Chapter 436: Good and Bad News

“But the restaurant is now having a problem. There is a shortage of wheat flour and fish, so we cannot provide some of the food the customers want, leading to many complaining…” The restaurant manager reported the situation.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t do anything about it! The supply of grains and sea fishes in the whole alliance is very tight, so it is not only us who are affected…” Cheiristoya sighed and said seriously, “I suggest you put up a notice on the front door of every restaurant to explain why and apologise to the customers. At the same time, advise the customers to order more beef and mutton, such as shabu-shabu, fried beef and roasted lamb legs… Andrea sent me a letter saying that Lucania had raised too many cattle and sheep this year. If they are not consumed in large quantities, it is already a small matter for them to get skinny. But in the event of freezing weather, they are more likely to freeze to death, so the loss of the herders will be enormous. That’s why we need to buy as much livestock from Lucania…

And considering that this is a difficult time and the people of the whole union face a food shortage, we will suffer from public resentment if we profit this time! Thus I decided to lower the price of all food and earn only a small profit to pay the employees, so before the war is over, we must tide over the difficulties with our fellow Theonians!”

“Understood, madam! I’ll get to it immediately!” The restaurant manager responded.

Cheiristoya then yawned. When Azune saw that her mistress was a little sleepy, she immediately stopped the meeting and asked the managers to go back first.

“Madam, you are about to give birth, so why are you still working hard?! You have to think about your child!…” Azune complained while supporting her.

Cheiristoya gently held her big, round belly and said softly, “When such a big thing happens in the union, there will naturally be more things to do than what they can handle. In a few days, Andrea will come and take over these things for me for the time being so that I can give birth to my child in peace…”

“It’s great that madam Andrea is coming!” Azune happily said as she helped Cheiristoya take a slow walk in the rear yard to eliminate her leg’s swelling caused by sitting for long.

“Andrea also wants to bring her two kids back to Thurii (one of them is the son of her ex-husband) so that Bagul’s father can see his grandson after so long…” Cheiristoya sighed: Andrea was previously married and had a child, and now married to a family of a different race. And to be able to make the huge family of Bagul accept and get along with her, Andrea had paid a lot of effort…

“Adoris and little Cro will be very happy!” Smiled Azune.

Cheiristoya suddenly remembered and asked, “Is Agnes back?”

“Not yet. Madam, I wonder if it’s due to many more people going to pray at the Temple of Hades and the Temple of Hera due to the battle’s defeat that Lady Agnes hasn’t yet returned…” Azune guessed.

“Nonsense!” Cheiristoya frowned and said anxiously, “She is also pregnant, so how can she ignore her body! Quickly send someone to call her back and say it’s my order!”

“Yes!” Azune knew that her mistress wouldn’t change what she said, so she hurriedly called other female slaves.

At this time, the door in the rear yard was pushed open.

“Mother, I am back.” Cynthia, carrying a satchel of school items, came forward to support Cheiristoya.

“Where’s Adoris?”

“He is playing football in the school’s square together with his classmates.”

“I hope he doesn’t come home after dark like yesterday.”

“He won’t. I already warned him.” Cynthia comforted Cheiristoya and then asked with concern, “Mother, have you heard anything from father? This afternoon, everyone found out about our defeat in Scylletium, and they were thinking of not going to class anymore. They also came asking me one after another when will father lead the army back.”

Cheiristoya turned her head and looked at her adopted daughter, who almost reached her shoulder. Cheiristoya remembered that when Cynthia first met Davos, she was on guard against him, but now, she is proud of him. So Cheiristoya felt relieved, “Don’t worry, your father will soon come back!”

“Hmm!” Cynthia strongly nodded.

“Mom, I am back!” A clear child voice came from outside the door.

“This little rascal is finally back!” Cheiristoya showed a spoiled smile on her face. Since she was about to give birth, Cheiristoya could not accompany the energetic little Cro, so she had to let a female slave take him to the square every day.

“Mother, I’ll accompany my brother.” Cynthia said sensibly.

