Anchors sat in his old position against the wall in the King's Hall, the only barechested person in the room. The King ushered in a whole new group of guests, though they were hard to tell as far as Android was aware. In his memory, there would be occasional people with particularly bad teeth or a fat face, but most people had the same light brown flat hair, thin face, leather coats, leather coats, and jewelry. Always jewelry, as if a person with a modicum of self-esteem would be seen wearing it in public. Barbarian.

The king kept inviting more and more of them to his lavish feasts, so they must have been local celebrities. Nearby farmers have three cows instead of one, there is no doubt about it. Or a man who has many sons, because he has so many children, people should bother to remember his name.

As usual, those who had never seen him before stopped to stare at him halfway through, often without finding a place to sit. Some brought women or servants, and the whole group stared at the door, quietly joking. Most of the time he can't hear it, but the jokes he hears are repetitive; More than a dozen people have the same idea and consider themselves smart. At least the fires and the noisy guests drove the winter chill out of the auditorium. It's the only warmth Andlocks gets these days.

Altfil may have asked the king to show him like this in order to humiliate him and embarrass him, but the real effect on him was a slight annoyance. It is clear that these barbarians have so little concept of Orthodox culture that they don't even know where to start making fun of him appropriately. They better make half-naked jokes about him, or worse, ignore him entirely. Instead, they stay dumbfounded, joking with each other, impressing each other, quietly, so that he doesn't hear. I managed to hold back from laughing at them.

He'd better behave, because Altfil promised him to see his son again tonight. It's been ten days since the last time, and it's too bad for a kid. The prince threatens to show Aunlocles and his wives to Flor, but nothing comes of it. Undoubtedly, the man realized that putting his son Androx, whom he wanted to save, and the person he wanted to kill, in the same room at the same time, would not end well to the person he wanted to kill.

For ten days, nothing was said about his son's condition. Poor little flower received several disgusting blows to the head, some of which were so hard that they literally made the stars twinkle in his eyes. All Androcles could do was believe that the boy was fine, or that he was close to it, or else Altfair would taunt him with it now. Still, Flower is a child, and children are vulnerable.

The room was filled with the king's guests, about fifty men in all, and many more women or servants, among whom Altfil greeted again and again, and sat down at the king's feet, who sat solemnly as usual, with a calm expression. The prince clapped his hands and called for food and drink to be brought.

The crowd erupted in cheers as slaves marched into the room with the abundant food that had been collected in the winter from all over the impoverished countryside. In the first few weeks, the king's continuous feast of wontons impressed Anders. He sees it as an effective display of wealth and power. For the next few months, it would be repeated every few days, and now it annoyed him a lot.

If these barbarians weren't destitute, he wouldn't have been so worried. They don't have grand temples, they don't have grand public works, they don't have grand cities to house them. Of course, they have roads, but they don't pave them. They had gold, fine weapons and clothes, but nothing of value. There is no long-lasting one. There is no real civilization. Seeing the king wearing so many jewels, he remembered a little girl wearing her mother's makeup. These exotic nobles were a mockery of the nobility – apparently, they had no sense of responsibility towards those who were below them. A

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Okles couldn't help but think of some poor little family starving to death in a small hut because the king needed to eat their last sick sheep in front of his admirers. Showing great wealth brings honor, but only if it is first and foremost acquired in an honorable way. In the City of London, wealth is measured by how much money a person has donated to the City, not how much money has been taken out of the City to put on their own table. Even the king has his own flock, A

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Okles haven't heard of it either.

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The okles waited impatiently for the entertainment to begin, and the king's guests were struggling to enjoy the feast. He watched with disgust and condescension as they greedily gobbled up. The thought that the king gave them the only good meal of the year, probably to win their loyalty, only made them more disgusted.

He was anxious to see his son, and the mood was almost unbearable. Every time he asked him to have some more wine or meat, he was angry, but there was nothing he could do but sit back and wait for him to die. Finally, after a long time, Altfer stood up, stood in the clearing in front of the king, and waved to silence. As soon as the crowd complied, he said, "Guests of the king, we have prepared a special treat for you tonight."

Altfell was dramatically silent for a moment, leaving everyone wondering what it was. In nervous anticipation, Andlos found himself seated forward.

