"Understood." Henyopolis went out happily.
Davos watched him leave with a smile. Henyopolis had lived in his house for several years. Although he was outgoing, he was natural and unpretentious, and was loved by Davos' family. Davos also treated him as a younger brother, so he didn't want Henyopolis to know what he was going to do next.
The officer in charge of defending the La River fortress was called in.
"I remember your name is Tagru, right?" Davos said kindly.
The company commander, who was originally a little nervous, did not expect that Davos, the lifelong Archon of Daonia and the commander of the army, whom the soldiers respected, would actually remember his name when he saluted and reported to him when he first arrived at the La River fortress more than ten days ago.
"Yes, Commander!" He replied excitedly.
"I remember you are from Grummentum. Do you belong to a tribe or are you independent?" Davos continued to ask, and motioned him to sit down.
"I am already independent. I only need to work hard for my family." Tagru straightened his chest and replied in fluent Greek. In the past year, a popular perception has emerged in the Lucanian region: only independent Lucanians are true Daonian citizens and have true freedom! In the last war, many tribes in the Lucanian region (except Potentia and Garaguso) were destroyed and weakened. Therefore, the remaining tribes were weak and relied heavily on the alliance. They could only listen to the tribesmen who demanded to secede from the tribe, which was far less intense than the reaction of the Bruttian leaders.
"It seems you have started a family. Do you have children? How is life?" Davos chatted with him about his family.
This made Tagru a little surprised, but also felt kind: "Asino blesses, I already have two children, and they are both boys, and they are very healthy! ... Lord Bagule gave me five acres of land, but it was all mountainous and not suitable for planting wheat. The agricultural officer suggested that I plant apple trees, and I did. The trees have grown this year, and they say they will bear fruit next year. Then I can sell the apples to the city. They also said that the price of apples in Thurii is higher, but it takes several days to get to Thurii..."
"The year before last, I also took out a loan from the city bank and bought 20 lambs and two cows. Now the number has doubled. In the summer, I sold six sheep and one cow to the city restaurant, which not only paid off the loan, but also earned 30 drachmas. I decided to buy some more cattle and sheep next year, and strive to drive hundreds of cattle and sheep up the mountain every day... Sir, don't laugh at me, this is my dream. In the past, only tribes had so many cattle and sheep..."
"Haha, you have a big ambition!" Davos clapped his hands and laughed, and then asked with concern: "You are performing a mission at the La River Fortress, what about your family?"
"My wife is a capable woman,
She can take good care of the children and the fruit trees. And I also took out a loan from the bank to buy a Thracian slave to help me graze the cattle and sheep. When I am busy, the neighbors will also come to help. Sir, the place where I live has built a village..."
After listening, Davos said seriously: "Guarding the La River Fortress, far away from the city and home, is not only monotonous in daily life, but also unable to go home to take care of the family for a long time... Originally, this most arduous task was performed by registered and trained freemen and reserve citizens, as an important task to shorten their citizenship assessment period. But before the outbreak of the war, I proposed that real citizen soldiers replace them and garrison here. Do you have any complaints?"
"Sir... um, to be honest, a little bit." Tagru hesitated for a moment and said truthfully.
"Because you have received more rigorous training, you are citizens of Daonia. When faced with danger, you will defend this fortress at all costs to ensure that your homeland is not trampled! And the La River Fortress is the only land passage connecting Lucania and Thurii, and the space here is narrow, and the troops cannot be deployed. Once occupied by the enemy, it will cut off the connection between Thurii and Lucania, which is very dangerous!" Davos said solemnly.
"Sir, are you saying... someone will attack here?!" Tagru widened his eyes in surprise.
You must know that the La River Fortress is now located in the hinterland of the Daonian Alliance. Usually, in addition to checking the passing merchants and travelers and providing them with simple food and accommodation, there is nothing else to do. Some senators once proposed in the meeting to "abolish the La River Fortress and turn it into a post station," which was eventually rejected by Davos.
"During the war, there is always danger, and danger often comes from the dark... From now on, you must be vigilant and not allow any caravans or travelers to stay or stay inside or outside the fortress, and you are not allowed to allow any troops without a warrant from the Ministry of Military Affairs to enter or pass through the La River Fortress, do you understand?!" Davos once again solemnly instructed.
"Yes, Commander!" Tagru stood up and saluted.
"Tagru, you are not a formal legion soldier yet, are you?"
"Sir, I am just a reserve soldier. My tribe joined the alliance too late, and there are too many Lucanians who signed up to join the Third Legion." Tagru said with some frustration.
"I hope to see your name on the merit book of the Third Legion after this war!" Davos earnestly encouraged him: "In addition, once the enemy attacks the La River Fortress, don't fight alone, you must promptly notify Lord Hemon of Nium, so that you can get his assistance, understand?"
"Yes, sir!" Tagru saluted excitedly again. Although he didn't know where the enemy would come from, he was no longer frustrated by being sent to such a remote wilderness. He promised loudly: "Sir, don't worry, I will definitely guard the La River Fortress until the end of the war!"
Davos nodded. After Tagru left, he got up and walked to the south-facing window, looking out.
From here, you cannot see Laos City at the mouth of the La River, so Davos can only guess what Arobus, who has no title of Archon but acts as Archon, is doing at this moment?
Since Arobus had twice acted abnormally and did not take the initiative to come to the La River Fortress to welcome the Daonian army, and the army he sent to Henyopolis was all troops loyal to Avinogis, coupled with the secret report Davos received from the intelligence department in Nium, "Traces of Syracuseans seem to have been found in Laos City." Davos had a bad feeling in his heart: When Daonia is at a disadvantage and facing danger, what choice will this man, who once went east alone and united with Thurii to help Avinogis recapture Laos in one fell swoop, make?
Although Davos could only wait quietly, he took Henyopolis away and prepared for both possibilities.
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
Just as Davos led his army from the La River Fortress into the mountains and embarked on the return journey to Thurii, Dionysius had already led an army of 90,000 to the banks of the Tachinadi River (this army included Dionysius' more than 70,000 Sicilian troops, as well as the Locri, Hibernian, and Caulonian troops who had just joined the Syracuse side), and set up camps on both banks of the Tachinadi River.
The camp stretched for more than ten miles, and thousands of tents were spread across the southern Croton Plain and the lower reaches of the Tachinadi River. Syracuse engineers also directed more than 4,000 Caulonian soldiers and Siliritan slaves to build simple docks at the mouth of the Tachinadi River, so that grain and supplies could be transported to the camp by sea, providing greater convenience for logistics.
