Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1097: Electing Regional Administrators (1)

Davos looked around, his gaze finally settling on Haca in the front row. He offered a slight smile of greeting, then nodded to Antaoris.

"Clang!" Antaoris struck the small Bronze Bell on the desk. Immediately after, the protocol officer standing before him shouted, "The session begins!" (In the past, the Rotating Chairman would make this announcement. However, with the ever-growing number of Senators, shouting over them all day became exhausting. Since the five Rotating Chairmen were older men, several had ended sessions hoarse or completely drained. Because of this, the task was eventually passed to a younger protocol officer.)

Antaoris then cleared his throat and announced loudly, "His Majesty's proposal to divide the kingdom's territory into nineteen regions has officially passed. Our primary agenda today is to elect the Regional Administrators for these regions.

"Because the Roman Region, the Southern Iberian Region, and the Western Sicily Region sit on the kingdom's borders, their situations are complex and volatile. For the safety of the realm, specific candidates have already been appointed. Asistes will serve as the Administrative Officer of the Roman Region, Bagulas as the Regional Administrator of the Southern Iberian Region, and Antonios as the Regional Administrator of the Western Sicily Region—"

A minor stir rippled through the hall. Davos had not previously announced a candidate for Western Sicily, leaving some to harbor their own ambitions. But the moment they heard Antonios's name, all those hopes were instantly dashed.

Though Antonios had made mistakes in the past, he had spent years governing vital towns across the kingdom. During the Western Mediterranean War, he had served as the Wartime Governor of the Dauni region, maintaining an iron grip over a newly conquered territory constantly harassed by Samnite raids. This was no easy feat, and it proved his exceptional administrative talents. Coupled with his decorated past as a high-ranking military general and his sheer seniority, it was no surprise that no one raised an objection.

"The remaining Regional Administrators will be nominated by the Senate in accordance with our traditional election rules." Antaoris paused before continuing. "However, there is one mandatory requirement when recommending candidates: anyone nominated for Regional Administrator must have at least four years of experience serving as a Town Magistrate!"

The Senate had established this rule during their previous session, primarily to guarantee that anyone elected to regional office possessed enough administrative experience. Naturally, this also completely shut the door on anyone who had only become a Daunian Senator after the Western Mediterranean War.

Regardless of the disappointment some might have felt, Antaoris raised his voice and pushed forward. "I hereby open the floor for the Regional Administrator elections! The first region up for consideration is the Corsica Region. Does anyone have a nomination?"

The protocol officer scanned the chamber. Eight Senators had raised their hands, and he selected the one with the highest seniority. (This was another new rule the Senate had adopted in recent years. Senators could no longer stand and speak at will; they had to raise their hands and wait for the protocol officer to call on them in order of age and seniority. This drastically reduced the chaos in the hall and greatly improved efficiency.) "Lord Stromboli!"

Stromboli rose to his feet and spoke at an unhurried pace. "I nominate Philocrates. Though he is relatively young, he boasts a wealth of administrative experience. He formerly served as a clerk in the kingdom's Census Department... ah, that was back during the days of the Daunian Alliance, so I suppose it shouldn't be called a kingdom back then..." Stromboli deliberately emphasized his candidate's deep roots before continuing. "Court recorder, official in the Department of Construction... Town Magistrate of Castron, and Town Magistrate of Sant'Ibinia.

"While his tenure as a Town Magistrate spans only five years, he is the sole administrative official in our kingdom to have managed a metal smelting center for an extended period. During his four years governing Sant'Ibinia, both the yield and quality of their metal production have increased year after year. He even received a commendation from His Majesty—"

As he spoke, the old Senator extended his left hand, gesturing toward Davos at the center of the hall.

Davos neither denied the claim nor nodded to confirm it. He had promised not to interfere with the regional elections, and he intended to maintain an absolute neutrality. A single casual gesture from him could easily mislead the Senate.

"For a territory like the Corsica Region, which relies just as heavily on metal smelting, I believe Philocrates is the best candidate!" Stromboli looked around the room, finishing his pitch with absolute confidence.

Five of the seven Senators who had previously raised their hands quietly lowered their arms. This wasn't because they genuinely believed Philocrates was the perfect fit for the Corsica Region, but because they could clearly hear Stromboli's unwavering determination to back him.

