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Chapter 48 - Temple II

The bells stopped ringing. Praexinas led the sacred virgins out from the crowd, standing on either side of the temple entrance and beginning to sing in unison.

This time, it wasn't just pure singing, but also lyrics: "

Hades, God of justice and stern,

Your radiance illuminates the land,

Our hearts are filled with fervor,

We come to your holy temple,

Your light shines upon us,

..."

"This is… Is this a new hymn to Hades?!" The people were filled with surprise. The melody was different, yet so wonderfully grand. As the singing continued, they were completely and deeply moved by the holiness and ideals expressed in the song.

Countless people devoutly knelt on the ground, silently reciting the Hymn to Hades, tears of emotion streaming down their faces…

When the singing ended, some people couldn't break free from the moment for a long time, until the surrounding people cheered: "Davos!!!…" They then noticed that the Archon of Daonia, the High Priest of the League, Davos, wearing a white robe, a white turban, and holding a torch, had appeared on a circular altar in front of the temple, while Praexinas stood beside him, with another male priest holding up a large, smooth concave bronze mirror.

The people all curiously widened their eyes, because there had been rumors before that the senators of the Senate had engaged in fierce discussions regarding the "Sacred Fire of the Temple of Hades." Because the sacred fire was not only the spiritual focus of the Greek city-state people, but also represented the inheritance of civilization, especially for these Greek city-states in the western Mediterranean, which were all colonial cities. The sacred fire of the acropolis could not be lit by just finding a source of fire. It had always been the case that the city founders took a spark from the temples of their motherland, preserved it until the new city built a temple, and then used the spark to light the sacred fire, burning generation after generation, to show remembrance of the homeland and the passing on of the flame!

Therefore, the senators born in Thurii, led by Poluxis, proposed re-importing the fire from Athens, which was strongly opposed by Antonios, Amyntas, and others, on the grounds that the old Thurii no longer existed, and the new Thurii was not a sub-state of Athens!

As for Cornelius proposing "drawing fire from the Temple of Zeus in Amendolara," it was also opposed. The Thurii senators believed that the small city of Amendolara was not enough to represent the entire Daonian League.

The parties argued fiercely. Finally, Davos made the decision and said: "Since Daonia is a newly built city-state alliance with no motherland, and the Temple of Hades is almost the only city-state guardian temple in the Mediterranean, then I think Hades will bestow the sacred fire upon us on the day of the temple festival to show his favor to Daonia!"

These words spread throughout the city that day, and soon throughout the entire league. Now, whether ordinary people, senators of the Senate, or distinguished guests who had just received the news, were curiously and excitedly watching the unlit torch in the High Priest's hand, waiting for a miracle to happen, or expecting the biggest joke in Greater Greece to appear.

Davos faced the entrance of the temple, kneeling solemnly on the altar, holding the torch high in his hand.

Praexinas and the priest stepped back a few steps, laboriously lifting the bronze mirror, slowly rotating it, adjusting the angle, and focusing the scorching sunlight onto a cluster of papyrus scraps protruding from the top of the torch…

The Hymn to Hades, familiar to everyone, was once again sung from the mouths of the sacred virgins, its voice reaching the clouds…

The midday sun scorched everyone, but the sweaty people were completely unaware, their attention always focused on the motionless Davos…

Time passed second by second.

The light from the bronze mirror was blinding, but the torch remained the same…

"Saying that Hades would bestow the sacred fire, I think he is arrogant and conceited, really thinking he can do everything!" Poluxis sneered in a low voice. He had contributed a lot to the spread of Davos's words at the meeting so widely and quickly. He wanted to see Davos embarrassed at this moment, which would greatly damage the prestige of this young Archon!

Bulchus nudged him with his hand, kindly reminding him to be quiet.

Poluxis rolled his eyes. Bulchus was his former good friend, and now he was one of the strongest supporters of Davos among the Thurii senators in the Senate.

If it weren't for certain reasons, Poluxis wouldn't even want to associate with him anymore.

Suddenly, he saw what seemed to be wisps of green smoke rising from the top of the torch. Thinking he had seen it wrong, he blinked hard.

Exclamations of surprise rose and fell from all directions.

Soon, the green smoke turned into a small cluster of dancing red and yellow flames, quickly igniting the linen soaked in olive oil.

Flames, burning fiercely!

"Oh, Hades!!!" The people who had witnessed this miracle firsthand let out cheers like a tsunami, and the entire hill seemed to be shaking.

Even the distinguished guests looked at each other in disbelief: Could it be that Daonia was really favored by Hades?!

Did Davos really receive Hades's favor?! The senators looked at Davos in awe, while Poluxis's body was trembling slightly. He seemed to see Hades's majestic eyes in the torch held high by Davos, staring at him coldly.

Davos secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although he had practiced several times before, and even specially chose a sunny day, and used the square performance to extend the lighting ceremony to noon, he was still a little uneasy in his heart. After all, this was in front of tens of thousands of people. If he messed it up, his carefully planned plans and the prestige of the favored one of God would be ruined! Fortunately, Hades blessed him, and he succeeded!

Davos slowly stood up, raised the torch high, and walked around slowly, solemnly enjoying the cheers of the people like the waves in a storm, pushing him to the top again and again…

Then, accompanied by the priests, he stepped into the temple and lit the dark black bronze braziers in front of the statue of Hades one by one. From then on, the sacred fire of the Temple of Hades would burn day and night, blessing Daonia with prosperity.

After Davos walked out of the temple, the loud sound of military horns rang out, accompanied by the deep drumbeats. The three legion commanders, Capus, Drax, and Hieronymus, took the lead, along with eight captains, fully armed, carrying three stone tablets, escorted by 40 squad leaders, and came to the front of the temple.

When most of the people looked at the three stone tablets, each as tall as a person, in confusion, the words of the high priest, with the help of the proclaimer, entered the ears of the people: "The establishment and development of the Daonian city-state alliance cannot be separated from the blessing of Hades! Nor can it be separated from the efforts of the citizens! As we enjoy peace and prosperity today, please do not forget the warriors who gave their lives to defend Daonia! Their names are engraved on these three stone tablets. Hades appreciates their loyalty and bravery to the alliance, and allows their souls to enter the temple, transform into heroic spirits, continue to protect Daonia, and receive the admiration and worship of the children, grandchildren, and descendants of the Daonians!" After speaking, Davos knelt solemnly in front of the stone tablet.

Immediately afterwards, the legion commanders, captains, squad leaders, and all the soldiers present knelt on the ground facing the stone tablet, with solemn expressions.

