In the corner, Theos and Dicopolis sat quietly enjoying their meal.

After finishing the fried beef on his plate, Theos called out loudly, “Please bring me a glass of wine.”

Receiving a response, he picked up the clean linen napkin on his left and wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth.

“Anyone who watched today’s public trial—” Dicopolis pointed with his fork at the diners arguing loudly around them, saying, “—is very angry, yet you seem calm.”

“What’s there to be angry about! In my former city-state of Corinth, such things were not uncommon.” Theos took the wine from the waiter, expressed his thanks, and continued, “Important positions in the city-state were held by nobles, and the election of generals always took place within those dozen families. Was it not the same for you in Kydonia? (Kydonia is a city-state on the island of Crete, at the westernmost end of the island)”

“That’s true, so I am as calm as you.”

Both laughed.

“However, you are wrong about one thing. Kydonia was only my former city-state; now I am a Theonian,” Dicopolis reminded him with feigned seriousness.

“As am I.” Theos smiled and raised his glass. The two clinked glasses lightly.

“However, there is one thing Polyexis did… that I agree with…” Dicopolis looked around, leaned in, and whispered, “Convening a Citizen Assembly.”

Theos looked at him without speaking.

Dicopolis continued in a low voice, “All decisions in the Theonian League are made by the Senate. We ordinary citizens can neither participate nor oppose; we decide nothing. Although ordinary citizens can become senators, according to the law, that path is simply too long! For merchants like us, running around outside all day, it is impossible to hold any public office. If—”

Dicopolis hesitated but still said, “If Theonia’s system does not change, I’m afraid… I’m afraid some merchants will leave. After all, having a lot of money but being unable to interfere in any decisions of the Theonian Senate always makes us merchants unwilling, right?”

Theos lowered his head to sip his wine, suppressing the surprise in his heart, and asked, “Are you included among those who want to leave?”

“Of course I won’t leave here!” Dicopolis said with certainty. “Here we have the best food in the Mediterranean! The best entertainment and sports! The best Grand Thermal Baths! And no invasive wars; it is simply an Elysium on earth! Why would I leave!” Dicopolis leaned back in his chair and said loudly.

“Well said, friend!” A red-faced, slightly tipsy man came over from the side, slapped Dicopolis hard on the shoulder, and shouted excitedly, “It is precisely because of Lord Davos that we have the beautiful city of Thurii today! Brothers, let us toast the great Lord Davos!”

After he finished speaking, the diners at the same table stood up and raised their glasses: “To Lord Davos!”

Influenced by them, other diners also stood up one after another.

“Lord Davos, ten thousand victories!”

“Salute to our great Commander!”

The originally noisy restaurant converged into a single voice.

After everyone finished toasting, someone stood up and joked, “To our damned Senate!”

Immediately, laughter and cursing arose again.

Dicopolis watched them making noise with a smile. Theos reminded him, “Theonia is not without the danger of war now!”

Dicopolis was stunned, then said, “You are worried about Syracuse?”

Theos nodded slightly.

Dicopolis waved his hand carelessly. “As a former Corinthian, I don’t think you should worry about this issue. In the Greek mainland, between city-states like Sparta, Athens, Corinth, Thebes, Argos… sending spies, bribing enemy councilors, even defending enemy interests in the Citizen Assembly… are such things rare?! If wars broke out over such trivial matters, the Greek mainland would have been in chaos long ago!… However, to be honest, the situation in the Greek mainland now is indeed terrible, especially in Corinth. I heard the Spartan army is stationed within Corinthian territory, frequently fighting the coalition forces of Corinth, Athens, Thebes, and Argos. People die every day… You are truly lucky to have come out early!”

Mentioning matters of his mother city-state, Theos was silent for a while before sighing deeply. “Yes, life is hard for the Corinthians… I heard the Spartan King Agesilaus, leading the troops fighting in Persia, has already landed in northern Greece and is preparing to go south. Together with the Spartan homeland army, they will attack from north and south. The anti-Spartan coalition is definitely in danger!… Speaking of which, I really should thank you properly. If not for your persuasion, I wouldn’t have decided to join Theonia so quickly!”

