"Those are our Dionysian spoils, and have nothing to do with Laos and Castellon!" Butler imdiately objected.
"Bagule, don’t be impatient. Do you know what the Dionysian Alliance Covenant stipulates?" Davos asked patiently.
Bagule shook his head. He had only been a Dionysian citizen for half a year and had not yet fully understood the alliance laws, let alone these treaties.
"When the Dionysian Alliance goes to war, all allies must send troops to participate, and the spoils obtained must be distributed fairly..." Asistes said on the side.
"That’s right, a fair distribution!" Davos emphasized loudly: "As an ally of Dionysia, Laos imdiately sent 3,000 n, led by Archon Avinogenes, upon learning that we had declared war on Crotone; and Castellon not only rejected Crotone’s solicitation, but also provided us with trendous assistance in the battle. These two allies gave Dionysia their full support in the war. Are we Dionysia so stingy that we can’t even give them a share of the spoils? Then which city-state will be willing to fight with us in the future! I think it doesn’t matter even if we divide all the spoils among them, because we still have sothing more precious--"
Davos slowly uttered a word to Hieronymus, Bagule, and Asistes: "Land!"
The three imdiately understood: the spoils can be shared, but the land won in the war belongs exclusively to Dionysia. Dionysia using the soldiers of the allies to expand its territory is actually a very cost-effective deal.
"Commander, speaking of land, there’s sothing I need to report to you." Asistes interrupted, "Many Lukalia soldiers of the Third Legion feel that the mountains around Asprustum are very suitable for grazing, and the grazing conditions are even better than those in Nieutum. They’ve asked for a share of the land here."
"You an they’re asking for a ’share of land’ for themselves?" Davos reacted very quickly and imdiately understood what Asistes ant.
"Yes." Asistes said embarrassedly, "Because their tribe has already been allocated a settlent in Niutum, so I don’t know if they can get more land individually?"
Davos did not answer directly, but looked at Bagula and asked, "Do you know about this?"
"I know." Bagula answered truthfully, "Asistes discussed with that most of the warriors who asked for their own’shares of land’ ca from the various tribes in Niutum. They saw that the Greek soldiers could own their own land, but they had to share it with the tribe, so they asked to’leave the tribe and live alone’."
Davos looked at him and continued, "Do you think their request makes sense?"
"I think it’s very reasonable!" Bagula answered without thinking, without considering how Davos would feel after hearing it, which made Asistes a little worried: "The’shares’ that the warriors fought for should have been their own, and independence would be more conducive to their integration into the Dionysian Alliance."
Davos smiled, "I’m glad you think so! But what would the leaders of the Lucanian tribes think?"
"I don’t think they will object." Bagul had obviously thought about this issue. He said, "In the past, the Lucanian tribes recruited people in order to survive and grow themselves. Now they are under the protection of the Dionysian Alliance and no longer face a crisis of survival. On the contrary, the departure of these soldiers will make the land in the hands of the tribes richer, which is a good thing."
"I agree to divide it among these Lucanian warriors who demand independence." Davos’ words made Bagul and Asistes look happy, but Davos paced back and forth while thinking: he was happy to see these Lucanian tribes broken up and eventually integrated into the alliance, but he was worried that excessive actions would arouse the resentnt of these small tribal leaders, which would be detrintal to the future infiltration of Dionysian into the northern Lucanian region, so he had to be cautious: "But before that, after returning to Thurii, I will first let your father and Hermon go to Niutum to test the attitudes of those tribal leaders and try to persuade them. Therefore, the distribution of these soldiers’ shares may be delayed..."
Bagul and Asistes agreed.
"If so of the Third Legion’s soldiers also settle here, it will be very difficult to train and assemble the entire legion in the future!" Hieronymus objected.
Davos smiled and said, "Not just the Third Legion, I’m afraid quite a few soldiers from the First and Second Legions will also settle in Asprustum and Crimissa. We’ve acquired so much land so quickly. If we don’t distribute it to the legion’s citizens who have made military achievents, prospective citizens, and registered freen, are we going to leave the land idle and open it to the enemy? By the ti the land is distributed, I’m afraid there will be more than just three legions... I will gather with Philisius (military officer), Raphias (registration officer), Burkos (agricultural officer), you, Capus, Drax, and the captains to discuss a suitable plan for the specific personnel arrangents and organization..."