In the eyes of the people, the stone tablet engraved with words was no longer a cold stone, but a vivid figure with names and surnames…

"Wuwuwu…" Except for the distinguished guests, the mountains and plains were full of kneeling Daonian people, and in this solemn atmosphere, there were suppressed cries, and those who cried were the families of the fallen soldiers.

"Heroes never die, heroic spirits live forever!"

"Heroes never die, heroic spirits live forever!!!"

...

Davos led the people to kowtow to the stone tablet.

At this moment, the grass and trees were sentimental, and the heaven and earth were sad. A strong wind blew at the right time, and even the sun was blocked by clouds, making the people believe that their shouts had been answered.

For a time, the prayers of the people lasted for a long time…

The military horns and war drums played together, and the officers and team officers, with neat steps, carried the stone tablet into the temple under the attention of tens of thousands of eyes.

"The Daonians' respect for warriors can reach such a degree!" Lysias had heard before that Daonia held triumphal ceremonies for the victorious army returning, and now seeing them send the stone tablets of the dead into the temple, he couldn't help but be greatly moved.

"With such sacred measures, how can the Daonian citizens be unwilling to fight to the death!" Ascamas, the naval commander of Croton, who was on the side, also lost his mood to ridicule, with a serious face.

He and Lysias looked at each other, thinking about the same question: If there is a war with Daonia in the future, can Croton defeat the Daonians with such high morale?

The distinguished guests from the Southern Italian League had more or less such feelings, and for Kanios of Elia, the strength of Daonia was exactly what he was happy to see.

After the sound of drums and horns disappeared, the sound of the harp rang again…

In the melodious sound of the harp, Little Heraclides and Pyaxis walked to the front of the temple carrying a half-length stone statue.

"People of Daonia, please tell me, who designed the new city of Thurii? Who led us to build it?" Davos asked loudly.

"…It's Heraclides." The answer was intermittent.

"Who designed and built the Temple of Hades?" Davos asked again.

"Heraclides!" This time the answer was much more orderly.

"Whether it is building a new city or a temple, who is always the first to come and the last to leave every day, suffering from serious illness, and still devoting all his energy to the architecture of this city he loves, and ultimately dedicating his life?" Davos asked loudly again: "Who is he?!"

"Heraclides!!!" The orderly and powerful answer echoed in the hills.

"In view of the contribution made by Heraclides—this master architect—to Daonia, his statue will be enshrined in the Hall of Sages in the temple, receive the grace of Hades, and continue to use his talents to add bricks and tiles to the Elysian Fields! At the same time, in the years to come, as long as there are people of Daonia who make great contributions to the prosperity and development of Daonia, then their statues will also be enshrined in the temple, admired by future generations, and their souls will coexist with the alliance!" Due to the miracle of the sacred fire, Davos was like Hades incarnate at this moment, and his words were naturally more able to inspire the people.

The moment Davos bowed respectfully towards the bust of Heraclitus, the people all bowed in blessing, hoping to receive such divine favor in their own deaths.

As the statue was carried into the temple, it was already afternoon. Although the people were somewhat tired, the series of unprecedented and novel rituals kept their spirits high.

Until only the last, and most important, remained for today: visiting the temple to pray.

Under Davos's direction, the soldiers maintained order, and the people consciously obeyed, entering the temple in batches…

Having experienced the previous rituals, Kanios's perception of Hades, the King of the Underworld, had greatly improved. At this moment, he was eager to enter the temple and explore it.

Following the flow of people, he stepped on the entrance steps and onto the temple base, where he saw a statue on each side of the temple's main entrance: on the left, a handsome young man holding a lyre, playing with all his heart; on the right, a beautiful woman, gently twisting her clothes. Her eyes were smiling, gazing tenderly at the young man.

The two milky-white marble statues had smooth lines and were lifelike. The affectionate gaze between them created a beautiful and serene artistic conception.

Kanios's gaze lingered back and forth between the two statues until someone exclaimed, "Could this be the hero Orpheus and his beautiful wife Eurydice?!"

Once reminded, Kanios took a closer look and found that it was indeed so, as their names were engraved on the base of the statues.

Orpheus was the son of the sun god Apollo and the muse Calliope, a hero in ancient Greek legends, unmatched in singing and playing the lyre. His wife, Eurydice, died from a snake bite. Deeply in love with her, Orpheus ventured into the underworld and moved Hades, the King of the Underworld, and Queen Persephone with his beautiful singing, who allowed him to take Eurydice's soul away, but on the condition that he must not look at Eurydice before leaving the underworld, otherwise she would remain in the underworld forever. Orpheus strictly kept his promise, carrying his wife through the arduous journey. Just as he was about to leave the underworld, he accidentally looked at his wife, causing Eurydice to be dragged back to hell. Orpheus fell into regret and died of depression.

But at this moment, the two statues did not show sadness and resentment, but happiness and warmth.

Influenced by this emotion, Kanios stepped into the temple with a peaceful mind. What caught his eye were the three stone tablets that had been carried into the temple earlier.

This is the Hall of Heroes, Kanios saw the letters engraved on the eaves.

The Hall of Heroes was just a side hall of the temple, not very large. The four walls were covered with colorful paintings. Kanios looked closely and saw that they mainly depicted the epic war scenes of the former mercenaries, starting from scratch,

sailing across the sea, saving the people, fighting the barbarians, building new cities, and creating alliances…

Even an outsider like Kanios couldn't help but marvel at the hardships of Daonian's founding, but unlike the Daonian people, he did not offer devout worship, but bowed respectfully before the brazier and then exited through the side door.

To the right was another side hall, which must be the Hall of Sages that the people had mentioned earlier, and it seemed that many people were already stopping there.

Kanios went straight ahead, crossed the middle door, and entered the main hall of the temple.

This hall was more than 20 meters high, and as soon as one entered, one immediately realized one's own insignificance. In the very front of the hall stood a copper statue more than ten meters high. The huge figure also gave a strong sense of oppression, but fortunately, this statue of Hades did not show the ferocious and terrifying face of the legends, but rather a kind-looking, benevolent, and amiable elder, and beside him was snuggled another statue - the beautiful Queen of the Underworld, Persephone, who affectionately held her husband's arm and smiled at all beings. The most feared King of the Underworld among the Greek gods was now in harmony with his queen, giving people a sense of closeness.

