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Even a few households near the source pooled money together to invite a priestess from the temple to perform an exorcism.

Fortunately, the effect seemed to be significant, as the daytime screams disappeared, leaving only vague tremors at night.

Eventually, as the festival of Dionysus approached, even these odd occurrences gradually vanished.

In their place, a celebratory and lively atmosphere took hold.

At the temple\'s behest, wines from all the city-states of Crete were transported to Knossos City to compete for quality, vying to be selected as the divine offering for the next year.

Owing to the island\'s developed maritime trade and convenient location, travelers and merchants from both inside and outside the island flocked to the city, some for the pure joy of the festival, and some in search of business opportunities, all joining the grand event.

Consequently, the port\'s ships bustled daily, and the streets were teeming with people, with stalls and inns filled to capacity every day.

The city\'s defense forces soon felt the pressure mount, and even the precious Divine Blood Guard was compelled to take on defense and patrol duties.

The temple in charge was working non-stop, and in just a few days, High Priest Ariadne had lost a good amount of weight.

There was no choice, as King Minos was advanced in years and had been greatly weakened by the last conflict, now he could only lie in bed, clinging to life.

That a few princes managed to handle their responsibilities well under the strict control of the old king was no small feat.

And the only secretary knowledgeable about all governmental affairs, who could carry the burden, was in secluded cultivation.

In desperation, the overwhelmed high priest had to seek help from the Goddess of Wisdom they worshipped.

And it was precisely because of this that Luo En finally got a chance to breathe after being subjected to his daily beatings, and luckily escaped Athena\'s clutches.

After resting for two days, the survivor finally managed to sit at the dinner table and have a normal meal, for the first time in half a month.

As the hot food entered his mouth, Luo En, looking at the empty seat beside him, felt almost moved to tears and uttered his heartfelt emotion.

"The family of King Minos, good people indeed!"

Hestia and Medusa, sitting at the dining table, nodded in agreement with this sentiment.

However, Stheno and Euryale, trying hard to lower their presence in the corner, were not so pleased when they saw someone finishing their meal and skillfully brandishing a whip, and they silently mourned towards the empty chair.

Help! Come back quickly, I\'m about to die, snake!

~~

Early in the morning, with the accumulated pressure perfectly released, Luo En left two sobbing snake-women hugging each other in bed and stepped out the door in high spirits to welcome the sunrise of the Dionysian festival.

The streets were crowded, bustling with people in diverse attire and appearances, moving back and forth.

Some gathered in groups, drinking merrily and chatting; others strolled through the marketplace, buying local Crete specialties like spices, wine, and ores; and some were attracted by the street festivities and mouth-watering local delicacies, stopping to watch and taste…

Dawn had just broken, and the entirety of Knossos City was immersed in a sea of joy.

Watching his neighbors, who had set up stalls early in the morning and were surrounded by a bustling crowd, busy to the point of not touching the ground, Luo En couldn\'t help but lift the corners of his lips in satisfaction and tossed the parchment covered in writing into the trash bin.

The festival was not just a formality for worshipping the gods and a closed-off wild revelry; it served as a way to attract more customers and attention, injecting new life and vitality into the city. It also brought about prosperity in commerce, population, economy, and even political and cultural influence.

Therefore, any city-state capable of hosting large celebrations often left a significant mark in the history of the world.

Like Athens, Delphi, Rome, and so on...

Although Athena hadn\'t been harassing Luo En lately, considering that this was his own ascension ceremony, he had been scheming tirelessly behind the scenes, hoping to do well in the festival and simultaneously allow the entire Crete Island to benefit as much as possible.

Win-win was the essence of a healthy and long-lasting cooperative relationship.

The sunrise ascended, and the mist dispersed completely.

The long-awaited opening ceremony of the festival proceeded in an orderly fashion.

In the sacrificial site surrounded by audiences, the Priestesses dressed in white robes gathered in front of the altar to chant the sacrificial text, while High Priestess Ariadne, holding a torch made of fennel, olive branches, and grape vines, approached the altar to light the holy fire.

As the flames soared high into the sky, the statue of Athena at the center seemed to come alive, her Spear of Victory in her right hand striking the Aegis Shield in her left, producing an exhilarating sonority.

Instantly, ripples of golden light spread from the statue as the center, washing over the city in all directions. In a moment, it had spread throughout the entire city.

Suddenly, specks of golden light dust floated down from the sky, like a shower of luminescent rain, sprinkling every corner of Knossos City.

Those showered with the light dust all felt a surge in spirit, with fatigue vanishing and chronic ailments in their bodies lessened or healed.

Feeling the substantial changes in their bodies and having received the divine grace, the people burst into excited and enthusiastic cheers, worshipping the kind Great Mother Goddess together.

The statue nodded slightly in response and then returned to normal, shedding its halo and transforming back into an ordinary sculpture, leaving the revelry to the mortals.

And with the conclusion of the ritual to the gods, the mortal revelry officially began.

The minstrels plucked at their harps, opera troupes sang softly accompanied by the flute, people wore ivy crowns and animal skins, and carried ritual staffs, parading with enormous wine jars. Wine from Knossos, Athens, Samos, and other city-states was freely distributed to cheering passers-by for them to drink and savor.

The maenads clad in animal skins and wild makeup shouted the name of Dionysus, the God of Wine, thanking him for this substance that nourishes the body and soul, thanking the heavens for the bestowed joy.

Spurred on by the wine, the pedestrians were infected by the festive wave and raised their glasses in celebration, loudly praising his name.

As the headiness of wine deepened, spontaneous performances of oratory, debate, dance, combat, and magic emerged in streets and alleys, drawing rounds of applause.

In the light foam of the wine, people\'s dreams were intoxicated, small differences but largely the same.

They were thicker than water; they were connected by blood.

Under the libations of wine, countless golden specks erupted from the joyful emotions of the people, transforming into torrents of divine rivers, converging towards some place in the unseen realms.

Meanwhile, as the vessel, Luo En was officially facing the trial of ascension to godhood.