Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1088: Rotating Chairman Cyprolus

At the residence of another Rotating Chairman, Cyprolus was somewhat surprised to see Hicetas at his door. He smiled and asked, "What, are you here about the Regional Administrator election too?"

Hicetas shrugged helplessly. "Lord Rotating Chairman, ever since His Majesty's announcement this afternoon, the Senate has been a boiling kettle. The arguments didn't even stop when the session adjourned. On my way over here, I saw carriages packing the streets... Everyone is scrambling for support in the Regional Administrator election. How could I just stand by and watch?"

"But you aren't even a Town Magistrate yet. Regional Administrator is too early for you." Cyprolus could speak this bluntly because of their history: after Syracuse was conquered, Cyprolus had served as the Wartime Governor of Sicily and rapidly stabilized the island's largest city-state—an achievement owed in large part to Hicetas. During the transition that followed, before a Town Magistrate was appointed, Cyprolus had governed in an acting capacity and relied heavily on Hicetas's assistance. This forged an excellent working relationship. Later, when Hicetas transferred to a post in Thurii, Cyprolus looked out for him, and over time, the two became good friends.

"It isn't for me, of course. It's for Syracuse," Hicetas said earnestly. "You know how well Lord Adriancus has governed Syracuse since becoming Town Magistrate. My relatives and friends there constantly praise him in their letters. Since the city's development is finally on the right track, I thought it would be better to elect him as Regional Administrator, rather than a Senator who doesn't know the region or its people. He could foster even better growth for the area. I came specifically to ask for your support."

"Hicetas, I've told you this before. You are a Senator of the Kingdom of Daunia now. You can't just keep your eyes glued to Syracuse and advocate only for its interests. You need to broaden your perspective and pay attention to the other towns. That is the only way you'll earn the recognition of His Majesty and the rest of the Senate!" Cyprolus reminded him sternly.

"I've taken your words to heart, and I'm slowly changing. Just the other day, I spoke up about the proposal to ally with the Frentani People and dispatch our navy to patrol their coast against pirates... But Syracuse is my foundation. If I don't defend its interests, the folks back home will curse me!" Hicetas said earnestly.

Cyprolus didn't press the matter. Seeing that Hicetas understood, he addressed the election directly: "You don't need to worry about whether Adriancus becomes the Regional Administrator of the Syracuse Region. He is one of the founding members of Daunia. He has more seniority and deeper connections than I do. If nothing else, the military Senators will back him completely. The real question is whether he actually wants the position. Instead of trying to convince me, you should be trying to convince him."

Seeing Hicetas open his mouth to reply, Cyprolus waved a hand. "You don't need to worry. After the session adjourned, His Majesty discussed the matter with the five of us Rotating Chairmen. For the sake of fairness, we decided to postpone the final election by ten days so the Senators currently serving as Town Magistrates can rush back to attend the vote."

"Then I can rest easy," Hicetas sighed in relief.

"The administrative deputy of Amendolara." At the mention of his post, Hicetas's face scrunched in complaint. "Amendolara might be small, but there is plenty of work. The worst part is that most of the citizens barge right into City Hall at the drop of a hat to complain. A paving stone cracked in front of their house... an irrigation ditch caved in... trivial nonsense. And you can't punish them for the intrusion. You just have to smile and fix their problems, all because every single one of them wears that little disk on their belt—"

"The Amendolara Founder Silver Badge." Cyprolus nodded in understanding. "The senior citizens of Amendolara hold a very special status in the kingdom. I wouldn't fare much better than you if I were stationed there. But after three years of this 'special training,' I'm sure you're well-versed in the kingdom's laws and highly proficient in town administration. Once the Regional Administrators are elected, quite a few Town Magistrate vacancies will open up. You must seize this chance to secure a promotion. That is the only way to advance your political career in the kingdom!"

Touched by his friend's sincerity, Hicetas replied earnestly, "Thank you for the advice, my lord! I will definitely fight for a promotion, and I hope I can count on your support!"

Cyprolus didn't hesitate to promise him. "Of course I'll speak up for you. Ultimately, Town Magistrate appointments are decided by His Majesty, but you've performed well in Amendolara. I don't think a promotion will be a problem."

"That's wonderful!" Hicetas's face lit up.

"By the way, how is your nephew Samolatis doing?" Cyprolus asked.

"Him? Same as ever. He has no interest in politics; he only wants to be a military officer. He currently holds an easy post as a firefighter in Amendolara, which leaves him plenty of time to focus on military training."

"Everyone has their own ambitions. If he serves as a legionary and eventually makes Legion Commander, he'll earn a seat in the Senate anyway. It's a fine path to take," Cyprolus said with a smile.

"But once war breaks out, who knows what will happen..." Hicetas sighed.

"Alright, it's getting late. You should hurry back," Cyprolus said softly. "It wouldn't look good for either of us if you stayed too long."

Hicetas didn't linger. He stood, bowed respectfully, and left the residence.

...

That evening in Thurii City, high-ranking officials weren't the only ones paying visits. Common citizens packed the restaurants and taverns, heatedly discussing the resolutions the Senate had promulgated that day.

As the news spread across the country over the following days, the same scene played out in towns everywhere.

The Minister of Patrol grew anxious and sought instructions from Davos. "Your Majesty, should we issue a temporary curfew to prevent any unrest?"

Davos considered it but refused. "There's no need," he said slowly. "We must trust the citizens of the kingdom."

Despite Davos's confidence, the Patrol Department didn't dare lower its guard. They urgently ordered the patrol offices in every town to dispatch extra manpower for the night shifts.

A few days passed. Aside from an uptick in nighttime drunks, a few more brawls among the port laborers, and localized protests from town council members, the kingdom remained fundamentally stable.

It was just as King Davos had said: "We must trust the Daunian Citizens!" Perhaps it was patriotism, a sense of responsibility, or the fear of actually being sent to garrison the borders. Or perhaps the six-percent tax was simply too trivial for the wealthy citizens to care about. Furthermore, Davos had already instructed the Intelligence Department to roll out a gradual, nationwide propaganda campaign. This systematically softened the public's aversion to the tax hike, leaving some feeling fortunate that the levy wasn't steeper.

In short, the citizens of the kingdom accepted the new tax calmly.

With the citizens remaining peaceful, the registered freemen and preparatory citizens certainly didn't dare cause trouble. If they acquired a criminal record, the new Immigration Act would make it incredibly difficult for them to ever become full citizens.

The only ones truly dissatisfied were the unregistered freemen hoping to join the Kingdom of Daunia. But scattered and disorganized, they posed no real threat. Besides, the new Immigration Act hadn't completely cut off their path to becoming Daunian Citizens—it merely steepened the climb. Once the disappointment, anger, drinking, and shouting subsided, they had to face reality and make a choice. Would they join the newly formed border army to earn citizenship faster? Would they stay safely within the kingdom and endure the long wait? Or, if they were too old to enlist, would they risk settling in Southern Iberia?

...

The calm domestic situation allowed Davos, who had appeared completely unruffled all along, to secretly breathe a sigh of relief. It meant he could host his good friend, the great Athenian scholar Plato, in a relatively relaxed mood.

Davos threw a banquet at the Royal Palace to entertain Plato and his prized disciple, Speusippus. To keep them company, he invited Ansitanos, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Lysias, the head of the Institute of Literature at the Theonia Akademia and an old acquaintance of Plato's from Athens.

"Missing your keynote speech at the assembly doesn't just fill me with regret—it takes a lot of the shine off the entire event!" Davos told Plato apologetically.