Looking at the ground, it was paved with carefully selected, brightly striped marble, as smooth as a mirror; the four walls were still covered with colorful paintings, dense forests, verdant green mountains, Green green grasslands, various exotic animals and mythical creatures, and humans were also frolicking and enjoying themselves, living in harmony… making people linger and forget to return. Rays of sunlight shone in from the skylight in the center of the temple and the windows on both sides above, reflecting the bright colors in the hall, making the hall even more magnificent, as if one were in a fairyland, making many Daonian people's eyes show a drunken look, murmuring: "Elysium?! This is the Elysian Fields!!…" They knelt before the sacred fire, unwilling to get up for a long time.

The soldiers maintaining order could only helplessly urge them again and again.

Witnessing this scene, Kanios couldn't help but sigh: The Daonians' design was so bold and ingenious that they turned hell into paradise and a fierce god into a benevolent god! With such a warm and welcoming place, why worry that people wouldn't come to worship!

Kanios walked out of the temple, still savoring the beautiful scene inside.

"That side of the temple is too scary! Many people don't dare to go in!"

"Really?! This place is pretty good! If the soldiers hadn't urged me, I would have wanted to stay inside!"

"That side… that side is completely different from this side, you can go and see if you don't believe me!"

The voices of the people entered Kanios's ears, and he was stunned: There's another temple? That's not right, there's only one here, could it be… that's impossible?!

Many people were as shocked as Kanios. It was normal to be surprised, after all, the temples of ancient Greek city-states had always enshrined one main god. The appearance of the goddess Persephone in this temple was already a bold breakthrough. Fortunately, people regarded the Queen of the Underworld as an appendage of the King of the Underworld, and there wasn't too much surprise! But they never expected that the designers would have even bolder ideas, actually dividing a temple into two parts—a temple with two gods! No wonder the Temple of Hades was twice the length of an ordinary temple!

Driven by strong doubts and curiosity, Kanios quickly passed through the temple's outer corridor supported by a dozen huge Doric columns and arrived at the other side of the temple.

Sure enough, there was another temple entrance here, equally crowded with people.

On either side of the main entrance were also two stone sculptures, but they were black. They were Charon, the ferryman of the River Styx, and Cerberus, the three-headed guardian of the gates of Hell. Their ferocious appearance made Kanios's heart shudder.

Walking through the entrance was a side hall with the words "Prison of the Wicked" engraved on it. In the center was a ferocious statue of Thanatos, the God of Death, wielding a sharp sword. On both sides were black letters: "Traitors shall enter this prison! Murderers shall enter this prison! Rapists shall enter this prison! ..."

Each sentence ended with a blood-colored skull, which made people feel cold. The walls were covered with terrifying images of evil spirits tormenting souls, which made people's hair stand on end.

Kanios staggered out, the terrifying scene making him hesitate: Should he still go in?

At this moment, he saw the words "Confessional" engraved on the side hall to the right, with a string of conspicuous words next to it: "Repent of your mistakes, and God will forgive you!"

Kanios steadied himself and continued forward. He passed through the confessional and entered the main hall.

This was a world of black. Black marble floors, black walls, no skylight, and no windows, so there was no sunlight. Only the burning brazier in front of the statue brought some light to the hall, but it didn't add much warmth to the temple. Instead, the flickering flames cast shadows on everyone's faces.

In the front was not just one statue. Next to the dozens-of-meters-high statue of Hades was no longer the beautiful and gentle Queen of the Underworld. He was wearing a black robe, holding a two-pronged fork, with a majestic face. His compelling eyes seemed to be able to see people's good and evil.

In front of him were three eight-meter-high statues, namely Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus, the three judges of hell. Each of them had a stern face, one holding a scroll, one shouting sharply, and the one in the middle holding up a scale. One side of the scale had a weight on it, and the other side had a bright red heart. This was the only red color in the entire temple, but it made all the believers in the temple nervous and sweating profusely, because it was so conspicuous, as if asking: What about your conscience?!

Kanios walked out of the temple in a daze. The fresh air could not ease his mood: This was simply a test of the soul!

Kanios walked down the hill, still unable to help but look back at this magnificent temple.

People coming out from one side of the temple had smiling faces and were in a happy mood; people coming out from the other side had solemn expressions and were thoughtful. Heaven and hell were extremely opposed, but they were perfectly accommodated in one temple. The ingenious concept of the Daonians created this unique temple. I wonder what kind of impact it will have on the Daonians in the future!

… … … … … … … … …

At dusk, the hustle and bustle of Thurii had not dissipated, and people in the streets and alleys were still talking about the temple celebration during the day, including this well-known Christoia Restaurant.

Kanios chewed on bread and drank mutton soup while listening to them talk and chat.

Only then did he learn that the unique design of the Temple of Hades was originally from the suggestion of the Consul Davos, and even every unprecedented ritual in the celebration originated from his arrangement, which made him even more curious: What kind of person is the Consul of Daonia?

At the celebration, Kanios only saw Davos in front of the temple from a distance. He looked very young, but had an extraordinary demeanor. Thinking that he had not yet been received by this Daonian ruler, Kanios couldn't help but feel a little frustrated.

"May I sit here?" A person came to the opposite side of the wooden table and asked politely.

Kanios nodded.

"Bring a large plate of tripe!" The man shouted loudly. Soon after he sat down, the steaming food was brought up. He quickly used a wooden spoon to scoop a large spoonful of sauce from the pottery pot on the table and put it on the plate. It was a sauce brewed from shellfish in the sea. The taste was very strange. Kanios was not used to it, but the man opposite him dipped the tripe in the sauce and ate it with relish.

"Well, this is still delicious! I haven't eaten it for a few months, and I think about it every day. I'm so greedy!" The man looked intoxicated, which made Kanios smile slightly.

The man glanced at Kanios and said: "Do you know that when the Greek mercenaries were in Persia, Davos was just an ordinary soldier. He conquered the mouths of other soldiers with this tripe, which attracted everyone's attention and later became the leader of the mercenaries."

"Oh, that's interesting!" Kanios smiled, subconsciously sizing up the man in front of him: a slender figure, a narrow face with a hooked nose, a refined air tinged with agility.

Noticing Kanios looking at him, the man raised his head and smiled, "I saw you at the guest hotel in Thurii. My name is Siproes, from Terina."

Kanios hesitated for a moment, and then said, "…I'm from…Elia."

"Oh, Elia." Siproes didn't seem too surprised. He looked at Kanios and said seriously, "I've been to Elia a few times. Speaking of which, we in Terina share the same predicament as you in Elia. The territory of Terina is often invaded by the Brutii, while Elia has always been surrounded by the Lucanians. The difference is that we have allied states behind us for support, while you mostly have to fight alone."

Siproes' words struck a chord with Kanios. This feeling of shared suffering made him feel favorable towards Siproes, and he leaned forward unconsciously.