While the army was busy building the camp, Dionysius led the generals to Croton to inspect its defenses.
At this time, under the suggestion of the Daonian crossbow team officer, Croton had set up deer villages on both sides of the moat and began to set up traps, only because the Syracuse army came too fast and failed to complete it. This was the second time Croton had been besieged in five years, and the Croton people were even more terrified than last time, because standing on the city wall and looking west, they could see the endless white formed by the continuous military tents in the far west merging with the skyline.
Lysias, Cysprothis, Ascamas, and all the members of the Croton Council and generals who had come upon hearing the news were staring at the tyrannical Sicilian tyrant in the center surrounded by hundreds of cavalry. There was also some fear mixed in their angry eyes.
Dionysius regarded the people on the city wall as air. He walked and watched as if he were taking a leisurely stroll, and occasionally exchanged views with the people around him.
"Look, the city wall of Croton is at least ten meters high, and it is made of large stones. There is a moat and deer villages outside the city. The whole city is so big, they have enough people to defend it. I think it will be very difficult to capture this city!" Phibidas said without any scruples, saying discouraging words to his allies. To be honest, the Spartans were terrifying in field battles, but they rarely achieved anything in siege warfare. In its previous wars, it had never captured a large city, and even small cities were rare. In the previous Peloponnesian War, the allied forces led by Sparta were stationed outside Athens for many years, turning the Attica Peninsula into ruins, but they never managed to climb the walls of Athens. Therefore, one of the first things they had to do after the victory of the war was to have the Athenians tear down the city walls.
"If we can't even capture Croton, then Asprostum is narrow and unfavorable for the deployment of troops, and even more impossible to capture. What are we doing here?! Are we just here to besiege them?!" Astagras said sarcastically. He didn't like this arrogant Spartan very much.
"That's right, besiege them! Then lead the remaining troops across the Neto River and head straight for Crimisa!" Phibidas looked at Dionysius and gave his advice: "Now Daonia's main force is still in the Lucanian region, and Taranto has just recovered Metaponto. The Daonians will definitely strengthen their defenses to the north. Here in Asproustum, there are still remnants of two Daionian... uh... what do you call them... legions. I think Daonia's territory must be very empty now! I heard that Crimisa is just a small city. It shouldn't be too difficult for you Syracusans to take it down.
After taking Crimisa, the army can continue north and take another small city, Castellone, which would allow you to directly threaten Thurii and join with Taranto to besiege Thurii! By then, Daonia will surrender, and the Crotonians will be of no use in defending that city. The entire Magna Graecia will inevitably be conquered by Syracuse!" At this point, even Phibidas was taken aback by the prospect he had described, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: In that case, the entire western Mediterranean would really be controlled by Syracuse. Which city-state would be able to restrain it?
The others were all wide-eyed at what Phibidas said, and Dionysius was also a little tempted, but he knew two things that the others didn't: First, Davos' army had won a great victory in Lucania, reportedly eliminating more than 20,000 Samnites. Although, from what he knew, the Samnites would not give up easily, the Daionian main force would return to Thurii much sooner (he had not yet received news of the Samnite army's complete defeat); Second, a new Daionian legion had been stationed in Crimisa. Dionysius had already witnessed the power of the Daionian legions on the battlefield. Although he didn't know how well they could defend a city, he imagined it wouldn't be too bad. In that case, the number of defenders in Crimisa would not be less than 10,000, which would not be so easy to capture.
More importantly, Crimisa had originally been a key target of Syracuse's intelligence department. In the past, this area, apart from the Bruttian region, was one of the most unstable places within Daonia. Before the war, Hipparinus, the head of Syracuse's intelligence, had sent many of his men to operate in this city. The "Crimisa citizens' protest demanding a public assembly and the subsequent assassination attempt on Davos" a few months ago were all their doing. Later, after the matter was exposed, some were arrested and others went into hiding under the extensive investigation by the Daonians. When this war broke out, especially after the victory at the Ramato River, espionage activities in Crimisa became active again.
Dionysius also continuously received the latest intelligence from within Daonia from Crimisa, such as the construction of two new legions in Thurii, and the Daionian fleet conducting secret training on the Crati River... and they also sent a message: As long as the Syracusan army arrived at Crimisa, they would be able to open the gates for the army.
This really gave Dionysius a big surprise. However, after the new Daionian legion was stationed in Crimisa, the news from the north suddenly stopped yesterday afternoon. Not only was Crimisa under full martial law, but the port was also closed.
Dionysius knew clearly that Crimisa's decisive actions would inevitably lead to the failure of the intelligence department's efforts, which also made him quite apprehensive. He was a person who liked to plan meticulously and act only after careful preparation.
Whether it was attacking westward along the southern coast of Sicily to Motya, or attacking northward along the eastern coast and then westward to Solus, his consistent strategy was to proceed step by step, with almost no rash actions involving bold advances.
The series of rapid maneuvers implemented after landing in Magna Graecia this time were also due to having strong naval supremacy and a larger army than the enemy. Even so, when he and the South Italian League were about to engage in battle, the news that the Ligians had suddenly sent troops to besiege Medma really startled him. Fortunately, he was basically confident of winning the battle, and there were tens of thousands of Locrian troops not far from Medma, so he was able to remain calm.
Now, in order to attack Daonia, in addition to garrisoning thousands of soldiers in Medma, Terina, and Hipponium respectively, he had concentrated the vast majority of his forces here. If he followed Phibidas' method, to first trap Taranto and Asproustum, two cities with many enemy troops, the troops left behind would probably account for more than half of the total force. Even if he took Crimisa and Castellone, Thurii would not be so easy to attack. According to what he knew, after Polyxis and others were arrested, Thurii was already a solid fortress, not comparable to when Croton first attacked Thurii. Moreover, the Daionian main force could return at any time.
In that case, once Syracuse's attack was blocked and its forces were divided everywhere, leading to a scattered deployment, the rear would be vulnerable. Over time, any problem in Medma, Terina, Asproustum, Croton, or Thurii would be a disaster for him. Therefore, he was somewhat resistant to Phibidas' seemingly wonderful suggestion.
