In the afternoon, at the Senate meeting, Davos's proposal to contact Thurii and improve diplomatic relations was indeed strongly opposed by old citizen senators such as Strombos.
Davos did not immediately hold a vote, but said earnestly: "Distinguished sirs, I implore you to reconsider this proposal calmly and seriously, and not to let hatred blind your wisdom! You are the elite of the city-state, and you must create more life for the people of the entire city-state, and point out the correct direction for the prosperity of the city-state! Will friendship with Thurii improve the security of the city-state?! Will friendship with Thurii increase the trade of the city-state?! Will friendship with Thurii benefit the war between the city-state and Lucania?! The good and bad of friendship with Thurii are clearly presented before you. As long as you are sincerely for the city-state and for the sake of our descendants, I believe you will make the right choice! Please remember that individuals can have grievances, but there are only eternal interests between city-states!"
Davos's words obviously touched Cornelius and the others to a certain extent, and most of them lowered their heads in contemplation, saying nothing.
At this time, Skombros stood up and said angrily: "Are we just going to forget everything that Thurii has done to us, and instead greet them with smiles?! Davos, you are not us, you have not tasted the tragic experience of the death of your wives and children, of course you can easily talk about friendship with Thurii here!…"
"I'm just saying to improve relations with Thurii, I didn't say to forget hatred. There is a saying in the East, 'A citizen's revenge is not too late in ten years.' We will use Thurii to strengthen ourselves, until one day we are strong enough to make the Thurians swallow the bitter fruit brewed by our hatred!" Davos defended.
"Who knows how long we'll have to wait…" Skombros muttered, the dissatisfaction on his face dissipating a little.
The final vote result: with the exception of Strombos, who opposed, Skombros and Raphias abstained, and the remaining senators voted in favor, and Davos's proposal was successfully passed.
Davos immediately took action, and he sent Asistes to enter the port of Thurii and bring a message to Burkes: Amendolara is willing to restore the old friendship with Thurii.
The Thurii generals, who were at a loss due to the diplomatic stalemate, were overjoyed. In order to show their sincerity, they sent an envoy led by Generals Kunogolatas, Neonxis, and Anxitanos.
Out of diplomatic etiquette, Amendolara also sent an envoy led by Archon Davos, City Administrator Cornelius, Inspector Antonios, Trade Commissioner Marigi, and Senator Strombos (who strongly requested to participate), and at the same time made a special request: the Thurii envoy must not cross the Saracen River, and the two sides could hold talks on the south bank of the Saracen River.
The Thurii envoy, who had just left the city gate, received news from the north, like a bolt from the blue.
Their happy mood was suddenly halved, and they reluctantly agreed to this suggestion.
In the morning, the two sides met on the banks of the Saracen River.
Except for Kunogolatas, the other Thurians were seeing Davos for the first time. As the hero who annihilated the Lucanian tribal coalition and the great benefactor who saved Thurii, and now the lifelong Archon of Amendolara, although Davos was young, no one dared to underestimate him. On the contrary, in addition to respect, there was also some fear.
And Kunogolatas felt even more deeply. After all, at their first meeting, he patted Davos on the shoulder like an elder receiving a junior, saying some words of concern and encouragement. At that time, Davos seemed to have a gentle temperament, even a little shy. Kunogolatas certainly did not take him seriously, and even doubted whether the expeditionary army was exaggerating. At this time, Davos was still as gentle and friendly as he was at their first meeting, but Kunogolatas felt a palpitation: a young man who could annihilate nearly ten thousand Lucanians with a wave of his hand, and at the same time make the people of Amendolara willingly elect him as their lifelong Archon and completely control the power of Amendolara, and still maintain such a seemingly humble attitude, how could this not be terrifying!
Anxitanos didn't think so much, he just thought: after the talks are over, I must ask Davos to tell us about their experiences in Persia.
Under a large sunshade made of cowhide set up by the soldiers, the main representatives of the two sides sat down on either side.
"Before the talks, please allow me to say a few words first." Kunogolatas stood up and said emotionally: "This time, the Lucanian invasion has caused great disasters to both Thurii and Amendolara! The city of Amendolara was occupied, the people were captured, and most of them died in abuse; and nearly thirteen thousand citizens of Thurii died in this war, and all families in the city were in mourning, and the entire city of Thurii was surrounded by cries every day… Here, on behalf of the generals and council of Thurii, I express my deepest condolences to the people who died in the two cities…" After saying this, tears welled up in his eyes, and the Thurii envoys all looked sad and lowered their heads.
Davos did not expect the Thurians to make such a move, and he was stunned. He hesitated whether to put on a sorrowful expression, when a sneer came from behind him: "If it weren't for your Thurian's unreasonable demands, would our people of Amendolara have suffered such misery! Stop acting here, and get down to business!"
Strombos's voice broke the tragic atmosphere created by Kunogolatas, making the Thurians in the venue a little embarrassed, but Kunogolatas acted as if he had not heard it, and continued to look at Davos, saying gratefully: "Fortunately, Lord Davos, you led the brave mercenaries to repel the powerful Lucanians, saving Thurii and Amendolara! You are a hero in the eyes of the Thurians! The previous few times we failed to invite you to Thurii to participate in the victory celebration and accept the heartfelt gratitude of the Thurian people, and I and the other generals and the council have been protested and criticized by the people!" As he said this, Neonxis and Anxitanos both nodded in agreement.
"I hope that after the talks, we can invite you to visit Thurii! This is the expectation of the entire city of Thurii!" Kunogolatas extended an invitation with a sincere expression.
Faced with such enthusiasm, Davos was really embarrassed to refuse immediately. Fortunately, Strombos sneered again from behind: "Lord Davos is now the lifelong Archon of Amendolara. His visit to other city-states is no longer a personal matter, and requires discussion and decision by the Senate!"
"Well, we will wait for the decision of the Amendolara Senate, but the people of Thurii will complain about us again." Kunogolatas said with a disappointed expression, and then he said: "Now Thurii and Amendolara are actively engaged in post-war reconstruction. As long as Amendolara has any needs, Thurii is willing to provide full assistance!"
As soon as Kunogolatas finished speaking, Strombos stood up and said loudly: "Amendolara does not need any help from Thurii, because once we accept it, we may pay an even greater price for Thurii next time!"
Kunogolatas's expression remained unchanged, and without even looking at Strombos, he said to Davos: "Who is in charge of Amendolara after all?"
Davos smiled slightly and said, "Let's start the talks."
The Amendolara envoy immediately straightened up upon hearing this.
