Bear School Astartes

”Who exactly are these Ares worshippers? Are they affiliated with the Order Divine Teachings?”

Upholding the principle of consulting the locals, Lann questioned Alcibiades.

”They’re just like the name suggests, followers of the War God Ares.”

Alcibiades flicked his white hair, ever since meeting Lann, he felt his hair wasn’t shiny enough, maybe it wasn’t being maintained well.

”But I don’t think they’re a subordinate group of the Order Divine Teachings, more like an organization recruited by this Hapalos mentioned in the letter. After all, what the Ares worshippers do doesn’t match with the name of the Order Divine Teachings at all.”

”How so?”

”Oh, you know, my dear,” Alcibiades gestured in the air, his tone always playful and carefree.

”One who leaves the city-state can be considered a beast or a ghost god. No one wants to be seen as anything other than human. But when it comes to Ares worshippers, it’s hard to say...”

”They voluntarily isolate themselves, they don’t live in houses, wear city clothes, or eat city food. Therefore, they believe they’re not bound by human laws and only worship Ares.”

”And for the bloodthirsty War God, what could be a better offering than slaughter, bloodshed, and the cries of victims?”

”So, what these ’wild men’ roaming in the wilderness might do is clearly written on this note, isn’t it?”

A group of antisocial fanatic murderers.

Lann roughly understood what kind of people they were.

Without a trace, Lann slipped the note back into his Alchemy Pouch.

”Do you know what the ’cave’ mentioned in the note is? You saw it yourself, Hapalos is specifically out to get me. I plan to deal with him before he can come after me.”

”Aha, I like your straightforward style, it’s truly... captivating,” Alcibiades clapped softly, his eyebrows dancing with excitement.

But then, he helplessly spread his hands.

”Unfortunately, I can’t help you. The description on the note is too vague, and there are plenty of caves of all sizes outside Athens. It might be different if it were usual times, but with Spartans pressing so hard, even Pericles wouldn’t dare to freely send people out of Athens.”

Looks like I’ll have to find it myself.

Lann understood the meaning behind Alcibiades’s words.

Smart people often don’t need to spell things out completely.

-----------------

Afterwards, Lann and Phidias went back to his workshop together.

This sculptor, along with Alcibiades, had already paid Lann’s remuneration, which was about the same as what Erpinuo had offered Cassandra.

And he also invited Lann to continue staying at his workshop.

After all, he himself was almost driven to a mental breakdown by the Order Divine Teachings.

Although Brison had been killed, he still felt safer having a capable and reliable mercenary around to sleep better.

As night fell, Phoebe also returned to the workshop.

To Lann’s surprise, despite tutoring Phoebe last night, she looked even worse today than yesterday.

Yesterday, only some threads on her clothes were pulled, and there were a few bruises on her arm.

But today, the little girl even had a black eye, and it seemed her nose had bled.

During dinner, Phidias had an expression of not knowing what to say as he looked at Lann.

”Actually...” the sculptor hesitated to speak. ”You’ve earned quite a bit, Lann. No need to have your apprentice steal on the streets, right? Of course, if you’re in trouble, perhaps I can help you out a bit?”

”I don’t really have much use for Drachma,” Lann smiled as he looked at Phoebe, who, despite the beatings, was in unexpectedly high spirits.

”Why don’t you ask this little girl if she wants to stop going to the streets?”

”No way!”

Before the kind sculptor could turn his head, Phoebe loudly declared her decision.

Her eating manner now seemed a bit hearty for an adult’s taste.

She tore off a palm-sized piece of bread, then held a clay bowl filled with thick fish soup, using the bread like a spoon.

After scooping the fish and vegetables into her mouth, she’d tear off another bite of fish soup-drenched barley bread.

Mouth stuffed full, she chewed a couple of times before painfully swallowing down her throat, finally exhaling a comfortable sigh.

”I’m not out there to be a thief!”

Phoebe exclaimed loudly and proudly about what she accomplished today.

”I specifically found that little boy we saw, then beat up his whole gang! Now they all listen to me!”

”These orphans in Athens have never seen the world, like little lambs, they don’t even dare to retaliate against someone with a sword!”

”I just led them on a run and today they all had a full meal!”

Lann raised an eyebrow, from Phoebe’s demeanor he could tell she specifically went out to pick a fight today.

But he didn’t expect this little rascal to be so effective, directly becoming the ’boss lady’ among a group of street urchins?

And even setting aside her actions, to gain the trust of a bunch of scared and hungry street kids so quickly... even with the ’shared experience’ advantage, her social skills are remarkable, aren’t they?

This also reminded Lann of Phoebe’s situation in Megaliss, making many friends in just one day.

”Be a bit lenient, Phoebe. After all, not every kid grew up like Cassandra on Cephalonia.”

Highly intrigued, Lann paused in the middle of tearing his bread and looked at Phoebe.

”Tell me, how did you get them fed? If you lack this skill, even if you intimidate those street children by beating them, they won’t follow you.”

”Exactly!”

Phoebe, as if finding a kindred spirit, eagerly started talking while eating.

”I used the method you taught me, moving silently from the rooftops, shadowed a sailor who had just disembarked at Piraeus Harbor.”

”I had my eye on this group for a while; they had just received money from their captain, intending to find women or gamble at the harbor. But when it’s time to set sail, they must leave at once.”

”Although these types can be fierce, they don’t have time to look if their money goes missing. Just hide for a day or two, and it’ll be fine!”

”Other street children I ’convinced’ distracted him while I leapt off the rooftop, gave him a hard shove, snatched his coin pouch, and ran!”

Phoebe’s storytelling was captivating and enthusiastic. Even Phidias became unconsciously interested, helping to serve another ladle of fish soup into Phoebe’s clay bowl.

”Oh, thank you, Phidias. Where was I?”

”You said, ’grabbed the money and ran,’” Phidias promptly added.

”And then?”

”And then, I used that money to buy twenty whole barley breads! Enough to feed over a dozen kids for several days.”

”Later, that sailor even got some help to chase us. I told those street children to leave, while I led the pursuers astray. Those sailors looked fierce, but they couldn’t catch up to me. Even on rooftops, I was faster than them on the ground!”

Finishing her tale, Phoebe clicked her tongue, feeling slight regret.

”It’s a pity, the coin pouch was what the sailor had left after the gambling. Otherwise, I could have bought some fish for those kids too.”