"You're here on behalf of Elia to seek aid from Daonia, right?" Siproes added.

Kanios hesitated again, then said, "Elia is here to seek an alliance with Daonia…"

Siproes saw his concern and comforted him, "Don't worry, Daonia will definitely ally with you!"

Siproes' words were startling. Kanios was shocked to hear this. In the past two days, he had witnessed the power and prosperity of the Daonians in Thurii, and he began to worry: the weak Elia would not arouse Daonia's interest, and Daonia would be unwilling to provoke the ferocious Lucanians.

At this moment, he abandoned his guard and hurriedly asked, "Why are you so sure?"

"Because Elia's location is very important." Siproes used a wooden skewer to pick up a piece of beef tripe, threw it into his mouth, chewed it carefully, and then said, "It's conducive to Daonia's unification of the Lucania region."

"Daonia wants to occupy the entire Lucania region, how is that possible?!" Kanios was shocked.

"Of course it's very possible. Daonia's political system determines its ambition for expansion." Siproes said with a complex expression on his face, very positively.

"You mean—" Kanios suddenly understood, looked around, lowered his head and said, "Daonia has a tyrant." City-states with tyrants are always brutal, greedy and aggressive, whether it was Gelon, the tyrant of Syracuse decades ago, and his successor Hieron, Anaxilas, the former tyrant of Regium, or the current Dionysius,

they have all successively proved this point.

Siproes shook his head. He was a thoughtful person. Since his last visit to Daonia, out of curiosity about this emerging alliance, he had been analyzing the reasons for its rapid rise: "It's not entirely like that. I don't know if Daonia's Consul Davos counts as a tyrant. Although he is the supreme commander of the Daonian army, has the power of priests, and is also the supreme administrative manager of the city-state alliance, as the chief senator of the highest power institution, the Senate, he has great influence, but he can't do whatever he wants. His proposals also need the majority of the senators in the Senate to pass. The appointment of senior public officials of the alliance must also be elected by the Senate, although he has the right of veto. Important matters such as launching wars and achieving peace are also collectively decided by the Senate. Unlike tyrants who can easily decide the life and death of citizens, his behavior is still bound by the laws of the alliance. However, compared to the kings of Sparta and the generals of democratic city-states, there is no doubt that he has greater power…"

Kanios listened carefully, thoughtfully: "No wonder I heard that this Consul often doesn't want guards to protect him in the city of Thurii, and often enters and exits the streets of Thurii alone, completely unlike Dionysius who lives in a palace with thousands of mercenary guards to protect himself. In that case, he is more like a…um…a democratic king."

"A democratic king?!" Siproes slapped the table excitedly upon hearing this: "This word is very suitable, and it just illustrates Davos' position in the Daonia Alliance! It is precisely because of Daonia's unique Consul system that Daonia has risen rapidly."

"Are you saying that Daonia's strength is caused by Davos alone?" Kanios asked in surprise.

"Uh…Davos is certainly a very capable Consul, but Daonia's political system is also very unusual—" Siproes rarely found a kindred spirit. Kanios' question just made it easier for him to continue elaborating on his thoughts during this period. However, he felt a little dry in his throat from eating too much sauce. He swallowed and said, "Kanios, do you drink beer? The beer in this store tastes very good. I heard that Davos specially directed his slaves to conduct many experiments before brewing it. This person is not only strong in military and political ability, but also has his own unique business acumen. No wonder he is called 'God-favored'!"

Beer was just a drink for the lower classes of the city-state, but after hearing what Siproes said, Kanios was also a little tempted.

"Bring two large jars of beer!" Siproes shouted loudly.

A slender-necked pottery jar was placed in front of Kanios. Kanios picked it up, and a faint sweet fragrance wafted towards him. He hurriedly took a sip, and the cool golden liquid slid smoothly into his stomach, dispelling most of the heat from his body. He couldn't help but take another big gulp.

"Tastes good, right!" Siproes said triumphantly when he saw this.

Kanios nodded, hiccuped, and couldn't wait to ask: "What's different about the Daonian system you just mentioned?"

Siproes didn't keep him in suspense any longer. He took a sip of wine and slowly said: "Whether it's Croton or our Terina, the highest power is held by the Citizen Assembly, which decides everything in the city-state; secondly, there is the reduced-number council, with at least three or four hundred people attending meetings at any time, discussing and resolving common city-state affairs; the generals elected by the Citizen Assembly are just the highest executors of the decisions made by the Citizen Assembly and the council, right?"

"That's right, Elia is also like this. The system of Greek democratic city-states is roughly the same."

"Daonia's system comes from Amendolara, and Amendolara…I guess, after it separated from Sybaris, like Heraclea and Metapontum, it was influenced by Taras. Because Taras is a sub-city of Sparta, it changed 'dual kings' to 'dual consuls', and the council of elders to the Senate, except that the consuls are elected by the Citizen Assembly, but after Davos led the mercenaries to join Amendolara, he not only changed the dual consuls to a lifelong sole consul, but also the Citizen Assembly seems to have never been held…" Siproes said in a deep tone.

"Daonia abolished the Citizen Assembly?!" Kanios almost exclaimed. Before talking to Siproes, based on his past understanding—Davos was a tyrant, then Kanios would not be surprised that Daonia did not have a Citizen Assembly. But Siproes had already told him, "Davos is not a tyrant, and is also constrained by the Senate," so his understanding of Daonia became—this is still a relatively normal city-state alliance, so he reacted a little excessively when he heard Siproes' words.

"Daonia's Citizen Assembly has not been explicitly abolished, but it has indeed not been held…" Siproes said slowly: "I think, maybe the situation of the Daonia Alliance is special, so it is not held. After all, Daonia's citizens are scattered in several cities, and their origins are complex, including Greeks, as well as a considerable number of foreigners, Thuriians, as well as Amendolara people, Crimisa people…, holding a Citizen Assembly is both time-consuming and prone to endless quarrels due to interests, and it is impossible to decide anything…"

Kanios thought carefully and had to admit: "Perhaps, this may be an important reason. Just like Elia, even if we don't have many citizens, and they all live in the city for generations, every time we hold a Citizen Assembly, many important issues cannot be agreed upon, let alone an emerging alliance like Daonia with complex citizen origins."

Siproes gently patted the body of the beer jar, hesitated for a while, looked up and took a sip of wine, and then said: "Actually, the Citizen Assembly handles affairs…for any issue, citizens easily express opinions and exercise veto power based on their own preferences and interests, rather than the interests of the city-state, and the result often leads to a problem that cannot be solved for a long time, especially in times of crisis! If the Citizen Assembly cannot quickly unify opinions, it will put the city-state in great danger. It is because of this that Terina has long faced the invasion of the Brutii, so we have a different system from Croton, Sybaris and other Southern Italian city-states, that is, once we encounter an enemy invasion, Terina will immediately elect a General with full power, who has the highest power to decide all city-state affairs during the war! Thus avoiding endless discussions and disputes!"