Kunogolatas saw it in his eyes and was startled.
Anxitanos said first: "Everyone, we all know that Thurii and Amendolara have had an alliance for forty-one years. The previous alliance agreement has not yet expired, and Thurii and Amendolara should of course continue to maintain our previous alliance relationship."
Strombos wanted to speak again, but Cornelius immediately held him down and shook his head at him seriously.
Strombos held his breath and spat on the ground.
"Amendolara also agrees to renew the alliance with Thurii—" As soon as Antonios said this, the Thurians all looked happy: "But there is one condition, which is not to harm the interests of Taranto. That is to say, if Taranto and Thurii go to war, Amendolara will stand on the side of Taranto."
As soon as Antonios finished speaking, the Thurii envoy was in an uproar.
"You are violating the oath you made to the gods! Please remember that the alliance agreement between Thurii and Amendolara has not been terminated, so your private contact and signing of an agreement with Taranto is already a violation of the alliance agreement. Considering the many years of friendship with Amendolara, we do not intend to bring it up in this meeting for the time being. You actually think we are weak and can be bullied, and you even make such a shameless request!" Neonxis stood up and shouted angrily.
"Please also Thurii remember. When Thurii broke its oath and failed to send reinforcements to save the fallen Amendolara in time, the former Amendolara had already died on the day it was occupied by the Lucanians! The newborn Amendolara people in front of you, if they owed Thurii anything before, I believe that the people of Amendolara have paid it off in more than half a year of imprisonment, but has Thurii paid off what it owes Amendolara?! When Amendolara was in the most difficult time, Taranto gave Amendolara the greatest help! Therefore, Amendolara has nothing to repay, and can only offer our greatest sincerity! What has Thurii given Amendolara? Except for causing the city of Amendolara to fall and the people to be imprisoned! !" Davos's words pierced Neonxis like a sharp dagger, leaving him speechless.
Strombos roared: "I said long ago, don't ally with these selfish Thurians, they only care about themselves and never think about others! If it weren't for your insistence on coming, Davos, I wouldn't meet with these bastards. I'm happiest when they're not satisfied! I'm even happier when they want to teach us a lesson, the spears of the citizens of Amendolara are already ready!"
Hearing this, many members of the Thurii delegation were shocked.
Kunogolata had no choice but to propose that Thurii first conduct a private discussion on this issue before making a decision.
Davos nodded in agreement. Seeing the Thurii delegation walk away into the distance, he turned to Strombari and gave him a thumbs up: "Lord Strombari, what you said just now was excellent!"
"What I said was the truth!" Strombari said, glaring.
"What I want is the truth!" Davos said with a smile.
Strombari also laughed. Today, he had finally vented his anger in front of the Thurii people!
… … … … … … … …
"Everyone, it seems that Amendolara has reached an alliance agreement with Tarentum, and Amendolara must have obtained Tarentum's consent before proposing such conditions. If we don't agree to this condition, this meeting cannot continue."
Kunogolata said with a solemn expression.
"Then let's not talk! Anyway, the threat from the Lucanians has already been resolved. We don't need to be subjected to Amendolara's anger anymore!" Neon Sysis said angrily, thinking back to how Amendolara had treated the Thurii envoys with utmost respect a year ago. Now, they dared to shout at Thurii generals. This drastic change in attitude was unbearable for Neon Sysis. He said with resentment: "Damn Tarentum, I thought they were sincerely helping Thurii, but I didn't expect them to be playing tricks behind our backs!"
Ansitanos said with some helplessness: "Who told us to be defeated! A weak city-state cannot be respected. This is the law of history. We have all received news that the Bruttians have stopped the war with Croton, and some in the Croton council have mentioned 'the issue of our unauthorized movement of the Sybaris old city site.' This must raise our vigilance. Once they make trouble, and we have a hostile Amendolara behind us, our situation will be very dangerous! In addition, we also know that the Lucanians are very vengeful. After this war, we don't know when they will recover, but once they do, and invade again, Thurii will still be at the forefront. Can we defeat them? Don't we need Amendolara's help…"
Ansitanos's words made the others worried. Neon Sysis snorted coldly repeatedly, but said nothing more.
"Actually, the key to this problem lies in whether Tarentum has any ambition to encroach on Thurii," Kunogolata reminded everyone. He analyzed seriously: "I don't think Tarentum should have this intention. Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone to great lengths to advocate and establish the Greater Greek Defensive Alliance to jointly deal with the natives. If they wanted to encroach on Thurii, I'm afraid Croton, Sybaris, and other city-states would unite with us to oppose them, and the alliance would collapse, and all their efforts over the years would be in vain. Moreover, even if they occupied our city-state, and supported a puppet government that was close to them, they would still lose more than they gain, because they would be facing three powerful enemies: the Messapians in the southeast, the Lucanians in the northwest, and the Croton alliance in the southwest. Once the Lucanians or Croton invade, Tarentum, as the 'mother city,' wouldn't just send one or two thousand people to Thurii to deal with it superficially.
So, I think the reason Tarentum is doing this is simply because we once defeated them, and they want to take a small revenge. Since our ancestors could make Thurii become a great city-state of Greater Greece in just a few years after building the city more than forty years ago! As long as we temporarily endure and work together, we will definitely be able to make Thurii rise again in a short period of time! We will definitely repay the humiliation that Amendolara and Tarentum have given us, just like our ancestors did!"
"Lord Kunogolata is right!" Kunogolata's words inspired everyone's spirits and boosted their confidence. Returning to the negotiating table, the Thurii people readily agreed to the first condition proposed by Amendolara.
Looking at Kunogolata on the opposite side, Davos knew that this old man, who looked somewhat gloomy, had played a significant role.
At this time, Antonios stood up again and said: "In early April, our Chief Executive Officer Davos signed an employment agreement with Thurii. The main content of the agreement was 'to assist Thurii in defending against and repelling the Lucanians,' with a term of half a year. Regardless of whether the task is completed or not within this half year, Thurii must regularly pay the mercenaries salaries and a certain amount of grain. This is the original agreement."
Antonios handed the parchment in his hand to Ansitanos on the opposite side: "According to the agreement, even if the Lucanians have been repelled, Thurii must continue to pay the mercenaries salaries and supplies, and the mercenaries will continue to fulfill the requirements in the agreement, 'to protect Thurii until the end of the half-year term.' Now it is time for you to pay the salaries and grain."
Kunogolata nodded, just about to answer.
Neon Sysis quickly stood up and said: "Thurii is not prepared to implement this employment agreement!"
