"Regarding the oversight of Elis's implementation of the peace treaty, ceding land, and resettlement, matters have been temporarily put on hold due to Agis's death. I've recommended to the council that you take on the responsibility. Are you willing to go?" Agesilaus said sternly.

"I do!" Phoebidas blurted out. He had been doing nothing during this time except military training and attending the king's funeral. Seeing others being deployed overseas one by one to carry out important missions, he couldn't help but feel lost. Now, with Agesilaus offering him such a lucrative position, how could he not be tempted and grateful?

"Thank you very much, King Agesilaus, for your trust in me! Your becoming our king is a gift from Zeus to Sparta!"

Agesilaus smiled at the flattery of Phoebidas, a talented young Spartan.

...

After Agesilaus and Phoebidas left, there were only a dozen people in the dining hall. A young man with linen draped over his head emerged stealthily from behind the column, looking at Agesilaus' back with hatred.

He hurried to collect his share of the public meal, and the chef who distributed the food actually joked, "Leotychides, why are you dressed like this, like a woman."

A Pyriac actually dared to make fun of him. In the past, Leotychides would have been furious and beat him, or even cut off his hands and feet. At this time, the son of the former king had no mind to argue. He found a corner, sat down, and chewed the bread with big mouthfuls. For some reason, tears welled up in his eyes: the failure of the election for the throne made him a laughing stock of Sparta, and his uncle who usurped the throne gave half of the property left by his father to those tribesmen who were in difficult circumstances, and thus won the support of the royal family. While those people praised Agesilaus for his kindness, some people proposed to drive him and his mother out of Sparta, on the grounds that "he and his mother were not Spartans, but became the shame of Sparta." Although the Council of Elders rejected this absurd proposal, the Spartans looked at Leotychides with increasing contempt.

"What have I done wrong?! Why would the goddess of fate punish me like this?! To prove myself, I've participated in the 'ageg' (the brutal military training Spartan boys undergo from a young age), a discipline not normally reserved for the king's sons. I've always excelled in every training session, fought at the forefront in every battle, and my debates have always left my peers speechless. I write better than them, but why?! Why?! They don't see this, and instead use these rumors to humiliate me and my mother! Damn Agesilaus! Damn the Council of Elders!" "What will happen! Damn it... Agis, if you hadn't treated my mother so badly, how could there be so many rumors?" Finally, Leotychides began to blame his deceased father: "I can't endure this humiliation any longer! I must take my mother away from this disgusting place! I must leave Sparta! !"

Leotychides finally made up his mind, his steps regaining their vigor. As he neared his destination, he saw a crowd gathered at his home, each shaking their heads and sighing, their expressions solemn. A feeling of unease welled up in him.

"Leotychides!" A tribesman, with whom he had usually had a good relationship, said sorrowfully, "Your mother... committed suicide..."

...

Diopantus's troops rampaged through the Silene territory, forcing the Silene defenders to march out to meet them, while the Locrians retreated early.

The next day, the Locrians reappeared.

When the Silene defenders pursued them to the coast, as they had the day before, they found nearly two thousand Locrians ready for battle.

The Cilician defenders, already disorganized and in disarray, quickly retreated. Pursued by the Locrian cavalry, the Cilicians suffered hundreds of casualties and retreated to the city, refusing to leave. They sent envoys to the Crotone army in Coronia for reinforcements.

As the leader of the alliance, the Crotones were forced to send 3,000 men to aid Cilician, but the Locrians again retreated by sea.

As the Crotone reinforcements hesitated whether to remain in Cilician or return to Coronia, a combined force of 3,000 Locrian, Medemian, and Hibernian troops advanced along the west coast, crossed the Lara River, and entered Trina.

Having learned their lesson from the Cilician defeat, the Trinaeans hesitated to act rashly and instead requested assistance from Crotone.

Shortly after the Crotone reinforcements left Cilician and entered Trina, the Locrians landed again on the Cilician coast.

The Crotone army, tossed back and forth, unable to even touch the Locrians, simmered with anger and had nowhere to vent.

Cilicia and Trina suffered equally, their newly sown fields destroyed and war-weariness rising among the people.

