Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1039: Crotocatax's Task

With the demolition, clearing, and road reconstruction of Rome's old southern district complete, the remaining residential construction had been contracted to real estate merchants from the Chamber of Commerce. The construction officials only needed to supervise and inspect the work, which finally freed up the personnel at the Roman Construction Department.

The absolute priority of Rome's construction efforts, however, lay in its temples. Per Asistes's demands, the city's new temples were to roughly match the scale of the main temple in Thurii. Crucially, they were building not one, but two—the Temple of Hades and the Temple of Diana—a plan that had already secured King Davos's approval. Constructing temples of this magnitude required immense manpower and resources, a burden that Daionia, currently at war, would struggle to bear. Thus, after consulting with Asistes, the construction official Pasion decided to prioritize a stone bridge over the Tiber River. This would not be the original Roman Pile Bridge, but a new structure connecting the river's central island.

Ever since Daionia occupied Rome and forged a new allied order with the surrounding powers, peace and tranquility had returned to Latium and Etruria. Driven by Asistes's vigorous efforts, Rome had gradually opened trade relations with the wealthy Etruscan League to the north.

Two routes connected Rome to the northern Etruscan city-states. One was by water, relying on the Port of Ostia, which was currently under construction. The other was by land. The Roman Pile Bridge, however, had never been built for trade; narrow and made of wood, it was increasingly inadequate for Rome's expanding needs.

Therefore, Asistes turned his sights to the central island's two bridges, which had been destroyed during the war. Rebuilding them would serve as a form of compensation from the kingdom to the original residents of Rome. To this end, he suggested that Pasion complete one stone bridge by the start of the new year, to show the Roman citizens a revitalized atmosphere following their integration into the kingdom.

Pasion had given Asistes his guarantee. Upon accepting the task, he led his subordinates to survey the terrain, select a site, and draft the blueprints. Labor was plentiful, and materials were practically readymade. Rome's burned and demolished temples had left behind massive quantities of uniformly shaped stone blocks, and pouring the cement would take little time. Furthermore, the Department of Construction had built numerous stone bridges across the kingdom over the years, giving them extensive experience. Pasion considered a bridge of this size a foolproof endeavor. He never expected to hit a snag at the most critical moment.

"So... what do the engineers say? Can it be repaired quickly?!" Crotocatax asked urgently. Though he had been cramming construction knowledge lately, he was still a novice. Tomorrow, the administrative officer Asistes would personally lead the City Hall officials to the site to celebrate the stone bridge's completion. Thanks to Davos's long-term tutelage, Crotocatax understood perfectly well that this was no simple engineering project; it carried profound political significance. Naturally, he was anxious.

"We have to re-tamp the bridge foundation and reinforce the piers. They estimate it will take about seven or eight days..." Pasion hesitated for a moment before saying earnestly, "I need to go explain this to Lord Asistes right now. I hope... you can come with me!"

Although Crotocatax was currently Pasion's subordinate, he was fundamentally a prince of Daionia. Pasion always treated him with great courtesy, and now, needing a favor, his attitude was humbler than ever.

The two hurried to the administrator's residence in Rome, where Asistes quickly granted them an audience.

After hearing Pasion explain the reason for their visit, Asistes's face darkened. "I thought you came to see me this late to tell me, 'The Department of Construction has made all the preparations for tomorrow's celebration!' I didn't expect you were here to report a massive blunder!"

"Why wasn't this discovered earlier?!" Asistes snapped furiously. "You wait until the eleventh hour to say something! Tomorrow, it won't just be us City Hall officials. Many Roman citizens will be heading to the Campus Martius to celebrate. With the event hyped up to this scale, how are we supposed to clean up the mess?!"

Pasion's face turned deathly pale. His lips quivered, but he didn't dare make a sound. He only cast a pitiful look toward Crotocatax.

Asistes had always given Crotocatax the impression of gentle amiability. This time, however, the high-ranking minister of the kingdom revealed his stern and imposing side. Bracing himself, Crotocatax spoke up. "My Lord—"

Asistes immediately cut him off. "Crotocatax, don't speak. You haven't been at the Department of Construction for long. This matter has nothing to do with you."

Hearing this, Crotocatax knew Asistes was looking out for him, trying to shield him from the fallout. But this protection only made him cast aside his apprehensions and speak straight from the heart. "My Lord, as a junior official of the Roman Construction Department, I have followed Lord Pasion for the past two months, directly supervising the construction of this stone bridge. Since a problem has occurred, I naturally share a great deal of the responsibility!"

Asistes looked at Crotocatax's sincere attitude and guilty expression, then glanced at the deeply anxious Pasion. For a moment, he fell silent.

This silence left the two visitors feeling rather uneasy.