Not only was there an uproar among the Amendolara delegation, but the Thurii people were also very surprised. Before coming, they had discussed this matter and believed that it was necessary to continue to implement this agreement, because Davos had become the lifelong Chief Executive Officer of Amendolara. Employing Davos was equivalent to employing Amendolara. First of all, this could satisfy the Thurii people's pitiful self-esteem. Most importantly, Thurii's strength had been greatly weakened, and it really needed Davos to lead a highly combat-effective mercenary force to protect it, so that it could spend its recovery period in peace. At that time, Neon Sysis had opposed it on the grounds of the empty national treasury, but was finally persuaded by Kunogolata. He didn't expect that at a critical moment, Neon Sysis would actually go back on his word, catching the Thurii delegation off guard.
Under Kunogolata's cold gaze, Neon Sysis trembled and hurriedly looked away. Forced to the edge of the cliff by a moment of impulsiveness, he braced himself and continued: "First of all, the object of Thurii's contract was the mercenary force. Now that the mercenary force has become citizens of Amendolara, the identity of the contracting party has changed, and employing citizens of a city-state involves more complex interest relationships and procedures, which cannot be resolved by this simple employment agreement; secondly, you should note that the name signed at the end of this agreement is General Phereas. It was he who was responsible for recruiting mercenaries, and when this agreement was brought back to the Thurii City Hall, most of the generals opposed the content of the agreement. In the end, Phereas forcibly passed this agreement in the name of the chief general, because he said that he would be responsible for preparing half of the salaries and supplies himself, so the agreement was signed with his name alone, and now he and his family have almost all died on the battlefield, so…"
"I spit! The Thurii people are not only selfish, but also untrustworthy and shameless, and they even slander the old people who fought to the death for Thurii!…" Strombari cursed again, making the Amendolara people feel relieved and the Thurii people ashamed.
Seeing Kunogolata eagerly pulling Ansitanos aside and whispering something, Davos hurriedly turned to Mali Gisi and winked. Mali Gisi immediately stood up and said: "We agree to your proposal to abandon this employment agreement! But not because we listened to your explanation, but because we don't want Thurii to increase special taxes due to the empty national treasury, making the already grieving Thurii people even more painful! After all, Amendolara and Thurii were allies for many years!" Mali Gisi had a compassionate expression.
The Amendolara people, including Strombari, all looked serious, which made the Thurii people even more ashamed.
Kunogolata looked at Neon Sysis coldly, and Neon Sysis didn't have a trace of achievement in successfully arguing.
"Amendolara and Thurii should not only defend against common enemies militarily, but we should also strengthen cooperation in trade…" Mali Gisi continued to talk eloquently, subtly stating the terms he had discussed with Davos earlier.
The Thurii people mostly expressed their agreement out of guilt, both out of psychological guilt for canceling the previous employment agreement, and because some of the terms were also conducive to solving Thurii's difficulties, such as: The port in Thurii city has become crowded due to the long-term influx of freemen, foreign merchant ships, and sailors. Accommodation is difficult and costs are high, and there are already many complaints. However, in order to win the battle against the Lucanians, the city hall decided to recruit freemen to go out of the city to fight, and verbally announced that 'freemen who participated in the war after the victory will be granted Thurii citizenship.' As a result, the battle ended in a major defeat for Thurii, and the freemen also suffered heavy casualties. In the end, the Lucanian tribal coalition was annihilated, and the surviving freemen demanded that the Thurii city hall fulfill its promise, but after discussion, the Thurii generals and council believed that the Lucanians were repelled entirely due to the merits of the mercenaries and the Tarentum reinforcements, and the freemen did not participate in the subsequent annihilation battle. On the contrary, in the previous war, the freemen were the first to retreat, leading to the failure of the entire battle, so the freemen have no reason to demand citizenship.
Thurii's refusal made the freemen feel dissatisfied, and a tense atmosphere began to permeate the port area. Harassment, fights, and disturbances gradually increased, and the city hall had to increase the number of patrols in the port to deter those dangerous elements. The problem is that Thurii's current young and middle-aged citizens are only more than three thousand, while there are many more freemen in the port area and the city. Once a riot is triggered, it will be a disaster. Therefore, Amendolara building warehouses and hotels is conducive to dispersing the crowded flow of people in Thurii's port, alleviating conflicts, and is beneficial to Thurii.
The two sides finally reached an alliance agreement, but it has not yet been signed, because Amendolara, out of respect for Tarentum, must first submit the content of the agreement to the Chief Executive Officer and Senate of Tarentum for review to confirm that it does not harm the interests of Tarentum before the final signing can be completed.
Tulis was no longer angry at this moment; they nodded in agreement helplessly.
On the way back to Tulis, Kunogolata rode far ahead alone, making Nionsis, who followed behind, feel a chill run down his spine. He wanted to call out to Kunogolata several times, but he held back each time. He was able to become a general of Tulis because he had received Kunogolata's strong support. Kunogolata had even suggested that Nionsis be in charge of the national treasury and trade, citing his expertise in finance and accounting. However, today, without consulting Kunogolata, he had rashly changed the decision that Kunogolata had previously agreed upon. Based on his understanding of Kunogolata, this general, who never showed mercy to opponents, must hate him very much! What should he do? Nionsis asked himself anxiously. He was already attached to the position of city-state general and did not want to be forced out.
Kunogolata did indeed hate Nionsis. If it had been the calculating him of the past, he might have made the same choice as Nionsis, just like the last time he opposed Ferris in the city hall. However, the failure of the battle had stirred up the fear in his heart. He had been awakened from his dreams countless times by the ferocious faces of the Lucanians. After this battle, he had discovered his own fragility. War—that was a world completely different from politics. His set of political skills was completely ineffective on this bloody battlefield. And what was even more terrifying was that he had discovered Tulis's outward strength but inner weakness. Therefore, even if the finances were difficult, he had to maintain this employment agreement. As long as he strengthened his ties with Davus, this military genius, in the next six months, he believed that the alliance between Tulis and Amendolara would definitely be solidified. But Nionsis, this "traitor," had ruined everything!
Kunogolata was unable to suppress his anger: At the end of the meeting, this idiot, who was once just a lowly employee of a big merchant, actually said to Ansitarnos, "Since we are already allies, why bother with employment, wasting money." What did he know?! Could the binding force of an alliance and employment on Amendolara be the same?! Didn't he see that the shrewd young chief magistrate of Amendolara couldn't wait for us to abandon this agreement, so not only did he not object, but he also took the initiative to give it up! This idiot with no political acumen can't stay in the city hall any longer; he has to be kicked out quickly!
