Chapter 12
Devers knew that if he wanted them to change their minds, he had to prove it with facts. Therefore, he called Giogris and went to the supply camp to pick up a cow's stomach. He went to a stream next to the camp and washed it with strenuous effort. Then, he boiled the cow's stomach with hot water in a crockpot. After that, he pulled out his military knife and started slicing it.
At this moment, the five people who were doubtful of Olivers's words and some curious soldiers surrounded Devers a few times.
Devers calmly scooped a few spoonfuls of soup from another crockpot that was cooking beef and mutton. He poured them into a new crockpot and waited for the soup to boil before he poured the sliced cow's stomach into it. After a while, he picked up the crockpot and sprinkled salt on it. A simple "fried stomach" was ready.
"Here, have a taste."
Matonis hesitantly stabbed a piece with his military knife. He blew hard on it and slowly put it in his mouth.
He did not answer the questions from the people around him. He silently stabbed another piece … and then smashed another piece … Only then did the people react and were ready to swarm him. Matonis ignored the heat in his hand and ran away with the crockpot. The people cursed and chased after him.
Dyvers didn't expect a big guy like Matonis to be so cunning, and he found it rather funny.
"Looks like the internal organs of livestock are not only edible but also delicious." Hilos, who did not participate in the chase, sighed.
Devers did not say anything. Not all internal organs of livestock, such as liver, were delicious, but it was very beneficial to the human body. There was no industrial pollution in this era, so there should not be any danger of poisoning from eating it.
"But we've been given enough meat to last us for a day. The weather is so hot, the internal organs will go bad tomorrow, "Hilos said helplessly.
Devers already had a solution to this problem. He pointed at the sheep intestines that were thrown aside and said, "We can make … bacon sausage! (In fact, in this era, some horse herding tribes in Persia have already started to use horse intestines to make sausage, but it has not been popularized yet.) "
"Bacon sausage?"
… …
When everyone returned, they looked at Devers with awe in their eyes. After tasting the deliciousness of the fried belly, they felt that Olivers was right. If he was not a God's Favored, why would Dyvers be the only one out of more than 10,000 Greeks who thought that these filthy things could be eaten? Moreover, they were so delicious! In the past, the Devers were just like them, throwing the internal organs of the animals far away. Now that there was such a big change, it must be Hades's grace.
Therefore, it was much easier for Devers to direct them to do things. They could bear the stench of sheep intestines and took them to the stream to wash. Then, he minced the internal organs and some remaining meat and stuffed them into the intestines. Insert a small section. Tie it with the thread drawn from the linen. Then, he stuffed another piece of cloth and tied it up …
When it was done, it was hung on a wooden pole and roasted over a fire. Devers learned this method of smoking sausages from the villagers when he was a village official in his previous life. Now that the conditions were limited and time was tight, they could only simplify the process. As long as it could be stored for a few more days and could be eaten, it would be fine.
The Devers's flamboyant bacon sausage naturally attracted many curious onlookers. After Olivers, Matonis, and the others bragged about it, the Devers became a rarity and were stared at by the soldiers. Soon, the news that "Devers were Blessed" and "bacon sausage" began to spread in Menon's camp …
… …
At noon, news came: the king of Persia sent an envoy to summon them to surrender but was rejected by the leaders.
In the afternoon, news came again. Alreus's envoy returned and brought Alreus's answer: he refused to attack the king of Persia's army and only wanted to return to Asia Minor. He was willing to return with the Greek mercenaries.
Devers spoke again, and everyone was no longer surprised.
Soon, news came: Krylkus wanted to sacrifice livestock to Zeus and let the god decide whether they would fight or retreat.
Devers was amused: this was obviously a way for the mercenary leaders to shirk responsibility. However, their companions looked forward to the results of the divination with extreme seriousness, making Devers realize that it was somewhat unreasonable for them to look at the practices of the ancients from a modern point of view.
Obviously, the divination results obtained by the leaders were not good. So, the higher-ups finally passed down the order: the mercenaries would join Alreus's troops and return to Asia Minor together.
