After some discussion, both Eumachus and Dicitimas believed that to succeed in negotiations, they must first obtain Theonia’s support.

So, they rushed to the Theonian camp and arrived just in time to hear cheers like a landslide and tsunami from inside.

The two were puzzled when Theonian Herald Tolmides arrived, bringing Davos’s order: Allow the two to enter the camp.

“Are you training?” Eumachus asked curiously.

Tolmides said with a face full of respect, “Are you referring to these cheers? That is our Commander Lord Davos receiving punishment by military baton!”

“What did you say?!” Eumachus thought he had heard wrong.

Tolmides solemnly recounted the previous events briefly. Eumachus and Dicitimas were stunned: The Archon of Theonia punished the offending soldiers because his subordinates beat a Taranto citizen, but at the same time, he punished himself along with them?!

Not only did they not feel a trace of gratitude for this, but fear rose in their hearts—more and more fear. An Archon of an alliance accepting punishment for such a trivial matter? In the Greek history they knew, they had never heard of such a thing! Both had served as Archons several times and commanded city-state armies many times. Of course, they knew the importance of discipline to the army in war. The Theonian army’s requirement for military discipline is actually strict to this extent; no wonder they could defeat the fierce Peucetians!

“Terrifying Davos…” Dicitimas sighed in a low voice.

Eumachus happened to hear it, froze for a moment, and then understood the meaning of Dicitimas’s words: Davos can be so ruthless to himself to achieve his goal! Moreover, through contact with Davos during this period, Eumachus deeply felt that having such an Archon for Life in Theonia might not be a good thing for Taranto… The only fortunate thing was that the citizens of Taranto had finally reached a consensus on peace talks. Otherwise, given the current mental state of the Theonian soldiers, if they were asked to attack Messapia again, who knew what trouble would arise! Damned Timias! Can’t these undisciplined Tarantines think more about the city-state before causing trouble?!

***

When the two Archons saw Davos, he was lying prone in the military tent receiving treatment from a doctor. Learning the purpose of their visit, although Davos was surprised, he immediately expressed support.

After everyone’s discussion, the Taranto coalition broke camp and marched east the next morning.

Halfway to Brindisi, the Messapian-Peucetian coalition blocked the way, and the two sides deployed formations facing each other.

After confronting each other for an hour, the Taranto coalition never sounded the attack trumpet. The Tarantines, caring about their face, tactfully expressed their intention in this way. The shrewd Pasimelus soon understood the Greeks’ intention. After witnessing the tight formation and high morale of the Theonian soldiers with his own eyes, Tremoni’s words carried even more weight in his heart.

He stopped being pretentious and sent Timocrates out again.

Negotiations between the two sides began.

By dusk, a peace agreement involving Taranto, Messapia, and Peucetia was reached: Both sides cease hostilities immediately; Taranto returns Manduria to Messapia; the three parties return prisoners and soldiers’ corpses to each other; Taranto, Messapia, and Peucetia shall not invade each other for a term of ten years…

In addition, Taranto also signed a trade agreement with Peucetia.

Taranto returning Manduria was actually a last resort. The Taranto Senate had discussed it beforehand and finally agreed unanimously: After the union of Messapia and Peucetia, Manduria alone can no longer stop the Messapian invasion because they can invade from the broader east of Taranto together with the Peucetians. Moreover, successive defeats have sharply reduced the number of existing citizens in Taranto. If citizens are sent to move to Manduria, not only will Taranto’s strength be diluted, but they will also be easily besieged without daring to rescue.

Before the negotiation, the two Archons had explicitly stated to Davos: To thank Theonia for its selfless help, they were willing to hand Manduria over to Theonia for free.

Davos was not shortsighted. His mind was very clear: This is Taranto wanting to drag Theonia into the water, driving Theonia to fight Messapia and Peucetia for a long time, shielding Taranto from wind and rain.

Davos certainly didn’t want to be this sucker. Moreover, with Theonia’s current strength, it did not possess the ability to fight on two fronts, so he tactfully refused.

Only then did Eumachus and Dicitimas use Manduria as a bargaining chip in negotiations, plus the trade agreement, to move Tremoni and finally force Pasimelus to compromise and sign a ten-year peace agreement.

When the agreement was signed, Tremoni made a small request, wanting to meet Theonian Archon Davos. However, Davos tactfully refused on the grounds that his injuries had not healed and it was inconvenient to see people, so Tremoni’s wish was not fulfilled.

