“Brave warriors.”

At that moment, the moment Hilde opened her mouth, everyone felt their spirits lift.

Her voice was so beautiful, so moving, that it would’ve been no exaggeration to call it the voice of the Sirens. The soldiers bowed their heads low. Hilde had saved their lives, yet before this, they’d considered doing all sorts of vile things to her. Even they were disgusted by their own behavior. They didn’t dare raise their heads and look at Hilde now. All they could do was picture a goddess in their minds.

“I know you were all deceived. My father, Pericles, deceived you. He wanted you to kill me. But once you return to Athens and learn the truth, Pericles’s men will kill you too. He won’t spare you. So, everyone, I have a request. I hope you’ll hear me out.”

Hilde took a deep breath.

This was the perfect moment to win these soldiers over.

“For some reason, my father wants me dead. Perhaps I’m not the daughter he wanted. But think about it: why should a fifteen-year-old girl like me have to endure all this suffering? What have I done wrong? Everyone, have I committed the crime of impiety, or the crime of speaking too much? From the time I was little until now, I’ve never even left my home. How could I have offended the great gods and deserved to be cruelly killed by my own father?”

By the time Hilde reached this point, tears were streaming down her face.

Her tears spilled over, and her voice rose and fell with her intense emotions.

Her words struck a chord with the soldiers.

What crime had Hilde committed? Why did she have to die?

As everyone began to question this, Hilde wiped away her tears and continued. “But I, Hilde, may be a frail woman, yet I have a strong heart. Pericles wants me dead, but I’ll live just to spite him. And I’ll live well, making a life of my own. Then, when I’ve gained enough that I no longer need to fear him, I’ll return to Athens and expose his crimes!”

“Lady Hilde.”

A hoplite who looked like an officer stepped forward and asked:

“What do you need from us?”

“Your strength, of course. I need your strength. You’re the finest warriors in Athens, yet Pericles’s lies have led you down a path you should never have taken. You’re warriors who believe in the gods, warriors who stand for justice. And now Athens has abandoned you too. If you go back, will Pericles let you live, knowing that you know he killed his own daughter? We need strength that Pericles can’t overcome. Once we’re strong enough, Pericles won’t be able to control Athens.”

Hilde’s words left the soldiers speechless.

They had always believed Pericles was the champion of democracy.

He was the light of Athens.

But now he had not only ordered the soldiers to secretly kill his own daughter; he might well kill them too. Amyntas said grimly, “We already owe Lady Hilde our lives. If not for her, we’d never have survived the Sirens. Everyone, we’re all decent people. We made the wrong choice, but it’s not too late to make things right. With the gods as our witnesses, may you all find your way back to the right path.”

“Then what should we do?”

“Swear your loyalty to Lady Hilde, of course.”

After Amyntas said this, everyone fell silent for a moment.

Then an archer stepped forward and shouted, “I’m willing to swear my loyalty! Pericles deliberately set us up to take the blame. If we go back, we’re dead either way. Since Pericles told us to take Lady Hilde to Byzantium, let’s get her there safe and sound! Once things have settled down, we can return to Athens.”

“That’s right! We have to repay Lady Hilde for saving our lives!”

One voice chimed in after another, and the soldiers quickly gathered together.

“Listen up, everyone!”

“Once we reach Byzantium, we’ll be responsible for Lady Hilde’s safety. As long as we’re in Byzantium, we’re her soldiers. Whatever Lady Hilde asks of us, we do it!” Amyntas raised his spear and shouted, “Keep your spirits up! Byzantium is facing the threat of the Thracians. Our arrival will make us the heroes who save the city!”

“Ohhh! The Thracians!”

“Those barbarians? I could take on ten of them by myself!”

The hoplites were eager for a fight.

There was no denying that these men had bad intentions, but they certainly weren’t afraid to die. They’d survived face-to-face battles with the fearsome Spartans, warriors trained from childhood. If they weren’t afraid of the Spartans, why would they fear the still-uncivilized Thracians? Hilde was very pleased to see this. The soldiers were so easy to incite; all it had taken was a few crocodile tears to get this result.

“Everyone, once we reach Byzantium, we should stand with the people of that city. If we defeat the Thracians, we’ll gain not only gold and silver, but the highest honor. You’ll be the warriors who saved Byzantium, and poets will record your deeds so they’ll be remembered for generations.”

For people of this era,

becoming a hero was a powerful lure.

So Hilde had made a point of appealing to that desire.

The soldiers had already decided to follow Hilde, and now her words had them fired up. They couldn’t wait to set out for Byzantium and wipe out every last Thracian with their forty men. Seeing how excited they were, Hilde couldn’t help smiling.

“Master, what are you smiling about?”

Sophia thought the smile looked a little strange.

So she asked, sounding a little worried.

“Do you know how many Thracians there are?” Hilde lowered her voice.

“I don’t know…”

“Three hundred thousand, all told.”