Following the passing of Cornelius, Stromboli had become the undisputed head of the Amendolara Faction within the Senate. Amendolara itself was merely a small city with a modest population, yet it held immense prestige within the Kingdom of Daunia. It was the very first town King Davos had seized after leading his mercenaries into Magna Graecia. Those early citizens of Amendolara had served as the foundation for the kingdom's entire expansion, and men like Cornelius, Raphias, Scambras, Stromboli, Tritodemus, and Protesilaus had all secured vital positions within the Senate.

Though Scambras, Cornelius, and Protesilaus had since passed away, the people of Amendolara had the advantage of entering the kingdom's political arena earlier than anyone else. Coupled with the fact that elder statesmen like Stromboli loved to mentor and uplift Amendolara's younger generation, a substantial percentage of the young men who steadily climbed the political ladder to eventually become Senators hailed from that city.

Even more crucially, over half of the original mercenaries had settled in Amendolara. They had married local women and adopted countless local orphans as their own. Because of these deep ties, several Senators within the Military Faction were practically considered sons of Amendolara themselves. As long as there were no conflicting interests, and in the absence of explicit orders from Davos, the Military Faction would firmly support whatever the Amendolara elders proposed.

Beyond that, as the earliest group to join Daunia, the men of Amendolara had enjoyed years of networking. They maintained solid relationships with Senators across various factions—a harmony largely built on the goodwill fostered by the late, mild-mannered Cornelius, who had helped countless people during his life.

Realizing they stood little chance against the sheer numbers of the Amendolara Faction, those five Senators voluntarily backed down rather than risk offending the fiercely protective old man.

Yet Stromboli couldn't breathe a sigh of relief just yet. From the front, the protocol officer called out, "Lord Vespa!"

Ever since Vespa had resigned from his post as Rotating Chairman, citing his frail health and advanced age, he had rarely attended Senate sessions. This was his first appearance in the hall in half a year; he had clearly come prepared.

"I nominate Damabas. He may be one of our younger Senators, but his roots in Daunian politics run deep. Shortly after His Majesty first arrived in Italy, a then-seventeen-year-old Damabas marched as a soldier under his direct command. He earned considerable military merit during the capture of Niutum and the defense against Crotone. It was only due to severe injuries sustained during the siege of Grumentum that he was forced to retire from the military and pivot to civil administration...

"As we all know, before the Corsica Region, Sardinia, Southern Iberia, and parts of Etruria were absorbed into the kingdom, our realm relied almost entirely on two main sources for metal: the Copper Mine in Thurii, and the iron mines in the western mountains of Grumentum.

"Damabas managed those iron mines for five years—a full year longer than Philocrates. He boasts a wealth of experience in mine management. Under his leadership, the mines provided a continuous and plentiful supply of iron ore and roughly smelted iron ingots. It was this work that ensured our soldiers were equipped with a massive supply of affordable weapons, making a great contribution to the kingdom's expansion."

Vespa paused to cough a few times. He turned to look at Stromboli, his expression mild, yet his words sharp and aggressive. "I believe that to serve as the Regional Administrator of the Corsica Region, one must not only possess the skills to manage mining operations but also the strength to govern and assimilate foreign cultures! Half the population of Alalia is Phoenician. Meanwhile, the northern section of Corsica is occupied by the Etruscans. Thus, the new administrator must be exceptionally capable of managing relations with our Etruscan neighbors and allies.

"Damabas has already served a three-year term as Town Magistrate of Poseidonia, followed by three years as the Town Magistrate of Pompeii. The Senate has widely recognized his achievements in both posts. Both of those towns contain complex, diverse populations, and both share borders with our allies. (Poseidonia's northeast borders Abellinum in the Samnite mountains; when Damabas first took office there, the Western Mediterranean War had just broken out, and Abellinum was only an ally of Daunia, not yet an autonomous dominion.) Damabas navigated these delicate situations flawlessly. Therefore, I believe he is the absolute best candidate for the Corsica Region!"

Vespa's arguments were undoubtedly the stronger of the two. However, he lacked volume, and his enunciation was muddy. This had always been a flaw of his, and rather than improving with age, it had only grown worse. As a result, the sheer impact of his speech was significantly blunted.