At this time, Faxipesas, seeing that Dionysius had been silent, said: "Your Excellency, I disagree with General Phibidas' words! Motya—Carthage's most important military stronghold on the island of Sicily—is still across the bay, and we were able to capture it, not to mention the other cities on Sicily that we have captured. Although Croton is larger in area, it is actually far less difficult to attack than Motya. Moreover, the city is too large, which is not conducive to their defense. It is also located on a plain, which makes it easier for us to besiege. Your Excellency, look—"
Faxipesas rode his horse closer to the city wall, and seeing Dionysius following closely, pointed to the wall a hundred meters away and continued, "Its city wall is still the old city wall. The gaps between the stones should be relatively large, the mortar filling is not tight enough, and the stones look old, as if they have not been regularly maintained. Some places may even be loose. It is not even as good as those cities we captured on Sicily (because Carthage and Syracuse frequently fought wars on Sicily, and these two great powers were very capable of attacking cities, so other city-states were very careful in repairing their city walls in order to save their lives, unlike in Magna Graecia, where sieges rarely occurred and the city walls were still maintained according to the methods of defense and siege from decades ago). As long as our catapults continue to bombard it, it will definitely collapse! Moreover, we now have sufficient manpower and can completely build earthworks to approach the city walls, while also building siege towers and battering rams to destroy their city walls and occupy their ramparts... Using multiple methods together will surely be able to break through Croton and open the way into Daionian territory!"
Dionysius was greatly moved after hearing this, carefully observing the city wall in front of him, his expression becoming more relaxed. Then he turned his head and asked, "Phibidas, what do you think of this siege plan?"
Phibidas' expression remained unchanged, and he stubbornly said, "I still insist on my opinion. We don't need to waste time under Croton. Once Daonia is conquered, Croton will naturally surrender."
"Your Excellency, you don't need to discuss siege warfare with the Spartans. They took more than two years to capture Plataea, which was defended by only a few hundred people. What good advice can they have!" Astagoras mocked.
Phibidas' face changed.
In the fifth year after the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, the Spartan-led alliance, unable to break through the Long Walls, broke into Athens and had to turn to attack Plataea in the Boeotia region, an ally of Athens. Seeing that the situation was bad, the Plataeans withdrew a large number of civilians, leaving only a few hundred people to defend the city.
As a result, the Spartan alliance, with dozens of times the number of Plataean defenders, spent more than two years to capture the city. In the end, the Spartans killed the defending soldiers and handed Plataea over to Thebes, its ally at the time. The key was that in the most important battle of the Greco-Persian Wars decades ago—the Battle of Plataea—the Greek alliance, with the full support of the people of Plataea, finally defeated the invading Persian army. After the victory, the Spartan King Pausanias led the Greek alliance to swear an oath: to jointly maintain the independence and freedom of Plataea forever!
Therefore, when Plataea was destroyed and the Spartans personally violated their oath, it immediately caused an uproar throughout the Greek world, forcing discussions on the matter within Sparta as well. The Council of Elders had to send inspectors to question the Spartan King who was on an expedition... Therefore, Phibidas, who was still a child at the time, had a deep impression of this. Astagoras was, in a sense, exposing the Spartans' scars.
"Don't talk nonsense!" Dionysius glared at Astagoras, then said to Phibidas, who seemed a little angry, "No city-state dares to engage in a direct confrontation with Sparta. However, in terms of siege warfare, Syracuse does have more experience. I have decided to take Croton first!"
Phibidas snorted and said nothing more.
After Dionysius finished speaking politely, he didn't bother to care about the Spartans' feelings anymore. He said to the crowd in a deep voice, "Faxipesas, Astagoras, you will organize all the siege technicians, craftsmen, and soldiers to start manufacturing siege equipment and building earthworks, and try to calculate the thickness of the city walls... Prepare everything for the siege!"
"Yes, Your Excellency!" The two generals replied excitedly in unison.
Dionysius then looked at the two foreign leaders, his eyes full of sternness: "Leader Achelitas, and Leader Gabas, you can't help with the siege, but you can't be idle either. You can lead your people across the Neto River and into Daionian territory, burn their villages, plunder their people, and seize their wealth. I want to make the Daonians restless day and night, complaining about the incompetence of their Senate and Archons!" Dionysius said viciously.
Achelitas and Gabba were overjoyed upon hearing this, as it was precisely what they excelled at and desired to do most.
Phibidas remained silent, harboring reservations about Dionysius's plan. However, he also suddenly realized that Sparta might indeed need to learn siege warfare from Syracuse.
At this moment, Dionysius added with a sinister tone, "Before we attack Croton, let's see how Asproustum responds to what's about to happen…"
… … … … … … … … … … … …
Inside the city of Asproustum, Philisius was comforting the 500-plus legion soldiers who had been exchanged by Daonia for over 500 Locrian prisoners. He felt a deep sense of regret because he had failed to retrieve Dracos, the legion commander of the Fifth Legion and a senator of the Daonian Senate. Furthermore, Dionysius had not even released Brim, the commander of the First Battalion of the Fifth Legion and an important leader of Byssinia, who was also a senator, insisting on a one-for-one prisoner exchange.
Philisius noticed that the soldiers who had been exchanged were all Bruttii from the Fifth Legion. Since the Fifth Legion had been at the rear during the retreat, it had suffered the most casualties and prisoners. However, he didn't dwell on this thought.
In reality, Dionysius was deliberately releasing these Bruttii, and he did so in front of the other captured Daonian Greek and Lucanian soldiers, showing a friendly demeanor towards the Bruttii. He even planned to secretly release some Daonian legion soldiers in a few days after intelligence personnel had observed and identified those who harbored resentment.
Philisius reorganized these 500-plus soldiers into the Fifth Legion. Despite his regret, he felt somewhat relieved because half of the returning soldiers were Byssinians. Byssinia was the most steadfast Bruttii tribal alliance that relied on the League. Since joining the League, it had never experienced unrest, and it had not raised any objections to some of the laws enacted by the Senate that were unfavorable to the Bruttii region. Moreover, Philisius had a good relationship with Bagiripi, so he felt better knowing that more Byssinians had returned.
At that moment, a messenger rushed in, "Commander, Legion Commander Epithenis requests your immediate presence on the city wall. The actions of the Syracusans outside the city are beyond his authority, and he can only leave the decision to you."
Philisius was alarmed upon hearing this.
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
Dracos awoke from a nightmare.
Ever since he led the First Battalion to intercept the enemy's cavalry and was heavily surrounded, he had led his team in a desperate fight, eventually being struck in the lungs by an enemy cavalry javelin and falling to the ground, where he was captured. Although he had received treatment from Syracusan doctors, he had been running a high fever, sometimes delirious and sometimes lucid.
At this moment, he struggled to open his dry and heavy eyelids.
He then heard a piercing scream, followed by someone shouting in grief and indignation, "Don't come over here! Don't come over here! O Asinus, I beg you to protect them…"
What's going on? Dracos struggled to open his eyes, and the blurry images before him gradually became clear. He found himself lying on the ground, which was a mixture of stones and mud. A hundred meters ahead stood a city, the appearance of which was very familiar to him—Asproustum.
