Am¨¦ng answered calmly: "Whether it's a messenger or a priest, I'm here to accuse Antonio. I'll go to court first."
Metazos added: "The gods of Olympus may come directly to the world and appear in the court of the Delphi priests."
Am¨¦ng sneered and said: "It would be weird if they didn't come! You have done so many things, don't you just want to force me to fall out? But there is a god, but he can't come!"
The god Am¨¦ng mentioned that could not come was naturally Apollo. He had made an agreement with Apollo that no matter where he came, Apollo would retreat. What's funny is that this year's Oracle of Delphi was promulgated by the Temple of Apollo, and the trial venue of the Delphi Priest Court was in the hall of the Temple of Apollo.
Delphi is a holy land composed of major temples. Their courts are different from ordinary city-state courts. They are composed of the chief priests of each temple. They mainly rule on major theocratic matters and usually ignore the civil disputes in various city-states. But the accusation made by Am¨¦ng is related to the authenticity of the Oracle of Delphi, and the private city-state court cannot decide it, so it comes here.
The terrain of Delphi is difficult, but people who have contributed since ancient times have built a road in the mountain that can accommodate two carriages. The scenery passing through it is extremely beautiful, and the beautiful scenery also carries an indescribable sacred atmosphere. It is truly worthy of the title of Heaton. The Holy Land of the Peninsula. Am¨¦ng saw the temples scattered on the mountainside from a distance. When they entered the territory of Delphi, a group of priests were already waiting at the intersection.
Someone came up and asked: "Are you Am¨¦ng and Medanzo?"
Am¨¦ng did not salute like the people who came here from all over the Heaton Peninsula, but just sat in the carriage and nodded: "Yes, we are Am¨¦ng and Medanzo, is the Delphi Priest Court ready? "
A priest holding a scepter said: "We are ready to wait for the court session. According to the etiquette of Delphi, non-temple priests cannot ride in carriages and horses. From here on, you need to walk."
Am¨¦ng jumped out of the car and waved to Medanzuo: "Dismount, let's go!"
¡¡
In the Delphi Apollo Temple Hall, a court composed of priests from various temples has been prepared. This court has no seats. The jurors stand on both sides. The presiding judge in the middle is a priestess from the Temple of Themis. She The person who once accepted Aesop's gold sacrifice.
But today, the priestess covered her eyes with a black cloth, held a small scale in her hand, and had a sharp sword at her feet. Am¨¦ng recognized her when he saw her. She was Themis herself, the goddess of fairness and justice in the Olympian pantheon, but she only appeared in the form of the priestess.
In this trial, Am¨¦ng is nominally accusing Antonio, the messenger of Delphi, but in fact he is targeting Apollo and other Olympus gods. Apart from this goddess, I am afraid there is no one else more suitable to play the role of arbiter. Am¨¦ng noticed that the scale Themis held was actually his hand!
This object was originally an artifact created by Osiris, the God of the Nine Gods. It was the center of Osiris's Hades. Later, Am¨¦ng took Artemis to capture Osiris's Hades. Osiris left, and this object was Am¨¦ng re-refined it and named it the Judgment Scale. The Scales of Judgment were taken away by Artemis as a "trophy" and said to be transferred to one of the Olympian gods related to Am¨¦ng. It turned out that she was given to Themis.
It wasn¡¯t until Am¨¦ng saw Themis, the goddess of fairness and justice, with his own eyes in Macedonia that he understood what kind of relationship this goddess had with him. According to the explanation of the immortal family Jumang, Themis once re-entered reincarnation as her own body, came to the world and became the flower of Dreams, and later became the lover of his disciple John, and was also regarded as the disciple of Am¨¦ng. This couple Unfortunately, they both died on the battlefield.
At this moment, Themis not only closed her eyes, but also covered her eyes with a piece of black cloth, indicating her attitude and not paying attention to the identities of the prosecution and defense parties. Now that Themis appears here, other gods in the Olympus pantheon may be watching in the court, but Am¨¦ng also ignores it.
