Bear School Astartes

Without warhorses available, Lann had to take care of Phoebe’s pace, so the two of them, one big and one small, only arrived at the heartland of the city-state of Megaliss as nightfall approached.

”Mogaia! The first stop of the adventure! Woohoo!”

Standing in front of the city-state’s walls, about three stories tall, Phoebe gave a small cheer.

Lann’s muttered ”I can’t see what’s adventurous about this” was beautifully ignored by the little girl.

The city-state is the essence of a region, and from Mogaia, one can see the tug-of-war state of Megaliss district between Athens and Sparta.

Athenian warships patrol the offshore waters of Megaliss, while Spartans have blocked the beaches.

Spartans have seized local farmlands and crops outside the city-state, yet within, Athenians still act as governors, with Athenian forces defending it.

The forces of both sides crisscross the entire region layer by layer.

Lann thus spent quite a bit of effort to bring Phoebe through the city walls just before darkness fully descended.

Undoubtedly, before the war began, Megaliss’s land could be called the most coveted in the Greek World.

However, after becoming a focal point of the war, the wealth of this city-state is rapidly dwindling at an unimaginable pace.

By the time Lann and Phoebe entered, they already felt that aside from being a bit more spacious, this city-state was remarkably similar to Sami Town on Kefalonia Island.

The roads exposed to stones and mud, people’s clothing ragged, faces sallow and emaciated. Walking weakly on the city-state’s streets, Lann and Phoebe could even sense their feeling of hopelessness, as if they had no future.

Lann is a warrior with a promising future; Phoebe is a lively little girl starting her travels, and in this city-state, they could clearly feel a sense of peculiarity.

Their spirits here seemed too ’lively’.

However, this city-state still had a place that shone brightly.

——Apollo Temple.

It was a longhouse-style temple built of marble and red tiles. On both sides of the temple were marble statues of robust, athletic men about four meters tall with golden snakes coiling at their feet—those were Apollo.

Due to the uneven terrain, the temple base was already two or three meters high, and together with the marble columns, the height difference between the entire temple and the ground was over ten meters, almost six or seven stories tall.

It appeared grand and tall in the current era.

Many people with clothes torn and frayed, continuously knelt and prayed day and night in front of the temple.

”Let’s find a place to stay first.”

Lann walked past the temple with a cold expression, speaking to Phoebe.

The little girl looked up, somewhat bewildered.

”You still want to stay in an inn? Why not just find a spot on the street?”

Indeed, this was a normal resting method for people traveling far in the Greek World during that era. The vagabonds sleeping on the city-state streets were just like that.

”I certainly don’t want to have to watch out for petty thefts while resting; we’re not like those broke vagabonds, you have to protect your belongings, don’t you?”

Lann spread his hands to Phoebe.

Even the small items on his gear, like iron clasps and leather pouches, were considered good steals here.

”Alright, then let’s find an inn.”

Phoebe said lightly, meeting Lann’s gaze.

But after looking for a while, she realized Lann seemed not at all interested in moving, and the little girl expressed an incredible look.

”You want me to find the inn?”

”I’ll be following you.”

”But didn’t you say you’re taking care of me?”

”I meant to ensure your safety.” Shamelessly, the adult added terms for the child.

”But you know, Phoebe, I’m an outsider, coming from afar, I can’t even tell which are residential houses and which are inns! No! Since coming to the Greek World, I haven’t seen an inn at all!”

”So, when I said ’I need a guide’ bringing you out from Kefalonia, you thought I was joking? I’m really clueless in this place!”

Lann extended a finger, tapping Phoebe’s little head repeatedly without expression, reminding the little rascal of her ’guide’ status.

”Less talking, lead the way.”

Phoebe’s youthful vigor thus crumbled away, her shoulders slumped, and she rolled her eyes at Lann.

”Alright, alright... follow me.”

She had run errands for Marcos and Cassandra in Kefalonia for many years, and in terms of living experience in the Greek World, she was indeed much better than Lann.

Before long, the little girl led Lann into an inn in a small alley.

Lann completely couldn’t understand how Phoebe found this place.

The innkeeper was a bald man with a big beard, who was using one hand to scratch under his toga robe when they entered.

”Shared room? Private room?”

He asked indistinctly while sniffing his hand that had just scratched his armpit.

Phoebe looked up at Lann, indicating he should make the decision.

”Private room, plus two dinners.”

The innkeeper nodded, then quoted a number, causing Phoebe to jump up like a puppy who had been stepped on its tail.

”Are you robbing? Three Drachmas? That could buy a suckling pig!”

”If you’re only staying and not eating, it wouldn’t even cost one Drachma, little thing.”

The innkeeper said indifferently, while a few men in rough armor with short swords poked their heads from the inn’s stairs.

However, after they met Lann’s gaze, they immediately shrank back upstairs.

These should be the guards hired by the inn.

Seeing the inn’s guards didn’t dare make a sound before Lann, Phoebe continued to question the innkeeper with anger and slight pride.

”Ha! Are the two meals worth more than two Drachmas? Did you add sea bass to the meal? Or moray eels? Or is there beef?”

”None, little one.” Seeing his hired guards weren’t up to the task, but the innkeeper still appeared indifferent.

He raised his eyes to glance at Lann, whose hair nearly touched the ceiling, showing a hint of politeness in his tone.

”I can’t afford sea bass, moray eels, the fishes only noble people eat, naturally can’t afford beef. What I can offer you is only barley bread, salted grilled sardines, and a small bowl of olive oil for dipping bread.”

”But that is already the best inn meal in all of Mogaia, I assure. Look at the hungry peasants outside, sir. These foods, they are willing to exchange anything they have for them.”

”War causes hunger, I understand that.” Lann said under Phoebe’s inquisitive gaze.

”But is the food shortage already to this degree? I even saw a pile of petals a meter high in front of the Apollo Temple. Aren’t those things harder to obtain than food?”

The innkeeper looked at Lann as if he’d seen a ghost.

”Petal pile..... but that’s offered to the gods! How can it be compared to human food? It can’t, it can’t...”

Lann was silent for a moment.

Finally, shaking his head, he handed over three Drachmas he casually took from the One-eyed People’s dock to the innkeeper.

Taking Phoebe upstairs.