How did I get here? His mind was muddled, and he couldn't remember anything at all. He tried to push himself up, but he found that his hands and feet were tied behind his back, making it impossible to exert any force.
He struggled a few times, but to no avail. Instead, the sharp pain from his wound nearly caused him to faint again.
Apparently, the person next to him saw his movement and said in surprise, "Legion Commander Dracos! Legion Commander Dracos, are you awake?!"
"You… who are you? What… what's going on?…" Dracos asked weakly, his parched lips parted.
"Reporting to the Legion Commander, I am Etulu, the squad leader of the first squad of the fourth detachment of the third battalion of the Fourth Legion. The Syracusans brought dozens of captured soldiers from our Fourth Legion, as well as you, to the front of Asproustum, tied everyone's hands and feet, and drove wooden stakes into the ground next to each person, tying the ropes to them. They also sent people to shout under the city, telling them, 'You and the captured soldiers of the Fourth Legion are here.' Then, the Syracusan army retreated a hundred meters, but whenever the comrades in the city rushed out… rushed out to save us, these damned Syracusans would… would shoot at them with javelins and arrows…" Etulu sobbed uncontrollably as he said this.
His crying caused the other bound soldiers to feel sorrow from the bottom of their hearts.
What?! Dracos panicked upon hearing this. He endured the pain and used his shoulders to forcefully prop himself up. The excessive exertion made his eyes go black and his head spin. Panting heavily, he tried to control his swaying body… After a while, he finally knelt steadily on the ground.
When he reopened his eyes, he saw more than a dozen corpses in front of him, covered with arrows and javelins. The closest dead person was no more than a meter away from him. Looking at that ashen face, Dracos recognized him: Hagek, a soldier of the Fifth Legion, a young Bruttii from the small tribe of Cosenza, who was stubborn and unyielding. When he first entered the Fifth Legion, he repeatedly violated military regulations and was punished many times by the strict Dracos, but he repeatedly refused to accept it. Once, he even confronted Dracos on the training ground. In the end, Dracos bet with him on wrestling and won him cleanly. Hagek was convinced and from then on trained seriously and performed excellently. Dracos eventually promoted him to squad leader, but he never expected him to die here… and to die for him!
A surge of anger welled up in his heart, and the crying of the soldiers next to him made him even more irritable. He roared, "What's there to cry about! What's so scary about death? We will meet in the Hall of Heroes!"
… … … … … … … … … … … …
Philisius looked at the row of people kneeling on the ground below the city with a solemn expression. He had not expected to see such a scene when he came to the city wall: "Are… are you sure those people are Dracos and the captured soldiers?"
Epithenis, who was usually lively and flamboyant, also frowned tightly at this moment, his voice heavy: "Before I came up, the soldiers… had already confirmed it with their lives! I have now strictly forbidden the soldiers from leaving the city without permission, but not only is Dracos there, but also soldiers from the Fourth Legion. Look at the people under my command, they all want to rescue their teammates, neighbors, and maybe even relatives… So they all hope that the Fourth and Fifth Legions can be sent out, so that even if the enemy presses on, they can resist and successfully rescue Dracos and the other soldiers."
Philisius looked at the nearly hundred shocking corpses that stretched all the way to the bound prisoners below the city, and the Syracusan army square formations that seemed to be resting a hundred meters behind the prisoners.
He then looked back at the soldiers of the Fourth Legion stationed on the city wall, their faces filled with anger and anxiety.
Philisius's gaze finally fell on Epithenis: "What's your opinion?"
"I think it's worth a try." Epithenis hesitated for a moment, then pondered and said, "The Syracusans are doing this because they want us to rescue them. So when we leave the city, the Syracusans may not immediately come forward to stop us. We have plenty of time to line up our formation and slowly approach Dracos and them, blocking their attack while rescuing Dracos… Although the Syracusans outnumber us, the terrain here is narrow, with cliffs on the left and mountains on the right. No matter how many troops they have, they can't deploy them and can't outflank our rear. We… we should be able to safely retreat back to the city."
Philisius was silent for a long time, then slowly said: "Since you know that the Syracusans want us to leave the city to rescue them, you still insist on leading troops out of the city. Do you think the Syracusans will really let us return safely?!" Philisius showed a painful expression and said with resentment: "A few days ago, it was because everyone was lucky enough to think that they could defeat the Syracusans, and I didn't insist… What was the result! As a result, we failed! The coalition forces were defeated, and we lost more than 3,000 soldiers, which led to such a terrible situation in the entire Magna Graecia! Hasn't such a lesson aroused our attention! Dionysius is not so easy to deal with. Since he has already designed this scene under the city, he must have a plan to deal with our rescue. For the safety of Asproustum and the safety of the League, we… we cannot leave the city!"
Philisius rarely shouted at people like he was doing now. This was an outburst of his suppressed emotions during this period, so Epithenis was also a little stunned, and his face became gloomy: "Are we just going to watch Dracos and the soldiers being humiliated without rescuing them! Don't forget, Lord Davos once said in Persia, 'Everyone in the team he leads should be as close as a family, and no one should be easily abandoned!'"
Epithenis's words were whipping Philisius's guilty heart. His hands pressing on the battlements tightly gripped the stone crevices, and the rough gravel stung his palms… Although his relationship with Dracos was average, as a senator of the Senate, a legion commander of the army, and a comrade-in-arms for many years, he also wanted to rescue Dracos and the soldiers from the enemy's humiliation, but as the highest military commander of the Daonian southern front, he had a heavy responsibility. In such a critical situation, he must first consider the safety of the League. He had already failed once before, and he could not allow himself to make another mistake. Otherwise, if Asproustum were to be lost, the Syracusans could drive straight in, and he would truly become a sinner of the League!
"Defend the city, no one is allowed to leave the city, this is an order!" Philisius said firmly: "I will bear all the consequences!"
Although Epithenes was unwilling, he had no choice but to obey the order. Despite the reluctance of the soldiers of the Fourth and Fifth Legions, they had to obey the military order and watch helplessly from the city walls as their legion commander and comrades remained kneeling and bound on the ground…
Time passed, second by second…
Some captured soldiers collapsed on the ground due to exhaustion…
Dracotas felt his body becoming severely dehydrated, but he restrained himself with all his willpower, not uttering a single sound. As the legion commander, he understood the sinister intentions of the Syracuseans in binding them here, and he also understood why the city of Asproustum remained silent. In such a treacherous environment, the only thing he could do was remain silent, not provoking the fragile nerves of the brothers on the city walls, lest they be put in danger. Perhaps in the end, the Syracuseans, seeing that their scheme was not working, would have no choice but to retreat obediently…
But Dracotas thought too highly of the Syracuseans. Astargaras, seeing that there was still no movement from the city walls, became impatient. He glanced at Endymionas, the leader of the Campanian mercenaries beside him, and said, "Send someone up to cut off the head of a captive and see if these Daonians can still remain calm."