When Am¨¦ng and Medanzo walked into the hall, the presiding judge said: "My name is Portia, and I am the presiding judge of this Delphi special court."
Portia is the name of the priestess in the Temple of Themis at Delphi. In fact, the way she blinks and holds the scales of judgment in her hand already shows that she is the goddess of fairness and justice, but since she appears here as Portia, Then call yourself Portia instead of a goddess. Just like what Am¨¦ng did in the court of Miduli City-State, everyone guessed that he was the god Am¨¦ng, but Am¨¦ng did not regard himself as a god.
Themis¡¯s opening statement was simple and clear, without a word of unnecessary nonsense. The trial began like this, and Antonio had already arrived in court, standing on both sides of the hall with Am¨¦ng. Am¨¦ng turned to the presiding judge and all the judges.After saluting, Themis got straight to the point: "Ah, do you want to accuse Antonio of falsely claiming to be an oracle? But everyone here can prove that this year's Delphi oracle does contain such content, and Antonio did not lie."
Am¨¦ng nodded and said: "I have also heard about the content of the Delphi Oracle. I just want to know why Antonio believes that the person mentioned in the oracle is Aesop? If he has no conclusive evidence, it is murder! If the person mentioned in the oracle is Aesop, then I would like to ask the god who sent the oracle, why does he think so?"
Antonio replied: "I made this judgment based on Aesop's behavior. The envoys of all city-states presented their gifts to the major temples. Only Aesop brought the gold back to Miduli. I chased This clue went to Miduli, and I happened to find that he was scolded by the people. I also investigated his previous behavior and found that he was indeed a blasphemous and offensive person."
Am¨¦ng responded tit-for-tat: "I have also investigated Aesop's previous behavior, and I even know what he has done throughout his life. He does not believe in the Olympus gods, and he has never taken the initiative to offer sacrifices to the city-state temple. This is a fact. But he did not deny the faith of the people in the city-state, and although he rejected the threats and threats from the gods, this did not constitute blasphemy or offense, and this is also a fact."
Antonio asked back: "Ah, the person mentioned in the Oracle of Delphi was the envoy of a certain city-state. Who else could it be besides Aesop? You don't think this is blasphemy or offensive, but the gods here may not be so. think."
At this time, the court official said: "I remind both the prosecution and the defense that you are arguing about an issue that the court cannot decide. Only the god who issued the oracle knows who the person mentioned in this year's Delphi oracle is. For a fairer verdict, I suggest that the plaintiff pray to the gods right here and ask the oracle for an answer.¡±
The court today was really lively. The official was also a priest here, but as soon as he opened his mouth, Am¨¦ng recognized that this person was actually Artemis in disguise. Am¨¦ng turned around and asked the official: "How should I pray to the gods?"
The official replied: "Like all those who come to the temple to pray for oracles, you should bow to the gods and salute, with your hands, chest, and forehead on the ground. Then ask the chief judge personally: "This must be the case. Do it? "
The presiding judge replied expressionlessly: "You must do this when asking for an oracle. This is the etiquette of Delphi."
Behind Am¨¦ng, Medanzuo raised his eyebrows and was about to get angry, but was stopped by Am¨¦ng in his soul. Just listen to the Lord of Heaven say: "Well, I will first ask the oracle for an explanation. If the gods cannot answer, then I will still ask the court to make a ruling. Mr. Presiding Judge, please step aside. Give up."
The presiding judge stepped aside knowingly, and Am¨¦ng walked to the center of the hall and knelt down towards the Apollo statue on the altar in the distance. As soon as his knees touched the ground, he heard a click, and the temples of the Apollo statue split open. Am¨¦ng ignored this astonishing turn of events and continued to bow to the ground, touching the ground with his hands, forehead and chest, and bowed to the statue of Apollo. The statue on the altar also fell down and fell to the ground. His body was torn apart, and it looked like he was throwing himself at Am¨¦ng in return. If something like this happened in the temple, it would definitely cause a stir in normal times, but at this moment it only caused a slight commotion, and then calmness returned. As expected, most of the priests in the temple were envoys guided by various gods, and there were also gods mixed in, who stopped people's panic in time.
