Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1078: Renting a House in Thurii

Later, some shrewd private landlords approached the Census Department to negotiate, eventually reaching an agreement. These landlords could post their rental information at the census office, where clerks would recommend them to seekers. In exchange, their rental prices were subject to Ministry of Commerce oversight, taxes had to be paid on time, and properties had to pass safety inspections by the Office of Public Works. Although this cost the landlords something, having the backing of kingdom public departments naturally made their properties popular among renters. Eventually, other landlords had to join in or see no business. As a result, the kingdom's chaotic rental market gradually became standardized.

Of course, managing public housing and recommending private rentals was a highly lucrative position. Corruption and bribery were inevitable, especially in Thurii. The tribunes had reported these abuses numerous times, sparking King Davos's fury. He ordered Sesta, the minister of inspection, to personally oversee the matter. Only after severely punishing a batch of census officials was this wicked trend suppressed. Even now, this sector remained a prime target for the tribunes' scrutiny.

The census clerk was so happy to see someone looking for private housing because, upon a successful rental, some landlords would express their gratitude—perhaps treating him to a meal or sending a basket of fruit. Because these gifts were so trivial, the Ministry of Inspection rarely bothered to intervene.

While the census clerk recommended the better private rentals, Maximus tuned him out. After all, he could read, and he already had specific requirements in mind. First, the place had to be large enough for his family of four. Second, the rent needed to be cheap. His savings were modest, and he planned to spend most of his money on his children's education. From what he understood, it would take him at least five or six years to become a Daionian Citizen. During that time, his children wouldn't be eligible to attend a Daonian School; they could only enroll in private academies. Though the tuition was expensive and the quality somewhat lower, he couldn't just let his children waste these years.

Maximus scanned the densely packed rental listings on the wall and narrowed it down to five or six targets. He then fished out 10 Obols to buy a small sheet of Papyrus (a single sheet didn't actually cost 10 Obols, but this included the census office's service fee). He copied down the addresses, thanked the clerk, and left the office. Taking his family along, he followed the addresses on the Papyrus to track down the landlords.

The first landlord he found was a widow. Her husband had been a soldier in the First Legion who died in battle in Latium. She had never remarried. Raising three children on her own, she relied on the 30 mu of land in the Sybaris Plain her husband had left behind. By having her slaves farm the land while she rented out rooms, she managed to live a decent life.

But when she saw that the prospective tenant was a Roman, she immediately refused to rent to him. Her husband had died on a Roman spear, and she still harbored a deep resentment over it.

Left with no choice, Maximus walked away.

The second landlord he found was a disabled man—a former soldier in the Second Legion. He had been severely wounded in the war against the Romans and had both his feet amputated. He recognized Maximus as a Roman at a glance and chased him out of the house without even giving him a chance to speak.

He finally found the third landlord. It was a middle-aged man. Seeing the awkward way the man walked, Maximus deduced he had a crippled left leg. A bad feeling washed over him.

Sure enough, the moment the middle-aged man saw him, he declared, "You must be a Roman!"

Maximus's chest tightened, but he had no choice but to tell the truth. "...Yes, I am a Roman. I just gained my freedom and plan to settle in Thurii, so I'd like to rent your house."

The landlord didn't answer immediately. Instead, he sized Maximus up and said with a sigh, "Many people think Romans and Latins are the same race, that they look identical and are hard to tell apart. But in truth, Romans are very different from Latins. They're more confident, more imposing.

"Five years ago, I was a centurion in the First Legion. I fought in that massive war and clashed with several different races. In my memory, the battles against the Romans were the hardest of all. Much harder than fighting the Carthaginians later on!

"Among them, the defense of Ostia is something I will never forget. I still remember when your Roman army launched a full-scale assault on the City of Ostia. We'd barely repel one wave before another would surge up... We fought straight through to dusk. The soldiers were so exhausted they couldn't even stand. Seeing the heaps of Roman corpses littering the base of the walls, a lot of us thought you'd taken heavy casualties and would rest the next day. Who could have guessed that at the crack of dawn, you'd blow the attack horns again? You launched furious assaults like that for three days straight!