Dicopolis laughed heartily. “In that case, how should you thank me?”

This was meant as a joke, but Theos whispered, “A few days ago, I went to Lord Davos’s residence to discuss with him the donation for the stone bridge. You know, it was because I donated multiple times following Lord Davos, meeting the criteria of the new bill passed by Theonia in recent years regarding ‘Reward Clauses for Foreigners Donating to Public Buildings,’ that I became a Theonian citizen so quickly…”

“You are a big merchant now,” Dicopolis remarked.

Theos ignored the slight sourness in his words and continued, “Lord Davos asked me carefully about some merchants protesting in the square. Finally, he said, ‘This cannot go on; Theonia must change!’“

“He really said that?!” Dicopolis asked in surprise.

“Of course, I remember it clearly!” Theos said with absolute certainty. “Lord Davos has always been a man of his word!”

Dicopolis’s eyes flashed…

***

“My Lord, you were looking for me?” Aristelas walked into Davos’s study.

“Sit, Aristelas.” Davos pointed casually to the wooden chair beside him.

“Yes, my Lord.” Although Davos acted casually, Aristelas sat down respectfully.

Leaning half-back in his chair, Davos looked at his spy chief and said, “You’ve been with me for almost five years, haven’t you?”

“To be exact, it should be five years short of four months and nine days,” Aristelas said seriously.

“You remember clearly.” Davos laughed. “Following me for so long, haven’t seen you gain a bit of weight.”

Aristelas said helplessly, “This is just my constitution; I don’t get fat no matter how much I eat.”

“If Crystoia had your constitution, she would be overjoyed.” Davos chuckled.

He looked at this tall and thin young man with emotion. “You have followed me for so long. Even after becoming a Theonian citizen, you are still willing to continue collecting intelligence for me. With your ability, you are fully competent for any public office in the League… It can be said that you have silently made great contributions to the League! Just like this public trial case, I truly thank you very much, and at the same time feel very guilty!…”

Aristelas suddenly felt a little uneasy: Is Davos going to send me away?

Davos tapped the armrest of the wooden chair lightly with his right hand a few times and said slowly, “From now on, I can finally do something to repay your help.”

Aristelas almost choked on Davos’s sudden change of subject, only to hear Davos continue, “Aristelas, you know Syracuse very well. Tell me, if we go to war with that powerful city-state in Sicily across the sea, do we have a chance of winning?”

Aristelas’s anxious heart finally beat rapidly. Suppressing his excitement, he thought for a good while before saying, “My Lord, I believe there is still a considerable gap in strength between Theonia and Syracuse.”

Davos was not surprised by the content of Aristelas’s words. He was satisfied with his attitude: even harboring hatred for Syracuse, he could still analyze problems from an objective standpoint. “Oh, what kind of gap? Tell me in detail.”

“According to what you once taught me, my Lord, the strength of a city-state is judged mainly from four aspects: population, economic capacity, land area… um… and… mobi…”

“War mobilization capacity,” Davos reminded.

“I almost forgot.” Aristelas reorganized his thoughts and continued, “Currently in Sicily, except for a few westernmost coastal city-states like Lilybaeum, Eryx, and Panormus still controlled by the Carthaginians, other regions have been conquered by the Syracusans. Even the Sicels in the eastern interior were conquered by Dionysius through bribery, assassination, and other despicable schemes. Although the Carthaginians are still fighting fiercely with the Sicilian Greek coalition led by Dionysius at Solus, according to the latest news, the Carthaginians have suffered successive defeats, and retreat is estimated to be only a matter of time.

“Combining intelligence collected by our people sent to Syracuse, Gela, Agrigento, Leontini…” Aristelas paused, “…Catana, Naxos, and other city-states, along with information heard by Theonian merchants trading in various Sicilian city-states, we have a rough understanding of Syracuse’s strength—”

He paused again. Davos patted the armrest lightly. “Speak freely; I am quite bold.”

“The population of Syracuse city and its surrounding towns is about 400,000. Adding other city-states directly controlled by or affiliated with Dionysius, it might approach 1.3 million…” Saying this, he looked at Davos.

Davos looked calm and signaled him to continue.