Endymionas hesitated but ultimately agreed.
In the historical tradition of Greek warfare, it was not permitted to abuse and kill Greek prisoners of war in front of the battle lines. Astargaras did not want to be stained with this crime, so he had the mercenaries do it. Endymionas, blinded by greed, reluctantly accepted.
The mercenary chose Tatulus, who was next to Dracotas, as the target, in order to further provoke the Daonians. When the mercenary raised the gleaming military knife and forcefully chopped down on Tatulus's neck, which was unable to resist, and the neck blood splattered onto Dracotas's body, the fire of anger burned again in his weakened body.
He understood that the Syracuseans had never intended to let them go.
Hearing the uncontrollable cries of sorrow and commotion rising again from the city walls in front, the cries of the captive soldiers beside him, and the bursts of severe pain coming from his lungs, he finally made up his mind.
He struggled to straighten his body, using all his strength, and shouted in a hoarse voice, "Victory to Daonia! Victory to the Daonian Legion! … Cough, cough… Defend Asproustum, and avenge me and my brothers in the future! Avenge!" After saying that, he exhausted his last bit of strength and slammed his head forcefully against a sharp rock protruding from the ground in front of his knees.
In that instant, he remembered the scene on the Amendolara Square where Davos, with a smile on his face, presented him, covered in bandages, with the military flag: "Lord Davos…" A hint of a smile appeared on his face…
"Bang! …"
Immediately afterward,
Many Daonian captive soldiers also followed Dracotas's example and crashed to their deaths on the ground…
Astargaras and Endymionas, seeing this tragic scene, were shocked like clay and wooden puppets. It took them a long time to recover. They had not expected the Daonians to be so unyielding! Especially Dracotas, as an important figure in Daonia, actually did not hesitate to give up his own life, unwilling to be humiliated, and died like this…
"Quick! Quickly heal them! …" Astargaras, who was usually brave in battle, shouted in a panic, feeling inexplicably afraid in his heart.
"Commander!" Epithenes, a man who rarely shed tears, stood before Phileas with tears streaming down his face, full of grief and indignation: "Because of our weakness, Dracotas… Dracotas has died heroically…"
Phileas bit his teeth tightly with guilt, his fists clenched so hard that blood oozed from his gums, but he was completely unaware. His voice was squeezed out from between his teeth, so painful, yet containing endless resentment: "Dracotas… Dracotas was afraid that we would fall into the Syracuseans' trap, so he chose… chose to go to the Hall of Heroes! Hades above, I swear! I, Phileas, swear to defeat Syracuse and bring the corpses of that tyrant and his men to pay tribute to the heroic spirit of Dracotas!"
Epithenes snorted, his eyes also filled with endless resentment, looking at the Syracuseans below the city, and then walked towards the soldiers.
Soon, the entire city resounded with the Hymn to Hades: "King of the Underworld, Lord of Justice,
Hades with black hair and black eyes,
I, a brave warrior,
Come to your solemn temple,
To ask what I have done in my life?
I like to wield shield and spear, and drink the blood of my enemies!
To ask if I have ever trembled and feared?
Never!
Because I want to boast of my achievements before you!
…"
The solemn and magnificent hymn echoed in the sky above Asproustum, finally turning into a deafening sentence: "Long live Commander Dracotas! Long live the Daonian Legion! Kill all the Syracuseans!!! …"
The Syracusean soldiers below the city heard this, and their expressions changed.
Astargaras became listless and waved his hand weakly, saying, "Go back and report to the lord…"
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
When Astargaras briefly told Dionysius what had happened under the city of Asproustum, there was silence in the large tent.
Now, the Syracuseans occupied an absolute advantage in the entire battle situation, but looking at the solemn expressions on everyone's faces in the large tent, it was as if the Syracuseans had suffered a defeat.
Dionysius coughed a few times and said in a deep voice, "Our siege preparations must be accelerated! I hope to be able to launch an attack on the city of Croton the day after tomorrow! Asproustum… Well, maintain vigilance for the time being."
"Yes, Lord!" Phasiphesas responded and stood up, then immediately turned and left the tent to urge the engineers, craftsmen, and soldiers to speed up the progress.
At this moment, everyone in the tent seemed to have a sense of urgency: they must destroy the Daonian League while it was still weak, otherwise it might be countered!
Even the proud Phibidas could not help but be moved. He could not help but think of Aristodemus, the Spartan of decades ago. This brave Spartan citizen, as a member of King Leonidas's 300 guards, was unable to participate in the Battle of Thermopylae due to an eye disease. In the Battle of Plataea a year later, he took the initiative to charge to the front, bravely fighting to the death and regaining his reputation, highly praised by the people…
The Daonian citizens' admiration for honor, as well as their courage and fighting will, seem to be no weaker than ours! Phibidas thought with complex emotions.
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
This day was destined to be an unforgettable day for the people of the Daonian League!
Although the Syracuseans had not yet begun to attack the city of Croton, the mercenary cavalry had already crossed the Neto River and galloped on the Croton Plain belonging to the Daonian side. Houses were being set on fire one by one, and villages were being destroyed one by one…
In the northeast of Daonia, the Tarantines, who had nearly 20,000 soldiers and superior military strength, were unwilling to confront the Daonian-Heraclean allied forces in front of the city of Heraclea. Diomidas sent part of his troops south across the Agri River, entered the Amendolara territory of Daonia, and began wanton destruction, attempting to force Daonia's newly built Seventh Legion to leave the city of Heraclea.
The entire Greek world's first waterwheel, which the Amendolara people were proud of, was burned down in the raging fire.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
In the Bruttian region of the Daonian League, although Petalus's rebels had been eliminated, Bergam took a lesson and led the 2,000 followers who followed him, not fighting Chironymus who came to encircle and suppress them, but using the complex terrain of Ambarnia and the protection of Lake Chechita to constantly maneuver with the suppression army. This forced Hylos to postpone the plan to gather soldiers to form a new legion and support Thurii in order to stabilize the situation in Bruttium.
