This was war,
Even those in high positions, once the tide of war turns against them, cannot protect their own families.
If the original history unfolds,
After tonight, this father's two daughters would all be captured.
The elder daughter was offered to Agamemnon,
Who was astounded by her beauty, far surpassing that of his own wife.
The Mycenaean king did not hesitate to propose marriage to her but was rejected…
Later, the old priest Chryses tried to ransom his daughter with a large sum of money, but Agamemnon refused.
Chryses prayed to the gods,
And the god of light, Apollo, who learned of this, sent a plague upon the Greek army as divine punishment.
Only then did Agamemnon reluctantly return Chryses' daughter.
But soon after, Agamemnon's eyes fell on his younger daughter—this was a story for another time.
For Eetion and Chryses now—
The present crisis was their biggest threat.
Outside—
Achilles did not personally engage,
For this battle, too lopsided and tedious, had begun to bore him.
The rest he left to his soldiers.
However—
The flash of daylight earlier still piqued the demigod's interest.
Why did Apollo send down a miracle…
And nothing happened?
If that major deity was truly enraged by the destruction of his guarded city, he wouldn't just show a light and leave.
As Achilles casually took a bite of an apple he had taken from an abandoned market stall in Thebes.
When the juice burst in his mouth,
At the same time—
Like a stone thrown into a calm lake, a new turn of events appeared on the battlefield.
"Enemies!!! There are enemies!!"
"Reinforcements from the enemy have arrived, Lord Achilles!"
"They are attacking from the rear!" A flurry of panic came from the soldiers in the far rear.
Achilles' body tensed…
When he heard that, his first thought was 'Impossible!!!'
How could there be reinforcements?!
Where would they come from?
Troy and the surrounding small cities were barely able to protect themselves, unable to send reinforcements.
"How many are there?!" Achilles asked urgently, turning around.
"One…one, no…maybe a dozen.
They are led by a warrior wielding a golden spear, charging through with unstoppable force.
We've lost many brothers! We can't hold them off!" The soldier replied nervously.
Achilles: …!!
A dozen men charging through his army,
And they can't be stopped?!
A hero—!!
Achilles immediately realized,
This must be a hero from the Trojan side.
Only heroes far beyond mortals could perform such absurd miracles.
Suddenly, Achilles, like an awakened lion, opened his eyes wide, revealing a sharp and excited gaze.
"Finally, something interesting after all this time!"
But a hero wielding a golden spear…
Who could that be?
Instinctively, a figure flashed in Achilles' mind.
It was the only warrior from the Trojan side whom he had longed to battle with during their previous clashes.
A man who, like him, possessed the strongest spear, the strongest shield, and an unrivaled presence on the battlefield.
They were so alike…
No matter what,
He must defeat this person,
Only then could he prove who was the greatest hero in Greece.
"Hector…!!" Achilles murmured the name of his nemesis softly,
If it is you, then all the better; if not… then I hope it is!
I'll use your head, to demonstrate the brilliance of my spear to the world!
Achilles immediately headed in the direction indicated by the soldiers.
But when he arrived at the battlefield, he didn't see a hero wielding a golden spear,
Not even a shadow of the supposed enemies.
Achilles: "Where are the enemy troops?!"
"Lord Achilles… it seems they came only to rescue some people and didn't linger to fight.
They took a group of prisoners and then left."
Achilles: "…!"
Could there have been someone of significant status among those prisoners?
At this moment, a soldier nervously mentioned that he vaguely heard those people shouting that they found Lord Eetion and Priest Chryses.
Achilles: …! Not good!
Could it be that the city they attacked was just a shell,
And the most important people had already been captured?
Achilles didn't know who Eetion was, he hadn't bothered to find out who the city's rulers were before coming, but the priest's identity was significant.
He thought of something…
If the chief priest of Apollo was rescued,
Could this rescue force have been sent by Apollo himself?
Clenching his teeth slightly, he hesitated for a moment about whether to pursue…
"By the way, I think I heard the soldiers calling the leading hero Hector!!" When a soldier said this,
The next moment, Achilles decisively spoke: "I will personally pursue them for a while!! I'll be back soon! Continue attacking the city's center!"
Regardless of whether the most important people in Thebes had been rescued, he decided to pursue both avenues to ensure nothing was missed.
And his chariot, pulled by celestial horses far superior to ordinary horses,
Would quickly catch up if the enemies had not gone far.
Hector!!! Is it really you!
When he heard that name, Achilles' battle spirit could no longer be contained.
Without hesitation, he swiftly climbed onto his chariot.
"Lord Achilles!!!" Amidst the soldiers' shouts, Achilles left them with a dashing and stylish figure as he sped away.
"What should we do?"
"…We can only follow Lord Achilles' orders and continue attacking the city center!" The soldiers exchanged glances before gritting their teeth and resuming the battle.
Even without their commander, the remaining stragglers didn't require Lord Achilles' personal intervention; they could handle it.
As for whether Lord Achilles might get injured while pursuing the enemy,
The soldiers had never even considered it.
With a body impervious to weapons, immense strength, and powerful divine armor,
How could Lord Achilles possibly lose?
Even amidst thousands of troops, that demigod hero could come and go as he pleased!!
Let alone facing a small group of merely a dozen or so who dared not linger in battle.
Meanwhile,
In a secluded alleyway within Thebes,
This was an empty street Night had deliberately cleared while gathering remaining forces in the city.
He hoped Achilles would be lured over, if all the previous efforts were ineffective.
There would be no more time; once Hector arrived, the fated battle between those two would be inevitable.
.
.
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