Bourkos noticed Juleios’s confusion and explained, "The city of Thurii is about twenty miles from the mouth of the Crathis River."
Juleios responded with a simple "Oh," before asking, "Thurii is at war with the Lucanians, so how are there still so many ships engaged in trade?"
"The Lucanians don’t have ships, so they can’t cut off Thurii’s mariti routes. Besides, the demand for supplies increases during warti, and these rchants are here to make money," Bourkos explained as the fleet gradually ca to a stop.
The lead ship advanced alone, soon rging into the cluster of white sails ahead. About an hour later, it returned and pulled alongside Bourkos’s vessel, bringing a man aboard.
"Bourkos, you’re finally back! I thought the Lucanians had scared you into moving to Greece!" The man walked over with a cheerful smile.
"Even the most timid among us haven’t fled. How could I?" Bourkos joked, giving the man a hearty hug.
"All going well?"
"Is Thurii safe?"
Both asked simultaneously and then laughed.
"Seeing how relaxed you look, Thurii must still be secure," Bourkos remarked.
"You know the barbaric Lucanians lack advanced skills. They can neither craft siege engines nor build ships. All they’ve done is destroy the villages and farms outside the city. Luckily, by autumn, the wheat had already been harvested," the man explained.
"Wait, did you say a plague?" Bourkos’s face showed alarm.
"The Lucanians slaughtered thousands of Thurii citizens and piled their bodies outside the city. Zeus was enraged and punished the Lucanians, while our people of Thurii remained unhard!" the man continued.
Bourkos hastily praised Zeus.
The man added, "Now that the weather is warming, they’ve started heading south again. Fortunately, Tarentum has sent reinforcents."
"As the advocate of the Magna Graecia Defense League, they should’ve sent troops earlier!" Bourkos replied.
"You can’t bla them. They had just repelled the ssapian invasion before dispatching 1,500 hoplites and 50 cavalry. Their commander is Archetas."
"Which Archetas?"
"Which one could it be? Of course, the son of Tarentum’s forr archon Histiaeus—the so-called genius of Tarentum!"
"Speaking of geniuses, I’ve got one here too." Bourkos pulled Juleios over and introduced him to the visitor. "Let introduce you. This is Juleios, a Thessalian and the commander of the Greek rcenaries on the Persian expedition." Bourkos spoke earnestly, then gestured to the man. "Juleios, this is Polyxis, a general elected by Thurii this year and my good friend!"
"Greetings, General Polyxis!" Juleios gave a polite bow.
"Welco," Polyxis nodded slightly before turning to Bourkos. "What did you just say? A Persian expedition?"
Seizing the opportunity, Bourkos glorified Juleios and his group’s feats, prompting Polyxis’s expression to change to one of admiration. "Incredible! Juleios, you’re so young yet accomplished such remarkable deeds! To lead soldiers back from the heart of Persia, surrounded by tens of thousands of enemies!"
Juleios replied humbly, "It was the collective effort of my comrades. Many perished on the way ho..."
"I invited Juleios and his troops to Thurii, hoping their rich combat experience would help us repel the Lucanians!" Bourkos said, justifying his high-priced hiring of Juleios’s force.
"You’ve co at the right ti. We’re currently planning a counterattack against the Lucanians," Polyxis said. "The General Executive Committee has approved your fleet’s unloading at the makeshift pier at the river mouth, and Juleios’s rcenaries can camp at the old site of Sybaris."
"What?! Camp at the old site of Sybaris?!" Bourkos’s face changed. He imdiately pulled Polyxis aside and whispered angrily, "Are you all insane?! Don’t forget the agreent Thurii made with Croton when it was founded—the ruins of Sybaris must not be touched! Otherwise, why wasn’t Thurii built on the site of Sybaris? That location is clearly better, with a superior port!"
"Every Thurian knows what you’re saying. But this was the decision strongly advocated by Cunograta, and the other generals agreed! The rcenaries you hired have already been camping there for nearly a month."
"Cunograta again! He expelled the Athenians, and now he wants to provoke Croton. Is he trying to destroy Thurii?!" Bourkos fud.
"It’s not as severe as you think. Decades have passed, and Thurii has always adhered to this agreent. The grass on Sybaris’s ruins has grown taller than a man. Now, Thurii is in turmoil, and this is just a temporary asure. Most of the land around the city has beco farmland and villages..."
"Didn’t you say the villages and fields outside the city were destroyed?" Bourkos asked pointedly.
"After the Lucanians retreated, everyone returned to their villages to rebuild. Otherwise, crowding everyone inside the city would lead to problems sooner or later! As for the fields, the farrs have already sown wheat seeds. Without them, there would be no harvest this year."
"What if the Lucanians co back?" Bourkos asked anxiously.
"That’s why we’re discussing how to drive them away," Polyxis replied.
Bourkos stared at Polyxis for a long mont before finally saying, "It seems the current generals are united and bold! Have you all forgotten last year’s humiliation?"
Polyxis looked embarrassed and remained silent.
Thanks to the pre-cleared channel, Bourkos’s fleet entered the river mouth smoothly. However, disembarking was troubleso, as there was only a simple pier.
Bourkos, Juleios, Phelicius, Asistes, and the guard unit disembarked first. Standing on the soft ground, they swayed unsteadily after a long ti at sea.
Phelicius bent down, grabbed a handful of soil, and rubbed it between his fingers. Ignoring the fishy sll, he sniffed it with an intoxicated expression, as though holding a delicacy. Holding it up to Juleios, he exclaid excitedly, "It’s black!"
Juleios, understanding his aning, exclaid before Bourkos could, "This truly is fertile land!"
Bourkos proudly said, "Of course! The Sybaris Plain is nourished by several rivers, including the Crathis. The land is fertile, flat, and expansive—the best in the region. Otherwise, where would Sybaris’s luxurious lifestyle have co from?"
The group moved away from the riverbank and, after a short walk, saw a cluster of ruins amid the tall grass. This was the old site of Sybaris.
Juleios stopped in front of a large stone. Though covered in moss and greenery, the faintly visible intricate patterns and reddish hue on its smooth surface revealed it was fine marble. Looking around, there were many such stones scattered here, hidden under grass or half-buried in soil.
In Greece and Italy, white marble was common, but red marble was rare and highly valued. Juleios remarked casually, "What excellent materials! Why didn’t they use these when building Thurii?"
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