At sea, Leptines, the commander of the Syracusean navy, finally joined up with the warships scattered on the east and west coasts of Magna Graecia in Siris, gathering a powerful fleet of more than 400 warships, heading north along the east coast of Magna Graecia, preparing to force the Daonian fleet to come out for a decisive battle.
The Crimisans, Castellonians, and Thurians all successively saw this vast fleet that covered the entire sea surface, and they all began to tremble…
What the Daonian people did not know was that in the west, in Laos, Arolobus, the actual ruler of the city-state, was moved after learning the news that "Syracuse had defeated the South Italian allied forces, quickly occupied Terina and Siris, and conquered Caulonia."
However, the news that "Davos had completely defeated the Samnites" soon came, and he hesitated again.
Until the news that "Tarentum betrayed the alliance and invaded, the Bruttian elders rebelled, and the Syracusean army was approaching the city of Croton" came one after another, Daonia was surrounded by enemies and was in imminent danger. Arolobus believed that in such a situation, even if Davos was strong, it would be difficult to guarantee victory.
But he did not take action immediately. He had to wait, waiting for the army led by Davos to leave Lucania and return to Thurii, because he did not want to bear the Daonians' anger first.
And when the scout told him, 'Heniopolis led his troops to follow the main Daonian force and went to Thurii together.' He breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, he was not willing to raise his swords and guns against his nephew and those Laos soldiers. Their departure eliminated his psychological obstacles.
On this day, he imprisoned the family of his brother Avinoges, summoned the officials and leaders of Laos, and announced: Laos secedes from the Daonian League!
At the same time, he also sent an army of 1,500 men to the Rao River Fortress, claiming to be: Responding to the request of the Daonian Archon to reinforce Thurii.
Tagrus, the captain of the Rao River Fortress, had already been reminded by Davos and had already increased his vigilance, insisting that the Laos people show the orders issued by the Daonian Senate and the Department of Military Affairs, otherwise he would refuse to let the Laos people enter!
After repeated requests proved futile, the Laosians tore off their masks of pretense and brazenly launched an attack on the Ra River Fortress.
However, the Ra River Fortress was situated in a narrow section between the riverbank and the mountains, preventing the Laosians from utilizing their numerical advantage. Meanwhile, Tagru led over 200 soldiers in a tenacious defense, relying on the small but sturdy fortress.
The bloody battle lasted until the afternoon, but the Laotian army was still unable to breach the fortress. After receiving a request for assistance from the Ra River Fortress, Hermon, the administrative officer of Nium, personally led a hastily assembled force of nearly two thousand citizen-soldiers, arriving in time to provide reinforcements.
Seeing the strength of the opposing force, the Laosians slowly retreated...
At this time, the flames of war raged everywhere within Daonia, and the clouds of war grew ever darker. The people of Thurii truly felt fear, and they often gathered in two places: one was the Temple of Hades, hoping to receive the protection of this powerful god of the underworld and find solace for their uneasy hearts; the other was the square in front of the Senate.
The people once again appealed to the Senate, urging them to appoint Consul Davos as king, because only in this way could Daonia overcome this crisis, as Hades had foreseen it all!
This time, the clamor of the people was noticeably greater than in the previous two days. The senators within the Senate were already panicked by the constant stream of bad news, and the people's protests only added to their confusion.
"Praxinas, look what you've done! Quickly stop your tricks, restore peace to the people of Thurii, and bring order back to Daonia, otherwise the Senate will be unable to function properly, and everything will fall into chaos!" Cunogolata finally couldn't help but lash out at Praxinas.
"Lord Cunogolata, be careful how you speak! This is the oracle of the god Hades, the spontaneous appeal of the people, and has nothing to do with me personally! Instead of arguing with me here, you should think about how to meet the needs of the people and appease their anger!" Praxinas, the chief priest of the Temple of Hades, retorted fearlessly.
"Distinguished sirs, allowing Lord Davos to become king is not a big deal. In the past few years, the position Davos has held and the role he has played, haven't they been exercising the power of a king! It's just lacking a title. Don't you now hope in your hearts that Lord Davos will return soon to help us defeat the powerful enemy and save the alliance?! In fact, since the establishment of the alliance, Lord Davos has been the greatest reliance for us and the people outside! Now the brutal Syracuseans are approaching us, wanting to make the alliance a second Sybaris, and make us suffer the hardships of the people of Sybaris. Davos, who has the protection of Hades, is our only reliance, what are you still hesitating about!" Mariji's seductive words sent a shock through everyone's hearts.
Just as some senators were lost in thought and others were about to refute, the door of the meeting hall was pushed open.
The captain of the guard ran in, his face filled with unbelievable excitement: "Distinguished sirs, Thurii... Thurii is alive! Thurii is alive!"
"What are you talking about... Thurii is alive? Speak more clearly!" Scombras shouted impatiently.
Cunogolata, however, took a few steps forward, asking in equally disbelief: "Are you saying that the Thurii Fountain has started flowing again?!"
"Yes, sir! Just as the people were shouting, 'Let Lord Davos be king,' the Thurii Fountain was revived, and now the spring water has flowed to the square!" The excited captain of the guard didn't forget to add: "Distinguished sirs, this is a divine omen!"
The senators looked at each other, each one shocked, including Mariji, Praxinas, and Cunogolata. You must know that in this era of reverence for the gods, the Greeks valued divine omens the most. When praying and worshiping the gods, coughs, winds, rain, thunder... etc., sudden abnormalities would be regarded as manifestations of the gods. And the well-known Thurii Fountain had become a ruined spring after the old city of Thurii was burned down by the Crotoniates, and had been dry for many years. This time, it actually started to flow again, what a great divine omen this is! Although most Greeks believed that springs were under the jurisdiction of the sea god Poseidon, some also believed that underground springs should be controlled by Hades, because they came from underground.
"Let's go, go and see!" Cunogolata couldn't hide the shock and curiosity in his heart, and unhesitatingly led the way out of the Senate, with the other senators following closely behind.
The people who had gathered in front of the Senate had all run to the outer edge of the square to the left of the Senate, which was the site of the Thurii Fountain.
The former Thurians attached great importance to this spring, which lent its name to the city, and built a large pool for it, with several lifelike statues of spring goddesses and nymph fairies in the pool, their clothes revealing, splashing water and playing, evoking reverie, making this a lively place for children to play, the elderly to rest and relax, men to discuss politics, and women and slaves to draw water. However, a great fire not only destroyed the pool and statues, but also stopped the Thurii Spring from gushing forth. Some freedmen had rumored: this was the punishment of the gods for the Thurians' breach of faith.
