"Of course." Linley said.
The course of history always unfolds in this way. The essence of the Roman Empire changed rapidly, retaining only the Roman shell. Later European countries followed suit, adopting Roman garb, precisely because of this precedent, the original Rome also underwent similar transformations.
"Please, you must save Rome!" Empton implored with excitement.
"I am doing my best," Linley replied.
"I am willing to become your follower and donate all my property, just so that Lord can save Rome!" Empton continued.
"Welcome as my follower, but you need not donate your property. I will borrow it from you and return it later." Linley took out his omnipresent promissory note.
This situation is called "too many lice, you don't feel the itch; too much debt, you don't feel the worry." When debt reaches a certain level, it no longer causes anxiety. Empton was a difficult person to deal with. He was not only a spy for Rome to monitor the army, but also had been involved in business for many years, seen a lot, and was sufficiently smooth. He might donate his property in the heat of the moment, but he would definitely regret it after calming down.
Even now, Linley couldn't be sure whether he genuinely wanted to change his faith or was just pretending. Perhaps he was still fulfilling his duties. Such people could be utilized, but not fully trusted. They needed to be controlled.
"Let's set sail again and find more supplies." Linley said.
"Yes, I am ready." Empton replied.
They couldn't go back to Andros this time, because the Roman fleet had returned and was docked in the harbor. Also, the trading ships of Andros had been plundered and no merchant ships would go there for the time being. If a complete fleet suddenly appeared at this time, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. After all, Linley's trading ship was originally taken from Andros.
Therefore, this time Linley decided to change his target and go to Crete.
Crete developed its civilization early. When Greece was still a wild land, Crete had absorbed the civilization of the Middle East and Egypt, gradually prospered and established a kingdom.
As Greece developed, Crete, with its powerful navy, controlled the Greek coast and demanded tribute from the various city-states, giving rise to various legends of Crete, including the endless labyrinth, the Cretan princess and the sacred bull, and the Minotaur.
According to legend, Hercules captured the Cretan bull and presented it to Hera. Hera released the bull, and hundreds of years later, Theseus captured it again and offered it as a sacrifice to Athena, symbolizing the shift of Greek hegemony from Crete to Athens.
While the veracity of other legends cannot be verified, the Minotaur warriors did exist. Crete worshipped the sacred bull, and it was said that Zeus transformed himself into a white bull, took the Phoenician princess Europe, came to Crete, and had three sons, which is the origin of the Cretan kingdom.
Later, Minos, the king of Crete, offended Poseidon, the god of the sea. Poseidon made Minos' queen fall in love with a bull, and they gave birth to the half-human, half-bull monster, the Minotaur, the first Minotaur.
Over time, the number of Minotaurs gradually increased and even formed a troop. The Cretan kingdom, relying on the Minotaur warriors, ran rampant for a while, but eventually fell to the siege of Greek heavy infantry. Crete declined as a result and became an ordinary city-state in the Greek world, eventually being conquered by the Roman Empire and becoming one of its island provinces. Even today, Minotaurs still inhabit Crete.
Linley boarded the Nemo with the captured merchant ships, laden with goods from Dionysus Island that were not immediately needed, and set sail for Crete.
Crete, compared to Andros, was not only larger in area but also more densely populated, with a naturally larger garrison. Linley realized that he couldn't expect the same ease of plunder here as he had enjoyed on Andros. Faced with such a heavily defended island, it was clearly a more sensible strategy to do business.
He planned to trade the goods he had captured on Andros, most of which were looted from the Temple of Zeus, including various statues, gems, and gold and silver bars. Initially, Linley thought there might be materials suitable for slingshot ammunition, but after careful examination, he found that none met the requirements, and the system did not give any prompts. Reluctantly, he decided to sell these items.
This discovery made him think. Was the gem inside the Poseidon statue special? Was it due to the material or something else? After all, these gems were also enshrined in the temple, even embedded in the statue, yet there were no system prompts. Linley tried using a few of the gems as slingshot ammunition, but the results were mediocre. They did not explode, nor did they have any special bouncing effect.
"My lord," Nemo looked at the distant sea, his heart filled with a sense of unease. "When I was in Africa, I heard about Crete. There are many minotaur soldiers there who kill anyone they see and rob anything they find. Will we be in danger when we go there?"
"No, it's not that exaggerated," Linley reassured him. After all, Crete was also part of the civilized world. How could they kill anyone they saw? The island was Roman territory, and the rulers were almost all human. Who would dare go to Crete?
Nemo was still uneasy. "Shouldn't we choose a smaller island?"
Linley explained, "We need too many materials this time. We can't buy them in a small place." The amount of wood alone would exhaust the resources of a small island. Even if a small island could supply it, it would attract too much attention and be easily targeted. Only a large island like Crete could provide enough supplies without attracting undue attention. We buy and leave quickly, making it less likely we'll be discovered. Even if we are discovered, Linley's current strength is enough to deal with any pursuers.
The fleet sailed for several days and finally saw a long coastline ahead. Crete had arrived.
Crete is about 260 kilometers long from east to west and 50 kilometers wide from north to south, covering an area of over 8,300 square kilometers with a population of hundreds of thousands. Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey, records that Crete is surrounded by water on all sides, with a large population and as many as ninety cities. Although Crete is not as prosperous as it was in its heyday, it still has dozens of cities, including its capital, Knossos, which was once the capital of the ancient Cretan kingdom and has vast palaces.
Nemo carefully observed and chose a pier with moderate traffic to dock. As soon as the ship docked, Roman tax officials arrived. Dressed in luxurious robes, they boarded the ship with an arrogant air and asked, "Where do you come from?"
"My lord," Empton stepped forward to respond.