“They might say, ‘Oh, our great ancestors! It was your heroic deeds that gave us strength! It was you who inspired our confidence and allowed us to complete this unprecedented, great undertaking!’”

“Will such a day truly come?” Timasion’s breathing grew ragged, his fists clenched as he murmured the words.

The other generals were also captivated by the vision Davos had conjured, lost in the moment. But they did not know that in history, a few decades from now, a Macedonian named Alexander would use the very story of the Ten Thousand Greeks’ retreat to inspire his own soldiers as they embarked on the conquest of the Persian Empire.

While the soldiers were still mesmerized by the beautiful picture Davos had painted, he reached over and took a single wooden stick from Axistes. His tone shifted. “Soldiers, some of you may be asking, ‘Davos, what you say is all well and good, but there is a critical problem. First, we have to make it back to Greece in one piece.’”

Seeing that the soldiers were still listening with rapt attention, Davos continued, “On the matter of combat, I do not wish to say much. Because Chrysophus, Timasion, and all the other generals, as well as all of you, are rich in battle experience. Most of you took part in the war against Athens and were ultimately victorious. This is something the Persians, who have long enjoyed a life of ease, cannot compare to.”

Hearing this, Xenophon pursed his lips.

“What I want to say is that in such a difficult situation, each one of us is like this stick in my hand.” Davos held up the stick and, with a gentle application of force, snapped it in two. He then broke another. “It is easily broken. But when they are all gathered together—” Davos grabbed all the remaining sticks and walked to the edge of the stage, to a tall, strong soldier who was serving as a repeater. “Brother, what is your name?”

“Eubotas,” the soldier answered.

“Try and see if you can break these.”

The soldiers watched Eubotas with unblinking eyes. They saw his face flush crimson as he used all his strength to try and break the bundle of sticks, but in the end, it was in vain.

“Thank you, brother.” Davos patted his shoulder in gratitude.

Eubotas blushed and scratched his head in embarrassment.

“Soldiers, you have all seen it. A single stick can be easily broken even by a young man as thin as I am. But when they are gathered together, even the strongest warrior using all his might can do nothing to them. What does this tell us?”

Xenophon nodded. He now understood Davos’s intent. Of course, he was not the only clever one present. A soldier shouted from the crowd, “Unity! It’s unity!” Prompted by this, the others all began to understand as well.

“That’s right! It is unity!” Having come this far, Davos had completely let go of his inhibitions. His spirit soared, and he even changed his form of address. “Brothers, we come from all the different city-states of Greece. In normal times, we have some small disagreements and conflicts because of our different customs and personalities. But we are all Hellenes, of the same blood and the same people! In the face of this great goal of returning home safely and making history, all of our internal problems should melt away like ice in the sun! We must be like our ancestors who resisted the Persian invasion, tightly united, unshaken by the Persians’ rumors, and confidently entrusting our backs to our comrades for protection! We must not only be united in spirit, but we must also unite our wisdom. When we face difficulties on the road home, brothers, do not leave all the problems for the commanders to solve. You must proactively think of solutions. As long as we all think together, then no problem will be too difficult for us!”

“Brothers, let us unite as one man! Then the strength of this one man will be as mighty as Ares, his wisdom as profound as Athena! All enemies and hardships on our path will be easily crushed by us!” Here, Davos raised both his fists high and roared, “Brothers, remember this: as long as we are united, we can create miracles! Every step we take forward, we are making history! Let us fight side-by-side!”

“HURRAH!!!” The cheers from below shook the heavens and the earth, echoing on and on.

“Davos! Davos!” The entire assembly chanted his name, and many were so moved they shed tears. Some even pleaded, “Say a few more words! Davos, say a few more words…”

Davos had just started to walk off the platform when the soldiers surged forward. They lifted him up together and passed him from the front to the back, as if he were a general returning in triumph.

This left Cleanor, who was about to go on stage, completely dumbfounded. The soldiers’ morale had been whipped into such a frenzy, was there any point in anyone else going up?

“At least when it comes to public speaking, he surpasses every one of us,” Xanthipparis said with sincere admiration.

“Wars are not won with words. In the end, they are settled with spears and shields,” Timasion said, unwilling to concede.

Watching Davos being tossed into the air in the distance, Xenophon couldn’t deny a pang of jealousy. Hieronymus was not a skilled speaker, so Xenophon, with Chrysophus’s permission, had been preparing to speak on his general’s behalf. He had prepared meticulously, hoping to display his own talents before the entire army, but in this situation…

Chrysophus, in his heart, actually agreed with Timasion. The Spartans had always disliked the Athenians’ glib tongues, just as the Athenians disliked the Spartans’ old-fashioned stubbornness. But he also had to admit that Davos’s performance had exceeded his expectations. It had not only achieved but surpassed the goal of inspiring the entire army. It seemed that this young man’s election as a general was not just due to his divine reputation; he had real talent.

The company commanders from Menon’s contingent were likewise filled with a pleasant surprise. Watching Davos being surrounded and cheered by the soldiers of other contingents, even Amyntas, who had had his reservations about Davos’s election, couldn’t help but say to Antonios, “This new general of ours seems to be pretty good.” Before, he had always referred to Davos as “the little brat.”

Antonios smiled. Davos, oh Davos, you are always full of surprises.

***

In the end, Chrysophus went up on stage again to announce that they would break camp the next day and march north, and to inform the army of the necessary preparations and precautions.

The all-army assembly was thus concluded.

As the soldiers dispersed, they were still excitedly recalling Davos’s speech, all of them praising him. This “Hades’ Favored One” truly lived up to his name.

Amid a chorus of praise, the soldiers of Davos’s contingent surrounded their new leader, and with their heads held high, they returned to their camp, where they immediately began to proclaim his deeds to the soldiers who had remained behind.

Davos finally managed to escape the excited soldiers. As he was returning to his old tent, he suddenly remembered that Menon’s command tent was now his new home.

When he arrived at his new home, Mersis was standing at the entrance. He came forward to greet him, a strange look on his face. “Davos, there is someone inside waiting for you.”

“Who is it?”

“You’ll know when you go in.” Mersis gestured toward the tent with his chin, his expression rather lewd.

Curious, Davos lifted the tent flap. In the center of the tent stood a person. A woman. A tall, graceful woman with an exquisite figure.

Since his rebirth, Davos had seen his share of Greek and Egyptian women in Mersis’s baggage train and Herpos’s medical camp. Some were quite beautiful, but there had never been a woman who could stir a feeling of desire in him just from the sight of her back.

Where did Mersis find her? Davos couldn’t help but swallow hard.