Volume 6: The Meeting of Two Heroes, Chapter 89: Puamote's Decision

Puamot watched as rows of Daonia legionnaires marched past him with their heads held high and chests puffed out, and could not help but exclaim, “What a mighty army! With so many brave soldiers in Daonia, who would dare to invade! No wonder the Samnites are no match for you, Lord Davos!”

“Great Chief Puamot, it was the brave warriors led by the courageous chieftains of Potentia who repelled the Samnite army,” Davos said modestly.

“Lord Davos, if you had not led your army to first eliminate the Samnite reinforcements sent to Poseidonia, devised a meticulous plan, sent soldiers to infiltrate the enemy camp and disrupt them, and contacted us to persuade us to launch a night attack… on our own, we would never have had the ability to drive back so many fierce Samnites!” Pollet said bluntly.

“Let us not be modest with each other! Winning such a victory and restoring peace to this land is the result of the unity and cooperation between Daonia and Potentia!” Davos concluded summarily.

“Yes, thank the God Asinu! Potentia is fortunate to have joined the Daonia Alliance. Without Daonia’s full support, Potentia would not be where it is today! The people of Potentia will forever remember this debt of gratitude!” Puamot sighed from the depths of his heart.

Other leaders also expressed their gratitude to Davos one after another.

“Lord Davos, we have prepared a campsite for your army, close to the city of Potentia. It was formerly a settlement of one of our tribes. Because time was short, we did not clean it thoroughly. Some of the houses there were destroyed by the Samnites,” Pollet said. Having accompanied the Daonia army these past days, he knew what Davos needed most at that moment.

“I am truly grateful—this solves a major problem for us!” Davos rejoiced upon hearing this, then added, “It doesn’t matter if the camp is a bit dilapidated. But we’ll borrow these torches from you for a while.”

“Lord Davos, tonight we have also prepared a welcoming banquet for you and your soldiers, to celebrate the coming victory together. After you set up camp, our people will carry hundreds of cattle and sheep, along with wine, to your camp…” Puamot said loudly, sensing the good atmosphere. But he was halfway through his words when Davos interrupted him tactfully: “Great Chief Puamot, and all you chieftains, I greatly appreciate your warm invitation and your friendship toward Daonia! However, I have heard that this Samnite invasion has caused you tremendous losses—villages and fields burned, many tribesmen killed or captured, and a great number of livestock lost… Your food supply is already strained. If you brought out provisions to reward us, how could we bring ourselves to eat them?”

Davos’s heartfelt words struck a chord with the leaders of Potentia. They fell silent, eyes fixed on their Great Chief.

Puamot said urgently, “Lord Davos, although we have some difficulties, you—”

Davos interrupted him again, speaking earnestly: “Great Chief, our Daonia Military Code stipulates that during wartime, the army must not drink, engage in entertainment, or celebrate. When I was in Elea, I received news that Syracuse’s army had just invaded Magna Graecia! So the war here is over, but the war in the south has only just begun. We still have to rush back to Thurii to drive away the enemies from Sicily… When the day of victory arrives, Daonia will hold a grand victory parade. At that time, Daonia will formally invite the Great Chief and all the chieftains to Thurii to celebrate this hard-won victory!”

Having heard this, the leaders of Potentia could no longer press the matter. Besides, it suited the inclinations of many. Puamot, who had never traveled far, even made a promise: “I will definitely come then!”

“Furthermore, after we captured Poseidonia, we seized a large quantity of grain that the Syracusans had given to the Samnites. In view of the hardship faced by the people of Potentia, I have decided to transfer these supplies to Potentia, so that this land can be revived as soon as possible,” Davos declared solemnly.

Everyone present was stunned.

“This… this… how can this be!” The normally steady and composed Puamot was at a loss for words.

“Lord Davos, those are your spoils of war. Besides, such a large army as yours also needs food,” Pollet quickly interjected.

“That’s settled!” Davos said firmly.

“Merciful Lord Davos!”

“Thank you, Lord Davos!”

“On behalf of the Laeum tribe, I thank you!”

…

Many chieftains vied to express their gratitude, this time entirely from the heart.