Wherever Am¨¦ng goes, Apollo must retreat. This is an agreement between the two gods. Now that Am¨¦ng has come to the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, it is impossible for Apollo to give an oracle. Am¨¦ng bowed to the ground and bowed to the statue of Apollo. This bow brought the statue to its knees. Although it was beyond the expectations of mortals, the gods should understand what was going on.
Since the Oracle of Delphi has provoked Am¨¦ng, Am¨¦ng does not have to save face for Apollo. After saluting, he stood up, patted his robe, walked back to his original position calmly, pointed at the statue that collapsed on the altar and said: "Your Majesty the Inquisitor, it is obvious that the god who issued the Oracle of Delphi has refused to answer. Mr. Antonio will probably have to answer for himself, and no matter what method he uses, he must provide evidence that Aesop is offensive and blasphemous."
Antonio's face was extremely ugly. He was the envoy guided by Apollo. At this moment, the statue of Apollo fell in the temple. The god threw him out to face Am¨¦ng's questioning alone. He had no choice but to Answered: "As the envoy of the Miduli city-state, Aesop did not donate all the gold to the major temples, but took it back."
Am¨¦ng said: "Everyone knows that Aesop does not believe in the Olympian gods. This is not a reason to execute him. Aesop came to Delphi because of the oracle of Hermes, and Hermes wanted him to He donated gold to temples that were willing and worthy of the donation, and he stayed in Delphi for ten years.?, he only saw one priest worthy of his sacrifice. He violated neither the oracle nor his own convictions. "
Antonio shouted: "But he angered all the priests of Delphi!"
Am¨¦ngyin nodded solemnly: "Yes, this is a fact, and it is also the key to the problem. You are the envoy representing Delphi, and you deprived him of his life in order to vent your anger. As Aesop's master, I am here to ask you To pay back what I lost.¡±
The presiding judge reminded: "Am¨¦ng, you are just a foreigner and have no right to change the ruling of the Miduli court."
Am¨¦ng replied: "But I have the right to ask for the compensation I deserve. Antonio accused Aesop, but here he could not prove the reason for the accusation, and even the gods refused to answer. It was this Lord Antonio who was in the Midori court He declared, 'In the name of the gods, I deprive Aesop of his life and take away this sinful soul. The oracle has given guidance, and he is the one who blasphemed and offended the gods. He is here today to accept the due punishment. Punishment.¡¯ So now, he needs to pay for his words and actions.¡±
The officer asked: "Am¨¦ng, what price do you want Antonio to pay? What you ask of him cannot exceed your own losses. And everyone in the court knows very well that Antonio did not take away Aesop's soul."
Am¨¦ng added: "Aesop is my slave, and I freed him. This is not only my kindness, but also the reward he deserves. But Antonio took his life, and I need him to compensate me on Aesop's behalf." .¡±
At this time, another priest said: "This is not a problem, we have slaves here. If you lose one slave, we can compensate you for two or even ten slaves. You can choose any slaves you want in the entire Holy Land of Delphi."
Am¨¦ng shook his head and said: "Thank you for your generosity, but the value of people in the world is different. After a slave like Aesop shows his ability, he can build a city-state on the nothingness of Duke Plain, you Delphi All slaves are inferior to him in my eyes, and I don¡¯t need this kind of compensation.¡±
Antonio asked: "Ah, what exactly do you want me to compensate you for?"
Am¨¦ng: "Ten sacred stones and one finger. The ten sacred stones are the price I paid for Aesop from Xiou. They are not what Aesop is worth, but I don't want to embarrass or blackmail you. As for that one The finger symbolizes Aesop's talent and creativity, and it is what he owes me. There are accounts to check, so you cannot refuse this request."