Then the female slave who came in shouted excitedly, “Madam, good news! It’s good news! A messenger from Lucania came back and said master had won a great victory in Poseidonia! It’s reported that…they defeated more than 20,000 enemies…”

“That’s great!” Cheiristoya couldn’t stop shouting. How could she not worry when Davos led the army for so long?! But as his wife, she needs to remain calm. So this time, she was really relieved…

As soon as she finished shouting this sentence and relaxed, she felt a heat flow through between her legs, and her stomach began swelling and aching.

Having experienced childbirth, she immediately stood firm, braced her hands on the stone table, and said in as smooth a tone as possible, “Azune, Azune, I am about to give birth. Hurry, hurry and inform Herpus…”

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Just as the residence of Davos was rushing due to Cheiristoya’s delivery, the news of “The archon led his army and be victorious against the Samnites in Lucania” was like a warm wind, calming the panicking people in Thurii. And among the ones praying in the Temple of Hades, someone shouted “Let Lord Davos be king” for the first time.

However, at dusk, a messenger galloping from the south once again broke the calm, “The Syracusan army conquered the city of Scylletium, not only they plundered the whole city, they also turned everyone in the city into slaves.” This shocking news once again alarmed the Thurians and the Senate, making the original hesitant statesmen make a quick decision in agreeing on Philesius’ proposal to send the new sixth legion to Krimisa and protect the safety of the territory of Theonia.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

That night, as the Thurians were tossing and turning and unable to sleep, a newborn child was born at Davos’ residence.

“Madam, she is a healthy and lovely girl!” Azune carefully approached the bedside and showed Cheiristoya the newborn child, who had been washed and wrapped in clean linen.

The already exhausted and powerless Cheiristoya turned her head with difficulty, looked at her daughter, who was crying, with a kind smile on her sweaty face.

“…Eunice…her name is Eunice…” Cheiristoya remembered her agreement with Davos.

Hearing the good news that the “mother and daughter were safe”, those who were anxiously waiting outside the bedroom became relieved.

In this era, having children is a significant and challenging thing. Labor Dystocia is a common occurrence during childbirth. Although Davos told the physicians such as Herpus about birth precautions he had heard from his previous life, he still took the initiative to gather together experienced midwives in Theonia. He then made them undergo specialised training to make them physicians specialising in the deliveries of babies in the hospitals…

“Little Cro, you now have a sister!” Agnes softly said as she stroked little Cro’s head.

“Sister?! Can I play with her often?!” Little Cro asked happily.

“Not now. Wait until she grew up.” Agnes covered her bulging stomach while explaining to him. She also sincerely hoped that she could give birth smoothly in a few months.

“Great, it’s a sister!” Adoris shouted happily. Due to little Cro nagging him every day, he didn’t want another brother that would annoy him.

Cynthia was also very happy as she could finally have a little follower like her other female classmates.

The moment she was born, Eunice became popular with the whole family.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

The next day, while the Senate in Thurii was gathering the newly established Sixth Legion soldiers in the Nike Square to send them to defeat Krimisa, Damocles, the envoy of Syracuse, walked into the city of Caulonia with his head held high.

Damocles brought Dionysius’ ultimatum to Caulonia for them to immediately surrender, else the city of Scylletium would be their example!

Due to being at the forefront of the Crotonian alliance against Locri for a long time, the Caulonians were full of confidence in their city’ defence, mainly because of the full support of Crotone and the other allies behind them. However, now that Syracuse defeated Theonia and Crotone and conquered Scylletium and Terina, the forces supporting Caulonia became scattered.

Now, Caulonia is under siege. Moreover, they have long heard that Syracuse had a powerful ability to siege cities that they were able to conquer Carthage’s city in Sicily – Motya. Furthermore, the news of the fall of Scylettium in just half a day surprised them (The Syracusan and Locrian troops tightly sealed off the city of Caulonia, so no one knew that the fall of Scylletium was due to Dionysius’ treachery), which made the Caulonians lose confidence in defending the city. Moreover, they were frightened at the tragic faith of the Scylletians.

And the Caulonians also believed that even if Theonia and Crotone could have the chance to counter-attack in the future, but by that time, Syracuse would have long occupied Caulonia, and the Caulonians turned into slaves and sold to other cities. Thus even if they recovered the city of Caulonia, it no longer has any meaning for them…

Finally, they unanimously decided in the ecclesia to surrender to Syracuse.

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