Chapter 71 Development
The disaster was quelled, the demons were banished, and Canaan resumed communication with the outside world.
Canaan, as a crucial transit point on the trade route, also returned to normalcy.
With more free time, Ara, as the leader of the Canaanites, busied himself with the development of Canaan. He led the men in expanding the village and, using ancient techniques passed down from his grandfather, planted grapevines along the streets, both for ornamental purposes and dust protection, as well as as an advertisement to the outside world.
When merchants, laden with wealth, stopped in Canaan for a rest, they were inexplicably drawn to the grapevines and, under the villagers' preachy persuasion, would unwittingly buy several cartloads of grapes...
These high-quality grapes gradually became Canaan's trademark. Once people had tasted Canaan's grapes or drunk Canaan's wine, they found it difficult to swallow anything else.
So much so that Argos even had a group of merchants who regularly purchased fruit from Canaan.
And all of this was just like the first boast they made on the night they arrived—
to ensure the Argonauts ate only their grapes.
Besides, the industrious Canaanites continuously repaired their houses. Originally built of logs, they gradually reinforced them with stone and other sturdy materials, so that Canaan, once a remote village, gradually began to resemble a town.
Canaan's reputation as a land of abundance and a homeland of heroes naturally attracted many travelers, adventurers, and bards. Some, after witnessing Canaan's idyllic life, couldn't help but consider settling there permanently.
Arah was not a closed-minded person; he naturally welcomed those with good intentions and knowledge to stay in Canaan. However, they, like the villagers, had to abide by Arah's rules and uphold God's faith.
After meeting the Messiah, some of the less inclined, upon hearing of the many rules, left in disappointment. However, a large number remained, choosing to live in this bountiful land...
Therefore, in just a few years, Canaan expanded several times over, its population and inhabitants growing from a hundred or so initially to several hundred, and eventually to over a thousand, almost comparable to some small city-states...
Besides the population growth, Arah also built a temple in the sunniest location in Canaan for prayer during festivals and ordinary days.
At Arah's behest, some priests were appointed as priests; these were the most steadfast and literate believers in Canaan, responsible for proclaiming the Nine Commandments and the faith of the Lord.
In addition to distributing bread and eggs... 4
These people, based on Ara's oral account, also fabricated many bizarre little stories...
For example, Ara supposedly fought his way through the underworld, resurrected in blood, and single-handedly annihilated the Argos king's million-strong army...
The part about conquering the Nemean Lion was relatively normal, but when it came to the Battle of the Temple, these bumpkin priests, with their exaggerated and exaggerated narration, made things like this—
"Three hundred gods gathered on Mount Olympus, sitting atop the heavens, while the Messiah, with just one punch, sent all the false gods falling like laurel blossoms..."1
At this point, some travelers would question:
"How is that possible?"
The priests would then confidently thump their chests:
"Friend, go to Argos, go see that collapsed bronze tower..."
"That's the proof!"
Some travelers would later travel to Argos and see the... The collapsed bronze tower, and many different accounts of that story...
The travelers might have their own interpretations of the story, harboring their own doubts...
But on their journey, they would encounter a righteous man redeemed by the Messiah...
He claimed to be a saint of the Messiah, possessing holy wine given by the Messiah, capable of healing all diseases and wounds...
At first, the travelers did not believe...
But when the miracles of the holy wine were performed before their eyes...
They became the most devout believers of God and the Messiah, deciding to renounce everything and follow the saint for life...
Following the Nine Commandments, following God's righteousness...
And in the future, these people would become the priests of the rebuilt Temple of Argos...
Becoming an important cornerstone of the Christian faith...1
...
And as Canaan developed...
Little Isaac grew up day by day.
Just like the name his mother gave him, Isaac was a very cheerful child. When he laughed, his eyes curved into crescent moons, making him incredibly endearing.
His eyes were also quite distinctive, with dark gold pupils that held a touch of the divine.
However, young Isaac was different from his appearance.
He was extremely mischievous.
People could often find young Isaac anywhere in Canaan—in inns, temples, taverns…even on merchants' wagons…
And as he grew older, he remained the same, often leading a group of children to tease the livestock in the stables, scorching the wool of gazelles with torches, or urinating in the pigs' troughs.
On one occasion, he even secretly opened the stable gate, intending to ride horses with his companions, imagining himself galloping across the wilderness like a cavalryman.
However, because the gate was left open, all the horses in the stable ran away...
A dozen or so horses galloped wildly through the streets of Canaan, knocking over several passersby and merchants, causing a huge riot.
Ultimately, to resolve the situation, Ara employed a hundred men to capture all the horses and spent several days repairing the damaged facilities...
Of course, Ara wouldn't tolerate Isaac's behavior.
That night, the Canaanites heard the sound of branches whipping and the boy's screams and cries throughout the night.
After this incident, Ara decided to give young Isaac something to do.
A child of this age shouldn't be left idle.
So he sought out the elderly Tyr, who was enjoying his retirement.
He planned to have Tyr teach young Isaac to read and write and to use a sword.
He even personally crafted a wooden sword for young Isaac...
And the effect was surprisingly good.
Old Tyr wasn't just a master warrior; he was a master teacher too...
"Five hundred more swings..."
In the courtyard, Old Tyr sat in his rocking chair, squinting at the little boy before him.
Isaac, with a pained expression, said:
"No, Grandpa Tyr, this is too hard. I've already swung a hundred times, and my arm really hurts..."
Old Tyr took a leisurely sip of juice, glanced at the boy soaked in sweat, and shook his head, saying:
"No, you can do it..."
"Because you are the son of the Messiah."
The child, always easily captivated, asked:
"Grandpa Tyr, what is the Messiah? People always talk about him, but what exactly is he?"
Old Tyr shook his head, saying:
"You'll understand when you grow up..."
"But you must remember... you are different from others..."
"You have..." "Flowing with the blood of the Messiah."
...
Soon after, Yara received a letter from the King of Argos—
"Brother, it's been almost six years since we last met..."
"Though we exchange letters often...it's never quite the same as meeting in person..."
"Recently, the situation in Argos has stabilized, and I've found a group of capable ministers...which has given me much-needed leisure time..."
"I'm taking a break and plan to come to your place with Pan and Perseus for a drink..."
"You won't mind having an old friend like me..."
"—Dixtis."
...