The prince continued, "We have just received news that the merchants of Thunderbolt have just arrived at the king's gate. The king decided to welcome them into his hall, provide them with food, and listen to their requests publicly. They're welcome. ”

This is not what Andrx expected, nor is it expected by anyone. Traders, this time of year? Who trades in winter? What kind of fool would venture to travel around...... Except for himself, of course, let's see what happens to him. The crowd chattered, and many expressed the same thoughts as him. As curious as he was, he preferred to see Flower.

Five men in thick travel clothes and hoods walked into the room. Two of them carried sturdy sacks on their backs with straps on their shoulders. Judging by the bulges in the cloth, both bags were full of coins. Even if it's silver, that's a lot of money. What if it's gold?

The crowd was silent, and many opened their mouths wide. Who would dare to carry such a sum of money in a strange land without a stronger bodyguard? The mystery gripped Andlox as firmly as everyone else, and his curiosity nearly eliminated his desire to see his son. He noticed that four of them were Skywalkers, but the fifth had no tail.

Altfer led them to a seat of honor next to the king, and then sat down opposite them. He said in a voice that was both emphasised and unemotional: "Serve food and wine to our guests!" The king has orders!"

The slaves rushed in, carrying the meat that Androcle suspected to be the last round of feasting, knelt on the ground, and placed heavy silver plates in front of the guests. skytha

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They put their backpacks on their knees and took off their hoods amid the whispers of the crowd.

And he saw that all were men; It's hard to make out of so many clothes. Because they have been wearing their hoods tightly for too long, most of their faces are covered with thin and soft fur, which makes them look unkempt and unkempt. They rubbed their pointed cat ears with a relieved look on their faces. "Flower" and "Pepper" refuse to wear a hood because wearing a hood makes their ears sore. Androker had to wonder, why didn't they just make a hood with ear canopy?

Andlox was so surprised that he almost jumped out of his seat when the travelers took off their coats – he recognized the trim on their shirts. It is a traditional Dikaian motif that dates back to the frescoes on temple artifacts of the Heroic Age. With the establishment of a republican form of government and glorious unity, it had become popular in distant lands, but, in this poor country, it was enough to see something that looked like home, to get his attention.

The last traveler took off his hood and waited until the others settled down, for some reason Androclus could not guess that this man turned out to be a Laphilo. He was young, probably in his early twenties. His olive complexion and short, curly black hair reveal his identity almost immediately. He had a beard, but trimmed it very short, and when he took off his coat, he wore Dikaia like everyone else

color. The young man looked familiar, but Andlocks didn't recognize who he was.

Androx stared at them openly. Could this be why God made him wait? Are these people here to buy him? There is no doubt that they came from his own city. They must be. What about so much money? Is it here?

The new guests ate with the enthusiasm of the long journey, and the servants poured wet meat and root vegetables on their plates more than once. The Skywalkers drank the wine, but the Raffilo did not, and Androcles guessed that it was because the wine was not mixed.

When the king saw that the guests were seated, he cried out, "Son, bring us something." Let's play music and dance for our guests!" King Lugu Belenos's eyes shone with greed; A good nobleman hides a lot behind his dignity, but no one can hide everything.

Alsafer patted the lead slave and whispered in his ear. The man hurried out, and after a while he returned, followed by four women, dressed in skirts and fine jewels, and nothing else. A

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Okles looked around, looking for flowers, but the boy was still nowhere to be seen. In search of a little boy, he peeked past a beautiful young woman who was half-naked, and this strange feeling did not escape his eyes. He needed to see his son.

The musicians blow their flutes and the music begins. The women danced sensually and elegantly, their eyes focused mainly on the king, but also with a professional eye scanning the other important people in the room, sometimes winking at them. Andlocles, like everyone present, was awake at the waist, and he wished he had made a different decision that day about Altfel's wives, which was the nineteenth time.

The food, entertainment, and heat in the rooms made the King's new guests look like they had been pulled out of the wreckage of the sea in a storm and given mulled wine and a chair. Their faces became rosy, lively, and energetic, and they talked quietly to each other, no doubt that they wanted their object to be a prostitute.

The women danced twice and were then escorted out so that they would not be too distracted. Seeing that the new guests had not finished their meal, the king asked the musicians to continue playing while the rest of the guests chatted with each other.