Ansitarnos was still annoyed that Davus had rejected his interview request and was constantly thinking: After the agreement is signed, how can he find a reason to come to Amendolara to learn about the situation from other new Amendolara citizens who are expeditioning to Persia. Therefore, he completely did not notice the abnormality of the two generals before and after.
… … … … … … … … … … … …
Davus returned home and, remembering a very important matter, pondered for a long time, still at a loss.
So, he called Yassistus over and said, "Now, the alliance agreement with Tulis is about to be signed. The plan against Lucania is about to begin preliminary preparations. First, we need to understand the current situation in the Lucania region. Only then can we formulate the correct strategic plan based on the actual situation and make targeted preparations. But the problem is that Lucanians rarely interact with Tulis and Amendolara, and now it's even more impossible. We can only send people to scout. However, Greeks are definitely not suitable; the difference in appearance is too obvious. Sending those captured Lucanians might cause them to take the opportunity to escape and reveal our situation here… Alas! … It's difficult! Yassi,
Do you have any suggestions?"
Yassistus also pondered for a while, then suddenly smiled and said, "Chief Magistrate, you've forgotten someone. I think he's quite suitable."
"Oh! Who is it?!" Davus originally thought it was a dead horse being treated as a live one, but he didn't expect Yassistus to actually have someone in mind.
"Izam!"
"… The son of that Dukea leader!" Davus then remembered. When he was in Byzantium, Izam was in Timason's camp. At that time, the Dukea people no longer had any value, and everyone just treated him as an ordinary soldier. In addition, people's hearts were set on returning home, and the army's morale was wavering, so no one paid attention to his movements. Davus only vaguely remembered someone saying to him: Izam later joined his mercenary army, in Hieronimus's company. Now that he thought about it, Izam was curious, clever, and had a strong ability to learn languages, leaving Davus with a certain impression. Moreover, he also grew up in the mountains.
"Does he look like a Lucanian?" Davus asked uncertainly.
"Quite like!" Yassistus said affirmatively: "His height and build are relatively close, only his hair color is slightly different, but this can be disguised. Most importantly, he married a Lucanian woman as his wife, and he can learn language habits from his wife."
"Oh, just like you!" Davus had a suitable candidate, and his mood relaxed. He joked, "I didn't expect you to really marry a Lucanian girl, and she's really Bagule's sister!"
Now it was Yassistus's turn to be a little shy and said nothing.
"What does she look like? Not like her brother, right?" Davus asked curiously with a smile.
"So… so-so…" Yassistus hummed and hawed for a long time, squeezing out a sentence.
"So-so?! That must be very good!" Davus knew his messenger quite well and said affirmatively, "Vesba is the leader of the entire tribe, of course he would choose the most beautiful woman in the entire tribe to be his wife, and the daughter born would definitely not be bad, as for Bagule… he grew crooked."
Davus continued to tease: "However, your brother-in-law is also very powerful. Even with that appearance, he still has the first beauty of Amendolara still missing him, willing to wait for him for five years."
Seeing that Yassistus didn't speak, just smiled, Davus said again: "Yassi, I'll give you a suggestion. You'd better learn from your wife with an attitude of understanding and tolerance, and seriously understand the Lucanians. Maybe one day, when you have enough ability, I will really send you to Lucania."
"Lord Davus, can we really seize the Lucania region?! I heard my wife say that there are five or six major towns in the Lucania region, hundreds of tribes, and a population of hundreds of thousands…" Yassistus asked worriedly and doubtfully.
"As long as you dare to think about it, and have careful preparation and correct planning, everything is possible!" Davus encouraged him confidently.
Yassistus was thoughtful.
Davus said, "Go and call Izam over."
"Yes!"
"Wait a minute!" Davus remembered something and called out to Yassistus, who was about to leave the living room: "I'll give you an important task! I need to understand the movements of the surrounding city-states in a timely manner, such as Tarentum, Tulis, Heraclea, Croton, etc., some new laws and changes they have made in trade, politics, and military affairs, as well as the situation of the people in the city-states, etc. Someone needs to be specially organized to collect information, make summaries, and report to me in a timely manner, so that we can formulate corresponding laws and measures in a timely manner based on the situation of the surrounding neighboring countries. You are responsible for doing this first. I will give you money and manpower to supplement."
"Okay, Lord Davus." Yassistus agreed without hesitation.
Seeing that he was very enthusiastic, Davus reminded him again: "Doing such city-state intelligence gathering is a tedious but patient and careful undertaking. You have no experience at the beginning, so you can start with just Tulis…" Davus carefully told Yassistus some of the principles and experiences of intelligence gathering that he had seen in books and on the Internet in his previous life.
Yassistus listened and remembered carefully. He was very excited because this was the first time he had independently taken charge of a specific matter, which was obviously much more interesting and important than just calling people and conveying orders as a messenger before.
… … … … … … … … … … … …
Izam and his Lucanian wife were working in the farmland.
As a Dukea mountain man, Izam did not have the traditional customs of the Greeks—not allowing housewives to show their faces. When his newlywed wife asked to go to the farm work with him, he not only agreed but was also very happy. In Dukea, when manpower was in short supply, women had to take throwing spears to hunt or even fight. His wife's initiative to work with him showed that she had integrated into this new home, and Izam was of course happy. Although on the way to the field, the city-state people they met cast strange glances at them, he was still very excited and constantly communicated with his wife in broken Lucanian.
Because Izam joined the mercenary army very late, the land of the former deceased Amendolara citizens that he was assigned was not very good. Not only was it only five acres, but it was also far from the river and closer to the mountains, and the quality of the land was not high. Fortunately, when he chose to be a guide for the Greeks, he expressed his desire to venture out to his strict father, Commolo, and the Dukea leader gave him a considerable amount of money, which can finally be put to use. On the advice of good comrades, he bought three slaves from Tarentum in one go. Two Egyptian slaves were responsible for cultivating his fields, and a Greek slave was specially responsible for grazing cattle and sheep for him.
After all, his land was close to the mountains, making grazing more convenient (the mountains are the public property of the city of Amendolara, and anyone can enter and graze, but cutting down trees must be approved by the city's treasurer, and a certain fee will be charged depending on the situation. This was a proposal put forward by Davus and passed by the Senate, mainly to prevent indiscriminate logging). In fact, if Christoya had not opened a bank and provided loans at low interest rates, many comrades would have borrowed money from him.
