I was a priest in the city-state era

Roy, Procne and Philomela took six maids to the warehouse of the Acropolis. After finding the materials and magnets for making ink, they also looted some animal fats and cotton threads for making candles.

After leaving the warehouse, Procne and Philomela took Roy to the stable.

The terrain of Greece is mainly mountainous, with some narrow plains.

Because of the special mountainous environment of Greece, the Dorians, a nomadic people in the northern Thessaly region, could only stop at the Thessaly Plain and could not cross the mountains to continue to migrate and invade southward.

Even the nomads on horseback could not gallop in the mountainous environment of Greece, which shows that Greece did not need cavalry at all.

In this era, raising horses could neither train cavalry to fight in wars nor use horses in backward agriculture.

Raising horses is definitely a matter where the investment is not proportional to the benefits.

Therefore, only the big or small leaders in the tribe can raise horses.

Roy followed Procne and Philomela to the stable and saw that although there were only four horses in the stable, there were six horse keepers taking care of the horses.

This shows how much Pandion valued these four horses.

Pandion attached so much importance to horse breeding, proving that he was indeed a visionary leader.

Although the investment in horse breeding was not proportional to the benefits in normal times.

But when the Athenian tribe went to war, riding a horse to quickly deliver messages or explore the enemy would be of great help to the Athenian tribe in winning the war, so the investment in horse breeding was worth it.

When the six horse keepers saw Roy and others, they immediately stopped Roy and others from approaching the stable.

Procne took off her veil to show her identity, and then said to the horse keepers.

"I have obtained my father's consent, and now I order you to help me pull some horsetail hair from the horse's tail."

After the horse keepers looked at each other, someone couldn't help but say.

"Princess Procne! Horses have different tempers than cattle and sheep. If you pluck hair directly from a horse's tail, the horse will kick you with its hooves, which may seriously injure or even kill you."

Procne had only seen Pandion riding a horse, but had never seen a horse get angry.

When the horse breeder said that a horse's hoof could kill someone, Procne said to Roy with an embarrassed expression.

"Priest Roy, we can't let these horse breeders get hurt for the sake of horse tail hair."

Roy immediately smiled and said.

"Princess Procne! We don't want the whole horse tail hair. Let these horse breeders use sharp knives to cut off half a foot of horse tail hair, which is enough for us to make toothbrushes and brushes."

Plucking hair directly from a horse's tail is very dangerous, but cutting off part of the horse's tail hair is almost no danger to the horse breeder.

Procne ordered the horse breeder.

"You heard what priest Roy said, hurry up and cut some horsetails for us."

Six horse keepers immediately went into the stable and worked hard, and soon cut four horsetails to offer to Procne.

On the way back to the Temple of Metis, Roy looked at the six maids behind him and asked Procne curiously.

"Princess Procne! I have always wanted to ask a question, are the male and female servants in your family slaves obtained by your Athenian tribe from defeating other tribes?"

"How could we let our enemies become servants around us--"

Procne said, looking at Roy with wide eyes.

"Priest Roi! Those who were defeated and captured by our Athenian tribe must be full of resentment towards us. If we keep these enemies around to serve us, they might murder us one day. So when we capture captives, we usually sell them to the Phoenicians, and let the Phoenicians sell them to other places as slaves."

"Then your Athenian tribe has no slaves from other tribes?"

"Yes! We usually only sell captured men to the Phoenicians, and our captured women and little girls will be kept for transformation. Because women are different from men, after they get pregnant, they will accept their fate. Many of the maids in our house are little girls captured from other tribes."

"Then where do the male servants in your house come from?"

"This question is a bit complicated."

Procne frowned and said.

"It is normal for an ordinary couple in our Athens tribe to have more than eight children. But being able to give birth to so many children does not mean being able to feed them. In order to prevent their children from starving to death, some couples will send their children to the chief, the chief or other wealthy people for adoption. The male servants in our family are basically adopted children. Because these male servants have been taught to be grateful for their masters' upbringing since childhood, they are very loyal. When they grow up, some will stay in our house to serve us, and some will become my father's personal guards, swearing to protect my father's safety in the war."

"No wonder your male servants are so loyal, it turns out that they were all raised since childhood."

Back in the Temple of Metis, Roy asked a maid to grind the magnet into a compass, asked a maid to make ink, asked a maid to make toothbrushes and brushes with horsetail hair, and asked the remaining three maids to make candles.

Roy personally participated in the pulping and scooping of papermaking, and finally made the first batch of experimental paper in the afternoon.

Evening

After the first batch of experimental papers had dried, Roy excitedly took the paper, brush and ink and said to Procne and Philomela.

"Don't go back yet, I'll light a candle in the stone house and write for you!"

Hearing Roy's words, Procne hesitated, but finally nodded.

Night falls.

Inside the stone house of the temple.

Two candles are placed on the stone table for lighting.

Roy spreads a piece of paper on the stone table, dips a brush in ink, writes the two words "Roy" on the paper one by one, then holds up the paper and says.

"Princess Procne! Princess Philomela! Look, this is my name."

Procne and Philomela observe the words on the paper in amazement under the candlelight, and Philomela can't help but say.

"Is this the Chinese character you mentioned? Then how should my sister and I write our names?"

"I'll write your names now."

Roy picks up the brush, writes the four words "Procne" on the second piece of paper one by one, then picks up the paper and says to Procne.

"Princess Procne, this is your name."

Procne looks at the name on the paper and can't help but breathe harder.

Philomela puffs up her face and says dissatisfiedly.

"Priest Roy! Why did you only write my sister's name and not mine?"

"Uh--"

Seeing that his partiality made Philomela feel unfair, Roy immediately said with a smile.

"It's my fault. I'll write your name now."

After saying that, Roy used a brush to write the four words [Philomela] on the third piece of paper, and then handed the paper to Philomela.

Philomela snatched the paper with her name on it, and said with a smug smile on her little face.

"That's more like it! I should have what my sister has."

Although she looks very cute and beautiful, she is a big loli after all.

Roy looked at Prokne and said.

"Princess Prokne, do you want to try writing your own name?"