Meanwhile, the Crotones finally understood that the twenty or so warships that had suddenly appeared during the naval battle were not the work of Locri, secretly constructed over the previous year, but rather aid from the Syracusans.

This news alarmed the Crotone envoys . During this time, Davos, back in Thurii, spent time attending to alliance matters, spending time

with

his wife, raising his newborn child, and educating his adopted sons and daughters. His days were filled with joy and contentment. Even when Crotone's envoys arrived in Thurii to request Dionysia's aid, they caused him no anxiety, as Hilos and Asistes quickly repelled the Locrians who had invaded Crotone territory.

For this, the senators praised Davos for his choice of governor for Asprustum.

In his letter to Helos and Asistes, Davos praised them for their decisive and effective action in such a complex situation. He encouraged them to act boldly in this critical situation and not to let their own concerns or the Senate's orders delay their actions.

Helos and his men's outstanding performance reassured Davos, allowing him to focus more on resettlement efforts in Asprustum and Crimissa.

However, just then, he received word from Aristiras that envoys from Crotone, Cilitium, Trina, and Coronia were heading north. Combined with Aristiras' recent reports on the battle between Crotone and Locri, the purpose of these city-state envoys' visit to Thurii was obvious.

Davos's first thought: This was a rare opportunity to expand Dionysia's power and influence. By comparison, a war with Locri was not unacceptable.

But then, he began to hesitate. Thanks to Aristilas of Catanea's "extraordinary attention" to Syracuse, he also knew the truth about the defeat at the Battle of Crotone. Syracuse was a true ally of Locri and had even sent reinforcements during the war. If Davos were to fight Locri, he would inevitably offend Syracuse. Was this worthwhile?

Davos had to consider this carefully.

In his previous life, he knew little about Syracuse's history. He only knew that Archimedes and that Syracuse was one of the culprits in the First Punic War, and that the Romans easily crushed Syracuse, making it seem as if Syracuse's strength was insignificant. But remember, the Romans mobilized the entire Italian force to attack a declining Syracuse.

When Davos traveled to this era of the Mediterranean world, he first sensed the awe that the Greek city-states of Italy held for the great Sicilian city of Syracuse in Magna Graecia. Decades earlier, Syracuse had repelled Carthage and dominated Sicily and Magna Graecia. Now, it seemed to be regaining its former glory, even threatening to unify the Greek city-states of Sicily. Though merely an island, Sicily boasted fertile soil and was a renowned wheat producer in the western Mediterranean (primarily due to volcanic ash). Furthermore, the Greeks colonized the area extensively, developing it early on. Furthermore, Sicily's central location made it a crucial hub for trade between the eastern and western Mediterranean, resulting in a highly developed commercial and agricultural sector. The fact that Syracuse, possessing only southeastern Sicily, could muster such a vast army reveals its immense war potential, surpassing even the fledgling Dionysia.

However, Davos wasn't a frog in a well, foolishly blind to the potential danger. On the contrary, countless historical examples, as well as theories of political economy and geography, told him that no matter how Dionysia tried to evade it, if Syracuse truly defeated Carthage and unified the Greek city-states of Sicily, the rapidly rising Dionysia would inevitably attract its attention, becoming an obstacle to its expansion and even its next target. It would be better to seize the opportunity while Syracuse was mired in the war with Carthage and strengthen itself so that it could have the strength to fight Syracuse in the future.

So, after careful consideration, Davos finally made a decision and convinced the Senate.

Hisprotes was the envoy from Crotone. He had accompanied Lysias in successfully negotiating a truce and signing an alliance with Dionia, and had later single-handedly "persuaded" the Dionian garrison at Asprustum to aid Crotone and drive back the Locrians. Consequently, almost everyone in the Crotone council (except Lysias) unanimously selected him for the Dionysian mission. This was the first time he had been so highly regarded by the Crotone councilors, and the envoys from the other three city-states also followed his lead throughout the journey. This inevitably made Hisprotes feel a bit flattered.

Entering Thurii, the envoys felt that this newly built city lacked the prosperity and vastness of Crotone, but it was also less crowded and bustling.

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