Hieronymus reluctantly agreed. Bagule and Asistes were excited: the expansion of the team ant they too had the opportunity to beco legion commanders.
At this mont, Davos realized that in less than a year since arriving in Thurii, they had already experienced four wars. With these successive victories, their land, population, and army had expanded so rapidly! Perhaps it was ti to stop and properly integrate the alliance!
"Hey, isn’t that Aristocrates!" Izam suddenly exclaid.
Everyone hurried to look below the city walls and saw Aristocrates on horseback, approaching the moat, ready to wave at the gate.
It was almost dark, and Aristocrates had co to see him. It must be sothing important! Thinking of this, Davos hurried down the city walls.
Just as he reached the city gate, Aristocrates had already entered. Seeing Davos, despite his fatigue, he bead. "Master Davos, today’s letter from Thurii brings great news! Congratulations, your wife gave birth to a son yesterday morning!"
Davos was ecstatic, taking a deep breath, his excitent undimd. "A child! I have a child! My child!!!" Davos punched Hieronymus beside him and shouted excitedly.
"Congratulations, sir! This is Hera’s blessing!!!" Hieronymus, Bagule, Asistes, and the others, including the soldiers who knew the news, all congratulated Davos.
Davos was grinning from ear to ear, hugging each of them warmly to express his joy, and teasing them: "You need to work harder and not fall too far behind ."
He then planned to rush back to Crimissa with his guards, quickly arrange everything, and then return to Thurii at night. However, Hieronymus and others strongly opposed this, even forcing him to stay overnight in Asprustum, even against Davos’s wishes. It was already dark, and returning now would an going downhill and crossing a dense river. Moreover, the war had just ended, and if anything unexpected happened, they would have no way to explain it to the people of Dionia.
............
The next afternoon, Christoya fed the child and fell into a deep sleep.
Assuna had just been holding the child in the courtyard for a while in the sun when she discovered that the child had defecated. She had to return to the outer bedroom, scrub him clean with warm water, change him into a fresh diaper, and order the other female slaves to wash the dirty clothes.
Then, she placed the child back in the crib and crouched beside him, singing to him. Gradually, the child closed his eyes, and Asuna took advantage of the mont to nap beside him. Drowsily, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder: "Asuna!"
She jolted awake, looking back in disbelief. "Master, you’re back!"
Davos gestured for silence. "How’s Christoya?" he whispered.
"Lord Helps says she and the child are both healthy, but the mistress needs so ti to recuperate. She’s asleep in her bedroom," Asuna whispered, stepping aside. "Master, co and see the little master. He’s adorable!"
Davos tiptoed closer, examining his child with a mixture of excitent and curiosity. Though a child, just a few days old, had red, wrinkled skin, hardly a pretty sight. But Davos was so captivated that he couldn’t help but reach out a finger and gently touch the child’s rosy, tender face.
The sleeping child, seemingly feeling an itch, scratched his face with his tiny hands.
Davos, amused, nudged him again.
As he did so, the child opened his large, bright blue eyes. Father and son locked gazes, and the child pouted and burst into tears.
Davos was a first-ti father, completely inexperienced and at a loss for words.
Asuna calmly picked up the child and began to soothe him gently.
"Asuna, is the baby hungry again?" Kristoya’s soft voice echoed from the bedroom.
"No, the master is back!" Asuna exclaid excitedly.
"Ah!" Kristoya exclaid in surprise.
Davos hurried into the bedroom and saw Kristoya lying on the bed, a little exhausted, but looking well.
"You’re back!" Her eyes sparkled with joy.
"I’m back!" Davos sat down beside the bed, leaning over to kiss his wife.
"Thank you for your hard work!" he said softly.
Christoya propped herself up and nestled in Davos’s arms, her face filled with happiness. "Did you see our child?!"
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