"What a great place! The people are so enthusiastic! The host is so generous! I'm very satisfied! How about making this our first conquest target?" The burly man loudly shouted in greek, drenched in wine like a rainforest, his entire being exuding the aroma of fine wine. Even so, he effortlessly carried a wine barrel, taking a sip, then pouring a whole barrel, instantly creating a barrage all around, with all the firepower concentrated on this spot.
His attendant, Kasinda, yelled loudly, "Your Majesty! Don't joke around! Not to mention other countries in Greece are stirring, didn't you say you wanted to conquer Persia even after uniting Macedonia?! Even if you wanted to conquer here, isn't Rome between us?! Your Majesty, snap out of it!!!"
"Hahahaha! What does it matter!" In his boisterous laughter, there was no hint of shame for his unreliability, as the fellow who had just ascended the throne laughed so unreservedly.
"Quick, hide! Quick, hide!" Nero, taking advantage of Kayal's commotion to attract everyone, donned a cloak and, with Octavia, pushed through the crowd. Relieved, the two of them, filled with curiosity, followed the flow of people towards the grand plaza.
Kayal's impromptu speech had a profound impact on them. They suddenly realized that the reason slaves and commoners rebelled was quite ridiculous: their nobles, clinging to their status, dared not, were unwilling, and feared losing face by communicating with the commoners!
Kayal's direct speeches, standing with the common people, interacting with them, cheering, celebrating, entertaining, and governing with a policy of equality, human rights, and respect for slaves, had a great stimulating effect on the two of them.
However, before they could fully recover, the revelry had already begun. After seven years of accumulation, Red Leaf Ridge, no longer treating grain as a necessity, had so much wine that it could be drunk like water!
Since that was the case, no one was holding back!
Wine was everywhere, from the sky to the ground! What was usually a luxury became less valuable than water in the festive atmosphere. Yes, Nero liked fine wine, opera, and art, but that didn't mean she enjoyed being drenched in wine and becoming one of the disheveled.
Except for the first few cups that dampened their cloaks, the rest were dodged by the two of them like mice.
Now, it was the food that made them happier. Girls, after all! Snacks were always a favorite, no matter the era, and getting fat was always the most terrifying fear!
But what was so scarce in this era was the variety of food!
Like the East at the same time, the East only knew two cooking methods: roasting and boiling! During the Warring States period, porridge without meat was called 'geng,' and with meat, it was called 'mi'! Similarly, if Kayal hadn't introduced crops like potatoes and corn, the West would probably have been even more impoverished: black bread and white bread were staples, and vegetables included roasted or boiled beef; the poor ate pork, and the even poorer only ate wild vegetables and hunted.
Similarly, in an era where even staple foods were so underdeveloped and people couldn't eat their fill, how could there be snacks?
Red Leaf Ridge was different! As a developed grain-producing area, Red Leaf Ridge was surrounded by fertile fields. Wheat harvests were always bountiful; if there was a poor harvest, there was still the farmer's commune subsidy, so farmers never worried about food! Backed by forests, bordered by a large river on the left, and with an estuary five kilometers away, there were abundant supplies from hunting, freshwater fishing, and saltwater fishing. Kayal, who strongly advocated shipbuilding, initiated two shipbuilding revolutions; at least he let everyone know that ships could be moved by wheels, and that ships could float on the sea by iron!
These two shipbuilding revolutions led to all warships from the past decade being sold cheaply to fishermen. The amount of fish caught by fishermen who jointly bought warships was a world of difference compared to before. Of course, Kayal would not deplete resources; he sent his sixth disciple, Alize, to teach fishermen the principles of fishing, weather, climate, what time to catch which fish, and even that fish needed time to rest and reproduce.
Evidently, Alize's teaching was very successful; the fishermen brought not only fish but also more science.
Kayal often bought strange-looking fish from fishermen to teach his disciples; he was like a walking encyclopedia, he was omnipotent.
Naturally, if strange fish could be caught, they could be eaten. Grilled fish was a major specialty of Red Leaf Ridge, especially after the introduction of spices.
"Delicious! So delicious!" The two of them, one holding grilled octopus and the other grilled sea bream, munched without any pretense. Here, no one recognized them, so they could cast aside their usual etiquette, arrogance, nobility, and hypocrisy, and wholeheartedly praise the food and feast.
"There's more over there!" They joyfully moved between the wine and delicacies. Grilled fish? That wasn't enough! French fries and hash browns declared themselves even more delicious, fried fish proclaimed their unparalleled deliciousness, and roasted sweet potatoes showed no pressure! And there were more and more delicacies... The revelry continued until nightfall. When darkness descended and the streetlights were lit by their caretakers, everyone slowly stopped their celebration, laughing heartily at the wet people nearby. People returned home, cleaned their clothes and bodies. When the visiting travelers and merchants thought the revelry was over, the people of Red Leaf Fortress emerged from their homes in new clothes and shoes, which made the travelers, who were about to return to their inns, stop in their tracks.
From time to time, happy people from Red Leaf Fortress reminded them to go back to their inns to change clothes, otherwise, after the next program, they would be unable to participate in the programs two days later due to illness. So, travelers continuously returned to change clothes.
This, of course, was also taught to them by Kayal's disciples, including that cold water needed to be boiled to reduce germs and diseases, and that sweating and being exposed to wind would cause colds. Such basic medical knowledge, considered common sense by modern people, could only be seen as a miracle back then: boiling cold water could prevent diseases! Was this not a divine power?
Of course, Kayal could not do all of the above alone, which is why he had disciples! The sixth disciple, Alize, was responsible for the aquatic industry; he was also a marine expert. The second disciple, Belle, who was the first child to receive Kayal's blessing, was responsible for specialized medical care. She didn't like killing, but she hoped to use her hands to do something for her homeland, so it was no surprise that the leadership of the medical team fell on her shoulders.
The crowd slowly moved towards the square, many carrying kerosene lamps. These people were saluted; they held the title of citizen, they were people of distinction, they were a group who had made outstanding contributions to this country and were absolutely trusted by the lord, so they were allowed to carry lamps! One must know that lamps could very likely cause fires! In Red Leaf Ridge, which had no fire trucks and where all buildings were interconnected, a fire could even wipe out the entire Red Leaf Ridge!!
"outofthemistofhistoryhe'llcomeagain..." Clear singing voices drifted over, like celestial music.
"What is that..." some travelers murmured. They had never heard such beautiful singing. Bards? They were nothing compared to this!
"Lord Kayal, Kay... a spiritual cleansing." Closing their eyes, walking among the crowd, they forgot their skin color, language, and everything else, simply listening in silence to the celestial music. This was the final curtain call of today's revelry.