Kanios looked happy: "Elia also elects a dictator in the most difficult times of war, who has the highest power in the city-state, which is very similar to the General with full power you mentioned."

The common understanding made Siproes no longer hesitate, and he said bluntly: "You see, whether it is Terina or Elia, they have realized that the Citizen Assembly does have some shortcomings, but they have only made some small changes, but Daonia has completely abandoned the Citizen Assembly, using the ability of Consul Davos and the rich administrative experience of less than a hundred Senators to quickly pass bills and make decisions from the interests of the city-state alliance, Daonia has formulated some laws that the Citizen Assemblies of other Southern Italian city-states cannot pass, among which two are very important! Daonia, as a newly established alliance, can rise so quickly, these two laws have played a very important role!"

"Oh, what are the two?" Kanios leaned his body forward with great curiosity.

"The first one—" Sipros slowly placed a wooden stick on the table and said, "Anyone can apply for Daonian citizenship, whether they are foreign vagrants, captured enemy citizens, or even freed slaves, as long as they meet the requirements of the law, they can become Daonian citizens…"

Kanios gasped. Elia also grants citizenship to some free city-states, but that's because of the war, the shortage of soldiers and labor. It is indeed unimaginable that Daonia is opening up citizenship all the time: "This… This… In this way, isn't Daonian citizenship less important? And you can't enjoy so many alliance rights? And anyone can become an alliance citizen? How is the order of the city-state maintained?…"

"Daonian citizenship is very attractive!" Facing Kanios's many questions, Sipros shook his head and said in a deep voice: "Leaving aside other rights, the right of each new citizen to be allocated 'five acres of land' is enough to make the free people crazy. Not to mention, new land can be allocated based on the military exploits obtained by citizens serving in the military."

"This… is this true?!" Kanios felt unbelievable. He couldn't help but swallow. For the Elia citizens who had been trapped in the city for a long time, land had a great temptation for them.

"Of course it's true. Otherwise, in the decisive battle between Daonia and Croton before, why could Daonia, with its small force, easily recruit 7,000 free people without spending money, and the free people also helped Daonia defeat Croton extremely bravely? It is because of the temptation of Daonian citizenship." Sipros looked around at the diners who were talking enthusiastically, turned around and continued: "As for whether it will disrupt the order of the city-state, at least two to three thousand Daonian people are present at today's celebration ceremony, right?"

After Sipros's reminder, Kanios immediately understood: "This is the first time I have seen so many people participating in an alliance's celebration or festival, and there has been no major trouble. I am afraid it is not only because there are a large number of patrolling soldiers there to maintain order."

Sipros responded in a low voice: "Of course, this has a lot to do with the Daonian Alliance's laws on citizens, even the constraints on free slaves. Turiyi has more than just patrol teams, but also courts. And these courts not only try cases and disputes, but also record the names of those who violate the law. If they are free people, it will affect their ability to obtain citizenship on time; if they are citizens, it will affect their access to land distribution… Therefore, for a better future, most people living in Daonia will consciously abide by the laws here…"

"This is a great way! Over time, the Daonians will naturally develop the habit of obeying the law. No wonder…" Kanios couldn't help but praised: "This plan fundamentally solves the problem of possible chaos in Daonia due to the complex origins of the people,

I don't know who came up with this idea in the first place…"

He saw a smile on Sipros's face, and then he realized: "Could it be Defos again?"

Sipros nodded.

Kanios shrugged helplessly. He had nothing to say about Daonia's consul.

"What is the second law?" Sipros's familiarity with Daonia and his unique insights deepened Kanios's understanding of Daonia, so he eagerly wanted to know more.

"Sub-state." Sipros uttered two words, his eyes sparkling with strange brilliance: "Daonia's method of dealing with sub-states or occupied territories is very different from most Greek city-states."

"What's the difference?" Kanios was once again attracted by Sipros's words and asked eagerly.

"Asproustum, do you know it?"

"I've heard of it. It used to be a Brutian town, and later became a sub-state of Croton. I heard that it has now joined the Daonian Alliance."

"Let's take Asproustum as an example. After the Crotonians occupied it, what did they do? They killed all the Brutians in the city and moved the Crotonian citizens who had no land to the city of Asproustum, and implemented the same system in this town as in Croton." Sipros forked a piece of tripe, threw it into his mouth, and said with a mocking smile: "The residents of Asproustum are Crotonian citizens, and the political system is the Crotonian political system. Logically speaking, Asproustum has completely become a part of Croton, but why has Asproustum experienced two riots in the past few decades, demanding to break away from Croton?"

"Asproustum has experienced two riots?" Kanios looked slightly surprised. In his impression, Asproustum was just a town in Croton.

"Yes, twice." Cypros held up two fingers and said slowly, "Because Croton quickly quelled the riots and deliberately blocked the news, you Eleans are far to the north, so it's normal that you don't know… Although Aspru Tum was indeed completely subordinate to Croton at first, the situation changed after 20 years. According to Croton's laws, only Aspru Tum men whose fathers were Croton citizens could become Croton citizens. As time passed, some foreigners came to Aspru Tum, married women in the city, and their children could not become Croton citizens, but could only become Aspru Tum citizens. Some people were born in this small city, grew up here, and their feelings for Aspru Tum exceeded those for Croton, and they were unwilling to apply to become Croton citizens…

As a result, the number of true Aspru Tum citizens in this small city increased, exceeding the number of Croton citizens, so their desire to protect the interests of Aspru Tum naturally exceeded their desire to protect the interests of Croton. And for the Croton people, because the blood relationship became more and more distant, they treated the Aspru Tum people more and more like slaves, rather than their own people. When wars broke out, they let the Aspru Tum people charge to the front; when land disputes occurred, they favored the Croton people… As a result, the Aspru Tum people's resentment towards Croton deepened, so how could they not demand independence?!"

Canios nodded as he listened and took a big gulp of beer.