When rebuilding the city of Thurii, as a kind of nostalgia for the past, Heraclides had craftsmen build a circle of stone walls to enclose the spring, making it look like a well. Over the years, it had become the most inconspicuous existence near Victory Square.
Now, hundreds and thousands of people had surrounded it, blocking it completely. The people, who had previously been worried about the safety of the alliance, were now so happy that they were dancing and waving their hands. Seeing Cunogolata and other senators arrive, they immediately shouted loudly: "Come and see, respected sirs! The great Hades has heard our cries, and he has responded!"
"Even Hades has agreed, let his descendant, our Davos, become king, what are you still hesitating about!"
"Let Lord Davos become king, and we will receive the protection of Hades, drive the enemy out of our homeland, and restore peace to Daonia!"
"Everyone, please be quiet, let us go in and take a look first!" Cunogolata said patiently in a loud voice.
The people quickly made way for a passage.
Cunogolata and the others walked in, stepping on the water. They saw that the half-meter-high "stone well" was already filled with water, and the water was still continuously gushing out of the well, flowing towards Victory Square, forming a long waterway.
Cunogolata reached in with his hand, the water was clear and bone-chilling, and a strong upward force at the spring opening lifted his palm.
That's right, the Thurii Fountain had come back to life, this couldn't be faked! Cunogolata withdrew his hand and wiped it on his clothes.
"This spring water is so sweet!" Mariji directly drank a mouthful of water and praised loudly, prompting the other senators to follow suit.
Cunogolata looked at the clear, limpid spring water, which almost reflected his own appearance, and his heart was truly filled with confusion: could this really be the expectation of the gods?!
However, the people would not give the senators too much time to think. Looking at their eager and expectant eyes, the senators knew that they had to give them a clear answer today.
After a short but intense discussion, Cunogolata, on behalf of the senators, announced to the people: "People of Daonia, after deliberation, the Senate accepts your request and elects Consul Davos as... as the king of the Daonian League, of course, this still requires the permission of Davos himself!..."
Before Cunogolata could finish speaking, the people had already cheered: "Long live King Davos!!!..."
Returning to the Senate, most of the senators were somewhat lost. Although Davos had previously been the lifetime consul of Daonia, he was, after all, a fellow senator of the Senate, and his status was similar. Now, suddenly elevated to the rank of king, his status was much higher than that of these senators, and this gap gave them a strong sense of loss.
Cunogolata coughed a few times, wanting to urge everyone to cheer up and conduct a serious discussion on the major issue of "Davos's accession to the throne," and how to reasonably limit his power. But before he could speak, the captain of the guard rushed in again.
Cunogolata's heart suddenly "thumped," and sure enough, he heard him shout anxiously: "Distinguished sirs, part of the Syracusean fleet has landed on the coast north of Castrum, and it is said that several hundred people have landed, preparing to launch a sneak attack on our coastal villages!"
Everyone was shocked, and the scene of the Crotoniate fleet plundering Daonian villages was about to be replayed.
Fortunately, before this war broke out, Davos, considering the absolute advantage of the Syracusean fleet, had anticipated that this situation might occur. Before he left, he ordered the military affairs department to make some deployments according to past experience. For example, setting up coastal observation posts on the east coast of Daonia, building simple defensive facilities in each coastal village, and establishing a small garrison camp with a reserve company between several villages...
Before Cunogolata could make a decision, Capus stood up and said decisively: "I request to immediately lead the troops to intercept these Syracuseans who have landed, to avoid them causing greater losses to our people!"
The senators had no objection to Capus's request for battle. In fact, at this moment, he was the only one in the Senate who was familiar with Daonia's unique legion tactics and could lead troops to fight. As the war progressed to this point, there were only a dozen or so senators left in the Senate.
"It seems that we need to conscript freedmen again." Cunogolata's expression was heavy. At this moment, the citizen-soldier source of Thurii was nearing exhaustion, and the only option was to go to the port area to recruit freedmen, but there were not many freedmen left there, after a large number of them served as sailors in the Daonian fleet and laborers transporting military logistics.
"We can also seek assistance from Castrum." Cornelius's reminder made Cunogolata's eyes light up: that's right, Castrum still has troops!
At the start of the war, Castron had proactively offered to send troops to participate in the battle, but the Daonian Senate politely declined. This was because Daonia's military strength was already formidable, and Castron's soldiers were too few in number, which would instead affect the overall unified command of the army. Therefore, only Castron's warships and military grain supplies were accepted. Now, Daonia, facing a severe shortage of troops, had no choice but to turn to Castro for help. Even a mosquito's leg is still meat.
"If the Syracuseans weren't launching a full-scale landing to attack us, our forces in Thurii would have been sufficient," Capys reassured them. "There are still 500 cavalrymen within the city of Thurii, and the Secyclian naval fleet is temporarily unable to set sail, so some sailors can be drawn to serve as light infantry. Of course, it would be even better to get some heavy infantry from the city of Castron to strengthen the army!…"
Cunogolata stepped forward and solemnly saluted Capys, saying in a deep voice, "Lord Capys, the safety of Thurii is entrusted to you."
As soon as Cunogolata finished speaking, Cornelius and the other senators also saluted Capys. This was the first time that the traditional city-state senators had so solemnly saluted Capys, who came from a mercenary background, which immediately made him feel the pressure. He returned a forceful military salute and then strode out of the meeting hall.
The worried senators looked at each other, and finally, their gazes all turned to the empty seat in the front row at the center of the meeting hall. Before, they still had some concerns about Davos becoming king, but at this moment, this emotion had disappeared without a trace, and there was only one thought in their minds: Davos, when will you return to save Daonia?!
… … … … … … … … … … …
The Syracusean naval commander Leptines did not have a plan to launch a large-scale landing on the coast of Thurii and attack the city of Thurii. He knew very well that Thurii was not Trina; it had enough manpower, and with just his simply equipped sailors, it would be impossible to take down this large city with high walls and strong defenses. He also did not intend to send warships to break into the Crati River because the Syracuseans did not occupy the riverbank on the Crati side, and the city of Thurii had a river-blocking iron chain. Once his warships were blocked and trapped in the river channel, they would easily be attacked by enemy rockets and burned to ashes…
Of course, Leptines was reluctant to put his warships and sailors with rich sailing experience in such a dangerous situation. He only sent a very small number of sailors to attack the outskirts of Thurii, in order to force the Daonian fleet hiding in the Crati River to come out for a decisive battle.