***

While peace talks were underway in Taranto, the Senators of the Theonian Senate, after reading Davos’s reply, finally passed the resolution to support the Siro tribe.

When discussing the candidate for the envoy to Cosenza, Marigi immediately stood up, recommended Polyexis, and praised his eloquence, saying he would definitely persuade the Bruttian Tribal League of Cosenza to let Siro go.

Immediately after, Mersis and Philesius scrambled to praise Polyexis, considering him the best candidate for envoy.

This posture of the former mercenary Senators frightened Polyexis badly. He immediately felt: This is Davos’s confidants deliberately targeting me. If I really go to Cosenza and Marigi and the others cause trouble again, I’m afraid I won’t be able to come back!

He was naturally not a person who took risks easily, so he hurriedly stood up to refuse. Under the verbal siege of Marigi and the others, Polyexis did not hesitate to demean himself and almost said words begging for mercy.

Only then did Marigi and the others give up teasing him. Finally, Antaoris, who had newly joined the Senate and had no specific affairs yet, volunteered to go.

***

The Taranto coalition returned to Taranto with the released Taranto citizens and the remains of soldiers, which of course included Achilita’s pieced-together body.

After receiving a reminder from Archon Eumachus, the Taranto Senate even forbade the populace from leaving the city, allowing the Theonian army to return to camp smoothly.

After attending Achilita’s funeral, Davos and some of the remaining soldiers returned to Thurii by ship first.

***

After accepting the mission, Antaoris set off for Cosenza with three followers that afternoon.

He did not take the road west from Thurii through the mountain pass to Laos and then to Vergae. Although safe, most of the journey was mountain roads and took too much time. Instead, he chose to take the path on the south bank of the Crati River, go up the river to Besidiae, and then turn south to Cosenza.

After crossing the wooden bridge over the Crati River, Antaoris and his party walked west along the south bank. The terrain gradually rose, and the road narrowed. After passing the last checkpoint of Thurii, there was a dirt road ahead that allowed three people to pass side by side: on the left was a steep mountain wall, and on the right was a steep slope more than ten meters high, below which was the surging Crati River.

Antaoris looked down and saw the dark green river water roaring, constantly hitting the black-yellow reefs, making a soul-shaking loud noise. Millstone-sized whirlpools appeared and disappeared one after another; no one knew how deep the bottom was…

Antaoris felt his legs go a bit soft. The four people supported each other and moved forward carefully.

Some sections of the road were soft and collapsed due to rain soaking, even allowing only one person to pass.

The group walked for four hours, but it felt like a day. Their physical strength and energy were consumed extremely fast. Fortunately, the path began to descend gradually, and the road surface became wider and wider. Suddenly, the view opened up: continuous green mountains, the Crati River narrowing but flowing faster. Between the mountains and water was a relatively flat depression. On this relatively flat land stood a small city—Besidiae (Bisignano).

Antaoris and his party were stopped by Bruttian sentries at the exit of the road. Long after stating their purpose, they were escorted through the defensive camp blocking the intersection, entered the city of Besidiae, and were finally taken to the simple council hall of Besidiae.

Calling it a hall, it was actually just a larger thatched wooden house. Firewood was burning in the earthen pit in the center of the wooden house. In Thurii, the weather in early September was still relatively warm, and most people still wore thin, bare-armed, off-shoulder summer chitons. But in the mountains of Besidiae, not too far from Thurii, it was already somewhat cold. The fire pit could not only provide lighting but also drive away the cold.

The three people sitting around the fire pit all wore fur coats. The youngest one in the middle stood up, walked to Antaoris, and with a fierce look mixed with some curiosity, said, “Greek, what are you doing in the mountains?! Don’t you know we Bruttians don’t welcome you!”

After listening to the follower’s translation, Antaoris said calmly, “I am the envoy of Theonia. I am on a mission to Cosenza by order of the Senate. I have important matters to discuss with the Great Chiefs of Bruttium.”

“Important matters?! What important matters?!” he asked with interest.

Antaoris said seriously, “I’m sorry, I can only say it when I see the Great Chiefs of Bruttium.”

The young man’s face changed immediately. He shouted with a fierce look, “If you don’t say it, don’t even think about passing through Besidiae! I now suspect you are Greek spies! Men, take them down, give each person ten heavy lashes, and then lock them in the sheep pen!”

Antaoris and his followers’ faces all changed.

“Wait, Kanaru!” At this time, the man next to him stood up to stop him. “They are Theonians. Before Great Chief Nycou and the others reply, it is best not to harm these people!”