Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1086: A New Job

"Maximus! ... Maximus!" a voice shouted from behind.

Maximus glanced back in confusion. The man calling him was Gorgion.

This surprised Maximus. While he had frequented the street taverns over the past ten days and gotten to know the well-informed Gorgion, they certainly weren't close enough for the man to chase him down out of concern.

Guarded, Maximus asked evenly, "Do you need something?"

Gorgion stopped in front of him, entirely serious. "I want to talk to you about finding a job."

Maximus was no penniless refugee who had crossed the sea to Daunia for a better life. As a former Roman aristocrat, he possessed years of administrative experience, had fought in multiple wars, and would have soon secured a seat in the Roman Senate had Rome not fallen. With his political experience, he had noticed that every time Gorgion entered a tavern, the man subtly steered the patrons into arguments to spread specific information. It smacked of the very tricks Roman senators used to manipulate the masses. Recognizing that Gorgion was not a simple man, Maximus had deliberately kept his distance.

This proactive approach only spiked his vigilance. He immediately refused. "I'm sorry, I have to hurry home right now. I don't have time."

Gorgion raised an eyebrow, a flash of displeasure in his eyes before he smoothed his expression. "Five days ago," he said unhurriedly, "you were attacked by a Roman on your way to the Demos administrative hall in the West Outer District. If the Patrol Unit hadn't arrived in time to arrest the assailant, you would probably still be lying in a hospital."

Maximus hadn't breathed a word of the incident to anyone, afraid of worrying his family, yet Gorgion had just laid it bare. His face paled. "How do you know that?"

Maximus's face changed drastically. He had never imagined that the Romans who hated his "betrayal" would target his family. He almost wanted to rush home immediately, but he forcefully suppressed the urge. Staring straight at the man in front of him, he asked deeply, "Who exactly are you?"

Gorgion dropped his faintly mocking smile, his entire demeanor suddenly shifting. "Let me reintroduce myself," he said solemnly. "I am Gorgion, and I work for the Intelligence Department of the Kingdom of Daunia!"

The Intelligence Department of the Kingdom of Daunia? Hearing the name triggered an instinctive fear in Maximus—a lingering consequence of their relentless, night-long interrogations in the slave camp. He took a subconscious step back and asked quietly, "What... do you want to talk about?"

Gorgion glanced at his retreating foot, as if seeing right through him. Looking at him sharply, he said softly, "You should be well aware that your decision to act as an informant has drawn the hatred of some Romans. You and your family have become targets for their revenge. The only reason you are all safe right now is because of the secret protection of our Intelligence Department. But this protection is not indefinite!"

Maximus glared at him, though his eyes betrayed a hint of weakness. He heard the underlying threat, but Gorgion's words had struck at his greatest fear.

Gorgion casually shifted the subject. "Lord Teratus, the director of the Intelligence Department for the Thurii Region, once asked you to join us, but you refused. Freshly freed at the time, you must have believed you had better paths to take. But what about now?

Perhaps you have the patience to grind away in the kingdom for over a decade to earn the status of a full citizen? Or you could settle in the Southern Iberian Region, but that area is not yet fully stable—when the local tribes attack, will you be able to escape safely with your wife and children? Or will you ultimately decide to leave the kingdom and live somewhere completely unfamiliar?"

Every word battered against Maximus's mental defenses, causing his gaze to waver. After a long moment, he forced out a sentence: "...What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Join us." Gorgion's voice was quiet, but it carried weight.

Rome had never possessed a formal intelligence department, but many aristocrats maintained retinues specifically to pry into private affairs, incite the masses, and use underhanded tactics to seize commoners' land—doing all sorts of dirty work. Naturally, Maximus assumed the Kingdom of Daunia's Intelligence Department engaged in the same despicable business. Given his noble birth, he had instinctively looked down on it. Yet now, he seemed to have run out of options.

Emotions flickered across Maximus's face. He struggled with his hesitation for a long moment before asking tentatively, "...What are the benefits of joining you? Can it make me a full citizen faster?"

Gorgion's expression turned stern. "Even though our Intelligence Department serves King Davos directly, becoming a full citizen immediately is impossible—it is restricted by Daunian Law. However, we have far more opportunities to earn merit, which will allow you to become a full citizen much faster—"

"I seem to recall that you aren't a full citizen yet," Maximus noted with a hint of mockery.

