Chapter 25: One of Ten
The forehead of the one who will wear the iron crown is decorated with a silver ring imitating a crown.
The silver ring is gorgeous and exquisite, but it only makes Perturabo feel that its value has been damaged by the craftsmen who forged it for him.
"Who are you?" Perturabo asked loudly.
"Harkon, a prince." Harkon said humbly.
"I know you are Harkon, the eldest prince of Lokos. Everyone knows your reputation." He sarcastically said, "But as you stand here today, whose identity are you speaking? Do you symbolize justice or do you symbolize justice?" How dare you say that there is no selfishness in this competition?"
Harkon's polite appearance was immediately destroyed, his eyes showed a gloomy look, and the palms hanging by his sides were strained by force. Tight.
“How can I symbolize such a noble concept?” Rarely, he did not mention the Olympian gods any more. Perhaps Harkon himself knew that he could not win the argument.
"I am speaking with the voice of the Lokos, Perturabo."
He spread his right hand gracefully, and the silk robe fluttered with the movement of his palm, "Every time Each of the judges thought carefully before giving the reasons for their names to be counted. Although I am not a skilled craftsman like my brother, I am also proficient in the craftsmanship, and I can hear the words of each of the judges about the two works. Sincere appreciation.”
"As for the current voting results, it is just proof of the extraordinary level of the two of them."
"You are proficient in skills, so do you have the ability to give your evaluation?"
Haha Behind Erkon, Callifon stood up from his seat silently and whispered something beside the tyrant. Few people noticed her behavior.
"The statue of Hephonia is kind and dignified, and your works are bold in conception and are all wonderful works." Harkon stared at Perturabo and said, waving his hand, a waiter came forward and held the cup. A gold-plated clay pot was waiting by the side.
He took the lead in asking the waiter to pour him a glass of clear water, holding the glass in both hands, and invited Perturabo: "This clear spring is taken from the lake where Hephonia was born in Kaldis, and passed through the hands of the envoys. Present, sent from afar by Prince Adolphus of Chaldis, kept warm by the snow from the mountaintops in a quartz-feathered fan, transported in a golden canister, specially presented to our gloriously victorious friend, The genius Perturabo ”
"Enjoy your victory, friend of the Lokos," said Harkon, with a false light on his noble face.
Perturabo stared at Harkon, feeling his ears burning and his teeth clenching.
Glory? The word didn't burn through his tongue? He actually wants me to acknowledge the victory of his charity?
Perturabo's energy was as high as ever, because the strategy and situation in front of him became too clear.
The judges, the citizens on the street, and even foreign scholars and envoys all watched his every move.
What is reflected in people's eyes is not two static stone sculptures on the stage, but a living performer's debut in front of the general public in Lokos.
His talent is too far away from the public, his victory is natural, but his actions are what will truly be judged and recorded in the eyes of countless people.
Morse expected this day, so he did not come to teach him the carving skills.
Because at this moment, carving skills are not important.
"Will you accept Olympia's wishes, venerable Perturabo? Or does the Lokos' heart offend you, so much so that you refuse?" said Harkon.
But Perturabo only captured the disgusting calculation and greed from his endless chatter of forced names. Even though Harkon spoke respectfully, he only felt a strong nausea in his heart.
He saw two dark roads in front of him: accept this cup of "wishes" and choose a coffin of power and power for himself; or reject Lokos's highest status in front of everyone and fall to the ground. Enter the ocean that is stigmatized by arrogance and bigotry.
Andos stood up from his cushion at some point. His steps are steady, more powerful than wrought iron or carved stone.
"My brother," said the prince, standing beside Perturabo. His voice was very soft, not speaking to the people around him, but just talking among a few people, "When did you prepare this generous gift... It would be a bit difficult for Karl to keep the spring water from afar clear. Dis's messenger."
