“If this Gnanit you speak of is from Pyxous, how can he possibly contend for the position of great chieftain of Grumentum?” Axistes asked, puzzled.

Having intentionally left them in suspense, Izam now cracked a wide grin. “Because to secure Pyxous as an ally, Akepilu married his daughter to Gnanit. So, the great chieftains of Grumentum and Pyxous became family, and Gnanit became Akepilu’s son-in-law. I heard Cincinnag also bribed several of Grumentum’s chieftains, so Gnanit now has the support of a faction of tribes there as well. Left with no other choice, Lusau has appealed for help from another powerful Lucanian tribe, the Potentia. But Cincinnag immediately appealed to the Potentia for arbitration as well, and the Potentians have yet to declare their stance. Now, both sides are mustering their forces. The merchants and sailors all say a great war could break out in Grumentum at any moment to decide who will be the next great chieftain!”

Davos hadn’t expected that a single battle of annihilation would not only fracture the Lucanian league but also completely reshape the balance of power in the region. An undercurrent of conflict was now roiling everywhere, presenting a golden opportunity for Amendolara.

“Can you draw a map of Lucania?” Davos asked urgently. It was something he had repeatedly stressed to Izam before his departure.

“I can,” Izam confirmed.

The three men moved to the earthen floor of the residence’s central courtyard. Izam took a stick and began to carefully sketch in the dirt, while Axistes stood by with parchment and a pen, ready to transfer the map to a permanent medium once it was complete.

Davos watched the map take shape, listening intently as Izam explained the geography.

He quickly saw that the mountain path west of Thurii did not lead directly to Laos, but rather to the territory between Laos and Nerulum. The city of Laos, situated at the mouth of the La River, controlled the overland route from the Bruttian region into Lucania, while the Bruttian city of Vegi served as a barrier preventing Lucanian incursions. Compared to Laos, however, Nerulum was of far greater strategic importance to Amendolara. It controlled the northern passage into the Lucanian heartland. Only by capturing Nerulum would Amendolara have multiple options for a further invasion of the region.

“Izam, the intelligence you’ve brought back is of the utmost importance. You have performed a great service for the city-state!” Davos praised him, then immediately made good on a promise he had made long ago. “I have decided to establish a Reconnaissance Squad. You will be its captain. For now, the unit will consist of twenty men. You may go to each battalion and pick them yourself. If anyone refuses to release a man to you, tell them to come see me.”

“Thank you, Lord Archon!” Izam was so excited he nearly jumped for joy.

“You should hurry home. You’ve been gone for more than ten days; your wife must miss you terribly! And by the way, a waterwheel has been built by the Sinni River. It can bring water directly to your fields, so you no longer need to worry about hauling it yourself.”

“That’s wonderful!” Izam beamed and turned to leave.

“Wait a moment,” Davos called out. He had a slave bring two large jars of wine. “Since you enjoy wine so much, take these with you and savor them at your leisure.”

Izam thanked him again, then unceremoniously tucked one jar under each arm and headed home in high spirits.

“My lord, that fellow is far too uncivilized,” Axistes remarked, still displeased with Izam’s earlier behavior in the receiving room.

“He is still a Doukian, after all,” Davos said with a smile. “Axistes, don’t place too much importance on such superficialities. What truly matters is what’s in here, and in here.”

Davos tapped his chest and then his head. “Izam perfectly completed the mission I gave him, and it was not an easy one. He is a talented young man. As long as someone is talented and not a bad person, we must make use of him. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Now that you know the situation in Lucania, how should we go about attacking it? Go home, think it over carefully, and come back tomorrow so we can discuss it thoroughly.”

***

After finishing his breakfast, Kunogelata suddenly felt a discomfort in his chest. He had a slave help him to Amendolara’s “hospital” to see a doctor.

The hospital was also located in the lower part of the city (as a mountain city, Amendolara had distinct upper and lower sections), near the main gate. He had heard that Archon Davos, in order to support the hospital’s development, had specially allocated two adjacent, empty residences to Herpos and his team to establish it.

While in Thurii, Kunogelata had heard rumors of the incredible skill of the doctors in Davos’s mercenary army, but when he arrived at the hospital, he was stunned by the scene before him. A massive queue of patients snaked from the hospital’s entrance all the way down to the foot of the mountain, a line of well over a hundred people that was actively disrupting traffic through the city gate. The citizens of Amendolara had seen a business opportunity in the chaos; they had set up small stalls near the hospital, selling food, drinks, and even renting out wooden chairs and hats. A bustling little market had sprung up around the suffering.