Now, the soldiers of the various camps had to immediately pack up and load the supplies onto the pack-carts. After dark, when the bronze trumpets were blown, the camps could set off in turn.
Immediately, a tense atmosphere filled the camp, but everyone's faces showed some relief. After all, it had been eight or nine months since they set off from Asia Minor. They could finally go home, and no one wanted to stay in a hostile land for long.
"Can these sausages be removed?" Hilos asked.
Devers looked up at the dozen skewers of sausages that were being smoked and then shook his head. "Wait until it's dark, before we leave." He knew that to reach the standard of smoked sausages, half a day was far from enough, but the longer they could be roasted, the longer they could be stored.
Everyone began to dismantle the tents and pack their luggage, their movements very skilled. Although Devers had this memory, he still needed to convert this memory into a habit. He was very serious as he watched and learned.
When everyone carried the tents and luggage to the supply camp, Devers saw the fat man shouting loudly, ordering his men to load the goods. Although there were a lot of soldiers in the supply camp, he could maintain order and work methodically.
"Who is that?" Devers pointed at him and asked.
"Merces, Menon's logistics officer. This fat pig is too bad. The last time I came here to find a woman, he actually took two silver coins from me! "Olivers said angrily.
Devers looked thoughtfully at the pack beasts that were roaring loudly and asked, "Have we ever marched at night before?"
"Very rarely. If there is no moonlight, you can't see anything at all. Even if there is, it's very difficult to walk at night. Those big guys are even more troublesome. Although they are docile now, they are easily frightened at night. There have been a few incidents in the past where they have injured people. So, the supply team will go separately from us, "Hilos said.
Devers thought about it, put their luggage in Hilos' hands, and walked out of the team.
"Hey! Come back quickly! Merces is not to be trifled with! "Olivers shouted.
Afraid that Devers would be at a disadvantage, Matonis also rushed over.
"Stop!" The guard pointed his spear at Devers. "It's not your turn yet, please line up!"
Devers indicated that he was empty-handed and said, "I have something to talk to Merces about."
The guard subconsciously looked back and then shook his head. "If I were you, I wouldn't disturb that fat man when he's busy."
"Alright." Devers smiled slyly and shouted, "Merces, I can help you solve the problem of the livestock being easily frightened at night!"
His shout attracted the attention of all the soldiers.
"Isn't that Devers?! He can even solve this problem. As expected of the Favored! "
"What's the Favored?"
"Don't you know? Dyvers is a God-blessed. That's what Olivers told him … "
Devers listened to the discussion and knew that he had already accomplished half of his goal.
"You can solve the problem of the livestock?!" Merces walked over and sized up Devers, asking suspiciously.
"Of course! He's the Devers! "Matonis had almost become his fan.
"You're the Devers?! The Devers who made the bacon sausage?! "Merces' expression changed as he asked in surprise.
Devers nodded.
"Quick, help me see if there are any problems with the sausage I made." With that, Merces pulled Devers inside.
When Devers saw the bacon sausage he made and pointed out the flaws, Merces grumbled, "You should have told me how to make the sausage first, not those soldiers who only know how to kill. You have to know that they only know how to squander and waste! Unfortunately, when I heard about this, the meat and organs were almost gone. Luckily, I reacted quickly! " As Merces spoke, he suddenly remembered the purpose of Devers's visit. "Oh, I almost forgot. You said that you can solve the problem of the pack animals being easily frightened at night? "
"It's simple. Blindfold them. Cows and horses are gentle and timid by nature. When they can't see, they won't dare to move. They will only blindly follow the instructions given to them by the people who lead them, "Devers said seriously. In his previous life, the old farmer in the village had told him this when he was chatting with him.
"Oh! So that's how it is! I'll try! " Merces turned and ran, but he suddenly stopped. "Devers, I hope you can come here often! If you want to play with women, I won't charge you! "
Devers smiled. This is a serious fatty.
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