Although he had never held a sickle or held a plow, Izam humbly asked and consulted the Egyptian slaves. His wife was pulling weeds from the wheat field by hand, another Egyptian slave had gone to the Sinni River to fetch water, and the Greek slave had driven a dozen cattle and sheep he had just bought a few days ago to the hillside early in the morning.
Izzam was well-known as the secretary of the 'Consul' Davus because he frequently conveyed Davus' orders to the troops. So, when Asistes shouted from the edge of the field, Izzam immediately dropped his farm tools and ran over.
Asistes couldn't help but find this eccentric Ducetius man amusing: "Izzam, why are you working so hard at farming, even bringing your wife along?!"
"The first city-state army training is in two days. I heard this training is very strict, and after the training, the Consul will teach everyone to play an interesting game! I need to finish the farm work quickly so I can fully dedicate myself to the training," Izzam said, wiping sweat from his brow with his sweat-soaked tunic.
Asistes said half-jokingly, half-seriously: "Not bad, you look quite the farmer already, even more like a Greek than us Greeks!"
Izzam chuckled, taking Asistes' words as a compliment: "Working is easy, but fetching water is a bit of a hassle, requiring me to waste a slave just to carry water!" he complained.
"I heard Lord Davus had Alexis gather carpenters to discuss building some kind of 'waterwheel'. Once built and placed by the river, it can directly channel water from the Sinni River to fields like yours, which are on higher ground," Asistes said quietly, showing off a little.
"Oh, such a magical thing exists! What does this 'waterwheel' look like?!" Izzam asked curiously.
"Lord Davus said it roughly resembles a wheel. You can ask Lord Davus for the specifics." Asistes shrugged, indicating he wasn't very clear either.
"How could I dare to ask the Consul!" Izzam said respectfully. When he initially served as a guide for the mercenaries, he often saw Davus. Back then, he was curious about this man who could become a mercenary leader at such a young age. But as the mercenary force led by Davus won victory after victory, his importance in Izzam's heart grew. Furthermore, rumors circulated within the army about 'him being favored by the gods,' with some even saying 'Davus is a descendant of Hades left in the mortal world.' This made Izzam, a more ignorant and god-worshipping Ducetius man, view this young leader with awe. In Byzantium, when Davus called on the mercenaries to follow him to Magna Graecia, Izzam followed without hesitation, even though it was tens of thousands of miles from his homeland, because he firmly believed that following the 'Son of God' would never lead to disadvantage.
"Now you have the opportunity, Lord Davus wants to see you," Asistes said with a smile.
"Really?!" Izzam asked in surprise.
"Of course, it's true! Would I dare joke with you using Lord Davus' name!" Asistes finished speaking, and Izzam cheered, not bothering to wipe his face or dust off his clothes. He shouted a few words to his wife in Lucanian and then ran wildly towards Amendolara.
… … … … … … … … … …
"Izzam, we meet again! I heard the Senate also gave you a house and land, and you even married a wife. How are you doing? Are you used to it? Have you cried because you miss your hometown?…"
Upon meeting, Davus greeted Izzam with concern, which relaxed the nervous and uneasy man. He excitedly told Davus about his experiences during this time. Davus listened carefully and finally said, "You see, Greeks, Ducetians, and Lucanians can live together well, like one big family, right?!"
"Yes, Lord Consul!" Izzam said boldly, "From what I know, many teammates who married Lucanian women say they found good wives. Although they don't speak Greek very well yet, and they don't know how to weave, bake bread, or direct slaves to work… they are all working hard to learn and can actively help their husbands with heavy work. Moreover, they express their feelings very passionately and dare to boldly try various things with their husbands at night…"
Izzam's words became somewhat vulgar towards the end, but Davus laughed heartily: "Yes, our Greek women are too traditional and conservative. Both sides should learn and communicate well with each other!"
Seeing Davus so easy-going, Izzam became a little bolder and said, "It's just… it's just that these Lucanian women miss their relatives very much and hope their relatives can regain their freedom soon!"
Davus's happy expression remained unchanged. In fact, he was very happy to see such a situation arise: "Don't worry, the city-state is not mistreating their relatives and is taking good care of them. As long as they can abide by the agreement, they will be freed when the deadline we set arrives. Moreover, as long as they perform well, this deadline will be shortened. You can go back and tell your wife to pass it on to the other Lucanian women. The city-state will arrange for them to meet their relatives in a while!"
"I will, Lord Consul," Izzam nodded.
"I called you here today because I want to ask if you are willing to complete a mission?" Davus finally got to the point. He looked at Izzam and said in a deep voice, "We need to understand the situation in the Lucanian region, but right now we know nothing about what's happening there. I need someone to sneak in there to gather information. Asistes recommended you to me."
"I am willing to go!" Izzam replied without hesitation.
Davus didn't expect him to agree so quickly and reminded him again: "This is a very dangerous task, even life-threatening. Won't you consider it again?"
"I'm sure!" Although Izzam yearned for the prosperity of the outside world, the strict regulations in the army always made him feel a little uncomfortable. He liked the feeling of running freely in the mountains and forests, the thrill of approaching prey silently, and now a good opportunity was in front of him: "However, Lord Consul, please give me some time to prepare."
"No rush, you can prepare carefully. As long as you successfully return from Lucania, I will establish a mountain reconnaissance team, and you will be the captain. In addition, after you leave, I will also have Christoia pay attention to your family's situation and solve any difficulties your family encounters at any time!"
Davus's promises and care made Izzam both grateful and excited. He said loudly: "Lord Consul, don't worry! I will successfully scout out the news of Lucania and return safely! Please keep the position of reconnaissance team captain for me!"
"Good!" Davus liked confident subordinates. Establishing a reconnaissance team was something he had been considering for the past few days. After all, the Apennine Peninsula was mostly mountainous, which greatly limited reconnaissance cavalry. A mountain reconnaissance team that could easily cross mountains, sneak, and observe would provide Amendolara's army with greater assistance.
… … … … … … … …
Bagule was leading his people to build warehouses and inns for Amendolara. They were divided into several groups: one group was responsible for felling trees, one group was responsible for grinding stones, and one group was responsible for compacting the foundation.
A dozen city-state craftsmen, some were guiding the Lucanian slaves to build the foundation, and some were doing surveying.
Alexis and Heraclides were supervising the progress of the project on the construction site while examining the drawings.