Censor Antonios had previously reported this matter to Davos. For the time being, Davos had no better solution than to dispatch more patrols to maintain order and to command the supervising official, Alexis, to prioritize the construction of a new, larger hospital nearby once the warehouses and inns were complete, so that the current one could be relocated and traffic could be restored.

Kunogelata’s loyal slave had no choice but to rent a wooden chair for his master to sit on while he went to speak with the doctors, hoping to arrange for priority treatment. But he was stopped at the door by a patrolman tasked with keeping order. After hearing the situation, the guard stated that his hands were tied. “There are many people in this line with conditions more serious than your master’s, and they are all waiting their turn. Unless it is a life-threatening emergency, everyone must wait in line, no matter who they are!”

The dejected slave returned with a numbered token. But Kunogelata’s troubles were not over. The patients at the Amendolaran hospital came not only from Amendolara, but also from Thurii and Heraclea. A group of Thurians in the queue recognized him and began to shout insults. The scene quickly descended into chaos, attracting the attention of the sentries from the city gate.

Fuming, Kunogelata decided to forget about seeing a doctor and simply returned home. By that evening, however, a faint pain in his chest had begun, and he spent a sleepless night. The next morning, he rushed back to the hospital, only to find it deserted. A nurse on duty informed him that Archon Davos was giving a lecture to the doctors that morning, and to ensure they could focus on their studies, the hospital would not be seeing any patients that day.

Unlike the public lectures of the Pythagorean disciples, the doctors’ seminars were open only to doctors and nurses, so Kunogelata was unable to enter. He could only curse his luck and turn back.

By midday, back in his home, Kunogelata was not only in pain, but he was also struggling to breathe and could no longer get out of bed. Left with no other option, his son, Sostratus, forced his way into the doctors’ meeting hall.

Davos, who had been observing a heated discussion among the doctors about their treatment experiences, was shocked to hear the news. He immediately dispatched Herpos to Kunogelata’s home.

Herpos conducted a thorough examination and carefully questioned Kunogelata about his symptoms. He concluded that Kunogelata had suffered a cracked rib during the beating in Thurii, which had gone untreated. The strain of climbing the mountain in Amendolara without proper rest had caused the cracked rib to fracture completely, and a broken piece had punctured his lung. With a clear diagnosis, Herpos administered treatment. Kunogelata’s condition began to improve, and he repeatedly praised the doctor’s masterful skill.

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Davos was reflecting on the difficulty Kunogelata had faced in getting treatment. The incident had exposed several problems with his newly established hospital.

First, although the Amendolara hospital’s reputation was growing, and it was even bringing some economic benefits to the city, it had become more difficult for the citizens of Amendolara to see a doctor. This was unacceptable. It undermined the sense of privilege that came with being an Amendolaran citizen. Fortunately, he had noticed the problem early. If left unaddressed, the citizens’ resentment would accumulate over time and would ultimately be directed at him, since he was the one who had championed the hospital’s creation and was the doctors’ nominal teacher. Therefore, the hospital must establish a special priority channel for Amendolaran citizens. Regardless of the severity of their illness, citizens must be seen first and treated first! The patients from other city-states needed to witness the privileges of being an Amendolaran citizen; they needed to see how fortunate they were!

Second, during medical lectures, at least one doctor had to remain on duty at the hospital to handle emergencies. Furthermore, the lectures could not be held so frequently as to disrupt normal patient care.

Third, as for the problem of having too many patients to see in one day, Davos actually felt this was a good thing. It could generate more income for Amendolara’s inns and other businesses. However, if seriously ill patients could not receive timely treatment, it would undoubtedly damage the hospital’s reputation. The best and only solution was to increase the number of doctors. The hospital currently had six. It took time to train a good physician (not counting shamans and folk healers), and Amendolara could not produce new ones overnight. That meant they had to recruit them from other city-states. As the hospital’s fame continued to spread, it would naturally attract doctors from other cities who wished to learn from them. He could have the Senate pass a proposal: for any foreign doctor willing to remain in Amendolara, the hospital would accept them as official students, granting them access to all medical theories, case files, and research. In return, the city-state would grant them immediate Amendolaran citizenship. He could even consider extending this citizenship offer to teachers. In this era, both doctors and teachers were highly skilled professionals, essential for a city-state’s survival and development. Amendolara lacked both, but especially teachers.