When the newcomers had slowly finished sucking up the food that had been placed in front of them, the king sarcastically asked, "What do you think of the heads I have collected?"

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S closed their mouths tightly and turned their reflective yellow eyes to Raphelian to figure out who the diplomat was. The man looked around the room, as if considering the dozens of severed heads. It took him a long time, A

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The okles had time to think about how often they needed to reapply cedarwood oil to prevent rotting. The man concluded: "The king had considerable success in the battle. His fame seems to be well deserved. This place is powerful because of their strength. ”

The king smiled and said, "I have taken many heads with my own hands. Much of the rest was taken by my heir, Altfar, who gave them as gifts to my hall. He was a strong, intelligent man who gave me a lot of glory. My heir is valuable. My family is wealthy. My fame is great, my power is great. I have a lot of land. Do you want to see my big slave?"

After the diplomat nodded politely, the king gestured to Altfel. At his prompting, the prince said, "Smaqi, come and stand before the king's guests, and let them see you."

As he stood up and obeyed orders, shame began to seep in from the depths of his heart. It was one thing to be a slave for a barbarian, but in front of his own countrymen he felt that his nakedness was a false nakedness. He took a deep breath to calm his emotions and walked through the Xenomorphs to stand before their king.

The old Philistine said, "No! That's impossible! A

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OKLES? The last Agapati? Here, a slave?" He looked up and laughed. He laughed almost breathlessly, and everyone in the room was upset by the unseemly display.

So the man knew him. A son of his own city, mocking him before his enemies. Andlox stood straight, his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him. He felt his face turn red with shame and anger, and this emotion grew in his heart until he could barely take it anymore. Just as he was about to disobey the prince's orders and leave the room angrily, he remembered Flower. He had to see if the boy was okay. God made him wait; He could hold on a little longer. Their blood will be sweeter when it is spilled at the end.

His compatriots said, "Can you make him magic?" The viciousness and resentment in the man's voice were simply inexplicable. Androcs has not harmed or offended anyone in his hometown, nor to this extent. Maybe this man is from a rebel city razed by Androx, like Samorypetus?

The king smiled smugly and said, "Maybe we'll know." Do you like my prizes? He's such a beauty, isn't he? I don't know how he keeps his muscles. We barely feed him. Tell me, how did you meet him?"

The man smacked his lips loudly, took another bite of food, swallowed gently, and said, "His family has been my enemy for generations. Our house slowly and carefully destroyed his house. When we last heard from him, he left our land to look for his wife because he thought she had run away with his money. We imagine him freezing to death on a hillside or being stabbed after deceiving the wrong gambler. It's better than we could have hoped for. My father, O king, will be glad to hear this news for a month. Will the king tell us how he tamed it?"

Andlox's mind swirls in confusion, with various ideas mixed with each other trying to find a proper place. An enemy of his family? Thought his wife had taken his money? Tame him? The king and his companions were captured by the raven. He revealed only a little bit of his murderous intent, just a little. As the crowd quieted down, the atmosphere in the room darkened noticeably. He released it as little as he could, but let it continue. After a few heartbeats, he raised his head and glared viciously at his compatriot. The man's face turned pale and he unconsciously leaned back to avoid the gaze of the people.

Arsar interrupted him, his voice as calm and flat as ever, "When the trade is over, you'll see how he was tamed as a prize to celebrate the King's trade." I can show all or part of his motivations. ”

Andrew glanced at the prince, who looked at him with a blank expression. With great difficulty, he swallowed the murderous thoughts and stared at the ground again. Altfer has made it clear that he wants to see his son whole, not partial, tonight. It's not just your head rolling around on the ground.

The old philosopher whispered in approval in a calm and appreciative voice. "In the name of the Sworn Father and the gods of his court, I couldn't believe my eyes." Then, he added louder, "There is nothing more impressive about the great king than this." This man was a hero of the glorious kingdom, but the king frightened him. The Dicaans won't believe me, and I won't tell them. Really, if he could have foreseen this, his cunning and wisdom would have surpassed even his fame. ”

The king sounded delighted, saying: "Since my son Arsafer tamed Smaqi, he has not caused us much trouble. He wasn't the first great man to be taken as a slave by me, and he won't be the last. Altfell, tell the slave to go back and sit down. Maybe we'll bring him out later. I want to hear what my guests bring me and what they want. ”