Gorgion smiled faintly. "Actually, I have been one for a long time. For operational reasons, I simply let the tavern patrons believe otherwise."

"So, you being from Epirus and only arriving in Daunia five years ago... is all of that fake too?"

"Those details are true. However, shortly after arriving in Daunia, I joined the Intelligence Department and was dispatched on a mission to the Brindisi naval base in Peuceti. Later, during the invasion by the former Apulia region exiles from Epirus and the Peloponnese Peninsula, I earned their trust and served as their guide. In reality, I secretly reported every one of their marching routes to the Ninth Legion, ultimately leading to their annihilation. I earned great merit for that. Two years later, I became a full citizen and was transferred back to serve in Thurii..."

Gorgion spoke with considerable pride: "Our Intelligence Department might seem inconspicuous, but it is incredibly important. Whenever something major happens, never mind the City Magistrates—even the Wartime Governors and military commanders have to actively request help from our regional directors. Their military victories and political achievements all rely on our contributions. Just as King Davos said, we are the kingdom's heroes hidden in the dark, tirelessly guarding its security!"

Seeing Maximus fall into deep thought, Gorgion struck while the iron was hot. "Furthermore, if you join the Intelligence Department, even if you aren't a citizen yet, you will be one of us. Your family will receive our full protection. Your livelihood will also improve drastically, as you might carry out field missions under another identity, allowing you to draw a double salary..."

Maximus had taken the words to heart, which made it difficult for him to decide immediately. He hesitated. "Let me go back and think it over..."

Seeing that he was tempted, Gorgion added, "You had best decide quickly. The manhunt for the suspects who conspired to assassinate King Davos is almost over, and our protection over your family is also coming to an end."

Panic immediately seized Maximus. "I... I... I've decided to join you," he blurted out.

Gorgion flashed a victorious smile. "A wise choice! Report to the white courtyard next to the patrol station in the West Outer District tomorrow morning!"

...

That same evening, the estate of Lysias—one of the Senate's five Rotating Chairmen and the recently retired City Magistrate of Thurii—welcomed a distinguished guest: Milon, the City Magistrate of Catana. (Milon had taken over the administration of Catana after Cyprolus was reassigned to Thurii. Having just finished his tenure, he had returned to deliver his official report.)

Years ago in Crotone, Lysias and Milon had been political rivals, fighting fiercely for their own interests. Lysias had eventually won, and Milon was exiled from Crotone by the ecclesia. At the time, Milon had deeply hated Lysias. It was not until Dionysius led the Syracusan army to invade Magna Graecia that Milon was recalled to Crotone.

For the survival of their city-state, the two men had temporarily buried the hatchet and worked together. Once Crotone was absorbed into the Kingdom of Daunia, their conflict of interest vanished. Instead, as Daunian Senators born in Crotone, they found themselves needing mutual support in the unfamiliar Daunian political arena. This shared necessity ultimately thawed their hostile relationship. After more than a decade of interaction, these two former enemies with wildly different personalities had become true friends.

"Milon, you haven't come tonight because you're worried about tomorrow's report, have you?" Lysias asked with a smile.

"What is there to worry about? Catana has grown much more prosperous in recent years, and the Senators know perfectly well that a large part of that success is mine!" Milon said confidently, speaking straight to the point. "Alright, stop pretending. You know exactly why I came to see you tonight. The Regional Administrator! I want to become the Regional Administrator of the East Sicily Region, and I need your support!"

"The Regional Administrator of the East Sicily Region..." Lysias was not surprised. Stroking his chin, he mused, "It is indeed outside the regions where His Majesty needs to personally appoint the Regional Administrator."

(King Davos had proposed during today's Senate meeting that, because the Southern Iberian Region, the Roman Region, and the Western Sicily Region were located on the kingdom's borders and faced complex situations, he must personally appoint their Regional Administrators to ensure the kingdom's security and stability. However, the candidates for all other Regional Administrators would be freely elected by the Senators, without any interference from him. In reality, Davos had used the right to elect Regional Administrators to exchange for the passage of three other resolutions, and indeed, everything had played out exactly as he envisioned.)

"And since your tenure as the City Magistrate of Naxos, you have accumulated years of administrative experience. Your track record is solid, especially with your excellent performance in the last war. Furthermore, you are already very familiar with the situation in eastern Sicily. Logically speaking, your desire to be elected as the Regional Administrator of the East Sicily Region should not be a major problem..."