Well, it wasn’t like she had revealed her identity with pride, saying “Oh, look at me, I’m such a person.” Eutostea spoke so calmly that there was a moment of silence among the soldiers. The Holy Battalion of Thebes had a grandiose name, but since they were newly formed, the recruits varied, and their training took place in remote areas away from the palace, so they had limited information about the royal family. However, they had heard rumors about the two beautiful princesses of King Aphelius and knew that they had been captured as prisoners of war when the palace fell. It seemed impossible that the priestess in front of them could be the princess of Thebes.
Just as someone was about to say, “If you’re a princess, then I’m the grandfather of the King of Thebes,” Macaedes tilted his head and looked at her.
“I’ve heard the story of the third princess’s escape in the name of love. But I never thought you’d become a priestess. Are you really her?” he asked. Eutostea nodded in surprise at his words.
She vaguely guessed that they had described her escape from the palace in that way. Having a relationship with a man who came through the window might sound like an escape in the name of love to people. However, she felt a little disappointed. Eutostea had thought that Abamama’s intention to recruit her through the mercenary Paeon, who had been escorting the tribute, was sincere, but had he already planned to abandon her?
She tried to shake off that feeling.
“I am Eutostea. Although I am now a priestess of Dionysus, as a former princess of Thebes, I deeply empathize with the tragedy of my country.”
Macaedes let it go as if it were plausible, even though she had no evidence that she was a princess. For him, finishing the battle and reorganizing the ranks was the top priority rather than treating the long-lost princess accordingly.
“Unfortunately, this is not a temple, Priestess Eutostea. I can only see you as someone who is toying with the hearts and weakened bodies of these people with your enchanting potions. Please leave. We are busy preparing for the battle that is to take place tomorrow.”
His words were polite, but they clearly drew a line between her and the soldiers. He looked at her hands with curiosity. It seemed that she had the ability to produce alcohol from her hands. He had never heard of such a thing, but it was convincing since she was a priestess of Dionysus. However, why was alcohol needed on the battlefield? What the wounded soldiers needed was absolute rest and recovery from terrible injuries to regain their lives, even if they couldn’t return to the front lines immediately. The Holy Battalion was a small unit, and they all knew each other’s faces and had deep camaraderie. He didn’t want any more casualties. Even though he knew that life and death in war were beyond his control, he couldn’t bear to see someone’s comrade or lover fall, just like he had experienced.
“I did not intend to cause division on the battlefield, Commander.”
Eutostea called him by his position instead of his name, as she still didn’t know it. She picked up a brown clay pot that was rolling among the injured soldiers. It was a hollow vessel that could hold soup. Everyone watched her curiously as she suddenly picked up the dish, which had leftover food and flies swarming around it, emitting a sour smell.
She was still unsure about her alcohol. That’s why she was anxious. But Dionysus was still watching over her. If it were really dangerous, he would have moved to stop her like before. If needed, she could also ask for Apollo’s help. As a precaution, Eutostea glanced at the two gods behind her and purified the dish, filling it with clear alcohol.
A colorless liquid, like water, filled the clean dish. The fragrance filled the surroundings faintly. The wounded soldiers, like revived corpses, cautiously approached her. Macaedes looked at her with a wary gaze. How could he know if that alcohol was poison or medicine?
Eutostea smiled slightly and brought the dish to her lips. People groaned with longing eyes. Some soldiers licked their lips until they were sore.
“It’s not harmful. My potion has the effect of boosting a person’s vitality. It would be helpful to the wounded soldiers who are greatly weakened. It seems that you are lacking food and drink. Won’t you allow me to offer my alcohol to them, at least?”
The soldiers behind Macaedes also had their eyes wide open, craving her alcohol, but she didn’t want to conduct an experiment by giving her alcohol to those who were physically fine and had been soaked in blood on the battlefield. After all, they were all young and vigorous men. Eutostea stepped a few paces away from them, holding the dish.
The soldiers standing behind Maecades also eyed her medicine eagerly, but they didn’t want to experiment with feeding it to soldiers who were still in good health and had spilled blood on the battlefield. After all, weren’t they all healthy men? Eutostea stepped back a few steps with the bowl in her hand.
“Are you really a medicine woman?”
Maecades looked at the contents of the bowl with clear suspicion. It was a colorless liquid with a sweet scent. If it was poison, it would have been mixed with wine. But he couldn’t trust either the woman in front of him or the drink she was holding. However, watching his soldiers beg like beggars made it difficult to continue questioning. He wanted to maintain his dignity as a soldier, even if it meant giving it to wounded soldiers who were dying. He reluctantly gave his permission.
“Please give it to the soldiers. But if anyone shows any sign of illness, you will be treated as a spy. Please keep that in mind.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Eutostea created a bowl full of the drink and handed it to the soldiers in the front row. They reached out their hands and shouted for more.
“Can we have more bowls?”
As Eutostea spoke, Maecades looked around nervously and then handed over his helmet that he was wearing. Then, the others also took off their helmets. Eutostea cleaned their helmets stained with blood and sweat, filled them with the drink to the point of overflowing. The owners of the helmets accepted them and fed them to the sick soldiers like medicine.