He turned his head and looked at his sculpture, with sadness in his eyes. "If it was prepared after you visited me... why not return the spring water to the goddess of blessing in Olympia and reenact the myth of Hephonia being born in the water."
Callifon left Damex's side and gathered together with Perturabo. "What do you think? Let the spring water be blessed at the fingertips of the goddess's hands?" She asked not Harkon, but Perturabo.
"Sister, I don't think..."
Kali Feng didn't even raise her head. "Today's winner is Perturabo, so it shouldn't be you who makes the decision." Perturabo said, "But I haven't won yet."
He looked up At first, he killed Harkon's smiling face with his stern eyes. "Today's judges are citizens, and I haven't seen many citizens on this high platform. You said you spoke with the voice of the Lokos, but I clearly haven't heard the voice of the Lokos clearly."
"Califon, explain it to me and the tyrant."
He turned to the outside of the high platform, overlooking the houses of Lokos, the streets divided by the houses, the people carried by the streets, and the Lokos composed of countless people. Coase itself.
"From this stage, I want to choose one person out of every ten people to come to this stage."
Perturabo glanced at the people who didn't know what was happening on the high platform. The audience calculated their height and strength in their minds, and his brain told him that these people were not shorter or weaker than him.
He thought of Morse. Then I thought that a very small number of these people were even taller than Morse.
The sudden intrusion made it easier for him to endure his anger, until he remembered that Morse had not yet appeared.
He let his annoyance be relieved by glaring at Harkon.
"They don't know the owners of these two works yet, right?"
He announced loudly: "Then I will listen to their words. I want their anonymous votes. ”
Perturabo stepped forward, snatched the cup from Harkon, and poured the clear water back into the golden pot containing the water of the Lake of the Nativity. "Gifts from far away do not need to be wasted in the palm of the stone statue. Since it is the winner's prize, it is waiting for the winner to drink."
"Since this competition is in front of the citizens, let the citizens judge."
After doing all this, he smiled openly at Harkon: "Besides, I can see that the words in your mouth The only difference between my proficient art and the uninformed art of other citizens is whether I am boastful or not. You are the one to evaluate it, and I don’t mind more people commenting on my stone sculptures.”
The victorious boy said. : "I demand a recount."
Harkon's head turned around, from Andros to Califon, his eyes filled with confusion that his two blood relatives were on the other side. .
"We are not ready yet." He replied stiffly, "Perturabo, you are making things difficult for Lokos."
Callifon's eyes remained on Perturabo, her skirt swirling like flowers in the breeze.
After hearing Harkon's rejection, she gave her brother a smile lightly and restrainedly: "I just asked my father in advance. Perturabo is already wise and sensible. If he makes a request, We should be satisfied.”
She looked at the tyrant in the distance, and the tyrant nodded to her.
Califon walked past Harkon and talked to the host in light yellow robes. Andros had already returned to his seat, spread his palms upward, and invited Perturabo to sit down and rest as well.
Perturabo looked into the crowd again, deliberately paying attention to the clothes and faces of everyone on the ground. Then he sat down with an upright posture with very little obvious disappointment.
The amplification equipment was in operation again. Following the host's high-pitched speech, people at the scene crowded around, their eyes lit up with excitement, talking about this latest and freshest thing that no one had ever heard of.
Although some fearful people with deep concerns are trying to move themselves out of the options, more people are rushing forward, so that the host has to repeatedly chant the etiquette of Lokos and commandments, and dispatched unarmed guards to maintain order.
"Would you mind if we changed the number to one per hundred?" Andos asked him. "One out of ten... some are too many."
"Of course I mind." Perturabo said, but he just stared at the crowd and did not rush out to object.
Andos blinked, raised the corners of his mouth, and smiled slightly.
After a long time, a single sentence suddenly came out of the mouth of the boy next to him: "I recognize what a blessing is."
He then pursed his lips tightly. It was obvious that he did not intend to say another word before the citizens' review began. .
(End of this chapter)