Davos smiled and said nothing. In fact, as Pollet had said, his army of thirty thousand was also short on supplies. The soldiers’ rations were already exhausted. Grain was being transported by land and sea from Grumentum, with a third being consumed along the way. Even if it reached Potentia, it would sustain the army for no more than ten days. Although the great battle here was over, there was still follow-up work to complete. Yet even so, he did not hesitate to donate an astonishing amount of supplies to Potentia—not for the present, but with an eye on the future.

At this point, the atmosphere grew even more harmonious. Davos and the chieftains chatted cheerfully…

Not far away, in the mountains, pairs of hate-filled eyes were watching the grand, lively scene below.

“Chieftain, are you really determined to raid their camp tonight?! Daonia probably has tens of thousands of men. We have only a little over a thousand, and most of our tribesmen are still hungry! Better to wait until Great Chief and Chieftain Lesguk and the others have all gathered before attacking the enemy—it won’t be too late!” A warrior hesitated.

“By then it will be too late! Only by taking advantage of the Daonians having just arrived here after a long march, when they are utterly exhausted, do we have a good chance of success in a camp raid! Potentia… the people of Potentia were able to… cough… they could do it, so can we!” Gaelni said in a deep voice to encourage his men, but he could not stop coughing. Last night’s experience was like a nightmare. If not for the night attack, he would not even want to say the name “Potentia.”

“Besides, we’ve searched all day and haven’t come across… my father… or Lesguk and the others…” As he said this, his expression showed a hint of worry and frustration. But he quickly shook off these troubling thoughts and again encouraged his men: “We must act immediately! Otherwise, by tomorrow, the Daonia army might march north to attack Copsa! We must do our utmost to defend Beneventum and the neighboring lands!”

“Yes…” the Samnite warriors answered weakly.

Late at night, Puamot returned to his own residence, still keyed up from the earlier conversation: “Pollet, what do you think of Davos?”

“A remarkable Greek Great Chief! A remarkable army commander!” Pollet said succinctly.

“Then do you think he can lead the Daonians to drive back Syracuse’s army?” Puamot continued.

Pollet hesitated, then said firmly: “I haven’t seen Syracuse’s army, but the Daonia Army Corps is the most disciplined and powerful Greek army I have ever seen. I believe they will win!”

“I think so too,” Puamot said. Then, seeing his brother’s surprised expression, he smiled: “I may not have taken part in the battle, but Davos is the Greek commander I have ever seen who best restrains his own desires and controls the desires of his men! A man like that has a character like a pine tree growing in rock—never yielding in the face of setbacks. He will surely win in the end! So—”

Puamot walked a few steps, came before the statue of the God Asinu, made a devout prayer, and then made his final decision: “I have decided to offer Poseidonia to Daonia.”

“What?!” Pollet was shocked.

“In fact, Poseidonia is already in Daonian hands. They took it from the Samnites. Davos also never brought up how to handle the city. So it’s better to voluntarily give it to Daonia. Anyway, the citizens there are either killed or captured. We cannot help them, so let the Daonians take care of them.” Puamot sighed, his eyes growing brighter: “I see Davos as a man with a broad mind. The Bruttians have submitted, southern Lucania has submitted, many Greek city-states have submitted, and the Samnites have been defeated… This land will be ruled by the Daonians from now on. We must make our choice early. That way, Davos will not treat Potentia badly.”

“I understand, brother. You are the Great Chief of Potentia. Whatever you say, I will follow,” Pollet said sincerely.

“No, I am old. Potentia will be under your charge in the future. I trust you will handle the relationship with Potentia well.” Puamot said calmly. He had no children; Pollet was his brother, but more like a son.

Late at night, a commotion arose in the Daonia camp, waking Davos from a deep sleep.

“What happened?” Davos asked calmly, looking at Rodom, the deputy captain of the personal guard, and Tolmides, the herald, who had entered the room.

“Lord, some Samnites tried to raid the camp. The sentries spotted them. Since it falls within the sector of the Second Army Corps, Legion Commander Amyntas has already led his men out to counterattack. I believe they will drive them off soon,” Tolmides reported.

“To run into Amyntas, the Samnites are really out of luck. That fellow has been chafing ever since coming to Lucania without getting to fight a major battle (the Battle of Poseidonia was fought mainly by the Third Army Corps, with the First and Second Corps only making the final encirclement and assault—the victory came too easily. And the Samnite camp at Potentia had collapsed inexplicably, so Amyntas, who had expected a big battle, was naturally dissatisfied.)”