Volume 5: The Hegemon of Southern Italy, Chapter 22: We Are Family

Just after they had seen off the Crotonians, the Daonian army entered Crimissa. The citizens of Crimissa seemed somewhat indifferent to this procession that easily drew the eye.

But as soon as they reached the square, the Daonian troops immediately dispersed. Under the guidance of their officers, they used tools brought in the carts to diligently sweep the garbage-strewn streets, level the damaged roads, and even help the residents repair their houses… They worked hard to clear the war-torn, battered city.

The citizens of Crimissa were first astonished, then slowly began to try talking to these "conquerors." Eventually, moved by the soldiers' labor and enthusiasm, they felt ashamed and joined in the effort to rebuild their own homes. The women brought food and water to express their gratitude to the soldiers, and also told them of their families' difficulties, hoping for help. The soldiers were of course happy to contribute their strength and goodwill.

By the end of the afternoon, Crimissa—a city once lifeless and scarred by war—had become vibrant again.

The former members of the Crimissa Council saw this scene with faces full of surprise, whispering and exchanging remarks.

As the former chief general of Crimissa, Antaoris considered himself well-traveled and knowledgeable, but he had never seen or heard of citizen soldiers of one city-state, after conquering another, actually helping the conquered people rebuild their homes after war! Like everyone else, the shock and excitement left him at a loss for words: "Lord Davos, this… this is truly…"

"From today on, the people of Crimissa are citizens of the Daonia Alliance. We are all one family! And within one family, of course we should help each other, right?" Davos said with a smile.

Looking at the stunned expressions around him, he was very satisfied with the effect of this action. Before coming, he had indeed given the order for the soldiers to act as "cleaners," but orders alone couldn't make them work willingly. He also told them: because of the victory in war, based on their heroic performance, the probation period for the freemen who fought in multiple battles would be greatly shortened, and some outstanding soldiers on the battlefield might even become full citizens directly! Moreover, with this victory, Daonia would gain a large amount of land, and every soldier who took part in the battle would receive an allotment as a reward for their military merit. The land to be divided would mainly be near Crimissa. Thus, Crimissa would become the new home for some of the soldiers. Also, because of the frequent wars within the past six months, Crimissa had suffered heavy casualties among its male citizens, so now there were more women than men. Davos encouraged the unmarried soldiers to win the favor of Crimissan women through their actions! It was precisely these reasons that kept the soldiers from showing the arrogance of victors; instead, they used concrete actions to win the goodwill of the Crimissans—their future neighbors.

"As for you," Davos continued, "you protected the treasury and granaries… very well, preventing them from being looted by the routed Crotonian soldiers, and handed them over intact to the Alliance. Isn't that because you already identified with the Daonia Alliance and considered yourselves Daonian citizens, and thus acted so thoughtfully? I believe that the Daonia Senate will definitely recognize your efforts!"

The men, thinking they had received a hint from Davos, showed joyful expressions.

Davos noticed and smiled as well, but he knew very well: although the number of members in the Daonia Senate was still far from full, this time the Senate would be cautious. They would send people to investigate secretly and find out who among the Crimissan people had high prestige and influence. Among these, only those who genuinely wanted to become Daonian citizens and worked seriously would be specially invited into the Senate. Saying there would be a vote was just a pretense. As a newly incorporated territory, he and the Senate naturally wanted to keep a firm grip on Crimissa to prevent any surprises.

"Lord Davos, please follow me to the harbor next to inspect the supplies we seized from the Crotonians." Remarkably, the former chief general of Crimissa managed to remain calm.

Davos looked at Antaoris with some appreciation and said, "Good!"

After inspecting the city of Crimissa, Davos immediately ordered that a portion of the captured grain and supplies be distributed to the people of Crimissa to compensate them for their losses in the war.

This generous gesture won the people's favor. At the same time, he ordered Capus to lead 2,000 soldiers from the First Army Corps to garrison the city, both to maintain order and to continue helping the residents repair damaged facilities. The remaining troops stayed in the camp outside the city, beginning to fill in traps, remove iron spikes, and so on, restoring the environment around the camp to normal. Davos politely declined Antaoris's invitation to a banquet, and led Laedes's cavalry squadron, accompanied by Hieronymus, to hurry toward Asperustum.

