Volume 3: The First Crotone War, Chapter 2: The First Senate Meeting (II)

Davos's proposal was met with general approval, especially from the new citizens. They were completely unfamiliar with the laws of Amendolara—how could they oversee litigation? Now that a large influx of mercenaries, these outsiders, had poured into Amendolara, conflicts with the locals were inevitable as time went on. Cornelius, as someone accepted by both sides, should be able to mediate such disputes.

Cornelius gave a bitter smile inwardly: It hadn't even been half a day, and his position as Deputy Magistrate had been stripped away. Although the City Administrator's jurisdiction was broader than this newly created Deputy Magistrate role, the Deputy Magistrate was still the magistrate's deputy, with a hint of checking the magistrate's power. The City Administrator, on the other hand, was thoroughly subordinate to the magistrate. But Davos now had complete control over the Senate, and from what he could see, though young, Davos seemed well-versed in the ways of politics. Even Raphias and the others believed he was more suited for this post. What else could he say?

"I am willing to serve as City Administrator!" At this point, he had completely conceded.

Davos glanced at him and smiled. "Of course, Cornelius. You have many responsibilities, especially regarding the city's order. So, we should assign you a suitable Patrol Captain."

With that, he looked at the others. "Next, we need to elect a Patrol Captain. Although it's a low-level position, most of you have no experience in holding city-state public office. I suggest you start from the bottom and accumulate experience. Anyone present, including the senators, may volunteer!"

Davos's words left everyone thoughtful.

"Magistrate, the Patrol Captain position is already filled!" Cornelius reminded him.

"Oh? Who is it?"

"Anticris. He also serves as Fire Captain. During his tenure, he was highly praised by the citizens. Unfortunately, he lost his right hand to the Lucanians, but he has recovered now."

"Since he's injured, if a conflict breaks out, he won't be able to intimidate the troublemakers. Let him only serve as Fire Captain. Firefighting and disaster relief are paramount for the city's citizens, especially in Amendolara. Fires and mudslides are terrible calamities, so the Fire Captain bears a heavy responsibility. We need an experienced and capable citizen for that role! I suggest adding a Deputy Fire Captain. You may also volunteer and learn how to prevent disasters." Davos spoke solemnly.

"The Magistrate speaks wisely," Cornelius had to admit. Davos had a deep understanding of the importance of a fire brigade in a mountain city like Amendolara. Of course, he didn't know that in Davos's previous life, he had served as a village official in a mountain village.

"So, who would like to be Patrol Captain?" No sooner had Davos finished speaking than two people stood up—Sestas and Heilos—followed by several others.

Davos thought for a moment and said, "Sestas, among the new citizens, the former mercenaries who participated in the Persian expedition are the most numerous. These soldiers killed, plundered, did everything in Persia... While in camp, military discipline kept them in line, but now that they're back in the city, they might have trouble adjusting and cause trouble. You're not familiar with them, so they probably won't listen to you. Therefore, I recommend Heilos as Patrol Captain."

"Magistrate, rest assured! I will assist Lord Cornelius in maintaining order within the city!" Heilos promised.

Davos turned and asked, "Cornelius, what do you think?"

"I agree." Cornelius didn't hesitate. He could see that Davos was determined to keep the only civilian armed position in the city firmly in the hands of his own people.

Sestas showed no disappointment. Instead, he requested again, "Then I apply to be Deputy Fire Captain!"

"Fine, I have no objection." Davos nodded. Willingness to work was a good thing.

Naturally, both appointments passed smoothly.

"Next, is there an ephor?" Davos asked.

"Yes." Cornelius had just nodded when most of the people laughed.

Davos explained to a slightly puzzled Cornelius, "When we were in Persia, we had a Spartan ephor leading several hundred Spartan warriors fighting alongside us, so they think they're somewhat familiar with the position. But I imagine the ephors of Sparta and Amendolara are very different."

"Why?" Olivus asked from the back row.

"Because the Spartan ephor's power was great enough to oversee their kings. The responsibilities of Amendolara's ephor probably don't extend that far," Davos explained. Of course, even if they once did, he wouldn't allow that to happen again.

"They could oversee the king?!" Olivus and a few others showed surprised expressions.

Cornelius was no longer astonished that Davos knew so much. He was beginning to believe the mercenaries' rumor: Davos was the God-Touched One!

"Amendolara's ephor is mainly responsible for reviewing the list of senators, monitoring whether senators are late or leave early during Senate meetings, overseeing the morals of the citizens, conducting citizen surveys, auditing the expenditure of public property, and managing public works..." Cornelius finished, and everyone drew a cold breath: The ephor of Amendolara wielded considerable power!

Seeing everyone eager to volunteer, Davos spoke up: "Gentlemen, please note that being a good ephor is not easy. First, you need to know how to write reports. Second, you need to know arithmetic and be able to read financial reports." Davos didn't mention that an ephor could be illiterate and innumerate as long as his slaves could handle it, but slaves who could read, write, and do arithmetic were high-end goods on the slave market—most people couldn't afford them or were reluctant to buy.

Hearing this, most people lost interest. The new citizens were mostly poor; a few could recognize some characters, but writing reports and auditing accounts was a luxury. Still, some stood up to volunteer: Antonios, Alexis, and two Amendolara nobles, Raphias and Strombopoli.

Since both his company commanders had volunteered at the same time, Davos couldn't show favoritism. So the assembly held a vote among the four candidates. In the end, Antonios won. The reason was simple: Davos had promoted almost all members of Heilos's old squad to officer positions, and Heilos's squad had originally been under Antonios's command. In addition, Antonios was emotionally intelligent, so he naturally received the most votes.

"Alexis, don't be discouraged. This position is elected annually. By next year, it might be your turn," Davos joked to comfort him.

Alexis wasn't downcast. Instead, he laughed, "I don't need to wait that long. I'll just wait until Antonios can't handle the job, then I'll take over."

Antonio glared at him. "Am I that bad?!"

The new citizens burst into laughter. The old citizens like Raphias remained silent. Davos noticed.

"Also, we have a Treasurer, responsible for managing the treasury, collecting taxes, and public property—like the stone quarry—as well as managing the city's population."

As soon as Cornelius finished speaking, Mesis stood up, and Raphias followed closely.

To lighten the mood, Davos said with a smile, "Olivus, why aren't you volunteering?"

Olivus shook his head vigorously. "Just the mention of arithmetic gives me a headache. If I collect too little tax and the ephor finds out, I'd have to pay it out of my own pocket—I can't afford that."

Everyone laughed again.

"I think Mesis is the most suitable for this position. When he managed the baggage camp, his accounts of money and supplies were always clear. There were basically no shortages or embezzlements, and no one complained about him..." Olivus continued.

If they held another vote, it would likely favor the former mercenaries again. While that achieved Davos's goal of completely controlling Amendolara, it was too detrimental to the city's unity. So, after much thought, Davos said to Cornelius, "I think we can create a Registrar position. The Treasurer will handle only finances and taxes. The Registrar will be responsible for population management—citizens, their families, even slaves and freedmen, and all incoming freemen—under its jurisdiction. The Registrar's workload is already heavy, with thousands of new citizens to register, and in the future, it might become even busier. I recommend Mesis as Treasurer and Raphias as Registrar."