"The measures Croton took against Aspru Tum after the riots were—killing the people who resolutely resisted Croton, then relocating a large number of Croton citizens to this small city, while supporting Aspru Tum people who were close to Croton, and letting Croton citizens control the highest power in Aspru Tum. But after more than ten years, Aspru Tum rioted again, and the situation was the same as last time… As far as I know, the Greek city-states generally deal with their colonies and occupied territories in this way. Aspru Tum is very close to Croton, and Croton is a powerful city-state in Greater Greece, it has enough power to control the small town of Aspru Tum, and such things still happen. Those sub-states that are far away from the mother state, or whose mother state is not strong, cannot unite with the sub-state to enhance their own strength in the end, which is very common. What's even more terrible is that the mother state becomes an enemy of the sub-state, and there are many such examples!…" Cypros said with emotion.

His words reminded Canios of Elea's mother state. Elea had sent envoys to the mother state for help, but the mother state turned a blind eye to Elea's predicament and refused to provide any assistance. The two sides had become strangers. Canios was slightly sentimental: "You are right!" Saying that, he raised his beer can and invited Cypros to drink a cup.

Wiping the foam from his mouth, he asked with interest: "How does Daonia treat the occupied territories?"

Cypros picked up another wooden stick and placed it on the wooden table, and said slowly: "The first decree Daonia implemented after occupying Aspru Tum was to announce, 'All Aspru Tum people who are willing to stay will become citizens of Daonia.' "

"Ah?!" Canios looked surprised.

"Although few Aspru Tum people chose to stay, I think they made the right choice." Cypros emphasized, then continued: "The second decree Daonia quickly implemented was—the Daonian Senate appointed public officials to go to Aspru Tum for governance, and the highest administrator of the city was the city's chief executive, who must be a senator of the Senate. I remember that the current city executive of Aspru Tum is… Xilos of the Daonian Senate, a senator who is closely related to Davos.

You see, the residents of Aspru Tum are now Daonian citizens, and Daonia's laws stipulate that 'as long as one of the parents is a Daonian, their children will be Daonians at birth. In addition, the power holders of Aspru Tum are directly appointed by the Senate, and any Daonian citizen can apply to hold public office in the city-state. After serving in public office for a considerable number of years, those with rich experience and outstanding performance can become senators of the Daonian Senate.' "

Cypros said with a slightly excited expression: "In this way, the residents living in Aspru Tum, whether now or in the future, are unlikely to betray the Daonian League, because they enjoy the same rights as the Daonian citizens of other cities in the League. Aspru Tum is already a part of the Daonian League, and the Senate of the League sends people to directly manage it. Whether it is paying taxes or serving in the military, it directly enhances the strength of the League.

Therefore, even when Daonia's strength was weaker than Croton's before, it was able to summon soldiers and resources that were about the same number as Croton's, because its political system could better concentrate all the power of its governed cities! And Croton is not even fully supported by Aspru Tum, let alone its allies Siri and our Trina. This is probably also the most feared thing about the Daonian League, every time it gains a piece of land, it increases the strength of the League!"

Hippocrates continued, "Now Nuceria and Grumentum, two towns that once belonged to the Lucanians, are part of the Daunian League, and many Lucanians have become Daunian citizens. How could the Lucanians of other tribes truly hate Daunia! On the contrary, with the help of Elia, Daunia can take advantage of the weakening Lucanian tribal forces to occupy the entire Lucanian region and further enhance Daunia's power. Therefore, why wouldn't Daunia ally with Elia!"

Carnios fell silent, pondering every word Hippocrates said, and after a long while, he said, "Daunia is becoming stronger. Aren't the other city-states belonging to the Southern Italy Alliance afraid?"

Hippocrates hadn't fully recovered from his excitement. He took a big gulp of wine and said without hesitation, "Regardless of what other city-states think, I believe Daunia's strength is a good thing for Elia. We are tired of the frequent wars between city-states and the Bruttian incursions. The stronger Daunia is, the more peace it can bring to this land. After all, judging from Daunia's past actions, it has always been friendly to its allies, unless you actively invade it. It is far less brutal than Syracuse in the south!"

Carnios understood what Hippocrates meant by "brutal." After Dionysius captured the Greek city-states in Sicily, he sometimes even massacred the local residents and turned all the remaining prisoners into slaves. No one had ever done this in the history of the Western Mediterranean, which greatly shocked the Greeks in Sicily and Magna Graecia. Therefore, even though Carnios was far away in Elia, he could still hear about it. He looked at Hippocrates across the table, thinking maliciously: Is Dionysius's brutality also one of the main reasons why these southern Italian city-states are willing to ally with Daunia?

He asked curiously, "Daunia's political system is so special. Surely the southern Italian city-states, including Terina, must have noticed it. Has any city-state tried to implement these laws that are beneficial to the expansion of the city-state?"

Hippocrates was stunned, then smiled wryly, "At today's celebration, I had a brief chat with several members of the Crotone council whom I know about this topic. It's basically impossible. Do you think all the citizens of the city-state would agree?"

Upon being reminded, Carnios suddenly understood: How could the conservative and xenophobic Greek city-state citizens allow outsiders to share the city-state's wealth and rights! And the highest authority of the city-state—the Citizen Assembly—is composed of most of the city-state's citizens. They cannot allow these proposals that are detrimental to themselves to pass!

"Why can Daunia implement it?" Carnios asked his question.

"This…" Hippocrates tapped the table lightly, thinking and saying, "I can't explain the detailed reasons, but the huge power and prestige of Daunia's Consul Davos is undoubtedly the most important reason."

Carnios agreed with this point, but a consul like Davos could not appear in Elia.

"However…" Hippocrates looked at Carnios and said hesitantly, "Daunia, such a newly emerging city-state alliance, still has some problems…"

"What problems?" Carnios asked eagerly.

Hippocrates looked back. At some point, the waiter of the restaurant was already standing behind him. He shook his head and said nothing more.

… … … … … … … …

The next morning, the celebration ceremony for the completion of the Temple of Hades continued.

This time, it was presided over by Davos, the High Priest of Daunia, in front of the temple, in the name of Hades, the King of the Underworld, giving freedom to the slaves within the alliance.

Since this was the first time it was held, not many slaves were released. They were mainly alliance slaves who had performed outstandingly in the past year, and most of the private slaves came from Davos's family.

With the expansion of the Daunian League's territory, the banks and restaurants opened by Christoia are also expanding rapidly. At the same time, she is also constantly opening up new business channels, such as Christoia stores, which mainly sell learning supplies for the newly built Daunian schools, as well as rugby and football equipment. For this reason, she purchased a large number of slaves to ensure sufficient labor, while also giving freedom to slaves who performed well. On the one hand, she wanted to use them as role models to give other slaves hope and encourage them to work harder; on the other hand, Davos, as consul, set an example to guide the people to treat their own slaves kindly, in order to ease the contradictions between slaves and masters and the entire society within the Daunian League.

