When Asistes found Izam, he and his wife were covered in dust. Izam, recognizing Asistes as the personal secretary to the "amazing consul" Juleios—the man known for delivering Juleios’s orders to the troops—imdiately dropped his farming tools and ran over from the field’s edge.
Asistes chuckled at the sight of the unique Dukaya man, saying, "Izam, why are you working so hard in the fields? And you’ve even brought your wife along?"
Izam laughed, wiping his brow. "In two days, we’ll have our first city-state military training. I heard this session will be very strict, and after the training, the consul will teach us a fun new ga! I want to finish my farming work quickly so I can focus entirely on the training."
Half-jokingly, Asistes remarked, "Impressive! You’re starting to look like a real farr, even more Greek than us Greeks!"
Izam grinned, taking the comnt as a complint. "Farming is easy, but fetching water is a hassle—it wastes one of my slaves entirely!" he complained.
"I heard Lord Juleios has asked Alexis to gather carpenters to discuss building sothing called a ’waterwheel.’ Once it’s constructed and placed by the river, water from the Sinni River will flow directly to elevated fields like yours."
"Really? That amazing? What does this ’waterwheel’ look like?" Izam asked curiously.
"Juleios said it looks like a wheel, but for specifics, you’d better ask him yourself," Asistes replied with a shrug, admitting he didn’t know much more.
"How could I dare to bother the consul?" Izam said reverently. mories of Juleios’s leadership during the rcenary days flooded back. Initially, Izam had wondered how soone so young could lead a rcenary army. But as Juleios’s forces claid victory after victory, Izam’s admiration grew.
Stories of Juleios being "favored by the Divines" had circulated in the army, and so claid he was even a descendant of Hades. As a superstitious Dukaya man, Izam held Juleios in awe. When Juleios called for the rcenaries to follow him to Magna Graecia, Izam joined without hesitation, believing the "Son of Ruler" would lead them to greatness.
"Well, now you have the chance—Lord Juleios wants to see you," Asistes said with a smile.
"Really?!" Izam asked in surprise.
"Of course! Do you think I’d joke about that?" Before Asistes could finish speaking, Izam cheered loudly, leaving his face unwashed and his clothes dusty. He shouted a few words in Lucanian to his wife and sprinted toward Andolara.
When Izam arrived at Juleios’s residence, the consul greeted him warmly. "Izam, we et again! I heard the Senate granted you a house and land, and you’ve married. How’s life? Are you adapting? Have you cried because you miss ho?"
Izam relaxed at Juleios’s casual tone and eagerly recounted his experiences. Juleios listened attentively and then said, "You see, Greeks, Dukayans, and Lucanians can live together well, like one big family, don’t you think?"
"Yes, Lord Consul!" Encouraged by the conversation, Izam added boldly, "As far as I know, many of my comrades who married Lucanian won say they’ve found good wives. Although they’re not fluent in Greek, can’t weave, bake bread, or command slaves, they’re eager to learn. They even help their husbands with heavy labor and express their feelings passionately, daring to try all sorts of... things at night..."
Though the comnt veered into indecency, Juleios burst into laughter. "Exactly! Greek won are too traditional and reserved. Both sides should learn from and exchange with each other!"
Seeing Juleios’s casual deanor, Izam grew bolder and said, "But... these Lucanian won miss their families dearly and hope their relatives can regain their freedom soon."
Juleios maintained his cheerful expression, secretly pleased by this sentint. "Rest assured, the city-state does not mistreat their relatives. In fact, we take good care of them. As long as they abide by the agreent, they will gain their freedom when the stipulated ti cos. If they behave well, that ti might even be shortened. Families will reunite!"
"I will tell them that, Lord Consul," Izam nodded earnestly.
"Now, the reason I called you here is to ask if you are willing to take on a task," Juleios said, finally getting to the point. Fixing his gaze on Izam, he continued in a serious tone, "We need to understand the situation in the Lucanian region, but we currently know nothing about what’s happening there. Soone needs to infiltrate the area and gather intelligence. Asistes recomnded you."
"I’m willing to go!" Izam replied without hesitation.
Surprised by his quick response, Juleios cautioned, "This is a highly dangerous mission, potentially life-threatening. Are you sure you don’t want to think it over?"
"I’m sure!" Izam declared firmly. While he admired the sophistication of the outside world, the strict rules of military life often left him feeling stifled. He longed for the freedom of running through the mountains, sneaking up on prey. This was the perfect opportunity for him. "But, Lord Consul, please allow so ti to prepare."
"No rush. Take your ti to prepare carefully. If you return successfully, I will establish a mountain reconnaissance team and appoint you as its captain. Additionally, while you’re away, Cristoia will keep an eye on your household and ensure any difficulties are resolved promptly."
Juleios’s promises and consideration filled Izam with gratitude and excitent. "Lord Consul, don’t worry! I will gather accurate intelligence on the Lucanians and return safely. Please save the position of reconnaissance team captain for !"
Juleios, pleased by Izam’s confidence, thought back to his plans. Establishing a reconnaissance team had been on his mind recently. With the mountainous terrain of the Italian peninsula limiting cavalry scouts, a mountain reconnaissance team adept at scaling peaks and conducting covert surveillance could prove invaluable to the Andolaran army.
Bagul and his tribesn were busy constructing warehouses and inns for Andolara. Their work was divided into groups: one cut down trees, another polished stones, and yet another compacted the foundation.
The city-state’s craftsn instructed Lucanian slaves on foundation-laying and precise asurents. Supervising it all were Alexis and Heracledes, who carefully reviewed the blueprints and monitored progress.
Heracledes, once an apprentice to Hippodamus—the renowned Greek master architect—had participated in designing Tului. Years later, after facing political turmoil and personal hardship, he had been exiled from Athens and found himself struggling in Magna Graecia. Now, in Andolara, he saw an opportunity for redemption.
The weight of his past and the promise of a better future drove Heracledes to pour his heart into the construction, determined to finally create sothing lasting for himself and his son.
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