Well, it wasn’t like she had revealed her identity with pride, saying “Oh, look at me, I’m such a person.” Eutostea spoke so calmly that there was a moment of silence among the soldiers. The Holy Battalion of Thebes had a grandiose name, but since they were newly formed, the recruits varied, and their training took place in remote areas away from the palace, so they had limited information about the royal family. However, they had heard rumors about the two beautiful princesses of King Aphelius and knew that they had been captured as prisoners of war when the palace fell. It seemed impossible that the priestess in front of them could be the princess of Thebes.
Just as someone was about to say, “If you’re a princess, then I’m the grandfather of the King of Thebes,” Macaedes tilted his head and looked at her.
“I’ve heard the story of the third princess’s escape in the name of love. But I never thought you’d become a priestess. Are you really her?” he asked. Eutostea nodded in surprise at his words.
She vaguely guessed that they had described her escape from the palace in that way. Having a relationship with a man who came through the window might sound like an escape in the name of love to people. However, she felt a little disappointed. Eutostea had thought that Abamama’s intention to recruit her through the mercenary Paeon, who had been escorting the tribute, was sincere, but had he already planned to abandon her?
She tried to shake off that feeling.
“I am Eutostea. Although I am now a priestess of Dionysus, as a former princess of Thebes, I deeply empathize with the tragedy of my country.”
Macaedes let it go as if it were plausible, even though she had no evidence that she was a princess. For him, finishing the battle and reorganizing the ranks was the top priority rather than treating the long-lost princess accordingly.
“Unfortunately, this is not a temple, Priestess Eutostea. I can only see you as someone who is toying with the hearts and weakened bodies of these people with your enchanting potions. Please leave. We are busy preparing for the battle that is to take place tomorrow.”
His words were polite, but they clearly drew a line between her and the soldiers. He looked at her hands with curiosity. It seemed that she had the ability to produce alcohol from her hands. He had never heard of such a thing, but it was convincing since she was a priestess of Dionysus. However, why was alcohol needed on the battlefield? What the wounded soldiers needed was absolute rest and recovery from terrible injuries to regain their lives, even if they couldn’t return to the front lines immediately. The Holy Battalion was a small unit, and they all knew each other’s faces and had deep camaraderie. He didn’t want any more casualties. Even though he knew that life and death in war were beyond his control, he couldn’t bear to see someone’s comrade or lover fall, just like he had experienced.
“I did not intend to cause division on the battlefield, Commander.”
Eutostea called him by his position instead of his name, as she still didn’t know it. She picked up a brown clay pot that was rolling among the injured soldiers. It was a hollow vessel that could hold soup. Everyone watched her curiously as she suddenly picked up the dish, which had leftover food and flies swarming around it, emitting a sour smell.
She was still unsure about her alcohol. That’s why she was anxious. But Dionysus was still watching over her. If it were really dangerous, he would have moved to stop her like before. If needed, she could also ask for Apollo’s help. As a precaution, Eutostea glanced at the two gods behind her and purified the dish, filling it with clear alcohol.
A colorless liquid, like water, filled the clean dish. The fragrance filled the surroundings faintly. The wounded soldiers, like revived corpses, cautiously approached her. Macaedes looked at her with a wary gaze. How could he know if that alcohol was poison or medicine?
Eutostea smiled slightly and brought the dish to her lips. People groaned with longing eyes. Some soldiers licked their lips until they were sore.
“It’s not harmful. My potion has the effect of boosting a person’s vitality. It would be helpful to the wounded soldiers who are greatly weakened. It seems that you are lacking food and drink. Won’t you allow me to offer my alcohol to them, at least?”
The soldiers behind Macaedes also had their eyes wide open, craving her alcohol, but she didn’t want to conduct an experiment by giving her alcohol to those who were physically fine and had been soaked in blood on the battlefield. After all, they were all young and vigorous men. Eutostea stepped a few paces away from them, holding the dish.
The soldiers standing behind Maecades also eyed her medicine eagerly, but they didn’t want to experiment with feeding it to soldiers who were still in good health and had spilled blood on the battlefield. After all, weren’t they all healthy men? Eutostea stepped back a few steps with the bowl in her hand.
“Are you really a medicine woman?”
Maecades looked at the contents of the bowl with clear suspicion. It was a colorless liquid with a sweet scent. If it was poison, it would have been mixed with wine. But he couldn’t trust either the woman in front of him or the drink she was holding. However, watching his soldiers beg like beggars made it difficult to continue questioning. He wanted to maintain his dignity as a soldier, even if it meant giving it to wounded soldiers who were dying. He reluctantly gave his permission.
“Please give it to the soldiers. But if anyone shows any sign of illness, you will be treated as a spy. Please keep that in mind.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Eutostea created a bowl full of the drink and handed it to the soldiers in the front row. They reached out their hands and shouted for more.
“Can we have more bowls?”
As Eutostea spoke, Maecades looked around nervously and then handed over his helmet that he was wearing. Then, the others also took off their helmets. Eutostea cleaned their helmets stained with blood and sweat, filled them with the drink to the point of overflowing. The owners of the helmets accepted them and fed them to the sick soldiers like medicine.