Heraclides, a student of Hippodamus, the famous engineering master of all Greece, had participated in the design and construction of Thurii in his youth with his teacher. His biggest regret was not staying in Thurii at that time, then he would be the first citizen of Thurii. But he returned to Athens with his teacher again. Later, Pericles' political enemy accused Pericles' mistress Aspasia of accepting bribes during the construction of the Parthenon. Hippodamus was inexplicably implicated, his teacher was imprisoned, and he was expelled from Athens. Disheartened, he returned to his hometown. As a result, the Peloponnesian War broke out, his hometown fell into war, and life began to be difficult…
Twenty years later, he fled the hometown that had been occupied by Sparta with his wife and children and came to Magna Graecia, which was relatively free from the war-torn Greek mainland. He once worked hard for Thurii. But at this time, Thurii was no longer the Thurii that needed a large number of immigrants and talents when the city was first built. The city hall refused to accept him as a citizen of the city-state. Heraclides, who was already penniless, had to disembark at the port, and he lived there for more than twenty years. In these twenty years, he supported his children by building houses and repairing city walls for others… Gradually, he gained some fame and saved some money, but he was still a free man living under someone else's roof, living in a cramped and humid shack, without land or status. At this time, he was already old, and his wife had also passed away from illness a few years ago. He no longer had too many demands on life. The only regret was that his son, Little Heraclides, was still young and had completely inherited his skills, and should have a brighter future…
Just when he was worrying about his child's future day and night, one day, a stranger walked into his simple wooden house that he shared with others. Because it had only been a few days, he still clearly remembered the conversation at that time.
"Who is Heraclides?"
"It's me, who are you?"
"I heard you were once a student of Hippodamus and also repaired the city of Thurii?"
"Yes, that's the truth, I never lie."
"Then would you be willing to accept Amendolara's employment, responsible for supervising the construction of some projects, with a salary of fifty drachma silver coins per month."
"What kind of project?"
"I'm not very clear about this. When you go there, Alexis, the construction manager of Amendolara, will tell you. At the same time, he also asked me to tell you, 'If you do a good job and really have architectural talent, he will recommend you to Consul Davus and let you become a citizen of Amendolara'."
Immediately, he heard the people behind him constantly expressing their envy.
Heraclides had even been to the city of Amendolara, where he helped a family build a courtyard. Recently, the name Amendolara has frequently appeared in the mouths of the free citizens of Thurii Port: the mercenaries who annihilated the Lucanian tribal coalition and won great fame have all become citizens of Amendolara, and their leader, Davos, has even become a magistrate. They have also turned all the slaves who followed them into free citizens, and it is said that they will even be granted citizenship in the future… These days, with the resumption of trade with Amendolara, many things that have recently happened in Amendolara are circulating among the free citizens of Thurii. Some miraculous things are happening there that the lower classes of Thurii never dared to imagine, yet desperately desire! The originally numb and peaceful lives of the free citizens and even slaves in the city of Thurii have been stirred up like a lively, jumping fish thrown into the water, stirring up the silt and sand that had settled under the calm surface for many years…
This made Heraclides, who had experienced much in the world, couldn't help but be tempted: since it was an invitation from Amendolara, their promises should be reliable, right?!
So, Heraclides eagerly asked, "Can I bring my son?! His talent in architecture is no less than mine!"
"Of course you can."
Amidst the envious gazes of others, he and his son hurriedly packed their luggage and followed the man to Amendolara. When he met Alexios, his first words excited Heraclides: "I am Alexios, the superintendent of Amendolara, responsible for the construction, maintenance, and supervision of all city-state buildings. The official position of superintendent does not exist in other Greek city-states, which shows how much Amendolara values engineering construction. As long as you have talent in this area, you will be valued by us!"
Feeling Amendolara's emphasis on engineering construction, Heraclides' old heart rekindled the passion for construction he had in his youth.
The first task Heraclides received was to design and build warehouses and hotels, which was not difficult for him. His plan was quickly approved by the Senate. Then, he and his son led a dozen craftsmen and nearly a thousand Lucanian slaves to start construction at the foot of Amendolara.
Don't underestimate Heraclides as a skinny old man; he has considerable energy and is meticulous in his work. Every day, he constantly wanders around the various construction sites, urging the construction speed, checking the quality of the project, severely criticizing those who are lazy, immediately correcting improper operations, and even personally demonstrating. If there is any deviation in the measurement, he immediately sends it back for re-measurement until it is accurate. The craftsmen and slaves both respect and fear this old man.
Today, Alexios found Heraclides and handed him a sandpaper roll, saying, "This is the next construction task: to build a road from the Xinni River ferry to the foot of Amendolara, and then to the Saraceno River ferry. You should prepare first. The magistrate wants the road to be built like the one in his drawings."
"Your magistrate knows everything!" Heraclides couldn't help but reply. As a craftsman who has been engaged in construction for many years, he has his own persistence and pride. What he hates most is ignorant outsiders pointing fingers.
"Take a look at the magistrate's drawings first," Alexios reminded him.
An ignorant outsider is the sole lifetime magistrate of Amendolara! He is the key figure directly related to whether he and his son can become citizens of the city-state! Heraclides suddenly remembered, breaking out in a cold sweat. Decades of hardship had bent his back. He thought: as long as the magistrate's design is not too outrageous, modify it slightly and do it according to his requirements.
At this moment, survival triumphed over integrity.
He unrolled the sandpaper roll, and his casual eyes swept over it. Who knew that this one look made his eyes seem to be glued on, unable to be pulled away.
Seeing him looking so intently, Alexios smiled, got up, and looked around: the construction site was dusty, and the craftsmen and slaves were working enthusiastically. In the two days since he had been here, the entire construction site had undergone great changes…
This made him feel excited: "Can it be completed in half a year at this rate?!"
"Half a year?! Four months is enough! If those Lucanians were a little smarter, three months would be enough!" Heraclides said without raising his head.
"It seems you are not very satisfied with these slaves," Alexios said with a smile.
"They don't understand construction at all. I don't know how much I've talked to them, and my voice is hoarse. I'm not satisfied. Can you change them for me?!" Heraclides complained.
"You know that's impossible."
"However, the Lucanians are not as scary as I imagined. Perhaps it can be said that they are more afraid of you, so they are so obedient!" Heraclides said with emotion. People who have experienced war know what is the most important guarantee in troubled times.
"These Lucanians are not afraid of us; mainly, Lord Davos's methods have worked!" Alexios said with emotion.