After a while, Asistes finally spoke. "The City Hall officials are easy to manage. If we delay the celebration for a few days, they will cooperate perfectly well. But the citizens of Rome and the surrounding towns will be rushing over in high spirits, only to see nothing and be persuaded to go back... How much resentment will they hold against City Hall?!"

Here, Asistes couldn't help but harden his tone. Ever since becoming Rome's administrative officer, he had exhausted his efforts over the past few months to painstakingly build up a measure of trust and authority for City Hall among the Roman citizens. The thought that it could all be destroyed in an instant over this blunder fueled his fury.

"My... My Lord..." Seeing Asistes's tone soften slightly, Pasion immediately spoke up in a nervous flurry. "Ordinary citizens won't be able to tell that the bridge piers are leaning. What they'll see is a complete stone bridge. We'll just block off both ends and tell them, 'For aesthetic purposes, the stone pillars on the bridge railings still need to be carved, so it is temporarily impassable...'"

"It seems you came prepared. Should I dispatch some sculptors to you as well?!" Asistes sneered, his voice dark. "Tens of thousands of citizens will travel from afar, converging on the banks of the Tiber River just to catch a glimpse of a stone bridge. Aren't you afraid their resentment will spark a riot?!"

Startled, Pasion didn't dare reply.

Crotocatax was young after all, his mind sharp and his reactions quick. He suggested, "My Lord, we Thurians are used to creating a lively and joyous atmosphere during the new year. Since the citizens will all be gathering tomorrow on the banks of the Tiber River by the Campus Martius, why don't we take the opportunity to host a competition? It will achieve the goal of celebrating while simultaneously diverting their attention."

"A competition..." Asistes was moved by the thought. He pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "Time is too tight. We simply won't have time to prepare..."

"How about fishing? Within a set time limit, we see who can catch the most fish, rank them, and give out rewards..." Crotocatax said immediately. He could offer this suggestion so quickly because in past early springs, Davos would take his family to the banks of the Crati River below King's Hill for a family fishing competition. The atmosphere was always incredibly warm and joyous, something Crotocatax missed dearly. Although it wasn't early spring yet, the temperatures had already started to gradually warm up, and the surface of the Tiber River hadn't frozen over. Fishing would be no problem at all.

Asistes was somewhat swayed by Crotocatax's words. After all, the preparations for a fishing competition were incredibly simple. As long as people had a fishing rod and sat by the river, it could proceed. The execution was highly feasible.

Asistes looked at Pasion once more, asking in a deep voice, "Are you certain you can have the stone bridge fully repaired within seven days?!"

"My Lord, I swear upon the name of Hades, I guarantee that in seven days, the stone bridge will be completely finished, ready for normal use without any issues!"

"Because of this blunder, I will first make a mark on your performance record. If the bridge construction still fails after seven days, your career in public office will be at its end!" Asistes warned coldly.

Pasion agreed profusely. Although a demerit on his performance record would impact his future promotions, he had at least managed to scrape by under the notoriously strict Asistes. Knowing that the bulk of the credit belonged to Crotocatax, he gave the Daionian prince a nod of profound gratitude.

"Go back and make your preparations. I still need to discuss tomorrow's fishing competition with Crotocatax." Asistes waved a hand to dismiss him. Not daring to linger, Pasion hurriedly took his leave.

Once only the two of them remained in the drawing room, Asistes's expression returned to normal. He sighed affectionately. "Your Highness, you shouldn't have come tonight. Pasion dragged you along simply to use your good heart to get himself off the hook..."

"Uncle Asistes," Crotocatax said earnestly. "I know Lord Pasion's intentions, but he truly has worked hard. Ever since he took on the heavy responsibility of building the stone bridge, he has been busy from dawn till dusk every day. I haven't seen him slack off in the slightest. Furthermore, he has looked after me exceptionally well, teaching me everything hand-in-hand... Both publicly and privately, I couldn't just stand by and watch Lord Pasion's prospects be ruined by a single mistake. He really has poured his heart and soul into his work to build this stone bridge properly!"

"'The Benevolent Prince'—you truly live up to the title the people gave you. Your Highness, you remain as compassionate as ever!" Asistes praised, a smile surfacing on his lips. "Ten days ago, His Majesty wrote to ask how you were performing in Rome. I lodged quite the complaint about you, telling him, 'He pays absolutely no attention to his image as a Daionian prince. The royal guards have complained multiple times that he refuses their protection. Instead, he toils every day alongside the Roman and Latin citizens recruited by the Department of Construction, learning their Latin language. Sometimes, when he works too late, he even buys extra food for their meals out of his own pocket...'"

"Later, His Majesty wrote me back. Care to guess what he said in his letter?"