Chapter 36: Return to Crete
In the ancient Mediterranean, traveling far from the coast looked not much different from how it would appear three thousand years later.
Facing the sea breeze, Hachiman walked on the water, unhurried and steady.
At this time, people simply called it the "Great Sea," and the world west of the Aegean islands was, to the eyes of the contemporary Western civilizations, a barren wasteland. Few cared to explore it.
Yet the future was brilliant. The Aegean civilization, considered the beginning of classical European culture, had already begun to grow.
Although Cretan civilization still survived, the Mycenaeans, close relatives of the Hittites, were already emerging as a force to be reckoned with.
Compared to the reclusive Cretans, the Mycenaeans' life motto seemed to be "relentless conflict."
This people perfectly fit their kinship with the Hittites; both families loved confrontation—attacking the sky, the earth, or the air itself, tirelessly.
The famous Trojan Horse legend stemmed from the city-state conflicts along the Anatolian coast involving these relatives. Unlike the story, however, the Hittites in the east ultimately triumphed, and the Mycenaeans began their decline.
Thus, distant relatives were not only immoral but rather foolish. After mutual devastation, they were easily exploited by the seafaring peoples.
Hachiman noted that he would never make such a mistake—if he had such reckless relatives, he would resolve the matter within five minutes.
Impressive, right? That's what it means to be a man as swift as the wind!
Back on track: Hachiman was on his way to Crete. The previous digression was simply his idle thoughts while drifting.
After several days, he finally saw the outline of the island.
Using the wind's power, he surveyed the island in detail without setting foot ashore.
It was a long, narrow island, with many large cities from the center to the east—Crete, which he had visited before.
Directly facing him was a port city called Phaestus. Before Knossos unified the island, Phaestus had been Knossos' powerful rival. Now, the two cities, one north and one south, jointly formed the largest maritime trade hub of this Aegean era.
Hachiman had no plans to go to Knossos. God only knew whether that priestess would once again greet him with a springtime expression and insist he contact the serpent goddess.
Thinking about the role of priestesses in this era made Hachiman uneasy—he wasn't interested in someone just because of their physical traits. Just like buying a second-hand car, mileage mattered for pricing, right?
After his inner rant, Hachiman set foot ashore.
What impression did the most prosperous maritime trade hub of the ancient Western world leave on Hachiman?
He had only one impression: it was like the vegetable markets he often visited in his previous life in China.
Yes, hardware-wise, the markets here were far superior—but why did he think of a market? Because the primary goods here were grain!
Egyptian grain was a major commodity, and Crete's economic foundation was similarly agricultural. Grapes, olives, and honey were common, and merchants from Mesopotamia were also selling pomegranates and wine.
Other goods included jewelry and luxury items, but due to limited processing techniques, these held little interest for Hachiman.
He wasn't here to buy groceries. After wandering a bit, he boarded a merchant ship bound for Thera (Santorini).
For context, he boarded under the label of "mindless rich foreigner."
This might sound misleading or suggest underestimation of ancient security. In reality, it wasn't that nobody wanted to rob him—it was just that before Hachiman could showcase someone intervened.
That person was the captain of the ship he boarded, self-proclaimed as "the richest man of Thera."
This well-meaning man demonstrated what it means to look fierce but have a kind heart—he genuinely wasn't handsome, didn't resemble a merchant, and looked more like a gang leader.
Perhaps it was mutual respect among the wealthy. Hachiman hadn't even started his plans when the captain, wielding a large club and a retinue of servants, had already dealt with the situation efficiently.
Hachiman felt frustrated—he hadn't shown off for several days and was itching to do so.
Yet he couldn't complain, because the captain then scolded him for being a novice—"unwise to show wealth without taking subordinates"—and questioned his destination.
Upon learning Hachiman was heading to Thera, the captain laughed heartily and said, "That's my territory! Little brother, let's ride together!"
At that point, Hachiman had no words left.
This man! Just because a stranger is rich doesn't mean he's the same type of person! Who was the real novice here?
The captain, who looked like a gang leader but turned out to be a super kind-hearted person, left Hachiman dumbfounded.
That was the reason Hachiman boarded this ship. Regardless of era, such altruistic people were rare, so he decided he would protect this exuberant man no matter what.
Standing at the ship's bow, Hachiman planned to talk with the captain and see how he could help.
But when he turned, the captain had transformed into a Caribbean-style Jack Sparrow, busily directing his servants on how to load cargo and operate the ship.
Hachiman had no choice but to wait until he finished.
Businessmen truly had endless tasks. While busy, another young man and a girl came aboard, followed by a couple. Hachiman learned that the young man was the captain's son, the girl his daughter-in-law, and the couple both in-laws and business partners.
Ancient times doubled up the familial and business connections.
The young man looked miserable, likely having experienced misfortune earlier. Sure enough, as soon as he sat down, the captain scolded him for being cowardly—missing his coming-of-age test against a bull, bringing shame to his father who had once taken on ten men without exhaustion.
At that moment, Hachiman revised part of his earlier evaluation.
Damn! Clearly, being a gang leader was this guy's real role!
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting