Magna Graecia Map -
In the afternoon, Davos urgently convened a meeting of the Amendolara Senate, inviting Cuno Golatas, as well as Ansitanos, Burkos, and a dozen other respected and influential citizens of Thurii. The list even included Praxinas and Polyxis.
Axisthys was puzzled and asked, "Lord, why include Praxinas, that disreputable and shameless scoundrel?"
Davos said seriously, "To us, Praxinas is a disreputable scoundrel. But to Thurii, he is a patriot who would sacrifice his own honor for the sake of the city-state. We should respect such a man!"
"Then what about this Polyxis? He's a deserter!"
Davos didn't answer. He had asked Cuno Golatas, and despite being betrayed by Nionsis and Polyxis, Cuno Golatas still objectively suggested that Davos invite Polyxis to the meeting because the Polyxis family had always been very influential among the Pyoshian immigrants in Thurii.
Since the Amendolara people came to help the people of Thurii, Praxinas had been uneasy, even considering leaving Thurii and immigrating to another city-state. When Amendolara's herald found him and extended the invitation, he was still skeptical. The herald relayed Davos's words to him, and Praxinas actually shed tears. In the past two days, the people of Thurii, feeling guilty for being taken care of by the Amendolara people, had instead blamed Praxinas for being the first to undermine the friendship between Thurii and Amendolara, and even his relatives were distancing themselves from him. Davos's recognition of him filled him with gratitude.
At the same time, the invitation to Praxinas also showed the people of Thurii Amendolara's forgiving attitude, reassuring many Thuriians who had previously contributed to opposing Amendolara.
Due to the simple conditions at the time, the meeting was held on the lawn, with everyone sitting cross-legged in a circle, guarded by soldiers.
At the meeting, Davos proposed the establishment of a Thurii-Amendolara alliance, with the citizens of both cities sharing one magistrate and one Senate, and invited the Thuriians present, including Cuno Golatas, to join the Senate and become members of the new alliance's Senate.
This proposal had been discussed in advance by Davos and the Amendolara senators, and these people from Thurii were already in a weak position, heavily reliant on Amendolara's aid and protection, and could also become senators, so why not?
The news quickly spread among the people of Thurii, and the vast majority of the people cheered. Mainly because if this alliance was established, they could accept Amendolara's aid and the protection of Amendolara's powerful soldiers with peace of mind! Without worrying about betrayal or abandonment, because they would all be one family!
The cheers reached the ears of the new Thurii senators who were still in the meeting, and their last concerns disappeared.
Then, Davos said, "Since Thurii and Amendolara have become one family, then Amendolara's laws also apply to Thurii, and the rights and obligations enjoyed and undertaken by the Amendolara people also apply to the citizens of Thurii."
Apart from a few Thurii senators who had slight objections to the law that "citizens who own land must pay 1% of the land as tax annually," Davos's proposal was passed by a large majority.
Next, Davos proposed: Fulfilling the previous promise, giving freedom to the slaves who participated in the battle against the Lucanian allied forces. For the free people who participated in the battle against the Lucanian allied forces and did not betray Thurii by joining the Crotone army, they would become probationary citizens of the new alliance. The ringleaders of the free people who caused the rebellion and led to the fall of Thurii would be sentenced to capital punishment by the people of Thurii!
This proposal was passed without any controversy. Because through the burning of Thurii city, the Thurii people also conducted a deep reflection, and they realized that: it was because Thurii violated its promises and improperly handled the free people and slaves that was one of the main reasons for this disaster.
Praxinas looked slightly embarrassed after hearing Davos's proposal. Unexpectedly, Davos proposed that Praxinas be responsible for the implementation. This was a good opportunity for Praxinas to wash away his stain, and he was once again filled with gratitude towards Davos.
In fact, most of the free people who participated in the Lucanian battle also participated in the rebellion and followed the Crotone troops to transport the spoils, preparing to go to Crotone, but were captured by the Amendolara legion. The slaves, because Thurii fell, lost control, most of the miners fled into the mountains, and most of the remaining slaves in the city chose to stay, because rather than fleeing elsewhere, most of them would still become slaves, and if they were caught by the natives, their situation would be even worse, it was better to follow familiar masters, except for not having freedom, life was still okay. There were very few free people and slaves who truly met the conditions of the proposal, but for the free people and slaves who were still wandering around the ruins of Thurii and had not left, it was undoubtedly great news. Because they believed that the rumored magistrate did have a good impression of free people and slaves, and he was also a lifelong magistrate, which meant that in the future they would have more opportunities to gain freedom and become formal citizens.
Stabilizing the emotions of the free people and slaves, and stimulating their enthusiasm for the new alliance, the safety of Thurii was guaranteed, because their numbers far outnumbered the people of Thurii.
The first Senate meeting of the Thurii-Amendolara alliance was highly efficient, and proposals that were conducive to the reconstruction of Thurii were passed, and Cuno Golatas was nominated by Davos and elected as the chief administrator of Thurii city with a high number of votes. Among them, he received all the votes of the Thurii senators. Mainly because Cuno Golatas wholeheartedly helped the people of Thurii despite past grievances, making the people of Thurii feel guilty, and the shrewd Thurii senators also knew that the political situation in the future would be dominated by the Amendolara people for a long time, so Cuno Golatas could be valued by Davos, and they had to make efforts to let Cuno Golatas speak more for the people of Thurii.
Since the two cities were not far apart, except for the public office of city administrator, which both cities had, the remaining public offices were shared, and according to needs, deputy positions or assistants were set up to perform their duties in each city.
At the same time, the Thurii Reconstruction Committee was established, led by Davos, assisted by Cornelius and Cuno Golatas, the two city administrators, to lead the entire reconstruction work of Thurii.
Finally, Burkos asked the question that all the people of Thurii were worried about: "What if the Crotone people attack again?"
Davos's expression remained unchanged, and he smiled: "I think this question can be answered by the military officer."
Philiscus stood up in response and said, "Senators, let me first briefly introduce the results of our army's battle. We dispatched a total of four thousand eight hundred and ninety-five soldiers, and eliminated approximately six thousand people, and captured nine thousand people (this is a very high casualty rate, on average, one Amendolara soldier eliminated more than one enemy. According to normal battles, even if the Amendolara soldiers were strong, this situation would not be possible, only because it was a surprise attack, and the Crotone people were in special circumstances such as being drunk, asleep, without armor, and without weapons, that such a high casualty rate occurred), and only seventy-two of our citizens died, and two hundred were injured."
As soon as these words came out, the Thurii senators were stunned.
Philiscus continued: "Of these nine thousand prisoners, about five thousand are from Crotone (mainly because when Crotone set up the camp, they arranged the soldiers from other city-states on the periphery)." Philiscus glanced at Davos: "We can use these prisoners to force Crotone to negotiate peace with us. If the peace talks fail, I think although Thurii was burned down, the city walls are made of stone and are mostly intact, we can organize a large number of people to quickly repair the city walls and defend against the Crotone attack, and we can also seek assistance from Taranto."
"Will Taranto help us?" Burkos was skeptical, knowing that Thurii had made similar attempts before, and Taranto had symbolically sent envoys, but after the reconciliation failed, there was no movement.
"With Crotone's strength greatly damaged, not only will Taranto help us, but Locri may also take action!" Cuno Golatas, who was familiar with the situation of the Greek city-states, said: "Magistrate, we should now organize manpower to build the city walls first, and we must immediately try to form an alliance with Taranto!"
"We are already allies with Taranto!" Amyntas said abruptly.
"That's not the same, Amendolara signed the contract with Taranto at the beginning, and now Amendolara has become the Thurii-Amendolara alliance." Antonios explained to him in a low voice.
Amyntas scratched his head embarrassedly.
"Lord Cuno Golatas, you reminded me, we do need Taranto's assistance now!" Davos said so, but in his heart, he did not think that Taranto's assistance was necessary, but understanding Taranto's attitude was very important. Because originally Amendolara was just an inconspicuous ally of Taranto, and suddenly it became an alliance of two cities, and its strength increased sharply, what would Taranto think? Cuno Golatas was reminding himself! Therefore, Davos gave him a look of thanks.
… … … … … … … … … …
Marigi and Ansitanos were ordered to come to the Senate of Taranto.
When the magistrate and senators of Taranto learned that Amendolara had defeated the army of Crotone, they could hardly believe their ears. Tens of thousands of Crotone soldiers were wiped out and captured in one morning. This was not the fanatical but undisciplined, fierce but unsustainable Lucanians, but the real Greek citizen soldiers, and they were still the Crotone citizen soldiers who were known for their sports and strength, how could the Taranto people not be shocked!
"It seems that Davos, blessed by the gods, has created another miracle!" Archytas exclaimed sincerely. There was no jealousy in his eyes, but more curiosity: "I want to know how Davos defeated the Thuriians!"
Marigi briefly told them about the battle of Amendolara, especially emphasizing that Amendolara was a night attack, and that the Crotoniates were too proud and unprepared, not only did they not seriously build a camp, but they were also drunk, etc., in order to reduce their surprise.
But the elders of Tarentum were still shocked by Davos's military talent. Obviously, the young Archon's last victory over the Lucanians was not a fluke, nor was it mainly relying on the Tarentum reinforcements.
The elders of Tarentum became more cautious towards the envoy from Amendolara.
One of the Archons, Eumachus, said: "Amendolara, now that you have won, what are you doing in Tarentum? Are you here to show off your achievements?"
"The people of Amendolara have always been filled with respect for Tarentum, who once saved us! We would never dare to have such thoughts!" Marigi respectfully saluted, and then said: "I am here this time because the Thuriians, who have lost their homeland, have formed an alliance with Amendolara, so it is necessary to revise the alliance with Tarentum."
"What did you say?!!" There was an uproar in the Senate: "The Thuriians have formed an alliance with you? What kind of alliance?"
"Could it be that you Amendolara forcibly occupied the land of Thurii? Just like that mercenary leader forcibly occupied Amendolara!" A senator said loudly.
"I protest against this lord's statement!" Marigi said loudly angrily: "Your words are not only an insult to our Archon! It is also an insult to Amendolara! I find it hard to believe that this comes from the mouth of Amendolara's closest ally!"
"Lord Dioxippus, your words are not right! I was on the scene the day Amendolara held the Citizen's Assembly, and I personally saw the scene of the Amendolara people warmly inviting the mercenaries to become citizens of Amendolara!" Archytas took the initiative to stand up to defend Amendolara.
Despite Archytas's endorsement for Amendolara, Dioxippus still retorted strongly: "If it weren't for the compulsion of Amendolara, why would the Thuriians choose to ally with the weak and poor Amendolara, instead of the rich and powerful Tarentum?"
"Dioxippus is right, if it weren't for Amendolara's military threat, the Thuriians would definitely choose Tarentum!" Many senators immediately echoed.
The Tarentines have too good of a self-image! Marigi sneered in his heart, and immediately wanted to retort, but was stopped by Ansitano, who stood up and said gently: "Respected Tarentine senators, my name is Ansitano, originally a general of Thurii, I have visited Thurii many times, some of you should know me, such as Lord Eumachus, Lord Dixitimus..."
The senators who were named had no choice but to nod.
"As a Thurian, I can swear to Apollo that Amendolara did not use force to threaten Thurii! On the contrary, when the city of Thurii was occupied by Croton, the Thuriians even thought they had been abandoned by the gods and gave up resistance. Only the weak Amendolara did not succumb to the powerful Croton. Even when the powerful enemy's army was pressing down on the border, they still adhered to the alliance with Thurii! When the city of Thurii was burned down, the Thuriians lost their homeland, and were threatened by injuries, diseases, and hunger, it was the people of Amendolara who arrived in time and selflessly helped us! Seeing the brutal Crotoniates commit the crime of burning the city—a crime unheard of in Greek history—and robbing all the materials on which the Thuriians depended for survival, without any punishment, and leaving triumphantly, not a single city-state in Magna Graecia came forward in time to uphold justice, only the weak Amendolara dared to attack and face the powerful Croton—our enemy of Thurii, and also avenged the Thuriians!
Which other city-state can do all that Amendolara has done for Thurii?! The Thuriians regard the Amendolara people as heroes who saved them,
and even regard the Amendolara people as their own relatives, so they are willing from the bottom of their hearts to share an Archon with the Amendolara people, to share a Senate, and to jointly enjoy the rights and obligations of citizens, just like brothers in a family, without distinction between you and me, this is entirely a natural choice for us Thuriians!…"
After listening to Ansitano's affectionate words, the Tarentine Senate fell silent, and some people even felt ashamed.
After a while, the Archon Eumachus said coldly: "Amendolara and Thurii have both become alliances, and their strength has greatly increased compared to before. The mere reputation of Amendolara can prevent other city-states from invading. It seems that there is no point in talking about alliances with Tarentum anymore."
Marigi put on a sincere face and said: "Before I came, Lord Davos repeatedly told me, 'Tarentum extended a helping hand when Amendolara was in the most difficult time, and is Amendolara's great benefactor! No matter what changes Amendolara may have in the future, our gratitude to Tarentum will never change. I hope to have a long-term alliance with Tarentum, be forever friendly, and have the opportunity to repay this kindness in the future!'"
The Tarentine Senate became quiet again.
Another Archon, Dixitimus, stood up and said: "Now, please, the two envoys from Amendolara and Thurii, leave temporarily, and we will discuss the matter of the alliance."
… … … … … … …
"Everyone, it is said that Davos, the Archon of Amendolara, is a very young man. Young people are often energetic and full of ambition. More than half a year ago, he was still a mercenary leader, and now he is the lifetime Archon of two cities. This rapid promotion and expansion is very similar to that person in Syracuse, Sicily! Therefore, I don't trust him very much!" Dioxippus expressed his concerns: "I am afraid that if Tarentum allies with them today, one day they will turn their spears against us Tarentum!"
Dioxippus's words caused the senators to laugh: "Dioxippus, you are too timid! Amendolara has only three or four thousand citizens, and Thurii has only a few thousand remaining people. Adding them together, there are probably less than ten thousand people. Is Tarentum afraid?! Are you really a Tarentine?!"
"Whether Amendolara and Thurii can survive Tarentum's anger is a question. Do they still have time to consider other things?!"
Amidst the senators' laughter, Dioxippus sneered: "Everyone, when Thurii was first established, our ancestors in the Tarentine Senate also laughed like you are laughing today. What was the result? They were defeated by the Thuriians twice in a row! But it seems that we who have suffered losses have not learned our lesson!"
When the senators heard Dioxippus's words, some were thoughtful, while others looked displeased and cursed: "The original Thurii had the strong support of Athens, otherwise the ultimate victor would have been us! The current Amendolara and Thurii are far from being comparable to the former Thurii. Dioxippus, if Tarentum has to worry about this, then what are we doing here? We might as well immigrate as soon as possible!"
"I am reminding everyone that Tarentum needs to be wary of Amendolara! Amendolara has such an Archon with terrible military talent, and now it has merged with Thurii. If it develops in the future, it is likely to become a strong state in northern Magna Graecia and create trouble for us Tarentum. In order to prevent such a situation from happening, we don't need to support it, but instead we should deliberately limit its development!" Dioxippus patiently persuaded.
Archytas immediately stood up and said loudly: "Since Lord Dioxippus is afraid of Amendolara, then we should ally with them even more, because Davos has always kept his promises. Whether it was before when he was hired by Thurii, Thurii was defeated miserably, and faced the danger of being surrounded by the Lucanian army, he still led the mercenaries to stay and turned defeat into victory; or when the Tarentine army pressed down on the city, he still did not give up the alliance with Thurii. All of this shows that once a new alliance is formed with Amendolara, Davos, as the lifetime Archon, will not only not harm Tarentum, but also will extend a helping hand when Tarentum encounters difficulties one day!"
At this time, Dixitimus said in a deep voice: "Archytas is right, fellow senators, don't forget what is the biggest threat to our Tarentum? It is not Amendolara, nor is it Thurii, but the Messapians who surround Tarentum! The Messapians were already difficult to deal with, and the damn Athenians taught them hoplite tactics and armor manufacturing. Now they are getting more difficult to deal with year by year. Look at how many of our people they kill and how much farmland they destroy every year! Our roots and temples are here, not in Amendolara, not in Thurii! You must know that Tarentum only has one city, while the Messapians occupy most of Apulia. If we let them develop like this, I am afraid that the Tarentines will lose all the land outside the city in the future and be trapped in the city. This is the real reason why we have been advocating the establishment of the Magna Graecia defensive alliance in recent years! Amendolara and Thurii becoming an alliance is a good thing! When we encounter difficulties in the future, they can give us more help! So, why can't we ally with them?!"
The senators fell into a long silence, most of them looking heavy.
Therefore, the proposal that "Tarentum form an alliance with the Amendolara-Thurii alliance" was finally passed. When the two sides concluded the alliance treaty, although Tarentum promoted this new alliance to a relatively equal ally, it still proposed that Tarentum would take the lead in future joint military operations.
Marigi and Ansitano did not raise any objections, and the alliance was reached.
The news of the defeat of the Croton army shocked the entire city of Croton.
A heated debate was taking place in the council hall during an emergency meeting called by the city hall.
Chief General Milon, on one hand, vehemently denounced Amendorara's despicable act (referring to the ambush) and Melansius's incompetence, while on the other hand, proposed organizing another army to punish Amendorara and restore Croton's prestige.
Lysias, however, criticized Milon, arguing that it was his order to burn the city that caused unease among the surrounding city-states, turning them against Croton.
Now that Croton had suffered a major defeat, they should not resort to war again, lest they be besieged by Locri, Tarentum, Amendorara, and other city-states.
Both sides had their supporters, and the argument continued without a resolution.
Half a day later, news deliberately spread by the Amendorara-Thurii alliance (hereinafter referred to as the Thurii Alliance) arrived again: the Thurii Alliance had captured more than 5,000 Crotonians, about 1,000 prisoners from Asprustum and Sybaris, 1,200 prisoners from Crimisa and Castrum, and more than 1,000 free people and slaves...
The sorrowful Crotonian people, upon hearing this news, saw hope.
They gathered together and pressured the council hall, demanding the redemption of their relatives.
At this time, news came again: the Thurii Alliance and Tarentum had become allies in a defensive and offensive alliance.
Milon finally stopped insisting on his own opinion, and after discussion, the council finally decided to send Lysias as an envoy to Thurii to redeem the Crotonian prisoners in the hands of the Thurii Alliance, and if necessary, sign a truce and peace agreement.
Lysias led the envoy on a ship northward, catching a favorable wind, and in less than half a day, they arrived at the mouth of the Crati River, where he witnessed an astonishing scene: countless merchant ships densely packed at the river mouth, like wooden walls, with ships sailing out from between the wooden walls from time to time, and more ships constantly gathering from all directions...
Wasn't the city of Thurii burned down?
How could there be so many merchant ships coming to trade?
Lysias was filled with doubt.
Soon, his doubts were answered when a simple fishing boat approached: "Hey, are you here to buy and sell goods, or to discuss business?" a man at the bow shouted.
After receiving instructions from Lysias, the attendant asked back: "What do you do?"
"Have you seen the pattern painted on the sail?" the man said, pointing upward with a proud expression.
On the sail, black hair, like flames, was wrapped around a cold, gleaming weapon in the center—it was the double-pronged fork, the symbol of Hades: "Do you know that our Archon Davos is a descendant of Hades!
My name is Secrian, and I am now a navigator appointed by the Trade Official Marigi, responsible for maintaining the smooth flow of the waterway.
You must tell me what you are here to do, otherwise I can only ask you to leave, lest you block the route of the ships behind."
Lysias hesitated for a moment, then resolutely made a decision and shouted to the other side: "We are envoys from Croton, here to negotiate with the Thurii Alliance!"
Without anger, insults, or other abnormal emotions, Secrian instead nodded calmly and said: "You Crotonians are really calm, only coming now.
The envoys from Castrum, Crimisa, and Sybaris came long ago!"
Lysias's heart stirred, while the attendant curiously asked: "Why aren't you angry?!"
"Why should I be angry, just because you are Crotonians?" Secrian shrugged: "You burned Thurii, but I am not a citizen of Thurii, I am just a free man.
On the contrary, I am quite grateful to you Crotonians."
Secrian smiled mysteriously, then said: "I won't say much more to you, quickly follow my boat inward, don't block the waterway."
Secrian's fishing boat led Lysias's boat into the Crati River, sailing upstream.
Lysias looked out at the north bank of the river, vaguely seeing several simple wooden docks built on the shore, with goods constantly being unloaded from merchant ships and transported by pack animals to an earthen enclosure not far from the docks, its location seemingly the old site of Sybaris.
Lysias frowned.
At the beginning, Croton sent envoys to question Thurii about why it violated the agreement, which was approved by all members of the council.
However, Lysias opposed sending troops to attack Thurii and avenge the envoys.
He believed that accepting Thurii's apology and obtaining more compensation had already achieved Croton's goals, and there was no need to send troops, which would be both costly and prone to accidents.
As a result, after Croton suffered a crushing defeat, Thurii finally no longer needed to care about Croton's attitude and began to reuse the old city of Sybaris.
"You still haven't said why you are grateful to us Crotonians?" someone in the envoy shouted curiously at the bow of the ship.
Secrian shouted back from the fishing boat: "Isn't this obvious!
If you Crotonians hadn't burned Thurii, there wouldn't have been an alliance between Amendorara and Thurii, and there wouldn't have been Davos as our Archon.
He is a descendant of Hades, with such a noble status, but he is very concerned about the people, and he is not only not discriminatory towards us free men and slaves, but also quite friendly, just like treating citizens!
Have you heard of the 'Amendorara Immigration Law' proposed and formulated by Lord Davos?
Oh no, it should now be called the 'Thurii Alliance Immigration Law'."
The Crotonians shook their heads.
Secrian, with an expression of "You are ignorant," loudly explained the general content of the immigration law, then excitedly said: "Lord Davos said that once the city of Thurii is initially built, this law will be implemented.
All free men who want to become citizens of Thurii and have good behavior can go to the registrar to apply for registration.
I heard that becoming a probationary citizen allows you to join the army and fight, and get land!
Now my companions are working hard, wishing they could build Thurii tomorrow, and maybe the next time you come, I will already be a full citizen!"
Seeing Secrian looking so intoxicated, someone couldn't help but retort: "I have never heard of any city-state so easily allowing foreigners to become citizens.
Maybe this so-called immigration law is a lie, just made up to make you work hard for them!"
"Shut your mouth, don't talk nonsense!" Secrian roared: "How could this law, which Lord Davos announced in front of all of us free men and slaves, be fake!
What kind of person is Lord Davos?!
When facing the threat from Thurii, he would rather break off relations than spend money to give freedom to the promised runaway slaves!
Facing your Crotonian army pressing down on the city, he would rather fight you than break off relations with occupied Thurii!
Lord Davos has proven with facts that he is a man who keeps his promises, so I believe what he says, we all believe it!
If it weren't because you are envoys here to negotiate, I would send you to the river to feed the fish right now!!!"
The Crotonian's face turned red, and he couldn't help but want to shout insults, but Lysias stopped the attendant's impulse.
Secrian stared coldly at the movements of the ship behind him, and when he saw the situation quickly quiet down, he was a little disappointed.
He deliberately spat loudly into the river to the side and rear, then ignored them.
Lysias fell into deep thought: According to what he knew, the number of citizens in Thurii now probably did not exceed three thousand, while the number of citizens in Amendorara was estimated to be only four thousand at most.
Croton alone had more than thirty thousand citizens in the city, as well as the affiliated Asprustum, the allied city-state of Sybaris, Caulonia, and so on, and the strength was completely different.
But if the Thurii Alliance could use the tens of thousands of free men and slaves here, it would indeed need to be taken seriously.
However, making foreigners from all over the world, each with their own intentions, citizens of the city-state in such a hurry, could their loyalty to the city-state be compared with the natives who had been citizens of the city-state for generations?
Lysias deeply doubted this.
He gazed at the river, seeing many fishing boats with the double-pronged fork pattern painted on their sails coming and going, exceptionally busy...
When a tall city wall appeared on the shore ahead, Lysias knew that the city of Thurii was near.
He looked at the riverside towers on the city wall.
In the past, these two towers, facing each other with estrangement, were connected by an iron chain, which was quite spectacular, and when enemy ships attacked, the iron chain would be lowered to prevent the enemy from entering the city of Thurii by water.
As a result, this time Melansius used an inside agent to directly attack the south city, so that this iron chain did not play any role, and now it was gone, it should have been cut off by Melansius...
Thinking of Melansius, although Lysias did not have a very good relationship with Melansius, and even their governing philosophies were completely opposite, after hearing of his tragic end (when he was beaten to death by the people of Thurii, his flesh was blurred, and he was completely unrecognizable), he couldn't help but feel sad.
Secrian's fishing boat docked at the pier in the city of Thurii.
He got off the boat first and ran to report the situation to a team of soldiers stationed at the pier.
Led by their captain, the team of soldiers quickly walked this way.
The Crotonians noticed that even in the city, this team of soldiers still maintained a complete formation.
"General, we should get off the boat," the attendant reminded Lysias, who was thinking.
Coming back to his senses, Lysias looked around: He had been to Thurii several times before.
At that time, the port of Thurii had more than a dozen piers, some made of stone, some made of wood, with hundreds of ships docked, and the port area had warehouses, hotels, and residences lined up, prosperous and chaotic.
But now there were only a few lonely stone piers left, and everything was scorched black, of course, these were all the masterpieces of the Crotonians!
Lysias got off the boat with a calm expression.
The team of soldiers also calmly checked them, and after confirming that they were the Crotonian envoy, a soldier immediately rode a horse to report to the Senate, while letting the envoy continue to wait in place.
Secrian returned to the fishing boat, staring at the majestic patrol captain on the shore, and was momentarily stunned.
Until a companion came over to remind him: "Secrian, it's time to leave the pier!"
"I will be like that in the future!" Securius shouted confidently, full of longing for the future: "Untie the cable, let's go to the estuary!"
Lysias was also sizing up the patrol captain in front of him, and then asked: "Are you citizens of Amendolara?"
The captain glanced at him and said: "No, we are citizens of the Thurii League!"
"Oh, sorry." Lysias asked politely: "I would like to ask, what is the current situation of the Crotonian soldiers captured by you?"
"I can't tell you exactly where they are being held, because this is a military secret!" the captain said sternly: "But I can tell you that they are all doing well now. Even Davos has asked the hospital to treat the wounded soldiers, but if your negotiations fail, their situation may not be so good. I heard that the Thurii senators in the Senate strongly suggest sending them to mine!"
Lysias was shocked: Letting prisoners mine is definitely a dead end! He remembered that when the Athenian army attacked Syracuse in Sicily and failed, about five to six thousand people were captured and sent to mine stone. Over the years, almost all of them died! This made him feel a little nervous.
After a while, the soldier rode back and whispered in the captain's ear: "Take the longest route."
The captain immediately understood and said to the Crotonian delegation: "The Senate agrees to meet with you, let's go."
The group passed through the ruined port and entered the city. The Crotonian delegation couldn't believe their eyes: Compared to the deserted port just now, there were people everywhere, and it was extremely noisy. Men, women, old and young were all busy. Some were clearing ashes and carrying stones and rubble; others had already begun to compact the soil on the cleared land according to the instructions of the craftsmen and drive in piles; more people were building wooden frames by the city wall, laying stones, and building bricks; some people were making mortar, transporting bricks and wood, pushing food and water... The entire main city of Thurii became a large construction site, where people were working hard and enthusiastically rebuilding their homes. They were so focused that almost no one looked up when the Crotonian delegation passed by.
Although tens of thousands of people were working at the same time, it was noisy but not chaotic. They were organized in an orderly manner. Lysias noticed that some people with red ribbons tied around their heads played a major role in this. They directed and coordinated the operation of the construction site, and the real host was a skinny old man. He kept patrolling around, and when he found a problem, he would stop to compare it with the drawings, and then talk to the people surrounding him, and someone would rush over to correct it…
"Who is he?" someone in the Crotonian delegation asked curiously.
"Heraclides, a former disciple of the Greek master builder Hippodamus." the captain replied.
After Heraclides finished building the warehouses and hotels in Amendolara, he originally continued to direct the construction of the avenue from Amendolara to Thurii. But after hearing that the Senate was preparing to rebuild Thurii, he volunteered to design and preside over the reconstruction of Thurii.
Davos readily agreed and put forward some of his requirements for the construction of the new city of Thurii.
Heraclides had complex feelings for this city, which recorded his glory and where he had lived for twenty years. He was too familiar with it. He could walk all over the city smoothly with his eyes closed, and he could count the height of the terrain and the curvature of the coastline in every place... He poured all his emotions into his pen and completed the design drawings of the new city of Thurii without resting all night.
Davos greatly appreciated it after reading it. After that, Heraclides spent all day on the construction site, with boundless energy, and meticulously supervised the operation of the reconstruction work. His enthusiasm for the work also infected the people who were rebuilding their homes, and the progress of the reconstruction continued to accelerate.
Of course, the messengers of Croton would not know how respected this skinny old man was in Thurii now, and of course they did not remember who Hippodamus was. They responded politely.
Turned his attention to other places.
Lysias asked seemingly unintentionally: "There must be more than 40,000 people working here, right? Thurii shouldn't have so many people, could it be that the people of Amendolara are also among them?"
"We do have some people from Amendolara, but more are freemen and slaves." The captain looked at Lysias, as if knowing what he was thinking, and said without hiding it: "You must be wondering why these freemen and slaves are working so hard? Not only because they may become residents of this city in the future, but also because Executive Officer Davos passed a temporary decree in the Senate, 'allowing widowed women in Thurii to marry freemen, but the women must be willing.'"
"What?!" Lysias was taken aback.
"Crotonians, you must know that Thurii, not counting the citizens who were massacred by you Crotonians after you occupied it this time, more than 10,000 citizens died in the war with Lucania before. The city of Thurii is almost full of widows. I heard that Thurii was even preparing to issue a decree 'allowing citizens to marry multiple wives', which shows how short of men Thurii is." The captain showed a faint smile: "Now it's good, these freemen are eager to show their worth in front of the women of Thurii who are busy rebuilding their homes and win their favor, so naturally they work hard. You must know that once they are successfully favored by a woman from Thurii, they can not only marry a wife, but also immediately become a reserve citizen of Thurii and be allocated a house. Although they cannot be allocated land yet, as long as they join the army and fight in the future, these will not be a problem. Speaking of which, these guys are really lucky to have so many educated and beautiful Thurii women to choose from. Back then in Amendolara—"
"Captain, don't complain. Your wife is a famous beauty in Amendolara, and she is also a Persian beauty. Don't you know how much other citizens envy you!" a soldier couldn't help but said.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!…" The captain laughed shamelessly: "That's for sure! That's for sure! My wife is the most beautiful woman in all of Amendolara except for the wife of the executive officer! Beautiful and educated! I'm complaining for you, you didn't catch up with the good times!"
"My Lucanian woman is pretty good! Not only is she passionate, but she's tall and this is big…" a soldier patted his chest and said intoxicated: "Greek women can't compare at all!"
…
A team of soldiers began to argue about whose woman was prettier, and the more they talked, the more vulgar they became. Lysias had no interest in listening anymore.
For a traditional Greek aristocrat like Lysias, these decrees issued by the Thurii League were completely heretical and impossible to implement in Croton, a city-state that had been built for hundreds of years and where the power of clans and tribes was extremely stable. But he had to admit that for the people of Thurii who had lost their homes and a large number of strong citizens, it was a good way to quickly boost the strength of the city-state. It's just that Lysias absolutely did not want to see Thurii, which could quickly restore its strength and prosperity, and was also a mortal enemy of Croton!
Thinking of this, Lysias followed the team out of the city with worry. On the way to the camp, he "happened" to see more than a dozen teams of soldiers training: they seemed to be playing a game. Each side had about fifty people (actually a squad). They used long wooden sticks with coarse cloth wrapped around the ends as spears, and crude wooden boards as round shields. The two sides charged and stabbed like in a real battle until one side was forced back to the white line drawn with lime powder behind them before the game ended. The losing soldiers had to squat with their hands behind their backs and jump around the field (that is, frog jump) as punishment.
The scene was quite lively and fierce. It was obvious at a glance that this game was simulating actual combat. Lysias saw several soldiers being stabbed and directly left the field to receive bandaging treatment, but the soldiers' enthusiasm did not diminish at all. They kept applauding and cheering, vying to play. The soldiers' bloodiness and desire to fight were evident.
Someone in the delegation asked curiously: "Is this how you usually train?"
The patrol captain chuckled: "We train once every five days. Each training session from morning to evening has many training programs. This is just one of the less intense training programs."
The Crotonians in the delegation looked at each other. Obviously, the intensity of military training in the Thurii League was significantly higher than that of the Crotonian citizen soldiers who spent most of their time in the arena.
Lysias did not completely believe what the captain said, but he could also see from it that the Amendolara army was a well-trained and battle-hardened army. Otherwise, it would not have been so easy to defeat the Crotonian army, even if it was just a sneak attack.
Entering the camp and arriving in front of the central tent, the patrol captain went in to report, and Lysias and his group waited outside the tent.
At this time, a person came out of the big tent. Lysias glanced at him and felt very familiar, but he couldn't remember who it was for a while.
The man also didn't expect to meet Lysias at this time, and was immediately stunned, then regained his composure, smiled at Lysias, and immediately turned and left.
Lysias stared at his back, trying to think who he was.
"Executive Officer, please come in!" came the patrol captain's voice from behind.
Lysias calmed down, lifted the curtain of the tent, and walked in.
… … … … … … … …
The patrol captain took the soldiers out of the camp, and the serious expression suddenly turned into a smile: "Brothers, how was my performance just now?"
"Captain Olivus, you performed so well! Very serious and earnest, completely different from usual!" a soldier praised.
"I think it's still a bit short. There was a joke about women in the middle, which was too unbecoming of your status!" another soldier raised his objection.
"What?!" Olivus widened his eyes and said dissatisfied: "Xenotimus, you didn't perform your duties very seriously today and must be punished!"
"No way, Captain, you're just taking the opportunity to retaliate," whined Xenotimas.
Olyphus chuckled. "Let's go, brothers. Continue patrolling the city and teach those freemen who fight over women a lesson."
"Yes, Captain!" A squad of soldiers cheerfully headed towards Thurii.
… … … … … … … … …
Inside the large tent, a long wooden table was set up, with several people sitting opposite each other. In the center was a young man. Lysanias had heard that the Archon of Amendolara, Davos, was very young, and this was clearly him. Beside him was a man with a thick beard, whom he recognized as Cunogolata, the former chief general of Thurii. The appearance of the other man did not seem to be Greek.
Cunogolata, of course, also recognized Lysanias and whispered an introduction into Davos's ear. As he listened, Davos sized up Lysanias: This middle-aged man from Croton was slender and handsome, with a well-trimmed beard. He looked very refined, but Cunogolata had said that as the leader of the conservative faction in Croton, he had been continuously elected as a general by the people for ten years despite the ever-weakening conservatism in Croton. He was by no means an easy opponent.
"I am Lysanias, representing Croton, here to negotiate with the Thurii… the Thurian League!" Lysanias stepped forward and said.
"Welcome, General Lysanias." Davos extended his right hand, indicating for the other man to sit across the wooden table, then gazed at him calmly and said, "We have been busy rebuilding the city of Thurii and receiving envoys from various city-states. Time is very tight, so please state your demands for this visit directly."
Lysanias did not expect Davos to be so direct. He coughed a few times, masking the surprise on his face, and then said in a deep and loud voice, "Since that's the case, I will directly state the demands of Croton. We hope that the Thurian League will release all the prisoners of Croton and its allies, and then Croton will cease hostilities with the Thurian League to achieve peace!"
"Hahaha…" Davos threw his head back and laughed, mocking, "The people of Croton kill our citizens, destroy our city-states, and plunder our resources, and yet they think that a simple 'agree to cease hostilities' will make everything as if nothing happened? They even want us to unconditionally release the culprits who caused this disaster. I don't know if the people of Croton are too naive or too shameless?!"
Lysanias said with a sullen face, "Lord Davos, don't forget that this war was not provoked by Croton."
"Alright, I don't want to argue with you about who is right and who is wrong. Please leave!" Davos waved his hand decisively.
Lysanias was stunned: They were ending the negotiations after only a few words. Davos's approach of not following diplomatic conventions also ignited his anger: "Lord Archon, are you not afraid of fighting Croton again! We can organize an army of twenty to thirty thousand people at any time, and we will not repeat the mistakes of the past!"
Hearing Lysanias's threatening words, Davos raised his eyebrows and said decisively, "Speaking of fighting, I am really not afraid! The League will definitely not repeat the mistakes made by Thurii in the past! We will first kill all those prisoners and use their blood to sacrifice to the gods, and then rely on the city walls to defend tenaciously, making every step forward for you Crotonians cost lives! And the people of our Thurian League will not fear death, nor will they ever surrender. The young die and the old take their place, the old die and the women take their place! If Thurii falls, we will retreat to Amendolara! If Amendolara falls, we will go to Heraclea! As long as the enemy is still trampling on our territory, we will fight them to the death!"
Davos's words made Cunogolata, who originally loathed war, feel his blood boiling, and he blurted out, "That's right, this is our Thurian League's code of conduct in the face of aggression!"
Lysanias was shocked by the other party's fighting spirit. He clearly felt that this newly established League was not only free of Thurii's previous weakness, but also more warlike. Straining relations and starting a war with the Thurian League was not a good choice!
He was just about to say a few words to ease the atmosphere when he heard Davos say loudly, "Cunogolata,
go call back the Locrian envoy who just left. We need to have a good discussion with him again about the alliance conditions he just proposed!"
The Locrian envoy! Lysanias's heart leaped. He suddenly remembered: the familiar person just now was Metrophines of Locri. He had been to Croton twice for negotiations, but he had not remembered him.
"Lord Archon, state your demands." Lysanias had no choice but to concede first.
Davos stopped Cunogolata, who had just stood up, and said, "Wait a moment."
Mariji straightened his body and said loudly, "The demands of our Thurian League are:
First, because Croton burned the city of Thurii, causing the people of Thurii to lose their homes, in order to compensate for their losses and rebuild the city of Thurii, Croton needs to compensate the Thurian League with two thousand talents;
Second, Croton can redeem your soldiers. The ransom for each prisoner is five hundred drachmas. At the same time, as the culprits who burned the city, these captured soldiers must serve a year of labor in Thurii to atone for their sins.
Third, Croton must allow Crimisa and Castrum to become allies with the Thurian League;
Fourth, the peace treaty between the Thurian League and Croton shall be for a period of five years, during which neither side shall invade the other.
… …"
After listening, Lysanias shook his head repeatedly: "Your demands are too high, Croton cannot agree."
Thus, a long and protracted negotiation began.
Davos handed this arduous task over to Mariji, and then went to another tent not far away.
Here, Davos met with Amyclas from the city of Castrum.
As the chief general of the city of Castrum, Amyclas's personal visit to Thurii was in itself an expression of attitude. As soon as he saw Davos, he said ingratiatingly, "I have long heard that the Archon of Amendolara is a hero favored by the King of the Underworld. Seeing you today, you are indeed very different from ordinary people!"
Davos smiled slightly and said, "General Amyclas, what important matter brings you to Thurii?"
Amyclas did not answer directly. He said with emotion, "Lord Davos, to tell the truth, the three cities of Thurii, Amendolara, and Castrum have a deep connection. We are all subordinate states of Sybaris (when Thurii was built, some of the people were descendants of Sybaris, which can barely be counted), we all come from the same place! When Sybaris was strong, Castrum and Amendolara had many exchanges. How peaceful and tranquil that was! Unfortunately, after the fall of Sybaris, Castrum had to be forced to join the alliance of Croton and suffered much bullying. Fortunately, the establishment of Thurii allowed Castrum to become independent and enjoy nearly forty years of peaceful and tranquil life! When the Crotonian army attacked Thurii, Castrum was small and weak and had no choice but to join the Crotonian army. We—"
"It is difficult for Castrum to remain neutral between the Thurian League and Croton!" Davos interrupted him and said seriously, "Since Castrum has a deep connection with Thurii and Amendolara, why not rejoin our side! Croton and us are currently negotiating. If an agreement is reached, Croton will not interfere with Castrum's voluntary choice. As long as Castrum becomes an ally with the Thurian League, we will unconditionally release the prisoners of Castrum. Moreover, as an ally of the Thurian League, we will not interfere in the internal affairs of Castrum, nor do we require you to pay tribute. We only need you to agree to two conditions."
"Which two conditions?" Amyclas asked eagerly, clearly somewhat tempted.
A smile appeared on the corner of Davos's mouth: "First, after forming an alliance, Castrum shall not sign any form of agreement or alliance with other city-states or forces; second, when the Thurian League goes out to fight, the city of Castrum must send troops to participate. The generals of the Thurian League have command of the entire army, and the spoils of war obtained after the victory are distributed according to the proportion of troops sent by both sides."
Amyclas carefully pondered these two conditions and the benefits of joining the alliance, and gradually his eyes lit up…
… … … … … … … …
After more than a day of negotiations, the ceasefire agreement between Croton and the Thurian League was finally established:
First, Croton will pay the Thurian League a one-time compensation of thirty talents (a big difference from Mariji's initial asking price, but there was no way around it. Croton had only suffered a slight setback, plus this war and the previous war with the Bruttians, two consecutive wars had greatly depleted Croton's treasury. If the asking price was too high, the agreement could not be reached).
Second, the ransom price for each captured soldier is two hundred drachmas, and they must serve half a year of labor in the territory of the Thurian League. The Thurian League must ensure the life safety and health of each prisoner, and allow family visits. (Including the captured citizens and citizen soldiers of Astroustum and Siris, the Thurian League has about six thousand Crotonian and allied prisoners. Each soldier is equivalent to the price of four cows, the price is not high, nor too low. If all the soldiers are redeemed, this item alone will bring the Thurian League an income of two hundred talents. Moreover, the Thurian League only provides these prisoners with basic food and lodging. If these prisoners are to be fed and clothed well, Croton and its allies must find their own way. In fact, later on, the prisoners' food was provided by their families, and the Thurian League was equivalent to using six thousand people for half a year of free labor, and the families of these soldiers also brought extra food and lodging income to the city of Thurii.
Lysanias was firmly opposed to forced labor, but Mariji was equally insistent, even bluntly saying, "We are afraid that after these prisoners return, Croton will immediately rearm them and attack Thurii again." Finally, the two sides reached a compromise. The worried Lysanias also specifically added a sentence in the agreement: "The prisoners must not be allowed to mine!"
Third, Croton did not interfere with Kastron becoming an ally of the Thurii League, but Crimea must remain neutral. (After all, Crimea is very close to Croton. Joining the Thurii League would be like a sharp knife against Croton's abdomen. Lysias certainly couldn't agree, and Marigi didn't insist, because the Thurii League didn't have enough power to help Crimea defend against enemy attacks. However, Davos still decided to release the prisoners of Krimisa half a year later, according to the redemption conditions agreed with Croton. The Krimisa envoy thanked him profusely and promised: "We will no longer be enemies of the Thurii League!")
Fourth, the Thurii League must not form an alliance with Locri, nor sign any agreements against Croton. (This was Lysias's strong demand. Marigi pretended to be embarrassed, but Davos secretly told him: "We have no plans to ally with Locri at present, in order to avoid angering Croton and causing the negotiations to fail." Marigi used this as a bargaining chip to force Lysias to make concessions in other areas.)
Fifth, Croton and the Thurii League will maintain peace for three years from the date of signing the agreement, and the renewal will be considered based on the situation after the expiration.
… … … … … … …
The Croton envoy delegation returned to their mother state with the preliminary agreement. After confirmation by the council, they entered Thurii again.
The careful Lysias noticed that the city walls of Thurii no longer showed any signs of smoke and fire, and the collapsed areas had been filled with newly built stone bricks and covered with mortar, looking as good as new from a distance. He was shocked by the high labor efficiency and enthusiasm of the Thurii people. In fact, he was unwilling to have any more conflicts with the Thurii League, but before leaving, Milon repeatedly reminded him: even if a truce agreement is to be signed, it must not exceed two years.
Lysias understood that most of the generals and council members of Croton, led by Milon, were unwilling to accept this defeat. They were still preparing to take revenge in the future! Croton was famous in Greece for its athletic competitions, and the character of its people was also imprinted with the unyielding quality of athletes, which was somewhat similar to the Amendolara people in the Thurii League, whom he had been in contact with for more than two days.
Lysias sighed softly and led his group back into the Thurii camp.
Except for changing the time limit to "two years", there were no major changes to the other contents of the truce agreement. Both sides sacrificed livestock to Apollo, loudly chanting the names of the gods, and issued the sacred oath that "Croton or the Thurii League will never violate the truce agreement," and finally signed their respective city-states and their own names. (Why sacrifice to Apollo? Because Croton and the former Thurii both worshiped Apollo as the patron saint of the city-state, which made it easier for both parties to abide by the agreement.)
With the agreement reached, Lysias was eager to return. Davos and the others would not keep him. Before sending Lysias on the ship, Davos sincerely said: "I hope Croton and the Thurii League will never fight again!"
Davos's sharp eyes made Lysias feel that Milon and the others' tricks had long been seen through by this young governor. He immediately said, "Apollo is above, this is also my sincere hope!"
Standing at the bow of the ship, looking at the still noisy Thurii construction site, and the merchant ships coming and going at the estuary, Lysias left Thurii with a belly full of worries…
Davos and his party watched the Croton ships sail away from the dock.
Cornelius breathed a sigh of relief: "Now we are safe!"
"Yes, temporarily safe! I'm afraid that in two years, Croton will attack us!" Cunogolata said calmly.
"That's right, otherwise they wouldn't have specifically requested to shorten the duration of the truce. Therefore, we must make full use of these two years to strengthen the Thurii League as soon as possible, so that any forces coveting us will not dare to invade!" Davos encouraged everyone.
"That's right!" Everyone was also inspired.
"Governor, look at the money for compensation in this truce agreement—" Marigi immediately wanted to make a request.
Davos interrupted him and said: "All these reparations will go to the national treasury and will be managed by Melsis."
Melsis immediately beamed with joy.
"Its use will be planned, managed, and spent by the Reconstruction Committee. Like the batch of materials previously recovered, it will all be used for the daily expenses of the people, urban reconstruction, and public construction. Any department that needs to spend money must submit an application to the committee. Only after approval can they receive the appropriation, and the treasurer must take on the responsibility of supervision!"
After Davos finished speaking, Melsis winked at Marigi, angering Marigi so much that he turned away, not wanting to see him.
"In addition, on the first day of each month, Melsis, you must make a detailed report on the revenue and expenditure of the national treasury at the Senate meeting. If there are any mistakes, you will be fully responsible!" Davos said sternly.
"Yes," Melsis replied weakly.
"Alexis, go and tell the prisoners about the content of the agreement. The Crotons won't let these prisoners go mining, so we'll let them build roads. Build a road connecting Heraclea, Amendolara, Thurii, and Kastron, and let Heraclides's son, that…"
"Little Heraclides."
"Yes, that's him. Let him be the commander of the entire road project, and according to the previous drawings, take a group of craftsmen to be responsible for supervision and management."
"Okay, Governor." Construction Supervisor Alexis responded.
"I can understand building roads connecting Heraclea, Amendolara, and Thurii. Why connect Kastron? Since Croton may launch an attack in two years, Kastron will not be able to stop it at all. Wouldn't building a road make it easier for the enemy to advance?" Ansitano asked suspiciously, and the other Thurii senators showed concern.
Davos earnestly explained: "Building a road to Kastron will make our personnel exchanges and trade flows with Kastron more frequent, and the connection will be closer, and Kastron will be more inseparable from us. And with roads, our troops and supplies can reach Kastron faster. Kastron is now our ally, and we have a responsibility to maintain its security, and in the future, Kastron will be our front line to defend against enemies in the south. Of course, building roads will make it easier for the enemy to attack us, so we will do our best to keep the enemy out of our territory so that they cannot use our roads."
Ansitano and Cunogolata seemed thoughtful, some of the others were greatly encouraged, and some were skeptical…
… … … … … … … … …
After a busy day, Davos returned to his tent late at night and found someone waiting for him inside.
"Andrea, why are you here? Did something happen to Christoia?!" Davos asked quickly.
Andrea respectfully saluted: "Respected Governor, Madam sees that you have been busy rebuilding Thurii these days, and she doesn't want to disturb your work, but I think this matter should still be told to you."
"What's the matter?!" Davos asked eagerly.
"Madam has been vomiting these past few days and can't eat anything. I suspected she might be pregnant, so I had Lord Herpus examine her, and it turned out to be the case." As soon as Andrea finished speaking, Davos looked surprised and asked again: "Christoia is really pregnant?!"
"Yes, it's true, sir."
"Great! Great!…" Davos excitedly hugged Andrea and spun around several times in place, completely disregarding Andrea's shy expression.
He shouted loudly outside: "Martius! Martius!"
"Sir, what's the matter?" Martius walked in.
"Quickly get the horse ready, I'm going back to Amendolara!" Davos said eagerly.
"Sir, it's too late now, it will be unsafe on the road, let's go back tomorrow," Martius advised.
"I can't wait! Christoia is pregnant! I'm going to be a father! I want to go back and see her right away! Immediately!!" Davos said firmly and excitedly.
"Sir, congratulations! This is a gift from Hera! In that case, let us escort you back," Martius said happily.
"Okay!"
A group of people rode out of the camp, and the rapid sound of horseshoes woke up many people in the camp: "Who is riding a horse in the camp so late? This is against the rules!"
"I heard that the governor's wife is pregnant, and he is rushing home!"
"Really?! That's really a great thing!!"
Late at night, cheers erupted from the originally quiet camp.
… … … … … … … …
Davos hurried home, ran upstairs, and saw a small head sticking out of the door, looking out warily.
"Cynthia!" He picked up his little daughter and kissed her hard: "Why aren't you asleep so late? You're going to get a spanking!"
"I was woken up by you," Cynthia complained with a pout, wiping the saliva from her face with her small hand.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I apologize to you," Davos said, touching her head with a smile: "Where's your brother?"
"Sleeping inside."
"Where's Mom?"
Cynthia hesitated for a moment and pointed to the master bedroom.
Davos put her down and gently patted her butt: "Go to sleep." With that, he strode towards the master bedroom.
Christoia was looking at the ledger under the oil lamp. Hearing footsteps, she turned her head and couldn't help but be surprised: "Why are you back?"
"If I didn't come back, you would have kept it from me, right?!" Davos said pretending to be angry, sitting next to Christoia, putting one arm around her and gently patting her full buttocks with the other: "How dare you not tell me we're having a baby? Do you think you should be punished!"
"You know everything," Christoia put her arms around Davos's neck: "Did Andrea tell you?"
"Fortunately, she told me in time!" Davos pointed to the thick ledger on the table and blamed: "You don't cherish your body and our child enough! From now on, leave these things to Andrea and others to do. You just stay at home and take good care of your body so that our child can grow up healthy here!"