Compared to Leptines' caution, the Syracusean mercenary cavalry acted very arrogantly and without any restraint. Although Crimisa had called on the people to hide in the city due to the pressure of the enemy's army, there were still a few who failed to move into the city in time and were slaughtered by foreign cavalry. In particular, the Celts used spears to carry the heads of Daonian civilians that they had cut off, even including women and children, and paraded triumphantly in front of the city of Crimisa, making the soldiers of the Sixth Legion stationed on the city wall extremely angry, but they were unable to attack due to military orders…
Protesilaus, the administrative officer of Crimisa, was restless in the city hall.
Seeing Olivus, the legion commander of the Sixth Legion, enter, he quickly greeted him: "Lord Olivus, you're finally back!"
Olivus, who had just inspected the port's defenses, saw Protesilaus' anxious face and couldn't help but smile pretentiously: "Are the enemies here to attack us?" Of course, this was impossible. He had just finished inspecting and wouldn't be unaware.
"This is what's happening, and you're still in the mood to joke!" Protesilaus said anxiously.
"What happened?!" Olivus put away his smile and asked seriously.
"The families of those civilians you imprisoned are causing trouble again in front of the city hall. This time, they've gathered hundreds of people, and they're even threatening to 'set up tents in front of the city hall and live there for a long time if their relatives aren't released!'" Protesilaus said with a worried expression. If the civilians were to make such a scene, the face of him, the administrative officer, would be swept away, and it would become a big joke for the entire Senate.
"They dare!" Olivus sneered. He knew that when he led the Sixth Legion to Crimisa before, he was blocked outside the city gate by a group of protesters. He used the excuse of attacking the army and conspiring to rebel to detain them, and only then was the army able to enter the city.
In the past few days, he had been busy arranging the city's defenses. He didn't know when rumors began to spread in the city: "So many soldiers of the Sixth Legion stationed in the city will only consume our limited food and water. When the Syracuseans besiege the city, the first to starve will be us Krimisans…"
"Now the Syracuseans are burning our fields and slaughtering our relatives outside the city. The soldiers of the Sixth Legion should go out of the city to drive them away and protect our relatives and property, instead of hiding timidly in the city like rats…"
… …
Olivus ignored these rumors and proceeded with the established steps to improve the city's defenses. After learning the news that the families of the detainees were making a scene in front of the city hall today, he remained calm because after he entered the city, Aristilas' intelligence department's personnel stationed in Crimisa quietly found him, and he learned that during this period, Syracusean spies frequently entered and exited Crimisa and colluded with some Krimisan citizens, which made the situation in the city so chaotic.
At this moment, he said in a deep voice, "Lord Protesilaus, the woman who assassinated Lord Davos before came from Crimisa. Lord Davos was merciful and did not further expand the investigation for the sake of alliance stability. But today, it seems that the problem in Crimisa is very serious. Even if military control is implemented, the situation in the city is still chaotic these days. I'm afraid there are Syracusean spies inciting trouble. If strict measures are not taken, once the enemy launches a large-scale attack, we will be defending on the city wall, but if trouble breaks out in the city, this city will be in danger!"
Protesilaus's face suddenly changed, and he asked, "What are you going to do?"
"Of course, it's to find him, and those who collude with the enemy and cause trouble will be publicly tried and executed!" Olivus looked murderous, his palm like a blade, and waved it down forcefully.
Protesilaus was shocked and became hesitant again: "Isn't this too harsh? They are all alliance citizens!"
Olivus glanced at him, feeling a little disdainful in his heart: This young Amendolara senator has always supported Davos in the Senate, and his speeches and statements are also very active. But when he is on his own and handling political affairs, he seems to be looking forward and backward, hesitating. Therefore, when Scamblas was the administrative officer of Crimisa, the political situation here was relatively stable; when it was his turn, not only did an assassination incident occur, but the situation was almost out of control…
"Lord Protesilaus, you should be clear as a former judge that our 'Daonian Military Law' stipulates that 'those who desert in battle and rebels will be beheaded.' And the 'Daonian Law' also stipulates that 'the maximum penalty for traitors is death.' Now is wartime. These people who collude with our enemies, attempt to sabotage our defense of Crimisa, and even betray the alliance, shouldn't they be sentenced to death!" Olivus shouted sternly.
Protesilaus thought for a while and reluctantly said, "Okay, I agree with your opinion. However, I hope you can show the public conclusive evidence before executing them."
This is not simple. Olivus thought to himself, and he immediately agreed. After leaving the city hall, he quickly found the personnel of the intelligence department. After their identification, he led the soldiers to search the residences of more than a dozen suspicious civilians (all of whom were originally citizens of Crimisa), and found a large number of four-drachma silver coins, letters, and even captured two Syracusean spies hiding in their homes.
Protesilaus had nothing more to say.
Olivus, in front of all the citizens in the square, displayed the evidence of treason of more than a dozen citizens, executed them on the spot, and arrested and imprisoned the troublemaking families as well. The chaotic situation in Crimisa was greatly changed, and the people began to participate in the city's defense under the command of Olivus…
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
Rhibazo, the slave steward of Davos's mansion, used to walk in the front yard with a slow pace to show his difference in status and demeanor from ordinary slaves, but today his legs turned as fast as wheels. In the blink of an eye, he darted from the gate through the front yard and came to the front of the back yard door.
"Dong! Dong! Dong!…" He couldn't help but knock on the door excitedly.
The door was suddenly opened. Asuna, who was watering the flowers, was holding a two-eared pottery vase filled with water in one hand and pulling the door with the other. Seeing that it was Rhibazo, her already unsightly face became even more furrowed, and she scolded unceremoniously: "Uncle Rhibazo, you're supposed to be a supervisor! Don't you know that the mistress needs to rest well during this period after giving birth! You knocked on the door so loudly that people all over the hill could hear you! If little Eunice is awakened and starts crying, I'll see what you do when the mistress blames you!"
"I'm sorry, Asuna, I'm just too excited! Because… because Lord Davos… our master is going to be king!" Rhibazo said excitedly.
"Really?!" Asuna covered her face with her hands in surprise, and the pottery vase fell to the ground and broke into several pieces, but she didn't realize it.
"The senators announced it to more than a thousand people in the square, how could it be fake!" As soon as Rhibazo finished speaking, Asuna shouted and jumped, running to the back like a madwoman.
"Young people are really not stable enough!" Rhibazo muttered a few words, bent down, picked up the fragments of the pottery vase, and showed a look of regret: "What a pity, a good Athenian pottery vase."
Asuna pushed open the door of the bedroom and heard Agnes's voice: "Asuna, Eunice is still sleeping, you're too loud!" Agnes, who has always been gentle, expressed her anger by speaking in such a tone.