed to have discovered Hilde. She held a golden trident in her hand and raised it high. At this moment, a huge wave suddenly rose from the sea. Rhodes jumped lightly on the wave, and then was carried by the sea water to the side of the boat where Hilde was.
The crew members on the ship witnessed this scene. They were instantly overwhelmed by Rhode's power and fell into shock and even panic. But Hilde was not afraid. She knew that Rhode definitely did not come here to hurt her this time.
"Rod? Why are you here?"
"Sister Sissi!!!"
Rhode came to the side of the boat and jumped directly from the waves. He threw himself into Hilde's arms, and Hilde caught Rhode steadily and turned around on the deck several times.
"How did you come?"
"I'm here to say farewell to you!"
Rod held Hilde's hand very nervously.
"Then why didn't you come to the port to find me?"
"Because... I said I wanted to go to the port, but Lord Pericles thought I shouldn't show up in public, so he wouldn't let me go out. But I really wanted to see you, so I thought about it and decided that I had to go out on my own initiative, so I came here. As long as I come to Cape Sounion, I will definitely be able to see you, and Lord Pericles won't be able to find me."
"You……"
Hilde really didn't know what to say.
"Then how are you going to explain it when you go back?"
"Just say I went back to Sounion to see my hometown."
Facing Rhode's fiery gaze, Hilde suddenly became a little worried. She realized that under her influence, Rhode's pure and fertile soil seemed to have indeed allowed a seed to sprout.
Maybe many things can no longer be changed.
First tune, first section, two cute little animals
Since Rhode had come here, Hilde asked the fleet to stop here. In fact, it was actually quite dangerous for the fleet to stop at sea. But Rhode was the oracle of the ocean. No matter how strong the wind and waves were, Rhode only needed to tap his trident and the ocean would instantly calm down. Therefore, the fleet could safely stop at sea, and the sailors could also take this precious time to have a good rest.
"Sister Sissi."
Rod walked on the deck and looked at Hilde expectantly.
"When will you come back next time?"
"Next time? I can't say for sure. It could be one or two years, or it could be decades."
Hilde did not hide this matter from Rod.
It really takes that long to come back.
Hearing this, Rhode showed a somewhat regretful expression. It seemed that she really couldn't bear to see Hilde leave so soon. At this time, Hilde looked at Cape Sounion in the distance and couldn't help but say, "You really made Pericles very anxious. Pericles thought I took you away and even wanted to search my ship. Even if you want to go back to Cape Sounion, you should tell Pericles. It's not good to go so suddenly."
"But……"
Rhodes gave a slightly embarrassed smile.
"If I said I was here to say goodbye, Pericles would definitely not let me."