Mentioning Davos, Heraclides' gaze returned to the drawings, pointing to the patterns on the paper, and said seriously, "The road construction drawings drawn by the magistrate have more procedures and are much more complicated than ordinary roads, but after thinking about it carefully, they are very reasonable. First, compact the dirt road, then lay a layer of sand, then lay a layer of gravel on the sand, and finally lay a layer of closely fitted stone slabs. Ditches are also dug on both sides of the road, and a soil retaining wall is built outside the ditches… It is conceivable that if such a road is built, it can not only prevent water and sand, but the road itself is strong and resilient, and the pack animals carrying goods will not easily damage it. I have never seen such a road before. It is truly an amazing design! If this is your magistrate's idea, then he can be said to be an amazing road construction master!" This time, Heraclides spoke from the heart.
Alexios was numb to Davos's repeated creation of miracles. Since Heraclides recognized the drawings, he was relieved, so he said, "So, you agree to repair the road according to the procedures on the drawings."
"Of course! I also want to see what the built road will look like as soon as possible!" The wrinkled old man said excitedly. But then he pointed to a passage on the paper and asked suspiciously, "We all know that the mortar used for construction is made by decomposing limestone with water and adding sand. But these drawings emphasize that the mortar used to join the stone slabs not only uses limestone mixed with water and sand, but also adds a certain amount of volcanic ash. The magistrate calls this mortar… calls it water… mud. Does it really work?"
"The citizens of Amendolara all know that Magistrate Davos is a favored one of Hades. This must be another inspiration given to him by the King of the Underworld. Believe that after you try it, you will understand the magic of this thing," Alexios said solemnly.
"You're right. How would we know if we don't try it!" Heraclides became interested: "I remember that there are many volcanoes on Sicily and its surrounding islands. Legend has it that it was the place where the fire god Hephaestus forged magical weapons in ancient times. We can send a ship to bring back a ship of volcanic ash, which shouldn't cost much."
"Heraclides!" Alexios's expression suddenly became serious: "Based on your and your son's previous performance, Lord Davos proposed a bill, which was approved by the Amendolara Senate. You and young Heraclides have become probationary citizens of the Amendolara city-state. During the two-year probationary period, if you perform well and continue to contribute to Amendolara, then you will become official citizens of Amendolara. Congratulations!"
Heraclides was stunned. He moved his dry lips, but couldn't say a word. In the blink of an eye, turbid tears streamed down his face.
Affected by him, Alexios's tone also became softer: "As a probationary citizen of Amendolara, you must know that Magistrate Davos repeatedly instructed me, 'The method of making cement is the highest secret of the Amendolara city-state!' Except for you and your son, no one else can be told. If there is any leakage, the Senate will send supervisors to investigate your responsibilities and may impose severe punishments. I hope you can come up with a way to use it while protecting its secret!"
Heraclides immediately became nervous. He hurriedly stuffed the drawings into his arms…
… … … … … … … … … …
Eighteen-year-old Alcines is participating in military camp training for the second time. As a newly adult, it is also the second time in his life to participate in military camp training. Previously, he had only learned to hold a shield and wield a spear under the guidance of his father. The rest of the time was spent learning to read and write, or exercising with other children in the arena. Since the war between Thurii and the Lucanians, his life has undergone tremendous changes: his father died in battle, and his mother died of illness while in custody. Eighteen-year-old Alcines inherited the family property.
According to the "City-State Military Service Act" promulgated after Davos became the lifetime magistrate: adult citizens of the city-state must participate in military camp training once every six days during the busy farming season, and during the slack season after the autumn harvest and before the spring planting, it will be changed to once every three days. Alcines couldn't wait to learn his skills so that he could rush to the battlefield as soon as possible, defeat the Lucanians, and avenge his parents. But in the first training, it was beyond his beautiful imagination of the military camp. In addition to the very interesting rugby game taught by the magistrate at the last moment, the other times were not only hard and heavy training, but also boring and tedious.
The second training was still the same as last time: the recruits first put on Corinthian helmets, linen breastplates, bronze greaves, held round shields and spears, and hung sabers on their waists. Fully armed, they walked five kilometers. If they walked too slowly, they would be beaten by the instructor's wooden stick. Last time, he saw several free citizen recruits being beaten and screaming by the instructors. Although a full set of equipment weighed nearly forty pounds, innate heredity and acquired exercise made Alcines not feel too burdened.
.......
The drill sergeant had told Alcines that the process of fighting in war was very short, with more time spent on marching and camping. Therefore, a well-trained Amendolara citizen-soldier must first adapt and learn how to march.
Alcines trusted his drill sergeant because the company commander was said to be a famous warrior in the entire army. He followed the methods taught by the drill sergeant to control his pace and adjust his breathing in order to conserve his strength.
During the march, he also saw teams of Lucanian slaves carrying newly cut tree trunks passing by. If it were in the past, he would have expressed his anger by cursing and throwing stones. But now he wouldn't do that: on the one hand, he had become accustomed to the existence of these people. These slaves were the property of the city-state and were creating wealth for the city-state. Hitting them would not do him any good, but would instead be punished. On the other hand, the drill sergeant told them that such behavior was a sign of weakness. A true strongman must defeat his enemies on the battlefield. Alcines wanted to be a true strongman!
The five-kilometer armed march ended, but it wasn't over yet. After a short rest, the recruits began practicing their charge, which was a training exercise that made Alcines feel slightly excited: the fully armed recruits first formed a dense formation. When the drums sounded, they began to march. The drums gradually increased in tempo, and the recruits' speed gradually changed from fast walking to jogging, and finally to sprinting. At the same time, they had to cross narrow trenches and overcome earth mounds, so recruits often fell down. The most difficult part of the charge training was maintaining the formation while running. Each person could not stand out too much or lag behind too much, so as to ensure that the formation could charge towards the target as a whole. The recruits often lost sight of one thing while attending to another, and the drill sergeant's scolding never stopped at the sidelines...
After a charge training session, the recruits' hands and feet were sore and numb. They threw their spears, shields, and helmets aside and fell directly to the ground, panting heavily. But the training wasn't over yet. The drill sergeant kicked and pulled, driving the recruits to the Sesino River, scrambling and crawling.
The next training item was swimming, which was a favorite item for Alcines and the Amendolara veteran citizen recruits. Although Amendolara was a mountain city, there were many rivers within its territory, so the citizens could all swim. Alcines and the others cheered and quickly took off their equipment, plunging into the water with a "splash." The cool river water immediately took away the heat and irritability brought about by the training, washing away the sweat and dust from their bodies, and also eliminating physical fatigue... After Alcines and the others swam for a while, they went ashore, because at this time the recruits had an entertainment program to watch: that was, many of the veterans who usually held their heads high and looked down on them were clumsily learning to swim in the river. It was true that the Greeks were a seafaring people and most of them could swim, but some city-states were located in mountainous areas and inland areas with few rivers, so naturally the people had no opportunity to learn to swim from childhood to adulthood, such as Thessaly.