Among the slaves released by Davos was Christoia's personal maid, Asuna. Asuna had already told Christoia that even if she gained freedom, she would still be willing to continue serving Christoia as a hired worker, which Christoia of course welcomed very much. In fact, apart from the change of status, Asuna's lifestyle was not much different from before, including receiving a salary, because Christoia had given money to this close female slave a long time ago.

Because household slaves spend a long time with their masters day and night, they often develop feelings similar to relatives, so it is not uncommon for masters to release slaves before their death or for slaves to continue serving the master's family after their freedom. It's just that for the freed slaves of Daunia, they have one more thing they must do as soon as possible, and that is to immediately apply to the alliance's household registration official for prospective citizenship.

After the liberation slave ceremony, the joyous celebration began.

The dramas funded by the alliance and free for the public to watch will be performed continuously for three days in the newly built theater in Thurii. If it were in Athens, countless people would line up to grab number plates and rush in to enjoy them. But in Daunia, especially in Thurii, the public is more interested in the Daunian rugby tournament. Last year, the rugby match between Amendolara, Thurii, Nuceria, and Laos attracted countless people's attention. This year, Crimisa, Castellon, Asprustum, and even Grumentum, which had just merged into the alliance, have also formed teams to participate (mainly composed of soldiers from the Third Legion transferred to Grumentum). The expansion of the participating teams has made the competition more intense, and the opening ceremony has also become more formal.

The dignitaries of the Daunian League and the Southern Italy Alliance have all received invitations. After the entire arena was full, the loud bronze horn resounded throughout the stadium, and the players from each city entered the arena in turn and circled the field once.

The people cheered enthusiastically, especially when they saw the players from their own city, they were extremely excited.

Amiclas clapped vigorously when he saw the players from Castellon marching past the main stand, and said loudly to the people around him, "Look, those are our Castellon players! The one walking in the front is Gorgias. Look how strong they are, like a herd of Lucanian bulls!"

The people around him let out friendly laughter.

Antaolis, Olyricpus, and Pleraedes, the three Crimisa senators who had just entered the Senate, did not understand why this chief general of Castellon was so excited. Cunogolata smiled and explained to them in a low voice: "When the rugby match was held last year, we also invited Castellon, but Laos participated, but Castellon did not. So many people ridiculed and said, 'The people of Castellon are naturally timid and cowardly and dare not participate in this intense game of men.' It seems that this really stimulated them. This year, they specially formed a team to prove themselves, and even their general Gorgias has personally taken the field."

For the three people who had never seen the game before, they could not understand the enthusiasm and madness shown by the Daunian people, but the surrounding fanatical atmosphere also infected them. Like other city-state dignitaries, they applauded the players parading in the field.

Then, they saw the team representing Crimisa, because the wooden sign held high by the leading player was engraved with the dazzling red letters "Crimisa", and most of the more than 50 people in the team were unfamiliar faces.

Antaolis knew: In the past few months, Daunian citizens and prospective citizens have been moving to Crimisa because of the allocation of land, so even if the time to join the Daunian League is short, the skills of this team may not be too bad.

Antaolis also saw a few familiar faces in the team. Like other players, their faces were full of excitement. While chatting intimately with their teammates, they kept waving to the audience outside the field. These few people used to be citizens of Crimisa and now they have become Daunian citizens. It has only been a few months, but they have naturally integrated into this team.

Antaolis felt complicated for a while.

"Lord Antaolis, I am looking forward to seeing the performance of the Crimisa players." Cunogolata's meaningful words brought Antaolis back to his senses.

"Don't worry, they will definitely perform better than Castellon." Antaolis said pretentiously, and several people laughed.

The eight teams finally stood still in the center of the field.

At this time, Davos stood up from the viewing platform, and the originally boiling arena gradually quieted down.

The dignitaries of the Southern Italy Alliance were shocked and envious: Davos's great prestige among the Daunian people is evident!

Davos's voice resounded in the arena: "Hundreds of years ago, the great god Zeus created the Olympic Games. Since then, fierce competitions have replaced bloody killings, and Greek city-states have reduced wars and increased peace! And a year ago, the great King of the Underworld Hades brought us rugby. Since then, rugby has flourished in the Daunian League. People have gained health, happiness, learned unity, and won friendship in this intense sport! Today, the most outstanding players of the Daunian League and the Alliance are gathered here. In order to thank Hades for his gift, the most exciting and intense rugby competition will be held to compete for the only championship! Fight, players! Hades will bless you!"

Davos's speech was met with thunderous applause. The players, fired up by his words, and the spectators outside the field sang the Hades Anthem together. Afterwards, the teams hurriedly left the field, and the rugby match officially began.

According to the new tournament rules, the eight teams were divided into two groups, A and B. Last year's champion and runner-up, Thurii and Amendolara, became seeded teams, each belonging to one group. The remaining teams were drawn to determine their affiliation.

Ultimately, Group A consisted of Thurii, Niumetum, Crimisa, and Grumentum; Group B consisted of Amendolara, Laos, Castrum, and Asprustum.

The two groups would compete in a single round-robin format. A win would earn one point, a loss zero points, and there would be no draws. Teams with the same points would be ranked based on their head-to-head record. The top two teams from each group would advance to the knockout stage, ultimately determining the champion.

In order to win a good start, Davos specially selected the Thurii vs. Niumetum match, a game between teams of similar strength, as the opening match to attract the audience's attention.

When the two teams, Thurii and Niumetum, re-entered the field, the whole stadium erupted in cheers. Most of the spectators were from Thurii, of course, cheering for their home team, while the Lucanians mostly cheered for Niumetum. In their cheers, the names of Tigetillos and Lizarrus were mentioned the most, because one was a burly, powerful running back, and the other was an agile, fast running back, both famous scorers for their respective teams.

Bagules, in the audience, watched with envy, shouting loudly while waving his fists and stomping his feet, completely lacking the composure of a Senator with great power. If he hadn't just become the Chief Executive of Grumentum and been busy with affairs, lacking time to train with the team, he would never have been a spectator off the field.

Assistis, next to him, saw what he was thinking and teased him, saying, "Now that you are the Chief Executive of Grumentum, you should support the Grumentum team. Niumetum is Grumentum's main opponent for entering the knockout stage. You should want them to lose."

Bagules glared at him, and then actually fell into a dilemma.

The referee blew the whistle, and the match officially began.