Antonio: ¡°Whose finger are you going to chop off?¡±
Am¨¦ng: "Of course it was your own finger. It was not someone else who deprived Aesop of his life in the name of the gods, but you."
The presiding judge said: "Am¨¦ng, why don't you show your kindness? You can make a more modest request that will satisfy everyone. Maybe you can ask for all the gold donated by Miduli as compensation for you. , I think this court can also agree with this ruling.¡±
Am¨¦ng shook his head and said: "That gold is of no use to me, only to the priests of Delphi, so let them keep it. I only want ten sacred stones and one finger of Antonio!"
The presiding judge reminded again: "This court knows your identity very well. You should also know that Aesop's life is coming to an end. Regardless of whether he will be executed by the Miduli court, he will not live until next year."
Am¨¦ng shook his head again and said: "This has nothing to do with whether he should be executed. Even if he drank that glass of poisonous wine at the last second of his life, Antonio is still a murderer."
Presiding judge: ¡°Doing this will not do you any good.¡±
Am¨¦ng: "This lawsuit itself is not beneficial to me. I am not here for the benefits."
Presiding Judge: "Why are you so callous? Wouldn't it be better to accept more compensation than a useless finger?"
Am¨¦ng asked back: "Did Antonio ever be kind to Aesop in the court of Miduli? Dear Lord Inquisitor, are you willing to be bitten twice by a poisonous snake? Have you heard of the story of the farmer and the snake?" This story is what Aesop told me, and I have no problem forgiving those who shouldn¡¯t be condoned.¡±
The presiding judge reminded again: "You don't have any compassion for Antonio now. How can you expect the gods to be compassionate to you in the future?"
Am¨¦ng replied: "Your Excellency, this has nothing to do with you! Antonio has no mercy towards Aesop, how can you expect me to be merciful to him at this moment? He is a scapegoat among the sheep, and he should have been a long time ago. Thinking of this result, why don't you blame the man who herds the sheep?"
The official suddenly said: "Am¨¦ng, over the main peak of the mountain where Delphi is located, there is a Pythagoras Manor at the foot of another mountain. The owner of the place, Pythagoras, once said that the soul can be reincarnated, and the new life is unknown. own origins?But deep in the soul there are traces of reincarnation. Were you a ferocious jackal in your previous life, and you finally showed your fangs when you came here? "
The presiding judge also sighed: "You cruel man, is there anything in the world that is harder than your heart? No magic weapon is as sharp as your hatred. Could it be that no pleading can move you? ?"
Am¨¦ng: "The story of the boy who cried wolf was once said by Aesop. In this court, no matter how tactful the words are, they cannot move me. Mr. Presiding Judge, can you make a ruling? I I will dedicate ten sacred stones to this temple, but I must chop off that finger!"
The presiding judge looked at Antonio and said, "This court will make a ruling. Do you have anything else to say?"
Antonio replied: "I believe the court's decision must be fair, and I ask for the blessings of the gods."
There are more than one gods standing in this hall. If they all secretly bless Antonio, it would not be easy for Am¨¦ng to cut off one of his fingers. The presiding judge said expressionlessly: "I have made a ruling that Antonio really has no evidence to prove that Aesop is the person mentioned in the oracle. His accusation against Aesop has caused losses to Mr. Am¨¦ng. There should be compensation.¡±
Metazos praised loudly: "Themis! Dear Lord Inquisitor, you are Themis who symbolizes fairness and justice!"
This sentence is not to reveal Themis¡¯s identity in public, but the highest praise given to the judge by the people of the Heaton Peninsula. However, Metazord seemed a bit funny when he said it on this occasion. Themis herself, whose pseudonym was Portia, said coldly: "Am¨¦ng, I also want to remind you that Antonio only owes you one finger, you can't ask for more!" Ro! .