Although these veterans were clumsy in their movements and choked on water repeatedly, they still persevered in continuing to practice...
Alcines smiled and smiled, then stopped smiling. He remembered what the drill sergeant had said when explaining the importance of swimming: when they were in Persian territory, they were fighting the Persians while marching with difficulty. They had to pass through many high mountains and rivers along the way. Some of his comrades, because they could not swim, risked the enemy's arrows to forcibly cross the river, slipped, fell into the river, and drowned in vain. Therefore, in war,
soldiers will encounter all kinds of unexpected situations, so it is best to learn all kinds of combat skills in order to protect themselves and kill the enemy.
At this time, a huge cheer from the front awakened Alcines's contemplation.
"What's wrong?" he asked his teammate next to him, who was looking downstream.
"I heard that the Archon is having a swimming competition with someone." The one who answered was Melissander, whose father also died in this war. His thirty-something mother had just married a new senator of the Senate—the military officer Philius. Melissander was only 16 years old and had not reached the age of service, but the stubborn him insisted on participating in the training. His purpose was the same as Alcines. His adoptive father Philius, who was pestered and helpless, had to go to Davos. Davos specially approved his participation in the training, but he would not be able to go to the battlefield until he reached adulthood. Because Alcines was close to his age and was the youngest in the military camp, they became good friends.
"Lord Archon is also here to swim!" Alcines was very surprised.
"Lord Davos always demands that others do what he himself must do first. He trains with the veterans, you just don't usually see it." The drill sergeant's voice rang in his ears.
Alcines nodded and ran excitedly downstream.
"Wait for me!" Melissander shouted.
The two squeezed into the crowded crowd, and then they saw that there were five people in the river struggling to paddle in the rapid drumbeat. One of them used his hands as paddles, his body constantly tilted from side to side, and he moved forward quickly with a swimming action they had never seen before, like a big fish, leaving the others far behind...
When the drumming stopped, the man stood up. The Sesino River water was at his waist. He was the Archon Davos, whom Alcines had seen at the popular vote assembly before.
At this time, Davos smiled and said, "Is there anyone else willing to come down and compete?"
The soldiers who had been cheering loudly immediately fell silent.
Seeing that no one responded, Davos turned around and hugged the other contestants before preparing to go ashore.
Melissander suddenly pushed Alcines. Alcines rushed out of the crowd. Facing the gazes of everyone, he shouted loudly in desperation, "I... I'll come!"
The soldiers were in an uproar: "It's a child!" There was regret in their voices.
"What's wrong with a child! Lord Davos is only a few years older than us!" Melissander retorted, and everyone was speechless.
"Well said, Melissander! Ambition has nothing to do with age!" Davos smiled at Melissander, because he recognized this young man because of Philius, and then focused his gaze on Alcines: "Those who dare to challenge are often young people!"
Alcines walked nervously to Davos's side: The Greeks of this era regarded strong bodies as beautiful, and swimming was naturally a full-body exercise. Davos was of medium height and well-proportioned, with particularly sharp eyes, but at this moment, his sharpness was covered by a face full of smiles.
Davos was also looking at Alcines. He smiled and said, "I don't seem to have seen you before. Are you a recruit?"
"Yes, Lord Archon. My name is Alcines, son of Aligras." Alcines said slightly nervously: "I... I may not swim as fast as you, but I am willing to compete with you."
Davos praised loudly: "As a soldier, you must have this courage to fight! Our Amendolara soldiers should have, and must have, this fighting spirit!"
After Davos finished speaking, the soldiers on the shore shouted in unison: "Victory! Victory!! Victory!!!..."
In such an atmosphere, Alcines suddenly stopped being nervous and his heart was filled with strength. Of course, the result of the competition: he lost.
Davos patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him, saying, "Train hard and you will definitely become a warrior!"
Alcines nodded vigorously. It was strange that Davos was only two years older than him, but it felt like a respected elder was talking to him.
"Who is your drill sergeant?" Davos asked again.
"Matonis."
"Oh, that guy." A smile appeared on Davos's face: "Under his guidance, you will feel happy because he is very protective; but you will also feel pain because he is strict, especially with you."
The last sentence made Alcines confused.
Davos raised his head and shouted to the surrounding soldiers: "Brothers, is my swimming speed fast or not?"
"Fast!!!"
"Do you want to learn?"
"Want!!!"
"I will write down the essentials of my swimming movements and add them to the training section of the "Military Law". You will practice according to this in the future. I hope you can learn it as soon as possible!"
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
After swimming, the sun was already in the middle of the sky, and it was time to eat. Traditionally, Greeks only ate two meals a day, but Davos believed that the soldiers trained hard and consumed too much, so they had to add a meal at noon in order to complete the day's training.
The soldiers took out the bread and cheese they brought from home, while the military officer Philius led his subordinates and slaves to provide each soldier with a bowl of mutton soup with meat. The money for buying mutton now came from the disabled soldiers' fund of the weapons shop. In the future, the money from selling other items besides weapons seized in battle will be included in the military affairs department, so that the cost of training will be covered.
Alcines bit into the bread and drank the steaming mutton soup, feeling that his whole body was gradually regaining strength. He said, "Melissander, I heard the old people say, 'The Archon is too strong, and he decides all the decrees and laws alone, without giving others a chance to discuss them. He wants to be a dictator.' Today, it seems that the Archon has a very easy-going personality!"
Melissander next to him curled his lips and said, "Don't listen to those old people, they are jealous! Because Davos and the others became Amendolara citizens and became Archons and Senators as soon as they came, but they have the ability to do so. Otherwise, do you think Thurii would beg to obediently sign an equal alliance agreement with us? Isn't it because they are here? Otherwise, they would have sent an envoy to condemn us long ago! I still hope that Lord Davos will be stronger and not be like before, when the Senate discussed a matter for a long time without being able to resolve it! Look how much Amendolara has changed now!"
"You're right!" Alcines slurped a large mouthful of mutton soup and looked up at Melissander: "It seems that you and your adoptive father get along well."
Melissander was stunned, took a few bites of bread, and then said vaguely: "It's okay... He's very good to my mother... He's also good to me, but it would be better if he could be more heroic like the drill sergeant..."