Chapter 100

“The highest governing body in both Athens and Amendolara is the Citizens’ Assembly, which allows all citizens to participate and decide on important state affairs such as law, war, and diplomacy. Athens has a system of ‘Ten Generals,’ while Amendolara has two magistrates, who manage the city’s internal affairs in peacetime and serve as commanders of the army in wartime; they are elected annually by the Citizens’ Assembly. Athens has the Council of 500, and Amendolara has the Senate of 100; its members are also elected annually by the Citizens’ Assembly. The Senate proposes legislation, is responsible for the execution and judgment of the city’s laws, assists the magistrates in governing the city, and handles ordinary diplomatic affairs. It also has the important task of vetting and nominating candidates for the magistracy.

“Normally, the election for magistrates is held in June. Candidates must apply, be nominated by the Senate, and are then elected by the Citizens’ Assembly. However, Amendolara has just endured the ravages of war and is in dire need of rebuilding. We urgently need to elect magistrates to lead the people in restoring our home. Therefore, we are making an exception and holding the election today. I would first like to invite the former mercenary general, Davos, and his principal officers to the stage, so we can deliberate together and nominate the candidates for magistrate.”

Cornelius had barely finished speaking when the new citizens in the crowd—the former mercenary soldiers—grew restless.

“Why even bother with candidates!” someone shouted from the crowd. “The magistrate of Amendolara can only be our General Davos!”

The shout was immediately met with a unified roar of approval from the new citizens.

“That’s right! We won’t vote for anyone but General Davos!”

“Only Davos can lead us to create more miracles!”

“General Davos is an undefeated general! With him, we never have to fear defeat!”

“General Davos for magistrate!”

“Davos!”

“Davos!”

“Davos!”

***

The unified chant of nearly three thousand new citizens shouting Davos’s name was a truly spectacular sight.

Cornelius had never encountered a situation like this before and was thrown into a panic. He shot a desperate, pleading look at Davos, who was still standing at the back of the crowd.

Davos just smiled and said a few words to Axistes, who immediately ran to the rear of the square.

Soon, the high-pitched blast of a bronze horn echoed over the plaza. The former mercenaries of Davos’s cohort instantly fell silent, and the other mercenaries gradually ceased their shouting as well.

Cornelius was secretly amazed at the powerful hold Davos had over his men. It seems his election as magistrate is a certainty. In that case, it would only be appropriate for the other magistrate to be chosen from among the original citizens of Amendolara.

As Cornelius anxiously tried to figure out how to broach the subject, another voice from the crowd shouted, “Brothers! Even if we elect General Davos as a magistrate, don’t forget that he’ll still have to share power with someone else! And next year, a new magistrate will be elected! Who could possibly be better than General Davos? Who could create greater miracles than General Davos? Who could command an army better than General Davos? And who is more favored by the gods than Davos?”

“No one!”

“No one!” the new citizens roared, their fervor reignited.

“Are you willing to be ruled by a stranger, by someone with no ability?!” yet another voice yelled.

“No!” This was exactly what the mercenaries feared.

“Brothers, think about it! Is democracy really so great? Look at Athens! Once the most powerful city-state in Greece, it was brought to ruin by a pack of incompetent politicians and their endless infighting! And think about the city-states we passed on the shores of the Euxine Sea! They also had democracies, and their governance was terrible! An army must obey the command of a single, brilliant general to have any hope of victory. If a city-state wishes to be strong, shouldn’t it follow the same principle? Brothers, this past year, we have faced many hardships, but we have also seen much of the world. We have seen the vastness of the Persian Empire, the tyranny of Sparta, and the humiliation of Thurii… Are you willing to live in freedom under a democracy, only to be bullied and oppressed, or are you willing to march toward strength and glory under the leadership of General Davos?! Soldiers, make your choice!”

Watching Olivas, his arm raised high as he incited the crowd, Davos gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“Make Davos king!” a voice boomed.

Cornelius and the other five men on the stage, along with all the original citizens of Amendolara, turned pale with shock.

Sextus and Adrianx both turned to look at Davos, who stood a short distance away, surrounded by his senior officers—Antonios, Capus, Amyntas. All of them looked perfectly calm. If Sextus and Adrianx had known Davos a little better, they would have realized that the men leading the shouts in the square—Hylos, Matonis, Olivas—were all members of Hylos’s original squad. The two cohort commanders exchanged a look and then fell silent.

After that one explosive shout, a terrible silence descended upon the square. But it was quickly broken as the new citizens began to chant, “Make Davos king.” At first, it was sporadic, but the voices soon grew more unified, louder, and more thunderous.

Cornelius and the other five men on the stage stared at each other in dismay. One of the old men started to rush forward, but he was held back by the men on either side of him, and he eventually gave up. Faced with the overwhelming, unified will of thousands of men, not a single one of them dared to summon the courage to step forward and shout, “You are wrong! Amendolara will never allow a king! The laws of Amendolara forbid it! The citizens of Amendolara will never allow it!” The very reason they were still alive, instead of having died at the hands of the Lucanians like the other citizens of Amendolara, was because they were not brave men. This was precisely why Davos had chosen them. And the original citizens in the crowd were mostly the old, the weak, and the infirm. They had neither the will nor the ability to stand against the mercenary soldiers.

A wave of regret washed over Cornelius. He regretted having agreed to let the mercenaries join Amendolara. But the situation was now far beyond his control. Once again, he turned his pleading eyes to Davos.

Davos saw that the time was right. He calmly began to walk toward the stage. The new citizens, seeing him appear on the platform, grew even more ecstatic, their unified chant reaching a fever pitch. “Make Davos king!”

“Davos, our king!”

“King Davos!”

***

Cornelius, his expression a complex mask of emotions, looked at Davos one last time and then stepped aside, yielding the center of the stage.

Davos faced the vast sea of faces below, the roaring of the crowd almost deafening. With a serene expression, he raised his hands and pressed them down…

Gradually, the square fell silent.

“Soldiers! No, I should call you citizens of Amendolara now! When we left Byzantium, I told my officers that I would make you all citizens of a city-state, that you would own your own land. In less than two months, I have fulfilled that promise. You have won today’s reward with your sweat, your blood, and your fearless fighting spirit! You have earned it! I congratulate you—the new citizens of Amendolara!”

“Hail Victory!”

“Hail Victory!” the new citizens cheered, their voices filled with emotion. Some even shed tears of joy.

“Thank you for your trust in me, for wanting to make me the king of Amendolara. To me, becoming king does not mean I would have great power to oppress the citizens for my own gain. It means I would have to bear an even greater responsibility: to ensure that every citizen of Amendolara lives a happier life, to make our city-state stronger and safe from the insults of others! And though I have the confidence to achieve this, I must…” Davos paused, and Cornelius’s heart leaped into his throat.

“I must apologize to you all. I cannot be your king.”

As soon as he said this, the men on the stage breathed a sigh of relief. The new citizens in the crowd, however, erupted in a stunned clamor.

“Why?!” they demanded.

“Because in the Greek world today, almost no city-state still uses a system of monarchy. Even Sparta has a dual kingship. Monarchy is not a welcome form of government among the Greek city-states. If I were to become the king of Amendolara, our city would be ostracized by the other city-states of Magna Graecia. If Amendolara wishes to prosper, it needs to trade with other cities. If Amendolara wishes to be strong, it needs to form alliances with other cities. But if Amendolara is isolated, with no allies, then all our wonderful aspirations will come to nothing. Even worse, Amendolara could be attacked by other Greek city-states that despise the institution of monarchy. Therefore, for the good of Amendolara, I cannot be your king!”