Galloping across the slightly undulating, vast Croton Plain, they saw nothing but farmland and villages, crisscrossed with irrigation channels. Although there were no signs of human activity, and some villages even had smoke rising from them, apart from the occasional stray dog cowering and casting hateful glances and barking incessantly, everything was eerily quiet. But this did not dampen the high spirits of Davos and his group; they rode along cheerfully, taking in this newly acquired land of Daonia.

Laedes said excitedly, "Although the terrain isn't as flat as the Sybaris Plain, the soil doesn't seem any less fertile than there!"

"It sounds like you want to transfer your allotment here," Davos joked.

"Lord, I have no such intention. Here we're right next to the Crotonians; everything would feel a bit uncomfortable," Laedes shook his head.

"With such fertile land and you still being picky, truly the rich don't understand the pain of the poor," Davos continued to tease him.

The cavalrymen seized the opportunity to joke with their captain.

Then Hieronymus, who was beside them, said, "No matter how good the land is, without strong power you can't keep it."

Davos paused, then went along: "Exactly. We must not follow Croton's example. We need to continue strengthening our training and defend our homeland! Especially you cavalry squadron. You performed great deeds this time, but you must not become complacent. Keep improving your riding skills under your captain and learn new cavalry tactics. I want you to become an important attack force in the Daonian army, capable of deciding the outcome of a battle! Do you have that confidence?"

"YES!!!" The cavalrymen raised their spears and shouted excitedly.

…

Standing on the walls of Asperustum, one could look west to the endless mountains and snow, or east to the rushing rapids and cliffs, and take in the entire verdant Croton Plain. On days with exceptionally good weather, one could even look southeast and vaguely see the bustling traffic outside Croton…

"This is truly a fine place! And the Crotonians actually gave it to us!" Davos stroked the thick battlements and sighed.

"Of course, it wasn't that the Crotonians wanted to give it; it's that they simply couldn't take it back!" Bacule said confidently. "Asperustum has an excellent location, high walls and deep moats. With just two thousand men, I can hold off an enemy force of twenty thousand!"

Davos had already inspected the city's defenses in detail and nodded in agreement.

"Taking this city was greatly helped by Izam's Mountain Reconnaissance Unit!" Hieronymus's remark reminded Davos, who found the young Dukian among the accompanying group: "Izam, your company did outstanding work this time. Every soldier who took part in capturing the city will be credited with at least one major merit!"

"I thank the commander on behalf of my brothers!" Izam's face was full of excitement. He said, "Lord, my reconnaissance unit can play an even bigger role. Just allow me to expand it to a thousand men!"

Hieronymus and Asiastes exchanged glances. This Dukian was so direct in making demands.

Davos was not offended. He smiled and said, "The role of the Mountain Reconnaissance Unit is scouting, harassing the enemy, and sabotage—not engaging the enemy head-on. Having too many men would make it inconvenient for you to command and easier for the enemy to detect…" Rather than outright rejecting the idea, Davos thought carefully and said, "Expanding is not impossible, but first I need you to draft an expansion and training plan: how many extra men, how to organize and train the enlarged Mountain Reconnaissance Unit, and how to make the new unit adapt faster and enhance its special wartime role… If your plan is feasible, I can discuss with Philistos to expand the Mountain Reconnaissance Unit and appoint you as its battalion commander."

"That's great! Thank you, Lord!" Izam shouted with undisguised joy.

"So you wanted to be a battalion commander all along. Why didn't you say so earlier!" Asiastes teased him.

"You both became battalion commanders, so of course I can't fall behind," Izam said with complete conviction.

Everyone burst into laughter.

"Have all the original residents left the city?" Davos turned to look down into the city and asked.

"The Crotonians came into the city, read the newly signed treaty to the people, and strongly urged them to leave. They cried and made a fuss, but in the end they all left. None stayed. And we allowed them to take their household items, but they also wanted to take public property, which we refused. That's our spoils of war!" said Asiastes.

"It's a good thing that all the residents of Asperustum left. It'll make it easier for us to settle immigrants and keep this city firmly in the Alliance's hands!" Davos then reminded them: "You must quickly inventory all the goods in Asperustum and make a list, so that we can share them with Laüs and Castron."