As a strong competitive state in Greater Greece, although the rugby matches in Daonia had already become famous far and wide in Greater Greece, the Crotonians still disdained them. Now, as the match progressed, these invited Crotonian dignitaries began to be attracted by the fierce collisions and intense confrontations. Even General Ascamas, the naval commander of Croton, who had been gossiping all along, stopped his ridicule. The tight organization, the reasonable rules, this unique ball game of the era, and the exciting sports scene thrilled this general, who had represented Croton in the Four Great Games many times in his youth. He exclaimed, "I didn't expect rugby to be such a sport! It's much more interesting than the Spartan stone ball throwing game that can only be played by themselves. It's very interesting and suitable for us Crotonians to participate in!"

"Why?" someone next to him asked.

"Look, there are many people on the field. Although the scene seems chaotic, it's basically just two movements: offense and blocking offense." Ascamas pointed to the field and analyzed logically: "To do these two things, the participating players must have great strength, swift speed, and be able to withstand collisions, and these are exactly what our Crotonian athletes excel at!"

Ascamas's proud words caused the surrounding Crotonians to nod in agreement. Croton's athletes have long dominated the wrestling and boxing events, and they do have extensive experience in training athletes' strength and explosiveness.

"After we go back, we should persuade the Citizens' Assembly to let the Crotonians also start practicing rugby and participate in this competition next year to defeat these Daonian teams!" Ascamas looked around at the cheering Daonian spectators, with a hint of anger hidden in his eyes.

Just then, Tigetillos of the Thurii team scored a touchdown, and the whole stadium erupted in cheers, making Ascamas even more eager to try.

"Lord Ascamas is right! We will also participate next year and defeat the Daonians!" Some Crotonians said with a common hatred. Being defeated by the Daonians made these proud Crotonians feel aggrieved. Like Ascamas, they wanted to win back their dignity on the field and prove the strength of the Crotonians.

Lysias frowned as he listened to his companions' discussions. His mind was not completely absorbed by the game, but was thinking about some deeper issues. The entire Greek world has four traditional sports games and a Panathenaic Games known throughout the Mediterranean. The athletes of the Greater Greece city-states are very enthusiastic to participate, much more so than the Greek city-states along the coast of Asia Minor, and at each Olympic Games, the athletes of Greater Greece have excellent performances. However, Greater Greece itself does not have an influential sports game. The Crotonians, who love competition, once tried to host a sports game even if it was only for the city-states of Greater Greece, but it failed. On the one hand, Croton's influence was not enough, and the people of Greater Greece did not recognize it; on the other hand, there were long-term conflicts of interest between many city-states, and they could not reach a consensus. As a result, this became a regret for the Crotonians!

Now, although the Daonian Games are just a single competition, they encompass so many cities in Greater Greece, and it seems they are attracting even more city-states to participate… Lysias vaguely saw the shadow of a regional games.

Is this a coincidence? Or is it intentional by the Daonians? Lysias looked at Davos's figure in the front row. Through these two days of contact, this seemingly gentle young magistrate gave him a sense of unfathomable depth: in just a few months, Daonia not only stabilized the newly occupied Asproustum and Crimisa, but also, he heard, recently occupied a large city in the Lucanian region—Grumetum.

Meanwhile, the Croton Assembly is still arguing endlessly about a series of issues, such as whether the newly joined Asproustum natives should be granted full citizenship and the redistribution of the Croton Plain land that was destroyed by the war.

Initially, Lysias was thinking of enduring this difficult period and then allowing Croton to rise again, but after more and more contact with Daonia, each time he compared the rapidly developing Daonia with the stagnant Croton, Lysias almost lost confidence: if this continues, Croton will be left far behind by Daonia!

But he was anxious and helpless. Croton's democracy has always been like this. He had studied why Daoria's governance was so efficient, but these methods were simply impossible to implement in Croton. Sometimes he also thought: joining the Southern Italy League might be the best thing Croton has done.

Hearing Ascamas and the others' words, Lysias laughed at their naivety in his heart: even if Croton really sends a team next year, what if they win against Daonia? Regardless of winning or losing, Daonia is the big winner!

… … … … … … … … …

On the third day, while the rugby game was still in full swing, Elia's envoy, Carnios, was received by Davos.

The young magistrate received him very warmly, and Carnios, after these two days of deeper understanding of the Daonian League, also cast aside his initial restraint and reserve, and the two had a friendly conversation.

Davos listened carefully as Carnios talked about Elia's current predicament, and also learned from Carnios about the Campania region and some information about the Samnites… The conversation was pleasant, and finally a league agreement was reached naturally: Elia joined the Daonian League.

After signing the league agreement, the string that had been taut in Carnios's heart could finally be relaxed, because Davos solemnly promised: as long as any force dares to invade Elia, Daonia will immediately send troops to aid the Elia allies and repel the enemy!

At the same time, Davos also vaguely indicated: in the future, when Daonia takes action in the Lucanian region, he hopes that Elia can actively cooperate.

Carnios readily agreed, and he joyfully realized: he finally saw the arrival of hope to solve the nightmare that had plagued Elia for decades. The feeling of relying on a powerful force is really reassuring!

When Carnios walked out of the living room, he was in a happy mood. Then, he saw a person walking towards him, smiling and waving at him.

Why is Xipros here? Carnios wondered as he returned the greeting.

… … … … … … … … …

"Your Excellency, now that we have become allies with Elia, do we still need to talk to the envoys from Pyxous, Potentia, and Galaguso?" Aristocrates asked curiously.

"What do you think?" Davos watched Carnios's departing figure, feeling very relaxed. Elia's joining the alliance made him feel one step closer to the goal of unifying Lucania.

"I think… we should take advantage of the weakening of Pyxous and Potentia, and the fact that they don't know that Elia has joined the alliance, to launch a sudden attack. We can definitely easily take down any one of the forces of Pyxous and Potentia!" Aristocrates had been following Davos for so long, and he had learned how to obtain the greatest benefit with the least casualties.

But Davos shook his head gently, not agreeing with this: "Your blitzkrieg tactic is indeed good. But implementing it at this time is not very suitable."

"Why, Your Excellency?" Aristocrates asked anxiously, a little unconvinced.

"Yesterday, when Bagules and Asistes came to report on the situation in Grumentum, you were there and heard it. The situation in Grumentum is not very optimistic. Conflicts occur between tribes from time to time, and several times they almost led to small battles… Grumentum is different from Niotum after all. It is located in the center of the Lucanian region, with many tribes and complex origins, and surrounded by enemies. To stabilize Grumentum and its surrounding areas, Bagules and the others will have to work hard for at least a year or two to make these Lucanians truly identify with us and accept our governance… If we rashly attack other areas now, if an accident occurs, the turmoil in Grumentum is very likely to repeat the tragedy of Thurii…" Davos said calmly.

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