"What are you talking about!" a middle-aged man with graying hair and wearing simple linen clothes angrily rebuked Goliath. Though his clothes seemed plain, they were finely cut, clearly handmade garments.
"Bishop Robert, I'm not talking nonsense. You haven't provided me with the information of these slaves. Even if you wrote documents to release them, it's only a private act and holds no legal weight. You aren't their master, so those documents are meaningless! It's not legal! Only the documents of Dionysus have legal force. These slaves were released by Dionysus, and he granted them citizenship, it has nothing to do with you!" Goliath retorted.
In fact, Holiness had become the state religion of Rome, and the confiscated slaves were the property of former Olympic believers. This was intended to punish pagan believers, demonstrate the power of Holiness, force these prominent believers to convert, and showcase the mercy of Holiness, attracting slaves to the new faith.
On Andros, there were thousands of slaves. As long as they believed in Holiness, Robert could grant citizenship to some of the leaders, gaining loyal followers. The documents were merely a formality, and Goliath couldn't refuse to cooperate.
However, Goliath, losing his temper, shouted that their actions of releasing slaves were illegal, immediately causing chaos among the slaves. These mostly illiterate slaves had a simplistic understanding of people. If Robert had given them freedom, he was a good man, and everyone should convert to Holiness. If he hadn't actually given them freedom, he was a liar, and everyone should reject Holiness.
In reality, it was Dionysus who had freed them, so they should thank him. Goliath was the governor, representing the Roman Empire, and he wouldn't lie about this.
"Surrender!" the first mate shouted. "Dionysus is here in person, a power no mortal can withstand. Surrender, or face death! I am the first mate of the Mighty ship, many know me. Dionysus destroyed the Mighty with one blow, and I was on board!"
The first mate was also a prominent figure, recognized by many. Even among the slaves, some knew him. They looked at the first mate, then at the crowd around them, and at the dazzling Dionysus Linley, in the midst of the people.
"You heretics!" Robert said angrily.
"We're not heretics, we're just telling the truth," Goliath responded.
The first mate's sword was poised behind him, and Goliath dared not speak nonsense. Although the doctrine said that believers could go to heaven after death, that was obviously only for true believers. Whether Goliath could be considered a true believer was truly debatable.
When Goliath was born, his family still worshipped the golden bull. Later, Holiness rose, and his family converted. When he was baptized, his parents secretly told him not to fully commit, because if he needed to convert again in the future, there might be trouble.
However, Holiness grew increasingly powerful, and his family never returned to their previous faith. While alive, they had great power, and no one questioned their beliefs. But after death, heaven might not recognize him.
Though Goliath had unlimited prospects and time, he was still unwilling to face death at such a young age, even the temptation of heaven could not change this. Death would mercilessly deprive him of everything.
The first mate's mood was equally complex. He knew that if he showed any hesitation, the Roman soldiers behind him would not hesitate to stab him with their swords. These Roman soldiers were merely oarsmen, devoid of any compassion for him, and their actions would be merciless.
The first mate also believed in Holiness, but the life of a sailor at sea was always chaotic. According to the teachings of Holiness, every sailor was deeply sinful, with no omission of sins such as lies, fights, and idolatry. To enter heaven was an almost impossible task. Although donations to Holiness could atone for sins, the first mate did not have enough money at the moment. He had to survive first and earn enough money before he could consider the matter of atonement.
"Traitors! Damn traitors!" The angry priests were furious, and they all drew their hammers from under their robes, ready to rush forward and beat Goliath and the others to pulp.
The slaves reacted differently: some followed, some hesitated, and some chose to retreat. Linley gestured, and Bavaria immediately stepped forward, ready to unleash his whirlwind slash.
"Wait!" Robert stared at Linley, "That so-called Dionysus, come out and fight me one-on-one!"
Robert saw the slaves wavering and realized that they were no longer a reliable force. Linley also released them. The slaves would not fight to the death for Holiness, and they would quickly collapse in the face of the siege.
The enemy was not only the followers of the Dionysus brought by Linley, but also the locals of Andros Island, whose numbers were constantly increasing. Secret followers of Holiness were exposed and killed, while others, including those seeking to take advantage of the situation, those with a grudge against Holiness, and those seeking power, joined the enemy's ranks.
If this continued, holiness would undoubtedly be defeated. The only hope was to get rid of Linley first. As long as Linley fell, those followers who depended on him would naturally scatter, and the enemy would no longer be able to form an army to attack.
"One-on-one?" Linley was surprised by this proposal.
"You call yourself a god, but you don't even have the courage to fight me one-on-one? I'm just a mortal, but I believe in the true God, and God will bless me and make me invincible!" Robert said.
Linley didn't believe the claim of invincibility. If that were true, he would have already taken action. Robert insisted on a one-on-one fight, obviously confident in his ability.
"Just you?" Bavaria laughed, "Beat me first. I am Bavaria, the messenger of the Dionysus, from the Northern Wilderness..."
Robert looked at Bavaria contemptuously and said, "Barbarian Germanic people!"
Bavaria dismissed him, "What Germanic? I'm a Viking!"
Ah? So Bavaria was a Viking, Linley didn't even know. Aren't Vikings known for their ships? Why haven't we seen Bavaria discuss shipbuilding or naval warfare? Perhaps Viking ships were different from the ships here, so he might not be familiar with this style of naval warfare.
"Well, I'll fight you first, and after you lose, I'll take care of that fake god." Robert said.
"Then come on!" Bavaria finished, raised his double-handed sword and charged forward.
"Stop!" Robert roared.
Bavaria's body slammed against an invisible wall, stopping him momentarily. However, his combat experience told him this was a spell of true words, an effect that wouldn't last.