"...That was when my left leg took this injury... Watching my familiar comrades fall one by one, I really thought I was going to follow them to the Underworld. I never expected His Majesty to order our retreat and burn down Ostia... A lot of us in the legion were furious and unwilling to accept it! Because it was the first time since the First Legion's founding that we retreated in the face of an enemy attack. Even though it was His Majesty's command... I have to admit, if we had kept defending, the First Legion probably would have suffered catastrophic losses..."

Hearing the landlord's laments, Maximus stayed silent for a long time before murmuring, "...I was a centurion in the siege forces back then. It was those few days of fighting that shattered our confidence... and ultimately led to our defeat..."

"Well, at least we both belong to the same kingdom now, and we don't have to fight anymore!" the landlord said, comforting him. He then added, "You're here to rent a house, right? That's fine. What's your price range?"

Maximus had thought this attempt was doomed too, but the landlord's words brought a pleasant surprise. He quickly replied, "I'm hoping to rent a room in that building near the Asinu-Amara arena. The one priced at 8 drachmas a month."

The landlord was about to speak when a servant standing nearby stepped up and whispered in his ear. Looking slightly surprised, the man asked, "You'll be living with your wife and two children?"

Maximus nodded. "They're waiting just outside the door."

The landlord thought it over. "The rooms on the top floor are cheap and spacious, but they're made of wood and sit up high. At night, they don't block the wind well. It gets cold, especially in winter. Your children are young; I'm afraid they'd catch sick easily... How about this? In that same building, there's a vacant room on the third floor that hasn't been rented out yet. It's a good size. The original rent was 25 drachmas, but I'll lease it to you for just 13 drachmas a month. What do you say?"

Startled, Maximus didn't immediately jump at the offer. Instead, he asked cautiously, "Why would you offer such a huge favor to a stranger?"

The landlord didn't take offense at his hesitation. Instead, his expression grew serious. "Because you are a Roman, and one who fought against us. Your bravery earned my respect. More than that, you came seeking my help, yet you boldly admitted that you were once my enemy. That kind of honesty puts me at ease. Furthermore—"

The landlord studied him closely before saying with certainty, "You must have been performing hard labor in the slave camp before this. By all logic, you shouldn't have gained your freedom before the Festival of Hades, but you did! You must have performed exceptionally well to earn a pardon. I might lose a little money, but getting to know a Roman worth befriending is well worth it in my eyes!"

The landlord's candor moved Maximus. He bowed solemnly. "Thank you for your trust. I would love to rent that third-floor room. My name is Maxi... I am Brutus Maximus."

"Nisidamas. I'm currently the mayor of the village south of the slave camp. It's a pleasure to meet you." The landlord returned the bow with equal earnestness.

Maximus wasn't the least bit displeased that the landlord had only given a first name. From what he knew, many Daionian Citizens had started out as refugees or slaves. Now that they were first-generation kingdom citizens with proper status, they didn't want to use their lowly fathers' names as their family names. Instead, they wanted their own names to serve as the family name for their descendants. Therefore, they kept only a single name without a surname, a practice permitted by King Davos.

Nisidamas had his servant lead Maximus and his family to the rental building.

The building was situated a short distance north of the Asinu-Amara arena, right along the main road. The area bustled with heavy traffic and was extremely prosperous, which naturally drove up the rents for the apartments here.

The layout of this rental building was the "hollow-square" style, the most common type in Thurii's outer districts. It was originally designed by the Department of Construction engineers for public housing. Because it maximized space to provide more housing while accommodating businesses and ensuring security, it quickly gained popularity across the densely populated outer districts.

The main structure of the building was made of stone. Standing roughly 13 meters tall, it boasted five floors. The ground floor housed shops and offices, while the upper four floors served as residential units. The roof could be used for storage, though private landlords often built wooden attics on top to squeeze out extra profit. The center of the building featured an open-air courtyard, ensuring that both sides of the inner corridors received plenty of sunlight and fresh air.

Maximus followed the servant into the building. The first thing he saw was a square pool situated in the open central courtyard. Clear water continuously spouted from the mouth of a Statue that was likely a Greek deity (Poseidon). Right in the center of the pool stood another Greek deity Statue, and this one he knew very well—Hades, the patron deity of the Kingdom of Daunia.